Civil protests and their impact on human rights in the Republic of South Africa
- Authors: Melvin, Kokwe Sonwabo
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Protest movements -- South Africa , Human rights -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28184 , vital:73806
- Description: This mini dissertation investigates civil protests and their impact on human rights in the Republic of South Africa. South Africa is a democratic country that subscribes to representative democracy. Its civilians vote for political parties that elect members to represent them in parliament or in government. Civilians are not members of armed forces, such as police, soldiers, or fire fighters. These people are ordinary citizen with no power or authority to engage in war as they do not have arms or gear to do so. Whenever they feel aggrieved with situation or action by authorities (political leaders, government, or employers), they embark on protest to voice their grievances or disapproval. However, in the process of protest there have been developments of intimidation, vandalism, abuse, and violation of other people's rights. This happens even though the right to protest is enshrined to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Section 17 of the constitution guarantees civilians the right to protest. It further stipulates the way in which protests should be conducted. The fact that protest is recognised as a right, means it plays an important role in assisting civilians expressing dissatisfaction with current situations and assert demands for social, political, and economic change. Additionally, the right to protest gives citizens right to participate in discourse. It is the individual and/or collective exercise of existing and universally recognised human rights that affords civilians opportunity to demand dignity, freedom of association and expression from authorities. Although this right is fundamental, it has its limitations, and its impact is crucial to human rights. This is so because every protest is human right inclined. Hence, this mini dissertation attempts to contribute to academic discourse by bringing forth human rights perspective on the impact of civil protest. The discourse has been majorly influenced by the following disciplines: sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, economics, and public administration. The existence of this study attempts to conscientize civilians about the importance of respecting, supporting, and protecting human rights. The study found that violent protests have negative impact on human rights. The negative impact is not only experienced by non-protesting civilians, but by protesting civilians. Because of the interdependency of rights, the study has also found that infringement of one right can lead to the violation of other rights. For instance, the burning of infrastructure such as clinic does not violate the right to access health only, but also violate the right to life, education, and security. Therefore, the study concludes that civilian's use of violence during protest action does not advance section 17 of the Constitution. Instead, it violates the same section or right. Moreover, negative impact of violent protests cost civilians dearly. Because after destroying property, the same civilians that destroy property are the ones who suffers. For instance, burning of police vehicles, makes it difficult for police to attend civilian's calls for help. Lastly, this mini dissertation concludes by recommending areas where government and civilians need to consider in respecting, supporting, and protecting human rights in a protest. , Thesis (MPhil) -- Faculty of Law, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03
Factors contributing to unsafe practices in Eskom power division projects
- Authors: Dingilizwe, Nondumiso
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Power-plants
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59226 , vital:60314
- Description: Health and safety is accepted as an integral element of the built environment. As construction within the electricity and power supply industry is inevitable, alongside other regulatory systems aimed at ensuring sustainable power supply, health and safety measures, policies, training, management, and incidences become important indicators for the delivery of power supply. This research study explores the health and safety management challenges that are experienced by the construction division of Eskom, South Africa’s national power utility with its head offices in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research explores and identifies factors that affect workers’ on-site behaviour regarding the compliance and adherence to health and safety statutory practices. Using a qualitative research method, and thematic data analysis, the research findings draw on salient emerging themes that allude to the inadequate and insufficient documentation of Eskom procedures, and the failure to make use of recorded past incidents in establishing improved pro-active health and safety management practice and management thereof, are but some of the illuminated factors that emerge from the study findings. For a power utility of its scale and the volume of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, the compliance to internationally recognised health and safety standards within an appropriate legal framework, are factors that may hinder the successful implementation of its core function. Notwithstanding the fact that the electricity sector of industry, in terms of overall current health, safety and performance, is generally considered to be a lower risk than other industries within the South African economy. Yet this study, in taking cognisance of all four sectors of the energy and power value chain (generation, transmission, distribution and retail), attempts to address the unanswered questions if why and how Eskom, despite its health and safety policies and general compliance to statutory workplace health and safety framework, continues to experience a high level of workplace fatalities in the delivery of its projects. Against a backdrop of reported and documented incidences of time, this research found that the usage of reports to benchmark and re-calibrate policy and preventative procedure is carried out periodically, but in an unstructured manner. The risk this presents is evident in the potential failure to identify proper risk analysis, appropriate health and safety vi performance indicators, and a slow migration to the new ISO 45001 quality standard. Study findings also suggest a lack of training programmes for contractors and employees within Eskom construction projects, as a primary contributing hindrance factor to attaining an improved