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An investigation into reasons why Mogabane Community Garden Project did not reach its objective of poverty reduction and recommendations for reviving the project

  • Authors: Pako, Morongoa Rosina
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Economic development projects -- Evaluation , Economic development projects -- Finance , Community gardens -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- Cost effectiveness , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9098 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012023 , Economic development projects -- Evaluation , Economic development projects -- Finance , Community gardens -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- Cost effectiveness , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: There are three lines of poverty in South Africa, the first line is that of people living at less than R271 per month and constitute one third of the population (about 33 percent), second being those people living at less than R422 per month (50 percent of the population) and the last group being people living at less than R1 230 per month, constituting 79.1 percent of the population (Oosthuizen. 2008: 7 – 9). The poorest provinces are Eastern Cape and Limpopo with a poverty rate of 68.3 percent and 60.7 percent respectively, Western Cape and Gauteng the poverty rates are 20 percent and 28.8 percent respectively (United Nations Development Programme. 2003) To respond to the poverty challenges the government has come up with poverty alleviation strategies which were later translated into anti-poverty programmes. The Anti-poverty programmes undertaken by Government since 1994 can be grouped into various categories of public expenditure such as (Friedman and Bhengu, 2008:14), Social assistance and grants, Employment generating programmes, enterprise development and income support, Basic household security, Social services, Disaster relief and Employment related social insurance. This study assessed Mogabane Community Project to find out reasons why the project did not reach its objective of poverty reduction in the community. Qualitative Research methodology was used to arrive at the findings.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into service delivery : a case study of Ezakhe Township, Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal

  • Authors: Hlophe, Nonjabulo Thobile
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Municipal government -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Municipal services -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
  • Identifier: vital:8182 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1463 , Local government -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Municipal government -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal , Municipal services -- South Africa -- KwaZulu Natal
  • Description: South Africa has been experiencing a continuous bout of service delivery protests since the late 1990s. Protests are a public manifestation of conflict and therefore this study uses the term conflict and protest interchangeably. The cost of the damage which results from these protests is immense. It is critical that solutions to this protest ensure that the underlying factors leading to the protest are addressed, in order to reduce the probability of its reoccurrence. This study seeks to investigate whether or not service delivery conflict could be prevented through improved implementation of government services in all spheres. The provision of basic service delivery is critical for the livelihood of any community and even more so for previously disadvantaged communities. It is important to verify if the lack of, or poor, service delivery can lead communities to revolt against each other or the governing authority. The challenge with any conflict situation is that when it erupts into destruction, only the visible symptoms are addressed, because addressing the underlying factors is a long-term process which requires a holistic understanding of the conflict. Previously disadvantaged communities are experiencing a backlog of service delivery, the exploitation of their plight by different agencies and mismanagement by public servants, which further delays service delivery. The Ezakheni community has been one of those communities who were previously disadvantaged and expected different levels of government to meet their service delivery needs, from land ownership to the building of houses. This community expected that the process of improving their livelihood would be fast-tracked instead it was delayed by community conflict. The conflict started as a revolution against agencies that were against the community’s process of acquiring land, but ended up as community members fought each other and government departments in order to survive. The Ezakheni community conflicts date back to 1998 and subsided during late 2005. Any conflict after that was latent, although there were still killings, but they were sporadic and sometimes not linked to the conflict but categorised as criminal behaviour. The present study takes the reader through the process of evaluating whether or not there is a logical relationship between Ezakheni community conflict and service delivery. Chapter One gives an overview of the study and the processes that were followed during this study. Chapter Two opens up theoretical debates that influence the epistemology of this study. Chapter Three gives the reader a detailed overview of the profile of the case study. Chapter Four describes the methodology that has been utilised in the study. Chapter Five presents the data and interprets it. Chapter Six concludes the study.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into Southern African university students' use of proactive coping style

  • Authors: Paddey, Michelle
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: College students -- Africa, Southern -- Life skills , Stress management , Stress in adolescence
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9396 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/2074 , College students -- Africa, Southern -- Life skills , Stress management , Stress in adolescence
  • Description: Proactive coping involves individuals developing resources to facilitate their promotion toward personal growth. The aim of this study was to determine whether differences occurred in the use of a proactive coping style between students from various Southern African countries and universities, in order to form cross-cultural comparisons for this construct. The Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) was electronically distributed to collect the empirical data, with purposeful non-probability sampling being employed. The sample consisted of 622 students from three universities, one each in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Eleven hypotheses were set for investigation. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in the emergence of two distinct factors in the PCI, implying two separate subscales. A statistically significant relationship was found between proactive coping and both instrumental and emotional support seeking. A small, practically significant gender difference was discovered for emotional support seeking, and moderate differences were found between age and proactive coping. Southern African university students exhibit higher levels of proactive coping than preventative coping, strategic planning or emotional support seeking. Furthermore, they make use of proactive coping to a greater extent than individuals outside of the Southern Africa region. In terms of national and institutional culture, no statistically significant differences occurred for proactive coping between any of the countries or universities under study. These findings imply that regardless of a Southern African student's home country or university, he or she is likely to cope proactively. A possible explanation is because Africans generally value social support systems and collectivism, which assist individuals in coping proactively. These results also suggest that all three universities under study are effectively encouraging students to cope in a proactive manner, whether formally or informally, which is in line with the values of these institutions. It is recommended that Southern African universities focus more intentionally on becoming positive socialising systems through integrating the development of human strengths, thus enhancing the value that students and society gain from tertiary education. These findings add to the current body of knowledge relating to proactive coping, which is lacking in a Southern African context.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the causes of lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District

