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Access and control of biodiversity in the context of biopiracy: the case of pelargonium sidoides in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality

  • Authors: Doyle, Anastasia Roxane
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Biopiracy -- South Africa , Traditional ecological knowledge -- South Africa , Plants, Cultivated -- Patents , Biodiversity -- Conservation -- South Africa , Pelargoniums -- Harvesting -- South Africa , Pelargonium sidoides -- Harvesting -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76321 , vital:30547
  • Description: The purpose of this research is to explore access and control of biodiversity in the context of biopiracy with specific reference to the case of pelargonium sidoides in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. The research is informed by the increased appropriation of local biodiversity and indigenous knowledge by industry as well as global debates on promoting sustainable resource utilisation and sustainable rural livelihoods. This study adopts a two-pronged conceptual approach mainly, Marx’s Ecology and the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework (SRLF). The former provides useful insights into the processes and dynamics of power asymmetries between developed and developing countries, capital accumulation, inherent displacement and the predatory nature of capitalism. Whilst the latter addresses how livelihoods are fashioned in a holistic way. As a significant starting point the South African political economy is examined through the lens of the two economies debate. This research is primarily qualitative using in-depth interviews, observations and archival research as the primary data collection techniques. Preliminary site visits were conducted to negotiate access. Key informants of the study were representatives of the core groups (interested and affected stakeholders) involved in the case of pelargonium sidoides. Specifically, participants included representatives from the Imingcangathelo Community Development Trust and the Masakhane Community Property Association, local harvesters, local community members, monitoring and enforcement environmental officers, plant breeders (cultivators), scientists, local businessmen involved in natural resource trade, academics, legal representatives and non-governmental organisations. The Rhodes University research ethical guidelines were followed accordingly. The findings of the study suggest that trade in pelargonium sidoides is influenced by a complex and dynamic interplay between the state-industry-rural elite coalitions. Moreover, that this activity is largely centralised and exclusionary. This process is depicted in the unsustainable utilisation of pelargonium sidoides and other natural resources, the dismantling of local livelihoods, exploitation of harvesters and an incoherent environmental governance structure. At the core of this unequal system of exchange is industry, which effectively functions to generate profits whilst dispossessing peripheral communities such as the Masakhane community. The study therefore, argues that in order for local communities to access the trade there needs to be a shift in this system of unequal exchange. Not only regarding beneficiation, but in building community capacity and becoming involved as critical stakeholders in the governance of resources in the study area. The study found that there are competing narratives that inform the status and sustainability of pelargonium sidoides. Furthermore, given the current trajectory of the Masakhane community’s struggle for land, access to natural resources and exclusion from decision-making regarding pelargonium sidoides, the area will continue to be underdeveloped with concomitant poverty, inequality and comprised rural livelihoods.
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Acorn girl

  • Authors: Kukard, Gina
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: South African fiction (English)
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96969 , vital:31382
  • Description: My thesis encapsulates a coming-of-age novella told through short vignettes of flash fiction and prose poetry. It makes use of the distillation and fragmentation of these forms to explore themes such as the nature of violation, and works between genres to engage the tension between inner and outer realities, and the blurred lines between passivity and resistance. Moving fluidly between memoir and fiction and set in modern day South Africa, it draws inspiration from both my own experiences and the writing of others, especially Raul Zurita’s resistance poetry in Dreams for Kurosawa, Claudia Rankine’s subtle absurdity in Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, bizarro elements as seen in Athena Villaverde’s The Clockwork Girl and the use of physicality to explore the emotional world, as seen in Shelley Jackson’s The Melancholy of Anatomy: Stories.
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Addressing geographical bias: A review of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) in the Southern Hemisphere

  • Authors: Martin, Grant D
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423937 , vital:72107 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.08.01"
  • Description: Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) is a medium-sized deciduous tree, native to the Southeastern United States. Due to a number of beneficial attributes, it has been widely planted and become naturalised in several countries. It has one of the largest distributions in Europe of any introduced plant and has increased its distribution into a number of Southern Hemisphere countries. In its introduced range, the species exhibits a number of invasive tendencies, which result in negative environmental and economic impacts. This review presents information on aspects of the plant's biology and ecology with emphasis on its status in the Southern Hemisphere. Topics covered include taxonomy, morphological attributes, distributions, habitats, relationships with other species, growth and development, reproduction, hybridisation, population dynamics, uses, toxicity and the invasive status of the plant in Southern Hemisphere countries This manuscript also provides insights into management options including biological control, which has never been intentionally implemented against this species.
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Aiding the education agenda? the role of non-governmental organisations in learner performance and retention in Joza, Grahamstown, South Africa

