List of Titles

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Molecular Detection of Antibiotic-Resistant Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Nonclinical Environment: Public Health Implications in Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

- Mojisola Clara Hosu, Sandeep Vasaikar, Grace Emily Okuthe, Teke Apalata

Authors: Mojisola Clara Hosu , Sandeep Vasaikar , Grace Emily Okuthe , Teke Apalata
Date: 5 January 2021
Subjects: Microbiology
Language: English
Type: Journal Article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/2417 , vital:41877
Description: Evaluation of resistant profiles and detection of antimicrobial-resistant genes of bacterial pathogens in the nonclinical milieu is imperative to assess the probable risk of dissemination of resistant genes in the environment. .is paper sought to identify antibiotic-resistant genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from nonclinical sources in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, and evaluate its public health implications. Samples collected from abattoir wastewater and aquatic environment were processed by membrane filtration and cultured on CHROMagarTM Pseudomonas medium. Species identification was performed by autoSCAN-4 (Dade Behring Inc., IL). Molecular characterization of the isolates was confirmed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (rPCR) and selected isolates were further screened for the possibility of harboring antimicrobial resistance genes. Fifty-one Pseudomonas species were recovered from abattoir wastewater and surface water samples, out of which thirty-six strains were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (70.6%). .e P. aeruginosa isolates demonstrated resistance to aztreonam (86.1%), ceftazidime (63.9%), piperacillin (58.3%), cefepime (55.6%), imipenem (50%), piperacillin/tazobactam (47.2%), meropenem (41.7%), and levofloxacin (30.6%). Twenty out of thirty-six P. aeruginosa displayed multidrug resistance profiles and were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) (55.6%). Most of the bacterial isolates exhibited a high Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) Index ranging from 0.08 to 0.69 with a mean MAR index of 0.38. In the rPCR analysis of fifteen P. aeruginosa isolates, 14 isolates (93.3%) were detected harboring blaSHV, six isolates (40%) harbored blaTEM, and three isolates (20%) harbored blaCTX-M, being the least occurring ESBL. Results of the current study revealed that P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from nonclinical milieu are resistant to frontline clinically relevant antipseudomonal drugs. .is is concerning as it poses a risk to the environment and constitutes a public health threat. Given the public health relevance, the paper recommends monitoring of multidrug-resistant pathogens in effluent environments.
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VIVA Comrade Moss

- NUMSA

Authors: NUMSA
Date: 25 April
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/109640 , vital:33163
Description: The last 'Trial Update" reported on Comrade Moss’s case until mid-March. This report covers the period from that time up until 25th April.STADLER - "ANC EXPERT" Brigadier Stadler testified that the ANC had made certain calls to organisations within the country which, according to his "research", had been followed by organisations in the country. As examples he gave the ANC’s call for ungovernability, the formation of organs of people’s power and the destruction of town councils. During cross-examination Stadler conceded that he was not able to give examples of any direct link between the ANC and organisations inside the coutry but he said an inference could be drawn by looking at the ANC’s call and the behaviour of organisations inside the country.
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Date Issued: 25 April

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Morphology, histology and histochemistry of the digestive tract of the Banded tilapia, Tilapia sparrmanii (Perciformes: Cichlidae)

