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The media, Equal Education and school learners : an investigation of the possibility of 'political listening' in the South African education crisis

  • Authors: Mufamadi, Azwihangwisi Eugene
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Equal Education (Nonprofit organisation) Journalism, Educational -- South Africa Educational equalization -- South Africa Journalism -- Political aspects -- South Africa Education -- Citizen participation Educational change -- South Africa Qualitative research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3524 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011874
  • Description: This study sets out to investigate democratic participation in South Africa and the role that media play and can potentially play within this context. It considers a social movement, as one way in which citizens can organise themselves and make their voices heard to improve their chances of making a meaningful contribution to democracy. It employs Susan Bickford's theory of 'political listening', which offers a potential solution to the lack of political representativeness and inclusiveness, by focusing on the way citizens relate to each other through speaking, listening and dialogue. This study examines whether the interaction between learners and the social movement Equal Education could be considered 'political listening', and the current and possible role of the media within this context of participation. The study also attempts to develop and make a contribution to the language of description for the theory of political listening in order to map it onto the data. Using evidence or data gathered through observation of Equal Education's youth group meetings with learners and in-depth interviews with learners, youth group facilitators, Equal Education staff members and journalists, this study shows how the interaction amongst learners and between Equal Education and learners could be considered political listening and how the social movement works as a democratic project which offers learners an opportunity to exercise their citizenship. Furthermore, it also details the current role of the media and possible role of the media as perceived by Equal Education, learners and by journalists who report on Equal Education's activities. The study does not make conclusive claims about whether 'political listening' occurs between Equal Education and learners and the media because the study is exploratory in nature and involves a lot of trial and error when it comes to applying the theory of political listening to interview and textual data, which is a communication context that the theory is only beginning to chart.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The natural history of the humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa : age, growth and reproduction

  • Authors: Nolte, Zianca
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Sousa -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Dolphins -- Behavior -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Dolphins -- Age determination -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Dolphins -- Development -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Dolphins -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal -- Reproduction , Dolphins -- Physiology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5878 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013178
  • Description: Globally, inshore cetaceans are being threatened by a number of anthropogenic activities. The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis, is currently listed as ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In order to be able to advise on management and conservation strategies, knowledge on the life history of the species is required. To date very little is known about the biology of humpback dolphins. The aim of the present study was to determine basic life history parameters, including age, growth and reproduction of humpback dolphins incidentally caught in shark nets. Age was estimated by counting the growth layer groups (GLGs) in the dentine and cementum of sectioned and stained teeth. Both a Von Bertalanffy and a Gompertz growth curve fitted well to the data, but for comparison with previous studies on Sousa, the Gompertz growth function was adopted to describe the relationship between length and age for KwaZulu-Natal populations. Length at birth was estimated between 104.33 and 111.57 cm for males and females, respectively. Asymptotic length was reached at 266.48 cm and 239.29 cm for males and females, respectively. This corresponds to the attainment of physical maturity at 24 GLGs in males and 16 GLGs in females. Asymptotic mass for males could not be determined, while for females it occurred around 160 kg. The maximum age estimates and recorded lengths were 24 GLGs and 279 cm for males and 17.7 GLGs and 249 cm for females. Differences in length-at-age and mass-at-age for S. chinensis suggest sexual dimorphism. The attainment of sexual maturity in males occurred between 9 and 10 GLGs, corresponding to 230 cm total body length and 140 kg. The maximum combined testis mass of mature males comprised 0.42% of total body mass, and a roving male mating system was proposed. In females, sexual maturity occurred around 7.6 GLG, between 220 and 222 cm and 104 - 140 kg. The ovulation rate is estimated at 0.2 ovulations per annum, suggesting a calving interval of five years. It is evident from the results obtained in the present study that geographical differences exist in the life history parameters of S. chinensis. As a result, regional conservation and management strategies are imperative. Results from this study can therefore assist in assessing the status of existing population structures in the KwaZulu-Natal coastal waters, and the implementation of regional mitigation strategies to ensure the continued survival of humpback dolphins in the region.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The networking of chaperones by co-chaperones: control of cellular protein homeostasis

