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A thematic analysis of the challenges experienced by those living with tuberculosis

  • Authors: Walaza, Robert Letsholo
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Tuberculosis Patients South Africa , Tuberculosis Social aspects , South Africa Social conditions , Poor Health and hygiene South Africa , Poor Medical care South Africa , Social medicine South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61850 , vital:28068
  • Description: Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) in his study, The condition of the working class in England, argued that the cause of illness and death amongst the working class was due to their living conditions such as poor housing, over-crowding, poor sanitation, food shortage, low paying jobs and a lack of material resources. The objective of the study was to understand the experiences of six South African individuals who have shared their experiences and challenges of living with TB on the TB&ME blog, and to show how TB is linked to the living conditions of these individuals. The study found that the challenges experienced by TB patient bloggers are of a social nature and confirms Engel’s study findings on the conditions of the working class in England. For example, a disease such as TB has a direct association with the living conditions of people, especially the poor. Thus, socio economic status of TB patient bloggers plays a role in the escalation of their ill health. Further, the study found that gender is central in understanding non-compliance to treatment. This is significant as it highlights the need to not only focus on issues of socioeconomics, but gender issues in fighting TB. Despite the negative consequences associated with living with TB, the bloggers have noted that the support from loved ones and other stakeholders in the fight against TB alleviates the challenges inherent in living with TB.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Action for increasing energy-saving behaviour in student residences at Rhodes University, South Africa

  • Authors: Ancha, Angel , Bulunga, Lindelwa , Thondhlana, Gladman
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67801 , vital:29146 , https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2017-0107
  • Description: Publisher version , Purpose: In response to increasing energy demand and financial constraints to invest in green infrastructure, behaviour change energy-saving interventions are increasingly being considered as a tool for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour in campus residences. This paper aims to report on a pilot programme aimed at reducing energy consumption via behaviour change interventions, variably applied in residences at Rhodes University, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected via structured questionnaires, energy consumption records and post-intervention programme focus group discussions. Findings: Participant residences that received a mix of different interventions in the forms of pamphlets, face-to-face discussions, incentives and feedback recorded more energy reductions of up to 9 per cent than residences that received a single or no intervention. In post-experiment discussions, students cited personal, institutional and structural barriers to pro-environmental energy-use behaviour. Practical implications: Overall, the results of this study suggest that information provision of energy-saving tips combined with regular feedback and incentives can result in energy-use reductions in university residences, which may yield environmental and economic benefits for universities, but addressing barriers to pro-environmental behaviour might maximise the results. Originality/value: Given the lack of literature on energy conservation in the global South universities, this study provides the basis for discussing the potential for using behavioural interventions in universities for stirring pathways towards sustainability.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Acute toxicity study and prevention of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-induced hypertension by Osteopermum imbricatum

  • Authors: Tata, Charlotte, M , Gwebu, Ephraim, T , Olukayode O Aremu , Nkeh-Chungag, Benedicta, N , Oyedeji, Adebola, O , Oyedeji, Opeopluwa, O , Sewani-Rusike, Constance, R
  • Date: June-2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/4915 , vital:44303 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjpr/article/view/174343
  • Description: Purpose:To determine the phytochemical content, toxicity and hypertension prevention effects of Osteospermum imbricatum leaf and root extracts.Methods:Phytochemical screening of leaf and root extracts of O. imbricatum was performed by colorimetric procedure. Acute toxicity of leaf and root extracts was conductedin two phases; phase I consisted of three groups of mice (n = 3) for each dose level of 10, 100 and 1000 mg/kg while phase II had three mice that received 1600, 2900 or 5000 mg/kg. Wistar rats were grouped into 7 groups that were co-treated with L-NAME and normal saline or L-NAME and hydroethanolic leaf extract (150 and 300 mg/kg) or L-NAME and hydroethanolic root extract (150 and 300 mg/kg) or L-NAME and amlodipine (5 mg/kg) or normal saline only for 4 weeks. Treatment was carried out via the oral route while blood pressure was measured weeklyfor 4 weeks by non-invasive tail cuff method.Results:The phytochemical profile of the leaf and root extracts revealed the presence of phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, steroids and saponins. Both the leaf and root extracts were toxic at 5000 mg/kg with an LD50of 3807.89 mg/kg. In the fourth week of the study, only the leaf extract significantly (p less 0.01) prevented the progression of L-NAME induced hypertension; systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the group treated with L-NAME and leaf extract (300 mg/kg) were 183 ± 1 and 140 ± 1 mmHg, respectively, compared to the group that was treated with L-NAME and normal saline which produced systolic and diastolic BP values of 213 ± 3 and 172 ± 4 mmHg, respectively. The extracts, especially OIR300, exhibited diuretic effects in the second and third week of study by promoting excretion of 16 and 19 ml urine, respectively, compared to 11 and 14 ml for LN group.Conclusion:The results suggest that O. imbricatum is moderately toxic at a high dose and contains a wide range of phytochemicals which offer partial protection against the development of nitric oxide deficiency hypertension.
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  • Date Issued: June-2018

