Measuring the elasticity of electricity demand in South Africa: implications for future demand and supply
- Authors: Kosiorek, Sebastian
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Electric power consumption -- South Africa , Electric power distribution -- South Africa , Electric power production -- South Africa , Electric power failures -- South Africa , Electric utilities -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Autoregression (Statistics) , Renewable energy sources -- South Africa , Energy policy -- South Africa , Integrated Resource Plan
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62472 , vital:28196
- Description: A key economic issue for government is the ability to effectively match electricity supply to electricity demand, because of the substantial economic losses in the case of where there is too little supply, or the waste of scarce resources where there is too much supply. In the case of South Africa, this issue, the importance of which was highlighted by the power shortages and associated “rolling blackouts” experience in 2008, has led to the creation of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) as a means to decide how energy policy will be developed. Recently, however, the IRP 2010 and its subsequent 2013 and 2016 (draft) updates have been criticised as being too optimistic in regards to their projections of economic growth and electricity demand, making the recommendations in these documents to be flawed. Using monthly data from January 1990 to May 2017, together with Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing for cointegration, this paper measures changes in the elasticity of electricity demand as a result of the massive price hikes over the past decade. Thereafter, the implications of changed electricity as well as possibly lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the future for forecasts of possible future demand for electricity are examined. From these revised forecasts, it is possible to make appropriate recommendations in regards to electricity supply policy for South Africa including what possible energy mix is needed as well as the requirements for creating new supply to meet possible future demand. It is concluded that future electricity demand is likely to be much lower than forecast in the IRP 2010 and IRP 2013 documents. The degree of uncertainty in electricity demand growth suggests that large-scale increases in supply capacity taking years to construct, such as coal or nuclear, should be avoided. Small, incremental increases in supply that are able to come on stream swiftly, such as gas, solar and wind power, are likely to be more appropriate for meeting South Africa’s future needs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kosiorek, Sebastian
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Electric power consumption -- South Africa , Electric power distribution -- South Africa , Electric power production -- South Africa , Electric power failures -- South Africa , Electric utilities -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Autoregression (Statistics) , Renewable energy sources -- South Africa , Energy policy -- South Africa , Integrated Resource Plan
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62472 , vital:28196
- Description: A key economic issue for government is the ability to effectively match electricity supply to electricity demand, because of the substantial economic losses in the case of where there is too little supply, or the waste of scarce resources where there is too much supply. In the case of South Africa, this issue, the importance of which was highlighted by the power shortages and associated “rolling blackouts” experience in 2008, has led to the creation of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) as a means to decide how energy policy will be developed. Recently, however, the IRP 2010 and its subsequent 2013 and 2016 (draft) updates have been criticised as being too optimistic in regards to their projections of economic growth and electricity demand, making the recommendations in these documents to be flawed. Using monthly data from January 1990 to May 2017, together with Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing for cointegration, this paper measures changes in the elasticity of electricity demand as a result of the massive price hikes over the past decade. Thereafter, the implications of changed electricity as well as possibly lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the future for forecasts of possible future demand for electricity are examined. From these revised forecasts, it is possible to make appropriate recommendations in regards to electricity supply policy for South Africa including what possible energy mix is needed as well as the requirements for creating new supply to meet possible future demand. It is concluded that future electricity demand is likely to be much lower than forecast in the IRP 2010 and IRP 2013 documents. The degree of uncertainty in electricity demand growth suggests that large-scale increases in supply capacity taking years to construct, such as coal or nuclear, should be avoided. Small, incremental increases in supply that are able to come on stream swiftly, such as gas, solar and wind power, are likely to be more appropriate for meeting South Africa’s future needs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Medicine use in swallowing-impaired patients: Pharmacists’ knowledge, practice and information needs
- Authors: Masilamoney, Mehrusha
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Deglutition disorders , Drugs -- Administration , Oral medication -- Administration , Pharmacists -- Practice , South African Pharmacy Council
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61940 , vital:28086
- Description: Dysphagia, or swallowing impairment, is a growing problem that affects 13.5% of the general population. The ability to swallow is essential for patients taking oral medicines, so this presents a challenge for swallowing-impaired (SI) patients as tablets and capsules will usually require modification prior to ingestion. Pharmacists should play a central role in advising SI patients about their medicine use, as well as problems that may impact on safety, adherence and therapeutic outcome. However, little is known about pharmacists’ level of knowledge, their practice and their information needs when dealing with SI patients and their use of medicines. The aim of this study was to investigate pharmacist knowledge, practice and information needs relating to the support of SI patients and their medicine-related needs. The study design included both quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative questionnaire was developed to collect data on the knowledge, practice and information needs of pharmacists and was piloted in 10 pharmacists, which resulted in minor modifications. The questionnaire was converted to a web-based survey and emailed to all pharmacists registered with the South African Pharmacy Council. Two knowledge scores were generated by summating correct responses: knowledge of dysphagia (KOD) and knowledge of medicine use (KOMU) in SI patients. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the strength of the relationship between specific variables with KOD and KOMU using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists from community, hospital and primary healthcare clinics in both a small town and a major metropole. The aim was to gain deeper understanding of issues arising from the survey, and to explore preferences for topic-specific information materials. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. A total of 439 pharmacists responded to the survey, with 67% being females.The mean KOD score out of a maximum score of 10 was 6.1 ± 1.8. KOD was inadequate (<5) in just over one-third (37.8%) of pharmacists. The mean KOMU score achieved (maximum score 17) was 9.4 ± 2.0, with inadequate knowledge (<10) being established in just over two-thirds of pharmacists (70.8%). Age, length of registration as a pharmacist, and years of practice in a setting with direct patient interaction were significantly but weakly correlated with KOMU, whereas KOD showed no significant association with these variables. Qualification significantly influenced both KOD and KOMU; the highest group with adequate knowledge had either a Masters or a PharmD degree. Fewer than half the pharmacists (44%) never ask patients about their swallowing ability, and most (86%) reported no knowledge of locally available viscosity enhancers. Almost all pharmacists were interested in receiving information materials on assisting SI patients with their medicine use. Three major themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Pharmacists recognised their knowledge deficit and felt that lack of both undergraduate training and formal training during practice, as well as limited exposure to SI patients, were contributing factors. Barriers to their practice with SI patients included lack of time, lack of institutional support and lack of easily accessible references on the pharmacists’ role in supporting medicine use in SI patients. Lastly, most pharmacists were not prepared to take ownership of medicine-related problems in SI patients and had conflicting opinions of the pharmacists’ role, usually shifting the responsibility of medicine use in SI patients to nurses. This is the first study to investigate pharmacist knowledge of medicine use in SI patients. The findings indicate that pharmacists do not have the requisite knowledge when dealing with SI patients and their medicine-taking issues despite being the most highly trained healthcare professionals in this field. Lack of undergraduate training, in-house training and limited exposure to SI patients were reported to contribute to poor knowledge. Current practice revealed that there appears to be poor communication among different healthcare professionals, pharmacists were reluctant to work with and/or train nurses on appropriate medicine use in SI patients, and there appeared to be ambiguity surrounding the role of a pharmacist. This research identified that pharmacists regard this topic to be highly relevant to their everyday practice and are keen to receive more information and training relating to this area of study. Information materials were designed and will be made accessible to all pharmacists registered in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Medicine use in swallowing-impaired patients: Pharmacists’ knowledge, practice and information needs
- Authors: Masilamoney, Mehrusha
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Deglutition disorders , Drugs -- Administration , Oral medication -- Administration , Pharmacists -- Practice , South African Pharmacy Council
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61940 , vital:28086
- Description: Dysphagia, or swallowing impairment, is a growing problem that affects 13.5% of the general population. The ability to swallow is essential for patients taking oral medicines, so this presents a challenge for swallowing-impaired (SI) patients as tablets and capsules will usually require modification prior to ingestion. Pharmacists should play a central role in advising SI patients about their medicine use, as well as problems that may impact on safety, adherence and therapeutic outcome. However, little is known about pharmacists’ level of knowledge, their practice and their information needs when dealing with SI patients and their use of medicines. The aim of this study was to investigate pharmacist knowledge, practice and information needs relating to the support of SI patients and their medicine-related needs. The study design included both quantitative and qualitative methods. A quantitative questionnaire was developed to collect data on the knowledge, practice and information needs of pharmacists and was piloted in 10 pharmacists, which resulted in minor modifications. The questionnaire was converted to a web-based survey and emailed to all pharmacists registered with the South African Pharmacy Council. Two knowledge scores were generated by summating correct responses: knowledge of dysphagia (KOD) and knowledge of medicine use (KOMU) in SI patients. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the strength of the relationship between specific variables with KOD and KOMU using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists from community, hospital and primary healthcare clinics in both a small town and a major metropole. The aim was to gain deeper understanding of issues arising from the survey, and to explore preferences for topic-specific information materials. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. A total of 439 pharmacists responded to the survey, with 67% being females.The mean KOD score out of a maximum score of 10 was 6.1 ± 1.8. KOD was inadequate (<5) in just over one-third (37.8%) of pharmacists. The mean KOMU score achieved (maximum score 17) was 9.4 ± 2.0, with inadequate knowledge (<10) being established in just over two-thirds of pharmacists (70.8%). Age, length of registration as a pharmacist, and years of practice in a setting with direct patient interaction were significantly but weakly correlated with KOMU, whereas KOD showed no significant association with these variables. Qualification significantly influenced both KOD and KOMU; the highest group with adequate knowledge had either a Masters or a PharmD degree. Fewer than half the pharmacists (44%) never ask patients about their swallowing ability, and most (86%) reported no knowledge of locally available viscosity enhancers. Almost all pharmacists were interested in receiving information materials on assisting SI patients with their medicine use. Three major themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Pharmacists recognised their knowledge deficit and felt that lack of both undergraduate training and formal training during practice, as well as limited exposure to SI patients, were contributing factors. Barriers to their practice with SI patients included lack of time, lack of institutional support and lack of easily accessible references on the pharmacists’ role in supporting medicine use in SI patients. Lastly, most pharmacists were not prepared to take ownership of medicine-related problems in SI patients and had conflicting opinions of the pharmacists’ role, usually shifting the responsibility of medicine use in SI patients to nurses. This is the first study to investigate pharmacist knowledge of medicine use in SI patients. The findings indicate that pharmacists do not have the requisite knowledge when dealing with SI patients and their medicine-taking issues despite being the most highly trained healthcare professionals in this field. Lack of undergraduate training, in-house training and limited exposure to SI patients were reported to contribute to poor knowledge. Current practice revealed that there appears to be poor communication among different healthcare professionals, pharmacists were reluctant to work with and/or train nurses on appropriate medicine use in SI patients, and there appeared to be ambiguity surrounding the role of a pharmacist. This research identified that pharmacists regard this topic to be highly relevant to their everyday practice and are keen to receive more information and training relating to this area of study. Information materials were designed and will be made accessible to all pharmacists registered in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Mining, agriculture and wetland ecological infrastructure in the Upper Komati catchment (South Africa): contestations in a complex social-ecological system
- Authors: Keighley, Tia-Kristi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wetland ecology -- Komati River Watershed , Coal mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Komati River Watershed , Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Komati River Watershed , Acid mine drainage -- Komati River Watershed , Water quality -- Physiological effect -- Komati River Watershed , Wetland conservation -- Komati River Watershed , National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63810 , vital:28491