- Grace E. Okuthe, Bongile Bhomela

Authors: Grace E. Okuthe , Bongile Bhomela
Date: December 23, 2020
Subjects: Fish, gastrointestinal tract, histo-architecture
Language: English
Type: Journal Article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/2425 , vital:41881
Description: ABSTRACT. This study described anatomical, histological and histochemical features of the mucosal layer of the digestive tract of Tilapia sparrmanii Smith, 1840, an omnivorous freshwater fish endemic to Southern Africa. This species exhibited a short thick oesophagus with long deep longitudinal folds (466.68 ± 16.91 µm), and a thick (173.50 ± 10.92 µm) muscular layer that allow the passage of large food items. The mucosa was lined with stratified secretory epithelium rich in goblet cells that secreted neutral and acid mucins. The stomach was a sac-like structure with simple tubular glands surrounded by connective tissue. The mucosa was lined with simple columnar epithelium and the lamina propria exhibited a well-developed layer of gastric glands that occupied the entire length of the cardio-fundic region. The stomach mucosa consisted of epithelial cells with intense neutral mucin secretion which protects against gastric juice. Neck cells of gastric glands synthesized neutral and acid mucins. The intestine was highly coiled and presented a complex pattern of transversal folds internally (villi). Villi length decreased progressively from the anterior to the posterior intestine (p < 0.0001). Tunica muscularis of the mid-intestine had the thinnest thickness among all parts of the intestine (p < 0.0001). Goblet cells whose numbers increased towards the rectum secreted both acid and neutral mucins. The results indicate structural similarities of T. sparrmanii GIT with other tilapia species and will be useful for understanding the physiology of the digestive systems as well as functional components of the GIT.
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& salt the earth behind you

- Naidoo, Prenesa

Authors: Naidoo, Prenesa
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , MA
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178212 , vital:42921
Description: My thesis is a collection of prose pieces in the form of short stories, flash fiction and prose poetry drawing on memory and lived experiences to explore the trauma of death, grief and displacement, solace and the paroxysms of home. As a young woman from an Indian South Africa community, Hindu superstitions and folktales are my second skin, and shape both my worldview and my writing. I am inspired by Lidia Yuknavitch’s observation that, “all artists see things that are not there”, and by Dambudzo Marechera’s belief that, “Beneath reality, there is always fantasy: the writer’s task is to reveal it, to open it out, to feel it, to experience it.” In my stories about trauma and grief, I often distort the line between seen and unseen worlds, where, for example, hauntings are taken seriously as lived experiences. I have also been influenced by Han Kang’s The White Book, Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s Sabrina & Corina, and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. Read together, Kang’s stand-alone short stories form part of a greater collective ‘memory’ or ‘life’; Fajardo-Anstine’s collection illustrates how to write about a specific female Latina community while still telling individual stories; and Cisneros’ fragments of memories tell the story of a person’s life in narratives which are as long or short as they need to be. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A critical analysis of how the potential of Dynamic Geometry Software as a visualisation tool may enhance the teaching of Mathematics

- Mavani, Beena Deepak

Authors: Mavani, Beena Deepak
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177192 , vital:42798 , 10.21504/10962/177192
Description: Visualisation in the mathematics classroom has its own pedagogical value and plays a significant role in developing mathematical intuition, thought and ideas. Dynamic visualisation possibilities of current digital technologies afford new ways of teaching and learning mathematics. The freely available GeoGebra software package is highly interactive and makes use of powerful features to create objects that are dynamic, and which can be moved around on the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research study was conceptualised within the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) – an ICT teacher development project in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The focus of this study was on how GeoGebra could be used as a teaching tool by harnessing its powerful visualisation capacity. In the study, selected GLIP teachers collaboratively developed GeoGebra applets, then implemented and evaluated them. The research methodology took the form of action research cycles in which the design, implementation and evaluation of successive applets determined the data gathering and analysis process. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and reflective interviews. The underlying theoretical foundation of this study lies in constructivism, which aligned well with the conceptual and analytical framework of Kilpatrick et al.’s (2001) description of teaching proficiency. An in-depth analysis of my classroom observations resulted in multiple narratives that illuminated how teachers harnessed the visualisation capabilities inherent in the software. My findings showed that dynamic visualisation and interactivity afforded by the use of technology are key enabling factors for teachers to enhance the visualisation of mathematical concepts. My analysis across participants also showed that technical difficulties often compromised the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. The significance of this research is its contribution to the ongoing deliberations of visualisation and utilisation of technological resources, particularly through the empowerment of a community of teachers. The findings recognised that the integration of technology required appropriate training, proper planning and continuous support and resources for the teaching of mathematics. This action research provided insightful information on integrating Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) tools in mathematics classrooms that could be useful to teachers and curriculum planners. , Thesis (PhD) -- Education, Education, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A double-edged sword : the minimum wage and agrarian labour in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, 2003–2014

