Vegetation controls on channel stability in the Bell River, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Rowntree, Kate M, Dollar, Evan S J
- Authors: Rowntree, Kate M , Dollar, Evan S J
- Date: 1999
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6720 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006796
- Description: Channel instability has occurred in the Bell River in the form of meander cutoffs, a number of which have occurred since 1952. Increased sediment loading from widespread gully erosion in the catchment has been proposed as the trigger for this instability. Willow species of the Salix family, in particular S. caprea, have been planted along the banks in an effort to prevent further channel shifting. This study reports the results of an investigation into the effect of vegetation on channel form and stability over a 17 km stretch of channel. Results indicate that riparian vegetation has significant effects on channel form which have implications for channel stability. Riparian vegetation increases bank stability and reduces channel cross-sectional area, thereby inducing stability at flows less than bankfull. Evidence indicates that narrow stable stretches are associated with relatively high levels of riparian vegetation. Wider, unstable channels are associated with relatively less riparian vegetation. The effectiveness of riparian vegetation relative to bank sediments was investigated. A dense growth of willows was found to have an equivalent effect to banks with a silt-clay ratio of about 70 per cent. The channel narrowing induced by vegetation may contribute to channel shifting at high flows. The reduced channel capacity is thought to result in more frequent overbank flooding which may ultimately lead to channel avulsion. Thus where increased sediment loading is pushing the channel towards instability, vegetation may be effective in imparting local stability, but it is unable to prevent long-term channel shifts, and may rather help to push the system towards more frequent avulsions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Rowntree, Kate M , Dollar, Evan S J
- Date: 1999
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6720 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006796
- Description: Channel instability has occurred in the Bell River in the form of meander cutoffs, a number of which have occurred since 1952. Increased sediment loading from widespread gully erosion in the catchment has been proposed as the trigger for this instability. Willow species of the Salix family, in particular S. caprea, have been planted along the banks in an effort to prevent further channel shifting. This study reports the results of an investigation into the effect of vegetation on channel form and stability over a 17 km stretch of channel. Results indicate that riparian vegetation has significant effects on channel form which have implications for channel stability. Riparian vegetation increases bank stability and reduces channel cross-sectional area, thereby inducing stability at flows less than bankfull. Evidence indicates that narrow stable stretches are associated with relatively high levels of riparian vegetation. Wider, unstable channels are associated with relatively less riparian vegetation. The effectiveness of riparian vegetation relative to bank sediments was investigated. A dense growth of willows was found to have an equivalent effect to banks with a silt-clay ratio of about 70 per cent. The channel narrowing induced by vegetation may contribute to channel shifting at high flows. The reduced channel capacity is thought to result in more frequent overbank flooding which may ultimately lead to channel avulsion. Thus where increased sediment loading is pushing the channel towards instability, vegetation may be effective in imparting local stability, but it is unable to prevent long-term channel shifts, and may rather help to push the system towards more frequent avulsions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
West Bank land restitution claim: social history report
- Maqasho, Landiswa, Bank, Leslie, Mrawu, Busisiwe
- Authors: Maqasho, Landiswa , Bank, Leslie , Mrawu, Busisiwe
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) -- South Africa -- East London Africans -- South Africa -- East London Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land settlement -- Government policy -- South Africa Mdantsane (East London) Nongqongqo (East London) West Bank location (East London)
- Language: English
- Type: Book , Text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/2691 , vital:20317 , ISBN 0868103624
- Description: Today, the west bank of the Buffalo River is a well-established industrial area. At the centre of this industrial complex is the Mercedes Benz South Africa production plant. Yet, over 40 years ago on the production site of this world reknowned motor manufacturer there was a small urban location which housed approximately 7000 African and Coloured residents. The village was known as Nongqongqo. According to Tankard (1990) it was the “original village and first official location of East London” and served primarily as a source of labour for workshops, transport and packing concerns in the East London harbour. The village, which was also known as the West Bank Location, was a stable and peaceful community that accommodated an ethnically mixed community of Xhosa, Fingoes (Mfengu), Pondos, Zulus, Sothos and so-called Coloured people. In 1965, the tranquillity of everyday life in this seaside village came to a rude and abrupt end when government bulldozers and trucks moved in to demolish the village. The inhabitants were forcibly resettled on the east bank of the Buffalo River and in the fledgling township of Mdantsane in the Ciskei. The removals were undertaken in accordance with the terms of the Bantu Administration