- Description: Wetlands provide a wide variety of natural benefits (ecosystem services) from the natural environment to human populations, making them key examples of ecological infrastructure. However, the use of wetlands and their associated catchments is often contested by different users, making them nodes of conflict. Thus, there is a range of pressures on many wetlands which can ultimately lead to degradation or destruction. This study investigated the X11B quaternary catchment in the Upper Inkomati basin, Mpumalanga, South Africa. This catchment is characterised by a network of wetlands and streams that provide catchment residents with water. The sub-catchment is heavily used, dominated by the agricultural sector and coal mining. To understand the contestation, a contextual analysis was carried out. Selected wetland conditions and ecosystem services, along with user perceptions and the value of wetland-use, were assessed. Wetlands were observably in a relatively healthy condition. The resilience of wetlands and the efficiency of the ecosystem services they offer, especially in mediating water quality, were clear. The early results indicated a healthy landscape despite multiple-user impact from human activity. The health scores and provision of ecosystem services, along with the identified National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs) and red-listed fauna and flora, provide a substantial grounding for advocating the conservation of the wetlands of the contested X11B catchment. When water quality measures were added to the wetland health and ecosystem service assessment, low pH levels and high electrical conductivity were recorded. Both measures indicate coal mining impacts, more specifically Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) impacts, since AMD typically has sulphate as the dominant salt ion, and high concentrations of trace elements and metal ions. Concentrations breaching the recommended resource quality objectives (RQOs) of trace elements and ions, found in fertilizers and pesticides, were recorded in most sites, suggesting agricultural impacts on the landscape’s hydrology. Further, these agricultural impacts would add to the compromising effect of the wetlands’ capacity to remove pollutants from the water body. Livestock farming on all sites were also near wetlands which may have limited the vegetation cover of grazed land, so increasing runoff and the volume of water entering wetlands and compromising their ecosystem services. Poor water quality has implications for biophysical processes, which play an important role in the functioning of wetlands, for the benefit of users. Without the water quality measures, ecosystem health and ecosystem service methodology used suggested a healthy catchment. However, simple field water quality measures indicated past and present mining impacts. Therefore, the mandatory use of water chemistry is recommended in the assessment of wetlands in catchments with past and present mining activity taking place. Without this, repercussions would include wetland loss, and a more thorough investigation into the water quality and its effects on the wetland ecosystems is suggested. Further ecological investigation of water chemistry (heavy metals, ions, nutrients and trace elements) and macroinvertebrate assemblages identified links to water chemistry impacts on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. Abundance results based on the presence, absence and abundance of macroinvertebrates at the different sites did not reveal any clear patterns associated with different landscape users. Diversity, on the other hand, was related to land-use, where sites with high mining use had lower macroinvertebrate diversity than other sites. Related, concurrent, hydro-pedology research produced a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of mining on hydro-connectivity that clearly indicates mining as the cause of long-term deterioration of functional wetland health in a way that is practically impossible to restore. This study suggests that wetlands provide a strong ecosystem service of intermittent resetting of the wetland sediment adsorptive capacity for toxic metal and other salt ions. The hypothesis arising from the work is that, in the case of another heavy rainfall event, the town of Carolina risks another AMD crisis. As sediments are likely to be accumulating and saturated with toxic metal ions. Further AMD-related changes in acidity will increase the mobilisation of adsorbed ions. Future flooding and flushing of wetlands will therefore once again move toxic metal ions through the system, and possibly re-contaminate the Boesmanspruit dam. The value of the study is in delivering specific evidence on the impacts of mining (and to a lesser extent agriculture) on wetland quality. Overall, this study, combined with additional research, indicates that in the X11B catchment, mining impacts are long-term and more serious than agriculture. In terms of contestation the research indicates that reliance on bio-physical data and knowledge is inadequate in resolving conflict between coal mining and other land- and water-users. The study demonstrates the necessity of insight into the social system and the value of a transdisciplinary approach in addressing land-use conflicts and wetland protection.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Keighley, Tia-Kristi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Wetland ecology -- Komati River Watershed , Coal mines and mining -- Environmental aspects -- Komati River Watershed , Agriculture -- Environmental aspects -- Komati River Watershed , Acid mine drainage -- Komati River Watershed , Water quality -- Physiological effect -- Komati River Watershed , Wetland conservation -- Komati River Watershed , National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63810 , vital:28491
- Description: Wetlands provide a wide variety of natural benefits (ecosystem services) from the natural environment to human populations, making them key examples of ecological infrastructure. However, the use of wetlands and their associated catchments is often contested by different users, making them nodes of conflict. Thus, there is a range of pressures on many wetlands which can ultimately lead to degradation or destruction. This study investigated the X11B quaternary catchment in the Upper Inkomati basin, Mpumalanga, South Africa. This catchment is characterised by a network of wetlands and streams that provide catchment residents with water. The sub-catchment is heavily used, dominated by the agricultural sector and coal mining. To understand the contestation, a contextual analysis was carried out. Selected wetland conditions and ecosystem services, along with user perceptions and the value of wetland-use, were assessed. Wetlands were observably in a relatively healthy condition. The resilience of wetlands and the efficiency of the ecosystem services they offer, especially in mediating water quality, were clear. The early results indicated a healthy landscape despite multiple-user impact from human activity. The health scores and provision of ecosystem services, along with the identified National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPAs) and red-listed fauna and flora, provide a substantial grounding for advocating the conservation of the wetlands of the contested X11B catchment. When water quality measures were added to the wetland health and ecosystem service assessment, low pH levels and high electrical conductivity were recorded. Both measures indicate coal mining impacts, more specifically Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) impacts, since AMD typically has sulphate as the dominant salt ion, and high concentrations of trace elements and metal ions. Concentrations breaching the recommended resource quality objectives (RQOs) of trace elements and ions, found in fertilizers and pesticides, were recorded in most sites, suggesting agricultural impacts on the landscape’s hydrology. Further, these agricultural impacts would add to the compromising effect of the wetlands’ capacity to remove pollutants from the water body. Livestock farming on all sites were also near wetlands which may have limited the vegetation cover of grazed land, so increasing runoff and the volume of water entering wetlands and compromising their ecosystem services. Poor water quality has implications for biophysical processes, which play an important role in the functioning of wetlands, for the benefit of users. Without the water quality measures, ecosystem health and ecosystem service methodology used suggested a healthy catchment. However, simple field water quality measures indicated past and present mining impacts. Therefore, the mandatory use of water chemistry is recommended in the assessment of wetlands in catchments with past and present mining activity taking place. Without this, repercussions would include wetland loss, and a more thorough investigation into the water quality and its effects on the wetland ecosystems is suggested. Further ecological investigation of water chemistry (heavy metals, ions, nutrients and trace elements) and macroinvertebrate assemblages identified links to water chemistry impacts on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. Abundance results based on the presence, absence and abundance of macroinvertebrates at the different sites did not reveal any clear patterns associated with different landscape users. Diversity, on the other hand, was related to land-use, where sites with high mining use had lower macroinvertebrate diversity than other sites. Related, concurrent, hydro-pedology research produced a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of mining on hydro-connectivity that clearly indicates mining as the cause of long-term deterioration of functional wetland health in a way that is practically impossible to restore. This study suggests that wetlands provide a strong ecosystem service of intermittent resetting of the wetland sediment adsorptive capacity for toxic metal and other salt ions. The hypothesis arising from the work is that, in the case of another heavy rainfall event, the town of Carolina risks another AMD crisis. As sediments are likely to be accumulating and saturated with toxic metal ions. Further AMD-related changes in acidity will increase the mobilisation of adsorbed ions. Future flooding and flushing of wetlands will therefore once again move toxic metal ions through the system, and possibly re-contaminate the Boesmanspruit dam. The value of the study is in delivering specific evidence on the impacts of mining (and to a lesser extent agriculture) on wetland quality. Overall, this study, combined with additional research, indicates that in the X11B catchment, mining impacts are long-term and more serious than agriculture. In terms of contestation the research indicates that reliance on bio-physical data and knowledge is inadequate in resolving conflict between coal mining and other land- and water-users. The study demonstrates the necessity of insight into the social system and the value of a transdisciplinary approach in addressing land-use conflicts and wetland protection.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Mna, Nosigidi
- Authors: Matyobeni, Simthembile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) -- South Africa , Xhosa poetry -- 21st century , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century
- Language: Xhosa , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64412 , vital:28541
- Description: This thesis is a collection of poems. These are lyric poems. Animystic poets like Christopher Okigbo and Wole Soyinka are the principal models in terms of style. Animystic poetry projects ideas and emotions in a hallucinatory and profoundly visionary manner. The collection has a variety of themes such as marginality, identity, history, and domestic abuse. Diverse language registers are used in the poems in order that the setting of each poem, whether historical or contemporary, is realised. , Le thesisi ngumbongo omde osekelezelwe kumlinganiswa oyintloko, uNosigidi. Esi simbo sokuyila isihobe siva ngomlimandlela owenziwa ziimbongi ezifana noJ. R. R. Jolobe no‐Aime Cesaire. Indumasiso ethi “UThuthula” kaJolobe inefuthe kwimo yokwakhiwa kweminye imibongo edibanisa le mbali. Asiyiyo yonke imibhalo yezi mbongi ethe ncakasana ukungqamana nale mbali‐sihobe kaNosigidi. Imibongo ekuthiwa yi‐‘Animystic poetry’ isetyenzisiwe kakhulu kule mibongo. Sigqaliwe kunye nesihobe nesikaSappho, kuba yimbongi ebhale kakhulu ngamandla elizwi lamanina. USappho ngakumbi ubhala kakhulu kwisihobe sakhe ngamanina athandana namanye. Owona mxo walo mbongo kukugqala ibali koNosigidi okhule esazi kamhlophe ukuba yena uthandana namanye amanina. Isizathu soku kukuba nabo obu bomi kuyafuneka kubhaliwe ngabo ngendlela enenkathalo kuncwadi lwesiXhosa. Nasekusabeleni ubizo lwakhe kwintwaso uNosigidi uya enamathidala, de obo bomi bentumekelelo abamkele ngazo zozibini.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Matyobeni, Simthembile
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) -- South Africa , Xhosa poetry -- 21st century , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century
- Language: Xhosa , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64412 , vital:28541
- Description: This thesis is a collection of poems. These are lyric poems. Animystic poets like Christopher Okigbo and Wole Soyinka are the principal models in terms of style. Animystic poetry projects ideas and emotions in a hallucinatory and profoundly visionary manner. The collection has a variety of themes such as marginality, identity, history, and domestic abuse. Diverse language registers are used in the poems in order that the setting of each poem, whether historical or contemporary, is realised. , Le thesisi ngumbongo omde osekelezelwe kumlinganiswa oyintloko, uNosigidi. Esi simbo sokuyila isihobe siva ngomlimandlela owenziwa ziimbongi ezifana noJ. R. R. Jolobe no‐Aime Cesaire. Indumasiso ethi “UThuthula” kaJolobe inefuthe kwimo yokwakhiwa kweminye imibongo edibanisa le mbali. Asiyiyo yonke imibhalo yezi mbongi ethe ncakasana ukungqamana nale mbali‐sihobe kaNosigidi. Imibongo ekuthiwa yi‐‘Animystic poetry’ isetyenzisiwe kakhulu kule mibongo. Sigqaliwe kunye nesihobe nesikaSappho, kuba yimbongi ebhale kakhulu ngamandla elizwi lamanina. USappho ngakumbi ubhala kakhulu kwisihobe sakhe ngamanina athandana namanye. Owona mxo walo mbongo kukugqala ibali koNosigidi okhule esazi kamhlophe ukuba yena uthandana namanye amanina. Isizathu soku kukuba nabo obu bomi kuyafuneka kubhaliwe ngabo ngendlela enenkathalo kuncwadi lwesiXhosa. Nasekusabeleni ubizo lwakhe kwintwaso uNosigidi uya enamathidala, de obo bomi bentumekelelo abamkele ngazo zozibini.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Modelling Ionospheric vertical drifts over the African low latitude region
- Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Authors: Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionospheric drift , Magnetometers , Functions, Orthogonal , Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionospheric electron density -- Africa , Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63356 , vital:28396
- Description: Low/equatorial latitudes vertical plasma drifts and electric fields govern the formation and changes of ionospheric density structures which affect space-based systems such as communications, navigation and positioning. Dynamical and electrodynamical processes play important roles in plasma distribution at different altitudes. Because of the high variability of E × B drift in low latitude regions, coupled with various processes that sometimes originate from high latitudes especially during geomagnetic storm conditions, it is challenging to develop accurate vertical drift models. This is despite the fact that there are very few instruments dedicated to provide electric field and hence E × B drift data in low/equatorial latitude regions. To this effect, there exists no ground-based instrument for direct measurements of E×B drift data in the African sector. This study presents the first time investigation aimed at modelling the long-term variability of low latitude vertical E × B drift over the African sector using a combination of Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS) and ground-based magnetometer observations/measurements during 2008-2013. Because the approach is based on the estimation of equatorial electrojet from ground-based magnetometer observations, the developed models are only valid for local daytime. Three modelling techniques have been considered. The application of Empirical Orthogonal Functions and partial least squares has been performed on vertical E × B drift modelling for the first time. The artificial neural networks that have the advantage of learning underlying changes between a set of inputs and known output were also used in vertical E × B drift modelling. Due to lack of E×B drift data over the African sector, the developed models were validated using satellite data and the climatological Scherliess-Fejer model incorporated within the International Reference Ionosphere model. Maximum correlation coefficient of ∼ 0.8 was achieved when validating the developed models with C/NOFS E × B drift observations that were not used in any model development. For most of the time, the climatological model overestimates the local daytime vertical E × B drift velocities. The methods and approach presented in this study provide a background for constructing vertical E ×B drift databases in longitude sectors that do not have radar instrumentation. This will in turn make it possible to study day-to-day variability of vertical E×B drift and hopefully lead to the development of regional and global models that will incorporate local time information in different longitude sectors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Dubazane, Makhosonke Berthwell
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Ionospheric drift , Magnetometers , Functions, Orthogonal , Neural networks (Computer science) , Ionospheric electron density -- Africa , Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63356 , vital:28396
- Description: Low/equatorial latitudes vertical plasma drifts and electric fields govern the formation and changes of ionospheric density structures which affect space-based systems such as communications, navigation and positioning. Dynamical and electrodynamical processes play important roles in plasma distribution at different altitudes. Because of the high variability of E × B drift in low latitude regions, coupled with various processes that sometimes originate from high latitudes especially during geomagnetic storm conditions, it is challenging to develop accurate vertical drift models. This is despite the fact that there are very few instruments dedicated to provide electric field and hence E × B drift data in low/equatorial latitude regions. To this effect, there exists no ground-based instrument for direct measurements of E×B drift data in the African sector. This study presents the first time investigation aimed at modelling the long-term variability of low latitude vertical E × B drift over the African sector using a combination of Communication and Navigation Outage Forecasting Systems (C/NOFS) and ground-based magnetometer observations/measurements during 2008-2013. Because the approach is based on the estimation of equatorial electrojet from ground-based magnetometer observations, the developed models are only valid for local daytime. Three modelling techniques have been considered. The application of Empirical Orthogonal Functions and partial least squares has been performed on vertical E × B drift modelling for the first time. The artificial neural networks that have the advantage of learning underlying changes between a set of inputs and known output were also used in vertical E × B drift modelling. Due to lack of E×B drift data over the African sector, the developed models were validated using satellite data and the climatological Scherliess-Fejer model incorporated within the International Reference Ionosphere model. Maximum correlation coefficient of ∼ 0.8 was achieved when validating the developed models with C/NOFS E × B drift observations that were not used in any model development. For most of the time, the climatological model overestimates the local daytime vertical E × B drift velocities. The methods and approach presented in this study provide a background for constructing vertical E ×B drift databases in longitude sectors that do not have radar instrumentation. This will in turn make it possible to study day-to-day variability of vertical E×B drift and hopefully lead to the development of regional and global models that will incorporate local time information in different longitude sectors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Modelling plant water use of the grassland and thicket biomes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: towards an improved understanding of the impact of invasive alien plants on soil chemistry, biomass production and evapotranspiration
