Suspicious sctivity reports: Enhancing the detection of terrorist financing and suspicious transactions in migrant remittances
- Authors: Mbiva, Stanley Munamato
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465058 , vital:76569
- Description: Migrant remittances have become an important factor in poverty alleviation and microeconomic development in low-income nations. Global migrant remittances are expected to exceed US $630 billion by 2023, according to the World Bank. In addition to offering an alternate source of income that supplements the recipient’s household earnings, they are less likely to be affected by global economic downturns, ensuring stability and a consistent stream of revenue. However, the ease of global migrant remittance financial transfers has attracted the risk of being abused by terrorist organizations to quickly move and conceal operating cash, hence facilitating terrorist financing. This study aims to develop an unsupervised machine-learning model capable of detecting suspicious financial transactions associated with terrorist financing in migrant remittances. The data used in this study came from a World Bank survey of migrant remitters in Belgium. To understand the natural structures and grouping in the dataset, agglomerative hierarchical clustering and k-prototype clustering techniques were employed. This established the number of clusters present in the dataset making it possible to compare individual migrant remittances in the dataset with their peers. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) and an Local Outlier Factor - Isolation Forest (LOF-IF) algorithm were applied to analyze and detect suspicious transactions in the dataset. A traditional Rule-Based Method (RBM) was also created as a benchmark algorithm that evaluates model performance. The results show that the SEM model classifies a significantly high number of transactions as suspicious, making it prone to detecting false positives. Finally, the study applied the proposed ensemble outlier detection model to detect suspicious transactions in the same data set. The proposed ensemble model utilized an Isolation Forest (IF) for pruning and a Local Outlier Factor (LOF) to detect local outliers. The model performed exceptionally well, being able to detect over 90% of suspicious transactions in the testing data set during model cross-validation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Statistics, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Mbiva, Stanley Munamato
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465058 , vital:76569
- Description: Migrant remittances have become an important factor in poverty alleviation and microeconomic development in low-income nations. Global migrant remittances are expected to exceed US $630 billion by 2023, according to the World Bank. In addition to offering an alternate source of income that supplements the recipient’s household earnings, they are less likely to be affected by global economic downturns, ensuring stability and a consistent stream of revenue. However, the ease of global migrant remittance financial transfers has attracted the risk of being abused by terrorist organizations to quickly move and conceal operating cash, hence facilitating terrorist financing. This study aims to develop an unsupervised machine-learning model capable of detecting suspicious financial transactions associated with terrorist financing in migrant remittances. The data used in this study came from a World Bank survey of migrant remitters in Belgium. To understand the natural structures and grouping in the dataset, agglomerative hierarchical clustering and k-prototype clustering techniques were employed. This established the number of clusters present in the dataset making it possible to compare individual migrant remittances in the dataset with their peers. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) and an Local Outlier Factor - Isolation Forest (LOF-IF) algorithm were applied to analyze and detect suspicious transactions in the dataset. A traditional Rule-Based Method (RBM) was also created as a benchmark algorithm that evaluates model performance. The results show that the SEM model classifies a significantly high number of transactions as suspicious, making it prone to detecting false positives. Finally, the study applied the proposed ensemble outlier detection model to detect suspicious transactions in the same data set. The proposed ensemble model utilized an Isolation Forest (IF) for pruning and a Local Outlier Factor (LOF) to detect local outliers. The model performed exceptionally well, being able to detect over 90% of suspicious transactions in the testing data set during model cross-validation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Statistics, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
It's all in your head
- Namukuta, Sonia Charity Sajjabi
- Authors: Namukuta, Sonia Charity Sajjabi
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435536 , vital:73166
- Description: My thesis is a collection of short stories that delve into the multifaceted nature of death, with a specific emphasis on murder, violence, death and their profound aftermath, including themes of loss, grief, and trauma. These stories offer diverse perspectives, narrated by perpetrators, voiceless victims, and those left to pick up the shattered pieces. Additionally, some stories are seen through the eyes of those tasked with handling the bodies. Often set in unnamed locations, they delve into imaginary and fantastical worlds, while remaining grounded in recognisable situations and spaces. I draw inspiration from popular and genre fiction such as horror, crime fiction and true crime stories, but approach my writing from a psychological lens, employing stylistic experimentation to challenge readers' expectations. The power of silence is a recurring motif. Rather than focusing on unearthing facts or revealing the "truth" like crime fiction often does, my narratives delve into what isn't or at times cannot be told — the unsayable. Some of my stories explore silence inherent in violence, grief, and the inability to articulate one's experience in the face of a violent act or a life prematurely ended. Others delve into the silence of untold stories and the dark secrets of the perpetrators. By exploring these contrasting perspectives, I aim to offer a nuanced exploration of death and its aftermath. The writing styles of Stephen Graham Jones, Lydia Davis, and Kuzhali Manickavel influence my work. Lydia Davis, known for her mastery of very short, flash fiction, ranging from single sentences to a paragraph or two, inspires me with her precise observations of the human condition. Her minimalist prose, carefully selecting and arranging words and sentences, encapsulates the power of less-is-more storytelling. Manickavel creates surreal yet tangible worlds, combining idiosyncratic, intense and eerie elements with unfiltered expression. Drawing from her ability to blur the lines between the surreal and the real, I infuse my stories with a sense of disquieting authenticity. Stephen Graham Jones stands out for his ability to explore morbid themes in a compelling and unconventional manner. His experimentation with horror fiction tropes, the visceral realism of his prose, and his complex characters inspire me to capture the unsettling feeling that something dreadful has occurred without explicitly detailing the facts and intricacies. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
- Authors: Namukuta, Sonia Charity Sajjabi
- Date: 2024-04-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435536 , vital:73166
