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The perceptions and experiences of tenants living in a social housing initiative in Port Elizabeth

  • Authors: Konstabel, Desiree
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Social settlements
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46410 , vital:39579
  • Description: Social housing aims to redress the housing crisis that South Africa is currently facing given the backlog that was left in the provision of free basic housing. Research conducted on the low to the middle-income group from which South African social housing tenants originate, suggests that this income bracket experiences social, physical and mental health challenges. They are three times more likely to suffer from depression than their counterparts in developed countries. Little to no literature has been published focusing on tenants who represent low to middle-income groups living in social housing in South Africa. Furthermore, the researcher did not come across literature highlighting the perceptions and experiences of tenants, who represent these low to middle-income groups, and who live in social housing in South Africa. In the context of South African social housing, there is a gap in the literature about the perceptions and experiences of tenants living in a social housing initiative.Guided by the Social Constructionism and Sense of Community theoretical frameworks, the goal of this qualitative research study waste gain a better understanding about the perceptions and experiences of tenants living in a social housing initiative in South Africa. An exploratory and descriptive research design was employed, focusing on the tenants of one social housing initiative. A non-probability purposive sampling procedure was followed. Convenience sampling was applied and followed up by volunteer sampling techniques. The sample size consisted of 9 social housing tenants. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer and used to collect data and analyse themes. Trustworthiness and ethical considerations were adhered to on all levels.This research contributes to a greater understanding of the perceptions and experiences of tenants living in a social housing initiative. The study revealed that most tenants experienced an increased sense of safety in the social housing initiative as compared to the surrounding community. The study further revealed that lower-income tenants have concerns about the long-term affordability of rentals in social housing. Among others, the study recommends that social workers advocate for inclusive social and economic policies to promote greater inclusion of vulnerable groups from low-income backgrounds.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Exploring the suitability of causal loop diagrams to assess the value chains of aquatic ecosystem services: a case study of the Baviaanskloof, South Africa

  • Authors: Rawlins, Jonathan Mark
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4909 , vital:20742
  • Description: Healthy, functioning aquatic ecosystems are fundamental to the survival and development of any nation, particularly so for water-stressed countries like South Africa. Aquatic ecosystem services (AESs) are becoming increasingly recognised for their importance to society with regards to the ecological goods and services they provide in terms of health, social, cultural and economic benefits. The development of markets for AESs begins with a clear understanding of the nature and extent of the goods and services provided by aquatic ecosystems. However, an inclusive understanding of AESs and their associated values is currently lacking in South Africa. Although flows of ecosystem services provide a nearly limitless set of valuable properties, a large proportion of their services remain unpriced or inaccurately priced through traditional neo-classical markets. This often results in market failure, as these markets do not reflect the full social costs and/or benefits of ecosystem services. This provides incentive to identify and develop a tool to bridge the gap between ecosystem service valuation and practical, sustainable management recommendations for improving the provision of ecosystem services and their associated markets. This study explores the suitability of causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to assess the value chains of AESs in South Africa within the context of a case study. AESs do not usually have finite market values nor are they traded in formal markets, thus, a traditional approach to value chain analysis is unsuitable. A professional workshop environment was utilised to facilitate a transdisciplinary approach towards identifying relevant AESs and their complex inputs, interactions and trade-offs. Numerous CLDs were developed in an effort to map the complex relationships between these AESs and their associated inputs, which formed the basis to attempt subsequent scenario analyses and 'alternative' value chain analyses. The findings of this study show that CLDs have the potential to qualitatively identify challenges and opportunities within the value chains of AESs. Thus, the use of such 'alternative' value chain analyses can directly contribute towards the development of recommendations for improving sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The pest status and integrated management programme of carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller, attacking citrus in South Africa

