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Household's perceptions and determinants of participation in harvesting rangeland products :|bthe case of Dyamala community, Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Mdiya, Lwandiso
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Communal rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9187 , vital:34303
  • Description: The study reviews the household’s perceptions and determinants of sustainable products harvesting. Communal rangelands are vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrubs, woodlands, wetlands and deserts with multiple functions to the rural households. Most rural communities share boundaries and interact with rangelands for multiple socioeconomic and environmental reasons. Since most of these interactions are external to the price mechanism, the actual contribution of rangelands to communities has largely been missed. In an effort to appraise and explore the communal rangeland contribution to households, a study from Dyamala community in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality under Amathole District in Eastern Cape was conducted using cross-sectional data. Descriptive results revealed that the majority of the respondents (71 percent) from the study area positively perceived communal rangelands as safety nets. however, there also emerged a fair share of challenges namely, (bad spirit, host predators, compete with arable land) leading to negative perceptions towards communal rangelands. It was also evident that, the majority of respondents from the study area use communal rangelands for fuel wood, construction poles, traditional medicine, with minor harvests of wild food (flora and fauna) and thatch grass. The results of the study also revealed that, rural people depend more on social grants for their income followed by incomes from remittances, agricultural activities and communal rangelands. However, it was established from the results that though communal rangelands provided commercial products capable of generating household income, rangeland users trading such products were receiving meagre incomes. This might be caused by the lack of institutional support to rural households thus, the low incomes received from communal rangelands. To that effect, main communal rangeland products such as, fuel wood, poles and medicine were cited as being more valuable for local domestic use than for the external market. Regression estimates further indicated that participation in communal rangeland products harvesting is more conditioned by perception-related factors as compared to socioeconomic attributes of rural households worth understanding for strategic targeting to promote their conservation. The extant literature and the study results, evidently show that communal rangelands provide a livelihood among rural households although it has a low direct household income potential. Therefore, the respondents were of the view that the use of campaigns targeting several perceptions (such as communal rangelands act as a source of medicinal plants, arable land and income etc) as suggested by the regression estimates may be very useful. The support from the extension department and further research may be necessary for purposes of quantifying harvestable rangeland products capable of enhancing rural livelihoods. Moreover, the observed low income potential of communal rangeland products suggests several technical and institutional challenges worth addressing to promote value addition of rangeland products.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Pharmacist perceptions of pharmacy support personnel in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Port Elizabeth

  • Authors: Worthington, Nicole
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Pharmacists -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42434 , vital:36659
  • Description: Pharmacy support personnel (PSP) are employed across multiple pharmaceutical sectors in South Africa. They assist pharmacists in the manufacturing sector, while under their direct, personal supervision, to carry out the pharmacists’ functions listed in the South African Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines, within a defined scope of practice. Prior to 2013, all PSP training was workplace-based. The recent introduction of a university-based qualification for PSP has resulted in two routes for students to qualify as PSP. This study employed a qualitative, phenomenological design using semistructured interviews with pharmacists employed in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Their perceptions regarding PSP who had trained via the two training routes where interpreted through thematic analysis in order to determine whether a perceived difference in the abilities of the two cadres of PSP exists. Pharmacists generally expressed a more positive perception of PSP who qualified through the university-based programme. Strengths and weaknesses of both routes of training were identified, with areas of possible improvement identified for both programmes. Furthermore, a mutually supportive pharmacist – PSP relationship was deemed important in order to achieve optimal functionality in the workplace. The need for both pharmacists and PSP to be made aware of the roles that they play in this relationship was highlighted.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The relationship between operational risk management and business continuity management: a case study of a selected financial institution in South Africa

