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Combining DNA barcoding and morphology to identify larval fishes from the nearshore environment off the south-east coast of South Africa

  • Authors: Somana, Zinzi Sinazo
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Fishes -- Larvae -- South Africa -- Identification , Fishes -- Genetics -- Research -- Technique , Fishes -- South Africa -- Classification , Genetic markers
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144605 , vital:38362
  • Description: The early life history stages of most marine fish species are undescribed. The problem is, most of these fishes have pelagic larvae which are minute, delicate forms. Linking the larval stage to an adult counterpart is extremely challenging as larvae are morphologically different from the adults. Historically, larval fish identification relied solely on distinguishing morphological characteristics and meristic measurements, which has resulted in taxonomic confusion and misidentification. The introduction of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcoding technique as an alternative approach has been successful in positively identifying larval fishes. The correct identification of larval specimens is the key to a better understanding of larval ecology, which underpins the success of any adult fish population. This study aimed to positively identify larval fishes of the south-east coast of South Africa using morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding. Larval and eggs specimens for this study were collected from the shallow nearshore waters of the south-east coast of South Africa. A total of 177 larval specimens were used for morphological analysis. Body shape, gut shape, pigmentation and morphometric measurements (such as body depth, preanal length and total body length) were used to identify each specimen to the family level. In addition, a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) was adopted for sequencing to identify larval fish specimens and fish eggs. Sequences generated from this study were compared to those in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD). When there were no close matches to a sequence, the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database, maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), was used as an alternative. A total of 18 different families were identified through morphology. Seventy-seven of the 177 larval specimens were not subjected to morphological identification due to physical damage. The majority of larvae identified using morphological characteristics belonged to either the Sparidae, Tripterygiidae or Gobiesocidae fish families. Through DNA barcoding, 12 fish families, 16 genera and 18 different species were identified. Ten DNA barcodes (categorised as ‘no match’) from 10 different larval specimens were not identified through any of the online databases. Therefore, the 2% threshold value was used to identify members of the same species. The K2P genetic distance relationships were calculated among the no match sequences and downloaded probability matches from NCBI. This resulted in two unknown specimens assigned to the Blenniidae and Gobiidae. All other taxa were identified to species level, except specimens representing the Gobiidae and Tripterygiidae families. Based on the K2P genetic distances Gobiidae representatives were categorised as members of the Caffrogobius genus. Twenty-eight barcodes represented specimens from the Tripterygiidae. DNA barcode data from COI was analysed using the standard phylogenetic procedures in MEGA6 to examine relationships and differentiation among sequences. These could not be identified to the lowest taxonomic rank due to limited sequence data to compare them with. The sequence data from these specimens gave different results in the two online databases. BOLD results were to family level (Tripterygiidae) and NCBI to the species level (Clinidae: Pavoclinus profundus). Results in this study confirmed the efficiency of the DNA barcoding technique in species level identification of fish larvae. The evidence from genetic barcodes of the Tripterygiidae specimens, supported by morphological characteristics, suggests the need for thorough research to identify the individuals to the species level. The fact that this study identified taxonomically problematic Gobiidae and Tripterygiidae specimens suggests that studies similar to this may highlight additional diversity and help to resolve the taxonomy of other species in these families. However, the lack of reference sequence data from the adult specimens, and especially those with cryptic diversity, were both shortcomings for the positive identification of larvae. With that being said, it shows the necessity for more research to be conducted on barcoding of larvae in general as to accommodate all kinds of species from biodiversity to economic perspectives.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Growth and photosynthetic responses of Acacia (Vachellia) seedlings to atmospheric CO2 increased from glacial to current concentrations: underlying mechanisms and ecological implications

