In some Zimbabwe’s urban areas, water shortages and its quality has become a perennial predicamen... more In some Zimbabwe’s urban areas, water shortages and its quality has become a perennial predicament that has claimed human life and inhibited economic development. A study by Nhapi (2009) revealed that the current problems have been caused by rapid population growth after independence in 1980, inadequate rehabilitation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants, expensive technologies and a poor institutional framework.In this respect, the problem is two-fold that is, inadequate water quantity and poor water quality. In Harare, for instance, water quantity problems have been attributed to the inadequate pumping capacity at Morton Jaffrey Works and Prince Edward Water Treatment Works as observed by (Manzungu and Mabiza, 2004). The quality of drinking water on the other hand has been seriously affected as a result of deteriorating water quality in Lake Chivero. Erratic water supplies and poor sanitation mostly affect the poor as they do not have alternative means. Those w...
In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, se... more In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 provides for devolution of government powers and responsibilities to provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities. To facilitate devolution, the Constitution organizes government at three levels namely, national, provincial and local. However, contrary to the provisions of section 264 of the constitution the government has not given powers of local governance to the people to enhance their participation in making decisions affecting them. This paper discusses the objectives of the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities, the prospects of improving good local governance through devolution and impediments to the implementation of devolution. The objectives of this study were to examine the extent to which the implementation of devolution and decentralization improved good local governance and to analyse the constitutional provisions as well as dynamics attendant to their implementation.
After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost... more After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost immediately, the country descended into a civil war as power struggle ensued between the three former Liberation Movements namely, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (which took over state rule after independence), the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).The civil war attracted the intervention of conflict entrepreneurs. Angola became a cold war zone with superpowers like United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and France gaining ground for testing their weapons among other economic interests. South Africa’s drive for regional hegemony, and Zaire’s desire to establish influence in the area were examples of how seriously the rivalries and peace spoilers were bargaining for power at the expense of peace and sustainable development in Angola. The civil war was being fu...
Governments today face a broad range of complex healthcare challenges prompted by changing demogr... more Governments today face a broad range of complex healthcare challenges prompted by changing demographics, a growing burden of chronic diseases, escalating healthcare costs and rapidly changing healthcare technologies. Due to these challenges healthcare delivery systems are increasingly strained and are struggling to expand access and deliver high-quality healthcare services in line the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the overarching objective of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages by 2030. Additional investment in health is, thus, needed in many countries, particularly in developing countries where healthcare infrastructure remains inadequate, and facilities lack the necessary management skills and patient care personnel to address the growing demands of caring for their populations. Faced with such a situation, and the imperative to stretch their healthcare funding and produce better results, many countries are increasingly turning to PPPs (World Bank, 2013). Zimbabwe, a developing country, situated in Southern Africa is faced with the same situation. A protracted debilitating economic crises has severely undermined the capacity to healthcare delivery to the populace. Against this backdrop, there is an increasing realisation within the country that provision of health services through several Public-Private Partnership initiatives could be of help to alleviate the challenges.
Zimbabwe was the most industrialized country in sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of South Af... more Zimbabwe was the most industrialized country in sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of South Africa and was a major exporter of manufactured products to its neighbours. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) (2015) observed that by 2015, however, the country’s industrial sector had all but collapsed following years of economic problems that resulted in serious deindustrialization as factories closed and relocated to neighbouring countries and thousands of workers were thrown out of employment. In view of this calamity, the Government of Zimbabwe reviewed its industrial development policy 2012-2016 and launched 2019-2023 policy. The purpose of the evaluation was therefore to identify implementation gaps and inform future policy reviews, bearing in mind that the policy under review promised to propel Zimbabwe out of mess and grow the economy to a developmental state by 2030. The overall objective of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, administra...
