Legislation and registration of pesticides for plant protection in Zimbabwe

A paper on the legislation and registration of pesticides in Zimbabwe in order to safeguard occupational health.Pesticides used in Zimbabwe are registered in terms of the Pesticide Regulations of 1977, under the provisions of the Fertilizer, Farm Feeds and Remedies Act (Chapter 111) and are placed in Group II or III of the Hazardous Substances and Articles Act (Chapter 322). The pesticides are divided into four classes depending on the basis of their acute oral lethal dosage (LD50) and persistence after application. Green, amber, red and purple triangle pesticides have oral LD50 of greater than 2001, 501-2000, 101-500 and 0,1-100, respectively. By 1991, 268, 103, 85 and 96 formulated pesticides were registered in the green, amber, red and purple triangle categories respectively. The registration of pesticides is done by a Registrar in the Plant Protection Research Institute in collaboration with the Hazardous Substances and Articles Control Board. Protective clothing which is required when handling pesticides range from long-sleeved overalls and rubber gloves u'hen mixing green triangle pesticides to a waterproof jacket and trousers, rubber boots and gloves, face shield or hood and a respirator when handling purple triangle pesticides

Studies of Capsaicinoids Contents of Locally Grown and Commercial Chilies Using Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Capsaicinoids are a class of compounds responsible for the heat of hot peppers. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin have the highest burning effect. The aim of this work is to separate and quantify the two major capsaicinoids in fruits harvested at different stages of development and at different seasons. Simple and rapid HPLC method involves 73:27% methanol water mobile phase with C18 stationary phase and UV-Vis detector set at 210 nm. The method showed good reproducibility with 1.74% - 4.72% relative standard deviations, a linear response within 0.65–45.5 and 0.25-17.5 μg/mL for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, respectively. The method achieved average recovery of 106% for capsaicin and 102% dihydrocapsaicin. Determination of capsaicinoids in four naturally grown chili and commercial source habanero were analyzed. The amount in the sample ranged from 1184-8156 μg/g for capsaicin and 430-3299 μg/g for dihydrocapsaicin

Investigating the commercial community press: the influence of commercial factors in audience selection by Caxton Community Newspapers

ABSTRACT This study investigated the extent to which commercial factors, such as the need by newspaper publishers to generate and multiply profits to sustain viability and meet shareholder demands, influenced the selection of communities in Soweto as target audiences by community media publisher Caxton Media in the launch of its Urban News community newspapers series. The research is framed in the context of the growing trend of media commercialism, which has gradually expanded to the previously non-profit community media sector, and looks at how community newspaper publishers have employed various strategies, including targeting the most lucrative and segmented audience markets that are of the most value to advertisers, to maintain and increase profitability. It also examines whether or not community media publishers, while pursuing these profit motives, are able to maintain the thrust of what community media should be and how it should operate. The findings show that despite the perceived ‘normative’ ideals of putting the needs and interests of the community first, commercial factors were the primary factors that Caxton considered prior to the launch of the Urban News community newspapers. Contrary to the hypothesis of this study, it was also found that in a commercial community media setting, profit motives can tie in quite well with the ideals of community media if a link is found between editorial content and advertising content

Education and development

A conference paper illustrating the structure and nature of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zimbabwe.Center for International Development Studies, University of Osl

An analysis of indigenous knowledge systems: implications for agricultural extension education with particular reference to natural resource management in Zimbabwe

The objective of the study was to develop a theoretical framework for analyzing and utilizing indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) information on natural resources in agricultural extension education. IKS are characterized by an integrated system of cognition, beliefs, values and practices that are pervasive in life. The emerging aspects of cognitive psychology and emic-etic perspectives required to handle IKS corresponded to a confluent curriculum. This curriculum integrates the affective domain with the cognitive and psychomotor domains to add meaning to what is learned. The confluent curriculum approach was modified to highlight the philosophical and psychological (beliefs and values) needs to facilitate the recognition, acceptance and utilization of IKS by institutions, professionals, and farmers in extension programs;Qualitative research methods were used to collect data. The data include oral literature (proverbs) and secondary data. In addition, ethnographic data using unstructured interview format was collected between 1985 and 1988 in rural areas of Zimbabwe;Literary and content analysis and intellectual history technique were used for organizing and analyzing data;Major findings of the study are: (a) IKS are integrated systems of cognition, values, beliefs and practices; (b) knowledge reflecting the behavior of humans vis-a-vis the environment is often encapsulated in proverbs, taboos, myths, rituals and ceremonies that are seen as illogical or superstitious from an emic-etic perspective; (c) extension education and training and practice lack an emic-etic perspective to conduct meaningful dialogue with clientele; (d) a confluent curriculum can promote an emic-etic perspective; and (e) generation of knowledge and values relevant to contemporary environmental demands is a possible joint Research and Development (R & D) venture between professionals and farmers on the basis of IKS

Black South African men’s adjustment to divorce: a divorce-stress-adjustment model

