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Factors Affecting Archives and Records Management in The City of Johannesburg Municipality

  • Authors: Vula, Malusi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Records -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc. Sci (Library and Information Science)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18314 , vital:42251
  • Description: This study sought to evaluate the factors that affect the development of archives in the City of Johannesburg Municipality. The use of old records management strategies is posing serious challenges in most African countries and it is affecting the development of archives and records. Literature shows that most municipalities in Southern African countries have not adapted advance records management strategies like Integrated records management and Cloud systems for the realization of benefits of effectiveness and efficiency in records management. The history of Johannesburg municipality and the significance of records management in terms of leveraging effective service delivery raised critical concerns over the development of archives and records management. Proper management of records is the foundation of any government needs to provide services, to fulfil its obligation of accountability towards its citizens and protect their rights. According to the continuum model, the archivists and records managers need to be involved together with information systems designers in the creation of records keeping systems. The records continuum model emphasizes advanced records management strategies and systems in order to ensure the systematic preservation, retrieval and disposal of records. As the records management systems shift from the narrow physical records management as well as imaging into the broader electronic records world there is need for the municipality to embrace more advanced records management strategies like Outsource/Cloud service and integrated records management systems. In order to get a deeper understanding of the factors that affect the development of archives and records management; this study combined both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The census method was used to select all the 80 members of the records management department in the metropolitan municipality. An in-depth interview schedule was conducted with 4 records managers in order to collect qualitative data. Questionnaires were distributed to 76 personnel in the records management department. Without an operational and effective policy in the department of records, there is no vanguard against unlawful records and archives access and corruption, which is affecting archives development and records management in the long run. The study established although email backups and archiving of files are important strategies, more effective and modern strategies like Integrated Records Management system across the entire organization and the cloud system have not been put in place. This is attributed to the lack of funding and IT expertise. The study concluded that that although training and skills development programs are being ii implemented, skills transfer is not fully taking place due to lack of; equipment, time, managerial support and post-training interventions as well monitoring and evaluation systems. The study recommends an integrated records management system, operationalization of the records management system, effective skills transfer programs, the competency-based model.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Factors affecting grade 6 learners’ performance in Mathematics in the East London Education District

  • Authors: Kwateng, Jesse
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15935 , vital:40565
  • Description: Mathematics is one of the most important subjects rooted in many fields of study but has also been one of the greatest challenges for learners in every country, most especially in the Republic of South Africa. There have been attempts to curb the challenges that have bedeviled the success of mathematics education by governments, the Department of Education and many other stakeholders who have not enjoyed positive results in mathematics in the district of East London. Therefore, this study examines factors affecting grade 6 learners’ performance in mathematics in selected schools within the East London education district. There were three hundred and forty-five (345) grade 6 learners and 12 teachers drawn through a parallel mixed methods sampling. Stratified random sampling was used to select participants for the quantitative strand while purposive sampling was used for selecting 60 learners and 12 teachers for the qualitative strand. The researcher used the mixed method research approach. The instruments used in collecting data were structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to elicit information from grade 6 learners and teachers. Information gathered from the learners and teachers included: biographical information, factors affecting teaching and learning of mathematics and suggestions. The quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics of percentage from the responses of learners. The quantitative analysis was done by using excel 2010 to formulate data into percentages and qualitatively, voice recordings from the respondents semi-structured interviews were reduced through thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that some of the qualified mathematics educators preferred to work in another profession. Quality of teaching and learning were less effective due to overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teaching and learning resources, poor monitoring of educators, some of the learners were not adequately motivated and many others. For performance in mathematics to improve in the primary schools in East London Education District, the study made some recommendations from the findings to the stakeholders in education such as the Department of Education, principals, the government, educators and learners. These recommendations might virtually assist in finding lasting solutions to grade 6 learners with mathematics challenges.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Exploring the course-led development of a learning network as a community of practice around a shared interest of rainwater harvesting and conservation agricultural practices: a case study in the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Weaver, Kim Nichole
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/1184 , vital:20032
  • Description: South Africa has water and food security challenges, especially the Eastern Cape Province where there is a high level of poverty. These challenges place heavy pressure on the agricultural sector as it is the main user of the allocated water in the country. Rainwater harvesting and conservation (RWH&C) practices are explored as a response to these challenges, however information on these practices is not readily available to rural farmers. Agricultural extension has been moving from a top down approach towards a more participatory, collaborative process where what farmers need and want is considered. These participatory approaches need to be explored to enable change in farmer’s practice. This research forms part of a Water Resource Commission (WRC) project, Amanzi for Food. (Project K5/2277). The project has the explicit intention of supporting the use of two sets of WRC materials on RWH&C and expanding the learning of these practices through a courseled process within a learning network structure centred around an agricultural college. The network was established with a participatory, applied training of trainer’s course that supports and expands knowledge of RWH&C practices amongst network members from different groups within the sector; farmers, trainers, researchers and educators. My main research question was to investigate the process of cultivating a learning network amongst different agricultural actors through a course-led initiative to strengthen the engagement with RWH&C practices. To address this research I used focus group discussions, course observations, participant interviews, participant questionnaires and participant assignment progress to generate data. These data were analysed using Wenger’s theory of communities of practice to gauge levels of engagement, participation and learning. Main findings of the study are that the course-led activation of the learning network supported the community of practice members to share their personal experience and achieve social competence in the learning of RWH&C agricultural practices in their context.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Perceptions and experiences of G2E e-Government workplace restructuring: The cases of Buffalo City and City of Cape Town metropolitan municipalities, South Africa