  • Authors: Thackeray, Sean Robin
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7758 , vital:21293
  • Description: The carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller, is a pest of agricultural commodities and stored products around the world. Carob moth is known to infest citrus in the Mediterranean region and in southern Africa. In grapefruit cultivars, carob moth infestations are associated with high levels of mealybug. However, although this relationship has been observed in other citrus types such as Navel oranges, this has never been quantified. A recent survey of infested fruit from various production areas in South Africa indicated that the pest status of carob moth on Navel oranges may have been underestimated. As a result of the incidental pest status of carob moth on citrus in South Africa in the past, a species specific integrated pest management (IPM) programme does not exist. Therefore, the overriding aim of this theses was to evaluate the pest status of carob moth in citrus and establish a species specific IPM programme by determine the autecology of carob moth in citrus. Reliable methods for monitoring carob moth in citrus orchards both for producers and for research purposes were developed. A user-friendly monitoring method for determining weekly carob moth infestation through dropped fruit was suitable for producers. A timed scouting method was also developed; although the accuracy of this method varied with the experience of the scout. The pest status of carob moth was highest in the Loskop Valley, Nelspruit and the Vaalharts production areas and economic injury to growers ranged from R512.35 to R3 719.80 per hectare as a direct result of infestation. No infestation was recorded in the Sundays River Valley and Citrusdal production areas over both the 2014-15 and 201516 growing seasons. A laboratory study showed the survival of carob moth larvae infesting citrus is less than 10% in the absence of mealybug. However, this increases to almost 40% in the presence of mealybug residues and sooty mould. There was a significant relationship between carob infestation at harvest and mealybug infestation in the middle months of the growing season. The relationship between carob moth and mealybug indicates that current production guidelines for the management of mealybug in citrus may need to be amended. Consequently, it is proposed that an orchard with a history of carob moth infestation and a high mealybug infestation in the previous season should be subjected to an early season preventative application of a registered control product. Also, if mealybug infestation in December is higher than a 5% of fruit per tree, then a corrective application of a registered product is recommended. The application of 2,4-D at petal drop reduced the size of the navel-end opening, decreasing the proportion of mealybug found in the navel-end, subsequently reducing carob moth infestation, resulting in a direct benefit for producers. Products registered for the control of false codling moth (FCM), Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick, were effective in reducing carob moth infestation. In a spray trial conducted over two seasons, Delegate® and Runner® reduced infestation significantly in the 2014-15 season (over 80%), while only Delegate® was effective in the 2015-16 season (over 80%). If a late season corrective chemical application is targeted at both FCM and carob moth, this application should take place between 6-7 weeks prior to harvest. The mating disruption product, SPLAT® EC, reduced carob moth infestation by 70% compared to the untreated control. A laboratory culture was established and head-capsule size categories were determined for all five carob moth instars. A parasitoid survey indicated that parasitism of carob moth larvae is generally less than 5% in citrus orchards and a new species of Braconidae was described as Phanterotoma carobivora van Achterberg and Thackeray. Carob moth fifth instar were found to be the most cold-tolerant larval stage, and were shown to be more cold susceptible than the most cold-tolerant FCM instars at -0.55ºC for eighteen days. This cold treatment resulted in a mortality of 94.6% fifth instar carob moth compared to a combined fourth and fifth instar mortality of 87.8% for FCM after eighteen days. These results indicate that post-harvest cold treatments targeting FCM will be as, if not more, effective against carob moth, suggesting that current phytosanitary legislation for carob moth should be amended to incorporate this study’s findings.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Fusing fact and fiction: biography and autobiography in the novels of Virginia Woolf

  • Authors: White, Joshua Craig
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4005 , vital:20580
  • Description: Virginia Woolf was noted for a preoccupation with the genre of life-writing throughout her career. Her aims when it came to reshaping the nature of biographical and autobiographical literature were numerous. She veered away from the aggrandising and patriarchal methods with which Victorian biographers tended to depict their subjects. She increased the focus on women in life-writing, examining and subverting traditionally prescribed gender roles prevalent in both her society and the literature that reflected it, and advocating a balance between male and female patterns of thinking. She also devised a method of incorporating both basic biographical fact and aspects of fiction into life-writing in order to approach a more truthful depiction of a subject’s personality or character. This method is linked to the aforementioned balance of gendered thought patterns, since Woolf often aligns factuality with male thinking and the contrasting qualities of fiction, such as intuition, ambivalence and perspicacity, with female thinking. This thesis examines three novels which demonstrate Woolf’s constant preoccupation with combining fact and fiction in order to capture the essence of personality. In her debut novel, The Voyage Out, she presents Rachel Vinrace, who must achieve a balance of male-oriented fact with female-oriented insight in order to fashion a sufficient identity for herself and to identify others in a selective and judicious manner, thus being simultaneously autobiographical and biographical. In Orlando, Woolf explicitly subverts the traditional Victorian biography by depicting Vita Sackville-West as a man who transforms into a woman and remains living for over 400 years. In presenting such a character, Woolf posits that personality consists of and is influenced by myriad aspects of a person’s life that cannot be documented in the restrictive manner employed by Victorian biographers. Orlando’s essence being obfuscated by manifold “selves” attests to Woolf problematizing attempts to attain such an essence. The same challenge is particularly important in her autobiographical novel, To the Lighthouse, in which she transposes the traumas of her own life into a fictitious narrative in order to achieve catharsis for her and her readers, and to present the difficulty in capturing the essence of character. The conclusion that Woolf eventually posits is that personality cannot be reduced to an essence, but rather that it consists of idiosyncrasies that are various, intertwining, and capricious.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Information security concerns around enterprise bring your own device adoption in South African higher education institutions