  • Authors: Gqoli, Neliswa
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Lack of parenting -- Rural schools
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18465 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1009444
  • Description: Parental involvement is one of the key requirements that are laid down by fundamental policies on schooling in South Africa. The policies include National Education Policy Act No 27 of 1996 and South African Schools Act No 84 of 1996. However, various schools in this country have generally not met this requirement effectively. The situation is more prevalent in the rural schools where parents either do not participate at all or their participation is minimal. The researcher investigated the factors that were behind the lack of parental involvement in rural schools. A specific focus was in rural schools of Mthatha District. The schools were chosen because of their proximity to the researcher and noted constant reports on the lack of parental involvement. The primary targeted population were the parents whose learners were schooling in the two selected rural schools of Mthatha District, which were Pazima J.S.S and Xonyeni J.S.S The researcher used stratified sampling to ensure better coverage of population and to achieve better precision or accuracy. This was done by dividing the parents into homogenous groups like, gender, age, sex and etc. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The designs that were used were survey and interviews. Questionnaires and interview schedule were developed and administered to parents of the two selected schools. These methods were judged to be appropriate as some of them might not be able to read and write. In addition to that, it was within acceptable procedures of collecting data in both qualitative and quantitative study. There were limitations and delineations and some of them included that the study was confined only to Mthatha District. The researcher selected only two schools and other schools were excluded. The study investigated only parents of the senior phase level and other phases were not involved. The researcher collected data from the parents of two selected schools i.e. Pazima J.S.S and Xonyeni J.S.S using questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were administered to parents who were able to read and write and for those parents who could not read and write interviews were conducted. The data was analysed using a pool- table method and out of 74 parents used as the sample for the study most parents were ranging between 32 and 39 years. The study was dominated mainly by female parents and most parents had learners in grade 8&9. Most of the parents in the study were married and they were unemployed with J.S.S. as their highest qualification. The six research questions asked were: (a) Is lack of relationship between the schools and the homes of learners one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? (b) Is lack of co-operation by parents in the education of their children one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? (c) Is illiteracy of parents one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? (d) Is employment of parents one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? (e) Is lack of parental participation in school governance and management one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? (f) Is lack of communication between parents and the teachers one of the causes for lack of parental involvement in rural schools of Mthatha District? The findings showed that there was no relationship between the schools and the homes of learners and parents were co-operating at all. Most of the parents were illiterate, unemployed married females who have cultural activities to perform which made them not to be involved in their schools. Communication between the schools and homes of the learners was lacking and parents were not actively participating in school governance and management in their schools. The recommendations from this study were that, for lack of co-operation workshops for both parents and teachers on team building and teacher – parent relations were recommended. For illiteracy problem implementation of ABET classes was recommended. Circulars issued by the Department relating to parental involvement should be read and discussed by both parents and teachers. Communication skills needed to be improved so as to maintain good home-school relationship. Workshops on how to elect school governing bodies and on their roles and their responsibilities were recommended. In conclusion parents are very important stakeholders in education so they need to be highly involved in the education of their children.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the challenges impeding non governmental organizations in carrying out supplementary feeding programmes : the case of care international and plan international in Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Mpofu, Sibusisiwe
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Non-governmental organizations -- Africa , Humanitarianism
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9065 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1334 , Non-governmental organizations -- Africa , Humanitarianism
  • Description: The study set out to investigate the challenges faced by NGOs in carrying out supplementary feeding programmes in Zimbabwe’s rural areas. CARE and PLAN International in Zimbabwe were the two NGOs used as case studies and their operations in the Lower Gweru district of the Midlands Province Zimbabwe provided the empirical data for this study. This study was principally qualitative in nature as it sought to provide an in-depth analysis of the main challenges that NGOs face when carrying out supplementary feeding programmes in the rural areas of Zimbabwe. For the purpose of collecting data the study relied on Focus Group Discussions, in-depth interviews with key informants and document study. The key informants included Country Directors, Programme and Field officers at both CARE and PLAN International who had intimate knowledge of some of the challenges that their supplementary feeding programmes faced. Challenges that faced CARE and Plan International’s supplementary feeding programmes were categorized into two themes, internal and external organizational challenges. Internally the study revealed that the NGOs were unable to retain critical personnel such as nutritionists and programme officers. It also emerged from the study that field officers were involved in the thefts of food meant for the supplementary feeding programmes. The management of the supplementary feeding programmes was made difficult by lack of adequate information about the target beneficiaries. Further the study noted that there were contestations when it came to the selection of the beneficiaries of the programme. It was also found that during the rainy season it was difficult to 8 avail food timeously to the beneficiaries of the supplementary feeding programmes. It emerged from the study that supplementary feeding programmes were victims of political interference as the government and war veterans were suspicious that the programmes were being used to influence the voting behavior of the recipients. The global financial crisis also limited the capacity of the donors to continue availing substantial amounts of money for food procurement. As part of the broader strategy to increase the effectiveness of the NGOs in carrying supplementary feeding programmes this study recommended that NGOs should re-strategize on how they remunerate key personnel such as nutritionists. The NGOs through their mother body NANGO should constantly engage government so that there is a good working relationship supportive of poverty reduction through supplementary feeding programmes.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the demand for money in South Africa during the period (1990-2009)