- Authors: Gwate, Onalenna
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Grasslands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Invasive plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology-- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rangelands -- Water-supply , Rangelands -- Weed control , Evapotranspiration , Plant-water relationships
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54800 , vital:26617
- Description: It is imperative to understand the strong coupling between the carbon capture process and water use to sustainably manage rangelands. Woody encroachment is undermining rangelands grass production. Evapotranspiration (ET) highlights the links between ecosystem carbon capture process and water use. It forms the biggest flux of the hydrological cycle after precipitation yet it is not well understood. The Grassland and the Albany Thicket (AT) biomes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, provide an interesting space to study the dynamics in rangelands biomass production and the associated water use. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to contribute towards management of rangelands by understanding the dynamics in rangeland grass production and water use. To achieve this aim, the impact of Acacia mearnsii, an invasive alien plant, on soil chemical properties and rangelands grass production was investigated. This was achieved by analysing the biophysical attributes of A. mearnsii as they related to grass production. Secondly, selected soil variables that could be used as a prognosis for landscape recovery or deterioration were evaluated. In addition, aboveground grass biomass was measured in areas cleared of A. mearnsii and regression equations were prepared to help model aboveground grass biomass in areas cleared of A. mearnsi. The thesis also explored dynamics in water vapour and energy fluxes in these two biomes using an eddy covariance system. Consequently, water vapour and energy fluxes were evaluated in order to understand landscape water use and energy partitioning in the landscape. The study also tested the application of Penman-Monteith equation based algorithms for estimating ET with micrometeorological techniques used for validation. Pursuant to this, the Penman- Monteith-Leuning (PML) and Penman-Monteith-Palmer (PMP) equations were applied. In addition, some effort was devoted to improving the estimates of ET from the PMP by incorporating a direct soil evaporation component. Finally, the influence of local changes in catchment characteristics on ET was explored through the application of a variant of the Budyko framework and investigating dynamics in the evaporative index as well as applying tests for trends and shifts on ET and rainfall data to detect changes in mean quaternary catchment rainfall and ET. Results revealed that A. mearnsii affected soil chemical properties and impaired grass production in rangelands. Hence, thinning of canopies provided an optimal solution for enhanced landscape water use to sequestrate carbon, provide shade, grazing, and also wood fuel. It was also shown that across sites, ET was water limited since differences between reference ET and actual ET were large. ET was largely sensitive to vapour pressure deficit and surface conductance than to net radiation, indicating that the canopies were strongly coupled with the boundary layer. Rangeland ET was successfully simulated and evaporation from the soil was the dominant flux, hence there is scope for reducing the so-called ‘unproductive’ water use. Further, it was shown that the PML was better able to simulate ET compared to the PMP model as revealed by different model evaluation metrics such as the root mean square error, absolute mean square error and the root mean square observations standard deviation ratio. The incorporation of a soil evaporation component in the PMP model improved estimates of ET as revealed by the root mean square error. The results also indicated that both the catchment parameter (w) and the evaporative index were important in highlighting the impacts of land cover change on ET. It was also shown that, despite changes in the local environment such as catchment characteristics, global forces also affected ET at a local scale. Overall, the study demonstrated that combining remote sensing and ground based observations was important to better understand rangeland grass production and water use dynamics.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Gwate, Onalenna
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Grasslands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Invasive plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rangelands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Range ecology-- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rangelands -- Water-supply , Rangelands -- Weed control , Evapotranspiration , Plant-water relationships
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54800 , vital:26617
- Description: It is imperative to understand the strong coupling between the carbon capture process and water use to sustainably manage rangelands. Woody encroachment is undermining rangelands grass production. Evapotranspiration (ET) highlights the links between ecosystem carbon capture process and water use. It forms the biggest flux of the hydrological cycle after precipitation yet it is not well understood. The Grassland and the Albany Thicket (AT) biomes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, provide an interesting space to study the dynamics in rangelands biomass production and the associated water use. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to contribute towards management of rangelands by understanding the dynamics in rangeland grass production and water use. To achieve this aim, the impact of Acacia mearnsii, an invasive alien plant, on soil chemical properties and rangelands grass production was investigated. This was achieved by analysing the biophysical attributes of A. mearnsii as they related to grass production. Secondly, selected soil variables that could be used as a prognosis for landscape recovery or deterioration were evaluated. In addition, aboveground grass biomass was measured in areas cleared of A. mearnsii and regression equations were prepared to help model aboveground grass biomass in areas cleared of A. mearnsi. The thesis also explored dynamics in water vapour and energy fluxes in these two biomes using an eddy covariance system. Consequently, water vapour and energy fluxes were evaluated in order to understand landscape water use and energy partitioning in the landscape. The study also tested the application of Penman-Monteith equation based algorithms for estimating ET with micrometeorological techniques used for validation. Pursuant to this, the Penman- Monteith-Leuning (PML) and Penman-Monteith-Palmer (PMP) equations were applied. In addition, some effort was devoted to improving the estimates of ET from the PMP by incorporating a direct soil evaporation component. Finally, the influence of local changes in catchment characteristics on ET was explored through the application of a variant of the Budyko framework and investigating dynamics in the evaporative index as well as applying tests for trends and shifts on ET and rainfall data to detect changes in mean quaternary catchment rainfall and ET. Results revealed that A. mearnsii affected soil chemical properties and impaired grass production in rangelands. Hence, thinning of canopies provided an optimal solution for enhanced landscape water use to sequestrate carbon, provide shade, grazing, and also wood fuel. It was also shown that across sites, ET was water limited since differences between reference ET and actual ET were large. ET was largely sensitive to vapour pressure deficit and surface conductance than to net radiation, indicating that the canopies were strongly coupled with the boundary layer. Rangeland ET was successfully simulated and evaporation from the soil was the dominant flux, hence there is scope for reducing the so-called ‘unproductive’ water use. Further, it was shown that the PML was better able to simulate ET compared to the PMP model as revealed by different model evaluation metrics such as the root mean square error, absolute mean square error and the root mean square observations standard deviation ratio. The incorporation of a soil evaporation component in the PMP model improved estimates of ET as revealed by the root mean square error. The results also indicated that both the catchment parameter (w) and the evaporative index were important in highlighting the impacts of land cover change on ET. It was also shown that, despite changes in the local environment such as catchment characteristics, global forces also affected ET at a local scale. Overall, the study demonstrated that combining remote sensing and ground based observations was important to better understand rangeland grass production and water use dynamics.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Morphological and genetic variation of Gymnothorax undulatus (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) in the Western Indian Ocean
- Authors: Sithole, Yonela
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63722 , vital:28476
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Sithole, Yonela
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63722 , vital:28476
- Description: Expected release date-April 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Movement of coastal fishery species in Southern Africa: research trends, characterisation of behaviours and a case study on fishery implications
- Authors: Maggs, Jade Quinton
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Fishery management -- Africa, Southern , Fisheries -- Africa, Southern , Fisheries -- Catch effort , Fisheries -- Environmental aspects , Fisheries --Monitoring , Biotelemetry , Sustainable fisheries -- Africa, Southern , Overfishing -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60574 , vital:27798
- Description: Movement of fishes is an integral part of their daily life, but has significant implications for fishery management. As with nearly all coastal countries, South Africa relies on coastal fisheries as a renewable resource, but many stocks have been overexploited for decades. Although it has long been recognised that an understanding of fish movement is necessary for effective management, it is with some difficulty that the subject has been studied in the past. In recent years, however, improvements in technology have provided the means for more in-depth investigations into fish movement. This research has revealed a range of complex movement behaviours. Movement in fishes occurs on a variety of temporal and spatial scales leading to the characteristic patterns of distribution and abundance observed in marine ecosystems. Fishes move nearly constantly in search of food, shelter or reproductive opportunities. Observations of behaviours such as long-term site fidelity, longdistance migration and natal homing are enabling ecologists to understand patterns of distribution and abundance within a species' range. Fish movement around the South African coast has been studied on numerous occasions but this has largely been confined to studies on single species. Movement behaviour of multiple species has been studied, but this has been limited to spatially localised marine protected area research. There has been little attempt in southern Africa to synthesize interspecific movement behaviour over wide spatial scales.Unprecedented concern over the biological effects of overexploitation, together with rapid technological advances in biotelemetry, have provided the impetus for much research, on a global scale, into the movement of marine animals. I reviewed 101 marine and estuarine fish movement studies from southern Africa, published from 1928 to 2014, with the aim of synthesising research trends and findings. Trends showed an increasing emphasis on fish movement research in publications in the sub-tropical and warm-temperate biogeographic regions along the south and east coasts of southern Africa. Although 63% of publications featured only marine studies, research into fine-scale habitat use in estuaries has been on the increase, concomitant with increasing accessibility of biotelemetry. Overall, 26 fish families were identified in the surveyed literature with regionally endemic sparids featuring in 32% of the publications. Ten movement themes were identified in the surveyed literature, including broad-scale movement patterns, which featured in 68% of studies, followed by fine- scale habitat usage (33%) and protected areas (26%). The most prominent phenomenon, emerging from this research, is that of partial migration, which describes the occurrence of resident and migratory behaviour within a coexisting animal population. Substantial progress has also been made in unravelling the complexities of fine-scale movements in marine reserves and habitat usage in estuaries. While this knowledge has enabled more effective management of South Africa's multi-user, multi-species fisheries, focus should now be directed at improving our understanding of the commonalities in movement behaviour, the associated driving forces behind this behaviour and the extent of movement across reserve boundaries. Mark-recapture data, collected over the past 30 years by the Oceanographic Research Institute’s Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORICFTP), were used to investigate broad- scale movement patterns of 30 prominent coastal fishery species (Chapter 4). Fishes were tagged with plastic dart tags along the coastline of southern Africa from Angola to Mozambique. This exercise yielded more than 10000 recaptures. The 30 chosen species represented 14 families, although 12 species belonged to a single family (Sparidae). Overall, 67% of recaptures were reported from the original tagging locality and 73% were recorded within 5 km of the tagging locality. The remaining observations extended from 6-3000 km. Movements were assigned to four distance bins (0-5 km, 6-50km, 51-500km and >500 km) and modelled with an ordinal logistic regression. Species, life-stage (juvenile/adult) and time- at-liberty were included as predictor variables. Model coefficients were then included in a cluster analysis, which produced two primary groupings of species (Category I and II), with two sub-groupings (Category IIa and IIb). Category I species were characterised by wide-ranging movements, greatest median recapture length and highest trophic levels. Category II species were characterised by residency, lower median recapture length and lower trophic levels. These findings have implications for fisheries management. Exploitation of resident species may lead to localised depletion, but their diffuse spatial distribution may offer some resilience. In contrast, even localised targeting of migratory species may pose a population level risk if individuals are known to aggregate. Life-cycle diversity or intra-population variability describes the existence of alternative strategies or tactics among coexisting individuals within an animal population (Chapter 5). Partial migration is a specific case of life-cycle diversity where coexisting groups exhibit either resident or migratory (wide-ranging) behaviour within a single population. Mark- recapture data collected under the auspices of the ORICFTP were used to investigate the occurrence and nature of life-cycle diversity in the movement behaviour of five non- diadromous fish species around the coastline of southern Africa. Among the five species were three teleosts (Category I and IIa) and two elasmobranchs (Category I). A fish was considered to have remained resident if recaptured within 0-5 km after 365 days at liberty. A fish was considered to have undertaken a wide-ranging movement if recaptured more than 50 km away from the release site in 365 days or less. A total of 1848 individuals from the five study species were recaptured during the study, of which 73% of the observations were classified as being resident. Binomial logistic regression confirmed that species, life-stage (juvenile/adult) and ecoregion were significant (p < 0.001) predictors of the probability of wide-ranging behaviour. A Gaussian model confirmed that species and ecoregion were also significant (p < 0.001) predictors of direction and distance of wide-ranging movement. However, the direction and distance of wide-ranging movements in juveniles did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) to that of adults. The median growth rate was mostly greater in wide- ranging individuals; however, this was only statistically significant (p < 0.05) in two cases. These findings provide unequivocal evidence of life-cycle diversity in five fish species, with vastly different life-histories. This ecological phenomenon may provide species resilience at the population level and needs to be considered in fisheries management initiatives. The movement of fishes is a fundamental aspect to consider when designing fishery management regimes. Unfortunately, traditional management strategies have often disregarded movement behaviour to the detriment of fish populations (Chapter 6). As a case study, the management of Lichia amia (Category I: wide-ranging) was evaluated in the context of its movement behaviour. Long-term catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) datasets were examined for three South African recreational fishery sectors. The CPUE was standardised using generalized linear models (delta-Gamma/hurdle approach) to reduce the effect of factors other than abundance. Factors that were available for this purpose were year, month and locality/zone. Year was included in every model as the primary objective was to detect trends in abundance over time. Although standardised CPUE for all sectors showed an overall long-term decline, there was considerable variability in trends between the different recreational sectors and between datasets. Contrasting trends between competitive shore angling and general shore angling datasets were ascribed to hyperstability in competitive CPUE data. Hyperstability in this case was mostly influenced by rapidly improving technology, techniques and communication networks amongst competitive anglers. Month and locality were significant factors explaining the probability of catching L. amia. This suggests that the predictable aggregatory behaviour of this species could further compound the observed CPUE hyperstability. Although the CPUE responded positively for six years after implementation of the first minimum size and bag limits, and for one year after the decommercialisation of the species, these regulations and their amendments failed to arrest a long-term decline in the CPUE despite the ample evidence for hyperstability. It is clear from this case study that the predictable nature of wide-ranging behaviour in L. amia has made the population vulnerable to exploitation. This has led to the demise in the population, which could have been worse if not for the occurrence of intra-population variability in its movement behaviour, which may provide some measure of resilience.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Maggs, Jade Quinton