Act No. 25 of 1945, Population Registration Act of 1950 and Group Areas Act of 1952 (cf. Booysen, 1995). The aim of this report is to investigate the social and historical circumstances that surrounded the destruction of this once vibrant seaside village. This report forms part of a process through which approximately 1400 original residents of Nongqongqo are seeking restitution for losses they incurred during this removal in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994. This report seeks to contribute to this process by contextualising the Nongqongqo removal within an historical understanding of the management of black urbanization in East London and by investigating the specific social, economic and political circumstances that led to the deproclamation of this location. However, in order to understand the impact of the removals, the article also attempts to reconstruct from oral and documentary sources a profile of the West Bank community in the years preceding the removal. Although the historical material on West Bank is sketchy, we have managed to assemble data that allows us to build up a fairly comprehensive socio-economic profile and residential arrangements in this community in 1955. This exercise in historical reconstruction, we believe, is essential for a meaningful assessment of the significance of the removals for those involved. In the final part of the article we begin to assess and aggregate the emotional, social and economic costs of the removals for the people of Nongqongqo. , Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Maqasho, Landiswa , Bank, Leslie , Mrawu, Busisiwe
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) -- South Africa -- East London Africans -- South Africa -- East London Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land settlement -- Government policy -- South Africa Mdantsane (East London) Nongqongqo (East London) West Bank location (East London)
- Language: English
- Type: Book , Text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/2691 , vital:20317 , ISBN 0868103624
- Description: Today, the west bank of the Buffalo River is a well-established industrial area. At the centre of this industrial complex is the Mercedes Benz South Africa production plant. Yet, over 40 years ago on the production site of this world reknowned motor manufacturer there was a small urban location which housed approximately 7000 African and Coloured residents. The village was known as Nongqongqo. According to Tankard (1990) it was the “original village and first official location of East London” and served primarily as a source of labour for workshops, transport and packing concerns in the East London harbour. The village, which was also known as the West Bank Location, was a stable and peaceful community that accommodated an ethnically mixed community of Xhosa, Fingoes (Mfengu), Pondos, Zulus, Sothos and so-called Coloured people. In 1965, the tranquillity of everyday life in this seaside village came to a rude and abrupt end when government bulldozers and trucks moved in to demolish the village. The inhabitants were forcibly resettled on the east bank of the Buffalo River and in the fledgling township of Mdantsane in the Ciskei. The removals were undertaken in accordance with the terms of the Bantu Administration Act No. 25 of 1945, Population Registration Act of 1950 and Group Areas Act of 1952 (cf. Booysen, 1995). The aim of this report is to investigate the social and historical circumstances that surrounded the destruction of this once vibrant seaside village. This report forms part of a process through which approximately 1400 original residents of Nongqongqo are seeking restitution for losses they incurred during this removal in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act of 1994. This report seeks to contribute to this process by contextualising the Nongqongqo removal within an historical understanding of the management of black urbanization in East London and by investigating the specific social, economic and political circumstances that led to the deproclamation of this location. However, in order to understand the impact of the removals, the article also attempts to reconstruct from oral and documentary sources a profile of the West Bank community in the years preceding the removal. Although the historical material on West Bank is sketchy, we have managed to assemble data that allows us to build up a fairly comprehensive socio-economic profile and residential arrangements in this community in 1955. This exercise in historical reconstruction, we believe, is essential for a meaningful assessment of the significance of the removals for those involved. In the final part of the article we begin to assess and aggregate the emotional, social and economic costs of the removals for the people of Nongqongqo. , Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
Where has all the Geography gone? : a social constructivist perspective of Curriculum 2005
- Authors: Van Harmelen, U
- Date: 1999
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008614
