Spatial and temporal analysis of the critical zone in the Western rift valley corridor: towards earth stewardship science in East Africa
- Authors: Miller, Warren David
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59771 , vital:62423
- Description: Over the coming decades, Africa is expected to experience disturbing effects due to climate change and increased land cover change due to human influences presenting a significant concern for the future well-being of human and biological systems, the latter being the foundation of ecosystem services supplied to humanity. Therefore, unprecedented transdisciplinary cooperation, coordination, and integration amongst researchers, government, and civil society are necessary to increase the resiliency of these systems. This study aims to provide an outline of the Africa Alive Corridors (AAC) as an essential model for the encouragement of sustainable development through Earth Stewardship science. These aims are accompanied by the quantification and forward modelling for land cover change of the Critical Zone over 10 Great Lake Basins across one of the AAC, the Western Rift Valley Corridor (WRVC), in East Africa between the years 2018 and 2060. This approach provides the foundation for implementing improved regional governance, better encouragement of sustainable development beyond the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and education programs, such as the AAC, that promote socio-ecological resilience through Earth Stewardship Science. The AAC archives a portion of East Africa as the WRVC, a corridor along the western branch of the East African Rift System that highlights twenty heritage nodes, primarily great lakes, mountain ranges, national parks, and biological hotspots. These heritage entities are associated with ca. 12-million-years of evolution and transformation of the East African topography and related African Great Lake (AGL) systems. The thesis defines the study area by delineating AGL basins intersected by the WRVC. Across these basins, land cover change analysis provides a platform for an integrated assessment of the projected health of the corridor region. Existing land cover datasets provide the initial conditions of the study area for 2008 and 2013. Land cover between 2008 and 2013 is cross-tabulated using the Land Cover Module in the Terrset software, followed by the iii delineation of sub-models and driver variable identification. The Multi-Layer Perceptron algorithm provides the transition potentials between tree cover, urban area, cropland, wetland, and open area classes. Change quantification and prediction using Markov Chain analysis are then established for 2018, 2030, and 2060. The model successfully simulated future land cover change and concluded that: (1) proximity to existing human activity, proximity to existing tree cover, and population are the primary drivers of change; (2) the dominant land cover of the ten lake basins for 2018 was cropland at ca. 48%, followed by tree cover at ca. 33%; (3) total anthropogenic change over the coming four decades equates to over ca. 52 000 km2 (5 200 000 ha), and particularly (4) an urban area is expected to increase by >130%. This assessment ultimately provides a platform for regional governance development at the basin scale and Earth Stewardship science in East Africa. These changes require transdisciplinary action from researchers to civil society. The AAC provides the foundation for understanding the dynamics of the systems that support life across broader spatial and temporal resolutions in Africa, highlighting the need for future generations to build socio-ecological resilience to anticipate challenges such as biodiversity loss posed by climate change and excessive land cover change. , Thesis (DSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12
The use of psychometric test systems as a pre-selection tool for identifying successful harvesting machine operators
- Authors: Schwegman, Kylle
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55246 , vital:51102
- Description: A shift towards fully mechanized forest activities, such as harvesting and, more recently, silviculture, has occurred from the early 2 000’s. The reason for mechanizing these activities differs for each country, although for most countries there is concern relating to the health and safety of forest workers. With mechanization in harvesting, the forest worker has moved away from the physical intensity of having to fell, debranch, debark and cross-cut trees into logs using either an axe or chainsaw, to operating a machine. Studies revolving around the human element (operator) have been conducted specifically relating to the ergonomics of the machines and how operators may influence machine productivity. Results showed that due to the repetitive nature of the work, the operators are exposed to associated stresses for longer periods. Typical injuries associated to these kinds of stressors are whole body vibrations (WBVs), repetitive hand and arm movements, non-neutral body postures and manual lifting, which lead to musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower back, neck and shoulders. However, as machine technology improves so does the ergonomic conditions which are experienced by machine operators. Machine productivity can be influenced by various factors, with the most influential being tree volume. However, a recent study showed that over 40% of variation in machine productivity has been observed amongst different machine operators operating similar machines. The specific reason for these differences has yet to be determined. However, decision making, motivation, planning capacity, concentration, memory, motor coordination, pattern recognition, logic reasoning, and spatial perception are abilities that have been described as important for successful harvesting work. The pre-selection of operators using psychometric and cognitive tests is not new to forestry, although very little information is available relating to the aptitude test known as the Vienna test system as well as the best possible demographic associated with successful harvesting operators. The overall aim of this study was to determine whether the high variation found amongst harvesting machine operators could be reduced initially through a preselection process which involves the use of aptitude tests (Vienna Test System) and demographic questionnaires. A study was implemented in Zululand, South Africa, testing whether there were significant productivity differences between nine machine operators. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Management, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
An analysis of the internship programme in the Sarah Baartman Health District of the Eastern Cape: a model for effective implementation
- Authors: Feni, Monde Ludick
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Internship programs , Public service employment , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23359 , vital:57617
