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Simplified menu-driven data analysis tool with macro-like automation

  • Authors: Kazembe, Luntha
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Data analysis , Macro instructions (Electronic computers) , Quantitative research Software , Python (Computer program language) , Scripting languages (Computer science)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/362905 , vital:65373
  • Description: This study seeks to improve the data analysis process for individuals and small businesses with limited resources by developing a simplified data analysis software tool that allows users to carry out data analysis effectively and efficiently. Design considerations were identified to address limitations common in such environments, these included making the tool easy-to-use, requiring only a basic understanding of the data analysis process, designing the tool in manner that minimises computing resource requirements and user interaction and implementing it using Python which is open-source, effective and efficient in processing data. We develop a prototype simplified data analysis tool as a proof-of-concept. The tool has two components, namely, core elements which provide functionality for the data anal- ysis process including data collection, transformations, analysis and visualizations, and automation and performance enhancements to improve the data analysis process. The automation enhancements consist of the record and playback macro feature while the performance enhancements include multiprocessing and multi-threading abilities. The data analysis software was developed to analyse various alpha-numeric data formats by using a variety of statistical and mathematical techniques. The record and playback macro feature enhances the data analysis process by saving users time and computing resources when analysing large volumes of data or carrying out repetitive data analysis tasks. The feature has two components namely, the record component that is used to record data analysis steps and the playback component used to execute recorded steps. The simplified data analysis tool has parallelization designed and implemented which allows users to carry out two or more analysis tasks at a time, this improves productivity as users can do other tasks while the tool is processing data using recorded steps in the background. The tool was created and subsequently tested using common analysis scenarios applied to network data, log data and stock data. Results show that decision-making requirements such as accurate information, can be satisfied using this analysis tool. Based on the functionality implemented, similar analysis functionality to that provided by Microsoft Excel is available, but in a simplified manner. Moreover, a more sophisticated macro functionality is provided for the execution of repetitive tasks using the recording feature. Overall, the study found that the simplified data analysis tool is functional, usable, scalable, efficient and can carry out multiple analysis tasks simultaneously. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Social upgrading or dependency?: Investigating the implications of the inclusion of commercial wine farms within South African Fairtrade certification

  • Authors: Bell, Joshua
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Competition, Unfair South Africa , Wine industry South Africa Employees , Unfair labor practices South Africa , Fairtrade International , International trade , Economic development Moral and ethical aspects South Africa , Wine industry Moral and ethical aspects South Africa , Work environment South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327155 , vital:61086 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327155
  • Description: The South African wine industry is one of the oldest sectors of the country’s economy, beginning in the early years of South African colonialism in the 17th century through the use of slave and slave-like labour. As an industry that has been defined by farm paternalism and dependency, the South African wine industry has had to demonstrate changes from its history of extreme racial and gendered exploitation to an industry that reflects the democratic values of a new South Africa. Ethical certifications are considered one way through which the post-apartheid South African wine industry can demonstrate that it has moved away from its historical practices and is now characterised by practices of decent work and social transformation. An important certificatory label that allows local wine producers entry into global wine production networks is Fairtrade International. While Fairtrade certification is often reserved for small-scale producers, this certification has been extended to large-scale, commercial producers within the South African wine industry despite its history of farm paternalism and dependency. This research asks if this inclusion promotes decent work through social upgrading or if it offers a platform for the continuation of farm dependency under the guise of ‘Fairtrade’. In this study, social upgrading has been defined through a ‘bottom-up’ approach that prioritises workers’ independence as a key means of improvement. Four key pillars are applied as embodying the concept of social upgrading: regular employment with set working hours; legally enforceable worker rights; social protection through collective and individual bargaining power; and non-discriminatory social dialogue that promotes significant socio-economic progression. A key finding of this research is that practices of dependency and paternalism continue on some large-scale commercial farms, despite their Fairtrade certification. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the benefits that farmworkers receive lock farmworkers into their position on the farm with marginally improved conditions and cease if workers depart from the Fairtrade wine farm. This suggests that, at best, this inclusion of commercial farmers within Fairtrade certification appears to create a top-down form of social upgrading that locks farmworkers into their position on the farm with marginally improved conditions and beneath a glass ceiling of development. At worst, this Fairtrade inclusion facilitates a global poverty network through paternalism and dependency under the guise of ‘Fairtrade’. As a result, where meaningful, bottom-up social upgrading may occur on South African wine farms, the study suggests that this is despite the presence of Fairtrade and not a result of it. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and Interntional Studies, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Socio-historical analysis of organisational change: a case study of Zimbabwe posts (Zimpost), 2010–2020

  • Authors: Kambarami-Zengeni, Faith Chipo
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Organizational change Zimbabwe , Fordism , Industrial management , Taylor, Frederick Winslow, 1856-1915 , Industrial relations , Postal service Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327920 , vital:61170 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327920
  • Description: Postal organisations play an important role in the provision of basic communication services. In Zimbabwe, post offices have a large physical distribution network of over 240 post offices country-wide to make communication services accessible to the populace. However, e-substitution has threatened mail business significantly. Postal operators globally are experiencing declining mail volumes in the face of advanced information and communication technologies. The overall goal of this thesis was to undertake a socio-historical analysis of organisational change at ZimPost using Taylorism, Fordism and post-Fordism as broad ideal types to explain how industry evolves in different phases of capitalism. National politics and economics play an integral role in how Taylorism, Fordism and post-Fordism assumed at ZimPost. Studies on these broad organising types have mainly focused on private sector organisations. However, this thesis argues that these analytical paradigms are also valid in public sector organisations, but they will unfold differently given the context in which change is experienced. Using a qualitative approach, the study established that the 1980s and 1990s can best be described as the ‘golden years’ of postal services in Zimbabwe, characterised by mass production and mass consumption of postal products and services. At that time the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation enjoyed a monopoly of postal services in the country. The stable market share, competitive salaries for postal workers, increased unionisation and a fairly stable economy enabled a Fordist regime of accumulation to develop. The cycle broke down when the mode of regulation was weakened by national economic and political changes towards the late 1990s. PTC started to experience a decline in the consumption of postal products. The decline was also attributed to increased competition from smaller private courier operators that could provide specialised services to a market with changing needs. With increased competition, the advancement of information, and communication technologies, mail volumes dwindled. This period can best be described as the crisis of Fordism at ZimPost. In the year 2000, the government unbundled the posts and telecommunications corporation to create four companies including Zimbabwe Posts. This was perceived as one of the most radical organisational changes in the history of postal services in Zimbabwe. More organisational changes took place at ZimPost that can best be described as characteristics of post-Fordism. These changes were attempts by ZimPost to remain relevant in light of the economic, political and technological changes taking place in the country. The postal operator introduced customised products in the form of agency services, supported by increased use of information and communication technologies in the post office. Organisational changes at ZimPost were shaped mainly by the economic and political environment in which they took place. Organisational change is complex, changes do not follow a linear pattern, they are processual. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Socio-historical analysis of organisational change: a case study of Zimbabwe Posts (Zimpost), 2010–2020

