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 , SALHA 14b : NUMSA
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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The prevalence of insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy in Africa: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

- Charles Bitamazire Businge, Benjamin Longo-Mbenza, Andre Pascal Kengne

Authors: Charles Bitamazire Businge , Benjamin Longo-Mbenza , Andre Pascal Kengne
Date: 22-8-2019
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/3387 , vital:43338 , https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-019-1092-7#citeas
Description: Background: Insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy is associated with many adverse pregnancy outcomes. About 90% of African countries are at risk of iodine deficiency due to poor soils and dietary goitrogens. Pregnancy predisposes to insufficient iodine nutrition secondary to increased physiological demand and increased renal loss. Iodine deficiency is re-emerging in countries thought to be replete with pregnant women being the most affected. This review seeks to identify the degree of iodine nutrition in pregnancy on the entire African continent before and after the implementation of national iodization programmes. Methods: A systematic search of published literature will be conducted for observational studies that directly determined the prevalence of insufficient iodine intake among pregnant women in Africa. Electronic databases and grey literature will be searched for baseline data before the implementation of population-based iodine supplementation and for follow-up data up to December 2018. Screening of identified articles and data extraction will be conducted independently by two investigators. Risk of bias and methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed using a risk of bias tool. Appropriate meta-analytic techniques will be used to pool prevalence estimates from studies with similar features, overall and by major characteristics including the region of the study, time period (before and after implementation of iodization programmes), sample size and age. Heterogeneity of the estimates across studies will be quantified and publication bias investigated. This protocol is reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 guidelines. Discussion This review will help ascertain the impact of national iodization programmes on the iodine nutrition status in pregnancy in Africa and advise policy on the necessity for monitoring and mitigating iodine deficiency in pregnancy in Africa. This review is part of a thesis that will be submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, for the award of a PhD in Medicine whose protocol has been granted ethics approval (UCT HREC 135/2018). In addition, the results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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Date Issued: 22-8-2019

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Queer as Africa: Representations of queer lives in selected Nigerian, Kenyan, and South African literature and film

- Wilson, Jon Stephen Edward

Authors: Wilson, Jon Stephen Edward
Date: 2021-10
Subjects: Africans in literature , Africans in motion pictures , Homosexuality in literature , Homosexuality in motion pictures , Sexual minorities in literature , Sexual minorities in motion pictures , African literature -- History and criticism , Motion pictures, African -- History and criticism , Sexual minorities -- South Africa -- Public opinion , Sexual minorities -- Kenya -- Public opinion , Sexual minorities -- Nigeria -- Public opinion , Sexual minorities -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Sexual minorities -- Kenya -- Social conditions , Sexual minorities -- Nigeria -- Social conditions
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187428 , vital:44651
Description: This thesis contests the notion that nonnormative sexualities are ‘un-African’ by examining a range of representations of queer African lives on film and in literature, produced by Africans for Africans, as a means to interrogate the role played by the interconnected histories of colonialism, religion, and the policing of queer intimacy, specifically in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Through a close reading of a selection of texts from these three countries, this thesis takes a cultural-historical approach to exploring the complex struggles engaged in by queer people in Africa to protections under the law, and to represent themselves in literary and cinematic narratives. The first chapter is focused on the Kenyan film Rafiki (2018), directed by Wanuri Kahiu, which tells the story of queer love between two young Kenyan women who face the vehement condemnation of their relationship from their homophobic community. The film was banned in Kenya, but the director was granted a temporary injunction by Kenya’s high court in order for it to be screened in Nairobi. This made Rafiki the first queer film ever to be screened in Kenya, and viable for an Academy Award nomination. The second chapter focuses on the bold assertion of a queer African identity through the short story collections Queer Africa: New and Collected Fiction (2013) and Queer Africa 2: New Stories (2017). Written by various authors from the African continent, and compiled and edited by Karen Martin and Makhosazana Xaba, both collections offer a wide variety of fictional narratives focused on queer experiences in Africa. The second chapter has a focus on stories from Kenyan and Nigerian authors and explores notions of home, queer belonging, and visibility. The third chapter presents a close reading of the South African film Inxeba (2017), also known as The Wound, directed by John Trengove and adapted by Trengove and Thando Mgqolozana from Mgqolozana’s novel, A Man Who Is Not A Man (2009). The film depicts the traditional Xhosa initiation ritual, ulwaluko, and is set in the rural Eastern Cape. Inxeba is an important case study in the history of queer representation in Africa, as the film hit a nerve with many, interrogating what South Africans believe about culture, traditions, masculinity, and the right of artists to represent sacred ritual in art. This thesis pays attention to the historical entanglements between homophobia, imperialism, and Christianity – relationships that continue to affect the experiences of queer people in Africa and attitudes towards them and interrogates why queer individuals are still being left out of efforts towards creating a new normal in postcolonial Africa. This thesis suggests that increased visibility is a key aspect of queer activism in Africa – through the act of representation, sharing lived experiences, and telling queer stories. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-10

