URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE: A HUMAN SETTLEMENT PERSPECTIVE

This paper examines and analyses the historical development of Zimbabwean towns and cities with a view to tracing and understanding policy directions, urban spatial development trends and other factors such as population dynamics that may have led to the development of the present-day urban settlements in the country. The paper observes that whilst pre-colonial cities existed during the golden age of the Munhumutapa dynasty and empire, these had no influence on the modern town and city because they were too distant and their experiences had long been lost by the time the colonial town was introduced in the country, some four centuries later. Furthermore the paper observes that whilst policy may easily be changed or even reversed, it is a near impossibility to do the same with the spatial physical developments such as buildings and infrastructure – roads, water reticulation, sewerage reticulation and treatment works, railway lines, telecommunication lines and power lines. As a result of these realities the form and structure of our cities has remained to a large extent as originally conceived, designed and developed with perhaps some cosmetic changes in the form of redevelopments and densification of certain sectors or areas and sprawling expansion. This has also led to the many challenges of urban poverty, inadequate housing, inadequate provision of serves (potable clean water, energy, and garbage collection) and environmental quality - issues of pollution- the towns and cities are grappling with today typified by Harare and Chitungwiza, which are sited upstream of their water supply sources and as a result pollute them. The paper also notes that the socio-economic policies and political expedience by both the colonial and independent governments have had significant impacts on the morphology (shape, structure and population distribution) of towns and cities of Zimbabwe.urban, development, human settlement, population, colonial, services, morphology, demography.

An assessment of partnerships between technical vocational education and training and its stakeholders in the development of Ethiopian SMEs

This paper examines the Ethiopian Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in terms of policy, strategies, curriculum, implementation, practice and challenges faced on the ground by both the TVET program and the nation in meeting the skills needs of industry and human capital development in general as enunciated in the goals of ESDP III, (Ministry of Education, 2005). In doing this the paper reviews the skills needs of industry against the capacity of the institutions of higher education’s capacity to meet these needs. It is in this context that the appropriateness of the curriculum and its implementation in respect of the TVET goals is scrutinized (Ministry of Education, 2008). Furthermore, government policies and strategies in the identification and selection of appropriate candidates for the TVET program and the incorporation of stakeholders are examined. In this assessment issues of collaboration by stakeholders in the provision of training resources and facilities are assessed, especially financing and human resource requirements in respect of staffing levels and requisite technical skills and supportive equipment and other resources. Policies and organizational structures in the identification, mobilization and distribution of such resources are also examined. To this end any opportunities that may exist for the retention and further training of the TVET graduates already employed by the industry are also reviewed. An important aspect of this evaluation is to identify and understand the kind of relationships and partnerships that exist between the TVET colleges, and government. Similarly an assessment is done concerning curriculum implementation, practice and delivery.technical vocational education, curriculum, implementation, partnership