- Description: My thesis is a collection of short stories that delve into the multifaceted nature of death, with a specific emphasis on murder, violence, death and their profound aftermath, including themes of loss, grief, and trauma. These stories offer diverse perspectives, narrated by perpetrators, voiceless victims, and those left to pick up the shattered pieces. Additionally, some stories are seen through the eyes of those tasked with handling the bodies. Often set in unnamed locations, they delve into imaginary and fantastical worlds, while remaining grounded in recognisable situations and spaces. I draw inspiration from popular and genre fiction such as horror, crime fiction and true crime stories, but approach my writing from a psychological lens, employing stylistic experimentation to challenge readers' expectations. The power of silence is a recurring motif. Rather than focusing on unearthing facts or revealing the "truth" like crime fiction often does, my narratives delve into what isn't or at times cannot be told — the unsayable. Some of my stories explore silence inherent in violence, grief, and the inability to articulate one's experience in the face of a violent act or a life prematurely ended. Others delve into the silence of untold stories and the dark secrets of the perpetrators. By exploring these contrasting perspectives, I aim to offer a nuanced exploration of death and its aftermath. The writing styles of Stephen Graham Jones, Lydia Davis, and Kuzhali Manickavel influence my work. Lydia Davis, known for her mastery of very short, flash fiction, ranging from single sentences to a paragraph or two, inspires me with her precise observations of the human condition. Her minimalist prose, carefully selecting and arranging words and sentences, encapsulates the power of less-is-more storytelling. Manickavel creates surreal yet tangible worlds, combining idiosyncratic, intense and eerie elements with unfiltered expression. Drawing from her ability to blur the lines between the surreal and the real, I infuse my stories with a sense of disquieting authenticity. Stephen Graham Jones stands out for his ability to explore morbid themes in a compelling and unconventional manner. His experimentation with horror fiction tropes, the visceral realism of his prose, and his complex characters inspire me to capture the unsettling feeling that something dreadful has occurred without explicitly detailing the facts and intricacies. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-04-04
A distributed approach to leadership in an academic department in a South African university: an exploratory case study
- Authors: Haufiku, Kenneth David
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Universities and colleges Administration , Education, Higher South Africa , Distributed leadership , College department heads South Africa , School management and organization South Africa , Group decision making
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419748 , vital:71672
- Description: The Head of Department (HOD) position at a university has traditionally been viewed as an individual construct. However, due to the demanding nature of such a position, it is not sought-after, as it remains exclusive and unappealing to many academics. Moreover, it is a position that does not encourage inclusive leadership. Tension and role ambiguity are known to arise between the scholarly project on the one hand and management and administrative matters on the other. To address challenges associated with this singular leadership position, an academic department at a South African university adopted a distributed leadership approach in their department as a research experiment. My study was based on this research experiment. I designed this research as an exploratory case study, guided by a socio-cultural conceptualisation of distributed leadership that included a leader-plus and a practice aspect, defined as a product of the interactions of school leaders, followers and their situation. This qualitative case study aimed to describe and explain how a distributed leadership approach was understood and practised in an academic department. It also investigated the enablements and constraints of the approach. Data were generated through document analysis, observation, and individual and focus group interviews. The participants in this study included the departmental leadership team and the department’s academic and administrative staff. Unfortunately, my study took place during the global COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdowns. I had no choice but to adapt my data generation methods due to lockdown restrictions. As a result, most data generation was done via online communication. The study used inductive and abductive analysis to make the data meaningful to the reader. The findings revealed that different participants had different ideas about distributed leadership. Distributed leadership was understood as a socio-cultural practice rather than an individual practice with multiple leaders in relational practice. In addition, this approach was understood as a way of developing and sharing expertise by encouraging teamwork, collegiality and collective decision-making which aligns with the notion of democratic decision-making which creates a platform for the enablement of leadership in others. The study further explored how distributed leadership was practised. The findings were that the HOD position, usually a one-person role, was reconceptualised as a HOD team comprised of three academics and the departmental administrator. The HOD team divided the work among themselves, and this was done according to each individual’s expertise. In addition, leadership within the academic department was not limited to the HOD team but stretched across the department; thus, multiple leaders were evident. Therefore, based on the data, this study discovered that a distributed approach values leadership expertise in others. Consequently, it can be used to promote an inclusive environment in which any organisation member can lead. Inclusivity in the decision-making process was also regarded as a strong practice in the academic department. As a result, this study contends that those in formal positions can develop leadership in others through a distributed leadership approach. Through that, lecturer leadership was enacted through formal faculty and university structures and informally as and when the situation required it. The enablements of this departmental leadership approach included the structural innovation of the Friday check-in as well as the buddy system. These two innovations provided the space for collegiality and the development of voice and leadership. The consultative nature of the HOD team was also viewed as an enablement. Certain factors constrained the distributed leadership approach, one of which was the tension between the hierarchical structure of the university and the more horizontal, distributed leadership approach being piloted in the academic department. In addition to that, another constraint was also very real with the transition to Zoom as an online teaching, learning and supervision platform as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The final constraint was experienced concerning the department’s history, as it was within a historically White university in South Africa. The effects of this history impacted the departmental culture and, as we know from the literature, institutional culture is extremely difficult to change. Finally, the study concluded that conceptualising distributed leadership as a sociocultural practice with leader-plus and practice aspects provides descriptive language and a solid theoretical and analytical framework for a distributed leadership study. The study makes an important knowledge contribution in the African Higher Education context as limited research has been carried out in this area. Furthermore, in terms of practice, my study serves as a stimulus for leadership discussions that are beneficial to everyone involved in educational institutions as they promote a level of leadership reflexivity, currently absent in many institutions. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Haufiku, Kenneth David
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Universities and colleges Administration , Education, Higher South Africa , Distributed leadership , College department heads South Africa , School management and organization South Africa , Group decision making
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419748 , vital:71672