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& salt the earth behind you

- Naidoo, Prenesa

Authors: Naidoo, Prenesa
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) -- South Africa , South African fiction (English) -- 21st century , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century , Short stories, South African (English) -- 21st century , Diaries -- Authorship , Korean fiction -- 21st century -- History and criticism , Short stories, Argentine -- 21st century -- History and criticism , Arabic fiction -- Palestine 21st century -- History and criticism , Argentine fiction -- 21st century -- History and criticism
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 behaviour of South Africa’s economy towards inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) from BRICs economies

- Dingela, Siyasanga

Authors: Dingela, Siyasanga
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Investments, Foreign -- South Africa , Investments, Foreign -- Developing countries , South Africa -- Economic conditions , BRIC countries -- Foreign economic relations
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51141 , vital:43212
Description: This study investigated a behaviour of South Africa’s economy towards inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs) economies, during the period 1997 to 2016. The BRICs bloc was coined in 2001 by then chairperson of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O’Neil. According to Goldman Sach (2001), the BRICs group was collectively expected to overtake the major economic powers over the span of a few decades. Their growth is expected to shape a new economic order and replace the currently dominant advanced economies. South Africa joined the BRICs bloc in 2010 as the jeweler of the world and as a gateway to Africa. It joined the BRICs group at the time when economic growth was at a sluggish rate, and the savings and investment were at the lowest rate. The country had a high unemployment rate, high levels of poverty and income inequality. On the other hand, the BRICs economies had limited intra-BRICs flows amongst themselves. It is against this background that this study investigated the long run impact of BRICs FDI inflows on South Africa’s economic growth, and the causality relationship between South Africa’s economic growth and BRICs FDI inflows. This study contributes to the body of knowledge of economics in South Africa and the literature on foreign direct investment and economic growth in South Africa. The study employed two cointegration methods to investigate the behaviour of South Africa’s economy towards inflows of foreign direct investment from BRICs economies. These are fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS). For granger causality, the study employed Stacked and Dumistrescu Hurlin tests. All the models used time series annual data from 1997 to 2016. The Unit root test results confirmed that the variables were stationary at first difference using panel Im, Pesaran, Shin (IPS) and Levin, Lin, Chu (LLC). The research employs four regressions, first, Economic growth and foreign direct investment (i.e. private sector, banking sector and both sectors), human capital, physical capital, household consumption, government expenditure, exports, and arable land; Second, Employment and foreign direct investment, human capital, physical capital, household consumption, government expenditure, exports, and arable land; third, Economic complexity and foreign direct investment, human capital, physical capital, household consumption, government expenditure, exports, and arable land; finally, Unemployment and foreign direct investment, human capital, physical capital, household consumption, government expenditure, exports, and arable land. The cointegration results for private FDI and economic growth, employment, economic complexity, and unemployment. The results show only economic complexity has significant effect on foreign direct investment and other variables show insignificant results. However, this effect is smaller compared to other growth determinants which are included in the regressions. The cointegration results for bank FDI. These results show more similarities with private FDI results and few differences. However, this effect is smaller compared to other growth determinants included in the regressions. These growth determinants, however, show a positive effect of human capital and household consumption on economic growth which is expected. Other interesting results are exports being positively related with economic growth and unemployment but negative with employment and insignificant with economic complexity. Another one is government spending negatively influence economic growth, employment and positively influence unemployment. But insignificant for economic complexity. Total FDI results and other variables. These results are also similar to private and bank FDI results discussed above. Economic complexity shows significant effect with foreign direct investment, yet other variables are insignificant. . Further results show human capital positively related with economic growth, which is expected. However, physical capital and household consumption negatively affects growth. Another one exports show positive influence on economic growth but negatively related with employment. Yet, insignificant with economic complexity and unemployment. Other results government spending shows negative influence with