  • Authors: Makwembere, Sandra
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/617 , vital:19975
  • Description: Taking the cases of Buffalo City Metropolitan municipality (BCMM) and City of Cape Town Metropolitan municipality (CoCT), this thesis explores the implications of government to employee (G2E) electronic government workplace restructuring on skills transformation and workplace control as perceived by back office employees and managers from different Corporate Services departments. It aims to describe the arrangements, rationale and degree of G2E e-government at BCMM and CoCT, investigate how managers, employees and union representatives identify the workplace changes relating to skill as well as document and analyse workplace struggles linked to G2E e-government. Using labour process analysis, the impacts of G2E e-government technological change are conceptualised. The labour process concepts alert us to ways in which G2E e-government technology is applied in the context of specific public sector production relations. They explain how employees and managers experience the dynamics of skill transformation and the mechanisms of control related to G2E e-government. The consideration of the labour process contrasts predominant e-government scholarly works that focus on government websites. Further, by using case study methods, namely interviews, surveys and observations, the thesis documents the particular back office employees’ and managers’ realities of G2E e-government which are marginalised in scholarly literature. The sample of respondents were selected using purposive sampling based on the subjects’ knowledge and experience, snowball sampling following referrals and random sampling during site visits. The respondents included four managers, four employees, two shop stewards and one service provider at BCMM and 16 managers, 20 employees and four shop stewards at CoCT. The findings from BCMM and CoCT illustrate how G2E e-government workplace restructuring individualises the labour process through the kind of technologies it introduces. Moreover, they show how the restructuring facilitates electronic information, communication and operations which broaden demands on technical as well as social skills. The findings also show that the restructuring extends avenues for managerial control thereby marginalising union representivity as the workplace control systems create opportunities for systemic control by management. As the South African government adopts electronic government and makes optimistic declarations of “cost saving”, “efficiency”, “productivity” and “innovation” through egovernment, the study uncovers marginalised local government employee and manager experiences. It contributes to building new knowledge on the impacts of contemporary technological change on the local government labour process and contributes to debates around the effects of G2E e-government reforms on local government.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Selecting and augmenting a FOSS development and deployment environment for personalized video-oriented services in a Telco context

  • Authors: Shibeshi, Zelalem Sintayehu
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/943 , vital:20005
  • Description: The great demand for video services on the Internet is one contributing factor that led telecom companies to search for solutions to deliver innovative video services, using the different access technologies managed by them and leveraging the capacity of enforcing Quality of Service (QoS). One part of the solution was an infrastructure that guarantees QoS for these services, in the form of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) framework. The IMS framework was developed for delivering innovative multimedia services, but IMS alone does not provide the required services. This has led to further work in the area of multimedia service architectures. One noteworthy architecture is IPTV. IPTV is more than what its name implies, as it allows the development of various innovative video-oriented services and not just tv. When IPTV was introduced, many thought that it would bring back the revenue loss that telecom companies experienced to over-the-top (OTT) service providers. However, despite all its promises, the IPTV implementation has not shown as wide an uptake as one would expect. Although there could be various reasons for the slow penetration of IPTV, one reason could be the technical challenge that IPTV poses to service developers. One of the main reasons for the embarking of the research reported in this thesis was to identify and select free and open source software (FOSS) based platforms and augment them for easy development and deployment of video-oriented services. The thesis motivated how the IPTV architecture, with some modification, can be a good architecture to develop innovative video-oriented services. For a better understanding and investigate the issues of video-oriented service development on different platforms, we followed an incremental and iterative prototyping method. As a result, various video-oriented services were first developed and implementation-related issues were analyzed. This has helped us to identify problems that service developers face, including the requirement to utilize a number of protocols to develop an IPTV-based video-oriented service and the lack of a platform that provides a consistent programming interface to implement them all. The process also helped us to identify new uses cases through the process. As part of our selection process, we found that the Mobicents service development platform can be used as the basis for a good service development and deployment environment for video-oriented services. Mobicents is a Java-based service delivery platform for quick development, deployment and management of next generation network applications. Mobicents is a good choice because it provides a consistent programming interface and supports the various protocols needed in a consistent manner or an easy way to include the support for them. We used Mobicents to compose the environment that developers can use to build video-oriented services. Specifically we developed components and service building blocks that service developer can use to develop various innovative video-oriented services. During our research, we also identified various issues with regard to support from streaming servers in general and open source streaming servers in particular and also with the protocol they use. Specifically, we identified issues with Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), a protocol specified as the media control protocol in the IPTV specification, and made proposals for solving them. We developed an RSTP proxy to augment the features lacking in the current streaming servers and implemented some of the features we proposed in it.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