The perennial economic crisis in Zimbabwe has crippled the once superior health delivery system t... more The perennial economic crisis in Zimbabwe has crippled the once superior health delivery system thereby reducing the country's capacity to cope with the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of 16 August 2020, Zimbabwe recorded 5251 cumulative cases; 3037 active cases, 2092 recoveries and 132 deaths and the figures are growing faster than expected against the background of inadequate PPE for health personnel working at the country's health facilities. This health crisis has overburdened the government's weak systems coupled with lack of serious interest to attract the private healthcare players through PPPs arrangements. The health sector is unacceptably underfunded with a budget allocation of US$7 per capita against the recommended US$34 per capita per annum. Ultimately, these gaps result in loss of life and untold suffering of the poor who are not able to access the services of the private players in the healthcare provision. Included in the Zimbabwe's new constitution (2013) section 76 (1), is the government's responsibility to ensure every citizen and residents have access to basic healthcare provisions. In its response to the COVID-19, it is expected that the Zimbabwe government should observe the set minimum standards. Globally, governments are facing budget constraints to adequately finance healthcare provisions and systems. It is therefore against this background that some countries are embracing Private Public Partnerships as joint efforts to improve healthcare service delivery to save lives. Key enablers for the successful implementation of public private partnerships are: strong political leadership, favourable policy and effective organisational capacity. It increasingly came to the fore in the foregoing discussion that the conduciveness of the broader operating environment is critical for the success of PPPs. In particular, the legal and regulatory environment should be sufficient and appropriate for the establishment of PPPs. It also came out clearly that political will as well as a conducive political environment is a crucial success factor for PPPs. As such, governance of sustainable PPPs in healthcare financing is an area for further research. It is evident that currently Zimbabwe does not have an adequate legal and legislative framework for PPPs. This implies that for the effective implementation of PPPs to be effected, the country should develop an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework for good PPPs governance.
In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, se... more In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 provides for devolution of government powers and responsibilities to provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities. To facilitate devolution, the Constitution organizes government at three levels namely, national, provincial and local. However, contrary to the provisions of section 264 of the constitution the government has not given powers of local governance to the people to enhance their participation in making decisions affecting them. This paper discusses the objectives of the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities, the prospects of improving good local governance through devolution and impediments to the implementation of devolution.
Angolan Conflict Analysis: A Lesson for Africa's Emerging Leaders
After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost... more After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost immediately, the country descended into a civil war as power struggle ensued between the three former Liberation Movements namely, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (which took over state rule after independence), the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).The civil war attracted the intervention of conflict entrepreneurs. Angola became a cold war zone with superpowers like United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and France gaining ground for testing their weapons among other economic interests. South Africa's drive for regional hegemony, and Zaire's desire to establish influence in the area were examples of how seriously the rivalries and peace spoilers were bargaining for power at the expense of peace and sustainable development in Angola. The civil war was being funded by sales of diamonds and oil to United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Russia and Cuba in exchange for weapons and military personnel (mercenaries).Findings from research, indicated that fundamental issues underpinning the civil war ranged from power politics and control of resources. Deep ideological and strong ethnic differences, low literacy in the society, poor economic policies and corruption were also causes of the protracted conflict, making peace initiatives impossible. The Angolan civil war period can be divided as 1975-1991, 1992-1994, 1998-2002 with each period characterised by breakdown of a fragile peace (Ferreira 2006). About 8 peace agreements were signed without success with the civil war escalating each time an agreement is signed, resulting in about 1.5 million people dying and more than 4 million people internally displaced (Amnesty International 2001).The death of the UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in a battle in 2002 and the surrender of UNITA, signalled the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Armed Forces of Angola (FAA) and UNITA which brought the Angolan civil war to an end. The ceasefire and peace agreement, which outlawed any hostile interventions, triggered the demise of all external actors and peace spoilers as well as bringing to light a massive humanitarian crisis in which over 18 million people needed food assistance, more than 4 million displaced families needed repatriation, and over 85000 UNITA soldiers demobilized and more than 43000 family members became dependent on government and the international community (Kibble and Steve 2003). The focus on new Angola is now on post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building, respect for human rights and sustainable development.