  • Authors: Kambarami-Zengeni, Faith Chipo
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422518 , vital:71954 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422518
  • Description: Postal organisations play an important role in the provision of basic communication services. In Zimbabwe, post offices have a large physical distribution network of over 240 post offices country-wide to make communication services accessible to the populace. However, e-substitution has threatened mail business significantly. Postal operators globally are experiencing declining mail volumes in the face of advanced information and communication technologies. The overall goal of this thesis was to undertake a socio-historical analysis of organisational change at ZimPost using Taylorism, Fordism and post-Fordism as broad ideal types to explain how industry evolves in different phases of capitalism. National politics and economics play an integral role in how Taylorism, Fordism and post-Fordism assumed at ZimPost. Studies on these broad organising types have mainly focused on private sector organisations. However, this thesis argues that these analytical paradigms are also valid in public sector organisations, but they will unfold differently given the context in which change is experienced. Using a qualitative approach, the study established that the 1980s and 1990s can best be described as the ‘golden years’ of postal services in Zimbabwe, characterised by mass production and mass consumption of postal products and services. At that time the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation enjoyed a monopoly of postal services in the country. The stable market share, competitive salaries for postal workers, increased unionisation and a fairly stable economy enabled a Fordist regime of accumulation to develop. The cycle broke down when the mode of regulation was weakened by national economic and political changes towards the late 1990s. PTC started to experience a decline in the consumption of postal products. The decline was also attributed to increased competition from smaller private courier operators that could provide specialised services to a market with changing needs. With increased competition, the advancement of information, and communication technologies, mail volumes dwindled. This period can best be described as the crisis of Fordism at ZimPost. In the year 2000, the government unbundled the posts and telecommunications corporation to create four companies including Zimbabwe Posts. This was perceived as one of the most radical organisational changes in the history of postal services in Zimbabwe. More organisational changes took place at ZimPost that can best be described as characteristics of post-Fordism. These changes were attempts by ZimPost to remain relevant in light of the economic, political and technological changes taking place in the country. The postal operator introduced customised products in the form of agency services, supported by increased use of information and communication technologies in the post office. Organisational changes at ZimPost were shaped mainly by the economic and political environment in which they took place. Organisational change is complex, changes do not follow a linear pattern, they are processual. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Stock structure of Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides (Smitt 1898, family Nototheniidae) in the Southwest Atlantic

  • Authors: Lee, Brendon
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Otoliths , Patagonian toothfish Geographical distribution , Fish tagging , Biogeography , Microstructure , Microchemistry
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365599 , vital:65763 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365599
  • Description: The identification of discrete self-sustaining productive units in marine populations is essential for achieving sustainable fisheries objectives. Marine fish populations frequently exhibit dynamic characteristics across their life-histories, displaying variability in spatial structure and mixing patterns, both within and among populations. The incoherent application of management boundaries on biological populations can bias stock assessment results and have important implications on sustainable fisheries management. Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is a long-lived, slow-growing, late-maturing, deep-sea, benthopelagic species. It forms the basis of important and highly lucrative industrial and artisanal fisheries across its distribution. Patagonian toothfish have complex life-histories characterised by high dispersal potential during the egg and larval phase, a wide depth range because of their ontogenetic migratory behaviour, and large adult size that is capable of undertaking long-distance active movements (>200 km). These characteristics provide opportunities for high levels of connectivity, and as such, the stock structure is not well understood. We applied an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to provide an improved understanding of the complex stock structure dynamics for Patagonian toothfish on the Patagonian Shelf, specifically in relation to the shelf, slope, and deep-sea plains around the Falkland Islands. Research results were focused on aspects pertaining to (1) geographic variation in phenotypic characters (otolith shape); (2) a description of the spatial-temporal distribution patterns; (3) the active movements of deep-sea adults (tag-recapture study); and (4) the identification of early life-history dispersal through otolith microstructure and microchemical chronologies. Results from the study indicate high regional connectivity during the early life-history stages derived from at least two spawning contingents into spatially discrete nursery areas (cohort groups) on the Falklands Shelf. Fish followed distinct ontogenetic pathways into deeper waters adjacent to the areas wherein juvenile settlement into a demersal habitat occurred. There is little to no evidence of mixing among cohort groups during their ontogenetic migration into deep-sea adult habitats, reflecting a mixed population based on oceanographically defined egg and larval dispersal. The majority of the adult component of the population continue to display high site fidelity. However, between 9 and 25% of the population, consisting predominantly of larger reproductively capable adults undertake long-distance dispersal behaviour, identified as home-range relocations from the adult deep-sea habitats towards three of the known southern spawning grounds in the region. Results are suggestive of a requirement for improved collaborative efforts for regionally-based management approaches with careful consideration of local stock contingents. Future monitoring and research priorities should focus on the identification of reproductive potential, dispersal pathways and settlement patterns of stock contingents to inform the dynamics of mixed stock origins across the Patagonian region. While many aspects regarding the stock structure remain unresolved, results derived from the current studies can be used to inform the development of management measures to ensure the continued recovery and sustainable management of Patagonian toothfish within the region. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Synthesis, characterization and host-guest complexes of supramolecular assemblies based on calixarenes and cucurbiturils

