The environmental imagination in Arthur Nortje’s poetry
- Authors: Kaze, Douglas Eric
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Nortje, Arthur, 1942-1970 -- Criticism and interpretation , Ecology in literature , Race awareness in literature , South African poetry (English) -- History and criticism , Nature in literature , Transversal postcolonial environmental criticism
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58024 , vital:27033
- Description: This thesis seeks to contribute to the conversations in the humanities about the treatment of the physical environment in the context of a global ecological fragility and increased scholarly interest in the poetry of Arthur Nortje, a South African poet who wrote in the 1960s. While previous studies on Nortje concentrate on the political, psychic and technical aspects of his poetry, this study particularly explores the representations of the environment in Nortje’s poetic imagination. Writing in the dark period of apartheid in South Africa’s history, Nortje’s poetry articulates a strong interest in the physical environment against the backdrop of official racialization of space and his personal nomadic life and exile. The poetry abounds with constant intersections of nature and culture (industrialism, urbanity and the quotidian), a sense of place and a deep sense of dislocation. The poems, therefore, present a platform from which to reevaluate conventional ecocritical ideas about nature, place-attachment and environmental consciousness. Drawing mainly on Felix Guattari’s ideas of three ecologies and transversality along with other theories, I conduct the study through what I call a transversal postcolonial environmental criticism, which considers the ecological value of the kind of assemblages that Nortje’s works represent. The first chapter focuses on conceptualizing a postcolonial approach to the environment based on Guattari’s concept of transversality to lay the theoretical foundation for the whole work. The second chapter analyses Nortje’s poetic imagination of place and displacement through his treatment of the private-public tension and the motif of exile. While the third chapter examines Nortje’s depiction of nature as both an everyday and urban phenomenon, the fourth chapter turns to his direct treatment of environmental crises handled through his imagination of the Canadian urban spaces, exile memory of apartheid geography, war and ecocide and the human body as a subject of environmental degradation. The fifth chapter, which is the conclusion, takes a brief look at the implication of Nortje’s complex treatment of the environment on postcolonial environmentalism.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Kaze, Douglas Eric
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Nortje, Arthur, 1942-1970 -- Criticism and interpretation , Ecology in literature , Race awareness in literature , South African poetry (English) -- History and criticism , Nature in literature , Transversal postcolonial environmental criticism
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/58024 , vital:27033
- Description: This thesis seeks to contribute to the conversations in the humanities about the treatment of the physical environment in the context of a global ecological fragility and increased scholarly interest in the poetry of Arthur Nortje, a South African poet who wrote in the 1960s. While previous studies on Nortje concentrate on the political, psychic and technical aspects of his poetry, this study particularly explores the representations of the environment in Nortje’s poetic imagination. Writing in the dark period of apartheid in South Africa’s history, Nortje’s poetry articulates a strong interest in the physical environment against the backdrop of official racialization of space and his personal nomadic life and exile. The poetry abounds with constant intersections of nature and culture (industrialism, urbanity and the quotidian), a sense of place and a deep sense of dislocation. The poems, therefore, present a platform from which to reevaluate conventional ecocritical ideas about nature, place-attachment and environmental consciousness. Drawing mainly on Felix Guattari’s ideas of three ecologies and transversality along with other theories, I conduct the study through what I call a transversal postcolonial environmental criticism, which considers the ecological value of the kind of assemblages that Nortje’s works represent. The first chapter focuses on conceptualizing a postcolonial approach to the environment based on Guattari’s concept of transversality to lay the theoretical foundation for the whole work. The second chapter analyses Nortje’s poetic imagination of place and displacement through his treatment of the private-public tension and the motif of exile. While the third chapter examines Nortje’s depiction of nature as both an everyday and urban phenomenon, the fourth chapter turns to his direct treatment of environmental crises handled through his imagination of the Canadian urban spaces, exile memory of apartheid geography, war and ecocide and the human body as a subject of environmental degradation. The fifth chapter, which is the conclusion, takes a brief look at the implication of Nortje’s complex treatment of the environment on postcolonial environmentalism.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Fast track land reform programme and women in Goromonzi district, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chakona, Loveness
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Land reform -- Research -- Zimbabwe Land settlement -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe Sex discrimination against women -- Zimbabwe Women's rights -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3317 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003105
- Description: From the year 2000, land became the key signifier for tackling the unfinished business of the decolonisation process in Zimbabwe, notably by rectifying the racially-based land injustices of the past through land redistribution. This took the form of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). However, the racialised character and focus of the FTLRP tended to mask or at least downplay important gender dimensions to land in Zimbabwe. Colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe (up to 2000) had instigated, propagated and reproduced land ownership, control and access along a distinctively patriarchal basis which left women either totally excluded or incorporated in an oppressive manner. This patriarchal structuring of the land question was rooted in institutions, practices and discourses. Although a burgeoning number of studies have been undertaken on the FTLRP, few have had a distinctively gender focus in seeking to identify, examine and assess the effect of the programme on patriarchal relations and the socio-economic livelihoods of rural women. This thesis makes a contribution to filling this lacuna by offering an empirically-rich study of land redistribution in one particular district in Zimbabwe, namely, Goromonzi District. This entails a focus on women on A1 resettlement farms in the district (and specifically women who came from nearby customary areas) and on women who continue to live in customary areas in the district. My thesis concludes that the FTLRP is seriously flawed in terms of addressing and tackling the patriarchal structures that underpin the Zimbabwean land question.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Chakona, Loveness
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Land reform -- Research -- Zimbabwe Land settlement -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe Sex discrimination against women -- Zimbabwe Women's rights -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3317 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003105
- Description: From the year 2000, land became the key signifier for tackling the unfinished business of the decolonisation process in Zimbabwe, notably by rectifying the racially-based land injustices of the past through land redistribution. This took the form of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). However, the racialised character and focus of the FTLRP tended to mask or at least downplay important gender dimensions to land in Zimbabwe. Colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe (up to 2000) had instigated, propagated and reproduced land ownership, control and access along a distinctively patriarchal basis which left women either totally excluded or incorporated in an oppressive manner. This patriarchal structuring of the land question was rooted in institutions, practices and discourses. Although a burgeoning number of studies have been undertaken on the FTLRP, few have had a distinctively gender focus in seeking to identify, examine and assess the effect of the programme on patriarchal relations and the socio-economic livelihoods of rural women. This thesis makes a contribution to filling this lacuna by offering an empirically-rich study of land redistribution in one particular district in Zimbabwe, namely, Goromonzi District. This entails a focus on women on A1 resettlement farms in the district (and specifically women who came from nearby customary areas) and on women who continue to live in customary areas in the district. My thesis concludes that the FTLRP is seriously flawed in terms of addressing and tackling the patriarchal structures that underpin the Zimbabwean land question.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Developing strategies for creating an environmental focus in a school: narrating the change process
- Authors: Hope, Megan Samantha
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Environmental education Educational change School environment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1946 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008093
