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This article evaluates the impact of Zimbabwe's recently implemented Value Added Tax (VAT) withholding tax system on tax compliance and tax evasion to determine if it is an effective tool for curbing tax evasion and improving tax compliance. As Scholars have, however, questioned whether Zimbabwe's VAT withholding tax system is functional and whether it can help the country's income crisis as there is lack of empirical evidence to demonstrate how the system has affected tax authority, business operations and taxpayers' attitudes toward tax compliance in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted using desktop review. The findings indicate that the VAT withholding tax system has had a positive impact on tax compliance, as taxpayers are more likely to comply with their tax obligations when the tax is withheld at source. However, the system has also created opportunities for tax evasion, as some taxpayers have found ways to manipulate the system to their advantage. The study also highlights some of the challenges associated with the implementation of the VAT withholding tax system, including inadequate training and awareness among taxpayers and ZIMRA officials, as well as the need for better coordination and communication between stakeholders. Based on the findings, the study recommends that ZIMRA should strengthen its enforcement mechanisms and increase awareness among taxpayers to ensure that the benefits of the VAT withholding tax system are maximized while minimizing the risks of tax evasion.

Women’s submissions to husbands are an accepted phenomenon in Africa and across the globe. The triad, Indigenous cultures, African Traditional Religions (ATR) and Christianity are the sources and shapes of theologies of women’s submission. Whenever cultural practices and religious theologies go hand in hand, people tend to regard such practices as par excellence and pay less attention to their negative impact. This article explores the dilemmas of women’s submissions in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Zimbabwe. The article uses the Feminist theory as a theoretical framework to interpret the meaning of theologies of women’s submission in COVID-19. Data for this study were gathered through desktop research. The article concludes that the unprecedented emergence and challenges of global COVID-19 have further unmasked African women’s unique difficulties in society, especially on the much-celebrated practices of the theologies of submission. Women’s submission trapped women to be affected more by COVID-19 than their male counterparts. Contribution: This article investigates submission theologies and dilemmas regarding women’s submissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It foregrounds that the celebrations of theologies of women’s submissions through religion and cultural practices in society make it difficult for people to pay attention to their subtle harmful vices. It concludes that theologies of women’s submission negatively trap women to be more affected by pandemics than their male counterparts.

Background: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) face significant challenges owing to the complex interplay between these chronic conditions and the need for comprehensive and integrated care. Service availability and readiness for primary care are essential for the health of individuals and populations. Aim: This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to the provision of care to the patients with HIV and T2DM comorbidity. Setting: The study was conducted at Primary health centres in Harare, Zimbabwe. Methods: A mixed-methods design was applied. Results: An audit of primary care facilities identified that there was adequate infrastructure and equipment for HIV and T2DM diagnosis and treatment. However, there are gaps in the availability of essential medicines and supplies, such as test strips for blood glucose monitoring. The assessment also showed that the centres had a chronic shortage of healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses and counsellors, and there was a need for additional training and support for healthcare providers in the management of HIV and T2DM. Conclusion: The study concludes that the delivery of health services to patients with HIV and T2DM at primary care centres in Harare, Zimbabwe, faces significant challenges. Suggestions included improved resource allocation and multisectoral collaboration to improve the delivery of healthcare services. Contribution: The research contributes insight into disparities between urban and rural primary care facilities in providing services, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to bridge gaps and enhance care quality.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic had created mayhem world over in the year 2020 and confirmed the need and urgency of equipping religious leaders with disaster risk management (DRM) knowledge and skills. Religious leaders are often expected to be among the first responders when disasters strike. This is especially the case in Africa where faith communities often have greater reach among the populace than the state itself. Using multifaceted methodology and purposive sampling interview analysis, this article shows that the responses of religious leaders in Africa, Zimbabwe in particular, to COVID-19 highlighted the urgency of adopting a more focussed and deliberate approach towards equipping religious leaders with DRM knowledge and skills. It further demonstrates that in some areas religious leaders responded effectively (communicating the right message, impact mitigation activities, etc.), in most other areas, they were as unprepared and in a state of paralysis as the rest of the populace. It would however, be grossly unfair to critique their response since most of them have never been exposed to the basic tenets of DRM, either in their formation or as part of life-long learning. Contribution: The article concludes by suggesting mainstreaming tragedy hazard reducing in the curricula of religious institutions for stoppage, mitigation and actual answer to current and future tragedies within communities.