- Description: The study’s main purpose was to evaluate the processes for Internship Programme Implementation in the Sarah Baartman Health District of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, to determine a Model that can be postulated for improving the Internship Programme Implementation in the Sarah Baartman Health District, wide Public Service and Private Sector. An empirical Study reveals the process for the Internship Programme Implementation has been marred with a significant number of challenges. As part of the recommendations, it was highly stressed that the Sarah Baartman Health District must adopt and embrace the Internship Programme Implementation Model in Figure 6.1 to effectively implement the Internship Programme as a means to deal with the challenges. Data was collected by the investigator from four main groups within the Sarah Baartman Health District. These were Senior Managers, Corporate Services Managers, Mentors, current and past interns. All these groups were directly involved in the internships in the Sarah Baartman Health District Health Department. The investigator got accurate and verified reflections, experiences and understandings of four constructs surrounding the internship programme and they include recruitment and employment of Interns using Best Practices, Training and Development Programmes for Interns Training, Performance Management and Development System for Interns and Mentoring as a Tool to Transfer Knowledge, Skills, Competencies and Attitudes required to Perform Optimally. During interviews, the researcher requested permission from the participants to record their responses digitally. This was done to make sure that no data was lost during the writing of responses from the participants. The questionnaires that were distributed to the interns and mentors had closed-ended questions, but the validity of the questionnaire was ensured by having a space for comments under each question to allow participants to support their answers. An analysis of the questionnaire was done by employing Microsoft Excel and statistics that are descriptive and inferential. The study findings revealed that the recruitment and employment of interns using best practices had a mean score above the required mean of 3, meaning that it is applied acceptably. As much as the construct is acceptable and meets the standard, the item in the construct that pertained to security checks for interns was not done and this is a worrying factor, meaning that the recruitment and employment of interns might be at risk of bringing in interns into the programme who are risky for the organisation. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-03
Applying a systems analysis approach to support marine spatial planning in Algoa Bay, South Africa
- Authors: Vermeulen, Estee Ann
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54121 , vital:46312
- Description: Ocean health provides the foundation for human health through the provisioning of ecosystem services. Increasing demands on ocean space and resources are, however, resulting in a decline in ocean health, with direct and indirect knock-on effects on marine uses and ultimately on human health. In response, there is a growing need to acknowledge and better manage complex human-ocean interactions. This has been recognised in global sustainable development goals and in integrated ocean management processes, leading to widespread endorsement of an ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP) process, including in South Africa. In support of the national MSP process, significant progress has been made in understanding the spatial extent of marine activities and associated marine pressures, but the temporal dynamics of marine activities and interconnections with the marine environment are less well understood. To plan for the growth of marine activities and associated user conflicts, the drivers of these temporal dynamics and associated feedback effects need to be analysed and potential policy and management interventions identified and tested. To support South Africa’s national MSP process, this study adopts a systems analysis approach, using system dynamics modelling, to explore the temporal change in marine uses under alternative growth scenarios in Algoa Bay. Algoa Bay is an appropriate study area because it is experiencing a rapid expansion of marine activities, coupled with a growing uncertainty regarding marine sustainability outcomes. To assist future marine management decisions, the Algoa Marine Systems Analysis Tool (Algoa MSAT) was developed, comprising seven sub-models. Five of the sub-models represent selected marine uses in Algoa Bay, whereas the sixth and seventh integrate the outputs from each marine use in terms of sustainable management indicators (marine health, marine wealth and marine labour). Model development primarily adopted an expert-based model ling approach, although the involvement of stakeholders, through a collaborative modelling process, assisted in integrating knowledge on different marine sectors’ activities, impacts and planning visions into the model framework. Model results were generated under different scenarios to investigate changes in the growth of marine activities and marine sustainability indicators under different levels of ocean governance. Under the baseline (or business-as-usual) model scenario, marine activities were shown to grow increasingly within their respective management limits, with an increase in marine wealth and labour and a consequential decrease in marine health. This scenario particularly highlights that current ocean governance practices are ineffective in sustaining the projected growth of the marine uses, particularly for those that are vulnerable to negative changes in marine health. Conversely, sectors that hold more value in marine wealth and are more resilient to changes in marine health, may continue to grow regardless of negative knock-on effects of the health of the marine environment and on other uses in the bay. This emphasises that an alternative governance strategy is needed to achieve the long-term goal of an ecosystem-based MSP process, as required by South African MSP legislation. To achieve this will require multiple, adaptive cross-sectoral management interventions that are directed towards the ‘deeper leverage points’ that are able to maintain the growth of marine activities within appropriate limits defined by marine health. Using the model interface developed in this project, decision-makers and stakeholders can use the model to explore the temporal dynamics in marine activities under different governance scenarios. Although the model is limited to Algoa Bay, the model boundary can be adapted to assist in marine planning processes at national or trans-national scales. Such analytical assessments and tools are critical to progress the ecosystem-based management approach in MSP, as is required to achieve global sustainable development goals. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Coastal and Marine Research Unit, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Bicultural voice in three works
- Authors: Nkuna, Musa Duke
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54607 , vital:46769
- Description: This portfolio of compositions is made up of two parts: Part one is a commentary on the works presented in the portfolio. As required by Nelson Mandela University for the degree of DMus, the commentary is a descriptive narrative, rather than an analysis, of the works. It forms a basic guide for the listener as to how these works were conceived and constructed, and how both African and Western music elements have been used in order to achieve a syncretism. My commentary endeavours to show the compositional techniques applied when writing these works, and how my cultural interactions, music training and experience as a professional opera singer influence my compositional output. Part two contains the creative content of the portfolio: a set of scores of the three works themselves, as well as accompanying recordings of these works, with a total duration of ca. 100 minutes of music. It forms the main part of the submission. , Thesis (DMA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Music and Performing Arts, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Coordination polymers for denitrogenation of fuel oils
- Authors: Dembaremba, Tendai O
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53630 , vital:45682