- Description: Effective environmental education goes beyond raising environmental awareness and developing positive environmental values, to the encouragement of personal responsibility and action in response to contextual environmental issues in particular. The whole school approach has been advocated as the best approach to environmental education, based on the assumption that the values and attitudes espoused in the classroom need to be reflected in the day-to-day school practice. By practising what they teach, schools reinforce values with action. In contrast, inconsistencies between the formal and non-formal curriculum may lead young people to question the integrity of their teachers or condition them to accept such inconsistencies as cultural and social norms, which in turn may lead to apathy about the environment. Adjustments to the ethos of a school to foreground the environment, both within the curriculum , the management of the school and the behaviour of teachers, pupils and support staff, is not a straightforward undertaking. Institutional factors influence the change process in schools and each school presents a unique context. It is, therefore, difficult to develop a general strategy for the evolution of an environmental ethos. This case study narrates an attempt to implement a change towards an improved environmental focus in a school, and focuses on developing an understanding of how available resources can assist this process while engaging with complexity of change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Hope, Megan Samantha
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Environmental education Educational change School environment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1946 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008093
- Description: Effective environmental education goes beyond raising environmental awareness and developing positive environmental values, to the encouragement of personal responsibility and action in response to contextual environmental issues in particular. The whole school approach has been advocated as the best approach to environmental education, based on the assumption that the values and attitudes espoused in the classroom need to be reflected in the day-to-day school practice. By practising what they teach, schools reinforce values with action. In contrast, inconsistencies between the formal and non-formal curriculum may lead young people to question the integrity of their teachers or condition them to accept such inconsistencies as cultural and social norms, which in turn may lead to apathy about the environment. Adjustments to the ethos of a school to foreground the environment, both within the curriculum , the management of the school and the behaviour of teachers, pupils and support staff, is not a straightforward undertaking. Institutional factors influence the change process in schools and each school presents a unique context. It is, therefore, difficult to develop a general strategy for the evolution of an environmental ethos. This case study narrates an attempt to implement a change towards an improved environmental focus in a school, and focuses on developing an understanding of how available resources can assist this process while engaging with complexity of change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Interactions between fig wasps and their host figs
- Authors: Nefdt, Rory John Charlton
- Date: 1990
- Subjects: Wasps , Mutualism (Biology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005404 , Wasps , Mutualism (Biology)
- Description: Fig trees (Ficus spp.) and fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) are partners in an intimate mutualism. The trees provide ovules in which wasp larvae develop while the wasps pollinate the flowers and are therefore indispensible for fig seed production. Agaonid fig wasps oviposit down the styles of fig flowers and it has generally been accepted that they were unable to reach the ovules of "long" styled flowers , which would produce seeds, thus maintaining an evolutionary stable mutualism. African fig species were found to have unimodal style length frequencies, with no separation into long and short styled flowers. In several species the ovipositors of their associated agaonids were long enough to reach the majority of ovules. The number of foundress agaonids entering a fig influenced fig seed set and therefore was an important factor regulating the proportion of flowers producing seeds or pollinators. In the two Ficus species that were studied, entry of more than three agaonid foundresses into one fig resulted in competition for limited oviposition sites and less female - biased offspring sex ratios. It is hypothesised that sequential laying of male eggs followed by female eggs, under variable oviposition site limitation, results in sex ratio adjustment, as predicted by local mate competition theory. Evidence in support of this hypothesis is presented. A number of non - pollinating torymid and pteromalid fig wasps also oviposit into each fig species. The sycophagines and sycoecines oviposit down the styles from inside the fig inflorescences like their agaonid counterparts, while other species insert their ovipositors through the wall of the fig from the outside. Like the agaonids, sycophagines were characterised by being pro - ovigenic, with numerous fully developed eggs at emergence. Sycoecines were able to re - emerge from figs they had oviposited in and lay their eggs in more than one fig. They had short ovipositors, allowing access to a smaller proportion of flowers than agaonids or sycophagines. Externally ovipositing fig wasps were syn-ovigenic, able to develop eggs as adults and invested more energy and time during each oviposition event. Differences in the ovipositor lengths of these species did not segregate their oviposition sites spatially, and therefore does not reduce competition between species. Attack by parasitoids and inquiline fig wasps from the exterior did not constitute a selection pressure against agaonids ovipositing in ovules closer to the periphery of the fig's surface, as predicted by Michaloud's enemy-free-space hypothes is. It cannot therefore explain the preference shown by ovipositing agaonids for shorter styled flowers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
- Authors: Nefdt, Rory John Charlton
- Date: 1990
- Subjects: Wasps , Mutualism (Biology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5718 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005404 , Wasps , Mutualism (Biology)
- Description: Fig trees (Ficus spp.) and fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) are partners in an intimate mutualism. The trees provide ovules in which wasp larvae develop while the wasps pollinate the flowers and are therefore indispensible for fig seed production. Agaonid fig wasps oviposit down the styles of fig flowers and it has generally been accepted that they were unable to reach the ovules of "long" styled flowers , which would produce seeds, thus maintaining an evolutionary stable mutualism. African fig species were found to have unimodal style length frequencies, with no separation into long and short styled flowers. In several species the ovipositors of their associated agaonids were long enough to reach the majority of ovules. The number of foundress agaonids entering a fig influenced fig seed set and therefore was an important factor regulating the proportion of flowers producing seeds or pollinators. In the two Ficus species that were studied, entry of more than three agaonid foundresses into one fig resulted in competition for limited oviposition sites and less female - biased offspring sex ratios. It is hypothesised that sequential laying of male eggs followed by female eggs, under variable oviposition site limitation, results in sex ratio adjustment, as predicted by local mate competition theory. Evidence in support of this hypothesis is presented. A number of non - pollinating torymid and pteromalid fig wasps also oviposit into each fig species. The sycophagines and sycoecines oviposit down the styles from inside the fig inflorescences like their agaonid counterparts, while other species insert their ovipositors through the wall of the fig from the outside. Like the agaonids, sycophagines were characterised by being pro - ovigenic, with numerous fully developed eggs at emergence. Sycoecines were able to re - emerge from figs they had oviposited in and lay their eggs in more than one fig. They had short ovipositors, allowing access to a smaller proportion of flowers than agaonids or sycophagines. Externally ovipositing fig wasps were syn-ovigenic, able to develop eggs as adults and invested more energy and time during each oviposition event. Differences in the ovipositor lengths of these species did not segregate their oviposition sites spatially, and therefore does not reduce competition between species. Attack by parasitoids and inquiline fig wasps from the exterior did not constitute a selection pressure against agaonids ovipositing in ovules closer to the periphery of the fig's surface, as predicted by Michaloud's enemy-free-space hypothes is. It cannot therefore explain the preference shown by ovipositing agaonids for shorter styled flowers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
A study of the fluorescence excitation spectrum of crystalline anthracene
- Authors: Driver, Adrian Stanford
- Date: 1960
- Subjects: Fluorimetry , Anthracene crystals -- Spectra
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5518 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011463 , Fluorimetry , Anthracene crystals -- Spectra
- Description: The work described in this thesis was performed at the Physics Department, Rhodes University during 1958 and 1959 under the supervision of Professor J.A. Gledhill. Use was made of a vacuum ultra-violet spectrograph which had been constructed in the Physics Department (1.1) and modifications to be described were made to this instrument. The instrument was used for studying the effects of oxygen on the fluorescence excitation spectrum of Anthracene.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1960
- Authors: Driver, Adrian Stanford
- Date: 1960
- Subjects: Fluorimetry , Anthracene crystals -- Spectra
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5518 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011463 , Fluorimetry , Anthracene crystals -- Spectra
- Description: The work described in this thesis was performed at the Physics Department, Rhodes University during 1958 and 1959 under the supervision of Professor J.A. Gledhill. Use was made of a vacuum ultra-violet spectrograph which had been constructed in the Physics Department (1.1) and modifications to be described were made to this instrument. The instrument was used for studying the effects of oxygen on the fluorescence excitation spectrum of Anthracene.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1960