  • Authors: Edkins, Adrienne L , Blatch, Gregory L
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165107 , vital:41209 , ISBN 978-3-319-11731-7
  • Description: Co-chaperones are important mediators of the outcome of chaperone assisted protein homeostasis, which is a dynamic balance between the integrated processes of protein folding, degradation and translocation. The Networking of Chaperones by Co-chaperones describes how the function of the major molecular chaperones is regulated by a cohort of diverse non-client proteins, known as co-chaperones. The second edition includes the current status of the field and descriptions of a number of novel co-chaperones that have been recently identified. This new edition has a strong focus on the role of co-chaperones in human disease and as putative drug targets. The book will be a resource for both newcomers and established researchers in the field of cell stress and chaperones, as well as those interested in cross-cutting disciplines such as cellular networks and systems biology.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The origin of endorheic pans on the African erosion surface North of Grahamstown, South Africa

  • Authors: Alistoun, Judith Robyn
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4775 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011048
  • Description: Pans on the African Erosion Surface near Grahamstown are small features, which, perhaps due to their small size have been neglected by researchers. From the outset the striking difference of these pans relative to other pans in southern Africa, is that the host rock is silcrete, a highly resistant rock well known as being associated with deeply weathered plateaus. The dominant origin theory for pans in southern Africa was developed by Goudie and Thomas (1985), and focuses on mechanisms relating to erosion and deflation. This model does not fit in well with the pans that have formed on substrate that has largely been unaffected by erosion in recent geological history (thousands to 10 000 years). As such this study examined the role of prolonged chemical weathering of Dwyka Tillite, that has led to the formation of silcrete. The hypothesis was that such deep weathering is responsible for local scale volume changes, which have in turn led to the formation of a depression. The centre of the pan indicated the highest concentration of Al₂O₃ and kaolinite at mid depths, and their concentrations decreased vertically away from these depths, and laterally towards the margins of the pan. Similar results were noted for SiO₂, while CaO and MgO (and calcite and dolomite) were highest at mid depths along the margins of the pan, and decreased laterally toward the centre of the pan. Results indicated that there was a positive relationship in the centre of the pan between: - the degree of chemical weathering and volume losses, - relative elevation of the pan and volume changes. Geochemically and mineralogically, there was a link between the high concentrations of Ca and Mg carbonates and volume gains in the margin of the pans. It is proposed that transpiration of vegetation along the margin of the pan caused the lateral movement of solutes, and the selective exclusion of these solutes by plants was associated with carbonate precipitation, leading to the creation of local relief. These results provide evidence to suggest that weathering and precipitation processes occurring over geological time scales are responsible for minor scale relief features, whose origin has been mistakenly attributed to deflation processes occurring over hundreds to thousands of years.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The participation of rural women in local governance structures in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality since 2013

  • Authors: Mathabathe, Pheladi
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Limpopo -- Citizen participation , Political participation -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Rural women -- South Africa -- Limpopo
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6530 , vital:21104
  • Description: The rural women in EMLM hew the wood, carry water, satisfy the men, produce and take care of the children to continue the family tree, and manage all the household chores. Their contribution is central to the effective functioning of families and communities. Yet, in terms of decision-making and local governance structures, they are absent. Indeed, there is truly a large constituency of women out there who are largely unrepresented; and therefore, they have no idea how governance is conducted – even around them. This is unfair, especially in jurisdictions where women are clearly in the majority. It is inconceivable that local governance structures have over a decade recorded only a single elected female member. With this in mind, this study seeks to explore the extent of rural women’s participation in local governance in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality. It is a comparison of traditional and democratic local governance structures; and the methods the researcher has used are qualitative and quantitative data on women councillors from 2013, in order to assess the factors that may be accountable for their small numbers, as compared to their male counterparts. The conclusion drawn was that the social structure, its traditions and cultural was identified in the study as the main obstacle to the advancement of women in the political arena. This study has not exhausted all the facets of the challenges; but it has brought a few to the fore, in an attempt to help stimulate debate, and inform policy and practice in the future.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The pastoral, the primal and the post-apartheid sublime in Justin Cartwright's White Lightning

  • Authors: Klopper, Dirk
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/458599 , vital:75755 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC171543
  • Description: Country is a familiar topos in South African literature, featuring in travel writing and the farm novel, in imperial romance and postcolonial narratives, as pastoral and as anti-pastoral, an uncanny presence in the landscape of modernity. A surprising number of recent South African novels present what may be called post-apartheid country narratives. I am particularly interested in the return to country in J. M. Coetzee's Disgrace, Justin Cartwright's White Lightning, and Damon Galgut's The Impostor. Given the history of settler occupation of the land, and the literary deployment of the idea of the land both to posit and to problematize white settler identity, why these stories of a white man's return to the land in the post-apartheid period? What is the impulse behind retracing of contested ground?.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The perceived visual impacts and attitudes of the Grahamstown community towards the Waainek Wind-Farm

