List of Titles

A study of the implementation of public policy to increase participation in recreation sports in Lagos state: Nigeria

Authors: Setonji, Noel Adeoye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2101-8037
Date: 2013-04
Subjects: Public administration
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24035 , vital:62301
Description: The study investigated the extent to which implementation of the current public policy had improved recreation sport services and participation in Lagos metropolis of Lagos State-Nigeria. The study was delimited to 14 out of 16 Local Governments in Lagos metropolis. The study participants were 650 (334 males and 316 females) selected from 14 Local Governments in Lagos metropolis. Stratified random sampling technique was applied to get the volunteered metropolitan Lagos Local Government staff participants used for the study. Mixed research approaches involving quantitative and qualitative data collection were employed to carry out the study. Pilot study was carried out and reliability of each instrument was established with Cronbach’s alpha and test-re-test after an interval of two weeks. The reliability coefficients based on Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation were PRSPIQ (0.89), PRSPIBQ (0.87), RSFQ (0.79), and EPIMCEQ (0.85). The quantitative data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel 2007 Software and later exported to SPSS 18.0 statistical package for data analysis. Simple frequencies of responses in % and factor analysis were used in analysing the data collected, while Chi-square test of goodness-of-fit was used to test all the four hypotheses. The interview data collected were analysed using inductive method. All the hypotheses were pitched at 0.05 confidence level. Results of the study revealed that: implementation of the current public policy had not significantly improved recreation sport services and participation in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 395000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05); Barriers had affected effective implementation of the current public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 38.6000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05); implementation of the current public policy had not improved recreation sport facilities and safe recreation environments in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 33.3000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05; implementation of the current public policy had not effectively enhanced management competencies of recreation sport officers in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 64.3000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05. The conclusions drawn from the findings of the study include: the current public policy had not significantly improved recreation sport services in Lagos metropolis. Specifically, the study found that: the current policy had not done enough to enhance increased participation in recreation sport activities in Lagos metropolis; barriers had affected effective implementation of the current public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis; the public policy had not done enough to improve recreation sport facilities and safe recreation environments in most parts of Lagos metropolis; and the current public policy had not effectively enhanced management competencies of public recreation sport officers in Lagos metropolis. The study findings had it too that to effectively implement public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis, stakeholders should be adequately involved in the implementation activities. Based on the study findings, the study among others recommends that the State Government should be: proactive to update the content of the current public policy on recreation sports as the needs of the users are increasingly changing over time; Government agents, private organizations, recreation sport professionals and community stakeholders should be actively involved in the implementation processes to forestall any barriers; more recreation facility pools in safe and conducive environments should be provided and assessable to increase participation in recreation sports by the people of Lagos metropolis; and the public policy should be effectively implemented to enhance management competencies of public recreation sport managers in Lagos metropolis. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2013
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Date Issued: 2013-04

Assessment of the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of Tyume River in Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Authors: Sibanda, Timothy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6864-3796
Date: 2013-05
Subjects: Water -- Purification , Sewage -- Purification
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24465 , vital:62812
Description: The bioflocculant-producing potentials of three marine bacteria isolated from the sediment samples of Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were assessed. Analysis of the partial nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA of the bacteria revealed 99 percent, 99 percent, and 98 percent similarity to Cobetia sp. L222, Bacillus sp. A-5A, and Bacillus sp. HXG-C1 respectively and the sequence was deposited in GenBank as Cobetia sp. OAUIFE, Bacillus sp. MAYA and Bacillus sp. Gilbert (accession number JF799092, JF799093, and HQ537128 respectively). Cultivation condition studies for Cobetia sp. OAUIFE revealed that bioflocculant production was optimal with an inoculum size of 2 percent (v/v), initial pH of 6.0, Mn2+ as the metal ion, and glucose as the carbon source. Metal ions, including Na+, K+, Li+, Ca2+and Mg2+ stimulated bioflocculant production resulting in flocculating activity of above 90 percent. This crude bioflocculant is thermally stable, with about 78 percent of its flocculating activity remaining after heating at 100 oC for 25 min. Analysis of the purified bioflocculant revealed it to be an acidic extracellular polysaccharide. FTIR analysis revealed the presence of methoxyl, hydroxyl, and carboxyl - groups in the compound bioflocculant and SEM micrograph of the bioflocculant revealed a crystal-linear structure. On the other hand, bioflocculant production by Bacillus sp. MAYA was optimal when glucose (95.6 percent flocculating activity) and ammonium nitrate (83.3 percent flocculating activity) were used as carbon and nitrogen sources respectively; inoculum size was 2 percent (v/v); initial pH 6; and Ca2+ as coagulant aid. Chemical analysis of the purified bioflocculant shows that it is composed of uronic acid, neutral sugar and protein. FTIR analysis also revealed the presence of methoxyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino- groups in this bioflocculant. The bioflocculant is thermostable with about 65.6 percent residual flocculating activity retained after heating the bioflocculant at 100 oC for 25 min. However bioflocculant production by Bacillus sp. Gilbert was optimal when sodium carbonate (95.2 percent flocculating activity) and potassium nitrate (76.6 percent flocculating activity) were used as carbon and nitrogen sources respectively; inoculum size was 3 percent (v/v); initial pH 9; and Al3+ as cation. The crude bioflocculant retained 44.2 percent residual flocculating activity after heating at 100 oC for 15 min. FTIR analysis reveals the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and methylene - groups in the compound bioflocculant. SEM micrograph of the bioflocculant revealed an amorphous compound. The consortia of these bacteria strains also produced bioflocculants with high flocculating activities which were highly efficient in removing turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from brewery wastewater, diary wastewater and river water. The bioflocculants from the consortia seemed better than traditional flocculants such as alum . The characteristics of the bioflocculant produced by the consortium of Cobetia sp. OAUIFE and Bacillus sp. MAYA showed that this extracellular bioflocculant, composed of 66percent uronic acid and 31percent protein and an optimum flocculation (90 percent) of kaolin suspension, when the dosage concentration was 0.8 mg/ml, under weak alkaline pH of 8, and Ca2+ as a coagulant aid. The bioflocculant is thermally stable, with a high residual flocculating activity of 86.7 percent, 89.3 percent and 87.0 percent after heating at 50 oC, 80 oC and 100 oC for 25 min respectively. The FTIR analysis of the bioflocculant indicated the presence of hydroxyl, amino, carbonyl and carboxyl functional groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image revealed a crystal-linear spongy-like bioflocculant structure and EDX analysis of the purified bioflocculant showed that the elemental composition in mass proportion of C,N,O,S and P was 6.67:6.23:37.55:0.38:4.42 (percent w/w). However, the characteristics of the bioflocculant produced by the consortium of Cobetia sp OAUIFE and Bacillus sp. Gilbert showed an optimum flocculation (90 percent) of kaolin suspension when the dosage concentration was 0.2 mg/ml, under neutral pH of 7, and Ca2+ as a coagulant aid. The FTIR analysis of the bioflocculant Tyume River water samples were collected monthly, over a 12-month period starting from August 2010 and ending in July 2011, and transported on ice to the Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group (AEMREG) Laboratory at the University of Fort Hare, Alice for analyses within 6 h of collection. Electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) of water samples were determined in situ using a multi-parameter ion-specific meter. Concentrations of orthophosphate and total nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite) were determined by standard photometric methods. Total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC) and enterococci were determined by the membrane filtration method. Viruses in water samples were concentrated using the adsorption-elution method, followed by extraction of viral nucleic acids and purification done using commercially available kits. The concentrations of human enteric viruses in the river-water samples were estimated using quantitative PCR. RNA viruses were quantified in a two-step protocol where RNA was first transcribed into cDNA in a separate reverse-transcription step. Adenovirus species and serotypes were simultaneously detected using serotype-specific multiplex PCR. Norovirus genogroups GI and GII were detected by semi-nested PCR. The risk of infection associated with recreational and domestic use of the water was also estimated. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels fell within the stipulated BOD guideline of 10 mg/ℓ for surface waters where full contact use is allowed and ≤ 30 mg/ℓ where public access is prohibited, restricted, or infrequent. DO concentrations generally ranged between 7.47 mg/ℓ and 10.42 mg/ℓ, well within the target water quality requirements. The temperature regime ranged between 6°C and 28°C and for most sampling sites, the temperature regimes were within the acceptable limit of no risk (≤ 25°C) for domestic water uses in South Africa. EC ranged between 47 μS/cm and 408 μS/cm well within the South African target water quality EC guideline of 700 μS/cm though it was observed to increase as the river flowed through settlements. The pH in the period beginning September 2010 through to January 2011 was consistently below pH 9, but from February 2011 to June 2011 the pH significantly increased to between pH 10 and pH 11 at most sampling sites. Unpolluted waters normally show a pH of between 6.5 and 8.5. Most of the pH values observed in this study lie between pH 8.5 and pH 10.8 levels which are not far off from the upper level guideline of pH 9.0 for domestic use. Turbidity ranged between 6 NTU and 281 and fell short of the target water quality range (0 NTU to 1 NTU) of no risk for domestic water uses in South Africa. Monthly TDS values and EC values showed direct proportionality. TDS concentrations at all sites fell within the acceptable guideline of 0 mg/ℓ to 450 mg/ℓ of TDS for domestic use. Nutrient profiles were as follows: nitrate (0.18 mg/ℓ to 4.21 mg/ℓ); nitrite (0.02 mg/ℓ to 2.35 mg/ℓ); and orthophosphate (0.06 mg/ℓ to 2.72 mg/ℓ). The bacteriological qualities of the water were poor, exceeding the guideline of 200 CFU/100 mℓ and 33 CFU/100 mℓ for FC and enterococci respectively, for recreational water. FC counts also exceeded the 1 000 CFU/100 mℓ guideline for water used in fresh produce irrigation. Generally, higher counts of TC, FC and enterococci were recorded at the sampling sites located at the lower reaches of the river compared to the upper reaches. Adenovirus was detected in 31percent of the river samples in concentrations ranging between 1.0×100 genome copies/ℓ and 8.49×104 genome copies/ℓ. Serotyping showed the presence of species C adenovirus serotypes 1, 2, 6 and 7, and species F adenovirus serotype 41. The prevalence of norovirus was 4percent while rotavirus was detected in 4percent of river samples in concentrations ranging between 9×100 genome copies/ℓ and 5.64×103 genome copies/ℓ. Hepatitis A virus was detected in 13percent of river samples in concentrations ranging between1.67×103 and 1.64×104 genome copies/ℓ while enteroviruses were not detected. Detection of enteric viruses was inversely correlated to temperature. Risk analysis showed that both hepatitis A virus and adenovirus presented significantly higher risk of infection values compared to rotavirus in the case of ingestion of 10 mℓ or 100 mℓ of water from Tyume River while enteroviruses did not present any significant risk of infection. Tyume River water samples also did not conform to the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) bacterial criteria of 200 CFU/100 mℓ faecal coliforms and 33 CFU/100 mℓ enterococci for bathing waters. Whereas the physicochemical parameters showed that Tyume River water was relatively clean, the bacteriological water quality was poor. Most of the microbiological contamination observed in this study (especially FIBs) can be blamed on inadequate sanitary infrastructure as we observed that open defecation is commonplace in this catchment, which also serves as a conduit for effluent discharges from wastewater-treatment facilities. Enteric viruses were detected along the course of the river in a sporadic pattern, generally not related to natural hydrological cycles and so we conclude that the presence of enteric viruses in the river is suggestive of the dynamics of the same in the host population. Even though the proportion of infective viruses was estimated in this study, fact remains that there is considerable risk of infection posed by the use of raw surface water for either domestic or recreational use. This study further confirmed the lack of correlation between faecal indicator bacteria and enteric virus occurrence in environmental waters, showing that assaying for enteric viruses in environmental waters remains the best method for determining the health risks associated with the use of faecally contaminated water. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2013
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Date Issued: 2013-05

