The effects of short-duration overnight kraaling on herbaceous vegetation and soils in mesic grassland
- Authors: Mgwali, Nompendulo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424721 , vital:72178
- Description: Land degradation is widespread in communal rangelands in the grassland biome of South Africa, and often attributed to overstocking and lack of coordinated management. Excessive pressure on the herbaceous component has contributed to the uncontrolled spread of opportunistic invasive alien woody species e.g. Acacia mearnsii in many degraded areas, resulting in significant loss of ecosystem service capacity, along with soil and land productivity. Short-duration overnight kraaling has been suggested as a tool for restoring degraded rangelands. Recent studies in semi-arid savannas and shrublands have reported increased grass cover, soil nutrients and palatability and concluded that short-duration kraaling is a low-cost and effective way of restoring degraded rangelands using livestock. However, the response of different plant functional types and communities to such intense livestock impact may vary depending on local context. This study used twelve paired kraal and control sites to investigate the effects of short-duration (7-24 days) overnight kraaling of livestock on herbaceous vegetation and soils in a mesic grassland. The study area is generally considered to be overgrazed but has considerable variation in grass composition and basal cover. Sites included relatively intact natural grassland and sites where wattle infestations had been cleared and where mostly bare ground remained. I tested the hypotheses that overnight kraaling would result in (1) increased basal cover due to introduction of grass seed and stimulation of germination through hoof action, (2) increased infiltration due to hoof action, and (3) increased soil nutrients and organic matter due to dung and urine deposition. I also hypothesized that factors such as a site’s initial grass cover, its slope, the occurrence and amount of rainfall before and during kraaling, and the kraaling intensity (number of livestock and duration of the kraaling event) would influence the magnitude and direction of the kraaling effect. The effect of kraaling on vegetation was strongly dependent on initial condition. Kraaling increased basal cover of grasses when sites had low initial basal cover, but decreased basal cover if initial values were over 50%. Infiltration increased if kraaling took place during or after rain but decreased if kraaling took place when soils were dry. Kraaling increased soil P and K. In mesic grasslands, short-duration overnight kraaling is promising as a tool for rehabilitating degraded sites but should be avoided where the grass sward is relatively intact. I recommend that the suitability of kraaling be further evaluated per vegetation type and local context. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Botany, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Mgwali, Nompendulo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424721 , vital:72178
- Description: Land degradation is widespread in communal rangelands in the grassland biome of South Africa, and often attributed to overstocking and lack of coordinated management. Excessive pressure on the herbaceous component has contributed to the uncontrolled spread of opportunistic invasive alien woody species e.g. Acacia mearnsii in many degraded areas, resulting in significant loss of ecosystem service capacity, along with soil and land productivity. Short-duration overnight kraaling has been suggested as a tool for restoring degraded rangelands. Recent studies in semi-arid savannas and shrublands have reported increased grass cover, soil nutrients and palatability and concluded that short-duration kraaling is a low-cost and effective way of restoring degraded rangelands using livestock. However, the response of different plant functional types and communities to such intense livestock impact may vary depending on local context. This study used twelve paired kraal and control sites to investigate the effects of short-duration (7-24 days) overnight kraaling of livestock on herbaceous vegetation and soils in a mesic grassland. The study area is generally considered to be overgrazed but has considerable variation in grass composition and basal cover. Sites included relatively intact natural grassland and sites where wattle infestations had been cleared and where mostly bare ground remained. I tested the hypotheses that overnight kraaling would result in (1) increased basal cover due to introduction of grass seed and stimulation of germination through hoof action, (2) increased infiltration due to hoof action, and (3) increased soil nutrients and organic matter due to dung and urine deposition. I also hypothesized that factors such as a site’s initial grass cover, its slope, the occurrence and amount of rainfall before and during kraaling, and the kraaling intensity (number of livestock and duration of the kraaling event) would influence the magnitude and direction of the kraaling effect. The effect of kraaling on vegetation was strongly dependent on initial condition. Kraaling increased basal cover of grasses when sites had low initial basal cover, but decreased basal cover if initial values were over 50%. Infiltration increased if kraaling took place during or after rain but decreased if kraaling took place when soils were dry. Kraaling increased soil P and K. In mesic grasslands, short-duration overnight kraaling is promising as a tool for rehabilitating degraded sites but should be avoided where the grass sward is relatively intact. I recommend that the suitability of kraaling be further evaluated per vegetation type and local context. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Botany, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The enigmatic subterranean amphipod genus (sternophysinx: sternophysingidae): conservation and systematics
- Authors: Mlungu, Zizile
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424424 , vital:72152
- Description: Sternophysingidae Holsinger, 1992 is a monotypic subterranean amphipod family endemic to Namibia and South Africa. It currently has eight described species under the genus Sternophysinx. The species in this family are considered narrow endemics, having only been identified using morphological characters. However, the apparent wide distribution of certain species, reported in several subterranean waters in different provinces, suggests that our current taxonomic understanding of these species needs to be completed, thus needing revision. Further, detailed knowledge of the distribution and phylogenetic relationship between species of this taxon still needs to be improved. This study aimed to use integrative taxonomy to analyse both morphology and molecular biology to study hidden diversity and to further our understanding of the distribution in this taxon. The available morphological keys were used to identify species, and 12S rRNA was also used to investigate the relationships of Sternophysinx species and delimit species boundaries. The study primarily aimed to use mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). However, due to technical issues such as getting the correct primers, this study's aims were altered, and 12S was used instead of CO1. However, the process of getting CO1 sequences is still ongoing, and the results will be made available elsewhere. The current study aimed to visit all the type localities of the seven species of Sternophysinx reported in South Africa, including all known localities in which these amphipods have been recorded in the past. Nevertheless, this study did not get samples from Nelspruit, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Nash Nature Reserve, which cover type localities of S. travaleensis, Matlapitse and Chaos cave that harbours S. calceola. Instead, the current study added five new localities Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort West, Hogsback, Makhambathi Nature Reserve and Ntsikeni Nature Reserve, for the distribution, including two new provinces (i.e., Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) that had records of this genus in the country. Three delimitation methods, Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP), Bayesian implementation of the Poison Tree Processor (bPTP) and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), were used to identify cryptic species within Sternophysinx. Phylogenetic analyses and three delimitation methods (ASAP, bPTP and ABGD) revealed considerable hidden cryptic diversity within this Sternophysinx. Preliminary morphological examination revealed at least two species as undescribed from Bakwena and Sterkfontein caves, and several that were morphologically identified using the current taxonomic keys did not match with the molecular analysis. For example, S. basilobata from three different systems, Boesmansgat cave (Northern Cape), Beaufort West (Western Cape) and Potchefstroom (North West), was in genetically different putative species. The same is true for S. robertsi and S. alca in Ficus and Peppercorn cave in Limpopo. Overall, the results of the current study demonstrate the need for a comprehensive integrative taxonomic revision of Sternophysinx. These findings suggest that S. basilobata is a complex of distinct lineages and requires further study. On the other hand, species delimitation methods suggested that there are 12- 14 candidate species (Figure 2.5). Lastly, this study investigated the threat posed by the invasive koi fish introduced to an important cave, Boesmansgat cave in the Northern Cape, which is a type locality of two endemic species (S. megacheles and S. basilobata). Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and gut content analyses of the fish were investigated to establish whether this invasive fish feed on these critical creatures, thus endangering their long-term survival. Stable isotope signatures and the stomach gut content proved to be helpful in determining the diet of the koi fish, revealing it to be an omnivorous feeder with high invertebrate preference, including amphipods. These results indicate that the introduction of koi fish in the Boesmansgat cave threatens the long-term sustainability of these amphipods and other invertebrate assemblages in this cave. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Mlungu, Zizile
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424424 , vital:72152
- Description: Sternophysingidae Holsinger, 1992 is a monotypic subterranean amphipod family endemic to Namibia and South Africa. It currently has eight described species under the genus Sternophysinx. The species in this family are considered narrow endemics, having only been identified using morphological characters. However, the apparent wide distribution of certain species, reported in several subterranean waters in different provinces, suggests that our current taxonomic understanding of these species needs to be completed, thus needing revision. Further, detailed knowledge of the distribution and phylogenetic relationship between species of this taxon still needs to be improved. This study aimed to use integrative taxonomy to analyse both morphology and molecular biology to study hidden diversity and to further our understanding of the distribution in this taxon. The available morphological keys were used to identify species, and 12S rRNA was also used to investigate the relationships of Sternophysinx species and delimit species boundaries. The study primarily aimed to use mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). However, due to technical issues such as getting the correct primers, this study's aims were altered, and 12S was used instead of CO1. However, the process of getting CO1 sequences is still ongoing, and the results will be made available elsewhere. The current study aimed to visit all the type localities of the seven species of Sternophysinx reported in South Africa, including all known localities in which these amphipods have been recorded in the past. Nevertheless, this study did not get samples from Nelspruit, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Nash Nature Reserve, which cover type localities of S. travaleensis, Matlapitse and Chaos cave that harbours S. calceola. Instead, the current study added five new localities Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort West, Hogsback, Makhambathi Nature Reserve and Ntsikeni Nature Reserve, for the distribution, including two new provinces (i.e., Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) that had records of this genus in the country. Three delimitation methods, Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP), Bayesian implementation of the Poison Tree Processor (bPTP) and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), were used to identify cryptic species within Sternophysinx. Phylogenetic analyses and three delimitation methods (ASAP, bPTP and ABGD) revealed considerable hidden cryptic diversity within this Sternophysinx. Preliminary morphological examination revealed at least two species as undescribed from Bakwena and Sterkfontein caves, and several that were morphologically identified using the current taxonomic keys did not match with the molecular analysis. For example, S. basilobata from three different systems, Boesmansgat cave (Northern Cape), Beaufort West (Western Cape) and Potchefstroom (North West), was in genetically different putative species. The same is true for S. robertsi and S. alca in Ficus and Peppercorn cave in Limpopo. Overall, the results of the current study demonstrate the need for a comprehensive integrative taxonomic revision of Sternophysinx. These findings suggest that S. basilobata is a complex of distinct lineages and requires further study. On the other hand, species delimitation methods suggested that there are 12- 14 candidate species (Figure 2.5). Lastly, this study investigated the threat posed by the invasive koi fish introduced to an important cave, Boesmansgat cave in the Northern Cape, which is a type locality of two endemic species (S. megacheles and S. basilobata). Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and gut content analyses of the fish were investigated to establish whether this invasive fish feed on these critical creatures, thus endangering their long-term survival. Stable isotope signatures and the stomach gut content proved to be helpful in determining the diet of the koi fish, revealing it to be an omnivorous feeder with high invertebrate preference, including amphipods. These results indicate that the introduction of koi fish in the Boesmansgat cave threatens the long-term sustainability of these amphipods and other invertebrate assemblages in this cave. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The ergonomic assessment of two different pipette models and their effects on biomechanical, performance, and subjective outcomes
- Authors: Masoka, Bonolo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424278 , vital:72139
- Description: While laboratory workers are essential in many industries, they are also at a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Manual pipetting has been identified as the leading cause of MSDs in laboratories because it exposes operators to high forces, repetition, static muscular loading, and awkward wrist postures for prolonged periods. The main contributors to the high risk associated with manual pipetting are the design of manual pipettes and how they are used. A laboratory-based study was conducted to assess and compare the biomechanical, subjective, and performance responses of an ergonomically designed pipette model to those of a traditional model. In a simulated laboratory workstation, 20 individuals performed 40 repetitions of pipetting tasks using each pipette model. Dependent variables consisted of muscle activity (of the Abductor Pollicis Brevis, Opponens Pollicis, Extensor pollicis longus, Abductor pollicis longus, Extensor pollicis brevis, and brachioradialis muscles), wrist postures, time to task completion, perceived muscular exertion (measured using the Borg RPE scale), perceived comfort and usability, and user preference. The results revealed that an ergonomic modification to pipette design has some effect on biomechanical and subjective outcomes. The ergonomic model significantly reduced muscular loading of the Opponens pollicis, and Abductor pollicis brevis muscles. The ergonomic model also reduced radial deviation and was associated with better subjective responses, while the time to task completion did not change. This study found that an ergonomic modification to pipette design can improve user comfort and well-being without compromising performance. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of addressing pipette design to reduce the MSD risk associated with manual pipetting, and the necessity for a user-centred approach to tool design. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Masoka, Bonolo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424278 , vital:72139
- Description: While laboratory workers are essential in many industries, they are also at a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Manual pipetting has been identified as the leading cause of MSDs in laboratories because it exposes operators to high forces, repetition, static muscular loading, and awkward wrist postures for prolonged periods. The main contributors to the high risk associated with manual pipetting are the design of manual pipettes and how they are used. A laboratory-based study was conducted to assess and compare the biomechanical, subjective, and performance responses of an ergonomically designed pipette model to those of a traditional model. In a simulated laboratory workstation, 20 individuals performed 40 repetitions of pipetting tasks using each pipette model. Dependent variables consisted of muscle activity (of the Abductor Pollicis Brevis, Opponens Pollicis, Extensor pollicis longus, Abductor pollicis longus, Extensor pollicis brevis, and brachioradialis muscles), wrist postures, time to task completion, perceived muscular exertion (measured using the Borg RPE scale), perceived comfort and usability, and user preference. The results revealed that an ergonomic modification to pipette design has some effect on biomechanical and subjective outcomes. The ergonomic model significantly reduced muscular loading of the Opponens pollicis, and Abductor pollicis brevis muscles. The ergonomic model also reduced radial deviation and was associated with better subjective responses, while the time to task completion did not change. This study found that an ergonomic modification to pipette design can improve user comfort and well-being without compromising performance. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of addressing pipette design to reduce the MSD risk associated with manual pipetting, and the necessity for a user-centred approach to tool design. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge that Namibian senior primary teachers draw on to develop their learners’ computational estimation
- Authors: Shigwedha, Emilia Ndilimeke
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424108 , vital:72124
- Description: Computational estimation is important in the development of learners’ number sense. It is through the process of finding an approximate (but satisfactory) that learners can check the reasonableness of their answers to calculations, develop an understanding of place value and by implication the four number operations. It is the role of teachers to develop the computational estimation skills of learners. To do this, teachers need to have a sound knowledge of computational estimation, its value and how to teach it. This study thus seeks to explore and understand Namibian senior primary teachers’ mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge to develop their learners’ computation estimation knowledge. The research is guided by the following question: What mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge do senior primary mathematics teachers draw on to develop their learners’ computational estimation skills? The research is a qualitative interpretivist case study. Eight senior primary teachers of Mathematics from the Ohangwena region in Namibia participated in the study. Data was generated through questionnaires, a focus group interview and lesson observations. The Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (Ball et al., 2008) and the Knowledge Quartet (Rowland, 2005) frameworks were used as both analytic and explanatory tools for the study. Key findings from the research are that teachers have knowledge of and use a variety of strategies for estimation, however, they only use the ‘rounding off’ strategy when teaching learners computational estimation. The teachers appear to teach computational estimation by first focusing on place value before moving on to ‘rounding off’ to the nearest 10s, 100s, 1000s and so forth. My research recommends that the National Institute of Educational Development together with the Ministry of Education, Art and Culture in Namibia, provide teachers with professional development opportunities on how to develop learners’ computational estimation. Such professional development will further develop teachers’ mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge. Furthermore, the Namibian syllabus should include a variety of strategies for computational estimation. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Primary and Early Childhood Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Shigwedha, Emilia Ndilimeke
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424108 , vital:72124
- Description: Computational estimation is important in the development of learners’ number sense. It is through the process of finding an approximate (but satisfactory) that learners can check the reasonableness of their answers to calculations, develop an understanding of place value and by implication the four number operations. It is the role of teachers to develop the computational estimation skills of learners. To do this, teachers need to have a sound knowledge of computational estimation, its value and how to teach it. This study thus seeks to explore and understand Namibian senior primary teachers’ mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge to develop their learners’ computation estimation knowledge. The research is guided by the following question: What mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge do senior primary mathematics teachers draw on to develop their learners’ computational estimation skills? The research is a qualitative interpretivist case study. Eight senior primary teachers of Mathematics from the Ohangwena region in Namibia participated in the study. Data was generated through questionnaires, a focus group interview and lesson observations. The Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching (Ball et al., 2008) and the Knowledge Quartet (Rowland, 2005) frameworks were used as both analytic and explanatory tools for the study. Key findings from the research are that teachers have knowledge of and use a variety of strategies for estimation, however, they only use the ‘rounding off’ strategy when teaching learners computational estimation. The teachers appear to teach computational estimation by first focusing on place value before moving on to ‘rounding off’ to the nearest 10s, 100s, 1000s and so forth. My research recommends that the National Institute of Educational Development together with the Ministry of Education, Art and Culture in Namibia, provide teachers with professional development opportunities on how to develop learners’ computational estimation. Such professional development will further develop teachers’ mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge. Furthermore, the Namibian syllabus should include a variety of strategies for computational estimation. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Primary and Early Childhood Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The obligation of South Africa to provide social security to refugees and asylum seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Authors: Dekeda, Awethu Zethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424119 , vital:72125
- Description: Covid-19 a novel pandemic, has wreaked havoc globally, threatening the livelihoods of all, including refugees and asylum seekers. Like all other countries globally, South Africa has gone to great lengths to mitigate the challenges that this pandemic has caused. However, it is far from clear whether these responses are according due regard to the rights of some of the most vulnerable in society, amongst which are refugees. This thesis deals with South Africa’s obligation to provide social security to refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic. It specifically assesses whether South Africa's responses to the Covid-19 pandemic were in adherence to fundamental refugee law principles relevant to the protection of refugees. The study commences with a general introduction, followed by an analysis of the international human rights and refugee law framework relevant to protection of refugees. This framework is used to assess South Africa’s responses. Subsequently, the discussion delves into South Africa’s own national framework on social security. Using the standards identified in both the national and international frameworks, the thesis then proceeds to measure South Africa’s Covid-19 related responses regarding social security to resolve the issue of whether South Africa adhered to these standards in as far the protection of refugees’ right to social security is concerned. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, Law, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Dekeda, Awethu Zethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424119 , vital:72125
