I have an interest in the fields of public administration, local government, E-governance, management information systems, development management, governance, peace and conflict and human resources,
reflected the interests of visiting Nordic researchers, but under the recent directorship of Ande... more reflected the interests of visiting Nordic researchers, but under the recent directorship of Anders Hjort af Ornas the Institute has initiated a series of specific research programmes. The most recent of these, dating from 1990, is "The Political and Social Context of Structural Adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa". Currently, the programme's main components are support to a network of African researchers working on adjustment issues and collaborative work between the programme coordinator and other Scandinavian scholars. The main areas of research being pursued are the political economy of agrarian change under adjustment, women as informal sector workers and household structures under adjustment, developments in the social sector, changing relations between the state, donors, and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the politics of adjustment in adjusting and donor countries. Chr. Michelsen Institute is an independent research institution located in Bergen. A development research programme (DERAP) has been a major part of CMI's Department of Social Science and Development since the 1960s, and consists of 15-20 researchers. The DERAP programme undertakes basic research as well as commissioned research and consultancies, and the research staff spend a substantial part of their career on long-term assignments in developing countries. The present research areas are economic policies and management, local government and organisation, basic studies on * The term is used throughout to mean all the countries in Africa south of the Sahara, except the Republic of South Africa and Namibia.
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the ... more The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the implementability of participatory budgeting (PB) system in Zimbabwe’s local authorities with special reference to the Harare City Council (HCC). This study was undertaken against the background that the PB system had produced intended results in some local authorities and unintended results in others. This was mainly due to the fact that the PB system was transplanted from elsewhere where it recorded success stories and replicated in other different settings without taking into account different prevailing contextual factors. The main objective of the study is to examine how contextual variables affect the implementability of PB system in HCC. The study revealed that the prevailing contextual variables in Zimbabwe generally and HCC specifically are inhospitable to the successful implementation of the PB system. Keywords : participatory budgeting, Harare City Council
When Zimbabwe emerged from its settler status in 1980, the new popularly elected government inher... more When Zimbabwe emerged from its settler status in 1980, the new popularly elected government inherited a corporatist structure originally designed to serve settler interests. Rather than dismantle that structure to reflect nationalist ambitions and the "new order" the new regime's corporatist inclinations became increasingly compatible with this inherited framework. The established corporatist structure was viewed as providing an institutional framework through which the new state could impose its hegemonic position thereby paving the way for the establishment of its one-party state.
Global Business and Economics Research Journal, 2016
This study examines the proposed prepaid water meters by Zimbabwean local authorities focusing on... more This study examines the proposed prepaid water meters by Zimbabwean local authorities focusing on the Harare City Council. The study reveals that without attending to contract management capacity issues, the prepaid meter technology meant to be installed in all Harare households would be a challenge to residents. Public and private water utility management organisations are guided by different sets of incentives. Whatever the mix, public and private utility organisations operate best with clear lines of authority and responsibility buttressed by a technical competent managerial team with the ability to make long-term investments. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations that are designed to assist local government authorities interested in charting and bankrolling the prepaid water meter system with relevant information that can be utilised in their quest for an efficient water delivery and cost recovery system.
The adoption of resolution 2098 that invoked the aggressive mandate by the United Nations Securit... more The adoption of resolution 2098 that invoked the aggressive mandate by the United Nations Security Council ((UNSC) in 2013 was a development that signified a modification of the nature and form of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. The research evaluates the implementation of the UN aggressive mandate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It highlights that the mandate managed to restore peace and in the process halted civilians’ loss of life and displacement that had become the norm in the eastern parts of DRC. In an attempt to discuss the rationality of the shift of the UN peacekeeping operations from the traditional peacekeeping focus to peace enforcement, the paper provides a projection of future UN sanctioned peacekeeping operations.
Violent conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on Africa's societies, polities and economies. Th... more Violent conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on Africa's societies, polities and economies. This title presents African scholars' views of why conflicts start in their continent. The causes of conflict are too often examined by scholars from the countries that run the proxy wars and sell the arms to fuel them. This volume offers theoretically sophisticated, empirically grounded and compelling analyses of the roots of African conflicts.