  • Authors: Mkhize, Gelvas Bhekabambo Senzoesihe
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Risk management -- South Africa , Risk assessment -- South Africa Operations research -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22769 , vital:30076
  • Description: The disruption of a leading financial services company because of internal or external risks has huge negative impact on the business bottom-line and the South African Financial Services industry at large. The Basel Accord defined operational risk as one of the key risk to manage in an attempt to minimise risk within a bank. Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a key component of enabling a business to prepare for disruptions and yet BCM remains poorly integrated with Operational Risk Management (ORM) in most financial institutions. Qualitative research focuses on gathering and interpreting data through quotation, description and narration was undertaken to explore opportunities for integration of tools and methodologies used by these two risk types. This type of research is concerned with capturing conversations, experiences, perspectives, voices and meanings typically from small samples purposively selected. The study findings are based on a sample of 9 respondents. Most of the respondents indicated that the bank is guided by the Basel, Advanced Measurement Approach (AMA) accreditation to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the three lines of defense. There were many integration points identified by respondent and three recommendations were made to address the research objectives.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Narratives of challenge and motivation : the stories of East London Community Health Care volunteers

  • Authors: Ngconjana, Unati
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Community health services Volunteer workers in social service Home care services
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6325 , vital:29569
  • Description: The research study was aimed at exploring the narratives of motivations and challenges that home-based health care workers experience in their voluntary service provision. It was conducted in East London in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. A total of seven participants who volunteer in home based care programmes were interviewed and their mean age was 30 years; all were females, two married, one a widow, one divorced and two single females. The narrative framework was used to explore the volunteers' interpretation of volunteering experiences, highlighting themes that emerged on what encourages them to volunteer as home based health care workers, and how they deal with challenges that arise during the provision of services. The research was also aimed at exploring the social factors supporting the volunteers' decision to continue volunteering. Narratives from the interviewed community health workers [CHWs] indicate that the motives for participating in CHW programmes are mainly altruistic although people are sometimes motivated by self-interest. Self-interest seems to be particularly relevant in the case of the younger volunteers as they expressed their hope that providing voluntary service may help to enhance their skills so as to facilitate future learning and employment prospects. The recurring themes within the CHWs' narrative indicate that they identify with the helping role and feel it empowers them as they participate in meaningful ways in their communities, and they gain strength to cope with challenges that come with community health work. This study highlighted the complex nature of home based care roles, which inevitably reflect the intervention approach, the mode of working, professional roles and relationships with communities.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Screening of shark liver extracts for potential antimicrobial properties against selected pathogenic bacterial strains

  • Authors: Mrwetyana, Thandolwethu
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Fishes -- Diseases Pathogenic bacteria
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Microbiology
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13004 , vital:39431
  • Description: The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance prevents the effective treatment of bacterial infections. Traditional antibiotics such as penicillin have been rendered ineffective against most microbial pathogens. This has led to an increased need for the development of new and improved drugs. The marine environment contains a great array of organisms with unique biological properties, but still remains one of our most underutilized biological resources. The aim of this study was to screen different shark liver extracts for antimicrobial properties. After optimizing the extraction methods, the liver extracts (oil and aminosterol) of three different shark species, namely the Dogfish (Squalus acanthias), the Catshark (Scyliorhinus capensis) and the Hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) shark, were screened for antimicrobial properties using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method against selected bacterial pathogens (Helicobacter pylori, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus), after which the MIC was determined using the modified broth micro-dilution described by Vollekova et al. (2001). The most active extract was fractionated using thin layer chromatography, and TLC-direct bioautography was used to determine the antimicrobial properties of the fractionated compounds. The Folch et al and the Shinnar et al methods yielded the highest extract volumes for oil and aminosterol consecutively, and the catshark and dogfish aminosterol extract showed greater levels of bioactivity against all selected bacterial pathogens, with S. aureus showing highest susceptibility levels to both extracts. A total of 22 compounds were observed in the developed plates with two compounds (Rf 0.53 and 0.79) showing antimicrobial activity. Certain shark liver extracts possess antimicrobial properties that have the potential to be used in the development of new antimicrobial drugs.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Small-scale farmers' participation in planning and implementation of farmer support programmes in Amahlathi Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Makunga, Phendulwa Zikhona
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Agricultural development projects , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6248 , vital:29529
  • Description: The democratic government in South Africa has brought about several policies which were initiated for rural development, and one of the government’s strategies was to involve the agricultural sector. Farmer Support Programmes (FSPs) were developed to assist small-scale farmers to become commercial farmers. The study looked at the participation of small scale farmers in the planning and implementation of the FSPs in the Amahlathi Local Municipality. 108 small scale farmers were selected using a non-random purposive probability and twelve farmers’ organisations. Semi-structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool and method respectively. The data analysis used was a descriptive analysis and a thematic analysis. The results revealed that the farmers have a positive perception towards the support programmes being helpful in their farming needs. The positive perception was especially on the extension and advisory services, dipping and vaccination programme, and the supply and funding of inputs and assets. However, the results revealed that there was no significant difference between gender and the perception of the farmers when a chi square test of association was performed. The results also revealed that the farmers and farmers’ organisations were not involved in the planning of the programmes by the government. It is therefore recommended that for the success of the FSP and for economic growth in the rural areas, the government has to avoid using a top-down approach when developing these programmes, and instead consult the farmers and the farmers’ organisations to know the specific needs of the farmers in their farming practices.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The defence of battered woman syndrome

