Chinhoyi University of Technology

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of biomass was discussed in this chapter in the context of how this technology in comparison to other pyrolysis technologies influences product characteristics, yields and utilization. It has been noted that generally in comparison to other technologies, microwave-assisted pyrolysis ensures more uniform heating and rapid thermal decomposition, resulting in a predictable and consistent product yield and quality. This consistency and predictability facilitate customized product extraction and upgrading processes that are aimed at obtaining value-added end products from biomass microwave-assisted pyrolysis. Biomass microwave-assisted pyrolysis is therefore deemed a sustainable and scalable technology that can meet the growing global demand for clean energy and sustainable chemical production. In this chapter a review of microwave-assisted pyrolysis technology’s application towards biomass valorisation to produce high value products is conducted. Aspects that hinder widespread commercialization and therefore require further attention for improving sustainability are also discussed.

The study investigated the extent to which relational transparency as a dimension of authentic leadership served as a predictor of organizational resilience within Zimbabwe’s construction sector. Motivated by the evident instability and high attrition rate among the construction firms in Zimbabwe, this study sought to examine whether the presence of relational transparency contributed to organizational adaptability and survival amid diversity. The research evidence, both international and local revealed a notable paucity of studies directly examining the intersection between relational transparency a key strand of authentic leadership and organizational resilience, particularly within the African context. The relational transparency variable has been fully conceptualized over time and over a number of fields but its measurement has remained relatively subjective. Drawing from the theory of authentic leadership and Organisational Resilience theory the study sought to determine how the dimension of relational transparency relatively advocated by Walumbwa et al., (2009.) enhances the adoptive capacity of the organisations in the construction sector. A cross-sectional research design was employed. The population was approximately 3000 companies in the construction sector. Using the Taro Yamne sample size formula, a study sample of 353 was used. Statistical analysis using a structural equation modelling (SEM) determined a significant positive relationship between relational transparency and organisational resilience (β = 0.276, p < 0.05). This paper positioned relational transparency, a key constituent of authentic leadership as a potentially critical and vital determinant of organizational resilience in settings inundated and experiencing volatility. The findings substantiated the hypothesis that relational transparency is a significant predictor of organizational resilience in the Zimbabwe construction industry, particularly during periods of crises and disruption. These results provided empirical support for integrating relational transparency as a constituency of authentic leadership into leadership development and crisis preparedness strategies within the sector.

Alone, the public sector cannot help nations achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 target by 2030 due to financial constraints. Studies indicate that shifting water financing policies creates unequal social and economic impacts across different regions and timeframes. These disparities stem from the uneven natural distribution of water and the ongoing competition between different sectors for limited resources. Complex, ostensibly, synergistic public-private partnerships in water financing distends and intersperse with geopolitical dynamics disenfranchising fragile livelihoods in least developed nations with contrasting patterns for the developed world. A caveat looms in synthesizing, developing, decoding and integrating fiscal policies to incentivise multifaceted stakeholder financing, participation and uptake and mainstreaming holistic water and sanitation projects for sustainable livelihoods. This contemporary systematic and bibliometric literature review used a derivate SPAR-4-SLR model to evaluate the contribution of financial paradigms and fiscal policies toward the attainment of SDG 6 targets by 2030 for Africa, Asia, and South and North America. Extensive research highlights a persistent financing gap in the water and sanitation sectors, which fundamentally aligns with global patterns of systemic poverty. While developed nations have successfully leveraged functional public-private partnerships to address these shortfalls, lower-income regions remain trapped by a lack of investment capital. Future research imperatives delegate towards evaluating the stochastic impacts of capital markets, in tandem with tailored water market instruments buttressed by donor funding and innovative localized funding mechanisms to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.