The legal protection of foreign direct investment in the new millennium :a critical assessment with a focus on South Africa and Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Chidede, Talkmore
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Investments, Foreign -- Law and legislation Economic policy
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7919 , vital:30814
  • Description: The increasing investment gap and reduction in foreign aid has made several developing countries to turn to foreign investment as a mechanism to circumvent their financial constraints among other things. There is substantial empirical evidence that foreign direct investment enhances economic development, employment creation, national competitiveness and diffusion of technology from foreign firms to local firms and workers of the host states. As a result, this study firstly argues that foreign investment is much needed in South Africa and Zimbabwe to improve economic growth and development, create employment and increase their competitiveness in the global market. However, these benefits do not accrue automatically but the host states need to create an enabling environment to exploit such benefits. The legal protection of foreign investment has become a fundamental issue in both international and national law. Efforts have been and are still being made in law as well as in practice to implement national investment legal regimes which are in line with international norms or standards. This study undertakes a contemporary assessment of the legal protection of foreign investment in South Africa and Zimbabwe with a view of examining their compliance with international minimum norms, standards and/or best practices. More recently, both South Africa and Zimbabwe have crafted and implemented investment laws and related policies which are perceived to be somewhat hostile towards foreign investment. To achieve this, selected investment laws and related policies in both jurisdictions are critically analysed. This study puts forward an argument and recommendations for policy makers in both South Africa and Zimbabwe for strategic refinements of investment laws and related policies such that they become flexible, friendly and certain to foreign investors while at the same time advancing their respective national policies aimed at the economic empowerment of local citizens.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

The cheetahs of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana: population estimates, monitoring techniques and human-predator conflict

  • Authors: Brassine, Eleanor I
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Cheetah -- Botswana , Northern Tuli Game Reserve , Animal populations -- Botswana
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5922 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017800
  • Description: Remaining viable cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) populations in Africa are threatened by direct persecution through conflict with farmers and habitat degradation and fragmentation. Botswana is considered a stronghold for free roaming cheetahs in Africa, yet the country has had relatively limited research on its cheetahs, and information from the east of the country is lacking. Data on the current status of populations is thus required to make informed management decisions. My study provides estimates of population density, abundance, distribution and status for the demographically open cheetah population of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (NOTUGRE) in Botswana. The effectiveness of two population monitoring methods, namely camera trapping and a photographic survey, were also investigated. Moreover, I report on the level of conflict between livestock farmers and predators on rural communal farmlands within and adjacent to NOTUGRE. Data were collected between May 2012 and November 2013. Results indicate a low population density of 0.61 ± 0.18 adult cheetahs per 100 km² and a minimum population size of 10 individuals (nine adults and one cub). Camera traps placed at cheetah scent-marking posts increased detection rates and provided ideal set up locations. This approach, together with Spatial Explicit Capture- Recapture (SECR) models, is recommended for future studies. The long-term studies that are required to better understand the status of cheetahs in Botswana do not exist. Thus, photographic surveys may provide an alternative method for providing baseline data on population numbers, distribution and demography. The third aspect of my study gathered information on levels of livestock loss and human tolerance of predators through the use of interviews (n = 80). Conflict with subsistence farmers is a concern as livestock depredation is relatively high (9.1% of total livestock owned) and farmers had an overall negative attitude towards conservation of large predators. My results suggest that human-predator conflict in this area is more complex than the direct financial loss from depredation. Hence, reducing depredation rates alone is unlikely to change farmer tolerance of wildlife on farmlands. Improved, responsible farm management, including self-responsibility for livestock rearing, and positive appreciation for wildlife are necessary. The NOTUGRE cheetah population requires further research to understand possible threats to the population. Furthermore, a better understanding of the connectivity between cheetahs of NOTUGRE, South Africa and Zimbabwe is required. The number of cheetahs within NOTUGRE is too small to sustain a viable population, hence conserving cheetahs outside of the protected area should be a priority for the conservation of the population. This can only be achieved through assistance and involvement from national authorities, local people and conservation organisations.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The development of an integrated value chain cost reduction methodology

  • Authors: Welman, Abraham Jacobus Frederik
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Corporations -- Finance -- Management , Manufacturing industries -- Cost control , Industrial procurement
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DTech
  • Identifier: vital:8775 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012954
  • Description: The reason for the existence of any company is to make a profit, which means increasing turnover and keeping costs as low as possible. Optimisation of the Value Chain and Procurement were identified as the two largest contributors when one needs to improve the bottom line of any company. The purpose of this research was to develop an integrated Value Chain and Procurement cost reduction methodology and system specifications for a software solution which captures, tracks and accurately reports the impact of the improvement initiatives. The main research question was structured as follows: What should the specifications of a software solution be that will integrate the cost reduction processes of the Value Chain and of Procurement, in a manner that will ensure maximum sustainable bottom-line savings for companies in the manufacturing or service industries? The objective was to define the key phases in the Value Chain and Procurement cost reduction process and to determine how and where they integrate. It is important to note that according the literature review and the survey, both the Value Chain and Procurement cost reduction processes consist of seven phases. The phases of the Value Chain cost reduction process were: Phase 1: Budget/ABC costing and data analysis; Phase 2: Generate ideas; Phase 3: Evaluate and approve ideas; Phase 4: Implementation planning and approval; Phase 5: Development of project (idea) specific KPI's; Phase 6: Implementation of ideas; Phase 7: Track and report savings. The phases of the Procurement (Strategic Sourcing) cost reduction process were: Phase 1: Team selection/data collection/spend analysis/work plan development Phase 2: Access requirements/internal and external analysis; Phase 3: Develop strategy/shape value proposition; Phase 4: Screen suppliers, issue RFI/P/Q, implementation planning; Phase 5: Conduct commercial event/negotiate/finalise contract; Phase 6: Implement contract; Phase 7: Contract management/track and reporting. The above two cost reduction processes integrate at each phase of the respective processes and should thus be implemented at the same time due to their interdependencies. Based on the findings of the research it was clear that an integrated Value Chain and Procurement cost reduction process alone is not going to solve the cost reduction problems of companies. It is essential for the successful implementation of the integrated cost reduction process to develop skills and knowledgeable resources to implement the integrated cost reduction process, improve collaboration between the Value Chain and Procurement, and to implement a system to track and report performance during implementation. Further research should include how to adapt the current company processes, structures, procedures and systems in order to gain maximum benefit from the implementation of an integrated cost reduction process. The integrated Value Chain and Procurement cost reduction process, supported by a software system, should improve the success of cost reduction projects in companies. It is, however, important to note that the application of the methodology will vary between industries and that service-related industries might put more emphasis on Procurement cost reduction, while the manufacturing industries might place a bigger emphasis on cost reduction in operations. In conclusion, irrespective of the industries, it is evident that this methodology will enhance the cost reduction results previously obtained from similar efforts.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

