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Livelihood benefits from the local level commercialization of savanna resources: a case study of the new and expanding trade in marula (Sclerocarya birrea) beer in Bushbuckridge, South Africa

- Shackleton, Sheona E

  • Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6649 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007060
  • Description: In the face of economic hardship and poverty, rural people in South Africa and globally are increasingly turning to the natural resource base to generate income. One product that has recently entered into local commercial markets is a traditional alcoholic beverage brewed from the fruits of Sclerocarya birrea (marula), commonly known as marula beer. It was rarely traded in the past due to customary taboos prohibiting its sale. In Bushbuckridge, Limpopo province, rural women have been selling marula beer in the business centres of the district and along the roadside since 1998. A survey of these markets was undertaken in 2002, to discover the commercialization process involved, from raw material harvesting to marketing, and to assess the importance of the trade for household livelihoods and poverty alleviation. Fifty-one traders were interviewed, who indicated that the sale of marula beer provides a vital source of income to several hundred households from amongst the poorest sector of the Bushbuckridge community. Of particular importance were the low barriers of entry to the trade, as the resource is abundant and freely accessible and there are few costs to produce marula beer. Incomes earned were modest, averaging a net R500 per season, and highly seasonal, but came at a critical point in the household calendar, after the festive season and when cash was required for the new school year. Income bridging, livelihood diversification, and the provision of a safety net for the poorest members of society are some of the key benefits of the beer trade.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Living with crime: Does crime affect victims' perceived quality of life?

- Moller, Valerie

  • Authors: Moller, Valerie
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:21018 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6027 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2004/v0i9a1032
  • Description: Crime is thought to be a major concern that shapes the everyday lives of South Africans. But what impact does living with high levels of crime have on the mindset of ordinary citizens? A recent household crime victimisation study conducted in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality provides tentative answers to this question.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Local development : a response to economic challenges in Noordhoek Valley, Cape Town

- Gibb, Matthew William

  • Authors: Gibb, Matthew William
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Deindustrialization -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Economic aspects Community development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Community development, Urban -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Labor supply -- South Africa -- Western Cape Local government -- South Africa -- Western Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: vital:4869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007848
  • Description: De-industrialisation and rising unemployment amongst the world's developed countries' manual labourers as well as continued economic stagnation in developing countries has resulted in many localities experiencing mounting economic hardships and uncertain futures. As a direct result, the time has come that localities are being called upon to take charge of their own futures using local resources for local solutions. Local development has appeared in various guises in different countries. Many agents in the developed North favour pro-business interventions that emphasise enterprise development, responsible local government, and investment in skills training. Stakeholders in developing nations however tend to favour bottom-up approaches focusing on participation in self-reliant activities, providing basic needs, and facilitating micro-enterprises. In addition to the actual nature of applied interventions, qualities such as commitment, innovation, co-operation, social capital and entrepreneurship are equally essential for over-all success. South Africa has recently devolved more autonomy to its localities to enable them to conduct local development as a way of coping with local socio-economic difficulties and is applying both pro-growth and pro-poor approaches. The Noordhoek Valley in the City of Cape Town is a locality where a community driven project seeks to promote both economic growth and poverty alleviation. The establishment of a skills training institution has equipped local residents with the skills to find jobs and become entrepreneurs. To date, over 1000 residents have received training and have earned over R5 million for the community. Although locality-based development is relatively new in South Africa, the activities and results achieved in the Noordhoek Valley indicate that with the appropriate approach and mentality local development and skills development are indeed possible.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Making sense of science through two languages: a South African case study

- Probyn, Margie J

  • Authors: Probyn, Margie J
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Article
  • Identifier: vital:7025 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007209
  • Description: Mzamo Senior Secondary School (not its real name) looks like any typical township school in South Africa: modern face-brick classroom blocks which conceal a serious lack of resources, material and human. Under apartheid the disparities in spending on white and African students meant hugely different teaching and learning contexts - including infrastructure, teacher training, pupil: teacher ratios and teaching materials. Today, 10 years into the new democracy and despite government’s efforts to equalize spending, the historic inequalities persist. The school is surrounded by township houses and shacks that reflect the high poverty levels in the Eastern Cape Province. Students at schools like this face an additional but less obvious problem – that of the language medium. Although in the Eastern Cape, Xhosa is the home language of 83,8% of the population and English speakers comprise only 3.7%, the official language medium in schools is English from the beginning of Grade 4 in the majority of schools. South Africa is a multilingual country with 11 official languages recognized in the Constitution of 1996 – 9 indigenous languages and the two colonial languages, English and Afrikaans.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Mandela