  • Authors: Nomsenge, Sinazo Onela
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Non-governmental organizations , Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Black people -- Education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Joza Youth Hub (Makhanda) , Upstart Youth Development Project (Makhanda) , Village Scribe Association (Makhanda) , Ikamba Youth (Makhanda) , Access Music Project(Makhanda)
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76468 , vital:30568
  • Description: This thesis describes the network of complexities that characterise the world and work of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). It examines the ways in which organisations navigate different internal, sectoral and contextual intricacies while operating under the command of their chosen developmental mandates. This description is drawn from a sociological analysis of the internal workings of education NGOs, their external affiliations as well as the negotiations which underpin their operations and survival. Collectively, the careful illustration of these underpinnings outlines both the role that NGOs play in the performance and retention of learners in the Grahamstown-east township of Joza and also their position in the town’s basic education sector. Private and non-governmental interveners have, particularly from the closing decades of the 20th century, been conceptually and operationally deployed as panaceas of the socio-economic scarcities which continue to pervade much of the ‘developing’ world. Their involvement in the socio-economic missions of populations living in the Global South has grown both laterally and in the depth of how development is understood and defined, carried out and also measured. NGOs, as widely acclaimed institutional arms of global development imperatives, therefore assume prominent positions in framing policy and implementation models, prescribing performance benchmarks and pronouncing non-compliance. Likewise, education NGOs have obtained normative prescription status in global education policy and practice largely on the back of the Education for All (EFA) objectives, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the neo-liberal logics which have championed state retreat in favour of private sector ascendance in globalised development. This, in conjunction with the persistent struggles of educational transformation in the Global South, has given NGOs little trouble in legitimising their prominent presence in education and other sectors of socio-economic relief in these parts of the world. Little illusion remains however, in many commentary circles, of the role of NGOs in advancing development ideals, the honesty of their altruistic intents, their ideological leanings as well as their efficacy in carrying out their mandates. As such, the logics which have been used to dethrone developing state structures in order to expand the space for private intervention along with the prevailing and deepening markers of educational underperformance, have been central features of the criticisms levelled against NGOs. This thesis intervenes in these ongoing reflections by describing the role of NGOs in educational outcomes, particularly learner performance and retention in Joza. This analysis demonstrates the organisational, sector-level and broader community forces which influence not only the form which non-state interventions take on and the daily preoccupations of their carriers but broadly, the position they occupy in the town’s overall educational profile. By way of locating NGOs within Grahamstown’s educational landscape, this thesis first demonstrates, the conflicted nature of NGO operations from an international, sectoral, national, local and organisational level. The discussion then illustrates how the preoccupations of NGOs are scattered between the different communities which they occupy within these levels. Their reliance on these players demands that organisations be tactical in guarding both their survival and, at times, the conflicting allegiances which grant them different forms of legitimacy. Internal struggles which characterise this imbalance of forces results in a trade-off which often favours organisational preservation mechanisms over systemic educational overhaul. As such, while non-state interveners can be lauded for extending educational support to those who would otherwise not have such, the gains of NGO intervention are often absorbed by internal urgencies for organisational legitimacy and preservation. This, in a context which possesses a unique set of socio-economic and educational deficits that require, at the very least, radical and unbridled mediation, means that pre-existing inequalities in educational inputs and outcomes along with the resultant inequities in youth socio-economic prospects, can find refuge in the very sector whose support and intervention is sought out and justified for such. This thesis lays out the nuances of these tensions and contradictions and offers this case as a point of reference for further considerations of the persistent markers of underperformance which characterise developing communities that enjoy high concentrations of non-state educational intervention.
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Allosteric site modulators: a case study for falcipains as malarial drug targets

  • Authors: Musyoka, Thommas , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
  • Date: 2019
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/162699 , vital:40974 , https://doi.org/10.21955/gatesopenres.1116459.1
  • Description: Fighting against malaria is a never-ending battle. Plasmodium parasites continuously develop resistance to the drugs used against them including the artemisinin-based combination therapies as observed recently in Southeast Asia. The main concern now is whether the resistant parasite strains spread to Africa, where most malaria cases are located. To prevent this, we need to think outside the box. To date, there is no allosteric drug for malaria. Hence, allosteric drug targeting sites and modulators might be a new hope for malarial treatment. In Plasmodium falciparum two cysteine proteases, falcipain-2 (FP-2) and falcipain-3 (FP-3), have been identified as the main hemoglobinases, and are considered as attractive drug targets.
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An access control model for a South African National Electronic Health Record System