- Description: The Head of Department (HOD) position at a university has traditionally been viewed as an individual construct. However, due to the demanding nature of such a position, it is not sought-after, as it remains exclusive and unappealing to many academics. Moreover, it is a position that does not encourage inclusive leadership. Tension and role ambiguity are known to arise between the scholarly project on the one hand and management and administrative matters on the other. To address challenges associated with this singular leadership position, an academic department at a South African university adopted a distributed leadership approach in their department as a research experiment. My study was based on this research experiment. I designed this research as an exploratory case study, guided by a socio-cultural conceptualisation of distributed leadership that included a leader-plus and a practice aspect, defined as a product of the interactions of school leaders, followers and their situation. This qualitative case study aimed to describe and explain how a distributed leadership approach was understood and practised in an academic department. It also investigated the enablements and constraints of the approach. Data were generated through document analysis, observation, and individual and focus group interviews. The participants in this study included the departmental leadership team and the department’s academic and administrative staff. Unfortunately, my study took place during the global COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdowns. I had no choice but to adapt my data generation methods due to lockdown restrictions. As a result, most data generation was done via online communication. The study used inductive and abductive analysis to make the data meaningful to the reader. The findings revealed that different participants had different ideas about distributed leadership. Distributed leadership was understood as a socio-cultural practice rather than an individual practice with multiple leaders in relational practice. In addition, this approach was understood as a way of developing and sharing expertise by encouraging teamwork, collegiality and collective decision-making which aligns with the notion of democratic decision-making which creates a platform for the enablement of leadership in others. The study further explored how distributed leadership was practised. The findings were that the HOD position, usually a one-person role, was reconceptualised as a HOD team comprised of three academics and the departmental administrator. The HOD team divided the work among themselves, and this was done according to each individual’s expertise. In addition, leadership within the academic department was not limited to the HOD team but stretched across the department; thus, multiple leaders were evident. Therefore, based on the data, this study discovered that a distributed approach values leadership expertise in others. Consequently, it can be used to promote an inclusive environment in which any organisation member can lead. Inclusivity in the decision-making process was also regarded as a strong practice in the academic department. As a result, this study contends that those in formal positions can develop leadership in others through a distributed leadership approach. Through that, lecturer leadership was enacted through formal faculty and university structures and informally as and when the situation required it. The enablements of this departmental leadership approach included the structural innovation of the Friday check-in as well as the buddy system. These two innovations provided the space for collegiality and the development of voice and leadership. The consultative nature of the HOD team was also viewed as an enablement. Certain factors constrained the distributed leadership approach, one of which was the tension between the hierarchical structure of the university and the more horizontal, distributed leadership approach being piloted in the academic department. In addition to that, another constraint was also very real with the transition to Zoom as an online teaching, learning and supervision platform as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The final constraint was experienced concerning the department’s history, as it was within a historically White university in South Africa. The effects of this history impacted the departmental culture and, as we know from the literature, institutional culture is extremely difficult to change. Finally, the study concluded that conceptualising distributed leadership as a sociocultural practice with leader-plus and practice aspects provides descriptive language and a solid theoretical and analytical framework for a distributed leadership study. The study makes an important knowledge contribution in the African Higher Education context as limited research has been carried out in this area. Furthermore, in terms of practice, my study serves as a stimulus for leadership discussions that are beneficial to everyone involved in educational institutions as they promote a level of leadership reflexivity, currently absent in many institutions. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Application of web design techniques and best practices in implementing web development, maintenance and enhancement of RUBi websites and web application systems
- Authors: Tshabalalala, Thulani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424688 , vital:72175
- Description: The popularity of the web has seen various fields, such as the sciences taking advantage of this resource to further their scientific endeavours. This has seen science groups moving into developing websites and web applications, and such a group is the Research Unit in Bioinformative (RUBi). With the use of the web, the development and maintenance of whatever web-related tools become inevitable, given the continuous changes in the web space. This continuous evolution of web development and maintenance will come with techniques, principles and standards which will not only enable faster development of web entities but also ensure that modern hardware, fulfilment of the requirements to use such hardware and modern concepts are incorporated into forming web tools that enable such progression. Furthermore, introducing the previously mentioned progress of the web becomes an essential part of its development and maintenance. This paper did implement the processes of progressing the web using the technique of documentation and version control systems. The web development for the COVIDRUG website was done for the Covidrug-Africa Consortium (COVIDRUG) using the Django webdevelopment framework. The RUBi website and the MDM-Task we band the Job Management System (JMS) web applications were maintained for the maintenance aspect. Archives brought value regarding the traceability it provides of the various web-related aspects. The development showed a website’s potential value, particularly for research groups. The maintenance carried out showed how different techniques and approaches could be used in different maintenance prospects to achieve set objectives. The development and maintenance resulted in websites and web applications that have the features stated in their respective maintenance plans. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Tshabalalala, Thulani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424688 , vital:72175
- Description: The popularity of the web has seen various fields, such as the sciences taking advantage of this resource to further their scientific endeavours. This has seen science groups moving into developing websites and web applications, and such a group is the Research Unit in Bioinformative (RUBi). With the use of the web, the development and maintenance of whatever web-related tools become inevitable, given the continuous changes in the web space. This continuous evolution of web development and maintenance will come with techniques, principles and standards which will not only enable faster development of web entities but also ensure that modern hardware, fulfilment of the requirements to use such hardware and modern concepts are incorporated into forming web tools that enable such progression. Furthermore, introducing the previously mentioned progress of the web becomes an essential part of its development and maintenance. This paper did implement the processes of progressing the web using the technique of documentation and version control systems. The web development for the COVIDRUG website was done for the Covidrug-Africa Consortium (COVIDRUG) using the Django webdevelopment framework. The RUBi website and the MDM-Task we band the Job Management System (JMS) web applications were maintained for the maintenance aspect. Archives brought value regarding the traceability it provides of the various web-related aspects. The development showed a website’s potential value, particularly for research groups. The maintenance carried out showed how different techniques and approaches could be used in different maintenance prospects to achieve set objectives. The development and maintenance resulted in websites and web applications that have the features stated in their respective maintenance plans. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages from coastal and inland lakes of South Africa
- Authors: Nkibi, Esethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Aquatic biodiversity South Africa , Indicators (Biology) , Lakes South Africa , Physicochemical process , Salinity , Phytoplankton , Aquatic macroinvertebrates
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424435 , vital:72153