- Description: Covid-19 a novel pandemic, has wreaked havoc globally, threatening the livelihoods of all, including refugees and asylum seekers. Like all other countries globally, South Africa has gone to great lengths to mitigate the challenges that this pandemic has caused. However, it is far from clear whether these responses are according due regard to the rights of some of the most vulnerable in society, amongst which are refugees. This thesis deals with South Africa’s obligation to provide social security to refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic. It specifically assesses whether South Africa's responses to the Covid-19 pandemic were in adherence to fundamental refugee law principles relevant to the protection of refugees. The study commences with a general introduction, followed by an analysis of the international human rights and refugee law framework relevant to protection of refugees. This framework is used to assess South Africa’s responses. Subsequently, the discussion delves into South Africa’s own national framework on social security. Using the standards identified in both the national and international frameworks, the thesis then proceeds to measure South Africa’s Covid-19 related responses regarding social security to resolve the issue of whether South Africa adhered to these standards in as far the protection of refugees’ right to social security is concerned. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, Law, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The perspectives of some amaXhosa healthcare workers regarding mental distress: an interpretive phenomenological analysis
- Authors: Ngqamfana, Siphosethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425031 , vital:72203
- Description: Mental distress is a universal phenomenon experienced by many individuals despite age, race, gender, occupation, or socio-cultural context and is slowly becoming a major contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. However, mental distress fails to take precedence in SA because of inherent intricacies in understandings about it, as a result of ways of being conceptualised and interpreted differently across cultures. This research study explored amaXhosa healthcare workers’ understandings, knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people. The study aimed to investigate what mental distress means for some people who belong to the amaXhosa ethnic group, to uncover how they conceptualise mental distress, seek help or what behaviours prevent help-seeking. It aimed to highlight any prevalent attitudes of stigma and discrimination, to build insight into overlooked aspects in psychotherapy practice especially when dealing with non-western populations. The study utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as its analytical lens; to explore and to enter as far as possible into the worlds of participants to generate rich data and in-depth analysis. Four participants were recruited through both purposive and snowball sampling and data were gathered using individual semi-structured interviews. From the data collected, the findings illustrate a limited understanding of mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people due to lack of education and awareness on the subject, leading to the apparent silence in discussing such matters and inadvertently predisposing it to being viewed as taboo. The predominant themes as evidenced by the data were the use of language that sensationalises mental distress; misinformation; Afrocentric beliefs that rationalise mental distress; alienation and segregation of those affected; and the primary healthcare system as a source of reinforcing prevalent stigma and discrimination. The findings show a link between constructs around mental distress and the prevalent socioiii cultural environment, denoting that some perspectives can be linked to observations or modelling in childhood, from people in the respective communities in which people live. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ngqamfana, Siphosethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425031 , vital:72203
- Description: Mental distress is a universal phenomenon experienced by many individuals despite age, race, gender, occupation, or socio-cultural context and is slowly becoming a major contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. However, mental distress fails to take precedence in SA because of inherent intricacies in understandings about it, as a result of ways of being conceptualised and interpreted differently across cultures. This research study explored amaXhosa healthcare workers’ understandings, knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people. The study aimed to investigate what mental distress means for some people who belong to the amaXhosa ethnic group, to uncover how they conceptualise mental distress, seek help or what behaviours prevent help-seeking. It aimed to highlight any prevalent attitudes of stigma and discrimination, to build insight into overlooked aspects in psychotherapy practice especially when dealing with non-western populations. The study utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as its analytical lens; to explore and to enter as far as possible into the worlds of participants to generate rich data and in-depth analysis. Four participants were recruited through both purposive and snowball sampling and data were gathered using individual semi-structured interviews. From the data collected, the findings illustrate a limited understanding of mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people due to lack of education and awareness on the subject, leading to the apparent silence in discussing such matters and inadvertently predisposing it to being viewed as taboo. The predominant themes as evidenced by the data were the use of language that sensationalises mental distress; misinformation; Afrocentric beliefs that rationalise mental distress; alienation and segregation of those affected; and the primary healthcare system as a source of reinforcing prevalent stigma and discrimination. The findings show a link between constructs around mental distress and the prevalent socioiii cultural environment, denoting that some perspectives can be linked to observations or modelling in childhood, from people in the respective communities in which people live. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The photodynamic therapeutic activities and optical limiting properties of metalated asymmetric porphyrins and corroles
- Authors: Burgess, Kristen Paige
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424490 , vital:72158
- Description: Cancer is a devastating disease that is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the available cancer treatments, there is a significant need to improve the therapeutic approach towards this disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative approach for treating cancer, which requires a photosensitiser, molecular oxygen and light. Although some porphyrin-based derivatives have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other similar agencies elsewhere for photodynamic therapy, their relatively poor photophysicochemical properties mean that there is an ongoing need for new photosensitiser dyes. Singlet oxygen photosensitiser dyes can also be used to treat bacteria that develop antimicrobial resistance in the context of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT). The main aim of this study was to synthesise and characterise a series of porphyrin dyes with 4-quinolinyl, thien-2-yl and 4-bromo-thien-2-yl meso-aryl groups and their Sn(IV) and In(III) complexes, as well as their corrole analogues. Corroles are contracted macrocycles that have interesting optical properties. The corroles selected for study were found to be difficult to synthesise and purify and had unfavourable photophysicochemical properties and were thus omitted from the PDT and PACT biological applications within this thesis. High- and low-symmetry A4 and ABAB type meso-tetraarylporphyrins porphyrins were synthesised to improve the photophysicochemical properties of the photosensitisers; the utility of these dyes as photosensitisers was studied against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line for PDT and against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli for PACT. The thienyl-2-yl rings were introduced to red shift the lowest energy Q band towards the phototherapeutic window, while quaternisation of the nitrogen and sulfur atoms of the 4-quinolinyl and thien-2-yl rings to introduce a cationic nature was explored to improve the bioavailability of the drugs and uptake into the target cell walls for improved efficacy. Heavy Sn(IV) and In(III) central metal ions were introduced to enhance the singlet oxygen quantum yields and limit aggregation through axial ligation. The bromine atoms of the 4-bromo-thien-2-yl meso-aryl rings were also introduced to enhance the singlet oxygen quantum yields of the dyes. Furthermore, the utility of the porphyrin and corrole molecules for optical limiting properties to limit laser radiation to protect optical devices, including eyes, was explored by the z-scan technique. One of the dyes studied, Sn(IV) tetrathien-2-ylporphyrin, that exhibited the most favourable reverse saturable absorbance (RSA) response was embedded into a poly(bisphenol carbonate A) polymer thin film to further explore its suitability for practical applications. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Burgess, Kristen Paige
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424490 , vital:72158
- Description: Cancer is a devastating disease that is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the available cancer treatments, there is a significant need to improve the therapeutic approach towards this disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative approach for treating cancer, which requires a photosensitiser, molecular oxygen and light. Although some porphyrin-based derivatives have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other similar agencies elsewhere for photodynamic therapy, their relatively poor photophysicochemical properties mean that there is an ongoing need for new photosensitiser dyes. Singlet oxygen photosensitiser dyes can also be used to treat bacteria that develop antimicrobial resistance in the context of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT). The main aim of this study was to synthesise and characterise a series of porphyrin dyes with 4-quinolinyl, thien-2-yl and 4-bromo-thien-2-yl meso-aryl groups and their Sn(IV) and In(III) complexes, as well as their corrole analogues. Corroles are contracted macrocycles that have interesting optical properties. The corroles selected for study were found to be difficult to synthesise and purify and had unfavourable photophysicochemical properties and were thus omitted from the PDT and PACT biological applications within this thesis. High- and low-symmetry A4 and ABAB type meso-tetraarylporphyrins porphyrins were synthesised to improve the photophysicochemical properties of the photosensitisers; the utility of these dyes as photosensitisers was studied against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line for PDT and against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli for PACT. The thienyl-2-yl rings were introduced to red shift the lowest energy Q band towards the phototherapeutic window, while quaternisation of the nitrogen and sulfur atoms of the 4-quinolinyl and thien-2-yl rings to introduce a cationic nature was explored to improve the bioavailability of the drugs and uptake into the target cell walls for improved efficacy. Heavy Sn(IV) and In(III) central metal ions were introduced to enhance the singlet oxygen quantum yields and limit aggregation through axial ligation. The bromine atoms of the 4-bromo-thien-2-yl meso-aryl rings were also introduced to enhance the singlet oxygen quantum yields of the dyes. Furthermore, the utility of the porphyrin and corrole molecules for optical limiting properties to limit laser radiation to protect optical devices, including eyes, was explored by the z-scan technique. One of the dyes studied, Sn(IV) tetrathien-2-ylporphyrin, that exhibited the most favourable reverse saturable absorbance (RSA) response was embedded into a poly(bisphenol carbonate A) polymer thin film to further explore its suitability for practical applications. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The portrayal of migrants and liminality in Nadifa Mohamed’s Black Mamba Boy, The Orchard of Lost Souls and The Fortune Men
- Authors: Fühner, Melissa Ashleigh
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425056 , vital:72205