  • Authors: Tsegaye, Tamir Asrat
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Medical records -- Data processing , Medical records -- Data processing -- Safety measures , Medical records -- Data processing -- South Africa , Medical records -- Data processing -- Access control , Medical informatics , Medical records -- Management -- South Africa , Health services administration -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/97046 , vital:31390
  • Description: Countries such as South Africa have attempted to leverage eHealth by digitising patients’ medical records with the ultimate goal of improving the delivery of healthcare. This involves the use of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) which is a longitudinal electronic record of a patient’s information. The EHR is comprised of all of the encounters that have been made at different health facilities. In the national context, the EHR is also known as a national EHR which enables the sharing of patient information between points of care. Despite this, the realisation of a national EHR system puts patients' EHRs at risk. This is because patients’ information, which was once only available at local health facilities in the form of paper-based records, can be accessed anywhere within the country as a national EHR. This results in security and privacy issues since patients’ EHRs are shared with an increasing number of parties who are geographically distributed. This study proposes an access control model that will address the security and privacy issues by providing the right level of secure access to authorised clinicians. The proposed model is based on a combination of Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC). The study found that RBAC is the most common access control model that is used within the healthcare domain where users’ job functions are based on roles. While RBAC is not able to handle dynamic events such as emergencies, the proposed model’s use of ABAC addresses this limitation. The development of the proposed model followed the design science research paradigm and was informed by the results of the content analysis plus an expert review. The content analysis sample was retrieved by conducting a systematic literature review and the analysis of this sample resulted in 6743 tags. The proposed model was evaluated using an evaluation framework via an expert review.
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An Agile systems development approach for enhancing e-Government user adoption

  • Authors: Lehasa, Odifentse Mapula-e
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Agile software development , Internet in public administration -- Developing countries
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94158 , vital:31010
  • Description: The expansion of technological developments in all areas of society has seen governments taking advantage of new technologies to enhance public service delivery, disseminate information and promote participation by the public in government decision-making. This phenomenon is known as electronic government, or e-Government. However despite the socio-economic benefits inherent in the implementation of e-Government systems, an overwhelming number of government projects – particularly in developing countries – struggle to successfully implement e-Government systems. e-Government project failure is more pronounced in developing countries, with more than half of these projects either partially or completely failing. The failure of e-Government projects undermines government investments, as well as the potential socio-economic benefits that could be realised by the citizens. Arguably, while the failure or success of an e-Government project is attributed to a myriad of factors, low user adoption is one of the key factors that contribute to e-Government project failure. Therefore this thesis seeks to investigate the phenomenon of low e-Government user adoption and determine whether the use of an Agile system development approach can positively influence e-Government user satisfaction as well as buy-in and adoption. A Mixed-Methods, multi-case study approach was used through the perspective of Post-Positivism. The researcher examined four (4) South African e-Government projects – using an online questionnaire and in-depth interviews with members of the system development team – to determine whether the use of an Agile approach has merit in enhancing e-Government user adoption. The use of a Mixed-Methods approach allowed for data triangulation so as to verify the findings; while the use of multiple case studies enabled for cross-case analysis. The findings indicate that the use of Agile practices, as listed in the proposed Agile-informed User Engagement Guidelines, can ensure that the e-Government system developed meets user needs; and, that users are satisfied with, and make use of the e-Government system. However since most large e-Government projects make use of a traditional Waterfall development approach, it is recommended that the Agile practices (proposed guidelines) be incorporated into the structured Waterfall approach – to create a hybrid, or blended system development approach. In conclusion, the use of the proposed Agile-informed User Engagement Guidelines can enhance e-Government user adoption; and, subsequently, contribute towards nurturing the success of e-Government projects.
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An analysis of barriers to employee adoption of workplace health and safety standards at Eskom, Makhanda (Grahamstown)