The impact of pension fund investments on economic development in South Africa

  • Authors: Olaifa, Ayodeji
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Pension trusts -- Investments , Retirement income -- South Africa -- Planning , Pension trusts -- South Africa -- Management , Retirees -- Finance, Personal
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9120 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015971
  • Description: Pension fund investments have been under the spotlight lately, particularly on the back of the recent global financial and economic crisis that resulted in a significant reduction in pension fund assets across economies. Increased poverty levels and high financial indebtedness abound, as workers grapple with retrenchments, reduction in retirement benefits and reduced wages. This is causing a re-assessment of investment strategies of pension funds across the globe, and increasing support for the argument that, the traditional equity/government bond asset allocation is out - fashioned in a world of lower returns and wider choices. Pension funds by virtue of their size, can impact the society directly and/or indirectly through investments in companies that incorporate environmental, social and governance issues in their corporate behaviours, or in dedicated socially responsible investment funds or other forms of alternative investments. This study sought to provide a link between the investment patterns of pension funds and national economic development. An in-depth literature review was undertaken, and investments impacts were assessed by looking at published reports of select funds and corporations. Pension funds are an integral part of a nation‟s economy. This research work established the various dimensions in which pension fund investments can impact the socio economic development of a country, especially in developing countries, where there exists a huge infrastructural and economic gap among different sectors of the economy. Pension funds are workers capital, and therefore should be invested in a manner that will benefit workers, and these benefits cannot be restricted to mere financial benefits, it should be able to generate social, financial and environmental benefits, and in a sustainable way.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

An investigation of changing socio-economic conditions, opportunities and development interventions in small Eastern Cape towns in South Africa

  • Authors: Keal, Duncan
  • Date: 2009
  • Subjects: Local Economic Development (Programme) Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth South Africa -- Economic conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:4840 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005516
  • Description: Small towns internationally and in South Africa are becoming increasingly marginalised, and they are often experiencing economic downturn, demographic shifts and a rearticulation of their role in the urban hierarchy. In the case of South Africa many of these small towns are also faced with low levels of social development. The urgent need to address such conditions is evident by the fact that a large proportion of the South African population resides in small towns, and their surrounding hinterlands. This said, there are examples of small towns, internationally and in South Africa which, through the use of various Local Economic Development actions, have managed to remain sustainable, and in some cases become economically viable localities once again. In light of the above, the research conducted for this thesis seeks first to establish the socio-economic changes occurring over time in three small towns in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, namely Stutterheim, Bedford and Hamburg. Secondly, the research aims to identify the nature of LED activities in the three small towns, highlighting those factors contributing to the success of LED initiatives as well as those factors inhibiting LED in small towns. This is done with the intention of developing future lessons for LED in small towns. The research was conducted using a mix of qualitative and quantitative data generated through the interviews with key role players in each town, as well as secondary data sources. Findings from the research suggest that the small towns investigated are characterised by low levels of socio-economic development. In addition, it appears that the development opportunities for the towns are limited. Current initiatives are being driven by private role players with local government being largely uninvolved. Such initiatives are limited in nature, with benefits only felt by small groups of the local community. However, examples do exist of where LED has successfully benefited the broader spheres of the local community, thus suggesting that if implemented properly such an approach does have potential to assist in the socio-economic development of small towns. In light of this, a number of lessons are identified for LED in small towns, including the need for strong leadership, community involvement, partnerships between role players, and planning for project sustainability.
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  • Date Issued: 2009

A study of professionalism and the professionalisation of journalists in Uganda from 1995 to 2008

  • Authors: Mayiga, John Bosco
  • Date: 2008
  • Subjects: Journalists -- Uganda Journalism -- Political aspects -- Uganda Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda Journalism -- Sociological aspects -- Uganda Journalism, Commercial -- Uganda
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3461 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002916
  • Description: This study seeks to examine how Ugandan journalists’ and politicians’ views on journalism professionalisation in Uganda relate to the broad theoretical arguments about professionalism within sociology and media studies. It also seeks to examine how such views impact on the democratic role of the media. The study finds out that there are two sets of distinct ideas on journalism professionalisation. The idea espoused by politicians is statutory professionalisation in which the state plays a major role through regulation and control, hence professionalisation is seen primarily as a control system. On the other hand, journalists perceive professionalisation as nurtured by voluntarily and socially inculcated professional values, hence as a value system. The study however, finds that both sets of understandings have their own complexities. While the statutory approach has complexities like how core elements of professionalism such as professional values can be imposed through legislation, the voluntary approach to professionalism also exhibits tensions within, especially stemming from the relationship between the professional and the news organisation regarding what constitutes professionalism. The study concludes that both sets of ideas have implications for the democratic role of the media, with both perceptions of professionalism curtailing this role. Statutory professionalisation in the Ugandan political context where the state is the dominant institution brings media institutions within its control, which leads to suppression of content of democratic value through a number of means. On the other hand, the self-regulatory perception does not protect media professionalism from the assault of commercial imperatives, especially when fused with state patronage in regard to broadcasting licences and placement of advertising.
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  • Date Issued: 2008