- Naidoo, Lalitha

Authors: Naidoo, Lalitha
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177111 , vital:42791 , 10.21504/10962/177115
Description: Statutory wage setting and the extension of labour laws to the South African agrarian labour market are path-breaking events that altered the unilateral power which agrarian employers had, under apartheid, to set low wages and harsh employment conditions. Yet, economic sociologists have shown little interest in the agrarian minimum wage in South Africa. Consequently, little to no sociological perspectives are available on the way in which statutory wages shape the setting of actual agrarian wages, employment conditions, labour relations and working and living conditions. At the same time, economic sociology’s neglect of agrarian minimum wages perpetuates the dominance of economics in minimum wage research, as well as the narrow cost-benefit analysis, and firm and employer-centric focus, deployed by both opponents of minimum wages in the neoclassical economics camp and supporters in the heterodox economics camp. The firm-centric focus also applies to the few labour relations scholars who focus on minimum wages. As a result, a wide body of empirical information is available and concentrated in the Global North, on low-waged, urban-based firms’ employment and labour relations strategies with the occasioning of minimum wage laws, with scant to non-existing information on rural-based workers’ experiences in the Global South, at least in the case of South Africa. This thesis addresses the lacuna in existing research, specifically by concentrating on agrarian workers’ narratives of the outcomes of minimum wages on actual wages and conditions, and experiences at the site of production and in the sphere of expanded social reproduction. The conceptual framework of the thesis is rooted in a critical realist meta-theory which directs inquiry towards the search for underlying causes of events with a sensitivity to the interaction of structure and agency, so as to develop explanations of events, which in turn encourage emancipatory thought and praxis. Within this framework, a political economy perspective of the agrarian minimum wage is charted, founded on an inter-disciplinary approach that incorporates economic sociology perspectives, which view markets as socio-political constructs, alongside a Marxist analysis of wages and the distinction between the value of labour and the value of labour power. Also relevant are segmentation labour market models where the focus is on segmentation in labour supply, demand and regulation, and institutional economics that highlights labour’s weak bargaining power in low-waged labour markets. Based on this analytical perspective, the South African agrarian minimum wage is seen as a necessary intervention stemming from post-apartheid uneven neoliberal restructuring processes, to address extremely low agrarian wages that pose threats to the ongoing generation of agrarian labour power. Low agrarian wages are located in unequal power relations in the workplace and are embedded in the totality of the low-waged agrarian labour market, composed of particular features in the supply-side of the labour market (the sphere of social reproduction of labour), the demand-side of the labour market (the site of production), and the forces of regulation (the labour relations regime). The thesis explores new ways of conceptualising minimum wages in the South African context, placing emphasis on the local agrarian labour market, and it highlights the agency of agrarian labour by revealing their struggles, working life and living conditions. In so doing, the research expands inquiry beyond economic “impact” at the level of the firm/employer to examine: (a) workers’ employment trends before and after the minimum wage was introduced, (b) the extent of changes in working and living conditions and labour relations, (c) the scope for workers in animating changes and their struggles and challenges, and (d) shifts in actual wages in relation to prescribed wage rates. Focussing on the aforementioned aspects represents an attempt in this thesis to build on themes, raised in heterodox economics studies, of minimum wages and their relationship to the social devaluation of low-waged work, inequalities in bargaining power, and justice. Based on a stratified sample of workers that included, among other variables, sex, geographical area