  • Authors: Sauls, Gershwin Ashton
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3619 , vital:20530
  • Description: The research carried out in this thesis is an investigation into the information security concerns around the use of personally-owned mobile devices within South African universities. This concept, which is more commonly known as Bring Your Own Device or BYOD has raised many data loss concerns for organizational IT Departments across various industries worldwide. Universities as institutions are designed to facilitate research and learning and as such, have a strong culture toward the sharing of information which complicates management of these data loss concerns even further. As such, the objectives of the research were to determine the acceptance levels of BYOD within South African universities in relation to the perceived security risks. Thereafter, an investigation into which security practices, if any, that South African universities are using to minimize the information security concerns was carried out by means of a targeted online questionnaire. An extensive literature review was first carried out to evaluate the motivation for the research and to assess advantages of using Smartphone and Tablet PC’s for work related purposes. Thereafter, to determine security concerns, other surveys and related work was consulted to determine the relevant questions needed by the online questionnaire. The quantity of comprehensive academic studies concerning the security aspects of BYOD within organizations was very limited and because of this reason, the research took on a highly exploratory design. Finally, the research deliberated on the results of the online questionnaire and concluded with a strategy for the implementation of a mobile device security strategy for using personally-owned devices in a work-related environment.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Terrorism as a contributory factor to state failure in Somalia: A case study of Al-Shabaab

  • Authors: Ndlovu, Sitembiso Irene
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Terrorism -- Somalia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2656 , vital:27979
  • Description: This study is an investigation of terrorism as a contributory factor to state failure in Somalia with specific reference to Al-Shabaab, using Huntington‟s Clash of Civilizations theory. It utilises both primary and secondary sources of data. The study found out that Somalia had been a failed state even before the birth of Al-Shabaab. However, the activities of Al-Shabaab perpetuated state failure in Somalia. These activities included bombings, small arms attacks, executions, siege, kidnappings, hijackings and looting. The study also found out that Al-Shabaab regularly conducted incursions in neighbouring countries and all these activities destabilised Somalia politically and perpetuated state failure. However, the study also found out that there were other factors that contributed to Somalia‟s state failure some of which were clan rivalry, civil war, warlordism, piracy, poverty and religion. Despite all these, the study noted that there were various actors involved in containing the terrorist activities of Al-Shabaab. These actors included the Transitional Federal Government, Kenya, the African Union, the United Nations and the United States. The study recommends that dialogue between the TFG, the clan structures and Al-Shabaab is the most viable path to sustainable peace in Somalia.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Teachers’ practices of ‘cooperative learning’ instructional technique in six schools: Implications for learner performance in Mathematics

  • Authors: Febana, Papama
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Group work in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Team learning approach in education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5094 , vital:29075
  • Description: One of the key features of curriculum change in South Africa in the last twenty years has been a move away from teacher centred instructional techniques to those that promote active participation of learners in their learning. Although the post democratic National Curriculum Statement has put emphasis on the importance of cooperative learning as a learner centred instructional technique, there is hardly any research on how teachers in schools understand and use it. This study sought to fill this gap by using a case study of seven mathematics classes in six schools. Data was collected through interviews, observations and document analysis.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Text data analysis for a smart city project in a developing nation

  • Authors: Currin, Aubrey Jason
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Natural language processing (Computer science) Human computation Human-computer interaction
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2227 , vital:27709
  • Description: Increased urbanisation against the backdrop of limited resources is complicating city planning and management of functions including public safety. The smart city concept can help, but most previous smart city systems have focused on utilising automated sensors and analysing quantitative data. In developing nations, using the ubiquitous mobile phone as an enabler for crowdsourcing of qualitative public safety reports, from the public, is a more viable option due to limited resources and infrastructure limitations. However, there is no specific best method for the analysis of qualitative text reports for a smart city in a developing nation. The aim of this study, therefore, is the development of a model for enabling the analysis of unstructured natural language text for use in a public safety smart city project. Following the guidelines of the design science paradigm, the resulting model was developed through the inductive review of related literature, assessed and refined by observations of a crowdsourcing prototype and conversational analysis with industry experts and academics. The content analysis technique was applied to the public safety reports obtained from the prototype via computer assisted qualitative data analysis software. This has resulted in the development of a hierarchical ontology which forms an additional output of this research project. Thus, this study has shown how municipalities or local government can use CAQDAS and content analysis techniques to prepare large quantities of text data for use in a smart city.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The economics of institutions, institutional governance and efficiency: the case of water distribution in Lower Sundays River Valley