Secularization processes in Malawi and Great Britain: a comparative inquiry

Authors: Gama, Billy Lickson
Date: 2013-12
Subjects: Secularization (Theology)
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25644 , vital:64346
Description: The major purpose of the study was to critically examine the applicability of manifestations and factors of secularization in Britain to Malawi. In examining the manifestations and factors the study had to examine the process of secularization in Britain and its causal factors using theoretical frameworks and examine manifestations and causal factors of secularization in Malawi using field research work as a major source supported by the theoretical frame works of secularization. The study was guided by the key research question, “Are the manifestations and factors of secularization in Britain applicable to Malawi?” The question was supported by other follow up questions, namely, “What were the factors that contributed to the rise of secularization in Britain?” “What is the connection between Britain and Malawi?” “To what extent does secularization in Britain affect that in Malawi?” “Does Malawi have unique factors that are specific or are the same factors at work that have contributed to the process of secularization in Britain?” The conceptual framework for this research was derived from the literature on “secularization” from different scholars, in particular, the work of Dobbelaere (2002) whose analysis of secularization provided the theoretical frame work for this study. Learning from Dobbelaere (2002) the study used three types of secularizations, namely, societal, organizational and individual. Dobbelaere (2002:24ff) distinguishes the three types of secularization in a very simple way: individual secularization, the lack of individual practice, societal secularization, the loss of influence on society, and organizational secularization as the effect on religious organizations by changes in society. The methodological approach to the study was the mixed methods approach that involved three types of research methodologies: the qualitative, quantitative and case studies approaches. Data was collected through personal and focus group interviews. It was supported by secondary sources which include books, minutes of meetings in various institutions and the internet. The study notes that all the three types of secularization are being experienced in Malawi; societal secularization has been manifested by the removal of religious connected syllabus in schools, suspension of homosexuality laws and involvement of religious leaders in different immoral issues just like non-believers. Organizational secularization has been manifested by fights among religious institutions e.g. boarder disputes that have been given as case studies in chapter five and finally the individual secularization is being manifested in Malawi as membership records indicate that there is a big decline in church attendance and participation in religious activities. New knowledge that this study is proposing is that secularization is manifested in Malawi through the partial influence from Britain because of strong links between the two countries and the effects of modernization. The study further proposes that donor influences, Islam, lack of well educated religious leaders and African Traditional Religion are the unique factors of secularization in Malawi, while modernization, urbanization, industrialization are factors that are partially applicable to Malawi, and religious pluralism is fully applicable to both Britain and Malawi as a factor of secularization. Finally the study proposes that a proper training of religious leaders is vital for the sustainability of the church as it experiences the manifestations of secularization. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2013
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Date Issued: 2013-12

