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Item The rights of the dead: A case of the Ovahimba people of Namibia(University of Namibia, 2014) Nyathi, Sifiso F.This paper stems from a research study conducted to explore the conceptions of Namibia’s Ovahimba tribe about the rights of the dead. Among other disciplines, the study locates itself under customary law, sociology and anthropology. The study employed a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. The population of this study was all the Ovahimba speaking people living in the Kunene Region. A combination of the convenience, the purposive and the homogeneous sampling techniques were used to select the sample. The study established that Ovahimba people believe that the spirits of the dead (ancestors) live and communicate with them all the time through the sacred fire. Therefore, they believe that the dead have equal rights as the living. It is therefore recommended that the Namibian nation be wary of importation of Western values that impose themselves on indigenous African cultures in the name of law and justice. The paper also recommends that the school curriculum for the Ovahimba people be vetted to ascertain cultural fairness and neutrality to avoid elements of ideological hegemonic impositions and/or brainwash.Item Programme design and credit weighting in tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe: Meeting minimum quality assurance standards(University of Namibia, 2014) Mashiri, PedzisaiThis article provide a framework for the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE) for setting minimum benchmarks for programme design and credit weighting by both public and private universities in Zimbabwe. The setting of minimum benchmarks is critical especially at present, when ZIMCHE has begun developing quality assurance instruments and guidelines that ensure controlled flexibility, comparability and competitiveness in academic systems and practices among the country’s tertiary institutions. The present article is the first attempt to stimulate and promote dialogue and reflection on important indicators of quality assurance standards such as programme design and credit weighting. The dialogue is necessary for two reasons: (a) ZIMCHE only started assuming its role as a quality assurance agency seriously in 2013 and the quality assurance discourse is still fairly new to most of its members. This means that they are learning on the job and (b) tertiary institutions are expected to develop their credit system policies and still achieve convergence with others in the absence of a National Qualification Framework (NQF) and Credit accumulation and Transfer (CAT) guidelines. The author assumes that ideas raised in this article do not only provide a framework for achieving a national template for academic benchmarking but stimulates discussion and dialogue on achieving that template.Item Urban Youth unemployment in Zimbabwe: An African-centered literary-based critique of Tsitsi Dangarembga’s The Book of Not (2006), Valerie Tagwira’s The Uncertainty of Hope (2006) and Petina Gappah’s An Elegy for Easterly (2009)(University of Namibia, 2014) Mangosvongwe, Ruby; Nyamende, AbnerThe article analyses Zimbabwean post-2000 black female-authored novels’ depictions of urban youth unemployment against the backdrop of the socio-economic crises culminating from the post-2000 economic melt-down. The analysis uses an African-centred approach drawing from trajectories of the youth represented in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s novel The Book of Not (2006), Valerie Tagwira’s The Uncertainty of Hope (2006) respectively and Petina Gappah’s short story collection, An Elegy for Easterly (2009). These female-authored literary narratives form an essential socio-historical record of the experiences constituting the bedrock of urban youth unemployment. Critical attention concerning the period under review has mainly focused on political polarisation and the economic meltdown, overshadowing the worst affected demographic group of Zimbabwe’s population – the urban unemployed youths. The socio-economic and historical accounts of the period under question in Zimbabwe’s embittered post-2000 experiences have also been mainly male-dominated. Thus, making it imperative to interrogate how femaleauthored fictional narratives as critical socio-historical imaginings of the same socio-economic and historical environment depict how post-independence Zimbabwe nurtures its youths for a sustainable future. In situating both texts and their criticism within the context in which they are generated and developed, this article adopts an African-centred approach in its critique. It draws mainly from Molefi Kete Asante’s Afrocentric “Location Theory”. The theory urges appreciation and analysis of writers’ creativity, including their motifs, meaning, language, attitude, direction and vision within the cultural and historical experiences of a people. Cognisant of Zimbabwean history and Zimbabweans’ aspirations, it is envisaged that this article will enhance understanding, sharpen insights and encourage readers to self-introspect on why African youths constitute the hardest-hit demographic group in terms of urban unemployment, an aspect that authors selected for this article partially focus on.Item Causes and management of job stress among selected teachers in Cameroon(University of Namibia, 2014) Ilongo, Fritz N.This paper looks at the causes of job-related stress among teachers of Buea - Cameroon, and individual management strategies they employ. The study uses the chi-square test that reveals the main causes of stress among teachers are i) student indiscipline, ii) poor salary situations, iii) a sense of under-promotion, iv) heavy work load, and v) conflicting relationship with principals. The