An evaluation of "on-line" banking web sites in South Africa to determine essential design criteria
- Authors: Palmer, Lydia
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- South Africa Banks and banking -- Customer services -- South Africa Home banking services -- South Africa Electronic funds transfers -- South Africa Web sites -- Design
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:811 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007667
- Description: The use of the Web to carry out business on the Internet has become a viable option in all business sectors, and Internet banking in South Africa is no exception. The nature of business on the Internet in South Africa and the World is investigated. The extent of Internet banking in South Africa is ascertained and the expectations and perceived problems of online bankers are discussed. The importance of Human Computer Interface and Web Interface Design for successful business is promoted with a discussion of their guidelines and principles. Web Evaluation techniques and Tools are assessed and The "Gartner" Web evaluation tool is selected to evaluate the three bank Web sites. The results of the evaluation indicate that there are several generally well implemented design criteria used by all of the banks while some criteria are not implemented at all. Each bank is discussed individually to identify strong and weak features of their Web site design. Essential aspects of Web design have been proposed for inclusion during the design of "online" Banking Web sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Palmer, Lydia
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- South Africa Banks and banking -- Customer services -- South Africa Home banking services -- South Africa Electronic funds transfers -- South Africa Web sites -- Design
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:811 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007667
- Description: The use of the Web to carry out business on the Internet has become a viable option in all business sectors, and Internet banking in South Africa is no exception. The nature of business on the Internet in South Africa and the World is investigated. The extent of Internet banking in South Africa is ascertained and the expectations and perceived problems of online bankers are discussed. The importance of Human Computer Interface and Web Interface Design for successful business is promoted with a discussion of their guidelines and principles. Web Evaluation techniques and Tools are assessed and The "Gartner" Web evaluation tool is selected to evaluate the three bank Web sites. The results of the evaluation indicate that there are several generally well implemented design criteria used by all of the banks while some criteria are not implemented at all. Each bank is discussed individually to identify strong and weak features of their Web site design. Essential aspects of Web design have been proposed for inclusion during the design of "online" Banking Web sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Sediment linkages in a small catchment in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region, South Africa
- Authors: Mzobe, Pearl Nonjabulo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil degradation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Food security -- South Africa , Wetland management -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:4879 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013224
- Description: Soil erosion is a persistent problem that requires continued control efforts as agricultural land loses productivity and communities dependent on the land become increasingly vulnerable to decreased food security. The negative effects of soil erosion in Khamopele River catchment, in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region of South Africa, are manifest in extensive gullying and wetland loss. Soil erosion has resulted in siltation in a recently constructed dam and the alteration of aquatic habitats. This research was undertaken to identify the sources of eroded sediment in the small upper catchments of the Mzimvubu River catchment to inform broader catchment management strategies. The scale of erosion was quantified using field surveys of gully extent and form. Environmental magnetic tracing techniques were used to determine the sources of eroded sediment in Khamopele River and upper Tina River catchments. The radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was used to determine soil loss over a 55 year period in Khamopele River catchment. The Landscape Connectivity framework was used to describe the sediment source, pathway and sink interactions at sample area level. Results indicated that historical and contemporary land management practices such as uncontrolled grazing, grassland burning and furrows promoted soil erosion in the catchment. Soil erosion was most pronounced in the Taung sample area where there was extensive gullying, tunnelling and subsurface erosion. Environmental magnetic tracing results indicated that there were clear differences in source areas. Despite its prevalence in the area, gully erosion was not shown to be a major source of sediment to downstream sinks. Topsoil and hillslope derived sediment were shown to be mobile in the catchment, suggesting that sheet erosion processes were dominant in the catchment. Radionuclide tracing studies showed that at least 20 cm of soil had been eroded from the Khamopele River catchment surface since 1956. This research has shown that it is possible to distinguish source areas of erosion in the catchment by matching catchment mineral magnetic signatures to those in sink areas. This means that rehabilitation projects can use resources efficiently as the areas needing the most attention can be identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mzobe, Pearl Nonjabulo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil degradation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Food security -- South Africa , Wetland management -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:4879 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013224
- Description: Soil erosion is a persistent problem that requires continued control efforts as agricultural land loses productivity and communities dependent on the land become increasingly vulnerable to decreased food security. The negative effects of soil erosion in Khamopele River catchment, in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region of South Africa, are manifest in extensive gullying and wetland loss. Soil erosion has resulted in siltation in a recently constructed dam and the alteration of aquatic habitats. This research was undertaken to identify the sources of eroded sediment in the small upper catchments of the Mzimvubu River catchment to inform broader catchment management strategies. The scale of erosion was quantified using field surveys of gully extent and form. Environmental magnetic tracing techniques were used to determine the sources of eroded sediment in Khamopele River and upper Tina River catchments. The radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was used to determine soil loss over a 55 year period in Khamopele River catchment. The Landscape Connectivity framework was used to describe the sediment source, pathway and sink interactions at sample area level. Results indicated that historical and contemporary land management practices such as uncontrolled grazing, grassland burning and furrows promoted soil erosion in the catchment. Soil erosion was most pronounced in the Taung sample area where there was extensive gullying, tunnelling and subsurface erosion. Environmental magnetic tracing results indicated that there were clear differences in source areas. Despite its prevalence in the area, gully erosion was not shown to be a major source of sediment to downstream sinks. Topsoil and hillslope derived sediment were shown to be mobile in the catchment, suggesting that sheet erosion processes were dominant in the catchment. Radionuclide tracing studies showed that at least 20 cm of soil had been eroded from the Khamopele River catchment surface since 1956. This research has shown that it is possible to distinguish source areas of erosion in the catchment by matching catchment mineral magnetic signatures to those in sink areas. This means that rehabilitation projects can use resources efficiently as the areas needing the most attention can be identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
International law before municipal courts: the role of International Court of Justice decisions in domestic court proceedings with specific reference to United States case examples
- Authors: Mangezi, Mutsa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: International Court of Justice -- Cases Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) International and municipal law -- United States -- Cases International law -- United States -- Cases Jurisdiction (International law) -- Cases
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007325
- Description: In the case of LaGrand (Germany v United States), the International Court of Justice held that the United States (US) had violated its international obligation to Germany under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations when it executed two German nationals without first informing them of their consular rights. The case came before the court after the United States had disregarded a preliminary ruling passed by the IC], which directed the US not to execute the German nationals pending the outcome of the ICJ case. The decision raised the issue of the effect of ICJ decisions in domestic proceedings and the effectiveness of ICJ enforcement mechanisms. This thesis considers the possibility of a role for national courts as active enforcers of ICJ decisions. It is argued that whilst evidence shows that there is no legal obligation on courts to enforce ICJ decisions, there is certainly room in international law to facilitate this development. In support of this argument, the thesis demonstrates how basic presuppositions about international law have shifted over the last few decades. This shift has been both the impetus and the result of globalisation. The case of LaGrand alongside similar cases is used to show how national courts may play an increased role in the enforcement of ICJ decisions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Mangezi, Mutsa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: International Court of Justice -- Cases Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) International and municipal law -- United States -- Cases International law -- United States -- Cases Jurisdiction (International law) -- Cases
