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Centrality of religiosity as a moderator of the relationship between workplace spirituality and organisational citizenship behaviour among police officers in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality

  • Authors: Noko, Sibongile
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Religion in the workplace Employees -- Religious life Organizational change
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12491 , vital:39268
  • Description: The significant positive relationships between workplace spirituality and organisational citizenship behaviour, as well as between centrality of religiosity and oganisational citizenship behaviour among police officers, confirm the relevance of social exchange theory and affective events theory to police officers’ behaviour. This study confirms the applicability of Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Affective Events Theory (AET). The current study utilized the SET and AET to examine the correlation between workplace spirituality and centrality of religiosity as well as organisational citizenship behaviour among Police officers in the Raymond Mlaba Local Municipality of the Eastern Cape. There is limited previous research concerning the influence of workplace spirituality and centrality of religiosity on organisational citizenship behaviour among police officers in the South African Police Services (SAPS) Department. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted. The sample (N= 100) consist of Police officers from Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality Police stations. Data were collected through the questionnaire method and SPSS was used for data analysis. A correlational analysis coupled with a simple linear regression analysis was utilised to determine whether there existed any significant relationship with the study’s theoretical attributes. The results of the simple linear regression indicated that workplace spirituality is positively correlated with organisational citizenship behaviour; which is similar to the centrality of religiosity. The results from multiple linear regression showed that the centrality of religiosity does moderate the correlation between workplace spirituality and organisational citizenship behaviour. The results of Multiple linear regression also showed that Workplace spirituality and centrality of religiosity both account for an extensively higher proportion vi of variance in organisational citizenship behaviour than in any of the two variables. This study augments existing knowledge on workplace spirituality, the centrality of religiosity and organisational citizenship behaviour among Police officers in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, which has largely been ignored by previous researchers, validates certain aspects of the SET and AET. The Station Commanders or Captains should give consideration on how to make the workplace more conducive to the centrality of religiosity and workplace spirituality; so that the Police officers can increase their organisational citizenship behaviour. Strategies need to be implemented to improve managerial and coworker support for Police officers through socialization and team building activities. However, to overcome feelings of occupational stress and their effects on well-being, employers should provide adequate information on any changes in the police service that may entail excessive work demand and dangerous working conditions.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

The design of an office headquarters for SAMSUNG in the foreshore, Cape Town

  • Authors: Wiese, Andre
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Office buildings -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Office layout -- South Africa -- Cape Town Office buildings -- Design and construction Office buildings -- Planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40413 , vital:36159
  • Description: This treatise developed through an interest in 21st century office buildings and most particularly, their impact on productivity, employee wellness and corporate culture. The conventional office of the mid-20th century disregarded employee health and well-being and was geared toward increasing productivity and production. The retrofitting of these buildings is very costly, and it is almost impossible to ensure compliance with modern-day environmental and efficiency standards to ultimately create a good office environment conducive to productivity and employee well-being. The nature of office has shifted to a more collaborative, socially interactive, open and flexible working environment because of the mobility technology offers the workplace. The current office building typology is concerned with the health and well-being of employees, active design, sustainability and environmental awareness. The treatise takes a qualitative research approach that is exploratory in nature and through careful analysis and interpretation, site constraints and informants are identified that inform the design of an office headquarters for Samsung. Pure research is based on the readings of Richard Sennett, Jane Jacobs, Stephen Kellert and Judith Heerwagen. An understanding is developed around factors that positively impact employee health and well-being in the workplace. Research determines that social interaction, human nature connectivity and the designed environment significantly impact the health and well-being of office user. Social interaction is scalable from the urban network to internal workspaces and is essential to create a seamless connection between the office environment and immediate urban context to stimulate serendipitous moments of interaction. The design of a Samsung Headquarters in Foreshore Cape Town uses Building Information Management (BIM) among other strategies to respond to its immediate environmental conditions and to create an environment conducive to the health and well-being of the office user and effectively increase productivity. The design is situated along a prominent pedestrian corridor that connects the CBD to the waterfront.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Agricultural-based commodity chains and development: the case of the tobacco sector in Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Thring, Stephen Richard
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5337 , vital:20814
  • Description: This thesis examines the nature of governance in the Zimbabwean tobacco value chain and what upgrading implications this has for participants at the lower end of the value chain, with a particular focus on smallholder tobacco growers. The nature of governance and upgrading opportunities will provide further implications for broader economic development in Zimbabwe. Value chain analysis was the over-arching method, adopting a mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Data attained from the Tobacco and Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) was used to construct a Zimbabwean tobacco profile. This information was used to construct a simple Global Value Chain (GVC) framework in order to obtain an understanding of the Zimbabwean tobacco value chain. Information was gathered at the top end of the value chain via documents and data from British American Tobacco (BAT) and information was gathered at the middle and lower end of the value chain through interviews. It was found that the Zimbabwean tobacco value chain is characterised by two types of governance: modular and hierarchy. Modular governance existed where the value chain was disjointed by the leaf merchant and hierarchy governance existed where cigarette manufacturers have vertically integrated themselves backwards into the tobacco growing segment. It was found that contract lines offer smallholder tobacco growers’ financial and technical support that would otherwise be difficult to attain. This increased the likelihood for smallholder tobacco growers to produce a high quality crop that met Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and other compliancy requirements; therefore achieving product and process upgrading. However, the environmental impact of tobacco growing through deforestation and the possibility of lead cigarette manufacturers relocating their operations to a different geographical location (as is the nature of GVCs) threatens the sustainability of Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry. Despite these issues it was argued that the tobacco value chain could assist Zimbabwe’s economy in diversifying away from simple tobacco production towards valueadding tobacco sectors, such as processing, by-product processing and cigarette manufacturing.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Exploring the influence of a multiliteracies approach on Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners' sense making and dispositions towards graphs of motion