This study examined the relationship between physical distribution practices and supply performance in beverage manufacturing firms in Harare, Zimbabwe. This study also explored the moderating role of organizational resilience in this relationship. This study used a quantitative approach, employing a structured questionnaire administered to 113 employees in the beverage manufacturing industry. The data were analyzed via multiple and hierarchical regression techniques to test both direct and moderating associations. The findings indicate that route optimization, order fulfillment lead time, packaging, and return management are positively associated with supply chain performance. In addition, organizational resilience significantly moderated the relationships among route optimization, return management, packaging, and order fulfillment lead time. The originality of this study lies in its empirical demonstration of organisational resilience as a factor that moderates the association within the physical distribution–performance nexus, an area that remains underexplored in the Global South, particularly in Zimbabwe. Integrating organizational resilience into this relationship provides a novel theoretical lens for understanding how resilience is associated with supply chain performance under disruption-prone conditions. This study recommends beverage manufacturing firms to institutionalize resilience-building through scenario planning tools, comprehensive risk assessments, and proactive risk response frameworks to improve their preparedness for volatile environments.

The baobab tree, Adansonia digitata, is a climate-resilient indigenous species native to sub-Saharan Africa that offers significant nutritional and economic potential through its pulp and seeds. This study investigated the proximate composition of baobab seeds collected from three distinct agro-ecological zones: Mashonaland East, Masvingo, and Manicaland, to assess how geographic origin influences nutritional quality. Standard AOAC protocols were used to analyze moisture, ash, crude protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate content. Results revealed regional differences: Manicaland exhibited the highest mean moisture (6.22 ± 0.02%) and crude protein (20.5 ± 0.01%) levels, while Mashonaland East had the highest crude fat content (23.9 ± 0.03%). Masvingo recorded elevated carbohydrate levels (39.7 ± 0.05%) and antinutrient concentrations, including tannins (10.12 ± 1.02 g/100g), phytates (4.56 ± 0.23 g/100g), and oxalates (2.64 ± 0.02 g/100g). Statistical analysis using a one-way ANOVA test and the Tukey HSD test, revealed that a significant difference (p < 0.05) exists between seed composition from differing provinces. This reiterated the effect of genetic or environmental variation of A. digitata. It was observed that geographical location plays a significant role in impacting the nutritional composition of A. digitata, as different zones possess different compositions of macronutrients, micronutrients, and antinutrients. Such spatial effects are important in determining suitable zones suitable for the utilization of particular varieties of A. digitata. This can range from those rich with proteins for particular animal feed compositions or those rich with oil compositions. Consideration should be given to how A. digitata seed products should be valorized at national levels.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWC) are common challenges in communal areas adjacent to protected areas. The objectives of the study were to: (i) determine the key depredated domestic animals over five years, (ii) determine the key wildlife species causing HWC, trends in conflicts and the nature of HWC and (iii) establish management measures employed to minimise HWCs. Secondary data was collected from seven (7) protected areas and three (3) rural district council areas’ annual reports. The data were obtained from field reports between January 2017 and December 2021. Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) 512 (47%) and cattle (Bos taurus) 409 (38%) were the main domestic animals depredated by wildlife. The study showed that out of the five (5) species involved in the conflicts, the top two (2) species reported were lions (Panthera leo) and hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). To mitigate HWC in the study area, a multi-action approach has been proposed.

Background and Research Aims: Invasive alien plants pose significant ecological and social threats to native ecosystems and biodiversity. However, there is a growing recognition of potential opportunities to mitigate their negative impacts and generate revenue for conservation efforts. This study uses the Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe as a case to explore leveraging invasive alien plants to generate revenue for conservation work. Methods: We collected data from 2015 to 2023 to analyze the contribution of timber from invasive alien plants to overall revenue in the context of conservation efforts. Results: The results indicate that timber from invasive alien plants is crucial to overall revenue, with a mean annual contribution of USD 150,000. The mean revenue share was found to be 33.2%, with a maximum of 50.1% during the assessed period. Implications for Conservation: This approach has the potential to generate significant revenue for conservation, turning an ecological issue into an opportunity. Given the financial constraints that protected areas often face, it could provide a quick way to raise funds and co-finance conservation efforts. However, this practice may also compromise environmental goals. We recommend specific action areas for practitioners to consider to minimize the negative impacts of invasive alien woody species. It is essential to acknowledge the real-world situations in areas affected by these species and to consider innovative adaptation strategies. Our report highlights the practice of harvesting invasive alien plants in a protected area that received little financial support for conservation operations, offering practical insights from real-world experiences.