- Description: In this thesis, we present adsorptive removal of nitrogen-containing compounds from fuel oil as an alternative to complement conventional hydrotreatment to obtain ultra-low sulfur and nitrogen levels. This is in cognizance of the challenges nitrogen-containing compounds pose to the hydrotreatment process, particularly their inhibition and/or poisoning of the catalysts used in the process, of which basic nitrogen-containing compounds are the major culprits. Selectivity is the biggest challenge for adsorptive removal of nitrogen-containing compounds. We explore reticular synthesis of metal organic frameworks and the use of coordinatively unsaturated metal sites in 1-dimensional coordination polymers to achieve good selectivity for nitrogen-containing compounds. In the first part of the thesis, reticular synthesis of metal organic frameworks to control the size of the cavity, and strategically use the linkers and metal centres was envisaged. In this work we explored variation of the metal centres in the secondary building units (SBUs of the MOFs as the first step to the testing and implementation of the design strategies. Carbazole, representing carbazoles which the major compounds that remain in hydrotreated fuel, was the target compound. Four MOFs of zinc (Zn-CDC-bpe), copper (Cu-CDC-bpe), nickel (Ni-CDC-bpe) and cobalt (Co-CDC-bpe) based on the formation of a dinuclear metal paddlewheel SBUs with the ligand 9H-Carbazole-3,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2CDC) and occupation of the axial positions of the paddlewheel by 1,2-Bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe) to form porous networks were synthesized. A fifth MOF containing only CDC which forms a [Zn4O(O2C-R)5(O2HC-R)] SBU was also synthesized (Zn-CDC). The ligand H2CDC was inspired by the possibility of improving selectivity for carbazole via π–π interactions through the more preferred parallel-offset stacking as well as the possibility for further substitution of the carbazole N-H to add groups that improve selectivity. The sizes of the MOF cavities can then be controlled by choosing different lengths of ligands analogous to 1,2-Bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe), e.g. 4,4’-bipyridine and pyrazine. All the MOFs showed good selectivity of carbazole. The Zn-CDC MOF also had good selectivity for the basic nitrogen-containing compounds tested: quinoline, isoquinoline, quinaldine and 1-naphthylamine. Its uptake of carbazole was also slightly higher. This was attributed to the presence of an unsaturated Zn site in the SBU. Adsorption in all the MOFs was primarily due to physisorption. It was concluded that the role of the metal centre does not play a significant role in the adsorption of carbazole besides providing a template for reticular synthesis. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Corrosion and hydrogen resistant modified zirlo surfaces for nuclear fuel cladding
- Authors: Ngongo, Sinoyolo
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54077 , vital:46252
- Description: Zirconium (Zr) alloys are used as fuel cladding material in all modern water cooled commercial nuclear reactors. Zr alloys have many desirable properties for the nuclear reactor core environment, however, it also has a weakness in that overheated zirconium alloy fuel rods react with hot steam resulting in the release of hydrogen. High temperatures increase the oxidation rate and hence the hydrogen production rate which in turn increase the risk of a hydrogen gas explosion such as what is surmised to have happened in the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant incident. The some of the hydrogen produced will also diffuse into the zirconium alloy and form zirconium hydrides which will weaken the original zirconium alloy material. The development of accident tolerant fuel became a major focus area after the Fukushima event in March 2011 with the U.S. congress directing the U.S. Department of Energy to develop fuel with enhanced accident tolerance at high temperatures. The main objective in the case of zirconium alloy cladding has been the modification of cladding surface layers by coating or doping in order to reduce the oxidation rate and hydrogen generation rate by the reaction of steam with zirconium alloy cladding at high temperatures. This thesis focuses on two surface modifications to decrease the surface corrosion rate of ZIRLOTM (the Zr alloy used in this study) and reduce hydrogen uptake by ZIRLO. The first modification involves an oxidation-resistant nano-crystalline diamond (NCD) film deposited on ZIRLO. The NCD layer was deposited in a microwave plasma-enhanced linear antenna chemical vapor deposition (MW-LA-PECVD) system after immersion of the ZIRLO tubes in a water-based solution containing nanodiamonds. ZIRLO tube samples were coated with 200 nm and 500 nm thick NCD layers. The 200 nm thick NCD coated ZIRLO was kept as control sample whereas the 500 nm thick NCD coated ZIRLO was exposed to steam oxidation at 360 °C for 90 days. The results revealed that the NCD exfoliated in some areas leaving the ZIRLO exposed to the steam. In the areas where the diamond did not exfoliate, the diamond was still attached to the ZIRLO with an amorphous carbon layer present between the NCD and the zirconium oxide layer.The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results of this study indicate the presence a sp3 – hybridised diamond phase for the NCD layer as well as an intermediate amorphous carbon layer between the NCD and ZrO2 layers. Analyses of the area where the NCD layer had exfoliated showed no evidence of an NCD layer. It is possible that the amorphous carbon layer between the diamond and the zirconium oxide is responsible for weak interfacial bonding leading to partial exfoliation during oxidation in steam 360 °C for 90 days. In the second modification, the effectiveness of a Cr doped ZrO2 layer to reduce the migration rate of hydrogen in ZrO2 was investigated. The ZIRLO tube used for this part of the study did not have a thin oxide passivation surface layer. Two different procedures were used to create chromium doped zirconium oxide surface layers on ZIRLO. The ZIRLO surface was coated with chromium using cathodic arc deposition followed compression plasma flow (CPF) treatment to facilitate intermixing of the Cr and the ZIRLO. In procedure 1, the surface modification was achieved through the incorporation of chromium into the zirconium surface layer using a compression plasma flow (CPF) technique, followed by the oxidation of the chromium doped zirconium. The oxidation process was conducted at 500 °C for 6 hours. In procedure 2, the chromium was incorporated into the zirconium oxide layer again using the CPF technique. Hydrogen desorption was measured from pure ZIRLO and CPF modified samples using a special gas reaction controller system. The key finding of the results is that the chromium doped (incorporated) zirconium oxide layer on ZIRLO sample exhibited the lowest hydrogen desorption rate of all the samples analysed. This indicates that H in the Cr doped zirconium oxide layer had the lowest mobility of all the samples investigated. This is consistent with the theoretical predictions that the doping of ZrO2 by Cr reduces the solubility of hydrogen in ZrO2. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Demarcation of municipalities and service delivery capacity: a case of selected eastern cape municipalities
- Authors: Sokopo, Johannes
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54574 , vital:46715
- Description: The study examines the relationship between demarcation of municipal boundaries and the capacity of a municipality to deliver services. The case of the amalgamation of Baviaans, Camdeboo, and Ikwezi local municipalities which has led to the establishment of the Dr Beyers Naudè Municipality in the Sara Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape has been used to determine this relationship in this study. The amalgamation of these municipalities has led to the redetermination and dismantling of their boundaries and the establishment of the boundaries of the newly created and larger Dr Beyers Naudè Local Municipality. The study investigated whether the demarcation of municipal boundaries has, in this instance, enhanced the capacity of the municipality to deliver basic services. Organisational Theory was used to interpret the amalgamation of municipalities. This theory was used for the theoretical basis of organisational structure and highlighting the need for the alignment of organizational structure with the municipalities’ mandate, of effective and efficient service delivery. The study adopted a qualitative research method and employed a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select participants. Interviews were used for data collection. 