- Nduna, S., Magibisela, J., Dubeni, N., Rodolo, L. S., Mngesi, N. M., Mgeni, N., Dubeni, T., Letsika, S. T., Hangana, S., Mgidi, A., Composer not specified, Dargie, Dave

Manganji

- Nduna, S., Xakayi, S., Rodolo, L. S., Mgidi, A., Ncozana, J., Composer not specified, Dargie, Dave

Manganji

- Nduna, S., Xakayi, S., Rodolo, L. S., Mgidi, A., Composer not specified, Dargie, Dave

Mapping the Radio KC community : a case study assessing the impact of participatory research methods in assisting community radio producers to identify programming content

- Davidson, Brett Russell

  • Authors: Davidson, Brett Russell
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Radio broadcasting -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio stations -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio journalism -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio broadcasters -- Research -- South Africa -- Paarl , Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Mass media -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Radio in community development
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3497 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003716 , Radio broadcasting -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio stations -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio journalism -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio broadcasters -- Research -- South Africa -- Paarl , Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Mass media -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Radio in community development
  • Description: This thesis deals with the introduction of participatory research methods to programming staff working at Radio KC, a South African community radio station based in Paarl, in the Western Cape province. The focus is on a series of workshops conducted at the station, dealing with research tools developed to enable station workers to undertake research of their community. The aim was to determine, by means ofa case study, whether the introduction of participatory research methods could improve the ability of community broadcasters to facilitate democratic participation among the communities in which they operate. More particularly, the thesis assesses whether the application of such methods has improved the ability of the programming staff that were involved in this case study to identify a wider range of stories and voices within their target community, for inclusion in programming content. The participatory research techniques that are applied at the radio station are based on ideas in 'civic mapping' developed by Harwood and McCrehan (1996) under the auspices of The Pew Center for Civic Journalism, and supplemented by insights from Friedland (2001) and Downs and Stea (1977) about the cognitive, normative and imagined dimensions of community. All of the ideas and techniques were adapted for the South African situation. The findings of the research project illustrate that for community stations, the key concepts of 'community' and 'participation' are highly complex ones and that stations need assistance to apply these concepts in their everyday practice. The account of the intervention at Radio KC shows that the process did indeed assist the individual research participants to better deal with the application of these concepts. It did not, however, make much impact on the station as a whole. Reasons for this are believed to lie in the organisational dynamics of the station, and the fact that the model as applied in this case did not provide a means for tackling the agendas, investments and power relations that define the activities of individuals at a given community radio station - what Hochheimer (1993) talks about as the entrenchment of power and personalities. In order to address these shortcomings, an attempt is made to develop a model for future application, which places the mapping process within the context of a broader strategic planning process, focussed on a station's programming schedule.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Market profiles and trade in medicinal plants in the Lowveld, South Africa

- Botha, Jenny, Witkowski, Ed T F, Shackleton, Charlie M

  • Authors: Botha, Jenny , Witkowski, Ed T F , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Kruger National Park
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6625 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006817
  • Description: Rising demand for medicinal plants has led to increased pressure on wild plant populations. This, combined with shrinking habitats, means that many species in South Africa are now facing local extinction. In 1997, a study was initiated to determine the extent of trade in medicinal plants in the South African Lowveld (the low lying plains to the east of the Drakensberg escarpment), and to investigate socio-economic factors influencing trade and resource management. Trade was not as extensive in the Lowveld as in major urban markets such as Durban or the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg and surrounding towns), either in terms of the quantity, number or range of species sold, or the numbers of people relying on the trade for an income. In markets assessed in Mpumalanga Province, 176 species were identified (71% of the vernacular names encountered in the market place), representing 69 plant families. In Limpopo, 70 different species were identified (84% of the vernacular names encountered in the market place), representing 40 families. Imports were significant in Mpumalanga (33% of the plants on offer), mainly from Mozambique. A detrended correspondence analysis showed substantial differences between species traded in Mpumalanga and those sold in Limpopo. There was little variation in the species stocked by vendors in Mpumalanga, regardless of the season, the attributes of the seller, or whether business was carried out in urban or rural areas. In contrast, there was considerable variation in the stock inventories of the Limpopo traders. Despite the lower levels of local trade, increased harvesting pressure is being experienced regionally, to meet demand in metropolitan centres such as the Witwatersrand. This study showed considerable local variation and complexities in the harvesting and marketing of medicinal plants, with both a national and an international dimension. This dual spatial scale presents both opportunities and challenges in the management of these plants, which need to be addressed simultaneously, particularly with respect to research requirements and development of predictive models and capacity. Cooperation in conservation strategies and policies is required at regional, national and international levels, while ensuring that management initiatives take into account local market conditions and the socio-economic realities facing both consumers and those who depend on the trade for their livelihoods.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Mechanisms generating biological diversity in the genus Platypleura Amyot & Serville, 1843 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in southern Africa: implications of a preliminary molecular phylogeny