  • Authors: Makholwane, Nobubele
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Eskom (Firm) -- Employees -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Eskom (Firm) -- Management -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Industrial hygiene -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Employee motivation -- South Africa -- Makhanda
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93898 , vital:30968
  • Description: Workplace fatalities and injuries are a concern around the world, with over 2 million deaths because of workplace related activities. This makes safety culture in the workplace crucial to the sustainability of individuals, businesses and the society in general. Safety culture includes everything in the workplace, and is understood as common sense awareness and practice relating to safety. Central to developing a safety culture in an organization, is a good understanding of what safety problems existed in the past; what safety problems exist in the present, and what caused them, as well as what could be done to deal with those causes. The goal of this thesis, therefore, was to understand what barriers potentially exist for Eskom employees in Makhanda (Grahamstown) to understanding and adopting the company’s safety policies and measures. A secondary aim was to explore different strategies for addressing these barriers. In order to get to the goal, it was important to; first, understand which aspects of Eskom’s health and safety standards do employees have difficulty adopting. Second, it was important to investigate the specific barriers to employees’ non-adoption of health and safety standards, by understanding their perceptions of safety issues in the workplace. Third, based on the findings, the study aimed to propose recommendations for improving the adoption of safety policies and measures by employees of Eskom. The key findings of the study include the fact that car accidents are the company’s and employees major concern, but the employees also have many other concerns that they see as needing the company’s attention (e.g. dealing with attacks on employees by customers; focusing on incentives rather than harsh enforcement for violators of safety policies). However, it is also clear that most employees do see safety as their responsibility as well. The two key areas of recommendations are, first, that leadership of Eskom adopt alternative leadership styles that focus more on ethical leadership, rather than transactional leadership that focus on profit margins more than it does on people. Second, it is recommended that Eskom provide incentives for compliance with safety policies; more training and education about safety; encouragement for Eskom to not put so much pressure on employees, who can lead fatigue; rather they should employ more people to do the jobs that the high pressure. To conclude, this research argues that neither do employees not employers think death and injuries are good for anybody. This is why this researcher is hopeful that this will get better, not worse, in terms of having a firm safety culture at Eskom as a workplace environment.
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An analysis of how the use of geoboards as visualisation tools can be utilised in the teaching of quadrilaterals

  • Authors: Matengu, Given Kahale
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Manipulatives (Education) , Information visualization , Visualization , Mathematics -- Study and teaching , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs , Geometry -- Study and teaching
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96724 , vital:31312
  • Description: The relationship between visualisation processes and using manipulatives in the teaching and learning of mathematics is apparent and yet not so vocal in the literature. This could be because of the common mistaken understanding that because manipulatives are visual in nature, then visualisation processes should be obvious. Literature warns that just because something is visual therefore it is transparent, is incorrect. This study argues that the effective use of manipulatives in the teaching of mathematics helps learners to effectively understand mathematical concepts. Research on the teaching and learning of mathematics suggests that physical manipulation experiences, especially of concrete materials concerning shapes, is an important process in learning at all ages. One such teaching tool, the Geoboard, a physical manipulative that employs visualisation processes when correctly used, is explored in this study. The aim of this interpretive case study was to investigate and analyse the use of Geoboards as a visualisation tool in the teaching of the properties of quadrilaterals. The study focused on visualisation processes and the use of Geoboards through a teaching framework that was informed by the Van Hiele phases of teaching geometry. The study was conducted in the Opuwo circuit of the Kunene region, Namibia, and it involved three selected Grade 7 mathematics teachers, each from a different primary school. It was underpinned by a constructivist theory using the Van Hiele phases of teaching geometry and framed within visualisation processes. The study employed the use of qualitative data collection techniques such as observations and interviews. The analysis of the findings of this study revealed that Geoboards were very useful in demonstrating the visual representations of the properties of quadrilaterals in a cheap and yet novel way in the selected teachers’ classes. Moreover, the use of Geoboards by the selected teachers effectively fostered visualisation processes such as concrete pictorial imagery, dynamic imagery, perceptual apprehension, sequential apprehension, discursive apprehension and operative apprehension. It was also revealed that Geoboards enabled the selected teachers to structure and teach their lessons in a well-planned manner according to the Van Hiele phases, although it was difficult for them to adhere strictly to the hierarchy of the phases.
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An analysis of the availability of and access to credit from the formal financial sector and the performance of SMEs