Adsorptive removal of ciprofloxacin and isoniazid from aqueous solution

  • Authors: Dube, Cyril S , Tandlich, Roman , Wilhelmi, Brendan S
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76846 , vital:30629 , https://doi.org/10.2478/nbec-2018-0002
  • Description: This paper describes study of ciprofloxacin and isoniazid removal from aqueous solutions using coal fly ash (FA), kaolinite, perlite, talc and vermiculite. The adsorptive features of the adsorbents were evaluated for ciprofloxacin and isoniazid with regards to the effects of contact time, pH, the solid/liquid ratio and antibiotic concentration. All adsorbents were sterilised by dry heat before use to avoid the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance by the bacteria present on the adsorbents during experiments. The regression correlation coefficients indicate that the Langmuir model gives the best fit for the sorption of both antibiotics onto FA and talc, ciprofloxacin onto kaolinite, and isoniazid onto perlite and vermiculite with R2 values ranging from 0.908 – 0.999. The Freundlich isotherm best describes the sorption of ciprofloxacin onto vermiculite and isoniazid onto kaolinite with R2 values of 0.999 for both. The Tempkin model best describes the sorption of ciprofloxacin onto perlite with an R2 = 0.997. The values of the Freundlich exponent, 1/n, range from 0.221 – 0.998, indicating a favourable adsorption of ciprofloxacin and isoniazid onto the adsorbents. The heat of sorption, B, calculated from the Temkin plots has values ranging from 0.018 – 10.460 J/mol, indicating a physical adsorption process (physisorption). Adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 30 min for both antibiotics and the kinetic data obtained conforms best to the pseudo-second order equation with R2 values ranging from 0.998 – 0.999. The removal of ciprofloxacin and isoniazid by all adsorbents except FA was strongly influenced by the pH suggesting that electrostatic interactions play a major role in the adsorption processes.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Adult binge drinking: rate, frequency and intensity in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

  • Authors: Owolabi, Eyitayo Omolara , Goona, Daniel Ter , Adeniyi, Oladele Vincent , Seekoea, Eunice
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/4944 , vital:44305 , https://doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2017.1382970
  • Description: This study was conducted to explore views about the execution of powers and functions of the police in the light of related challenges. This study made use of data from a total of 83 adult participants (a survey involving 73 individuals, and 10 in-depth interviews), including males and females of diverse occupational backgrounds from Bindura and Mount Darwin policing districts in Zimbabwe. A closed-ended, mostly Likert-scale-based questionnaire was used to collect data about the prevalent forms of police abuse of powers and functions, while an in-depth interview guide was provided to harvest information qualitatively. Findings reveal that police officers abuse their powers through unlawful arrests, arbitrary search and seizure, excessive use of force, unlawful methods of investigation, and ill treatment of detainees. Though not as prevalent as other forms of abuse, malicious criminal prosecution and partisan policing were also cited.K EYWOR DS: powers, abuse, function, police, Zimbabwe
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Advanced radio interferometric simulation and data reduction techniques