- Villet, Martin H, Barker, Nigel P, Lunt, N

  • Authors: Villet, Martin H , Barker, Nigel P , Lunt, N
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6554 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006012
  • Description: Truly understanding biological diversity requires a move from descriptive studies to mechanistic interpretations based on comparative biology and a thorough recognition of the natural history of the focal organisms. A useful step in such comparative studies is the generation of a phylogeny, so that one can assess the phylogenetic independence of the focal taxa and trace the evolutionary significance of their characteristics. As a preliminary to such studies on the platypleurine cicada genus Platypleura, we sequenced 498 bases of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene from thirteen African species. To circumvent problems with outgroup selection, we also included sequences from representatives of the platypleurine genera Brevisiana, Capcicada, Munza, Oxypleura, Severiana, and Systophlochius, all of the subtribe Platypleuriti, and two species of the genus Ugada, of the subtribe Hainanosemiiti. The resulting phylogenies support the synonymization of the monotypic genus Systophlochius with the widespread, speciose genus Platypleura; confirm the placement of Platypleura sp. 7 in that genus; and confirm the independence of Capcicada and Platypleura. Although the preliminary phylogeny lacks strong support at many nodes, it suggests that three radiations of Platypleura have occurred in southern Africa and that there was progressive southward speciation of these radiations. A novel modification of the ancestral area analysis further suggests that the group has an ancestral association with acacias but there were five independent speciation events associated with host- switching. These insights can be summarized by a general hypothesis that the mechanisms underlying platypleurine biodiversity in southern Africa involve two ancient vicariance events and subsequent speciation by vicariance, switching of plant associations, and changes of habitat preferences. We offer this example to illustrate how analysis of preliminary data can help to generate hypotheticodeductive research hypotheses, to provoke interest in testing these hypotheses, and to illustrate the utility of phylogenies beyond systematics.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Metus in the Roman law of obligations

- Glover, Graham B

  • Authors: Glover, Graham B
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6336 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012401
  • Description: [From the introduction]: An entire title of book four of Justinian’s Digest is devoted to explaining the doctrine of metus as it was understood at the time of the codification of the Roman law. That title begins with the following statement: "The praetor says: 'I will not hold valid what has been done under duress.'" This unequivocal statement of legal principle illustrates, in very general terms, that by the time the Corpus Iuris Civilis was compiled, the Romans disapproved of persons using threats to inspire the creation of legal obligations, and that it was possible to avoid the legal consequences of an obligation because it was induced by metus. The Corpus Iuris Civilis remains our most valuable source of authority with regard to how duress cases were treated in Roman times. But the relevant textual sources pose some fundamental difficulties. Far from containing a coherent, structured analysis of the law, the relevant passages in fact amount to a jigsaw-puzzle of uncoordinated, haphazard, and occasionally contradictory legal propositions
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Miscarriage : an exploration of women's experience : a qualitative study

- Watson, Julia Margretha Garland

  • Authors: Watson, Julia Margretha Garland
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Miscarriage -- Psychological aspects , Loss (Psychology) , Bereavement -- Psychological aspects , Infants -- Death -- Psychological aspects , Fetal death -- Psychological aspects
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: vital:688 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003735 , Miscarriage -- Psychological aspects , Loss (Psychology) , Bereavement -- Psychological aspects , Infants -- Death -- Psychological aspects , Fetal death -- Psychological aspects
  • Description: Miscarriage can result in significant psychological distress to women. However, many women experience a cultural norm which attributes minimal meaning to the loss. This is reflected in the lack of support experienced from interaction with both medical professionals and those within the individual's social context. This qualitative study reports on the unique experiences of six South African women; their experience of other's reactions to their miscarriage; and their recommendations for better coping with the experience. Data was gathered using one semi-structured interview. Data reduction and analysis followed using a four-stage model of thematic outlines, coding, and comparisons (Marshall and Rossman 1998:152; Marck and Field 1994:9). The objective of the analysis sought to compare the themes generated by the actual data collected with those described in other studies. In this way the findings of the study are generalisable to a larger population and allows for a greater sense of representivity (Silverman 1994:160). Comparisons were made between the women's experiences, as told by them, and Bowles' identification of the Four Domains of Miscarriage Distress Symptoms (2000). The women viewed psychological support as essential in the process of coping; and acknowledgement of their loss as being the loss of a child, as a strong determinant of coming to terms with the loss. A strong need to have support from other women who had shared the experience was voiced. Recommendations for improved intervention are made. In short the core recommendations are: the provision of patient follow-up; the provision of written material; and, specialist training for those working in the area of pregnancy loss.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Modelling and rendering techniques for african hairstyles