38 participants were interviewed, namely 7 councillors, 5 municipal officials, 5 members of the ratepayers’ association and 21 members of the community. Mixed views were expressed by participants regarding the enhancement of the state on basic service delivery after the merger of the three local municipalities. Furthermore, the study did not find evidence of a feasibility study prior to the implementation of the amalgamation process. Subsequently, the study could not find conclusive evidence relating to the enhancement of the capacity of the municipality to deliver services after the redetermination of municipal boundaries. The study recommends, among others, that the demarcation of municipal boundaries should be preceded by an appropriate feasibility study and be done such that there is compliance with the relevant legislation, and it must also have an effective public participation. The study also recommends that the newly established Dr Beyers Naudè Local Municipality should focus on maintaining the service delivery infrastructure it has inherited from the merger of its three predecessor municipalities, enhance public participation in its programmes, and priorities community beneficiation as a critical aspect of its service delivery mandate. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Foraging ecology of Kelp Gulls in natural and anthropogenically modified environments
- Authors: Reusch, Katharina
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54106 , vital:46303
- Description: Humans are having a profound impact on the natural environment through a myriad of activities, such as land use change or direct exploitation of resources. Some species are able to adapt to these changes and thrive in deeply modified environments. They are often considered winners of global change. Among these are Kelp GullsLarus dominicanus in South Africa, which have a generalist foraging nature. Despite their abundance and potential role in the ecosystem, knowledge on their foraging ecology is limited, with no understanding of the role of natural and anthropogenic food resources during breeding. The aim of this thesis was to assess the foraging movements, diet and health of Kelp Gulls breeding in seven different colonies varying in proximity to landfills. GPS loggers were deployed on incubating adults to assess foraging trip patterns, effort, and habitats. Diet and trophic ecology of adults and chicks was determined during the breeding season by combining conventional diet analysis (i.e. stomach content samples and regurgitated pellets) with stable isotope analysis of blood plasma. Finally, population health was estimated using indices of body condition for adults and chicks, and blood and faecal parasites were examined. The first successful tracking data from Kelp Gulls in South Africa revealed that birds from all colonies spent more time foraging in natural environments (marine, coastal and terrestrial) than in anthropogenically modified ones, irrelevant of the distance to the nearest landfill, potentially reflecting prey profitability or availability around thebreeding colonies. Gulls also had higher foraging effort when foraging at sea (longer travelling distance), which might be balanced by foraging on high energy prey in themarine environment (e.g. fish). Diet and trophic ecology data confirmed the wide range of resources Kelp Gulls were capable of exploiting. Anthropogenic items were important food sources at some colonies, while annual differences in trophic level targeted were apparent at some other colonies, possibly reflecting varying predation levels on other seabirds. Diet and trophic ecology generally differed between adults and chicks, with chicks being fed a more marine, i.e. fish, and higher trophic level diet, potentially due to the higher energy content of fish being important for chick growth. Despite differences between colonies in foraging effort and diet, body condition of both adults and chicks was similar across colonies. Birds from one of the urban colonies, foraging at the local landfill, tended to have slightly higher body condition values, possibly due to the high fat content of anthropogenic items, although this was not significant. Blood parasites were very scarce, with only one genus identified, Haemoproteus spp. Parasite abundance was significantly lower in chicks than in adults, implicating that adults might get infected in areas outside the colony. Faecal smears revealed the presence of yeast cells (Candida spp.) in birds, coinciding with higher body condition values, possibly linked to foraging habitat choice, as birds might ingest yeast cells when feeding in urban areas contaminated with human excrement.Kelp Gulls breeding in South Africa forage on a wide variety of resources and habitats, with limited apparent impact on their parasite load and body condition. All colonies foraged to some extend on natural sources, although some colonies located in very urban areas seemed to depend more closely on anthropogenic items as food resource. Therefore, changes in e.g. landfill management might cause changes in population dynamics, with possible repercussions on neighbouring bird populations. Theirgeneralist foraging nature, among others, makes Kelp Gulls winners of global change and is partly responsible for their increased population numbers. As they are often perceived as pests, information on the foraging ecology is important to manage gull populations effectively. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Microstructural characterization of Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) induced rotation in single crystal NiO
- Authors: Douglas-Henry, Danielle
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53648 , vital:45685
- Description: Swift Heavy Ions (SHI) are characterised by having energies greater than 1 MeV per nucleon with an atomic mass greater than 6 amu. Exposure to irradiation of this type has been known to produce latent tracks in insulators. This is due to the energy loss through the material being governed by electronic excitation processes. The extent of the track formation and microstructural changes induced has been reported to be material specific. Models such as the thermal spike model have been used to explain these changes, however rough approximations are still made. A particularly under studied phenomena is the collective rotation seen in materials exposed to off-normal incidence irradiation. To date the only available experimental data is X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectra and surface shifts. This does not allow for depth-dependent rotation studies and very little can be deduced regarding the microstructure of the modified volume. In this study, the microstructural changes in single crystal Nickel Oxide (NiO) have been studied using electron microscopy techniques. A depth dependent investigation of the crystal rotation was performed using Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) were utilized to interrogate the microstructural changes facilitating the bulk rotation. Five different NiO specimens were investigated. Specimens had surfaces parallel to either the {0 0 1} or {1 1 1} planes. Ion energies used were 593 MeV, 940 MeV and 1.6 GeV, while fluences ranged from 1.0 x 1011 ions/cm² to 9.6 x 1014 ions/cm². Latent track formation in both low fluence (nonoverlapping regime) and high fluence (overlapping regime) specimens were investigated and compared. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Ocean structures and dynamics of two open bays on the eastern Agulhas Bank
- Authors: Dlomo, Xolisa
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53607 , vital:45680