Effectiveness of Public Sector Trade Unions: A Case of Public Service Association of Zimbabwe, 2019
This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Public Service Association (PSA) in Zimbabwe... more This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Public Service Association (PSA) in Zimbabwe, using Harare as the study area. The study employed a descriptive research design with a study sample of 323 respondents. Self-administered survey questionnaires were sent to 317 respondents and in-depth interviews with six key informants were held as data collection methods. The study revealed that the association membership declined by 54.54% from 2010 to the period under study. It was found out that the association has no active workplace workers representative structures as stated by 68.4% of the respondents. 88.3% of the respondents confirmed lack of effective information sharing between union officials and members in Public Service Association. Furthermore, findings show that the Association has no influence over decisions of the employer on issues affecting members such as cutting of wage bill in the civil service and retrenchments, thus failing to protect the interests of members. Serious concerns and expectations were raised by respondents, particularly lack of collective bargaining and a social contract. The results of this study led to the conclusion that the Public Service Association was ineffective and it is recommended that the organisation needed renewal right from the top leadership down to lower structures through a democratic process of free and fair elections as a way of saving the association from collapsing.
This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community based management of boreholes in urban... more This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community based management of boreholes in urban areas using Budiriro high density suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe as a case study. The general objective was to find out the community’s willingness to take ownership and capability to control or at least strongly influence the development of its water system. The study employed a mixed methods approach comprising three data collection methods namely survey questionnaire, key informant in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The sample size was 120 research participants.The study revealed that community based management of boreholes, if introduced in Budiriro, can be very effective as the respondents expressed the community’s willingness to pay, and that they had capacity and ability to manage the project, highlighting the community’s experience of water related diesease out-breaks that had claimed many lives in the suburb. The results of this study led to the conclusion that community based management of boreholes was the only effective way and option at Harare City Council’s disposal to curb water shortages and ensure efficient water supply to the community by the community, hence it should be implemented.
In some Zimbabwe’s urban areas, water shortages and its quality has become a perennial predicamen... more In some Zimbabwe’s urban areas, water shortages and its quality has become a perennial predicament that has claimed human life and inhibited economic development. A study by Nhapi (2009) revealed that the current problems have been caused by rapid population growth after independence in 1980, inadequate rehabilitation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants, expensive technologies and a poor institutional framework.In this respect, the problem is two-fold that is, inadequate water quantity and poor water quality. In Harare, for instance, water quantity problems have been attributed to the inadequate pumping capacity at Morton Jaffrey Works and Prince Edward Water Treatment Works as observed by (Manzungu and Mabiza, 2004). The quality of drinking water on the other hand has been seriously affected as a result of deteriorating water quality in Lake Chivero. Erratic water supplies and poor sanitation mostly affect the poor as they do not have alternative means. Those w...
In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, se... more In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 provides for devolution of government powers and responsibilities to provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities. To facilitate devolution, the Constitution organizes government at three levels namely, national, provincial and local. However, contrary to the provisions of section 264 of the constitution the government has not given powers of local governance to the people to enhance their participation in making decisions affecting them. This paper discusses the objectives of the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities, the prospects of improving good local governance through devolution and impediments to the implementation of devolution. The objectives of this study were to examine the extent to which the implementation of devolution and decentralization improved good local governance and to analyse the constitutional provisions as well as dynamics attendant to their implementation.
After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost... more After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost immediately, the country descended into a civil war as power struggle ensued between the three former Liberation Movements namely, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (which took over state rule after independence), the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).The civil war attracted the intervention of conflict entrepreneurs. Angola became a cold war zone with superpowers like United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and France gaining ground for testing their weapons among other economic interests. South Africa’s drive for regional hegemony, and Zaire’s desire to establish influence in the area were examples of how seriously the rivalries and peace spoilers were bargaining for power at the expense of peace and sustainable development in Angola. The civil war was being fu...
