Evaluating the impact of rural housing projects in Nongoma local municipality.

Master of Administration. University of KwaZulu-Natal.Introduction This research set out to examine the identified factors that interrupt the delivery of houses to the community of Nongoma. The study was also consummated to evaluate the challenges of rural housing projects with a view to make recommendations to Nongoma Local Municipality and other stakeholders involved in the housing project. Methodology A questionnaire was distributed to participants in different categories of staff and three tribal authorities i.e. KwaMandlakazi, Osuthu and Ematheni. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 24 was used to analyse results. Data was inputted into the SPSS package and generated various statistical findings in the form of visual displays like pie charts, tables and histograms containing frequencies, the mean, standard deviation and skewness. The data from SPSS was then analysed to determine the centrality of responses and pattern of responses in order to make inferences per question. The SPSS package also generated the Cronbach Alpha statistic which determined a higher level of reliability of the findings above 0.7. Results Findings showed that financial constraints, poor communication between departments tasked with housing delivery, lack of implementation monitoring mechanisms by the Department of Human Settlements are among some of the factors interrupting rural housing delivery under Nongoma Local Municipality. However, the research further revealed that rural housing projects impacted positively on job creation, alleviation of poverty related to shortage of accommodation, living standards of the people, infrastructural development, rural electrification, clean water and protection of rural people from the adverse weather conditions and the environment. Discussion There is convergence of findings between primary findings on factors interrupting housing delivery and scholarly views. Various scholars identified different challenges affecting housing delivery by governments. Mnisi (2011) cited topographical challenges, Burgoyne (2012) identified financial constraints, and Abubakar (2014) identified poor communication and Defra (20014b), who pointed out that most housing construction projects are burdened with the challenge of a lack of teamwork across all the functions leading to slackened progress. Hodgson and Gwagwa (2013)’s assertions that poor monitoring of project staff and progress is a key challenge affecting delivery of housing projects was also confirmed as a challenge by the respondents. The findings on the challenges of rural housing in Nongoma Municipality resonated with scholarly assertions by Ray (2010) who cited employment creation, Hopkins (2014), poverty reduction, and der Ploeg et al. (2015), improvements in material condition, social and psychological well-being, Hemson et al. (2014) infrastructural development, and Mnisi (2013), provision of clean water and well-constructed good sanitation facilities. Research recommendations included lobbying for more funding from the central government and other donor agencies in order to overcome the challenge associated with financial challenges, establishment of cross-functional teams that harness the expertise of people from various departments, strict monitoring and supervision and establishment of clear project completion deadlines

Towards Local Management Of Mineral Resources In Zimbabwe An Analysis Of Opportunities And Constraints

A CASS Working Paper on managing locally Zimbabwe's mineral resources.In Zimbabwe today, the State - through its various agencies - is the dominant player in die mining sector, from issuing prospecting licenses right up to marketing. The Mines and Minerals Act (chapter 21: 05) vests authority to administer granting of prospecting rights, acquisition of mining claims and payments of levies in the Mining Affairs Board, a body appointed by the Minister of Mines, Environment and Tourism. The Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe Act of 1982 resulted in the formation of the Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe which is the sole marketing and selling agent for all minerals exported out of Zimbabwe, except gold and silver, which fall under the control of the Reserve Bank. The bulk of mineral revenue accrues to the government ahead of Rural District Councils (RDCs) who have responsibilities towards road maintenance and provision of other services, and local communities who bear the brunt of environmental damage due to mining activities. A study into the structure of revenue sharing showed that RDCs obtained less than 0.1 % of the revenue (Owen and Maponga, 1996). This revenue is from two main sources. In terms of section 96(1 Ob) of the Rural District Councils Act, Chapter 29: 13, RDCs may charge levies to owners of mining locations situated on rural land in their areas. The levy is based on either the number of employees or output in tonnes in the case of precious metals. The levy is in the form of unit tax. Section 188 of the Mines and Minerals Act entitles RDCs to receive landowners' fees from mining activities in their areas. This is because, although RDCs are not the legal owners of the communal land under their jurisdiction (the land belongs to the state represented by the president in terms of section 4 of the Communal Land Act, Chapter 20: 04), sub-section (7) of section 188 specifically provides that they are regarded as the landowners for the purpose of receiving landowners' fees. The fees are pegged at $1.50 per hectare for an operational mine and$0.60 for a non-operational one. Mining royalties are not collected in Zimbabwe - they were last collected in 1975 as a measure to attract investment in the mining sector.“This publication has been possible through the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Natural Resources Management Project (NRMP) Phase II - Zimbabwe