Radio broadcasting, policy and local language revitalisation in Zimbabwe

Authors: Mabika, Memory https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4499-6300
Date: 2014-01
Subjects: Broadcasting -- Zimbabwe , Broadcasting policy -- Zimbabwe
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25789 , vital:64479
Description: The media as disseminators of news are considered the principal institutions that have the mandate to provide relevant information to the citizenry; from which members of the public get a better understanding of their society. Communicating in indigenous languages, in particular, facilitates interaction and the preservation of African languages. Studies have shown that radio is the most effective channel of mass communication which can help in the usage and preservation of indigenous languages. This is because it is affordable and accessible in more peripheral areas than other media. However, due to radio’s ideological and hegemonic functions, many governments in most African countries and in Zimbabwe, in particular, have continued to closely monitor and control its day to day running. Zimbabwe radio, due to the previous and current political contexts, has continued to create an atmosphere where minority languages are not given necessary recognition leading to their exclusion from most of the existing radio stations. This has come to threaten indigenous minority languages and to weaken the long established cultures. The research springs primarily from the desire to unearth the truth behind the failure by ILRBSs and government to protect indigenous languages in Zimbabwe, a sovereign nation. The electronic colonialism theory and globalisation approach (specifically its cultural globalisation strand) were utilised in this study. The research adopted a mixed method design. Data was collected using four instruments namely, Interviews, Focus groups discussions, questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that minority languages in Zimbabwe have never been developed beyond their oral use by speakers in their confined locations. This makes any effort to use these languages for broadcasting a serious challenge since speakers and non-speakers do not value these languages. The government’s stringent media laws and policies have made the usage of radio broadcasting in preserving indigenous languages an almost impossible task. The ambiguous BSA and its various vague policies are nothing but a fallacy to minority indigenous languages’ revitalization efforts. In addition, the existing education system is worsening this problem because of its failure to develop educational materials in minority indigenous languages. The study concludes with the observation that in multilingual and multicultural Zimbabwe, the language stance of the government, education system and the media particularly radio are destructive to indigenous languages preservation and revitalisation. In order to ensure effective indigenous languages preservation and revitalization in Zimbabwe, there is need to revise the various language policies enshrined the BSA and to open up the broadcasting landscape to reflect the multiplicity and diversity of voices existing in the country. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-01

The role of indigenous knowledge in agriculture and environmental conservation: the case of Gutu District Zimbabwe

Authors: Wutete, Obert
Date: 2014-01
Subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge , Conservation of natural resources , Nature conservation
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26526 , vital:65520
Description: Indigenous Knowledge IK is an emerging area of study that focuses on a community’s ways of knowing, seeing and thinking, developed over a long period of time. The knowledge is passed down orally from one generation to the other. Therefore, this study highlights a number of important factors that are associated with the use of IK in rural communities such as Gutu district. The major importance of IK include the following: it reduces costs through the use of locally available resources, acts as the basis of local-level decision making, is familiar and acceptable to the communities in which the knowledge exists and also that IK helps communities to develop their own sources of livelihoods. The objectives of the study were; to identify the types of IK peculiar to agriculture practices and the conservation of the environment within Gutu district; establish the challenges confronting IK utilization in communities; identify the constraints affecting the sharing, transfer and preservation of IK; determine the measures which should be adopted in order to promote the appreciation and value placed on IK in agriculture practices and the conservation of the environment; and to propose recommendations on how IK should be utilized for sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and environmental conservation in Gutu district and other rural communities. The study employed the survey method which was premised on the use of multiple data gathering tools, also referred to as triangulation. A total of 100 interviewees were sampled from Gutu communities for face-to-face interviews, 48 participants for focus group discussions, with each group comprising of 6 participants. The researcher collected data using a set of interview guide questions for individual participants as well as for the focus group discussions. In order to be comprehensive in data collection, the researcher also utilized observations and transects walks (these are random walks done in an area under study in order to have a better understanding of activities of the area). The triangulation of data gathering tools assisted with diverse information on the crops cultivated by residents, cultivation methods, harvesting and the preservation of the crops. The researcher also gathered information on how residents interacted with the environment, established reasons which contributed to the deterioration of the environment, established the sacredness associated with certain areas in Gutu district and the use of taboos as a way to safeguarding natural resources. The traditional practices have become a thing of the past to the present generations. The research had four major findings: First, it was found out that Indigenous Knowledge which was the basis of traditional lifestyles is no longer a major practice by Gutu residents. The gradual decline of traditional indigenous practices contributed among other factors to the decline in agriculture output. Residents have abandoned traditional farming methods such as conservation farming. The latter practice kept the soil intact and rich in fertility unlike the use of ploughs and tractors which weakens the soil. More so, residents have opted for the cultivation of crops which do not give them good harvests. Maize is one such crop which suffers from droughts as opposed to small grain crops, comprising of finger millet, pearl millet and sorghum. These endure dry conditions with limited rainfall. Gutu residents also revealed that there is overlooking of the sacredness associated with certain areas and the use of taboos to conserve the environment. It was further established that while residents have knowledge of sacred places and prohibitive taboos which are meant to safeguard the environment, residents no longer respect the prohibitions due to the influence of modernity and Christianity which regard some of the practices as backward or wayward beliefs. Second, the study established that the influence of colonial policies influenced a number of changes to the continued utilization of Indigenous Knowledge in agriculture and the management of the environment. For example, Gutu residents no longer practice shifting cultivation which used to be practice in the 1920s backwards. Residents are now confined to small pieces of land which are continuously cultivated on a yearly basis. Therefore, soils have become exhausted and production has gone down since the majority of residents are not able to replenish the soil through the use of fertilizer whose cost they cannot afford. It was also established that the environment has deteriorated continuously due to over use by an ever-increasing population. Third, the study found out that traditional platforms such as the dare men’s meeting place are no longer in existence. The dare is a set-up in which males sit around a fire place and shared ideas on different subject areas as a way of teaching one another life lessons and grooming the future generations. On the other hand, women use the round hut in which food is prepared to address a number of teachings to the girl child. Elderly women took the opportunity to induct young girls into adulthood along the duties expected of women in the society. Nowadays, both males and females share the hut used for preparing food and this is disrupting the traditional set-up of inducting young males and females in separate and appropriate platforms. The situation was worsened by colonialism which came along with Christian teachings, part of which were not in tandem with traditional indigenous practices. For example, the sacredness of places and the use of taboos are regarded by the youths as old and outdated beliefs with no relevance in today’s modern world. To make matter worse, there is limited contact time between the youths and the elders due to work commitments in urban areas. This has limited the opportunities for the sharing, transfer and preservation of IK as opposed to the traditional times in which shared communal lives allowed constant interactions and appreciation of indigenous ways of life. Fourth, there are no tangible strategies for the preservation of IK for posterity. While general information on traditional IK can be shared by residents, there are individuals who possess rare knowledge but made it their preserve after they realized that the knowledge offered them competitive advantages and benefits. Another aspect is that the youths have lost interest in IK of the past since they feel that the knowledge has lost relevance to their present interests due to the dynamism of culture. In the youths’ views, IK which is useful and relevant to their generation will continue to exist while practices which are no longer useful will fall by the way side. The research utilized interviews in order to establish the manner in which Indigenous Knowledge is acquired, shared, transferred and even retained for use by future generations. The findings of the study formed the basis for recommendations, of which if adopted, could contribute significantly to the revival of indigenous knowledge practices in Gutu district. The use of indigenous knowledge, peculiar to people in a given locality, can contribute to the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and development of rural communities in Gutu district. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations can be considered there is need for the establishment of Indigenous Knowledge Resource Centres IKRCs in communities so that individuals with interest in traditional IK can acquire the knowledge free of charge. It may also be beneficial if IK can be introduced to become part of the tertiary level curricula. Since Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy and also the fact that rural communities rely on the environment for provisions such as firewood, production and conservation measures being part of the curricula. This will assist decision makers to appreciate and value IK in decision making and development projects, not only in agriculture and the conservation of the environment, but also in other sectors that promote people’s livelihood. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-01

Synthesis and evaluation of novel heterocycles as potential HIV-1 enzyme inhibitors