- Patrick, Deborah, Bangay, Shaun D, Lobb, Adele

  • Authors: Patrick, Deborah , Bangay, Shaun D , Lobb, Adele
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432905 , vital:72911 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1029949.1029971
  • Description: We develop or enhance hair modelling and rendering techniques to produce three different forms of hair commonly found in African hairstyles. The forms of hair are natural curly hair, straightened hair, and braids or twists of hair. We use an implicit model, implemented as a series of textured layers to represent curly hair. Straightened hair is represented explicitly, and mod-elled by defining and replicating a few control hairs. Braids and twists are implemented as textured generalized cylinders. A synthesis of existing hair illumination models is used as a basis for an African hair illumination model. Parameter values to match African hair characteristics are discussed. A number of complete African hairstyles are shown, demonstrating that the techniques can be used to model and render African hair successfully.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Models of Internet Connectivity in Previously Disadvantaged Secondary Schools in the Eastern Cape

- Brandt, Ingrid, Terzoli, Alfredo, Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl

  • Authors: Brandt, Ingrid , Terzoli, Alfredo , Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/427602 , vital:72450 , https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/43383861/Models_of_Internet_Connectivity_in_Previ20160305-2534-1salhbh-libre.pdf?1457175561=andresponse-content-disposi-tion=inline%3B+filename%3DModels_of_Internet_Connectivity_in_Previ.pdfandExpires=1714994733andSignature=AS-VDG85ZQPZzWwvz3ITck4K9JIs4zA2bCzFW9LLCYPj9aI~gA4qSOmURIkQz4VE2ZiOrjWHDyeebZyoYs50SPW8~IF31aXPoz8MFAY~qz0DgIAVCNF5k7vXqnCxmnuE5zMEjnxxkNigthvwSD4yDrpJ0Hy5VdN20~3p1j0E9N7zaiTPexGvrH85p3k~bb4Mht00QdltgVGO3tcqiAA9-eskZ--mS7X1acD3ehhXVG7hGVxLqq6TsjdEWOKh6Z4Gkt0Utdcx84zWAkC56yN8GoHwTbxt1DkjMOuatLhWppfMLNQPy6hNYga9GNq-0dalbisbJ1G-Nrbez0O0w2w8EA__andKey-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
  • Description: Computers are increasingly considered a valuable tool in Education, not only for the purpose of administration but also for teaching and learning. This project aims to model Internet connectivity to previously disadvan-taged schools in the Eastern Cape by investigating known networking technologies in the context of such schools. We look at wired and wireless technologies, while bearing in mind issues such as cost, organisation ca-pacity and such like.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Molecular chaperones in biology, medicine and protein biotechnology

- Boshoff, Aileen, Nicoll, William S, Hennessy, Fritha, Ludewig, M H, Daniel, Sheril, Modisakeng, Keoagile W, Shonhai, Addmore, McNamara, Caryn, Bradley, Graeme, Blatch, Gregory L