A global COVID-19 pandemic caused untold community disruptions, a huge toll on lives and placed major burdens on the economies of developing countries. It spread worldwide within a short period of time before nations could mobilise evidence for the best responses. Communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe were heavily disrupted. This article focuses on exploring the transboundary differences in COVID-19 responses, plus the implications for improving the health communication strategies in a pandemic age. Health practitioners and governments were ill-prepared to inform the general public about the pandemic and enforced complete shutdowns of economic and social activities. With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging communities, there was a dearth of focused health communication on COVID-19’s end. New tools of communication and dissemination of information were embraced in the southern Africa country-specific cases. For example, content on precautionary lifestyles, individual or personal responsibility and utilisation of community health workers in the pandemic era was prioritised to prevent or minimise infections and avoid recurrence of the disease. New communication methods were important for addressing uncertainty and can be applied for any future pandemic. This health communication topic addresses the neglected, but important gap on the efficacy of processes towards better health communication strategies. The transdisciplinary methods include improved health communication strategies informed by the experiences of three Southern African Development Community countries. While such measures to arrest COVID-19 proved plausible, these countries’ projections for the future are a concern, suggesting an urgent need to enhance and strengthen health communication in southern Africa. Transdisciplinary contribution: This is a transdisciplinary exploration of health communication and its implications for COVID-19 and future pandemic responses in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Background: Access to syphilis testing and treatment is frequently limited for men who have sex with men (MSM). A two-armed randomised controlled trial compared feasibility and costs of facility-based syphilis testing with self-testing among MSM in Zimbabwe. Methods: This randomised controlled trial was conducted in Harare, with participants randomised 1:1. Syphilis self-testing was offered in community-based settings. The primary outcome was the relative proportion of individuals taking up testing. Total incremental economic provider and user costs, and cost per client tested, diagnosed and treated were assessed using ingredients-based costing in 2020 US$. Results: A total of 100 men were enrolled. The two groups were similar in demographics. The mean age was 26 years. Overall, 58% (29/50) and 74% (37/50) of facility- and self-testing arm participants, respectively, completed syphilis testing. A total of 28% of facility arm participants had a reactive test, with 50% of them returning for confirmatory testing yielding 28% reactivity. In the self-testing arm, 67% returned for confirmatory testing, with a reactivity of 16%. Total provider costs were US$859 and US$736, and cost per test US$30 and US$15 for respective arms. Cost per reactive test was US$107 and US$123, and per client treated US$215 and US$184, respectively. The syphilis test kit was the largest cost component. Total user cost per client per visit was US$9. Conclusion: Syphilis self-testing may increase test uptake among MSM in Zimbabwe. However, some barriers limit uptake including lack of self-testing and poor service access. Bringing syphilis testing services to communities, simplifying service delivery and increasing self-testing access through community-based organisations are useful strategies to promote health-seeking behaviours among MSM. Access to syphilis testing and treatment for men who have sex with men is frequently limited. A two-armed randomised controlled trial compared feasibility and costs of facility-based syphilis testing with self-testing among men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. Overall, 58% and 74% of facility- and self-testing arm participants took up and subsequently completed syphilis testing, respectively. Syphilis self-testing can increase test uptake among men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. However, some barriers limit uptake, including lack of self-testing and poor service access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation: This study focuses on the relationship between work-life balance (WLB), job engagement, and job satisfaction (JS) among employees in the retail sector in Bulawayo urban Province, Zimbabwe. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the relationship between WLB, job engagement and JS. Motivation for the study: The motivation for the research stemmed from the dearth of studies from the global south that examined the causal relationship between three aforementioned variables within the retail sector. Research design, approach and method: A descriptive survey design was employed in a study that involved 108 employees from the retail sector in Bulawayo province. Adapted standardised closed questionnaires were used for data collection. The study was developed and tested, using structural equation modelling, a model that can be used to explain the effect of the three variables on each other. Main findings: The study established a statistically significant relationship between WLB and job engagement. It was also found that WLB plays a major role in facilitating positive JS outcomes. However, a weak association was established between JS and dedication – a dimension of job engagement. Practical/managerial implications: Striking a balance between employees’ career and personal life directly impacts their JS and job engagement levels. Contribution/value-add: This study’s findings shed light on the complex dynamics between the three variables that are helpful for organisations seeking to enhance employee well-being and optimise performance of their workforce.

This article reflects on the increasing roles of faith-based organisations (FBOs) and individual followers in the provision of health services in Zimbabwe within the context of declining capabilities of state-funded and state-owned health facilities. In colonial and post-colonial Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular, FBOs have consistently contributed to the provision of public services and social security. We contend that state fragilities in the Zimbabwean political landscape result in severe public service delivery deficits that are often filled by FBOs and individual followers. The implications for FBOs and individual followers are twofold. Firstly, the increased involvement of FBOs in the production and provision of public services such as education and health services afford FBOs with opportunities and spaces to evangelise. Secondly, and on the downward side, the provision of health services can often be expensive and diverts attention from the core business of these religious organisations. The article reveals that in the context of economic and governance crises, FBOs play an increasingly momentous role in providing health care services in Zimbabwe. The article focuses on Zimbabwe during the crisis periods of 2007–2009 and 2018 up to the current (2022) socio-economic and political declines, poor governance, and the subsequent fragilities in the state. Contribution: Faith-based organisations assume increasing roles in the provision of health services in place of failing states. Those increased roles provide FBOs opportunities to evangelise. However, FBOs are not a sustainable replacement because they become afflicted with the same financial challenges that bedevil the state.