Authors: Ngnie Tuemgnie, Gaëlle Tatiana
Date: 2014
Subjects: Heterocyclic compounds , Enzyme inhibitors , Organic compounds , Green chemistry , Coumarins , HIV (Viruses) Enzymes
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194293 , vital:45440 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/194293
Description: This project has focussed on the synthesis and the evaluation of organic compounds as potential HIV-1 enzyme inhibitors, by making use of green chemistry (microwave assisted synthesis and click chemistry), palladium catalyzed reactions (Heck and Sonogashira coupling), Baylis Hillman methodology and aldol condensation. These compounds were synthesized in good yields and fully characterised by spectroscopic techniques. Biological assay data revealed that some of the compounds possess high inhibitory activity and their effective inhibitory concentration was as good as those of drugs in clinical use. These potential drug molecules were identified by preliminary investigations carried out by molecular modelling where a trend of their inhibitory activity against different enzymes was anticipated. Benzotriazole-AZT conjugates generated by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of anthranilic acid derivatives with AZT showed good inhibitory activity in silico against both HIV-1 protease (PR) and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) enzymes. Still in line with our dual action strategy, cinnamate ester-AZT conjugates were synthesized in three steps starting from benzaldehyde derivatives with a click reaction at the final step. These compounds also showed some inhibitory activity against HIV-1 RT enzyme (88%). In addition, the cinnamoyl fragment attached to AZT appeared to improve the activity of AZT against HIV-1 RT. Peptide chemistry involving carbonyl diimidazole as a coupling reagent between cinnamic acid derivatives and protected amino acids was used to prepare substituted amino acid derivatives which appeared to be very active against the integrase (IN) enzyme (88%). Commercially available coumarin was iodinated and derivatized through palladium catalyzed Heck and Sonogashira reactions with activated alkenes and a terminal alkyne respectively to afford novel coumarin derivatives in good yields. Optimization studies on the Heck reaction with regards to the phosphine ligand, the palladium catalyst and the solvent were carried out to afford novel formyl substituted cinnamate esters with nonaflyl salicylaldehyde derivatives. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014

Understanding the replication biology of Providence virus: elucidating the function of non-structural proteins

Authors: Nakayinga, Ritah
Date: 2014
Subjects: Insects Viruses , Viruses Reproduction , Tombusviridae , RNA viruses , RNA polymerases
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/193930 , vital:45408
Description: Tetraviruses are non-enveloped, small insect RNA viruses with a single stranded positive RNA genome that is either monopartite or bipartite. Providence virus (PrV) is the only member of the three tetravirus families with a viral replicase similar to the replicases of tombusviruses and umbraviruses. The principle aim of this thesis was to study PrV replication, focusing on subcellular localization and potential interactions between PrV replication proteins. The first objective of this study was to generate an anti-p104 antibody that does not cross-react with p40. Expression of the C-terminal portion of p104 in E. coli resulted in no detectable protein. Further expression in an insect cell based expression system resulted in the production of an insoluble protein. Attempts to improve protein solubility with a range of solubilization treatments were unsuccessful. Bioinformatic analysis was used to detect an antigenic region at the C-terminus of p104 and the peptide was used to raise anti-p104 antibodies. These antibodies did not detect native protein by western blot detection however they were used for immunoprecipitation. The establishment of the subcellular localization of PrV required two approaches; immunofluorescence in persistently infected Helicoverpa zea MG8 cells using antip40 and anti-dsRNA antibodies and the expression of EGFP-replicase fusion protein in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 cells. Replication of PrV was found to take place in cytosolic punctate structures. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that p40 self-interacts and interacts with p104. Bioinformatic analysis of PrV p104 suggests that the RdRp is similar to viral RdRps of the carmo-like supergroup II. Potential RNA binding regions are present within p104. A potential p40 interaction domain that shares hydrophilic and surface exposed properties with the TBSV p33 interaction domain is present. A putative arginine-rich region and disordered C-terminal region is present in p130. In conclusion, PrV p104 is the viral replicase. The resemblance of the expression strategy and putative functional domains with tombusviruses and umbraviruses suggest that PrV replication is related to the replication system of the tombusviruses and umbraviruses. This has led to propose that tetravirus replication strategies are diverse and raises questions on the origin and evolution of PrV. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014

Problem-based learning strategies as determinant of grade 9 student's academic achievement in algebra

Authors: Olaoye, Olabisi Fatimat
Date: 2014-04
Subjects: Problem-based learning , Learning strategies
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24717 , vital:63535
Description: Many scholars in the field of mathematics education have written extensively on algebra and the reasons why algebra remains one of the aspects of mathematics that usually poses problems to students. This study examined the effects of problem based learning strategies on students’ academic achievement in algebra using language proficiency and gender as moderator variables. A 3X2X3 pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was adopted in the study. One hundred and nine subjects were involved in the study (109) this consisted of forty-four males and sixty-five females in four Grade 9 mathematics classes in East London District. The study was carried out in two schools using two intact classes in each of the school. One class in each school was randomly assigned to the experimental and another to control groups. Four instruments were constructed and used for this study. These are: Language Proficiency Achievement Test (LPAT), Problem Based Learning Strategies are in two parts (PBLSa) and (PBLSb), Conventional Teaching Guide (C.T.G). The instruments were validated and used for data collection before and after the four week experiment. Seven hypotheses were generated and tested in the study at 0.05 alpha levels. The data collected were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics, which included Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) of students post-test achievement and where the results were significant, Pairwise Comparison Analysis of Scheffe post-hoc were employed to detect the source of variation and the direction of significance of post-test achievement according to treatment groups. One of the major findings of this study was that problem based learning strategies (PBLSa), (PBLSb) are more effective than conventional method in students’ academic achievement in algebra ( x = 3.05; SE =.720), ( x = 4.23; SE=.714), ( x = 3.36; SE =.726) in that order. The study also revealed there is no significant main effect of treatment and language proficiency on students’ academic achievement in Algebra (F (2,109) = .926; p>.05). Also, there is no significant main effect of treatment and gender on students’ academic achievement in algebra. (F (1.109) =.237; p>.05). However, this study recommended that problem based learning strategies should be embraced by both the teachers and learners in order to enhance students’ academic achievement in algebra. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-04

Pills, Politics and Partners: NGOs and the Management of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Eastern Cape, with special reference to the Lusikisiki Project, 2004-2014

Authors: Govere, Fredrick Murambiwa
Date: 2014-06
Subjects: Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Management , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , HIV-positive persons -- Services for -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25720 , vital:64473
Description: South Africa is one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV prevalence rates remain stubbornly high.1 This trend is both concerning and difficult to explain given that South Africa is economically well-resourced with a better health care infrastructure relative to other African countries. The African National Congress identified the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a major public health threat to South Africa as early as the 1990s (Parikh and Whiteside, 2007; Gevisser, 2007). In response, international donors provided a substantial amount of financial resources to support improvements in South Africa’s health care infrastructure. The persistently high rates of HIV/AIDS in the population beg for answers to questions such as why South Africa’s political leadership has been unable to control the spread of the disease and what particular social, behavioural and economic factors have contributed to South Africa’s disproportionate share of the global HIV/AIDS burden. At this point in time, public health experts still have not been able to definitively isolate the factors that explain the severity of the HIV/AIDS disease burden within South Africa’s population. While international donor aid continues to play a central role in the social, economic and health betterment in developing nations, its political impact on local governance structures has been much debated.2 In particular, the roles played by non-government organisations (NGOs) in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa have been found to be complex, controversial, and their lasting value contested. Specifically debated is the disproportionate global investment in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in South Africa and the ways in which it has shaped intervention strategies, public and private policy, and the governance roles assumed by various national and local governmental agencies. Despite the threat of diminished financial support from international donor agencies that has loomed heavily over recipient countries in recent years, a number of key international donors have actually scaled up their global response to HIV/AIDS, particularly in South Africa.3 These donor agencies include the U.S. government’s Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund, as well as non-profit humanitarian organisations such as Mèdecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF), commonly known as Doctors without Borders. This study aims to critically examine the prevailing intervention strategy used by these international donors to “push the pill;” that is, to push a public health agenda that holds antiretroviral (ARV) therapy as the preeminent solution to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the expense of other intervention strategies. While a biomedical approach remains the most compelling intervention strategy, the fight against HIV/AIDS needs to be more comprehensive in its scope taking into account local knowledge and culture. This study will discuss how political rhetoric delivered through the media and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems has been used to embed a biomedical pill agenda into the organizational culture and intervention strategies implemented by local community-based organizations. Through a process of strategic translation, HIV/AIDS has been portrayed as the number one health problem facing South Africa today; in fact, across all of Sub-Saharan Africa (World Health Organisation 2005a, 2005b). As such, the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has justified the focus on making ARV drugs available throughout Sub-Saharan Africa at the expense of other interventions that could aim more precisely at the key social and health problems faced by the South African population which compromise health and well-being. The question about whose interests are donors and donor-funded agencies representing, and what are the intended and unintended consequences that result from these interests is the subject of this study. The study will attempt to shed light on these questions through a critical examination of the widely publicized HIV/AIDS intervention programme, the Lusikisiki Project, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. I have drawn extensively from the development discourse literature and such scholars as Ferguson, 1990; Escobar, 1994 and 1995; Rist, 1997; and Mosse, 2005, to provide theoretical grounding for answering the questions posed.4 The study will critically analyse the social and political factors that defined this reputedly successful HIV/AIDS intervention project. Further, the study wil elucidate other cultural and behavioural factors that shaped the initiative in its battle against HIV/AIDS. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-06