  • Authors: Makhathini, Sphesihle
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Interferometry , Radio interferometers , Algorithms , Radio telescopes , Square Kilometre Array (Project) , Very Large Array (Observatory : N.M.) , Radio astronomy
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/57348 , vital:26875
  • Description: This work shows how legacy and novel radio Interferometry software packages and algorithms can be combined to produce high-quality reductions from modern telescopes, as well as end-to-end simulations for upcoming instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its pathfinders. We first use a MeqTrees based simulations framework to quantify how artefacts due to direction-dependent effects accumulate with time, and the consequences of this accumulation when observing the same field multiple times in order to reach the survey depth. Our simulations suggest that a survey like LADUMA (Looking at the Distant Universe with MeerKAT Array), which aims to achieve its survey depth of 16 µJy/beam in a 72 kHz at 1.42 GHz by observing the same field for 1000 hours, will be able to reach its target depth in the presence of these artefacts. We also present stimela, a system agnostic scripting framework for simulating, processing and imaging radio interferometric data. This framework is then used to write an end-to-end simulation pipeline in order to quantify the resolution and sensitivity of the SKA1-MID telescope (the first phase of the SKA mid-frequency telescope) as a function of frequency, as well as the scale-dependent sensitivity of the telescope. Finally, a stimela-based reduction pipeline is used to process data of the field around the source 3C147, taken by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The reconstructed image from this reduction has a typical 1a noise level of 2.87 µJy/beam, and consequently a dynamic range of 8x106:1, given the 22.58 Jy/beam flux Density of the source 3C147.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Aesthetic autonomy at the border:

  • Authors: Tello, Verónica
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146244 , vital:38508 , ISBN 9781786606860
  • Description: Book abstract. Every politics is an aesthetic. If necropolitics is the (accelerated) politics of what is usually referred to as the ‘apolitical age’, what are its manoeuvres, temporalities, intensities, textures, and tipping points? Bypassing revelatory and reconstructionist approaches – the tendency of which is to show that a particular site or practice is necropolitical by bringing its genealogy into evidence – this collection of essays by artist-philosophers and theorist curators articulates the pre-perceptual working of necropolitics through a focus on the senses, assignments of energy, attitudes, cognitive processes, and discursive frameworks.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Afrikanische Entwicklungsalternativen: Ubuntu und die Post-Development-Debatte

  • Authors: Matthews, Sally
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142157 , vital:38054 , DOI: 10.3224/peripherie.v38i2.03
  • Description: In post-development theory, ubuntu is often cited as an example of an “alternative to development”. This article investigates whether ubuntu can play this role and what to think of the demand for alternatives to development in general. In order to do this, the paper fi rst deals with central aspects of postdevelopment theory and the debate about ubuntu. Although the concept fi ts well into a post-development perspective, the attempts to contrast ubuntu with Western ideas and ways of life are often fueled by the desire to rekindle an original, pre-colonial, authentic African philosophy. Yet discourses on Africa are always embedded in Western discourses, so this opposition reproduces precisely those dichotomies it aims to fi ght. More generally, this also holds true for the idea of “alternatives to development”, which postulate an essential opposition to “development”. This, however, denies claims for equal rights and participation at the root of demands for “development”. The struggle for these claims cannot be fought beyond the existing global order. Instead of engaging in romanticizing projections about an Africa beyond “development”, people’s views and needs should be taken as the starting point for the struggle against injustice and inequality.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Ageing, wellbeing and development: Brazil and South Africa

Al-Shabaab and the sources of its resilience and resurgence: Cold War legacies and Jihadism in Somalia

  • Authors: Gardiner, Richard
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Shabaab (Organization) , Jihad , Cold War -- Influence , Cold War -- Social aspects -- Somalia , Somalia -- Foreign relations , Refugees, Somalian -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63833 , vital:28495
  • Description: This study examines the continued development and survival of the group, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin, commonly known as al-Shabaab – which emerged in 2006 as the militant wing of Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union and became an independent group in 2007. The group has survived in spite of the fact that it has endured significant losses of personnel, resources and territory in Somalia. The study examines al-Shabaab’s sources of resilience, resurgence and diversity. To achieve this, the study focused on the narratives of nine Somali nationals living and working in Durban, Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth, who fled their home country as a result of the ongoing violence and instability. Through understanding war as experience and placing the individual and community at the center of analysis, a people-centered approach is developed in understanding the organisation. This allows the study to challenge the state centered approaches to security and International Relations (IR) theory, which is important in the case of an armed, transnational, non-state actor such as al-Shabaab, whose operation and mobilisation requires no territorial base. The study makes use of social constructivism as a theoretical lens, as it provides an alternative way of analysing a non-state actor, specifically within an African context. The study argues that al-Shabaab's war within Somalia and East Africa is a territorial manifestation of a global phenomenon which highlights the importance of understanding its unique history within Somalia and East Africa. Importantly, the study also shows that veterans of the Afghan-Soviet war brought back ideas and tactics which have played a central part in shaping al-Shabaab's ideology and tactics. It is argued that al-Shabaab's process of decentralisation has ensured their survival but also alienated them from the Somali population. It is demonstrated that their insurgent tactics and process of intelligence gathering means that they operate in the shadows, making it difficult to locate them. Furthermore, the study shows that the role of regional actors and the presence of African Union peacekeepers have ensured that they have a constant enemy which provides a sense of cohesion and drive. The study concludes that al-Shabaab exists at a nexus of factors; its survival has and will depend on both domestic and transnational factors. Without the transnational nature of the organisation, al-Shabaab would not have become the organisation it is today. However, the future of al-Shabaab is heavily dependent on the security situation within Somalia. The immediate objectives of the group are focused within Somalia. Therefore, if the state institutions are consolidated within the country and human security levels improve, the organisation will struggle to operate with the same freedom it currently enjoys.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Aligning local government service delivery communication with digital citizen engagement: a case study of Makana Municipality

