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Towards Enhanced Threat Intelligence Through NetFlow Distillation

  • Authors: Herbert, Alan , Irwin, Barry V W
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/427699 , vital:72456 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry-Ir-win/publication/327624198_Towards_Enhanced_Threat_Intelligence_Through_NetFlow_Distillation/links/5b9a501fa6fdcc59bf8ee8ea/Towards-Enhanced-Threat-Intelligence-Through-NetFlow-Distillation.pdf
  • Description: Bolvedere is a hardware-accelerated NetFlow analysis platform intended to discern and distribute NetFlow records in a requested format by a user. This functionality removes the need for a user to deal with the NetFlow protocol directly, and also reduces the requirement of CPU resources as data would be passed on to a host in the known requested format.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards intercultural communication congruence in Sino-African organisational contexts

  • Authors: Chigwendere, Fungai Beaula
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Intercultural communication -- Africa , China -- Foreign economic relations -- Africa , Communication in organizations -- Cross-cultural studies , Corporate culture -- Cross-cultural studies , Africa -- Relations -- China , China -- Relations -- Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62395 , vital:28172
  • Description: Despite the prevalence of theories and research that could serve as guidelines for addressing intercultural communication challenges such as misunderstanding, ineffectiveness and inappropriateness in communication in Sino-African organisational contexts, the continued existence of these challenges suggests the inadequacy of such theories. Accordingly, in consideration of African and Chinese cultural perspectives, the aim of this study was to develop a hybrid intercultural communication congruence (HICC) framework in order to enhance intercultural communication and achieve intercultural communication congruence in Sino-African organisational contexts. In this study, intercultural communication congruence means effectiveness and appropriateness in intercultural communication. To achieve the study aim, an interpretive pragmatism paradigm was adopted, comprising a two-pronged approach of a synthesis of extant literature and theory as well as an empirical qualitative study, both underpinned by cross-cultural management theory. Based on the synthesis of literature and theory, a generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework underpinned by intercultural communication awareness - a state where communicants understand communication orientation and manner of communication in their own and their counterparts’ culture - was developed. A further contribution was a theoretical contextualisation of the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, resulting in a theoretical framework for intercultural communication awareness in Western, African and Chinese cultures and a theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts. Thereafter, with the aim of validating the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts, an empirical study was conducted with a sample of seven African and eight Chinese experts using indepth interviews with open-ended and semi-structured questions. Based on qualitative content analysis, six intercultural communication awareness enablers or conditions that enable people to understand communication in different cultures and contexts for the purposes of attaining intercultural communication awareness emerged. These were cultural orientation, manner of communication, orientation to rules and protocol, individual dispositions, intercultural communication influences and intercultural communication variations. An integration of the intercultural communication awareness enablers into the generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework results in an updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework. Then, informed by the updated generic theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework, a further contribution of this study was an empirical verification of the intercultural communication awareness dimension of the theoretical intercultural communication congruence framework specific to Sino-African organisational contexts to result in a final hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts supported by the perspectives of those involved in interaction, rather than predetermined standards of other cultures. Empirical findings suggest that both African and Chinese colleagues maintain a sense of collectivism in the Sino- African organisational context, although this is demonstrated differently. In addition, African colleagues display a blended manner of communication characterised by a mix of Western and African ways while the Chinese manner is contextual and governed by roles and relationships. In African culture, rules and protocol are negotiated, aimed at social maintenance, while strong cultural patriotism ensures strict adherence in Chinese culture. In respect of individual dispositions, African people are seen as open and accommodating while the Chinese disposition could be described as closed and ambiguous. Also evident in the findings is the existence of within-culture differences and influence of noncultural factors on intercultural communication that should be addressed in order to achieve intercultural communication congruence. Finally, the frameworks developed and the methodological processes followed will stimulate academic debate and raise numerous questions for future research. Immediate future research could be geared towards refining the concepts of intercultural communication awareness, intercultural communication congruence and the hybrid intercultural communication congruence framework for Sino-African organisational contexts. At a management practice level, intercultural communication awareness insights provide a reference point for intercultural communication enhancement strategies and interventions in Sino-African organisational contexts.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards place-based research to support social–ecological stewardship

  • Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica J , Shackleton, Sheona E
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
  • Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards the development of a conceptual framework for hospital performance assessment of a South African public hospital in the Eastern Cape province

