Mineral Resources Governance and Socio-Economic Development in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chawatama, Chrispen Tauya
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mines and mineral resources -- Zimbabwe Mining law --Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD(Dev)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:42996
- Description: This study focused on investigating mineral resources governance (reflected in terms of three indicators of transparency, accountability and stakeholder inclusion) and its effect on socioeconomic development (in terms of three indicators of education, health and household incomes. Mineral resources can be a blessing and can lead to socioeconomic transformation of a country if they are managed transparently, accountably, inclusively equitably and sustainably. On the other hand, these subsoil capital assets can be a ‘curse’ and lead to poverty, conflicts amongst interest groups, elite capture, corruption and economic stagnation if they are not properly managed. Good governance of mineral resources seeks to ensure that the harnessing of mineral resources benefits the economy, enhances the quality of life and reduces poverty amongst citizens. The mining sector of Zimbabwe has risen to be the key economic sector in terms of its contribution to the GDP, FDI, fiscal revenue, exports and employment creation, particularly after the discovery of diamonds and more gold deposits in the country. However, in spite of the growth of the mining sector and its elevation to the mainstay of the economy, glaring dire socioeconomic conditions in terms of unemployment and high poverty levels, poor health, education and household incomes, leads one to question the way the country’s opulent mineral resources are being governed. The study used a mixed methods approach, through use of primary data (quantitative and qualitative data) and secondary data (archival data) as the basis for the collection as well as analysis of data. Complementarity of the research methods was achieved through use of data from household survey with 160 households in Mhondoro-Ngezi, Chegutu, Kwekwe and Shurugwi and in-depth interviews with officials of government ministries; of Finance and Economic Development, Health and Childcare, Primary and viii Secondary Education, local councillors, CSOs; ZELA and ZIMCODD, Traditional chiefs and ZASMC. The study established that mining growth is contributing somewhat to socio-economic development through employment creation, corporate social responsibility, CSOTs, ESPOs, taxation and royalties, but broad-based development has not taken place in the four districts. The study proposes a holistic mineral resources governance and socioeconomic development framework. The study recommends the Repeal of MMA and gazetting of a more comprehensive legal framework, implementation of constitutional provisions on transparency, accountability and stakeholder inclusion, adoption of free online tools for mineral processes disclosure, consolidation of the mining fiscal regime and so on.
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- Date Issued: 2020
An exploration of the prior conceptual understanding of measurement of first year national certificate (vocational) Engineering students
- Authors: Vale, Pamela
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/8033 , vital:21337
- Description: Measurement is acknowledged to be a critical component in mathematics education and is particularly important for vocational Engineering students, for whom this is a key skill required in the workplace. The goal of this research was to explore the existing measurement conceptualisations of vocational Engineering students at the outset of their course, as evident in their engagement with mediated measurement tasks. The focus on students’ prior knowledge in measurement, was for the value that this awareness holds in understanding the learning needs of the students. Students participated in five measurement tasks. Four took the form of dynamically assessed task-based interviews, and the fifth was a written test assessing what they had learned during their Mathematics classes. Domains of measurement that were assessed in these tasks included length, area, surface area, volume and flow rate. The interviewer took the role of mediator and students were assessed according to the number of moments of mediation and the degree of mediation required to successfully complete the task. Students’ responsiveness to this mediation provided insight as to their conceptualisations of the measurements relevant to the task. This research was exploratory in nature and adopted an open and flexible approach to the data analysis. Critical incidents were identified and coded according to the mediation offered and the actions of the students during the measuring activity. This allowed patterns to emerge that revealed stable and emerging conceptualisations that related to embodied and symbolic aspects of measurement. Evidence was found that for many of these students the link between the embodied and symbolic aspects of the concept was broken. This insight allowed suggestions to be formulated about how better to facilitate these students’ learning of measurement.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An investigation into the use of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of tannery wastewaters
- Authors: Jackson-Moss, Clive Alan
- Date: 1991
- Subjects: Tanneries -- Waste disposal , Sewage sludge -- South Africa -- Management , Sewage -- Purification -- Biological treatment -- South Africa , Water quality management -- South Africa , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4059 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004120 , Tanneries -- Waste disposal , Sewage sludge -- South Africa -- Management , Sewage -- Purification -- Biological treatment -- South Africa , Water quality management -- South Africa , Water -- Purification -- Biological treatment -- South Africa