- Description: The apparently tenuous position of geography in Curriculum 2005 suggests the need to reassess the nature and role of geographical education for the South African learner. The new curriculum is designed to provide a general education experience and this paper therefore considers geography's role within this framework. In so doing it raises questions that impact on the view we take of geography within Curriculum 2005 and explores the implications for teaching and learning within this educational band. For many learners in South Africa geography is seen as little more than 'book knowledge'. Not only has the content been de-contextualised from the learner's reality, but also the method of learning is largely dependent on the rote learning of a frightening array of facts from a single textbook or teacher designed notes. However, the learner-centred approach adopted by Curriculum 2005 creates considerable possibilities for the development of geographical understanding in the sense of making meaning, problem solving and the development of creative and critical thinking. The situation of geographical education in the GET band of Curriculum 2005 presents geography educators and teacher educators with considerable challenges and demands a radical shift in perspective in terms of what constitutes geographical knowledge in this band as well as its acquisition. The paper argues that a social constructivist approach within the 'new' systems theory, creates possibilities for learners to acquire the conceptual understanding, skills, values and attitudes needed as a foundation for further learning in geography and to enable them to function effectively and responsibly in space-place and time.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Van Harmelen, U
- Date: 1999
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6092 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008614
- Description: The apparently tenuous position of geography in Curriculum 2005 suggests the need to reassess the nature and role of geographical education for the South African learner. The new curriculum is designed to provide a general education experience and this paper therefore considers geography's role within this framework. In so doing it raises questions that impact on the view we take of geography within Curriculum 2005 and explores the implications for teaching and learning within this educational band. For many learners in South Africa geography is seen as little more than 'book knowledge'. Not only has the content been de-contextualised from the learner's reality, but also the method of learning is largely dependent on the rote learning of a frightening array of facts from a single textbook or teacher designed notes. However, the learner-centred approach adopted by Curriculum 2005 creates considerable possibilities for the development of geographical understanding in the sense of making meaning, problem solving and the development of creative and critical thinking. The situation of geographical education in the GET band of Curriculum 2005 presents geography educators and teacher educators with considerable challenges and demands a radical shift in perspective in terms of what constitutes geographical knowledge in this band as well as its acquisition. The paper argues that a social constructivist approach within the 'new' systems theory, creates possibilities for learners to acquire the conceptual understanding, skills, values and attitudes needed as a foundation for further learning in geography and to enable them to function effectively and responsibly in space-place and time.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 1999
Women Leadership in COSATU
- NALEDI
- Authors: NALEDI
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: NALEDI
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151370 , vital:39059
- Description: The aim of this paper is to provide updated figures on women’s representation in leadership structures in COSATU. These figures enable the federation to review progress and to set targets for women’s leadership, as resolved in the 1997 COSATU Congress. The paper provides the most recent statistics (for 1998) on women’s leadership in COSATU at regional and national level. The intention of this report was to focus on collecting the actual figures and is therefore confined to a more quantitative (statistical) reflection on women’s leadership. It will be valuable to embark on further research that examines the qualitative aspects, in other words, women’s experiences of leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: NALEDI
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: NALEDI
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151370 , vital:39059
- Description: The aim of this paper is to provide updated figures on women’s representation in leadership structures in COSATU. These figures enable the federation to review progress and to set targets for women’s leadership, as resolved in the 1997 COSATU Congress. The paper provides the most recent statistics (for 1998) on women’s leadership in COSATU at regional and national level. The intention of this report was to focus on collecting the actual figures and is therefore confined to a more quantitative (statistical) reflection on women’s leadership. It will be valuable to embark on further research that examines the qualitative aspects, in other words, women’s experiences of leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
Women Leadership in COSATU
- NALEDI
- Authors: NALEDI
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: NALEDI
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151630 , vital:39155
- Description: The aim of this paper is to provide updated figures on women's representation in leadership structures in COSATU. These figures enable the federation to review progress and to set targets for women’s leadership, as resolved in the 1997 COSATU Congress. The paper provides the most recent statistics (for 1998) on women’s leadership in COSATU at regional and national level. The intention of this report was to focus on collecting the actual figures and is therefore confined to a more quantitative (statistical) reflection on women’s leadership. It will be valuable to embark on further research that examines the qualitative aspects, in other words, women’s experiences of leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: NALEDI
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: NALEDI
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/151630 , vital:39155
