Fostering posterity and socio-economic transformation through the prism of indigenous languages in youth training: A participatory approach

This paper reviews thee mediating role of indigenous languages in vocational skills and national development in the Zimbabwean context. In the wake of the current outcry for jobs, employment creation and entrepreneurship the need for new strategies to revive industry by focusing on community resources has become imperative. Youths need to turn to themselves as repositories of skills required for operationalising dormant and fledgling industries. In pursuit of this new strategy they need the expertise of local artisans. The initiative, adopted in the spirit of national consciousness, should yield an indigenous brand of technology. It is from this perspective that the paper argues for a fresh, broader approach to youth training, through the identification of a national programme that encourages skilled artisans to use indigenous languages as vehicles for imparting industrial skills to out of school youths. The envisaged formal programme can be implemented through the identification of industrial bases that would tap the industrial skills of out of school youths, under the tutorship of local skilled artisans. For more effective implementation the proposed blueprint argues for the liberalization of instructional media. Trainers and trainees would switch on to their preferred language in skills’ acquisition. Such a flexible project, sustained through collaborative engagement, between skilled artisans and youths, would go a long way towards enhancing the latter’s creative potential, by fostering familiarity with the terminology required by a particular industry. Further, the article envisages learners’ progressive training programmes that motivate vocational training graduates to apply modern technology to productive processes demanded by the respective communities. The study concludes by emphasizing that the achievement of national goals for entrepreneurship and youth empowerment/employment requires the adoption of new strategies encapsulated in the Education 5.0.blueprint.

Factors affecting Industrial Attachment Programme: Measures of academic performance and efficiency in Zimbabwe: A Review

Assessment of the Industrial Attachment Programme was deemed incomplete without reviewing measures of academic performance, efficiency, and the factors that affect performance and efficiency. The factors forming the basis for this review were found to human and system oriented. Academic performance of students has to be measured using examinations, tests, assignments and exercises. Data Envelope Analysis and Stochastic Frontier Analyst were the efficiency measures reviewed. Data Envelope Analysis was regarded appropriate for this study considering its ability to handle multiple inputs and outputs. Data Envelope Analysis estimates allocative, technical and economic efficiency which are key efficient measures. Some of the factors reviewed include financing, timing, evaluation and assessment methods of the programme. Linkage among students, tertiary education institutions, host organizations and various stake holders were other key factors. Courses covered before Industrial Attachment were noted as other key factors since the programme intends to marry theory learnt in the classroom with the practice. Industrial Attachment in Zimbabwe as with the Agricultural colleges and other institutions of tertiary education was also reviewed. The institutions use different approaches which will help much in the assessment of the programme. Measurement of performance and efficiency levels were found to be done with primary and secondary schools making reference to the academic side and not much was found to be done with agricultural colleges and the industrial attachment programme thereby forming the basis for this study. Colleges have to adopt models which improve performance and efficiency of the programme.

Determination of Magnetic susceptibility of hydrocarbon contaminated soils in Port Harcourt and Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria

In this study, determination of magnetic susceptibility were carried out on 366 soil samples using MS2B magnetic susceptibility meter connected to a computer system using MULTISUS2 software. The soil samples were selected from six sites namely: Shell environment, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas environment, Port Harcourt Refining Company James Hart, New Jerusalem and Port Harcourt respectively. Three of the six sites; Shell, NLNG and Port-Harcourt Refining Company environments have their soils contaminated with hydrocarbon. One hundred and ninety two (192) soil samples were collected from these hydrocarbon contaminated sites and 174 from non-hydrocarbon contaminated soil (control samples). The magnetic susceptibility values obtained from Shell environment and for hydrocarbon samples showed higher (enhanced) magnetic susceptibility with average values of 117.54x10-8 m3kg-1 and 2016.39x10-8 m3kg-1 and a moderate magnetic susceptibility for with an average value of 20.83x10-8 m3kg-1 in comparison to magnetic susceptibility values obtained from the control samples whose average values were 2.39x10-8 m3kg-1, 12.42x10-8 m3kg-1 and 3.31x10-8 m3kg-1 for James Hart, New Jerusalem and Port Harcourt respectively. This means that the hydrocarbon sites are highly magnetic which could be indication of pollution. The results of the percentage frequency dependent susceptibility (χFD%) obtained in the hydrocarbon samples showed about 16% of the samples had percentage frequency dependent susceptibility (χFD%) values between 0-2%, 53% had values of χFD% between 2-10% and 31% had χFD% between 10-12% and above while about 21% of the control samples had χFD% values between 0-2%, 58% between 2-10% and 21% between 10-12% and above. The high magnetic susceptibility value in the hydrocarbon soil samples is an indication of pollution due to hydrocarbon deposit. The Government is therefore advised to monitor the location and activities of the oil companies and initiate quick mop up strategies should be put in place in the eventuality of oil spillage.

Depiction of Shona marriage institution in Zimbabwe local television drama, Wenera Diamonds

Marriage is a highly celebrated phenomenon among the African people. It is one of the important institutions among the Shona and Ndebele people in Zimbabwe as expressed in the saying ‘musha mukadzi’ and ‘umuzingumama’ (home is made by a woman) respectively. However with the coming of colonialism in Zimbabwe, marriage was not given the appropriate respect it deserves. This has given impetus to this paper where the researchers in the study through drama want to bring out the depiction of marriage institution in a post -independence television drama, Wenera Diamonds (2017). This paper therefore, aims to show the impact of neo-colonialism on Shona marriage institution. The neo colonial period is characterised with the perpetuation of Western imperial interests through protocols of diplomatic relations, treaties and existing bilateral agreements which marked a new phase of relationships with former colonisers. The aim of this article therefore is to depict marriage institution in neo colonial Zimbabwe in Wenera Diamonds (2017), a Zimbabwean television drama. Using qualitative research methodology, the research employs content analysis to elucidate the depiction in the said performance. Guided by the Africana womanist perspective, the article argues that the indigenous knowledge needed for African social development is rendered irrelevant by a dysfunctional set of values of the western hegemony. Against that, the paper establishes that the depiction of marriage institution in Wenera diamonds is a reflection of imperialist colonial forces on the black person hence the need to go back to basics and resuscitate their culture.

Influence of planting basins on selected soil quality parameters and sorghum yield along an agro-ecological gradient in South Eastern Zimbabwe

Planting basins are an important soil and water conservation technology. This study evaluated the effects of basins on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, aggregate stability (Ima), bulk density, soil moisture retention and sorghum yield in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V of Chipinge district. The experiment consisted of three treatments; namely planting basins (basins) with goat manure and inorganic fertilizer application, hand hoeing with similar fertility amendments (FP+) and hand hoeing without fertility amendments (FP). It was hypothesized that planting basins with fertility amendments would improve the selected soil quality parameters and sorghum yield. Only planting basins significantly (p˂0.05) improved soil quality parameters in the 0-15 cm depth and bulk density, Ima, SOC stocks ranged from 1356 to 1451 kg/m3; 314 to 450 and 14.18 to 25.55 Mg ha-1 respectively. Planting basins significantly increased (p<0.05) sorghum yield relative to hand-hoeing practices (FP+ and FP) with average grain yield of 2.68, 1.72 and 1.32 t ha-1 in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V, respectively. When compared to FP+ and FP, basins increased grain yield by >130% in all the 3 agro-ecological regions. The hypothesis was accepted and it was concluded that basins improve soil properties and sorghum grain yield in agro-ecological regions III, IV and V. Considering the soil and crop productivity benefits highlighted in this study, there is a strong justification for the widespread promotion and adoption of planting basins in semi-arid agro-ecological regions of Zimbabwe.