  • Authors: Matyobeni, Phathiswa Vanesharee
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Abused women -- South Africa , Battered woman syndrome -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45432 , vital:38616
  • Description: Women in South Africa are a vulnerable group, who face threats of violence and abuse daily. The worst aspect of this being domestic abuse or intimate partner violence. Domestic abuse between partners is a common occurrence that results not only from a power imbalance in the relationship but from expectations of society regarding the role of the woman and accepted behaviours, regarding the disciplining of the wife, that is held by communities. Despite attempts by law enforcement and the State to minimise and control domestic abuse; domestic abuse remains on the rise. These women find themselves unprotected and facing possible death at the hands of a loved one. In fear for their lives, these women resolve to kill their partners before their husbands kill them. This changes their status from victim to perpetrator. Consequently, they face prosecution.This dilemma is not unique to South Africa, and as a result, author Lenore Walker created Battered Woman Syndrome. This syndrome was created to explain the experience of these women and answer the questions as to why these women remain in these relationships. Also explained is why they feel trapped. This is a psychological theory that has been used by courts in Australia and the United States to assist the battered woman in justifying her actions when claiming self-defence. South Africa, however, has not made use of Battered Woman Syndrome when defending the battered woman in South African courts.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The determinants of service delivery success in local government: the case of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

  • Authors: Terblanche, Venessa Hayley
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Municipal services -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Local government -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Government productivity -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Performance -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20774 , vital:29388
  • Description: Section 153 of the Constitution of South Africa (RSA, 1996) states that “a municipality must structure and manage its administration, budgeting and planning process to give priority to the needs of the community and to promote the social and economic development of the community”. Despite this mandate placed on local government, De Wet and Moseki (2015, p. 61) write that insurgent South Africans engage in violent protests against continued “municipal ineffectiveness in service delivery, poor responsiveness to citizens’ grievances, and a conspicuous consumption entailed by a culture of self-enrichment on the part of councillors and staff”. The Department of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA ) (2014) identify huge service delivery backlogs, poor communication and accountability relationships with communities, corruption and fraud, poor financial management and insufficient municipal capacity as a result of lack of scarce skills as some of the priority areas impacting hardest on the municipality’s ability to function as a well-performing municipality. Mpofu and Hlatywayo (2015) report that poor performance by workers in local government has been established as one of the major issues affecting the efficient provision of municipal services by municipalities. It thus follows that the performance and conduct of municipal employees need to be improved in order to improve the delivery of basic services to the communities they are to serve. Hanyane and Naidoo (2015) hold the view that without proper service delivery, the achievement of good governance and the effective use of public resources will remain elusive. The primary objective of this study was to contribute to improving the levels of service delivery at a selected municipality by identifying which factors the employees of the municipality consider most effective in improving their levels of service delivery within the organisation. A questionnaire was structured and used to conduct a survey with 65 middle-level managers, senior-level supervisors, middle-level supervisors and operational staff.The study concluded that talent management and retention strategies were the only independent variable that proved to have a significant positive relationship with service delivery within the selected municipality.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

