Postcolonial monuments and public sculpture in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Samwanda, Biggie
- Date: 2013 , 2013-10-10
- Subjects: Benhura, Dominic, 1968- -- Criticism and interpretation Madebe, Adam -- Criticism and interpretation Postcolonialism and the arts Monuments -- Zimbabwe Public sculpture -- Zimbabwe Art -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe Collective memory in art -- Zimbabwe Old Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) National Heroes Acre (Zimbabwe)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2447 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006825
- Description: The study critically examines public art in postcolonial Zimbabwe‘s cities of Harare and Bulawayo. In a case by case approach, I analyse the National Heroes Acre and Old Bulawayo monuments, and three contemporary sculptures – Dominic Benhura‘s Leapfrog (1993) and Adam Madebe‘s Ploughman (1987) and Looking into the future (1985). I used a qualitative research methodology to collect and analyse data. My research design utilised in-depth interviews, observation, content and document analysis, and photography to gather nuanced data and these methods ensured that data collected is validated and/or triangulated. I argue that in Zimbabwe, monuments and public sculpture serve as the necessary interface of the visual, cultural and political discourse of a postcolonial nation that is constantly in transition and dialogue with the everyday realities of trying to understand and construct a national identity from a nest of sub-cultures. I further argue that monuments and public sculpture in Zimbabwe abound with political imperatives given that, as visual artefacts that interlace with ritual performance, they are conscious creations of society and are therefore constitutive of that society‘s heritage and social memory. Since independence in 1980, monuments and public sculpture have helped to open up discursive space and dialogue on national issues and myths. Such discursive spaces and dialogues, I also argue, have been particularly animated from the late 1990s to the present, a period in which the nation has engaged in self-introspection in the face of socio-political change and challenges in the continual process of imagining the Zimbabwean nation. Little research focusing on postcolonial public art in Zimbabwe has hitherto been undertaken. This study addresses gaps in this literature while also providing a spring board from which future studies may emerge. , Microsoft� Word 2010 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Samwanda, Biggie
- Date: 2013 , 2013-10-10
- Subjects: Benhura, Dominic, 1968- -- Criticism and interpretation Madebe, Adam -- Criticism and interpretation Postcolonialism and the arts Monuments -- Zimbabwe Public sculpture -- Zimbabwe Art -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe Collective memory in art -- Zimbabwe Old Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) National Heroes Acre (Zimbabwe)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2447 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006825
- Description: The study critically examines public art in postcolonial Zimbabwe‘s cities of Harare and Bulawayo. In a case by case approach, I analyse the National Heroes Acre and Old Bulawayo monuments, and three contemporary sculptures – Dominic Benhura‘s Leapfrog (1993) and Adam Madebe‘s Ploughman (1987) and Looking into the future (1985). I used a qualitative research methodology to collect and analyse data. My research design utilised in-depth interviews, observation, content and document analysis, and photography to gather nuanced data and these methods ensured that data collected is validated and/or triangulated. I argue that in Zimbabwe, monuments and public sculpture serve as the necessary interface of the visual, cultural and political discourse of a postcolonial nation that is constantly in transition and dialogue with the everyday realities of trying to understand and construct a national identity from a nest of sub-cultures. I further argue that monuments and public sculpture in Zimbabwe abound with political imperatives given that, as visual artefacts that interlace with ritual performance, they are conscious creations of society and are therefore constitutive of that society‘s heritage and social memory. Since independence in 1980, monuments and public sculpture have helped to open up discursive space and dialogue on national issues and myths. Such discursive spaces and dialogues, I also argue, have been particularly animated from the late 1990s to the present, a period in which the nation has engaged in self-introspection in the face of socio-political change and challenges in the continual process of imagining the Zimbabwean nation. Little research focusing on postcolonial public art in Zimbabwe has hitherto been undertaken. This study addresses gaps in this literature while also providing a spring board from which future studies may emerge. , Microsoft� Word 2010 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Practice guidelines for supporting youth-headed families to enhance their resilience
- Authors: Soji, Zoleka
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Child support -- South Africa , Child caregivers -- South Africa , Orphans -- Care -- South Africa , Child welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:10004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016381
- Description: The topic of the research is derived from the researcher‟s own interest as a social worker and observations of reality within youth-headed families. Over the past few years the number of published studies on child and youth-headed households has grown out of the realisation that this multi-faceted phenomenon is growing in numbers and complexity. Most of these studies and reports concentrate on the issue of scale and the severity of the crisis of child and youth-headed households (UNICEF, 2002; Maqoko & Dryer, 2007 & Kuhanen, Shemeikka, Notkola & Nghixulifwa, 2008). These studies reveal the complex nature of the phenomenon of child and youth-headed families and the challenges that face young people within these families which impact on their growth and development. In most of the studies, the phenomenon of child and youth-headed households has been reported to have an impact on societal framework as a result of its complexity (UNICEF, 2002, 2008; van Dijk, 2008; Kuhanen et al., 2008; Evans, 2010). Over the past years there has been a steady increase in studies that has focussed on coping and resilience of children and young people. Many of these studies have identified resilience-related factors through quantitative ecological approaches to research. To date, there seems to be very few qualitative studies that have been undertaken to delineate the construct of resilience in child and youth-headed families within the South African context from the perspectives of children and young people growing up in these families (Beeka, 2008; Nkomo, 2008; Leatham, 2005). McCubbin (1999, in Smith 2006:48) argues that qualitative research is well suited to understanding processes and strategies in the study of resilience. This study therefore corresponds to McCubbin‟ calling by employing a qualitative research to the study of resilience in youth-headed families. The first goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and needs of youth-headed families in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as well as to enhance understanding of the protective factors and processes within youth-headed families and their environment that enable them to cope with their circumstances. The secondary goal of this study was to formulate practice guidelines for supporting members of youth-headed families that could be used by social workers and other service providers rendering services to these families in order to enhance their coping and resilience. The following objectives were formulated to guide the research process: - To explore and describe the experiences and needs of youth-headed families; - To explore the perceptions of community members regarding the needs of youth-headed families, as well as their perceptions regarding how these needs are addressed at community level; - To identify and describe the protective factors and/or processes within individual members of youth-headed families, their families and community context that promote the coping and resilience of youth-headed families; - To explore the views of service providers rendering services to youth-headed families regarding the nature of interventions and programmes rendered to these families; - To review the literature on existing family support programmes in order to identify good practice examples to inform the formulation of practice guidelines for supporting members of youth-headed families.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Soji, Zoleka
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Child support -- South Africa , Child caregivers -- South Africa , Orphans -- Care -- South Africa , Child welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:10004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016381
- Description: The topic of the research is derived from the researcher‟s own interest as a social worker and observations of reality within youth-headed families. Over the past few years the number of published studies on child and youth-headed households has grown out of the realisation that this multi-faceted phenomenon is growing in numbers and complexity. Most of these studies and reports concentrate on the issue of scale and the severity of the crisis of child and youth-headed households (UNICEF, 2002; Maqoko & Dryer, 2007 & Kuhanen, Shemeikka, Notkola & Nghixulifwa, 2008). These studies reveal the complex nature of the phenomenon of child and youth-headed families and the challenges that face young people within these families which impact on their growth and development. In most of the studies, the phenomenon of child and youth-headed households has been reported to have an impact on societal framework as a result of its complexity (UNICEF, 2002, 2008; van Dijk, 2008; Kuhanen et al., 2008; Evans, 2010). Over the past years there has been a steady increase in studies that has focussed on coping and resilience of children and young people. Many of these studies have identified resilience-related factors through quantitative ecological approaches to research. To date, there seems to be very few qualitative studies that have been undertaken to delineate the construct of resilience in child and youth-headed families within the South African context from the perspectives of children and young people growing up in these families (Beeka, 2008; Nkomo, 2008; Leatham, 2005). McCubbin (1999, in Smith 2006:48) argues that qualitative research is well suited to understanding processes and strategies in the study of resilience. This study therefore corresponds to McCubbin‟ calling by employing a qualitative research to the study of resilience in youth-headed families. The first goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and needs of youth-headed families in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as well as to enhance understanding of the protective factors and processes within youth-headed families and their environment that enable them to cope with their circumstances. The secondary goal of this study was to formulate practice guidelines for supporting members of youth-headed families that could be used by social workers and other service providers rendering services to these families in order to enhance their coping and resilience. The following objectives were formulated to guide the research process: - To explore and describe the experiences and needs of youth-headed families; - To explore the perceptions of community members regarding the needs of youth-headed families, as well as their perceptions regarding how these needs are addressed at community level; - To identify and describe the protective factors and/or processes within individual members of youth-headed families, their families and community context that promote the coping and resilience of youth-headed families; - To explore the views of service providers rendering services to youth-headed families regarding the nature of interventions and programmes rendered to these families; - To review the literature on existing family support programmes in order to identify good practice examples to inform the formulation of practice guidelines for supporting members of youth-headed families.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Principles of South African prison law and proposals for their implementation
- Authors: Hornigold, Angus Lloyd
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Prisons -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , LLD
- Identifier: vital:10297 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021033
- Description: There are two broad areas of prisoner rights law that require development. The first area is that of the development of a common law framework with which to analyse disputes regarding the rights of prisoners. The second relates to the significant tension that exists between the conditions of detention that the Correctional Services Act envisages and the actual conditions of detention in South Africa prisons. This second aspect requires that a mechanism be created for the meaningful exercise of rights by prisoners. As a precursor to both of the above discussions it is necessary to understand the history of prisons and the intentions of those who designed this form of punishment. As will be illustrated there tends to be to-and-fro shift in intention on the part of the authorities between those who intend imprisonment as a humane form of punishment which seeks to reform the offender and the subsequent despair of that project of reformation with a resultant focus on security and mere detention of the offender. It is also a history of conditions of detention that are generally inhumane. These poor conditions are sometimes caused by neglect on the part of the authorities but ofttimes caused by the belief that harsh conditions of detention are a deterrent to wouldbe offenders. The advent of human rights law has placed an increasingly more onerous responsibility on the state to care for the well-being of prisoners whilst in custody. This duty includes, but is not limited to, the duty to care for the prisoner’s mental and physical health, ensure that they are safe from physical violence both from fellow prisoners and staff as well as a duty to ensure that they receive the necessities of life. Various failures by the state have led to increased litigation against the state. This will continue to create an ever increasing burden on the state as the number of long term prisoners increase and damages awards are made by the courts, in favour of prisoners, against the state for various reasons. These reasons include diseases contracted by prisoners whilst in custody and constitutional damages following death in custody. It is therefore necessary to develop a clear framework with which to analyse such disputes so that decisions are made which are consistent with the principles of South African law. It is this framework which this study seeks to develop. In order to do this the relevant principles of both international prison law as well as South African law will be drawn upon. In this regard the importance of the purposes of punishment will be emphasized when engaging upon an analysis of the limitations of the rights of a person in the context of prison law. Secondly, even though a sound framework may be developed with which to analyse prisoner rights there is still the difficulty of putting a system into operation which provides a mechanism through which prisoners can exercise those rights in a meaningful way. In order to create such a system there must be recognition of the impact of criminogenic conditions of imprisonment, the purposes of punishment and the values of the South African constitution. In this regard the principles of reductionism and restorative justice are considered. Furthermore, the role of special masters will be debated and amendments to the existing legislation will be proposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Hornigold, Angus Lloyd
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Prisons -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , LLD
- Identifier: vital:10297 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021033
- Description: There are two broad areas of prisoner rights law that require development. The first area is that of the development of a common law framework with which to analyse disputes regarding the rights of prisoners. The second relates to the significant tension that exists between the conditions of detention that the Correctional Services Act envisages and the actual conditions of detention in South Africa prisons. This second aspect requires that a mechanism be created for the meaningful exercise of rights by prisoners. As a precursor to both of the above discussions it is necessary to understand the history of prisons and the intentions of those who designed this form of punishment. As will be illustrated there tends to be to-and-fro shift in intention on the part of the authorities between those who intend imprisonment as a humane form of punishment which seeks to reform the offender and the subsequent despair of that project of reformation with a resultant focus on security and mere detention of the offender. It is also a history of conditions of detention that are generally inhumane. These poor conditions are sometimes caused by neglect on the part of the authorities but ofttimes caused by the belief that harsh conditions of detention are a deterrent to wouldbe offenders. The advent of human rights law has placed an increasingly more onerous responsibility on the state to care for the well-being of prisoners whilst in custody. This duty includes, but is not limited to, the duty to care for the prisoner’s mental and physical health, ensure that they are safe from physical violence both from fellow prisoners and staff as well as a duty to ensure that they receive the necessities of life. Various failures by the state have led to increased litigation against the state. This will continue to create an ever increasing burden on the state as the number of long term prisoners increase and damages awards are made by the courts, in favour of prisoners, against the state for various reasons. These reasons include diseases contracted by prisoners whilst in custody and constitutional damages following death in custody. It is therefore necessary to develop a clear framework with which to analyse such disputes so that decisions are made which are consistent with the principles of South African law. It is this framework which this study seeks to develop. In order to do this the relevant principles of both international prison law as well as South African law will be drawn upon. In this regard the importance of the purposes of punishment will be emphasized when engaging upon an analysis of the limitations of the rights of a person in the context of prison law. Secondly, even though a sound framework may be developed with which to analyse prisoner rights there is still the difficulty of putting a system into operation which provides a mechanism through which prisoners can exercise those rights in a meaningful way. In order to create such a system there must be recognition of the impact of criminogenic conditions of imprisonment, the purposes of punishment and the values of the South African constitution. In this regard the principles of reductionism and restorative justice are considered. Furthermore, the role of special masters will be debated and amendments to the existing legislation will be proposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Process heat flow model for temperature and hardness prediction during friction taper stud welding of AISI 4140