  • Authors: Boshoff, Aileen , Nicoll, William S , Hennessy, Fritha , Ludewig, M H , Daniel, Sheril , Modisakeng, Keoagile W , Shonhai, Addmore , McNamara, Caryn , Bradley, Graeme , Blatch, Gregory L
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6457 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004479
  • Description: Molecular chaperones consist of several highly conserved families of proteins, many of which consist of heat shock proteins. The primary function of molecular chaperones is to facilitate the folding or refolding of proteins, and therefore they play an important role in diverse cellular processes including protein synthesis, protein translocation, and the refolding or degradation of proteins after cell stress. Cells are often exposed to different stressors, resulting in protein misfolding and aggregation. It is now well established that the levels of certain molecular chaperones are elevated during stress to provide protection to the cell. The focus of this review is on the impact of molecular chaperones in biology, medicine and protein biotechnology, and thus covers both fundamental and applied aspects of chaperone biology. Attention is paid to the functions and applications of molecular chaperones from bacterial and eukaryotic cells, focusing on the heat shock proteins 90 (Hsp90), 70 (Hsp70) and 40 (Hsp40) classes of chaperones, respectively. The role of these classes of chaperones in human diseases is discussed, as well as the parts played by chaperones produced by the causative agents of malaria and trypanosomiasis. Recent advances have seen the application of chaperones in improving the yields of a particular target protein in recombinant protein production. The prospects for the targeted use of molecular chaperones for the over-production of recombinant proteins is critically reviewed, and current research on these chaperones at Rhodes University is also discussed.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Moral reform and the desiderata of responses to wrongdoing: the production of a "morally autonomous person freely attached to the good"

- Waller, Heath Frederick

  • Authors: Waller, Heath Frederick
  • Date: 2004 , 2013-06-14
  • Subjects: Victims of crimes -- Attitudes , Criminals -- Rehabilitation , Punishment -- Psychological aspects , Social ethics , Punishment
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2730 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003805 , Victims of crimes -- Attitudes , Criminals -- Rehabilitation , Punishment -- Psychological aspects , Social ethics , Punishment
  • Description: Moral reform is a neglected response to wrongdoing that has been incorrectly portrayed as a practice involving illegitimate treatment of wrongdoers and as totally unsatisfying to those theorists advocating backward-looking practices such as retributive punishment. A clear explanation of the ethical legitimacy and practical necessity of the reformative techniques moral reform involves has been missed, and this paper details the design of moral reform proper in order to fill this gap in punishment theory. The moral reform of an offender is identified as a desideratum of responses to wrongdoing and it is explained what moral reform ought to entail. The claim that moral reform qualifies as the overriding aim of responses to wrongdoing is argued for on the grounds that this practice is capable of achieving all the established ends of responses to wrongdoing. The legitimate desiderata of our practices are identified as those usually selected as the ends of punishment practices, and moral reform must accomplish these if it is to be accepted. Moral reform is shown to realise the goals of punishments as the fortunate effects of what is done to achieve an offender's moral improvement and of what reformees do in taking responsibility for their actions. The suffering involved in moral reform receives particular emphasis since the practice will never satisfy unless it accommodates the widely-held intuition that the offender must suffer sufficiently as a consequence of his wrongdoing. Moral reform is further portrayed as the most meaningful practice for its ability to satisfy the appropriate needs and desires victims have in response to their victimization. A central claim of the thesis is that moral reform best serves the victim, since it most effectively relieves the victim's emotional responses to wrongdoing and is as adept as punishment at the expression of these same emotions. Reformers advocate a constructive response to wrongdoing that benefits all affected parties. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Multiprotocol control of networked home entertainment devices

- Siebörger, David Robert

  • Authors: Siebörger, David Robert
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Home entertainment systems , Home video systems
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4642 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006585 , Home entertainment systems , Home video systems
  • Description: Networks will soon connect a wide range of computing devices within the home. Amongst those devices will be home entertainment devices. Remote control over the network will be a key application for networked entertainment devices, and requires a protocol for communication understood by both controller and controlled device. Devices capable of communication using multiple control protocols will be compatible with a wider range of controllers than those which implement only one control protocol. This work examines home networks and a number of control protocols. The implementations of the UPnP and AV/C protocols for an AV receiver are described. The issues involved in the concurrent use of multiple control protocols to control a device are considered, possible methods of concurrent control discussed, and a solution which simulates virtual copies of the device is implemented and tested.
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Music and (post)colonialism : the dialectics of choral culture on a South African frontier