paper purports that socio-economic factors are the most important predictors of stress, followed by interpersonal relations and then by instructional problems. Individual personality differences and social support systems moderate the impact of stressors on teachers, influence their appraisal of socio-environmental demands as stressful, and determine the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the coping strategies generated to manage job stress.Item Providing Productive and Sustainable (ODL) in (SADC) member states: First things first(University of Namibia, 2014) Chikuya, HiltonThe paper aims at providing providers of open and distance learning with information on what is needed if an open and distance learning institution is to provide a productive and sustainable service. The paper premises its discussion on the principle of ‘First things First’ as a strategy to achieve productive and sustainable open and distance learning. There are institutions facing operational challenges because students are shunning them due to dissatisfaction with service delivery. Their dissatisfaction relates to components in the delivery system which can be addressed before service delivery to ensure productivity and sustainability of the service. The paper is based on literature analysis of articles that highlight challenges of providing open and distance learning. The paper concludes that open and distance learning provision is a system which requires all components to be well positioned to enable the system to operate productively and sustainably. It also concludes that if all components are in place, open and distance learning can provide service to learners at any level of educational engagement.Item Oliver Mtukudzi’s Pindirai (intervene): A call for environmental sustainability in Zimbabwe(University of Namibia, 2014) Chitando, Anna; Madongonda, Angeline M.The theme of environmental degradation has emerged as a major concern to activists, politicians, academics and others. Of late, musicians have also sought to contribute to the struggle for environmental conservation. This is because music plays multiple roles in society. It critiques issues such as abuse of power, gender imbalances and the exploitation of the environment. This article utilises Oliver Mtukudzi’s song, “Pindirai” to examine its contribution towards environmental sustainability in Zimbabwe. Employing Huggan and Tiffin’s postcolonial ecocriticism (2010), the article utilises textual analysis of Mtukudzi’s song to identify themes that promote environmental sustainability. Loosely defined, pindirai means (intervene). The article, therefore, investigates Mtukudzi’s role as an artist in an endeavour to establish his authority in calling upon his compatriots to become sensitive and friendly to the environment. While appreciating Mtukudzi’s artistic creativity and commitment to environmental sustainability, the article interrogates the assumptions behind the portrayal of Zimbabweans as engaging in ecologically harmful behaviour. It suggests the need to tackle deeper questions relating to survival in order to promote environmental sustainability. In turn, this would ensure sustainable development.Item Rape myths and victim blaming: A study of attitudes of university students in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2014) Nafuka, Ndeyapo E.; Shino, Elizabeth N.Rape myths serve to blame the victim, justify the perpetrator's actions, and discount the violence of rape. For perpetrators, these rape myths are thought to reduce the expected negative consequences of committing rape. It is believed that endorsement of rape myths might precede sexual aggression and rape. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the extent of endorsement for rape myths by a sample of university students and to establish whether there was any gender difference in this endorsement. A quantitative, descriptive and crosssectional research framework was adopted. A non-probability stratified convenience sample of 152 students was employed. The 20-item short-form of the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (IRMA-SF) was administered to assess how strongly the participants agreed with rape myths overall. A rape vignette (acquaintance rape scenario) and an accompanying questionnaire were used to assess victim and perpetrator-blaming. The results suggested that at least some students tend towards endorsing some of the rape myths. Male participants endorsed rape myths slightly more than female participants. There were no statistically significant differences in the pattern of responses of male and female respondents regarding the rape vignette. Gender seemed to make no difference with regard to the degree of victim blaming on the acquaintance rape scenario. However, rape myth endorsement on the IRMA-SF scale was significantly associated with victim blaming. In light of the results indicating a presence of rape myth, suggestions are made for possible interventions to reduce rape myths. The overall findings suggest a need to provide more accurate information that will undo myths and by doing so reduce attitudes towards rape and other forms of sexual violence.Item Social Work students’ attitudes towards gender equality in Namibia: Results from an exploratory study(University of Namibia, 2014) Mathews, John; Muinjangue, Ester; Nashandi, Johanna; Rukambe, ZeldaThis manuscript explores the attitudes towards gender equality of students studying social work in Namibia. While previous published research has explored social work students’ attitudes toward sexism and gender equality, no published research presents the perspectives of students in a Southern African context. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) was used as the main data collection tool. This 22-item instrument measures levels of benevolent and hostile sexism and is supported with firm psychometric evidence, including established validity in international settings and in multiple languages. Results presented are based on a sample of 154 undergraduate social work students in an accredited social work degree programme at a Namibian public university. Overall, the results indicate above average levels of sexism, with higher scores for benevolent sexism than hostile sexism. Using bivariate analyses, the findings indicate that older students, married students, and those in the advanced stages of the degree programme (years 3-4) hold more positive attitudes related to gender equality, and thus hold less sexist views. Suggestions for addressing negative beliefs about gender equality in terms of curricular integration and increasing opportunities for student exposure to positive imagery are discussed.Item A framework for setting up pastoral information services in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2014) Matsveru, David; Nengomasha, Cathrine T.; Yule, WilsonThis paper is based on a study entitled “Information needs and information seeking behaviour of Namibian pastors”. The study aimed to establish the information required by pastors to carry out their work; how they seek information and the problems they encounter in doing so. One of the study’s objectives was to come up with a framework for setting up pastoral information services in Namibia. The study used a mixed methods research design employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In this paper, the authors propose a framework for setting up pastoral information services for Namibian pastors. The framework is based on the premise that information service providers need to analyse the pastors’ contexts, motivating factors, prevailing circumstances, information seeking behaviours and information use.Item Women characters in Sifiso Nyathi’s play God of Women, and William Shakespeare’s Othello: A comparative exploration(University of Namibia, 2014) Masule, Christopher M.; Kangira, JairosThis paper compares the depictions of women characters in the plays God of Women written by Sifiso Nyathi (a famous Namibian playwright) and Othello by William Shakespeare, respectively. The two playwrights were purposely chosen on the basis that Nyathi (a Black playwright) writes in the 20th century, in Namibia, a country in Southern Africa, while Shakespeare (a White playwright) wrote in the 17th century, in England, Europe. Despite the racial differences and epochs in which the playwrights have lived and written, the paper revealed that, generally, both Nyathi and Shakespeare use a gender-bias style of writing in depicting women characters in their plays. Nyathi’s depictions portray women as sex objects for their husband’s sexual pleasures in a polygamous marriage, and also as exchange material for wealth. Women also have been portrayed as destitutes who have to stay in subservient conditions at the mercy of their husbands despite the physical and emotional abuse they endure. Shakespeare also portrays women characters negatively as dependent on their fathers in Othello. He portrays women characters as sex goddesses who would compel men to murder their women out of immense worshipping-kind of love for them. Conversely, Nyathi and Shakespeare depict women as intelligent and rational thinkers, as we see Desdemona in Othello defending her position in her choice for Othello before her father. In God of Women the wives of Chief Lewanika embrace MaInonge in solidarity of the oppressed sisters when she collapses after Joyce reveals her secret that she had a son out of wedlock with Chief Lewanika. The analysis concluded that both Nyathi and Shakespeare largely portray women characters negatively in their works, albeit in different ways that are typical of the cultures and epochs in which the authors lived. The analysis also revealed that both Nyathi and Shakespeare make use of literary devices such as foregrounding, metaphors and similes to enliven their plays and to appeal for their audiences’ entertainment.Item Causes and risk factors of maternal deaths in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2014) Lihongeni, Mulama; Indongo, NelagoThe main purpose of this paper was to identify causes of maternal deaths in all districts and referral hospitals, and to assess risk factors and determine underlying contributory factors to maternal deaths in Namibia. The study proposed strategies for midwifery practice in order to prevent maternal deaths. A retrospective audit of maternal records was conducted with detailed analysis of the 154 maternal deaths recorded during the period 2008-2012. Of the 154 maternal deaths reviewed, 58.4% were from direct maternal deaths and 41.6% were from indirect maternal deaths. Hemorrhage (37.8%), eclampsia (24.4%) and puerperal sepsis (23.3%) were the leading causes for direct maternal deaths. About 65% of the hemorrhage cases; 64% of the eclampsia cases and 53% of the puerperal sepsis occurred to women who lived in rural areas. The predominant recognizable indirect causes were HIV (45.3%); pneumonia (23.4%) and Tuberculosis (17.2%). Women who live in rural areas were more likely to experience a maternal death due to pneumonia (60%) as compared to those in urban areas. Most women who died due to HIV were aged between 30-39 years (75.9%) while maternal deaths due to eclampsia were most common among the younger women (15-29 years). Maternal deaths are less likely to occur to women living together with their partner than those who are not living together (OR = 0.53). This descriptive study identified a range of socio demographic, clinical and health system factors as possible contributors to maternal deaths in NamibiaItem The integration of an effective disaster risk reduction