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3711 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007325
- Description: In the case of LaGrand (Germany v United States), the International Court of Justice held that the United States (US) had violated its international obligation to Germany under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations when it executed two German nationals without first informing them of their consular rights. The case came before the court after the United States had disregarded a preliminary ruling passed by the IC], which directed the US not to execute the German nationals pending the outcome of the ICJ case. The decision raised the issue of the effect of ICJ decisions in domestic proceedings and the effectiveness of ICJ enforcement mechanisms. This thesis considers the possibility of a role for national courts as active enforcers of ICJ decisions. It is argued that whilst evidence shows that there is no legal obligation on courts to enforce ICJ decisions, there is certainly room in international law to facilitate this development. In support of this argument, the thesis demonstrates how basic presuppositions about international law have shifted over the last few decades. This shift has been both the impetus and the result of globalisation. The case of LaGrand alongside similar cases is used to show how national courts may play an increased role in the enforcement of ICJ decisions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Computational analysis of known drug resistant mutants of Plasmodium falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase (PfDHFR) and screening for novel antifolates against the enzyme
- Authors: Tata, Rolland Bantar
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234184 , vital:50170
- Description: Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
- Authors: Tata, Rolland Bantar
- Date: 2022-04-08
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234184 , vital:50170
- Description: Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-08
Identification and analysis of manual materials handling tasks within a commercial warehouse in South Africa
- Authors: Walraven, Lynne Louise
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: Materials handling -- Safety measures , Industrial safety -- South Africa , Lifting and carrying -- Safety measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5159 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015722
- Description: Lifting and overstraining are major causative factors related to musculoskeletal injuries and low back pain. A great number of work-related injuries arise from the handling and/or mishandling of materials. Hence there is a need to quantify risk factors in situ and develop guidelines for safe lifting practises in industry. The aim of this study was to make appropriate in situ quantification, within a commercial warehouse, of the stresses and physical demands imposed on the worker when performing two handed lifts in the sagittal plane. The performance of employees was assessed under normal working conditions through an observational methodology of data collection. Task performance evaluation was based on detailed measurement of all containers handled, an activity and time analysis, and the 'Work Practices Guide to Manual Lifting’ (NIOSH, 1981) which was used as the primary guide to developing theoretical recommendations to probable MMH risk factors for the workers involved. Of the 191 tasks analysed 103 were deemed unsuitable. Appropriate task factor adjustments were made where necessary to both the frequency and Hfactors (horizontal distance between the centre of gravity of the container and that of the worker) in order to reduce the risk factor for the workers
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1989
- Authors: Walraven, Lynne Louise
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: Materials handling -- Safety measures , Industrial safety -- South Africa , Lifting and carrying -- Safety measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5159 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015722
- Description: Lifting and overstraining are major causative factors related to musculoskeletal injuries and low back pain. A great number of work-related injuries arise from the handling and/or mishandling of materials. Hence there is a need to quantify risk factors in situ and develop guidelines for safe lifting practises in industry. The aim of this study was to make appropriate in situ quantification, within a commercial warehouse, of the stresses and physical demands imposed on the worker when performing two handed lifts in the sagittal plane. The performance of employees was assessed under normal working conditions through an observational methodology of data collection. Task performance evaluation was based on detailed measurement of all containers handled, an activity and time analysis, and the 'Work Practices Guide to Manual Lifting’ (NIOSH, 1981) which was used as the primary guide to developing theoretical recommendations to probable MMH risk factors for the workers involved. Of the 191 tasks analysed 103 were deemed unsuitable. Appropriate task factor adjustments were made where necessary to both the frequency and Hfactors (horizontal distance between the centre of gravity of the container and that of the worker) in order to reduce the risk factor for the workers
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1989
Rainfall variability in Southern Africa, its influences on streamflow variations and its relationships with climatic variations
- Authors: Valimba, Patrick
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Rain and rainfall -- Africa, Southern Climatic changes -- Africa, Southern Streamflow -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6030 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006159
- Description: Hydrological variability involving rainfall and streamflows in southern Africa have been often studied separately or have used cumulative rainfall and streamflow indices. The main objective of this study was to investigate spatio-temporal variations of rainfall, their influences on streamflows and their relationships with climatic variations with emphasis on indices that characterise the hydrological extremes, floods and droughts. It was found that 60-70% of the time when it rains, daily rainfalls are below their long-term averages and daily amounts below 10 mm are the most frequent in southern Africa. Spatially, climatologies of rainfall sub-divided the southern African subcontinent into the dry western/southwestern part and the “humid” eastern and northern part. The daily amounts below 20 mm contribute significantly to annual rainfall amounts in the dry part while all types of daily rainfall exceeding 1 mm have comparable contributions in the humid part. The climatologies indicated the highest likelihood of experiencing intense daily events during the core of the wet seasons with the highest frequencies in central Mozambique and the southern highlands of Tanzania. Interannual variations of rainfall indicated that significant changes had occurred between the late-1940s and early-1980s, particularly in the 1970s. The changes in rainfall were more evident in the number of daily rainfall events than in rainfall amounts, led generally to increasing early summer and decreased late summer rainfall. It was also found that intra-seasonal dry day sequences were an important parameter in the definition of a rainy season’s onset and end in southern Africa apart from rainfall amounts. Interannual variations of the rainy season characteristics (onset, end, duration) followed the variations of rainfall amounts and number of events. The duration of the rainy season was affected by the onset (Tanzania), onset or end (tropical southern Africa - southwestern highlands of Tanzania, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique) and end (the remaing part of southern Africa). Flow duration curves (FDCs) identified three types of rivers (ephemeral, seasonal and perennial) in southern Africa with ephemeral rivers found mainly in the dry western part of the region. Seasonal streamflow patterns followed those of rainfall while interannual streamflow variations indicated significant changes of mean flows with little evidences of high and low flow regime changes except in Namibia and some parts of northern Zimbabwe. It was, however, not possible to provide strong links between the identified changes in streamflows and those in rainfall. Regarding the influences of climate variability on hydrological variability in southern Africa, rainfall variations in southern Africa were found to be influenced strongly by ENSO and SST in the tropical Indian ocean and moderately by SST in the south Madagascar basin. The influence of ENSO was consistent for all types of daily rainfall and peaks for the light and moderate (< 20 mm) events in the southern part and for the intense events in the northern part. SST in the tropical Indian ocean influence the light and moderate events while SST close to the region influence the heavy events. However, the relationships experienced significant changes in the mid-1950s and in the 1970s. The former changes led to improved associations while the latter deteriorated or reversed the relationships. The influences of climatic variables on streamflows and rainy season characteristics were inferred from the rainfall-streamflow and rainfall-climatic variables relationships.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Valimba, Patrick
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Rain and rainfall -- Africa, Southern Climatic changes -- Africa, Southern Streamflow -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6030 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006159