  • Authors: Wagner, Rolene Margaret
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Public hospitals Hospital care Hospitals -- Administration
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPH
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12249 , vital:39223
  • Description: An integrated conceptual framework for measuring and comparing the performance of a South African teaching hospital in the Eastern Cape Province with other hospitals, is not available. The aim of this study was therefore to contribute to the development of a conceptual framework for assessing the performance of a SA public hospital in the Eastern Cape Province. The systematic literature review included all black and grey literature that relate to one of the two main themes- the purpose of measuring hospital performance and the methodology of assessing hospital performance. Relevant studies were identified through a Google search using the following descriptors: “Hospital Performance”, and “Hospital Performance Assessment”. There were 369 scholarly articles with the exact descriptors anywhere in the article with 59 articles released during the period 2012 to 2016. Ultimately, 7 articles met all the inclusionary criteria and described enterprise wide assessments of hospital performance. Other relevant articles, inclusive of grey literature, are included. Two of the studies in Morocco and Costa Rica were systematic reviews of hospital performance and covered the period 2000-2011. The Botswana case study assessed the use of the WHO PATH tool to measure the performance of its public hospitals. The Iranian, United States and Malaysian studies reflected on single aspect measures of hospital performance such as efficiency; the effect of weighting hospital performance indicators for patient harm on hospital profiles and payment; and Bed Occupancy rates, respectively. The review of the challenges associated with developing a hospital performance assessment framework was not found to be as useful as the other articles. The WHO PATH tool provides a high level integrated conceptual framework for measuring and comparing the performance of a South African teaching hospital in the Eastern Cape Province with other hospitals. This, however, needs to be adapted to the South African context with specific indicators being selected by local stakeholders that will promote best possible patient outcomes and a positive experience of patient-centred care at effective and efficient public health facilities. Lessons can be drawn from other countries’ experiences that have implemented hospital performance assessments and tested specific performance indicators.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards transformative social learning on the path to 1.5 degrees

  • Authors: Macintyre, Thomas , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Wals, Arjen E , Vogel, Coleen , Tassone, Valenina
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182461 , vital:43832 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.12.003"
  • Description: This paper provides insights into learning orientations and approaches that encourage change and transformation on the path to achieving the 1.5 degree C target. This literature review of the climate change and education/learning interface positions relevant literature in a heuristic tool, and reveals different learning approaches to addressing climate change. We highlight that although traditional lines of departure for achieving climate targets are usually technocratic in nature, especially if a zero emissions pathway is aimed for, there is an increasing realisation that climate issues are complex, deeply intertwined with unsustainable development and cultural change, and require collective engagement. Through considering the 1.5 degree C target as a metaphor for the fundamental changes needed in society, we argue that a wide range of learning orientations, including more inclusive and transformative social learning approaches, are needed to address the colossal challenges facing society.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards understanding the effect of size variation on the aggressive and feeding behaviours of juvenile dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus (Pisces: Sciaenidae)

  • Authors: Babane, Siviwe Elvis
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Argyrosomus -- Feeding and feeds , Aquaculture , Fishes -- Cannibalism , Fishes -- Feeding and feeds
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/59592 , vital:27629
  • Description: Many studies have been conducted on the effect of size-grading in other fish species. However, there is a paucity of scientific information on the effects of size variation on cannibalism of juvenile dusky kob. Thus, a study focusing on the effect of size variation on juvenile dusky kob aggressive and feeding (browsing) behaviours was conducted. Three separate groups of hatchery-reared juvenile dusky kob of were obtained from Oceanwise (Pty) Ltd for use in a series of three experimental trials. In all trials, juvenile fish of the same age were size-graded and the COV-value was used to determine the size variation. The focal fish (largest fish) was exposed to groups of fish with different size variation for 30-min. behavioural observations before and after feeding in randomised trials. The first experimental trial (Chapter 2) quantified the effect of increasing size variation and observation time on the aggressive and browsing behaviours of juvenile dusky kob. On average, juvenile dusky kob weighed 3.60 ± 0.68 g fish-1 and measured 5.8 ± 0.41 mm. Each focal fish was observed (a) before feeding in the morning, (b) 2 h after feeding, (c) 6 h after feeding and (d) 12 h after feeding. Fish increased browsing behaviours (averaging 6.60 ± 0.56) and decreased intimidating aggressive behaviours (18.60 ± 1.39) 12 h after feeding. Other aggressive behaviours occurred but did not differ between observation times. Aggressive and browsing behaviours positively correlated with size variation variables, predominantly, 12 h after feeding. An average frequency of 19 chases were observed positively correlated with size variation, followed by average frequencies of 17 body bites and browses, and 11 tail bites per 30 min. Some behaviours including average frequencies of 0.2 chases, 4 tail bites, 2.4 intimidating and 0.3 browsing behaviours negatively correlated with the size variation, generally closer to the last meal. These preliminary observations thus showed that fish have become hungry approximately 6-12 h after feeding and substituted certain behaviours for others as time after feeding passed and as size variation increased. The second experimental trial (Chapter 3) consisted of the observations further testing the relationship between aggressive behaviours and size variation of juveniles of dusky kob averaging 0.43 ± 0.27 g fish-1. The focal fish was exposed to groups of fish of four size variation (COV) treatments for observations before and 12 h after feeding. Aggressive behaviours positively correlated with size variation both before and 12 h after feeding. An average frequency of 437 body bites positively correlated more often with COV, followed by average frequencies of 365 intimidating behaviours and 199 tail bites per 30 min., respectively, before and 12 h after feeding. The least often exhibited aggressive behaviours averaged 26 chases while positively correlating with size variation on the times specified. An average frequency of 311 intimidating behaviours before and after feeding including average of 28 tail bites after feeding negatively correlated with size variation. This may relate to shift of behaviours depending on the needs and capacity of the fish. Apparently, aggressive fish can change its behaviour as a function of COV-values rather than the mean size of the other fish. The third trial (Chapter 4) investigated the effect of the aggressor’s (focal fish) size in relation its aggressive and browsing behaviours to other fish (non-focal fish). Juvenile fish used for this trial, on average, weighed 30 ± 7.63 g fish-1. Aggressive and browsing behaviours were observed in four treatments of a) high COV and mean weight below, b) low COV and mean weight less, c) high COV and mean weight equivalent to and d) low COV and mean weight higher than that of the focal fish. Increased frequencies of aggressive and browsing behaviours per 30 min. occurred in treatment A, sharing similar frequencies in treatment C, compared to the other treatments (B and D) which shared certain frequencies. The intimidating behaviours predominated, followed by browsing, body bites, chases and tail bites, respectively. The results of the overall study suggest that the time passed after feeding and increasing size variation and differences facilitated aggressive and browsing behaviours in juvenile dusky kob. Dusky kob showed increasing aggressive behaviours as early as in the first two weeks after hatching, averaging 0.43 ± 0.27 g fish-1 with the frequency correlating with size differences. Consistent size-grading technique in the same-age fish should be used to manage size variation associated with aggressive behaviours. The period of about 4-6 h after feeding may explain the noticeable increased aggressive and browsing behaviours. Thus, fish should be fed immediately before or after evacuation of their guts to maintain less-aggressive behaviours of juvenile dusky kob. Fish generally increased aggressive and browsing acts before and long time after feeding than closer to after feeding. The study has provided the fundamental scientific groundwork for fish farmers and future researchers can further explore size variation, time after feeding and gut evacuation rate as critical components of aggressive behaviours. The scientific knowledge of aggressive and cannibalistic behaviours has essential application in farming management to achieve improved survival and growth rates in juvenile fish.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Towards unmasking the true employee in South Africa’s contemporary work environment: the perennial problem of labour law