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Fishery management -- Africa, Southern , Fisheries -- Africa, Southern , Fisheries -- Catch effort , Fisheries -- Environmental aspects , Fisheries --Monitoring , Biotelemetry , Sustainable fisheries -- Africa, Southern , Overfishing -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60574 , vital:27798
- Description: Movement of fishes is an integral part of their daily life, but has significant implications for fishery management. As with nearly all coastal countries, South Africa relies on coastal fisheries as a renewable resource, but many stocks have been overexploited for decades. Although it has long been recognised that an understanding of fish movement is necessary for effective management, it is with some difficulty that the subject has been studied in the past. In recent years, however, improvements in technology have provided the means for more in-depth investigations into fish movement. This research has revealed a range of complex movement behaviours. Movement in fishes occurs on a variety of temporal and spatial scales leading to the characteristic patterns of distribution and abundance observed in marine ecosystems. Fishes move nearly constantly in search of food, shelter or reproductive opportunities. Observations of behaviours such as long-term site fidelity, longdistance migration and natal homing are enabling ecologists to understand patterns of distribution and abundance within a species' range. Fish movement around the South African coast has been studied on numerous occasions but this has largely been confined to studies on single species. Movement behaviour of multiple species has been studied, but this has been limited to spatially localised marine protected area research. There has been little attempt in southern Africa to synthesize interspecific movement behaviour over wide spatial scales.Unprecedented concern over the biological effects of overexploitation, together with rapid technological advances in biotelemetry, have provided the impetus for much research, on a global scale, into the movement of marine animals. I reviewed 101 marine and estuarine fish movement studies from southern Africa, published from 1928 to 2014, with the aim of synthesising research trends and findings. Trends showed an increasing emphasis on fish movement research in publications in the sub-tropical and warm-temperate biogeographic regions along the south and east coasts of southern Africa. Although 63% of publications featured only marine studies, research into fine-scale habitat use in estuaries has been on the increase, concomitant with increasing accessibility of biotelemetry. Overall, 26 fish families were identified in the surveyed literature with regionally endemic sparids featuring in 32% of the publications. Ten movement themes were identified in the surveyed literature, including broad-scale movement patterns, which featured in 68% of studies, followed by fine- scale habitat usage (33%) and protected areas (26%). The most prominent phenomenon, emerging from this research, is that of partial migration, which describes the occurrence of resident and migratory behaviour within a coexisting animal population. Substantial progress has also been made in unravelling the complexities of fine-scale movements in marine reserves and habitat usage in estuaries. While this knowledge has enabled more effective management of South Africa's multi-user, multi-species fisheries, focus should now be directed at improving our understanding of the commonalities in movement behaviour, the associated driving forces behind this behaviour and the extent of movement across reserve boundaries. Mark-recapture data, collected over the past 30 years by the Oceanographic Research Institute’s Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORICFTP), were used to investigate broad- scale movement patterns of 30 prominent coastal fishery species (Chapter 4). Fishes were tagged with plastic dart tags along the coastline of southern Africa from Angola to Mozambique. This exercise yielded more than 10000 recaptures. The 30 chosen species represented 14 families, although 12 species belonged to a single family (Sparidae). Overall, 67% of recaptures were reported from the original tagging locality and 73% were recorded within 5 km of the tagging locality. The remaining observations extended from 6-3000 km. Movements were assigned to four distance bins (0-5 km, 6-50km, 51-500km and >500 km) and modelled with an ordinal logistic regression. Species, life-stage (juvenile/adult) and time- at-liberty were included as predictor variables. Model coefficients were then included in a cluster analysis, which produced two primary groupings of species (Category I and II), with two sub-groupings (Category IIa and IIb). Category I species were characterised by wide-ranging movements, greatest median recapture length and highest trophic levels. Category II species were characterised by residency, lower median recapture length and lower trophic levels. These findings have implications for fisheries management. Exploitation of resident species may lead to localised depletion, but their diffuse spatial distribution may offer some resilience. In contrast, even localised targeting of migratory species may pose a population level risk if individuals are known to aggregate. Life-cycle diversity or intra-population variability describes the existence of alternative strategies or tactics among coexisting individuals within an animal population (Chapter 5). Partial migration is a specific case of life-cycle diversity where coexisting groups exhibit either resident or migratory (wide-ranging) behaviour within a single population. Mark- recapture data collected under the auspices of the ORICFTP were used to investigate the occurrence and nature of life-cycle diversity in the movement behaviour of five non- diadromous fish species around the coastline of southern Africa. Among the five species were three teleosts (Category I and IIa) and two elasmobranchs (Category I). A fish was considered to have remained resident if recaptured within 0-5 km after 365 days at liberty. A fish was considered to have undertaken a wide-ranging movement if recaptured more than 50 km away from the release site in 365 days or less. A total of 1848 individuals from the five study species were recaptured during the study, of which 73% of the observations were classified as being resident. Binomial logistic regression confirmed that species, life-stage (juvenile/adult) and ecoregion were significant (p < 0.001) predictors of the probability of wide-ranging behaviour. A Gaussian model confirmed that species and ecoregion were also significant (p < 0.001) predictors of direction and distance of wide-ranging movement. However, the direction and distance of wide-ranging movements in juveniles did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) to that of adults. The median growth rate was mostly greater in wide- ranging individuals; however, this was only statistically significant (p < 0.05) in two cases. These findings provide unequivocal evidence of life-cycle diversity in five fish species, with vastly different life-histories. This ecological phenomenon may provide species resilience at the population level and needs to be considered in fisheries management initiatives. The movement of fishes is a fundamental aspect to consider when designing fishery management regimes. Unfortunately, traditional management strategies have often disregarded movement behaviour to the detriment of fish populations (Chapter 6). As a case study, the management of Lichia amia (Category I: wide-ranging) was evaluated in the context of its movement behaviour. Long-term catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) datasets were examined for three South African recreational fishery sectors. The CPUE was standardised using generalized linear models (delta-Gamma/hurdle approach) to reduce the effect of factors other than abundance. Factors that were available for this purpose were year, month and locality/zone. Year was included in every model as the primary objective was to detect trends in abundance over time. Although standardised CPUE for all sectors showed an overall long-term decline, there was considerable variability in trends between the different recreational sectors and between datasets. Contrasting trends between competitive shore angling and general shore angling datasets were ascribed to hyperstability in competitive CPUE data. Hyperstability in this case was mostly influenced by rapidly improving technology, techniques and communication networks amongst competitive anglers. Month and locality were significant factors explaining the probability of catching L. amia. This suggests that the predictable aggregatory behaviour of this species could further compound the observed CPUE hyperstability. Although the CPUE responded positively for six years after implementation of the first minimum size and bag limits, and for one year after the decommercialisation of the species, these regulations and their amendments failed to arrest a long-term decline in the CPUE despite the ample evidence for hyperstability. It is clear from this case study that the predictable nature of wide-ranging behaviour in L. amia has made the population vulnerable to exploitation. This has led to the demise in the population, which could have been worse if not for the occurrence of intra-population variability in its movement behaviour, which may provide some measure of resilience.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Naming in Germany in the 20th century: a sociological study of naming in times of social change, with a focus on statistical problems in empirical onomastic research
- Authors: Huschka, Denis
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Onomastics , Names, Personal -- Germany , Names, German -- Etymology , Names, German -- Social aspects , German language -- Etymology -- Names , German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP)
- Language: German , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63054 , vital:28359
- Description: In this thesis names are used as social indicators to observe social change in Germany in the 20th century. The German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP) offers the rare opportunity to analyse representative survey data of first names. The empirical results of the analyses in this thesis offer a comprehensive picture on how the naming reality in Germany looks like and how naming changed in a period of about 100 years. Names can serve as social indicators. It is demonstrated how chosen names mirror social change in the German society: Name choices have become less traditional and more individual. Over time names from other world regions and cultures have found their way into the German culture. There are more different names in use today than 100 years ago and the names have become more evenly distributed over the population. Today children are less likely to share their names with many of their peers. These are signs of an increasingly individualised, transnationalised modern behaviour of the people in contemporary Germany. Almost all of these developments started earlier and tend to be more pronounced for girl’s names. The secularisation of the German society - however - did not cause substantial changes in naming over time. Christian names still are used to the greatest extent, but – possibly – not because they are regarded as being of Christian origin. The analyses of the social-structural influences on naming touch on some effects of education and status. The analyses of differences in naming between the two German states during the time of division adds some evidence to the real-life experience that naming in the communist East Germany was much more oriented towards the free western hemisphere – a kind of silent protest. Obviously naming was a possibility to distance oneself from an un-loved regime. On a methodological level referring to onomastics, the so-called „Large Number of are Events-Zone (LNRE)“, a feature of the distribution of names that has mostly been handled inappropriately up to now, is discussed with respect to its effects on name statistics when using samples. An alternative approach is proposed for the appropriate handling of this feature. , In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Vornamen als soziale Indikatoren benutzt, um gesellschaftlichen Wandel im 20. Jahrhundert zu beschreiben. Das Soziooekonomische Panel (SOEP) bietet die seltene Möglichkeit, Umfragedaten über die Vornamen der Deutschen repräsentativ auszuwerten. Die empirischen Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit bieten einen umfassenden Einblick in die deutsche Vornamensrealität und über die Entwicklungen der Namensvergabe in 100 Jahren. Namen sind soziale Indikatoren. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie die Namensgebung den sozialen Wandel in der deutschen Gesellschaft spiegelt: Namenwahlen weisen über die Zeit weniger traditionelle Bezüge auf, sie wurden individueller. Namen aus anderen Kulturen und Ländern fanden Eingang in die deutsche Kultur. Es werden mehr verschiedene Namen benutzt als vor 100 Jahren und die typischerweise hoch konzentrierten Verteilungen der Vornamen stellen sich über die Zeit etwas weniger konzentriert dar. Heute geborene Kinder teilen ihre Namen mit anteilig weniger anderen Kindern ihrer Kohorte. Dies sind Anzeichen für eine individualisierte, transnational orientierte moderne Gesellschaft. Fast alle dieser Entwicklungen sind für Mädchennamen früher und in deutlicherem Maße zu beobachten. Die Säkularisierung der deutschen Gesellschaft hat hingegen wenig Einfluss auf die Vornamenswahlen genommen. Nach wie vor werden vor allem christliche Namen vergeben, auch wenn der christliche Bezug unter Umständen nicht mehr der maßgebliche Grund für die Auswahl ist. Die Analyse der sozialstrukturellen Einflüsse auf Namenswahlen bestätigt einige Effekte von Bildung und Status der Mütter. Die Analyse der Unterschiede in der Namensgebung der beiden deutschen Staaten während der 40 jährigen Teilung zeigt, dass der lebensweltliche Eindruck einer zunehmenden West-Orientierung der Namenswahlen ostdeutscher Eltern nicht trügt. Offenbar waren westliche Namen eine Möglichkeit, sich vom ungeliebten Regime zu distanzieren. Auf einer statistisch-methodischen Ebene wird eine bislang in der empirischen Onomastik unrichtig gehandhabte Besonderheit von Vornamensverteilungen – die Large Number of Rare Events-Zone (LNRE) – diskutiert und Lösungsvorschläge für den statistisch korrekten Umgang mit dieser Besonderheit in Gruppenvergleichen auf der Basis von Stichproben vorgelegt.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Huschka, Denis
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Onomastics , Names, Personal -- Germany , Names, German -- Etymology , Names, German -- Social aspects , German language -- Etymology -- Names , German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP)
- Language: German , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63054 , vital:28359