- Van Zyl, Carlo Angelo Antonio
- Authors: Van Zyl, Carlo Angelo Antonio
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Friction welding Pressure welding
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47780 , vital:40373
- Description: Friction Taper Stud Welding (FTSW) is a relatively new solid state welding process, developed from the concepts of friction welding, which theoretically operates below the melting temperatures of the material being welded. During friction welding, heat is generated by conversion of mechanical energy into thermal energy at the interface of the work pieces, during rotation under pressure. Quality welds are dependant on the correct selection of welding process parameters, which are currently chosen empirically, and the FTSW evaluated by mechanical testing. This method is time consuming, uneconomical and could cause that optimised conditions are overlooked. A proposed solution would be to numerically model the process, but reference to successful computational modelling of the FTSW process is currently not available and data regarding the responses during the process are limited. The ultimate aim of the present study is to develop a finite element model to simulate the FTSW process using AISI 4140 medium carbon low alloy steel, delivering temperature profiles and hardness predictions through the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) – using a combined experimental and numerical study. To achieve the objectives of this study a systematic approach was adopted and conducted in several phases. A weld matrix was configured with ranging weld input parameters to determine the affect of weld input parameters on real-time responses. To provide a relationship between these factors, welding was conducted using a portable friction taper stud welding platform linked to a control and data logging system for measuring the real time axial forces, spindle speed, material displacement, torque and temperature responses as a function of time. The input process parameters applied being motor speed, axial forces, displacement and forging time. The temperature distribution through the weld, by direct measurement, as a function of weld time and position is investigated. During the experimental welds temperature responses, as influenced by welding parameters, were recorded using embedded N-Type thermocouples at various locations in the near vicinity of the weld interface. The main hot spots during welding were identified to be close to the top surface just before weld completion and at the bottom centre surface of the plug weld at the interface line. All the welds showed similar trends and a maximum temperature of 1078°C at the bottom of the weld was reached for a rotational tool speed of 5160rpm, axial friction force of 15kN and displacement of 6.5mm, due to the heat generated by friction between the tool and weld coupon. The weld torque increase rapidly at the start of the weld and reached a peak value shortly after the start of the weld, while a peak temperature of 1366°C, for a rotational tool speed of 5160rpm, axial friction force of 10kN and displacement of 8mm was reached at the top edge of the plug weld. This position of anticipated peak temperature value is due to the heat transferred during the FTSW process together with the accumulation of expelled material forming on the surface of the weld coupon. Statistical methods were applied to obtain knowledge of the trends and relationship between weld input parameters for various weld responses, including energy input, temperature, friction time, torque and displacement rate. Although it was shown that no single parameter solely controls the temperature gradients in the weld, the dominant influence of the rotational speed at the bottom of the weld and that of the displacement, at the top of the weld, were evident. The peak temperatures during the weld are of interest as these temperatures, together with the subsequent cooling rates, determine the Vickers hardness, of the material, through the weld. Spindle speed was found to have the dominant effect on temperature in the bottom half of the weld with displacement having a contributive effect closer to the top of the weld. Friction force dominate the effect on friction time, displacement rate and total energy input with friction force and spindle speed having an equal effect on torque. The multiple regression analysis resulted in valid models with varied, but acceptable accuracy with the equation for friction time resulting in an R predict value of 93.34%. These models provided a clear insight to the influence of weld input parameters on the weld responses and the model for friction time was used as an input parameter to the FTS welding simulation. The accurate prediction of the interface temperature is fundamental for process optimisation which will allow for producing consistent, reliable plug welds. A fully coupled transient two-dimensional axi-symmetrical analysis of heat flow during the FTSW process of AISI 4140 steel and subsequent Vickers hardness profiles through the HAZ, making use of numeric simulation applied in the commercially available FEA software, COMSOL Multiphysics®, is developed and reported on. Process optimisation hinges on a better understanding of the heat distribution during welding, making a major contribution to the resultant hardness. The thermal-plastic flow coupling of the model is such that temperature values are resolved together with that of the velocity field. The simulation utilises a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) two phase laminar flow and Heat Transfer physics, applied in an Eulerian mesh-based scheme. The viscosity of the fluid is based on a constitutive law of the flow stress using the Zener-Hollomon parameter with a flow model based on the Navier-Stokes’ equations to simulate the plastic deformation. Temperature dependant thermo-physical material properties and coefficient of friction are applied, and the application of viscous heating is controlled by a material state variable. The heat source model, required for material softening, is applied as two components, frictional and shear, with the heat source moving along the z-axis delivering sufficient energy to soften the metal, causing flow. The Navier-Stokes approach is applied with solid-state material transport during the weld based on laminar, viscous flow of a non-Newtonian fluid, dependant on temperature and strain rate. Numerically calculated values for temperature profiles and peak temperatures through to the weld as well as subsequent Vickers hardness profiles at points through the HAZ, obtained from the Finite Element model, were found to be in close agreement with values from trial welds. The largest variance was 19% for the peak temperature of weld E4W2, applying an axial friction force of 7.5kN, 6.5mm displacement and a tool rotational speed of 4080rpm – resulting in a friction time of 330 seconds. Predictions of hardness are found to be between 0% and 19% (mean 3%) of experimentally determined values with the biggest variance at the positions of peak temperatures due to the friction interfaces. The heat applied as a result of plastic deformation was found to be 5.4% of the total heat. The FTSW model predicts the temperatures at the friction interface, during the welding process, to be within the range, and frequently exceeding the solidus temperature of AISI 4140 steel. Results show that the models applied in the FTSW simulation show good agreement when compared to experimental values. The main contribution of this thesis, towards knowledge of the FTSW process, is: The relationships between weld input parameters and responses; Temperature dependant models of thermo-physical properties for AISI 4140 in the high temperature region (ranging from ambient to the solidus temperature); Successful application of the Navier-Stokes approach to simulate the plastic flow during FTSW and A numerical finite element model for the prediction of temperature gradients and hardness profiles through a FTSW.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Van Zyl, Carlo Angelo Antonio
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Friction welding Pressure welding
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47780 , vital:40373
- Description: Friction Taper Stud Welding (FTSW) is a relatively new solid state welding process, developed from the concepts of friction welding, which theoretically operates below the melting temperatures of the material being welded. During friction welding, heat is generated by conversion of mechanical energy into thermal energy at the interface of the work pieces, during rotation under pressure. Quality welds are dependant on the correct selection of welding process parameters, which are currently chosen empirically, and the FTSW evaluated by mechanical testing. This method is time consuming, uneconomical and could cause that optimised conditions are overlooked. A proposed solution would be to numerically model the process, but reference to successful computational modelling of the FTSW process is currently not available and data regarding the responses during the process are limited. The ultimate aim of the present study is to develop a finite element model to simulate the FTSW process using AISI 4140 medium carbon low alloy steel, delivering temperature profiles and hardness predictions through the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) – using a combined experimental and numerical study. To achieve the objectives of this study a systematic approach was adopted and conducted in several phases. A weld matrix was configured with ranging weld input parameters to determine the affect of weld input parameters on real-time responses. To provide a relationship between these factors, welding was conducted using a portable friction taper stud welding platform linked to a control and data logging system for measuring the real time axial forces, spindle speed, material displacement, torque and temperature responses as a function of time. The input process parameters applied being motor speed, axial forces, displacement and forging time. The temperature distribution through the weld, by direct measurement, as a function of weld time and position is investigated. During the experimental welds temperature responses, as influenced by welding parameters, were recorded using embedded N-Type thermocouples at various locations in the near vicinity of the weld interface. The main hot spots during welding were identified to be close to the top surface just before weld completion and at the bottom centre surface of the plug weld at the interface line. All the welds showed similar trends and a maximum temperature of 1078°C at the bottom of the weld was reached for a rotational tool speed of 5160rpm, axial friction force of 15kN and displacement of 6.5mm, due to the heat generated by friction between the tool and weld coupon. The weld torque increase rapidly at the start of the weld and reached a peak value shortly after the start of the weld, while a peak temperature of 1366°C, for a rotational tool speed of 5160rpm, axial friction force of 10kN and displacement of 8mm was reached at the top edge of the plug weld. This position of anticipated peak temperature value is due to the heat transferred during the FTSW process together with the accumulation of expelled material forming on the surface of the weld coupon. Statistical methods were applied to obtain knowledge of the trends and relationship between weld input parameters for various weld responses, including energy input, temperature, friction time, torque and displacement rate. Although it was shown that no single parameter solely controls the temperature gradients in the weld, the dominant influence of the rotational speed at the bottom of the weld and that of the displacement, at the top of the weld, were evident. The peak temperatures during the weld are of interest as these temperatures, together with the subsequent cooling rates, determine the Vickers hardness, of the material, through the weld. Spindle speed was found to have the dominant effect on temperature in the bottom half of the weld with displacement having a contributive effect closer to the top of the weld. Friction force dominate the effect on friction time, displacement rate and total energy input with friction force and spindle speed having an equal effect on torque. The multiple regression analysis resulted in valid models with varied, but acceptable accuracy with the equation for friction time resulting in an R predict value of 93.34%. These models provided a clear insight to the influence of weld input parameters on the weld responses and the model for friction time was used as an input parameter to the FTS welding simulation. The accurate prediction of the interface temperature is fundamental for process optimisation which will allow for producing consistent, reliable plug welds. A fully coupled transient two-dimensional axi-symmetrical analysis of heat flow during the FTSW process of AISI 4140 steel and subsequent Vickers hardness profiles through the HAZ, making use of numeric simulation applied in the commercially available FEA software, COMSOL Multiphysics®, is developed and reported on. Process optimisation hinges on a better understanding of the heat distribution during welding, making a major contribution to the resultant hardness. The thermal-plastic flow coupling of the model is such that temperature values are resolved together with that of the velocity field. The simulation utilises a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) two phase laminar flow and Heat Transfer physics, applied in an Eulerian mesh-based scheme. The viscosity of the fluid is based on a constitutive law of the flow stress using the Zener-Hollomon parameter with a flow model based on the Navier-Stokes’ equations to simulate the plastic deformation. Temperature dependant thermo-physical material properties and coefficient of friction are applied, and the application of viscous heating is controlled by a material state variable. The heat source model, required for material softening, is applied as two components, frictional and shear, with the heat source moving along the z-axis delivering sufficient energy to soften the metal, causing flow. The Navier-Stokes approach is applied with solid-state material transport during the weld based on laminar, viscous flow of a non-Newtonian fluid, dependant on temperature and strain rate. Numerically calculated values for temperature profiles and peak temperatures through to the weld as well as subsequent Vickers hardness profiles at points through the HAZ, obtained from the Finite Element model, were found to be in close agreement with values from trial welds. The largest variance was 19% for the peak temperature of weld E4W2, applying an axial friction force of 7.5kN, 6.5mm displacement and a tool rotational speed of 4080rpm – resulting in a friction time of 330 seconds. Predictions of hardness are found to be between 0% and 19% (mean 3%) of experimentally determined values with the biggest variance at the positions of peak temperatures due to the friction interfaces. The heat applied as a result of plastic deformation was found to be 5.4% of the total heat. The FTSW model predicts the temperatures at the friction interface, during the welding process, to be within the range, and frequently exceeding the solidus temperature of AISI 4140 steel. Results show that the models applied in the FTSW simulation show good agreement when compared to experimental values. The main contribution of this thesis, towards knowledge of the FTSW process, is: The relationships between weld input parameters and responses; Temperature dependant models of thermo-physical properties for AISI 4140 in the high temperature region (ranging from ambient to the solidus temperature); Successful application of the Navier-Stokes approach to simulate the plastic flow during FTSW and A numerical finite element model for the prediction of temperature gradients and hardness profiles through a FTSW.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Re-appraising entertainment-education praxis and reception in subaltern spaces: the case of Tsha Tsha in South Africa
- Authors: Makwambeni, Blessing
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Com)
- Identifier: vital:11369 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015380
- Description: The entertainment education (E-E) strategy has gained currency in development communication scholarship and praxis. However, the theoretical treatment of the strategy has mostly emphasised questions of effectiveness thereby paying minimal attention to substantial resistances encountered at the message reception level. This study investigates the praxis and reception of the E-E television drama Tsha Tsha. It uses the Cultural Studies approach and reception theory to explore the consumption of Tsha Tsha by subaltern black South African youths located within specific socio-historical contexts. Audiences’ negotiated readings were used to critique the assumption that E-E messages are ‘unproblematically’ received by target audiences. Tsha Tsha’s E-E strategy and its theoretical and methodological inputs were also appraised with a view to locating the intervention within the trajectory of E-E and development communication interventions. The emerging insights were critical in understanding whether contemporary E-E interventions have transcended modernisation practice. While the focused synthesis approach, consisting of qualitative content analysis, document analysis and literature review, was used to evaluate Tsha Tsha’s use of the E-E strategy, reception analysis comprising of focus group discussions and follow up in-depth interviews with selected subaltern black South African youths was employed to explore viewers’ social production of meaning from the media text. This process enabled the study to identify the locus of meaning between the two contenting poles: the media text and situated readers. The study’s findings indicate that some contemporary E-E interventions have transended ‘modernisation practice’. Their conceptual and methodological approaches have embraced the central tenets of communication for social change. The results from the reception study also clearly indicated that E-E enterventions face resistances in subaltern discursive spaces. Situated readers’ negotiation of Tsha Tsha showed that viewers are not passive readers of E-E texts. Rather they are engaged in an ongoing process of re-interpreting and resisting the ‘preferred text’. Audiences situated discourses and lived experiences at times provided alternative frameworks through which the ‘dominant meanings’ were re-interpreted and even opposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Makwambeni, Blessing