  • Authors: Machiri, Mwazvita Chipo
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Political participation South Africa Makana , Municipal services South Africa Makana , Communication in public administration South Africa Makana , Internet in public administration South Africa Makana , Information technology South Africa Makana , Electronic government information South Africa Makana , Government accountability South Africa Makana
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194146 , vital:45423
  • Description: The effective management of local municipalities in South Africa determines the quality of service delivery to citizens. Policies and other legislation have been implemented in an attempt to improve service delivery backlogs in South Africa since post-apartheid. However, these have not been effective in meeting community needs, hence leading to poor service delivery and increased community protests of frustration. These problems are partly linked to the lack of communication between government and citizens, and within internal government. Government needs to be held accountable for the services it provides, and improve on these services through practicing transparency, providing information to citizens, and allowing citizens to provide feedback on the various challenges experienced. Information access and communication is vital to the citizen engagement process, as this supports evidence-based engagement between citizens and government. Over the most recent years, innovative ICTs have emerged as a critical strategic tool in facilitating communication between the government and its citizens, commonly referred to as digital citizen engagement. The effective implementation of such initiatives at the local government level, especially in resource-constrained contexts, is not straightforward. This research aims to develop a guiding framework for aligning municipal communication processes with innovative ICTs to support ongoing social accountability and transparency through citizen engagement in local municipalities. The formulation of this framework is built on the Adaptive Structuration Theory, which is based on studying organisational change that occurs due to implementation and adoption of technology. Using a pragmatist approach and case study of Makana Municipality, the research study investigates a digital citizen engagement initiative called MobiSAM (Mobile Social Accountability Monitoring). The key findings from the qualitative empirical investigation indicates that there are significant social and political factors to consider when aligning Digital Citizen Engagement initiatives in a resource-constrained environment. The findings illustrated that the change and alignment process of DCE in local municipalities rely on a diverse set of inputs from different stakeholders, and a dynamic change process, which result in key citizen engagement outcomes of empowerment, accountability, transparency, and increased engagement depending – all depending on the success of the process. The extent of the outcomes will vary with the effectiveness of change management, idea generation, and participation, which Preliminaries are impacted by perceived usefulness, attitude towards the system, and the intentions of the user. The proposed framework provides a guideline for the implementation and introduction of innovations ICTs for citizen engagement at local government level. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2018
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Allosteric Modulation of Human Hsp90α Conformational Dynamics:

  • Authors: Penkler, David L , Atilgan, Canan , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/162936 , vital:40998 , https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.7b00630
  • Description: Central to Hsp90’s biological function is its ability to interconvert between various conformational states. Drug targeting of Hsp90’s regulatory mechanisms, including its modulation by cochaperone association, presents as an attractive therapeutic strategy for Hsp90 associated pathologies. In this study, we utilized homology modeling techniques to calculate full-length structures of human Hsp90α in closed and partially open conformations and used these structures as a basis for several molecular dynamics based analyses aimed at elucidating allosteric mechanisms and modulation sites in human Hsp90α.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Alternatives to Development in Africa:

  • Authors: Matthews, Sally
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142202 , vital:38058 , ISBN 9783319675091 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67510-7_7
  • Description: Africa’s place in the world has been closely linked to the idea of development. Building on post-development theory’s critique of development, Matthews’ chapter asks whether and how we can move beyond development in Africa. She argues that contrary to the wishes of some post-development theorists, we cannot retrieve, discover, or create something that is purely not-development, entirely non-Western, and fully outside of coloniality. However, this does not mean that we ought to acquiesce in the face of the powerful discourses that have come to dominate the way in which we talk about Africa. The chapter tentatively explores some possible ways in which development can be both resisted and reappropriated in creative ways.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases as malarial drug targets: a comparative bioinformatics study

  • Authors: Nyamai, Dorothy Wavinya , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148368 , vital:38733 , DOI: 10.1101/440891
  • Description: Treatment of parasitic diseases has been challenging due to evolution of drug resistant parasites, and thus there is need to identify new class of drugs and drug targets. Protein translation is important for survival of malarial parasite, Plasmodium, and the pathway is present in all of its life cycle stages. Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases are primary enzymes in protein translation as they catalyse amino acid addition to the cognate tRNA. This study sought to understand differences between Plasmodium and human aminoacyl tRNA synthetases through bioinformatics analysis.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An action research approach: developing intercultural competence in German Studies at Rhodes University

  • Authors: Collins, Morgan Gwyneth
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Action research in education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , German language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , Cultural relations , Multicultural education , World citizenship
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63910 , vital:28505
  • Description: The need to develop interculturally competent graduates is a concern for universities across the world. In South African universities this need is linked to globalization and increased diversity in terms of student demographics since 1994. Considering the legacy of apartheid, South African universities especially, and pressingly, need to respond to both global and national diversity concerns. ICC can play a significant role in creating more culturally inclusive spaces as students are provided with opportunities to “relate to and with people from vastly different cultural and ethnic backgrounds” (Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009, p. 4). In a similar way, Germany has faced, and continues to face, challenges relating to diversity especially in relation to migrants and as such, interculturality is a topic of debate in society and scholarly discourse. Therefore, ICC is as relevant to German society as it is South African society. Courses that explicitly deal with ICC are however, not common in South African universities and discourse, and as a result universities are “missing out on developing students’ intercultural competence” (Deardorff & Quinlan, 2016). This thesis aimed to address this gap by investigating the viability and necessity of introducing a module that deals explicitly with ICC into the German Studies course at Rhodes University. In doing so it contributed to the creation of disciplinary knowledge as well as furthering the aim of aiding the creation of responsible global citizenship, alongside ‘academic citizenship’, and aiding the internationalisation at home concept by encouraging the students to understand their own lived reality in a diverse society. This research made use of an action research approach to implementing a module and tracing its development. Student responses, as well as reflection and observation, found that a module dealing explicitly with ICC was viable and able to contribute to developing students’ sense of cultural self-awareness and their awareness of ICC as a set of transferrable skills and knowledges. This module aimed to serve as an introduction to ICC for students in order to begin to develop their intercultural competence and increase their awareness and critical approach to culture and intercultural encounters.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An activity theoretical investigation into how leadership can be developed within a group of class monitors in a Namibian secondary school

  • Authors: Kalimbo, Tomas
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia , Educational leadership -- Namibia , Education, Secondary -- Namibia , Student government -- Namibia , Student participation in administration -- Namibia , Cultural Historical Activity Theory
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61734 , vital:28053
  • Description: Literature suggests that developing leadership in learners benefits them and their schools in general. Learners are prepared as future leaders and they gain leadership skills and democratic values and principles. Learner leaders therefore contribute to transformation in their schools. However, research on the same topic has also found that learners have limited leadership development opportunities, as they are not authentically and democratically involved in leadership in many schools. Informed by the distributed perspective of leadership, this study investigates how leadership can be developed within a group of class monitors in a Namibian secondary school. Its overarching goal was to develop leadership and build transformative agency within class monitors. The study was designed as an interventionist study, theoretically and analytically framed by Engestrom’s second generation of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Multiple methods were used for data collection, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis and Change Laboratory workshops. Data analysis took the form of content analysis and coding, as well as using the CHAT lens to surface contradictions. The findings of the study revealed that there was conceptual awareness on what learner leadership and leadership development meant among participants. However, little was being done to develop leadership in class monitors. Traditional leadership practices and cultural belief that learners are mere children, as well as confinement to formal leadership structures and policies were the main hindering inner contradictions within the research school. A formative intervention was instituted through the Change Laboratory workshop process and it resulted in leadership training to capacitate and empower class monitors, as well as enhance their transformative agency. The study thus recommends for a shift from traditional autocratic leadership practices to a contemporary distributed perspective of leadership that recognises the need to develop leadership in learners.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An analysis of fusing advanced malware email protection logs, malware intelligence and active directory attributes as an instrument for threat intelligence