- Description: The aim of this paper is to provide updated figures on women's representation in leadership structures in COSATU. These figures enable the federation to review progress and to set targets for women’s leadership, as resolved in the 1997 COSATU Congress. The paper provides the most recent statistics (for 1998) on women’s leadership in COSATU at regional and national level. The intention of this report was to focus on collecting the actual figures and is therefore confined to a more quantitative (statistical) reflection on women’s leadership. It will be valuable to embark on further research that examines the qualitative aspects, in other words, women’s experiences of leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
Women's understandings and experiences of empowerment in an organisation: a qualitative feminist approach
- Authors: Jamieson, Sally Anne
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2997 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002506 , Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Description: This study explores women's understandings and experiences of empowerment so that they could empower themselves by using their own knowledge to see through factors that serve to disempower them. At a time when empowerment and its future is under intense discussion in South Africa, it seems wise to move away from quantitative studies which do not facilitate the development of comprehensive theory in industrial psychology. This study provides a qualitative feminist analysis of women's understandings and experiences of empowerment in an organisation. Written protocols, interviews and a workshop were used as data collection tools and seven women from one organisation participated in the study. The research revealed that women understand and experience empowerment in a number of ways. These understandings and experiences are affected by various factors: organisational factors; personal characteristics and abilities; their relationship with others at work and at home; and societal factors such as double standards for men and women and role expectations. The breadth and scope of the results imply that any attempt to empower women should include relational, motivational and feminist perspectives on power and empowerment. In addition, the results indicate that providing a space in which the women could explore the network of disempowering practices in their lives, was empowering for the women. Through the process of the research, the participants' understandings of empowerment evolved from viewing empowerment as something that is predominantly external (for example, influenced by others and organisational factors) to something that is internal (for example, influenced by motivational factors). This study cautions against seeing empowerment as something that is solely internal because by doing so women are placing the responsibility of empowerment upon themselves thus setting themselves up for failure. However, through the process of seeing empowerment as internal, the women were able to move towards a feminist understanding of empowerment in which not only is empowerment external ("out there") or internal ("within") but includes acknowledging one's own responsibility in empowerment as well as external societal factors that serve to hamper women.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999
- Authors: Jamieson, Sally Anne
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2997 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002506 , Employee empowerment , Women -- Employment -- Social aspects , Feminism , Psychology, Industrial
- Description: This study explores women's understandings and experiences of empowerment so that they could empower themselves by using their own knowledge to see through factors that serve to disempower them. At a time when empowerment and its future is under intense discussion in South Africa, it seems wise to move away from quantitative studies which do not facilitate the development of comprehensive theory in industrial psychology. This study provides a qualitative feminist analysis of women's understandings and experiences of empowerment in an organisation. Written protocols, interviews and a workshop were used as data collection tools and seven women from one organisation participated in the study. The research revealed that women understand and experience empowerment in a number of ways. These understandings and experiences are affected by various factors: organisational factors; personal characteristics and abilities; their relationship with others at work and at home; and societal factors such as double standards for men and women and role expectations. The breadth and scope of the results imply that any attempt to empower women should include relational, motivational and feminist perspectives on power and empowerment. In addition, the results indicate that providing a space in which the women could explore the network of disempowering practices in their lives, was empowering for the women. Through the process of the research, the participants' understandings of empowerment evolved from viewing empowerment as something that is predominantly external (for example, influenced by others and organisational factors) to something that is internal (for example, influenced by motivational factors). This study cautions against seeing empowerment as something that is solely internal because by doing so women are placing the responsibility of empowerment upon themselves thus setting themselves up for failure. However, through the process of seeing empowerment as internal, the women were able to move towards a feminist understanding of empowerment in which not only is empowerment external ("out there") or internal ("within") but includes acknowledging one's own responsibility in empowerment as well as external societal factors that serve to hamper women.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1999