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Com)
- Identifier: vital:11369 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015380
- Description: The entertainment education (E-E) strategy has gained currency in development communication scholarship and praxis. However, the theoretical treatment of the strategy has mostly emphasised questions of effectiveness thereby paying minimal attention to substantial resistances encountered at the message reception level. This study investigates the praxis and reception of the E-E television drama Tsha Tsha. It uses the Cultural Studies approach and reception theory to explore the consumption of Tsha Tsha by subaltern black South African youths located within specific socio-historical contexts. Audiences’ negotiated readings were used to critique the assumption that E-E messages are ‘unproblematically’ received by target audiences. Tsha Tsha’s E-E strategy and its theoretical and methodological inputs were also appraised with a view to locating the intervention within the trajectory of E-E and development communication interventions. The emerging insights were critical in understanding whether contemporary E-E interventions have transcended modernisation practice. While the focused synthesis approach, consisting of qualitative content analysis, document analysis and literature review, was used to evaluate Tsha Tsha’s use of the E-E strategy, reception analysis comprising of focus group discussions and follow up in-depth interviews with selected subaltern black South African youths was employed to explore viewers’ social production of meaning from the media text. This process enabled the study to identify the locus of meaning between the two contenting poles: the media text and situated readers. The study’s findings indicate that some contemporary E-E interventions have transended ‘modernisation practice’. Their conceptual and methodological approaches have embraced the central tenets of communication for social change. The results from the reception study also clearly indicated that E-E enterventions face resistances in subaltern discursive spaces. Situated readers’ negotiation of Tsha Tsha showed that viewers are not passive readers of E-E texts. Rather they are engaged in an ongoing process of re-interpreting and resisting the ‘preferred text’. Audiences situated discourses and lived experiences at times provided alternative frameworks through which the ‘dominant meanings’ were re-interpreted and even opposed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Representation and use of indigenous heritage constructs : implications for the quality and relevance of heritage education in post colonial southern Africa
- Authors: Zazu, Cryton
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Albany Museum (Grahamstown, South Africa) Cultural property -- Conservation and restoration -- Research -- Africa, Southern Great Zimbabwe (Extinct city) Indigenous peoples -- Material culture -- Africa, Southern Anthropological museums and collections -- Management -- Research -- Africa, Southern Cultural property -- Management -- Research Ethnoscience -- Study and teaching -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1407 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002015
- Description: This study explores representation and use of indigenous heritage constructs with a view to identifying implications thereof for the quality and relevance of heritage education practices in post colonial southern Africa. Framed within a critical hermeneutic research paradigm under-laboured by critical realist ontology, the study was conducted using a multiple case study research design. The data collection protocol was three-phased, starting with a process of contextual profiling, within which insights were gained into discourses shaping the constitution and orientation of heritage education practices at the Albany Museum in South Africa, the Great Zimbabwe Monument in Zimbabwe and the Supa Ngwao Museum in Botswana. The second phase of data collection entailed modelling workshops in which educators engaged in discussion around the status of heritage education in post apartheid South Africa. This highlighted, through modelled lessons, some of the tensions, challenges and implications for working with notions of social transformation and inclusivity in heritage education. The third phase of data collection involved in-depth interviews. Twelve purposively selected research participants were interviewed between 2010 and 2011. Data generated across the study was processed and subjected to different levels of critical discourse analysis. Besides noting how heritage education in post colonial southern Africa is poorly framed and under-researched, this study revealed that current forms of representing indigenous heritage constructs are influenced more by socio-political discourses than the need to protect and conserve local heritage resources. The study also noted that the observed heritage education practices are oriented more towards addressing issues related to marginalisation and alienation of indigenous cultures and practices, than enhancing learners’ agency to manage and utilise local heritage resources in a more sustainable ways. Based on these findings the study recommends re-positioning heritage education within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD acknowledges both issues of social justice and the dialectical interplay between nature and culture; as such, it may allow for representation and use of indigenous heritage constructs in ways that expand current political orientations to include sustainability as an additional objective of heritage education. Given that little research focusing on heritage education has been undertaken within southern Africa, the findings of this study provide a basis upon which future research may emerge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Zazu, Cryton
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Albany Museum (Grahamstown, South Africa) Cultural property -- Conservation and restoration -- Research -- Africa, Southern Great Zimbabwe (Extinct city) Indigenous peoples -- Material culture -- Africa, Southern Anthropological museums and collections -- Management -- Research -- Africa, Southern Cultural property -- Management -- Research Ethnoscience -- Study and teaching -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1407 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002015
- Description: This study explores representation and use of indigenous heritage constructs with a view to identifying implications thereof for the quality and relevance of heritage education practices in post colonial southern Africa. Framed within a critical hermeneutic research paradigm under-laboured by critical realist ontology, the study was conducted using a multiple case study research design. The data collection protocol was three-phased, starting with a process of contextual profiling, within which insights were gained into discourses shaping the constitution and orientation of heritage education practices at the Albany Museum in South Africa, the Great Zimbabwe Monument in Zimbabwe and the Supa Ngwao Museum in Botswana. The second phase of data collection entailed modelling workshops in which educators engaged in discussion around the status of heritage education in post apartheid South Africa. This highlighted, through modelled lessons, some of the tensions, challenges and implications for working with notions of social transformation and inclusivity in heritage education. The third phase of data collection involved in-depth interviews. Twelve purposively selected research participants were interviewed between 2010 and 2011. Data generated across the study was processed and subjected to different levels of critical discourse analysis. Besides noting how heritage education in post colonial southern Africa is poorly framed and under-researched, this study revealed that current forms of representing indigenous heritage constructs are influenced more by socio-political discourses than the need to protect and conserve local heritage resources. The study also noted that the observed heritage education practices are oriented more towards addressing issues related to marginalisation and alienation of indigenous cultures and practices, than enhancing learners’ agency to manage and utilise local heritage resources in a more sustainable ways. Based on these findings the study recommends re-positioning heritage education within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD acknowledges both issues of social justice and the dialectical interplay between nature and culture; as such, it may allow for representation and use of indigenous heritage constructs in ways that expand current political orientations to include sustainability as an additional objective of heritage education. Given that little research focusing on heritage education has been undertaken within southern Africa, the findings of this study provide a basis upon which future research may emerge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Rural livelihoods, forest products and poverty alleviation: the role of markets
- Authors: Mutamba, Manyewu
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Rural development -- Zambia Rural poor -- Zambia Zambia -- Rural conditions Forest management -- Zambia Forest conservation -- Zambia Households -- Economic aspects -- Zambia Forest products -- Zambia Forests and forestry -- Zambia Non-timber forest products -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4741 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006081
- Description: There is growing acknowledgement that forests and forest products are central to rural livelihoods, but their role in lifting households out of poverty remains contentious. This study tested the assertion by proponents of forest based poverty alleviation that changing conditions in the use and management of forests and forest products has created opportunities for poor rural households to lift themselves out of poverty. The study used detailed annual income data from various household sectors in two contrasting sites in Zambia, namely Mufulira and Kabompo districts, analyzing the relative contribution of forest income to household livelihood, the effect of household wealth status on forest use, factors driving household participation in forest product trade, and the influence of distance to urban markets on trends in the use of forest products. The study found that forest based activities play a central role in the livelihoods of households in the two study sites, contributing close to half of total household income, and dwarfing the contribution of agricultural sectors such as cropping and livestock rearing which are generally regarded as the main income sources for rural households. Forest based sectors were also found to be particularly valuable sources of household cash, often coming at critical times to meet basic needs. The findings also revealed that without the contribution of forest income, the proportion of households that would fall below the poverty line would increase sharply in both study sites. Wealthier households earned higher magnitudes of both subsistence and cash income from forest based activities than their poorer counterparts. Even the share of total household income coming from forest based activities was also higher among these better-off households, confirming that these activities are lucrative and they are improving the wealth status of households. Household participation in forest product trade was found to be influenced by demographic factors such as number of productive household members, age and the education level of the household head. Economic factors such as the level of income from wage labour, household poverty level, and ownership of key assets such as a bicycle were found to be important. Distance of homestead from the forest was also found to be an important contextual variable. The influence of urban demand on the use of forest products by rural households was significant in the study area. Although local sales played an important part as a source of cash for households, the most preferred channels for trade were linked to urban markets, either through roadside markets, middlemen or direct sales to urban buyers. The study concluded that with improved local organization and support for product development and marketing, some forest based activities provide a viable poverty alleviation option for poor rural households who otherwise have limited economic opportunities to escape poverty.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Mutamba, Manyewu
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Rural development -- Zambia Rural poor -- Zambia Zambia -- Rural conditions Forest management -- Zambia Forest conservation -- Zambia Households -- Economic aspects -- Zambia Forest products -- Zambia Forests and forestry -- Zambia Non-timber forest products -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4741 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006081
- Description: There is growing acknowledgement that forests and forest products are central to rural livelihoods, but their role in lifting households out of poverty remains contentious. This study tested the assertion by proponents of forest based poverty alleviation that changing conditions in the use and management of forests and forest products has created opportunities for poor rural households to lift themselves out of poverty. The study used detailed annual income data from various household sectors in two contrasting sites in Zambia, namely Mufulira and Kabompo districts, analyzing the relative contribution of forest income to household livelihood, the effect of household wealth status on forest use, factors driving household participation in forest product trade, and the influence of distance to urban markets on trends in the use of forest products. The study found that forest based activities play a central role in the livelihoods of households in the two study sites, contributing close to half of total household income, and dwarfing the contribution of agricultural sectors such as cropping and livestock rearing which are generally regarded as the main income sources for rural households. Forest based sectors were also found to be particularly valuable sources of household cash, often coming at critical times to meet basic needs. The findings also revealed that without the contribution of forest income, the proportion of households that would fall below the poverty line would increase sharply in both study sites. Wealthier households earned higher magnitudes of both subsistence and cash income from forest based activities than their poorer counterparts. Even the share of total household income coming from forest based activities was also higher among these better-off households, confirming that these activities are lucrative and they are improving the wealth status of households. Household participation in forest product trade was found to be influenced by demographic factors such as number of productive household members, age and the education level of the household head. Economic factors such as the level of income from wage labour, household poverty level, and ownership of key assets such as a bicycle were found to be important. Distance of homestead from the forest was also found to be an important contextual variable. The influence of urban demand on the use of forest products by rural households was significant in the study area. Although local sales played an important part as a source of cash for households, the most preferred channels for trade were linked to urban markets, either through roadside markets, middlemen or direct sales to urban buyers. The study concluded that with improved local organization and support for product development and marketing, some forest based activities provide a viable poverty alleviation option for poor rural households who otherwise have limited economic opportunities to escape poverty.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Rural secondary school teachers' experiences of job satisfaction and their expectations of support to develop their professional competencies as curriculum workers
- Authors: Hlongwane, Boy Thembinkosi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Teachers -- Job satisfaction -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Teacher morale -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:9468 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021101
- Description: Since the first National Curriculum Statement matriculation results for 2008, there has been an outcry that rural secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal are lagging behind in terms of pass rate compared to urban and former Model C secondary schools. There are various contributory factors that are impacting on poor learners’ performance in rural schools. This study was specifically conducted in rural secondary schools of KwaZulu Natal. The reason was that there is few research conducted in rural schools, particularly with regard to teacher job satisfaction and professional development. There is therefore a belief that satisfied teachers produce good performance in their schools. Furthermore, it is also believed that satisfied and adequately developed teachers are the key to successful implementation of the grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement. The study was therefore conducted to investigate rural secondary school teachers’ experiences of job satisfaction and their expectations of support to develop their competencies as curriculum workers. The research problem was investigated through the mixed methods research. The use of mixed methods research was to ensure that reliability and validity are addressed. The concurrent strategy of mixed methods research was employed. In concurrent mixed research methods, data is collected during the same phase. Data was collected from rural secondary schools of Umzinyathi, Ilembe and Empangeni districts in KwaZulu Natal. There were fifty rural secondary schools which participated in the study. Four hundred rural secondary school teachers completed survey questionnaires. Eighteen rural secondary school teachers participated in individual interviews. Only nine rural secondary schools were involved in observation and interviews. Research findings show that poverty was one of the major contributory factors that led to poor performance of rural secondary schools. Poverty and lack of adequate professional development programmes in rural secondary schools have negative impact in terms of teachers’ job satisfaction. Learners’ poor command of English in rural secondary schools contributed to their poor academic performance. Lack of support services, bad condition of roads and, long distances travelled by both learners and teachers contributed to teachers’ job dissatisfaction and learners’ poor performance. Rural secondary school learners were demotivated about learning, since they lacked role models in their communities. Rural secondary school learners were also undisciplined. They bunked classes. They carried weapons to schools. Rural secondary school learners also helped criminals to steal and vandalize school property. They smoked dagga inside the school premises. Moreover, research findings indicate that rural secondary school teachers were not involved in school decision-making processes. School management teams were the only structure making school decisions. Growth opportunities for teachers were not fairly provided to them by their principals. Schools governing body chairpersons and principals were abusing the teacher promotion process since they were biased. They only promoted their friends and relatives and sometimes they were bribed by candidates. The latter findings contributed to teachers’ job dissatisfaction. Further findings indicate that there were teachers who were teaching subjects for which they were not qualified. Some heads of department were supervising subject streams that were outside of their specialization since the school post-provisioning norms (PPN) was small. Rural secondary school principals possessed inadequate grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement expertise. Integrated Quality Management Systems was unable to develop teachers for effective grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement implementation since it was not implemented accordingly in rural secondary schools. Clusters were effective strategies to develop teachers in rural schools although geographical isolation of school was their main challenge. The recommendations of this study are that RSSs must be fully supported by the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education. All roads to schools must be repaired in time. Decent teacher accommodation must be built inside schools with security guards to look after teachers’ safety and their property when they are away. Recreation venues/centres must be established in rural areas to relieve and address teachers’ stress and boredom. The KwaZulu Natal Department of Education must ensure that all schools have libraries, laboratories and computer classes. The Department of Education must also fully recognize postgraduate qualifications such as honours, master’s and doctoral degrees to retain highly qualified teachers in rural secondary schools. Teachers must be promoted on merit rather than on friendship or relationship.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Hlongwane, Boy Thembinkosi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Teachers -- Job satisfaction -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Teacher morale -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:9468 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021101