- Description: This thesis argues that the characters in Nadifa Mohamed’s oeuvre exhibit both vulnerability and agency and that their position in society oscillates as if between two poles, as they cross social and spatial boundaries. There is no existing scholarly research that focuses on child migrants in Mohamed’s texts specifically. Here, Black Mamba Boy, The Orchard of Lost Souls and The Fortune Men are analysed and compared with a central focus on the child migrant characters to examine her portrayal of conflict-induced migration and its impact on vulnerable communities. In Black Mamba Boy, Mohamed portrays Jama’s exilic journey where he leaves his homeland of Hargeisa and migrates across territorial borders in Northeast Africa to find his father. His quest brings him from Somaliland to Sudan as he walks through countries that are devastated by the war between the British and Italian colonial forces in the 1930s. As Jama attempts to cross the spatial distance between himself and his father he also treads the invisible line between life and death. Along his journey, Jama is exploited and abused by colonial troops and traumatised by the conflict he witnesses. Mohamed revisits her father’s precarious journey not to portray him as a victim but to make him “a hero, not the fighting or romantic kind but the real deal, the starved child who survives every sling and arrow that shameless fortune throws at them” (1). Thus, the text is an account of Jama’s strength as he miraculously survives the brutalities of war. Similarly, in The Orchard of Lost Souls, the child protagonist, Deqo, is a refugee with parents. She internally migrates through Hargeisa at the moment the region breaks out into the Somali Civil War. Deqo attempts to keep herself out of harm’s way as the town is destroyed by soldiers and rebel groups who have opened fire against civilians. As a female child migrant Deqo occupies a particularly vulnerable position as she navigates a space where gender-based violence is used as a method of war. Despite the dangers around her, Deqo actively seeks out safety and a path that will free her from the tightening grip of the war. The Fortune Men depicts Mahmood’s journey of migration as an adult. When he attempts to cross the border into Wales he is ostracised, abused, and dehumanised because of his difference. Jama and Deqo’s exilic journeys are compared to Mahmood’s unsuccessful migration and the children cross borders that adults cannot cross because they use their vulnerability to seek out opportunities and change their environment. This thesis is situated within the theoretical framework of transnational and diasporic literature with a specific focus on the impact of forced migration on child migrants. Through close engagement and comparison of the three primary ii texts mentioned, this thesis demonstrates the vulnerabilities and fluctuating agencies of characters to highlight their liminal positioning. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Fühner, Melissa Ashleigh
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425056 , vital:72205
- Description: This thesis argues that the characters in Nadifa Mohamed’s oeuvre exhibit both vulnerability and agency and that their position in society oscillates as if between two poles, as they cross social and spatial boundaries. There is no existing scholarly research that focuses on child migrants in Mohamed’s texts specifically. Here, Black Mamba Boy, The Orchard of Lost Souls and The Fortune Men are analysed and compared with a central focus on the child migrant characters to examine her portrayal of conflict-induced migration and its impact on vulnerable communities. In Black Mamba Boy, Mohamed portrays Jama’s exilic journey where he leaves his homeland of Hargeisa and migrates across territorial borders in Northeast Africa to find his father. His quest brings him from Somaliland to Sudan as he walks through countries that are devastated by the war between the British and Italian colonial forces in the 1930s. As Jama attempts to cross the spatial distance between himself and his father he also treads the invisible line between life and death. Along his journey, Jama is exploited and abused by colonial troops and traumatised by the conflict he witnesses. Mohamed revisits her father’s precarious journey not to portray him as a victim but to make him “a hero, not the fighting or romantic kind but the real deal, the starved child who survives every sling and arrow that shameless fortune throws at them” (1). Thus, the text is an account of Jama’s strength as he miraculously survives the brutalities of war. Similarly, in The Orchard of Lost Souls, the child protagonist, Deqo, is a refugee with parents. She internally migrates through Hargeisa at the moment the region breaks out into the Somali Civil War. Deqo attempts to keep herself out of harm’s way as the town is destroyed by soldiers and rebel groups who have opened fire against civilians. As a female child migrant Deqo occupies a particularly vulnerable position as she navigates a space where gender-based violence is used as a method of war. Despite the dangers around her, Deqo actively seeks out safety and a path that will free her from the tightening grip of the war. The Fortune Men depicts Mahmood’s journey of migration as an adult. When he attempts to cross the border into Wales he is ostracised, abused, and dehumanised because of his difference. Jama and Deqo’s exilic journeys are compared to Mahmood’s unsuccessful migration and the children cross borders that adults cannot cross because they use their vulnerability to seek out opportunities and change their environment. This thesis is situated within the theoretical framework of transnational and diasporic literature with a specific focus on the impact of forced migration on child migrants. Through close engagement and comparison of the three primary ii texts mentioned, this thesis demonstrates the vulnerabilities and fluctuating agencies of characters to highlight their liminal positioning. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The possible effect of insecticide drift from citrus orchards, and acute toxicity of insecticides on the biocontrol agents of Pontederia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub (Pontederiaceae) established along citrus orchards in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Authors: Mabuza, Mefika Michael
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424468 , vital:72156
- Description: This study investigated the possible effect of insecticide drift on naturalized biological control agents of Pontederia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub (Pontederiaceae), in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Occurrence and abundance of biocontrol agents were recorded at three sites on the Crocodile River and at three dams adjacent to citrus orchards. Leaves of P. crassipes and water samples were collected for insecticide residues and also nutrient status of the water and plants. Eccritotarsus catarinensis Carvalho (Hemiptera: Miridae), Neochetina spp. (combined) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and Orthogalumna terebrantis Wallwork (Sarcoptiformes: Galumnidae) were recorded with notable variation in abundance between the river and dams across regions. Insecticide residues were not detected on all leaves sampled across study regions, however, nutrients were detected with nitrate ranging between oligotrophic and mesotrophic. Phosphorus was also detected, but, neither of the nutrients correlated with the occurrence and abundance of naturalized biological control agents of P. crassipes. Bioassays were conducted to measure the effect of commonly used insecticides (viz. Methomyl and Chlorpyrifos) on the survival and feeding damage of biological control agents of P. crassipes. Survival of individual insects was recorded between 0.5 and 120 hours for Megamelus scutellaris and Neochetina eichhorniae Warner (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) adults for treatments where insecticides were topically applied onto the insects or leaves were dipped into the pesticides. Concentrations below field rates, recommended and above field rates of Methomyl and Chlorpyrifos on either exposure techniques significantly reduced survival and feeding of biocontrol agents. Methomyl was more toxic compared to Chlorpyrifos and it significantly reduced the survival of M. scutellaris and N. eichhorniae. In conclusion, in this study, population abundance of biocontrol agents of P. crassipes at the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga was not influenced by pesticide drift, but, insecticides commonly used in the citrus orchards has the potential to negatively impact naturalized biological control of P. crassipes as demonstrated by the bioassays. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Mabuza, Mefika Michael
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424468 , vital:72156
- Description: This study investigated the possible effect of insecticide drift on naturalized biological control agents of Pontederia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub (Pontederiaceae), in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. Occurrence and abundance of biocontrol agents were recorded at three sites on the Crocodile River and at three dams adjacent to citrus orchards. Leaves of P. crassipes and water samples were collected for insecticide residues and also nutrient status of the water and plants. Eccritotarsus catarinensis Carvalho (Hemiptera: Miridae), Neochetina spp. (combined) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and Orthogalumna terebrantis Wallwork (Sarcoptiformes: Galumnidae) were recorded with notable variation in abundance between the river and dams across regions. Insecticide residues were not detected on all leaves sampled across study regions, however, nutrients were detected with nitrate ranging between oligotrophic and mesotrophic. Phosphorus was also detected, but, neither of the nutrients correlated with the occurrence and abundance of naturalized biological control agents of P. crassipes. Bioassays were conducted to measure the effect of commonly used insecticides (viz. Methomyl and Chlorpyrifos) on the survival and feeding damage of biological control agents of P. crassipes. Survival of individual insects was recorded between 0.5 and 120 hours for Megamelus scutellaris and Neochetina eichhorniae Warner (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) adults for treatments where insecticides were topically applied onto the insects or leaves were dipped into the pesticides. Concentrations below field rates, recommended and above field rates of Methomyl and Chlorpyrifos on either exposure techniques significantly reduced survival and feeding of biocontrol agents. Methomyl was more toxic compared to Chlorpyrifos and it significantly reduced the survival of M. scutellaris and N. eichhorniae. In conclusion, in this study, population abundance of biocontrol agents of P. crassipes at the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga was not influenced by pesticide drift, but, insecticides commonly used in the citrus orchards has the potential to negatively impact naturalized biological control of P. crassipes as demonstrated by the bioassays. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among university students in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors: Ndlovu, Philani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425019 , vital:72202
- Description: High alcohol misuse is associated with many challenges, including (a) unsafe sex, problems with the criminal justice system, absenteeism, academic failure, death, injury, and alcohol related harm, both in the developing and developed world. Despite the above, no meta-analysis had been conducted in the literature to comprehensively study the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) amongst university students in the developing world. This study reviewed literature related to AUDs among university students in developing countries. It described the concept of AUD and the harmful effects of excessive alcohol use, including biological, cognitive, psycho-social, and economic impacts on the individual and the family. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ndlovu, Philani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425019 , vital:72202
- Description: High alcohol misuse is associated with many challenges, including (a) unsafe sex, problems with the criminal justice system, absenteeism, academic failure, death, injury, and alcohol related harm, both in the developing and developed world. Despite the above, no meta-analysis had been conducted in the literature to comprehensively study the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) amongst university students in the developing world. This study reviewed literature related to AUDs among university students in developing countries. It described the concept of AUD and the harmful effects of excessive alcohol use, including biological, cognitive, psycho-social, and economic impacts on the individual and the family. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The Role of the courts in the interpretation and implementation of the Right to Basic Education in Section 29(1)(a) of the South African Constitution