  • Authors: Simawu, Moreblessing https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4413-4660
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Demand for money -- South Africa , Monetary policy -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24421 , vital:62789
  • Description: A stable money demand function plays a vital role in the analysis of macroeconomics, especially in the planning and implementation of monetary policy. With the use of Johansen cointegration and error correction model estimates, this study examines the existence of a stable long-run relationship between real money demand (RM2 and RM3) and its explanatory variables, in South Africa, for the period 1990-2009. The explanatory variables used in this study are selected on the basis of different monetary theories and empirical works, including the Keynesian, Classical and Friedman’s modern quantity theory of money. Based on these theories, the explanatory variables used in this thesis are real income, an interest rate, the inflation rate ,the exchange rate and foreign interest rate. The signs of the coefficients of the variables are as expected from economic theory. The coefficients of real income, the exchange rate and foreign interest rate are positive, while the coefficients of the interest rate and inflation rate are negative. This study augments the cointegration and vector autoregression (VAR) analysis with impulse response and variance decomposition analyses to provide robust long run effects and short run dynamic effects on the real money demand. In addition a foreign interest rate to capture the impact of capital mobility on money demand in South Africa was used. Results from the Johansen test suggest that real money demand (RM2 and RM3) and its all explanatory variables are cointegrated. Hence, there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between the real quantity of money demanded and five broadly defined macroeconomic components namely, real income, an interest rate, the inflation rate, foreign interest rate and the exchange rate in South Africa. Overall, the study finds that the coefficients of the equilibrium error terms are negative, as expected, and significantly different from zero, implying that 0.16 and 0.1 of the discrepancy between money demand and its explanatory variables is eliminated in the following quarter. Application of CUSUM and CUSUMSQ stability test showed that real money demand (M2 and M3) is stable in South Africa. The impulse response analysis provided evidence that the real M3 money, national income, rate of inflation and the foreign interest rate have a significant impact on the real M3 money demand in the short run. However, remaining variables (the real exchange rate and prime overdraft rate), have only a transitory effect on the real M3 money demand. There was further evidence that real exchange rate, the rate of inflation and the foreign interest rate, have a significant impact on the real M2 money demand in the short run. However, remaining variables (the national income and prime overdraft rate), have only a transitory effect on the real M2 money demand. Results from the variance decompositions of the real money demand are basically similar to those from the impulse response analysis and reveal that the fundamentals explain some, but not all, of the variations of the real money demand. The results showed that the national income explains the largest component of the variation in the real M2 money demand followed by the exchange rate and foreign interest rate. Shocks to the other variables continued to explain an insignificant proportion of the variation in the real M2 money demand. The national income also explains the largest component of the variation in the real M3 money demand followed by the foreign interest rate and exchange rate. Shocks to the other variables continued to explain a less significant proportion of the variation in the real M3 money demand.The study finds that both real M2 and M3 are stable which makes monetary targeting a viable policy option for the SARB. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2011
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the effect of carbon type addictives on the negative electrode during the partial state of charge capacity cycling of lead acid batteries

  • Authors: Snyders, Charmelle
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Lead-acid batteries
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:10379 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1494 , Lead-acid batteries
  • Description: It is well known that a conventional lead acid cell that is exposed to a partial state of charge capacity cycling (PSoCCC) would experience a build-up of irreversible PbSO4 on the negative electrode. This results into a damaged negative electrode due to excessive PbSO4 formation by the typical visual “Venetian Blinds” effect of the active material. This displays the loss of adhesion of the active material with the electrode’s grids thereby making large sections of the material ineffective and reducing the cells useful capacity during high current applications. The addition of certain graphites to the negative paste mix had proven to be successful to reduce this effect. In the first part of the study, the physical and chemical properties of the various additives that are added to the negative electrode paste mix were comparatively studied. This was done to investigate any significant differences between various suppliers that could possibly influence the electrochemical characteristics of the Pb-acid battery performance. This comparative study was done by using the following analytical techniques; BET surface area, laser diffraction particle size, PXRD, TGA-MS and SEM. The study showed that there were no significant differences between the additives supplied from different suppliers except for some anomalies in the usefulness of techniques such as N2 adsorption to study the BET surface area of BaSO4. In order to reduce the sulphation effect from occurring within the Pb-acid battery a number of adjustments are made to the electrode active material. For example, Pb-acid battery manufacturers make use of an inert polymer based material, known as Polymat, to cover the electrode surfaces as part of their continuous electrode pasting process. It is made from a non woven polyester fiber that is applied to the pasted electrodes during the continuous pasting process. In this study the Polymat pasted electrodes has demonstrated a better physical adhesion of the active material to the grid support thereby maintaining the active material’s physical integrity. This however did not reduce the sulphation effect due to the high rate partial state of capacity cycling (HRPSoCCC) test but reduced the physical damage due to the irreversible active material blistering effect. The study investigated what effect the Polymat on the electrodes has on the III battery’s Cold Cranking Ability (CCA) at -18 degree C, the HRPSoCCC cycling and its active material utilization. The study showed that there was little or no differences in the CCA and HRPSoCCC capabilities of cells made with the Polymat when compared to cells without the Polymat, with significant improvement in active material’s adhesion and integrity to the grid wire. This was confirmed by PXRD and SEM analysis. Negative electrodes were made with four types of graphites (natural, flake, expanded and nano fibre) added to the negative paste mixture in order to reduce the effect of sulphation. The study looked at using statistical design of experiment (DoE) principles to investigate the variables (additives) such as different graphites, BaSO4 and Vanisperse to the negative electrode paste mixture where upon measuring the responses (electrochemical tests) a set of controlled experiments were done to study the extent of the variables interaction, dependency and independency on the cells electrochemical properties. This was especially in relation to the improvement of the battery’s ability to work under HRPSoCCC. The statistical analysis showed that there was a notable significant influence of the amounts of vanisperse, BaSO4 and their respective interactions on a number of electrochemical responses, such as the Peukert constant (n), CCA discharge time, material utilization at different discharge rates and the ability to capacity cycle under the simulated HRPSoCCC testing. The study did not suggest an optimized concentration of the additives, but did give an indication that there was a statistical significant trend in certain electrochemical responses with an interaction between the amounts of the additives BaSO4 and Vanisperse. The study also showed that the addition of a small amount of Nano carbon can significantly change the observed crystal morphology of the negative active material and that an improvement in the number of capacity cycles can be achieved during the HRPSoCCC test when compared to the other types of graphite additives.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the impact of online and mobile advertising on the South African advertising landscape