  • Authors: Baa, Ebenezer
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Supramolecular chemistry , Calixarenes , Cucurbiturils , Metal-organic frameworks , Macrocyclic compounds , Drug delivery systems
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365621 , vital:65765 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365621
  • Description: The field of supramolecular chemistry has grown large and wide in both deepness of understanding, range of topics covered and scope and applications. Supramolecular self-assemblies are facilitated by a wide range of non-covalent intra and inter molecular interactions that range from hydrogen bonding to π-interaction and van der Waals. Macrocyclic compounds such as cucurbiturils and calixarenes have emerged as important classes of compounds with excellent potential of forming supramolecular assemblies. The porous nature of these compounds enables them to form host-guest supramolecular complexes stabilized by diverse range of non-covalent interactions. Furthermore, these compounds contain donor atoms capable of forming bonds with metal ions to yield metal complexes with interesting porous characteristics that deviate from their traditional hydrophobic cavity. The versatile nature of the resulting pores imply that they can accommodate diverse types of guests. This work explores the synthesis and characterization of a host of calixarenes and cucurbiturils. Self-assembly of these macrocycles with various metal ions results to the formation of porous metal organic framework (MOF) complexes. Four new calixarene typed compounds obtained from aromatic aldehydes and twenty-six cucurbituril metal complexes are reported. These macrocylces and their metal complexes also form supramolecular complexes with DMSO, methanol, isoniazid hydrochloride and ciprofloxacin hydrochlorides through either self-assembly, mechanochemistry and exposure to solvent vapors. The bulk materials have been characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder and single crystal diffraction techniques and thermal studies thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal calorimetry (DSC). Data obtained from this study reveals that calixarenes can form supramolecular complexes with a frequently used laboratory solvents with BN22 showing appreciable selectivity for DMSO sorption from a solvent mixture. These compounds also form supramolecular complexes with drug molecules such as isoniazid and ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, the data reveals that choice of synthetic route of supramolecular ensembles dictates if the guest drug molecule will occupy the intrinsic or extrinsic pores of cucurbituril complexes. Biological studies on the obtained complexes reveal that the cucurbituril complexes are non-cytotoxic while the calixarenes show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the study showed that ciprofloxacin can be successfully released from a calixarene host in a simulated body fluid although the host was also found to cross the dialysis membrane. The results of this study are important in that; - they can be exploited and developed in the selective sorption of certain guests and - that they can be used in the development of drug delivery systems that play a dual role of delivery and therapeutic activity. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Synthesis, In-Silico molecular modelling and biological studies of 1,4-Dihydroxyanthraquinone and its derivatives

  • Authors: Kisula, Lydia Mboje
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Computer simulation , Molecules Models , Dihydroxyanthraquinone , Trypanosomiasis , Leishmaniasis , Docking
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365828 , vital:65793 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365828
  • Description: This current study of investigation reports on the synthesis of 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone and its derivatives on explorations of their medicinal potential. The study initially aimed to synthesize an analogue of a natural anthraquinone, 1,3,6-trihydroxy-7-((S)-1- hydroxyethyl)anthracene-9,10-dione 5 using Friedel-Crafts acylation of phthalic anhydride and a benzene derivative. Synthetic transformation of anacardic acid 63, obtained as a by- product of the cashew industry successfully afforded 4-ethoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione 89. However, when attempted to couple 4-ethoxyisobenzofuran-1,3-dione 89 with 2- hydroxyacetophenone 91 in a Friedel-Crafts acylation manner to form 2-acetyl-1,8- dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione 87 the reaction did not work efficiently. A simple derivative of benzene which is; benzene-1,4-diol 102 was reacted instead with 3-ethoxyphthalic acid 71 and isobenzofuran-1,3-dione 96 to form 1,4,5-trihydroxy anthraquinone 72 and 1,4- dihydroxyanthraquinone 42, respectively. A modified Marschalk reaction was then used to introduce the hydroxyl alkyl group to 1,4-dihydroxy anthraquinone 42, which allowed further elaboration of the hydroxyl-substituent in moderate to good yields (22-80%). A molecular docking study was performed using Schrödinger software to predict the binding affinity of the test compounds to the target protein trypanothione reductase (PDB ID: 6BU7). An in-vitro screening of 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives and some selected precursors for antitrypanosomal, antiplasmodial, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity activities produced encouraging results. Derivatives of anacardic acid and cardanol from CNSL were found to have moderate activity against trypanosomes with no activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Almost 63% of synthesized 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives displayed activity against trypanosomes. The in-vitro evaluation and the in silico molecular docking studies revealed that 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives can be potential drug-like candidates active against T.brucei parasites (IC50 = 0.70-1.20 μM). Only four 1,4- iv dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives with thiosemicarbazone, chloride, pyrrole, and diethanolamine functionality displayed activity against Plasmodium falciparum (IC50 = 3.17- 14.36 μM). In-vitro evaluated of test compounds against antibacterial screen and cytotoxicity effects significantly showed that 2-hydroxy-6-pentadecylbenzoic acid 63a and 2-((2- chlorophenyl)(piperazin-1-yl) methyl)-1,4-dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione 78 have potency against Staphylococcus aureus and reduced the viability of the cells below 20% at an initial concentration of 50 μg/mL. Only 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives with thiosemicarbazone 76, piperazine 78, and diethanolamine 80 motifs were active against HeLa cells and reduced the viability of cells below 20% at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. In conclusion, this current reported study has generated useful knowlege on the applicability of the agro-waste CNSL as an agent active against trypanosomiasis but also as a low-cost starting material to synthesize hydroxy anthraquinones. The study has further given an overview to the understanding of the medicinal value 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone derivatives as promising candidates towards developing drugs suitable for treating neglected tropical diseases particularly trypanosomiasis. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Teachers’ knowledge and practice in Grade 3 Group Guided Reading: a case study