- Authors: Ngubane, Kwanele Nhlanhla
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424141 , vital:72127
- Description: The right to education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution was meant to signal a break between an education system divided along racial lines, and a new democratic education system based on equity, equality, and opportunity for all learners. In reality, the South African education system still remains deeply divided along racial lines, with poor, mostly black learners, being under-resourced by the state, while their richer, mostly white, counterparts are being taught in schools that have access to all the resources necessary to realise the right to basic education. As a result, the right to education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution has been heavily debated, and between 2010 and 2022, the South African courts have often been called on to interpret the right. In the process, a rich jurisprudence has developed on the core content of the right to basic education, with findings by the courts that the right includes an entitlement to a number of educational resources. These include access to school infrastructure, learner-teacher support materials, desks and chairs, scholar transport, teaching and non-teaching staff, and nutrition. This study examines the way South African courts, between 2010 and 2022, have interpreted and implemented the right to basic education to give effect to section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution. While South African courts have historically shied away from interpreting socio-economic rights to contain a minimum core content and have rather opted for a reasonableness approach, the same is not entirely true for section 29(1)(a). As stated above, courts have been willing to find that the right entails a minimum basket of goods and services without which the right cannot be realised. By examining some of the most important education rights cases during this period, the study proposes that there are five factors that have guided the courts’ interpretation of the right and has assisted in the courts finding that the right contains a minimum core content. These factors are the historical context of the right to basic education; the textual formulation of the right to basic education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution; the interrelatedness of the right to basic education and other rights within the Bill of Rights; subsidiary education policies, legislation, and regulations, and lastly, the role of international law. This study seeks to consider the extent to which each of these factors have played a role in courts’ interpretation of section 29(1)(a). The study also considers the implementation of these judgments and the role that the courts have played in realising the right to education for learners on ground-level. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, Law, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ngubane, Kwanele Nhlanhla
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424141 , vital:72127
- Description: The right to education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution was meant to signal a break between an education system divided along racial lines, and a new democratic education system based on equity, equality, and opportunity for all learners. In reality, the South African education system still remains deeply divided along racial lines, with poor, mostly black learners, being under-resourced by the state, while their richer, mostly white, counterparts are being taught in schools that have access to all the resources necessary to realise the right to basic education. As a result, the right to education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution has been heavily debated, and between 2010 and 2022, the South African courts have often been called on to interpret the right. In the process, a rich jurisprudence has developed on the core content of the right to basic education, with findings by the courts that the right includes an entitlement to a number of educational resources. These include access to school infrastructure, learner-teacher support materials, desks and chairs, scholar transport, teaching and non-teaching staff, and nutrition. This study examines the way South African courts, between 2010 and 2022, have interpreted and implemented the right to basic education to give effect to section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution. While South African courts have historically shied away from interpreting socio-economic rights to contain a minimum core content and have rather opted for a reasonableness approach, the same is not entirely true for section 29(1)(a). As stated above, courts have been willing to find that the right entails a minimum basket of goods and services without which the right cannot be realised. By examining some of the most important education rights cases during this period, the study proposes that there are five factors that have guided the courts’ interpretation of the right and has assisted in the courts finding that the right contains a minimum core content. These factors are the historical context of the right to basic education; the textual formulation of the right to basic education in section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution; the interrelatedness of the right to basic education and other rights within the Bill of Rights; subsidiary education policies, legislation, and regulations, and lastly, the role of international law. This study seeks to consider the extent to which each of these factors have played a role in courts’ interpretation of section 29(1)(a). The study also considers the implementation of these judgments and the role that the courts have played in realising the right to education for learners on ground-level. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, Law, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The views and opinions of Rhodes University lecturers towards isiXhosa as a language of learning and teaching (LOLT) in higher education
- Authors: Nkunzi, Zintle
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424963 , vital:72197
- Description: This research sought to investigate how African languages function as a communicative tool in a university where English is the medium of instruction. The study's purpose is to provide a systematic review of research that has been carried out on language attitudes towards isiXhosa as a language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in higher education. The study reveals that South African higher education institutions such as Rhodes University mostly use English as the LoLT- a language which for most lecturers is not their first/home language but helps ease communication in a multilingual community. Rhodes University is characterised by multilingualism because the university community is made up of diversity in culture, language, and educational background of the people. Previously explored language attitude studies are based on students’ views and this study investigated RU lecturer views and opinions towards isiXhosa as a LoLT. The study focused on the importance and the need (if any) of isiXhosa in a multilingual higher education institution. The study reveal that language barriers are one of the difficulties, but academic cultural differences seem to play a crucial role that can impact on the learning and teaching outcomes. This can lead to negative experiences and the forming of stereotypical views. These views include how lecturers are and should be trained to teach mathematics, science, and academic studies in African languages. The SA higher education practices and language use (i.e., monolingual language policy) are one of the reasons that the implementation of indigenous languages in education policies in SA is fraught with difficulties due to several factors. Amongst the factors is the fact that indigenous languages are not yet fully developed as academic languages. The study further reveals that lecturers find it difficult to teach mathematical studies in isiXhosa because of lack of terminology in the language for academic purposes particularly at a tertiary level. Furthermore, existing literature highlights the importance of the use of code-switching which is a beneficial practice for lecturers in assisting their students who struggle with English as a LoLT at RU. The lecturer views towards isiXhosa as a LoLT at RU is not only on language barrier but also about the lack of development in the language use in spaces where only English is believed to be the best such as language for academics. The study also reveals an integration of Information Communication Technology in education and how language appears as a barrier. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Nkunzi, Zintle
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424963 , vital:72197
- Description: This research sought to investigate how African languages function as a communicative tool in a university where English is the medium of instruction. The study's purpose is to provide a systematic review of research that has been carried out on language attitudes towards isiXhosa as a language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in higher education. The study reveals that South African higher education institutions such as Rhodes University mostly use English as the LoLT- a language which for most lecturers is not their first/home language but helps ease communication in a multilingual community. Rhodes University is characterised by multilingualism because the university community is made up of diversity in culture, language, and educational background of the people. Previously explored language attitude studies are based on students’ views and this study investigated RU lecturer views and opinions towards isiXhosa as a LoLT. The study focused on the importance and the need (if any) of isiXhosa in a multilingual higher education institution. The study reveal that language barriers are one of the difficulties, but academic cultural differences seem to play a crucial role that can impact on the learning and teaching outcomes. This can lead to negative experiences and the forming of stereotypical views. These views include how lecturers are and should be trained to teach mathematics, science, and academic studies in African languages. The SA higher education practices and language use (i.e., monolingual language policy) are one of the reasons that the implementation of indigenous languages in education policies in SA is fraught with difficulties due to several factors. Amongst the factors is the fact that indigenous languages are not yet fully developed as academic languages. The study further reveals that lecturers find it difficult to teach mathematical studies in isiXhosa because of lack of terminology in the language for academic purposes particularly at a tertiary level. Furthermore, existing literature highlights the importance of the use of code-switching which is a beneficial practice for lecturers in assisting their students who struggle with English as a LoLT at RU. The lecturer views towards isiXhosa as a LoLT at RU is not only on language barrier but also about the lack of development in the language use in spaces where only English is believed to be the best such as language for academics. The study also reveals an integration of Information Communication Technology in education and how language appears as a barrier. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Thermal physiology of juvenile red roman seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps after long-term exposure to low pH conditions
- Authors: Allison, Caitlin
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424323 , vital:72143