An examination of the nexus between school management and governance : a case of selected schools in the Eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Ntsimango, Ncedile Stewart Lungisa
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape School boards -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Education and state -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1885 , vital:27573
  • Description: School management and governance has become essential in improving quality of education in public schools (Caldwell, 2012). Furthermore, the existence of a well-established partnership between school governors and school managers is vital to ensure that students receive quality education. On this regard, the study sought to broaden an understanding the thin line between School Management Teams (SMT) and School Governing Bodies (SGB) which is frequently crossed by both parties while executing their roles and responsibilities. The population for the study was SGB members, SMT members and general staff members of public schools in the Eastern Cape Province. The study unit was Willowvale (KwaGcaleka kuGatyane) a circuit named after a great amaXhosa king Zwelidumile, King Zwelidumile Circuit. Purposive sampling method was used because collection of data required that respondents be familiar with the concepts of school management and school governance. A mixed method research methodology was used which include a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and an interview guide was used to facilitate focus group interviews. Qualitative and quantitative data was analysed separately. Quantitative data analysis was done and presented as descriptive statistics, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) Pearson’s correlation and T-test. For the purpose of testing the reliability of the scales of questions included in the questionnaire, the Cronbach’s alpha was used. Qualitative data analysis was done through the researcher`s critical reasoning and analysis of focus group discussions of interviewees. The research found out that lack teamwork, transparency and ineffective leadership are the root cause of failure to recognise strategic and operational boundaries that exist between SGBs and SMTs. Also understanding of the distinction and overlaps between School governance and school management is important to ensure strong relationships, trust and respect between the SGBs and the SMTs. More so, the research observed lack of strategic and operational synergy between SGBs and SMTs. Consequently, the research recommends the importance of training and development to both SGBs and SMTs so that they understand their roles and responsibilities as stated in the SASA Act. SGBs and the SMTs should strive to forge strategic and operational synergy. Trust and respect must prevail from the SGB since they are the major stakeholders of the schools. Effective communication was seen as crucial to building partnerships and ensuring collaboration. Finally, the research recommends that research should be conducted regularly in order to keep track of the state of school management and governments in public schools.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Istraight Lendaba

  • Authors: Motsei, Mmatshilo T N
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:6015 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021235
  • Description: My collection of stories describes the lives of ordinary black people living in post‐apartheid South Africa, especially those living in the margins, and the compromises that poverty forces them to make. In such a world, virtue and vice are flip sides of the same coin. My stories search for hope in an environment which Ayi Kwei Armah describes as “so completely seized with danger and so many different kinds of loss.” My writing is inspired by Mozambican writer Luis Bernardo Honwana, South African writer Joel Matlou whose demotic stories gave voice to everyday life in the townships, and Cameroonian writer Werewere Liking’s as well as Brenda Fassie’s powerful representation of the subversive nature of African women.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Remittances as an external source of finance for investments in developing countries