health and safety management system. Finally, the study also considered new hazards and risks that have, and may still, arise from the uptake and expansion of new technologies, cleaner energy, as well as future trends that would collectively influence health and safety standards along the electricity value chain. The research findings suggest for a more focused goal-setting and the building of competencies to recognise and mitigate risks, especially new risks, and to engage more participatory approaches to setting standards that can be effectively managed and which can contribute to injury reduction through behavioural change. What remains to be explored, will be the changing nature of doing business as the year 2020 witnesses a new confounding pandemic, the Coronavirus (covid-19). Its impact on health and safety in the workplace, and on the entire construction value chain, cost of construction, project management and timeframes, is yet to be determined and factored into the business processes of a large scale public entity such as Eskom. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03
Multi-grade teaching strategies used by rural primary school teachers at Amatole East Education district
- Authors: Masebe, Nocawe https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-4809-4643
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Combination of grades , Resource programs (Education)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20068 , vital:45105
- Description: The purpose of the study was to assess multi-grade classroom teaching strategies in rural primary schools at Amatole East Education District. The lens with which to view pedagogical practices of multi-grade teaching was through Bronfenbrenner Ecological System on Human Development and Vygotsky’s Social Learning Theory. An interpretivist paradigm within a qualitative research approach was chosen as befitting the study. The study sampled four primary schools in Amathole East Education District, with eight participants purposively selected. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and documents. Data gathering instruments utilised were Interview Schedule, Observation Sheets and Document Checklist. Data was analysed and interpreted through thematic and content analysis. Peer tutoring, self-directed learning and group-work were found to be the most effective teaching strategies in classroom-based teaching. Instructional techniques that involved teacher–directed activities and learner-directed learning activities were viewed as most beneficial for learners in multi-grade settings. However, multi-grade teachers struggled in coping with the utilisation of time and resources in teaching learners of different grade levels combined in the same classroom. The study concludes that during separate grade teaching, grade-by-grade approach, thematic teaching or individual seatwork utilisation of differentiated tasks accommodate application of a variety of teaching strategies. Thus the study suggests that pedagogical practices can be differentiated to address learners’ diverse learning needs, paying more attention to struggling learners. It is further recommended that teachers in multi-grade situations be equipped with special multi-grade teacher training through in-service training programs to overcome challenges of teaching in multi-grade settings. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03
Production performance, socioeconomic benefits, and agricultural extension services support of scavenging chicken farmers in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Fentele, Ziphozethu https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-7939-2964
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Broilers (Chickens) , Poultry -- Breeding
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21490 , vital:48751
- Description: Scavenging chicken production plays a significant role in the lives of rural farmers as it ensures food security by providing eggs and meat to rural farmers almost in all developing nations. Rural farmers not only consume scavenging chickens, they also sell live chickens to customers to generate immediate income and are able to acquire other products using the money from the sales. The purpose of this study was to investigate production performance, socioeconomic benefits, and agricultural extension services support for scavenging chicken producers. The study was carried out in eight villages in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This study employed the multistage sampling technique for data collection from respondents between October and November 2018. The study used descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages and multiple linear regression models to analyse quantitative data that was collected from a survey of 161 rural farmers that rear scavenging chickens. The results reveal that the majority (68.3percent) of the respondents in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality were women, while 52percent were married. Forty-eight percent of the respondents had attained high school education. The majority (53.4percent) relied on social grants and a further majority (68.3percent) had 1 to 10 years of experience in scavenging chicken production. The majority (84.5percent) of the households had between 1 and 50 chickens, with an overwhelming majority (95percent) practising free range system. Most (74.5percent) of the chicken houses were built with scrap material found within the community. The supplementary feed that was mostly offered to scavenging chickens was maize. The majority (95.7percent) of respondents experienced disease outbreaks, the most dominant of which was the Newcastle disease. Most (94.4percent) of the farmers offered a variety of indigenous medicines, mainly Aloe Ferrox. In addition, the majority (88.8percent) of the respondents experienced predation challenges The primary purpose of rearing scavenging chickens was consumption. Chickens were slaughtered for home consumption while forty-two percent at most. Most (50.9percent) of the respondents indicated that they offered chickens as gifts and as friendly gestures. The majority (82.0percent) indicated that they did not use chicken for any cultural rituals. A large (88.2percent) number of the respondents felt food secured as a result of rearing scavenging chickens, as they access products such as eggs and meat. The majority (98.8percent) of the respondents had never received any form of training from agricultural extension services. The results of the multiple linear regression model revealed that independent variables such as number of chickens, type of cockerels, number of hens, type of housing, type of training and cost of trainings had strong statistical significant values (p<0.001) zero-order correlation with production performance,while age and gender had statistical significant values at (p<0.05) and (p<0.010). For the improvement of the production performance of scavenging chicken production of rural farmers, the study recommends massive campaign among the farmers by agricultural extension services to create awareness on the dangers inherent in the use of unorthodox approaches to treating pests and diseases in scavenging chicken. Scavenging chicken farmers could be supported with simple technologies that are affordable on housing, medication and feed supplements. Training should focus on housing, disease management and feeding of scavenging chickens. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03
Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biological studies of cholesterol-based carriers as potential therapeutic agents
- Authors: Ruwizhi, Ngonidzashe
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Drug delivery systems , Cholesterol
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20708 , vital:46443
- Description: Malaria, cancer and bacterial infections are numbered among the highest causes of fatalities. Most of the drugs used to combat these diseases suffer from resistance, poor absorption and bioavailability and high toxicity. Therefore, delivering a drug requires an excellent drug delivery system that must provide the medication at the site of action in the minimum time possible. Cholesterol is a sterol that is abundantly found in the human body and forms a part in the structure and organization of cell membranes. Many researchers have used cholesterol, especially in organic synthesis, because of its ready availability, low cost and functional groups that can be readily derivatized. In this research, different therapeutic agents (anticancer, antimalarial and antibacterial) were conjugated to cholesterol, and the synthesized compounds were characterized using FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, Mass Spectroscopy, 2D 1H-13C, HSQC NMR and tested for in vitro biological activity. Thirteen compounds were successfully synthesized. CHS-Cur was the most effective against all Gram-positive bacterial strains, while CHS-Cur, CHS-ZD and C-CAC-ZD were effective against all the bacterial strains. C-CAC-Pyr showed good antiplasmodial activity with 97.75 and 97.83% inhibition at 20 and 10 μg/ml concentrations, respectively. The biological activity of some of the compounds was increased by the conjugation of cholesterol, while others displayed reduced biological activity. In vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds on HeLa (cervical cancer) cells showed that compounds 2 (7.559 μg/mL), 3 (5.840 μg/mL), 5 (1.44 mg/mL), 7 (4.308 μg/mL) and 11 (3.295 μg/mL) exhibited some good anticancer activity with IC50 values of less than 10 μg/mL. Treating T3T fibroblast cells with compounds 2, 4, 5, 6, and 10 did not reveal a cytotoxic effect on the normal cells when compared to the control, cisplatin. , Thesis (MSc) (Chemistry) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03
The representation of women in Njabulo Ndebele’s The Cry of Winnie Mandela and Lauretta Ngcobo’s And They Didn’t Die: an African Feminist Perspective
- Authors: Mavuma, Nonkululo Liyasakha
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Feminism , Literature--Women authors
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22379 , vital:52033
- Description: This study seeks to interrogate the presentation of women in selected South African texts written by a male and female South African author, whose central thematic thrust is the role of women in their day-to-day struggles during the apartheid era. An in-depth analysis of the texts enables this dissertation to provide a comparative study of the representation of women in both texts. The study also examines the kinds of fictional representations that are found in the texts and their significance in the emancipation journey of women from the supremacy of apartheid and customary laws. This study is informed by African feminism, focusing on the stance of Obioma Nnaemeka and Molara Ogundipe-Leslie. African feminism is chosen as a framework for exploring the texts because it is a theory shaped by the resistance of African women against Western rule. The theory embraces debates about motherhood and the contestation about the roles of motherhood in a society. The theory ponders how motherhood is a source of empowerment, liberation and achievement in African societies. The theory affirms that women should equip themselves for effective resistance and participation in societal transformation. These two theorists are relevant because they are both committed to a critical investigation that seeks to differentiate present social conditions and their historical development. Their research examines the conceptualization of frameworks aimed at a social and cultural change grounded on the local and everyday experiences of women. The first chapter provides a broad overview of the study. This chapter highlights the significance of the study in terms of what it can contribute to scholarship on the representation of women in South African texts that reflect on the apartheid era, by analysing them through the lens of African feminism. The second chapter provides context to the critical reception of both novels, which outlines the focus of the research. This chapter also provides the theoretical framework, which provides an overview of the relevant theory on African Feminism that informs the study and highlights Nnaemeka and Ogundipe-Leslie’s concepts of ‘Nego-Feminism’ and ‘Stiwanism’. The third chapter focuses on analysing the portrayal of women in the texts, examining their interactions with one another, with men, and the subjugation they endure because of living in a patriarchal society. The fourth chapter provides a comparative study of the texts. Finally, the last chapter provides a conclusion, analysing the research findings. The study thus brings to the fore the similarities and differences in the representation of women in South African texts that were written in different decades by a male and female writer, that are nevertheless highlighting the same issues. Secondly, in exploring how women in the texts challenge the status quo, this research will hopefully expose how women are not constantly compliant and embracing marginalization as some texts present them but can be seen as having emancipative agency. The study, in particular, provides an analysis of the representation of women in the two novels, specifically, intending to compare and contrast the modalities of their representation in these works. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-03