- Description: In this thesis names are used as social indicators to observe social change in Germany in the 20th century. The German Socio Economic Panel Study (SOEP) offers the rare opportunity to analyse representative survey data of first names. The empirical results of the analyses in this thesis offer a comprehensive picture on how the naming reality in Germany looks like and how naming changed in a period of about 100 years. Names can serve as social indicators. It is demonstrated how chosen names mirror social change in the German society: Name choices have become less traditional and more individual. Over time names from other world regions and cultures have found their way into the German culture. There are more different names in use today than 100 years ago and the names have become more evenly distributed over the population. Today children are less likely to share their names with many of their peers. These are signs of an increasingly individualised, transnationalised modern behaviour of the people in contemporary Germany. Almost all of these developments started earlier and tend to be more pronounced for girl’s names. The secularisation of the German society - however - did not cause substantial changes in naming over time. Christian names still are used to the greatest extent, but – possibly – not because they are regarded as being of Christian origin. The analyses of the social-structural influences on naming touch on some effects of education and status. The analyses of differences in naming between the two German states during the time of division adds some evidence to the real-life experience that naming in the communist East Germany was much more oriented towards the free western hemisphere – a kind of silent protest. Obviously naming was a possibility to distance oneself from an un-loved regime. On a methodological level referring to onomastics, the so-called „Large Number of are Events-Zone (LNRE)“, a feature of the distribution of names that has mostly been handled inappropriately up to now, is discussed with respect to its effects on name statistics when using samples. An alternative approach is proposed for the appropriate handling of this feature. , In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden Vornamen als soziale Indikatoren benutzt, um gesellschaftlichen Wandel im 20. Jahrhundert zu beschreiben. Das Soziooekonomische Panel (SOEP) bietet die seltene Möglichkeit, Umfragedaten über die Vornamen der Deutschen repräsentativ auszuwerten. Die empirischen Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit bieten einen umfassenden Einblick in die deutsche Vornamensrealität und über die Entwicklungen der Namensvergabe in 100 Jahren. Namen sind soziale Indikatoren. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie die Namensgebung den sozialen Wandel in der deutschen Gesellschaft spiegelt: Namenwahlen weisen über die Zeit weniger traditionelle Bezüge auf, sie wurden individueller. Namen aus anderen Kulturen und Ländern fanden Eingang in die deutsche Kultur. Es werden mehr verschiedene Namen benutzt als vor 100 Jahren und die typischerweise hoch konzentrierten Verteilungen der Vornamen stellen sich über die Zeit etwas weniger konzentriert dar. Heute geborene Kinder teilen ihre Namen mit anteilig weniger anderen Kindern ihrer Kohorte. Dies sind Anzeichen für eine individualisierte, transnational orientierte moderne Gesellschaft. Fast alle dieser Entwicklungen sind für Mädchennamen früher und in deutlicherem Maße zu beobachten. Die Säkularisierung der deutschen Gesellschaft hat hingegen wenig Einfluss auf die Vornamenswahlen genommen. Nach wie vor werden vor allem christliche Namen vergeben, auch wenn der christliche Bezug unter Umständen nicht mehr der maßgebliche Grund für die Auswahl ist. Die Analyse der sozialstrukturellen Einflüsse auf Namenswahlen bestätigt einige Effekte von Bildung und Status der Mütter. Die Analyse der Unterschiede in der Namensgebung der beiden deutschen Staaten während der 40 jährigen Teilung zeigt, dass der lebensweltliche Eindruck einer zunehmenden West-Orientierung der Namenswahlen ostdeutscher Eltern nicht trügt. Offenbar waren westliche Namen eine Möglichkeit, sich vom ungeliebten Regime zu distanzieren. Auf einer statistisch-methodischen Ebene wird eine bislang in der empirischen Onomastik unrichtig gehandhabte Besonderheit von Vornamensverteilungen – die Large Number of Rare Events-Zone (LNRE) – diskutiert und Lösungsvorschläge für den statistisch korrekten Umgang mit dieser Besonderheit in Gruppenvergleichen auf der Basis von Stichproben vorgelegt.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Narrated experiences of the pre-termination of pregnancy counselling healthcare encounter in the Eastern Cape public health sector
- Mavuso, Jabulile Mary-Jane Jace
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile Mary-Jane Jace
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Abortion counseling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Abortion -- Psychological aspects , Abortion -- Social aspects , Pro-choice movement -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Reproductive rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- South Africa -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62928 , vital:28311
- Description: Research that has been conducted about experiences of pre-abortion counselling tends to investigate either womxn's1 or healthcare providers' experiences separately, with research on womxn's experiences of abortion and abortion counselling dominating this area of research. Although some of the studies on womxn's abortion experiences have explored womxn's experiences of interactions between themselves and healthcare providers, these aspects have been underreported. To my knowledge, research that also explores womxn's interactions among themselves in the waiting room has not been done. Furthermore, research that explores the pre-termination of pregnancy healthcare encounter, where womxn's and healthcare providers' experiences of waiting room interactions and of pre-abortion counselling practices are seen as interrelated, has not been conducted. Research that has been conducted among womxn's experiences show that womxn have varying experiences of pre-abortion counselling, with some finding it useful while other womxn have found it to be lacking in relevance to their specific situation or needs. Research conducted among healthcare providers also points to varying experiences, with some healthcare providers stratifying womxn's reasons for abortion according to the acceptability of the request. This study explores health service providers’ and womxn’s narrated experiences of the pre-termination of pregnancy healthcare encounter (waiting room interactions and pre-abortion counselling) in the Eastern Cape public health sector. An African feminist post-structural approach, which enables analysis of how discursive structures and power relations may underpin African womxn's experiences of oppression and resistance, was used. Fusing this approach with a narrative-discursive analysis, enabled an exploration of the discursive resources drawn upon and the power relations referred to by participants when constructing micro-narratives and accounts of their experiences of waiting room interactions and pre-abortion counselling practices. This fusion enabled an understanding of the micro (individual) and macro (social) and how they interact and come to bear on experiences of the pre-abortion counselling healthcare encounter. Womxn's micro-narratives and healthcare providers' accounts were compared for convergences and divergences in the pre-abortion counselling practices they described. The implications of these convergences and divergences and of the power relations referred to by participants for pre-abortion counselling service provision are discussed. The research referred to in this study were conducted in contexts where abortion is legal, although the conditions under which it may be accessed differ across and within contexts. This present study is contextualised by the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act No. 92 of 1996 which legalises abortion and stipulates that abortion counselling should be made available to womxn but should be non-mandatory and non-directive. Data were collected at three abortion facilities located in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 womxn after they received pre-abortion counselling, and four healthcare providers involved in abortion service provision. Data were analysed using an extended narrative-discursive approach which entailed exploring patterns in and across participants' talk. These patterns took the form of discursive resources (discourses and the subject positions they made available, and canonical narratives), power relations, and micro-narratives and accounts of their experiences of pre-abortion counselling practices and waiting room interactions. Participants described the following pre-abortion counselling practices: information-giving practices, consent practices, administering of LARCs, a waiting period and third-party involvement. In describing these processes, participants drew on an awfulisation of abortion discourse, moralising discourses, pronatalist discourses, and liberal discourses to construct (micro-)narratives in which liberal, pastoral and authoritarian counselling practices and power relations were constructed and referred to. In their micro-narratives, most womxn described the counselling as informative, beneficial and healing whilst also describing shock, hurt, pain and distress at the various kinds of information they received. Healthcare providers drew on discourses and canonical narratives (such as the hero and personal testimony) to justify liberal, pastoral and authoritarian counselling practices which were underpinned by constructing abortion and unintended pregnancy as problematic. The pre-abortion counselling practices that were described were directive in two ways: the coercion of contraceptive uptake post-abortion, and information provision practices which effectively work to delegitimise and persuade womxn against abortion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile Mary-Jane Jace
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Abortion counseling -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Abortion -- Psychological aspects , Abortion -- Social aspects , Pro-choice movement -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Reproductive rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- South Africa -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62928 , vital:28311
- Description: Research that has been conducted about experiences of pre-abortion counselling tends to investigate either womxn's1 or healthcare providers' experiences separately, with research on womxn's experiences of abortion and abortion counselling dominating this area of research. Although some of the studies on womxn's abortion experiences have explored womxn's experiences of interactions between themselves and healthcare providers, these aspects have been underreported. To my knowledge, research that also explores womxn's interactions among themselves in the waiting room has not been done. Furthermore, research that explores the pre-termination of pregnancy healthcare encounter, where womxn's and healthcare providers' experiences of waiting room interactions and of pre-abortion counselling practices are seen as interrelated, has not been conducted. Research that has been conducted among womxn's experiences show that womxn have varying experiences of pre-abortion counselling, with some finding it useful while other womxn have found it to be lacking in relevance to their specific situation or needs. Research conducted among healthcare providers also points to varying experiences, with some healthcare providers stratifying womxn's reasons for abortion according to the acceptability of the request. This study explores health service providers’ and womxn’s narrated experiences of the pre-termination of pregnancy healthcare encounter (waiting room interactions and pre-abortion counselling) in the Eastern Cape public health sector. An African feminist post-structural approach, which enables analysis of how discursive structures and power relations may underpin African womxn's experiences of oppression and resistance, was used. Fusing this approach with a narrative-discursive analysis, enabled an exploration of the discursive resources drawn upon and the power relations referred to by participants when constructing micro-narratives and accounts of their experiences of waiting room interactions and pre-abortion counselling practices. This fusion enabled an understanding of the micro (individual) and macro (social) and how they interact and come to bear on experiences of the pre-abortion counselling healthcare encounter. Womxn's micro-narratives and healthcare providers' accounts were compared for convergences and divergences in the pre-abortion counselling practices they described. The implications of these convergences and divergences and of the power relations referred to by participants for pre-abortion counselling service provision are discussed. The research referred to in this study were conducted in contexts where abortion is legal, although the conditions under which it may be accessed differ across and within contexts. This present study is contextualised by the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act No. 92 of 1996 which legalises abortion and stipulates that abortion counselling should be made available to womxn but should be non-mandatory and non-directive. Data were collected at three abortion facilities located in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 womxn after they received pre-abortion counselling, and four healthcare providers involved in abortion service provision. Data were analysed using an extended narrative-discursive approach which entailed exploring patterns in and across participants' talk. These patterns took the form of discursive resources (discourses and the subject positions they made available, and canonical narratives), power relations, and micro-narratives and accounts of their experiences of pre-abortion counselling practices and waiting room interactions. Participants described the following pre-abortion counselling practices: information-giving practices, consent practices, administering of LARCs, a waiting period and third-party involvement. In describing these processes, participants drew on an awfulisation of abortion discourse, moralising discourses, pronatalist discourses, and liberal discourses to construct (micro-)narratives in which liberal, pastoral and authoritarian counselling practices and power relations were constructed and referred to. In their micro-narratives, most womxn described the counselling as informative, beneficial and healing whilst also describing shock, hurt, pain and distress at the various kinds of information they received. Healthcare providers drew on discourses and canonical narratives (such as the hero and personal testimony) to justify liberal, pastoral and authoritarian counselling practices which were underpinned by constructing abortion and unintended pregnancy as problematic. The pre-abortion counselling practices that were described were directive in two ways: the coercion of contraceptive uptake post-abortion, and information provision practices which effectively work to delegitimise and persuade womxn against abortion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
NetwIOC: a framework for the automated generation of network-based IOCS for malware information sharing and defence
- Authors: Rudman, Lauren Lynne
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Malware (Computer software) , Computer networks Security measures , Computer security , Python (Computer program language)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60639 , vital:27809
- Description: With the substantial number of new malware variants found each day, it is useful to have an efficient way to retrieve Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) from the malware in a format suitable for sharing and detection. In the past, these indicators were manually created after inspection of binary samples and network traffic. The Cuckoo Sandbox, is an existing dynamic malware analysis system which meets the requirements for the proposed framework and was extended by adding a few custom modules. This research explored a way to automate the generation of detailed network-based IOCs in a popular format which can be used for sharing. This was done through careful filtering and analysis of the PCAP hie generated by the sandbox, and placing these values into the correct type of STIX objects using Python, Through several evaluations, analysis of what type of network traffic can be expected for the creation of IOCs was conducted, including a brief ease study that examined the effect of analysis time on the number of IOCs created. Using the automatically generated IOCs to create defence and detection mechanisms for the network was evaluated and proved successful, A proof of concept sharing platform developed for the STIX IOCs is showcased at the end of the research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Rudman, Lauren Lynne
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Malware (Computer software) , Computer networks Security measures , Computer security , Python (Computer program language)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60639 , vital:27809
- Description: With the substantial number of new malware variants found each day, it is useful to have an efficient way to retrieve Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) from the malware in a format suitable for sharing and detection. In the past, these indicators were manually created after inspection of binary samples and network traffic. The Cuckoo Sandbox, is an existing dynamic malware analysis system which meets the requirements for the proposed framework and was extended by adding a few custom modules. This research explored a way to automate the generation of detailed network-based IOCs in a popular format which can be used for sharing. This was done through careful filtering and analysis of the PCAP hie generated by the sandbox, and placing these values into the correct type of STIX objects using Python, Through several evaluations, analysis of what type of network traffic can be expected for the creation of IOCs was conducted, including a brief ease study that examined the effect of analysis time on the number of IOCs created. Using the automatically generated IOCs to create defence and detection mechanisms for the network was evaluated and proved successful, A proof of concept sharing platform developed for the STIX IOCs is showcased at the end of the research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Non-government organizations’ adoption of knowledge management systems to enhance service delivery of projects in Grahamstown in the Makana region of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Sherif, Nabiha Mohammed
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Non-governmental organizations South Africa Makhanda , Human services South Africa Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61723 , vital:28052
- Description: The object of this research is to enhance the performance of non-government organizations in the Makana region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa by the use of knowledge management practices and principles. Non-government organizations face several service delivery challenges that affect their performance. Knowledge management assists in enhancing performance by means of organizational learning. However, the adoption of knowledge management systems has been limited to the profit-making sector. This study includes an evaluation of the contributing factors influencing the adoption of knowledge management and the extent to which non-government organizations use knowledge management to promote organizational learning. An interpretivist, qualitative case study approach was used on five non-government organizations cases from the Makana region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A suitability profile sampling method was developed to select the non-government organization cases. The participants in the research include non-government organizations’ managers, employees and volunteers. Literature was explored to gain a better understanding of the research area. The research was initiated by an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from the participants, followed by a focus group to enrich the interpretation of the findings. The research proposes a framework to facilitate the adoption of knowledge management systems in non-government organizations. The findings of the research are intended to enhance the performance of non-government organizations projects by means of the use of knowledge management systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Sherif, Nabiha Mohammed