  • Authors: Vermeulen, Japie
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Malware (Computer software) , Computer networks Security measures , Data mining , Phishing , Data logging , Quantitative research
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63922 , vital:28506
  • Description: After more than four decades email is still the most widely used electronic communication medium today. This electronic communication medium has evolved into an electronic weapon of choice for cyber criminals ranging from the novice to the elite. As cyber criminals evolve with tools, tactics and procedures, so too are technology vendors coming forward with a variety of advanced malware protection systems. However, even if an organization adopts such a system, there is still the daily challenge of interpreting the log data and understanding the type of malicious email attack, including who the target was and what the payload was. This research examines a six month data set obtained from an advanced malware email protection system from a bank in South Africa. Extensive data fusion techniques are used to provide deeper insight into the data by blending these with malware intelligence and business context. The primary data set is fused with malware intelligence to identify the different malware families associated with the samples. Active Directory attributes such as the business cluster, department and job title of users targeted by malware are also fused into the combined data. This study provides insight into malware attacks experienced in the South African financial services sector. For example, most of the malware samples identified belonged to different types of ransomware families distributed by known botnets. However, indicators of targeted attacks were observed based on particular employees targeted with exploit code and specific strains of malware. Furthermore, a short time span between newly discovered vulnerabilities and the use of malicious code to exploit such vulnerabilities through email were observed in this study. The fused data set provided the context to answer the “who”, “what”, “where” and “when”. The proposed methodology can be applied to any organization to provide insight into the malware threats identified by advanced malware email protection systems. In addition, the fused data set provides threat intelligence that could be used to strengthen the cyber defences of an organization against cyber threats.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An analysis of how visualisation processes can be used by teachers participating in an intervention programme to teach for conceptual understanding of geometry

  • Authors: Muhembo, Gottfried Mbundu
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Geometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Kavango East , Visualization , Mathematics teachers -- Namibia -- Kavango East , Effective teaching -- Namibia -- Kavango East , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62439 , vital:28190
  • Description: Visualisation in general and visualisation processes in particular have received much attention in the mathematics education research literature. Literature suggests that the appropriate use of visualisation helps learners to develop their conceptual understanding and skills of geometry as it allows them to visually interpret and understand fundamental mathematical and geometrical concepts. It is claimed that visual tools play an important role in communicating mathematical ideas through diagrams, gestures, images, sketches or drawings. Learning mathematics through visualisation can be a powerful tool to explore mathematical problems and give meaning to mathematical concepts and relationships between them. This interpretive case study focused on how selected teachers taught concepts in geometry through visualisation processes for conceptual understanding as a result of an intervention programme. The study was conducted at four high schools by four mathematics teachers in the Kavango East Region in Northern Namibia. The participants were involved in a three-week intervention programme and afterwards taught three lessons each on the topic of geometry. The data collection method of this research was: focus group and stimulus recall interviews, classroom observations and recorded videos. This research is located in constructivism. I used vertical and horizontal analysis strategies to analyse the data. My analytical instrument consisted of an observation schedule which I used in each lesson to identify how each of the visualisation processes was evident in each of the observed lessons. This study revealed that the participant teachers used visualisation processes in most of their lessons and these processes were used accurately in line with the requirements of the grade 8 mathematics syllabi. The visualisation processes were used through designed visual materials, posters and through the use of geometrical objects such as chalkboard ruler, protractor and compass. The results from this study also confirmed that visualisation processes can be a powerful instructional tool for enhancing learners’ conceptual understanding of geometry.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An analysis of stakeholder engagement in the integrated development planning process: a case of Blue Crane Route Local Municipality