  • Authors: Kitsili, Ntsikohlanga Anthony
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Reading (Elementary) , Guided reading , Group reading , Teaching practices
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405270 , vital:70156
  • Description: Group guided reading (GGR) was introduced as part of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in 2012, but it appears that teachers are still experiencing great difficulty in teaching it (Hoadley 2018). Several interventions have been designed across South Africa to support teachers in no-fee schools to improve the teaching of reading. The evaluations of such interventions show that teachers receiving support such as coaching are able to master the procedural aspects of GGR but not the conceptual aspects, for example, teaching comprehension strategies and providing formative assessment (Fleisch & Dixon, 2019; Hoadley, 2017). The research reported in this thesis aimed to find out what kinds of knowledge are required to teach GGR and to what extent teachers enact this knowledge in their practice, using Shulman’s (1987) knowledge categories: subject content, pedagogical content and curriculum knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge and strategic knowledge. The research took the form of an interpretivist case study focusing on three Grade 3 teachers using GGR to teach reading in their classrooms. It was carried out in three no-fee, township schools where isiXhosa is the language of learning and teaching. Data was generated through observations, stimulated recall interviews, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. There are two policy documents that guide teachers’ practices in terms of how they should teach reading during GGR and that give clear guidance on what children should learn during GGR: the Foundation Phase CAPS and the National Framework for the Teaching of Reading in African Languages in the Foundation Phase. These documents were analysed using Shulman’s (1987) knowledge categories. Transcripts of teachers’ reflections on their GGR lessons during stimulated recall interviews were read hand in hand with transcripts of the GGR lessons that were video and audio recorded, and these were analysed using Shulman’s knowledge categories. The findings of the research are that teachers’ subject content knowledge is largely tacit; it is knowledge-in-practice. The teachers in the study seemed confident in showing rather than explaining what it is that they are doing and why they are doing it. All three teachers have mastered, to a large extent, the procedural aspects of GGR and some of the more conceptual aspects, for example some aspects of fluency, the teaching of decoding strategies and formative assessment. However, there was limited evidence of the teaching of comprehension strategies and the use of higher order questions, and assessment was not evident in the recorded lessons. , Ukufunda ngokwamaqela kusetyenziswe njengenxalenye yoluhlu lwezifundo kunye novavanyo mgaqo nkqubo lexwebhuCurriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) lonyaka ka 2012, kodwa kubonakala ukuba ootitshala basatsala nzima ukusifundisa esisifundo (Hoadley 2018). Aliqela amaphulo aye ayilwa eMzantsi Afrika jikelele ngeenzame zokuxhasa ootitshala abafundisa kwizikolo zafelefele ukuba baphuhle kwisakhono sokufundisa ukufunda. Iziphumo zovavanyo zalamaphulo zibonakalise ukuba ootitshala abafumana inkxaso ekukuqeqeshwa baye bagqwesa ekufundiseni indlela ezilandelwayo ekufundiseni ukufunda ngokwamaqela, kodwa isengumcelamngeni ukufundisa izakhono eziphuhlisa ukufunda ngengqiqo nokuhlola inkqubela yabafundi ekufundeni, (Fleisch & Dixon, 2019; Hoadley, 2017). Ingxelo yophando lwale tyhisisi - belujole ekuboniseni ukuba loluphi ulwazi ekumele ootitshala babenalo ekufundiseni ukufunda ngokwamaqela, kwaye olulwazi lungancedisana njani nootitshala ekufundiseni ukufunda, ndisebenzisa iindidi zolwazi eziqulunqwe nguShulmna (1987): ulwazi ngomxholo wesosifundo, ulwazi ngeendlela ezifanelekileyo zokufundisa esosifundo kunye nolwazi oluqulathwe kuluhlu lwezifundo (curriculum), ulwazi oluphangaleleyo noluquka iindlela ezifanelekileyo zokufundisa, kunye nolwazi malunga namaqhinga athile ancedisana nokufundisa ukufunda ngendlela efanelekileyo. Oluphando lulandele indlela yokuphanda ebizwa ngokuba yi interpretivist case study ngokolwimi lwase mzini, eyona nto esisifundo besigqale kuyo ibi ngootitshala abathathu bebanga lesithathu abafundisa ukufunda kubantwana bengamaqela kumagumbi wabo okufundela. Oluphando luqhutyelwe kwizikolo ezintathu zafelefele (zikaRhulumente) elokishini apho isiXhosa ilulwimi olusetyenziswayo ekufundiseni nasekufundeni. Iinkukacha ziqokelelwe ngoku qwalasela okuqhubekayo egumbini lokufundela, nangokwenza uviwano ndlebe oluzindlela ezimbini: olokuqala lwenziwe emveni kwesifundo, ze olwesibini lwaqhutywa emveni kwesikolo apho utitshala uye wabukela umfanekiso oshicelelweyo wesifundo asiqhubileyo aze ahlatywe imibuzo ngesosifundo asijongileyo, kunye nangoku hlalutya okuqulathiweyo kumaxwebhu afana no CAPS. Mabini amaxwebhu aqulathe umgaqo nkqubo ochazela ootitshala ukuba mabakufundise njani ukufunda ngelixa abantwana befunda bengamaqela, kwaye angumkhombandlela ochaza gca okulindeleke abantwana bakufude ngexesha lokufunda bengamaqela: the Foundation Phase CAPS and the National Framework for the Teaching of Reading in African Languages in the Foundation Phase. Lamaxwebhu ahlalutywe ngokulandela iindidi zolwazi zika Shulmna (1987). Imibhalo ekhutshelweyo (transcripts) enika ingxelo ngokucingwa ngootitshala ngomsebenzi wabo wokufundisa abantwana bengamaqela ngexesha loviwano ndlebe ifundwe ngaxesha nye nemibhalo ekhutshelweyo yokufundiswa kwabantwana bengamaqela ebishicelelwe yangumboniso bhanyabhanya kunye nophulaphulekayo, oku kuye kwahlalutywa ngokusebenzisa iindidi zolwazi zika Shulman (1987). Iziphumo zophando zibonakalise ukuba ulwazi lootitshala malunga nomxholo wezifundo alubonakali ngokuthe gca, lubonakale ilulwazi olubonakala ngezenzo. Ootitshala abathathe inxaxheba kwesisifundo babonakale bezithembile ekuboniseni indlela abaqhuba ngayo, kodwa basilela ukucacisa ngokwamazwi abo into abayenzayo okanye unobangela wokwenza ngandlela ithile. Bonke ootisthala abathathu bagqwesile ekuboniseni ukuba bayayazi imigaqo ekufuneka ilandelwe xa kufundiswa isifunda samaqela ngamaqela, kwaye babonisile ukuba banalo ulwazi lokuphuhlisa izakhono zokufunda ngokutyibilika, nokufundisa abantwana amaqhinga athile abanowasebenzisa xabeguqula okufihlakele entethweni, kunye nendlela ezisesikweni zokuhlola. Nangona kunjalo nje ubungqina obubonisa ukuba abatitshala bathathu banaso isakhono sokufundisa amaqhinga okufunda ngengqiqo, kunye nokubuza imibuzo ekwinqanaba eliphezulu, kwaye namaxwebhu abonisa uhlolo luka titshala bunqongophele. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Teachers’ narratives of their experience of teaching Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) -affected children in mainstream schooling

