Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) is an institution of higher learning in the city of Masvingo, Zimbabwe. It is currently situated on the Masvingo Teachers’ College campus seven kilometres east of Masvingo CBD. Currently the institution has a number of campuses in and around the city, including some in the high density suburb of Mucheke, most notably the school of tourism and hospitality situated on a hill on what used to be a hotel. The Herbert Chitepo law school and the library are among the campuses in the center of town. There are also newly built campuses to the west in the industrial zone of the city, whose buildings stand out along the Bulawayo highway. There is another campus in the mining town of Mashava 40km west of Masvingo. A larger campus is soon to be built near the Great Zimbabwe National Monument, the namesake of the university.One of a number of universities the government opened after independence in 1980, Great Zimbabwe University began life as the Masvingo State University (MASU). which was established through the recommendations of the 1995 Chetsanga Report. The report had proposed the devolution of teachers’ and technical colleges into degree-awarding institutions that would eventually become universities in their own right. A university college attached to the University of Zimbabwe was accordingly launched in 1999/2000. Two years later, an Act of Parliament created the autonomous Masvingo State University. The name was changed to Great Zimbabwe University two years later.The university offers degree and diploma programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the arts, commerce, education and the sciences. The programmes are designed to be responsive to the needs of the job market in Zimbabwe's ever-changing economy..
Indigenous cattle are central to livelihoods, climate resilience, and cultural systems in semi-arid regions, yet their phenotypic diversity is often insufficiently documented to support effective conservation and sustainable use improvement. The study aimed to classify officially recognized indigenous cattle breeds (Afrikaner, Mashona, and Tuli) based on their phenotypic characteristics. The study animals were selected randomly among the animals present at the plunge dip tank (a tick-control practice in which cattle are immersed in an acaricide solution) for three consecutive dipping’s, morphological and morphometric traits were observed and documented using a standardized breed characterization guideline. Three breeds (Afrikaner, Mashona, Tuli) and three classes (Cows, Heifers, Steers) were considered for this study, and a maximum of 9 animals for each class and breed was used. A stepwise discriminant analysis procedure was used to select the most significant variables, while canonical discriminant analysis was applied for breed classification. The morphometric data underwent factor analysis to capture the principal sources of variation, prioritizing factors with the highest variance. Multivariate statistical approaches, were applied as exploratory tools to identify traits contributing most strongly to phenotypic differentiation, while acknowledging sampling limitations The results showed that the morphometric trait variability was much higher (P < 0.001), the most essential traits for easy identification of cattle were HL, DBH, BW, RL HG, and EW, as evidenced by their partial discrete R2 values. The study produced two statistically significant canonical variables (P < 0.001), with CAN1 explaining 72.3
COVID-19 effects have been felt in the education sector worldwide where schools, colleges, and universities were closed as a way to reduce the spread of the deadly pandemic and loss of lives. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. advocate that no child should be left behind during the COVID-19 era, therefore gave a directive for universities to use other alternative means of teaching and learning to continuously provide teaching and learning to students during the series of lockdown. An efficient eLearning system in universities is very important as an alternative to faceto-face teaching and learning in this COVID-19 era to have continuity in teaching and learning during the induced lockdowns. Success in online learning can be achieved by understanding the level of readiness of online learning environments. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the adoption of online learning by students in Zimbabwean universities. A descriptive online survey employing questionnaires to collect data on the adoption of eLearning by Zimbabwean universities students was used. Results indicated various eLearning platforms have been introduced in Zimbabwean universities though there is a need for eLearning infrastructure to be availed, students to be trained or students to effectively adopt the eLearning.
Sakadzo, N., M. Mubvuma, M. C. Mukanga, A. R. S. Mabveni and R. Musundire. 2026. The Role of Leaf Pubescence in Resistance to Yellow Sugarcane Aphids (YSA), Sipha flava, in Selected Sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum Varieties. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 44(1):55-61. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001377 Screening for leaf pubescence in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) varieties against yellow sugarcane aphid (YSA) (Sipha flava) remains unexplored in the sugar industry of Zimbabwe. Field trials were undertaken to investigate the interaction between leaf pubescence and YSA. A 7*2*3 factorial complete randomized block design (CRBD) replicated four times was used, under two aphid treatments (Acetamiprid pesticide sprayed (control) and YSA infested). The first factor was varieties (96-1107, 00-1165, ZN 10, ZN 8, ZN 9, ZN 3L, and N14), aphid treatment was the second factor at two levels (sprayed and infested), and leaf position was the third factor (leaf position-1, leaf position-2 and leaf position-3). Quantitative data on trichome density (mm2) was measured using a light microscope, and aphids were physically counted to determine their number. The trichome density (mm2) and aphid number in the control varied greatly (p<0.001), showing prominent variation depending on the leaf position (p<0.001), and the variety (p<0.001). In aphid-infested plots, ZN 10 had the lowest trichome density (30.9; 41.27; 56.72/mm2) for leaf-1, leaf-2, and leaf-3, respectively, whereas the sugarcane variety 00-1165 had the highest trichome density for all three leaf positions (105.7, 115.7 and 131/mm2), respectively. Linear regression analysis confirmed a significant (p<0.001) negative correlation between the number of aphids for different varieties and trichome density. Resistance to YSA feeding on different sugarcane varieties is mediated by leaf pubescence, or dense trichomes. Farmers in the sugar industry should integrate pubescent (high-density trichome) sugarcane varieties into their existing YSA management strategies. Key words: Leaf pubescence, trichomes, leaf position, sugarcane, Sipha flava.
As increased focus in the information society is now towards the intellectual debate on information ethics, there is increased attention to professional ethics due to the rapid growth of contemporary technologies that have altered the way library and information science (LIS) professionals manage information. The information society has provided university libraries with new technologies to connect with their clients, eliminating the need to limit what they offer. However, it has also raised many unanswered ethical questions in the management of the electronic library. Ethical issues of information access, user privacy, intellectual property, and information accuracy are significant concerns for libraries in today’s networked environment. The explosion of technology and the subsequent emergence of electronic libraries have brought information ethics to the forefront of ethical considerations. However, little empirical research on information ethics and the level of adoption among LIS professionals was available, particularly from an African perspective. The study was conducted to determine the adoption of information ethics standards by LIS professionals in managing electronic libraries. The study adopted the deontological ethics theoretical framework and the Privacy, Accuracy, Property, Access (PAPA) information ethics framework. The study used a mixed-methods research approach and a sequential explanatory research design. The study population consisted of LIS professionals serving in Zimbabwean university libraries. The findings revealed a general lack of awareness and adoption of information ethics by LIS professionals. This has highlighted the need to raise awareness among LIS professionals about information ethics through advocacy, awareness, and staff development, in addition to advocating for a localised code of ethical framework.
This qualitative study explored educators' experiences when nurturing inclusion for learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Zimbabwean regular primary school classrooms. Eight educators who work with learners with ASD, drawn from eight urban and rural regular primary schools, participated in the study. Data from face-to-face semi-structured individual interviews and field notes were analysed using a social constructivist approach. Three themes emerged: inclusion in regular classrooms, educators' difficulties in teaching learners with ASD, and enabling factors. Contextual individual and systemic difficulties hindered educators' proactive strategies for cultivating inclusive education. The article concludes with implications for policy and practice and recommendations for future research.