  • Authors: Gadzikwa, Francis
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Emigrant remittances -- Developing countries Economic development -- Developing countries , Economic development -- Developing countries Developing countries -- Economic policy
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7664 , vital:22785
  • Description: A number of studies by academics, scholars and researchers have been conducted on the subject of remittances. The focus of these studies has been on developing countries where remittance corridors have long been established. These studies have focused more on the effects of remittances at micro level, in other words poverty alleviation as result of the decline of FDI; PI and ODA. Established remittance corridors are found in Asia, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East, South America, the Caribbean, West Africa as well as North Africa. Few studies have been conducted into new emerging corridors that are still being established, such as the South Africa-Zimbabwe, Botswana-Zimbabwe and the Namibian-Zimbabwe corridors where a large number of Zimbabweans have migrated to. Economic growth and development are major challenges facing developing countries due to lack of finance. With the decline of FDI, PI, ODA as well as credit since the global financial crisis in 2008, there is a need for research to determine other alternative sustainable sources of finance to enable economic growth and development. Available literature and empirical evidence on the subject matter suggest remittances as a complementary source not a substitute of FDI, PI, ODA and credit. This means that governments in developing countries should not neglect their duty to collect revenue, should promote FDI and PI and not be dependant solely on remittances. Like FDI, PI and ODA, the flow of remittances is also determined by the socio-economic and political factors. Any negative effect on the socio-economic and political factors may also lead to the decline of remittance flows. Whilst other developing countries in established remittance corridors have put policies and systems in place to harness and ensure maximum benefits of remittances, countries such as Zimbabwe have not done much to realise potential and the impact that remittances can make. This is evidenced from the lack of reliable data which according to Chami et al. (2008:21) places severe constraints on the types of questions that can be asked and conclusions that can be drawn from statistical analyses. Secondly, emigration from Zimbabwe can be regarded to be in its infancy stage compared countries like Nigeria and Egypt where migration to developed countries has reached maturity stage. The evidence of this is seen on the volume of remittances currently being received by these two countries. Therefore, this study will complement existing data and literature available particularly on this corridor. Remittances are channelled either through formal or informal channels. The literature available and empirical evidence suggests that the bulk of remittances are channelled through informal channels as opposed to formal channels (Crush et al.,2012:20). Within the South Africa-Zimbabwe corridor, 85 percent of remittances to Zimbabwe are channelled informally (von Burgsdorff, 2012: 17) and are not captured in the official statistics such as the Balance of Payments. The drawback of this is lack of accurate data which precludes more rigorous statistical analysis in this field (von Burgsdorff, 2010:12). This study will endeavour to capture valuable statistics with regards to remittances. Most developing countries that have relied on aid are also burdened with huge unsustainable external debts (Obasanjo, 2000). The external debts continue to have an adverse effect of slowing down economic growth and development as these countries have an obligation to pay back the debts. Settling of external debts has been one of the biggest challenges facing developing countries. With the rise of remittances, Olubiyi (2013:1) sees them as a replacement to credit to a country that is constrained. Instead of borrowing finance for growth and development, remittances can be used instead. Apart from substituting credit with remittances, countries which are not burdened with external debts are able to use remittances as a leverage to obtain foreign loans (Taylor, 1999:69). The loans acquired can used for supplementing revenue derived from the fiscus and other sources of external finance such as FDI, PI and ODA.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Site Fidelity of southern right (Eubalaena australis) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Algoa Bay, South Africa

  • Authors: Drost, Eduard F
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Marine mammals -- South Africa -- Algoa Bay Southern right whale -- South Africa -- Algoa Bay Humpback whale -- South Africa -- Algoa Bay
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21735 , vital:29742
  • Description: Mysticetes, or baleen whales, make up one of two sub-orders of the Order Cetacea within the Class Mammalia (Drikamer et al, 2013). It contains three families, each characterized by baleen plates (Drikamer et al, 2013). These baleen plates consist of keratin that replaced the tooth structures for feeding in these mammals (Drikamer et al, 2013). Other biological characteristics of these animals include paired external nares (blowholes), a sternum consisting of a single bone, symmetrical skull and the most conspicuous of all, the body length of between ten to thirty metres (Drikamer et al, 2013). It is thought that the size characteristic was probably the main factor when categorising them as cetaceans, with the Latin word ‘Cetus’ referring to ‘sea monster’ (Carnaby, 2006). In this literature review, the focus will fall on two species of mysticetes from separate families, namely that of the southern right whale, Eubalaena australis of the Balaenidae family, and the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae of the Balaenopteridae family. Emphasis in this review will fall on the aspect of site fidelity of the mother-calf pairs.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

The impact of human capital investment on economic growth : the case of South Africa

  • Authors: Mutambirwa, Edward
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Human capital -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8272 , vital:32155
  • Description: A country which prioritises in investing in human capital is believed to be a wealthy nation, meaning that the amount devoted to education and health sectors cannot be considered too much. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of human capital investment on economic growth, the case of South Africa. The study used time series data covering the period 1984-2014 to assess the impact of human capital investment on the economic growth of South Africa. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and the error correction model (ECM) were employed in estimating the long run and short run relationship among variables of the study. The results of the study concluded that there is a positive long run relationship between total human capital investment (THCI) and South African economic growth. The results were in line with the hypothesis of the study and some empirical literature used. However, in the short run the results proved that there is no relationship between total human capital investment and economic growth in South Africa. Moreover, FDI and gross fixed capital formation proved to have a long run relationship with economic growth except exchange rate. The study recommends that the government should continue to devote most of its budget to human capital investment as it positively accelerates the economic growth of the country.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Where the body ends