  • Authors: Cruickshank, Kyle Mark
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Renewable energy sources -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Wind power plants -- South Africa -- Grahamstown -- Public opinion Wind power plants -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Wind power plants -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Wind power plants -- Economic aspects -- South Africa Wind turbines -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEcon
  • Identifier: vital:1085 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011768
  • Description: Renewable energy has become an important feature of most modern economies with clean and non-exhaustible sources of power being given a greater significance. Wind energy is one of the favoured renewable, as it is (2013) generally the cheapest and most mature technology available for commercial use. The South African government, as outlined by the Department of Energy's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), aims to install 5 GW (Gigawatts) of wind energy by 2020. However, South Africa has had little experience in the wind energy industry which is limited to two projects, Klipheuwel (2002) and Darling (2008). Much effort has been dedicated to calculating balance sheet costs, which carries uncertainty due to the high reliance on country specific and site specific variables. An aspect which deserves more attention, and is often ignored, is the public‟s attitudes towards local wind farm developments, which have been known to "make or break" a project during the planning stages. Public backlashes have mostly been concerned with the visual "intrusiveness" of wind farms in the landscape. Detrimental effects on scenery, while seemingly innocuous, are acknowledged as being the single largest barrier to successful wind farm development. Individuals within an area become sentimentally attached to their surroundings, where significant rapid changes in the landscape are viewed as "damage". Economics recognises such declines in scenic resources as market failures, where an externalised cost is passed on to the public and is often not accounted for by private parties responsible for the liability. The primary objective therefore was to measure the magnitude of the visual impact, caused by the Waainek Wind Farm, on the Grahamstown community. Conventional NIMBY¹ (not in my back yard) reasoning, which seeks to explain local wind farm resistance, has attracted criticism with regard to its simplistic approach to wind farm problem identification. Contemporary arguments propose that NIMBY is a poor explanation for the trouble experienced on the local level because it groups problems into one all-encompassing term, leaving much of the discontent unexplained. Instead, the NIMBY explanation is really a broad set of unattended problems, largely resulting from the unsound practices present in the public participation process. Insufficient community involvement and disparities in the negotiation power structures have become the recent focus in wind farm literature. Essentially, these disparities force opposition groups to select factors which may seem more serious to developers, leading to ineffective remedial measures because the core underlying problems are not being remedied. Thus these considerations formed an additional area of investigation. No NIMBY effect was found for the Grahamstown community, as support for both the local and general level was roughly 80%. The public participation process on the other hand revealed that while many found the practices of the developer to be unfair, attitudes towards the wind farm were not adversely affected, especially for the lower income Grahamstown East areas. While the public participation process in this instance did not have any effect on people’s attitudes, careful inspection of the circumstances need to be given. Wind farms are new to South Africa, where the novelty and benefits are the focus of enthusiasm. Job opportunities as well as clean energy are positive drivers for attitudes; however given time, once the anticipation for wind farms dulls, real problems may be revealed. Thus it is crucial to implement good practice procedures during the public participation process, especially when national adoption rates of wind energy are low. Early implementation of an effective public participation process system will ensure that when major problems do arise in future projects, experience and institutional processes would have had ample opportunity to evolve appropriately over a period of time. The double bounded Contingent Valuation Method was used to value the impact of the wind farm on the Waainek scenery through a hypothetical scenario based procedure which presented pictures of the landscape before and after the wind farm had been installed. Based on the perceived impact of the wind farm, respondents were asked their Willingness to Pay to relocate the development, based solely on visual impacts. Learning design Contingent Valuation (Bateman et al., 2008) is a novel technique employed to familiarize respondents with the hypothetical market institution as well as the scenic goods being valued. Average Willingness to Pay was found to be R67 per month, with a final total monthly negative visual impact of R104,000 to R121,000 per month for the entire Grahamstown community. Grahamstown Central (middle-high income) residents were more likely to pay than Grahamstown East (low-middle income) East residents because of socio-economic differences present in each area. A ranking exercise determined that while negative visual impacts are present, the overall benefits derived from the wind farm are potentially much higher. Additionally, positive scenic improvements were found, but were not measured due to time constraints, and would have worked to reduce the net visual impact of the Waainek Wind Farm. ¹Problem where individuals support the general concept of wind power, but when it comes to local implementation, opposition to the development arises within the same group.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The personality of an entrepreneur : a psychobiography of Steve Jobs