  • Authors: Flanagan, Michael Anthony
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Internet advertising -- South Africa , Advertising -- South Africa , Electronic commerce -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:8388 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008588 , Internet advertising -- South Africa , Advertising -- South Africa , Electronic commerce -- South Africa
  • Description: This study aimed to provide South African advertising professionals with insights into the current state of online and mobile advertising in South Africa, highlighting areas in which this sector of the industry can develop in order for professionals to perpetuate successful and innovative use of the mediums available to them and their clients. The study draws on literature from the fields of traditional advertising, digital advertising and new media. Research on the South African digital advertising climate is not as readily available as that of international studies based in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The study therefore used two data collection methods namely, telephonic semi-structured interviews with advertising professionals employed within the South African advertising and marketing industries as well as an electronic survey also aimed at advertising professionals employed within the South African advertising and marketing industries. The data collected aims to provide an insight into the professional opinions and feelings of these professionals as to how the South Africa digital advertising landscape is perceived, how it compares to its international counterparts and whether online and mobile technologies have had an impact on the South African advertising industry in terms of ad-spend not only on digital but on traditional advertising. The data from both the semi-structured interviews and survey were analysed in terms of the aforementioned aspects and correlations were found between the qualitative and quantitative data. Five advertising professionals from various agencies from around South Africa were interviewed telephonically while 27 advertising professionals attempted the electronic survey with 21 completing the survey. The study found that advertisers acknowledge that online and mobile technologies have had an impact on the South African advertising industry as digital advertising is now seen as an important fixture within the advertising industry and is considered to now be as important as traditional advertising. However, although advertising professionals acknowledge this importance, the medium is still underutilised due to a number of determining factors. These factors include insufficient knowledge in the field of digital advertising by advertisers and clients as clients are still unwilling to allocate similar levels of ad-spend to digital as they would to traditional advertising, this despite a notable increase in digital ad-spend. Traditional advertising still dominates ad-spend and advertisers are of the opinion that despite the growth of digital media, this trend will remain prevalent in South Africa which continues to trail behind its international counterparts.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the implementation of the basic antenatal care programme by midwives in Mdantsane clinics

  • Authors: Dyeli, Nolwando
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Primary health care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Midwifery -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Childbirth -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Midwives -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pregnancy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Prenatal care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pregnant women -- Health and hygiene -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Nursing Science)
  • Identifier: vital:11897 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/425 , Primary health care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Midwifery -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Childbirth -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Midwives -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pregnancy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Prenatal care -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Pregnant women -- Health and hygiene -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) is a way of training or upgrading the knowledge and skills of all nurses, midwives and doctors involved in antenatal care at the primary health care level so that the minimum care can be provided effectively. This study was conducted to investigate the implementation of the BANC program by midwives in the Mdantsane clinics during February 2009. Methods: A descriptive study design was undertaken targeting midwives providing antenatal care to pregnant women, in 14 clinics of Mdantsane. Data was collected from 25 midwives in the clinics, and from 140 ANC cards of women attending ANC on the day of their visit to the clinic. Results: The majority of midwives providing BANC in Mdantsane clinics were not trained in BANC. There were 10 trained midwives and 15 not yet trained. A total of twenty five midwives were involved in the study. The number of visits according to the BANC schedule was well known by the midwives in the study. The content of the visits was well known for the first visit, but for subsequent visits, the participating midwives could not state exactly what they do on these visits. They perceived BANC as something beneficial for both midwives and pregnant women with 24 of the participating midwives rating BANC as advantageous. In completing an ANC card, the midwives scored between 48 percent and 100 percent. Under examination, they scored between 52 percent and 100 percent. Lastly on interpretation and decision making, they scored between 0 percent and 92 percent. This could have troubling consequences for the health status of the mother and baby. Weaknesses in providing antenatal care identified in the study included participating midwives failing to fill in the last normal menstrual period (LNMP) and the estimated date of delivery (EDD), which was a worrying observation. Plotting of the gestational age at first visit was also not carried out well as only 47 percent of the midwives in the study did this, meaning that there would be a miscalculation of the gestational age thereafter throughout the pregnancies. The body mass index (BMI) was not calculated as the maternal height and weight were not written on the ANC card. This should be completed in order to check the nutritional status of the pregnant woman to help supplement, if malnourished, and educate on diet, if overweight. Only 17 percent of the midwives in the study plotted the foetal presentation. Failure to plot foetal presentation could lead to complications during delivery because women with abnormal presentations could end up delivering in a clinic instead of the hospital.Conclusion: This study showed that even though midwives are implementing BANC among pregnant women, it is not being carried out correctly. Therefore the programme will not be as beneficial as it would be if put into practice correctly. This is highlighted by the lack of knowledge from the untrained midwives regarding the content of care on subsequent visits. Thus there is an urgent need for BANC training to be conducted and monitored at various sites.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the implementation of the Batho Pele Principles in the Department of Labour: Port Elizabeth