employment but insignificant with economic growth, economic complexity and unemployment. The results for nonlinearity between the variables under review. The results that employment and economic complexity are nonlinear with foreign direct investment and no nonlinearity between unemployment, economic growth and foreign direct investment. For employment, low levels of foreign direct investment (LFDI_private) adversely affects employment but at higher levels (FDI_private_SQ) is insignificant. For economic complexity, low levels of foreign direct investment are insignificant for economic complexity but at higher levels there is a positive effect of squared foreign direct investment on economic complexity. Further results show that economic growth and employment are nonlinear with human capital, physical capital, household consumption and exports. Physical capital and household consumption adversely affect economic growth, yet positively affects employment. Human capital positively affects economic growth, employment, and unemployment. Exports positively affect economic growth, but negatively affect employment. Further results show nonlinearity between employment and government expenditure. Government expenditure adversely affects employment. Also, economic growth and unemployment show nonlinearity with arable land. Arable land adversely affects economic growth but positively affects unemployment. Nonlinear results for economic growth and economic complexity with foreign direct investment but no nonlinearity in other remaining variables. For economic growth, low levels of foreign direct investment there is a positive effect of foreign direct investment on economic growth, however, at higher levels foreign direct investment are insignificant. For economic complexity, low levels of foreign direct investment are insignificant, yet, higher levels of foreign direct investment there is a positive influence of foreign direct investment on economic complexity. Further results show economic growth and employment that are nonlinear with human capital, physical capital, and household consumption. Human capital positively affects both economic growth and employment. Physical capital and household consumption are adversely affecting economic growth, yet positively affects employment. Further results show nonlinearity between economic growth and government expenditure. Government expenditure adversely affects employment. More results, employment, and unemployment show nonlinearity results with exports. Exports adversely affect employment but positively affects unemployment. Results show economic growth and unemployment that are nonlinear with arable land. Arable land adversely affects economic growth, but positively affect unemployment. Nonlinear results for economic complexity only and other variables show no nonlinearity in the regressions. For economic complexity, low levels of foreign direct investment are insignificant, but at higher levels of foreign direct investment there is positive effect of foreign direct investment on economic complexity. More results show economic growth and employment that are nonlinear with human capital, physical capital, household consumption and exports. Human capital and exports positively affect economic growth, employment, and unemployment. Whereas, physical capital and household consumption adversely affects economic growth and unemployment, yet positively affects employment. Further results show nonlinearity between employment and government expenditure. Government spending adversely affects employment. Further results show nonlinearity between economic growth and unemployment with arable land. Arable land positively affects unemployment, yet adversely affects economic growth. The following section discusses granger causality results. This study also employed granger causality tests. The causality results between economic growth, employment, economic complexity, unemployment, and private foreign direct investment. The causality results show that there is granger causality between economic growth and economic complexity with private foreign direct investment. Whereas, between bank foreign direct investment and other variables there is no granger causality. However, between total foreign direct investment and economic growth and employment there is granger causality. There are a number of policy recommendations that can be drawn from the study. The study results in overall revealed that BRICs (private and bank) FDI inflows had a positive impact on South Africa’s economic growth between 1997 and 2016. The study results suggest that the policy makers should focus the attention on lobbying foreign direct investment from BRICs economies, since this study shows positive impact and relationship between South Africa’s economic growth and BRICs FDI inflows. The BRICs economies should focus on enhancing investment partnership, preventing protectionism, and promoting intra-BRICS flows. In addition, South Africa should eliminate barriers affecting business with BRICs countries. Policy makers should promote the building of new companies (for example Greenfield Investment) so that the economy of South Africa could grow and create employment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Economics, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A best practice guideline for the management of the quality of objective structured clinical examinations at a multi-campus public college of nursing