and agricultural sub-sectors, original data was collected through 52 in-depth interviews, two focus group interviews (comprised of 10 workers), and 501 surveyed workers. The research did not find widespread job losses when minimum wages were introduced, as per neoclassical economics’ predictions. Nor did it find transitions from low- to high-road approaches in employment strategies and labour relations, as claimed by certain heterodox economists. Instead, the findings at the sites of production corroborate the uneven, mixed and contradictory findings of applied heterodox minimum wage studies on employment strategies, labour relations and wage settings. In this light, it is concluded that the agrarian minimum wage had layered outcomes for workers based on key findings, which include: (a) the minimum wage became the maximum wage as actual wages increased and clustered at the prescribed wage rate; (b) a level of gender wage parity close to the level of the prevailing prescribed minimum wage was found, but an overall gendered pattern to low-waged employment surfaced and manifested differently at sub-sector and enterprise levels; (c) though no changes were found in the way work was organised and how workers executed their tasks alongside no fundamental changes in the social relations of production, statutory minimum wages and limitations on working hours did reduce the hours of work and the existence of unpaid overtime work in certain sub-sectors such as livestock and dairy workplaces, through worker and employer initiatives (yet, at the same time, work intensification in compressed working hours appeared in the sample in other worksites, for example citrus workplaces); (d) authoritarian labour relations existed in varying depths and forms, based on sub-sector and enterprise characteristics, which shaped the propensity and scope for worker action; and (e) the layered outcomes of the agrarian minimum wage were felt at the site of social reproduction, where it brought a measure of relief for sampled workers; however, it was chronically inadequate to allow workers to meet their subsistence needs comprehensively. The research findings also highlight sub-sectoral complexities in changing employment and labour relations strategies from low- to high-road approaches in the agrarian sector. The layered outcomes of minimum wages for agrarian workers stems from the combined and uneven amalgamation of pre-existing and new conditions and relations consequent to neoliberalising processes in the agrarian political economy as well as the low minimum wage-setting. The thesis thus argues that the mixed outcomes reflect the layered character of the minimum wage as a conversion factor, which in turn equates to a layered notion of justice. This is because, on the one hand, the minimum wage ameliorates the plight of agrarian labour but, on the other hand, and given the bulwark of authoritarianism, pre-existing conditions and neoliberalising processes, the collective vulnerabilities in the agrarian labour market have expanded and may be intensifying. The agrarian minimum wage acts as a double-edged sword in contexts of mixed and layered outcomes for agrarian labour. A layered perspective of the conversion factor of a minimum wage exposes the possibilities and limitations of statutory wages as a conversion factor, based on context, and identifies the limits and possibilities for worker mobilisation and action. In the case of this research, the agrarian minimum wage deals in limited fashion with the value of labour power because of the initial and subsequent low settings; the minimum wage does not deal with class exploitation and the value of labour, although it sets the frame for instigating basic labour standards. The implications of a layered conversion potential of low minimum wage-settings are profound for conceptualising, theorising and researching the link between statutory wages and justice, with respect to the value of labour power and the value of labour. Future research on the minimum wage based on a Marxist reading of wages and located in real labour markets, strengthens heterodox approaches by deepening theories on the relationship between statutory wages, justice and production. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Sociology, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A narrative study of students’ and staff’s experiences of living with HIV and AIDS at Rhodes University