  • Authors: Anderson, Bruce Maurice
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Acacia vachellia , Acacia vachellia -- Growth , Acacia -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138182 , vital:37604
  • Description: The African Acacia species Vachellia karroo, V. robusta, V. nilotica, and V. tortilis are some of the most invasive species implicated in bush encroachment and woody thickening of historically open savannas in southern Africa. This is partially explained by historic increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, which are proposed to have promoted the growth and survivorship of C3 tree seedlings relative to C4 grasses. However, the uniformity of CO2 responsiveness and differences among Vachellia species remain largely undetermined. Here we investigate the growth and photosynthetic responses of four Vachellia species, all implicated in woody encroachment, but originating from distinct climatic niches. Exposing these species to a range of sub-ambient CO2 concentrations (12 – 40 Pa) showed that V. karroo, V. robusta, V. nilotica and V. tortilis all responded strongly and fairly consistently to increasing CO2 concentrations, acting as a ‘functional type’ despite being selected from different geographic regions and having different climatic niches. Combined average net CO2 assimilation rates increased by 130% despite significant, but low levels of down-regulation and decreased stomatal conductance. The increased photosynthetic rates stimulated growth and biomass production in all compartments, with no significant differences in interspecific above and below ground allocation. Growth rates and dry biomass increased by 50% and 186%, respectively, while leaf level water use efficiency (ratio of net CO2 assimilation rate to transpiration rate) increased by an average of 218%. When this was scaled to the whole plant level, this stimulation was decreased to 80%. The decrease was the result of the CO2 stimulated increase in canopy areas, which increased leaf area for water loss. The seedlings’ total number of spinescent physical defenses, as well as the average mass and spine mass fraction also increased with rising CO2. These thicker spines could act as better deterrents against vertebrate browsers. Spine density was unchanged, however, showing that the increased spine numbers were associated with larger seedlings at higher CO2 rather than an increase in the number of spines per stem length. The stimulatory effects of increasing CO2 concentrations since the last glacial maximum and resultant increases in seedling growth and biomass are likely to have had important consequences for the survival and establishment of Acacia seedlings. Tolerance of drought and disturbance has been related to seedling size, hence stimulating the growth rate could confer disturbance tolerance and this tolerance would develop more rapidly with increasing CO2 concentrations. Furthermore, increased nitrogen and water use efficiency have the potential to support seedling establishment in environments where these resources would otherwise be limited at lower atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Resulting in a larger proportion of CO2 fertilization responsive woody seedlings surviving the seedling size classes, and persisting within historically open savannas. Where interspecific differences occurred they are likely to have arisen from adaptation to specific climates where these species are native and selection would have been driven by factors such climate, resource availability, levels of disturbance and competitive interactions. V. karroo had the highest growth rates and strong CO2 driven increases in biomass accumulation, despite having the lowest inherent photosynthetic rates. V. karroo also had the lowest increase in water use efficiency and high transpiration rates could potentially increase access to soil nutrients through mass flow. This species had the highest mean spine mass and showed significant increases in spine mass fraction at elevated CO2 concentrations, which may be important for deterring herbivores. V. robusta’s distribution to the mesic east coast of Africa suggests that water is an important limitation to its distribution. Hence, the CO2 stimulated increase in water use efficiency at both leaf and whole canopy level allows speculation that this may be an important driver of this species’ range expansion, which might continue if increasing levels of CO2 continue to promote water use efficiency. V. nilotica occupies a broad range of habitats, inhabiting large areas of the subtropics both north and south of the equator, with the strongest climatic correlates being the precipitation of the wettest quarter followed by high temperature seasonality. In response to increasing CO2, V. nilotica showed overall strong increases in growth, water use efficiency, and physical defenses. These responses may explain why V. nilotica has been such a successful encroacher in a broad range of habitats where limitations are likely to include multiple climatic factors and disturbances. V. tortilis has the widest distribution of all the species studied, covering broad ranges of Africa and only being excluded from the wettest parts of the equator and driest parts of the deserts. In these experiments this species showed the lowest biomass responsiveness to CO2, but had especially large increases in water use efficiency at both the leaf and canopy level. This may have been an important driver for this species’ encroachment into the more arid parts of its distribution, however this link will need to be verified with further experimentation.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

“Workers’ strikes and collective bargaining: a study of the SAMWU municipal worker strike of 2018, Port Elizabeth, South Africa”