  • Authors: Mwiiyale, Laina Natangwe
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/17605 , vital:22264
  • Description: Namibian students perform poorly in Physical Sciences and the Physics component in particular (DNEA, 2013). The Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) Examiner's report (DNEA, 2014) also reveals that many Physical Science learners have difficulties demonstrating an understanding of basic physics required for working with kinematic graphs (graphical representation of motion). Kinematics is an important tool in understanding the motion of objects - whether translational, oscillatory or circular. In kinematics, the relationships between distance, displacement, speed, velocity or acceleration and time are represented in graphs of motion. In teaching the topic, using graphs can be an alternative to the use of abstract formulas, or formulas can be used along with graphical representations to facilitate student understanding (Behzak, 2006). This study explored the influence of the multiliteracies approach on grade 11 Physical Science learners' dispositions and sense making towards graphs of motion. The intervention being investigated is informed by the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies (PoM) framework by Cazden et al., (1996) with the focus on overt instruction, situated practice, critical framing and transformed practice using semiotic patterns of meaning, in conjunction with Vygotsky's (1978) social constructivism theory - particularly, its notion of mediation. This action research study employed the interpretive paradigm. Data were collected using a pre-test, stimulated recall interviews, lesson observations, a post-test and learners' reflections. Data were coded and the codes then categorized into different themes in order to answer the research questions. The findings of this study were that learners are better able to make sense of graphs of motions when a PoM approach is employed. Their dispositions towards graphs of motion also improved as a result of the PoM intervention, due to it enabling a better understanding of kinematics concepts. This study also contributed to the professional development of the researcher, particularly in terms of it contributing to a broader understanding of the research and possible usefulness of semiotic mediation in science education. Implications of the study include the possibility of including the PoM approach in science teacher education and training programme curricula.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Investigating adaptation strategies to climate change by smallholder farmers : evidence from, Lesotho

  • Authors: Morahanye, Mokhantso Lilian
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Climatic changes -- South Africa Farms, Small -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5807 , vital:29397
  • Description: In Lesotho, agriculture is the dominant activity and involves crop and livestock production, range management and forestry activities. The current climatic variability in the country has caused decline in food production as result of increased dry spells, frequency of droughts and erratic rainfall. These climatic events are expected to have a significant impact on the livelihoods of the smallholder farmers. In combatting the harmful effects of climate change, smallholder farmers in Lesotho have employed various adaptation strategies based on their local knowledge and limited means. While these strategies may not be optimal they obviously constitute the basis for potentially effective improved technologies which can be developed and communicated through an efficient extension system, hence the need to precisely identify them and understand the factors that affect their choice. The main objective of this study was therefore, to identify the adaptation strategies and investigate the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ choice of those adaptation strategies. The study made use of multi-stage stratified sampling technique to select 160 respondents across four agro-ecological zones (lowlands, highlands, foothills and Senqu River Valley) in Leribe and Mohales’Hoek districts of Lesotho. Primary data for the study were collected using semi - structured questionnaire assisted with interview schedules administered on the respondents. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and the multinomial logistics regression model. The results show that there are more males than females, majority of the respondents’ attained primary education, and older people dominate the smallholder farming system. The adaptation strategies used in MNL model were soil and water management, crop management and livestock management. The results further revealed that soil and water management strategies were the most adopted climate change strategies amongst smallholder farmers. It is understood that marital status, age and gender, income, land tenure, crop grown, extension services, and agro-ecological zones are the determinant factors influencing the choice of the adaptation strategies. This study concludes by recommending that smallholder farmers should be sensitised about climate change and both government and non-government organisations working on climate change related issues should direct their attention to rural communities to ensure effective response to climate change.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Physiochemical, fatty acids, lipid oxidation, sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of warthog cabanossi produced with pork backfat and fat-tailed sheep backfat