Governments today face a broad range of complex healthcare challenges prompted by changing demogr... more Governments today face a broad range of complex healthcare challenges prompted by changing demographics, a growing burden of chronic diseases, escalating healthcare costs and rapidly changing healthcare technologies. Due to these challenges healthcare delivery systems are increasingly strained and are struggling to expand access and deliver high-quality healthcare services in line the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the overarching objective of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages by 2030. Additional investment in health is, thus, needed in many countries, particularly in developing countries where healthcare infrastructure remains inadequate, and facilities lack the necessary management skills and patient care personnel to address the growing demands of caring for their populations. Faced with such a situation, and the imperative to stretch their healthcare funding and produce better results, many countries are increasingly turning to PPPs (World Bank, 2013). Zimbabwe, a developing country, situated in Southern Africa is faced with the same situation. A protracted debilitating economic crises has severely undermined the capacity to healthcare delivery to the populace. Against this backdrop, there is an increasing realisation within the country that provision of health services through several Public-Private Partnership initiatives could be of help to alleviate the challenges.
Zimbabwe was the most industrialized country in sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of South Af... more Zimbabwe was the most industrialized country in sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of South Africa and was a major exporter of manufactured products to its neighbours. Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) (2015) observed that by 2015, however, the country’s industrial sector had all but collapsed following years of economic problems that resulted in serious deindustrialization as factories closed and relocated to neighbouring countries and thousands of workers were thrown out of employment. In view of this calamity, the Government of Zimbabwe reviewed its industrial development policy 2012-2016 and launched 2019-2023 policy. The purpose of the evaluation was therefore to identify implementation gaps and inform future policy reviews, bearing in mind that the policy under review promised to propel Zimbabwe out of mess and grow the economy to a developmental state by 2030. The overall objective of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, administra...
The perennial economic crisis in Zimbabwe has crippled the once superior health delivery system t... more The perennial economic crisis in Zimbabwe has crippled the once superior health delivery system thereby reducing the country's capacity to cope with the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of 16 August 2020, Zimbabwe recorded 5251 cumulative cases; 3037 active cases, 2092 recoveries and 132 deaths and the figures are growing faster than expected against the background of inadequate PPE for health personnel working at the country's health facilities. This health crisis has overburdened the government's weak systems coupled with lack of serious interest to attract the private healthcare players through PPPs arrangements. The health sector is unacceptably underfunded with a budget allocation of US$7 per capita against the recommended US$34 per capita per annum. Ultimately, these gaps result in loss of life and untold suffering of the poor who are not able to access the services of the private players in the healthcare provision. Included in the Zimbabwe's new constitution (2013) section 76 (1), is the government's responsibility to ensure every citizen and residents have access to basic healthcare provisions. In its response to the COVID-19, it is expected that the Zimbabwe government should observe the set minimum standards. Globally, governments are facing budget constraints to adequately finance healthcare provisions and systems. It is therefore against this background that some countries are embracing Private Public Partnerships as joint efforts to improve healthcare service delivery to save lives. Key enablers for the successful implementation of public private partnerships are: strong political leadership, favourable policy and effective organisational capacity. It increasingly came to the fore in the foregoing discussion that the conduciveness of the broader operating environment is critical for the success of PPPs. In particular, the legal and regulatory environment should be sufficient and appropriate for the establishment of PPPs. It also came out clearly that political will as well as a conducive political environment is a crucial success factor for PPPs. As such, governance of sustainable PPPs in healthcare financing is an area for further research. It is evident that currently Zimbabwe does not have an adequate legal and legislative framework for PPPs. This implies that for the effective implementation of PPPs to be effected, the country should develop an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework for good PPPs governance.
In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, se... more In an effort to ensure democracy, good local governance and citizen participation, chapter 14, section 264 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.20) Act 2013 provides for devolution of government powers and responsibilities to provincial and metropolitan councils and local authorities. To facilitate devolution, the Constitution organizes government at three levels namely, national, provincial and local. However, contrary to the provisions of section 264 of the constitution the government has not given powers of local governance to the people to enhance their participation in making decisions affecting them. This paper discusses the objectives of the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities, the prospects of improving good local governance through devolution and impediments to the implementation of devolution.