  • Authors: Ndoro, Tinashe T R
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Jobs, Steve, 1955-2011 -- Psychology , Personality assessment , Psychology -- Biographical methods , Businesspeople -- Psychology , Psychohistory , Entrepreneurship -- United States , Businesspeople -- United States
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:833 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013215
  • Description: From Integrative Summary: There has been a growing interest in successful entrepreneurs. Research on entrepreneurship has focused on the identification of personality variables that would assist in the prediction of entrepreneurial success. The present study moves away from attempting to predict entrepreneurial success and instead focuses on exploring and describing the personality of a successful entrepreneur. A psychobiographical case study was adopted by the researcher to explore and describe the extent to which Steve Jobs demonstrated the entrepreneurial characteristics identified by Rauch and Frese (2007). A personality trait approach to entrepreneurship was adopted in the study. The study also attempted to explore the socio-cultural and economic context within which Jobs practised his entrepreneurial activities. Jobs was a successful entrepreneur who co-founded Apple and founded NeXT and Pixar, which were all companies that transformed various technological industries. His entrepreneurial orientation allowed him to produce innovative products that transformed society in various sectors which included personal computing, mobile phones, music, retail stores and films (Isaacson, 2011). A qualitative approach was adopted in the study. The data collection and analysis was guided by the three linked sub-processes proposed by Miles and Huberman (2002) which involved data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings of this study showed that Jobs demonstrated, at varying levels, all the entrepreneurial characteristics identified by Rauch and Frese (2007) which included a need of achievement, risk-taking, innovativeness, autonomy, locus of control and self-efficacy. The researcher however noted that the desire for autonomy, risk-taking, innovativeness and self-efficacy were the most dominant characteristics driving his entrepreneurial orientation. The research thesis adopted the structure of a teaching case which can be used to explore and discuss the personality trait perspective to entrepreneurship in a classroom setting. The findings of the study can be recognised as positively contributing to the growing field of psychobiographical research on exceptional individuals, including entrepreneurs. The study can be considered as a foundation for future studies which will add to the body of knowledge relating to entrepreneurship and personality.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The plasmodium falciparum exported Hsp40 co-chaperone, PFA0660w

  • Authors: Daniyan, Michael Oluwatoyin
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Molecular chaperones Heat shock proteins Proteins -- Analysis Proteins -- Structure Plasmodium Plasmodium falciparum Malaria -- Prevention -- Research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:4108 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011780
  • Description: Plasmodium falciparum is the pathogen that is responsible for the most virulent, severe and dangerous form of human malaria infection, accounting for nearly a million deaths every year. To survive and develop in the unusual environment of the red blood cells, the parasite causes structural remodelling of the host cell and biochemical changes through the export of virulence factors. Among the exportome are the molecular chaperones of the heat shock protein family, of which Hsp40s and Hsp70s are prominent. PF A0660w, a type II P. falciparum Hsp40, has been shown to be exported in complex with PfHsp70-x into the infected erythrocyte, suggesting possible functional interactions. However, the chaperone properties of PF A0660w and its interactions with proteins of parasite and human origin are yet to be investigated. Using a codon optimised coding region, PF A0660w was successfully expressed in E. coli M 15 [pREP4] cells. However, the expressed protein was largely deposited as insoluble pellet, and analysis of the pellets revealed a high percentage of PF A0660w, characteristic of inclusion body formation. PF A0660w was purified from inclusion bodies using additive enhanced solubilisation and refolding buffers followed by nickel affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE and western analysis revealed that the purified protein was of high purity. Size exclusion chromatography showed that the protein existed as a monomer in solution and the secondary structure analysis using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the success of the refolding approach. Its monomeric state suggests that PF A0660w may be functionally different from other Hsp40 that form dimers and that for PF A0660w, dimer formation may not be needed to maintain the stability of the protein in solution, but may occur in response to functional necessities during its interaction with partner Hsp70. PFA0660w was able to significantly stimulate the ATPase activity ofPfl-Isp70-x but not Pfl-Isp70-1 or human Hsp70 (HsHsp70), suggesting a specific functional interaction. Also, PF A0660w produced a dose dependent suppression of rhodanese aggregation and cooperated with Pfl-Isp70-1, PfHsp70-x and HsHsp70 to cause enhanced aggregation suppression. Its ability to independently suppress aggregation may help to maintain substrates in an unfolded conformation for eventual transfer to partner Hsp70s during refolding processes. Also, the in vivo characterisation using a PF A0660w peptide specific antibody confirmed that PF A0660w was exported into the cytosol of infected erythrocytes. Its lack of induction upon heat shock suggests that PF A0660w may not be involved in the response of the parasite to heat stress. Overall, this study has provided the first heterologous over-expression, purification and biochemical evidence for the possible functional role of PF A0660w, and has thereby provided the needed background for further exploration of this protein as a potential target for drug discovery.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The play, Mies Julie, and the issue of land redistribution in the context of the revisionist western genre