  • Authors: Ralane, Nombulelo
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Local officials and employees -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: vital:8197 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1318 , Local officials and employees -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa
  • Description: After 1994, the democratic South Africa passed a number of legislations in order to address the imbalances of the previous apartheid regime. The new South African government had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the citizens of the country. In 1995 the government formulated the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service. The aim was to transform the South African public service, which is the indication of the importance of service delivery, as the key machinery of the government to equalize service delivery to all citizens. In 1996 the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa anchored the Bill of Rights as the cornerstone of democracy that enshrines the rights of all people and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom. In chapter ten of the Constitution stipulates the basic values and principles governing public administration. The White Paper on Transformation of Public Service was followed by White Paper on Transforming Service Delivery in 1997 (Batho Pele White Paper) which provided a policy framework and practical implementation strategy for the more efficient , effective and equitable provision of public service. The Batho Pele White Paper signalled the adoption of a citizen oriented approach on service delivery informed by eight principles: consultation, service standard, access, courtesy, information, openness and transparency, redress and value for money. This study focuses on the investigation on the implementation of Batho Pele Principles in the Department of Labour: Port Elizabeth. The main objectives of the study are: To provide an overview of the Batho-Pele principles in relation to service delivery. To investigate the importance of implementing the Batho-Pele principles in the department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. To identify challenges affecting the implementation of the Batho-Pele principles in the Department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. To investigate the importance of implementing the Batho Pele principles in the Department of Labour: Port Elizabeth and to identify challenges affecting the implementation. In this study a sample of three units was selected to conduct research in the Department of Labour, Port Elizabeth. The units were frontline Services, Beneficiary Services and Enforcement Inspection Services. The reason for choosing these sections is because they are directly involved in serving clients. A sample of 20 officials was drawn from these units. A quantitative method of data collection and analysis was followed. The main findings of the study were firstly, that the Department of Labour officials are aware of the Batho Pele principles. Based on the findings, they are not sure of the compliance of the policies. This means that the implementation of the Batho Pele principles has gaps that need to be addressed. Officials indicate that they need attention because they are the tools of operation. They register a low morale that needs to be addressed by the Department. The dissemination of information needs to be improved and communication with the clients of the Department should be done oin all languages so that clients can clearly understand the services offered by the Department of Labour.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the language factors affecting performance of grade 12 English second language learners in the Qumbu District

  • Authors: Mcengwa, Nomzi Florida
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Language -- English language -- Performance
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18418 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006622
  • Description: This study set out to investigate reading ability and language proficiency as factors that affect the performance of grade 12 English Second Language (ESL) learners. It was prompted by a deep concern about the poor reading ability and language proficiency of grade 12 ESL learners. While studies have been carried out on factors affecting the performance of grade 12 ESL learners, few studies have looked at the impact of reading and language proficiency in South African schools especially in the Qumbu district. This study has gathered data on factors affecting the performance of grade 12 ESL learners. The study seeked to: (a) investigate the extent to which reading ability affects the performance of grade 12 ESL learners, (b) establish the extent to which language proficiency affects the performance of grade 12 ESL learners, (c) ascertain differences in the reading ability of learners in the selected schools, (d) ascertain differences in the language proficiency of learners in the selected schools and (e) ascertain differences in the June and September performance scores of learners in the selected schools. The study employed the quantitative method in order to manage the data collection. The researcher used a survey design. The stratified random sampling procedure was used to select participants from the four senior secondary schools i.e. two in the rural areas and two situated in the urban areas, with 30 learners in each school. Data was mainly collected through standardized tests administered on sampled ESL learners. The researcher analyzed the data collected by means of Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Findings were that both Rural Schools performed better than both Urban Schools in Language Proficiency. In Reading Ability when Urban Schools are combined, they performed better than rural schools. The researcher made a few recommendations.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the replication biology of Helicoverpa armigera stunt virus