There is a general consensus among religious scholars that Pentecostalism has risen phenomenally in Africa and Zimbabwe is no exception. In most cases, Pentecostalism has been presented as a sophisticated brand of Christianity while members of African Independent churches are shown to be gullible. The newly founded Pentecostal churches are more focused on gospreneurship while the media is busy with cases of cheating, dishonesty and the sexual abuse of women in these churches. Thus, academic scholars have begun to pay their attention on gullibility in Pentecostalism. Unfortunately, not many scholarly works have looked at literary texts that bring out the gullibility of members of Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe. This article seeks to bridge this gap by analysing Aaron Chiundura Moyo’s Kereke Inofa [The Church Can die]. The main purpose is to bring out the significance of literary texts in projecting societal ills, specifically the gender power dynamics in Zimbabwean Pentecostal churches that may be difficult to deal with directly. The focus is on how women and some men are victims of the whims of some Pentecostal church leaders. The article is informed by the socio-historical approach, which states that artists derive the material for their works of art, subject matter, images and artistic languages from the life experiences of their societies. The socio-historical approach enables the researcher to understand the prevalence of gullibility in Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe. The article relies heavily on content analysis of Moyo’s Kereke Inofa’s presentation of deception, and infidelity in Pentecostal Churches being performed on members who are projected in this play as ‘gullible’. Contribution: This article’s contribution lies in its critical analysis of gender and gullibility in African Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe. It is significant as it utilises a literary text to project the ills in Pentecostal churches and women’s sexual vulnerabilities.

Gender equality is something that the human race has been struggling with since time immemorial. No country has achieved gender equality despite the legislative, social, and economic gains for women. Therefore, modern society likes to blame certain groups, such as religion for the gender inequalities which are faced, more than others. The main focus of this study is to evaluate the role of religious leaders in promoting gender equality through the legislation and religious texts in Zimbabwe. The study further explores how certain religious norms and practices can be modified through religious texts to accommodate women in achieving gender equality. The paper acknowledges that religious leaders have a greater responsibility to standup, speak and act with and on behalf of those with less power, such as the marginalized and discriminated against, including exploited planet Earth. The paper seeks to foreground how certain traditional religious practices and norms have exacerbated gender inequality in Zimbabwe, despite the laws that have been enacted by the government of Zimbabwe to promote gender equality. The data for the paper was gathered through observations and semi-structured interviews conducted with both religious leaders and women to establish how religious norms and practices directly or indirectly affect women and how they can be modified to achieve gender equality in Zimbabwe. The data gathered was analysed through descriptive data analysis. The paper concludes by recommending that religious leaders should be thoroughly trained on how to promote gender equality through religious texts and legislation. Contribution: The article evaluated the role of religious leaders in promoting gender equality through legislation and religious texts in Zimbabwe. It argued that religious leaders have a higher need to support, advocate and act on behalf of individuals who are marginalised and subjected to discrimination on planet Earth. Hence, its contribution was in promoting gender equality through religious texts and legislation in Zimbabwe for sustainable development.

When pandemics hit communities, women are bound to suffer as most of the responsibilities of ensuring food security lie on them. This article assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the role that church-going women play in food provision. The qualitative study used interviews and focus group discussions to examine the toll of the pandemic-induced restrictions, especially with regard to their disruption of activities that ensure the provision of food for the family. They sought to identify how an environment as restrictive as the one that was imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic affects those largely responsible for food provision in urban Marondera – the women, in this case. The focus was extended to factor in how disasters and pandemics affect women and detract from their normative food procurement and provision roles in marginal societies and how these effects can be mitigated to allow women to carry on with their roles even in restrictive environments. This research was motivated by the recent COVID-19-imposed regulations that restricted the movement of people, restrictions that have only recently been relaxed and (in some cases) removed. We also sought to establish how gender roles are played out, together with whether they are exacerbated by pandemics, and in what ways these pandemics result in higher workloads on women. By utilising the Africana womanist theory, the study analysed women roles in food provision and food security in their societies within the restrictive environments of the pandemics. Contribution: This study concluded that there are gender inequalities that are exacerbated by these pandemics that result in higher workloads for women. It foregrounded how existing gender inequalities were exacerbated by the pandemic, resulting in higher workloads on women. It therefore recommended that women should form empowerment groups to help focus attention on food provision to mitigate challenges women face in this role. Finally, we averred that there ought to be consultation and participation of women on issues to do with pandemics to allow for their full and productive participation in critical roles of providing food.