  • Authors: Marambana, Nonkululeko
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Stakeholder management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- Citizen participation , Government publicity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Blue Crane Route Local Municipality , Integrated Development Plan (IDP)
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63659 , vital:28466
  • Description: Stakeholder engagement in local government is a legislated function that should be implemented by appointed and elected government officials. The 2015/16 financial year report of the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), revealed challenges pertaining to stakeholder engagement processes by the Blue Crane Route Municipality (BCRM), in that stakeholder inputs were not incorporated in the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the 2016/17 financial year. The concern is that there is a gap regarding stakeholders’ engagement processes within BCRM and that affects the quality of IDP which serves as the municipal strategic document. The aim and objectives of this study are to understand stakeholder engagement processes on the IDP formulation by the BCRM in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research questions are: How does BCRM conduct stakeholder engagement processes during IDP formulation? What institutional arrangements are in place for stakeholder engagement? And recommendation on how stakeholder engagement processes can be improved within the BCRM? The research questions were answered through a qualitative study, where data was collected through face-to-face interviews, focus groups and a document review. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the municipal manager and the managers responsible for IDP as well as the officer responsible for public participation. Focus group sessions were conducted with the community leaders and the departmental leadership. Documents that were reviewed included IDP and process plans, minutes from community consultation meetings, public participation policies, and intergovernmental relations terms of reference. The responses received showed gaps in the following: institutional arrangements related to the integration of stakeholder engagement in municipal key performance indicators and procedures; communication between the municipality and stakeholders; community education related to the impact on community stakeholder engagement, and management processes related to the stakeholder database, capacity development, records management, collaboration and cooperation. Further research on how the municipality communicates and imparts knowledge to its stakeholders is recommended as it could contribute significantly to the body of knowledge.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

An analysis of the asset-based community development approach to early childhood development interventions in Grahamstown township pre-schools: a case study of the Centre for Social Development and Rhodes University Community Engagement

  • Authors: Maponya, Mapula
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63670 , vital:28469
  • Description: Is the glass half-full or half-empty? The purpose of this research was to show how Centre for Social Development and Rhodes University Community Engagement applies the Asset-Based Community Development approach in ECD interventions in Grahamstown township pre-schools. The subsidiary goals of the research were to highlight the challenges in the Early Childhood Development sector in Gahamstown, find out how the approach contributes to empowerment, participation and sustainability, and analyse the challenges that CSD and RUCE face in applying the approach and the relationship between the two organisations. The case study focused on the Centre for Social Development (CSD) and Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE). These two cases established projects that aim to improve Grahamstown township pre-schools. The apartheid system created a childhood of adversity for black children including inadequate access to social services, quality nutrition, health care and education. Black children in rural areas and townships faced tremendous obstacles in terms of access to quality ECD centres due to poverty and lack of adequate resources. In Grahamstown, various problems such as unemployment, poverty and restrictive apartheid regulations created a need for ECD interventions. Both organisations applied the Asset-Based Community Development approach to improve ECD in Grahamstown. The asset-based approach was created as a response to the impact of the needs-based approach. The needs- based approach focuses on deficiencies that exist in a community and uses outside experts and resources to address the deficiencies. The needs-based approach builds communities from the outside in, further disempowers community members and creates an environment of dependency. The asset-based approach on the other hand, was created to change the legacy of dependency by focusing on capacity building. A capacity-focused paradigm recognizes the gifts, skills and talents of community members. This approach is bottom- up beginning with what is available in the community and building on that. The approach aims to empower people, create a positive outlook on circumstances, and encourages organisations to work together with community members in community development projects. To achieve the main and subsidiary goals of the research, qualitative research was conducted using the case study method. In pursuing the objective of the thesis, I conducted research among ECD practitioners, student volunteers and staff from CSD and RUCE. Based on the findings it is clear that the application of the Asset-Based approach has a positive impact on ECD practitioners, children at the pre-schools and student volunteers. Through the application of the ABCD approach, ECD practitioners became proactive and took the driving seat in the development process. The ECD practitioners built strong relationships with community members and outside organisations. They have improved their skills and qualifications, and are on their way to restoring their agency, finding their voice and achieving independence. This has a positive impact on children at the pre-schools as they receive quality education and care. There are various challenges and contradictions in the application of the approach but the ECD practitioners view the communities in which they operate as half-full and not half-empty
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  • Date Issued: 2018
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