- Nyangeni, Thandolwakhe

Authors: Nyangeni, Thandolwakhe
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Nursing assessment-- Management , Clinical Competence -- Management
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51466 , vital:43281
Description: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a robust method of clinical assessment which, when properly planned and executed, results in a high quality and credible student assessment. However, concerns regarding its uniformity, fairness, objectivity and accuracy have been raised. Concerns regarding the management of the quality of OSCEs at a public College of Nursing in the Eastern Cape were raised by the College’s stakeholders. No best practice guideline had been developed regarding the management of the quality of OSCEs for this College. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a best practice guideline for the management of the quality of OSCEs at a public College of Nursing. The Transformative Pedagogy Theory proposed by Khedkar and Nair was used as a philosophical underpinning for this study. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) model for evidence-based healthcare was used as a theoretical basis for this study. In Phase One, a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used to explore and describe the experiences of nurse educators regarding the management of the quality of OSCEs at a multi-campus public College of Nursing. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from fourteen (n=14) nurse educators. Thereafter, a qualitative document analysis of fifteen (n=15) external moderators’ reports was conducted to explore the information external moderators shared regarding the management of the quality of OSCEs at a multi-campus public College of Nursing. A document analysis checklist designed by the researcher was used to extract the data from external moderators’ reports. Tesch’s method of data analysis was utilised to analyse the data from the interviews while the data analysis process proposed by Dalglish, Khalid and McMahon was used to analyse the data from the external moderator’s reports. In Phase Two, an integrative literature review was conducted to search, select, extract, appraise and synthesise best practices regarding the management of the quality of OSCEs in health sciences education. The adapted integrative literature review steps, as proposed by de Souza, da Silva and de Carvalho, were utilised to guide this phase. Data of a total of thirteen (n=13) articles were extracted and synthesised. In Phase Three, the findings of Phase One and Phase Two were synthesised, as a basis for informing the development of a best practice guideline for the management of the quality of OSCEs. The National Institute for Health and Care (NICE) and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) frameworks were used as a basis for developing the best practice guideline for the management of the quality of OSCEs at a multi-campus public College of Nursing. The draft best practice guideline was reviewed by eight (n=8) expert reviewers who were experienced in conducting OSCE’s and best practice guideline development. Lincoln and Guba’s principles—namely credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability were applied to ensure the trustworthiness of the interview data. Wesley’s criteria- namely triangulation, thick description and audit trail were used to ensure the trustworthiness of the document analysis. The principles as stipulated in the Belmont Report were applied in order to ensure the ethical soundness of this study. Findings of the interviews and the document analysis in Phase One revealed that, while there are measures currently in place to facilitate quality in the management of OSCEs in this College of Nursing, there are gaps such as uncertainty in the assessment practices being used and resource constraints that hinder the overall quality of OSCEs. The participants indicated the need for the development of a best practice guideline for the management of the quality of OSCEs at this College. Findings from the integrative literature review in Phase Two revealed three themes, namely: apply quality measures in the preparation and planning phase of OSCEs; apply quality measures in the implementation phase of OSCEs; and apply quality measures in the evaluation phase of OSCEs. For Phase Three, the developed best practice guideline included three recommendations regarding the quality measures that should be applied in each of the three phases of OSCEs. It is recommended for the developed best practice guideline to be further refined, piloted and implemented to be used by nurse educators and other relevant stakeholders Once implemented, the guideline is expected to enhance the management of the quality of OSCEs at the multi-campus College of Nursing and, ultimately, nursing and patient outcomes through quality nursing education and assessment. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A case study of Jeffrey Dahmer