Assuring the quality of mentoring in Malawi's 1+1 model of initial primary teacher education programme: implications for teacher development

Authors: Mwanza, Alnord Levison Dave
Date: 2014-09
Subjects: Mentoring in education , Total quality management
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24632 , vital:63385
Description: Teacher education has been the focus of numerous studies across the world. The debates revolve around what models or approaches to teacher development produce high quality teachers as measured by their ability to promote student learning. This has given rise to a continuum of models. At the one extreme there are those who advocate practice first and theory later; at the other there are those who recommend theory first and then practice. In between there is a combination of a variety of approaches. The models of teacher development, however, continue to grapple with the problem of how to balance theory and practice. In Malawi, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) (MIE, 2006) came up with what they see as a balance between theory and practice when they introduced the 1 year of theory and 1 year of practice, a model referred to as the 1+1. The focus of this study was on the one year of practical teaching where mentoring is critical; hence the particular attention to examine and understand how its quality was assured from the perspective of fitness for purpose and fitness of purpose. The study was anchored mainly in the post-positivist paradigm and the methodology used was the mixed-methods approach. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design comprising a survey followed by a case study was employed. For the survey, four sets of semi-structured questionnaires whose Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficients, α, were 0.971, 0.827, 0.859 respectively were developed using the Tailored Design Method; these were pilot tested and then administered through a drop-and-pick strategy to a census sample of 804 respondents comprising 92 school mentors, 92 school head-teachers, 4 Teacher Training College mentoring coordinators and 616 student teachers. A total response rate of 96percent was obtained. The case study design phase comprised six one-on-one face-to-face structured interviews; five focus groups; five non-participant observations; and a review of ten documents employing interview schedules, observations and document checklists as instruments for data collection. A total of 27 participants, three of whom did not participate in the survey phase, were involved in this phase. Quantitative data collected from either phase was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 while content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. As a mixed-method study, some of the qualitative data was quantitized and some of the quantitative data was qualititized; and integration of data was made during the following stages: research questions formulation, data collection, data presentation, and discussion and interpretation. The study revealed several weaknesses in assuring the quality of mentoring in the 1+1 IPTE model. First, the norms and standards for mentoring designed by the Ministry of Education were not used to guide the mentoring process. Instead, they were designed to fulfil accountability requirements of the Ministry of Education and Teacher Training Colleges rather than self-improvement. Hence, the study revealed that all the 92 schools had, therefore, no policies, practice codes and standards for monitoring mentoring casting doubt on the functioning of internal quality assurance. The study further revealed that 12 of the school mentors (13percent) had lower academic qualifications than their seventy-two student teachers they were mentoring; 35 of the school mentors (38percent) were at the entry grade of their teaching career; two of the mentors (2percent) (mentoring over twelve student teachers) were within the first three years of teaching, which means that they, themselves, were in need of being mentored; and all the school mentors had full time teaching responsibilities. As such, some student teachers indicated that they were not being assessed at all by their school mentors. This situation regarding mentors raises concerns over the subject knowledge levels of the mentors, the role model functions of the mentors and their competency to effectively mentor student teachers, as well as concerns regarding the quality of the mentoring programme and its outcomes. Findings from the study also revealed little or no monitoring of mentoring in schools as schools had no structures and systems for monitoring mentoring; and heavy workloads and financial constraints prevented college lecturers from monitoring mentoring in primary schools. However, on a positive note, the study revealed that 99percent of school mentors were trained for their mentoring roles and were receiving regular training which was provided regularly on a term-basis. Based on the above findings, the 1+1 Initial Primary Teacher Education model in Malawi is undermined by weak mentoring practices which have the potential to widen the theory and practice gap, and potentially impact on the quality of teachers produced. It is further recommended that the mentoring practices move away from the technicist approach and focus on the actual processes of mentoring; that norms and standards for school mentor selection and support are developed; that there should be more workshopping, seminars and conferences for mentors; and that schools should be assisted to develop collegial-emancipatory quality assurance systems for mentoring. A rainbow model for assuring the quality of mentoring in the 1+1 IPTE mode is finally recommended. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-09

Opportunities and challenges for socio-economic transformation in rural Zimbabwe

Authors: Mutami, Cephas
Date: 2014-10
Subjects: Economic development--Social aspects , Rural development , Community development
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26459 , vital:65338
Description: The focus of the thesis is the impediments of rural development in Zimbabwe and how opportunities for socio-economic transformation can be enhanced in the current setting. The study embarks from a conceptualization of rural poverty in Zimbabwe using theoretical and empirical evidence. Poverty in rural Zimbabwe has a historical legacy of deprivation and dispossession and is concentrated in communal areas which have low resources bases with low agriculture potential due to low rainfall and poor soils. The myriad of challenges in rural Zimbabwe point to the incoherent of rural development polices which are distorting markets for inputs and produce. Thus the study sought to address the rural development policy bottlenecks and develop a policy agenda for development.Using mixed methods approach, the study considered household economic conditions, their production practices and their vulnerability contexts in three selected districts which represent communal, old resettlement and small scale A1 and A2 areas. The household data is blended with interview data of rural development practitioners in both private and public agencies to produce comprehensive information on the impact of rural development policies. Archival research method was also used to do content reviews on government policy papers and programs so as to provide a holistic approach to analysis. Naturally mixed methods produce large volumes of data which requires thorough analysis. This was only possible through the use of analytical computer software packages for qualitative and quantitative data such as Atlas Ti and Excel spreadsheet, respectively. The study revealed that rural households in Zimbabwe are farmers. The majority of these farmers are smallholders who are located in remote communal areas and resettlement areas. Communal farmers constitute the bulk of rural citizens and live on less than a dollar a day. They are engaged in mixed farming methods and other non-farm activities especially during off-agriculture season. Communal households basically produce staples, with a low percentage producing cotton and groundnuts. Production choices and methods are shaped by subsistence needs of households but more so by risks and vulnerability contexts which they operate in. Farmers in resettlement areas face a different set of opportunities and threats to their livelihoods as they are located in prime agricultural land. However they are still challenged with the rural development approaches of central government. On the policy front, there is no pronounced rural development policy in Zimbabwe. The current setting has numerous pronouncements and programs which all seek to alleviate underdevelopment in Zimbabwe. These programs are replicating each other in practice and in most cases benefit the political elites and large scale commercial farmers. The multiplicity of government institutions which deal with rural development results in incremental decisions and programs which further impoverishes rural households. The study posits a rural development policy framework which is based on a comprehensive policy agenda which takes into cognizance the production requirements of households. Such a policy needs to be inclusive to the rural households in terms of governance and programs. A rural development policy agenda and framework would require the harnessing of resources from both the government and private players in well-articulated market friendly approaches. This would stimulate high productivity, enhance off-farm activities, raise incomes and foremost create appropriate social protection programs. Thus the potential for sustained economic growth and development in Zimbabwe lies with smallholder agriculture based rural development framework which can impact on the 67% population who live and work in rural areas. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-10