  • Authors: Emery, David
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Land reform in literature , Land reform -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:8435 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020954
  • Description: The play Miss Julie was published by playwright August Strindberg in 1888. It is a comment on the class issues in Sweden at the time (Leib, 2011). This commentary is achieved through telling the fictional tale of Julie, the daughter of a wealthy Swedish landowner, Jean, her father’s manservant, and Kristin, Jean’s betrothed who is also the house cook. During the course of a night and the next morning, Jean and Julie admit their feelings for one another, sleep together and plan to run away to start a hotel. In the morning, they ask Kristin to join them when they encounter her on her way to church. She refuses and vows to put an end to their plans. Seeing no way out, and fearing the wrath of Julie’s father, Jean hands Julie a razor and she walks outside, the inference being that she will commit suicide. The play Mies Julie is a South African adaptation, by South African playwright Yael Farber, of the August Strindberg play Miss Julie set in a farming kitchen in the Eastern Cape Karoo that premiered at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2012. It has since been brought to London, the Edinburgh Festival and New York. Mies Julie presents a power struggle between Julie, the daughter of the white Afrikaans farm owner, and John, her father’s favourite farm worker and the son of Christine, the housekeeper who raised Julie. By altering Christine’s role from that in Strindberg’s play, where she was John’s (there Jean’s) fiancé, to that of John’s mother and Julie’s nursemaid, playwright Yael Farber has brought to the fore an interesting irony of South Africa’s history, which has been observed by Ena Jansen (2011) – white children who are raised, both during and post-apartheid, by black women who become part of the household of the privileged white families they work for.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The post-secondary education system: Towards policy formulation for equality and development

  • Authors: Badat, Saleem
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: Text
  • Identifier: vital:7861 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016410
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The potential and reality of the Living Lab model of ICT for Development (ICT4D) in the rural development context : the case of Siyakhula Living Lab, Dwesa, Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Mosuoe, Teboho Priscilla
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Siyakhula Living Lab , Information technology -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe , Communication in economic development -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe , Rural development -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe , Rural development -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe -- Sociological aspects , Rural development projects -- Evaluation , Social networks -- South Africa -- Dwesa-Cwebe
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: vital:3381 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013289
  • Description: This thesis explores the contribution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in rural development processes. Within the framework of social capital theory, and in the context of the information society, the study examines how the collaborative and innovative model of ICT for Development (ICT4D) can enhance social networks and information channels in rural communities, thereby enabling the active participation of rural community members in their own development processes. The study examines networks and information channels both within the rural communities under investigation and between these communities and other sectors in the society. The thesis studies the case of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL), an ICT4D initiative in the Mbashe Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. During the investigation, four types of networks were identified: local organisations, social institutions, collective community projects and social ties. It was found that the Living Lab has so far influenced the creation of new forms of networks through the common spaces (computer labs) which have been made available by the Living Lab. The study further showed that the use of computers has enabled other community members to partake in the wider community of online/virtual social networks, allowing them to communicate and share information with those outside their own communities. The study also showed that the Living Lab has enabled the networking of these communities with other sectors such as academia. It was, however, found that so far the existence of the Living Lab has not influenced the already existing local networks in these communities. Also, the study showed that the relationship between these rural communities and their government and industry partners as stakeholders in the Living Lab is currently ineffective. Nevertheless, this situation has a potential to change in the future as there are ICT applications which have been developed through collaboration with rural community members, which will assist in enhancing communication between these rural communities and other stakeholders. The study finally revealed that social networks do contribute to the functioning of communities by providing both monetary and social support to community members, even though, in effect, the monetary benefits are somewhat limited by a number of factors. It is revealed that the engagement of ICT could go a long way in improving social and economic activities, governance and service delivery, as well as education in these communities.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The potential for solar water heaters in urban development in KwaZulu-Natal