This study examines the role of the Eucharist in national healing, reconciliation and peacebuilding with particular focus on Zimbabwe’s fractured society. The article is divided into two main parts. The first segment examines the Zimbabwean situation on the socio-political level and the need for unity, reconciliation and healing therein. The second section underlines the potential of the Eucharist as a game changer on Zimbabwe’s chequered religious, social and political landscapes. Thus, the role of the church in national healing shall be examined and evaluated. In view of the fact that Christianity controls over 85% of Zimbabwe’s total population, the article proposes to seriously consider the adoption of the Eucharist not just as a model for deepening ecumenical growth but also for national healing, integration and peacebuilding. For this reason, the article strongly argues that the Eucharist is an underutilised strategy in religious reconciliation, national healing and peacebuilding. As a nation with religious, social and political landscapes that have traditionally been dominated by Eucharistic exclusivity, denominational divisions, tribal tensions, animosity and political violence, among other challenges, the adoption of the Eucharist as a ‘peacemaker’ would signify not just a common Christian source of being in the one God and a fulfilment of the deepest African liturgical and enculturation aspirations but also the introduction of a new model and paradigm in Zimbabwe’s healing and peacebuilding thrust and trajectory. Contribution: The study used the association between the Eucharist and the uniting powers of food in secular contexts to underline the prospects and centrality of the Eucharist as an antidote for national healing, reconciliation and peacebuilding on Zimbabwe’s fractured society.

Background: There is limited research that describes the growth trajectories of African children. The development of World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards considered a sample of children who lived in environments optimum for human growth. Aim: This study aimed to develop weight-for-age and height-for-age growth curves from the Zimbabwean 2018 National Nutrition Survey and compare them with the WHO growth standards. Setting: Study participants were recruited from all districts in Zimbabwe. Methods: Height-for-age and weight-for-age data collected from 32 248 children were used to develop the Zimbabwean references. Smooth growth curves (height, weight and body mass index [BMI]-for-age) were estimated with the Lambda Mu Sigma (LMS) method and compared with the WHO growth standards. Results: Zimbabwean children were shorter and weighed less in comparison with the WHO growth standards. The –2 standard deviation (s.d.) Z-score curves (height-for-age) for Zimbabwean children (boys and girls) were below the –1 s.d. Z-score curves of the WHO growth standards. The Zimbabwean Z-scores (BMI-for-age) values above –1 s.d. were significantly higher in comparison with the corresponding WHO growth standards. Conclusion: Utilising the WHO growth standards would diagnose a higher proportion of Zimbabwean children as stunted whilst underestimating the proportion at risk of obesity. The WHO growth standards lack a consideration of the geographical, economic, political and environmental constraints existing between countries.

The study examines the role of socio-economic and maternal factors on under–five child mortality in Zimbabwe. The research is based on the analysis of the 2012 population census data. A logistic regression model was employed to determine factors that significantly affect under-five child mortality. The results revealed that maternal educational level, age at first birth, marital status, sanitation and provincial location were significant determinants of under–five child mortality. Public health interventions should focus on mothers; single, formerly married, had early childbearing, uneducated, use unsafe drinking water and toilets.

Background: Literature is replete with evidence on the impact of managerial competencies on firm performance. Yet, there is minimal evidence on how managerial conceptual competencies in particular, affect the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe. Aim: The current study was meant to find the impact of managerial conceptual competencies on the performance of SMEs in Zimbabwe’s Harare Province. Setting: The under-exploration of the relationship between managerial conceptual competencies and SME performance, in an economy that at present is highly informalised, provides a platform for further exploration of this phenomenon. Methods: The study adopted a purely quantitative approach that employed a structured direct survey design. Results: The study established that owners and/or managers had reasonable levels of conceptual competencies and that SMEs performed fairly well in terms of both innovation and return on investment (ROI). It was found out that statistically significant relationships existed between managerial conceptual competencies and SME performance when measured by innovation and ROI. Conclusion: In view of the results, it can be concluded that the performance of SMEs in terms of innovation and ROI can be influenced, to some extent, by owner and/or managers’ conceptual competencies.

The victims of the Tokwe-Mukosi disaster-induced displacements in Zimbabwe were relocated to Chingwizi, Chisase and Masangula. This qualitative article explores the safety of learners in Tokwe-Mukosi disaster-induced displacement schools. The safety of learners in schools influences the education’s agenda. Most of the studies on the safety of learners focus on rural and urban schools at the expense of schools located in disaster-induced displacement sites. This article seeks to explore learners’ safety in disaster-induced displacement schools in Zimbabwe. The 2013 Zimbabwe Constitution and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Act 1987 (Section 25:04) emphasise the importance of learners and teachers’ safety. The critical emancipatory research (CER) was used as a theoretical framework in this article. The participants responded to the research question: Are school authorities ensuring safety in disaster-induced displacement relocation site schools, Tokwe Mukosi? Data were generated through photovoice. Participatory action research was used as a research methodology with 15 participants being purposively selected. This article found that learners were not safe in the schools located in disaster-induced displacement areas in Tokwe-Mukosi. To mitigate safety problems, participants recommended that the government and other stakeholders should collectively build a safe learning environment.