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Organizational learning , Non-governmental organizations South Africa Makhanda , Human services South Africa Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61723 , vital:28052
- Description: The object of this research is to enhance the performance of non-government organizations in the Makana region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa by the use of knowledge management practices and principles. Non-government organizations face several service delivery challenges that affect their performance. Knowledge management assists in enhancing performance by means of organizational learning. However, the adoption of knowledge management systems has been limited to the profit-making sector. This study includes an evaluation of the contributing factors influencing the adoption of knowledge management and the extent to which non-government organizations use knowledge management to promote organizational learning. An interpretivist, qualitative case study approach was used on five non-government organizations cases from the Makana region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A suitability profile sampling method was developed to select the non-government organization cases. The participants in the research include non-government organizations’ managers, employees and volunteers. Literature was explored to gain a better understanding of the research area. The research was initiated by an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from the participants, followed by a focus group to enrich the interpretation of the findings. The research proposes a framework to facilitate the adoption of knowledge management systems in non-government organizations. The findings of the research are intended to enhance the performance of non-government organizations projects by means of the use of knowledge management systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Occurrence of mugilid and sparid fishes in Zostera capensis and bare sediment habitats of the Knysna Estuary
- Authors: Pollard, Melissa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Gray mullets South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Sparidae South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Seagrasses South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Eelgrass South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Gray mullets Habitat South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Sparidae Habitat South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Underwater videography in wildlife monitoring , Seining , Zostera capensis Setchel
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54979 , vital:26641
- Description: Seagrass meadows are regarded as one of the most unique and valuable ecosystems in the biosphere, primarily because of the variety of services that they provide. Seagrass meadows serve as nursery grounds for many species and often play an important role in the juvenile stages of economically and recreationally important fish. Zostera capensis Setchell is one of the most dominant submerged macrophytes and the most common seagrass in South African estuaries and is often referred to as eelgrass. Zostera capensis meadows occupy a large area within the Knysna Estuary but little is known about their importance to associated fish assemblages. With Z. capensis meadows being under increased pressure from anthropogenic influences, it is important to establish which fish species and families utilize these habitats and what role they play in the ecology of fish assemblages within the Knysna Estuary. The primary objective of this study was to compare the use of Z. capensis and adjacent bare sediment areas by mainly large juvenile and subadult sparids and mugilids using different techniques. The two main hypotheses were as follows; 1) Mugilidae are likely to be more dominant in the unvegetated areas of the estuary littoral and Sparidae are likely to predominate within the Z. capensis bed areas of the estuary littoral. 2) The non-destructive underwater video monitoring method would yield similar fish composition data to seine netting sampling of the identical sites. Both hypotheses were assessed using data collected during this study and the analysis of historical unpublished data. Overall, Mugilidae were more abundant at bare unvegetated areas where they did most of their foraging. Sparidae were more abundant in the Z. capensis beds, which was also the habitat where they primarily foraged. With regards to the comparison of two different sampling methods, namely underwater video monitoring and seine netting, similar patterns arose with regards to the fish species observed in camera footage and those captured in the seine net, although the abundances were not always comparable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Pollard, Melissa
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Gray mullets South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Sparidae South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Seagrasses South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Eelgrass South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Gray mullets Habitat South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Sparidae Habitat South Africa Knysna Lagoon , Underwater videography in wildlife monitoring , Seining , Zostera capensis Setchel
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54979 , vital:26641
- Description: Seagrass meadows are regarded as one of the most unique and valuable ecosystems in the biosphere, primarily because of the variety of services that they provide. Seagrass meadows serve as nursery grounds for many species and often play an important role in the juvenile stages of economically and recreationally important fish. Zostera capensis Setchell is one of the most dominant submerged macrophytes and the most common seagrass in South African estuaries and is often referred to as eelgrass. Zostera capensis meadows occupy a large area within the Knysna Estuary but little is known about their importance to associated fish assemblages. With Z. capensis meadows being under increased pressure from anthropogenic influences, it is important to establish which fish species and families utilize these habitats and what role they play in the ecology of fish assemblages within the Knysna Estuary. The primary objective of this study was to compare the use of Z. capensis and adjacent bare sediment areas by mainly large juvenile and subadult sparids and mugilids using different techniques. The two main hypotheses were as follows; 1) Mugilidae are likely to be more dominant in the unvegetated areas of the estuary littoral and Sparidae are likely to predominate within the Z. capensis bed areas of the estuary littoral. 2) The non-destructive underwater video monitoring method would yield similar fish composition data to seine netting sampling of the identical sites. Both hypotheses were assessed using data collected during this study and the analysis of historical unpublished data. Overall, Mugilidae were more abundant at bare unvegetated areas where they did most of their foraging. Sparidae were more abundant in the Z. capensis beds, which was also the habitat where they primarily foraged. With regards to the comparison of two different sampling methods, namely underwater video monitoring and seine netting, similar patterns arose with regards to the fish species observed in camera footage and those captured in the seine net, although the abundances were not always comparable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
On becoming literate in English: a literate life history study of selected Grade 12 learners in a Namibian secondary school
- Authors: Kangootui, Angela Lydia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Omaheke , Second language acquisition -- Omaheke , Language and languages -- Study and teaching -- Namibia -- Omaheke , Namibia. Ministry of Basic Education, Sport, and Culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62252 , vital:28147
- Description: This study sought to investigate English literate journeys of selected Grade 12 learners who come from educationally disempowering home backgrounds, and who ‘meet’ informal and/or formal exposure to English language mainly within the confines of school hours. Located within the qualitative, interpretive life history study design, the study used questionnaire and learners’ autobiographies to generate data. These data were then subjected to explore the literate journey of these learners in English as a second language through a comprehensive descriptive analysis. The study was conducted in an urban high school in Omaheke region, Namibia, and the research site and study participants were selected purposively. Theoretically, the study drew from Krashen’s (1981) Second Language Acquisition Theory, which offered this study the five hypotheses that were used as categories to generate, analyse, interpret and discuss data. Research findings reveal that, for various reasons discussed in the study, there is minimal parental involvement in the English literacy journey of their children at home. These include parents not reading regularly to their children, not encouraging visits to the library and the shortage of literacy materials such as newspapers and magazines. The educational level of parents is also a major contributing factor in the literacy journey of their children. The contribution of the community towards the literacy journey in English as a second language of these learners was minimal since the vernacular languages or Afrikaans were used to communicate. At the school level it was found that the attitude of some teachers was a hindrance, as was the way they taught. The use of the mother tongue during teaching also had an effect on the literacy development of the learners. Although the different methods used by various teachers at school level contributed in a way towards literacy development of the learners at school, the huge number of learners in the classrooms was a force to be reckoned with. It is hoped that the study’s findings will assist the Ministry of Basic Education Arts and Culture (MBEAC) in Namibia in informing the type of syllabus content and pedagogical practices to be utilised in teaching English as a Second Language.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kangootui, Angela Lydia
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia -- Omaheke , Second language acquisition -- Omaheke , Language and languages -- Study and teaching -- Namibia -- Omaheke , Namibia. Ministry of Basic Education, Sport, and Culture
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62252 , vital:28147
- Description: This study sought to investigate English literate journeys of selected Grade 12 learners who come from educationally disempowering home backgrounds, and who ‘meet’ informal and/or formal exposure to English language mainly within the confines of school hours. Located within the qualitative, interpretive life history study design, the study used questionnaire and learners’ autobiographies to generate data. These data were then subjected to explore the literate journey of these learners in English as a second language through a comprehensive descriptive analysis. The study was conducted in an urban high school in Omaheke region, Namibia, and the research site and study participants were selected purposively. Theoretically, the study drew from Krashen’s (1981) Second Language Acquisition Theory, which offered this study the five hypotheses that were used as categories to generate, analyse, interpret and discuss data. Research findings reveal that, for various reasons discussed in the study, there is minimal parental involvement in the English literacy journey of their children at home. These include parents not reading regularly to their children, not encouraging visits to the library and the shortage of literacy materials such as newspapers and magazines. The educational level of parents is also a major contributing factor in the literacy journey of their children. The contribution of the community towards the literacy journey in English as a second language of these learners was minimal since the vernacular languages or Afrikaans were used to communicate. At the school level it was found that the attitude of some teachers was a hindrance, as was the way they taught. The use of the mother tongue during teaching also had an effect on the literacy development of the learners. Although the different methods used by various teachers at school level contributed in a way towards literacy development of the learners at school, the huge number of learners in the classrooms was a force to be reckoned with. It is hoped that the study’s findings will assist the Ministry of Basic Education Arts and Culture (MBEAC) in Namibia in informing the type of syllabus content and pedagogical practices to be utilised in teaching English as a Second Language.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
On high-altitude and high- latitude frost environments
- Authors: Hansen, Christel Dorothee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Frost -- Drakensberg Mountains , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic geomorphology -- Southern Hemisphere , Permafrost -- Southern Hemisphere , Periglacial processes -- Southern Hemisphere , Frost environments -- Southern Hemisphere
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62383 , vital:28169
- Description: Frost environments occur throughout the world, with associated processes occurring across climatic zones. Climatic geomorphology proposes that climatic zones, largely derived from annual average air temperature and precipitation values, have specific landforms and processes active within that zone. This study offers unique insights into the frost environments of three locations in the Southern Hemisphere, namely the Eastern Cape Drakensberg of South Africa, sub-Antarctic Marion Island, and Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica. The Drakensberg ranges from temperate to alpine, Marion Island is hyper-maritime, and Dronning Maud Land a polar desert. Drivers and forcings on the ground frost regime are identified, as are future climatic scenarios. Altitude and latitude were identified as the most important locational drivers, while air temperature showed highest correlation with freezing events. The initiation of a freeze event correlated strongly with maximum ground temperatures. Vegetation cover was found to ameliorate frost cycles, thereby increasing ground temperatures. Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica is characterised by annual frost (permafrost), with limited seasonal thaw in summer. Thawing cycles reflected the depth of the active layer, which ranged from just under 60 cm for Robertskollen (at lowest altitude) to less than 15 cm on Slettfjell (at greatest altitude). Marion Island had the most active frost environment, exhibiting both seasonal frost, and ubiquitous shallow diurnal frost cycles. The Drakensberg were largely frost-free, with limited seasonal frost and few diurnal freeze- thaw events. Diurnal frost processes were found to be azonal, and present at all three study locations. Evidence of landforms derived from diurnal frost processes were evident in each zone. Equifinality/convergence of form was present to a degree. The presence of patterned ground, which was not wholly derived from frost processes, suggests a measure of equifinality. Furthermore, openwork block deposits, of which not all are either blockstreams nor blockfields, are not necessarily the result of frost processes. The periglacial environment is poorly defined and methods to delineate this environment, as well as other climatic zones, should include additional parameters. Delineating zones on annual (and limited) monthly averages based on predominantly temperature, is not sufficient. While concepts of climatic geomorphology may be applied in a general sense, this framework is not suited to working at smaller scales. Specifically, periglacial environments should be delineated using ground moisture, as well as air temperature. Furthermore, vegetation and snow cover are important, as are soil textural properties.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Hansen, Christel Dorothee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Frost -- Drakensberg Mountains , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic geomorphology -- Southern Hemisphere , Permafrost -- Southern Hemisphere , Periglacial processes -- Southern Hemisphere , Frost environments -- Southern Hemisphere
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62383 , vital:28169
- Description: Frost environments occur throughout the world, with associated processes occurring across climatic zones. Climatic geomorphology proposes that climatic zones, largely derived from annual average air temperature and precipitation values, have specific landforms and processes active within that zone. This study offers unique insights into the frost environments of three locations in the Southern Hemisphere, namely the Eastern Cape Drakensberg of South Africa, sub-Antarctic Marion Island, and Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica. The Drakensberg ranges from temperate to alpine, Marion Island is hyper-maritime, and Dronning Maud Land a polar desert. Drivers and forcings on the ground frost regime are identified, as are future climatic scenarios. Altitude and latitude were identified as the most important locational drivers, while air temperature showed highest correlation with freezing events. The initiation of a freeze event correlated strongly with maximum ground temperatures. Vegetation cover was found to ameliorate frost cycles, thereby increasing ground temperatures. Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica is characterised by annual frost (permafrost), with limited seasonal thaw in summer. Thawing cycles reflected the depth of the active layer, which ranged from just under 60 cm for Robertskollen (at lowest altitude) to less than 15 cm on Slettfjell (at greatest altitude). Marion Island had the most active frost environment, exhibiting both seasonal frost, and ubiquitous shallow diurnal frost cycles. The Drakensberg were largely frost-free, with limited seasonal frost and few diurnal freeze- thaw events. Diurnal frost processes were found to be azonal, and present at all three study locations. Evidence of landforms derived from diurnal frost processes were evident in each zone. Equifinality/convergence of form was present to a degree. The presence of patterned ground, which was not wholly derived from frost processes, suggests a measure of equifinality. Furthermore, openwork block deposits, of which not all are either blockstreams nor blockfields, are not necessarily the result of frost processes. The periglacial environment is poorly defined and methods to delineate this environment, as well as other climatic zones, should include additional parameters. Delineating zones on annual (and limited) monthly averages based on predominantly temperature, is not sufficient. While concepts of climatic geomorphology may be applied in a general sense, this framework is not suited to working at smaller scales. Specifically, periglacial environments should be delineated using ground moisture, as well as air temperature. Furthermore, vegetation and snow cover are important, as are soil textural properties.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Participation in the anti-sexual violence silent protest: a sexual citizenship perspective