Institutions of higher learning, particularly universities, have for long received goodwill and support as hubs entrusted with developing key human capital and skills, generating knowledge products and giving evidence-based policy direction to governments essential for national development. There has, however, been an increased level of scrutiny and greater demand for such institutions to demonstrate greater value for money in view of the levels of public and private investment and trust in their programmes and operations. To that end, practices such as internal auditing have been identified as essential in safeguarding resources, promoting accountability, transparency and ensuring integrity within such institutions. However, internal audit practices in public universities, especially in developing country contexts, face persistent challenges that compromise their effectiveness. This systematic literature review interrogates these challenges in greater detail. This is achieved through synthesising empirical findings from 50 peer-reviewed studies (published between 1999 and 2025) retrieved using PRISMA 2020 guidelines from Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. Guided by agency theory, which underscores the need for oversight to address conflicts between agents and principals, the review identifies five recurrent challenges. These are limited auditor independence, insufficient professional competence, lack of top management support, inadequate resourcing, and political interference including intimidation. These challenges are exacerbated by weak reporting structures and a persistent audit expectation-performance gap. The findings suggest that improving internal audit effectiveness requires strategic interventions across practice, policy and theory. Recommendations include investing in auditor capacity development, enforcing structural and operational independence, strengthening governance oversight, and aligning internal audit functions with institutional strategic objectives. These measures can enhance audit resilience, promote public trust, and improve decision-making and performance in higher education institutions. This review contributes to the discourse on public sector auditing by highlighting contextual barriers and offering, through several recommendations, a roadmap for reform and future research.

This paper investigated the comparative use and perceived value of spatial information across the National Civil Protection Coordination Committee (NCPCC) in Zimbabwe. The revealed preference approach was used in determining the economic value placed on spatial data by disaster practitioners based on their experiences in Zimbabwe. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was the primary tool used in the ranking and weighing of attributes related to spatial data, thus revealing the choice and Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) for the products. Data Interoperability (14%), trusted sources (11%), accurate attribute data (10%) and high spatial coverage (10%) had the greatest influence in WTP. Organisations in Zimbabwe’s DRR industry made use of a diverse set of spatial datasets which were housed within each organisation’s offline repository. This resulted in data redundancy and reduced collaboration between disaster practitioners. Block-chain based file sharing can offered a viable solution to monetising spatial data, increasing collaboration and reducing data redundancy. Received: 29 July 2025 / Accepted: 7 September 2025 / Published: 04 October 2025

The study aimed to examine the eff ects of recruitment and selection analytics on the performance of retail SMEs in Mashonaland West Province. SMEs are globally recognised as pivotal drivers of economic growth due to their significant contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and are therefore of considerable value (World Bank, 2022). Notably, there exists a paucity of literature on the relationship between recruitment and selection analytics and the performance of the retail SME sector in Zimbabwe, a gap this study sought to address. The research also explored how data-driven decision-making off ers valuable insights that enable retail SMEs to make informed hiring decisions. Through the analysis of recruitment data, SMEs can identify trends, patterns, and correlations that guide the decision-making process. A purposive sample of 22 retail SMEs was selected, and the study employed a purely qualitative approach. Interview guides were utilised to collect data from SME owners and managers, and thematic analysis was applied to interpret the findings. The study established that recruitment and selection analytics enhance hiring efficiency by enabling SMEs to utilise data-driven insights to identify the most eff ective recruitment channels, redine job descriptions, and target the most suitable candidates. Furthermore, the research found that analytics help reduce high employee turnover, a factor detrimental to retail SME performance, by identifying turnover patterns and their contributing factors. Data related to employee satisfaction, engagement, and performance can be analysed to identify areas for improvement, thereby fostering a more stable and productive workforce (Bersin, 2019). The study recommends that the government should actively support SMEs by providing essential resources and technological infrastructure necessary to facilitate access to high-quality data.