ZAMBEZIANOTES TO CONTRIBUTORSArticles of up to 8 000 words, as well as shorter reports and correspond-ence to the editor, are welcomed. Two copies of the manuscript andanother captured on disk should be submitted toThe Editor: ZambeziaUniversity of Zimbabwe PublicationsP.O. Box MP 203Mount PleasantHarareZimbabweREFERENCINGFootnotes are preferred, but referencing by authors, dates andbibliography is acceptable where this is the norm in the relevantdiscipline. Page references should always be given unless the referenceis to a whole book or article.In either case, full bibliographic information about the source must begiven, including:Ł In the case of books: surname and initials of the author(s); title ofbook; place (city/town) of publication; name of publisher; date ofpublication; edition (if applicable).Ł In the case of a collected work: surname and initials of the author(s)of a contribution referred to; title of the contribution; surname andinitials of the editor(s); title of book; place (city/town) of publication;name of publisher; date of publication; edition (if applicable); firstand last page numbers of the contribution.Ł In the case of a journal article: surname and initials of the author(s)of the article; title of the article; title of the journal; date (year) ofpublication; volume number; issue number (unless the volume isconsecutively paginated); first and last page numbers of the article.In cases of doubt, it is always preferable to give too much informationrather than too little.A NOTE FROM THE EDITORAs the new editor-in-chief of Zambezia, having assumed the journal'seditorship in January 2000,1 hope to build on the excellent work doneby my predecessors in order to ensure that the journal continues toimprove in the quality of the articles it publishes and in the way thejournal is presented, packaged, and disseminated. I see my task,therefore, as one which involves processes of both consolidation andinnovativeness as I work with all stakeholders to promote excellenceand to develop Zambezia into the prime humanities journal publishingresearch on the Zambezia region. Crucial to the realisation of thisdream are the contributors, without whom no journal can exist, letalone aspire to international recognition and respect. It is for thisreason that I particularly wish to encourage scholars from the entirespectrum of the humanities and from all corners of the globe, whowork on topics relating to Zimbabwe and its neighbours, to submittheir articles for publication in Zambezia.In line with the spirit of innovativeness and believing that thejournal's traditional white cover was rather bland and unattractive, Iconsulted with the Publications Office and the Publications Committeeof the University of Zimbabwe on the need for a new cover design andlayout. The result is the cover that graces the present volume. Anycomments on this new packaging will be greatly appreciated.To the contributors, I wish to assure them that their manuscriptswill be handled expeditiously and with maximum professionalism,fairness, and transparency. Because Zambezia is a refereed scholarlyjournal, the editor has to rely on the assessments of reviewers whoare specialists in the subject area covered by the manuscriptssubmitted for consideration. As every journal editor knows, somereviewers take their time in submitting reports on articles they havebeen requested to assess, resulting in delays in decision making andcommunication with the authors. I aim to work closely with reviewersof articles submitted to Zambezia to encourage them to submit theirreports within one calendar month so as to minimise the time betweenthe submission of an article by a contributor and the editor's decisionon its fate.In the interest of maintaining fairness and objectivity, Zambezia hasalways operated a "blind review" system of assessment. Under thissystem, the name of the contributor is not released to the reviewersand, similarly, the reviewers remain unknown to the contributor,unless, of course, they have specifically given permission that theirnames may be disclosed. This ensures that articles are reviewed ontheir merit and not because of who has authored them. Zambezia willcontinue to operate under this tried and tested siystem.In conclusion, let me say that I firmly believe that Zambezia alreadyhas a strong record of accomplishment as a quality humanities journal,which addresses useful and important issues of interest to both thespecialists and the lay readers. My task, as I see it, is to build on thisstrong foundation so that Zambezia becomes the journal of first choicefor scholars in the region and abroad, working in the Humanities,through which to disseminate their research findings. It is my ferventhope that contributors, readers, and friends of Zambezia will all assistme in making this dream a reality.A S. MlamboEditor-in-ChiefCONTRIBUTORSALLEN iSAACMANDepartment of History, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MinnesotaALOIS S. MLAMBOEconomic History Department, University of ZimbabweMKHI LULJ NO BEDepartment of Economics, University of ZimbabweGIDEON ZHOUDepartment of Political and Administrative Studies, University oj ZimbabweROSELYN D. MAKONJOepartmi nt of Educational Administration, University oj ZimbabweGLORIA WAI i:Department of History, University of Massachusetts, Dartnu >uthKED\!O\ N, HI (NGWEFaculty of Education, University of Zimbabwe ŁCHiPOH! \<JWEHarareBERTHA CHiRORODepartment of Political and Administrative Studies. University ofZim babmT'AMEL MAKINAGraduate School of Management, University of ZimbabweSIBONGILE MHLABADepartment of History, University oj Zimbabwe