- Freeman, Chanté F

Authors: Freeman, Chanté F
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Serial murders -- Case studies , Personality development -- Psychological aspects
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51032 , vital:43202
Description: Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer is an infamous serial killer and cannibal. He was described as a normal, but shy little boy, yet developed into an adult who brutally murdered, engaged in necrophiliac acts, dismembered and ate parts of his victims. This study took the form of an intrinsic case study with the aim to explore and describe the personality development of Jeffrey Dahmer. This exploration examined Dahmer’s known childhood experiences through the theoretical perspective of Otto Kernberg’s (1974, 1975, 1976) Object Relations Theory, in order to understand how Dahmer’s personality was formed. Data was collected from multiple resources, including books, authoritative biographies, academic articles, and internet sources available in the public domain. It was analysed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s (2014) three-step process namely, data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. This study’s findings confirmed the formation of pathological behavioural patterns supported by primitive defence mechanisms, associated with Kernberg’s lower level pathologies. It reflected Dahmer’s pathological formation of psychic structures seen in a diffuse identity and impaired formation of the superego, that supported these patterns. Additionally, the research was valuable in enhancing the researcher’s insight into personality development according to Kernberg’s Object Relations Theory. This study may also be beneficial to practising clinicians and professionals as an example of the early identification of personality pathology. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A causal analysis to investigate low production efficiency in the tyre manufacturing industry in South Africa

- Bruinders, Bramwill Bertram

Authors: Bruinders, Bramwill Bertram
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Industrial efficiency , Production management , Lean manufacturing -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/50977 , vital:43177
Description: The evolution of tyre manufacturing in South Africa went back to the early 1930s and matured technologically, becoming automated in the 1960s. The tyre industry in South Africa is worth approximately R30bn per annum and is one of the major supporting industries for domestic vehicle manufacturers. The local industry manufactures only 11 million tyres but can manufacture 18 million tyres per annum. The tyre industry thus plays a crucial role in South Africa’s economic development. Consumers are opting to buy cheaper imported tyres even though tyres are essential purchases. Therefore, the major tyre manufacturers must compete against an estimated 200 importers of various brands, most from China and Japan. The excess local capacity and increasing volume of imports put the local tyre manufacturers under severe pressure to grow their market share, reduce operational cost and achieve economies of scale. The study’s general objective was to conduct a root cause analysis of South African tyre manufacturers’ underlying issues resulting in low production efficiencies. This study used critical manufacturing principles such as traceability, knowledge of lean principles, lean implementation challenges, Total Quality Management, organisational buy-in, waste and rework and maintenance planning that constitute tools of lean practices. These principles provided an opportunity to adopt efficient manufacturing practices in tyre manufacturing companies and help organisations identify improvement areas. A questionnaire was developed and distributed electronically to 93 respondents employed in the tyre manufacturing industry in South Africa. The study addressed product traceability, investigated the quality measures in place, and examined the influence of the workforce’s attitude and morale on productivity, and determined management’s influence on decision-making. The key findings indicated that traceability, lean implementation challenges and organisational buy-in played a significant role in improving production efficiency. Recommendations were made to management to ensure that they lead by example and enhance these key constructs to foster their growth. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business Administration , 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A comparative analysis of the taxation of lease transactions in South Africa, Australia, and Nigeria

- Galada, Khayalethu

Authors: Galada, Khayalethu
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Tax accounting -- South Africa , Tax accounting -- Australia , Tax accounting -- Nigeria , Taxation -- South Africa Taxation -- Australia Taxation -- Nigeria Accounting
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51428 , vital:43274
Description: This treatise compared the tax treatment of lease transactions in South Africa, Australia, and Nigeria from both the lessor and lessee perspective. The analysis revealed that there are similarities and differences in the tax treatment of lease transactions between South Africa, Australia, and Nigeria. In particular, one major difference was that unlike Nigeria, South Africa and Australia have not aligned the income tax treatment of lease transactions with the accounting treatment of lease transactions in terms of IFRS 16. Consequently, the research concludes that certain parts of the tax treatment of lease transactions in South Africa may be deemed to be inadequate as a result of the misalignment between the income tax and accounting treatment of lease transactions and the inconsistency between the income tax and VAT treatment of lease transactions. This research proposes that the South African income tax treatment of lease transactions be revised by aligning the income tax treatment of lease transactions with the accounting treatment of lease transactions for simplicity purposes, and that the inconsistency between the income tax treatment and the value-added tax of lease transactions be eliminated. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Accounting, 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: Mathematics -- Computer-assisted instruction , Geometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Manipulatives (Education) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Information visualization , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Mthatha , GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) , Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS)
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: Minimum wage -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural laborers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Agricultural wages -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural laborers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions , Agricultural laborers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural laws and legislation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Work environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economics -- Sociological aspects , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
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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A framework for an integrated transport system towards improving public transport efficiency in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