  • Authors: Mahachi, Leo Nyikadzino
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Fatty acids Lipids -- Oxidation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6259 , vital:29530
  • Description: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different fat inclusion levels and fat types on the physical and chemical attributes, lipid oxidation, fatty acid composition and sensory characteristics of warthog cabanossi. To achieve this, three types of cabanossi with different pork backfat levels (10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent) were produced for the first experiment. The results from the study showed that different inclusion levels of pork backfat had an influence (P ≤ 0.05) on the physicochemical and fatty acid composition of warthog cabanossi but did not influence lipid oxidation (P > 0.05). The highest (P ≤0.05) pH, weight and moisture decline was observed in the 10 percent pork backfat cabanossi compared to the 20 percent and 30 percent treatments. However, no differences (P > 0.05) in the water activity of the product were observed. As expected total fat was lower in the 10 percent fat treatment and increased concomitantly. Similarly, protein, ash and salt were higher in the 10 percent fat cabanossi and decreased concomitantly. Differences in the fatty acid composition were observed between treatments. Furthermore, backfat level affected the sensory attributes and consumer acceptance of the cabanossi. Ten percent backfat cabanossi was scored higher (P ≤0.05) for most sensory attributes. Consequently, it was observed that the consumer panel preferred and scored the 10 percent fat cabanossi higher with regards to appearance and taste. In the second experiment, two cabanossi treatments of different fat types (pork backfat and fat-tailed sheep backfat) were produced. The weight loss, moisture content, pH, water activity and salt content did not differ (P > 0.05) between the two cabanossi products. However, there were differences (P ≤0.05) in the protein, fat and ash contents; where protein and ash were higher in the pork backfat cabanossi whilst fat was higher in the sheep backfat cabanossi. Thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) were similar (P > 0.05) between the two fat types cabanossi which could be explained by similar fatty acid profiles being reported for the two cabanossi although the n-6:n-3 ratio was higher (P ≤0.05) in sheep backfat cabanossi. Results from the descriptive sensory analysis showed two distinct products (P ≤0.01) where pork backfat cabanossi scored higher for most attributes. However, the lower scores for sheep backfat cabanossi were within an acceptable range. Sheep backfat cabanossi were also scored for unique attributes that were not detected in the pork backfat cabanossi. This study concluded that fat-tailed sheep backfat can be used to produce an unique cabanossi product of acceptable quality.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Cosmological structure formation using spectral methods

  • Authors: Funcke, Michelle
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/2969 , vital:20348
  • Description: Numerical simulations are becoming an increasingly important tool for understanding the growth and development of structure in the universe. Common practice is to discretize the space-time using physical variables. The discreteness is embodied by considering the dynamical variables as fields on a fixed spatial and time resolution, or by constructing the matter fields by a large number of particles which interact gravitationally (N-body methods). Recognizing that the physical quantities of interest are related to the spectrum of perturbations, we propose an alternate discretization in the frequency domain, using standard spectral methods. This approach is further aided by periodic boundary conditions which allows a straightforward decomposition of variables in a Fourier basis. Fixed resources require a high-frequency cut-off which lead to aliasing effects in non-linear equations, such as the ones considered here. This thesis describes the implementation of a 3D cosmological model based on Newtonian hydrodynamic equations in an expanding background. Initial data is constructed as a spectrum of perturbations, and evolved in the frequency domain using a pseudo-spectral evolution scheme and an explicit Runge-Kutta time integrator. The code is found to converge for both linear and non-linear evolutions, and the convergence rate is determined. The correct growth rates expected from analytical calculations are recovered in the linear case. In the non-linear model, we observe close correspondence with linear growth and are able to monitor the growth on features associated with the non-linearity. High-frequency aliasing effects were evident in the non-linear evolutions, leading to a study of two potential resolutions to this problem: a boxcar filter which adheres to“Orszag’s two thirds rule” and an exponential window function, the exponential filter suggested by Hou and Li [1], and a shifted version of the exponential filter suggested, which has the potential to alleviate high frequency- ripples resulting from the Gibbs’ phenomenon. We found that the filters were somewhat successful at reducing aliasing effects but that the Gibbs’ phenomenon could not be entirely removed by the choice of filters.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Crop rotation and crop residue management effects under no till on the soil quality of two ecotopes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Isaac, Gura
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Crop rotation Crops and soils Soil fertility
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2934 , vital:28144
  • Description: The degradation of soil quality due to undesirable farming practices has reached alarming scales in the Eastern Cape and this has had negative repercussions on soil productivity and the environment in general. There is growing evidence that conservation agriculture (CA) practices involving minimal mechanical disturbance, maintaining permanent surface cover and embracing diverse crop rotations increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and therefore has potential to mitigate soil quality deterioration. A study was carried out at two sites located in two ecotopes to investigate the effects of crop residue retention and crop rotations in a no till system on overall soil quality using the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) as the soil quality assessment tool. The CA study trials were laid out in 2012 at two different locations, one at the Phandulwazi Agricultural High school within the Phandulwazi Jozini ecotope and the other one at University of Fort Hare Research Farm within the Alice Jozini ecotope. The experiment was laid out as a split-split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Tillage treatments were applied on the main plots while crop rotation treatments were applied as subplots. Crop residue retention treatments were applied as sub-sub plots. The rotational treatments were maize-fallow-maize (MFM), maize-fallow-soybean (MFS), maize-wheat-maize (MWM) and maize-wheat-soybean (MWS). The initial assessment of the overall soil quality of the two ecotopes using the SMAF soil quality index (SQI) revealed that the soils at the Alice site were functioning at 80% while the soils at the Phandulwazi site were functioning at 79 percent of their optimum capacity. The slight difference in the soil quality of the two ecotopes could be attributed to their different soil organic C contents where the Alice Jozini ecotope had significantly higher soil organic C contents than the Phandulwazi Jozini ecotope. After 3 years of continuous treatment application, crop residue retention significantly improved most of the measured soil quality parameters. Generally across the sites, more soil organic C, microbial biomass C (MBC), ß-glucosidase (BG) activity, mineral N, extractable P and K, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, and macro-aggregates were recorded in treatments where crop residues were retained. Crop rotations alone did not have a significant impact on most of the measured soil quality indicators. The crop rotations influenced significantly the availability of mineral N across the two sites, highlighting the importance of using a legume in rotations on available N for the subsequent crops. Most of the measured soil attributes were not significantly influenced after 3 years of continuously applying combined treatment of CA components. Mineral N (NO3 + NH4), K, Zn and Fe were significantly impacted on by the interactions of CA components at the Phandulwazi site, while N, Cu, Zn and Mn were significantly increased at the Alice site. Low response of SOC to combined CA treatments in the short-term prompted the need to examine treatment effects on individual soil carbon fractions. The interaction of crop rotation and residue management techniques were significant on the fine particulate organic matter – C fractions and microbially respired C. These soil C fractions were more sensitive to short-term treatments of combined CA components than SOC and MBC, therefore they can be used as short-term indicators of CA effects on SOM. Soil organic carbon, MBC, extractable P and K, soil pH, EC, b, AGS (aggregate stability) and BG activity were measured and the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) used to calculate soil quality index (SQI) values for each treatment. The combination of the crop rotations with crop residue retention showed the potential to significantly improve SQI values in the long term. The highest soil quality improvement at both sites was achieved by the maize-wheat-soybean (MWS) rotation with crop residue retention.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Exploring how grade 12 Physical Sciences learners make sense of the concepts of work and energy