system in Namibia based on vulnerabilities of stakeholders in the Zambezi region(University of Namibia, 2014) Kanyimba, Alex T.; Siyambango, NguzaNamibia has structures in place for disaster risk reduction. However, the need to mainstream the disaster risk reduction policy at all levels has been emphasised in the literature. The aim of this article is to present opportunities for the integration of effective disaster risk reduction in Namibia based on vulnerabilities of stakeholders in the Zambezi region. The data was collected by quantitative and visual research methods. The quantitative data was evaluated by means of the statistical package for social sciences and the visual data by semiotic analysis. In the opinion of members of civil society, the community and local government agencies, flooding is on the increase and losses in assets have been experienced. The Namibian disaster reduction system consequently faces a challenge. This study recommends an approach that is holistic, society that can act together in reducing disaster risks and facilitate community coalitionsItem Types of parent involvement in schools in the Omusati education region of Namibia(University of Namibia, 2014) Jekonia, Josephine E.; Mowes, Andrew D.Little research has been conducted in the areas of parental involvement in education in Namibia. In this article the views of parents regarding their involvement in education were investigated. Data were collected using a questionnaire which was administered to a systematic sample of one hundred and fifty six (156) parents of learners in grades eight to ten from a random sample of ten (10) combined and junior secondary schools. It is clear from the study that parents are involved only in some activities such as feeding and dressing the children for school, attending parent -teacher meetings, discussing school matters, voting in school board elections, helping children with homework, ensuring that children behave well both at home and at school, providing a quiet place for homework, teaching children the alphabet and that they attend school functions. However, parents were less frequently involved in activities such as attending parents’ evenings, helping elsewhere, helping with special groups such as sport and drama, , limiting TV viewing, helping the school to set challenging academic grades, discussing the child’s progress, and checking homework every night.Item Postcolonial biblical interpretation: A futile exercise?(University of Namibia, 2014) Hunter, JannieAfter modernism, interpretive approaches moved away from focussing only on language for seeking the meaning of texts. In biblical interpretation, the same trend emerged. Focus shifted to the periphery and even the historical (diachronic) and current (synchronic) “outsides” or contexts of the language of texts in order to establish meaning in specific texts and textual genres. “Postcolonial” interpretation followed this trend in most African contexts and became more popular in the after-colonial eras of African interpretive communities who have been liberated socially and politically, and with that, also literarily. The postcolonial interpretive exercise currently gains ground, but also fights criticism from the pure literalists.Item Practitioners’ experiences of the implementation of sustainable development in the institutions of higher learning in Namibia(2014) Hamunyela, Miriam N.; Kasanda, Choshi D.; Kanyimba, Alex T.The aim of this article reports results of the study that examined the experiences of the practitioners in Namibian Higher Education institutions on the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development. Although the article demonstrated that lecturers in the Namibian Higher Education Institutions view education for sustainable development as cross-cutting discipline that should be the responsibility of all lecturers, it seems that lecturers do not teach it collaboratively, as required by international bodies. The members of institutions’ management should inspire and motivate the idea of sustainability and environmental awareness, and actively promote the transformation of society through the adoption of a policy and action plan on education for sustainable development.Item Gender, culture and climate change in rural Namibia(2014) Angula, Margaret; Menjono, Ewaldine E.Gender-based vulnerabilities have taken dominance in climate change adaptation and disasters risk management studies. Climate change impacts affect women’s and men’s livelihoods and cultures, thereby intensifying already existing gender inequalities. This paper examines gender differentiated impacts and vulnerability to climate change in Namibia. The paper further highlights how culture influences gender inequalities and associated implications for climate change vulnerability among different ethnic communities of Namibia. The data synthesis for this paper applied the Gender Analysis Framework (GAF) and the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Framework (CVCA) to map out issues that cause or intensify social vulnerability to climate change in Namibia. Opportunities exist for Namibian women to participate in decision-making, leadership and community-based adaptation programmes. However, there are still feelings of hopelessness among Namibian women in rural areas. This could be caused by cultural attitudes among Namibian societies stemming from long held beliefs that women are weak and should be looked after. Access to information and ownership of technical skills increase the capacity of men and women to balance the vulnerability to impacts of climate variability and change. This paper concludes that climate change impacts are not gender neutral, men and women vulnerability to climate change is not the same and their adaptive capacities are differentiated.