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- ItemDynamics of culture and climate change and their implications on livelihoods: experiences from rural Zimbabwe.(Leena and Luna International, 2015) Bongo, P.P.; Lunga, W.; Sithole, M.; Chipangura, P.That climate is changing is evident in all the regions of the world, and people in those areas have been attempting to reorganize their livelihoods around the changing local contexts. One elusive issue about climate change is that it is producing mixed paradoxes–extremes of drought and dryness in other areas and extreme cold and heat in other areas, among other complex phenomena. As people engage in their livelihoods, their actions and survival strategies are informed by custom, practice and even past experience. As the impacts of climate change start getting acute with the passage of time, people are bound to interpret and respond to them within the confines of their culture, both material and immaterial. This becomes critical when these impacts spread to cause upheaval to the very cultural foundations upon which that society is built and driven. The paper examines the nature of culture’s preparedness to engage the evolving system that evidently calls for new ways of social, political, economic, environmental and ideological organization. One needs to explore the possibility of ‘cultural adaptation’as climate change unfolds. The views of mainly rural people in Zimbabwe form the basis of issues are captured in this paper. These shed light on how the people affected by climate change are managing to survive in the four Districts of Matobo, Shamva, Chirumanzu and Gwanda. The paper highlights the need to pay attention to religious and cultural experiences, alongside scientific climate change approaches, in informing adaptation. It concludes by noting the potential benefits of cultural diversity in managing climate change in a context largely shaped by the precautionary principle.
- ItemDynamics of configuring and interpreting the disaster risk script: Experiences from Zimbabwe(AOSIS, 2013) Bongo, P.P.; Chipangura, P.; Sithole, M.; Moyo, F.People in Zimbabwe have been faced with disasters in different forms and at various levels. When people experience hazard events and disasters, they perceive these phenomena through lenses that are largely shaped by their local day-to-day experiences and some external influence. As they do this, they develop their own local conception of hazards and disasters, and they tend to model their response or preparedness through this. This article argues that on the basis of this premise, each society therefore develops its own unique and localised way of interpreting the disaster, which comes in the form of a 'script', that needs to be deciphered, read, analysed and understood within local priorities and knowledge systems. The hazard may be the same, say, fire, but as it occurs in different communities, they configure and read the fire script differently, hence spawning different response and prevention strategies. The way people anticipate, prepare for, and respond to a particular disaster stems from their perception of it, based on their own local conceptions of reality. The article argues that effective disaster risk reduction must focus on people's holistic understanding of the unfolding scenario, thereby feeding into disaster risk early warning systems. For effective understanding of the utility of early warning systems, the socio-cultural processes involved in the ideation of the disaster cannot be ignored. It is also critical to examine people's past experiences with external early warning systems, and how much faith they put in them.
- ItemExamining the Nexus Between Migration and Family Planning Access: A Case Study of Zimbabwean Emigrants in South Africa(SAGE, 2025) Ndlovu, S.; Moyo, F.; Ndlovu, N.; Dube, Z.L.; Murai, T.; Ndlovu, T.; Ncube, M.; Nkala, P.; Ncube, V.; Mathe, T.; Mamba, F.S.Migration plays a significant role in shaping demographic patterns and access to healthcare services, including family planning. This study investigates the complex relationship and interconnection between migration and family planning access among Zimbabwean emigrants residing in South Africa. Despite the geographical separation from their country of origin, Zimbabwean emigrants have been observed to access family planning pills from back home. This phenomenon raises important questions regarding the factors influencing their decision to obtain family planning resources from their country of origin rather than from their current country of residence. Through a qualitative study approach, this research explored the motivations behind this behaviour and the implications it may have on the reproductive health outcomes of Zimbabwean emigrants in South Africa. Focus group discussions (n=6) and in-depth interviews (n=11) were conducted in Hillbrow, Berea and Orange Farm. Participants enrolled in the study encompassed females of the reproductive age group (18–45years), healthcare providers and key stakeholder informants. Thematic content analysis was employed to explore the data using NVivo14. Emergent themes were explained and thematically categorized. Reported results indicated that despite family planning and contraceptives being free in the host countries, and also having the same chemical compositions – perceived socio-cultural and structural barriers had a significant influence on the ‘home-is-best’ attitudes upheld by migrant Zimbabweans. By addressing the specific needs of migrants, including legal rights, cultural sensitivity and healthcare provision, efforts can be made to ensure universal access to reproductive healthcare services, thereby advancing both individual wellbeing and broader public health goals
- ItemPervasive irregular migration and the vulnerabilities of irregular female migrants at Plumtree border post in Zimbabwe(Elsevier, 2022) Matose, T.; Maviza, G.; Nunu, W.N.,Migration is a common and visible feature of global mobility where the driving factors would be the search for better livelihood opportunities. Due to economic hardships in Zimbabwe, women have also been noted to migrate to neighbouring countries in search of opportunities to look after their left-behind families. However, the COVID-19 restrictions and other state regulations have become facilitators of illicit migration as irregular migrants (including women) devise more complex means to traverse borders and gain access. This paper assesses the vulnerabilities and the lived realities of female irregular migrants between Zimbabwe and Botswana during the clandestine migration journeys. A qualitative descriptive survey that targeted nineteen (19) participants was conducted using semi-structured and unstructured interviews. The participants included fifteen (15) Female irregular migrants and four (4) Key Informants who worked at Plumtree Border Post. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and thematically analysed. Four vulnerabilities were reported/experienced by the participants: violence and robbery, Rape and sexual harassment, Psycho-emotional harassment, and health vulnerabilities in detention. The participants reported that these vulnerabilities are experienced at different levels of the migration process and deportation. Female migrants are generally at risk as they are bound to be taken advantage of at different levels during migration and deportation. Therefore, there is a need to relook at the policies implemented at the ports and ensure women are subjected to humane treatment even during the deportation process.
- ItemA rights-based analysis of disaster risk reduction framework in Zimbabwe and its implications for policy and practice(2013) Bongo, P. P.; Chipangura, P.; Sithole, M.; Moyo, F.This paper examines closely the institutional arrangements for disaster risk reduction from a rights-based perspective. In Zimbabwe, the disaster risk reduction framework and the ensuing practice have not yet accommodated some of the most vulnerable and excluded groups, especially the terminally ill, people with disabilities and the very poor. Top-down approaches to disaster management have largely been blamed for lack of resilience and poor preparedness on the part of sections of society that are hard hit by disasters. Often, disaster risk reduction has also been modeled along the needs and priorities of able-bodied people, whilst largely excluding those with various forms of impairments. Against this background, this paper is based on field research on people’s disaster risk experiences in four districts of Zimbabwe, with a special emphasis on the disaster risk reduction framework. It provides a critical analysis of the disaster risk reduction framework in Zimbabwe, focusing on the various forms of disadvantages to different categories of people that the current framework has tended to generate. The paper thus examines the current disaster risk reduction framework as largely informed by the Civil Protection Act and the Disaster Risk Management Policy Draft as revised in 2011. Crucial at this stage is the need to interrogate the disaster risk reduction framework, right from formulation processes with regard to participation and stakeholders, particularly the grassroots people who bear the greatest brunt of vulnerability, shocks, stresses and trends. In conclusion, the paper stresses the potential benefits of adopting an inclusive, rights-based thrust to disaster risk reduction in Zimbabwe.