- Description: Since the first National Curriculum Statement matriculation results for 2008, there has been an outcry that rural secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal are lagging behind in terms of pass rate compared to urban and former Model C secondary schools. There are various contributory factors that are impacting on poor learners’ performance in rural schools. This study was specifically conducted in rural secondary schools of KwaZulu Natal. The reason was that there is few research conducted in rural schools, particularly with regard to teacher job satisfaction and professional development. There is therefore a belief that satisfied teachers produce good performance in their schools. Furthermore, it is also believed that satisfied and adequately developed teachers are the key to successful implementation of the grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement. The study was therefore conducted to investigate rural secondary school teachers’ experiences of job satisfaction and their expectations of support to develop their competencies as curriculum workers. The research problem was investigated through the mixed methods research. The use of mixed methods research was to ensure that reliability and validity are addressed. The concurrent strategy of mixed methods research was employed. In concurrent mixed research methods, data is collected during the same phase. Data was collected from rural secondary schools of Umzinyathi, Ilembe and Empangeni districts in KwaZulu Natal. There were fifty rural secondary schools which participated in the study. Four hundred rural secondary school teachers completed survey questionnaires. Eighteen rural secondary school teachers participated in individual interviews. Only nine rural secondary schools were involved in observation and interviews. Research findings show that poverty was one of the major contributory factors that led to poor performance of rural secondary schools. Poverty and lack of adequate professional development programmes in rural secondary schools have negative impact in terms of teachers’ job satisfaction. Learners’ poor command of English in rural secondary schools contributed to their poor academic performance. Lack of support services, bad condition of roads and, long distances travelled by both learners and teachers contributed to teachers’ job dissatisfaction and learners’ poor performance. Rural secondary school learners were demotivated about learning, since they lacked role models in their communities. Rural secondary school learners were also undisciplined. They bunked classes. They carried weapons to schools. Rural secondary school learners also helped criminals to steal and vandalize school property. They smoked dagga inside the school premises. Moreover, research findings indicate that rural secondary school teachers were not involved in school decision-making processes. School management teams were the only structure making school decisions. Growth opportunities for teachers were not fairly provided to them by their principals. Schools governing body chairpersons and principals were abusing the teacher promotion process since they were biased. They only promoted their friends and relatives and sometimes they were bribed by candidates. The latter findings contributed to teachers’ job dissatisfaction. Further findings indicate that there were teachers who were teaching subjects for which they were not qualified. Some heads of department were supervising subject streams that were outside of their specialization since the school post-provisioning norms (PPN) was small. Rural secondary school principals possessed inadequate grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement expertise. Integrated Quality Management Systems was unable to develop teachers for effective grades 10-12 National Curriculum Statement implementation since it was not implemented accordingly in rural secondary schools. Clusters were effective strategies to develop teachers in rural schools although geographical isolation of school was their main challenge. The recommendations of this study are that RSSs must be fully supported by the KwaZulu Natal Department of Education. All roads to schools must be repaired in time. Decent teacher accommodation must be built inside schools with security guards to look after teachers’ safety and their property when they are away. Recreation venues/centres must be established in rural areas to relieve and address teachers’ stress and boredom. The KwaZulu Natal Department of Education must ensure that all schools have libraries, laboratories and computer classes. The Department of Education must also fully recognize postgraduate qualifications such as honours, master’s and doctoral degrees to retain highly qualified teachers in rural secondary schools. Teachers must be promoted on merit rather than on friendship or relationship.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Rural women's representation and participation in local governance in the Masvingo and Mashonaland central provinces of Zimbabwe
- Authors: Kurebwa, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Local government -- Women -- Zimbabwe , Public administration -- Citizen participation -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:8313 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020085
- Description: This study focused on the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the Masvingo and Mashonaland Central provinces of Zimbabwe. It argued that increased representation and participation of women in local governance, particularly as ward councillors and senior administrative employees, is important and should be pursued. This has the potential to change the local governance system. The research further argued that change is more likely to occur when elected women are supported by the presence of more women at the most senior administrative levels in the local governance system. The presence of more women is required if the local governance system is to become inclusive of the diversity of the people it represents, especially women. This study rejected the assumption that rural women are passive recipients of local governance since they contribute significantly in fulfilling household and community needs and interests. Through their knowledge and understanding of the construction of power relations at the local level, rural women have creatively managed to produce, reproduce and use alternative strategies which are based on their sexuality and traditional gender roles in challenging and transforming gender inequality at the local level and in improving the quality of rural women. A National Gender Management System (NGMS) that can be used to effectively promote gender equity, equality and justice in local authorities has been developed. It is desirable that the NGMS be established within the existing organisational framework of central and local governments in Zimbabwe. This should be connected to the national structures to ensure that local level activities are systematically accounted for at the national level. The NGMS recognises the strategic importance of building partnerships with social actors at all levels. Qualitative research method was used in the study. The study used both primary and secondary data in analysing the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the two selected provinces in Zimbabwe, namely Masvingo and Mashonaland Central. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires, while secondary data was gathered through a literature survey of relevant textbooks, newspapers, and peer-reviewed journals, reports and legislation. The research findings indicated that rural women face a number of constraints in getting access to and participating in local governance. Some of the constraints include; cultural beliefs; violence against women; lack of resources; lack of mutual support among women; domestic responsibilities; and institutional factors. The contributions of the research to the study of women in local governance are discussed. Recommendations to increase the participation of women in local governance are made. These include creating an enabling environment for women’s political empowerment, gender-responsive budgets, capacity-building programmes, establishment of gender focal points, gender management committees and teams, increasing women’s self-worth and changing perceptions by men. The study also found that decentralisation in Zimbabwe has not brought local governance closer to rural women due to the interweaving cultural, structural, physical and financial barriers local government faces in ensuring gender equality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Kurebwa, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Local government -- Women -- Zimbabwe , Public administration -- Citizen participation -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:8313 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020085
- Description: This study focused on the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the Masvingo and Mashonaland Central provinces of Zimbabwe. It argued that increased representation and participation of women in local governance, particularly as ward councillors and senior administrative employees, is important and should be pursued. This has the potential to change the local governance system. The research further argued that change is more likely to occur when elected women are supported by the presence of more women at the most senior administrative levels in the local governance system. The presence of more women is required if the local governance system is to become inclusive of the diversity of the people it represents, especially women. This study rejected the assumption that rural women are passive recipients of local governance since they contribute significantly in fulfilling household and community needs and interests. Through their knowledge and understanding of the construction of power relations at the local level, rural women have creatively managed to produce, reproduce and use alternative strategies which are based on their sexuality and traditional gender roles in challenging and transforming gender inequality at the local level and in improving the quality of rural women. A National Gender Management System (NGMS) that can be used to effectively promote gender equity, equality and justice in local authorities has been developed. It is desirable that the NGMS be established within the existing organisational framework of central and local governments in Zimbabwe. This should be connected to the national structures to ensure that local level activities are systematically accounted for at the national level. The NGMS recognises the strategic importance of building partnerships with social actors at all levels. Qualitative research method was used in the study. The study used both primary and secondary data in analysing the representation and participation of rural women in local governance in the two selected provinces in Zimbabwe, namely Masvingo and Mashonaland Central. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires, while secondary data was gathered through a literature survey of relevant textbooks, newspapers, and peer-reviewed journals, reports and legislation. The research findings indicated that rural women face a number of constraints in getting access to and participating in local governance. Some of the constraints include; cultural beliefs; violence against women; lack of resources; lack of mutual support among women; domestic responsibilities; and institutional factors. The contributions of the research to the study of women in local governance are discussed. Recommendations to increase the participation of women in local governance are made. These include creating an enabling environment for women’s political empowerment, gender-responsive budgets, capacity-building programmes, establishment of gender focal points, gender management committees and teams, increasing women’s self-worth and changing perceptions by men. The study also found that decentralisation in Zimbabwe has not brought local governance closer to rural women due to the interweaving cultural, structural, physical and financial barriers local government faces in ensuring gender equality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of the Congo and Kalahari basins of South Central Africa and their evolution during the formation and break-up of West Gondwana
- Authors: Linol, Bastien
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Sedimentary basins -- Africa , Sedimentology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10655 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012148 , Sedimentary basins -- Africa , Sedimentology
- Description: The high elevated (ca. 1100 m) continental Kalahari Basin (KB) of southern Africa and the linked lower lying (ca. 400 m) Congo Basin (CB) of central Africa preserve in their interiors extensive sedimentary rock sequences and sediments that represent a unique record of the Phanerozoic geodynamic and climatic evolution of sub-Saharan Africa. In this thesis, field observations and new borehole data from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Botswana are integrated with new paleontology and geochronology to present a substantially revised stratigraphy for the CB, and south-central Africa in general. This work also introduces a new multiphase model for the subsidence and uplift history of the CB, and improves correlations with the Cape-Karoo Basin (CKB) of South Africa and the Paraná Basin (PB) of south-east Brazil. Four deep boreholes, each between 2 and 4.5 km deep, drilled in the centre of the CB in the 1950’s and 1970’s are re-examined together with the colonial literature (in French) and available seismic data. This stratigraphic and basin analysis is complemented with new U-Pb dates of detrital zircons from core-samples of two of the boreholes (Samba and Dekese), as well as from samples collected during field work in the Kwango region of the south-west DRC. This work, for the first time, constrains the maximum ages and source provenances of the successions in the CB. Following the Pan African orogens (ca. 650-530 Ma), extensive sequences of red beds were deposited by regional paleocurrents to the south. These are now best preserved (1 km thick) along the West Congo, Oubanguides, and Lufilian Belts surrounding the CB. Overlying a hiatus that represents most of the early-Paleozoic, is a 1 to 3 km thick succession of easterly derived glacial, and then continental sequences of the Karoo Supergroup. This succession records the first main episode of subsidence [10-15 m/Ma], interrupted by a phase of uplift that is likely related to far-field intracontinental deformation within Gondwana supercontinent during the Variscan and Cape Fold orogenies (ca. 250-330 Ma) at its peripheries. Detrital zircons from the lower Karoo diamictites are dated at 1.85-2.05 Ga and 1.37- 1.42 Ga, and thus sourced from Paleoproterozoic (Eburnean) and mid-Mesoproterozoic (Kibaran type-I) basement rocks in Uganda and Tanzania. Zircons from all the other successions in the CB date predominantly at 950-1050 Ma and 500-800 Ma. These are derived from sediment recycling of late-Mesoproterozoic (Kibaran type-II) and late- Neoproterozoic (Pan African) sources in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad. A distinct unconformity across the Karoo Supergroup in the CB is overlain by 500- 1000 m Jurassic-Cretaceous sequences, here named the Congo Supergroup. During initial rapid subsidence [10-50 m/Ma], late-Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) shallow marine to continental sedimentation attests to a short transgression of proto-Indian Ocean waters into the northern CB (at 160 m above present day sea-level), succeeded by widespread deposition of aeolian dunes that extend from the southern CB to the PB in South America. The youngest zircons from these aeolian sediments in the CB date at 190 Ma and 240-290 Ma, and most likely indicate the influence of extensive silicic volcanic ash derived from the proto-Andes along the south-western margin of Gondwana. Two superimposed mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) lacustrine sequences in the central CB record a succeeding, slower [10-15 m/Ma], phase of basin subsidence during the opening of the South Atlantic (ca. 85-135 Ma). These Cretaceous sequences are in turn truncated by another regional peneplanation surface covered by Cenozoic (Eocene) silcretized sands and alluviums of the Kalahari Group, only 50-250 m thick in the centre of the CB. Southward, on top of the Kalahari Plateau in the central desert region of north-west Botswana, new boreholes intercepted laterally equivalent condensed lacustrine carbonates and calcretes (20-50 m thick) covered by sands. These terrestrial sequences are key archives of late-Mesozoic – Cenozoic paleo-climate changes, yet they remain stratigraphically unresolved. This new analysis of the Phanerozoic continental basins of south-central Africa and their equivalents in South America, opens a fresh continental-scale window into how West Gondwana break-up and concomitant epeirogenic uplifts of Kalahari (>2 km) and Congo (>200 m) are linked to interactions between the lithosphere and mantle geodynamics, and how these processes likely affected global climate changes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Linol, Bastien