- Description: Hydrological variability involving rainfall and streamflows in southern Africa have been often studied separately or have used cumulative rainfall and streamflow indices. The main objective of this study was to investigate spatio-temporal variations of rainfall, their influences on streamflows and their relationships with climatic variations with emphasis on indices that characterise the hydrological extremes, floods and droughts. It was found that 60-70% of the time when it rains, daily rainfalls are below their long-term averages and daily amounts below 10 mm are the most frequent in southern Africa. Spatially, climatologies of rainfall sub-divided the southern African subcontinent into the dry western/southwestern part and the “humid” eastern and northern part. The daily amounts below 20 mm contribute significantly to annual rainfall amounts in the dry part while all types of daily rainfall exceeding 1 mm have comparable contributions in the humid part. The climatologies indicated the highest likelihood of experiencing intense daily events during the core of the wet seasons with the highest frequencies in central Mozambique and the southern highlands of Tanzania. Interannual variations of rainfall indicated that significant changes had occurred between the late-1940s and early-1980s, particularly in the 1970s. The changes in rainfall were more evident in the number of daily rainfall events than in rainfall amounts, led generally to increasing early summer and decreased late summer rainfall. It was also found that intra-seasonal dry day sequences were an important parameter in the definition of a rainy season’s onset and end in southern Africa apart from rainfall amounts. Interannual variations of the rainy season characteristics (onset, end, duration) followed the variations of rainfall amounts and number of events. The duration of the rainy season was affected by the onset (Tanzania), onset or end (tropical southern Africa - southwestern highlands of Tanzania, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique) and end (the remaing part of southern Africa). Flow duration curves (FDCs) identified three types of rivers (ephemeral, seasonal and perennial) in southern Africa with ephemeral rivers found mainly in the dry western part of the region. Seasonal streamflow patterns followed those of rainfall while interannual streamflow variations indicated significant changes of mean flows with little evidences of high and low flow regime changes except in Namibia and some parts of northern Zimbabwe. It was, however, not possible to provide strong links between the identified changes in streamflows and those in rainfall. Regarding the influences of climate variability on hydrological variability in southern Africa, rainfall variations in southern Africa were found to be influenced strongly by ENSO and SST in the tropical Indian ocean and moderately by SST in the south Madagascar basin. The influence of ENSO was consistent for all types of daily rainfall and peaks for the light and moderate (< 20 mm) events in the southern part and for the intense events in the northern part. SST in the tropical Indian ocean influence the light and moderate events while SST close to the region influence the heavy events. However, the relationships experienced significant changes in the mid-1950s and in the 1970s. The former changes led to improved associations while the latter deteriorated or reversed the relationships. The influences of climatic variables on streamflows and rainy season characteristics were inferred from the rainfall-streamflow and rainfall-climatic variables relationships.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Rhodeo: 1994 - April
- Date: 1994-04
- Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:14785 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019657
- Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994-04
- Date: 1994-04
- Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:14785 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019657
- Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994-04
Measurements of the solubilities of some silver halides in water by electrical methods
- Authors: Malan, George McPherson
- Date: 1955
- Subjects: Silver halides -- Solubility , Silver halides -- Analysis , Conductometric analysis , Potentiometry , Silver halides
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013502
- Description: [Introduction, p. 3] The solubilities of the silver halides cannot be determined by the conventional methods of analytical chemistry because they are too sparingly soluble (of the order 1 x 10⁻⁵ to 1 x 10⁻⁶ g . equiv./1. at 25°C.) However, electrical, and to a lesser extent optical methods, are admirably suited because of their greater sensitivity. The conductometric and potentiometric methods are the two most important electrical techniques for the measurement of the solubilities of sparingly soluble salts, and are the ones employed in this research. There are large discrepancies between the published values for the solubility of silver chloride. Results obtained by the conductometric and potentiometric methods disagree. In addition, figures quoted by independent authors using the same method differ by as much as 15%.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1955
- Authors: Malan, George McPherson
- Date: 1955
- Subjects: Silver halides -- Solubility , Silver halides -- Analysis , Conductometric analysis , Potentiometry , Silver halides
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013502
- Description: [Introduction, p. 3] The solubilities of the silver halides cannot be determined by the conventional methods of analytical chemistry because they are too sparingly soluble (of the order 1 x 10⁻⁵ to 1 x 10⁻⁶ g . equiv./1. at 25°C.) However, electrical, and to a lesser extent optical methods, are admirably suited because of their greater sensitivity. The conductometric and potentiometric methods are the two most important electrical techniques for the measurement of the solubilities of sparingly soluble salts, and are the ones employed in this research. There are large discrepancies between the published values for the solubility of silver chloride. Results obtained by the conductometric and potentiometric methods disagree. In addition, figures quoted by independent authors using the same method differ by as much as 15%.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1955
The implementation of a performance management system in the Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation
- Authors: Mbanjwa, Sibonelo Glenton
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Performance -- Management -- South Africa -- Northern Cape Northern Cape (South Africa). Dept. of Environment and Nature Conservation Government productivity -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Evaluation Civil service -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Evaluation Civil service -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:748 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003869
- Description: This document consists of three sections, and they are the academic paper (section 1), literature review (section 2) and research methodology (section 3). The academic paper consists of the purpose of the research, the summarised literature review, summarised research methodology and the research findings. The literature review section is a detailed review of literature used in this study. The research methodology section explains the research methodology and design which was employed in this study and it gives more details than the summarised version of the academic paper section. This summary integrated all the elements of section 1, section 2 and section 3. The purpose of this research is to identify the main problems that the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) could encounter during the implementation and use of a performance management system, based on employee perspectives. The objectives of this research are therefore: to establish how often a particular problem has been encountered during the implementation and use of a performance management system in DENC; to identify the impact of various problems on the implementation of a performance management system, to establish whether these problems can be easily solved or not, and to analyse the problems associated with the implementation of a performance management system, as well as making recommendations for the successful implementation of a performance management system in the future. In this study, the researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, informed by post-positivism as research orientation. The data collection techniques employed in this research include survey questionnaires and individual interviews. The survey questionnaire was answered by fifty respondents, and interview questions were answered by four respondents. The ethical issues were addressed by writing a letter to the Head of Department and getting authorisation to complete the research and informing respondents of their right to withdraw and to participate voluntarily. The findings indicate that the problems are either sometimes encountered or rarely encountered, and the division is about fifty percent of those sometimes encountered to those rarely encountered. This research indicates that most of the problems have a moderate impact on the use and implementation of a performance management system. The lack of management has a high impact, and a lack of positive attitude to performance management system (PMS) certainly has an impact on the use and implementation of the performance management system. Items such as the problem of information and communication technology (ICT) which does not support PMS adequately, and defining too many key performance indicators (KPI), have a small impact on the use and implementation of the performance management system. There are three problems which are difficult to solve and they are: lack of management commitment, organisational members‟ lack of positive attitude to the PMS and an insufficient period of commitment from management to PMS. This research indicates that most of the problems associated with PMS are moderately easy to solve. Two other problems that are easy to solve include the problem where there are too many KPIs defined and the problem where there is no organisational member appointed to take ownership of the PMS. According to this research, the top ten ranking problems have high ranking scores and this indicates that they can create major difficulties for the DENC in implementing the performance management system, and the chance of encountering these problems is high in the DENC in comparison to other problems. Almost all the problems ranked in the top ten seem to score highly in terms of the severity of their impact, and therefore this means that these are the problems which have an impact and, when they are not easily solved, they can become a tenacious issue for the organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mbanjwa, Sibonelo Glenton