Field and laboratory analyses of manual tasks in the South African automotive industry

  • Authors: James, Jonathan Peter
  • Date: 2007
  • Subjects: Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa -- Safety measures , Human engineering -- South Africa , Automobile industry workers -- South Africa -- Health risk assessment , Industrial safety -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:5121 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005199 , Automobile industry and trade -- South Africa -- Safety measures , Human engineering -- South Africa , Automobile industry workers -- South Africa -- Health risk assessment , Industrial safety -- South Africa
  • Description: The present study adopted a “field-laboratory-field” approach in the assessment of the efficacy of ergonomics interventions specific to two selected tasks evaluated in a South African automotive industry. Initial field testing was conducted in an Eastern Cape (South Africa) automotive plant where high risk areas were identified during walkthrough ergonomics surveys in conjunction with interaction with operators. Temporal factors and working postures of 12 industrial workers were recorded and observed, while physiological and perceptual responses were assessed. Two priority areas were focused upon for analysis, namely the Paintshop and Bodyshop with the former identified as being the more taxing of the two tasks. Responses of 30 students participating in rigourously controlled laboratory simulations were subsequently collected while completing the two tasks, namely the Paintshop Trolley Transfer (PTT) and Car Door Carriage (CDC) for participants. Working postures, kinematic, physiological and perceptual responses were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Following the laboratory experimentation a basic re-evaluation was conducted at the plant to assess whether the proposed changes had a positive effect on working postures, physiological and perceptual responses. The results of the preliminary field investigation revealed a prevalence of awkward working postures and excessive manual work in both areas. Laboratory experimentation revealed a notable reduction in task demands pre- versus post-intervention. The PTT mean lean angle for two-handed pre-intervention pulling observations of 23.7° (±3.51) was reduced to 13.9° (±2.21) post-intervention. Low back disorder (LBD) risk was reduced during the two-handed pull intervention (from 36.8% ±8.03 to 21.7% ±5.31). A significant decrement in heart rate responses from 103 bt.min-1 (±11.62) to 93 bt.min[superscript -1] (±11.77) was recorded during the two-handed symmetrical pushing intervention. The electromyography (EMG) responses for one-handed pushing and pulling pre-intervention showed the highest levels of muscular activity in the right medial deltoid due to an awkward and asymmetrical posture. CDC responses demonstrated that minor changes in the storage height of the door resulted in a significant reduction in sagittal flexion from 28.0° (±4.78) to 20.7° (±5.65). Predictions of average probability of LBD risk were significantly reduced from 50.3% (±5.91) to 39.8% (±5.10) for post-intervention car door lifting. In addition, the greatest reduction in EMG activity as a %MVC was achieved during sub-task ii (reduced from 35.1 to 13.7% and 30.5 to 13.9% for left and right erector spinae respectively) which was associated with the introduction of the transfer trolley for the door transfer phase of the CDC. Re-evaluation in the automotive plant revealed that the most notable change has been the implementation of automated ride on trolleys in the Paintshop. The Bodyshop area has also been modified to allow more effective job rotation and the step into the storage bin has been reduced via a “low-cost” stepping platform. Mean heart rate recordings were reduced from 94 (±9.77) bt.min[superscript -1] to 81 (±3.72) bt.min[superscript -1] in the Paintshop. Overall the results demonstrate the effect of “low-cost” interventions in reducing the physical stresses placed on workers in the automotive industry where much of the work is still done manually.
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  • Date Issued: 2007

Biology, population dynamics and management of carpenter (Argyrozona argyrozona) an endemic South African reef fish