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Sedimentary basins -- Africa , Sedimentology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10655 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012148 , Sedimentary basins -- Africa , Sedimentology
- Description: The high elevated (ca. 1100 m) continental Kalahari Basin (KB) of southern Africa and the linked lower lying (ca. 400 m) Congo Basin (CB) of central Africa preserve in their interiors extensive sedimentary rock sequences and sediments that represent a unique record of the Phanerozoic geodynamic and climatic evolution of sub-Saharan Africa. In this thesis, field observations and new borehole data from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Botswana are integrated with new paleontology and geochronology to present a substantially revised stratigraphy for the CB, and south-central Africa in general. This work also introduces a new multiphase model for the subsidence and uplift history of the CB, and improves correlations with the Cape-Karoo Basin (CKB) of South Africa and the Paraná Basin (PB) of south-east Brazil. Four deep boreholes, each between 2 and 4.5 km deep, drilled in the centre of the CB in the 1950’s and 1970’s are re-examined together with the colonial literature (in French) and available seismic data. This stratigraphic and basin analysis is complemented with new U-Pb dates of detrital zircons from core-samples of two of the boreholes (Samba and Dekese), as well as from samples collected during field work in the Kwango region of the south-west DRC. This work, for the first time, constrains the maximum ages and source provenances of the successions in the CB. Following the Pan African orogens (ca. 650-530 Ma), extensive sequences of red beds were deposited by regional paleocurrents to the south. These are now best preserved (1 km thick) along the West Congo, Oubanguides, and Lufilian Belts surrounding the CB. Overlying a hiatus that represents most of the early-Paleozoic, is a 1 to 3 km thick succession of easterly derived glacial, and then continental sequences of the Karoo Supergroup. This succession records the first main episode of subsidence [10-15 m/Ma], interrupted by a phase of uplift that is likely related to far-field intracontinental deformation within Gondwana supercontinent during the Variscan and Cape Fold orogenies (ca. 250-330 Ma) at its peripheries. Detrital zircons from the lower Karoo diamictites are dated at 1.85-2.05 Ga and 1.37- 1.42 Ga, and thus sourced from Paleoproterozoic (Eburnean) and mid-Mesoproterozoic (Kibaran type-I) basement rocks in Uganda and Tanzania. Zircons from all the other successions in the CB date predominantly at 950-1050 Ma and 500-800 Ma. These are derived from sediment recycling of late-Mesoproterozoic (Kibaran type-II) and late- Neoproterozoic (Pan African) sources in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad. A distinct unconformity across the Karoo Supergroup in the CB is overlain by 500- 1000 m Jurassic-Cretaceous sequences, here named the Congo Supergroup. During initial rapid subsidence [10-50 m/Ma], late-Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) shallow marine to continental sedimentation attests to a short transgression of proto-Indian Ocean waters into the northern CB (at 160 m above present day sea-level), succeeded by widespread deposition of aeolian dunes that extend from the southern CB to the PB in South America. The youngest zircons from these aeolian sediments in the CB date at 190 Ma and 240-290 Ma, and most likely indicate the influence of extensive silicic volcanic ash derived from the proto-Andes along the south-western margin of Gondwana. Two superimposed mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) lacustrine sequences in the central CB record a succeeding, slower [10-15 m/Ma], phase of basin subsidence during the opening of the South Atlantic (ca. 85-135 Ma). These Cretaceous sequences are in turn truncated by another regional peneplanation surface covered by Cenozoic (Eocene) silcretized sands and alluviums of the Kalahari Group, only 50-250 m thick in the centre of the CB. Southward, on top of the Kalahari Plateau in the central desert region of north-west Botswana, new boreholes intercepted laterally equivalent condensed lacustrine carbonates and calcretes (20-50 m thick) covered by sands. These terrestrial sequences are key archives of late-Mesozoic – Cenozoic paleo-climate changes, yet they remain stratigraphically unresolved. This new analysis of the Phanerozoic continental basins of south-central Africa and their equivalents in South America, opens a fresh continental-scale window into how West Gondwana break-up and concomitant epeirogenic uplifts of Kalahari (>2 km) and Congo (>200 m) are linked to interactions between the lithosphere and mantle geodynamics, and how these processes likely affected global climate changes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Self-esteem, coping and the psychology of infertility
- Authors: Jordaan, Hendrina Jacoba
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Infertility -- Psychological aspects , Self-esteem -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020055
- Description: This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Jordaan, Hendrina Jacoba
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Infertility -- Psychological aspects , Self-esteem -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020055
- Description: This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Significance of accuracy in the orthographical development of isiXhosa in a post-democratic South Africa
- Authors: Saul, Zandisile Wilberforce
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Xhosa language , Xhosa language -- Grammar , Xhosa language -- Orthography and spelling , South Africa -- Languages
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DLitt et Phil (African Languages)
- Identifier: vital:11589 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005642 , Xhosa language , Xhosa language -- Grammar , Xhosa language -- Orthography and spelling , South Africa -- Languages
- Description: IsiXhosa language is one of the first languages in sub-Saharan Africa to be reduced into writing. The first written texts in isiXhosa were produced by British missionaries in the Tyhume river valley as early as 1824. In spite of these early developments, there still remain today many inconsistencies and anomalies with regard to the standardization of isiXhosa orthography that require attention. This research focuses on the status quo of the current orthography of isiXhosa which is used in the writing of the selected texts which were published from 2000 to date. The research study investigates how these texts are written, that is, whether they are written according to the principles of the writing of this language as developed by the respective language boards or not. The reason for doing this is that this language has become one of the official languages of the Republic of South Africa. Therefore, in order for it to be read and written without any difficulty by anyone, as it is expected to be used as a medium of instruction even at tertiary level in the future, it should be written accurately and consistently. The study analyses a number of isiXhosa written texts including the following: (1) Selected literary texts which were published from 2000 to date. (2) Selected publications by government departments. (3) Selected translated texts. (4) Some of the newspapers and magazines which are currently in circulation in this language. (5) Some dictionaries of isiXhosa. (6) The updated isiXhosa Orthography as compiled by the PanSALB (2008). The aims of the study are outlined in Chapter 1. This chapter also provides the theoretical framework within which the research is located. Chapter 2 is about the theoretical perspectives on the development of the art of writing and orthography. The historical background, that is, the development of the art of writing and the general as well as the specific requirements of a good orthography are discussed. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 observe and analyse the orthographical features of some written documents of isiXhosa such as writing of capital letters, word division, usage of concords, etc. These three chapters also observe and analyse the various anomalies and inconsistencies in the spelling of isiXhosa words that were identified in the consulted texts. Chapter 6 is devoted to the conclusion and the recommendations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Saul, Zandisile Wilberforce
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Xhosa language , Xhosa language -- Grammar , Xhosa language -- Orthography and spelling , South Africa -- Languages
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DLitt et Phil (African Languages)
- Identifier: vital:11589 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005642 , Xhosa language , Xhosa language -- Grammar , Xhosa language -- Orthography and spelling , South Africa -- Languages
- Description: IsiXhosa language is one of the first languages in sub-Saharan Africa to be reduced into writing. The first written texts in isiXhosa were produced by British missionaries in the Tyhume river valley as early as 1824. In spite of these early developments, there still remain today many inconsistencies and anomalies with regard to the standardization of isiXhosa orthography that require attention. This research focuses on the status quo of the current orthography of isiXhosa which is used in the writing of the selected texts which were published from 2000 to date. The research study investigates how these texts are written, that is, whether they are written according to the principles of the writing of this language as developed by the respective language boards or not. The reason for doing this is that this language has become one of the official languages of the Republic of South Africa. Therefore, in order for it to be read and written without any difficulty by anyone, as it is expected to be used as a medium of instruction even at tertiary level in the future, it should be written accurately and consistently. The study analyses a number of isiXhosa written texts including the following: (1) Selected literary texts which were published from 2000 to date. (2) Selected publications by government departments. (3) Selected translated texts. (4) Some of the newspapers and magazines which are currently in circulation in this language. (5) Some dictionaries of isiXhosa. (6) The updated isiXhosa Orthography as compiled by the PanSALB (2008). The aims of the study are outlined in Chapter 1. This chapter also provides the theoretical framework within which the research is located. Chapter 2 is about the theoretical perspectives on the development of the art of writing and orthography. The historical background, that is, the development of the art of writing and the general as well as the specific requirements of a good orthography are discussed. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 observe and analyse the orthographical features of some written documents of isiXhosa such as writing of capital letters, word division, usage of concords, etc. These three chapters also observe and analyse the various anomalies and inconsistencies in the spelling of isiXhosa words that were identified in the consulted texts. Chapter 6 is devoted to the conclusion and the recommendations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Single-end reflectometric measurements of polarization-mode dispersion in single-mode optical fibres
- Authors: Fosuhene, Samuel Kofi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Fiber optics , Polarization (Light) , Optical measurements
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6280 , vital:21069
- Description: In this thesis two novel single-end methods are applied to measure and characterize polarization mode dispersion in single mode optical fibres. Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is an important factor negatively affecting the successful implementation of high speed long haul optical fibre networks operating at bit rates of 10Gb/s and above. PMD measurements are thus important for quality control during manufacturing and cabling processes. It is also useful for network operators planning to upgrade bitrates in existing networks to 10Gb/s and beyond. In an optical fibre link, sections with particularly high PMD may act to increase the entire PMD of the link. Identifying and replacing such sections can greatly reduce the PMD of the link. PMD measurements can be forward or single-end. In forward measurements, both ends of the fibre are used for input and detection. In single-end configuration, only one end of the fibre is used. For this reason, single-end measurements are more practical for the field where fibre ends are situated several kilometres apart. Single-end techniques can be implemented with a continuous wave for non-local PMD measurements (by Fresnel reflection). If a pulsed wave is used, local measurements can be achieved (by total power due to Rayleigh scattering). Two single-end schemes, one based on Fresnel reflection and the other due to Rayleigh scattering have been applied to measure non-local and local PMD of standard single mode optical fibres. For the non-local PMD measurements, the general interferometric technique (GINTY) was modified to operate in a round-trip configuration. In this configuration, the fibre was treated as a concatenation of two identical fibre segments. Three different sets of fibres were investigated, each set representing a particular mode coupling regime. For polarization maintaining fibres, (PMFs), with no mode coupling, a factor of two was found between forward and single-end measurements. For long single mode fibres in the long length regime, the factor was 1.4. For a combination of PMF and single mode fibres, a factor of 1.6 was obtained. The method which is accurate, repeatable, low cost and robust is very suitable for field applications. The second method is the polarization optical time domain reflectometric (P-OTDR) technique. This technique performs local birefringence measurements by measuring the evolution of the states of polarization (SOP). The birefringence information from such measurements was extracted and analysed to characterise four different fibres. Beat lengths and correlation lengths extracted from the P-OTDR were used to calculate the differential group delay (DGD) of the fibres. Next an expression for the root-mean-square differential group delay was derived and applied to the birefringence measurements to calculate the DGDs at a single wavelength. This method which operates at a single wavelength has a huge advantage. Firstly it is able to measure completely all the fibre characteristic parameters. Secondly it can measure mean DGD, root mean square DGD and instantaneous DGD. A plot of instantaneous DGD vs. length enables one to identify and eliminate sections with particularly high DGD. Finally since the P-OTDR system operates with a single wavelength, real time monitoring of PMD is possible via multiplexing. The results obtained are repeatable, accurate and are in good agreement with the standard Jones Matrix Eigenanalysis (JME) technique.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Single-end reflectometric measurements of polarization-mode dispersion in single-mode optical fibres
- Authors: Fosuhene, Samuel Kofi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Fiber optics , Polarization (Light) , Optical measurements
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6280 , vital:21069
- Description: In this thesis two novel single-end methods are applied to measure and characterize polarization mode dispersion in single mode optical fibres. Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is an important factor negatively affecting the successful implementation of high speed long haul optical fibre networks operating at bit rates of 10Gb/s and above. PMD measurements are thus important for quality control during manufacturing and cabling processes. It is also useful for network operators planning to upgrade bitrates in existing networks to 10Gb/s and beyond. In an optical fibre link, sections with particularly high PMD may act to increase the entire PMD of the link. Identifying and replacing such sections can greatly reduce the PMD of the link. PMD measurements can be forward or single-end. In forward measurements, both ends of the fibre are used for input and detection. In single-end configuration, only one end of the fibre is used. For this reason, single-end measurements are more practical for the field where fibre ends are situated several kilometres apart. Single-end techniques can be implemented with a continuous wave for non-local PMD measurements (by Fresnel reflection). If a pulsed wave is used, local measurements can be achieved (by total power due to Rayleigh scattering). Two single-end schemes, one based on Fresnel reflection and the other due to Rayleigh scattering have been applied to measure non-local and local PMD of standard single mode optical fibres. For the non-local PMD measurements, the general interferometric technique (GINTY) was modified to operate in a round-trip configuration. In this configuration, the fibre was treated as a concatenation of two identical fibre segments. Three different sets of fibres were investigated, each set representing a particular mode coupling regime. For polarization maintaining fibres, (PMFs), with no mode coupling, a factor of two was found between forward and single-end measurements. For long single mode fibres in the long length regime, the factor was 1.4. For a combination of PMF and single mode fibres, a factor of 1.6 was obtained. The method which is accurate, repeatable, low cost and robust is very suitable for field applications. The second method is the polarization optical time domain reflectometric (P-OTDR) technique. This technique performs local birefringence measurements by measuring the evolution of the states of polarization (SOP). The birefringence information from such measurements was extracted and analysed to characterise four different fibres. Beat lengths and correlation lengths extracted from the P-OTDR were used to calculate the differential group delay (DGD) of the fibres. Next an expression for the root-mean-square differential group delay was derived and applied to the birefringence measurements to calculate the DGDs at a single wavelength. This method which operates at a single wavelength has a huge advantage. Firstly it is able to measure completely all the fibre characteristic parameters. Secondly it can measure mean DGD, root mean square DGD and instantaneous DGD. A plot of instantaneous DGD vs. length enables one to identify and eliminate sections with particularly high DGD. Finally since the P-OTDR system operates with a single wavelength, real time monitoring of PMD is possible via multiplexing. The results obtained are repeatable, accurate and are in good agreement with the standard Jones Matrix Eigenanalysis (JME) technique.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Standards to facilitate optimal experiences of short-term study abroad nursing students at a higher education institution