Angolan Conflict Analysis: A Lesson for Africa's Emerging Leaders
After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost... more After 15 years of liberation struggle, Angola attained independence from Portugal in 1975. Almost immediately, the country descended into a civil war as power struggle ensued between the three former Liberation Movements namely, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) (which took over state rule after independence), the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).The civil war attracted the intervention of conflict entrepreneurs. Angola became a cold war zone with superpowers like United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and France gaining ground for testing their weapons among other economic interests. South Africa's drive for regional hegemony, and Zaire's desire to establish influence in the area were examples of how seriously the rivalries and peace spoilers were bargaining for power at the expense of peace and sustainable development in Angola. The civil war was being funded by sales of diamonds and oil to United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Russia and Cuba in exchange for weapons and military personnel (mercenaries).Findings from research, indicated that fundamental issues underpinning the civil war ranged from power politics and control of resources. Deep ideological and strong ethnic differences, low literacy in the society, poor economic policies and corruption were also causes of the protracted conflict, making peace initiatives impossible. The Angolan civil war period can be divided as 1975-1991, 1992-1994, 1998-2002 with each period characterised by breakdown of a fragile peace (Ferreira 2006). About 8 peace agreements were signed without success with the civil war escalating each time an agreement is signed, resulting in about 1.5 million people dying and more than 4 million people internally displaced (Amnesty International 2001).The death of the UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in a battle in 2002 and the surrender of UNITA, signalled the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Armed Forces of Angola (FAA) and UNITA which brought the Angolan civil war to an end. The ceasefire and peace agreement, which outlawed any hostile interventions, triggered the demise of all external actors and peace spoilers as well as bringing to light a massive humanitarian crisis in which over 18 million people needed food assistance, more than 4 million displaced families needed repatriation, and over 85000 UNITA soldiers demobilized and more than 43000 family members became dependent on government and the international community (Kibble and Steve 2003). The focus on new Angola is now on post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building, respect for human rights and sustainable development.
Effectiveness of Public Sector Trade Unions: A Case of Public Service Association of Zimbabwe, 2019
This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Public Service Association (PSA) in Zimbabwe... more This study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Public Service Association (PSA) in Zimbabwe, using Harare as the study area. The study employed a descriptive research design with a study sample of 323 respondents. Self-administered survey questionnaires were sent to 317 respondents and in-depth interviews with six key informants were held as data collection methods. The study revealed that the association membership declined by 54.54% from 2010 to the period under study. It was found out that the association has no active workplace workers representative structures as stated by 68.4% of the respondents. 88.3% of the respondents confirmed lack of effective information sharing between union officials and members in Public Service Association. Furthermore, findings show that the Association has no influence over decisions of the employer on issues affecting members such as cutting of wage bill in the civil service and retrenchments, thus failing to protect the interests of members. Serious concerns and expectations were raised by respondents, particularly lack of collective bargaining and a social contract. The results of this study led to the conclusion that the Public Service Association was ineffective and it is recommended that the organisation needed renewal right from the top leadership down to lower structures through a democratic process of free and fair elections as a way of saving the association from collapsing.
This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community based management of boreholes in urban... more This study sought to assess the effectiveness of community based management of boreholes in urban areas using Budiriro high density suburb in Harare, Zimbabwe as a case study. The general objective was to find out the community’s willingness to take ownership and capability to control or at least strongly influence the development of its water system. The study employed a mixed methods approach comprising three data collection methods namely survey questionnaire, key informant in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The sample size was 120 research participants.The study revealed that community based management of boreholes, if introduced in Budiriro, can be very effective as the respondents expressed the community’s willingness to pay, and that they had capacity and ability to manage the project, highlighting the community’s experience of water related diesease out-breaks that had claimed many lives in the suburb. The results of this study led to the conclusion that community based management of boreholes was the only effective way and option at Harare City Council’s disposal to curb water shortages and ensure efficient water supply to the community by the community, hence it should be implemented.
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Papers by Jeremiah Bvirindi