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Performance -- Management -- South Africa -- Northern Cape Northern Cape (South Africa). Dept. of Environment and Nature Conservation Government productivity -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Evaluation Civil service -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Evaluation Civil service -- South Africa -- Northern Cape -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:748 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003869
- Description: This document consists of three sections, and they are the academic paper (section 1), literature review (section 2) and research methodology (section 3). The academic paper consists of the purpose of the research, the summarised literature review, summarised research methodology and the research findings. The literature review section is a detailed review of literature used in this study. The research methodology section explains the research methodology and design which was employed in this study and it gives more details than the summarised version of the academic paper section. This summary integrated all the elements of section 1, section 2 and section 3. The purpose of this research is to identify the main problems that the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC) could encounter during the implementation and use of a performance management system, based on employee perspectives. The objectives of this research are therefore: to establish how often a particular problem has been encountered during the implementation and use of a performance management system in DENC; to identify the impact of various problems on the implementation of a performance management system, to establish whether these problems can be easily solved or not, and to analyse the problems associated with the implementation of a performance management system, as well as making recommendations for the successful implementation of a performance management system in the future. In this study, the researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, informed by post-positivism as research orientation. The data collection techniques employed in this research include survey questionnaires and individual interviews. The survey questionnaire was answered by fifty respondents, and interview questions were answered by four respondents. The ethical issues were addressed by writing a letter to the Head of Department and getting authorisation to complete the research and informing respondents of their right to withdraw and to participate voluntarily. The findings indicate that the problems are either sometimes encountered or rarely encountered, and the division is about fifty percent of those sometimes encountered to those rarely encountered. This research indicates that most of the problems have a moderate impact on the use and implementation of a performance management system. The lack of management has a high impact, and a lack of positive attitude to performance management system (PMS) certainly has an impact on the use and implementation of the performance management system. Items such as the problem of information and communication technology (ICT) which does not support PMS adequately, and defining too many key performance indicators (KPI), have a small impact on the use and implementation of the performance management system. There are three problems which are difficult to solve and they are: lack of management commitment, organisational members‟ lack of positive attitude to the PMS and an insufficient period of commitment from management to PMS. This research indicates that most of the problems associated with PMS are moderately easy to solve. Two other problems that are easy to solve include the problem where there are too many KPIs defined and the problem where there is no organisational member appointed to take ownership of the PMS. According to this research, the top ten ranking problems have high ranking scores and this indicates that they can create major difficulties for the DENC in implementing the performance management system, and the chance of encountering these problems is high in the DENC in comparison to other problems. Almost all the problems ranked in the top ten seem to score highly in terms of the severity of their impact, and therefore this means that these are the problems which have an impact and, when they are not easily solved, they can become a tenacious issue for the organisation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Some observations on Wordsworth's achievement in sonnet
- Authors: Gubb, Linette Reay
- Date: 1982
- Subjects: Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850. Sonnets
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2270 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006346 , Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850. Sonnets
- Description: From preface: This study seeks to give a perspective on Wordsworth's achievement in sonnet, taking into account all the sonnets he wrote, from the outburst of sonneteering in 1802 to the final decade (1840-1850). My chief concern has been to trace Wordsworth's handling of form and theme throughout his poetic career. A subordinate but related concern has been to try to show that Wordsworth's powers do not diminish after 1815, a date which is sometimes regarded as marking the beginning of the poet's "decline" ~ Wordsworth’s skill in blank verse and in other types of lyric is widely acknowledged; his dexterity in the sonnet form is less well recognized or thought to be limited to fewer poems (usually those of the earlier years) than there actually are. As a result, his performance in sonnet is sometimes underestimated, there being more sonnet concerns and structural patterns than the well-known few reflect. It is possible that Wordsworth's own ambiguous attitude to the genre as expressed in his prose writings, together with his insistence that his sonnets were not amongst the best of his poems, has helped to foster such a view. His practice in sonnet, however, proves that his genius is as evident in some of these poems as it is elsewhere, whether he esteemed them less or not.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1982
- Authors: Gubb, Linette Reay
- Date: 1982
- Subjects: Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850. Sonnets
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2270 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006346 , Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850. Sonnets
- Description: From preface: This study seeks to give a perspective on Wordsworth's achievement in sonnet, taking into account all the sonnets he wrote, from the outburst of sonneteering in 1802 to the final decade (1840-1850). My chief concern has been to trace Wordsworth's handling of form and theme throughout his poetic career. A subordinate but related concern has been to try to show that Wordsworth's powers do not diminish after 1815, a date which is sometimes regarded as marking the beginning of the poet's "decline" ~ Wordsworth’s skill in blank verse and in other types of lyric is widely acknowledged; his dexterity in the sonnet form is less well recognized or thought to be limited to fewer poems (usually those of the earlier years) than there actually are. As a result, his performance in sonnet is sometimes underestimated, there being more sonnet concerns and structural patterns than the well-known few reflect. It is possible that Wordsworth's own ambiguous attitude to the genre as expressed in his prose writings, together with his insistence that his sonnets were not amongst the best of his poems, has helped to foster such a view. His practice in sonnet, however, proves that his genius is as evident in some of these poems as it is elsewhere, whether he esteemed them less or not.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1982
An investigation into perceptions of participative management in a Namibian secondary school
- Authors: Shilima, Christine
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia -- Case studies Educational leadership -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Case studies Education -- Parent participation -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1881 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005874
- Description: This study examines the perceptions and experiences of school stakeholders about the practices of participative management in a Namibian Secondary School. Data was collected by using interviews, observation and document analysis. The study revealed that participative management has some benefits for the school such as it promotes democracy in school management, school as an open system, sharing of ideas and skills, teamwork and that ownership and commitment enhance the chances for organization change. Participatory decision making and shared leadership are the practices of PM that emerged from this study. However the school does experience challenges such as lack of knowledge on the practice and potential of PM in school management and leadership, illiteracy among parents that prevent them from participation in management and autocratic management practices from some members in formal leadership. The study suggests that trust, relationships and openness are good interpersonal skills that can help enhance the practices of PM in the school. Other strategies were to sensitize stakeholders on the practices of PM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Shilima, Christine
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: School management and organization -- Namibia -- Case studies Educational leadership -- Namibia -- Case studies Education, Secondary -- Namibia -- Case studies Education -- Parent participation -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1881 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005874