  • Authors: Madigele, Patricia Kefilwe
  • Date: 2015
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54777 , vital:26611
  • Description: The institutional dynamics, policies and legislation that were prevalent during the apartheid era have left imprints that are difficult to ignore as they still dictate the interaction between different elements in the water sector to date. During the apartheid era, the formulation of policies was informed by racial segregation, resulting in a socio-economic pattern that dictated the distribution and access of resources for the people of different races in the country. Post-apartheid, the National Water Act has established the basis for management of water resources on a catchment basis (for equity, efficiency and sustainability), and the Water Services Act aims to ensure everybody has access to basic water supply and sanitation services. Regardless of the improvements in water supply to the rural sector made by the South African government, many of the current patterns of water use are still characterised by inequality, inefficiency, and inadequacy. The poor remain marginalised, and emerging farmers and poor rural communities have limited access to water resources while water continues to be used inefficiently by some farmers in the agricultural sector with few incentives to improve its water use efficiency. Despite the existence of the thriving citrus industry in the area, around 60% of people in the Sundays River Valley Municipality (SRVM) live below the poverty datum line. The inequality between the municipal populace and the commercial citrus industry is noticeable and the inequitable water redistribution is prevalent in the Lower Sundays River Valley (LSRV). The problem of disrupted water supply is prevalent in the catchment. However, there is also currently no physical shortage of water in the catchment. Therefore, the currently experienced problems with water supply in the LSRV are consequence of a lack of effective institutions and infrastructure, not of physical water scarcity. It is argued in this paper that there is a notable lack of understanding about the design of institutions for water management in developing countries. The vast majority of research on water management and access is premised on neoclassical economics ideas related to water markets and pricing among others. The neoclassical economics approach, however, does not adequately define the role of institutions in shaping the direction of water access and supply. This study uses new institutional economics (NIE) arguments to define the institutional arrangements and dynamics defining the water sector in South Africa, using the Lower Sunday River Water Users Association (LSR-WUA) as the case study. It aims at analysing the institutional governance and performance of the using equity, efficiency and effectiveness as key indicators. The various research methods employed in this study include; interpretive and post-positivist paradigms, quantitative and qualitative research, the case study research method and in-depth key informant interviews. It is concluded that that the current and future decisions made by the LSR-WUA are not entirely independent of those made in the past under Sundays River Irrigation Board (SRIB). The thesis argues that such factors as old effective networks, vested interests of commercial farmers, sunk costs towards the building of canals, among other factors, may have influenced the dependence of the LSR-WUA on the SRIB’s set path. It is further concluded that the absence of contractual agreement between the LRS-WUA which acts as the bulk water supplier, and the SRVM which acts as both the water services authority (WSA) and the water service provider (WSP) creates an institutional arrangement deficiency. Such an institutional arrangement vacuum can lead to a failure of the water institutions in the catchment to provide water resources effectively. The study further argues that because the post-apartheid National Water Policy of South Africa is largely influenced by neoclassical economics foundations, the desired results in the water sector, such as equitable distribution of water resources, have not yet been fulfilled completely.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The electrical, structural and elemental analyis of degraded single junction amorphous silicon solar modules

  • Authors: Osayemwenre, Gilbert Omorodion
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Amorphous semiconductors , Solar cells , Silicon crystals
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Science
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11674 , vital:39095
  • Description: This study focuses on the degradation of solar cells due to localized heat. A decrease in optical absorbance represents a huge problem because of long-term solar cell degradation, decrease in absorption coefficient and a reduction in solar cell conversion efficiency. This decreases the photo-generating current hence reduces the effective efficiency of the solar device. As such the electrical output decreases, this research investigates the reduction in a-Si:H modules maximum power and its light absorption and correlates this with hot spot formation. Infrared Thermography was used for mapping of the module temperature profile, while IR flying meter software was used to analyze the hot spot centre. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for absorption characterization. The study was undertaken during outdoor deployment of five PV modules. This method was chosen so as to deduce the practical effect of hot spot formation on the module’s absorption ability. The results show a direct correlation between localized heat and absorption degradation and structural degradation (damaged) in a-Si:H.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The relationship between work-family conflict and job stress on organisational commitment: a study of selected hospitals within the health department in the Kkonkobe municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Ruzungunde, Vongai Sarah
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/955 , vital:26512
  • Description: The aim of this research was to assess whether and to what extent does work-family conflict (WFC) and job stress affect organisational commitment of the employees within the health department. The quantitative design was used for the purposes of this study and the sample consisted of 141 respondents from selected hospitals within the Nkonkobe Municipality. The cluster sampling method was used to select the hospitals and then the simple random sampling was used to select the sample from the cluster. Data was analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistical analysis such as SAS 9.1, T-test scale and The Pearson Correlation Analysis. The results of the study showed significant positive relationships between WFC and job stress. Also, both WFC and job stress showed negative relationships with organisational commitment showing that they affect the commitment of workers. These findings are helpful and useful to the health department in implementing policies and procedures that will reduce WFC and job stress in employees in order to ensure that high levels of commitment towards the organisation are maintained for optimal success.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