- Olwage, Grant

  • Authors: Olwage, Grant
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: Choral music -- South Africa -- History Black people -- South Africa -- Music -- History and criticism Bokwe, John Knox, 1855-1922
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:2679 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007717
  • Description: This thesis explores the genesis of black choralism in late-nineteenth-century colonial South Africa, attending specifically to its dialectic with metropolitan Victorian choralism. In two introductory historiographic chapters I outline the political-narrative strategies by which both Victorian and black South African choralism have been elided from music histories. Part 1 gives an account of the "structures" within and through which choralism functioned as a practice of colonisation, as "internal colonialism" in Britain and evangelical colonialism in the eastern Cape Colony. In chapter 1 I suggest that the religious contexts within which choralism operated, including the music theoretical construction of the tonic sol-fa notation and method as "natural", and the "scientific" musicalisation of race, constituted conditions for the foreign mission's embrace of choralism. The second chapter explores further such affinities, tracing sol-fa choralism's institutional affiliations with nineteenth-century "reform" movements, and suggesting that sol-fa's practices worked in fulfilment of core reformist concerns such as "industry" and literacy. Throughout, the thesis explores how the categories of class and race functioned interchangeably in the colonial imagination. Chapter 3 charts this relationship in the terrain of music education; notations, for instance, which were classed in Britain, became racialised in colonial South Africa. In particular I show that black music education operated within colonial racial discourses. Chapter 4 is a reading of Victorian choralism as a "discipline", interpreting choral performance practice and choral music itself as disciplinary acts which complemented the political contexts in which choralism operated. Part 1, in short, explores how popular choralism operated within and as dominant politicking. In part 2 I turn to the black reception of Victorian choralism in composition and performance. The fifth chapter examines the compositional discourse of early black choral music, focussing on the work of John Knox Bokwe (1855-1922). Through a detailed account of several of Bokwe's works and their metropolitan sources, particularly late-nineteenth century gospel hymnody, I show that Bokwe's compositional practice enacted a politics that became anticolonial, and that early black choral music became "black" in its reception. I conclude that ethno/musicological claims that early black choral music contains "African" musical content conflate "race" and culture under a double imperative: in the names of a decolonising politics and a postcolonial epistemology in which hybridity as resistance is racialised. The final chapter explores how "the voice" was crucial to identity politics in the Victorian world, an object that was classed and racialised. Proceeding from the black reception of choral voice training, I attempt to outline the beginnings of a social history of the black choral voice, as well as analyse the sonic content of that voice through an approach I call a "phonetics of timbre".
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Mycorrhizal status of indigenous tree species in a forest biome of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

- Hawley, Greer L, Dames, Joanna F

  • Authors: Hawley, Greer L , Dames, Joanna F
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6458 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005774
  • Description: Mycorrhizal fungi are intimately associated with plant roots, affecting plant growth, health and increasing the plants' tolerance to environmental stress. Several mycorrhizal types are recognized based primarily on morphological characteristics within plant roots. When considering propagation and management of an indigenous plant species, it is essential to know its mycorrhizal status. Root samples from 17 tree species common to the pockets of forest in the Eastern Cape province, and representing the families Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Oleaceae, Podocarpaceae, Myrsinaceae, Anacardiaceae, Caesalpinoideae, Papilionoideae, Rutaceae, Meliaceae, Celastraceae, Flacouticeae and Ebenaceae, were sampled and examined for mycorrhizal colonization. Microscopic examination of all the species produced evidence of morphological structures indicative of endomycorrhizal associations as indicated by the presence of intercellular hyphae combined with vesicles, arbuscules or hyphal coils. Hyphal coils (also known as Paris-type associations) appeared to be abundant, especially within the Cassine genus. Arbuscules (also known as Arum-type associations) were scarce but sometimes present, and vesicles were prolific in Olea capensis. Most of the tree species examined have been assigned arbuscular mycorrhizal status. No ectomycorrhizal associations were recorded
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  • Date Issued: 2004

Neural network-based ionospheric modelling over the South African region

- McKinnell, Lee-Anne, Poole, Allon W V

  • Authors: McKinnell, Lee-Anne , Poole, Allon W V
  • Date: 2004
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: vital:6795 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003839
  • Description: During the past decade, South African scientists have pioneered research in the field of ionospheric modelling using the technique of neural networks (NNs). Global ionospheric models have always been insufficient for the South African region owing to an historical paucity of available data. Within the past 10 years, however, three new ionospheric sounders have been installed locally and are operating continuously. These sounders are located at Grahamstown (33.3°S, 26.5°E), Louisvale (28.5°S, 21.2°E) and Madimbo (22.4°S, 30.9°E). The addition of a modern sounder at Grahamstown enlarged the ionospheric database for this station to 30 years, making this archive a considerable asset for ionospheric research. Quality control and online availability of the data has also added to its attraction. An important requirement for empirical modelling, but especially for employing NNs, is a large database describing the history of the relationship between the ionosphere and the geophysical parameters that define its behaviour. This review describes the path of South African ionospheric modelling over the past 10 years, the role of NNs in this development, the international collaborations that have arisen from this, and the future of ionospheric modelling in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2004
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