Social intrepreneurship and millennium development goals in developing countries: case study of Zimbabwe

Authors: Ngorora, Grace P K https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4756-313
Date: 2014-11
Subjects: Social entrepreneurship -- Zimbabwe , Economic development -- Zimbabwe , Poverty -- Zimbabwe
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26661 , vital:65847
Description: The study set out to examine the contribution of social entrepreneurship to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDG 1, the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. Poverty reduction occurred when social entrepreneurial activities resulted in the improvement of the socio-economic well-being of social entrepreneurs and their beneficiaries. The problem this study sought to research on was that, despite the impact of social entrepreneurship, there has been inadequate attention to and discussion of its contribution to attaining the MDGs in Zimbabwe. The population were social entrepreneurs in Harare, Zimbabwe. The random sampling method was used to determine the sample size. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data in Harare, Zimbabwe from 132 social entrepreneurs and 200 beneficiaries of social entrepreneurial activities. Secondary information was obtained from textbooks and various internet sources. The data collected was analyzed through SPSS Version 22 because of its appropriateness and wide use. The null hypothesis that social entrepreneurship does not contribute to the achievement of MDGs was rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis that social entrepreneurship provides an alternative to the achievement of MDGs. Findings from the study suggest that social entrepreneurs contribute immensely to poverty reduction. They also contribute towards research and development, promoting gender equality and empowerment, education for all as well as access to health facilities. The segments of the population benefiting from social entrepreneurship include the poor, socially excluded, discriminated, the unemployed and disabled. The impact on poverty and hunger was achieved through microfinance initiatives, income generation activities, empowerment and capacity building. Results showed that social entrepreneurship activities solve social problems through providing food, shelter, water, education and collateral to access finance. The study concluded that social entrepreneurship is a plausible approach to promote implementation of policies to reduce extreme poverty and hunger by using readily available resources to bring sustainable solutions to problems. The strategies to make social entrepreneurship more effective included creating a conducive legal and policy environment, financial provision, political support, and government support, publicity of the contribution of social entrepreneurship, mentorship and collaboration among stakeholders. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-11

A process maturity framework of information security policy development life cycle

Authors: Tuyikeze, Tite
Date: 2014-12
Subjects: Computer security , Information technology , Computer crimes
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26797 , vital:66010
Description: Information security policy development involves more than policy formulation and implementation. Unless organisations explicitly recognise the various steps required in the development of a security policy, they run the risk of developing policies that are poorly thought out, incomplete, redundant and, irrelevant and which will not be fully supported by the users. This study argues that an information security policy has an entire life cycle through which it must pass through during its useful lifetime. A content analysis on information security policy development methods was conducted using secondary sources in the relevant literature. The outcome of the content analysis resulted in the proposal of a framework of information security policy development and implementation. The proposed framework outlines the various steps required in the development, implementation and enforcement of an effective information security policy. A survey of 400 security professionals was conducted in order to evaluate the concepts contained in the framework.This study also emphasises the importance of integrating a security maturity assessment process into the information security policy development life cycle. A key finding of this study is the proposed maturity assessment framework which offers a structured methodology for evaluating the maturity level of an information security policy. The framework presents an integrated and holistic approach to ensure the incremental process maturity of the organisation’s information security policy development process. In addition, organisations using the proposed framework will be able both to determine the current maturity levels of their information security policy development process and also to plan enhancements in the correct sequence. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
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Date Issued: 2014-12

A content analysis of readers' comments on political and economic news articles: a study of Zimbabwe online media

Authors: Mathe, Limukani https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6776-0683
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Journalistic ethics -- Zimbabwe , Electronic journals -- Zimbabwe , Social media -- Zimbabwe
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29267 , vital:77709
Description: A qualitative content analysis was used to study readers’ comments on political and economic news articles of Zimbabwe online media. The study focused on readers’ comments published on NewZimbabwe.com, Herald.co.zw, Nehandaradio.com and Zimeye.com. Discourse theory, framing theory and network analysis were applied to extend and inform the analysis of the online discursive community. A purposive sampling technique was used to extract 400 comments in a time frame of sixteen weeks. Nvivo 10 was utilised to code these readers’ comments into their political and economic categories. The research findings reflect that readers are more interactive and participative on online public forums, and their political and economic discourse echo political affiliations with either ZANU-PF or MDC. Readers have different perspectives on political and economic matters such as, the economic meltdown, diaspora, and western influence, abuse of power by those in high places, land reform programme, political power struggles, violence and corruption in Zimbabwe. , Thesis (MSoc.Sci) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2015
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Date Issued: 2015-01

An examination of human resource management strategies and their contribution to effective local government systems in Zimbabwe

Authors: Mutongoreni, Noah Ariel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6039-6241
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Personnel management , Local government--Zimbabwe
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24024 , vital:62299
Description: The study sought to examine human resource management strategies and their contributions to effective local government systems in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. Local government in Zimbabwe, though being nearest to the people, is showing evidence of failure to discharge its mandate. Various factors have been used to explain the reasons behind local government‘s failures to provide services. None of these have touched on the role played by people management in ensuring local government performance. This was notwithstanding the fact that towards the last two decades of the twentieth century research emerged glorifying human resources as the source of organizational excellence. Consequently, being motivated by the fact that good people management strategies lead to excellent organizational performance, attention in this study focused on people management strategies in local government in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a mixed approach with a strong inclination towards qualitative methodology. The data was gleaned from documents from local authorities, interviews, focus group interviews and questionnaire surveys. The study focused on local authorities in Manicaland Province. The results of the study confirmed the existence of human resource management strategies in local authorities in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The human resource management strategies have however not resulted in excellent performance of local authorities. The reason behind this is attributable to severe resource constraints. Excellent people management strategies were found to be on paper as there were no resources to support them. The dearth of resources in local authorities was found to be attributed to the economic, political, legal and social factors engulfing the local government system in Zimbabwe. Consequently, local government in Zimbabwe remain stressed and in dire need of a ―Lazarus moment‖. There is an engineer with skills to construct dams to quench the thirst souls in the city but there are no resources to construct the dams. The fireman‘s truck rushes to quench a fire outbreak only to arrive at the scene with no water. In view of this, the study recommends that the review of the local government legal framework be speeded up and more autonomy be granted to local authorities. Such a review would have a bearing on the notion of decentralization, democratization and consequently economic development. In addition, government must seriously consider setting aside a portion of its budget towards support of local authorities. v Where democratic ethos exists, there is transparency, accountability, the rule of law and responsiveness. The human resource in local government would in turn promote democracy and excellence. Other strategies such as granting of garnishing powers to local authorities as well as giving their police arresting would further nourish their resource base. When this happen people management strategies would contribute to effective local government systems in Zimbabwe. Further studies on the contribution of human resource management strategies in effective local government systems after the complete overhaul of the current legislative regime would nonetheless be of interest to researchers. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
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Date Issued: 2015-01

Assessing the preparation, induction and professional development experiences of teacher educators in Botswana and South Africa: recommendations for an andragogically based model