Analysis of students' errors on linear programming at secondary school level: implications for instruction

A research study to identify students' errors in linear programming.The purpose of this study was to identify secondary school students' errors on linear programming at 'O' level. It is based on the fact that students’ errors inform teaching hence an essential tool for any serious mathematics teacher who intends to improve mathematics teaching. The study was guided by a descriptive survey research design. Data was collected from a purposive sample of 91 mathematics teachers from Makoni and Marondera districts who responded to a questionnaire. This was complemented by an analysis of cluster samples of 162 students' answer scripts for Question 10, in Channon et al. (2004, p. 148), followed by the application of Newman's prompts for interviews. The study found that students were unable to deduce symbolic inequalities from word problems given and confused the use of inequality signs (> and > ) as a result of their inability to read and follow examples in their textbook. Students also had problems with graphing inequalities and only one student managed to deduce the profit function. The study noted that errors were arising from students' low proficiency in mathematical language as reflected by the highest errors at the reading level and wordy problems which students did not understand. Textbook examples were also structured for the bright student and teachers not properly sequencing their concepts. It was also noted that pupils with no graph papers had limited teachers' practice exercise assigned. The study recommends the following instructional strategies for teachers: structuring introductory exercises; teach students to read mathematics textbook examples and learn from them; and encourage students to read inequality statements as complete sentences

Teacher Questioning Strategies in Mathematical Classroom Discourse: A Case Study of Two Grade Eight Teachers in Tennessee, USA

Teacher questioning in mathematics is an important diagnostic tool for teaching as well as measuring the academic progression and comprehension of the learner. While teacher questioning enhances student learning and self-assessment of the teacher’s lesson delivery effectiveness, if not presented properly can have negative impacts on the student learning process. Identifying “good” and/or “effective” questioning strategies is a major challenge to mathematics teachers. To increase teacher effectiveness and student success in mathematics, a self-assessment of teacher questioning techniques is essential. This study examines the questioning strategies used by two grade 8 teachers, selected at random, from twelve middle school teachers each handling quadratic mathematical modeling as one of their lessons in a project. The purpose of this study was to determine the questioning strategies used by the two teachers in their mathematical classroom discourse. Each class was videotaped over six-month period but only a section from each of the two selected classes, on quadratic modeling, was watched for about 45 minutes long for the purpose of this paper. A common theme “teacher questioning strategies” was the bases for analyzing the data. The strategies include: probing and follow-up, leading, check-listing and student-specific questioning. Findings from the study indicate that guiding teachers (pre-service and in-service) through an analysis of questions they ask and the responses they get from students during mathematical discourse, may enable them recognize both effective and ineffective questioning strategies in their mathematical classroom discourse. This study may help both pre-service and in-service teachers as well as teacher-researchers to be well aware of their questioning practices by reflecting on the questioning strategies they use in their own mathematical classroom discourse. Keywords: probing and follow-up, scaffolding, checklisting strategy, leading questions, student-specific questionin

Emerging forms of social action in urban domestic water supply in South Africa and Zimbabwe

This paper compares and contrasts emerging forms of social action in urban domestic water supply in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Both countries represent transitional societies that are facing challenges of providing clean and safe domestic water to the black majority population, which for decades was denied basic social services because of a racist ideology. In the first instance the paper assesses whether there exists a constitutional provision that guarantees the right to water. It then turns to how that is enforced, and what happens in its absence. Lastly the paper examines whether the various interventions lead to improved access to safe water. In South Africa an awareness of the constitutional right to water backed by a supportive legislative framework, which engendered a strong sense of entitlement, caused residents to resort to the courts and direct action such as street protests. Similar initiatives were also observed in Zimbabwe. However, the absence of a conducive legal environment, and disenchantment with the state as a provider of social services, led residents to resort to self reliance in order to access water. In both countries social action was not organic –it tended to be championed if not sponsored either by civil society or party political actors. There was no evidence of improved access to safe water as a consequence of social action. The paper concludes that social action in the urban domestic water supply faces the common challenges of social mobilization in particular and social movements in general.Web of Scienc