PPPs are increasingly seen as a mechanism to develop infrastructure on a cost effective and susta... more PPPs are increasingly seen as a mechanism to develop infrastructure on a cost effective and sustainable basis. If properly managed, PPPs have a potential to unlock the much needed financial resources to fund projects on electricity, telecommunications, transport, water, education and the health sectors. This article examines the current debate about PPPs and global experiences. Zimbabwe’s experience with the PPPs was also discussed. The study used documentary search for data gathering. The major finding is that there is low uptake of PPPs in Zimbabwe. There are no legal and clearly defined institutional frameworks. The literature reviewed has thrown some lessons for Zimbabwe. Keywords: Public-Private Partnerships, Zimbabwe, infrastructure
Global Business and Economics Research Journal, 2015
Governments, in both the developed and developing world face significant constraints which compro... more Governments, in both the developed and developing world face significant constraints which compromise their ability to spend or invest in capital assets to improve public services infrastructure. Involving the private sector in the provision of public services is an efficient way to improve public services effectively and efficiently. As a developing country, Zimbabwe is gradually transitioning to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the financing of key infrastructure developments especially within the transport sector. However, embracing PPPs comes with certain prerequisites. The government has not only the duty to lay down an attractive investment climate for PPPs, but also to provide the legal framework which provides concessions/guarantees and compensations for investors. Primarily, in PPPs infrastructure projects, the private sector is exposed to risks associated with capital investment in public projects. Consequently, the private sector tends to demand high investment guara...
This paper reviews the characteristics of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustain... more This paper reviews the characteristics of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as their contribution to world development. The paper contends that the SDGs are likely to be achieved given that there is a comprehensive monitoring framework for the goals. The monitoring framework requires countries to produce progress reports that are subsequently reviewed at regional and global forums. The paper further highlights that the implementation of SDGs requires significant resources. Governments in the developing world will therefore have to foster environments that will attract both local and foreign investors with a view to creating viable economies that can support the implementation of the various SDGs. Keywords : Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, development theory, developing countries
This study interrogates the utility of fiscal decentralization as a local governance reform strat... more This study interrogates the utility of fiscal decentralization as a local governance reform strategy in Zimbabwean local government authorities using Chitungwiza Municipality (CM) as a case study. The study explores CM’s fiscal performance and the necessary conditions that are conducive for fiscal decentralization to take place. The research further analyses how fiscal decentralization can either positively or negatively affect service delivery at the local government level. The final focus of the study is on an investigation of the relationship between the central government and local government entities in as far as fiscal management is concerned and how that relationship can benefit from the proposed sustainable mechanisms advanced in the paper aimed at improving fiscal performance in local government authorities.
The conflict that has embroiled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades has been one o... more The conflict that has embroiled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades has been one of the most vexing problems in the political history of Africa and the larger international community. The grave clashes predominantly in the eastern parts of the country have occasioned various challenges for the state and the world at large, chief among them a record of the internally displaced persons in the state. The forces that have led to internal displacement vary but this paper takes the view that it is a result of the identity crisis, a colonial sarcoma triggered by the arbitrary drawing of borders in the African continent, and in the context of the DRC, forcing 250 different ethnic groups to be embedded in a new state. The paper divulges that the identity crisis is one of the key attributing factors to the unending skirmishes in the DRC, which has led to the escalation of the forcibly displaced people. Without giving attention to such a convoluted historical problem through the...
This paper reviews Friedrich Hayek’s conceptualization of social justice. It explores the basic t... more This paper reviews Friedrich Hayek’s conceptualization of social justice. It explores the basic tenets of the concept and probes into some of the assumptions of the concept. In the process, the article highlights the issues raised with a view to use the examination of the concepts as a basis for discussion on the probity and relevance of the assumptions for developing nations. Keywords: social justice, redistribution of wealth, social inequality
Offers analyses of a range of African conflicts and demonstrates that peace is too important to b... more Offers analyses of a range of African conflicts and demonstrates that peace is too important to be left to outsiders.