- Description: Upwelling, bay-scale currents, fronts and mixing in Algoa Bay and St Francis Bay occur over both short and long time periods. These physical ocean dynamics drive the temporal and spatial distribution of nutrients in the bays, there by influencing primary and secondary production. Thermal gradients and fronts are driven by the wind and open ocean influences, such as the Agulhas Current, daily and seasonal variations in solar radiation, long and short period waves, air-sea fluxes, coastal trapped waves and terrestrial freshwater inflow. These phenomena are poorly understood along this part of the coastline and were the focus of this study. I investigated the dominant temperature scales of variability in both bays, to determine which isotherm is best suited to describe temperature fluctuations and thermocline spatiotemporal variability in and between the two bays. I investigated upwelling spatiotemporal variability in the two bays and tested whether upwelling occurs at the opposite sides of the bays with a change in wind direction. Thereafter studied the occurrence and drivers of winter upwelling events. The wind-driven current spatiotemporal variability and correlations were investigated at the extremities of the two bays. The daily, intra-seasonal and yearly variation in temperature structures in Algoa Bay and St. Francis Bay were mainly driven by the local winds, coastal topography, and bathymetry. The most suitable isotherm to describe thermal fluctuations and variability in Algoa Bay shallower sites was 16.5 °C and its mean depth was 16.2 m. The best isotherm for the deeper sites in Algoa Bay was 15.7 °C with a depth of 33.1 m. The average temperature and depth of the best isotherm to describe thermal fluctuations in St. Francis Bay for the shallower sites was15.80 °C and 16.83 m, and for the deeper sites it was 15.10 °C and 32.08 m. Algoa Bay showed an average cooling trend of -0.000172 °C per year, whereas in St. Francis Bay a warming average trend of 0.0188 °C per year was observed over the study period often and six years, respectively. The wind, Coriolis Effect and Ekman Transport were the main external forces that influenced upwelling throughout the year. Since the available mesoscale indices for upwelling intensity lack the resolution needed to characterize and compare inner-shelf upwelling regimes at small spatial scales, I developed a new local, quantitative index of thermal variability. Index calculations were based on hourly records of in site depth-averaged temperatures, measured at 6 sites in St. Francis Bay and at 8 sites in Algoa Bay. Using the Multivariate Upwelling Zone Index of Cooling (MUZIC) I found that Woody Cape and Blue Horizon Bay had the highest upwelling intensity in Algoa Bay and St. Francis Bay, respectively. The other sites were ordinated and ranked according to their upwelling rates and intensity. Evidence of wind-driven winter upwelling was found to be a common occurrence in both bays. There was no obvious current seasonality observed, however, strong spectral signals in the period of a weather band (4 –7 days) were present. Current structures were generally positively correlated with wind variations in both bays. Thus, when westerly/easterly winds blew the overall surface current direction was eastward/westward. I observed a pronounced current spatiotemporal variability that was driven by local winds. The Bird Island surface currents in Algoa Bay were strongly correlated at 0–lag day with the winds, however, in Cape Recife the strongest correlations were usually observed at 1–lag day highlighting the spatiotemporal influence of wind regimes on current structures in Algoa Bay. Bird Island current speeds were higher and had an obvious bimodal directional variation (south westward /north eastward) compared to Cape Recife currents, which generally had a slower current speed with a strong west-north westward direction. In St. Francis Bay, the Schoenmakerskop surface currents showed weak positive correlation with winds at 0–lag day, however, stronger negative correlations were observed at 4–lag days. The current surface speeds in Schoenmakerskop were the lowest and varied directionally between north-north eastward and south-south eastward. The basic data requirements (i.e. SST/ UTR and ADCP time series) and the simplicity of the calculations make these indices a useful tool to apply to a large number of sites nationally and internationally, and to examine the generality of community and population-level responses to physical forcing. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Journalsim and Media Studies, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Post-apartheid geographies of studentification at Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Authors: Mzileni, Pedro Mihlali
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53758 , vital:45759
- Description: This study takes the concept of studentification from its British conception to the post-apartheid African city, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where the Nelson Mandela University is situated. Studentification refers to the mass arrival of students in university cities and towns and the economic, infrastructural, geographic and sociopolitical changes that the settlements of these students make overtime to such cities and towns. For the case of Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, this study identified four major areas that are engulfed by studentification and sought to understand how this phenomenon takes shape in them. The study extends the existing terms and languages used to comprehend studentification by introducing a viewpoint of how it emerges in an African post-apartheid city. This is a city that has deindustrialised and has also experienced a capital flight out of its city centre since the 1970s. These declining economic indicators over decades have left the city to decay and experience high rates of unemployment, poverty and housing displacements. But, the post-1994 massification of the South African higher education system introduced new micro-economies for the city mainly through the emergence of student accommodation as a thriving business opportunity in the city in light of increased university enrolments. However, the economic injection brought by student accommodation in this city that has been deindustrialising remains minimal in having the necessary power to turnaround the city’s fortunes and transform the urban space towards a developmental path. This socioeconomic problem is also compounded by the presence of a weak arm of the state (particularly local government) that is unable to play an active role in driving capital flows to deliver tangible urban development. As a result, the university emerges as one of the active public actors in the renewal efforts of the city even though this is not its primary mandate. Thus, the process of studentification in this case takes place in a context defined by a declining higher education political economy and a weak city planning regime. As a result, these factors leave studentification to be vulnerable to being impacted by old colonial-apartheid structures of the city and the economic shortfalls of post-apartheid urban South Africa that have produced a precarious urban space where the private property market and the illicit economy have a stronger hand in determining the power relations that emerge in the city space. Studentification in this African city is expressed in four major geographies: (1) the Summerstrand suburb that is nearest to the University’s main urban campuses, (2) the Central CBD that has experienced capital flight and currently has tall buildings that are former offices of apartheid commerce which have been converted to student accommodation, (3) the deindustrialised and abandoned manufacturing sites at the North End margins of the city which have also been converted to student accommodation, and (4) the Zwide township, an underprivileged black community that is close to the former black Missionvale campus of the University – this is the furthest student accommodation area in the city. The study examines these student communities that emerge out of these four identified areas of the urban space and it also underscores the genre of the political, social, and economic relations of each of these four geographies and their interconnectedness. The study found that the South African post-apartheid city is characterised by an urban model and a university campus design that is a structural outcome of colonisation, apartheid spatial planning, and racial capitalism that still has continuing legacies today. As a result, these four geographies of studentification in the city are historical, racial and economic outcomes of urban power relations that originate from