- Tsope, Lindiwe

Authors: Tsope, Lindiwe
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176894 , vital:42769 , 10.21504/10962/176894
Description: A narrative study of students’ and staff’s experiences of living with HIV and AIDS at Rhodes University Research on HIV and AIDS in university settings, especially research exploring the experience of living with the disease, has been minimal. As a response to the knowledge and research gaps, this thesis is a qualitative study involving students and staff living with HIV (LWH) and accessing treatment (ART) at the Rhodes University Health Care Centre. This study explored the personal and social symbolisms as well as meanings attached to living with HIV, through in-depth interviews with ten students and staff living with HIV, all purposively sampled and recruited through the Rhodes University Health Care Centre. Using social constructionism, symbolic interactionism and the theory of biographical disruption, the narratives revealed a positive and inspirational side of living with HIV and AIDS – especially emphasizing that PLWHA do not have to surrender to the deadly narrative of the disease. It became evident that stigma, both internal and external, largely influences illness narratives. Furthermore, the study revealed the social reconstruction of life narratives both in order to understand the illness in terms of past social experiences and to reaffirm the impression that life has a course and the self has a purpose. All participants found that accessing treatment from the Rhodes University Health Care Centre positively influenced their experiences of adherence and reconstruction of narratives. The study indicates that HIV-related interventions in place at the university need to pay more attention to the psychosocial needs of PLWH, involvement of PWLH, as well as keeping up with the continuously changing global HIV narrative. The study argues for more attention to in-depth experiences and personal narratives in HIV and AIDS, and PLWHA education at Rhodes University. , Thesis (PhD) -- Humanities, Department of Sociology, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A proposed framework for the development of urban agriculture in South African cities

- Brown, Nicola Jayne

Authors: Brown, Nicola Jayne
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Urban agriculture -- South Africa , Sustainable development -- South Africa , Food security -- Climatic factors -- South Africa , Resilience (Ecology)
Language: English
Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/174413 , vital:42475
Description: While climate change and rapid urbanisation are impacting our cities and existing infrastructure, population growth and resource scarcity are placing unprecedented pressure on our food systems. In light of such challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals, resilient solutions are being sought to move both urban development and food production towards a more sustainable future. In this context, Urban Agriculture (UA) has been identified as a possible mechanism to complement rural food production with many associated social, economic and environmental benefits for urban communities. Some of these benefits include increased food system resilience, better urban environmental management, circular and productive reuse of urban wastes, employment opportunities, reduced food miles and the promotion of social inclusivity. Through a sustainable food system lens and underpinned by Resilience Theory, this research study sets out to investigate and explore the considerations for UA development. The research study reviews UA literature to identify and analyse the common challenges which act as barriers to implementation, as well as the current or potential opportunities which could be leveraged to drive UA development. The insights gained from literature on UA and UA development frameworks; and the data gathered from qualitative interviews with experts working in UA-related fields in South Africa (SA), were used to build a conceptual framework for UA development in SA. The conceptual framework developed is intended to be used as a guide for local municipalities, urban planners, urban farmers, urban communities and UA support organisations in their approach to developing UA initiatives. The findings from this research study reveal that UA development in SA involves numerous actors at both provincial and municipal levels; and within private institutions, businesses, universities, farmer organisations and society. The findings also reveal that UA currently occurs at many levels in SA, with each level drawing a particular range of participants due to the various social, economic and/or environmental features of the initiative. Along with challenges associated with land access, the lack of UA-related knowledge, the threat of theft, vandalism and soil contamination (to name a few); a lack of understanding of how agriculture can fit into urban spaces was found to be a major obstacle. The findings suggest that this lack of understanding has led to an under-realisation of the full potential of UA in South African towns and cities; and an inability to incentivise and optimise the development of UA. Considering the findings derived from the investigation, the study proposes five major considerations for UA development in SA, all of which are unpacked in the conceptual framework. The study concludes by making recommendations for UA decision-makers and UA organisations to consider for future developments.
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A Systematic Visualisation Framework for Radio-Imaging Pipelines

- Andati, Lexy Acherwa Livoyi

Authors: Andati, Lexy Acherwa Livoyi
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Radio interferometers , Radio astronomy -- Data processing , Radio astronomy -- Data processing -- Software , Jupyter
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177338 , vital:42812
Description: Pipelines for calibration and imaging of radio interferometric data produce many intermediate images and other data products (gain tables, etc.) These often contain valuable information about the quality of the data and the calibration, and can provide the user with valuable insights, if only visualised in the right way. However, the deluge of data that we’re experiencing with modern instruments means that most of these products are never looked at, and only the final images and data products are examined. Furthermore, the variety of imaging algorithms currently available, and the range of their options, means that very different results can be produced from the same set of original data. Proper understanding of this requires a systematic comparison that can be carried out both by individual users locally, and by the community globally. We address both problems by developing a systematic visualisation framework based around Jupyter notebooks, enriched with interactive plots based on the Bokeh and Datashader visualisation libraries. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Department of Physics and Electronics, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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Accountability in the global health regime : a critical examination of the institutional policy and practice of the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria partnership programme in Ghana