  • Authors: Mapfumo, Alfred Khumbulani
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/1363 , vital:20050
  • Description: Physical Sciences is one of the subjects in which students perform most poorly in the National Senior Certificate examinations. For example, in the Eastern Cape in 2013, a mere 29.9% of the candidates who sat for the Physical Sciences National Senior Certificate examination managed to achieve a mark of 40% or above (Department of Basic Education, 2014). According to the Chief Markers’ reports (ibid), questions on the topic of Work, Energy and Power are amongst the most poorly answered in the National Senior Certificate examinations. This fact triggered my interest to explore how grade 12 Physical Sciences learners make sense of the concepts of Work and Energy with particular emphasis on the work-energy theorem and its application in problem solving. I carried out the study in a village school in the Queenstown district. The study adopted an interpretive paradigm in which the case study approach was used. Data were generated using a diagnostic test, focus group interviews, video-recorded lessons, analysis of learner journals and a summative test. Analysis of the qualitative data involved identifying themes from the data and using analytical statements that answered the research questions. The study was informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism theory, and in particular, the notions of the mediation of learning and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Learners were given tasks on the work-energy theorem and related concepts and these were designed in such a way that they were situated in the learners’ ZPD, since this is where most powerful learning takes place (Thompson, 2013). The findings of the study revealed that grade 12 Physical Sciences learners do not have sufficient prior knowledge on concepts related to the work-energy theory to successfully make sense of the work-energy theorem. The other finding is that learners construct knowledge of the work-energy theorem and its application collaboratively through group work. In the group discussions learners used isiXhosa and this enhanced their sense making. A number of challenges that make it difficult for learners to solve problems using the work-energy theorem were identified.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Factors that influence the sustainability of rural crop production community projects in the Umzimvubu District

  • Authors: Majiki, Fezeka
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8089 , vital:24991
  • Description: Maize production is the main cropping activity in the Umzimvubu district. This cereal crop is the staple food for the Eastern Cape’s rural communities and accounts for nearly 95 per cent of the crops cultivated in dry-land cropping programmes. Food security in rural areas has been a major concern for the South African government. In attempts to mitigate hunger and poverty, the government has initiated rural development maize production projects. The primary objectives of the projects were to achieve sustainable livelihoods and rural development for the poor. The projects were expected to improve the quality of rural life and provide basic nutritional requirements of the community. Historically the rural poor have had to fend for themselves through subsistence farming in adverse environments. Input costs for farming have become increasingly expensive; this resulted in major challenges for subsistence farming. The crop production projects initiated in the Umzimvubu district have not been sustainable and have fallen short of addressing the needs of the various communities. The study aims to identify the factors that influence the sustainability of the crop production projects in the Umzimvubu district. A triangulation research method was used to provide multiple viewpoints to examine the data; this allows for greater accuracy of the research. The mixed method approach in which the researcher collects and analyses data integrates the findings and draws inferences using both qualitative and quantitative methodology. The quantitative research methodology provided the demographics and biographical data on the participants. The qualitative research methodology concentrated on the focus group discussions that gave an insight into the participants' views, perceptions and concerns. Focus groups were used to examine the factors influencing the sustain-ability of the projects and to explore how these projects are perceived and under-stood by the community and people working on the projects. The research interest is not only in what the project beneficiaries think, but also in why they think as they do. The main data collection was obtained from the focus groups and individual face-to-face interviews with the beneficiaries of the crop projects in the Umzimvubu district. It was found that the farming areas required rehabilitation, were susceptible to erosion and degradation, and lacked adequate land use practices. The beneficiaries of the cropping programmes had small amounts of other crops growing in their individual household gardens for household use in conjunction with the maize received from the maize programmes. The income made from selling maize from the programmes was insignificant and did not contribute substantially to the household needs, as the communities in these projects were still failing to secure adequate food requirements. The maize yields do not substantiate the monetary investment from the beneficiaries. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the beneficiaries do not receive consistent income from the programmes. The participants consisted of large households comprising mainly elderly people who depended on social grants as a regular source of income. These elderly were burdened with taking care of their grandchildren, whose parents were employed in either urban areas or unemployed and formed part of the household. The unemployed young adults also depended on child support grants for income. The maize harvested had to be shared between a large number of community members and the livestock. The findings also suggested that there was dependency on outside contractors for cultivation and other practices. The study found that most of the beneficiaries felt disempowered, as they had not been involved in the decision-making process. Furthermore, policy-makers failed to acknowledge existing indigenous knowledge and practices of the rural communities (i.e. inter-cropping and green mealie harvesting). Indigenous practices should be included into the programmes instead of compelling beneficiaries to adhere to new forms of cultivation. The communities introduction to new large-scale and challenging, highly technological methods resulted in most of the communities being fully dependent on government support and guidance. Training and the empowerment of beneficiaries are imperative. Rural people should be included in development of strategies and the role of the women should be given more recognition. It should be acknowledged that rural households are diverse and that the model cannot apply to each village or community.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Localizing selected endocytosis protein candidates in Plasmodium falciparum using GFP-tagged fusion constructs