  • Authors: Asah, Francis Tangwo
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Small business -- South Africa -- Finance , Microfinance -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991-
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115138 , vital:34081
  • Description: As a developing nation, South Africa faces a high rate of poverty, high levels of inequality in terms of income and a high rate of unemployment. It is officially estimated that about 27.2% of the economically active population are unemployed. SMEs are expected to be an important vehicle to address the challenges of job creation, sustainable economic growth, equitable distribution of income and the overall stimulation of economic development. SMEs in South Africa constitute 99% of all businesses, contributing to employment, income inequality and poverty alleviation (Statistic South Africa, 2018). However, despite the remarkable contribution of SMEs to the economy of South Africa, the failure rate of SMEs (at 75%) is the highest of all the efficiency-driven economies sampled by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). The World Bank affirm that the availability of and access to credit from the formal financial sector is the primary cause of the high failure rate of SMEs. Contemporary literature advance that the future survival and performance of SMEs in South Africa is pegged onto the amount of financial capital available to address their capital needs. Thus, this study sought to analyse the availability of and access to credit from the formal financial sector and the performance of SMEs from the supply and demand-side. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, a sequential exploratory mixed method research design, located in the pragmatic research paradigm, was used in a two phased approach. The qualitative data collection and analysis in Phase 1 informed the quantitative data collection and analysis Phase 2. In Phase 1, in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 credit and 8 business managers representing the sampling unit of selected formal financial institutions. The qualitative data collected was analysed using the five-steps process of content analysis as illustrated by Terre Blanche et al. (2006:322-326). The main findings with regard to factors that impact on the willingness of the formal financial sector to provide credit to SMEs were collateral, annual business turnover, audited financial records, relationship with the bank, credit profile, nature of the business, economic climate, ethics, nationality, government policy, management team, valid Identity Document/permit, equity contribution, entrepreneurship education, product quality, and business intelligence. Assessing credit applications from SMEs, risk assessment, inspection of financial records, proper documentation and background checks were the different tasks performed by credit and business managers. In addition, the main challenges faced by the formal financial sector in assessing and approving credit in favour of SMEs included the following: lack of investment capital; lack of collateral; lack of proper financial records; poor managerial knowledge; poor business plan; lack of industrial knowledge; and poor legal and credit laws. Lastly, contrary to the notion that formal financial institutions are not interested in investing in SMEs, on average, 70% of SMEs that applied for credit received such credit. In Phase 2, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from formal sector owner/managers of SMEs in the city of Johannesburg. Of the 702 questionnaires distributed, 300 were returned and useable. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 24). A test for normality was performed using Shapiro–Wilks test. Reliability was tested using the Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis tested the validity of factors that prevent formal financial sector from granting credit to SMEs while Binary logistic regression was used to infer on the hypotheses. Spearman’s Rho correlation analysis was used to determine whether there was any significant relationship with factors that influence access to credit and SMEs performance. The main findings revealed that access to bank finance was the only challenge that showed a significant correlation with performance. In addition, the study revealed that the South African Identity Document and collateral were the most important factors considered when applying for credit from formal financial institutions. With regard to the reasons why formal financial institutions may refuse to grant credit to SMEs, it was revealed that there was no significant positive relationship between lack of business networking and access to credit from the formal financial sector to SMEs. Conversely, the study also revealed a significant positive relationship between collateral, business information, managerial competency, business intelligence, business ethics, entrepreneurship education, legal system and macro-economy and access to credit from the formal financial sector to SMEs. Thus, it was established that there is a significant positive relationship between access to credit from the formal financial sector and the performance of SMEs.
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An analysis of the fruit-sucking and fruit-piercing moth complex in citrus orchards in South Africa

  • Authors: Goddard, M , Hill, Martin P , Moore, Sean D
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407000 , vital:70329 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-15072d6de5"
  • Description: Fruit-piercing moths are a sporadic pest of citrus, especially in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, where the adults can cause significant damage in outbreak years. However, growers confuse fruit-piercing moths with fruit-sucking moths that do not cause primary damage. In this study we trapped these moths during the 2013–2015 growing seasons. A large number of diverse fruit-feeding moths were collected through weekly sampling in citrus orchards in the Eastern Cape and northern Limpopo provinces. Twenty-three species of fruit-feeding moth were trapped. However, only two were fruit-piercing species, capable of causing primary damage, namely Serrodes partita (Fabricius) (Erebidae) and Eudocima divitiosa (Walker) (Erebidae). Surprisingly S. partita, which has been reported as the main fruit-piercing moth pest of citrus in South Africa, comprised only 6.9 % of trap catches. The categorisation of moths as fruit-piercing or fruit-sucking (causing secondary damage) was confirmed by examining the morphological structures (tearing hooks and erectile barbs) of these moths’ proboscides. This study has shown that in non-outbreak seasons, S. partita comprised only a small percentage of fruit-feeding moths in citrus orchards. However, growers may misidentify the harmless fruit-sucking species as fruit-piercing species, and thus overestimate the density of fruit-piercing moths.
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An analysis of the possible success of a tax on sugarsweetened beverages in South Africa

