Authors:Betty C. Mubangizi Abstract: As I write this editorial, #ZimbabweanLivesMatter has been trending on South Africa’s social media platforms for close to 48 hours. Both local and international celebrities have spoken against human rights abuses, said to be on the increase in that country. With the COVID-19 pandemic regulations against social gatherings in full force, people have taken to social media to voice their displeasure. While politicians in the SADC region have, in the main, remained silent on the latest developments in that country, a growing civil society voice appears to be gaining traction with possibilities of straining international relations in the region. The issues in Zimbabwe are multifaceted; they cut across several sectors, administrative regimes and political ideologies. Such issues are also not unique to Zimbabwe since many African countries have had their share of inefficiencies, abuse of human rights and widespread public protests. This phenomenon encapsulates some of the issues explored in this July issue of the African Journal of Governance and Development. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Leonard Chitongo; Prince Chikunya Timothy Marango Abstract: Development approaches and paradigms influence the nature and rate of socio-economic transformation of a country. The approaches manifest in the form of plans, policies or programmes. This conceptual paper seeks to evaluate the prospects and challenges of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in 2019 and draw lessons from other economic blueprints that were implemented prior to it. Zimbabwe has endured economic instability since the Fast Track Land Reform Programme of 2000. This has resulted in a lot of policy transformation in order to try to restore sanity. A desk review of secondary sources was done in collecting data and academic journals and papers were used as sources of data. Furthermore, some data was drawn from interviews made by economic analysts, government officials and academics. The researcher noted success stories and challenges from the different economic policies. We argue that Zimbabwe’s socio-economic policies have been affected by poor implementation strategies, corruption and excessive political expediency. Thus, the paper concluded that Zimbabwe’s economic status continues to degenerate despite a number of economic blueprints implemented from the year 2000. This is attributed to policy reversals and a lack of protection and security of property rights, leading to a lack of investor confidence. No meaningful investor is willing to pour out new capital when sovereign risk is high. The research recommends a human factor development approach militating against prudent economic management, while genuinely reengaging the world. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Dele Jemirade Abstract: This article investigates the changes to and achievements of Nigeria’s foreign and defence policies from 1985 to 1993. It also examines the economic, political and sociocultural implications of these policies on the nation. The article argues that the foreign and defence policies of the Ibrahim Babangida Administration were successful even if other aspects of the administration were a failure. The article also addresses the interlocking relationship between defence and foreign policy execution and concludes with recommendations on how these can be managed to promote the effectiveness of Nigeria’s external relations. The article depended largely on archival materials from the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, supported by scholarly journal articles, books and newspaper materials. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Alex Nduhura; Tshombe Muyiha Lukamba Innocent Nuwagaba Abstract: The search for improved value outcomes of procurement and use of PPPs lies in citizen co-production and co-delivery of public services. Applying insight from Agency theory, this study assesses the role of citizens in traditional procurement and PPPs. Based on a review of literature, interviews and focus group discussions, the study acknowledges that while the agency theory has been adopted in guiding theory and practice of procurement and PPPs, it is inadequate in engaging citizen participation. The study reveals that the principal’s interests tend to override the interests of citizens, creating a mismatch between service delivery expectations and perceptions. The outcome of this study points to the need for a radical shift in the way in which citizens are engaged in both traditional procurement and PPP routes as service delivery models. This paper is important since it advocates for the extension of the Agency theory to Citizen Principal Agency theory that puts the citizen at the frontline of service delivery design and implementation. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Samuel Okok; Jimmy Spire Ssentongo Abstract: Corruption continues to be one of the key challenges to the governance and development of many African countries. In Uganda, despite the existence of various anti-corruption strategies, several scandals can be cited in recent times involving the loss of colossal sums of money in embezzlement, bribery, influence peddling and other underhand manoeuvres. Several explanations for its persistence have been propounded in existing literature, helping us to understand the multifaceted phenomenon at various levels. However, many still fail to get to the core – especially due to largely focusing on secondary factors without delving into analysis of the dynamics of moral development that inform the shaping of human character and that, therefore, should be the focus of anti-corruption strategies. The above observations raise questions such as: What do the rampant corruption scandals reflect about the wider value systems and moral set-up in Ugandan society' Are State institutions mandated to fight corruption founded on appropriate theoretical perspectives and principles to guide their operations' In answering these questions, the main purpose of this paper is to present an ethical critique of the anti-corruption strategies used in Uganda and to suggest an alternative approach mainly grounded on a virtue-ethics-theoretical stance. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Pandelani Harry Munzhedzi Abstract: Municipalities in South Africa are charged with the responsibility of identifying needs of the local communities through various platforms, including public meetings, imbizos, ward committees and petitions. Policies are then developed in the form of integrated development plans (IDPs) and municipal budgets are allocated to respond to the identified community needs. It is a legislative requirement that all municipalities in the country develop and approve such plans in order to adequately respond to the needs of their respective communities. The challenge for most municipalities is that they lack requisite capacity and political will to implement such policies. This paper seeks to evaluate the efficacy of policy implementation in South Africa’s municipalities using the 7-C protocol as an assessment framework of the various municipal plans, including but not limited to, IDPs and municipal budgets. It is concluded that the implementation of municipal policies is not effective or efficient, hence the continuous backlog often witnessed in municipal service provision. It is further noted that many set targets and objectives are not achieved in most municipalities. To this end, several measures are proposed with the aim of appropriately addressing the challenges that hinder the adequate implementation of municipal policies in South Africa. Such measures include inculcating a sense of political will in the municipal executives by their respective political parties as well as punishing offenders of municipal prescripts to address corruption and maladministration. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Musavengana Winston Theodore Chibwana Abstract: Children’s rights civil society in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is pushing for a protocol for children to be developed. The effort that these organisations are exerting raises obvious questions: Is there a need for such a protocol and what will be the value of it' Are not the country ratifications at international and regional levels enough' Are we not burdening the member states by asking them to have another instrument when they seem to be struggling with the existing ones' How will accountability be ensured' The paper provides a rationale for the children’s protocol and prospective content that will be encapsulated therein. One of the main reasons is that the emerging children’s rights issues are not adequately covered in existing children’s rights normative frameworks such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Consequently, there is no jurisprudence of how member states can deal with these emerging issues. Further, SADC has 27 protocols dealing with a plethora of issues. The available protocols do not systematically address children’s rights in line with the four cardinal principles. It is a realisation of these issues that has prompted children’s rights civil society to lobby SADC to come up with a SADC protocol for children. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
Authors:Yemane Zeray Mesfin; Alemu Leta Mamuye Abstract: Since the 1950s, Sweden has been hosting large number of humanitarian immigrants. Following this inflow, their economic integration has become a key policy objective. Despite the government policies, immigrants’ labour market outcomes lag behind. Their inclusion into the job market has been characterised as having a slower pace. However, specific studies related to challenges of labour market integration of humanitarian immigrants have been limited. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to fill the knowledge gap concerning the barriers of labour market integration of this group of immigrants. In analysing this, the paper used a mixture of qualitative, descriptive and explanatory approaches based on used secondary sources with an inductive method of analysis. As a base for the discussion, three theories: human capital theory, social capital theory and institutional theory are selected with identified regional and international legal frameworks for the labour market integration of mainly humanitarian immigrants. The finding of this paper shows that limited human capital with a low level of labour outcome, lack of recognition of qualifications of skill, lack of language proficiency, and a lack of social capital and networks that cumulatively led to discrimination are the main barriers that affect the labour market outcome of humanitarian immigrants. So, policy directions and implementations should focus on addressing these specific barriers coupled with extra activities such as the provision of demand tailored trainings and special treatment as part of intervention. PubDate: 2020-07-01T00:00:00Z
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