  • Authors: Basson, Travis
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/2680 , vital:20316
  • Description: Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by several obligate intracellular protozoan parasites in the Plasmodium genus, with Plasmodium falciparum causing the most widespread cases and malaria deaths. In 2013 there were approximately 190 million cases of the disease and between 584,000 and 855,000 deaths. It is essential to identify novel drug targets and develop novel drug candidates due to the increase in resistance of P. falciparum parasites to the current arsenal of antimalarial drugs. Endocytosis is an essential process in eukaryotic cells in which the external environment is internalized by the cell in order to obtain various particles from the extracellular space. This extracellular cytoplasm is internalized in membrane-bound invaginations at the plasma membrane. During the blood stage of malaria infection, the parasite requires nutrients from the host red blood cell. To obtain these nutrients, the parasite internalizes haemoglobin in large amounts and degrades it in an acidic, lysosome-like organelle, known as the digestive vacuole. Whilst the exact molecular mechanism of malaria parasite endocytosis is not yet fully understood, a number of proteins have been suggested to be involved. The most expedient approach in identifying candidate endocytosis proteins is to investigate parasite homologues of proteins known to be involved in endocytosis in mammalian cells. The three proteins selected for investigation in this study were the P. falciparum homologues of coronin, dynamin 2, and μ4. The coding sequences for the candidate endocytosis proteins were amplified by PCR and cloned into the pARL2-GFP expression vector. P. falciparum 3D7 parasites were transfected with these vectors and the episomal expression of full-length GFP-tagged fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis using commercially available anti-GFP antibodies. Microscopic analysis of live parasites using fluorescence and confocal microscopy was used to determine the localization of the candidate endocytosis proteins. Coronin appeared to display diffuse cytoplasmic GFP localization during the trophozoite stage, arguing against a role in endocytosis. However, distinct localization during the schizont stage at what appears to be the inner membrane complex was observed. Coronin is thus likely required to coordinate the formation of the actin network between the merozoite IMC and the plasma membrane on which the glideosome is dependant for generating the motile forces required for the merozoite motility and invasion of RBCs. Dynamin 2 displayed localization at three potential locii: the parasite periphery (plasma membrane), punctuate regions within the cytoplasm (potentially at membrane bound organelles) and at the parasite food vacuole. The data suggested that dynamin 2 is involved in endocytosis and membrane trafficking in a similar manner to classical dynamins, potentially as a vesicle scission molecule at the plasma membrane, mediating vesicle formation at the food vacuole to recycle membrane to the plasma membrane, and possibly mitochondria organelle division. μ4 displayed transient localization, cycling between cytosolic localization, and localization to distinct regions at the plasma membrane and the food vacuole. Localization of Pfμ4 to the plasma membrane is indicative of a role for μ4 as a part of an adaptor protein (AP) complex which may be responsible for recruitment of clathrin to initiate endocytosis in a manner similar to mammalian AP-2. As was observed with PfDYN2, Pfμ4 localizes to the FV, which suggests that Pfμ4 forms part of a coat complex that mediates the formation of vesicles that recycle membrane from the FV to the parasite plasma membrane. This study showed that expressing proteins as full-length GFP-tagged fusion constructs is an effective approach in the early stages of determining the localization and function of P. falciparum proteins in vitro, and distinguishing between candidates that have a potential role in endocytosis and those that are unlikely to do so.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Reproductive biology of important invasive plants in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

  • Authors: Thorne, Cara-Jayne
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3683 , vital:20535
  • Description: Baker’s rule predicts species capable of uniparental reproduction are more likely to establish after long distance dispersal (or introduction in the case of invasive plants), thus the ability to undergo autonomous self-pollination should promote colonization. An investigation into the reproductive biology of eleven invasive species in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa between 2012 and 2014 showed strong support for Baker’s law. Breeding system results showed evidence of self-compatibility in eight species, ten species were capable of autonomous self-pollination, and only three species showed evidence of varying levels of self-incompatibility. These results provide evdence that autonomous self-pollination occurs more frequently among invasive species, self-compatible species more frequently become invasive compared with self-incompatible species and that autogamous species should have a larger invasive range. Co-opting suitable local pollinators may be problematic for invasive plants, especially those with highly specialized pollination systems. The species investigated appear to be largely independent of pollinators, mostly setting seed in the absence of pollinators. Despite this, all eleven invasive plant species are regularly visited by a variety of generalist pollinators including Apis mellifera, Xylocopa bees and Allodapini species. Pollinators all carried substantial pollen loads, even managing to extract pollen from more specialized plants, such as the poricidal anthers of Solanum species, and frequently came into contact with both anthers and stigmas. Considering most of theses species are capable of autonomous self-pollination, their reliance on pollinators may be low. Even the most self-incompatible species, Passiflora caerulea, appears to have successfully co-opted local pollinators (honeybees and carpenter bees), ensuring successful pollination and seed set. The ability for cross-pollination by local pollinators allows for some degree of genetic variation within invasive plant populations, especially for self-incompatible species. Inadequate pollen deposition by unreliable or inefficient pollinators, or reduced resource availability, can result in pollen limitation. Invasive plant species may be especially susceptible, with three of the plant species investiagted showing possible pollen limitation at the level of seed set, while the remaining nine invasive plant species showed no evidence of pollen limitation in South Africa. The ability to utilize uniparental reproduction (as Baker’s law predicted), and co-opt local pollinators has allowed invasive plants in the Eastern Cape to successfully establish and persist after introduction. Hence, the inclusion of reproductive traits of plants should therefore be included in risk assessments for future plant invaders.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Demand driven rural agricultural development in South Africa: the case of the agricultural sustainable community investment programme