  • Authors: Makasi-Simukonda, Mihlali
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Buffalo City , Inclusive education South Africa Buffalo City , Teachers of children with disabilities South Africa Buffalo City , Children of prenatal alcohol abuse South Africa Buffalo City Social conditions , Social constructionism
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406183 , vital:70246
  • Description: This study considers the experiences of teachers working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-affected children in mainstream schooling. FASD refers to a range of conditions in children resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prevalence rates in South Africa are said to be among the highest in the world. There is a paucity of research on FASD-affected children in the Eastern Cape. This study was thus conducted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). Teachers told stories of their experiences of teaching undiagnosed FASD-affected children in mainstream schooling. The stories reveal the quality of life for children in classrooms and socio-contextual influences of their experiences at school, as well as the responsibilisation of teachers in these settings. This qualitative research is situated within a social constructionism paradigm. The social model of disability was utilised as a theoretical framework for this study to represent the systemic barriers against which FASD-affected learner support in the mainstream school can be conceptualised. A sample of five (5) Black female teachers were interviewed. Data gathering was done by conducting telephonic interviews using the single question inducing narrative, known as SQUIN. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted for the purpose of identifying themes within the data collected. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data, viz. narratives of FASD-affected learners, narratives of parental involvement, narratives of the role of teachers and narratives of stakeholder support. This study reveals a significant level of responsibilisation of teachers. Teachers appear to play a bigger role than just being teachers and they positioned themselves as playing a parental role in relation to FASD-affected learners. FASD-affected learners were positioned as “the problem” in the mainstream classroom whereas the environment is a disabling factor to FASD-affected learners. There is a need for a holistic approach in working with FASD-affected learners from all relevant stakeholders. Key recommendations are made for effective inclusion of FASD-affected learners in mainstream schooling. Future research recommendations include repeating this study in a different geographical area, a focus on senior phase learners and/or a more diverse sample. The findings assist in the development of policies of inclusive education in mainstream schooling and supportive strategies to enhance the developmental trajectory of FASD-affected children. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Teachers’ practice in developing visually impaired learners’ reading skills in the junior primary phase in northern Namibia

  • Authors: Nuugonya, Elizabeth Nangula
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Children with visual disabilities Education Namibia Oshana , Reading (Elementary) Namibia Oshana , Inclusive education Namibia Oshana , Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol (2007 March 30) , Braille Study and teaching (Elementary) Namibia Oshana , Teachers of the blind Namibia Oshana
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405379 , vital:70166
  • Description: Namibia has adopted, ratified and followed several international policies on disability and inclusive education including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Since 2014, the Namibian education system has been working towards the implementation of the Sector Policy on Inclusive Education to promote an education system that is accessible, inclusive, equitable and of good quality (Namibia. Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture: Sector Policy on Inclusive Education, 2013). The policy aims to address barriers faced by learners with disabilities and how teachers develop ways of teaching that respond to the individual differences. Reading in a second language tends to develop more slowly by visually impaired learners, although the Junior Primary Phase syllabus promotes equal opportunity for all learners to participate in reading equally irrespective of learners’ disabilities. Teachers should understand how to teach and accommodate learners who are visually impaired and all reading materials should be fit for purpose and support these learners appropriately. Thus, this study explores how Junior Primary teachers develop visually impaired learners’ reading skills to provide accessible education to them. Learning to read is challenging for most learners, but even more for learners who are visually impaired. Learning to read braille is a complex process, far more than reading print texts. This study seeks to examine how learners are taught to read using braille in a school for visually impaired learners in Namibia, Oshana region. The motivation for this research study was twofold - firstly, my interest in the development of reading skills with visually impaired learners was aroused by my teaching experience. Secondly, due to my realisation that the area was under-researched in Namibia; I wanted to fill the existing gap in the development of reading skills in braille and print. The study critically engaged teachers to help me obtain an understanding of how they develop reading instructions with visually impaired learners and the factors that enabled the development of braille literacy and the challenges that hampered the development of reading skills. The study took the qualitative case study approach underpinned by an interpretivist orientation. Data was collected using semi-structured observation during reading lessons and focus group interviews. The Theory of Practice Architectures (ToPA) was used as a lens to analyse the promoting and constraining factors in teaching visually impaired learners reading skills. The study found that teachers used different reading methods to promote the development of reading skills such as reading aloud, tactile methods and phonics. The study further noted that teachers mostly created their own reading materials due to the lack of reading materials and reading books printed in braille. Although learners were supported during reading, the challenge of developing reading skills with visually impaired learners remains a challenge. I hope that the findings from this research study strengthen the development of reading skills in all special schools and contribute to the creation of knowledge on the development of reading skills with visually impaired learners in Namibia. As a means to further support learners who experience visual impairments, this study recommends that more formative research studies on the notion of teachers’ practice in developing reading skills with visually impaired learners should be conducted to bring about change. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

Teaching in times of crisis: understanding the uneven effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on teaching practices in Zimbabwe – a case study of Marondera