Background: Neoliberalism favours the existence of free markets with limited government interference as the best way to conduct business. A feasibility study is necessary regarding the practicality of the application of neoliberalist policies in Zimbabwe’s water sector. This is important because there has been a lack of water in urban and rural areas of Zimbabwe even before the COVID-19 era. Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the commercialisation of water in Zimbabwe. Setting: The formation of the state-owned Zimbabwe National Water Authority signified a move towards the solidification of the commercialisation of the water sector in Zimbabwe, based in part on neoliberal principles. Methods: This study is a conceptual study, involving the review of various sources of literature to identify trends in the commercialisation of Zimbabwe’s water sector. This study is descriptive in nature and involves the use of secondary data gathered from various publications. This study also makes use of a case study approach. Results: The findings of this study show that the commercialisation of the water sector in Zimbabwe is practical to a certain extent; however, it needs to be performed in a way that acknowledges existing strengths and weaknesses with continuous monitoring and evaluation taking place. Conclusion: While commercialisation is a necessary tool to incentivising economic water usage and generate revenue, there is a need to ensure that those who cannot afford to pay for water in Zimbabwe are safeguarded in order to guarantee their access to basic water, which is their human right.

Background: Agency control has been studied in the context of large public listed businesses and is linked to business performance. However, very limited studies have validated such a role in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in a developing economy. Aim: The current study aimed at ezstablishing the perceived impact of agency control on performance, as measured by return on investment (ROI) and innovation in SMEs in Harare Province, Zimbabwe. Setting: Primary research was conducted amongst owners or managers of SMEs in Harare Province, Zimbabwe. Methods: The final sample consisted of 106 owners or managers of SMEs. The study was purely quantitative and adopted the survey design. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. Results: The study established that the most used control mechanisms were frequent monitoring and face-to-face deliberations with subordinates. Weak and statistically insignificant relationships were found to exist between agency control and business performance measured by both ROI and innovation. Conclusion: It is best to solicit expert advice to coach owners or managers on how best agency control mechanisms could be formally instituted and managed to leverage on them.

Background: The role of strategy formulation in enhancing the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has attracted much attention amongst researchers worldwide. However, little research has been conducted on the strategy formulation practices of SMEs and their implications for the perceived financial performance of these firms, especially in the developing world. Aim: This study was aimed at establishing the impact of strategy formulation on the perceived financial performance of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Setting: Primary research was conducted in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. Methods: The study took a case study design in which the researcher collected data from manufacturing SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe. Stratified random sampling was employed to draw 368 questionnaire respondents from the five manufacturing classes that emerged from the population. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study established that strategy formulation is somewhat prevalent amongst SMEs in Zimbabwe. The five strategy formulation activities as put forward by the theory are found in Zimbabwean SMEs. The results revealed that strategy formulation significantly influences both short-term and long-term perceived financial performance of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Conclusion: The study has implications at a practical and managerial level. Whilst supporting SMEs is commendable, governments should prioritise the provision of management and entrepreneurial training for SMEs to foster the adoption of strategy formulation. This study suggests that SMEs should make strategy formulation a priority, a key ingredient to the success of their enterprises. It is necessary to inculcate the necessary culture, which supports effective strategy formulation. The study proposes suggestions for future research.

The literature shows that electronic payments are key to improving financial inclusion and achieving global development goals such as the United Nation’s (UNs) Sustainable Development Goals. The benefits are premised on the welfare-enhancing effects of digital payments, which reduce costs, the probability of loss and risk for low-income consumers, as well as improve access to formal financial services. This study thus investigates the conditions under which these welfare-enhancing gains can be obtained. It considers the conditions under which e-payments can be welfare enhancing by using qualitative data from Zimbabwe. The severe liquidity constraints in Zimbabwe provide a good case for evaluating how well e-payments work, as the relative absence of cash has made the use of mobile money inevitable. Focus group data are analysed to understand participants’ everyday experiences with the e-payment system in Zimbabwe. The results indicate that the key challenges with payment systems faced by households include high costs, malfunctions of the system at the point of sale, lengthy refund processes and limited acceptance. Participants indicate a strong preference for foreign exchange cash as a mode of payment. High levels of concentration in the mobile money market, lack of transparency by financial service providers and a strong preference for cash by retailers are the main drivers of system failure. Therefore, this study identifies the need for the government to address the lack of competition in the market, as well as address macroeconomic liquidity constraints.