  • Authors: Gumbo, Eugene
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: South African Municipal Workers Union , Strikes and lockouts -- Municipal government -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Collective bargaining -- Municipal employees -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Philosophy, Marxist , Labor unions -- South Africa , Labor unions -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146916 , vital:38576
  • Description: The focus of this study centered on investigating the perceptions and opinions surrounding the eruption of strike action and its effectiveness during a collective bargaining process. The case study employed was the 2018 municipal strike in Port Elizabeth, organised by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). A Marxist theoretical framework was chosen for this study. It argues that strike action is a means through which workers communicate their dissatisfaction or enforce particular demands, with trade unions playing a protagonist’s role. Strike action, generally, is caused by a plethora of reasons ranging from disciplinary issues and conditions and hours of work, to be mention a few. However, the major force behind strike eruption is the wage agenda, as workers are always striving to get better wages while employers, on the other hand, attempt to reduce them so as to increase profits. South Africa has had its fair share of municipal strike action ever since the apartheid period, the early stages of democracy up to the contemporary times of the 21st century with various strategies, successes and losses being experienced. Democracy in South Africa also saw some developments in the labour sphere in relation to statutes surrounding strike action. The LRA and the Constitution of South Africa inform the right to strike and offer guidelines as well as consequences that steer strike action in a direction that does not jeopardize the workers, employers and the general public. The research found that workers do understand what strike action is, its causes and its various implications. Furthermore, it was discovered that this worker tool has been successful in putting pressure on the negotiation process as well as luring employers back to the negotiation table, for example. However, it was also uncovered that there are present, factors that hampered the impact of strike action during the bargaining procedure in focus. These are namely, the political institutionalization of trade unions, ill-equipped union leaders, a reluctance to implement strike agreements by employers, the use of violence by municipal workers during the strike, to mention but a few. Therefore, when looking at the strike in question, the effectiveness of strike action during the collective bargaining process was found to be easily contestable.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Augmentative releases of Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto (Dactylopiidae; Hemiptera) for biological control of Opuntia aurantiaca Lindley (Cactaceae), in South Africa

  • Authors: Mulateli, Thifhelimbilu
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Opuntia aurantiaca -- Biolotical control -- South Africa , Invasive plants -- Biolotical control -- South Africa , Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto -- South Africa , Dactylopius -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92931 , vital:30765
  • Description: Opuntia aurantiaca Lindely (Cactaceae) is an invasive alien cactus which has detrimental effects on agroecosystems and indigenous biodiversity in South Africa. Dense infestations over large areas reduce grazing capacity and indigenous biodiversity. Despite the release of a biological control agent, the cochineal insect Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto (Dactylopiidae), the weed is still considered a major problem in many parts of the country. Biological control has relied heavily on classical biological control, with little augmentative biological control implemented. This study investigated the outcome of mass-rearing and augmentative releases of D. austrinus for the control of O. aurantiaca. Augmentative releases are thought to improve the level of control by increasing agent densities in the field and thus increasing the level of damage inflicted to the plants. All data were collected with the intention to optimize release strategies so that the maximum benefit from the biological control agent could be achieved. An impact study was conducted using potted plants in a greenhouse to quantify the efficacy of multiple releases of the agent on the target weed. All three of the release treatments showed consistently higher proportion of cochineal than the controls, as well as the insect exclusion treatments, and these differences were statistically significant. The number of cladodes per plant increased significantly for the insect exclusion and control treatment over the period of the study, whilst all three release treatments decreased steadily over the same period. This study indicated that the agent is damaging to O. aurantiaca and that a single release event was beneficial but that multiple releases did not result in greater levels of control. A post-release evaluation was carried out to quantify the impact of releases of D. austrinus on O. aurantiaca in the field. Plots where the agent was excluded were compared with those where the agent was left at natural field densities and three treatments where agent populations were augmented to varying degrees through releases. The percentage of cochineal infested cladodes for all treatments decreased over time from the initiation of the experiment in October 2017 until the end of the experiment in October 2018. Opuntia aurantiaca densities also decreased over time for all treatments. The insect exclusion treatment had the greatest number of plants for the duration of the study, but this was not significantly different from other treatments. Dactylopius austrinus was damaging to O. aurantiaca, but climatic conditions in the field limited the efficacy of releases. Although O. aurantiaca density decreased during the experiment, it was evident that the reduced number of plants was not due to augmentation of the cochineal populations from the releases that were conducted. The experiment was conducted over a very dry period, when cochineal was particularly effective, so although augmentative releases did not improve the level of control, the natural population of cochineal was high and very damaging to O. aurantiaca over the course of the experiment. Releasing during wet periods, when the agent is less effective, could augment agent populations at a time when natural populations would be low, and hence improve levels of control further. Although this study was limited to a short period of two years, the results of this study suggest that the number of releases is less important than the timing of releases. Releasing immediately after periods of high rainfall is likely to be beneficial, while releasing during dry periods, or during winter when temperatures are low, is less effective. Dactylopius austrinus populations should be constantly monitored so that releases can be conducted when cochineal populations are low and the climatic conditions are correct. If the timing of release events is appropriate, then the over level of control of O. aurantiaca using D. austrinus could be improved.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Careerism and capitalism as women’s emancipation: a critical analysis of Rand Merchant Bank’s ‘Athena Programme', South Africa