- Description: The anaerobic digestion of tannery wastewaters was investigated with a view to using this form of treatment in the tanning industry. As these wastewaters are extremely complex and contain high concentrations of both inorganic and organic compounds, the effect of these individual compounds on the anaerobic digestion process was investigated in detail, in order to ascertain the fate of these compounds during the digestion process. The experiments comprising the initial toxicity study were carried out as adaptation experiments using a synthetic wastewater. It was found that the heavy metals such as chrome, aluminium and iron precipitated and accumulated in the sludge bed of the digesters . The soluble ions such as sodium and chloride were not retained and passed through the digesters. Approximately 20 % of the calcium ions were removed through precipitation, with the remainder being present in the digester effluent . Under the anaerobic conditions, ammonification of the organic nitrogen occurred, and influent sulphates were reduced to sulphides . These sulphides were present as either H2S, HS or insoluble sulphides. As these compounds under investigation on caused no inhibition of the anaerobic digestion process at the concentrations found in tannery wastewaters, the anaerobic treatment of these wastewaters appeared to be possible, provided the bacteria were given sufficient time to adapt to the potentially toxic compounds. However, despite the findings of the synthetic study, the successful anaerobic digestion of the tannery effluents could not be achieved. Although the use of acid was found to be essential in order to control the digester pH in the optimum range, the metabolism of the methanogenic bacteria was inhibited by the presence or absence of unknown compounds. Neither the addition of essential trace nutrients, nor the prevention of the competition between the methanogens and the sulphate-reducing bacteria were able to reverse this inhibition. As tannery effluents contain very low concentrations of phosphorous, it is possible that the methanogens were inhibited by a lack of phosphorous, which is essential during methanogenesis. In contrast to the results obtained from the effluent experiments, the anaerobic digestion of tannery sludge was found to be possible. Of the organic solids present in the sludge, 60 % were degraded and converted into biogas, which had a methane content greater than 70 %. The degradation of the organic solids ensured that COD and PV reductions of greater than 90 % were achieved, and the fate of the compounds in the digesters were in agreement with the findings of the v synthetic study. Efforts to improve the efficiency of the digestion process through the addition of trace nutrients and the use of a two-stage process were only successful in bringing about a minor improvement in digester performance. The overall results of this investigation show, therefore, that although the anaerobic treatment of the tannery effluent was not achieved, the successful anaerobic digestion of tannery sludge is possible at low loading rates. As many difficulties still need to be solved, a great deal of further research is necessary if anaerobic digestion is to be used on an industrial scale for the treatment and disposal of tannery wastewaters.
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- Date Issued: 1991
Mathematics and physical science choices made by pupils in selected Eastern Cape high schools: an investigation into the factors influencing the different choice patterns of boys and girls
- Authors: Ilsley, Jeffrey Robert
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Sex differences in education -- South Africa Education, Secondary -- Curricula -- South Africa Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Psychological aspects Physical sciences -- Study and teaching -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004750
- Description: The disparate numbers of boys and girls who elect to continue with mathemalics and/or physical science in the higher slandards of the school system has recently attracted much research atlention and the complexity of the interrelaledness of causal factors has become obvious. The broad aim of the study was to investigale the significant drop-out rate of girls at the end of the junior secondary phase of education (approximate age of fourteen lo fifteen). This was to be carried out for mathematics and physical science and undertaken using a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. The cross-sectional study entailed administering mathematics and physical science attitude questionnaires to 3531 standard six, seven and eight pupils from 4 co-educational, 2 allgirls' and 2 all-boys' schools, from middle and upper socioeconomic communities with similar language and cultural backgrounds . The longitudinal study involved pupils from two coeducational schools and one all-girls' school. It was a progressively-focused study starting with questionnaires administered to 358 standard six girls and boys, narrowing down to questionnaires and interviews used with 50 girls and 28 boys in standard seven and finally to interviews with 10 girls from standard eight. The parents of these ten girls were interviewed at the end of the study. The attilude questionnaires yielded strong sex differences which favoured the boys in both subjects for all the attitudes measured and also pointed to a progressive deterioralion of altitudes over the three-standard span. They also established significant differences in attitudes which favoured the pupils from Single-sex schools. It was further concluded that the girls were more strongly guided by their attitudes when making their subject-choice decisions. In the longitudinal study, reasons were suggested for pupils either taking or dropping mathematics and physical science. The introduction of algebra in the first year of high school presented a problem to pupils. In physical science, electricity was singled out as giving the subject a male bias. Socialization influences in the home were the main issue dealt with from the parent interviews . Sex-roles and stereotypes were dealt with in depth. Recommendations were made involving classroom strategies, curriculum possibilities, school policies and further research
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- Date Issued: 1988