  • Authors: Hardy, Stacy
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:6004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021212
  • Description: My collection of stories explores the intersection of the human body and the body of text via the tropes of disease and animality. Drawing on my experience of living with tuberculosis for many years, I attempt to write disease differently – not merely to be survived, overcome, cured, eradicated, but as something to be embraced via the Deleuzian affirmation of being worthy of what happens to us. Taking my cue from Sontag, I use a creaturely approach to writing, “an infinitely varied register of forms and tonalities for transporting the human voice into prose narrative”, emphasising the shared embodiedness of humans and animals so as to challenge the omnipotence of thought that subjugates and colonises the body as exclusively human.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

An evaluation of change communication in ensuring the sustainability of change at Barclays Africa's first "green" building

  • Authors: Magubane, Nokuzola
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Barclays Bank , Sustainable buildings -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Organizational change -- South Africa -- Johannesburg , Communication in organizations
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:849 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017517
  • Description: The purpose of the study was to conduct an evaluation on the effectiveness of the change communications distributed to the occupants of Barclays Towers West, Barclays Africa‟s first green building, in ensuring the sustainability of the change after the move into the building. In addition, recommendations are made to improve the change communications directed towards the building occupants to ensure the sustainability of the change and for future moves to green buildings. The research paper is made up of the following three distinct sections: Section One – Evaluation Research Report: this section outlines the organisational and research context for the study, the objectives of the research and rationale for conducting the research. A brief overview of the key theories and models on change communication that were utilised in the study are discussed, and definitions of important terms are presented. The research methodology is also described which includes an explanation on the evaluation research approach utilised as well as the use of both qualitative and quantitative data in the study. In addition, the results from the research conducted are presented, based on three data collection methods utilised: document analysis, semi-structured interviews and a survey. The results are then analysed and discussed in relation to the literature reviewed on change communication. Recommendations are made on improvements that can be made to the change communications to ensure the sustainability of the change. Section Two – Literature Review: the literature, theories and important concept definitions of organisational change management, change sustainability, change communication and green buildings which are relevant for the research topic and have been used as the theoretical base of the study are explored in this section. A key component of the literature review is the description of the change communication theories and models: communication theory, Armenakis, Harris and Field (2007) Model, and the Barrett (2002) Model. An understanding of the theories and models is imperative, as the effectiveness of the change communications after the move into Barclays Towers West is assessed based on the elements of the change communication theories and models. Section Three – Research Methodology: the research methodology for the study is described in this section. Specifically, the research aims and objectives, the research paradigm, the population and sampling, data collection, data analysis and ethical considerations are outlined. A key component of the section is the explanation on how the data was collected and analysed in the study and the sequence. The post move communications and artefacts and meeting presentations were collected first. The qualitative data was analysed and used to determine the questions for the semi structured interviews. Semi-structured one on one interviews were then conducted. The qualitative data and the change communication theories and models used in this study were used to determine the questions for the online survey. An online survey tool was used to administer a predominantly five point Likert scale questionnaire with an invitation to participate emailed to the building occupants. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Research Findings: The key research findings revealed that the messages communicated to the occupants after the move into the building have been mainly focused on operational matters and rarely on educating occupants on the green aspects of the building. A large majority of the survey respondents were aware of the building facilities, details and required behaviour. However it was found that the occupants, Line Managers and Senior Management are not displaying the required behaviour for a green building and do not know how to use some of the building facilities. A major gap was found in communicating with people moving into the building. In addition it was found that some of the information communicated to occupants is outdated. Written communications are used extensively and face to face communication is rarely used to communicate with the occupants. As a result, a number of changes are required to improve the effectiveness of the change communications to the occupants of Barclays Towers West. The improvements include communicating to new occupants; utilising additional communication channels; focusing communication messages on educating occupants on the strategic objectives for the building; rationale for building features and facilities; how to use the facilities and the impact of their behaviour on the building objectives being achieved.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Assessment of bioflocculant production by two marine bacteria isolated from the bottom sediment of marine Algoa Bay