Background: Global concerns about financial literacy have heightened following the 2007–2008 global financial crisis during which it became apparent that lack of financial literacy was one of the factors that contributed to detrimental financial decision making. This recognition shows that poor financial decisions have a harmful overspill impact on financial and economic stability in a country. Complex financial markets call for exceptional levels of financial competence to enable individuals and business people to make intelligent choices among competing financial products. The study was conducted in two provinces of Zimbabwe, namely, Harare and Mashonaland Central Province among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who were in operation. Aim: The study sought to ascertain the level of financial literacy among SMEs business owners and to identify factors that influence the financial literacy levels. The research will give an insight on the state of preparedness of SMEs to participate in highly complicated financial markets. This adds to the existing scarce literature in sub-Saharan Africa on financial literacy levels among SMEs. Setting: The study was conducted among SMEs who reside in two provinces of Zimbabwe namely Harare Province and Mashonaland Central province. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected by means of a questionnaire administered to a sample of 384 SMEs in Harare and Bindura districts. Results: Findings revealed lower levels of financial literacy among SMEs. The main variables influencing financial literacy levels were interest rates and inflation. Conclusion: The study concludes that financial literacy among SMEs is low, and hence there is a need to introduce financial literacy education among small business owners. It is recommended that measurement of financial literacy be extended to different population cohorts to provide baseline data on which policies can be crafted.

The discourse on waste management in general and solid waste management in particular has captured the interest of many scholars. Although there is a plethora of literature on the solid waste management phenomenon globally, there is an apparent dearth of literature on solid waste management in schools in Zimbabwe. This study explored the solid waste management practices at a secondary school in Masvingo. The researchers adopted a descriptive survey research design. Data were generated from 110 learners and 3 teachers using questionnaires and interviews. The researchers also utilised observations. Findings from the study revealed that solid waste generated by the school included paper, plastics, furniture, food, vegetables, stationery and cans. In addition, the researchers noted that the school used standard bins, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, old desks and open dumping as solid waste receptacles. The researcher also established that the main solid waste disposal system at the school was open dumping. Other solid waste disposal systems identified in this study were incineration, landfills and composting. Based on the research findings, the researcher recommends waste sorting and use of durable, standard and formal receptacles.

Background: The concept of institutional repositories (IRs) has gained traction across the globe; Zimbabwe’s public universities have established IRs to capture, store, archive and widely disseminate their institutional intellectual capital. However, research output from the repositories remains obscure, hence the motivation to explore the use of IRs in the universities to ascertain if they are getting a return on their investment in IR technologies. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish the range of items contained in the repositories; establish the growth of the repositories and determine the software platforms being used. Method: A mixed methods approach was used, with methodological triangulation. Study participants included eight public universities, library directors, assistant or IR librarians; complete enumeration was done. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and bibliometric analysis of IRs, policy documents, Directory of Open Access Repositories and Registry of Open Access Repositories. Qualitative data were analysed thematically; Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was adopted to analyse quantitative data and generate tables. Results: The IRs largely contain peer-reviewed content, while the DSpace software is popularly used. Most of the repositories are searchable on the Internet. The biggest repository has acquired 2520 items in 10 years, while the smallest one has 46 items in 7 years. The population of the IRs is slow because of various challenges. Conclusion: The repositories have not been successful because populating them is a challenge. This could partly be because of libraries being too selective about content going into the IRs. Adopting the DSpace software by the universities points to long-term preservation plans for their intellectual output stored in the repositories for posterity.

Background: At the dawn of the 21st century, Zimbabwe started moving towards dangerous levels of the infamous hyperinflation trajectory that made management of businesses a nightmare. Many businesses failed. Aim: This study seeks to explore if entrepreneurship, and in particular the aspects of risk-taking and tolerance of failure, could have saved the few companies that survived the menace that ravaged the insurance industries among many other sectors of the economy. Setting: The study looks at this particular entrepreneurial behaviour of risk-taking among insurance companies in Zimbabwe during the hyperinflationary environment that ravaged and defied economic logic and fundamentals. Savings were being eroded at a pace faster than anywhere in the world ever before, taking a toll on businesses as they struggled to survive. Methods: Using a survey sample of insurance companies in Zimbabwe, a quantitative approach was adopted. Questionnaires were used to extract data from participants to establish the nature and extent of risk-taking, and in particular tolerance for failure during this period. Therefore, tolerance of failure in corporate entities is discussed in this article as a critical aspect of risk-taking that enhances entrepreneurial innovation and ultimate prospects of corporate prosperity among insurance companies. A measure is developed to gauge the extent of tolerance of failure from the perspective of employees in the insurance industry in Zimbabwe. Results: The benefit of tolerance of failure or the lack thereof was measured on the dimension of profitability and growth. Results revealed that tolerance of failure is a necessary entrepreneurial virtue that encourages knowledge acquisition by both experimental and experiential learning – a risk element that also spurs entrepreneurial innovation and ultimately encourages both profitability and growth of the business entity, if well managed. Conclusion: The study concluded that firms that tolerate failure are more likely to be entrepreneurially innovative and perform better than those that are risk-averse and do not tolerate failure.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased globally, with a significant increase noted in African communities. Self-care health-related behavior is determined by beliefs about health and illness which are based on the person's knowledge of diabetes. The present study aimed to assess patients' diabetes awareness and level of diabetes knowledge in Zimbabwean adults with diabetes attending an outpatient diabetes clinic at a main referral hospital. METHODS: in this cross-sectional descriptive study, the Diabetes Knowledge Test (DKT) was used to measure 96 (71 women and 25 men) patients' knowledge of diabetes and their treatment. Both descriptive and analytic statistical methods were used. RESULTS: most respondents had poor knowledge in all the three knowledge categories, total knowledge of diabetes, general knowledge of diabetes and knowledge of insulin use. Major knowledge gaps were noted related to insulin use, glycemic control and diet. Attending DM classes was significantly associated with general knowledge about diabetes (p 0.026) while the level of education was an independent determinant of Total Knowledge and Insulin use knowledge scores. CONCLUSION: the identified knowledge gaps need to be addressed to control and minimize diabetes mellitus-related complications.