  • Authors: Nhliziyo, Sarah Mazvita
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Zimbabwe , Lockdown , Social distancing (Public health) and education Zimbabwe , Educational equalization Zimbabwe , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Economic aspects , Teaching Social aspects Zimbabwe
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408682 , vital:70516
  • Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of economies in times of a global crisis while simultaneously increasing inequalities between and within countries. The pandemic responses have varied between countries with some being extremely proactive and others being quite reluctant to respond. Though it is largely a health crisis, its impact has far reaching effects that have been felt in many sectors of society including education. Billions of scholars at varying levels were forced out of school abruptly globally and unfortunately some have not been able to return to schools. The differential impact of COVID-19 in education is evident not only at a global level, but national level as well. The primary focus of this research is the impact of COVID-19 on the teaching practices applied in Zimbabwean schools. Zimbabwe, a developing nation in the southern region of Africa, has a long history of a thriving education sector recognised internationally. However, in the wake of the pandemic, the research attempts to understand the experiences of teachers in private and government schools in the hope of showing the dilapidation and unevenness of the sector, across the private-public divide. COVID-19 comes at a time when the country’s economy and healthcare system continue to exhibit signs of struggle and collapse. The research made use of qualitative research methods and in-depth interviews with teachers from public and schools around the town of Marondera. The research concluded that there are wide gaps in the quality of education delivered to students in private and government schools, and that the COVID-19 lockdowns in Zimbabwe not only demonstrate these gaps but also exacerbated them. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The 2019 SASBO Bank Workers’ Strike in South Africa: unpacking labour responses to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

  • Authors: Moyo, Wisdom Ntandoyenkosi
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Industry 4.0 , Fourth Industrial Revolution , Banks and banking South Africa , SASBO , Labor unions South Africa , Strikes and lockouts Bank employees South Africa , Working class South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406774 , vital:70306
  • Description: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a global phenomenon, affecting workers and trade unions worldwide with the increased automation, including digitisation, of work. Although the 4IR has often been presented as an impersonal technological force that society must just accept, it is in fact rooted in the evolution of capitalist society: it is the latest in a series of industrial revolutions and restructurings of the labour process. These are systemic occurrences, based in class struggles around the extension of management control of every part of work, and replacing workers with machinery; it must then be seen in the context of a history of Taylorism, Fordism and neo-Fordism, and their local expressions, such as racial Fordism in South Africa. The roll-out and the socio-economic effects of the 4IR are therefore shaped by inequality and power, and look to be dire for the working-class in a South Africa that already has record unemployment rates. In the local banking sector, the 4IR has been associated with a wave of retrenchments and branch closures. Faced with this situation, the South African Society of Bank Officials (SASBO), the biggest and oldest union in the finance sector, then with around 73 000 members, tried to hold a mass strike in late 2019. Blocked by the Labour Court, this would have been the union’s biggest strike in a century. It followed from a longer campaign by SASBO to halt job losses, ensure redeployment and reskilling for affected bank workers, and win an agreement for these aims with the banks. The union undertook research on the 4IR and sought to win support from banks, as well as government departments and other unions, for an alternative, worker-friendly roll-out of the 4IR. The decision to strike took place after extensive engagements with banks and stakeholders like government failed, the banks proceeding with retrenchments: the union faced an unprecedented challenge and was on the defensive. This dissertation maps SASBO’s campaign around the 4IR, using the Power Resources Approach (PRA), and assesses its approach. It also tries to show how an analysis of a moderate, older white-collar union like SASBO enriches South African labour studies. A qualitative methodology was used in this research to understand the issue at hand, using documents and semi-structured interviews with SASBO National Executive Committee members. The key findings are that the 4IR will not spare white-collar jobs and presents an unprecedented challenge to unions. There is an urgent need for union revitalisation, including new ways to organise effective responses to technological change. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The biology of Oreochromis mossambicus and vulnerability to the invasion of Oreochromis niloticus

  • Authors: Mpanza, Nobuhle Phumzile
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Ecomorphology , Mozambique tilapia , Nile tilapia , Introduced fishes , Predatory aquatic animals , Predation (Biology) , Otoliths , Von Bertalanffy function
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/362983 , vital:65380
  • Description: Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, a native southern African species now co-occurs with invasive Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus throughout much of the distribution of the former. The spread of O. niloticus in South Africa has been attributed to escapees from aquaculture facilities, placing O. mossambicus at risk through competition for habitat and food resources, as well as through hybridisation. To better manage invasions, a comprehensive understanding of the biology, ecology and behaviour of both native and invasive species is required. The aim of this research was to comparatively assess the biology of O. mossambicus and O. niloticus, their food resource use characteristics and potential competitive interactions to infer impact risks associated with O. niloticus invasion dynamics. In addition to lack of sufficient autecological knowledge on O. niloticus in general, the challenge in the Eastern Cape is that relatively little regional knowledge is available on the biology and ecology of the native O. mossambicus. To address this, a total of 101 O. mossambicus individuals (32 - 297 mm LT) were sampled from the Sunday River catchment and their age and growth determined using sectioned sagittal otoliths. The largest female was 288.8 mm with a parameter estimate of LT (mm) = 272 (1-e-0.331(t=0.772)) and the largest male was 297 mm described as LT (mm) = 331.9 (1-e-0.167(t=1.192)). The growth parameter estimate age for combined sexes was best described as LT (mm) = 322.5 (1-e-0.201(t=1.027)). The growth rate was initially rapid for O. mossambicus and the asymptotic length reached after four years. The length-at-50% maturity was reached at 106.45 mm LT (R2 = 0.57) for the entire population. There was a significant difference (ᵡ2 = 8,047, df = 1, p-value = 0.0045) in the sex ratio between males and females which was skewed towards males 1:1.89 (F:M). Comparisons with O. niloticus were based on literature and these showed that O. niloticus had faster growth rates than O. mossambicus. These results serve as a baseline study in predicting the potential impacts of O. niloticus if it was to be introduced in the Eastern Cape region. Furthermore, although these two species are known to share habitat and food resources, feeding dynamics within the context of relative impact on prey resources, and competition potential between the species, are largely lacking. I used experimental functional response procedures to contrast the food consumption dynamics of each species and to assess for any multiple predator effects (MPEs) between these two closely related fishes. This was done by contrasting functional responses between individual species under single predator scenarios, predicted multiple predator functional response dynamics based on the individual species outputs, and actually observed functional responses under multiple predator conditions. Results showed that both Nile tilapia and Mozambique tilapia depicted a destabilizing Type II functional response. In both single and conspecific pairing Nile tilapia had significantly greater functional responses than Mozambique tilapia, hence greater overall predatory potential than its native congeneric Mozambique tilapia. Attack rates were also greater for Nile tilapia than Mozambique tilapia with both species showing similar handling times in single trials. However, no evidence for MPEs were detected, given lack of differences between predicted and observed functional responses under heterospecific conditions. These results suggest that Nile tilapia do not adjust their food intake in the presence of heterospecific competitors, but do consume more than Mozambique tilapia and are better at finding food when it is present at low densities. Feeding-related morphological characteristics may influence predatory performance of a species and can further provide information on the species’ capacity to locate, attack and consume different prey items. The feeding capacities between O. mossambicus and O. niloticus were compared based on morphological traits in order to determine whether differences existed, and if these differences place the invasive O. niloticus at an advantageous position in terms of resource acquisition and consumption over its native congener. Principal component analysis for functional morphology traits showed overlap between O. niloticus and O. mossambicus. Oreochromis niloticus had distinctively larger lower jaw closing force, gill resistance and gill raker length which facilitated greater feeding capacities for the invasive species over the native O. mossambicus. Trophic profiles depicted high dietary overlap between the two species. Although O. niloticus had a greater feeding capacity towards phytoplankton, plants, fish (ambush), fish (pursuit) and larvae, while O. mossambicus only showed greater feeding capacity towards zooplankton. While dietary overlap and similarities in morphological traits between native and invasive species may result in exploitative competition between the species, O. niloticus seems to be more versatile in its feeding and capable of consuming food web components that O. mossambicus may not be able to handle. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The Daily Sun subscribers