  • Authors: Ntozonke, Ncedo
  • Date: 2015
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Microbiology)
  • Identifier: vital:11298 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1021290
  • Description: Bioflocculants are polymers, mostly, of microbial origin which floc out suspended particles from liquid medium. The ability of these biopolymers to remove suspended particles from solutions is termed bioflocculation, and the efficiency of flocculation activities depends on the characteristics of the flocculants. In comparison with conventionally used flocculants, bioflocculants have the advantage of being safe (no toxic effects known), biodegradable and harmlessness to the environment. The study assessed production of bioflocculant by two marine bacteria from the bottom sediment of marine environment. The 16S rDNA was used for identification, and the two bacteria species were identified as Enterococcus hirae and Bacillus thuringiensis. Factors affecting the production and activity of the bioflocculants produced by these two organisms were studied. The bacteria optimally produced bioflocculant with fructose (91.7%) and urea (91%) as sole carbon and nitrogen sources respectively. Mg2+ (87%) and Ca2+ (86%), likewise, served as best cation sources on the production of the bioflocculant at pH 5(93%). Additionally, the flocculating activity of the bioflocculant increased with the addition of Mg2+ (81%) and Na+ (81%), and the highest flocculating activity was at pH 5 of the kaolin clay. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows that the bioflocculant is a glycoprotein. The second bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis) produced bioflocculant optimally when the media had mixed nitrogen sources (Urea, ammonium chloride and tryptone (67%)) and glucose (85.65%) as a sole carbon source, also Ca2+ (74.6%) was the best cation that induced the production of bioflocculant. After purification, the bioflocculant flocculated optimally in alkaline pH 12 (81%) in the presence of Mn2+ (73%) and Ca2+ (72.8%). Chemical analysis of the bioflocculant revealed it to be a polysaccharide. Both bioflocculants flocculate efficiently and can be used to replace synthetic flocculants in water treatment, wastewater, in downstream processing, and processing of food and chemicals and other industrial uses of flocculants. Challenges though (i) are to develop conditions for large scale production of the bioflocculant, (ii) to do further characterization of the both bioflocculants (iii) to assess the bioflocculants for treatments of water/wastewater, and to apply it in various industrial processes.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Exploring problematic experiences : an IPA study of 'Internet Addiction'

  • Authors: Allie, Naaheeda
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Internet addiction , Compulsive behavior , Security (Psychology)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3256 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016395
  • Description: In the past two decades, a considerable amount of research has been carried out on the phenomenon of excessive Internet use, variously termed Internet addiction, Internet dependency and problematic Internet use. Despite this, there is still little agreement as to what constitutes this phenomenon, whether it should be considered a clinical disorder or not and what leads to this excessive or maladaptive use. The terminology used in this study is that of Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Several theoretical models have been proposed in the understanding of PIU including personality models, operant conditioning models, social cognitive and cognitive behavioural models (Davis, 2001; LaRose, lin & Eastin, 2003; Young, 1999). A proposed gap in the literature is the lack of studies exploring participant experiences of problematic Internet use. It is for this reason that this study aimed at exploring the experiences of a small sample of individuals with self-identified problematic Internet use. The implications of this phenomenological data for the above-mentioned theoretical models were then reviewed. This study used an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach in exploring these aims. A sample of four participants was selected through purposive sampling techniques. Four major themes emerged from the analysis namely: Escapism, Social Insecurity and Validation, Perfectionism and Control. These experiences of participants were also explored in terms of the conceptual models reviewed in order to compare how closely they related to participant experiences. A strong inter-relationship was found between the four themes mentioned above. The Internet appeared to provide a sense of control and validation to these individuals while simultaneously rendering them unable to maintain control of their Internet usage in relation to this. This sense of control was experienced through an escape from negative emotions, offline obligations and at times a dissatisfactory position in reality. Of the four models reviewed, the Social Cognitive model proposed by LaRose et al. (2003) appeared to offer the most relevant understanding of PIU to participant experiences. The presence of maladaptive cognitions also appeared to feature strongly as an underlying factor in participants' PIU, as theorised by cognitive behavioural models (Davis, 2001; Young, 1999) Finally recommendations are made for further more detailed exploration of PIU using interpretative, experiential methods.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Investigating the role of media in the identity construction of ethnic minority language speakers in Botswana : an exploratory study of the Bakalanga