An assessment of urban residents' knowledge and appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees in two medium sized towns in South Africa

  • Authors: Chinyimba, Abby
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Trees in cities -- South Africa--Limpopo , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Ecology -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Plants and civilization -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Willingness to pay -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Limpopo (South Africa) -- Environmental conditions , Cultural importance , Cultural and regulating services , Intangible benefits , Urban systems
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4730 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001957
  • Description: In order to meet the different public needs and requirements of contemporary urban society, a better understanding of public perceptions, appreciation and knowledge of the assorted values derived from urban trees is beneficial for improved urban greening. Thus, this study carried out an assessment of urban residents’ knowledge and appreciation of the benefits of trees and the role they play in enhancing the quality of life in urban systems. The study primarily focused on the intangible benefits (also referred to as cultural and regulating services) of urban trees, because most research to date in South Africa on trees and the benefits derived from them is biased towards the provisioning services of trees in rural areas. The significance and contribution of the intangible benefits of trees in urban systems is often underestimated and not seriously taken into account by urban planners, policy makers and other key decision makers. The study was conducted in three different residential settlement types (formal townships, RDP settlements and informal settlements) in two towns in the Limpopo Province in South Africa, namely Bela-Bela and Tzaneen. Findings revealed that the intangible benefits of trees are seen to play a significant role in improving both residents’ quality of life and the environmental conditions in cities, including the preservation of biodiversity. Findings also showed that urban residents had strong spiritual connections with trees and placed considerable cultural and historical importance on specific tree species and individual trees. Urban residents in both towns had moderate knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees based on the knowledge score that was created for the purposes of this study. Fifty seven percent of the residents had ‘reasonable’ knowledge of some of the intangible benefits of trees, while 43% had low levels of knowledge. That said, the majority of residents demonstrated high appreciation (98%) of the intangible benefits of trees (especially social and cultural values), with few residents not recognising these, suggesting that knowledge does not necessarily lead to appreciation. Age and level of education were found to influence knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. A large proportion (86%) of residents who possessed tertiary level qualifications had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees as compared to residents with no formal education. Findings also revealed that younger respondents (60%) had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. Factors that influenced appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees included links to crime, peoples’ value systems (their pro-environmental and altruistic values) and residential settlement type. Sixty five percent of residents in both towns felt that urban street trees and trees in public spaces attract criminals and promote crime, while 67% of RDP and 96% of informal township residents did not use or appreciate the social and recreational benefits of trees mainly because of the absence or long distances to public parks. A Willingness To Pay (WTP) survey revealed that a high proportion of residents in Bela-Bela (86%) were WTP a small annual fee in order to sustain greening initiatives in their communities compared to the residents in Tzaneen (53%). In terms of the planting and retention of trees, it was found that 300 households in both study towns had planted and retained a total of 1 615 trees in spite of the various factors that negatively influenced planting and retention of trees such as residency time and tenure security. The majority (66%) of informal township residents said tenure security was an important factor to consider when making tree planting decisions, while this was not an issue for formal township and RDP residents. Policy implications and recommendations are presented to help municipalities and urban planners improve and develop effective policies and programmes that will enable implementation of sustainable urban greening programmes
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  • Date Issued: 2013

Rural livelihoods, forest products and poverty alleviation: the role of markets

  • Authors: Mutamba, Manyewu
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Rural development -- Zambia Rural poor -- Zambia Zambia -- Rural conditions Forest management -- Zambia Forest conservation -- Zambia Households -- Economic aspects -- Zambia Forest products -- Zambia Forests and forestry -- Zambia Non-timber forest products -- Zambia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:4741 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006081
  • Description: There is growing acknowledgement that forests and forest products are central to rural livelihoods, but their role in lifting households out of poverty remains contentious. This study tested the assertion by proponents of forest based poverty alleviation that changing conditions in the use and management of forests and forest products has created opportunities for poor rural households to lift themselves out of poverty. The study used detailed annual income data from various household sectors in two contrasting sites in Zambia, namely Mufulira and Kabompo districts, analyzing the relative contribution of forest income to household livelihood, the effect of household wealth status on forest use, factors driving household participation in forest product trade, and the influence of distance to urban markets on trends in the use of forest products. The study found that forest based activities play a central role in the livelihoods of households in the two study sites, contributing close to half of total household income, and dwarfing the contribution of agricultural sectors such as cropping and livestock rearing which are generally regarded as the main income sources for rural households. Forest based sectors were also found to be particularly valuable sources of household cash, often coming at critical times to meet basic needs. The findings also revealed that without the contribution of forest income, the proportion of households that would fall below the poverty line would increase sharply in both study sites. Wealthier households earned higher magnitudes of both subsistence and cash income from forest based activities than their poorer counterparts. Even the share of total household income coming from forest based activities was also higher among these better-off households, confirming that these activities are lucrative and they are improving the wealth status of households. Household participation in forest product trade was found to be influenced by demographic factors such as number of productive household members, age and the education level of the household head. Economic factors such as the level of income from wage labour, household poverty level, and ownership of key assets such as a bicycle were found to be important. Distance of homestead from the forest was also found to be an important contextual variable. The influence of urban demand on the use of forest products by rural households was significant in the study area. Although local sales played an important part as a source of cash for households, the most preferred channels for trade were linked to urban markets, either through roadside markets, middlemen or direct sales to urban buyers. The study concluded that with improved local organization and support for product development and marketing, some forest based activities provide a viable poverty alleviation option for poor rural households who otherwise have limited economic opportunities to escape poverty.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An investigation into the benefits of integrating learners' prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases in Grade 7: a case study