- Description: Freshwater lakes are generally defined as permanent natural standing water bodies, with some of them having a direct and indirect connection with groundwater, rivers, and the ocean. Freshwater lakes provide essential socio-economic and ecological goods and services including recreation, aesthetic, support aquatic biodiversity, food in a form of fisheries and water for domestic use. Given their critical role in sustainability in providing socio-economic services, freshwater lakes are among the most threatened ecosystems globally due to intense human impacts over the last decades. South Africa has limited freshwater lakes, which according to the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA 2018), we know little about their current biology except historic aquatic biodiversity studies conducted in the early 1940s. There are no management strategies in place to protect and conserve freshwater lake biodiversity and important ecosystem services. This thesis aims to: (1) produce a biodiversity inventory of phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species and, (2) investigate important environmental drivers responsible for phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition from six South African freshwater lakes. It was hypothesized that the three lake types will show different phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates species composition attributed by the geographical region (coastal and inland lake) and related physico-chemical parameters. Study sites consisted of two Northern KwaZulu-Natal coastal lakes (hereafter Coastal Lakes, CL) i.e., Lake Sibaya, Lake Mzingazi; two fresh inland lakes (hereafter Fresh Inland Lakes, FIL) i.e., Lake Banagher fresh and Lake Tevrede Se Pan; and two inland salt lakes (hereafter Salt Inland Lakes, SIL) i.e., Lake Banagher salt and Lake Chrissiesmeer, all inland lakes are situated in Mpumalanga province, together with other Pans making up the Mpumalanga Lake District of South Africa. The study sites were categorized based on their geographical position i.e., coastal vs inland and physico-chemical characteristics i.e., the presence and absence of aquatic vegetation, dominate substrate, salinity and different physico-chemical concentration i.e., Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected from four littoral zone sites (< 1-meter depth) around each lake, whereas phytoplankton samples were collected from four water column sites (> 5-meters depth) and (0.5-meter depth) from the water surface at each lake during summer and winter season. The results were consistent with our hypothesis that both phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition were influenced by physico-chemical parameters and that the differences in salinity concentration and aquatic vegetation between CL, FIL, and SIL were the driving factors for phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition. In summary, one hundred and twenty-two phytoplankton taxa were collected and identified during this study, belonging to seven Phyla which included Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, Cyanophyta, Chrysophyta, Dinophyta, Euglenophyta, and Cryptophyta. The most abundant phytoplankton groups were Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. Phytoplankton relative taxa abundance, Pielou’s evenness, taxa richness, and Shannon diversity were significantly different between lake types. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, on the other hand, summed up to 10 orders, 67 families, and 80 taxa. The most abundant group were the order Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, and Gastropoda. Aquatic macroinvertebrate relative taxa abundance, taxa richness, and Shannon diversity were also significantly different between lake types. Aquatic macroinvertebrate relative taxa abundance, Pielous evenness, and Shannon diversity index were not significant between seasons, and only taxa richness was significant. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) results further showed unique and distinct phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates community composition between lake types. The present study provides baseline biodiversity inventory (or species list) for important lake ecosystems biological indicators i.e., phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates and species composition in relation to lake type for six freshwater lakes in South Africa. Furthermore, the study provides empirical evidence that will inform policy and the development of management strategies for freshwater lakes in South Africa which is currently missing. The current study will also contribute to the next National Biodiversity Assessment Report (2024), concerning the freshwater lakes biological data deficiency noted in the previous NBA (2018) report. The study will also fill up the gaps to better understand species composition in lake systems and how they function which is currently limited. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Nkibi, Esethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Aquatic biodiversity South Africa , Indicators (Biology) , Lakes South Africa , Physicochemical process , Salinity , Phytoplankton , Aquatic macroinvertebrates
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424435 , vital:72153
- Description: Freshwater lakes are generally defined as permanent natural standing water bodies, with some of them having a direct and indirect connection with groundwater, rivers, and the ocean. Freshwater lakes provide essential socio-economic and ecological goods and services including recreation, aesthetic, support aquatic biodiversity, food in a form of fisheries and water for domestic use. Given their critical role in sustainability in providing socio-economic services, freshwater lakes are among the most threatened ecosystems globally due to intense human impacts over the last decades. South Africa has limited freshwater lakes, which according to the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA 2018), we know little about their current biology except historic aquatic biodiversity studies conducted in the early 1940s. There are no management strategies in place to protect and conserve freshwater lake biodiversity and important ecosystem services. This thesis aims to: (1) produce a biodiversity inventory of phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species and, (2) investigate important environmental drivers responsible for phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition from six South African freshwater lakes. It was hypothesized that the three lake types will show different phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates species composition attributed by the geographical region (coastal and inland lake) and related physico-chemical parameters. Study sites consisted of two Northern KwaZulu-Natal coastal lakes (hereafter Coastal Lakes, CL) i.e., Lake Sibaya, Lake Mzingazi; two fresh inland lakes (hereafter Fresh Inland Lakes, FIL) i.e., Lake Banagher fresh and Lake Tevrede Se Pan; and two inland salt lakes (hereafter Salt Inland Lakes, SIL) i.e., Lake Banagher salt and Lake Chrissiesmeer, all inland lakes are situated in Mpumalanga province, together with other Pans making up the Mpumalanga Lake District of South Africa. The study sites were categorized based on their geographical position i.e., coastal vs inland and physico-chemical characteristics i.e., the presence and absence of aquatic vegetation, dominate substrate, salinity and different physico-chemical concentration i.e., Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected from four littoral zone sites (< 1-meter depth) around each lake, whereas phytoplankton samples were collected from four water column sites (> 5-meters depth) and (0.5-meter depth) from the water surface at each lake during summer and winter season. The results were consistent with our hypothesis that both phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition were influenced by physico-chemical parameters and that the differences in salinity concentration and aquatic vegetation between CL, FIL, and SIL were the driving factors for phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition. In summary, one hundred and twenty-two phytoplankton taxa were collected and identified during this study, belonging to seven Phyla which included Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, Cyanophyta, Chrysophyta, Dinophyta, Euglenophyta, and Cryptophyta. The most abundant phytoplankton groups were Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. Phytoplankton relative taxa abundance, Pielou’s evenness, taxa richness, and Shannon diversity were significantly different between lake types. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, on the other hand, summed up to 10 orders, 67 families, and 80 taxa. The most abundant group were the order Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, and Gastropoda. Aquatic macroinvertebrate relative taxa abundance, taxa richness, and Shannon diversity were also significantly different between lake types. Aquatic macroinvertebrate relative taxa abundance, Pielous evenness, and Shannon diversity index were not significant between seasons, and only taxa richness was significant. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) results further showed unique and distinct phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates community composition between lake types. The present study provides baseline biodiversity inventory (or species list) for important lake ecosystems biological indicators i.e., phytoplankton and aquatic macroinvertebrates and species composition in relation to lake type for six freshwater lakes in South Africa. Furthermore, the study provides empirical evidence that will inform policy and the development of management strategies for freshwater lakes in South Africa which is currently missing. The current study will also contribute to the next National Biodiversity Assessment Report (2024), concerning the freshwater lakes biological data deficiency noted in the previous NBA (2018) report. The study will also fill up the gaps to better understand species composition in lake systems and how they function which is currently limited. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Expression, partial characterisation and utilization of a GH11 xylanase (Xyn2A) from Trichoderma viride as an additive in monogastric animal feeds
- Mzimkulu-Ncoyi, Nosabatha Happyness
- Authors: Mzimkulu-Ncoyi, Nosabatha Happyness
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Feed additives , Xylanases , Trichoderma viride , Monogastric , Polysaccharides , Plant cell walls , Prebiotics
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422409 , vital:71940
- Description: Endo-xylanases (shortly called xylanases) are a group of glycoside hydrolase enzymes that target β-D-1,4-linkages in the xylan backbone, leading to the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) of varying degree of polymerization (DP). Xylan is an indigestible non-starch polysaccharide present in monogastric animal feeds which in high amounts leads to increased digesta viscosity, slow movement of digesta in the intestines, malabsorption of nutrients among other challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of xylanase 2A (Xyn2A) from Trichoderma viride on broiler chicken feeds, particularly the hydrolysis of the xylan content, reduction of feed viscosity and the effect of produced XOS on eliciting the growth of gut associated probiotic bacteria. Xyn2AE was successfully induced with 0.8 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and produced in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and Xyn2AC was expressed in tobacco mosaic plants. For the purification of Xyn2AE, an immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) column and diafiltration using a 3kDa cut-off Amicon filter membranes were used. Xyn2AE and Xyn2AC showed a xylanase active band at a relative weight of 21 kDa. Both enzymes showed high specificity towards soluble wheat arabinoxylan (WAX), with specific activities of 7.61 U/mg for Xyn2AE and 536.5 U/mg for Xyn2AC. Xyn2A kinetic parameters (Vmax and Km) were determined by Michaelis-Menten plots on soluble and insoluble WAX. The Vmax and Km values of Xyn2AC were 1003.01 U/mg and 9.25 mg/mL, 302.89 U/mg and 13.54 mg/mL, respectively. The Vmax and Km values of Xyn2AE for soluble and insoluble WAX were 20.45 U/mg and 12.95 mg/mL, and 8.31 U/mg and 13.15 mg/mL. Xyn2A enzymes displayed optimum activity at pH and temperature parameters of 5.0 and 50°C, respectively, and stability in temperatures ranging between 50 and 80°C and pH 4.0-9.0. Broiler chicken feeds were hydrolysed using Xyn2AE over a 24 h period and analysed using the dinitrosalicylic (DNS) assay, thin layer chromatography (TLC), viscometry and visualized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed a release of release of XOS xylotriose, xylopentose and xylohexose; enzyme’s ability to decrease the viscosity of the feeds and punched holes of feed surface, which was indicative of xylanase action. XOS produced during hydrolysis was used to study prebiotic effect on selected few bacteria and released short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured. Additionally, SCFAs formation was detected in the presence of XOS as a carbon source for S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus, whereas B. subtilis formed fewer organic acids in the presence of XOS. The results obtained from this study demonstrated that the supplementation of Xyn2A on broiler feeds has ii a positive effect in decreasing feed viscosity. Furthermore, the results of this investigation will assist the South African poultry farming sector to increase profitability in poultry farming and gain stability in the global trade as far as poultry feed is concerned. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Mzimkulu-Ncoyi, Nosabatha Happyness
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Feed additives , Xylanases , Trichoderma viride , Monogastric , Polysaccharides , Plant cell walls , Prebiotics
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422409 , vital:71940
- Description: Endo-xylanases (shortly called xylanases) are a group of glycoside hydrolase enzymes that target β-D-1,4-linkages in the xylan backbone, leading to the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) of varying degree of polymerization (DP). Xylan is an indigestible non-starch polysaccharide present in monogastric animal feeds which in high amounts leads to increased digesta viscosity, slow movement of digesta in the intestines, malabsorption of nutrients among other challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of xylanase 2A (Xyn2A) from Trichoderma viride on broiler chicken feeds, particularly the hydrolysis of the xylan content, reduction of feed viscosity and the effect of produced XOS on eliciting the growth of gut associated probiotic bacteria. Xyn2AE was successfully induced with 0.8 mM isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) and produced in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and Xyn2AC was expressed in tobacco mosaic plants. For the purification of Xyn2AE, an immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) column and diafiltration using a 3kDa cut-off Amicon filter membranes were used. Xyn2AE and Xyn2AC showed a xylanase active band at a relative weight of 21 kDa. Both enzymes showed high specificity towards soluble wheat arabinoxylan (WAX), with specific activities of 7.61 U/mg for Xyn2AE and 536.5 U/mg for Xyn2AC. Xyn2A kinetic parameters (Vmax and Km) were determined by Michaelis-Menten plots on soluble and insoluble WAX. The Vmax and Km values of Xyn2AC were 1003.01 U/mg and 9.25 mg/mL, 302.89 U/mg and 13.54 mg/mL, respectively. The Vmax and Km values of Xyn2AE for soluble and insoluble WAX were 20.45 U/mg and 12.95 mg/mL, and 8.31 U/mg and 13.15 mg/mL. Xyn2A enzymes displayed optimum activity at pH and temperature parameters of 5.0 and 50°C, respectively, and stability in temperatures ranging between 50 and 80°C and pH 4.0-9.0. Broiler chicken feeds were hydrolysed using Xyn2AE over a 24 h period and analysed using the dinitrosalicylic (DNS) assay, thin layer chromatography (TLC), viscometry and visualized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed a release of release of XOS xylotriose, xylopentose and xylohexose; enzyme’s ability to decrease the viscosity of the feeds and punched holes of feed surface, which was indicative of xylanase action. XOS produced during hydrolysis was used to study prebiotic effect on selected few bacteria and released short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured. Additionally, SCFAs formation was detected in the presence of XOS as a carbon source for S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus, whereas B. subtilis formed fewer organic acids in the presence of XOS. The results obtained from this study demonstrated that the supplementation of Xyn2A on broiler feeds has ii a positive effect in decreasing feed viscosity. Furthermore, the results of this investigation will assist the South African poultry farming sector to increase profitability in poultry farming and gain stability in the global trade as far as poultry feed is concerned. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