  • Authors: Dlepu, Thobisa Miranda
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Solar water heaters , Solar heating , Renewable energy sources
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9251 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021184
  • Description: The study found that investing in solar water heater system (SWH) would be an economically, socially and environmentally viable option to implement within urban households; in which the hot water demand, volume of hot water consumption, water heating costs, and electricity tariffs are high. Investing in solar water heater technology should be the key focus of South African government; in order to enhance the wellbeing of the ordinary citizens. The study made use of the qualitative research approach to investigate solar water heater drivers and barriers; from the perspective of energy consumers. This will be achieved by focusing on the major drivers and barriers that consumers consider when making decisions on adoption of solar water heater system. It is believed that solar water heater drivers and barriers substantially influence the potential and urban development thereof. Solar heat is utilized in the residential sector for heating water for bathing, cleaning, washing and cooking food, but its availability is limited (Arora & Arora, 2013). Renewable energy has become a wild card internationally and regionally because of the technical, economic and environmental barriers affecting the disadvantaged individuals.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The potential role of schools in skills development of local communities

  • Authors: Mthabela, Samson Mandlenkosi
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Community development , Community schools
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4485 , vital:20606
  • Description: South Africa is faced with socio-economic challenges of poverty, unemployment, health issues, drug abuse and many more. Stakeholders such as public, private sectors as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are trying to address some of these socio-economic challenges. For example, the public sector has initiated amongst other programs, an Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) to create job opportunities specifically for semi-skilled and unskilled people, private sector is offering learner-ship opportunities to newly qualified students in order to gain work experience and NGOs have initiated various community based programs where community members are assisted to make a living and being cautioned about health and other issues through awareness campaigns. This research has been initiated to try and address skills shortages that could reduce unemployment and further assist community members to make a living through starting their own businesses. The researcher has identified schools as one of the community resources that could be used to teach basic skills in the communities as schools have human and physical resources that could be utilized to teach these skills. For this research specific school subjects in particular have been identified as having the potential of transferring the theory that is taught in schools into skills which could be taught to community members. The community skills development program was a proposed tool and if is set up could try and address the skills shortages in communities. The research has been conducted focusing on school teachers teaching specific subjects as well as community development practitioners. The majority of research participants’ responses were positive about the setting up of a skills development program. Benefits for community members such as employment which could reduce poverty, crime and drug abuse were highlighted while challenges such as funding and availability of facilitators were also mentioned. A further study has been recommended to continue with specific processes of setting up this skill development program.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The preparation of antigen for the generation of polyclonal antibodies against the capsid subunit, VP1, and the viral protease, 3Cpro, of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)

  • Authors: Moetlhoa, Boitumelo
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Enteroviruses , Encephalomyelitis , Antigens
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4118 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013225
  • Description: The Picornaviridae is a family of viruses of economic importance that have a major impact on human and animal health. Some of the major genera found in the Picornaviridae family are Enterovirus which includes Poliovirus (PV) and Human Rhinovirus (HRV), Cardiovirus which includes Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) and Saffold virus (SAFV), Aphthovirus of which the Foot and Mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a member and Hepatovirus which includes Hepatitis A virus (HAV). Picornaviruses have a single stranded, positive sense RNA genome which is approximately 7.5-8.4 kb pairs in size. The picornavirus genome is translated into a large polyprotein and is proteolytically cleaved by viral proteases namely 2Apro, 3Cpro and 3CDpro into mature viral structural and non-structural polypeptides encoded by the P1, P2 and P3 domains. Picornaviruses utilise host cell machinery and cellular pathways for entry and uncoating, genome replication and capsid assembly. In our laboratory, we are studying the mechanisms by which TMEV interacts with host cell components and our recent research shows that molecular chaperones are required for a production infection. To follow up on this observation, the overall aim of this study was to prepare antigen for the generation of polyclonal antibodies against the TMEV VP1 and 3Cpro proteins. To this end, the TMEV VP1 and 3Cpro amino acid sequences were analysed to identify hydrophobic, hydrophilic and antigenic regions. Homology modelling was performed in order to predict linear B cell epitopes exposed on the surface of the protein structures. The full length coding sequences of VP1 and 3Cpro were selected for amplification by the PCR and cloning into pQE-80L for expression in a bacterial system. Time course induction studies of recombinant VP1 and 3Cpro showed that the proteins were maximally expressed at 6 hrs and 4 hrs respectively. Recombinant VP1 was solubilised using the detergent, Sarcosyl and purified by Nickel affinity chromatography under native conditions. Because recombinant VP1 co-purified with an unidentified protein, the pET expression system was used. Although no protein of the estimated size was observed by SDS-PAGE analysis in the time course induction study, Western analysis using anti-His6 (2) antibodies detected a signal of ~35 kDa. Solubility studies resulted in the presence of two protein bands in the insoluble fraction resolved between 35 and 40 kDa. Recombinant 3Cpro expressed in a bacterial system was predominantly present in the insoluble fraction. Treatment with Sarcosyl had no effect on the solubility of the recombinant protein and it was therefore purified under denaturing conditions using 8M urea. Following dialysis, 3Cpro was used for immunisation of rabbits. Crude anti-TMEV 3Cpro antibodies were able to detect as little as 107 ng of bacterially expressed antigen at a dilution of 1:100 000 by Western analysis. The presence of contaminating proteins was reduced using pre-cleared anti-TMEV 3Cpro antibodies. The antibodies were unable to detect virally expressed 3Cpro in BHK-21 cell lysate supernatant. In an attempt to determine whether TMEV 3Cpro is present in the insoluble fraction, anti-TMEV 3Cpro antibodies were tested using total protein prepared from infected and mock-infected cell lysates. Once again, no protein band the size of 3Cpro was detected. The antibodies were further tested for detection of 3Cpro in TMEV-infected cells by indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. A diffuse cytoplasmic and perinuclear distribution, as well as nuclear staining, was observed in infected BHK-21 cells. This staining pattern resembled that observed for the HRV, FMDV and EMCV 3Cpro in similar experiments. Further experiments are required to confirm specificity of these antibodies for virally-expressed 3Cpro by Western analysis and indirect immunofluorescence.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The presumption of gult created by Section 235(2) of the Tax Administration Act: a constitutional and comparative perspective