- Dlepu, Anele Lunga

Authors: Dlepu, Anele Lunga
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Intelligent transportation systems , Transportation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Transportation -- Planning
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51165 , vital:43214
Description: The main objective of this study was to develop a framework for an Integrated Transport System towards improving public transport efficiency in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The study was conducted against a background of a noticeably disjointed transport system in the BCMM. Among several others, the key attributing factors include rapid urban expansion, urbanization and sharp rise in the volume of traffic. The preliminary chapter of this study presented objectives which sought to address the economic and social costs associated with the disintegrated transport system. This study has been divided into seven chapters, with three of them comprising of literature review. The first chapter gives a background about the South African public transport system, covering transport regulations and legislation including an overview of the public transport system in the BCMM. The second chapter provided an overview of the transport system in South Africa, including the profile and comparison with other countries. In the third chapter, literature on transport integration has been explored, touching on the nodes and corridor development concepts, together with the integrated transit systems. Importantly, the literature analysis section discusses challenges inhibiting transport integration and the effective strategies for improving integration efforts. For the research methodology the interpretivist paradigm has been followed, necessitating the adoption of a qualitative research approach. This research used the qualitative data collection method, together with thematic analysis. Primary Data was collected by means of an unstructured questionnaire distributed to respondents electronically and the views captured in this study were from respondents in the Traffic Department, Traffic Police Department, the Local Municipality and Taxi Associations. The research leads to the findings that there is a need for a review of the urban transport policy, the reconstruction of urban roads and an investment in appropriate transport integration technology. This study also articulates that the urban sprawl in Buffalo City Metro is a serious cause for concern with regard to transport management. It further recommends that there must be a better coordination between the various transport management departments. Finally a recommendation is made that mini-bus taxis be done away with, as means of transport. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business Administration, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A framework for public infrastructure financing in Zimbabwe

- Kapesa, Tonderai

Authors: Kapesa, Tonderai
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Finance, Public -- Accounting -- Standards , Accounting --Standards , Finance -- Zimbabwe , Infrastructure (Economics) -- Zimbabwe -- Finance
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51688 , vital:43363
Description: The Government of Zimbabwe is operating using the mantra: ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’. The notion of opening for business requires robust supporting economic infrastructure for enhanced productivity, in the form of reliable supply of electricity, accessible road/railway transport networks and availability of contemporary Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. The aim of the study was to develop a framework for making financing decisions for public infrastructure in Zimbabwe. The objectives of the study are to: determine the main sources of public infrastructure financing in Zimbabwe; establish innovative finance’s capacity to close the public infrastructure financing gap in Zimbabwe; assess the role played by public-sector accounting in attracting appropriate and efficient mechanisms to finance public infrastructure in Zimbabwe; and ultimately to develop and recommend a framework for selecting suitable and efficient mechanisms to finance public infrastructure in Zimbabwe. According to literature reviewed, public infrastructure is broadly financed by public sector entities using their own resources (internally financed) or through private sector investments and innovative financing instruments (externally financed). When infrastructure is internally financed, the study is theoretically guided by the Public Goods Theory and the Theory of Public Finance and Public Policy. When externally financed, the Risk Return and Pecking Order theories are important. There are many instruments used to finance public infrastructure and one project may be financed using one or more instruments. Therefore, considerations are given to the need for a framework that helps improve the efficiency of the financing decision. The study was designed as a multiple case study that focused on four sectors of economic infrastructure, that is, transport, energy (electricity), ICT as well as water and sanitation. The research used synchronous mixed methods to achieve the objectives of the study. Qualitative research methods addressed the following objectives: a) to determine the main sources of public infrastructure financing in Zimbabwe; b) to establish innovative finance’s capacity to close the public infrastructure financing gap in Zimbabwe; and c) to assess the role played by public-sector accounting in attracting appropriate and efficient mechanisms to finance public infrastructure in Zimbabwe. Whilst to develop and recommend a framework for selecting suitable and efficient mechanisms to finance public infrastructure in Zimbabwe the study combined qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative data was collected through interviews conducted with officials and staff from government ministries, government departments, as well as parastatal enterprises dealing with the four infrastructure types. The same respondents were asked to complete a survey questionnaire used to address part of the objective that developed a framework for public infrastructure financing. Interview data were triangulated using secondary data extracted from reports and financial statements. Some of the secondary data was collected from the World Bank’s development indicators online repository. Qualitative data analysis was done using RQDA, an open-source computer-aided data analysis software. Findings from the study revealed that the main sources of finance for public infrastructure in Zimbabwe are the government through budget appropriations, and concessionary loans from the China Export-Import Bank. There was also finance obtained from multilateral financial institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the African Export-Import Bank. The study revealed that there is currently very limited use of innovative financing instruments such as PPPs in financing public infrastructure in Zimbabwe, despite the country having legislation to support such financing arrangements. The innovations in financing observed in the study entail the use of conventional financing mechanisms in unconventional ways. However, there is scope for improving the financing of public infrastructure using innovative financing mechanisms and significantly mitigate the financing gap. Public sector accountants in Zimbabwe are mainly active in financial reporting, although the financial statements for most ministries, government departments and parastatal enterprises had qualified audit opinions from the Auditor General’s office. Public sector accountants are not active in financial management and cost and management accounting responsibilities. As a result, public sector accountants are not adding value to public money through offering advisory services in the efficient investment of public money, as well as financing public infrastructure assets using the most efficient financing mechanism. There is no uniformly applied framework when making financing decisions for public infrastructure in Zimbabwe. Therefore, a framework was developed and is recommended for use by this study. The developed framework entails eight steps that are interrelated and interconnected. Use of the proposed framework requires availability of data about infrastructure projects that have been done in the past. The study recommends that Zimbabwe should ensure a robust framework for protecting private sector investments, which can be achieved by ensuring policy consistency; creating and implementing a legal framework that protects private capital; and having economically viable infrastructure sectors, that are liberalised to allow private sector participation. The Government of Zimbabwe must take deliberate actions that ensure variety of financing options at the disposal of the public sector to lower costs of financing public infrastructure. It is also important to fully operationalise the legislation and policies designed to facilitate the participation of the private sector in financing public sector projects. Such operationalisation entails a decentralisation of the regulations and policies to the provincial and municipal levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Accounting, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A framework for the successful management of the service suppliers in the public sector in South Africa