colonialism. Key defining features of studentification in each of these four areas were identified and analysed to illustrate that the South African account of studentification resembles the city’s apartheid legacy and these untransformed urban structures get further compounded by the country’s underfunded higher education massification strategy, its declining economic indicators and a weak state that has ‘soft’ planning and governance systems that are unable to decisively impact the trajectory of socioeconomic development in this university city. These intersecting forces translate into precarious day-to-day student life experiences and structural complications for the governance of the University and the city. These socioeconomic misfortunes also handicap the potential of the city to renew through a studentification economy. Henri Lefebvre’s Production of Space Theory was utilised to frame the study. Methodologically, the study utilised qualitative narrative interviews and document interpretation. This is the first doctoral thesis written about the concept of studentification in South Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, The Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention in Africa: an examination of South Africa’s role in conflict resolution in the Democratic Republic of The Congo
- Authors: Mandela, Siyabulela
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54471 , vital:46584
- Description: The Agenda 2063 tabled a blueprint of seven aspirations, for the Africa we want and one which was critical to this study being a peaceful and secure Africa. As postulated in this aspiration, by Agenda 2063, “Africa shall be free from armed conflict, terrorism, extremism, intolerance, and gender-based violence, which are major threats to human security, peace and development”. The Assembly of the AU committed in the agenda to fast-track actions to silence the guns by 2020, through enhanced dialogue-centred conflict prevention and resolution. The deadline for silencing guns and ending all wars in Africa was 2020, which has passed and Africa remains characterised by violent conflict and underdevelopment. Violent conflict of different magnitudes continues unabated across different states in Africa and remain insolent to any means towards resolution. The African continent is also a host to the most fragile states in the world, and the governments of these countries are unable to cultivate or facilitate the necessary conditions needed for sustainable peace and development. The conditions of poverty, frustration of basic human needs, maladministration, corruption, mismanagement of diversity and ethnic divisions so prevalent in Africa increase the likelihood of violent conflict. Conflict provention, preventive diplomacy, problem-solving workshops, peacebuilding and peacekeeping are all variants of peace operations deemed crucial in this study for Africa’s stability, peace and development. The advancement of preventive diplomacy and conflict provention as a hybrid framework for the prevention and resolution of violent conflict and promotion of sustainable peace and development in Africa was at the centre of this study. The study adopted John Burton’s basic human needs theory as a theoretical framework to further highlight an urgency by African states to prioritise policies and conflict resolution efforts directed at addressing the underlying issues giving rise to violent conflicts, if sustainable peace and development was to be realised in the continent. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
The effect of silicon on palladium migration in pyrolytic carbon and graphite
- Authors: Downey, Justin Michael
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53665 , vital:45684
- Description: The pebble-bed reactor (PBR) is a graphite-moderated, gas-cooled high temperature nuclear reactor design and it is one of six nuclear reactor concepts included in the Generation IV initiative. Pebble-bed reactors use spherical fuel elements (called pebbles) which consist of pyrolytic graphite (which acts as the moderator) and contain thousands of micro-fuel particles called tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particles. These TRISO fuel particles consist of a fissile material (such as U235 in oxide or carbide form) surrounded by a carbon buffer layer, a pyrolytic carbon (PyC) layer, a silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic layer for structural integrity and metallic fission product containment, and an outer PyC layer. The PBR is claimed to be a passively safe design. The commercial development of the first pebble bed reactor was that of the German AVR reactor (German: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Versuchsreaktor) developed during the 1960s. The AVR design was later updated and marketed by a company called HTR. In 1999 the South African electricity company ESKOM obtained the right to access the HTR engineering database that included details of the Siemens/Interatom HTR-Module design. ESKOM worked with HTR on a new design and dubbed it the pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR). The PBMR Co. Ltd. was formed in 1999 and mandated to license and build PBMR reactors. One of the safety considerations which emerged from research is that of metal fission product release from the TRISO fuel particles. Ag110m is a radioactive metallic fission product found to have been released from intact TRISO particles. The release of this Ag isotope is of particular concern because it is highly gamma active and has a half-life of approximately 250 days, resulting in unsafe environments for maintenance workers of PBRs. During the past four decades, many different mechanisms for Ag transport in SiC and release from TRISO particles have been proposed. A promising more recent mechanism suggests that the metallic fission product palladium (Pd) plays a significant role in the transport and release of Ag from intact TRISO particles. In this mechanism Ag transport in irradiated TRISO particle fuel takes place in the presence of the fission product Pd. The Pd reacts with the SiC layer and penetrates the SiC layer along grain boundaries to form a silicide layer which provides a rapid diffusion path for Ag in the SiC. The presence of thin silicide layers in irradiated TRISO particles was subsequently confirmed. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
The synthesis, empirical and theoretical studies of various (N→B) diarylborinate esters
- Authors: Manana, Pholani Sakhile
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53869 , vital:46027
- Description: A series of core-functionalized borinic acids was synthesized from Grignard reagents and tributylborate and reacted with ethanolamine, amino acids, 2-pyridylmethanol as well as 2-(ethyl amino ethanol). Among the borinic acids synthesized were the ones bearing: para-(2, 15, 16, 22, 27)-methyl, (3, 20, 25)-chloro, (4, 23, 26)-fluoro, (5)-methoxy; meta-(7, 17)-methyl, (9)-fluoro; ortho-(6)-methyl, (8)-chloro, (10, 18, 19)-methoxy substituents on their respective aromatic systems. All compounds obtained by condensation of the borinic acids with the aforementioned nitrogen-containing substrates were characterized structurally by means of diffraction studies based on single crystals and found to constitute chelate esters/amides featuring covalent B-O and dative N→B bonds. The chelate compounds researched in this study could be classified into four families and represent the compounds: ethanol amine: (1) 2,2-diphenyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (2) 2,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (3) 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (4) 2,2-bis(p-fluorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (5) 2,2-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (6) 2,2-bis(o-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (7) 2,2-bis(m-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (8) 2,2-bis(o-chlorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (9) 2,2-bis(m-fluorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (10) 2,2-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines. α-amino