  • Authors: Short, James Roswell
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Helicoverpa armigera RNA viruses Viruses -- Reproduction Lepidoptera -- Viruses
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:3967 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004026
  • Description: Tetraviruses are a family of small non-enveloped positive sense RNA viruses that exclusively infect members of the order Lepidoptera. Their replication biology is poorly studied because, with the exception of Providence virus (PrV), tetraviruses are unable to replicate in tissue culture cells. The overall aim of the research described in this thesis was to develop a fundamental understanding of the replication of tetraviruses, focussing on the site of replication within host cells and in particular, the subcellular localisation of the viral replicase. Helicoverpa armigera stunt virus (HaSV, Genus: Omegatetravirus) was chosen for this study because it is the only tetravirus for which the cDNAs have been shown to be infectious. In the absence of tissue culture cell lines susceptible to HaSV infection, the approach was to use confocal fluorescence microscopy to examine the subcellular localisation of the HaSV replicase fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in mammalian and insect tissue culture cells. The replicase (with EGFP fused at its C-terminus) localised to punctate structures throughout the cytoplasm of transfected HeLa and Sf9 cells. These structures were then shown – using live cell imaging and time lapse photography – to behave similarly to cellular endocytic organelles and fluorescence partially overlapped with membranes containing the late endosomal marker protein CD63. Biochemical fractionation of Sf9 cells expressing the replicase via a recombinant baculovirus (as well as transfected HeLa and Sf9 cells expressing EGFP-replicase fusion proteins) demonstrated that the replicase was strongly associated with detergentresistant membranes (DRMs) in these cells. Deletion analysis of the replicase coding sequence revealed two regions involved in the generation of the punctuate structures. Firstly, the C-terminal half of the replicase RNAdependant RNA polymerase domain was found to be essential for targeting and the tight association with DRMs while the second region, within the Nterminal 44 amino acids, enhanced localisation through a combination of secondary structural elements and sequence-specific functions. A comparative immunofluorescence study on PrV, which replicates as a persistent infection in an insect midgut cell line, showed that the PrV replicase also localised to punctate structures in the cytoplasm. Biochemical fractionation showed that the replicase was also strongly associated with DRMs. This thesis describes the development of new experimental systems for the study of tetravirus replication biology and the data lead to the conclusion that the HaSV replicase associates with DRMs derived from alternate endocytic pathway organelles.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the role of Traditional medicine in an era of biomedicine: Case of Qokolweni Location (KSDM), Eastern Cape, Republic of South Africa

  • Authors: Tabi, Chama-James Tabenyang
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Traditional medicine -- Biomedicine , South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:18434 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007165
  • Description: In most African communities, the concept of disease goes beyond physical and mental pain. To many, societal imbalance, bad-luck, poverty and misery, misfortune, continuous unemployment and a host of others are treated as diseases. Despite biomedical attempts to explain and treat diseases, an ancient system of healing (traditional medicine) continues to thrive in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has since recognized and encouraged governments to accept traditional medicine as an alternative healthcare; to adopt healthcare policies that will promote traditional medicine. Despite this call for recognition, most governments are still reluctant to officially incorporate traditional healing into healthcare policies. Countries which have recognized the relevance of traditional medicine face greater challenges on modalities to control and include traditional medicine into mainstream healthcare. This study is concerned with the role and contribution of African traditional medicine to healthcare, in an era of biomedicine. It provides a public and self assessment of traditional healers. The study also raises concerns on the need for healthcare policies that will enhance cooperation between traditional healing and biomedicine. Information was obtained through the use of questionnaires, in depth and face-to-face interviews with respondents. The actual field research was conducted in Qokolweni location in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) district municipality of Eastern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. Findings reveal that traditional healers handle and manage complex hospital diagnosed health conditions. It also reveals that perceptions on disease aetiology influence health seeking behaviour. It is therefore necessary to understand the efforts of traditional healers in order to formulate healthcare policies that would officially involve them in the mainstream healthcare in South Africa. It is noticeable that traditional healing is not only limited to Qokolweni. It occurs mutatis mutandis else wherein the Eastern Cape and in the whole of South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the role of Xhosa male initiation in moral regeneration

  • Authors: Ntombana, Luvuyo
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies , Initiation rites
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
  • Identifier: vital:16132 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1006265 , Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies , Initiation rites
  • Description: This research study in Mdantsane (East London), Whittlesea (Hewu), Njiveni (Libode) and Cala sought to investigate the role of the amaXhosa male initiation in moral regeneration focusing on socio-cultural, educational and religious aspects related to moral values. The role of the amaXhosa male initiation as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood, how it was viewed in the past, its impact upon the initiates and its contribution to the moral upholding of values were investigated. It was further intended to establish whether westernisation and urbanisation brought a shift of meaning and emphasis to the current initiation practice and, if so, to what extent has the ceremony departed from traditional norms and what challenges the ceremony has to face at present. A qualitative research method involving an ethnographic study was utilised, which includes in-depth, semi-structured interviews (formal interviews and informal discussions) and participant observation. Research findings suggested that in the past the amaXhosa male initiation played a role in the instruction of moral values. However, this study identified a shift of meaning in the practice which has been more evident in urban than in rural areas. The shift suggested that the instruction role has changed in prominence and there is less emphasis on teaching and appropriate adult behaviour. Moreover that the amakhankatha, who had the major role in teaching of the initiates are now participating in making the role less effective and sometimes introducing influences that are destructive to the initiates. Such negative influences include abuse of alcohol and drugs, promiscuity among the youth and disobedience of elders. It is argued that revisiting the teachings surrounding male initiation may cultivate productive debates on how young males are taught morality in today's society. Furthermore, that if the Xhosa male initiation could be contextualised it can play a role in the instruction of boys as they graduate to manhood and that can contribute to moral regeneration in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into the state-of-practice of information security within Zambian copper mines: a case study