  • Authors: Maloka, Tumo Charles
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Labor laws and legislation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , LLD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16874 , vital:40781
  • Description: The enormously intricate task of unmasking the true employee in contemporary work environment reveals the dilemmas and complexities embedded in the beguilingly simple but intractable question: who is an employee? The hallmarks of a true employee are shaded in modern work environment given that the actual differences between the categories of “employee” and “independent contractor” are diminishing. The conception of self-employment that links being self-employed inextricably with entrepreneurship, ownership, and autonomy has more to do with ideology than reality. In addressing the opacities of form engendered by “Work on demand via app” and the “Uberisation of work”, the study also attends to the significant and neglected component of labour law’s traditional dilemma. Put simply, how the law identifies an “employer” as a counterparty with an “employee”. Certain features of modern business organisation such as vertical disintegration of production, and their link to the rise of precarious employment underscore the extent to which the concept of employer plays a central role in defining the contours of labour protection. The problems of precarity are deep-seated, long-term and even escalating, especially in compelled and dependent self-employment. Re-appraisal South Africa’s black box of precarious self-employment through the lens of Canadian dependent contractor jurisprudence points to key limitations that should be addressed for a more robust and effective vision of labour regulation. If the definition of “employee” in section 213 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 is amended to redefine an “employee” to include a “dependent contractor”, this will represent a leap forward in tackling the interlinked problems of disguised employment and precarious self-employment. This statutory redefinition of the employee serves two purposes. First, the dependent contractor category solves the broader challenge for labour regulation of how to extend protection to persons who have some of the trappings of the independent contractor, but, in reality, are in a position of i ii economic dependence, resembling that of an employee. In essence, the intermediate category recognises that, as a matter of fairness persons in economic positions that are closely analogous should be given the same legislative treatment. The second purpose, and one no less important, is to fill in the missing piece of the puzzle in the judicially endorsed three-tiered SITA test for identifying employment relationship. If the dependent contractor category is adopted, the lacuna in the threefold SITA test that has so far escaped scholarly, judicial and legislative will be resolved. In this regard, the study contributes to a line of legal scholarship that has tracked the regulatory trajectory for reforming South Africa’s labour laws. It is hoped that this thesis will provoke a sustained, and more curious engagement with the complexities and capacities of labour regulation
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Trading with selected SADC countries and economic growth in South Africa

  • Authors: Malimba, Nwabisa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Southern African Development Community , Economic development -- South Africa South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991 Economic development -- Africa, Southern
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31962 , vital:31867
  • Description: This study empirically evaluates the impact of trading with SADC countries on the economic growth of South Africa (2010 -2016). The study used Fixed Effects Model to determine the relationship between economic growth of South Africa and the selected explanatory variables. The study made use of annual panel data from World Bank, Focus Economics and Trading economics. The relationship between South Africa’s economic growth and its determinants was examined using the procedure suggested in the literature by William (2017). Various tests were conducted to ensure that the relevant model is used and to produce reliable results. The results of a fixed effects model revealed that exports, imports and trade openness are statistically significant for South African economic growth. However, the p-values indicated that trade openness is the most statistically significant variable in explaining the variation in South African economic growth better than other explanatory variables confirm. Other variables that explained the fitness of the model for the data indicated that the model was a good fit. The implication of the results obtained from Fixed Effects model is that there was little trade between South Africa and selected SADC countries during the period under review. Trading with SADC countries has a negative effect on South African economy mainly because there was a decrease in exports to SADC over the past six years and that SADC countries still need to be more open to trade. Less intensive trading between SADC countries could be attributed to shortage of capital, infrastructure and skilled labour among SADC countries. The main trading partners of South Africa are countries that are characterised by being capital intensive and have highly skilled labour. In the light of the challenges that negatively affects trade in the SADC region, the study suggests that SADC should spell out the criteria that countries need to meet before they can become members of the union. These should be non-negotiable and ensure that member states harmonise their policies with those of SADC. The study also suggests that SADC countries should be more open to trade as it has been empirically proven that trade openness has a positive relationship with economic growth. Empirical evidence presents that countries with open, large and more developed neighbouring economies grow faster than those with closed, smaller, and less developed neighbouring economies. Trade should be intensified because there are potential gains to trading with SADC. It is further suggested that more focus should be given on work related training to improve the skills of our labour force. These suggestions are based on the belief that African countries have the ability to rescue themselves out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Traditional, indigenous, or leafy?: A definition, typology, and way forward for African vegetables