  • Authors: Troosters, Wim
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Agricultural development projects -- South Africa , Farms, Small -- South Africa , Farmers -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
  • Identifier: vital:10739 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021149
  • Description: Food security is high on the development agenda in South Africa. A wide range of agricultural interventions exist across the country initiated by various stakeholders at different levels of society. While many interventions focus on production related constraints of food security, there are far fewer that focus on the integration of smallholder farmers in the supply chain. The research subject is the Agricultural Sustainable Community Investment Project (Agri-SCIP), operating on the south coast of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province. As a demand driven alternative market model, the focus of the project is on the integration of local smallholder farmers in the fresh produce supply chain. The main research question is whether the participation of smallholder farmers in the fresh produce supply actually has actually improved for participants of the test case. Existing barriers to entry for smallholder farmers are mitigated in the project. Through a literature review five critical factors for market participation by smallholder farmers are identified, namely transport and distance to markets, product quality, product quantity, the buyer-seller relationship and market information. A literature review and empirical data are applied to test the impact of the Agri-SCIP project on the participation of smallholder farmers in the fresh produce supply chain based on these five critical factors. The data indicate that many of the existing barriers to entry in the fresh produce supply chain for the smallholder farmers are mitigated, and have been shifted to a collectively owned co-operative. Therefore, as an alternative market model, Agri-SCIP has the potential to provide a sustainable solution for smallholder development in South Africa with a strong focus on supply chain participation. The development of a strong smallholder farmers base and the development of smallholder farmers into semi-commercial farmers are potential long term results of the Agri-SCIP alternative market model.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Developed teacher leadership in a township high school : an interpretive case study

  • Authors: John, Daisy Mary
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teacher participation in administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Teacher effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:2052 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018548
  • Description: South Africa’s future success depends on a number of national priorities, amongst them the transformation of its education system. Education is the best route to follow to alleviate poverty and many other social ills. One way to overcome some of the complex challenges and crises that we face in South African schools is to pay attention to issues of leading and leadership, including the leadership of teachers. This study is done with the hope that research into teacher leadership will be one of the answers to the crisis in education. It should become a beacon of hope for all educationists who passionately want progress in the youth of South Africa. What better way than to ‘Awaken the Sleeping Giant’ of teacher leadership, borrowing the term from Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009). This study was designed as a case study, the purpose of which was to find out about the enactment of teacher leadership in an Eastern Cape township high school as well as the enhancing and hindering factors to this enactment. This study was done as a replication study of a similar study done by a group of 11Master’s students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010. Similar to the original study, this case study was located within the interpretive paradigm and drew on school profiling, survey questionnaires, a focus group interview, selfreflective journals and individual interviews for its methods of data collection. The study was framed by distributed leadership while Grant’s (2008; 2012) Model of teacher leadership was adopted as the analytical tool. It emerged from the data that the three teacher leaders, my primary participants, exhibited teacher leadership across all four zones of Grant’s (2008) Model. The first zone was leadership in the classroom where all three teacher leaders showed leadership to varying degrees. Zones Two to Four are about leadership beyond the classroom into the school and beyond. In Zone Two, the zone where teachers work with each other and the learners outside the classroom, substantial levels of leadership were enacted by the three teacher leaders. Zone Three, where leadership is exhibited in whole-school development, the three primary participants showed distinct leadership qualities as well. The fourth zone, which is about interaction with neighbouring schools, also revealed that all three teacher leaders demonstrated active leadership on a regular basis. Findings further revealed that there were only a few inhibiting factors to the leadership of teachers at the case study school, including limited resources and infrastructure as well as insufficient support and acknowledgement from the relevant stakeholders when leadership initiatives were made, either successfully or otherwise. However, the enhancing factors superseded the inhibiting factors. A functional committee culture guided by a shared vision existed in the case study school together with an ethos of trust which enabled the staff to work collaboratively. Though there was certainly room for improvement in leadership practices at this case study school, the enactment of teacher leadership in this school illustrated a strong case of ‘developed’ teacher leadership (Muijs& Harris, 2007) within a dispersed leadership framing (Gunter, 2005)
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  • Date Issued: 2015

Development of styrene based imprinted sorbents for selective clean-up of metalloporphyrins in organic media