  • Authors: Faifi, Farai
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Guilt (Law) -- South Africa , Presumption of innocence -- South Africa , Income tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Human rights -- Taxation -- South Africa , Taxpayer compliance -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa , Taxation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: vital:907 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012979
  • Description: This research examined the legal nature of the presumption of guilt created by section 235(2) of the South African Tax Admiration Act and considered whether or not its practical application violates the taxpayer’s fundamental right contained in section 35(3) of the Constitution, which gives every accused taxpayer the right to a fair trial, including the right to be presumed innocent. The research also provided clarity on the constitutionality of this presumption because it has been widely criticised for unjustifiably violating the taxpayer's constitutional right to a fair trial. The conclusion reached is that the presumption created by section 235(2) of the Tax Administration Act constitutes an evidentiary burden rather than a reverse onus. It does not create the possibility of conviction, unlike a reverse onus where conviction is possible, despite the existence of a reasonable doubt. Therefore, it does not violate the accused taxpayer’s the right to a fair trial and the right to be presumed innocent and hence it is constitutional. Accordingly, the chances that the accused taxpayer will succeed in challenging the constitutionality of section 235(2) of the Act are slim.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The principle of complementarity : a critical analysis of Article 17 of the Rome Statute from an African perspective

  • Authors: Mohami, Thapelo Adelice
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Complementarity (International law) , Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (1998 July 17) , International Criminal Court , Criminal jurisdiction -- Africa , International crimes -- Africa , Crimes against humanity -- Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: vital:3720 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013326
  • Description: This thesis attempts to address perennial concerns, mostly raised in some quarters in Africa, pertaining to the development of the complementarity regime established by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It grapples with a very important question, whether the principle of complementarity, embodied in article 17 of the Rome Statute, was formulated and is being applied by the ICC in a manner that upholds the ideals and theories upon which the regime was founded. The principle of complementarity is designed to mediate the imperatives of State sovereignty and a legitimate international criminal justice system. Essentially, complementarity gives States latitude to try genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression nationally, with the ICC only intervening where States are either unable or unwilling to prosecute genuinely. Africa constitutes the biggest regional block of membership to the Rome Statute, however, over the years; support for the ICC on the African continent has waned. It has been argued in some quarters that the ICC is anti-African and that it has interpreted and applied complementarity in a manner that diminishes State sovereignty. The thesis argues that this tension may also be due to textual deficiencies inherent within the Rome Statute, in the provisions that embody this principle. It therefore examines complementarity from a theoretical perspective to provide a comprehensive account of the system contemplated by the drafters of the Rome Statute. In this regard, the thesis argues for expansion of States’ ability at the national level to deal with international crimes without compromising international criminal justice processes or threatening State sovereignty. This is suggested as a way of relieving the tension that has characterised the relationship between African States and the ICC. The thesis further sketches out some of the complexities inherent in the modalities through which the Court may exercise its complementary jurisdiction, particularly within the African continent, given that legal systems in most African countries are particularly weak. It thus dissects the provisions that outline the principle of complementarity in tandem with the Court’s interpretation and application of complementarity in practice. Furthermore, through an exploratory survey of the referral of the Situation in Uganda, and the ICC Prosecutor’s proprio motu investigation of the Situation in Kenya, the thesis illustrates how a positive approach to complementarity can help establish a healthy cooperative synergy between the ICC and States, thereby promoting a functional expeditious criminal justice system. This will go a long way towards assuaging State’s fears that the ICC merely pays lip service to complementarity and arbitrarily supersedes national jurisdiction.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The process of relational play therapy between a trainee therapist and a maltreated child : a case study