  • Authors: Mosesi, Poloko Prudence
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Rand Merchant Bank (South Africa) , Women in economic development -- South Africa , Women in finance -- South Africa , Neoliberalism -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140344 , vital:37881
  • Description: Against the backdrop of debates on feminism and neo– liberalism, this thesis presents a critical analysis of Rand Merchant Bank’s (RMB) Athena programme in South Africa – an award– winning programme run by women, which aims to develop women as senior managers – and of the type of feminism it represents, using a Marxist feminist theoretical framework. Rand Merchant Bank’s is one of the largest investment banks in Africa, part of the giant First Rand Group (FRG) alongside First National Bank (FNB) group. The thesis, based on a detailed case study using qualitative methods, argues that Athena is a very much product of its time: it advances the argument that if more women were in position of power, women in general would be free, and it views the problem of women’s oppression with an individualist lens, which focuses on attitudes and confidence. Athena, like many initiatives of the neo– liberal era, such as Sandberg’s Lean– In philosophy and the Nike Foundation’s ‘Girl Effect’ promote individual understanding and emancipation of women, which sees emancipation in terms of creating a neo– liberal subject that operates more effectively within a capitalist framework, sees capitalism as the solution – rather than the cause – of women’s unequal circumstance and ignores structural issues like class. In effect, Athena argues that the free market and big corporations are neutral tools that can answer the question of women equality, if only women had the correct attitudes, and so long as corporate hierarchies and profits are accepted as fair, and women are seen as an untapped resource that can be used in a ‘smart economics.’ What all these initiatives have in common is shifting the burden and responsibility to women without proper interrogation of the systems that perpetuate inequalities, and a trickle– down theory, according to which more women capitalists and more women in the ruling class will empower the women in the working class.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Labour market perceptions of students at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in Grahamstown, South Africa

  • Authors: Khambule, Nelisa
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Eastcape Midlands College (Makhanda, South Africa) -- Students -- Attitudes , College students -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Attitudes , College graduates -- Employment -- South Africa , Labor market -- South Africa , Employability -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96515 , vital:31289
  • Description: In the context of South Africa, the supply of intermediate to high-level skills is central to economic growth and development. The post-school education and training sector is a critical source of these skills. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are expected to provide the intermediate to high-level skills that are required in a fast-changing global and national economy. In addition to fulfilling the goal of meeting the skills needs of the country, TVET colleges are expected to expand access to education and training opportunities and create pathways that will ensure smooth transitions for learners from college to employment. Using the third-generation labour market segmentation approach to the study of labour markets, this study sought to investigate the various socio-political factors that influence TVET college students’ perceptions about employment opportunities in the labour market with a NCV qualification. Using a qualitative methodology, this research investigated whether TVET students at Eastcape Midlands College felt adequately prepared for the labour market with their prospective post-secondary school qualification. The findings varied, with some students being of the view that the theoretical component of their programme of study could be improved to better prepare them for the labour market, and others, being of the view that the practical component could be improved. At a general level, the findings showed that the students did not have perfect knowledge of the availability of employment opportunities for their prospective qualifications.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

An analysis of flood activity over the past century based on the sedimentary deposits in the Mfolozi floodplain