Guideline for sustainable wetland management and utilization: key cornerstones

This research report is based on the project on Wetlands, Livelihoods and Environmental Security and the Sustainable management of Inland Wetlands in Southern Africa: a livelihoods and ecosystem approach projects. The projects were supported by the CGIAR´s Challenge Programme on Water and Food (CPWF) and the Global Environment facility with matching funds from International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), FSP and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) The authors acknowledge input by the entire project team. The support of IWMI, UEM, and the UZ, and Institute de Recherche pour le Development (IRD) during project implementation is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank the input of CPWF Theme 3 leadership and the Limpopo Basin Coordinator during project implementation

Carbapenem resistance expressed by Gram-negative bacilli isolated from a cohort of Libyan patients

Background and objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and other Gram-negative bacteria are among the most common pathogens responsible for both community and hospital acquired infection. The global spread of cephalosporinases in Enterobacteriaceae has led to the increased use of carbapenems resulting in the emergence and rapid spread of CRE. This has become an alarming public health concern, yet the condition in Libya remains unclear. The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of CRE strains prevalent in Libyan patients by investigating their phenotypic characteristics and antibiograms. Methods: Gram-negative bacterial species were collected from Misrata Central Hospital, Misrata Cancer Centre and Privet Pathology Laboratories. Clinical samples and swabs were obtained from hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients and from mechanical ventilation and suction machines. Patients who had received antibiotic therapy for at least three days prior to the study were excluded. The identification and characterization of the isolated species were achieved using the growth characteristics on MacConkey and blood agar, spot tests and API 20E or API 20NE biochemical testing systems. Screening for carbapenem resistance was performed using the disk diffusion method with carbapenem 10 μg and cephalosporin 30 μg disks and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) determined using the Sensititre Gram-negative Xtra plate format (GNX2F). All strains demonstrating resistance or reduced susceptibility to one of the four carbapenems were subjected to carbapenememase activity detection using the RAPIDEC CARBA NP test, Modified Hodge test and carbapenem inactivation methods. Results: A total of one hundred and forty isolates representing fourteen bacterial species were isolated from 140 non-duplicated specimens. Clinical specimens included urine samples (96/140, 68.57%), sputum (15/140, 10.71%), surgical wound swabs (18/140, 12.85%), foot swabs from diabetes mellitus (DM) patients (6/140, 4.29%), ear swabs (3/140, 2.14%) and wound swabs (2/140, 1.43%). Thirty-four (24.29%) isolates demonstrated resistance to at least one of the four carbapenems with Klebsiella pneumoniae representing 73.53% (25 isolates) of all carbapenem resistant species, followed by 8.82% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates), 5.88% for both Proteus mirabilis (2 isolates) and Escherichia coli (2 isolates) and 2.94% for both Citrobacter koseri (1 isolate) and Rahnella aquatilis (1 isolate). The other isolates were either susceptible or cephalosporinase producers. Conclusion: This study has revealed the high rate of carbapenem resistance amongst Libyan patients and emphasizes the crucial need for accurate screening, identification and susceptibility testing to prevent further spread of nosocomial and community acquired resistance. This may be achieved through the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programmes along with firm infection control practices.National Research Foundation of South Africa; Libyan GovernmentWeb of Scienc

Examining oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) literacy among participants in an HIV vaccine trial preparedness cohort study

Background: PrEP literacy is influenced by many factors including the types of information available and how it is interpreted. The level of PrEP literacy may influence acceptability and uptake. Methods: We conducted 25 in-depth interviews in a HIV vaccine trial preparedness cohort study. We explored what participants knew about PrEP, sources of PrEP knowledge and how much they know about PrEP. We used the framework approach to generate themes for analysis guided by the Social Ecological Model and examined levels of PrEP literacy using the individual and interpersonal constructs of the SEM. Results: We found that PrEP awareness is strongly influenced by external factors such as social media and how much participants know about HIV treatment and prevention in the local community. However, while participants highlighted the importance of the internet/social media as a source of information about PrEP they talked of low PrEP literacy in their communities. Participants indicated that their own knowledge came as a result of joining the HIV vaccine trial preparedness study. However, some expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the drug and worried about side effects. Participants commented that at the community level PrEP was associated with being sexually active, because it was used to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. As a result, some participants commented that one could feel judged by the health workers for asking for PrEP at health facilities in the community. Conclusion: The information collected in this study provided an understanding of the different layers of influence around individuals that are important to address to improve PrEP acceptability and uptake. Our findings can inform strategies to address the barriers to PrEP uptake, particularly at structural and community levels. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0406688

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)