This article examines the evolution of the E-governance policy and practice in Zimbabwe over time... more This article examines the evolution of the E-governance policy and practice in Zimbabwe over time. The major objective of the article is to give a comprehensive overview of the role that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and e-Government play in triggering efficient and effective public sector operations. The paper achieves this by discussing the e-government policy objectives, the e-government framework and the challenges facing the country as it embarks on the implementation of the 2015 National ICT Policy. Keywords: E-government, public administration, efficacy of e-government, Zimbabwe
The article examines the role that privatisation can play to overcome the problems associated wit... more The article examines the role that privatisation can play to overcome the problems associated with the operations of the public enterprises in developing countries. The paper is generally divided into three broad sections with the first part examining the emergence of privatization as a doctrine at the level of theory and praxis. The second part critically examines why public enterprises are created and highlights some of the problems associated with their operations. The final section explores privatisation techniques and problems of implementation. Country experiences will be used to illustrate and authenticate some assertions.
This article seeks to review the early development theories that have dominated the development p... more This article seeks to review the early development theories that have dominated the development path in Africa over a number of decades. First, the paper reviews the modernisation theory which dominated the literature on development theory in the 1950s/60s as the former colonies attained their independence. Second, the paper examines the dependency theory which was a critical response to the modernisation paradigm. Third, the paper assesses the nature and form of neo liberal prescriptions that came to be known as Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) offered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) from the 1980s to the 1990s. Finally, the paper explores the relevance and impact of the identified development theories to the development of Africa.
Journal of Advance Public Policy and International Affairs (JAPPIA)
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the ... more The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the implementability of participatory budgeting (PB) system in Zimbabwe’s local authorities with special reference to the Harare City Council (HCC). This study was undertaken against the background that the PB system had produced intended results in some local authorities and unintended results in others. This was mainly due to the fact that the PB system was transplanted from elsewhere where it recorded success stories and replicated in other different settings without taking into account different prevailing contextual factors. The main objective of the study is to examine how contextual variables affect the implementability of PB system in HCC. The study revealed that the prevailing contextual variables in Zimbabwe generally and HCC specifically are inhospitable to the successful implementation of the PB system
reflected the interests of visiting Nordic researchers, but under the recent directorship of Ande... more reflected the interests of visiting Nordic researchers, but under the recent directorship of Anders Hjort af Ornas the Institute has initiated a series of specific research programmes. The most recent of these, dating from 1990, is "The Political and Social Context of Structural Adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa". Currently, the programme's main components are support to a network of African researchers working on adjustment issues and collaborative work between the programme coordinator and other Scandinavian scholars. The main areas of research being pursued are the political economy of agrarian change under adjustment, women as informal sector workers and household structures under adjustment, developments in the social sector, changing relations between the state, donors, and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the politics of adjustment in adjusting and donor countries. Chr. Michelsen Institute is an independent research institution located in Bergen. A development research programme (DERAP) has been a major part of CMI's Department of Social Science and Development since the 1960s, and consists of 15-20 researchers. The DERAP programme undertakes basic research as well as commissioned research and consultancies, and the research staff spend a substantial part of their career on long-term assignments in developing countries. The present research areas are economic policies and management, local government and organisation, basic studies on * The term is used throughout to mean all the countries in Africa south of the Sahara, except the Republic of South Africa and Namibia.
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the ... more The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the implementability of participatory budgeting (PB) system in Zimbabwe’s local authorities with special reference to the Harare City Council (HCC). This study was undertaken against the background that the PB system had produced intended results in some local authorities and unintended results in others. This was mainly due to the fact that the PB system was transplanted from elsewhere where it recorded success stories and replicated in other different settings without taking into account different prevailing contextual factors. The main objective of the study is to examine how contextual variables affect the implementability of PB system in HCC. The study revealed that the prevailing contextual variables in Zimbabwe generally and HCC specifically are inhospitable to the successful implementation of the PB system. Keywords : participatory budgeting, Harare City Council
When Zimbabwe emerged from its settler status in 1980, the new popularly elected government inher... more When Zimbabwe emerged from its settler status in 1980, the new popularly elected government inherited a corporatist structure originally designed to serve settler interests. Rather than dismantle that structure to reflect nationalist ambitions and the "new order" the new regime's corporatist inclinations became increasingly compatible with this inherited framework. The established corporatist structure was viewed as providing an institutional framework through which the new state could impose its hegemonic position thereby paving the way for the establishment of its one-party state.