- Authors: Du Rand, Sussara Maria
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nursing -- Study and teaching -- United States , Transcultural nursing , Nursing -- Cross-cultural studies , Foreign study , Nursing students
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10066 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020659
- Description: Advances in technology have made globalization and internationalization a reality in the world. National borders are becoming more permeable and migration of goods, services, and health care workers takes place more readily. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have become competitors and vendors in the global knowledge economy and are expected to develop job seekers that are responsible and engaged global citizens and employees. Offering study abroad programmes is one of the ways that HEIs achieve this goal. It is estimated that in 2010, 4.7 million people studied abroad (OECD, 2012:360), and it is anticipated that this number will grow to 15 million by the year 2025 (Altbach & Knight, 2006:9). South Africa is emerging as a regional hub for study and research in sub-Saharan Africa (UNESCO: 2012b). Many organizations that train nurses are internationalizing their curriculum which effectively means that Schools of Nursing are seeking placement for students to study, gain insight into other cultures and practices, and to gain clinical experience in other countries. Students, the customers of the Higher Education Institutions, often pay large sums of money to undertake these study abroad programmes and therefore expect good quality learning experiences in return. The aim of this qualitative, contextual, exploratory, and descriptive study was to explore and describe the expectations and experiences of international nursing students and faculty members at a Higher Educational Institution in South Africa in order to develop standards that will enable HEIs to optimize the experiences of short-term study abroad nursing students. An in-depth contextual investigation was conducted on globalization and internationalization, as well as the higher education and health systems of three countries to understand the context of the study abroad programmes. Qualitative data was gathered from students and faculty members using focus groups and individual interviews to establish their expectations and experiences of the programme. Thematic synthesis was carried out on the contextual data and the qualitative data. Thereafter, thematic synthesis analysis was conducted using both sets of results to develop standards that can be used to optimize the experience of short-term study abroad nursing students at a HEI. A total of 35 standards were developed around the following main themes: the objectives of study abroad programmes should be stated clearly before arrival and include the expectations of the global, national, and local communities, the higher education institution and the staff and students; study abroad programmes should be managed in an ethical manner and in an enabling environment, as part of their strategic goals and plans of a HEI; students should be exposed to a variety of experiences and differences between the sending and hosting countries during their study abroad programmes; Standards to Facilitate Optimal Experiences of Short-term Study Abroad Nursing Students at a HEI; study abroad programmes should be evaluated at different intervals and levels to ensure quality of the programmes and to ensure that the objectives/outcomes are met. A limitation of the study was the sampling of the clinical mentors which did not include representatives from the overseas universities. It is recommended that the standards that were developed in this study be introduced and tested in HEIs and that more research be conducted on different levels and groups with regard to study abroad programmes in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Du Rand, Sussara Maria
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Nursing -- Study and teaching -- United States , Transcultural nursing , Nursing -- Cross-cultural studies , Foreign study , Nursing students
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10066 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020659
- Description: Advances in technology have made globalization and internationalization a reality in the world. National borders are becoming more permeable and migration of goods, services, and health care workers takes place more readily. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have become competitors and vendors in the global knowledge economy and are expected to develop job seekers that are responsible and engaged global citizens and employees. Offering study abroad programmes is one of the ways that HEIs achieve this goal. It is estimated that in 2010, 4.7 million people studied abroad (OECD, 2012:360), and it is anticipated that this number will grow to 15 million by the year 2025 (Altbach & Knight, 2006:9). South Africa is emerging as a regional hub for study and research in sub-Saharan Africa (UNESCO: 2012b). Many organizations that train nurses are internationalizing their curriculum which effectively means that Schools of Nursing are seeking placement for students to study, gain insight into other cultures and practices, and to gain clinical experience in other countries. Students, the customers of the Higher Education Institutions, often pay large sums of money to undertake these study abroad programmes and therefore expect good quality learning experiences in return. The aim of this qualitative, contextual, exploratory, and descriptive study was to explore and describe the expectations and experiences of international nursing students and faculty members at a Higher Educational Institution in South Africa in order to develop standards that will enable HEIs to optimize the experiences of short-term study abroad nursing students. An in-depth contextual investigation was conducted on globalization and internationalization, as well as the higher education and health systems of three countries to understand the context of the study abroad programmes. Qualitative data was gathered from students and faculty members using focus groups and individual interviews to establish their expectations and experiences of the programme. Thematic synthesis was carried out on the contextual data and the qualitative data. Thereafter, thematic synthesis analysis was conducted using both sets of results to develop standards that can be used to optimize the experience of short-term study abroad nursing students at a HEI. A total of 35 standards were developed around the following main themes: the objectives of study abroad programmes should be stated clearly before arrival and include the expectations of the global, national, and local communities, the higher education institution and the staff and students; study abroad programmes should be managed in an ethical manner and in an enabling environment, as part of their strategic goals and plans of a HEI; students should be exposed to a variety of experiences and differences between the sending and hosting countries during their study abroad programmes; Standards to Facilitate Optimal Experiences of Short-term Study Abroad Nursing Students at a HEI; study abroad programmes should be evaluated at different intervals and levels to ensure quality of the programmes and to ensure that the objectives/outcomes are met. A limitation of the study was the sampling of the clinical mentors which did not include representatives from the overseas universities. It is recommended that the standards that were developed in this study be introduced and tested in HEIs and that more research be conducted on different levels and groups with regard to study abroad programmes in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Strategies to provide holistic care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities
- Authors: Frood, Sharron Louise
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Children of AIDS patients -- Care -- South Africa , Orphans -- Care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10064 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020655
- Description: The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome pandemic (HIV/AIDS) continues to increase in prevalence worldwide, particularly in South Africa. “AIDS, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), has devastated the social and economic fabric of African societies, made orphans of a whole generation of children and become the epicentre of the HIV/AIDS pandemic” (Fassin, 2007: 76). Like the virus itself, the AIDS crisis mutates rapidly. Children who are AIDS orphans living in South Africa, as in other African countries, suffer from recurrent psychological trauma. It starts with the illness and death of their parents and is followed by cycles of poverty, malnutrition, stigma, exploitation, sickness and often sexual abuse. The figures concerning those affected, which are staggering, offer various predictions regarding the number of orphans left in the wake of the pandemic. Between 1990 and 2003, the number of orphaned children rose from fewer than 1 million to more than 12 million in sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2005: 68). South Africa is severely affected by the AIDS pandemic, with the largest number of HIV infections in the world, a total of 5.7 million (RSA, 2010: 10), affecting approximately 3.2 million women and 280 000 children aged from 0 to14 years. There is a significant variation in HIV prevalence per province, with the Eastern Cape (EC) reportedly having an average prevalence rate of 28 percent. Hence South Africa is likely to be the country with highest percentage of children orphaned by AIDS within its population. Orphanhood is a major consequence of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa with an estimated 2.2 million AIDS-orphaned children, 11,188 per 100,000 by 2015. Most children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities live predominantly uncared for and unsupported. Therefore the purpose of this research study was to develop strategies to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. To achieve the purpose of this research study, a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used by the researcher to gain insight from health and social care practitioners who render care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in these communities. The data from in-depth interviews with the health and social care practitoners was used by the researcher to develop strategies to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. The study comprised the following four phases: Phase One: During this phase, the researcher will present an overview of the current legislative framework policies at an international, national and provincial level, regarding the the rights of children living in South Africa. Phase Two: During this phase data from two research populations were collected and analysed. As the research process of this study dealt with two groups of participants, namely in group one health care practitioners and group two comprised social workers and psychologists, who work in the township communities to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in these communities. The researcher discussed each group separately in the discussion of phase two of the study. Phase Three: Comprised the themes identified in the data gathered from the transcribed in-depth interviews, the field notes as well as the reflective journals were cross-validated to ensure trustworthiness of the data which was then organised into a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework was used to clarify the relationships of the concepts and the themes identified during the research process and also used to link the gathered data to previously established models and theories (Schneider, 2004: 133). Phase Four: The last phase of the research design, focused on the development of the “Steps of progression strategies” to provide holistic care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. This was done making use of the themes identified during data analysis and the literature sources used throughout this research process. The evaluation criteria of Chinn and Kramer (2008: 237-248) were used to evaluate the strategies. It is therefore concluded that the researcher succeeded in achieving the purpose of this study because strategies which were understandable, clear, simple, applicable and significant to nursing practice have been developed for use by the Department of Health and Department of Social Development as well as primary health and social care practitioners to provide holistic care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Frood, Sharron Louise
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Children of AIDS patients -- Care -- South Africa , Orphans -- Care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10064 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020655
- Description: The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome pandemic (HIV/AIDS) continues to increase in prevalence worldwide, particularly in South Africa. “AIDS, (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), has devastated the social and economic fabric of African societies, made orphans of a whole generation of children and become the epicentre of the HIV/AIDS pandemic” (Fassin, 2007: 76). Like the virus itself, the AIDS crisis mutates rapidly. Children who are AIDS orphans living in South Africa, as in other African countries, suffer from recurrent psychological trauma. It starts with the illness and death of their parents and is followed by cycles of poverty, malnutrition, stigma, exploitation, sickness and often sexual abuse. The figures concerning those affected, which are staggering, offer various predictions regarding the number of orphans left in the wake of the pandemic. Between 1990 and 2003, the number of orphaned children rose from fewer than 1 million to more than 12 million in sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2005: 68). South Africa is severely affected by the AIDS pandemic, with the largest number of HIV infections in the world, a total of 5.7 million (RSA, 2010: 10), affecting approximately 3.2 million women and 280 000 children aged from 0 to14 years. There is a significant variation in HIV prevalence per province, with the Eastern Cape (EC) reportedly having an average prevalence rate of 28 percent. Hence South Africa is likely to be the country with highest percentage of children orphaned by AIDS within its population. Orphanhood is a major consequence of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa with an estimated 2.2 million AIDS-orphaned children, 11,188 per 100,000 by 2015. Most children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities live predominantly uncared for and unsupported. Therefore the purpose of this research study was to develop strategies to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. To achieve the purpose of this research study, a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used by the researcher to gain insight from health and social care practitioners who render care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in these communities. The data from in-depth interviews with the health and social care practitoners was used by the researcher to develop strategies to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. The study comprised the following four phases: Phase One: During this phase, the researcher will present an overview of the current legislative framework policies at an international, national and provincial level, regarding the the rights of children living in South Africa. Phase Two: During this phase data from two research populations were collected and analysed. As the research process of this study dealt with two groups of participants, namely in group one health care practitioners and group two comprised social workers and psychologists, who work in the township communities to provide care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in these communities. The researcher discussed each group separately in the discussion of phase two of the study. Phase Three: Comprised the themes identified in the data gathered from the transcribed in-depth interviews, the field notes as well as the reflective journals were cross-validated to ensure trustworthiness of the data which was then organised into a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework was used to clarify the relationships of the concepts and the themes identified during the research process and also used to link the gathered data to previously established models and theories (Schneider, 2004: 133). Phase Four: The last phase of the research design, focused on the development of the “Steps of progression strategies” to provide holistic care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities. This was done making use of the themes identified during data analysis and the literature sources used throughout this research process. The evaluation criteria of Chinn and Kramer (2008: 237-248) were used to evaluate the strategies. It is therefore concluded that the researcher succeeded in achieving the purpose of this study because strategies which were understandable, clear, simple, applicable and significant to nursing practice have been developed for use by the Department of Health and Department of Social Development as well as primary health and social care practitioners to provide holistic care and support to children who are AIDS orphans living in township communities in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Structural analysis of synthetic ferrihydrite nanoparticles and its reduction in a hydrogen atmosphere
- Authors: Masina, Colani John
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Ferric hydroxides , Minerals -- Analysis , Nanoparticles
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020796