Authors: Kasozi, Joseph Amooti https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0978-2171
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Teachers -- In-service training , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa , Education -- Botswana
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24643 , vital:63388
Description: Research evidence points to the fact that in most countries teacher educators enter the field of teacher education with little or no preparation (Abell, 1997;Ntoyi≤fuka, 2001; Robinson & Macmillan, 2006; Snoek, Swennen and van der Klink, 2009). Yet, it is argued that the teacher is the single most important factor determining the achievement of learners and the quality of education (UNESCO, 2008; Snoek, Swennen and van der Klink, 2009; Smith, 2010). Sadly, however, most countries and teacher education institutions have paid little or no attention to the preparation, induction and professional development of those who train these teachers, that is, the teacher of the teachers or the teacher educators (Martinez, 2008; Santoro, Mayer, Mitchell, & White, 2009; European Commission, 2010; van Velzen, van der Klink, Swennen, Yaffe, 2010). This situation probably arises from the general belief that good school teachers are good teacher educators and therefore there is no need to worry about their preparation, induction and professional development. This is the basis upon which this research is premised. A mixed methods approach was used to research the following questions: • How are teacher educators in Botswana and South Africa inducted and developed as teachers of adults? • How do the teacher educators (in Botswana and South Africa) adjust their teaching practice to cater for the needs of their students who are adults? • What recommendations can be made to improve the preparation, induction and professional development of teacher educators as teachers of adult student teachers? The sites for the study were four institutions (two faculties of education, one located in Botswana and another in South Africa, and two colleges of education located in Botswana). Out of a possible total of 316 teacher educators at the four institutions 128 responded to a close ended questionnaire that required them to indicate their autobiographic details, experiences as teachers and teacher educators, and their preparation, induction and professional development as teacher educators. In addition 12 teacher educators with varying experiences in teacher education were interviewed. The purpose of the interviews was to record the experiences of their preparation, induction and professional development as teacher educators. Furthermore, literature from various sources was consulted about the topic under study. The results confirmed the earlier assertion that there is very little attention paid to the preparation, induction and professional development of teacher educators in the institutions that were studied. Literature also indicated a similar pattern in most teacher education institutions in Botswana and South Africa. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the preparation, induction and professional development of teacher educators be conducted following the andragogical model. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2015
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Date Issued: 2015-01

Collegial leadership roles of teachers to manage curriculum reform in primary schools In Limpopo, South Africa

Authors: Kgohlo, Piet Maphodisa
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Limpompo (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53349 , vital:45143
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the collegial leadership roles of teachers in managing the challenges of the implementation of the CAPS curriculum in primary schools in Limpopo. Four hundred and ninety-two teachers participated in this quantitative study. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of teachers in the intermediate phase of primary schooling in Limpopo lack competence in content subjects such as mathematics, NSTECH and English as the language of teaching and learning. The findings further revealed that the lack of facilities such as libraries, media centres and computers, teacher development and support and infrastructure such as classrooms contributed to teachers’ low competencies in the use of resources to manage the challenges of the implementation of CAPS. In addition, the findings revealed that the majority of teachers experienced high levels of tobephobia. Furthermore, the findings revealed that teachers showed symptoms of stress, anxiety, tension, unhappiness, depression, pessimism and uncertainty in managing the challenges of the implementation of CAPS. However, the findings also revealed that collegial teaming is a potent strategy that could be used to reinforce the in-service training that fails to equip teachers with the requisite knowledge and skills to face up to the challenges of managing the implementation of CAPS. This research explored a new area of managing curriculum change by making use of collegial teaming to develop teachers’ professional competencies. It makes a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge of implementing curriculum reforms in disadvantaged schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Primary School Education: Intermediate Phase, 2015.
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Date Issued: 2015-01

Indigenous knowledge systems and gender relations interface and its implications for food security: the case of Khambashe rural households in the Amathole District, South Africa

Authors: Garutsa, T C https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1904-2764
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Indigenous peoples -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26581 , vital:65660
Description: The aim of this study was to find out about how the intersection of indigenous knowledge systems and gender relations affects food security in the rural households of the Khambashe village in the Eastern Cape. The focus is on food security-related indigenous knowledge utilized by women rather than the general indigenous knowledge of the people in the Eastern Cape. Ample literature exists on food security and gender, food security and indigenous knowledge systems and the role of gender dynamics in the application of indigenous knowledge systems. However, there is dearth of literature on studies on the role of the indigenous knowledge systems-gender relations interface in food security. Hence this study was directed at investigating the indigenous knowledge systems-gender dynamics interplay and its implications for food security and sustainable development with specific reference to the rural households of Khambashe village of the Eastern Cape Province. Furthermore, the study seeks to determine factors accounting for the attrition of women’s indigenous knowledge in food production systems of the Khambashe rural households. The main position advanced in this thesis is that domination coupled with marginalisation of women and indigenous knowledge systems by hegemonic Western power/knowledge and traditional African practices account for challenges faced by rural households with regard to food security and sustainable livelihoods. Put differently, the core argument of this study is that the intersection between gender and indigenous knowledge systems has two opposing possibilities for food security. On the one hand, through the various roles of women in the application of indigenous knowledge systems in rural areas, the indigenous knowledge and gender relations interplay can operate to enhance the likelihood of achieving sustainable rural livelihoods and hence food security. On the other hand, gender oppression, subjugation, exclusion and marginalization through various practices such as the utilization of discriminatory patriarchal cultural values and norms can inhibit the application of the rich folk knowledge reservoir of ideas held by women in food production processes. Key illustrative examples of the constraints imposed by cultural traditions that pose problems for the realization of sustainable rural livelihoods are cultural practices which prohibit women to inter alia own and inherit land. These cultural practices also deprive women the liberty to make their own decisions without the consultation of men despite being sole providers of their own households. In other words, lack of access to assets and other resources owing to the marginalization of local knowledge by the dominant Western-based scientific knowledge systems and culturally-derived gender discriminatory practices make the role of women in the process of utilizing indigenous knowledge systems for the purposes of food security difficult. The theoretical framework of this study is drawn from the post-development discourse derived from Foucault’s archaeology of power and knowledge, ecofeminism and African feminism. Such a framework has a utility to reinvigorate marginalised indigenous knowledge and thereby help women reclaim their leadership in processes of ensuring food security. In a situation where indigenous knowledge systems have been excluded and subjugated by the dominant Western knowledge systems, an extended post-development discourse of this nature is transformative. While Foucault’s theory will provide key insights around power/knowledge dynamics and issues, ecofeminism and African feminism will extend these insights in the exploration of the patterns of power in both the knowledge and gender relations domains. In fact interactions in food production processes are embedded in systematized knowledge and traditional gender relations. Hence, in order to ensure a deep-going analysis of these phenomena, Foucault’s framework on power/knowledge is augmented by the ideas of ecofeminism and African feminism owing to the fact that systems of domination whether in the knowledge arena or gender relations domain are responsible for the challenges relating to food secure households and sustainable rural livelihoods. The rationale for this approach is that subjugation and marginalization of indigenous knowledge systems by Western hegemonic power/knowledge coupled with exclusionary and discriminatory practices of patriarchal cultural values is seen as inhibiting the proper application of indigenous knowledge in food production processes. The extended post-development discourse adopted for this study takes into consideration the fact that oppression and discrimination the world over has taken the Foucauldian power/knowledge dimension in the sense that women in rural African settings are not only prevented by Western science from the application of indigenous knowledge for the development of sustainable livelihoods but that their own cultural traditions are also a hindrance towards them owning land and property, making their own decisions without recourse to men and exercising their own authority. A mixed method approach combining qualitative and quantitative research design was utilized in order to gain a full grasp of nuances of the interface between indigenous knowledge and gender dynamics in food production processes in Khambashe. This methodological triangulation was used for purposes of enhancing the capturing of comprehensive data and a holistic understanding of food security issues in the area. Further, owing to the fact that survey questionnaires as research instruments would have not given a voice to women as key research participants and that the deployment of in-depth interviews alone as research tools would have compromised the generalizability of the findings of the study, each of the two research methods were to confirm, clarify, complement, enhance and elaborate the research results of the other. In other words, in order to counterbalance the limitation of questionnaires with regard to artificiality and not affording a voice to research participants in-depth interviews were conducted. The lack of generalizability of the latter was compensated by the high degree of representativity afforded by the use of the former (that is, questionnaires). As already indicated above, the study setting for the empirical data was the Khambashe village in the Eastern Cape. Information gathered included the more positive effects of the IK-gender relations interplay on food security covered in Chapter 7. This chapter described and analysed the various roles women play inter alia animal husbandry, crop production, creation and utilization of indigenous technology in food production processes and in post-harvesting practices. In contrast, chapter 8 investigated and discusses the various constrains which account for the hindrance in the operationalization of IK in food production processes by women. Chief among the identified constrains in Khambashe are the marginalization of local knowledge by hegemonic Western science and the discriminatory traditional practices. The research results of this study show that despite the key role of women in the application of local knowledge, practices and technologies in food production processes, the penetration, colonization and domination of the African socio-economic and cultural sphere by the West has resulted in the deterioration in the use of indigenous knowledge. Imperialistic Western knowledge masquerading as modern science and technology manifested in inter alia chemical fertilizers and modified food is a constraint to the utility of women’s indigenous knowledge and practices that ensures both food security and sustainable development. In view of the fact that failure to utilize readily available indigenous knowledge, practices and technologies owing to the marginalisation of local epistemes by Western science and the discriminatory African traditional practices and gender relations has led to further impoverishment of rural communities, there is a need to both empower women and to revitalize their indigenous knowledge for purposes of food security and sustainable development in rural areas such as Khambashe. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, 2015
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Date Issued: 2015-01