- Description: Climate change has caused a combination of effects on the physiology of fishes. Of particular concern are the effects of thermal variability and ocean acidification. Organismal energy budgets change throughout ontogeny and research into the metabolic scope during early life stages is particularly useful in identifying potential bottlenecks. The first part of this thesis aimed to assess the absolute aerobic scope (AAS, described as the difference between the maximum and standard metabolic rates) of individual juveniles from a protected population of the endemic, commercially important seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps, across a range of ecologically relevant temperatures (T = 11, 14, 18, 22˚C) under present-day conditions (pH = 8.03, pCO2 ≈ 420 μatm) using intermittent flow respirometry. The second component sought to investigate how long-term exposure (from fertilisation to juvenile, ~100 days exposure) to high-pCO2/hypercapnic conditions (pH = 7.63, pCO2 ≈ 1400 μatm), would affect the AAS of juvenile C. laticeps over a range of temperatures. Lower pH conditions were predicted to cause a decrease in the AAS of treatment animals due to additional energetic costs of acid-base regulation. The findings of the first data chapter demonstrated that juvenile C. laticeps reared under current CO2 conditions are tolerant to a wide range of thermal conditions, and individuals with a broad aerobic scope will be the best suited to coping with enhanced thermal variability. In contrast to the expected outcomes of the second data chapter, juvenile C. laticeps reared under high pCO2 conditions displayed greater AAS at high and low temperatures when compared with specimens from high pH conditions. Whilst a high degree of individual phenotypic variation was observed in the metabolic response of both groups, this was reduced at the lower and upper extreme temperatures for high pH and low pH animals respectively. Notably, the variation in treatment animal’s SMR was significantly diminished across all temperatures tested, compared to only a localised reduction in the SMR of high pH animals at cold temperatures. This may be indicative of compensatory pathways affecting energy restructuring and thermally-governed physiological trade-offs under hypercapnia. Given these results, juvenile C. laticeps appear to be more resilient to ocean acidification than anticipated, potentially owing to intrapopulation metabolic phenotypic diversity. This is likely attributed to the parental lineage originating in the Tsitsikamma MPA, which is thought to boast greater phenotypic diversity as a consequence of the refuge that these conservation areas offer from exploitation. Owing to the restriction imposed by the availability of surviving, captive-reared juveniles, the sample size used in this study was relatively low. However, owing to the repeated-measures nature of this research the sample size was sufficient to offer suitable statistical power for the polynomial mixed model used in the analysis. Future research should incorporate both physiological and behavioural responses to multiple environmental stressors to better understand covariation between these two traits, and to detect any behavioural trade-offs that might arise through compensation. In addition, these trials should be repeated using offspring from outside of the MPA to compare whether the same level of resilience and metabolic phenotypic diversity would be present in an exploited population. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Allison, Caitlin
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424323 , vital:72143
- Description: Climate change has caused a combination of effects on the physiology of fishes. Of particular concern are the effects of thermal variability and ocean acidification. Organismal energy budgets change throughout ontogeny and research into the metabolic scope during early life stages is particularly useful in identifying potential bottlenecks. The first part of this thesis aimed to assess the absolute aerobic scope (AAS, described as the difference between the maximum and standard metabolic rates) of individual juveniles from a protected population of the endemic, commercially important seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps, across a range of ecologically relevant temperatures (T = 11, 14, 18, 22˚C) under present-day conditions (pH = 8.03, pCO2 ≈ 420 μatm) using intermittent flow respirometry. The second component sought to investigate how long-term exposure (from fertilisation to juvenile, ~100 days exposure) to high-pCO2/hypercapnic conditions (pH = 7.63, pCO2 ≈ 1400 μatm), would affect the AAS of juvenile C. laticeps over a range of temperatures. Lower pH conditions were predicted to cause a decrease in the AAS of treatment animals due to additional energetic costs of acid-base regulation. The findings of the first data chapter demonstrated that juvenile C. laticeps reared under current CO2 conditions are tolerant to a wide range of thermal conditions, and individuals with a broad aerobic scope will be the best suited to coping with enhanced thermal variability. In contrast to the expected outcomes of the second data chapter, juvenile C. laticeps reared under high pCO2 conditions displayed greater AAS at high and low temperatures when compared with specimens from high pH conditions. Whilst a high degree of individual phenotypic variation was observed in the metabolic response of both groups, this was reduced at the lower and upper extreme temperatures for high pH and low pH animals respectively. Notably, the variation in treatment animal’s SMR was significantly diminished across all temperatures tested, compared to only a localised reduction in the SMR of high pH animals at cold temperatures. This may be indicative of compensatory pathways affecting energy restructuring and thermally-governed physiological trade-offs under hypercapnia. Given these results, juvenile C. laticeps appear to be more resilient to ocean acidification than anticipated, potentially owing to intrapopulation metabolic phenotypic diversity. This is likely attributed to the parental lineage originating in the Tsitsikamma MPA, which is thought to boast greater phenotypic diversity as a consequence of the refuge that these conservation areas offer from exploitation. Owing to the restriction imposed by the availability of surviving, captive-reared juveniles, the sample size used in this study was relatively low. However, owing to the repeated-measures nature of this research the sample size was sufficient to offer suitable statistical power for the polynomial mixed model used in the analysis. Future research should incorporate both physiological and behavioural responses to multiple environmental stressors to better understand covariation between these two traits, and to detect any behavioural trade-offs that might arise through compensation. In addition, these trials should be repeated using offspring from outside of the MPA to compare whether the same level of resilience and metabolic phenotypic diversity would be present in an exploited population. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Towards interrogating the notion of a Black aesthetic in multi-cultural Africa
- Authors: Maina, Muhunyo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425231 , vital:72221
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Maina, Muhunyo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425231 , vital:72221
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Vernacular sound technologies: experimenting with reverb in isiXhosa choral recordings
- Authors: Ncanywa, Sibusiso
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432147 , vital:72846
- Description: Access restricted. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ncanywa, Sibusiso
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432147 , vital:72846
- Description: Access restricted. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Visual representations of linear algebraic expressions: a case study in a Grade 9 after-school mathematics club
- Authors: Herbert, Sindisiwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424019 , vital:72116
- Description: Visualisation is commonly used as a tool in introducing algebra through visual or kinaesthetic sequences designed to prompt learners' development of a general rule for moving from a term's position to its output value. Fluency in both the concepts and the conventions of elementary algebra are essential to learners, as algebra forms the language in which many advanced mathematical ideas are encoded. Moreover, algebraic fluency is often associated with an ability to think abstractly about arithmetic processes. In many classrooms, however, research has shown that learners often focus on fluency in algebraic conventions rather than concepts, learning how to manipulate expressions without understanding the algorithms they are taught to follow. This trend can be linked to several causes, including teacher-centred mathematics classrooms in which learners are – whether implicitly or explicitly – encouraged to copy formulae and methods in order to ‘get it right in a test’ without necessarily grasping the underlying logical relationships. This case study, therefore, aimed to determine whether there was value in using visual, kinaesthetic models to broaden and deepen learners' use of algebra. To that end, in the context of an extra-curricular mathematics club that aimed to decentre the teachers and demand innovative ideas of the participants, six pairs of Grade 9 learners were tasked with creating visual representations of a linear algebraic expression using coloured building cubes. The responses to this task over the course of five assignments were many and varied and almost universally displayed a sustained internal logic that the learners were able to explain and develop. Most pairs began with a visual list of terms arranged in sets of towers, pyramids or, in one case, a spiral. At the end of the study, all but one of the pairs had settled on a Visual Expression, in which various colours were used to represent elements of the algebra such as the values of the coefficient, the variable and the constant term. The participants' representations grew in complexity over the course of the study and the conformity of the final responses showed that the club was a collaborative space in which learners shared ideas. However, the structure of the Visual Expressions and their own confessions of nerves about ‘getting it wrong’ in the interviews suggest that the participants were stuck in a mindset that led them to seek out and idealise the representation closest to the original algebra, even though that representation revealed little about the structural relationship underlying the expression. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Herbert, Sindisiwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424019 , vital:72116
- Description: Visualisation is commonly used as a tool in introducing algebra through visual or kinaesthetic sequences designed to prompt learners' development of a general rule for moving from a term's position to its output value. Fluency in both the concepts and the conventions of elementary algebra are essential to learners, as algebra forms the language in which many advanced mathematical ideas are encoded. Moreover, algebraic fluency is often associated with an ability to think abstractly about arithmetic processes. In many classrooms, however, research has shown that learners often focus on fluency in algebraic conventions rather than concepts, learning how to manipulate expressions without understanding the algorithms they are taught to follow. This trend can be linked to several causes, including teacher-centred mathematics classrooms in which learners are – whether implicitly or explicitly – encouraged to copy formulae and methods in order to ‘get it right in a test’ without necessarily grasping the underlying logical relationships. This case study, therefore, aimed to determine whether there was value in using visual, kinaesthetic models to broaden and deepen learners' use of algebra. To that end, in the context of an extra-curricular mathematics club that aimed to decentre the teachers and demand innovative ideas of the participants, six pairs of Grade 9 learners were tasked with creating visual representations of a linear algebraic expression using coloured building cubes. The responses to this task over the course of five assignments were many and varied and almost universally displayed a sustained internal logic that the learners were able to explain and develop. Most pairs began with a visual list of terms arranged in sets of towers, pyramids or, in one case, a spiral. At the end of the study, all but one of the pairs had settled on a Visual Expression, in which various colours were used to represent elements of the algebra such as the values of the coefficient, the variable and the constant term. The participants' representations grew in complexity over the course of the study and the conformity of the final responses showed that the club was a collaborative space in which learners shared ideas. However, the structure of the Visual Expressions and their own confessions of nerves about ‘getting it wrong’ in the interviews suggest that the participants were stuck in a mindset that led them to seek out and idealise the representation closest to the original algebra, even though that representation revealed little about the structural relationship underlying the expression. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Year-end oversight in Local Government: a case study of water and sanitation service delivery at Amathole District Municipality