Global Business and Economics Research Journal, 2016
This study examines the proposed prepaid water meters by Zimbabwean local authorities focusing on... more This study examines the proposed prepaid water meters by Zimbabwean local authorities focusing on the Harare City Council. The study reveals that without attending to contract management capacity issues, the prepaid meter technology meant to be installed in all Harare households would be a challenge to residents. Public and private water utility management organisations are guided by different sets of incentives. Whatever the mix, public and private utility organisations operate best with clear lines of authority and responsibility buttressed by a technical competent managerial team with the ability to make long-term investments. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations that are designed to assist local government authorities interested in charting and bankrolling the prepaid water meter system with relevant information that can be utilised in their quest for an efficient water delivery and cost recovery system.
The adoption of resolution 2098 that invoked the aggressive mandate by the United Nations Securit... more The adoption of resolution 2098 that invoked the aggressive mandate by the United Nations Security Council ((UNSC) in 2013 was a development that signified a modification of the nature and form of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations. The research evaluates the implementation of the UN aggressive mandate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It highlights that the mandate managed to restore peace and in the process halted civilians’ loss of life and displacement that had become the norm in the eastern parts of DRC. In an attempt to discuss the rationality of the shift of the UN peacekeeping operations from the traditional peacekeeping focus to peace enforcement, the paper provides a projection of future UN sanctioned peacekeeping operations.
Violent conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on Africa's societies, polities and economies. Th... more Violent conflicts have exacted a heavy toll on Africa's societies, polities and economies. This title presents African scholars' views of why conflicts start in their continent. The causes of conflict are too often examined by scholars from the countries that run the proxy wars and sell the arms to fuel them. This volume offers theoretically sophisticated, empirically grounded and compelling analyses of the roots of African conflicts.
PPPs are increasingly seen as a mechanism to develop infrastructure on a cost effective and susta... more PPPs are increasingly seen as a mechanism to develop infrastructure on a cost effective and sustainable basis. If properly managed, PPPs have a potential to unlock the much needed financial resources to fund projects on electricity, telecommunications, transport, water, education and the health sectors. This article examines the current debate about PPPs and global experiences. Zimbabwe’s experience with the PPPs was also discussed. The study used documentary search for data gathering. The major finding is that there is low uptake of PPPs in Zimbabwe. There are no legal and clearly defined institutional frameworks. The literature reviewed has thrown some lessons for Zimbabwe. Keywords: Public-Private Partnerships, Zimbabwe, infrastructure
Global Business and Economics Research Journal, 2015
Governments, in both the developed and developing world face significant constraints which compro... more Governments, in both the developed and developing world face significant constraints which compromise their ability to spend or invest in capital assets to improve public services infrastructure. Involving the private sector in the provision of public services is an efficient way to improve public services effectively and efficiently. As a developing country, Zimbabwe is gradually transitioning to Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the financing of key infrastructure developments especially within the transport sector. However, embracing PPPs comes with certain prerequisites. The government has not only the duty to lay down an attractive investment climate for PPPs, but also to provide the legal framework which provides concessions/guarantees and compensations for investors. Primarily, in PPPs infrastructure projects, the private sector is exposed to risks associated with capital investment in public projects. Consequently, the private sector tends to demand high investment guara...
This paper reviews the characteristics of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustain... more This paper reviews the characteristics of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as their contribution to world development. The paper contends that the SDGs are likely to be achieved given that there is a comprehensive monitoring framework for the goals. The monitoring framework requires countries to produce progress reports that are subsequently reviewed at regional and global forums. The paper further highlights that the implementation of SDGs requires significant resources. Governments in the developing world will therefore have to foster environments that will attract both local and foreign investors with a view to creating viable economies that can support the implementation of the various SDGs. Keywords : Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals, development theory, developing countries
This study interrogates the utility of fiscal decentralization as a local governance reform strat... more This study interrogates the utility of fiscal decentralization as a local governance reform strategy in Zimbabwean local government authorities using Chitungwiza Municipality (CM) as a case study. The study explores CM’s fiscal performance and the necessary conditions that are conducive for fiscal decentralization to take place. The research further analyses how fiscal decentralization can either positively or negatively affect service delivery at the local government level. The final focus of the study is on an investigation of the relationship between the central government and local government entities in as far as fiscal management is concerned and how that relationship can benefit from the proposed sustainable mechanisms advanced in the paper aimed at improving fiscal performance in local government authorities.