  • Authors: Mbao, Chabala
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Floodplain morphology -- South Africa -- Mfolozi River , Floodplains -- South Africa -- Kwazulu-Natal , Sedimentation and deposition -- South Africa -- Kwazulu-Natal , Floods -- South Africa -- Kwazulu-Natal -- Measurement , Hydrology -- Research -- South Africa -- Kwazulu-Natal , Stream measurements -- South Africa -- Kwazulu-Natal
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/53711 , vital:26312
  • Description: Floods are natural phenomena that are of widespread interest to the scientific community, particularly in the context of understanding the impact of climate change as well as changing land use patterns and the security of infrastructure such as towns and roads. In northern KwaZulu-Natal, large flood events have been a reoccurring feature over the past century. The geographical position and extent of the region means that is affected by both inland and coastal weather phenomena, each with the potential to cause large flood events. While information pertaining to large floods in the region in the form of flow data is readily available, flow data is often incomplete and limited in terms of how far back in time the records extend. The Mfolozi River floodplain itself also houses a record of flood activity in the region in the form of sedimentary deposits, which have the potential to reveal flood activity over a much longer timescale, even when monitoring of flood activity in the region was not present. Establishing a link between the hydrological and sedimentary features of floods may be useful in establishing a record of flood activity extending beyond the limits of historical records. The aim of this project was to construct a record of major flood events on the Mfolozi River floodplain over the last century and determine their source. The first objective involved establishing the history of flood events in the Mfolozi River catchment utilising hydrological data recorded throughout the catchment. Thirty nine different large floods (defined as being over 800 m3.s-1) were recorded on the floodplain over the past century. The data also highlighted differences in the extent of known coastal and inland systems (tropical cyclones and cut-off lows respectively), allowing for inferences to be made about the area of the catchment most likely affected by each event; some flood events were identified as having mostly affected the upper reaches of the catchment, while others mostly affected the lower reaches, closer to the coast. The second objective was to identify the various physical, mineralogical and geochemical features of the sediment deposited on the Mfolozi floodplain. Multiple individual flood deposits were identified in the sedimentary record, with sediment tracing analysis providing insight into the source of the deposits within the catchment; no traces of igneous or metamorphic material could be found within the sediment. The source rocks were identified as mostly quartzite, with minor shale and sandstone deposits as well. This put the source of the sediment in the upper to middle reaches of the catchment. The sedimentary analysis was combined with the hydrological records to establish a chronology of flood events extending back to the 1960's. Unfortunately, this record could not be extended further due to the limited amount of sediment collected as well the limits of readily available analytical techniques; radionuclide dating methods were unsuccessful due to the low amounts of fallout radionuclides present in the sediment. The study has however successfully established a history of flood events in the region, as well as providing a link between the hydrological and sedimentary features of flood events that could potentially be useful for current and future research.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Density-dependent effects on body size, Philopatry, and dispersal in the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis)

  • Authors: Finn, Kyle T
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Fukomys damarensis , Fukomys damarensis -- Reproduction , Fukomys damarensis -- Growth , Rodents -- Reproduction -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rodents -- Growth -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Rodent populations -- South Africa -- Northern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/50495 , vital:25993
  • Description: Population density may exert changes in a variety of behavioural and physiological characters in animals. However, the effects of density-dependence and dispersal are poorly studied in subterranean rodents due to the difficulties involved in observing such effects in wild populations. Using the cooperative breeding Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) as a model species, the effects of population density on body size, growth rates, group size, recruitment, philopatry and dispersal were investigated at two sites (one with low density and one with high density) in the Northern Cape of South Africa. Group size, litter size and the probability of recapture were independent of population density. However, individual body size, recruitment, dispersal rate and dispersal distance were density-dependent. Individuals were significantly larger, juveniles exhibited a significantly higher growth rate, and juvenile recruitment was significantly greater when population density was low. At higher densities, significantly more individuals were lost between capture events which may be indicative of increased rates of dispersal. Mean dispersal distances in mole-rats were reduced at higher densities and increased at lower densities. While both sexes dispersed equally, males were significantly more likely to join an established colony and females created new burrow systems. In addition, four times as many single females were found when population density was low. The apparent differences in the study populations may be attributed to variable annual rainfall or food availability. The greater annual rainfall at the high-density site may provide better habitat conditions and therefore result in an increase in the population density and an increased dispersal rate due to the relaxed ecological constraints such as reduced energetic costs to burrowing. However, the larger body size found at the low-density site may indicate that the available food at that location is of better quality. This study revealed that mole-rats were able to disperse over 1km and therefore a much larger study area would be required in capture-mark-recapture studies to ensure the recapture of the majority of dispersers. Lastly, a surprising find of this study was that females may survive a solitary existence for over two years while awaiting the arrival of a mate.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Ecosystem engineering by the wetland plant palmiet: does it control fluvial form and promote diffuse flow in steep-sided valleys of the Cape Fold Mountains