  • Authors: Brouwer, Stephen Leonard
  • Date: 2005
  • Subjects: Reef fishes -- South Africa Sparidae -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:5241 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005084
  • Description: Carpenter, Argyrozona argyrozona (Valenciennes, 1830), is an endemic South African sparid fish. They form an important component of the commercial linefishery on the South African east coast, where they are the third most important species landed. Recent investigations revealed that the catch per unit effort (cpue) of this species has declined markedly since the early 1900’s. Despite these declines and the importance of this resource, remarkably little biological information on this species exists for providing management advice. This thesis investigates the life history of carpenter, particularly those aspects that are used for management. This includes an investigation into the stock distribution and identification of nursery areas, and an assessment of age, growth, reproduction and movement patterns. Age and growth was assessed using methods based on both otoliths and mark-recapture. Transverse sagittal sections from the Tsitsikamma National Park showed clear opaque and translucent growth increments. Marginal growth zone analysis and mark-recapture of chemically tagged fish (Oxytetracycline) revealed that these were deposited on an annual basis: opaque in summer and translucent in winter. A. argyrozona were found to be long lived (up to 27 years) and slow growing. Within reader (between counts) and between readers average percent error (APE) was 5.3 and 1.8, respectively, showing that readability of carpenter otoliths is high. Comparison between whole and sectioned otoliths showed that the former significantly under-estimated the age of fish older than 10 years (p<0.01). A large proportion (68%) of the individual growth rates derived from mark-recapture data were below those predicted by the otolith based von Bertalanffy growth model (p<0.01). This was attributed to the negative influence of external tags, as hydroids, frequently occurring on the tags of recaptured fish, were observed to cause severe lesions and in some cases, extensive fin damage. This brings into question the use of mark-recapture studies to calculate growth of some species. The effects of sampling design and sample size on age and growth estimation were assessed. The minimum sample size required to accurately estimate growth and mortality, and the effects of using either random or stratified sampling procedures were tested. Decimal and integer ageing both produced similar estimates of von Bertalanffy growth parameters, growth curves, spawner biomass-per-recruit (SB/R) and fishing mortality (F) estimates. Sampling monthly throughout the year and collecting data in a single large sample provided similar growth curves, von Bertalanffy, F and SB/R estimates. The data showed that estimates based on less than 300 random samples were unreliable. However, accurate growth parameter estimates were achievable with less than 200 samples if the sample was stratified with 10 or more samples per 2 cm size class. An investigation into the reproductive biology of A. argyrozona within the Tsitsikamma National Park revealed that they were serial spawning late gonochorists. The size at 50% maturity (L₅₀) was estimated at 292 and 297 mm FL for females and males, respectively. Both monthly gonadosomatic indices and macroscopically determined ovarian stages strongly suggest that A. argyrozona within the Tsitsikamma National Park spawn in the austral summer between November and April. The presence of post-ovulatory follicles (POF's) confirmed the six month spawning season, while monthly proportions of early (0-6 hour old) POF's showed that spawning frequency was highest (once every 1-2 days) from December to March. Although spawning season was more highly correlated to photoperiod (r = 0.859) than temperature (r = -0.161), the daily proportion of spawning fish was strongly correlated (r = 0.93) to ambient temperature over the range 9-22⁰C. Both spawning frequency and season increased with fish length. As a result of the allometric relationship between annual fecundity and fish mass a 3 kg fish was calculated to produce 5 fold more eggs per kilogram of body weight than a fish of 1 kg. In addition to producing more eggs per unit weight each year, larger fish also produce significantly larger eggs. Adult emigration and larval dispersal of A. argyrozona from the Tsitsikamma National Park (TNP), South Africa, were investigated using mark-recapture data and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler measurements of currents. Tagging data showed that adult carpenter were mainly resident, with a small proportion (7%) leaving the TNP in both easterly and westerly directions. No relationship was found between fish movement patterns and fish size or time-at-liberty. Current patterns suggest that eggs and larvae spawned within the TNP are mainly transported eastwards towards established nursery grounds; the median estimated distance moved was 299 km (range 42-561 km) in 30 days (time to flexion). Given this pattern of ichthyoplankton dispersal together with the fact that adult carpenter within the TNP display a high degree of residency and that they are much more abundant than in adjacent fishing grounds (cpue = 23 times greater), it appears that the TNP protects a viable carpenter spawner population capable of seeding adjacent fishing grounds. Fishery independent biomass surveys and commercial linefish catch returns were used to elucidate the spatial patterns of A. argyrozona distributed along the South African continental shelf. Two distinct areas of abundance were determined, one on the central and the other on the eastern Agulhas Bank. Tagging studies revealed little exchange between them. Two distinct nursery areas were identified. These data suggest that in each area juvenile A. argyrozona settle and move inshore, and then move offshore as they grow. Otolith readability and growth rates varied between regions, with fish from the Eastern Cape having the lowest average percentage error and the slowest growth rates, readability decreased westward. L₅₀ varied between the central and eastern Agulhas Bank as did mass at length. Based on the distribution of carpenter, variability in otolith readability, mass at length, variation in growth and size at maturity, it is concluded that carpenter exist as two separate stocks, one on the central Agulhas Bank and the other on the eastern Agulhas Bank. SB/R, fecundity-per-recruit (Egg/R) and yield-per-recruit (Y/R) models were used to model both South African carpenter stocks. Owing to the allometric relationship between annual fecundity and individual size, Egg/R ratios were between 40 and 74% of SB/R at equivalent F. Egg/R ratios account for allometric increases in fecundity with size/age, and are therefore regarded as more accurate estimates of reproductive potential, and biological reference points for per-recruit analysis should wherever possible be based on this quantum. It is shown that the current length at first capture (lc) (250 mm TL) and F (at M = 0.1) will reduce Egg/R to 6.41% of the pristine value in the Eastern Cape and between 6.06 and 14.15% on the central Agulhas Bank, indicating that both stocks are heavily over exploited. An increase in lc from 250 to 350 mm TL and a 70% reduction in commercial fishing effort is recommended to attain a target reference point of 40% Egg/RF=0. Bag frequency analysis indicates that a reduction in daily bag limit from 10 to 4 fish.person¹.day⁻¹ would effect an equivalent reduction in recreational F. The trawl bycatch of carpenter is only 3% of the reported line catch, consequently restrictions to this fishery are not recommended.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2005