  • Authors: Towns, Alexander M , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179791 , vital:43189 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09448-1"
  • Description: Around 1000 different species of indigenous and naturalized vegetables contribute to the dietary diversity, food security, and livelihoods of populations across sub-Saharan Africa. These foods are also a part of alimentary traditions and cultural identity, but have suffered as neglected and underutilized species. Slowly, African vegetables are beginning to gain the attention of universities, research centers, and development organizations; however, the terminology used to describe the plants is characterized by widespread disagreement and redundancy. Key terms and concepts used such as indigenous, traditional, and leafy have different interpretations and are used interchangeably, creating a challenge for coordinated research and extension efforts. Through analyzing a broad set of peer-reviewed journal articles on African vegetables, we (1) provide an overview with respect to definitions and terms used in the literature, (2) propose a definition of the term traditional African vegetable (TAV), (3) create a typology to classify the main groups of African vegetables, and (4) identify trends and gaps for further research and extension on African vegetables. We propose not only a unified way to categorize these vegetables but also a way for a more holistic and interdisciplinary systems approach to further the research agenda and practical management of African vegetables.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Transformation at Rhodes University: investigating the extent of support for the participation of students with disabilities in the transformation processes of the Institution

  • Authors: Israel, Veronica
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Rhodes University , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Educational equalization -- South Africa -- Makhanda , College students with disabilities -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Students with disabilities -- Services for , Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Critical Disability Studies Approach (CDSA)
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62006 , vital:28095
  • Description: This study is motivated by the vigorous discourse around transformation at Rhodes University and investigates the extent of support for and engagement with students with disabilities in the transformation processes of the institution. It analyses the extent to which integration is holistic at institutions of Higher Learning. Particular interest is given to the institutional culture of Rhodes University, namely whether it values and embraces diversity and is committed to inclusivity, centering the presence and voice of students with disabilities. It explores institutional responses to students with disabilities and their capacity to flourish beyond notions of access, therefore, delivering on the demand for institutional transformation. The thesis draws on the Critical Disability Studies Approach (CDSA), the social justice reform agenda with reference to the feminist analysis of disability, and the concept of inclusive education. The study uses a qualitative research methodology. The sample size used in the study was sufficient to highlight the challenges students with disabilities at Rhodes University face and their coping mechanisms while investigating the extent of support and active participation in the transformation discourse. The study found that the majority of the participants’ academic capabilities were influenced by their disability and impacted on their academic success. The study further revealed that there is a disjuncture between policy and practice in terms of awareness, and as such, effectiveness. While there is a supportive institutional framework, as indicated by more than 50% of the participants in the study, the recommendations ensuing from this research indicate that there are areas in which the university can improve its support mechanisms. Improving support structures is possible through establishing platforms which can be used for students to share their lived experiences and making disability a visible part of the institutional discourse on transformation. The study concludes by arguing for the application of principles of Ubuntu which demonstrate the commitment of Rhodes University in inculcating an inclusive institutional culture and understanding that disability is intersectional with social registers such as race and gender. It emphasises the recognition of the institution as a transforming one if the body that matters is the body whose presence, voice and lived experience is acknowledged and recognised.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Transformation through engagement: developing Grade 9 leadership opportunities through activity system using change laboratory intervention in a secondary school in Omusati region of Namibia

  • Authors: Vaino, Loide Mwasheka
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: School management and organization Namibia Omusati , Student participation in administration Namibia Omusati , Educational leadership Namibia Omusati , Student government Namibia Omusati
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61569 , vital:28038
  • Description: The evolution of traditional educational leadership theory to contemporary leadership theory came as a response to an increased demand for better services in schools by creating platforms for learner leadership such as distributed leadership where learner leadership is located. This study of learner leadership is conducted in a secondary school in Omusati region of Namibia. Drawing on distributed leadership theory, the study sought to promote the distribution of leadership opportunities amongst all educational stakeholders, including learners, as provided for by policy and projected by educational leadership theory. The motivation of this study was the need to understand the problems associated with learner leadership as identified by past research. In addition, this study hoped to address the gap in the literature by exploring learner leadership development opportunities developing agency in learners through a Change Laboratory (CL) intervention. This study was as a transformative case study, how the grade 9s in the case study school were involved in leadership, the constraining factors that hindered the involvement of grade 9 learners in leadership, the enhancement of learner leadership at school, the positive contributions of CL workshops to participants and the leadership growth brought about by an intervention. This study generated data through observation, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and Change Laboratory Workshops. The findings revealed that the grade 9 learners were marginally involved in leadership at the school. The most substantial challenge relates to traditional and outdated views of leadership on the part of teachers and educational managers. Additionally, the findings from the Change Laboratory workshops revealed that despite grade 9 learners being the youngest at school, they have the potential to be learner leaders. Hence in addition to several practical recommendations, the study recommends a change of mindset towards learner leadership so that opportunities are provided to contribute to the growth and development of learners. Finally, these research study findings will help my professional colleagues and policy makers in education to better understand the significance role of learner leadership involvements in schools.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Transformations in Hlengwe ethnicity in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, 1890 to 2014