- Authors: Chitiki, Elizabeth
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sex crimes Campus violence -- South Africa -- Prevention Rape victims -- Services for -- Political aspects -- South Africa Anti-rape movement Rape -- Case studies Sexual orientation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62917 , vital:28310
- Description: There is a growing body of research on sexual citizenship that focuses attention on gender and which bridges the gap between public and private life in order to rethink citizenship from a feminist perspective. This is in contrast to understandings of citizenship that promote policies of sexual regulation and a heteronormative ideal of citizenship. My research takes the form of a qualitative case study. Using data from two focus group discussions, fifteen personal diaries, as well as social media posts, I analyse participation in the Silent Protest, an annual anti-rape protest, through the lens of sexual citizenship. I look at how participation in the protest promotes or inhibits inclusive and process-based understandings of sexual violence and sexualities issues. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and the results of the analysis are presented into two parts. The first part of the analysis discusses the politics of affect and witnessing as two processes through which allies’ understandings of sexual violence are shaped. The second part of analysis shows that the Silent Protest contributes to people’s knowledge and understandings of sexual violence in relation to sexualities in a range of ways. Examples of inclusive understandings are: (1) insights about rape in relation to gender and heteronormative inequalities, culture and patriarchal dominance; (2) understanding of critical sexual citizenship in relation to sexual violence; and (3) understanding of politics of recognition (the need for recognition of the importance of safe spaces for formal and informal support for victim-survivors and recognition of victim-survivors’ identities). However, some of the understandings are limited to emotion and affect dynamics. In some ways, therefore, the Silent Protest fails to promote understandings significant to inclusive citizenship, including understandings of entitlements to non-discriminatory sexual health care services and legal services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Chitiki, Elizabeth
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sex crimes Campus violence -- South Africa -- Prevention Rape victims -- Services for -- Political aspects -- South Africa Anti-rape movement Rape -- Case studies Sexual orientation
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62917 , vital:28310
- Description: There is a growing body of research on sexual citizenship that focuses attention on gender and which bridges the gap between public and private life in order to rethink citizenship from a feminist perspective. This is in contrast to understandings of citizenship that promote policies of sexual regulation and a heteronormative ideal of citizenship. My research takes the form of a qualitative case study. Using data from two focus group discussions, fifteen personal diaries, as well as social media posts, I analyse participation in the Silent Protest, an annual anti-rape protest, through the lens of sexual citizenship. I look at how participation in the protest promotes or inhibits inclusive and process-based understandings of sexual violence and sexualities issues. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and the results of the analysis are presented into two parts. The first part of the analysis discusses the politics of affect and witnessing as two processes through which allies’ understandings of sexual violence are shaped. The second part of analysis shows that the Silent Protest contributes to people’s knowledge and understandings of sexual violence in relation to sexualities in a range of ways. Examples of inclusive understandings are: (1) insights about rape in relation to gender and heteronormative inequalities, culture and patriarchal dominance; (2) understanding of critical sexual citizenship in relation to sexual violence; and (3) understanding of politics of recognition (the need for recognition of the importance of safe spaces for formal and informal support for victim-survivors and recognition of victim-survivors’ identities). However, some of the understandings are limited to emotion and affect dynamics. In some ways, therefore, the Silent Protest fails to promote understandings significant to inclusive citizenship, including understandings of entitlements to non-discriminatory sexual health care services and legal services.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Perceptions of Ulwaluko in a Liberal Democratic State: is multiculturalism beneficial to AmaXhosa women in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa?
- Authors: Gogela, Kholisa B
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Initiation rites -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Circumcision -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stigma (Social psychology) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Xhosa (African people) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- Attitudes , Multiculturalism -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women's rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ulwaluko
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61780 , vital:28059
- Description: This exploratory qualitative study sought to investigate the views and perceptions of women on their experiences of ulwaluko, a traditional rite practised by amaXhosa in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Ulwaluko is also known as isiko lokwaluka or ukoluka in isiXhosa. The concept refers not only to the act of circumcision that occurs during the initiation ritual but the entire process a boy goes through in observing this practice. Ulwaluko is performed in the belief that it will transform boys into accountable and responsible citizens of the society who are fully committed and dedicated to the tenets and standards of nation building. All amaXhosa boys are expected to undergo this tradition to be considered men. Failure to go to the initiation school usually results in social stigma and complete banishment by the society. There is an abundance of literature on studies that have been conducted on male circumcision (and not ulwaluko) which is performed for hygiene and religious purposes worldwide. With regards to ulwaluko of amaXhosa, research studies that have been conducted appear to lean mainly towards biomedical and public health aspects of the ritual. There seems to be an even bigger proportion of studies whose objective was to examine the relationship between circumcision and HIV/AIDS. From the literature review, it was not difficult to observe the pervasive paucity of research studies on women in relation to initiation (and that of amaXhosa in particular), with regards to their inclusion or exclusion in the practice, their feelings, perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards the custom. It is for this reason that I found it crucial to conduct this study. The main research question I sought to answer in this investigation was: are the human rights and gender equality rights of women, as entrenched in the multicultural principles that underpin South Africa’s liberal, democratic order, adequately protected? In other words, could the individual rights of women (or gender rights) that are endorsed by liberalism, be deferred in the interest of respecting traditions and cultural values associated with ulwaluko? And if they are, I further ask: could the deferral of such rights be legitimate in the face of South Africa’s legal framework? The nature of this study places it in the qualitative paradigm, and interpretive phenomenology was the most appropriate research design to carry out the investigation. Multiculturalism is a principle at the centre of liberalism, and as a framework for this study, I contrast and reconcile it with feminism. While multiculturalism is concerned with protecting traditions and cultures of minority groups, feminism is concerned about women’s emancipation. I used the non-probability purposive sampling to select participants who were rich in information; and I made use of community structures to gain entry into research sites and to seek permission to carry out the investigation. I conducted the pilot study in Mdantsane, a township in the Buffalo City Municipality; and I gathered data in two research sites, namely: Flagstaff in Mpondondoland and Grahamstown in the Makana Local Municipality. I employed two qualitative methods to collect information, namely: focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured in-depth interviews. A total of 70 participants took part in the study. 60 women participated in 8 focus groups and 10 participated in-depth interviews. Their ages ranged between 31 and 82 years. I recorded all the FGDs and semi-structured in-depth interviews that I conducted, for ease of transcription and translation. To interprete and analyze data, I applied the general inductive approach which I later substantiated with the use of NVivo 8, a computer assisted qualitative data analysis (CAQDAS). This resulted in the identification of four themes and their related sub-themes which I compared and contrasted with literature review and the theoretical framework, so as to make sense of the information I generated from the data collection process. I also discussed the results in line with the four goals of the study. The findings of this inquiry suggest a number of factors about ulwaluko, the following being the most significant: that firstly, although the rite is espoused and celebrated by some women as a significant cultural practice among amaXhosa, for others it is synonymous with patriarchy and hegemony. Secondly, women felt largely excluded, claiming that they were relegated to a subordinate position in society. For this reason, as well as because of the biomedical and other socio-political concerns associated with the practice, some women resented the custom. Thirdly, participants were divided about whether the practice should be continued or abolished; and these differences manifested within and between different regions. Fourthly, the results also demonstrated that the norms and values applied in ulwaluko are in contravention of the fundamental principles of a liberal state in that universal human rights are infringed upon through exclusionary practices. In this case the woman’s voice is muted; and this results in the denial of human agency. The study however, also revealed the emergence of shifting patterns in some parts of the province where an effort to include women appears to be taking place. Fifth and last, the enquiry demonstrated that ulwaluko is deeply entrenched among amaXhosa; that it has stood the test of time and is unlikely to be discontinued. Based on the results, I recommend that creative and transformative ways of addressing the evident clash between the provision of individual rights by the state and the recognition of ulwaluko as a cultural practice (which is perceived by some as harmful to women) be sought. To achieve this objective I make the following recommendations: 1) establishment and utilization of gender equality programmes; 2) modification of values and norms of the custom; 3) representation of women in decision-making structures; 4) establishment of collaborative networks; 5) widening of access to services (such as chapter nine institutions and national gender machinery); 6) documentation and sharing of effective and inclusive practices as well as; 7) creating awareness on initiation legislation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Gogela, Kholisa B
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Initiation rites -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Circumcision -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Stigma (Social psychology) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Xhosa (African people) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- Attitudes , Multiculturalism -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women's rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Ulwaluko
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61780 , vital:28059
- Description: This exploratory qualitative study sought to investigate the views and perceptions of women on their experiences of ulwaluko, a traditional rite practised by amaXhosa in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Ulwaluko is also known as isiko lokwaluka or ukoluka in isiXhosa. The concept refers not only to the act of circumcision that occurs during the initiation ritual but the entire process a boy goes through in observing this practice. Ulwaluko is performed in the belief that it will transform boys into accountable and responsible citizens of the society who are fully committed and dedicated to the tenets and standards of nation building. All amaXhosa boys are expected to undergo this tradition to be considered men. Failure to go to the initiation school usually results in social stigma and complete banishment by the society. There is an abundance of literature on studies that have been conducted on male circumcision (and not ulwaluko) which is performed for hygiene and religious purposes worldwide. With regards to ulwaluko of amaXhosa, research studies that have been conducted appear to lean mainly towards biomedical and public health aspects of the ritual. There seems to be an even bigger proportion of studies whose objective was to examine the relationship between circumcision and HIV/AIDS. From the literature review, it was not difficult to observe the pervasive paucity of research studies on women in relation to initiation (and that of amaXhosa in particular), with regards to their inclusion or exclusion in the practice, their feelings, perceptions, experiences and attitudes towards the custom. It is for this reason that I found it crucial to conduct this study. The main research question I sought to answer in this investigation was: are the human rights and gender equality rights of women, as entrenched in the multicultural principles that underpin South Africa’s liberal, democratic order, adequately protected? In other words, could the individual rights of women (or gender rights) that are endorsed by liberalism, be deferred in the interest of respecting traditions and cultural values associated with ulwaluko? And if they are, I further ask: could the deferral of such rights be legitimate in the face of South Africa’s legal framework? The nature of this study places it in the qualitative paradigm, and interpretive phenomenology was the most appropriate research design to carry out the investigation. Multiculturalism is a principle at the centre of liberalism, and as a framework for this study, I contrast and reconcile it with feminism. While multiculturalism is concerned with protecting traditions and cultures of minority groups, feminism is concerned about women’s emancipation. I used the non-probability purposive sampling to select participants who were rich in information; and I made use of community structures to gain entry into research sites and to seek permission to carry out the investigation. I conducted the pilot study in Mdantsane, a township in the Buffalo City Municipality; and I gathered data in two research sites, namely: Flagstaff in Mpondondoland and Grahamstown in the Makana Local Municipality. I employed two qualitative methods to collect information, namely: focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured in-depth interviews. A total of 70 participants took part in the study. 60 women participated in 8 focus groups and 10 participated in-depth interviews. Their ages ranged between 31 and 82 years. I recorded all the FGDs and semi-structured in-depth interviews that I conducted, for ease of transcription and translation. To interprete and analyze data, I applied the general inductive approach which I later substantiated with the use of NVivo 8, a computer assisted qualitative data analysis (CAQDAS). This resulted in the identification of four themes and their related sub-themes which I compared and contrasted with literature review and the theoretical framework, so as to make sense of the information I generated from the data collection process. I also discussed the results in line with the four goals of the study. The findings of this inquiry suggest a number of factors about ulwaluko, the following being the most significant: that firstly, although the rite is espoused and celebrated by some women as a significant cultural practice among amaXhosa, for others it is synonymous with patriarchy and hegemony. Secondly, women felt largely excluded, claiming that they were relegated to a subordinate position in society. For this reason, as well as because of the biomedical and other socio-political concerns associated with the practice, some women resented the custom. Thirdly, participants were divided about whether the practice should be continued or abolished; and these differences manifested within and between different regions. Fourthly, the results also demonstrated that the norms and values applied in ulwaluko are in contravention of the fundamental principles of a liberal state in that universal human rights are infringed upon through exclusionary practices. In this case the woman’s voice is muted; and this results in the denial of human agency. The study however, also revealed the emergence of shifting patterns in some parts of the province where an effort to include women appears to be taking place. Fifth and last, the enquiry demonstrated that ulwaluko is deeply entrenched among amaXhosa; that it has stood the test of time and is unlikely to be discontinued. Based on the results, I recommend that creative and transformative ways of addressing the evident clash between the provision of individual rights by the state and the recognition of ulwaluko as a cultural practice (which is perceived by some as harmful to women) be sought. To achieve this objective I make the following recommendations: 1) establishment and utilization of gender equality programmes; 2) modification of values and norms of the custom; 3) representation of women in decision-making structures; 4) establishment of collaborative networks; 5) widening of access to services (such as chapter nine institutions and national gender machinery); 6) documentation and sharing of effective and inclusive practices as well as; 7) creating awareness on initiation legislation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Performance evaluation and cost analysis of subsurface flow constructed wetlands designed for ammonium-nitrogen removal