  • Authors: Awokoya, Kehinde Nurudeen
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54521 , vital:26580
  • Description: Most crude oils contain traces of vanadium and nickel complex with porphyrins (VTPP and NTPP) within their asphaltene fraction. Although these metals are only present in trace quantities, they have a significant and detrimental impact on the refining process by degrading the quality of intermediate and end products. Therefore, their selective removal is highly desirable. This thesis presents the development of nickel porphyrin, nickel vanadyl porphyrin imprinted nanofibers and vanadyl porphyrin imprinted polymer (MIP) particles for application as selective sorbents. Computational model based on the combination of molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics was successfully applied to the styrene functional monomer selection. The particle was prepared by bulk polymerization and the nanofibers by a novel approach combining molecular imprinting and electrospinning technology. The morphologies, thermal stabilities and porosities of the imprinted sorbents were studied using SEM, TGA, and BET nitrogen gas adsorption. Chloroform was found to swell the polymer particles to a higher degree than methanol and acetonitrile. The adsorption characteristics of the imprinted sorbents best fitted with Freundlich isotherm model. The imprinted sorbents recorded high extraction efficiencies (EEs) of > 99 % in selectively extracting the metalloporphyrins. The impact of the template on the affinity of recognition for NTPP was evaluated. The results showed that the NTPP adsorption capacity increased as the molar ratio of NTPP to styrene was increased from 1:1 to 3:1. The optimal ratio of template to functional monomer which yielded the best specific affinity and highest recovery (99.9 %) was 3:1. The effects of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), dichloromethane (DCM), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), pentane (PEN) on electro-spinnability of the polymer solutions and the morphological appearance of the nanofibers were investigated. The imprinted nanofibers exhibited the same selectivity specialism for both NTPP and VTPP. A remarkable stability in relation to reusability was observed when imprinted nanofibers were used, as they could be reused nine times without incurring any significant loss in removal efficiency. The results were validated by analysing a certified reference material. The imprinted sorbents were therefore found to be selective sorbents that are well suited for handling trace metals in organic media.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

Formalisation, informalisation and the labour process within the minibus taxi industry in East London, South Africa

  • Authors: Fobosi, Siyabulela Christopher
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Taxicab industry -- South Africa -- East London , Taxicab industry -- South Africa -- East London -- Personnel management , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- East London , Economics -- Sociological aspects , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- East London
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3367 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012076 , Taxicab industry -- South Africa -- East London , Taxicab industry -- South Africa -- East London -- Personnel management , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa -- East London , Economics -- Sociological aspects , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- East London
  • Description: This thesis focuses on the labour process within the minibus taxi industry in East London, South Africa. This industry is structurally situated within the informal sector or economy but is marked by contradictory processes of formalisation and in-formalisation. Though the taxi industry seems to straddle the formal and informal economies in South Africa, the study is conceptually framed in terms of the informal sector but in a critically-engaged fashion. The very distinction between formal and informal economies, whether in South Africa or elsewhere, is open to dispute; and, even if accepted, there are differing conceptualisations of the relationship between the ‘two’ economies. Also, the conceptual clarity of the term ‘informal economy’ has been subject to scrutiny, given the vast range of activities it is said to incorporate. While the distinction between formal and informal economies may be a useful conceptual starting-point, this thesis demonstrates that it is analytically useful to speak of degrees and forms of formalisation and in-formalisation along a continuum, rather than to dichotomize economies. The thesis therefore analyses in depth the competing and tension-riddled processes of formalisation and in-formalisation in the minibus taxi industry, and with a specific focus on the labour process.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The interface of history and fiction in Russel Brownlee’s Garden of the plagues, Ingrid Winterbach’s To hell With Cronjé, and Etienne van Heerden’s The long silence of Mario Salviati

  • Authors: Wyrill, Beth Alexandra
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Brownlee, Russel -- Criticism and interpretation , Winterbach, Ingrid -- Criticism and interpretation , Van Heerden, Etienne, 1954- -- Criticism and interpretation , South African fiction (English) -- History and criticism , South African fiction (English) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , African fiction (English) -- 21st century -- History and criticism , Brownlee, Russel -- Garden of the plagues , Winterbach, Ingrid -- Niggie -- English , Van Heerden, Etienne, 1954- -- Swye van Mario Salviati -- English , Historical fiction -- History and criticism , Magic realism (Literature)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2323 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015517
  • Description: Both historiographical and literary practices have undergone revision in recent years in attempting to address the inheritance of nineteenth-century realism. Since the object of realist stylistics, employed in both the writing of fiction and history, is to render authorship authoritative or even invisible, the ideological import of these narratives is often such that the constructedness of the historical record and its absences are veiled. In developments beginning in the 1980s with the advent of ‘New Historicism’ and with the emergence of postmodern literary techniques, the interface of literature and history became of seminal importance, since both were now credited as being products of narrative and discourse, and hence, to varying degrees, of the literary imagination. This movement intersects interestingly with developments in postcolonial studies, since it is the voices of the marginalized and disempowered colonized peoples that are routinely co-opted and excised from nineteenth-century realist histories. These concerns are now being fully explored in the literature of the contemporary post-transitional South African moment, since authors in this country seemingly now feel freed up to look back to histories that precede the immediate traumas of apartheid. The concern, in relation to apartheid developments but also on a broader universal scale, is this: if history is viewed as perpetual emergences of modernities, then one of the great absences in the record is the historical determinants of any given epistemology. The attempt to recreate such an epistemological genealogy is thus simultaneously postcolonial, historiographical, and literary. Russel Brownlee’s Garden of the Plagues (2005), Ingrid Winterbach’s To Hell with Cronjé (2010), and Etienne van Heerden’s The Long Silence of Mario Salviati (2002) attempt to bridge this gap in the recorded sensibilities of any historical moment by representing a ‘lived experience’ of the past, and in the process imaginatively recreating the cultural, historical and psychological locations of the proponents of an emerging modernity. This study concerns itself with the ways in which these authors address the influence of realist historiography through the use of literary innovations that allow for the departure from realist stylistics. Most commonly, all three authors draw on forms of magic realism, but multiple refigurings and recombinations of notions of temporality, narrative, and characterization likewise work to defamiliarize the once stable discourse of history.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