Justifiability as grounds for the review of labour arbitration proceedings

  • Authors: Young, Kirsty Leigh
  • Date: 2004
  • Subjects: South Africa. Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- South Africa Arbitration, Industrial -- South Africa Arbitration, Industrial -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: vital:3666 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003070
  • Description: This thesis focuses on the review of labour arbitration awards given under the auspices of the following bodies: the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration ("CCMA"), bargaining councils, statutory councils, accredited private agencies and private arbitration tribunals. The general grounds of review applicable to the arbitration awards of each body are set out. Against this background, the case of Carephone (Pty) Ltd v Marcus NO & Others (1998) 19 ILJ 1425 (LAC) is analysed and the principles pertaining to the justifiability test are clarified. The judicial rationale for the application of the test to CCMA arbitration proceedings and criticisms of the test are then examined. Currently the justifiability test applies in the review of CCMA proceedings only, so the judicial reasoning for the rejection of justifiability as a ground for private arbitration review is examined. Three approaches are suggested for the application of the justifiability test in private arbitration review. First it is proposed that the Arbitration Act could be interpreted to include the justifiability test under the statutory review grounds. Failing the acceptance of this approach, the second submission is that arbitration agreements could be interpreted to include an implied term that the arbitrator is under a duty to give justifiable awards. A third suggestion is that the law should be developed by attaching an ex lege term to all arbitration agreements requiring arbitrators to give justifiable awards. In the final chapter, the requirement of justifiability in awards given under the auspices of collective bargaining agents and accredited private agencies highlights the incongruity in applying the justifiability test in CCMA arbitration review and in rejecting this test in private arbitration review.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2004

Superstition, atheism and reasonable faith in Acts 26: a Graeco-Roman perspective on Paul’s defence before Festus and Agrippa

  • Authors: Germiquet, Edouard Ariste
  • Date: 2001
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:21065 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6224
  • Description: This thesis investigates Luke‟s presentation of Paul‟s final and climactic defence of the gospel which takes place before Festus and King Agrippa II (Ac.26). It indicates how Luke has made use of the philosophical doctrine of the mean in order to present Christianity as a reasonable and rational faith. This investigation explores how Luke creates a literary framework within which to promote Paul as reasonable and rational through the application of the topos that true piety is the mean between the two extremes of superstition and atheism. The thesis is therefore structured around three dominant sections in which the major themes of superstition, atheism and rational faith are treated independently. Each section consists of an analysis of Luke‟s choice of words and his description of the behavioural patterns of each representative group so that a consistent picture progressively emerges in support of the basic framework. At all stages of the investigation, reference is made to contemporary moral philosophers, Hellenistic Judaism and the early Christian apologists so that the language, literary settings and stereotypes used by Luke can be clearly defined. This not only clarifies the text of Acts 26 but contributes to an overall appreciation of Luke‟s literary technique. At all points in the development of the thesis, the relevance and centrality which the resurrection has for Luke is kept in mind. This not only acts as a backdrop in understanding Luke‟s depiction of the superstitious and the atheist but is crucial in grasping Luke‟s presentation of Christianity as a rational faith. The thesis is brought to a close by a discussion on Luke's intended audience and the significance of his dedication to Theophilus.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2001

'A search for educational relevance' : an investigation into the teaching of the rural settlement component of the secondary school syllabus with special reference to Venda

  • Authors: Mphaphuli, Shonisani Eunice
  • Date: 1993
  • Subjects: Geography -- Curricula -- South Africa Geography -- South Africa -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Rural geography -- Study and teaching -- South Africa Land settlement -- South Africa -- Venda
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1760 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003645
  • Description: School geography has been identified as the one subject which has the most potential to develop pupils' ability to identify with their community and with their environment. Through the development of a sense of place pupils are encouraged to become effective perceivers, users, appreciators, evaluators and developers of their environment (Catling 1987. This approach to the teaching of geography implies that the content and the teaching strategies need to be perceived as relevant. Relevance in this study is taken to incorporate not only the needs of the pupils and the community but also of the subject. The location of this study in Venda, an area which is predominantly rural in nature sought to emphasise the important role which rural settlement geography can play in aiding the development of these pupils' sense of place and social identity. The research therefore concentrated on the approaches and teaching strategies used in the teaching of rural settlement in Venda secondary schools. This was achieved through a survey which involved geography teachers and pupils in the Thohoyandou inspection area. The place of rural settlement in the current geography curriculum was established through an analysis of the relevant syllabuses, textbooks and senior certificate examination papers. This analysis was primarily undertaken to illuminate the extent to which rural settlement geography in the South African curriculum complies with accepted criteria for relevance. The study revealed that the teaching of rural settlement in Venda is textbook-related and teacher- directed with no attempt to capitalise upon the pupils' experience of their rural environment. This was largely ascribed to the constraints of the syllabus and the demands of the examination system. When allied to the problems teachers have concerning syllabus development, the validity and relevance of this aspect of the syllabus is reduced. More importantly, because the local environment is not perceived as having value in the teaching of geography, the Venda pupils' perception of the value of their environment is diminished.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1993

A phenomenological investigation into the psychoanalytic psychotherapist's experience of identifying, differentiating and processing the patient's transference-based and reality-oriented reactions