- Authors: Tebitendwa, Sylvie Muwanga
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sewage Purification Nitrogen removal , Constructed wetlands , Bioremediation , Sewage lagoons , Coal mine waste
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61808 , vital:28062
- Description: Subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF CWs) is a low-cost, environmentally friendly sanitation technology for on-site treatment of domestic/municipal sewage. However, these systems are apparently unable to produce treated water of a quality suitable for discharge particularly in terms of nitrogen concentration, which has been attributed to design and operation based on biological oxygen demand as the parameter of choice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance, support medium, and techno-economics of a vertical- horizontal (V-H) SSF hybrid CW designed and operated using ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N) as the major parameter. Two pilot scale V-H SSF hybrid CWs were designed, constructed, and the performance of each monitored over two seasons and under two phases i.e. an initiation phase, and an optimization phase. Laboratory-scale horizontal SSF CWs were used to evaluate the support medium while the techno-economic study was framed to determine the cost effectiveness of V-H SSF hybrid CWs relative to high rate algal oxidation pond (HRAOP) systems to increase capacity of overloaded and/or under-performing waste stabilization pond (WSP) sewage treatment plants. Results revealed that under optimal operating conditions of hydraulic loading rate, hydraulic retention, and influent NH4+-N loading rate, treated water from the V-H SSF hybrid CWs achieved a quality commensurate with current South African standards for discharge into a surface water resource for all parameters except chemical oxygen demand and faecal coliforms. This suggests that NH4+-N is an important design and operational parameter for SSF CWs treating municipal sewage that is characterised as weak in terms of NH4+-N with a requirement of only simple disinfection such as chlorination to eliminate faecal coliforms. Use of discard coal to replace gravel as support medium in horizontal SSF CWs revealed an overall reduction in elemental composition of the discard coal support medium but without compromising water quality. This result strongly supports use of discard coal as an appropriate substrate for SSF CWs to achieve acceptable water quality. Furthermore, simultaneous degradation of discard coal during wastewater treatment demonstrates the versatility of SSF CWs for use in bio-remediation and pollution control. Finally, a technoeconomic assessment of V-H SSF hybrid CWs and a HRAOP series was carried out to determine the suitability of each process to increase capacity by mitigating dysfunctional and/or overloaded WSP sewage treatment plants. Analysis revealed that the quality of treated water from both systems was within the South African General Authorization standards for discharge to a surface water resource. Even so, each technology system presented its own set of limitations including; the inability to satisfactorily remove NH4+-N and chemical oxygen demand (i.e. for V-H SSF hybrid CWs) and total suspended solids and faecal coliforms (i.e. for HRAOPs), and a requirement for substantial land footprint while, HRAOPs required significantly less capital than V-H SSF hybrid CWs for implementation. The latter suggests that HRAOPs could be preferred over V-H SSF hybrid CWs as a technology of choice to increase the capacity of overloaded WSP sewage treatment plants especially where financial resources are limited. Overall, the results of this thesis indicate the potential to use NH4+-N as a design parameter in constructing SSF CWs treating weak strength municipal sewage (i.e. in terms of NH4+-N concentration) and to supplant gravel as the treatment media with industrial waste material like discard coal to achieve wastewater treatment, bio-remediation, and pollution control. The results of this work are discussed in terms of using SSF CWs as a passive and resilient technology for the treatment of domestic sewage in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Tebitendwa, Sylvie Muwanga
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sewage Purification Nitrogen removal , Constructed wetlands , Bioremediation , Sewage lagoons , Coal mine waste
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61808 , vital:28062
- Description: Subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF CWs) is a low-cost, environmentally friendly sanitation technology for on-site treatment of domestic/municipal sewage. However, these systems are apparently unable to produce treated water of a quality suitable for discharge particularly in terms of nitrogen concentration, which has been attributed to design and operation based on biological oxygen demand as the parameter of choice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance, support medium, and techno-economics of a vertical- horizontal (V-H) SSF hybrid CW designed and operated using ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N) as the major parameter. Two pilot scale V-H SSF hybrid CWs were designed, constructed, and the performance of each monitored over two seasons and under two phases i.e. an initiation phase, and an optimization phase. Laboratory-scale horizontal SSF CWs were used to evaluate the support medium while the techno-economic study was framed to determine the cost effectiveness of V-H SSF hybrid CWs relative to high rate algal oxidation pond (HRAOP) systems to increase capacity of overloaded and/or under-performing waste stabilization pond (WSP) sewage treatment plants. Results revealed that under optimal operating conditions of hydraulic loading rate, hydraulic retention, and influent NH4+-N loading rate, treated water from the V-H SSF hybrid CWs achieved a quality commensurate with current South African standards for discharge into a surface water resource for all parameters except chemical oxygen demand and faecal coliforms. This suggests that NH4+-N is an important design and operational parameter for SSF CWs treating municipal sewage that is characterised as weak in terms of NH4+-N with a requirement of only simple disinfection such as chlorination to eliminate faecal coliforms. Use of discard coal to replace gravel as support medium in horizontal SSF CWs revealed an overall reduction in elemental composition of the discard coal support medium but without compromising water quality. This result strongly supports use of discard coal as an appropriate substrate for SSF CWs to achieve acceptable water quality. Furthermore, simultaneous degradation of discard coal during wastewater treatment demonstrates the versatility of SSF CWs for use in bio-remediation and pollution control. Finally, a technoeconomic assessment of V-H SSF hybrid CWs and a HRAOP series was carried out to determine the suitability of each process to increase capacity by mitigating dysfunctional and/or overloaded WSP sewage treatment plants. Analysis revealed that the quality of treated water from both systems was within the South African General Authorization standards for discharge to a surface water resource. Even so, each technology system presented its own set of limitations including; the inability to satisfactorily remove NH4+-N and chemical oxygen demand (i.e. for V-H SSF hybrid CWs) and total suspended solids and faecal coliforms (i.e. for HRAOPs), and a requirement for substantial land footprint while, HRAOPs required significantly less capital than V-H SSF hybrid CWs for implementation. The latter suggests that HRAOPs could be preferred over V-H SSF hybrid CWs as a technology of choice to increase the capacity of overloaded WSP sewage treatment plants especially where financial resources are limited. Overall, the results of this thesis indicate the potential to use NH4+-N as a design parameter in constructing SSF CWs treating weak strength municipal sewage (i.e. in terms of NH4+-N concentration) and to supplant gravel as the treatment media with industrial waste material like discard coal to achieve wastewater treatment, bio-remediation, and pollution control. The results of this work are discussed in terms of using SSF CWs as a passive and resilient technology for the treatment of domestic sewage in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Performing the township: pantsula for life
- Van Niekerk, Heather Elizabeth
- Authors: Van Niekerk, Heather Elizabeth
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Pantsula (Dance) South Africa Johannesburg , Pantsula (Dance) South Africa Makhanda , Dance Social aspects South Africa , Sophiatown (Johannesburg, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/57874 , vital:26998
- Description: Pantsula dance is a performing art born from the townships of Johannesburg. It is a dance form performed across South Africa, in a variety of contexts; in theatres, music videos and competitions in community halls, on national and international stages and on television, and in the streets of townships, cities and suburbs across South Africa and abroad. Its performance is widespread, but it has its beginnings as a dance form born in areas created to marginalise and oppress. There is a scarcity of academic scholarship related to pantsula dance. This thesis aims to be a contribution to that pre-existing body of knowledge in the hope that there can be further engagement on this important, and increasingly mainstream, art form. I have focused my thesis on analysing pantsula dance as a performance of 'the township'. This has been attempted through an ethnographic engagement with pantsula dancers based in different township areas of Johannesburg and Graha mstown: various members of Impilo Mapantsula, Via Katlehong, Intellectuals Pantsula, Via Kasi Movers, Dlala Majimboz and the cast of Via Katlehong's Via Sophiatown. The research was conducted between 2013 and 2016 and serves to represent various moments within the ethnographic research process, while coming to understand various aspects of pantsula dance. An engagement with notions of 'the township', the clothing choices of the pantsula 'uniform', the core moves, inherent hybridity in the form itself, and the dedication to the dance form as a representation of the isipantsula 'way of life', are addressed throughout the thesis. As well as engaging with the memory and representation of Sophiatown as an important component to pantsula dance. Pantsula dance, an intrinsically South African dance form, provides a celebratory conception of 'the township' space and allows people from different backgrounds to engage in an important part of South Africa's past, present and future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Van Niekerk, Heather Elizabeth
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Pantsula (Dance) South Africa Johannesburg , Pantsula (Dance) South Africa Makhanda , Dance Social aspects South Africa , Sophiatown (Johannesburg, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/57874 , vital:26998
- Description: Pantsula dance is a performing art born from the townships of Johannesburg. It is a dance form performed across South Africa, in a variety of contexts; in theatres, music videos and competitions in community halls, on national and international stages and on television, and in the streets of townships, cities and suburbs across South Africa and abroad. Its performance is widespread, but it has its beginnings as a dance form born in areas created to marginalise and oppress. There is a scarcity of academic scholarship related to pantsula dance. This thesis aims to be a contribution to that pre-existing body of knowledge in the hope that there can be further engagement on this important, and increasingly mainstream, art form. I have focused my thesis on analysing pantsula dance as a performance of 'the township'. This has been attempted through an ethnographic engagement with pantsula dancers based in different township areas of Johannesburg and Graha mstown: various members of Impilo Mapantsula, Via Katlehong, Intellectuals Pantsula, Via Kasi Movers, Dlala Majimboz and the cast of Via Katlehong's Via Sophiatown. The research was conducted between 2013 and 2016 and serves to represent various moments within the ethnographic research process, while coming to understand various aspects of pantsula dance. An engagement with notions of 'the township', the clothing choices of the pantsula 'uniform', the core moves, inherent hybridity in the form itself, and the dedication to the dance form as a representation of the isipantsula 'way of life', are addressed throughout the thesis. As well as engaging with the memory and representation of Sophiatown as an important component to pantsula dance. Pantsula dance, an intrinsically South African dance form, provides a celebratory conception of 'the township' space and allows people from different backgrounds to engage in an important part of South Africa's past, present and future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Periglacial landforms of the Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land, Antarctica
- Authors: Wilmot, Nicola Frances
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Periglacial processes Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Geomorphology Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Permafrost Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Freezes (Meteorology) Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Thawing Antarctica Queen Maud Land
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61535 , vital:28034
- Description: Periglacial landforms are a common occurrence in Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land (WDML). Classification and formation of these landforms were disputed in literature. In Antarctica information on periglacial landforms is limited or confined to a specific landform. Thus a holistic approach was taken when investigating the periglacial landforms found in WDML. An overview of the existing knowledge base on periglacial landforms in WDML was given which was coupled with the analysis of archival data. The landforms found in this area were patterned ground, openwork block deposits (OBD), rock glaciers, terraces, a pronival rampart and lake ice blisters. With patterned ground being the common periglacial landform in WDML, heave monitoring was used where time-lapse videos were used to investigate the formation processes in patterned ground. From consolidating existing knowledge as well as adding new knowledge on the formation of periglacial landforms, it is clear that the landforms in Antarctica should not be compared to other examples, especially examples from the northern hemisphere. Further research in the formation of periglacial landforms is needed and can be further enhanced with more extensive use of the heave monitoring method in future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Wilmot, Nicola Frances
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Periglacial processes Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Geomorphology Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Permafrost Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Freezes (Meteorology) Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Thawing Antarctica Queen Maud Land
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61535 , vital:28034
- Description: Periglacial landforms are a common occurrence in Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land (WDML). Classification and formation of these landforms were disputed in literature. In Antarctica information on periglacial landforms is limited or confined to a specific landform. Thus a holistic approach was taken when investigating the periglacial landforms found in WDML. An overview of the existing knowledge base on periglacial landforms in WDML was given which was coupled with the analysis of archival data. The landforms found in this area were patterned ground, openwork block deposits (OBD), rock glaciers, terraces, a pronival rampart and lake ice blisters. With patterned ground being the common periglacial landform in WDML, heave monitoring was used where time-lapse videos were used to investigate the formation processes in patterned ground. From consolidating existing knowledge as well as adding new knowledge on the formation of periglacial landforms, it is clear that the landforms in Antarctica should not be compared to other examples, especially examples from the northern hemisphere. Further research in the formation of periglacial landforms is needed and can be further enhanced with more extensive use of the heave monitoring method in future research.
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- Date Issued: 2018