  • Authors: Kuhlane, Zukiswa
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching (Primary) -- Research -- South Africa Prior learning -- South Africa Limited English-proficient students -- Education (Primary) -- South Africa Teaching -- Aids and devices -- Research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1602 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003484
  • Description: This study was conducted at a school designated as a higher primary school comprised of grade 0-9 learners (GET band) in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. With the advent of the new curriculum in South Africa, we are also grappling with the implementation of the new curriculum at this school. This motivated me to investigate the benefits of eliciting and integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases. Essentially, the study sought to gain insight into whether engaging learners during practical activities using easily accessible materials from their homes facilitated meaning-making of acids and bases. This study is located within an interpretive paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was conducted with the researcher’s Grade 7 class. To gather data, document analysis, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations, stimulated recall discussions while watching the videotaped lessons as well as focus group interviews with learners were used. An inductive analysis to discover patterns and themes was applied during the data analysis process. The validation process was done through watching the videotaped lessons with the teachers who observed the lessons. Also, transcripts of the interviews and a summary of discussions were given back to the respondents to verify their responses and check for any misinterpretations. Rich data sets were analysed in relation to the research questions which were: How do Natural Sciences teachers elicit and integrate learners’ prioreveryday knowledge and experiences to facilitate learning of scientific concepts of acids and bases in their classrooms? Does engaging learners in practical activities using everyday substances enhance their conceptual development and understanding of acids and bases? The findings from the study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences during teaching and learning of acids and bases facilitated meaningful learning. Furthermore, linking learning to learners’ everyday experiences enabled them to learn scientific concepts in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. It is thus recommended that teachers should be supported in their endeavours to incorporate learners’ real life experiences during their teaching and learning repertoires. Notwithstanding, as much as there were benefits in this study there were, however, also some challenges that were encountered, such as language, which warrants further research.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation of community learning through participation in integrated water resource management practices

  • Authors: Phiri, Charles M
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa Water conservation -- South Africa -- Management Water resources development -- South Africa -- Citizen participation Rain and rainfall -- South Africa Water quality management -- South Africa Integrated water development -- South Africa Water -- Management -- South Africa -- Study and teaching Social learning -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003504
  • Description: South Africa is a semi arid country in which the average rainfall of 450mm/year is well below the world average of about 860mm/year. As a result, South Africa’s water resources are scarce in global terms and limited in extent. Current predictions are that demand will outstrip water availability in the next 15 years. A coordinated approach to improve both water quality and quantity is needed and in order to achieve that, it is crucial to strengthen capacities of local community involvement in identifying the problems that affect them and strategies to solve them. This research was undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of community learning processes in integrated water resources management (IWRM) practices. The study drew on situated and social learning theory which explains that knowledge and skills are learned and embedded in the contexts in which knowledge is obtained and applied in everyday situations. Multiple data collection techniques were used within a case study design and included document analysis, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. Data analysis was done in three phases and involved uncovering patterns and trends in the data sets. In this context I discovered, through careful observation and interviews with members of the different communities of practice, that people are learning through social learning interactions with other community members as they engage in their daily water management and food production practices. Learning interactions take place through both informal and formal processes such as meetings, training workshops, conversations and interactions with outsiders. I also discovered that people learn from ‘external groups’ or training programmes which bring new knowledge and expertise, but this needs to be contextualised in the local communities of practice. The research has also shown that there are a number of challenges that appear to exist in these learning contexts. For instance it was found that participation and social learning processes and interactions are influenced by a range of causal mechanisms that are contextual. These insights into how communities learn, as well as the tensions and difficulties that are experienced in the learning processes are important for furthering learning and participation in community-based IWRM practices, projects and programmes.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2012

