Doctoral Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies) by Author "Jimu, Tawanda"

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    Towards a conceptual framework for the analysis of governance arrangements and livelihoods of small-scale fisheries in Norton, Zimbabwe
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Jimu, Tawanda; Williams, Samantha; Manfred, Spocter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Governance arrangements and their impacts on the livelihoods of small-scale fisheries (SSF) in Zimbabwe are an understudied phenomenon. Government and local authorities are very active, vocal and visible in the management of other livelihood activities such as farming, and artisanal mining. However, very limited attention is paid to the fisheries sector. The SSF sector in Zimbabwe has been marred by mis-governance coupled with a poor, fragmented regulatory framework that has resulted in limiting access for several fishing communities. This situation consequently has threatened livelihoods. This study sought to investigate the nature of governance and power relations in SSF and their impact on fisherfolk’s livelihoods. To do so, the research was structured and mediated by several research questions including: what are the current governance arrangements within the SSF sector in Norton? The study adopted a grounded theory approach to allow the participants (fisherfolk) to speak for themselves, narrating their perceptions. It employed qualitative methods for data collection such as primary (interviews and focus group discussions) and secondary (newspapers, government policy documents) to address the research questions. A total of 113 respondents who included individual fishers, and cooperatives took part in the study. The conceptual foundation of this study was informed by the interactive governance approach because it focuses on interpreting the governability of societal systems. Results have shown that SSF in Zimbabwe are instituted through an overlapping hierarchical centralised system by various government departments and ministries. This formal centralised system is often confusing and difficult to implement since it is poorly regulated, and fragmented. The weak centralised hierarchical arrangements resulted in the emergence of informal fishing which is dominant and visible in Norton SSF. Formal and informal fishing arrangements operate simultaneously in some instances and there is significant overlap and interaction between formal and informal fishing with informal fishing considered larger than formal fishing. These informal fishing arrangements are dominant and visible in the governance of SSF in Norton and also reflect reliance on and use of indigenous fishing rights amongst the fisherfolk. SSF in Norton have proven to be important as a source of livelihoods, yet the continued marginalisation of informal arrangements in decision making continues to undermine the potentially positive socio-economic benefits for some actors. Instead, informal arrangements have created quasi-judicial epochs of power that threaten the sustenance of the whole SSF in Norton. By giving a detailed account of the multi-layered governance structures (both formal and informal) through the development of a conceptual framework suitable for SSF in Norton, this study contributed to ongoing debates on fisheries governance under the three existing governance modes which are (hierarchical, co-governance, and self-governance). Realising the important role, played by informal fishing, the study calls for co-management participatory process between the government and small-scale fishers in formulating a dedicated stand-alone policy for SSF in Zimbabwe.