The decision to divorce marks a turning point for each individual involved. It can be viewed as more than just a legal process. From a psychological perspective, it does not matter who initiated the divorce, it always comes with emotional ramifications for all those involved. Statistically there is a high rate of divorce in South Africa and there have been significant shifts in trends over time. However, black South African men’s experience of, action in, and adjustment to divorce has been relatively neglected in the divorce research, yet it is important for understanding contemporary social arrangements and processes, as well as for broadening the understanding of black South African men’s lives. How black South African men describe their situations and respond to marital dissolution may point to their positions in the gender-structured community and to how they interpret the nature of social practice, marriages, divorce and their position in society. The present study aimed at exploring black South African men’s experience of, and adjustment to, divorce. More specifically, the study developed a divorce-stress-adjustment model for divorced black South African men. The theoretical framework underpinning this study was that of Symbolic Interactionism that was complemented and enhanced by Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, focusing specifically on identity development in adulthood. This was a qualitative study using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as both the research design and data analytic theory and process. The eight participants were volunteers who were recruited purposively. In accordance with IPA guidelines, data for the study was collected using biographical questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The emerging themes were grouped into four superordinate themes, that is, pre-divorce experiences, experiencing divorce, adjustment process and post-divorce experience. Each superordinate theme had corresponding subordinate themes and subthemes. The themes were then used to develop the divorce-stress-adjustment model indicating that the experience of divorce is an interconnected process. Weed’s recommendations for interpretative synthesis of interview data were used

HERD SIZE AND EFFICIENCY ON MIXED CROP AND LIVESTOCK FARMS: CASE STUDIES OF CHIWESHE AND GOKWE, ZIMBABWE

This study is based on two 1991 sample surveys, each of ninety farms, in the predominantly arable region of Chiweshe and in the low rainfall area of Gokwe, where animals are more important. The two samples are reasonably representative of the range of conditions found in the communal areas in Zimbabwe. Programming techniques are used to determine the efficiency levels of the farms in each region. The results show that efficiency is positively related to the numbers of both cows and oxen, with only a few farms in Gokwe possibly having too many animals. Farms in Gokwe are on average about two thirds as efficient as those in Chiweshe, which is a measure of the effects of the poorer climate and soils. Non-farm income is also lower, due to lesser opportunities in the more remote region. In both regions, the majority of farms are too small and the estimates suggest that increasing farm size could almost double productivity.Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries,

Stigmatised transitions into adulthood:Understanding the experiences of Black African youth with prenatally acquired HIV living in the UK

Young black African migrants living with prenatally acquired HIV in the UK experience an intersection of racism and HIV stigma. Their parents play a role in socialising them into their status as stigmatised. This makes transition into adulthood difficult in specific ways that could be better supported if we had a good understanding of them, but no-one has looked at this. Despite the knowledge that the population of young people with prenatally acquired HIV in the UK is mainly comprised of black Africans, no research has explored how the intersection of race and HIV related stigma may potentially exacerbate transition challenges of this group. The aim of this qualitative study was to address this gap by reporting on the experiences and impact of intersecting stigmatised identities as well as being socialised into stigma by parents, on the transition to adulthood of the black African young people with prenatally acquired HIV living in the United Kingdom (UK). Using semi-structured interviews with 13 male and female participants between the ages of 16-25 years, the study explored the young people’s experiences of being socialised into stigma by parents, ethnic and HIV-related stigma with particular reference to employment, peer and romantic relationships and the ways in which these experiences shaped their transition into adulthood. The findings revealed that the transition to adulthood of prenatally infected HIV positive black African youth in the UK is not only affected by ethnic and HIV related stigma but also by the covert and overt messages from their parents that HIV is a stigmatised disease therefore it has to be kept private. The privacy orientation from parents and society’s negative attitudes toward Africans and HIV, restrict the young people’s ability to disclose their status consequently, limiting their social support networks and delaying or preventing their opportunities to form families of their own or fulfil their employment and career aspirations. There is need for stigma reduction interventions that include the parents and are also ethnic-sensitive so to challenge the racist stereotypes towards the black African youth with prenatally acquired HIV living in the UK in order to promote a successful transition into adulthood

Challenges to Embedding Social Value Act 2012 in the Strategic and Operational Processes of Public Sector Construction Projects

This research focuses on the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, which came into force in January of 2013. The Act appears to challenge the traditional perception of value and proposes to one that encompasses social, environmental and economic benefits to the communities these businesses operate. The Act has received some criticisms for being a soft touch as it essentially asks commissioners to ‘consider’ embedding the Act when making their procurement decisions and this flexibility has been attributed to the lack of its uptake by some Local Authorities. However anecdotal evidence suggests that some of these issues are stemming from strategic and operational processes with regards to how it is implemented in everyday practices. Therefore, this research seeks to investigate how the Social Value Act (2012) has been embedded into the strategic, operational and technical aspects of public sector construction projects. An explanatory case study approach, consisting of three case studies, specifically focusing on the Act’s applicability within a construction context, was used in this research. Facts and perceptions were collected from Local Authority policy documents and from senior managers representing four Local Authorities. Furthermore, a contractor’s perspective was also obtained from a specialist Social Value delivery consultant associated with one of the selected Local Authorities. Findings show that Local Authorities at the heart of this Act have welcomed the way in which it is not prescriptive. The flexibility of the Act was perceived to be an incentive and allows them to use the Act not just for procurement but other Local Authority functions. However, the Act is still surrounded by confusion with regard to specifications on delivery and this could be attributed to the lack of clarity on measuring Social Value outcomes