Guidelines for the design of a mobile phone application for deaf people

  • Authors: Yeratziotis, George
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
  • Identifier: vital:9750 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007925 , Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
  • Description: Deaf people in South Africa are no longer a minority group and their needs regarding communication and interaction must therefore be taken into consideration. This demographic does not communicate and interact in the same way as hearing people, which means that any existing usability or accessibility guidelines do not apply. As a result, Deaf people do not have access to information in the same way that a hearing person does. Providing proper access to Information and Communications Technology services, which meet their particular needs, will help the hearing impaired to better integrate into society. The importance of demolishing the communication barrier between the hearing and the hearing impaired is very important. Many people assume that sign language is somehow based on oral language. However, this is not the case. Sign languages are natural visual-spatial languages, and form a contrast with spoken languages which are auditory-vocal based. Acknowledging this fact in 2008, the South African Sign Language Policy Implementation Conference together with several governmental bodies suggested that South African Sign Language should become recognized as the 12th official language of South Africa. Due to the fact that cell phone technology continues to evolve, it will remain a tool of communication upon which Deaf people heavily rely on. The cell phone fulfils a basic need for everyone, but especially for the Deaf demographic as they rely on the short message system to communicate. Deaf people are currently faced with a lack of appropriate mobile phone applications, which would allow them to communicate with hearing as well as deaf people. The primary objective of this research was therefore to make mobile technology equally accessible meaning usable to members of the Deaf demographic. The focus of the research was to investigate the communication barrier and a range of variables that can influence the deaf user’s experience. Topics such as user interface design, usability and interaction were investigated. The outcome of this research was to propose a set of guidelines that, when applied to the design of a website or to phone application accessibility, would ensure communication and interaction from a deaf user. The proposed set of guidelines was then applied to the design of the high fidelity prototype of a mobile phone application. The specific application is a messaging phone application that allows deaf users to communicate with other deaf and hearing users via short message system. A mobile phone application that allows Deaf people to send and receive messages based on the sign language alphabet. The application was named Signchat. Purpose of this was to visibly display how the guidelines were implemented in Signchat. While Signchat’s main purpose is to accommodate the needs of Deaf people, it is also a learning tool and an application that bridges the gap by allowing deaf and hearing users to communicate.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2012

Teaching reading in Rukwangali in four Grade 3 Namibian classrooms : a case study

  • Authors: Siyave, Theresia Nerumbu
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Reading (Elementary) -- Namibia Reading teachers -- Training of -- Namibia Kwangali language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia Literacy -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia Native language and education -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- Namibia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1798 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003683
  • Description: This study aims to explore four grade 3 teachers’ understanding of teaching reading in Rukwangali, a home language in Namibia in Kavango region and to observe the strategies they use as well as the activities they set for their learners. During my School Based Studies (SBS), I noticed that learners were not reading with understanding. My interest was also stimulated by a study carried out in Namibia that found that the literacy levels for Namibian learners were poor compared to those of other African countries. This is a qualitative case study carried out within an interpretive paradigm. It seeks to understand the meaning that people attached to human actions. I selected the participants purposefully and in terms of convenience, as all three schools selected are situated in Rundu, the town in which I work as a college lecturer. The research tools I employed were semi-structured interviews, document analysis, classroom observation, and stimulated recall discussions on the lessons I observed. I used a variety of methods to triangulate data and enhance validity. This study reveals that teachers use multiple methods to teach reading. These methods include phonics and syllabification to help struggling learners to decode difficult and long (polysyllabic) words and the look-and-say method for whole word recognition and meaning making at word and sentence level. In addition, they also use the thematic approach to teaching and learning to expand learners’ vocabulary and enhance their understanding of the texts they read and to make their lessons learnercentred. However, the problems of language, lack of reading books written in Rukwangali and large class sizes constrain the teachers from teaching in a more learner-centred way. Therefore, the study gives some tentative recommendations to remedy this situation.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2011

The response of microalgal biomass and community composition to environmental factors in the Sundays Estuary