- Authors: Seoke, Duncan
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425206 , vital:72219
- Description: Poor service delivery is a challenge that has continued to plague the constitutional democracy of South Africa. Legislation has, in response, been passed to ensure efficient service delivery. Despite this legislation, municipal service delivery has been alarmingly poor, and reports on municipal performance and newspaper articles have corroborated this. On the causes of poor service delivery, the existing literature appears to have focused on financial mismanagement, corruption, and the incapacity of officials. Absent from existing literature are discussions on how municipal service delivery is affected by the lack of interrelatedness between municipal public resource management processes (such as revenue collection, expenditure management and oversight). This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the municipal public resource management processes from an oversight perspective. The study sought to analyse the effectiveness of year-end oversight at Amathole District Municipality (ADM) over water and sanitation services. This research aimed to study the year-end oversight over service delivery with reference to the Municipal Public Resource Management (MPRM) model. According to the model, effective service delivery includes inter alia effective oversight, as oversight forms part of the entire system of the municipal resource management cycle. Thus, for the MPRM model, oversight should be exercised on all these processes. The research was a desktop analysis that used both a qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The primary document analysed was the ADM Oversight Report (OR). This report is produced by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and reflects the year-end oversight conducted by the MPAC on the municipality's activities. In the analysis of the OR, it was concluded that the ADM MPAC had failed to conduct effective year-end oversight of W&S services. The efficacy of the ADM MPAC's year-end oversight was measured against guidelines for effective year-end oversight from the National Treasury and the MPRM model. The findings suggested that there were inefficiencies in the manner that the ADM MPAC exercised its year-end oversight. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Seoke, Duncan
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425206 , vital:72219
- Description: Poor service delivery is a challenge that has continued to plague the constitutional democracy of South Africa. Legislation has, in response, been passed to ensure efficient service delivery. Despite this legislation, municipal service delivery has been alarmingly poor, and reports on municipal performance and newspaper articles have corroborated this. On the causes of poor service delivery, the existing literature appears to have focused on financial mismanagement, corruption, and the incapacity of officials. Absent from existing literature are discussions on how municipal service delivery is affected by the lack of interrelatedness between municipal public resource management processes (such as revenue collection, expenditure management and oversight). This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the municipal public resource management processes from an oversight perspective. The study sought to analyse the effectiveness of year-end oversight at Amathole District Municipality (ADM) over water and sanitation services. This research aimed to study the year-end oversight over service delivery with reference to the Municipal Public Resource Management (MPRM) model. According to the model, effective service delivery includes inter alia effective oversight, as oversight forms part of the entire system of the municipal resource management cycle. Thus, for the MPRM model, oversight should be exercised on all these processes. The research was a desktop analysis that used both a qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The primary document analysed was the ADM Oversight Report (OR). This report is produced by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and reflects the year-end oversight conducted by the MPAC on the municipality's activities. In the analysis of the OR, it was concluded that the ADM MPAC had failed to conduct effective year-end oversight of W&S services. The efficacy of the ADM MPAC's year-end oversight was measured against guidelines for effective year-end oversight from the National Treasury and the MPRM model. The findings suggested that there were inefficiencies in the manner that the ADM MPAC exercised its year-end oversight. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
“Rwanda cannot be exorcised”: representations of the trauma of the Rwandan Genocide in selected films and novels
- Authors: Jennings, Kathleen
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425067 , vital:72206
- Description: Although the Rwandan genocide (itsembabwoko in Kinyarwanda) has often been compared with the Holocaust, in terms of literary and cinematic narratives it has been largely underrepresented, with the notable exception of the release of the films Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Sometimes in April (2005), as well as novels such as Gil Courtemanche’s A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali (2003). However, although there is now a larger oeuvre of works on the subject, they are often not widely known or disseminated beyond their countries of origin. Of even greater concern is the fact that most cinematic narratives on itsembabwoko rely on Western narrative structures in their approach to storytelling. As a result, trauma in these narratives largely tends to focus on the experiences of Western protagonists or on Rwandan protagonists from a Western point of view. This tendency can be tied to the use of Western trauma theory in exploring the effects of the genocide on its witnesses and survivors, at the expense of arguably more relevant postcolonial trauma theory. This presents a problem in theorising the trauma of itsembabwoko, which occurred in a highly specific historical context involving the processes of colonization and decolonization, and in which the difficulties in unifying a population which had been split along socio-economic lines since pre-colonial times remained unresolved. Despite its shortcomings in the postcolonial African context, it would be a mistake to dismiss Yale trauma theory entirely, however, since theorists such as Cathy Caruth still provide valuable insights into the effects of trauma on both the individual and the collective. As a result, I have sought to find commonalities between the two schools of thought, so as to create a more nuanced view of itsembabwoko, its repercussions and the violence preceding it. In writing this thesis, I have selected mostly Rwandan authors, often survivors of the genocide, whose works provide an alternative view of Rwanda’s violent history to that presented in the works mentioned above. Given that the majority of the texts I focus on have been released more recently – mostly the mid-2010s – and are less well-known than their Western counterparts, they provide the opportunity to compare first-hand accounts with those that can only partially recreate the terror of anti-Tutsi violence in Rwanda. My analysis hopefully provides a new perspective on the dominant narratives which have shaped the way in which non-Rwandan (predominantly Western) audiences understand the genocide. The overall aim of this thesis, then, is to demonstrate the importance of placing the genocide and its resultant trauma in a broader historical context, with a view to establishing that it is shortsighted to ignore the impact of pre- and post-genocide trauma on the Rwandan people when discussing itsembabwoko. Though this has been achieved in socio-historical studies, such as Mahmood Mamdani’s When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda, very little has been produced on literary and cinematic representations of the genocide. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Jennings, Kathleen
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425067 , vital:72206
- Description: Although the Rwandan genocide (itsembabwoko in Kinyarwanda) has often been compared with the Holocaust, in terms of literary and cinematic narratives it has been largely underrepresented, with the notable exception of the release of the films Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Sometimes in April (2005), as well as novels such as Gil Courtemanche’s A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali (2003). However, although there is now a larger oeuvre of works on the subject, they are often not widely known or disseminated beyond their countries of origin. Of even greater concern is the fact that most cinematic narratives on itsembabwoko rely on Western narrative structures in their approach to storytelling. As a result, trauma in these narratives largely tends to focus on the experiences of Western protagonists or on Rwandan protagonists from a Western point of view. This tendency can be tied to the use of Western trauma theory in exploring the effects of the genocide on its witnesses and survivors, at the expense of arguably more relevant postcolonial trauma theory. This presents a problem in theorising the trauma of itsembabwoko, which occurred in a highly specific historical context involving the processes of colonization and decolonization, and in which the difficulties in unifying a population which had been split along socio-economic lines since pre-colonial times remained unresolved. Despite its shortcomings in the postcolonial African context, it would be a mistake to dismiss Yale trauma theory entirely, however, since theorists such as Cathy Caruth still provide valuable insights into the effects of trauma on both the individual and the collective. As a result, I have sought to find commonalities between the two schools of thought, so as to create a more nuanced view of itsembabwoko, its repercussions and the violence preceding it. In writing this thesis, I have selected mostly Rwandan authors, often survivors of the genocide, whose works provide an alternative view of Rwanda’s violent history to that presented in the works mentioned above. Given that the majority of the texts I focus on have been released more recently – mostly the mid-2010s – and are less well-known than their Western counterparts, they provide the opportunity to compare first-hand accounts with those that can only partially recreate the terror of anti-Tutsi violence in Rwanda. My analysis hopefully provides a new perspective on the dominant narratives which have shaped the way in which non-Rwandan (predominantly Western) audiences understand the genocide. The overall aim of this thesis, then, is to demonstrate the importance of placing the genocide and its resultant trauma in a broader historical context, with a view to establishing that it is shortsighted to ignore the impact of pre- and post-genocide trauma on the Rwandan people when discussing itsembabwoko. Though this has been achieved in socio-historical studies, such as Mahmood Mamdani’s When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda, very little has been produced on literary and cinematic representations of the genocide. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Technological pedagogical content knowledge development: investigating secondary school teachers' integration and use of technology during emergency remote teaching in Endola education circuit
- Authors: Munyanyo, Johanna
- Date: 2023-10
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423882 , vital:72101