  • Authors: Mahe, Xolani
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Diaries -- Authorship , Books Reviews , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Short stories, South African (English) 21st century
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406276 , vital:70254
  • Description: My thesis comprises interlinked short stories, verfabula, sketches, fragments, flash fiction, folktales, anecdotes, and the epistolary form. I write in English tinged with IsiXhosa. In terms of specific influences, the collection is strongly influenced by the experimental writing of Kathy Acker and Samuel Delany notably the uncompromising ways in which they contort formal grammar and sexuality, the defamiliarizing function of the phantasmagoria in the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch, the techniques of the picturesque as used by Amos Tutuola, and, importantly, narration in the present tense as deployed in Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger which results in negation and subversion of the narrative depiction of the past, the present, and the future. On the stylistic level, I am strongly influenced by the haunting surrealism of Sony Labou Tansi, the eccentric meditations of Julio Cortázar, and the iconoclastic rants of Lesego Rampolokeng. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The development of a novel plant-based biomaterial scaffold for tissue engineering applications

  • Authors: Mamphey, Maame Nicole
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365223 , vital:65718
  • Description: Thesis embargoed. Possible release date set for early 2025. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The development of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the mediation of chemical equilibrium: A formative interventionist study

  • Authors: Manamike, Tasara
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Chemical equilibrium , Chemistry Study and teaching (Secondary) Nambia , Expansive learning , Career development Nambia , Professional learning communities Nambia , Pedagogical content knowledge , Cultural-historical activity theory
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405300 , vital:70159
  • Description: Persistent student errors in understanding chemical equilibrium as shown by poor student achievement in national examinations reflect student difficulties in learning and deficiencies in teaching methodologies. Studies which have been conducted in Namibia have explored the teaching of chemical equilibrium and revealed that teachers seem not to have adequate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for mediating chemical equilibrium and therefore there is a need for continuing professional development (CPD). However, it seems the CPD facilitators also find this topic difficult and are unsure of which methods are really effective owing to the disagreements among teachers and researchers. In addition, current CPD practices ostensibly fail to address the teachers’ needs because the facilitators have their own commitments and accountabilities and may ignore teachers’ contexts. It is against this backdrop that I conducted this formative interventionist study to improve teachers’ PCK for mediating chemical equilibrium through expansive learning (learning something that does not yet exist). A blend of the interpretivist and critical paradigm underpinned this study, which assumed a transactional epistemology. The qualitative case study research design was used to gather in-depth information about the multiple realities of the participants, bearing in mind that teaching is idiosyncratic, and the teaching approaches or strategies employed heavily depend on the contexts. Accordingly, the cultural historical activity theory was used to guide the teachers’ activities during the intervention for generating the data which were analysed using the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge. The study revealed that the participants faced challenges in their teaching, namely: (i) students’ difficulties with comprehension and (ii) teachers’ instructional problems or deficiencies in instructional skills. The findings also revealed that the intervention enabled the participants to collectively transform their practices and therefore address the major challenges in their practices, that is, they expansively learnt how to effectively teach chemical equilibrium. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The development, formulation and characterization of an optimized metronidazole loaded solid lipid nanoparticle formulation for ocular drug delivery

  • Authors: Sikhondze, Simise Siphelele
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Uncatalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/403014 , vital:69914
  • Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released early 2026. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmacy, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The distribution and perceptions of invasive alien plants in small towns in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa

  • Authors: Seboko, Tshepiso Collen
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Invasive plants South Africa Eastern Cape , Land use South Africa Eastern Cape , Invasive plants Control South Africa Eastern Cape , Public opinion South Africa Eastern Cape , Urban ecology (Biology) South Africa Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65669
  • Description: Invasive alien plants (IAP) of different life forms have major effects on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, economies, and livelihoods worldwide. There is evidence that IAP are rapidly increasing around the world, and the negative impacts associated with them are expected to worsen due to continuing land transformation, climate change, and urbanisation. Yet, information on the distribution, abundance, knowledge, and perceptions of IAP is limited, especially in small towns. Most previous research has largely focused on rural settings and larger cities, thus hindering the effective control and management of IAP in smaller urban settings. It is therefore important to assess the distribution of IAP to provide useful information to guide clearing and mitigation efforts to reduce the impacts and proliferation of IAP in smaller urban settings. Consequently, the aim of the study was to determine the distribution, composition, abundance, and perceptions of woody IAP in small towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and assess how and why they may differ within and between towns. To achieve this aim, a drive by road survey was undertaken across all suburbs and land use types in 12 small towns located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The 12 randomly selected small towns were, Adelaide, Alexandria, Barkley East, Bedford, Burgersdorp, Cathcart, Kirkwood, Middelburg, Paterson, Somerset East, St. Francis Bay and Willowmore. All woody IAP visible from the surveyed roads were counted across all suburbs and land use types within each town. A total of 38 427 woody IAP were enumerated, with 56 species across different land use types and suburbs in all towns. Affluent suburbs accounted for 58% of the IAP enumerated, while the Reconstructed Development Programme (RDP) suburbs accounted for only 5%. In terms of the land use type, most of the IAP were encountered in the residential areas (54%), as compared to, road verges (32%) and public urban green spaces (PUGS) (14%). Of the 12 towns, Middleburg had the highest number of woody IAP, with 5 573 individuals, while Paterson had the lowest number with 947. The most common IAP species across all towns was Melia azedarach with 4 384 individuals, followed by Pinus elliotti (4 051), and Jacaranda mimosifolia (3 640). Spathodea campanulata, Ardisia crenata, and Parkinsonia aculeata had the lowest number of individuals with only two individuals each across all towns. This study also assessed the knowledge, perceptions, and willingness of urban residents to control IAP in their home yards using household surveys. A total of 240 household surveys were administered in the 12 towns. The results showed that more than half of the respondents (59%) had no knowledge of IAP, while 14% had neutral knowledge and only 2% had high knowledge. Forty percent of the respondents agreed that IAP pose a problem to the environment whilst 11% did not think IAP posed a problem to the environment, and 49% stated that they do not know. Most of the respondents (91%) perceived IAP positively, and stated that they benefit from the IAP, with the most mentioned benefit being shade (50%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents (65%) were willing to report on the IAP in their yards to the relevant authorities that deal with the control and management of IAP. Over half (56%) of the respondents were willing to have the IAP removed from their gardens, with the most stated reason for removal was because the IAP caused damage to property (13%). Respondents thought that the local government (35%) or district government (30%) should be responsible for the control and management of IAP. Overall, the study showed that IAP species were most common in residential land use type and affluent suburbs. These findings can assist the relevant authorities that deal with IAP, regarding which plant species, suburbs, and land use types to prioritise regarding awareness and investment for control and management. This will also help explore alternative indigenous species that can be used as replacements that may offer the same benefits derived from IAP by urban residents. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The effect of orchard sanitation and predatory ants on the eclosion of the internal feeding pests and Oriental fruit fly, in South Africa

  • Authors: Makitla, Tshepang
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Orchards South Africa , Phytosanitation , Citrus Diseases and pests Biological control , Ants , Insects as biological pest control agents
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/362927 , vital:65375
  • Description: There are several pests of phytosanitary concern in the citrus industry in South Africa. Orchard sanitation can play an important role in suppressing the populations of these pests, however there are little data on the efficacy of sanitation techniques. Therefore, the current study investigated the effect of fruit disposal techniques and burying depths on the eclosion of the most important pests of citrus in South Africa, false codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann (Diptera: Tephritidae), Natal fruit fly Ceratitis rosa Karsh (Diptera: Tephritidae), and Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae). Abscised C. sinensis fruits were inoculated with larvae of T. leucotreta, and eggs of C. capitata, C. rosa, and B. dorsalis, before being disposed as pulped, or whole, and buried at different depths (0 cm, 5 cm, 25 cm, and 50 cm). Abundance and richness of predatory ants were monitored using pitfall traps to ascertain their effect on the mortality of the immature stages of these pests. Ceratitis capitata and C. rosa failed to eclose from the inoculated fruits disposed at different depths, however, T. leucotreta and B. dorsalis adults did eclosed. Significantly fewer B. dorsalis eclosed from fruits that were pulped in comparison to eclosion where the fruit were left whole (F (3, 16) = 11.45, P < 0.01). Furthermore, depth of burial had a significant effect on the number of eclosed adults of Drosophila sp (F (3, 112) = 3.43, P < 0.01). Burying fruits at 50 cm suppressed the eclosion of all the internal feeding pests tested. Twenty-seven thousand seventy-three individual ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were sampled from the same plots as used above, with at least 47% and 53% sampled from plots where pulped and whole C. sinensis fruits were disposed of, respectively. The ants were identified to morphospecies which included Pheidole1, Pheidole2, Formicinae1, Formicinae2, Formicinae3, and Myrmicinae1. The disposal of the inoculated C. sinensis fruits either as pulped or whole and burying at different depths significantly suppressed and/or delayed the eclosion of either of the tested internal feeding pests of citrus. Although, predacious ants were sampled from the same treatment plots they did not affect the survival or eclosion of the tested pests, and this could be attributed to the application of the slow toxic ant bait. Therefore, based on the observed results B. dorsalis adults showed the ability to eclose from 50 cm depth where fruit was either disposed as pulped or whole, thus, citrus farmers are advised to use hammer mill that will finely crush sanitised fruit, and/or bury fruit beyond 50 cm depth to prevent the adult od this pest from eclosing. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14

The effects of strategic planning and oversight on electricity service delivery outcomes in South African local municipalities: a case study of Inxuba Yethemba Municipality

  • Authors: Ntintili, Noxolo Indwe
  • Date: 2022-10-14
  • Subjects: Strategic planning South Africa , Strategic management , Municipal services South Africa , Local government South Africa , Local service delivery , Public sector , Oversight
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408693 , vital:70517
  • Description: Poor service delivery in South Africa is a widely researched phenomenon. Yet despite the existing knowledge production efforts, in a context of a progressive developmental municipal legislative framework, South African municipalities continue to be plagued with corruption and poor service delivery performance. This thesis aims to transcend the tendency to attribute poor service delivery to a sole cause (e.g. corruption) by explaining the effects of strategic planning and oversight on several municipal service delivery processes. Therefore, this thesis introduces the Municipal Public Resource Management (MPRM) model as a strategic management tool to explain the relationship between strategic planning, the practical implementation of municipal services, and oversight processes. Specifically, thesis triangulates legislative mandates, documents published by Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) and responses from semi-structured interviews conducted with three municipal officials and three Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) councillors to uncover descriptions and explanations of service delivery processes in IYM. Findings from this thesis confirm that poor strategic planning and weak oversight contributed to poor electricity service delivery outcomes in IYM in the 2018/19 – 2019/20 financial year, and this highlights the importance of implementing strategic management for improved service delivery in South African local municipalities. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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  • Date Issued: 2022-10-14
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