  • Authors: Lukweza, Chishala
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Computer security -- Zambia -- Management Case studies , Computer networks -- Security measures -- Zambia Case studies , Copper mines and mining -- Computer networks -- Security measures -- Zambia Case studies , Information technology -- Zambia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:1146 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002776 , Computer security -- Zambia -- Management Case studies , Computer networks -- Security measures -- Zambia Case studies , Copper mines and mining -- Computer networks -- Security measures -- Zambia Case studies , Information technology -- Zambia
  • Description: Zambian copper mines have embraced the use of information technologies for strategic operations and competitive advantage. This dependence on these technologies has not only been seen in the physical aspects of business operations but also in the use of information systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) for strategic decision making and increased usage of Industrial Control Systems (ICS’) that are meant to enhance operational efficiency in production areas. A survey was conducted to explore leadership perceptions on information security practices in Zambian copper mines and an ISO/IEC 27002 Audit Tool was administered to middle management in a particular mine for an in-depth analysis of their information security practices. Results revealed that although information security controls may have been put in place in these organisations, there are still areas that require attention. Senior management and middle management have different perceptions as to the extent to which information security practices are conducted in these copper mines. This implies that management may not be fully involved in certain aspects of these organisations’ information security practices. The results concluded that management needs to be fully involved and provide support for information security programs. Furthermore, these information security programs should be standardised so as to effectively protect these organisations’ information assets. This should also include the involvement of personnel as key players in the information security process.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation into whether the use of funds by section 21 schools improves the quality of teaching and learning in Mthatha District of Education in the eastern Cape Province

  • Authors: Mtengwane, Yolisa
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Quality of teaching and learning -- No fee schools , School -- Funding
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:18421 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1006645
  • Description: This study investigated whether the funding of section 21 schools improves the quality of teaching and learning in six schools in the Mthatha Education District, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Despite the large funds that are pumped into schools by the Department of Education, the schools appear to be under resourced, underdeveloped and therefore underperforming. The researcher used the theories of school improvement to ground this study and to investigate whether the schools improve or not, and are offered support where necessary, as they are continuously being funded by the Department of Education. The study had these objectives: To investigate how the funds are spent by Section 21 schools in the Mthatha district of Education: to assess whether the SGB manages the spending of funds and whether there is any collaboration between the Principal and the SGB in financial issues and: to evaluate whether Procurement procedures are followed when purchasing. Systematic random sampling, amongst 6 schools, has been conducted. A questionnaire was administered to the school Principals, 2 Finance committe members, 1 Educator and 1 learner and SGB chairpersons from each of the 6 schools. Thus, both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry were used in this study. 3 Junior Secondary and 3 Senior Secondary schools were considered in the sample. The findings that emerged were a lack of capacity, on the part of SGBs to monitor recurrent allocations as stipulated in the South African Schools Act (No 84 of 1996). Another factor that emerged was that schools still need training and workshops on procurement procedures. Also evident was that there appeared to be little evidence of collaboration between principals and SGBs, especially in financial matters. Finally, recommendations and suggestions were made that schools need to be provided with a series of workshops on procurement procedures and policies. SGBs were to be capacitated so that they could be on board on financial management. The principals were to be encouraged to cooperate and be transparent on financial matters especially since, as stipulated in SASA, as an official of the Department of Education, the principal has a responsibility to advise the governing body when they issue instructions or act in a manner that contravenes departmental instructions or policy.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation of Grade 11 learners' mathematical preparedness in a selected Namibian school: a case study

  • Authors: Mwandingi, Albertina Ndahambelela
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia Education, Secondary -- Namibia Mathematical readiness
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1627 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003509
  • Description: The proliferation in the number of schools offering junior secondary education in Namibia since independence in 1990 has led to an increase in the number of learners in the classroom and has created a wide range of mathematical proficiency among learners entering senior secondary education in grade 11. This broad range of basic mathematical ability among these learners, together with increasing classroom numbers has caused problems for the senior secondary mathematics teachers (Batchelor, 2004). The study shows that diagnostic testing can prove to be useful in assessing learners’ mathematical preparedness by identifying learners’ areas of weakness, which have hindered their mathematics learning and performance. Taking the results of a diagnostic test into consideration could help teachers cater for their learners who need remediation classes as early as possible before extending the mathematics curriculum. Setting and using diagnostic testing requires careful consideration; there are many pitfalls that are highlighted in this research. These include question coverage and general analysis of category totals.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation of Grade 11 Oshindonga teachers' understanding and implementation of the learner-centered approach adopted in Namibia : a case study