The conflict that has embroiled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades has been one o... more The conflict that has embroiled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades has been one of the most vexing problems in the political history of Africa and the larger international community. The grave clashes predominantly in the eastern parts of the country have occasioned various challenges for the state and the world at large, chief among them a record of the internally displaced persons in the state. The forces that have led to internal displacement vary but this paper takes the view that it is a result of the identity crisis, a colonial sarcoma triggered by the arbitrary drawing of borders in the African continent, and in the context of the DRC, forcing 250 different ethnic groups to be embedded in a new state. The paper divulges that the identity crisis is one of the key attributing factors to the unending skirmishes in the DRC, which has led to the escalation of the forcibly displaced people. Without giving attention to such a convoluted historical problem through the...
This paper reviews Friedrich Hayek’s conceptualization of social justice. It explores the basic t... more This paper reviews Friedrich Hayek’s conceptualization of social justice. It explores the basic tenets of the concept and probes into some of the assumptions of the concept. In the process, the article highlights the issues raised with a view to use the examination of the concepts as a basis for discussion on the probity and relevance of the assumptions for developing nations. Keywords: social justice, redistribution of wealth, social inequality
Offers analyses of a range of African conflicts and demonstrates that peace is too important to b... more Offers analyses of a range of African conflicts and demonstrates that peace is too important to be left to outsiders.
This article examines the evolution of the E-governance policy and practice in Zimbabwe over time... more This article examines the evolution of the E-governance policy and practice in Zimbabwe over time. The major objective of the article is to give a comprehensive overview of the role that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and e-Government play in triggering efficient and effective public sector operations. The paper achieves this by discussing the e-government policy objectives, the e-government framework and the challenges facing the country as it embarks on the implementation of the 2015 National ICT Policy. Keywords: E-government, public administration, efficacy of e-government, Zimbabwe
The article examines the role that privatisation can play to overcome the problems associated wit... more The article examines the role that privatisation can play to overcome the problems associated with the operations of the public enterprises in developing countries. The paper is generally divided into three broad sections with the first part examining the emergence of privatization as a doctrine at the level of theory and praxis. The second part critically examines why public enterprises are created and highlights some of the problems associated with their operations. The final section explores privatisation techniques and problems of implementation. Country experiences will be used to illustrate and authenticate some assertions.
This article seeks to review the early development theories that have dominated the development p... more This article seeks to review the early development theories that have dominated the development path in Africa over a number of decades. First, the paper reviews the modernisation theory which dominated the literature on development theory in the 1950s/60s as the former colonies attained their independence. Second, the paper examines the dependency theory which was a critical response to the modernisation paradigm. Third, the paper assesses the nature and form of neo liberal prescriptions that came to be known as Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) offered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) from the 1980s to the 1990s. Finally, the paper explores the relevance and impact of the identified development theories to the development of Africa.
Journal of Advance Public Policy and International Affairs (JAPPIA)
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the ... more The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the prevailing contextual variables on the implementability of participatory budgeting (PB) system in Zimbabwe’s local authorities with special reference to the Harare City Council (HCC). This study was undertaken against the background that the PB system had produced intended results in some local authorities and unintended results in others. This was mainly due to the fact that the PB system was transplanted from elsewhere where it recorded success stories and replicated in other different settings without taking into account different prevailing contextual factors. The main objective of the study is to examine how contextual variables affect the implementability of PB system in HCC. The study revealed that the prevailing contextual variables in Zimbabwe generally and HCC specifically are inhospitable to the successful implementation of the PB system
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Papers by Alfred Nhema