Municipal governance and the space for meaningful engagement: local government, citizenship and public participation in Amahlati and great Kei Municipalities

Authors: Sokupa, Thabile https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-477X
Date: 2015-01
Subjects: Municipal government--South Africa--Eastern Cape , Local government--South Africa--Eastern Cape
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25107 , vital:63978
Description: Since the dawn of democracy in 1994 and the subsequent adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in 1996, new forms of “wall to wall” municipalities were created throughout South Africa in 2000 and given a mandate of a local developmental sphere. The founding blocks of this was through the creation of the three spheres of government mechanism, namely national, provincial and local, each sphere of government was regarded as distinctive, interrelated and interdependent from one another. The local government sphere however has since mid-2000’s been marred by persistent service delivery protests throughout the country, in recent years the service delivery protests have been accompanied by violence and intimidation. The Eastern Cape Province has not been spared from this phenomenon, media reports, independent monitoring think tanks and yearly statistical results released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) through the ‘Gatherings Act’ indicates that service delivery protests in the province has been on an upward trend on yearly basis since the mid-2000’s. But much more detail is required in understanding the causes behind what are sometimes termed “civil unrest.” The thesis attempts to highlight trends regarding reasons for protest, methods of protest, and the profiling of areas where the protests occur. The findings would meaningfully contribute to the local government discourse and foster alternative mechanisms of engaging communities through better governance and development mechanism by local authorities. The ultimate goal is to create alternative solutions in addressing communities’ needs at local level for policy makers. Currently there is an existing gap in investigating service delivery protests especialy in rural municipalities, most of the municipal research findings and policies are predominantly urban oriented and are not tailor made in addressing rural community’s needs on governance and development. Although the South African Constitution makes provision on steps to be followed on governance and development at local level both vertical and horizontal integration, the Constitution is however silent on addressing governance and development needs of rural communities. As a result of this silence, rural municipalities are confined to develop policies that are not specific to their local needs. Hence the research was conducted in rural communities of Amahlathi and Great Kei municipalities respectively through mixed methods between quantitative and qualitative research. The thesis primarily sought to assess the actual nature and content of forms of engagement in the current public participation discourse at the two municipalities and perceptions thereof of communities on this matter. The information gathered in this research is intended to provide policy makers and those with interests on local government with a better understanding on the dynamics of public participation involvement and service delivery protests on rural based municipalities. The research also seeks to generate new information, insights and perspectives on service delivery protests in order to develop alternative strategies in addressing and minimising service delivery protests. This would assist local government practitioners on the one hand, with planning and implementing a focused approach on governance and development for communities while on the other, introduce an alternative perspective that is evidence based for policy makers. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2015
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2015-01

A critical assessment of economic policies and their impact on entrepreneurship development in South Africa: a case of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town

Authors: Oduwole, Olusola https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1563-7392
Date: 2015
Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Economic policy , Economic development -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26302 , vital:65236
Description: The complexity of the South African society due to past systematic exclusion of some communities from economic activities resulted in the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. Although various economic policies had been developed since the advent of the democratic dispensation in 1994, these policies focused on levelling the economic environment, poverty alleviation and massive social security system. However, despite all the interventions, South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world. This is profiled by the mushrooming of informal settlements around cities with job seekers and frequent protests by people who are impatient to experience improvement in their quality of life and who feel cheated out of their social contract. Advocacy from the governing party’s tripartite alliance towards a developmental state had placed more obligations on the government. This requires deliberate interventions through policies implementation to improve or at best alleviate the well-being of the citizenry. A survey conducted in the township of Khayelitsha to assess the impact of such economic policies on the development of entrepreneurship. Khayelitsha is one of South Africa’s largest townships, an informal settlement profiled by unemployment, poor infrastructure and unavailability of basic services. The study explored the entrepreneurial perception, start-up barriers, entrepreneurship climate, and general cultural factors relating to the environment of entrepreneurship development. The results reveal that despite the various economic policies, high level of unwillingness of citizens towards entrepreneurial activity and business venture is rife notwithstanding the high level of unemployment and poverty. The antidote to these challenges would be a rapid entrepreneurship drive among people most affected that would cause them to mind their own business” and become “masters of their own destinies. Given the complexity and massiveness of the challenges, the conclusion shows that a pragmatic solution is required. Therefore, the emancipation of entrepreneurship development in South Africa townships needs attention. The recommended solution is a pragmatic and innovative strategy based on the acronyms NEEDS HELP which stand for Neighbourhood Enhancement and Environmental Development Strategy and Holistic Entrepreneurial Lifestyle Programme. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
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Date Issued: 2015

Showing items 41 - 60 of 816

A study of the implementation of public policy to increase participation in recreation sports in Lagos state: Nigeria

Assessment of the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of Tyume River in Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Secularization processes in Malawi and Great Britain: a comparative inquiry

Radio broadcasting, policy and local language revitalisation in Zimbabwe

The role of indigenous knowledge in agriculture and environmental conservation: the case of Gutu District Zimbabwe

Synthesis and evaluation of novel heterocycles as potential HIV-1 enzyme inhibitors

Understanding the replication biology of Providence virus: elucidating the function of non-structural proteins

Problem-based learning strategies as determinant of grade 9 student's academic achievement in algebra

Pills, Politics and Partners: NGOs and the Management of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Eastern Cape, with special reference to the Lusikisiki Project, 2004-2014

Assuring the quality of mentoring in Malawi's 1+1 model of initial primary teacher education programme: implications for teacher development

Opportunities and challenges for socio-economic transformation in rural Zimbabwe

Social intrepreneurship and millennium development goals in developing countries: case study of Zimbabwe

A process maturity framework of information security policy development life cycle

A content analysis of readers' comments on political and economic news articles: a study of Zimbabwe online media

An examination of human resource management strategies and their contribution to effective local government systems in Zimbabwe

Assessing the preparation, induction and professional development experiences of teacher educators in Botswana and South Africa: recommendations for an andragogically based model

Collegial leadership roles of teachers to manage curriculum reform in primary schools In Limpopo, South Africa

Indigenous knowledge systems and gender relations interface and its implications for food security: the case of Khambashe rural households in the Amathole District, South Africa

Municipal governance and the space for meaningful engagement: local government, citizenship and public participation in Amahlati and great Kei Municipalities

A critical assessment of economic policies and their impact on entrepreneurship development in South Africa: a case of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town