The distribution and perceptions of invasive alien plants in small towns in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
- Authors: Seboko, Tshepiso Collen
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Invasive plants South Africa Eastern Cape , Land use South Africa Eastern Cape , Invasive plants Control South Africa Eastern Cape , Public opinion South Africa Eastern Cape , Urban ecology (Biology) South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65669
- Description: Invasive alien plants (IAP) of different life forms have major effects on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, economies, and livelihoods worldwide. There is evidence that IAP are rapidly increasing around the world, and the negative impacts associated with them are expected to worsen due to continuing land transformation, climate change, and urbanisation. Yet, information on the distribution, abundance, knowledge, and perceptions of IAP is limited, especially in small towns. Most previous research has largely focused on rural settings and larger cities, thus hindering the effective control and management of IAP in smaller urban settings. It is therefore important to assess the distribution of IAP to provide useful information to guide clearing and mitigation efforts to reduce the impacts and proliferation of IAP in smaller urban settings. Consequently, the aim of the study was to determine the distribution, composition, abundance, and perceptions of woody IAP in small towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and assess how and why they may differ within and between towns. To achieve this aim, a drive by road survey was undertaken across all suburbs and land use types in 12 small towns located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The 12 randomly selected small towns were, Adelaide, Alexandria, Barkley East, Bedford, Burgersdorp, Cathcart, Kirkwood, Middelburg, Paterson, Somerset East, St. Francis Bay and Willowmore. All woody IAP visible from the surveyed roads were counted across all suburbs and land use types within each town. A total of 38 427 woody IAP were enumerated, with 56 species across different land use types and suburbs in all towns. Affluent suburbs accounted for 58% of the IAP enumerated, while the Reconstructed Development Programme (RDP) suburbs accounted for only 5%. In terms of the land use type, most of the IAP were encountered in the residential areas (54%), as compared to, road verges (32%) and public urban green spaces (PUGS) (14%). Of the 12 towns, Middleburg had the highest number of woody IAP, with 5 573 individuals, while Paterson had the lowest number with 947. The most common IAP species across all towns was Melia azedarach with 4 384 individuals, followed by Pinus elliotti (4 051), and Jacaranda mimosifolia (3 640). Spathodea campanulata, Ardisia crenata, and Parkinsonia aculeata had the lowest number of individuals with only two individuals each across all towns. This study also assessed the knowledge, perceptions, and willingness of urban residents to control IAP in their home yards using household surveys. A total of 240 household surveys were administered in the 12 towns. The results showed that more than half of the respondents (59%) had no knowledge of IAP, while 14% had neutral knowledge and only 2% had high knowledge. Forty percent of the respondents agreed that IAP pose a problem to the environment whilst 11% did not think IAP posed a problem to the environment, and 49% stated that they do not know. Most of the respondents (91%) perceived IAP positively, and stated that they benefit from the IAP, with the most mentioned benefit being shade (50%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents (65%) were willing to report on the IAP in their yards to the relevant authorities that deal with the control and management of IAP. Over half (56%) of the respondents were willing to have the IAP removed from their gardens, with the most stated reason for removal was because the IAP caused damage to property (13%). Respondents thought that the local government (35%) or district government (30%) should be responsible for the control and management of IAP. Overall, the study showed that IAP species were most common in residential land use type and affluent suburbs. These findings can assist the relevant authorities that deal with IAP, regarding which plant species, suburbs, and land use types to prioritise regarding awareness and investment for control and management. This will also help explore alternative indigenous species that can be used as replacements that may offer the same benefits derived from IAP by urban residents. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Seboko, Tshepiso Collen
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Invasive plants South Africa Eastern Cape , Land use South Africa Eastern Cape , Invasive plants Control South Africa Eastern Cape , Public opinion South Africa Eastern Cape , Urban ecology (Biology) South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65669
- Description: Invasive alien plants (IAP) of different life forms have major effects on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, economies, and livelihoods worldwide. There is evidence that IAP are rapidly increasing around the world, and the negative impacts associated with them are expected to worsen due to continuing land transformation, climate change, and urbanisation. Yet, information on the distribution, abundance, knowledge, and perceptions of IAP is limited, especially in small towns. Most previous research has largely focused on rural settings and larger cities, thus hindering the effective control and management of IAP in smaller urban settings. It is therefore important to assess the distribution of IAP to provide useful information to guide clearing and mitigation efforts to reduce the impacts and proliferation of IAP in smaller urban settings. Consequently, the aim of the study was to determine the distribution, composition, abundance, and perceptions of woody IAP in small towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and assess how and why they may differ within and between towns. To achieve this aim, a drive by road survey was undertaken across all suburbs and land use types in 12 small towns located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The 12 randomly selected small towns were, Adelaide, Alexandria, Barkley East, Bedford, Burgersdorp, Cathcart, Kirkwood, Middelburg, Paterson, Somerset East, St. Francis Bay and Willowmore. All woody IAP visible from the surveyed roads were counted across all suburbs and land use types within each town. A total of 38 427 woody IAP were enumerated, with 56 species across different land use types and suburbs in all towns. Affluent suburbs accounted for 58% of the IAP enumerated, while the Reconstructed Development Programme (RDP) suburbs accounted for only 5%. In terms of the land use type, most of the IAP were encountered in the residential areas (54%), as compared to, road verges (32%) and public urban green spaces (PUGS) (14%). Of the 12 towns, Middleburg had the highest number of woody IAP, with 5 573 individuals, while Paterson had the lowest number with 947. The most common IAP species across all towns was Melia azedarach with 4 384 individuals, followed by Pinus elliotti (4 051), and Jacaranda mimosifolia (3 640). Spathodea campanulata, Ardisia crenata, and Parkinsonia aculeata had the lowest number of individuals with only two individuals each across all towns. This study also assessed the knowledge, perceptions, and willingness of urban residents to control IAP in their home yards using household surveys. A total of 240 household surveys were administered in the 12 towns. The results showed that more than half of the respondents (59%) had no knowledge of IAP, while 14% had neutral knowledge and only 2% had high knowledge. Forty percent of the respondents agreed that IAP pose a problem to the environment whilst 11% did not think IAP posed a problem to the environment, and 49% stated that they do not know. Most of the respondents (91%) perceived IAP positively, and stated that they benefit from the IAP, with the most mentioned benefit being shade (50%). Almost two-thirds of the respondents (65%) were willing to report on the IAP in their yards to the relevant authorities that deal with the control and management of IAP. Over half (56%) of the respondents were willing to have the IAP removed from their gardens, with the most stated reason for removal was because the IAP caused damage to property (13%). Respondents thought that the local government (35%) or district government (30%) should be responsible for the control and management of IAP. Overall, the study showed that IAP species were most common in residential land use type and affluent suburbs. These findings can assist the relevant authorities that deal with IAP, regarding which plant species, suburbs, and land use types to prioritise regarding awareness and investment for control and management. This will also help explore alternative indigenous species that can be used as replacements that may offer the same benefits derived from IAP by urban residents. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Anthropological Inquiry into the causes of Measles within the community of Moletji- Ramakgaphola, Limpopo Province, South Africa