  • Authors: Barclay, Amy
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Prionium serratum , Wetlands -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Aquatic plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Peatland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Kromme River (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4646 , vital:20708
  • Description: Ecosystem engineering refers to the way that organisms control the structure and function of ecosystems. It has been suggested that palmiet (Prionium serratum, Thurniaceae) works as an ecosystem engineer, shaping peat wetlands in South Africa. However, there is currently a paucity of evidence supporting this claim. Palmiet has a dense root, rhizome and stem system that forms dense stands, growing from channel banks into fast flowing river channels. This slows river flows, traps sediment, which builds up riverbeds and ultimately blocks river channels, turning the river into a wetland. The aim of this study was to determine if palmiet is an ecosystem engineer and to document its pattern of colonisation and the nature of its control of a fluvial system. This was achieved by undertaking vegetation surveys in the Kromrivier Wetland in the Eastern Cape. The data was analyzed using vegetation classification and ordination, where vegetation communities were linked to environmental factors. It was found that palmiet occupied three distinctive habitats; 1) on near-horizontal valley- bottom habitats filled with sediments that are a mixture of autochthonous organic sediment and allochthonous clastic fines, 2) the bed of gullies that have recently filled with coarse grained clastic sediment, and 3) open water bodies. Three conceptual models were developed, one that accounts for the process of gully bed colonisation, sediment trapping and gully filling, another involving rapid colonisation of sedimentary fill from tributary sediment sources that block a gully, and the third involving colonisation of open-water areas that form in former gullies upstream of the blockage. The study suggests that the wetland has been characterised by repeated cutting and filling cycles, despite which, palmiet has repeatedly reinstated diffuse flow conditions across the valley floor. Palmiet was indicated to exert a key control on fluvial form and dynamics of the wetlands in the Kromrivier valley.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

South-South labour migration complexities and shifting visa policies in South Africa: a sociological analysis of Rhodes University academic labour migrants’ perceptions

  • Authors: Domboka, Edward
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Foreign workers -- South Africa , Foreign workers -- Government policy -- South Africa , College teachers, Foreign -- South Africa -- Attitudes , College teacher mobility -- Africa , Visas -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Employees -- Attitudes
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/46242 , vital:25593
  • Description: International migration is an old phenomenon caused by many factors divided into push and pull factors. However, there is no enough coverage on the perceptions of the labour migrants. Although there is a vast body of writing on migration, this study delves into the experiential perceptions of academic labour migrants at Rhodes University. These academic labour migrants include professors, lecturers, researchers and postdoctoral research fellows. The study took a qualitative approach to document the experiential perceptions of academic labour migrants at Rhodes University. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve respondents, to analyse how academic labour migrants perceive South Africa’s changing visa policies in the context of regional integration and development, migration networks and choice, host-migrant relations. The study is underpinned by Probsting’s (2015) concept of "spatial fix" in the context of capitalism and migration, to locate the positionality of academic labour migrants within a capitalist society. The study established that the increase in skilled labour migration is relatively linked to the expansion of capitalism. Based on the perceptions of the respondents, the study concluded that migration is inherently vital in providing cheap labour for capitalists. It established that changing visa policies is not without problems. Historical dispositions of the apartheid system, conflicting domestic versus international imperatives, neo-liberal policies and the widely condemned results of capitalism as an imperialist system and other factors influence migration management in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Analysing the impact of a selected economic activity on Oudsthoorn's economy

  • Authors: Van Schalkwyk, Aren
  • Date: 2010
  • Subjects: Economic development projects -- South Africa , Economic growth -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8694 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1104 , Economic development projects -- South Africa , Economic growth -- South Africa
  • Description: Property development, by its very nature is an element of the economy and can be regarded as a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that include the development of undeveloped land by constructing residential, commercial and industrial buildings, either for leasing or selling. Based on the aforesaid, property development therefore has direct, indirect and induced impacts on the economy. Economic impact refers to the effects, positive or negative, on the level of economic activity in a given area. Measuring economic impact requires a baseline assessment conducted before the activity (property development) occurs and a second, comparable assessment conducted after the activity (property development) occurs. By using the Input- Output Model methodology, various anticipated direct and indirect economic impacts can be quantified. These economic impacts are derived using an understanding of economic cause-effect relationships. The principle of cause-effect is that for any economic action, there can be a multitude of different economic reactions (effects). For the purposes of this treatise, the main cause/action is the implementation of the proposed Alphen Aan Den Rijn Retirement and Lifestyle Village development in Oudtshoorn. The result is a number of direct potential/probable effects, which also have a range of indirect potential/probable effects. Based on the findings of the Input-Output Model, it is clear that the implementation of Alphen will have significant positive socio-economic benefits, e.g. additional business sales, additional GGP and additional employment for the local and regional environment. To ensure that these positive impacts are maximised for the benefit of the overall economy of Oudtshoorn as well as the population of Oudtshoorn, management strategies and mechanisms pertaining to the following are suggested for incorporation into the development proposal: • Workplace Skills Plan; • Labour Contracts; • Service Carrying Capacity Management Plan; • Economic Sustainability; and • Social Sustainability.
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  • Date Issued: 2010