  • Authors: Chisi, Taderera Hebert
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Hlengwe (African people) -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Ethnicity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Social constructionism , Black people -- Race identity -- Zimbabwe -- Chiredzi Rural District , Zimbabwe -- History , Imperialism -- History
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62296 , vital:28152
  • Description: Studies of ethnicity have shifted from primordialism to diverse variants of social constructivism, which include instrumentalism, invention of tribalism by the colonial elite and missionaries and demotic constructivism or creation of ethnicity from below. The studies have generally generated two broad schools of thought. One school avers that African ethnicity was invented by the colonial elite and missionaries in the colonial period whilst the other and more recent asserts that ethnicity had a precolonial currency and the generality of Africans also played a key role in identity formation. Also most notable is that most studies have tended to focus on larger and more visible ethnic groups, ignoring the stories of small communities mostly found in remote border areas of modern ‘nation’ states. Using archival material, colonial records, autobiographies, oral and secondary sources, this thesis, which is largely guided by the demotic constructivist theoretical perspective examines the evolution of the ethnic identity of an ‘obscure’ Hlengwe ethnic community of the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe from the pre-colonial period to 2014. History of the Hlengwe history has been blurred by the use of the term “Shangaan” to denote the Hlengwe, yet they were not ethnically so. A chronological approach and demotic constuctivism have been used to enable a deeper analysis of the critical historical phases, key players and processes in Hlengwe identity formation as time wore on. While we acknowledge that identity formation involves diverse players, we also focus on the role of the generally neglected commoners in the making of African ethnicity. This study differs from other works on ethnicity which focus on events of short historical phases and the role of selected elitist agents in the making of African ethnicity, by analysing the making of Hlengwe ethnicity from the precolonial to the postcolonial period. We prove that Hlengwe ethnicity was created in the pre-colonial period but did not remain static as it was perpetually reshaped by unpredictable historical events right up to 2014. The Hlengwe community was subjected to processes of social transformation over a long period of time to an extent that the one time docile, ‘uncivilised”, inward looking community bearing an identity of shame had evolved by the close of the 20th century and early 21st century to an assertive community, proud of its identity and actively seeking political, economic and cultural recognition and rights for its ‘underdog’ Hlengwe constituency in a country where diverse Shona groups andNdebele form the dominant ethnic communities.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Transformative potential of social protection in fragile contexts : a case study of the social cash transfer pilot scheme on child wellbeing in Bomi County of Liberia

  • Authors: Ngwerume, Christopher
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Economic development -- Social aspects Political development -- Social aspects
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13631 , vital:39686
  • Description: The topic of social cash transfers is often viewed with scepticism. In the context of fragile states, questions of misuse, inaccessibility of social services, dependency and sustainability are often raised. This study sought to examine the transformative potential of social cash transfers on child wellbeing in fragile contexts through a case study of the social cash transfer pilot scheme in Bomi County of Liberia. The study specifically set out to to assess the relevance of cash transfers in the context of child wellbeing; determine how the wellbeing of child recipients of cash transfers had transformed; and analyse the determinants of the transformative effects of cash transfers on child wellbeing. The study adopted a quasi-experimental, mixed method, and cross-sectional research design. It utilised existing household survey datasets of the mid term and end term evaluations of the Bomi County pilot social cash transfer scheme conducted in Liberia in 2012 and 2015 respectively. A sample size of 224 (about 12percent of the sample frame) was used where Confidence Level was 95percent and P=0.5. This sample size was divided equally between households receiving cash (experimental group) and households with the same characteristics although not receiving cash transfers (control group). For the qualitative method, 66 participants were purposively sampled. A total of 34 participants participated in the indepth interviews, 32 children were sampled for focus group discussions. These were divided into 16 children from the experimental group and 16 children from the control group. Quantitative data sets were analysed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis. The findings from the study provide a persuasive case for the transformative potential of social protection in fragile contexts. The study confirms the relevance of social cash transfers in promoting child wellbeing through empowering families to address children‘s physical and dependency-related vulnerabilities and institutional disadvantage. The study also confirms the transformative effects of social cash transfers on child health, food consumption, education, housing conditions, household assets, and child labour. In addition, the results indicate that social cash transfers mitigated gender based institutionalised disadvantage, created safe and protective environments for children and positively impacted on the local economy. However, the study also showed that, to a limited extent, social cash transfers had unintended impacts, particularly increase in child labour, where children were requested to sell in family petty businesses, and instances in which recipients misused the cash. The transformative effects of social cash transfers on child wellbeing were dependent on the size of the transfer, priorities in the use of cash, decision-making dynamics, and fairness of the selection process. The study proffers a Child Sensitive Transformative Social Cash Transfer Model based on the determinants of the impact of social cash transfer. The study ends by highlighting the critical role of social protection in infusing a transformative dimension to social work practice in fragile contexts, with a view to addressing equity, gender equality and child rights through confronting child vulnerabilities and institutionalised disadvantage.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Trophic preference of southern African dung beetles (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) and its influence on bioindicator surveys:

  • Authors: Tocco, Claudia , Balmer, Jonathan P , Villet, Martin H
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140796 , vital:37919 , DOI: 10.1111/aje.12523
  • Description: Environmental assessments using bioindicators gain value if the interpretability of the indicator used is high, and it is clear how survey methods affect survey comparisons. Because dung beetles are favoured as bioindicators, we studied the trophic preference of a southern African beetle community and its potential effects on surveys of beetle diversity using manual sampling of droppings and pitfall traps baited with carnivore, ruminant or nonruminant dung. Manual sampling showed no significant differences between dung types in either dung beetles abundance or species richness. Generalised linear mixed models of total and endocoprid abundances, species richness and Real Shannon index of trap samples showed higher dung beetle diversity associated with ruminant than with nonruminant dung, which in turn was significantly preferred over carnivore dung.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Two-tissue stable isotope analysis to elucidate isotopic incorporation and trophic niche patterns for chubbyhead barb Enteromius anoplus

  • Authors: Kambikambi, Manda Juliet
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Food chains (Ecology) , Barbus -- South Africa -- Great Fish River Estuary , Stable isotopes , Freshwater fishes -- Feeding and feeds , Freshwater fishes -- Food , Fins (Anatomy) , Akaike Information Criterion , Freshwater fishes -- Conservation , Chubbyhead barb Enteromius anoplus
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61906 , vital:28082
  • Description: Knowledge of trophic ecology underpins conservation and management of threatened species. Stable isotope analysis has been widely used as a more objective approach for elucidating the trophic positions of freshwater fishes. Until recently, stable isotope analysis for trophic ecology studies in freshwater fishes largely utilised white muscle tissue. This sampling approach, however, involves either euthanasia or muscle biopsy procedures that may be inappropriate for small-sized and endangered fishes. These concerns raised the need to explore and validate the utility of non-lethal alternatives such as fin clips, mucus and scales. The present study investigated the use of caudal fin tissue as a potential non-lethal alternative to muscle tissue for trophic studies on the chubbyhead barb Enteromius anoplus. The chubbyhead barb was selected as a model taxon for the present study because it is closely related or comparable in body size to a number of highly threatened small-bodied minnows in southern Africa. The chubbyhead barb was also considered an ideal species for this study because it is widespread, abundant and classified as Least Concern on the IUCN list of threatened species. The study used a two-pronged approach based on laboratory and field experiments. A laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify isotopic turnover rates and diet-tissue discrimination factors (DTDFs/A) for both muscle and fin tissues. This involved feeding chubbyhead barb two diets with distinct carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) values, and monitoring the temporal isotopic incorporation patterns into the two tissues. These patterns were assessed by applying least squares non-linear one- and two-compartment isotopic kinetics models. Model comparisons, based on Akaike information criterion (AIC), revealed that one- compartment models described isotopic incorporation patterns better than two-compartment models for both muscle and fin tissues. For δ13C, relatively short and comparable turnover rates were observed for muscle and fin tissues, which suggests that fin tissue could potentially provide similar inference as muscle tissue when assessing short term dietary patterns for chubbyhead barb. In contrast to δ13C, turnover rates for δ15N between muscle and fin tissue were different for both diets. Specifically, stable isotope incorporation turnover rate was faster in muscle tissue for animals that were fed on isotopically enriched diets compared to fin tissue. Conversely, stable isotope incorporation into fin tissue was faster in animals fed on isotopically depleted diets compared to muscle tissue. This suggests that knowledge of animal diet is critical when inferring fin tissue δ15N turnover rates, particularly when extrapolating both short and long term dietary patterns. Diet-tissue discrimination factors were influenced by diet type, with the fish fed on isotopically enriched diet having lower DTDFs than animals fed on isotopically depleted diets. This variation may be explained by the protein quality hypothesis, which suggests that the DTDFs of consumers will decrease as protein quality increases. When A13C and A15N values were averaged across diets in muscle and fin tissue, the values were 0.74‰ and 0.64‰, respectively, for A13C, and 5.53‰ and 5.83 ‰, respectively, for A15N. This appeared to be consistent with studies on other taxa for A13C (0-1 ‰), but for A15N (3-5 ‰) the results of this study were higher than those reported for other taxa. These results suggest that investigating appropriate DTDFs for both muscle and fin tissues is important in trophic ecology studies of these minnows. A field-based study was conducted to investigate temporal dynamics in food web patterns for chubbyhead barb in the wild within the headwaters of the Koonap River, a tributary of the Great Fish River, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This was achieved by collecting and comparing stable isotope data for chubbyhead barb and its potential food sources on a seasonal scale. There was a discernible difference in both the composition of carbon and nitrogen isotope values for basal food sources and macroinvertebrate communities, which suggests that this headwater stream was subject to temporal changes in food web dynamics. For chubbyhead barb, comparison of its isotopic niche sizes on a temporal scale based on both muscle and fin tissue showed differences across seasons. Furthermore, isotopic niche sizes inferred from fin tissue were larger than those inferred from muscle tissue during winter and spring, whereas during summer and autumn the isotopic niche sizes inferred from muscle and fin tissue were generally comparable. This suggests the likely influence of different metabolic and physiological processes that these two tissues undergo on a temporal scale. Therefore, difference in tissue type, and their associated metabolic pathways should be considered when using fin tissue as a substitute for muscle tissue on broad temporal scales. The results from this study indicated that caudal fin tissue has the potential to be a substitute for muscle in trophic studies of chubbyhead barb Enteromius anoplus, as well as other related small bodied endangered minnow species from South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Understanding and quantifying channel transmission loss processes in the Limpopo River Basin