The involvement of TRAP1 in the mitochondrial localization of STAT3 in mammalian cells

  • Authors: Kadye, Rose
  • Date: 2014
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/55760 , vital:26731
  • Description: STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), an oncogene and transcription factor of genes involved in cellular differentiation, proliferation and immune function, that classically localizes in the cytosol and nucleus has also been found in the mitochondria. However, STAT3 does not have a mitochondrial transit peptide, and its mechanism for mitochondrial localization is unknown. Cytosolic Hsp90s chaperone STAT3 to the nucleus therefore we investigated the involvement of the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial Hsp90 molecular chaperone tumor necrosis receptor associated protein 1 (TRAP1) in STAT3’s mitochondrial localization. Using TRAP1 transient over-expression, STAT3 inhibitor S3I- 201 and Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin, we demonstrate that TRAP1 and STAT3 co-localize and co-immunoprecipitates in mammalian systems. Taken together with the observation that STAT3 potentially directly interacts with TRAP1, these data suggest that TRAP1 plays a role in the mitochondrial localization of STAT3.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

An investigation into how grade 9 Physical Science learners make meaning of the topic on acids and bases through exploring their prior everyday knowledge and experiiences: a case study

  • Authors: Kambeyo, Linus
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching Science -- Study and teaching -- Namibia Prior learning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1383 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001487
  • Description: This study was conducted at the school where I teach which is a semi-rural secondary school (Grade 8-12) situated in Omuthiya Town in Oshikoto region, Namibia. The new curriculum that has been implemented in Namibia, has posed challenges in how best to put the curriculum into practice at this school. It was this challenge that triggered my interest in doing a research study with the aim of improving my practice. Essentially, the study sought to gain insight into whether integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases in conjunction with practical activities using easily accessible materials enabled or constrained meaning-making of this topic. This study is located within an interpretive paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was adopted with my Grade 9 class. Data were gathered using document analysis, videotaped lessons and observations by a critical friend, stimulated recall discussions while watching the videotaped lessons as well as focus group interviews with the learners. An inductive analysis to discover patterns and themes was applied during the data analysis process. The themes were further turned into analytical statements. Data sets were also analysed in relation to the research questions posed by this study. The validation process was achieved by using a variety of data gathering techniques. I watched the videotaped lessons with a teacher who observed the lessons and transcripts of the interviews and a summary of discussions were given back to the respondents to verify their responses and check for any misinterpretations, a process known as member checking. I also translated what the learners said in Oshiwambo, their home language, into English. The findings from the study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases facilitated meaningful learning during teaching and learning. Furthermore, linking learning to learners’ everyday experiences enabled them to learn scientific concepts in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. However, linking learners’ prior knowledge and experiences to conventional science (textbook science) proved to be a challenge. My recommendations are that teachers need support in their endeavors to incorporate learners’ real life experiences into their teaching and learning repertoires. Another aspect of my study that deserves further research is the role that language plays in implementing the curriculum.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

Creating a new declaration of rights : a critical reconstruction of earth jurisprudence's global legislative framework

  • Authors: Lenferna, Georges Alexandre
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Universal Declaration , Rights , Earth , Environment , Ethics , Environmental law, International -- Research , Environmental law, International -- Philosophy , Environmental ethics -- Research , Nature conservation -- Law and legislation -- Research , Jurisprudence -- Research , Law -- Philosophy
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2704 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001979
  • Description: This thesis aims to critique the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth and its underlying moral justification in order to provide a stronger and improved version of both. In Chapter 1 I explore what sort of moral justification is necessary to establish the Universal Declaration on firm grounds and explore its relation to environmental ethics and rights discourse. I argue that a non-anthropocentric perspective is necessary to justify the Universal Declaration’s rights. In Chapter 2 I explore the underlying justification of the Universal Declaration as discovered in the works of Cormac Cullinan and Father Thomas Berry. I argue that their ethical framework is indeterminate, has many ambiguities and uncertainties, and, among other problems, it does not provide a clear action-guiding framework. In Chapter 3 I develop an alternative justification for the Universal Declaration. I argue against many predominant moral theories, that in light of our best scientific and moral understanding we should expand the realm of moral concern to include all living beings, a moral theory I call Life’s Imperative. In Chapter 4 I illustrate that Life’s Imperative is a much stronger, more coherent justification for the Universal Declaration, one that coheres with both our best understanding of the natural world and our relation to it, and to an environmental ethic reflective of that relationship. Unfortunately many of the weaknesses in the current implicit justification of the Universal Declaration have also led to it enshrining rights that are themselves problematic. In order to address these issues, I revise its rights to accord with the stronger justification that I established in Chapter 3. The end result of doing so is a revised version of the Universal Declaration
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2013
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