- Description: Ferrihydrite (FHYD), a nanocrystalline material has long been described as a poorly crystalline disordered mineral mainly due to its small crystal size which is typically 2−6 𝑛𝑚. The three-dimensional structure of the mineral has long been described by a multi-phase structural model that consists of Fe3+ only in octahedral (Oh) coordination. In this model ferrihydrite is described as a mixture of two major phases (akaganeite/goethite-like f-phase and feroxyhite-like d-phase) and a minor ultradispersed nanohematite phase. This model has been recently challenged and a new, single-phase model was proposed, having a basic structural motif closely related to the Baker-Figgs δ-Keggin cluster and is isostructural with the mineral akdalaite, Al10O14(OH)2. In its ideal form, the proposed new structure of FHYD consist of 80 % Oh and 20 % tetrahedral (Td) Fe3+ polyhedra which can be adequately described by a single-domain model with the hexagonal spacegroup 𝑃63𝑚𝑐 and unit cell dimensions 𝑎=5.95 Å and 𝑐=9.06 Å. In this study, nanoparticles of 2-line FHYD (FHYD2), 2-line FHYD deposited onto SiO2 (FHYD2/SiO2) and 6-line FHYD (FHYD6) synthesised using rapid hydrolysis of Fe(NO3)3.9H2O solutions were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) as well as magnetization and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The coordination environment of iron atoms in the structure of FHYD was investigated using TEM and MS. The thermal transformation of FHYD nanoparticles was monitored through changes in the magnetization as a function of temperature and the reduction behaviour in hydrogen environment was studied using temperature programmed reduction (TPR), in-situ XRD and MS. Electron diffraction, TEM/ scanning TEM (STEM) imaging, and electron energy loss (EELS) measurements were carried out on three different microscopes viz. JEOL JEM-2100 LaB6 TEM, aberration corrected Schottky-FEG JEOL JEM-ARM200F HRTEM and cold-FEG Zeiss SESAM TEM. EELS studies were concentrated mainly on the iron 𝐿-edge of FHYD and iron oxides reference spectra with well known crystal structures. The iron oxide Fe 𝐿-edge is usually characterized by two intense sharp peaks termed “white lines”. The fine structures introduced by the crystal field effect on the 𝐿- edge contain information that is highly specific to the Fe3+ site symmetry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Masina, Colani John
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Ferric hydroxides , Minerals -- Analysis , Nanoparticles
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020796
- Description: Ferrihydrite (FHYD), a nanocrystalline material has long been described as a poorly crystalline disordered mineral mainly due to its small crystal size which is typically 2−6 𝑛𝑚. The three-dimensional structure of the mineral has long been described by a multi-phase structural model that consists of Fe3+ only in octahedral (Oh) coordination. In this model ferrihydrite is described as a mixture of two major phases (akaganeite/goethite-like f-phase and feroxyhite-like d-phase) and a minor ultradispersed nanohematite phase. This model has been recently challenged and a new, single-phase model was proposed, having a basic structural motif closely related to the Baker-Figgs δ-Keggin cluster and is isostructural with the mineral akdalaite, Al10O14(OH)2. In its ideal form, the proposed new structure of FHYD consist of 80 % Oh and 20 % tetrahedral (Td) Fe3+ polyhedra which can be adequately described by a single-domain model with the hexagonal spacegroup 𝑃63𝑚𝑐 and unit cell dimensions 𝑎=5.95 Å and 𝑐=9.06 Å. In this study, nanoparticles of 2-line FHYD (FHYD2), 2-line FHYD deposited onto SiO2 (FHYD2/SiO2) and 6-line FHYD (FHYD6) synthesised using rapid hydrolysis of Fe(NO3)3.9H2O solutions were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) as well as magnetization and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The coordination environment of iron atoms in the structure of FHYD was investigated using TEM and MS. The thermal transformation of FHYD nanoparticles was monitored through changes in the magnetization as a function of temperature and the reduction behaviour in hydrogen environment was studied using temperature programmed reduction (TPR), in-situ XRD and MS. Electron diffraction, TEM/ scanning TEM (STEM) imaging, and electron energy loss (EELS) measurements were carried out on three different microscopes viz. JEOL JEM-2100 LaB6 TEM, aberration corrected Schottky-FEG JEOL JEM-ARM200F HRTEM and cold-FEG Zeiss SESAM TEM. EELS studies were concentrated mainly on the iron 𝐿-edge of FHYD and iron oxides reference spectra with well known crystal structures. The iron oxide Fe 𝐿-edge is usually characterized by two intense sharp peaks termed “white lines”. The fine structures introduced by the crystal field effect on the 𝐿- edge contain information that is highly specific to the Fe3+ site symmetry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Synthesis, characterisation and biological activity of 2-(methylthiomethyl)anilines, 2-(methylthio)anilines, their Schiff-base derivatives and metal(II) (Co, Ni, Cu) complexes
- Olalekan, Temitope Elizabeth
- Authors: Olalekan, Temitope Elizabeth
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Aniline , Schiff bases , Ligands , Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , Chelates , X-ray crystallography , Antimalarials
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4562 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020868
- Description: A series of 31 sulfur-nitrogen donor ligands and 64 metal(II) complexes have been investigated. The thiomethylated aniline ligands 2–(methylthiomethyl)aniline 2MT and 2–(methylthio)aniline 2MA were synthesized with their substituted derivatives (-Me, -MeO, -Cl, -Br, -NO2) to serve as chelating agents. These ligands behave as bidentate ligands with SN donor group with Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II). The Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes have the ML2Cl2 molecular formula while the Cu(II) complexes formed with MLCl2 stoichiometry where L is the bidentate ligand. The ligands and their metal(II) complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and with spectroscopic techniques. The trend observed in the NMR spectra and IR frequencies of the thiomethylated compounds shows there is a significant difference between the 2MT and 2MA series as a result of sulfur lone pairs extending the conjugation of the aromatic ring in the case of the latter. The effect of the position and electronic nature of ring substituent on the NMR shifts of the amine protons is discussed. The 6- and 5-membered chelate complexes formed by the 2MT and 2MA ligands respectively do not show significant diversity in their spectroscopic properties. From the elemental analysis for the Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes, their compositions reveal 1:2 M:L stoichiometry with 2 chlorine atoms from the respective metal salts. In addition, the spectroscopic data are largely indicative of tetragonally distorted structures for these solid complexes. The X-ray crystallography data reveal the Cu(II) complexes exist as square pyramidal dimers and with long Cu–Cl equitorial bonds fit into the tetragonally distorted octahedral structure. The electrolytic nature of Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes in DMF were found to be similar, they behave as non electrolytes in contrast to Ni(II) complexes which are 1:1 electrolytes. The electronic spectra of these metal(II) complexes were found to be different for both their solid forms and in solutions of DMF and DMSO and this has been discussed. The thiomethylated aniline ligands possess the amine and thioether groups which are present in many known biologically active compounds, hence the biological activity of the ligands and their metal complexes were tested against three strains of bacteria and one fungus. The methoxy-substituted derivatives were found to possess better inhibitory activity and this was similarly reflected in the metal(II) complexes. The activity of the complexes can be said to be in the order, Cu(II) > Co(II) > Ni(II). The Schiff-base derivatives were prepared from the ligands and para-methoxysalicylaldehyde and their Cu(II) complexes were synthesized in order to determine their biological activity. The Schiff-base ligands were found to be less active than their parent ligands. The Cu(II) complexes are not soluble in water, DMSO or DMF, as a result and could not be evaluated for their biological activity. Based on the good results from the antimicrobial evaluation, the antiplasmodial activity of some of the Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes of the thiomethylated ligands against Plasmodium falciparum (FCR-3) was determined. At 50 μM concentration level, the Cu(II) complexes show activity equal or better than the prophylactic chloroquine. The Cu(II) complexes with the methoxy-substituted demonstrated exceptional activity but their Co(II) and Ni(II) analogues did not show any activity. The cytotoxicity of the active Cu(II) complexes at 50 μM concentration was determined against the breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). The compounds destroyed the cancer cell in the range of 28–40%, thus showing their preferred activity against the parasitic cell instead of the cancer cell. The selectivity demonstrated by these compounds have shown them to be potential antimalarial agents and this could be further investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Olalekan, Temitope Elizabeth
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Aniline , Schiff bases , Ligands , Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , Chelates , X-ray crystallography , Antimalarials
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4562 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020868
- Description: A series of 31 sulfur-nitrogen donor ligands and 64 metal(II) complexes have been investigated. The thiomethylated aniline ligands 2–(methylthiomethyl)aniline 2MT and 2–(methylthio)aniline 2MA were synthesized with their substituted derivatives (-Me, -MeO, -Cl, -Br, -NO2) to serve as chelating agents. These ligands behave as bidentate ligands with SN donor group with Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II). The Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes have the ML2Cl2 molecular formula while the Cu(II) complexes formed with MLCl2 stoichiometry where L is the bidentate ligand. The ligands and their metal(II) complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and with spectroscopic techniques. The trend observed in the NMR spectra and IR frequencies of the thiomethylated compounds shows there is a significant difference between the 2MT and 2MA series as a result of sulfur lone pairs extending the conjugation of the aromatic ring in the case of the latter. The effect of the position and electronic nature of ring substituent on the NMR shifts of the amine protons is discussed. The 6- and 5-membered chelate complexes formed by the 2MT and 2MA ligands respectively do not show significant diversity in their spectroscopic properties. From the elemental analysis for the Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes, their compositions reveal 1:2 M:L stoichiometry with 2 chlorine atoms from the respective metal salts. In addition, the spectroscopic data are largely indicative of tetragonally distorted structures for these solid complexes. The X-ray crystallography data reveal the Cu(II) complexes exist as square pyramidal dimers and with long Cu–Cl equitorial bonds fit into the tetragonally distorted octahedral structure. The electrolytic nature of Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes in DMF were found to be similar, they behave as non electrolytes in contrast to Ni(II) complexes which are 1:1 electrolytes. The electronic spectra of these metal(II) complexes were found to be different for both their solid forms and in solutions of DMF and DMSO and this has been discussed. The thiomethylated aniline ligands possess the amine and thioether groups which are present in many known biologically active compounds, hence the biological activity of the ligands and their metal complexes were tested against three strains of bacteria and one fungus. The methoxy-substituted derivatives were found to possess better inhibitory activity and this was similarly reflected in the metal(II) complexes. The activity of the complexes can be said to be in the order, Cu(II) > Co(II) > Ni(II). The Schiff-base derivatives were prepared from the ligands and para-methoxysalicylaldehyde and their Cu(II) complexes were synthesized in order to determine their biological activity. The Schiff-base ligands were found to be less active than their parent ligands. The Cu(II) complexes are not soluble in water, DMSO or DMF, as a result and could not be evaluated for their biological activity. Based on the good results from the antimicrobial evaluation, the antiplasmodial activity of some of the Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes of the thiomethylated ligands against Plasmodium falciparum (FCR-3) was determined. At 50 μM concentration level, the Cu(II) complexes show activity equal or better than the prophylactic chloroquine. The Cu(II) complexes with the methoxy-substituted demonstrated exceptional activity but their Co(II) and Ni(II) analogues did not show any activity. The cytotoxicity of the active Cu(II) complexes at 50 μM concentration was determined against the breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). The compounds destroyed the cancer cell in the range of 28–40%, thus showing their preferred activity against the parasitic cell instead of the cancer cell. The selectivity demonstrated by these compounds have shown them to be potential antimalarial agents and this could be further investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Textile and clothing industry competitiveness in the Southern African region
- Authors: Mwamayi, Kibunji Adam
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Textile industry -- Africa, Southern , Clothing trade -- Africa, Southern , Competition, International , Africa, Southern -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:9137 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018684
- Description: This is a study of the relationship between approaches to people management and competitiveness, by examining the case of the textile and clothing industry in Southern Africa. The textile and clothing industry has historically played a major role in many national economies (including many southern African countries) contributing not only to overall economic growth, but also to the creation of significant numbers of relatively well-paid jobs. In the Southern African Region (SAR), the textile and clothing industry has undergone many structural pressures in the face of increased cheap imports from South-East Asian countries – above all, China and Bangladesh - which have resulted in the closure of many firms, and the significant downsizing of many survivors. This study seeks to explore the relationship between HR practice and organizational sustainability in the textile and clothing industry in Southern Africa region, with a particular emphasis on the cases of three countries: South Africa, Mauritius and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whilst at very different stages of national development, and with distinct political and developmental histories, all three countries were subject to active industrial policies, including the development of national clothing and textile industries. Again, all have faced the challenge of sustaining these industries in the face of liberalization and intensive competition from the Far East. This study is based on a multi-method approach, combining in-depth interviews with national industry surveys, and the usage of relevant documentary sources. It takes cognizance of the increasing relevance of new HRM practices and discourses to the growing field of Development Studies in the 21st century. The existing HRM literature suggests that there are a number of alternative people management strategies through which firms may secure their competitiveness, most notably strategic approaches to hard HRM (which treats people as an instrument to be strategically deployed to promote competitiveness), soft HRM (which promotes cooperative approaches to managing people) and traditional labour repression (managing people simply as a cost, to be managed in a short-term, un-strategic manner). The literature on HRM in Africa has suggested an alternative paradigm, which combines autocratic paternalism with elements of communitarianism. This study found that the bulk of firms encompassed by the study employed HR policies that recognizably fell within the soft HRM paradigm, enabling high value added production. However, an important exception lies in the area of security of tenure: firms tended to combine high levels of employee involvement and participation; as well as a commitment to human resource development, along with a persistent reliance on the usage of redundancies to adjust changes in the relative need for labour. Hence, this study highlights the limitations of theoretical approaches which see HR strategies as being necessarily coherent and self-reinforcing. Firms may broadly adhere to one approach, whilst adopting aspects of another as needs arise and in response to external pressures. An important exception to this was Mauritius, in which security of tenure appeared to be stronger, perhaps owing to the greater ease of enforcing regulations against illegal imports in a relatively small island country by allowing firms to plan for the future with greater confidence. In contrast, firms in South Africa were characterized by much lower security of tenure, against a backdrop of declining profits, reflecting the competitive challenges posed not only by legitimate low cost imports, but also illegal imports and the proliferation of rural sweatships. One again, this study highlights the relative fragility of the position of many firms and the continued importance of governmental support, most notably in terms of export incentives, support and facilitation in the adoption of new technologies, as well as better policing against illegal imports.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Mwamayi, Kibunji Adam
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Textile industry -- Africa, Southern , Clothing trade -- Africa, Southern , Competition, International , Africa, Southern -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:9137 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018684