  • Authors: Mvandaba, Vuyelwa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Water-supply -- Management , Water-supply -- Limpopo River Watershed , Alluvium -- Limpopo River Watershed , Streamflow -- Limpopo River Watershed
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63797 , vital:28490
  • Description: Water availability is one of the major societal issues facing the world. The ability to understand and quantify the impact of key hydrological processes on the availability of water resources is therefore integral to ensuring equitable and sustainable resource management. A review of previous hydrological studies conducted in the Limpopo River Basin has revealed a gap in the understanding of surface water-groundwater interactions, particularly channel transmission loss processes. These earlier studies, focused largely on the Limpopo River’s main stem, have attributed the existence of these streamflow losses to the presence of significant alluvial aquifers and indicated that the losses account for about 30 percent (or 1000 Mm3 a-1) of the basin’s water balance. The work conducted in this dissertation reports on the delineation of alluvial aquifers across three sub-basins of the Limpopo River Basin namely, the Mokolo (South Africa), Motloutse (Botswana) and Mzingwane (Zimbabwe) sub-basins and the estimation of potential channel transmission losses based on the alluvial aquifer properties. Additionally, an assessment of the different approaches that can be applied to simulate these channel transmission losses in the Pitman Model is presented. To delineate alluvial aquifers, general land cover classes including alluvial aquifers were produced from Landsat-8 imagery through image classification. The areal extent of the delineated alluvial aquifers was calculated using ArcMap 10.3. To quantify channel transmission losses and determine the effects on regional water resources, three approaches using the Pitman model were applied. The three approaches include an explicit transmission loss function, the use of a wetland function to represent channel-floodplain storage exchanges and the use of a ‘dummy’ reservoir to represent floodplain storage and evapotranspiration losses. Results indicate that all three approaches were able to simulate channel transmission losses, although with differing magnitudes. Observed monthly flow data were used to as a means of validating loss simulations however for each sub-basin, medium and low flows were over-simulated which accounts for water uses that were inefficiently represented due to lack of data. Knowledge of the structure of the transmission loss function dictates that it is better at representing the dynamics of channel transmission losses, as it takes into account the contribution of losses to groundwater recharge whereas the other two functions simply store water and release it back to the channel. Overall, the hydrological modelling results demonstrate the potential of each approach in reproducing the dynamics of channel transmission losses between channel and alluvial aquifer within an existing sub-basin scale hydrological model. It is believed that better quantification of losses and more efficient qualitative determination of the function which best represents transmission losses, can be attained with more reliable observed data. In conclusion, a study of this nature can be beneficial to water resource estimation programmes as it highlights the uncertainties related with quantifying channel transmission loss processes in a semi-arid environment.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Understanding Collective Learning and Human Agency in Diverse Social, Cultural and Material Settings

  • Authors: Olvitt, Lausanne L , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Læssøe, Jeppe , Jordt Jørgensen, Nanna
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/127226 , vital:35979 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/172221/161620
  • Description: The significance of environment and sustainability education research and practice, and its potential contribution to a sustainable future for humanity, is conveyed by the International Social Science Council (n.d.), which explains: People everywhere will need to learn how to create new forms of human activity and new social systems that are more sustainable and socially just. However, we have limited knowledge about the type of learning that creates such change, how such learning emerges, or how it can be scaled-up to create transformations at many levels.Here, the important shift is towards considering what social systems, forms of knowledge, learning processes and questions of justice are associated with perpetuating or halting the decline of Earth’s bio-geo-chemical systems. This edition of the Southern African Journal of Environmental Education contributes three research papers and a themed Think Piece collection to these international deliberations about the role of education in enabling transformations to sustainability. Collectively, the articles highlight how relationality and the formation of human agency in socio-cultural and material settings in past–present–future configurations underpin all environment-oriented learning processes. The three research papers constituting the first part of this volume offer glimpses into how current unsustainable socio-cultural and material configurations might be transformed to address social inequalities and damaged people–nature relations. The Think Piece collection, introduced by Lotz-Sisitka, Læssøe and Jørgensen later in this editorial, focuses on how learning can foster and contribute to the development of change agents and collective agency for climate-resilient development.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Understanding factors that influence the acceptance of electronic medical records by nurses in hospitals: a framework