acids : (14) 4-methyl-2,2-diphenyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (15) 2,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (16) 4-methyl-2,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (17) 4-isopropyl-2,2-bis(m-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (18) 4-methyl-2,2-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,2- oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (19) 4-acetamidyl-2,2-bis(o-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,2- oxazaborolidin-5-ones, (20) 4-phenylethane-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,3,2 oxazaborolidin-5-ones. 2-pyridylmethanol: (21) 1,3-hydroxypyridyl-2,2-diphenyl 1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (22) 1,3-hydroxypyridyl-2,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (23) 1,3-hydroxypyridyl-2,2-bis(p-fluorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines 2-(ethyl amino ethanol): (24) 3-ethyl-2,2-diphenyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (25) 3-ethyl-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (26) 3-ethyl-2,2-bis(p-fluorophenyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines, (27) 3-ethyl-2,2-bis(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-oxazaborolidines. Apart from structural studies in the solid state, the compounds were also characterized by means of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 11B, 13C) as well as UV/vis and FTIR. The typical 11B resonances were found in the range of (4-10 ppm). A series of characteristic metrical parameters for the compounds in the solid state as well as typical NMR shifts for the chelate target molecules was established that allowed for the determination of the coordination induced shift. The carbon atom bonded to the oxygen atom shifted upfield, while the carbon atom bonded to the nitrogen atom shifted downfield. Factors mentioned in the literature that has an influence on the hydrolytic stability on the heterocyclic borinate motif have been taken into consideration and verified for the systems researched in this study. The substitution at the nitrogen atom with one ethyl group caused the greatest increases in the N→B bond length (27) 1.714 Å, due to the increase in the nitrogen Lewis basicity, making it the least hydrolytically stable, these include compounds (24-26). Furthermore, DFT calculations were performed by employing Becke’s three parameter hybrid exchange functional with Lee–Yang–Parr functional (B3LYP) method using the Gaussian 16 program package (Rev. B01) employing the basis set 6-311++G(d,p), to corroborate and correlate the experimental findings, which gave a general R-squared value of 0.9978 for calculated vs experimental 13C chemical shifts. Thermal properties are recorded for select compounds, indicating the ΔH and the melting points. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
A framework to integrate social entrepreneurship into development planning in South Africa
- Authors: Nwauche, Sokeibelemaye
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52982 , vital:44881
- Description: The thesis presents a framework to integrate social entrepreneurship (SE) into development planning in South Africa. Even though there is no consensus on a universally accepted definition of the term, there is concurrence that SE brings about social change that can influence the overall development of the community. In South Africa, SE is thus conceived of as one of the mechanisms for addressing the wicked and persistent socio-economic challenges that face the country. Social entrepreneurship occurs in areas such as education, health, skills development, youth programmes, rehabilitation, safety, food security, poverty, job creation, human rights activism, environmental issues, arts and culture, among others. However, it remains unclear how SE is integrated into the development planning and implementation processes. Questions of integrating SE into development planning are asked within the context of South Africa as a democratic developmental state that intervenes in the development process. It emphasises the mobilization of and engagement with all sectors towards the achievement of its development objectives as articulated in the national development plan (NDP). Also, government recognizes organizations in the social enterprise sector (such as NPOs and NPCs) as stakeholders and development partners who deliver relevant services towards the achievement of these development objectives. However, there is a lack of framework to mobilize and integrate the social enterprise sector and SE into the development planning process. Social entrepreneurship, therefore, tends to occur in insolation from other development programmes. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Ecosexual digital war machines: minoritarian environmental desires in the age of new media
- Authors: Weideman, Lisa
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54828 , vital:47915
- Description: Today the (Transnational) State Apparatuses of neoliberal capitalism, ranging from educational institutions to mass media and financial institutions, have effectively created and channelled desires towards consumerism, predicated on resource-extractive practices, within the context of what Gilles Deleuze calls societies of control. This control has also intensified in the digital era, particularly through Internet-based technologies which provide increasingly efficient platforms for the escalation of commodification – ironically, despite the reality of ecological crisis being precipitated by the related extractive practices to the point where it now threatens the continued existence of life on earth. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
South Africa’s auto industry trade elasticity to economic performance in BRICS countries
- Authors: Siswana, Babalwa
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52980 , vital:44901
- Description: South Africa’s automotive industry is a vital element in the country’s economy. This sector has been a strategically important sector in South Africa, and it is imperative to ensure not only the sustainability of the automotive sector in the country, but also the continued growth of the industry. This study addressed the determinants of South Africa’s automotive exports to BRICS countries. The main aim of the study is to examine South Africa’s automotive industry trade elasticity to economic performance in BRICS countries. An econometric assessment was done using different estimation techniques, namely Dynamic Panel Data General Method of Moments (GMM) on annual data from 2000 to 2016, quantile regression for the same period, and ANOVA analysis. This study used eight endogenous variables in explaining determinants of South African automotive export to BRICS countries. The results from the GMM technique suggested that only four variables out of eight variables were statistically significant, namely, automotive exports lagged once, corporate tax, research and development (R&D), and real exchange rates. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), trade openness, and R&D all reduced automotive exports in South Africa. Quantile regression provided difference compared to the GMM dynamic panel data analysis. In the panel data analysis, corporate tax was positive, while in the quantile regression only Brazil’s corporate tax had a positive effect on South African automotive exports. FDI results in panel data GMM results were the same as quantile, while other variables results were not consistence with the dynamic panel data GMM results. The ANOVA results suggested that significant differences between BRICS countries impact on South Africa’s automotive exports. The findings indicate that South African automotive exports to BRICS have been proven to be elastic in four variables., namely, automotive exports lagged once, corporate tax, research and development (R&D), and real exchange rates. The South African automotive industry implemented policies such as the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) and the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP); however, these policies failed to realise the targets set by the v industry. On the policies regarding automotive exports in South Africa, it is equally important to pay attention to corporate tax in South Africa as well as in other BRICS countries. BRICS economies lack policy synchronisation, hence the adverse impact on South African automotive exports. South Africa’s BRICS counterparts are knowledge-driven economies. Developing a strong human base is required in the sector. In addition, there is a need for BRICS countries to have a free trade agreement (FTA) to enhance trade amongst member states. Having free trade could help to make BRICS economic integration more meaningful to BRICS countries and the region. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Spatial fisheries management options for inclusion in marine spatial planning in South Africa