- Description: This is a study of the relationship between approaches to people management and competitiveness, by examining the case of the textile and clothing industry in Southern Africa. The textile and clothing industry has historically played a major role in many national economies (including many southern African countries) contributing not only to overall economic growth, but also to the creation of significant numbers of relatively well-paid jobs. In the Southern African Region (SAR), the textile and clothing industry has undergone many structural pressures in the face of increased cheap imports from South-East Asian countries – above all, China and Bangladesh - which have resulted in the closure of many firms, and the significant downsizing of many survivors. This study seeks to explore the relationship between HR practice and organizational sustainability in the textile and clothing industry in Southern Africa region, with a particular emphasis on the cases of three countries: South Africa, Mauritius and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whilst at very different stages of national development, and with distinct political and developmental histories, all three countries were subject to active industrial policies, including the development of national clothing and textile industries. Again, all have faced the challenge of sustaining these industries in the face of liberalization and intensive competition from the Far East. This study is based on a multi-method approach, combining in-depth interviews with national industry surveys, and the usage of relevant documentary sources. It takes cognizance of the increasing relevance of new HRM practices and discourses to the growing field of Development Studies in the 21st century. The existing HRM literature suggests that there are a number of alternative people management strategies through which firms may secure their competitiveness, most notably strategic approaches to hard HRM (which treats people as an instrument to be strategically deployed to promote competitiveness), soft HRM (which promotes cooperative approaches to managing people) and traditional labour repression (managing people simply as a cost, to be managed in a short-term, un-strategic manner). The literature on HRM in Africa has suggested an alternative paradigm, which combines autocratic paternalism with elements of communitarianism. This study found that the bulk of firms encompassed by the study employed HR policies that recognizably fell within the soft HRM paradigm, enabling high value added production. However, an important exception lies in the area of security of tenure: firms tended to combine high levels of employee involvement and participation; as well as a commitment to human resource development, along with a persistent reliance on the usage of redundancies to adjust changes in the relative need for labour. Hence, this study highlights the limitations of theoretical approaches which see HR strategies as being necessarily coherent and self-reinforcing. Firms may broadly adhere to one approach, whilst adopting aspects of another as needs arise and in response to external pressures. An important exception to this was Mauritius, in which security of tenure appeared to be stronger, perhaps owing to the greater ease of enforcing regulations against illegal imports in a relatively small island country by allowing firms to plan for the future with greater confidence. In contrast, firms in South Africa were characterized by much lower security of tenure, against a backdrop of declining profits, reflecting the competitive challenges posed not only by legitimate low cost imports, but also illegal imports and the proliferation of rural sweatships. One again, this study highlights the relative fragility of the position of many firms and the continued importance of governmental support, most notably in terms of export incentives, support and facilitation in the adoption of new technologies, as well as better policing against illegal imports.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The adaptation of the 'Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure' (CORE-OM) from English into a valid Xhosa measure of distress
- Authors: Campbell, Megan Michelle
- Date: 2013 , 2013-06-06
- Subjects: Psychometrics -- Research -- South Africa Psychology -- Mathematical models -- Research -- South Africa Psychological tests -- Research -- South Africa Mental health services -- Research -- South Africa Health services accessibility -- Research -- South Africa Language disorders -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2894 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001538
- Description: In South Africa access to mental healthcare resources is restricted for a number of reasons including language barriers that prevent suitable communication between mental healthcare professionals and African language speaking South Africans. The translation of psychometric tools into African languages has been identified as one method in improving access to psychological services for African language speakers. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) has demonstrated its clinical utility within the United Kingdom (UK) National Healthcare Service (NHS) as a standardised psychotherapy outcome measure that evaluates the degree of psychological distress individuals present with at the start of psychotherapy treatment, and the degree of change that has been effected at the termination of therapy. A measure like the CORE-OM holds valuable clinical utility for the South African context. This thesis argues that the availability of a valid Xhosa version of the CORE-OM would allow for improved access to psychotherapy resources for Xhosa speaking individuals, and allow for the evaluation of the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions conducted in Xhosa. The CORE-OM developers have provided a translation design and set of guidelines to standardise the translation of the CORE-OM into different languages. However this thesis argues that these guidelines are incomplete. Instead International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines are recommended as a culturally sensitive method to supplement current CORE-OM translation guidelines, in order to generate a valid Xhosa measure of distress. A mixed methods approach is applied which first investigates the construct equivalence and bias of the CORE-OM English version within a South African student population sample, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in order to establish the degree of adaptation required to generate a valid Xhosa version of distress. Next the CORE-OM English version is translated into Xhosa using the five-stage translation design prescribed by the CORE System Trust, supplemented by ITC guidelines. All changes made to the CORE-OM during translation into Xhosa are documented. The CORE-OM Xhosa version is then investigated for reliability and validity. This investigation reveals low internal reliability within the subjective wellbeing domain indicating that these items are less meaningful as depictions of distress within the Xhosa language. A reduced version of the CORE-OM demonstrates strong psychometric properties as a valid Xhosa measure of distress.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Campbell, Megan Michelle
- Date: 2013 , 2013-06-06
- Subjects: Psychometrics -- Research -- South Africa Psychology -- Mathematical models -- Research -- South Africa Psychological tests -- Research -- South Africa Mental health services -- Research -- South Africa Health services accessibility -- Research -- South Africa Language disorders -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2894 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001538
- Description: In South Africa access to mental healthcare resources is restricted for a number of reasons including language barriers that prevent suitable communication between mental healthcare professionals and African language speaking South Africans. The translation of psychometric tools into African languages has been identified as one method in improving access to psychological services for African language speakers. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) has demonstrated its clinical utility within the United Kingdom (UK) National Healthcare Service (NHS) as a standardised psychotherapy outcome measure that evaluates the degree of psychological distress individuals present with at the start of psychotherapy treatment, and the degree of change that has been effected at the termination of therapy. A measure like the CORE-OM holds valuable clinical utility for the South African context. This thesis argues that the availability of a valid Xhosa version of the CORE-OM would allow for improved access to psychotherapy resources for Xhosa speaking individuals, and allow for the evaluation of the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions conducted in Xhosa. The CORE-OM developers have provided a translation design and set of guidelines to standardise the translation of the CORE-OM into different languages. However this thesis argues that these guidelines are incomplete. Instead International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines are recommended as a culturally sensitive method to supplement current CORE-OM translation guidelines, in order to generate a valid Xhosa measure of distress. A mixed methods approach is applied which first investigates the construct equivalence and bias of the CORE-OM English version within a South African student population sample, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in order to establish the degree of adaptation required to generate a valid Xhosa version of distress. Next the CORE-OM English version is translated into Xhosa using the five-stage translation design prescribed by the CORE System Trust, supplemented by ITC guidelines. All changes made to the CORE-OM during translation into Xhosa are documented. The CORE-OM Xhosa version is then investigated for reliability and validity. This investigation reveals low internal reliability within the subjective wellbeing domain indicating that these items are less meaningful as depictions of distress within the Xhosa language. A reduced version of the CORE-OM demonstrates strong psychometric properties as a valid Xhosa measure of distress.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The application of property value models to assess government housing policy : a Nelson Mandela Bay Case Study
- Authors: Sale, Michael Charles
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Real property -- Valuation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Planned communities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9023 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020007
- Description: Two developments that may impact house prices have dominated the residential property landscape in South Africa in recent years, namely government’s planned social housing developments and residential property value assessments carried out by local municipalities across South Africa for property tax purposes. Social housing developments are often plagued by “local opposition”, who argue that subsidised housing units may have a negative effect on adjacent non-subsidised residential housing. Negative preconceptions of social housing form the basis of this argument, which is commonly referred to as the “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) syndrome. International studies conducted have, however, produced mixed results with some concluding that social housing developments lead to a reduction in nearby property prices, whilst others conclude that they lead to an improvement in surrounding property values. Currently, the state of the South African economy and demographics are limiting previously disadvantaged, poor peoples’ access to affordable and safe housing, and for this reason the basis of the NIMBY rationale deserves closer attention. In order to test the validity of the NIMBY rationale, this study examines, by means of the hedonic price method, the effect of an existing housing establishment catering for low-income earners (the Walmer/Gqebera Township) on adjacent property values in the suburb of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape. The study concludes that the low-cost housing development exerts a negative impact on the property values of nearby houses - the average owner of a non-subsidised residential property in Walmer would be willing to pay between R38 033 and R46 898 to be situated 200 metres further away from the Walmer Township. This conclusion is subject to three qualifications. The first is that the Walmer Township is not a recognised social housing development but merely a proxy for one. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used in this study and only one social housing development was considered. The third qualification is that the study period is from 1995 to 2009, which necessitated the adjustment of market prices to constant 2009 rands. For this purpose, data from the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage section of the ABSA house price indices were used. It was not possible to disaggregate the indices further to obtain a Walmer-specific index. It is possible that an imperfect correlation exists between the Walmer property trend and the metropolitan (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) trend used in this study. Based on the results of this doctoral investigation it is recommended that a monthly rebate on property rates of between R269.40 and R332.19 be implemented for affected Walmer residents. This amount could be sufficient to mitigate the capital loss associated with proximity to the Walmer Township. In terms of the management of social housing projects, it is strongly recommended that the following occur in order to alleviate the NIMBY syndrome: existing dwellings should be renovated, tenants should be monitored, dwellings should be appropriately designed and maintained, the composition of the host neighbourhood should be assessed and the image of social housing should be improved. With regard to the renovation of dwellings, social housing site preference should be given to existing structures in need of renovation, as positive externalities are associated with the renovation of such properties. The monitoring of tenants needs to take place in order to ensure that the financial and behavioural obligations of the tenants are met, and that informal “shack dwellings” do not materialise on site, and finally, that tenant default rates remain low. The appropriate management of these projects will also aid in combating the perception that social housing developments lead to private residential property devaluation. In respect of residential property value assessments, many homeowners have recently argued that there is very little equivalence between the municipality’s valuations and true market values. This study uses, inter alia, the hedonic price model to investigate the accuracy of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s 2007/2008 valuation roll. The investigation was limited to the valuation roll applicable to the Walmer neighbourhood. The study finds that there is, on average, a 13.89 percent difference between market prices and the 2007/2008 municipal assessed values. In addition, this study finds that an attributebased hedonic price model produces property price predictions that are more in line with true market values. This finding is subject to two qualifications. The first qualification is that only the Walmer neighbourhood’s assessed values were considered, thus limiting the findings. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Sale, Michael Charles
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Real property -- Valuation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Planned communities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9023 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020007
- Description: Two developments that may impact house prices have dominated the residential property landscape in South Africa in recent years, namely government’s planned social housing developments and residential property value assessments carried out by local municipalities across South Africa for property tax purposes. Social housing developments are often plagued by “local opposition”, who argue that subsidised housing units may have a negative effect on adjacent non-subsidised residential housing. Negative preconceptions of social housing form the basis of this argument, which is commonly referred to as the “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) syndrome. International studies conducted have, however, produced mixed results with some concluding that social housing developments lead to a reduction in nearby property prices, whilst others conclude that they lead to an improvement in surrounding property values. Currently, the state of the South African economy and demographics are limiting previously disadvantaged, poor peoples’ access to affordable and safe housing, and for this reason the basis of the NIMBY rationale deserves closer attention. In order to test the validity of the NIMBY rationale, this study examines, by means of the hedonic price method, the effect of an existing housing establishment catering for low-income earners (the Walmer/Gqebera Township) on adjacent property values in the suburb of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape. The study concludes that the low-cost housing development exerts a negative impact on the property values of nearby houses - the average owner of a non-subsidised residential property in Walmer would be willing to pay between R38 033 and R46 898 to be situated 200 metres further away from the Walmer Township. This conclusion is subject to three qualifications. The first is that the Walmer Township is not a recognised social housing development but merely a proxy for one. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used in this study and only one social housing development was considered. The third qualification is that the study period is from 1995 to 2009, which necessitated the adjustment of market prices to constant 2009 rands. For this purpose, data from the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage section of the ABSA house price indices were used. It was not possible to disaggregate the indices further to obtain a Walmer-specific index. It is possible that an imperfect correlation exists between the Walmer property trend and the metropolitan (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) trend used in this study. Based on the results of this doctoral investigation it is recommended that a monthly rebate on property rates of between R269.40 and R332.19 be implemented for affected Walmer residents. This amount could be sufficient to mitigate the capital loss associated with proximity to the Walmer Township. In terms of the management of social housing projects, it is strongly recommended that the following occur in order to alleviate the NIMBY syndrome: existing dwellings should be renovated, tenants should be monitored, dwellings should be appropriately designed and maintained, the composition of the host neighbourhood should be assessed and the image of social housing should be improved. With regard to the renovation of dwellings, social housing site preference should be given to existing structures in need of renovation, as positive externalities are associated with the renovation of such properties. The monitoring of tenants needs to take place in order to ensure that the financial and behavioural obligations of the tenants are met, and that informal “shack dwellings” do not materialise on site, and finally, that tenant default rates remain low. The appropriate management of these projects will also aid in combating the perception that social housing developments lead to private residential property devaluation. In respect of residential property value assessments, many homeowners have recently argued that there is very little equivalence between the municipality’s valuations and true market values. This study uses, inter alia, the hedonic price model to investigate the accuracy of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s 2007/2008 valuation roll. The investigation was limited to the valuation roll applicable to the Walmer neighbourhood. The study finds that there is, on average, a 13.89 percent difference between market prices and the 2007/2008 municipal assessed values. In addition, this study finds that an attributebased hedonic price model produces property price predictions that are more in line with true market values. This finding is subject to two qualifications. The first qualification is that only the Walmer neighbourhood’s assessed values were considered, thus limiting the findings. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013