  • Authors: Makalima, Melissa
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Electronic records -- Management , Information storage and retrieval systems -- Management Medical records -- South Africa Medical records -- Data processing
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31488 , vital:31495
  • Description: Globally, unlike in the past, it is rare for a patient to consult the same healthcare provider throughout his or her lifetime. However, this makes it difficult to maintain informational continuity of care. Researchers have confirmed that paper-based methods of record keeping do not meet the needs of informational continuity of care. As a result, the popularity of electronic means of recordkeeping, specifically, electronic medical records (EMRs), is growing. However, the implementation of EMRs in hospitals is not without challenges with these challenges playing a significant role in the failure of EMRs. One such challenge is a lack of user acceptance. Research reveals that nurses comprise the largest user group of EMRs in the hospital setting. However, there is inadequate literature that focuses on the factors contributing to EMR acceptance with nurses as the user group. Hence, the main problem addressed in this research study relates to the inadequate understanding of the factors that influence the acceptance of EMRs by nurses. In order to address this problem, a literature review and a case study were conducted to ascertain and investigate the factors that influence the acceptance of EMRs by nurses. A total of 39 factors were formulated. Subsequent to the formulation of these factors, knowledge on the impact of each factor on EMR acceptance was collected. Socio-technical Systems Theory (STS) was used as a theoretical lens through which to view the resulting factors. The STS dimension from which each factor originates as well as the STS dimension influenced by the factor were identified. The analysis of the different stages of acceptance as well as the STS analysis resulted in a framework that could play an important role in providing a better understanding of EMR acceptance by nurses in hospitals. It was anticipated that this study would contribute to a better understanding of the factors that hospitals should address in order to create a conducive environment for EMR acceptance by nurses within the hospitals.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Understanding ongoing support for the African National Congress amongst the urban poor in national elections in South Africa: the case of Mlungisi, Queenstown

  • Authors: Makwetu, Ncebakazi
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: African National Congress , Urban poor -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Elections -- South Africa , Political campaigns -- South Africa , Political capital -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Political psychology -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Postcolonialism -- South Africa , Allegiance -- South Africa -- Queenstown
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62582 , vital:28209
  • Description: The main objective of the thesis is to understand the ongoing support for the African National Congress (ANC) amongst the urban poor in national elections in South Africa with specific reference to Queenstown. The study involved 50 residents in Mlungisi in Queenstown, the vast majority of whom are shack dwellers. The use of semi-structured interviews allowed for an indepth understanding of why people vote for the ANC. The research participants have always voted for the ANC and have no intentions of voting for any other political party. Since 1994, the ANC has in the main pursued a neo-liberal project with a limited focus on redistribution. Because of this, most blacks living in urban areas continue to live under conditions of extreme poverty. The abject material conditions of people living in Mlungisi does not provide a strong basis for why they would vote almost unreservedly for the ANC. In seeking to offer an explanation, the thesis turns to theories of the post-colony, including the work of Frantz Fanon and Partha Chatterjee, as these theories provide an analysis of the character of the post-colonial state and the ways in which the government engages with its citizens. These macro-level theories are complemented by middle-level theories about voting and voting patterns in seeking to understand why Mlungisi residents vote for the ANC, raising questions of identity, loyalty and clientelism in the process.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Understanding the contribution of third space theory in the Masikhulisane reading programme

  • Authors: Janse van Rensburg, Monique
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Literacy programs -- South Africa , Literacy -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Language arts -- South Africa , Reading promotion
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18652 , vital:28699
  • Description: The focus of this study is to understand the contribution third space theory makes to literacy practices in the Masikhulisane Reading Programme. The Masikhulisane Reading Programme is an in-school reading club involving reading stories for enjoyment. This study concentrated on the Grade Six participants in term three of the programme, where cross-age reading receives emphasis in service of cultivating reading for pleasure. An older (or more experienced) learner was paired with a younger (less competent) learner for the purpose of nurturing quality reading competencies and reading for enjoyment. The challenges of bilingual reading and developing reading practices without sufficient resources informed this study. The Masikhulisane Reading Programme seems to provide a solution to some of these challenges, offering reading material to learners and affording them agency in terms of their buddy system. Multiple data generation methods were used in order to gain a real understanding of what the Masikhulisane Reading Programme meant to the Grade Six learners, namely: observation of classroom practice, drawings with written and verbal descriptions, and two teacher interviews. The teachers corroborated what the learners said, supporting the idea that learners benefit from an abundance of opportunities to read, while taking ownership in their paired reading. The framework designed for data analysis provided a type of coding, and a way of recognising themes. The designed framework provided an overview and was applied to all the data as a means of drawing out patters to provide explanatory potential. One way to understanding this programme is through the, Third Space Theory, which recognises that in different spaces, participants can take up different positions, allowing for different ways of being. Each Grade Six learners became the teachers with one buddy, teaching and establishing a reading practice with their younger buddy. This gave them the chance to be responsible for developing a love for reading, which was empowering for both them and their buddy.
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  • Date Issued: 2018
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