To tame the hyperinflation experienced in the country, Zimbabwe adopted a relatively unique solution by implementing a multi-currency system in January 2009. Five foreign currencies were granted official status. However, this arrangement is viewed as a temporary measure to restore stability and there is no commitment by authorities to maintain it long term. The present study uses a theoretically consistent gravity model that accounts for endogeneity, to estimate the effect of the multi-currency arrangement implemented in Zimbabwe on bilateral trade. The period covered by the study is from 2004 to 2012 using a total of 50 potential trading partners from Africa, Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North and South America. The results suggest that the multi-currency arrangement as adopted has depressed Zimbabwe’s bilateral trade by nearly 15 percent.

None-barrier methods are the most predominant contraceptive methods of choice among Zimbabwean women, with the contraceptive pill being the most popular. The spread of HIV/AIDS is most prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries, Zimbabwe included. The prevalent mode of transmission is unprotected heterosexual sex. Although Zimbabwe boasts of a high literacy rate some women may still be vulnerable like in other parts of the world, as they may not understand the role of the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) and other reproductive health service providers. This is because some women at risk may expose themselves to unprotected sex while they are on hormonal contraceptives. This paper seeks to infer into pros and cons of hormonal contraceptive use among Zimbabwean women. There is also need to discuss the effectiveness of providers (ZNFPC clinics and the Ministry of Health) in educating women about the risk of HIV transmission, which may be associated with some non-barrier methods of contraception. An understanding of women’s attitudes towards the different forms of contraception is of paramount importance as is that of the factors that could contribute to women in different social settings resorting to uninformed contraceptive choices.

INTRODUCTION: A previous study of beliefs about health and illness in Zimbabweans with diabetes mellitus indicated limited knowledge about diabetes and the body, affecting self-care and health-care seeking behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess the level of diabetes knowledge in Zimbabwean adults with diabetes mellitus, to determine the main gaps in knowledge and identify the socio-demographic and diabetes-related determinants that predict diabetes awareness and self-care practices. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed using a standardized self-report Diabetes Knowledge Test questionnaire (DKT) of 58 respondents, 32 women and 26 men. Results were analysed with descriptive and analytic statistical methods. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents scored average knowledge on all three sub-scales: general knowledge, insulin use and total knowledge, with an overall score of 63.1, 14, 2%. Major knowledge gaps were in areas related to diet, insulin use and glycaemic control. No significant differences in mean scores were detected in the diabetes knowledge sub-scales when comparisons were made of mean knowledge scores in relation to socio-demographic and diabetes-related characteristics. However, diabetes-related complications were significantly associated with lower total and general diabetes knowledge, and female gender was an independent determinant of low general knowledge. CONCLUSION: Knowledge gaps were evident in areas regarding insulin use, diet and glycaemic control. Low diabetes knowledge was associated with female gender and could be a risk factor for development of diabetes-related complications. Knowledge gaps need to be addressed in diabetes education to prevent development of diabetes-related complications.