A just culture : restoring justice towards a culture of human rights

  • Authors: McConnell, Jesse
  • Date: 2005
  • Subjects: South Africa. Truth and Reconciliation Commission , Reconciliation , Restorative justice , Justice , Human rights , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007594 , South Africa. Truth and Reconciliation Commission , Reconciliation , Restorative justice , Justice , Human rights , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 20th century
  • Description: This thesis seeks to investigate the possibility that the binary opposition between retributive and restorative forms of justice that structures the discourse on justice is unhelpful and unnecessary, particularly for societies seeking to extricate themselves from violent conflict and towards building peace and democracy. I shall argue for the importance of considering restorative justice as conceptually and historically prior to the possibility of retributive justice rather than the negation of one or the other, as well as advocate the potentially greater transformative power of the values of restorative justice which may provide a constructive alternative to retributive justice in the context of post-conflict peacebuilding.
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  • Date Issued: 2005

"We are all friends here": the social dynamics of a development project

The South African lobby in America: the battle over sanctions

  • Authors: Harning, Jeannie
  • Date: 1994
  • Subjects: Lobbying -- South Africa , Lobbying -- United States , Economic sanctions, American -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign relations -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2779 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002989 , Lobbying -- South Africa , Lobbying -- United States , Economic sanctions, American -- South Africa , South Africa -- Foreign relations -- United States , United States -- Foreign relations -- South Africa
  • Description: The relationship between South Africa and the United States was, historically, quite mutually profitable. The South African government regarded the United States as an ally in the world and sought continued friendship with them. The United States was mildly critical of the South African system of apartheid, but they, however, viewed South Africa as an ally. During the 1980's the relationship between the two countries became strained as the anti-apartheid voices in the United States grew louder and louder. The movement sought to end the atrocities of apartheid and change American foreign policy toward South Africa. The strongest diplomatic means available to them was imposing economic sanctions on South Africa in an attempt to force political change in the country. The anti-apartheid movement lobbied extensively gaining support among the American pub1ic and eventually the U.S. Congress. The sanctions campaign culminated in the enactment of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (CAAA) of 1986. Prior to the enactment of the CAAA the South African government and its allies launched their own campaign in an attempt to combat the imposition of sanctions. Lobbying played a key role in the process for those on both sides of the issue. For the anti- apartheid movement, lobbying was effective on the American public and the U.S Congress. For the South African government lobbying was effective on the conservative right wing and President Reagan and his administration.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1994

Economic conditions among blacks in rural Ciskei

  • Authors: Roux, Andre , Gilmour, David
  • Date: 1991
  • Subjects: Black people -- South Africa -- Ciskei -- Economic conditions Black people -- South Africa -- Ciskei -- Social conditions Manpower policy -- South Africa -- Ciskei Ciskei (South Africa) -- Economic conditions Ciskei (South Africa) -- Rural conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Book , Text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/1674 , vital:20215 , ISBN 0868102245
  • Description: This report is based on fieldwork which was conducted in 1984. A number of factors, beyond the control of the Development Studies Unit, have delayed the publication of the research findings until now. Though the data may be somewhat dated, the work deals with a much neglected research area, and is published in this Working Paper in the interests of a wider understanding of the nature of the circumstances which characterise the living environments of disadvantaged rural African communities in the Eastern Cape region. As the country enters a period of socio-political transition, rapidly rising social and economic expectations abound. The challenge is to devise appropriate strategies which can be applied in order to initiate a process of development aimed at improving the life-chances and livelihoods of all of the people. In this regard, a strong case can be formulated for some priority to be accorded to marginalised African rural communities. , Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1991
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