- Authors: Reed, Jodie Romay
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52068 , vital:43451
- Description: Integration of sectoral based management into a coherent and coordinated spatial management framework is one of the central challenges of marine spatial planning ȋMSPȌǤ MSP initiatives aim to provide operational frameworks to promote sustainable use of the economic potential of the ocean while maintaining the value of marine biodiversity and the integrity of marine ecosystems to provide servicesǤ The ecosystem services associated with fisheries in terms of food and job provision are some of the most well recognised and highly valued in the marine realm and maintaining these benefits depends on a holistic understanding of the ecosystemǡ human uses and the management thereofǡ including areaǦbased managementǤ In ͲͰͱǡ South Africa was the first African country to enact MSP legislationǤ The development of MSP was advanced through a Presidential ocean economy initiative ȋOperation Phakisaǣ Oceans EconomyȌ that aimed to fast track marine transport and manufacturingǡ aquacultureǡ and the development of oil and gasǡ small harbourǡ and coastal and marine tourismǤ A dedicated ocean governance component was included to develop an overarchingǡ integrated ocean governance frameworkǤ The absence of fisheries in the plans and initiatives was conspicuousǤ The implementation of MSPǡ howeverǡ provides an opportunity to safeguard the ecosystem services provided by fisheries but only if the interests of fisheries can be adequately reflected in spatial plans and analysesǤ Furthermoreǡ the implementation of MSP may provide new opportunities for innovation in spatial approaches to local fisheries management that could address numerous spatial conflicts that have been reportedǤ Integration of spatial fisheries management approaches into MSP can also support the implementation of ecosystemǦbased management ȋEBMȌǡ by including mechanisms such as habitat protectionǡ effective management of areas important for vulnerable life history stagesǡ and bycatch managementǤ This study aimed to identifyǡ assess and further develop spatial management options for fisheries to facilitate the integration of fisheries management and MSPǤ This was achieved by firstlyǡ identifying existing spatial management instruments and assessing the way in which these instruments may be implemented to support spatial fisheries managementǤ Secondlyǡ the application of two contrasting spatial management optionsǡ applied to two pelagic fisheriesǡ was examined to assess their effectiveness at achieving fisheries management objectives with a focus on bycatch reductionǡ while minimising the costs to the fisheries. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ocean Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
An enquiry on gender, religion and sport: the case of Muslim women residing in Malabar, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Sait, Shaabiera
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55196 , vital:49588
- Description: Modern sports have made many claims, one of which is to give surety of equality within sporting codes. They also specifically focus on providing equal rights to allow individuals to compete in sports. The political history of South Africa is particularly important as it is essentially linked to the capacity to participate in sport in South Africa. Therefore, it is safe to say that politics and sports are intrinsically entwined in the country. Sport played a vibrant role in the struggle against the system of apartheid and has a vigorous role to play in the transformation and nation-building of South Africa. Islam has been open to growth and development, adaptation, and even change. Since its revelation, Islam has been filtered through a succession of cultural growth, reflecting the complex ways in which religious beliefs and social reality accommodate one another. Islam possesses a unifying framework which is provided by the Quran (Islam’s primary source regarded by Muslims as God’s revealed word) as the quintessential source along with the Hadith (the statements and deeds of Prophet Muhammad [Peace be unto him]) and language of the religion of Islam. This unity is accompanied by a multitude of diversities that must be considered in any discussion regarding Islam and its practice by Muslims. The Muslim women presented in this thesis were specifically from the Malabar area in Port Elizabeth, where different interpretations or perspectives of Islam exist. Malabar was created in 1961 under the Group Areas Act of 1950 in terms of which the Apartheid government forced people of different race categories to live separately. In a variety of societies and communities where legislation, customs, and traditions are affected or inspired by interpretations of the Quran and Sunnah, they combine to define the roles and status of men and women. Within a specific Muslim society, however, these may vary from one class or generation to another. Muslim women’s lives and the choices they face are influenced as much by patriarchal social arrangements as they are by religious ideology. The research is centred around the interpretations of Islam and what these interpretations mean for Muslim women and their participation in sports, while also considering the interconnectedness of personal choice and the rules and regulations of Islam. The objective of this study was to critically analyse the effect that the different interpretations of Islam have on Muslim women’s participation in sporting activities, as iii well as the barriers that Muslim women face during their involvement in sports. The research adopted a qualitative research method in which 20 Muslim women were interviewed, with the use of semi-structured interview schedules, as well as participant observation to collect the necessary data. A case study method was used to share the data collected from interviews. Furthermore, an auto-ethnographic method is also utilized for self-reflection and to explore personal experience relevant to this research. This thesis also draws on the Marxist feminist theoretical approach, focusing on investigating and explaining how women are oppressed through systems of capitalism and private property. Marxism and feminism are theories of power, which is distributed unequally in society. In researching gender, religion, and sport, I found that the relationship between Muslim women and sport is understood in different ways because of different interpretations of Islam and its teachings, often between one generation to the next and amongst various Muslim communities. Thus, individuals who are passionate about their sport will go the extra mile to ensure participation. In some cases, this would be regardless of the rules and regulations of Islam. Muslim women across the world have made many strides and overcome many barriers in sport. Over the years, although not favourably portrayed in the media, participation by women has increased drastically over time. This thesis explores gender, religion, and sport as well as the ‘lived body’ experiences of veiled Muslim women in sport and physical activity. I attempt to explain the relationship between religious requirements and participation in sport and physical activity. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-12