- Description: The Covid-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in human history. The closure of schools and other learning spaces has impacted billions of learners worldwide. The mitigative measures and many new standard operating procedures have brought restrictions and many challenges. The face-to-face traditional teaching method lost its value, and teaching shifted to distance through the integration of technologies. The integration of technologies necessitated the emergency remote teaching process, as it is one of the distance teaching modes that can make teaching possible even for less technologically privileged nations. Literature has shown that the integration and usage of technology during teaching support the development of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. This study, therefore, sought to investigate how the integration and use of technology during the emergency remote teaching of Covid-19 developed the secondary school teachers’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge. The study is underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, and a qualitative case study approach was employed. It was conducted in seven secondary schools in the Endola education circuit, Ohangwena region, with the purposeful participation of twenty-six secondary school teachers. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory together with the TPACK framework of Thompson and Mishra (2007) as both theoretical and analytical frameworks. The study's results showed that teachers made use of existing technological resources to sustain their teaching efforts during ERT. They encountered various challenges, including a lack of technological expertise (knowledge) among both teachers and learners. The shift to virtual instruction during ERT supported teachers in developing proficient technological pedagogical content knowledge. This research concludes that schools possess the necessary technological infrastructure to enable teachers to incorporate technology into their teaching methods. Furthermore, it highlights that teachers generally hold favourable attitudes toward integrating technology into their instruction. Nevertheless, it recommends that there is a need for improving both in-service and pre-service teachers’ training and support for effectively teaching in online and blended learning environments. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10
- Authors: Munyanyo, Johanna
- Date: 2023-10
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423882 , vital:72101
- Description: The Covid-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in human history. The closure of schools and other learning spaces has impacted billions of learners worldwide. The mitigative measures and many new standard operating procedures have brought restrictions and many challenges. The face-to-face traditional teaching method lost its value, and teaching shifted to distance through the integration of technologies. The integration of technologies necessitated the emergency remote teaching process, as it is one of the distance teaching modes that can make teaching possible even for less technologically privileged nations. Literature has shown that the integration and usage of technology during teaching support the development of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. This study, therefore, sought to investigate how the integration and use of technology during the emergency remote teaching of Covid-19 developed the secondary school teachers’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge. The study is underpinned by an interpretive paradigm, and a qualitative case study approach was employed. It was conducted in seven secondary schools in the Endola education circuit, Ohangwena region, with the purposeful participation of twenty-six secondary school teachers. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory together with the TPACK framework of Thompson and Mishra (2007) as both theoretical and analytical frameworks. The study's results showed that teachers made use of existing technological resources to sustain their teaching efforts during ERT. They encountered various challenges, including a lack of technological expertise (knowledge) among both teachers and learners. The shift to virtual instruction during ERT supported teachers in developing proficient technological pedagogical content knowledge. This research concludes that schools possess the necessary technological infrastructure to enable teachers to incorporate technology into their teaching methods. Furthermore, it highlights that teachers generally hold favourable attitudes toward integrating technology into their instruction. Nevertheless, it recommends that there is a need for improving both in-service and pre-service teachers’ training and support for effectively teaching in online and blended learning environments. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10
Innovation in ecological restoration techniques: Enhancing Portulacaria afra survivorship in degraded arid thicket
- Authors: Norman, Yondela Masande
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419276 , vital:71630
- Description: The Albany Thicket Biome has undergone extensive degradation over the past century, particularly from overstocking of livestock in the arid types of thicket. The degradation of the biome, coupled with little to no natural recovery, prompted the South African Government to implement the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme (STRP) in the early 2000s to rehabilitate degraded thicket using unrooted Portulacaria afra truncheons. The STRP also sought to create job opportunities, bring about social upliftment, promote biodiversity conservation and incentivise farmers and landowners in the region to promote carbon trading and farming of P. afra using carbon credits. However, the survivorship of P. afra planted using the STRP planting protocol has been less than ⁓30% because they are planted in degraded areas, where the truncheons are subjected to harsh biophysical conditions such as hard, capped soil, high soil temperatures, drought and herbivory. The aim of this study, therefore, was to improve the survivorship of P. afra planted in degraded thicket to at least 30%, using modified planting methods. In this study, four treatments were applied in 210 pondings (or micro-dams), each with P. afra planted in them (the first three treatments used rooted cuttings). The first treatment involved watering regimes where pondings were watered at varying frequencies. The second treatment involved planting companion species alongside P. afra while the third treatment involved planting P. afra underneath a nurse canopy. In the fourth treatment, unrooted P. afra truncheons were planted inside pondings. The mean survivorship of the P. afra cuttings was assessed 18 months after planting. The watering regime treatments, including the control, all yielded a survivorship of over 75%, with the significantly highest levels of survivorship being displayed in the weekly watering treatment (90.9 ± 6.8%) (p < 0.01). The companion plant treatment also produced a high mean survivorship of P. afra (94.9 ± 3.6%), significantly higher than that of the nurse plants (87.5 ± 6.3%) (p < 0.01). Among the unrooted truncheons it was found that untreated truncheons had the highest survivorship (76.2 ± 17.6%), with the lowest mean being found in truncheons that were both pruned and scarified (70.8 ± 20.8%), suggesting that this treatment, out of all of them, is the least successful under the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. However, there was no significant differences among the unrooted truncheon treatments and their respective survivorship values to further substantiate this assertion (p = 0.26). Findings in this study also suggest that planting P. afra cuttings under a nurse plant was ideal for P. afra survivorship due to the nurse plant’s ability to ameliorate the microclimate under which the cuttings can establish and grow. Despite the soil under the nurse canopy having a significantly lower mean soil water potential (-160.9 ± 200.5 kPa), compared to the open areas (-73.4 ± 55.7 kPa) (p = 0.04), the pondings under the nurse canopy still had a lower mean soil temperature (31.4 ± 5.25°C) than the treatments in the open areas (38.5 ± 2.7°C), during the harsh midday sun. These favourable characteristics are reflected in the P. afra cuttings under a nurse canopy having a higher chlorophyll fluorescence (0.76 ± 0.06). compared to those planted in open areas (0.73 ± 0.13), suggesting that the P. afra cuttings in the former treatment had a higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to those in the latter, despite there being no statistically significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence between the treatments (p = 0.14). Although these findings suggest that applying these modifications to planting P. afra, having achieved its objective of increasing survivorship to well over 50%, is likely to produce favourable results not only in overall survivorship, but also in fast-tracking arid thicket rehabilitation and restoration, further research on these rehabilitation techniques and their effectiveness is required. Furthermore, the downside to these treatments is that they are costly and time consuming, which puts the feasibility of large-scale programmes using these applications into question. Further investigation is required to determine ways in which the cost-effectiveness of these applications can be enhanced. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Norman, Yondela Masande
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419276 , vital:71630
- Description: The Albany Thicket Biome has undergone extensive degradation over the past century, particularly from overstocking of livestock in the arid types of thicket. The degradation of the biome, coupled with little to no natural recovery, prompted the South African Government to implement the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme (STRP) in the early 2000s to rehabilitate degraded thicket using unrooted Portulacaria afra truncheons. The STRP also sought to create job opportunities, bring about social upliftment, promote biodiversity conservation and incentivise farmers and landowners in the region to promote carbon trading and farming of P. afra using carbon credits. However, the survivorship of P. afra planted using the STRP planting protocol has been less than ⁓30% because they are planted in degraded areas, where the truncheons are subjected to harsh biophysical conditions such as hard, capped soil, high soil temperatures, drought and herbivory. The aim of this study, therefore, was to improve the survivorship of P. afra planted in degraded thicket to at least 30%, using modified planting methods. In this study, four treatments were applied in 210 pondings (or micro-dams), each with P. afra planted in them (the first three treatments used rooted cuttings). The first treatment involved watering regimes where pondings were watered at varying frequencies. The second treatment involved planting companion species alongside P. afra while the third treatment involved planting P. afra underneath a nurse canopy. In the fourth treatment, unrooted P. afra truncheons were planted inside pondings. The mean survivorship of the P. afra cuttings was assessed 18 months after planting. The watering regime treatments, including the control, all yielded a survivorship of over 75%, with the significantly highest levels of survivorship being displayed in the weekly watering treatment (90.9 ± 6.8%) (p < 0.01). The companion plant treatment also produced a high mean survivorship of P. afra (94.9 ± 3.6%), significantly higher than that of the nurse plants (87.5 ± 6.3%) (p < 0.01). Among the unrooted truncheons it was found that untreated truncheons had the highest survivorship (76.2 ± 17.6%), with the lowest mean being found in truncheons that were both pruned and scarified (70.8 ± 20.8%), suggesting that this treatment, out of all of them, is the least successful under the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. However, there was no significant differences among the unrooted truncheon treatments and their respective survivorship values to further substantiate this assertion (p = 0.26). Findings in this study also suggest that planting P. afra cuttings under a nurse plant was ideal for P. afra survivorship due to the nurse plant’s ability to ameliorate the microclimate under which the cuttings can establish and grow. Despite the soil under the nurse canopy having a significantly lower mean soil water potential (-160.9 ± 200.5 kPa), compared to the open areas (-73.4 ± 55.7 kPa) (p = 0.04), the pondings under the nurse canopy still had a lower mean soil temperature (31.4 ± 5.25°C) than the treatments in the open areas (38.5 ± 2.7°C), during the harsh midday sun. These favourable characteristics are reflected in the P. afra cuttings under a nurse canopy having a higher chlorophyll fluorescence (0.76 ± 0.06). compared to those planted in open areas (0.73 ± 0.13), suggesting that the P. afra cuttings in the former treatment had a higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to those in the latter, despite there being no statistically significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence between the treatments (p = 0.14). Although these findings suggest that applying these modifications to planting P. afra, having achieved its objective of increasing survivorship to well over 50%, is likely to produce favourable results not only in overall survivorship, but also in fast-tracking arid thicket rehabilitation and restoration, further research on these rehabilitation techniques and their effectiveness is required. Furthermore, the downside to these treatments is that they are costly and time consuming, which puts the feasibility of large-scale programmes using these applications into question. Further investigation is required to determine ways in which the cost-effectiveness of these applications can be enhanced. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31