- Fudu, Anele George

Authors: Fudu, Anele George
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Management , Business logistics , Government business enterprises -- Management
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51411 , vital:43272
Description: The Public sector outsources the service to the private service suppliers through tendering and the awarding of contracts to the successful service providers. There is a lot of money budgeted and spent on service providers; therefore, there is a great need to manage the service providers successfully, in order to deliver a reliable service to the community; and to reduce the cost thereof. The study focused on the successful management of the service suppliers, in order to deliver contract deliverables. Poor performance of the service providers might well lead to schedule overruns, contract over-expenditure and contract cancellations. Inadequate performance management causes service suppliers not to perform at their optimum level. The study aimed to contribute to the development of the framework for performance management of the service suppliers in the public sector in South Africa. The primary objectives of the study were to investigate and develop a framework for managing and enhancing the performance of the service suppliers in the public sector. More specifically, the study investigated the influence of scope of work, a contract strategy, performance management, risk management and change management. The study sought to formulate a structured and practical approach on how to manage service suppliers to the public sector. The study will seek to understand what influences the success for the win-win approach in the Public Sector and Services Suppliers – so that both parties can see themselves as partners in the delivery of the services. The sample consists of 70 employees across all the public sector in South Africa, which consists of national government, provincial municipalities, district municipalities, local government and State-owned companies. The study targeted those respondents involved in the management of the service suppliers to the public study. The empirical results show that the management of the service providers’ performance in the public sector is critical to the service delivery and the management of the final cost. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business Administration, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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A Functional Data Analysis approach to understand patterns imbedded within various data types

- Mangisa, Siphumlile

Authors: Mangisa, Siphumlile
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , Data mining
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52091 , vital:43426
Description: The thesis investigates the use of the novel Functional Data Analysis (FDA) methods in tackling various data types. Strong motivation is provided for the use of interesting opportunities offered by FDA to analyse not only economic data, but generally, data from any domain. The use of these methods is illustrated using three unique self-contained case-studies from econometrics. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 2021
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