  • Authors: Mabaso, Bandla Sazi
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Nutrition -- Government policy -- South Africa , Value-added tax -- South Africa , Obesity -- South Africa -- Prevention , Excise tax -- South Africa , Taxations of articles of consumption -- South Africa , Tobacco -- Taxation -- South Africa , Alcohol -- Taxation -- South Africa , Carbonated beverages -- Taxation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68333 , vital:29240
  • Description: The increase in obesity is a global crisis that is prevalent in both the developed and developing economies, including South Africa. It endangers the health and threatens the life of many people. Sugar-sweetened beverages have become the key target in the fight against obesity, in preference to other foodstuffs that contain added sugar, because of the poor nutritional value they contain and harm they cause if consumed excessively. The Minister of Finance announced in the 2016 Budget Speech, that a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would be introduced in South Africa and would be implemented in April 2017, but the anticipated date is now 1 April 2018. The thesis examined the possible success of this proposed tax in South Africa, using as a benchmark the process followed prior to implementing the tax and the experience of selected foreign countries that have implemented the tax, one country subsequently abolishing it, and another country considering implementing it. Additionally, the research analysed the success of the existing excise taxes levied on tobacco and alcohol in South Africa, in attempting to predict the possible success of the proposed tax. The success of the proposed tax is, however, threatened by the emergence of illegal markets that offer the targeted products inexpensively, particularly if similar restrictions and laws do not exist in bordering countries. The research was carried out by means of the analysis of journal articles, information from the selected countries’ revenue authorities’ websites, National Treasury publications, commentaries by experts and publications by professional organisations and firms. Overall, the proposed tax has been successful in curbing obesity and high sugar intake in other countries. Similarly, the excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol have been successful in reducing the consumption of targeted products in South Africa. These successes have been realized through a collaborated effort and employing a multi-faceted approach, including advertising restrictions. Nevertheless, the proposed tax is popularly criticised for its regressive nature and the potential job losses that are associated with it.
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An analysis of the roles and functions of teachers’ gestures as visualisation tools in the teaching of mathematics at the junior primary phase (Grades 0 –3)

  • Authors: Namakalu, Dietlinde Nelao
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Gesture , Gesture in mathematics education , Visual learning , Visualization , Education, Elementary -- Namibia
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96713 , vital:31311
  • Description: There is ample evidence in the literature that gestures are important hand and bodily actions that play vital roles during interactions between learners and teachers in the mathematics classroom. These gestures enable both the teacher and the learner to visualise mathematical concepts and ideas. The aim of this Namibian interpretive case study, located in enactivist theory, was to analyse the types of gestures that three selected teachers at the junior primary phase (Grades 0–3) used in their teaching of mathematics. The study also interrogated the roles that these gestures played in the teaching process of the three teachers. As I intended to analyse the types of gestures the selected teachers used and understand their views and perceptions of the roles and functions their gestures played as visualisation tools in the teaching of mathematics, I observed ten lessons of each teacher and video recorded them. I then interviewed them (one-on-one stimulus-recall interviews) and interpreted the gestures they used and utterances they made about using these gestures. The types of gestures that the participating teachers used are classified according to McNeill‘s (1992) framework, namely pointing (deictic) gestures, iconic (illustrators) gestures, metaphoric gestures, beat (motor) gestures and symbolic (emblems) gestures. The study found that the participating teachers incorporated a variety of gestures into their lessons and used them strategically. According to the teachers, gestures made the lessons interesting and encouraged active participation of the learners in the lessons. The teachers also revealed that gestures assist in explaining mathematical concepts and thus affected the learners‘ understanding positively. This study strongly suggests that the usefulness and efficacy of employing gestures as visualisation tools in mathematics education should be strategically harnessed.
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An analysis of the use of DNS for malicious payload distribution

  • Authors: Dube, Ishmael
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Internet domain names , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer security , Computer network protocols , Data protection
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/97531 , vital:31447
  • Description: The Domain Name System (DNS) protocol is a fundamental part of Internet activities that can be abused by cybercriminals to conduct malicious activities. Previous research has shown that cybercriminals use different methods, including the DNS protocol, to distribute malicious content, remain hidden and avoid detection from various technologies that are put in place to detect anomalies. This allows botnets and certain malware families to establish covert communication channels that can be used to send or receive data and also distribute malicious payloads using the DNS queries and responses. Cybercriminals use the DNS to breach highly protected networks, distribute malicious content, and exfiltrate sensitive information without being detected by security controls put in place by embedding certain strings in DNS packets. This research undertaking broadens this research field and fills in the existing research gap by extending the analysis of DNS being used as a payload distribution channel to detection of domains that are used to distribute different malicious payloads. This research undertaking analysed the use of the DNS in detecting domains and channels that are used for distributing malicious payloads. Passive DNS data which replicate DNS queries on name servers to detect anomalies in DNS queries was evaluated and analysed in order to detect malicious payloads. The research characterises the malicious payload distribution channels by analysing passive DNS traffic and modelling the DNS query and response patterns. The research found that it is possible to detect malicious payload distribution channels through the analysis of DNS TXT resource records.
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An analysis of understandings of and attitudes towards transgender people on a South African university campus