  • Authors: Kotsedi, Daisy
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10609 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1434 , Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary
  • Description: The Sundays Estuary is permanently open to the sea and has been described as channel-like along its entire length with a narrow intertidal area (mostly less than 5 - 6 m in width). The estuary experiences regular freshwater inflow with large supplies of nutrients, derived from the Orange River transfer scheme and agricultural return flow. In particular, nitrate concentrations are high as a result of fertilisers used in the Sundays River catchment area. The objectives of this study were to measure microalgal biomass and community composition and relate to flow, water quality and other environmental variables. Surveys in August 2006, March 2007, February, June and August 2008 showed that salinity less than 10 percent mostly occurred from 12.5 km from the mouth and this was also where the highest water column chlorophyll a (>20 μg l-1) was found. Different groups of microalgae formed phytoplankton blooms for the different sampling sessions, which were correlated with high chlorophyll a. These included blooms of green algae (August 2006), flagellates (March 2007), dinoflagellates (June 2008) and diatom species (February and August 2008). The dominant diatom (Cyclotella atomus) indicated nutrient-rich conditions. Green algae and diatoms were associated with low salinity water in the upper reaches of the estuary. Flagellates were dominant throughout the estuary particularly when nutrients were low, whereas the dinoflagellate bloom in June 2008 was correlated with high ammonium and pH. Maximum benthic chlorophyll a was found at 12.5 km from the mouth in February, June and August 2008 and was correlated with high sediment organic and moisture content. Benthic diatoms were associated with high temperature whereas some species in June 2008 were associated with high ammonium concentrations. The middle reaches of the estuary characterise a zone of deposition rather than suspension which would favour benthic diatom colonization. Phytoplankton cells settling out on the sediments may account for the high benthic chlorophyll a because maximum water column chlorophyll a was also found in the REI zone (where salinity is less than 10 percent and where high biological activity occurs) in the Sundays Estuary. The estuary was sampled over five consecutive weeks from March to April 2009 to identify environmental factors that support different microalgal bloom species. Phytoplankton blooms, defined as chlorophyll a greater than 20 μg l-1, were found during Weeks 1, 4 and 5 from the middle to the upper reaches of the estuary. Diatom species (Cylindrotheca closterium, Cyclotella atomus and Cyclostephanus dubius) occurred in bloom concentrations during these weeks. These diatom species are cosmopolitan and indicate brackish nutrient-rich water. Flagellates were the dominant group in Weeks 2 to 4, but positive correlations with chlorophyll a were found during Weeks 1 and 2. During the first week of this study the conditions were warm and calm (measured as temperature and wind speed) and there was a well developed bloom (38 μg l-1). There was a strong cold front from 17 to 19 March, which mixed the water column resulting in the decrease of the chlorophyll a levels (<20 μg l-1) and the bloom collapsed during Weeks 2 and 3. However, in Weeks 4 and 5 conditions were again calm and warmer, which appeared to stimulate the phytoplankton bloom. Nanoplankton (2.7 - 20 μm) was dominant during each week sampled and contributed a considerable amount (55 - 79 percent) to the phytoplankton biomass. Once again subtidal benthic chlorophyll a and water column chlorophyll a were highest 12.5 km from the mouth. Deposition of phytoplankton cells from the water column was evident in the benthic samples. The study showed that the Sundays Estuary is eutrophic and characterised by microalgal blooms consisting of different phytoplankton groups.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2011

The response of microalgal biomass and community composition to environmental factors in the Sundays estuary

  • Authors: Kotsedi, Daisy
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Algal blooms -- South Africa -- Sundays River Estuary , Estuaries -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10636 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013611
  • Description: The Sundays Estuary is permanently open to the sea and has been described as channel-like along its entire length with a narrow intertidal area (mostly less than 5 - 6 m in width). The estuary experiences regular freshwater inflow with large supplies of nutrients, derived from the Orange River transfer scheme and agricultural return flow. In particular, nitrate concentrations are high as a result of fertilisers used in the Sundays River catchment area. The objectives of this study were to measure microalgal biomass and community composition and relate to flow, water quality and other environmental variables. Surveys in August 2006, March 2007, February, June and August 2008 showed that salinity less than 10 percent mostly occurred from 12.5 km from the mouth and this was also where the highest water column chlorophyll a (>20 μg l-1) was found. Different groups of microalgae formed phytoplankton blooms for the different sampling sessions, which were correlated with high chlorophyll a. These included blooms of green algae (August 2006), flagellates (March 2007), dinoflagellates (June 2008) and diatom species (February and August 2008). The dominant diatom (Cyclotella atomus) indicated nutrient-rich conditions. Green algae and diatoms were associated with low salinity water in the upper reaches of the estuary. Flagellates were dominant throughout the estuary particularly when nutrients were low, whereas the dinoflagellate bloom in June 2008 was correlated with high ammonium and pH. Maximum benthic chlorophyll a was found at 12.5 km from the mouth in February, June and August 2008 and was correlated with high sediment organic and moisture content. Benthic diatoms were associated with high temperature whereas some species in June 2008 were associated with high ammonium concentrations. The middle reaches of the estuary characterise a zone of deposition rather than suspension which would favour benthic diatom colonization. Phytoplankton cells settling out on the sediments may account for the high benthic chlorophyll a because maximum water column chlorophyll a was also found in the REI zone (where salinity is less than 10 percent and where high biological activity occurs) in the Sundays Estuary.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2011

Call centres as a vehicle to improve customer satisfaction in local government: a case study of front line workers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality

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