Global analyses of the potential for avian influenza transmission by wild birds have ignored key characteristics of the southern African avifauna. Although southern Africa hosts a variety of migratory, Holarctic-breeding wading birds and shorebirds, the documented prevalence of avian influenza in these species is low. The primary natural carriers of influenza viruses in the northern hemisphere are the anatids, i.e., ducks. In contrast to Palearctic-breeding species, most southern African anatids do not undertake predictable annual migrations and do not follow migratory flyways. Here we present a simple, spatially explicit risk analysis for avian influenza transmission by wild ducks in southern Africa. We developed a risk value for each of 16 southern African anatid species and summed risk estimates at a quarter-degree cell resolution for the entire subregion using data from the Southern African Bird Atlas. We then quantified environmental risks for South Africa at the same resolution. Combining these two risk values produced a simple risk map for avian influenza in South Africa, based on the best currently available data. The areas with the highest risk values were those near the two largest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, although parts of Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape also had high-risk scores. Our approach is simple, but has the virtue that it could be readily applied in other relatively low-data areas in which similar assessments are needed; and it provides a first quantitative assessment for decision makers in the subregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Which factors best predict the probability of elephant and frost damage in Kalahari sand woodland savanna? What is the association between tree mortality and the disturbance regime? Location: Western Zimbabwe. Methods: Elephant and frost damage, topkill, and whole-plant mortality were quantified in ten common tree species in a Kalahari sand savanna in Zimbabwe. Individual trees were tagged in 20 plots and monitored over a two-year period. A model selection approach was used to test the association between the probability of damage and size, prior damage, and neighbourhood effects, and to investigate the effect of damage on mortality. Results: Elephant damage differed strongly among species, and was not influenced by neighbourhood effects or prior disturbance. Frost damage also varied across species, and declined as a function of stem size and neighbourhood tree cover, and — against expectations — prior disturbance. Topkill increased as a function of elephant and frost damage, but was lower in previously damaged than in undamaged trees. Conclusions: Frost and elephant damage are influenced by community composition, and frost damage is also correlated with community structure and prior disturbance. Frost is an important and generally overlooked disturbance agent in southern African woodlands, where it may play a key role in association with other disturbance factors — such as elephant herbivory — that reduce woodland canopy cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new species of Rhigonema are described from the gut of various African diplopods. Rhigonema fecundum sp. n., from South Africa, is characterised by medium to fairly long body length, finely pilose anterior region, posterior margin of cephalic collar smoothly fused to body contour, Type 2 genital tract with a long ovejector, presence of a long, closely adpressed, vulval flap, tail shape in both sexes, broad spicules of medium length and complement of 23 copulatory papillae of which three pairs are subdorsal or sublateral in position. Rhigonema oxydesmi sp. n., from Oxydesmus platycercus concolor, Zaire, is characterised by medium body length, slightly projecting cephalic collar, finely pilose anterior region, Type 2 female genital tract with a long ovejector, presence of a short, adpressed, vulval flap, tail shape in both sexes, medium length spicules with a hamate capitulum and complement of 23 copulatory papillae, three pairs of which are subdorsal or sublateral in position. Rhigonema peziphorum sp. n., from Sphaerotherium selindum, Zimbabwe, is characterised by medium body length, prominently projecting cephalic collar, finely pilose anterior region, Type 1 female genital tract with a medium length ovejector, rather large eggs, absence of a prominent vulval flap, presence of a spermatophore, tail shape in both sexes, unusually short spicules with a weakly hamate capitulum and complement of 23 copulatory papillae. It is the only known Rhigonema species to form a spermatophore. Rhigonema rostrellum sp. n., from Ivory Coast, is characterised by medium body length, finely pilose anterior region, Type 2 genital tract with a very long ovejector, presence of a closely adpressed vulval flap, tail shape in both sexes, broad spicules of medium length and complement of 23 copulatory papillae of which three pairs are subdorsal or sublateral in position. Rhigonema spicatum sp. n., from Congoromus flabellatus, Zaire, is characterised by medium body length, slightly projecting cephalic collar, densely pilose anterior region, Type 2 female genital tract with a long ovejector, presence of an adpressed vulval flap, tail shape in both sexes, relatively short spicules with a hamate capitulum and complement of 23 copulatory papillae. Rhigonema xiphiurus sp. n., from Oxydesmus sicarius, Zaire, is characterised by medium body length, projecting cephalic collar, coarsely pilose anterior region with bristly microtrichs, microtrichs extending down body to beyond vulval level in female and a similar relative position in the male, Type 2 female genital tract with a long ovejector, elongate female tail, convex conoid male tail with an exceptionally well developed subulate projection, very short spicules and disposition of the 23 copulatory papillae, three pairs of which are dorsal or sublateral in position. A synopsis of the other eight nominal species of African Rhigonema is appended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface temperature variation over Zimbabwe, and, Harare and Bulawayo between 1933 and 1993, and, 1897 and 1993 respectively, is investigated. For the national average two significant warm phases are identified, with a net warming of +0.3 to +0.5 deg.C since 1933. Warming occurs in maximum temperature, whereas the mean national temperature cools. The effect of the rainfall pattern on temperature is also investigated. If warming phases coincide with drought years and the warming is confined to the rainy months only, then reduced cloudiness could be an important factor in explaining some of the warming. The first warm phase occurs during the mid-1930s to late 1940 and the secondmajor warm phase occurred from the early 1980s onwards. For Harare, with temperature records starting before 1900, a major warming phase occurred between about 1910 and late 1920. The effect of drought on the national temperature record is evident through a strong negative association between maximum temperature anomalies and rainfall anomalies. A number of possible causes of the observed changes are discussed. The effects of urbanisation and industrialisation on temperature trends over Harare and Bulawayo are quite conspicuous. The question that remains difficult to answer is whether the observed warming trend is a result of inherent climate variability, enhanced greenhouse effect or a combination of many factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]