  • Authors: Mantungo, Xolelwa Thandokazi
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Transgender people -- South Africa -- Public opinion , Gender identity -- South Africa -- Public opinion , Transgender college students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76309 , vital:30546
  • Description: There are issues that always arise when it comes to gender identities and gender expressions. These issues are a result of the gender binary that corners people into being either feminine or masculine. Our societies are shaped in ways that supports this gender binary. If you are born a female, you are expected to be feminine and if you are born a male you are expected to act in a masculine way. When a person whose gender identity does not correspond with his or her assigned sex at birth, their behaviour is problematized and sometimes even criminalized and they are considered as deviant individuals by many societies. Consequently, most people who do not conform to gender societal norms are more exposed to violence, stigmatization, discrimination, marginalization, and victimization. People have difficulty understanding that there is ‘gender variance’, in other words, that there are more than just two genders. It is apparent that, even though societies enforce the gender binary, there are individuals who wish to express their genders in different ways, thus there are people who identify as transgender. The main focus of this dissertation is on the gender identities of transgendered people. Transgender people are people whose gender identity and or gender expression is distinct from the sex to which they were assigned at birth. The transgender group is a minority group (including in African countries) and one can argue that it is either misrepresented, misunderstood, hardly visible and ignored. This is evident when one looks at the lack of research on transgender populations in Africa. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the understandings that people have about transgender people on a South African university campus. In this dissertation the intent is to explore what it means to be transgender, the Rhodes University students’ understandings of transgendered people, the issues of gender identities and gender expressions and the challenges that transgender people face. The research question that this dissertation seeks to find an answer to is “Do Rhodes University students understand the notion of transgender and how do they react towards transgendered people on campus?”
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An artificial neural network approach to predict the effects of formulation and process variables on prednisone release from a multipartite system

  • Authors: Manda, Arthur , Walker, Roderick B , Khamanga, Sandile M
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183237 , vital:43933 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11030109"
  • Description: The impact of formulation and process variables on the in-vitro release of prednisone from a multiple-unit pellet system was investigated. Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to generate multivariate experiments. The extrusion-spheronization method was used to produce pellets and dissolution studies were performed using United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Apparatus 2 as described in USP XXIV. Analysis of dissolution test samples was performed using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method. Four formulation and process variables viz., microcrystalline cellulose concentration, sodium starch glycolate concentration, spheronization time and extrusion speed were investigated and drug release, aspect ratio and yield were monitored for the trained artificial neural networks (ANN). To achieve accurate prediction, data generated from experimentation were used to train a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) using back propagation (BP) and the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) 57 training algorithm until a satisfactory value of root mean square error (RMSE) was observed. The study revealed that the in-vitro release profile of prednisone was significantly impacted by microcrystalline cellulose concentration and sodium starch glycolate concentration. Increasing microcrystalline cellulose concentration retarded dissolution rate whereas increasing sodium starch glycolate concentration improved dissolution rate. Spheronization time and extrusion speed had minimal impact on prednisone release but had a significant impact on extrudate and pellet quality. This work demonstrated that RSM can be successfully used concurrently with ANN for dosage form manufacture to permit the exploration of experimental regions that are omitted when using RSM alone.
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An assessment of amount, distribution and use of urban green spaces in small towns of the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Radebe, Denis Siphosihle
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Small cities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , City planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Recreation areas -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Open spaces -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76447 , vital:30563
  • Description: Most regions of the developing world are experiencing large-scale urbanisation, with urban population growth outstripping rural growth. This is most marked in small and medium-sized towns as opposed to megacities. Urbanisation is associated with numerous changes in social, economic and ecological states and dynamics. A key one, of interest in this study, is the sustainability and liveability of the growing towns and cities. The retention, provision and maintenance of multifunctional urban green infrastructure are a core strategy in this regard. This study therefore sought to assess the amount, distribution and use of urban green spaces within South Africa using small towns of the Eastern Cape. The primary research included sixteen aerial images of which eight were historical aerial photographs and another eight were the latest aerial images of the selected study towns. Historical and latest aerial images were digitised to classify the types and calculate the amount of urban green space. GIS mapping, interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with urban residents to understand how these green spaces are used. The analytical tools in this study derived from social science included household surveys of 180 randomly selected respondents in small towns. Fifteen types of green spaces were identified in the sample towns. The study further revealed that green spaces are not distributed equally in different suburbs of small towns, generally being less green spaces, especially formal parks and recreation areas, in poorer areas. The results indicated a decline of green spaces with urbanisation, and most marked in fast growing towns. The results suggested that urban residents frequently visited urban green spaces, with most respondents favouring the use of green spaces for social and cultural benefits. How use of different spaces was strongly gender related, with males favouring less developed green space types (such as commonages and woodlands) and females for formal areas such domestic and institutional gardens and churchyards. Respondents also identified various challenges associated with using and accessing urban green spaces, with pollution, crime and lack of maintenance in particular. The study shows the importance of GIS as a mapping tool that can be used to provide information for ecological planning in rapidly changing urban environment. The research process generated several lessons that need to be taken into consideration when designing urban landscapes, most importantly relating to the diversity, quantity, quality and maintenance of urban green spaces.
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An Evaluation of Text Mining Techniques in Sampling of Network Ports from IBR Traffic