  • Authors: Thothe, Oesi
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Linguistic minorities -- Botswana , Kalanga language (Botswana and Zimbabwe) , Kalanga (African people) -- Ethnic identity , Language policy -- Botswana , Mass media and language -- Botswana , Mass media and ethnic relations -- Botswana , Mass media -- Audiences , Mass media -- Social aspects -- Botswana
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3547 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017788
  • Description: This dissertation investigates the role of media in the identity construction of minority language speakers in Botswana, with a focus on the Bakalanga. The study is informed by debates around the degree to which the media can be seen to play a central role in the way the Bakalanga define their own identity. As part of this, it considers how such individuals understand their own sense of identity to be located within processes of nation-building, and in particular in relation to the construction of a national identity. It focuses, more particularly, on the extent to which the absence of particular languages within media can be said to impact on such processes of identity formation. The study responds, at the same time, to the argument that people’s more general lived experiences and their broader social environment have a bearing on how they make sense of the media. As such, it can be seen to critique the assumption that the media necessarily play a central and defining role within processes of socialisation. In order to explore the significance of these debates for a study of the Bakalanga, the dissertation includes a contextual discussion of language policy in Botswana, the impact of colonial history on such policy and the implications that this has had for the linguistic identity of the media. It also reviews theoretical debates that help to make sense of the role that the media plays within the processes through which minority language speakers construct their own identity. Finally, it includes an empirical case study, consisting of qualitative interviews with individuals who identify themselves as Bakalanga. It is argued that, because of the absence of their own language from the media, the respondents do not describe the media as central to their own processes of identity formation. At the same time, the respondents recognise the importance of the media within society, and are preoccupied with their own marginalisation from the media. The study explores the way the respondents make sense of such marginalisation, as demonstrated by their attempts to seek alternative media platforms in which they can find recognition of their own language and social experience. The study thus reaffirms the significance of media in society – even for people who feel that they are not recognised within such media.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Livelihoods and climate change in Hamburg: issues for food security

  • Authors: Martens, Brendon
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape. , Climatic changes -- Risk management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Climatic changes -- Effect of human beings on , Climatic changes -- Agriculture
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: vital:1116 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017538
  • Description: Climate change continues to present a major challenge to food security around the world. The potential impact of climate change of rural livelihoods is especially significant as rural communities often rely heavily on natural resources to sustain their livelihoods and, hence, food security. This is applicable to the rural town of Hamburg, on the Eastern Cape coast of South Africa. The Sustainable Rural Livelihoods framework analyses livelihoods in terms of the context, available capitals and institutional framework that determines the livelihood strategies and outcomes for rural households. In terms of livelihood outcomes for Hamburg, it was found that the households have a heavy reliance on state grants in their livelihood portfolios. Natural resources, in the form of agriculture and harvesting of marine organisms, played only a supplementary role in livelihood strategies. Thus, given that climate change would impact negatively on the estuarine resources and the impact on agriculture is unknown as the climate becomes wetter and hotter, the impact on livelihoods and food security would not be significant. However, the sustainability of current livelihood strategies is questionable as grants, by their very nature, or unsustainable and therefore can result in vulnerability and food insecurity in the long-run for households. It is recommended that grants should be issued within the community, instead of in the distant town of Peddie, to help develop the local economy and reduce leakages. This would allow for diversification of livelihood strategies in Hamburg. In addition, government support through extension officers should be extended to Hamburg to assist in developing the local agriculture sector
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The impact of transport infrastructure investment on unemployment in South Africa

  • Authors: Mayekiso, Sipokazi
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Transportation -- South Africa Infrastructure (Economics) -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2260 , vital:27720
  • Description: The transport infrastructure investment has been a subject of many studies for some time, mainly in improving and predicting the economic growth of the country and improving employment in South Africa. Given this, the study examines the impact of transport infrastructure investment on unemployment in South Africa by using time series econometric analysis over the period 1982-2012. Some key variables considered include unemployment, real GDP, real exchange rate, real interest rate, and trade openness total infrastructure investment exclude transport infrastructure investment. To separate the long and short run effect, VECM was employed after ensuring stationarity of the series. The study found that a long run relationship exist between the unemployment, transport infrastructure investment, real GDP, real exchange rate , real interest rate, trade openness and total infrastructure investment exclude transport infrastructure investment. The Results of this thesis have implications for policy and academic work.
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  • Date Issued: 2015
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