  • Authors: Watkiss, Sheralyn Ann
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Play therapy , Therapist and patient , Abused children
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9970 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020977
  • Description: Research in the field of attachment theory and object relations theory has indicated that early attachments between a child and his or her primary caregiver have significant implications for the development of that child. Early relationships begin to shape the child’s sense of self and other and healthy relationships lead to secure attachments. However, children who encounter early maltreatment or a disruption in caregivers are particularly vulnerable to developing insecure attachments and a disrupted sense of self and other, which has consequences for their subsequent psychological development. In the South African context, increasing numbers of children are being orphaned or placed in formal foster care with many children at risk for insecure attachments. This has implications for therapeutic work with an increased need to promote secure attachment relationships and a stable sense of self and other. The current case study aimed to describe the relational experience of play therapy that took place between a maltreated five year old female child and a female trainee therapist with this purpose in mind. The therapeutic process was embedded within a relational therapy framework which included object relations and attachment theory. The researcher made use of a qualitative descriptive dialogic research approach to conduct the research. The data were analysed using content analysis, where the play therapy sessions were analysed according to concepts relating to Fairbairn’s (1963) object relations theory as well as Winnicott’s (1965) object relations theory. Prominent themes that emerged included the role of the holding environment, splitting of good and bad objects and the presence of a false self versus a true self. In addition, the conflicting presence of two repressed ego structures, namely the libidinal and antilibidinal ego structure were noted throughout the therapeutic process.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

the programmable bride

  • Authors: Krueger, Anton
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229698 , vital:49701 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC156969"
  • Description: the man gently opens his machine and finding an agreeable port for his firm flash, he eagerly installs the software he's been waiting on for so very long... once booted up, the man takes his first tentative steps, finding his bride perfect in every way, already completely in love with him, and dreamy... the man tenderly reaches out for her-she understands him so well, she's concerned about his needs, she wants to know how he feels, wants only to please him, she only-/but-there's an interruption/somebody's on the stairs, someone's knocking at his door-the man is forced to close her down a little too abruptly, shutting the machine to attend to other matters while he's away he can't wait to get back, he thinks about her all the time; he longs to flip his laptop lid up, to open her again... but when finally he silently prises open the instrument of his heart's desires, she seems a little disorientated... he didn't shut her down properly …
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2014

The quality of life of adolescents living with early childhood HIV-Infection on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Port Elizabeth

  • Authors: Vazi, Thulani
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: HIV infections -- Treatment -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Antiretroviral agents -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , AIDS (Disease) in adolescence
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9973 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021043
  • Description: This study aimed to explore and describe the quality of life of adolescents living with early childhood HIV infection on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in Port Elizabeth. The advent of HAART has resulted in HIV being managed as a chronic illness, instead of the fatal disease that it once was. Children born with HIV can now live longer lives, progressing to adolescence and beyond. Chronic illness is known to impact one’s quality of life, so does adolescent development. A convenient sample of 31 adolescents was used in this study, with an exploratorydescriptive research design. The data was gathered using a cross cultural structured questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization, as well as through individual interviews. The data was then analysed by means of descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis. The results identified and presented the quality of life issues that are specific to this population. The results indicate that HIV as a chronic illness does impact the quality of life of adolescents. The adolescents living with early childhood HIV-infection on HAART in this study were very satisfied with their perceptions of their overall quality of life and general health perceptions. They were least satisfied in the Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs and Social Relationships domains; and were most satisfied in the Level of Independence and the Psychological domains. There is a need for the development of (medical and psychosocial) services that can focus on adolescents as a special population with specific developmental needs in order to improve their treatment outcomes and quality of life.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2014
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