  • Authors: Mbangula, Christofina Nalweendo
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Student-centered learning -- Namibia Ndonga language -- Study and teaching -- Namibia Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia Education -- Namibia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1628 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003510
  • Description: Before the Republic of Namibia achieved independence in 1990, Bantu Education was the prevailing structure used to promote the social, economic, and political ethos of apartheid through a teacher-centered education system. After 1990, Namibia underwent a major restructuring of education. Learner-centered education was introduced as an inclusive and participatory approach to achieve the reform goals. One of the aims was to review the existing Language policy and to promote mother tongue teaching, since it is through language we internalize our experience and construct our own understanding. In other words, our cognitive, emotional and social development is dependent on language. In this case study, the understanding and implementation of a learner-centered approach in Namibia were investigated in order to gain insights about how the participating education officer, responsible for Oshindonga understands and assists teachers to implement this approach. At the same time, this study aimed at investigating Grade 11 teachers‟ understanding and implementation of LCE in their classrooms. The qualitative methodology in this case study used semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis for data collection. The data revealed that there are a number of misconceptions. In some cases, what teachers say is not what they do. The findings suggest that teachers, while attempting to implement a learner-centered approach, are not confident about its underlying theory, and therefore the degree of implementation depends on how the teachers used their understanding of that theory in their practice within these conceptual constraints. The study highlights particular challenges and problems that hinder the effective implementation of learner-centered education.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation of how visual arts can be used to teach mathematical concepts of space and shape in Grade R

  • Authors: Schäfer, Jean Stewart
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Rhodes University. Deptartment of Education , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa--Grahamstown , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Early childhood education -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Kindergarten -- Activity programs -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Creative activities and seat work -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:1632 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003514 , Rhodes University. Deptartment of Education , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa--Grahamstown , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Early childhood education -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Kindergarten -- Activity programs -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Creative activities and seat work -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
  • Description: The impetus for this study came from the findings of an evaluation of a Maths and Science through Arts and Culture (MStAC) Curriculum Intervention undertaken with Grade R teachers registered for a BEd(in-service) qualification at Rhodes University, South Africa. The intervention aimed to enrich Grade R teachers’ teaching of mathematics. Post-intervention classroom observations showed that, in spite of the intervention, teachers’ classroom practices did not change, and they were not using visual arts to teach mathematical concepts. This, together with the lack of research in the field of mathematics in early childhood, particularly in South Africa, motivated this research, a case study, which investigates how visual arts can be used to teach space and shape conceptualization in Grade R. I designed a research intervention underpinned by a constructivist model of teacher professional development located in reflective practice (Borko & Putman, 1995; Zeichner & Liston, 1996; Wilmot, 2005). Guided by Stacey’s (2009) notion of an emergent curriculum, I designed a three phase research intervention which involved selected Grade R teachers undertaking classroom-based research. Phase I built awareness around the notion of creativity; Phase II focused on making meaning of children’s behaviour and interests; and Phase III applied the knowledge and ideas from the Phases I and II to the teaching of space and shape. As an interpretive research study, it closely examines the participating teachers’ perceptions, experiences and reflections which were articulated in reflective reports and assignments. Following action research processes, the participant teachers engaged in the process of an emergent curriculum. They observed the behaviour interests of Grade R children, interpreted and made meaning of the evident behaviours, made decisions regarding extension activities, and planned accordingly. The findings of the study illuminate a model of teacher professional development that can support and enhance teachers’ practice. Understanding the notion of creativity and the ability to create a classroom conducive to creativity, are necessary components for teaching space and shape through visual arts activities. An emergent curriculum approach is proposed as an appropriate pedagogy for teaching children about space and shape through visual arts activities.
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  • Date Issued: 2011

An investigation of talent management and staff retention at the Bank of Zambia

  • Authors: Chikumbi, Charity Nonde Luchembe
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Bank of Zambia -- Personnel management , Personnel management -- Zambia , Banks and banking -- Zambia -- Personnel management , Organizational effectiveness , Employee retention -- Zambia
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8604 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1611 , Bank of Zambia -- Personnel management , Personnel management -- Zambia , Banks and banking -- Zambia -- Personnel management , Organizational effectiveness , Employee retention -- Zambia
  • Description: There is no question that effective talent management requires a well-defined process. Talent management includes all talent processes needed to optimise people within an organization. The processes include: attracting, recruiting targeted selection, performance management, succession planning, talent reviews, development planning and support, career development, and workforce planning. The hired employees should be developed to mould into the organization culture so that they support the vision and mission of the organization. Retention of key employee is critical to the long term success of business as it ensures customer satisfaction, product sales, and satisfied co-workers, reporting staff, effective succession planning and a deeply embedded organisational knowledge and learning culture. iii The research problem in this study was to investigate how successfully Talent Management and Employee Retention strategies been implemented at the Bank of Zambia. To achieve this objective a comprehensive study was undertaken on talent management and employee retention. The study involved conducting a literature survey to understand the processes that are necessary for implementation of talent management and employee retention in an organization. An empirical study was later conducted to investigate whether the processes of talent management and employee retention have been successfully implemented at the Bank of Zambia. The survey was compared to the literature review to determine whether the Bank of Zambia complied with the findings in the literature review. The main findings from this research are that for talent management to be successful, the initial step of planning right from the strategic point of aligning to talent goals to business goals through to succession planning should be well conducted. This process needed special attention. As much as the empirical study showed a case of progress towards engagement, there was concern raised regarding job security. Some employees perceived that they were insecure in their job. Compensation and rewards were also perceived to lack equity in their distribution and that promotion and career progression were below expectation for may employees The final observation from the investigation was that the organizational culture was not well adopted by respondents. . Employees perceived that the culture did not support innovation and the rewards system did not provide incentives for better performance.
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  • Date Issued: 2011
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