- Authors: Kolobe,Hlonyana Dimakatso
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Measles –Vaccination--Limpompo , Traditional medicine – Limpompo-South Africa , Medical anthropology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59315 , vital:62032
- Description: The study is a multidisciplinary study constituting both Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Medical Anthropology, which focuses on people's health and well-being and the possible cultural ways of dealing with factors influencing their health and well-being. The study aim is to explore the Community members of Moletji-Ramakgaphola's Indigenous knowledge of the causes of measles. The objectives of the study were as follows, to investigate what are the community of Moletji's views on the causes of measles, to contribute within the Medical Anthropology with specific reference to MoletjiRamakgaphola in the Limpopo Province and lastly to come up with recommendations on how indigenous knowledge can be incorporated in the epidemiology of Measles. The study followed a qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used with snowballing as a technique. Data was collected through observations and face to face interviews with an interview schedule. Scientific research procedures and ethics were respected and maintained throughout the research process from the initial stage to the last. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. Relevant literature was also consulted, and indigenous healing was used as a conceptual framework to understand measles within the Moletji-Ramakgaphola community. Lastly, an outline of every chapter of this report was presented together with the research findings and recommendations. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Kolobe,Hlonyana Dimakatso
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Measles –Vaccination--Limpompo , Traditional medicine – Limpompo-South Africa , Medical anthropology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59315 , vital:62032
- Description: The study is a multidisciplinary study constituting both Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Medical Anthropology, which focuses on people's health and well-being and the possible cultural ways of dealing with factors influencing their health and well-being. The study aim is to explore the Community members of Moletji-Ramakgaphola's Indigenous knowledge of the causes of measles. The objectives of the study were as follows, to investigate what are the community of Moletji's views on the causes of measles, to contribute within the Medical Anthropology with specific reference to MoletjiRamakgaphola in the Limpopo Province and lastly to come up with recommendations on how indigenous knowledge can be incorporated in the epidemiology of Measles. The study followed a qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used with snowballing as a technique. Data was collected through observations and face to face interviews with an interview schedule. Scientific research procedures and ethics were respected and maintained throughout the research process from the initial stage to the last. The collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. Relevant literature was also consulted, and indigenous healing was used as a conceptual framework to understand measles within the Moletji-Ramakgaphola community. Lastly, an outline of every chapter of this report was presented together with the research findings and recommendations. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Recruitment disruptors: an exploratory study on the perception of artificial intelligence amongst selected Eastern Cape Province recruiters
- Authors: Sobekwa, Sinazo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232238 , vital:49974
- Description: Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
- Authors: Sobekwa, Sinazo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232238 , vital:49974
- Description: Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04
Mapping the importance of public participation in the expropriation of land without compensation bill: a case of Silver Town in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Ngwabeni, Siyasanga
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54541 , vital:46686
- Description: The post-1994 era in the South African public imagination was envisaged to herald widespread and transformative efforts to reverse the gross injustices and human rights violations inflicted over many decades of apartheid and colonialism. One of the key measures initiated by the democratic government to drive this nation building project was the land reform programme. The ‘land question’, which is a popular tagline in South Africa when reference is made to land reform, has come to define the general discourse of socioeconomic disadvantage and change in the post-apartheid and post-colonial period – similarly to other former settler colonies in the African continent and the broader Global South. For South Africa though, this specific issue has been characterised by numerous challenges and failures largely at the level of the state, wherein a significant lack of public engagement, public participation and democratic redistribution was not being done according to ‘the will of the people’. On a number of occasions, the South African state has gone on a ‘solo crusade’ to implement the land reform programme under complex conditions that are largely unfavoured by ordinary people ‘on the ground’ – especially those who were the primary victims of land dispossession under colonialism and apartheid. As a result, over the past few years, indigenous black communities across the country especially in (semi)urban and township areas have voluntarily ‘occupied’ land at their own will and sometimes ‘illegally’, as a way to take up settlement space and determine their lives on the land of their birth. Beyond the public discourse of ‘land invasions’ and ‘failed land reform projects’, this study was conducted to closely understand the extent to which public engagement and participation has been integral in the systematic mechanism(s) to transform the patterns of land ownership and control in the democratic South Africa. To do this, the site of KwaZakhele, Silvertown, in Port Elizabeth was selected to conduct the study. This township is an outcome of apartheid geography and land dispossession where many generations of indigenous black people were displaced. Today, it is a struggling community characterised by high rates of poverty and unemployment – and one of its unresolved socio-political issues is the question of the skewed patterns of land ownership in the area. Methodologically, qualitative semi-structured interviews were utilised to conduct the study and the Marxist Concept of Citizenship was selected as a theoretical framework for the study by the researcher. The study has found that, amongst the general legislative and political shortfalls of public participation breakdown, there are other deep seated structural socioeconomic issues that are at the root of the problem – such as economic inequalities and very low prospects of social mobility – which collectively reproduce the persistent inadequacies of political instability and social unrest in the area. The study recommends an astute combination of ‘bottom-up’ active citizenship and major socioeconomic transformation in the area as a systematic and structural mechanism to empower the community of Silvertown to be the champion of its own liberation struggle for the freedom of its people to own land and democratically participate in their own governance, self-determination, and prosperity. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Ngwabeni, Siyasanga
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54541 , vital:46686