- Onokwai, John Chukwuemeka

Authors: Onokwai, John Chukwuemeka
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177099 , vital:42790 , 10.21504/10962/177099
Description: The overarching objective of this thesis is to undertake a critical examination of the institutional accountability policy and practice of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) in the context of its partnership programme in Ghana. The Global Fund is a global public-private partnership (GPPP) in health engaged in public health policy processes worldwide. As a GPPP, the policy mandate that underpins its global response to fight the aforementioned diseases requires it to enter into partnerships with recipient countries to finance their national health policy responses and strategies to tackle these diseases. Situating accountability within the context of the shift from an international health to a global health regime, the study argues that the emergence of GPPPs in health and the formal policy mandate and decision-making powers they exercise have had knock-on consequences for understanding accountability in the global health regime. This is because while the understanding of accountability for public health policy processes in the international health regime revolved solely around state-based and state-led accountability processes, it is no longer so in current global health regime. Since these GPPPs are not states, they derive their understanding of accountability from the nature and character of their individual policy and practice arrangements. However, despite contestation around the Global Fund’s accountability in global health literature, this literature has little to say on the question of how the Global Fund itself (as a partnership organisation) understands accountability in policy and how this understanding informs its practice in specific settings of global health. Thus, this study contributes to literature on GPPPs’ accountability in global health by specifically exploring how the Global Fund understands accountability in policy and how this understanding informs its accountability in practice, in particular in relationship to its implications for country ownership of health policy in Ghana. Drawing on fieldwork undertaken in Ghana, and guided by a critical political economy approach, this study will demonstrate how: 1) the Global Fund’s institutional policy and practice arrangements undermine accountability to the government and to those affected by their activities; 2) the Global Fund’s practice of country ownership is reflective of conditional ownership despite the fact that the Global Fund claims to promote country ownership as a core principle of its accountability practice in aid recipient countries; and 3) the accountability policy and practice instruments of the Global Fund are not politically neutral, but are rather a function of relations of power. To improve the ability of Ghana (and other recipient countries) to own their developmental policies, a reordering of global economic relations is needed, with a renewed emphasis and focus on economic justice and human rights. Such a reordering will improve the material capabilities (control of and access to global centres of production, finance and technology) of aid recipient countries. This will empower Ghana (and other recipient countries) to play a more dominant, rather than a subsidiary role in how the global health landscape is organised and financed and in policy processes undertaken by global health policy institutions like the Global Fund. In this way, Ghana (and other developing countries) will be able to limit and mitigate the dominance and influence of powerful donors who shape the institutional policy and practice arrangements of global health policy institutions like the Global Fund. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Political and International Studies, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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An analysis of employee retention : a study of selected local municipalities in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality

- Maholo, Lisa

Authors: Maholo, Lisa
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , MCom
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177349 , vital:42813
Description: The success of municipalities largely depends on the quality (skills, knowledge and experience) of individuals employed at those institutions. As key role players in the delivery of services, municipalities struggle to retain a high calibre of employees who essentially form the backbone of the public sector due to their skills, knowledge and experiences. There is a need for municipalities to create and foster an environment that encourages existing employees to remain employed. This study adopted an interpretivist research paradigm, given the study’s primary aim of gaining an in-depth understanding of employee retention as experienced by employees in the selected municipalities, together with the key influencing factors of employee retention. The qualitative research approach used a case study methodology within the Sarah Baartman District Municipality, with two category B3 and B4 municipalities selected for the study. The retention factors framework for existing employees by Munsamy and Bosch-Venter (2009) was used as the supporting theoretical structure. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling, and 16 in-depth semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data. Through various content analysis techniques employed, this study identified seven employee retention factors (affiliation, career, work content, direct financial factors, external forces, work–life balance and indirect financial factors) with their associated themes. Affiliation, career and work content were identified as the three key factors which influence employee retention. Management style (relationship and interaction between employees and manager), organisational commitment and work environment were the main themes giving meaning to the affiliation factor. Training, personal growth and advancement emerged as themes related to the career factor. The work content factor was defined in terms of meaningfulness, challenges and autonomy themes. Direct and indirect financial factors, external forces, and work–life balance also emerged as factors that play a role in the retention of employees within a municipal context. Base salary and incentives were the associated themes underlying the direct financial factor. However, base salary has short-term effects on retention. Political climate and organisational reputation, municipal category and organisational structure were interrelated external forces. Flexible work arrangements, access to family, and childcare facilities give meaning to the work–life balance, while the only indirect financial factor to arise was benefits. Although some of the retention factors are clearly more influential than others, key employees attach most importance to a combination of employee retention factors that cater to their holistic needs and desires and generational differences. Therefore, the recommendations need to be implemented simultaneously. Having managers who engage employees in decisions-making and offer guidance and support, together with work environments where the physical and behavioural aspects are attended to, encourages employees to feel valued and appreciated. Municipalities should effectively communicate their mandate of ensuring adequate service delivery, which will allow employees to align their personal values to municipal objectives. Offering on-the-job training, access to career developmental programmes, evaluating job characteristics to include challenging and stimulating work and additional incentives as financial support will foster a conducive working environment for employees. Overall, municipalities face unique challenges depending on a variety of external elements such as political influence and climate. They operate in a challenging environment where they are also accountable to the community. Ultimately, municipalities must create and develop ways to acknowledge, develop and retain key employees in order to adequately deliver services. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Management, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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An analysis of intrasemiotic and intersemiotic relations of textual and visual modes in Namibian school science textbooks

- Mateus, Venasius

Authors: Mateus, Venasius
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , MEd
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177203 , vital:42799
Description: Although science education in Namibia receives much attention, learners’ performance is low in subjects such as Physical Sciences. The topic of Forces is among the topics in Physical Sciences where learners perform poorly. The provision of basic education in Namibia faces many challenges. One of these is that many teachers are not fully qualified for teaching the subjects they currently teach. Another (possibly related) challenge is that the majority of teachers in Namibian schools rely heavily on school textbooks when planning their lessons. In addition, learners use school textbooks as learning aids. The textbooks are developed and published in the private sector and based on the national curriculum statements. Quality of education has been amongst the major goals of education in Namibia. For quality assurance purposes, school science textbooks have to undergo a formal evaluation process. School textbooks, especially science textbooks, are multimodal. This means that they are designed with various modes, such as the textual and visual, often used in expressing scientific meanings. Literature reveals the textual and visual as individual modes having their own affordances, however, when integrated in school science textbooks contribute to strengthened meanings. No study published was found in Namibia or elsewhere that focused on analysing the intrasemiotic and intersemiotic sense relations of the textual and visual modes in Namibian school Physical Sciences textbooks. This study therefore aimed at contributing to filling this knowledge gap. The research is a qualitative case study and employed the interpretive paradigm. The selected Physical Sciences textbooks that constitute the data in this study were explored in depth via document analysis. Related textual and visual modes in the Physical Sciences textbooks were analysed in order to help answer the research questions of the study. Systemic Functional Linguistics was employed as the theoretical underpinning for this study. In this study, the sense relations were explored in terms of the sense relation themes which were coded and developed from common features of scientific discourse. The results reveal that scientific knowledge within the textual mode in the topic of Forces is communicated mostly through synonymy and repetition while within the visual mode it is mostly through antonymy, collocation, and synonymy. This contributed to meaning potential in the topic of Forces for the three Physical Sciences textbooks. The results further indicated that the overall cohesion within the textual and visual modes in the topic of Forces is achieved since repetition, which is the most direct form of lexical cohesion together with synonymy, collocation, and antonymy which are aspects of cohesion, occurred most frequently within these modes. This result further indicates that meaning potential in the topic of Forces in the three Physical Sciences textbooks were strengthened. While some sense relations occurred most frequently within individual modes, they were less frequent in other modes and vice versa. This indicates that different modes have different affordances. Finally, it was found that combining the textual and visual modes in the topic of Forces contributes to intersemiotic complementarity being achieved through the sense relations of collocation, hyponymy, and meronymy. , Thesis (MEd) -- Education, Education, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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An analysis of the countervailing measures used to address the anti-competitive effects of Government subsidies in the African Continental Free Trade Area