- Description: This study examines the perceptions and experiences of school stakeholders about the practices of participative management in a Namibian Secondary School. Data was collected by using interviews, observation and document analysis. The study revealed that participative management has some benefits for the school such as it promotes democracy in school management, school as an open system, sharing of ideas and skills, teamwork and that ownership and commitment enhance the chances for organization change. Participatory decision making and shared leadership are the practices of PM that emerged from this study. However the school does experience challenges such as lack of knowledge on the practice and potential of PM in school management and leadership, illiteracy among parents that prevent them from participation in management and autocratic management practices from some members in formal leadership. The study suggests that trust, relationships and openness are good interpersonal skills that can help enhance the practices of PM in the school. Other strategies were to sensitize stakeholders on the practices of PM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Versions of confinement: Melville's bodies and the psychology of conquest
- Authors: Goddard, Kevin Graham
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 -- Criticism and interpretation Human body in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2216 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002259
- Description: This thesis explores aspects of Melville’s presentation of both the whale and the human bodies in Moby-Dick and human bodies in other important novels. It argues that Melville uses his presentation of bodies to explore some of the versions of confinement those bodies experience, and by doing so, analyses the psychology which subtends that confinement. Throughout Melville’s works bodies are confined, both within literal spatial limits and by the psychology which creates and/or accepts these spatial limits. The thesis argues that perhaps the most important version of bodily confinement Melville addresses is the impulse to conquer bodies, both that of the other and one’s own. It adopts a largely psychoanalytic approach to interpreting bodies and their impulse to conquer, so that the body is seen to figure both in its actions and its external appearance the operations of the inner psyche. The figure of the body is equally prevalent in Melville’s exploration of nationalist conquest, where, as with Manifest Destiny and antebellum expansionism, the psychological and physical lack experienced by characters can be read as motivating factors in the ideology of conquest. A final important strand of the thesis is its argument in favour of a gradual shift in Melville’s interpretation of the value and possibility of genuine communion between human beings and between humans and the whale. One may read Typee as an attempt by Melville to explore the possibility of a this-worldly utopia in which human beings can return to a version of primitive interconnectedness. This exploration may be seen to be extended in Moby-Dick, particularly in Ishmael’s attempts to find communion with others and in some moments of encounter with the whales. The thesis uses phenomenology as a theory to interpret what Melville is trying to suggest in these moments of encounter. However, it argues, finally, that such encounter, or ‘intersubjectivity’ is eventually jettisoned, especially in the works after Moby-Dick. By the end of Melville’s life and work, any hope of an intersubjective utopia he may have harboured as a younger man have been removed in favour of a refusal actually to assert any final ‘truth’ about social, political or even religious experience. Billy Budd, his last body, is hanged, and his final word is silence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
- Authors: Goddard, Kevin Graham
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 -- Criticism and interpretation Human body in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2216 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002259
- Description: This thesis explores aspects of Melville’s presentation of both the whale and the human bodies in Moby-Dick and human bodies in other important novels. It argues that Melville uses his presentation of bodies to explore some of the versions of confinement those bodies experience, and by doing so, analyses the psychology which subtends that confinement. Throughout Melville’s works bodies are confined, both within literal spatial limits and by the psychology which creates and/or accepts these spatial limits. The thesis argues that perhaps the most important version of bodily confinement Melville addresses is the impulse to conquer bodies, both that of the other and one’s own. It adopts a largely psychoanalytic approach to interpreting bodies and their impulse to conquer, so that the body is seen to figure both in its actions and its external appearance the operations of the inner psyche. The figure of the body is equally prevalent in Melville’s exploration of nationalist conquest, where, as with Manifest Destiny and antebellum expansionism, the psychological and physical lack experienced by characters can be read as motivating factors in the ideology of conquest. A final important strand of the thesis is its argument in favour of a gradual shift in Melville’s interpretation of the value and possibility of genuine communion between human beings and between humans and the whale. One may read Typee as an attempt by Melville to explore the possibility of a this-worldly utopia in which human beings can return to a version of primitive interconnectedness. This exploration may be seen to be extended in Moby-Dick, particularly in Ishmael’s attempts to find communion with others and in some moments of encounter with the whales. The thesis uses phenomenology as a theory to interpret what Melville is trying to suggest in these moments of encounter. However, it argues, finally, that such encounter, or ‘intersubjectivity’ is eventually jettisoned, especially in the works after Moby-Dick. By the end of Melville’s life and work, any hope of an intersubjective utopia he may have harboured as a younger man have been removed in favour of a refusal actually to assert any final ‘truth’ about social, political or even religious experience. Billy Budd, his last body, is hanged, and his final word is silence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2003
Welcome at the Cory Library Commemoration of the meeting between Sir George Cory & King Regent Manxiwa in 1910 in Willowvale
- Authors: Badat, Saleem
- Date: 2011-01-31
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:7822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011-01-31
- Authors: Badat, Saleem
- Date: 2011-01-31
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:7822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011-01-31
Identification of novel compounds against Plasmodium falciparum Cytochrome bc1 Complex inhibiting the trans-membrane electron transfer pathway: an In Silico study
- Authors: Chebon, Lorna Jemosop
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Malaria , Plasmodium falciparum , Molecular dynamics , Antimalarials , Molecules Models , Docking , Cytochromes , Drug resistance , Computer simulation , Drugs Computer-aided design , System analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365666 , vital:65774 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365666
- Description: Malaria continues to be a burden globally with a myriad of challenges deterring eradication efforts. With most antimalarials facing drug resistance, such as atovaquone (ATQ), alternative compounds that can withstand resistance are warranted. The Plasmodium falciparum cytochrome b (PfCytb), a subunit of P. falciparum cytochrome bc1 complex, is a validated drug target. Structurally, cytochrome b, cytochrome c1, and iron sulphur protein (ISP) subunits form the catalytic domain of the protein complex having heme bL, heme bH and iron-sulphur [2FE-2S] cluster cofactors. These cofactos have redox centres to aid in the electron transfer (ET) process. These subunits promote ET mainly through the enzyme’s ubiquinol oxidation (Qo) and ubiquinone reduction (Qi) processes in the catalytic domain. ATQ drug has been used in the prevention and treatment of uncomplicated malaria by targeting PfCytb protein. Once the mitochondrial transmembrane ET pathway is inhibited, it causes a collapse in its membrane potential. Previously reported ATQ drug resistance has been associated with the point mutations Y268C, Y268N and Y268S. Thus, in finding alternatives to the ATQ drug, this research aimed to: i) employ in silico approaches incorporating protein into phospholipid bilayer for the first time to understand the parasites’ resistance mechanism; ii) determine any sequence and structural differences that could be explored in drug design studies; and iii) screen for PfCytb-iron sulphur protein (Cytb-ISP) hit compounds from South African natural compound database (SANCDB) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) that can withstand the identified mutations. Using computational tools, comparative sequence and structural analyses were performed on the cytochrome b protein, where the ultimate focus was on P. falciparum cytochrome b and its human homolog. Through multiple sequence alignment, motif discovery and phylogeny, differences between P. falciparum and H. sapiens cytochrome b were identified. Protein modelling of both P. falciparum and H. sapiens cytochrome b - iron sulphur protein (PfCytb-ISP and HsCytb-ISP) was performed. Results showed that at the sequence level, there were few amino acid residue differences because the protein is highly conserved. Important to note is the four-residue deletion in Plasmodium spp. absent in the human homolog. Motif analysis discovered five unique motifs in P. falciparum cytochrome b protein which were mapped onto the predicted protein model. These motifs were not in regions of functional importance; hence their function is still unknown. At a structural level, the four-residue deletion was observed to alter the Qo substrate binding pocket as reported in previous studies and confirmed in this study. This deletion resulted in a 0.83 Å structural displacement. Also, there are currently no in silico studies that have performed experiments with P. falciparum cytochrome b protein incorporated into a phospholipid bilayer. Using 350 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the holo and ATQ-bound systems, the study highlighted the resistance mechanism of the parasite protein where the loss of active site residue-residue interactions was identified, all linked to the three mutations. The identified compromised interactions are likely to destabilise the protein’s function, specifically in the Qo substrate binding site. This showed the possible effect of mutations on ATQ drug activity, where all three mutations were reported to share a similar resistance mechanism. Thereafter, this research work utilised in silico approaches where both Qo active site and interface pocket were targeted by screening the South African natural compounds database (SANCDB) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) compounds to identify novel selective hits. SANCDB compounds are known for their structural complexity that preserves the potency of the drug molecule. Both SANCDB and MMV compounds have not been explored as inhibitors against the PfCytb drug target. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, principal component, and dynamic residue network (DRN; global and local) analyses were utilised to identify and confirm the potential selective inhibitors. Docking results identified compounds that bound selectively onto PfCytb-ISP with a binding energy ≤ -8.7 kcal/mol-1. Further, this work validated a total of eight potential selective compounds to inhibit PfCytb-ISP protein (Qo active site) not only in the wild-type but also in the presence of the point mutations Y268C, Y268N and Y268S. The selective binding of these hit compounds could be linked to the differences reported at sequence/residue level in chapter 3. DRN and residue contact map analyses of the eight compounds in holo and ligand-bound systems revealed reduced residue interactions and decreased protein communication. This suggests that the eight compounds show the possibility of inhibiting the parasite and disrupting important residue-residue interactions. Additionally, 13 selective compounds were identified to bind at the protein’s heterodimer interface, where global and local analysis confirmed their effect on active site residues (distal location) as well as on the communication network. Based on the sequence differences between PfCytb and the human homolog, these findings suggest these selective compounds as potential allosteric modulators of the parasite enzyme, which may serve as possible replacements of the already resistant ATQ drug. Therefore, these findings pave the way for further in vitro studies to establish their anti-plasmodial inhibition levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Chebon, Lorna Jemosop
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Malaria , Plasmodium falciparum , Molecular dynamics , Antimalarials , Molecules Models , Docking , Cytochromes , Drug resistance , Computer simulation , Drugs Computer-aided design , System analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365666 , vital:65774 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365666
- Description: Malaria continues to be a burden globally with a myriad of challenges deterring eradication efforts. With most antimalarials facing drug resistance, such as atovaquone (ATQ), alternative compounds that can withstand resistance are warranted. The Plasmodium falciparum cytochrome b (PfCytb), a subunit of P. falciparum cytochrome bc1 complex, is a validated drug target. Structurally, cytochrome b, cytochrome c1, and iron sulphur protein (ISP) subunits form the catalytic domain of the protein complex having heme bL, heme bH and iron-sulphur [2FE-2S] cluster cofactors. These cofactos have redox centres to aid in the electron transfer (ET) process. These subunits promote ET mainly through the enzyme’s ubiquinol oxidation (Qo) and ubiquinone reduction (Qi) processes in the catalytic domain. ATQ drug has been used in the prevention and treatment of uncomplicated malaria by targeting PfCytb protein. Once the mitochondrial transmembrane ET pathway is inhibited, it causes a collapse in its membrane potential. Previously reported ATQ drug resistance has been associated with the point mutations Y268C, Y268N and Y268S. Thus, in finding alternatives to the ATQ drug, this research aimed to: i) employ in silico approaches incorporating protein into phospholipid bilayer for the first time to understand the parasites’ resistance mechanism; ii) determine any sequence and structural differences that could be explored in drug design studies; and iii) screen for PfCytb-iron sulphur protein (Cytb-ISP) hit compounds from South African natural compound database (SANCDB) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) that can withstand the identified mutations. Using computational tools, comparative sequence and structural analyses were performed on the cytochrome b protein, where the ultimate focus was on P. falciparum cytochrome b and its human homolog. Through multiple sequence alignment, motif discovery and phylogeny, differences between P. falciparum and H. sapiens cytochrome b were identified. Protein modelling of both P. falciparum and H. sapiens cytochrome b - iron sulphur protein (PfCytb-ISP and HsCytb-ISP) was performed. Results showed that at the sequence level, there were few amino acid residue differences because the protein is highly conserved. Important to note is the four-residue deletion in Plasmodium spp. absent in the human homolog. Motif analysis discovered five unique motifs in P. falciparum cytochrome b protein which were mapped onto the predicted protein model. These motifs were not in regions of functional importance; hence their function is still unknown. At a structural level, the four-residue deletion was observed to alter the Qo substrate binding pocket as reported in previous studies and confirmed in this study. This deletion resulted in a 0.83 Å structural displacement. Also, there are currently no in silico studies that have performed experiments with P. falciparum cytochrome b protein incorporated into a phospholipid bilayer. Using 350 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the holo and ATQ-bound systems, the study highlighted the resistance mechanism of the parasite protein where the loss of active site residue-residue interactions was identified, all linked to the three mutations. The identified compromised interactions are likely to destabilise the protein’s function, specifically in the Qo substrate binding site. This showed the possible effect of mutations on ATQ drug activity, where all three mutations were reported to share a similar resistance mechanism. Thereafter, this research work utilised in silico approaches where both Qo active site and interface pocket were targeted by screening the South African natural compounds database (SANCDB) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) compounds to identify novel selective hits. SANCDB compounds are known for their structural complexity that preserves the potency of the drug molecule. Both SANCDB and MMV compounds have not been explored as inhibitors against the PfCytb drug target. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, principal component, and dynamic residue network (DRN; global and local) analyses were utilised to identify and confirm the potential selective inhibitors. Docking results identified compounds that bound selectively onto PfCytb-ISP with a binding energy ≤ -8.7 kcal/mol-1. Further, this work validated a total of eight potential selective compounds to inhibit PfCytb-ISP protein (Qo active site) not only in the wild-type but also in the presence of the point mutations Y268C, Y268N and Y268S. The selective binding of these hit compounds could be linked to the differences reported at sequence/residue level in chapter 3. DRN and residue contact map analyses of the eight compounds in holo and ligand-bound systems revealed reduced residue interactions and decreased protein communication. This suggests that the eight compounds show the possibility of inhibiting the parasite and disrupting important residue-residue interactions. Additionally, 13 selective compounds were identified to bind at the protein’s heterodimer interface, where global and local analysis confirmed their effect on active site residues (distal location) as well as on the communication network. Based on the sequence differences between PfCytb and the human homolog, these findings suggest these selective compounds as potential allosteric modulators of the parasite enzyme, which may serve as possible replacements of the already resistant ATQ drug. Therefore, these findings pave the way for further in vitro studies to establish their anti-plasmodial inhibition levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
The social and spatial organisation of the Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros Pallas 1766) in the Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Allen-Rowlandson, T S
- Date: 1981
- Subjects: Greater kudu -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5614 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003120 , Greater kudu -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Methods of capture, marking and age determination in the field, were investigated. The density and structure of the population, individual movements and social relationships were determined. Aspects of reproduction examined included age at puberty, agespecific fecundity, calving intervals and seasonality. Temporal changes in the spatial and social organisation are discussed in relation to environmental conditions, reproduction and population structure. Factors influencing the fecundity, dynamics and grouping patterns within the population are considered.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1981
- Authors: Allen-Rowlandson, T S
- Date: 1981
- Subjects: Greater kudu -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5614 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003120 , Greater kudu -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: Methods of capture, marking and age determination in the field, were investigated. The density and structure of the population, individual movements and social relationships were determined. Aspects of reproduction examined included age at puberty, agespecific fecundity, calving intervals and seasonality. Temporal changes in the spatial and social organisation are discussed in relation to environmental conditions, reproduction and population structure. Factors influencing the fecundity, dynamics and grouping patterns within the population are considered.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1981