  • Authors: Chindipha, Stones D , Irwin, Barry V W , Herbert, Alan
  • Date: 2019
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/427630 , vital:72452 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stones-Chindi-pha/publication/335910179_An_Evaluation_of_Text_Mining_Techniques_in_Sampling_of_Network_Ports_from_IBR_Traffic/links/5d833084458515cbd1985a38/An-Evaluation-of-Text-Mining-Techniques-in-Sampling-of-Network-Ports-from-IBR-Traffic.pdf
  • Description: Information retrieval (IR) has had techniques that have been used to gauge the extent to which certain keywords can be retrieved from a document. These techniques have been used to measure similarities in duplicated images, native language identification, optimize algorithms, among others. With this notion, this study proposes the use of four of the Information Retrieval Techniques (IRT/IR) to gauge the implications of sampling a/24 IPv4 ports into smaller subnet equivalents. Using IR, this paper shows how the ports found in a/24 IPv4 net-block relate to those found in the smaller subnet equivalents. Using Internet Background Radiation (IBR) data that was collected from Rhodes University, the study found compelling evidence of the viability of using such techniques in sampling datasets. Essentially, being able to identify the variation that comes with sampling the baseline dataset. It shows how the various samples are similar to the baseline dataset. The correlation observed in the scores proves how viable these techniques are to quantifying variations in the sampling of IBR data. In this way, one can identify which subnet equivalent best represents the unique ports found in the baseline dataset (IPv4 net-block dataset).
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An evaluation of the current extent and potential spread of Black Bass invasions in South Africa

  • Authors: Khosa, Dumisani , Marr, Sean M , Wasserman, Ryan J , Zengeya, Tsungai A , Weyl, Olaf L F
  • Date: 2019
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/103867 , vital:32317 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-01930-0
  • Description: Black Bass, a collective name for members of the centrarchid genus Micropterus, are native to North America, but have been introduced globally to enhance recreational angling. This study assessed the distribution of Micropterus salmoides, M. dolomieu and M. punctulatus in South Africa using both formal (survey-based) and informal (tournament data and social media) information sources. Analysis of the distribution data showed habitat bias between the data sources. Survey data from formal information sources were dominated by locality records in riverine environments while those derived from informal information sources focused more on lacustrine habitats. Presence data were used to develop niche models to identify suitable areas for their establishment. The predicted distribution range of M. salmoides revealed a broad suitability over most of South Africa, however, the Cape Fold Ecoregion and all coastal regions were most suitable for the establishment for both M. dolomieu and M. punctulatus. Flow accumulation and precipitation of coldest quarter were the most important environmental variables associated with the presence of all Black Bass species in South Africa. In addition, anthropogenic disturbance such as agricultural activities were associated with the presence of both Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass. An extensive area-based invasion debt was observed for all Micropterus spp. The potential for further spread of Black Bass in South Africa is of ecological concern because of their impact on native biota.
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An experimental test of the allotonic frequency hypothesis to isolate the effects of light pollution on bat prey selection:

  • Authors: Bailey, Lauren A , Brigham, R Mark , Bohn, Shelby J , Boyles, Justin G , Smit, Ben
  • Date: 2019
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/158309 , vital:40171 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1007/s00442-019-04417-w
  • Description: Artificial lights may be altering interactions between bats and moth prey. According to the allotonic frequency hypothesis (AFH), eared moths are generally unavailable as prey for syntonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies between 20 and 50 kHz within the hearing range of eared moths) due to the moths’ ability to detect syntonic bat echolocation. Syntonic bats therefore feed mainly on beetles, flies, true bugs, and non-eared moths. The AFH is expected to be violated around lights where eared moths are susceptible to exploitation by syntonic bats because moths’ evasive strategies become less effective. The hypothesis has been tested to date almost exclusively in areas with permanent lighting, where the effects of lights on bat diets are confounded with other aspects of human habitat alteration. We undertook diet analysis in areas with short-term, localized artificial lighting to isolate the effects of artificial lighting and determine if syntonic and allotonic bats (i.e., bats that use echolocation frequencies outside the hearing range of eared moths) consumed more moths under conditions of artificial lights than in natural darkness.
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