- Matsimbi, Rhulani Shaun

Authors: Matsimbi, Rhulani Shaun
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , LLM
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178330 , vital:42930
Description: Government subsidies are becoming more prevalent on the African continent. Subsidies allow the government to intervene in markets to incentivise more investment into nascent and struggling industries by improving the efficiency of firms in such industries. As such, subsidies form an essential part of some African countries’ industrialisation policies. However, the use of subsidies faces a challenge because of the prohibition contained in the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement). The SCM Agreement prohibits the granting of subsidies that are contingent on export performance or the use of domestic over imported content. While African countries have not faced challenges in the WTO for their use of these subsidies, this may change with the operation of the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) Agreement. This is because the AfCFTA Agreement localises the WTO’s rules on subsidisation. This study critically examines the provisions in the AfCFTA Guidelines on the Implementation of Trade Remedies that regulate the use of export subsidies and subsidies contingent on the use of domestic content. It discusses how the absolute prohibition of these subsidies in the AfCFTA Agreement is not the most effective way to regulate their anti-competitive effects in the African continent. Specifically, this study discusses the role that competition policy might play in ensuring that export subsidies and local content subsidies are regulated in a manner that suits Africa’s context. Ultimately, this study concludes and recommends that the AfCFTA must develop unique rules to regulate subsidies in a way that caters to the needs of the continent. , Thesis (LLM) -- Faculty of Law, Law, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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An analysis of ways in which the South African tax system could be simplified

- Young, Gail Jeni

Authors: Young, Gail Jeni
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: To be added
Language: English
Type: thesis , text , Masters , MCom
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178235 , vital:42923
Description: It has been said that the fundamental paradox of tax simplification is that, despite consensus, almost every year tax rules become more complex. This thesis considers tax simplification measures which have been implemented internationally, in order to provide a basis for an analysis of ways in which the South African tax system could be simplified. A doctrinal methodology is applied, and an analysis is carried out of possible tax simplification measures, based on the commentary of experts in the field of tax law. Simplification measures adopted in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America, Egypt, and certain European countries are discussed, together with their possible adoption in South Africa. Tax simplification has a broad scope. This research identifies four areas in which the South African tax system could simplified: the simplification of tax legislation, addressing the role of accounting in the simplification process, reducing the number of taxes currently levied, and finally addressing the complexities evident in the SARS e-filing system. This thesis illustrates several measures which could be used to address the current areas of complexity. Re-writing tax legislation to assist the understanding of taxpayers is suggested. An increase in the inclusion rate for individuals of capital gains in taxable income from 40% to 60% is suggested, to compensate for the loss of revenue due to the recommended repeal of donations tax and estate duty. Aligning tax legislation with accounting standards is identified as a possible area for simplification, as there are many similarities between the two systems. To address the usability of SARS’ e-filing platform, suggestions are made regarding the further pre-population of returns, introducing e-invoicing and providing a “sandbox” function that taxpayers could use to familiarise themselves with how e-filing works. This research highlights tax simplification as a process that needs to be prioritized in order to achieve the associated benefits. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Accounting, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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