- Description: The post-1994 era in the South African public imagination was envisaged to herald widespread and transformative efforts to reverse the gross injustices and human rights violations inflicted over many decades of apartheid and colonialism. One of the key measures initiated by the democratic government to drive this nation building project was the land reform programme. The ‘land question’, which is a popular tagline in South Africa when reference is made to land reform, has come to define the general discourse of socioeconomic disadvantage and change in the post-apartheid and post-colonial period – similarly to other former settler colonies in the African continent and the broader Global South. For South Africa though, this specific issue has been characterised by numerous challenges and failures largely at the level of the state, wherein a significant lack of public engagement, public participation and democratic redistribution was not being done according to ‘the will of the people’. On a number of occasions, the South African state has gone on a ‘solo crusade’ to implement the land reform programme under complex conditions that are largely unfavoured by ordinary people ‘on the ground’ – especially those who were the primary victims of land dispossession under colonialism and apartheid. As a result, over the past few years, indigenous black communities across the country especially in (semi)urban and township areas have voluntarily ‘occupied’ land at their own will and sometimes ‘illegally’, as a way to take up settlement space and determine their lives on the land of their birth. Beyond the public discourse of ‘land invasions’ and ‘failed land reform projects’, this study was conducted to closely understand the extent to which public engagement and participation has been integral in the systematic mechanism(s) to transform the patterns of land ownership and control in the democratic South Africa. To do this, the site of KwaZakhele, Silvertown, in Port Elizabeth was selected to conduct the study. This township is an outcome of apartheid geography and land dispossession where many generations of indigenous black people were displaced. Today, it is a struggling community characterised by high rates of poverty and unemployment – and one of its unresolved socio-political issues is the question of the skewed patterns of land ownership in the area. Methodologically, qualitative semi-structured interviews were utilised to conduct the study and the Marxist Concept of Citizenship was selected as a theoretical framework for the study by the researcher. The study has found that, amongst the general legislative and political shortfalls of public participation breakdown, there are other deep seated structural socioeconomic issues that are at the root of the problem – such as economic inequalities and very low prospects of social mobility – which collectively reproduce the persistent inadequacies of political instability and social unrest in the area. The study recommends an astute combination of ‘bottom-up’ active citizenship and major socioeconomic transformation in the area as a systematic and structural mechanism to empower the community of Silvertown to be the champion of its own liberation struggle for the freedom of its people to own land and democratically participate in their own governance, self-determination, and prosperity. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The Effect of financial sector development on International trade in South Africa
- Authors: Moyo, Ntando T
- Date: 2020-07
- Subjects: South Africa--Economic conditions. , Economic development--South Africa. , Finance--Africa.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22121 , vital:51986
- Description: Even though improving international trade through financial sector development is one of the preoccupations of countries around the world, the empirical literature on the relationship between finance and trade has not been rigorous in its analysis. The main aim of this study is to explore the effects financial sector development has on international trade in South Africa. The study utilized quarterly data from 2001Q1 to 2018Q4 employing the Johnson cointegration method and Granger causality to analyse the relationship between the variables of interests. Cointegration, the Vector Error Correction Model was also used to capture dynamics of both the short run and the long run effect. The findings show that there is a long-term relationship between the two variables of interest and the causality flows from Financial Development to the international trade. System generalized method of moment’s reveals differential effects of finance on trade. In particular, some variables has a negative impact on trade, whereas others increases trade. These effects are robust to macroeconomic measures as well as to trade measures. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-07
- Authors: Moyo, Ntando T
- Date: 2020-07
- Subjects: South Africa--Economic conditions. , Economic development--South Africa. , Finance--Africa.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22121 , vital:51986
- Description: Even though improving international trade through financial sector development is one of the preoccupations of countries around the world, the empirical literature on the relationship between finance and trade has not been rigorous in its analysis. The main aim of this study is to explore the effects financial sector development has on international trade in South Africa. The study utilized quarterly data from 2001Q1 to 2018Q4 employing the Johnson cointegration method and Granger causality to analyse the relationship between the variables of interests. Cointegration, the Vector Error Correction Model was also used to capture dynamics of both the short run and the long run effect. The findings show that there is a long-term relationship between the two variables of interest and the causality flows from Financial Development to the international trade. System generalized method of moment’s reveals differential effects of finance on trade. In particular, some variables has a negative impact on trade, whereas others increases trade. These effects are robust to macroeconomic measures as well as to trade measures. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-07
Soil erosion in South Africa
- Authors: Kitto, P H
- Date: 1936
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/193679 , vital:45385
- Description: The development of Soil Science in western Europe, eastern North America, and later in other countries, which, in its modern form only started about the beginning of the last century, might be said to mark the first step in the consideration of Soil Erosion from a scientific aspect, although it was some time before scientists began to concentrate on and study the problem as one which demanded a detailed investigation. Empirically, erosion has been noted and, where the value of the land warranted it, practical methods adopted for its control, in many cases with no small measure of success, for centuries, but the methods adopted were localised to small regions, and the major destruction went on unchecked. The seriousness of this destruction was usually not realised until too late, and striking examples exist of the complete desiccation resulting from this neglect. Those of China, Arabia, Mesopotamia and other countries have often been quoted, and need not be described again here. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 1936
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1936
- Authors: Kitto, P H
- Date: 1936
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/193679 , vital:45385
- Description: The development of Soil Science in western Europe, eastern North America, and later in other countries, which, in its modern form only started about the beginning of the last century, might be said to mark the first step in the consideration of Soil Erosion from a scientific aspect, although it was some time before scientists began to concentrate on and study the problem as one which demanded a detailed investigation. Empirically, erosion has been noted and, where the value of the land warranted it, practical methods adopted for its control, in many cases with no small measure of success, for centuries, but the methods adopted were localised to small regions, and the major destruction went on unchecked. The seriousness of this destruction was usually not realised until too late, and striking examples exist of the complete desiccation resulting from this neglect. Those of China, Arabia, Mesopotamia and other countries have often been quoted, and need not be described again here. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 1936
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1936
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