  • Authors: Danilewitz, Larry Mark
  • Date: 1993
  • Subjects: Reality therapy Transference (Psychology) -- Therapeutic use
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:2960 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002469
  • Description: The aim of this study was to describe the psychoanalytically-oriented therapist's experience of identifying, differentiating and processing the patient's transference-based and reality-oriented reactions. In order to investigate the therapist's lived experience of being receptive to the total communication of the patient in the analytic situation, the researcher adopted the empirical phenomenological method. This descriptive and intuitive method grounded the researcher in the concreteness of the everyday life-world of the therapist, and enabled him to explicate the therapist's immediate, pre-theoretical experiences of his patient. The appropriate central research question, formulated to elicit the experience of this phenomenon, emerged through the process of enquiry during the pilot study. Thirteen experienced, psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapists were interviewed and the five protocols considered most revelatory of the phenomenon under investigation were analyzed in detail. The remaining eight protocols were used to illuminate central themes and to clarify areas of uncertainty during the phase of formal explication. The central findings revealed that the oscillating process of the therapist as he shifts from being immersed in the world of his patient to being in a position of observation and self reflection is the fulcrum around which he evaluates the nature of his patient's communications. During this ongoing process of discrimination, living in duality, the therapist comes to experience himself as a patient scrutinized by his own and his patient's confrontations. His journey of disentanglement, the endeavour to differentiate his responses from his patient's actions, is dependent on his ability to engage in honest selfreflection and to access his pre-theoretical and articulated cognitions of his patient. This allows him to acknowledge his own role in what has unfolded interpersonally and to appropriate his previously denied feelings for and attitudes towards his patient, a prerequisite for the accurate and full appraisal of the nature of his patient's communications. Forsaking fixed judgements, the therapist becomes open to the confluence between the reality-oriented responses and transference-based reactions of his patient. This salient discovery, when dialogued with the literature, reinforced the theories of Greenson and Langs that not all the interactions between the patient and the analyst/therapist are transference-based and that it is therefore imperative that the analyst/therapist reflect on his participation in the analytic situation.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1993

Training in note making : the effects of a training scheme on first year teacher-training students

  • Authors: Ferreira, Ignatius Leopold
  • Date: 1992
  • Subjects: Note-taking Teachers -- Training of Study skills
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1803 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003688
  • Description: This research work is based upon a training technique devised and recommended by J. Smith (1985) in a pamphlet published by The British Historical Association. The technique involves training school pupils in the making of notes from text books and references and then selecting appropriate points to answer specific questions. The technique was slightly adapted and used on a small Experimental Group drawn from Black first year College of Education students at an Eastern Cape College. A Control Group from the same College received conventional lectures on two topicS from the first year college syllabus - the San and Khoi peoples of Southern Africa. The Experimental Group was given a brief training period in Smith's technique and then worked independently on extended reading passages on the same topics. Both groups received a similar introduction of a video tape on the San and a slide presentation on the Khoi. Both groups wrote the same final test after their learning experiences were over and both groups completed questionnaires on the initial visual input and on their reactions to the learning experience. Comparisons are drawn between the results and the students' reaction to those learning experiences.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1992

An existential-phenomenological exploration of interracial love relationships in South Africa

  • Authors: Ross, Christopher James
  • Date: 1988
  • Subjects: Interpersonal relations -- South Africa , South Africa -- Race relations
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2900 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002064
  • Description: The aim of the study was to explicate the experience of interracial love relationships between Blacks and Whites in South Africa. As a point of departure, a basic question was established which would elicit the actual experience of this phenomenon. The researcher conducted twelve interviews and chose the six psychologically richest accounts. The researcher then analysed in detail (using the phenomenological method) the resulting protocols comprising the interviews. The researcher then explicated the experience and discovered that interracial love was a historical process of going through a relationship over time. The subjects experienced a particular historical background in the face of which they felt unfulfilled which brought about the potential to search for authenticity in a particular way. The subjects were placed in a situation where interracial love became a possibility. The subjects saw the other as human and fell in love. A new horizon emerged and a learning experience, about themselves and the world, occurred. The element of conflict was always present which was exacerbated by the South African Apartheid system. Subjects experienced fulfillment and disappointment depending on whether or not their historical demand was met. This structure of the experience was dialogued with the writings of existential-phenomenological philosophers and psychologists and also with that of previous research in the context of discussing particular areas of psychological significance such as historical background and Apartheid, racism, alienation, motives for interracial love, love and the universality of human nature and interracial love as a learning experience.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1988

The biology of the South African cliff swallow hirundo spilodera

  • Authors: Earlé, Roy Anthony
  • Date: 1986
  • Subjects: Hirundo pyrrhonota Birds -- Breeding -- South Africa Birds -- Behavior -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:5631 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004927
  • Description: The general biology of the South African Cliff Swallow Hirundo spilodera was studied over a two year period in the central Orange Free State. This species is highly colonial, nesting mostly on man-made structures such as concrete road bridges. Adult birds were usually faithful to their breeding colony and very few individuals changed colonies. The Cliff Swallow had a surprisingly large vocal repertoire for a swallow and contact calls of the young were individually recognizable. Three species-specific ectoparasites parasitized the Cliff Swallow but none seemed to have a noticeable negative effect on the swallows. Breeding started earlier in larger colonies than in smaller ones and conspecific brood parasitism was a common feature in some colonies. Individual pairs made up to four breeding attempts per season. The findings of this study are compared with the available information on other members of the Hirundinidae and the advantages and costs of Cliff Swallow coloniality are discussed.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1986
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