"It was a brilliant time" : an investigation into the experiences of the founder group of the Directorate of Special Operations
- Authors: Geyer-van Rensburg, Karen Helen
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa. Directorate of Special Operations Crime -- South Africa Crime -- Prevention -- South Africa Criminal Justice, Administration of -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007919
- Description: The President, Thabo Mbeki, established the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) in 1999 shortly after the general elections. The DSO was intended to supplement the efforts of the South African Police Services in combating crime. The unit would concentrate on national priority crimes and police corruption and would report to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). The founder members of the DSO were identified in my research and open-ended interviews were conducted with them. The goal of my research was to understand the founder group's experience of the creation of the organisational culture of the DSO and what that experience meant to them . In particular, I wanted to establish what role the founder members of the DSO believed their values and beliefs played in creating the organisation's culture, and their perception of how those values influenced the leadership, management and organisation processes of the DSO. The public sector environment seldom offers opportunities to create something new and this was a unique experience. The founder members received no personal gain except the satisfaction of creating something that would be there for their descendants, something that would change the face of law enforcement forever and in fact, pioneer the troika methodology for the first time in the world within a permanent structure. The values of the founder members influenced their decision to join and they believed that the DSO would make a difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans. They were dedicated, committed, loyal and passionate. Their leadership inspired the members of the organisation and ensured the success of the DSO, despite the lack of resources, staff and legislation. This was an exciting time in the history of the organisation and many personal sacrifices were made. The founder members are proud of the achievements of the DSO and of having been a part thereof. It certainly was "a brilliant time".
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- Date Issued: 2004
A classroom-based investigation into the potential of the computer spreadsheet as a learning tool within the secondary school mathematics curriculum
- Authors: Funnell, Lynette
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Computer-assisted instruction Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Electronic spreadsheets
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1448 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003329
- Description: The influence of modern technology on education is becoming more noticeable and has implications for the curriculum and the teaching methods of mathematics. The microcomputer can be used effectively as a powerful teaching and learning aid within the mathematics classroom. This study considers the role of the computer as an aid to teachers and pupils in the teaching and learning of mathematics and shows it as having great potential. At present relatively few schools in South Africa are using the computer as a teaching aid in the mathematics classroom. The researcher proposes that some reasons are a shortage of suitable programs, the fact that few teachers have adequate skills in educative uses of the computer and most teachers are not skilled in programming techniques. Based on this assessment of the problem, spreadsheet programs related to some mathematics lessons, together with teaching notes and pupils' material have been developed. Besides describing the potential of the computer in mathematics, this study outlines the development of three spreadsheet packages and suitable teaching methodologies used for each package, and assesses an action research investigation undertaken by the researcher, teachers and pupils when using these spreadsheet packages in six classes. The findings of the investigation are most encouraging. The overall conclusion is that computer spreadsheet packages can assist the teacher in making the learning of mathematics more effective, more interesting and more enjoyable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
A Cost-Efficient Energy Management Model for ICT4D Platforms in Low Resource Communities
- Authors: Mbotoloshi, Dumisani
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Information technology Communication in community development|
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Computer Science )
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/14538 , vital:39999
- Description: A couple of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) researches have been conducted in the rural communities of South Africa (SA). This has encouraged the development of ICT services such as e-government, e-commerce, e-judiciary, e-health, e-agriculture and many others. Proper ICT implementation has led to societal development, economic empowerment and sustainable communities. However, this is achieved after intensive planning and stakeholders‟ involvement. It is clear that ICTs require energy to function. Most significantly is the fact that a bulk of ICTs in low resource communities (LRC) are mainly donations and less consideration if any is made on their energy consumption. LRC are regions with minimum access to energy, clean water, educational facilities, health facilities, government facilities, technology etc. There have been debates on whether in LRC ICTs are consuming energy. Most ICTs have been deployed without much consideration on the required energy consumption. On the other hand, less research has been done on the sustainability of ICTs, especially considering that all ICT devices and related platforms rely on the availability of energy. There are a lot of possible low cost energy solutions that are available, which could be used to support ICTs in LRC. However, there are so many ICT services, devices and platforms that are lying idle and not been fully utilized in such areas due to the energy related issues. In most cases, ICT solutions in LRC are introduced mainly with Computer Science and Information Systems researchers, without including other key stakeholders like energy experts. The research presents a Cost Effecient Energy Management Model that could be used to assist ICT for Development (ICT4D) platforms or projects in LRC. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used within the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) in Eastern Cape (EC) Province of SA. Design Science theory is considered for the designing of the model. The SLL is an ICT project which is undertaken within the Dwesa, Bulembu and Alice rural communities. In this dissertation, Dwesa rural community is the chosen case. The surrounding schools in the communities have been used as the ICT point of contact. Interviews, questionnaires, literature v review, action research, focus group, experiments, formulas and evaluation were the specific methods used to conduct this research. Results show that ICTs deployed in the SLLs are mainly donations which consume much energy. The main source of energy use within the SLLs is electricity. From the three schools that were selected where ICTs have been deployed it was found that the electricity bill has increased enormously. This has caused some schools not to open the computer laboratories, which are supposed to be used by the community members. It was also found that there is no energy management plan or solution in place for the SLL resources. The findings show that ICTs within the SLL are been affected by energy related subjects, though the community has been willing to pay for electricity. The Cost Efficient Energy Management Model is proposed at the end of the dissertation. The model is targeted for ICT service providers and has five (5) main pillars i.e stakeholders‟ engagement, energy and ICT infrastructure, new business models, monitoring and evaluation, and finally awareness and training. The dissertation identified all the ICT resources and services at three selected schools within the SLL and drew up the energy consumption for each school. All schools indicated that there has been an increase in the electricity bill after the introduction of the SLL project. There was a clear indication that no energy expert was involved in the establishment of the SLLs. The dissertation indicates that there is a need for renewable source of energy for ICTs to improve service delivery in LRC. ICT service providers should consider energy subjects when planning for development of such solutions in LRC. This research focuses on designing a low cost ICT energy model to inform on ICTs energy consumption in LRC. It further outlines the possible ICT energy solutions that could be used to benefit targeted communities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A critical analysis of the coverage of Uganda's 2000 referendum by The New Vision and The Monitor newspapers
- Authors: Wakabi, Wairagala
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: National Resistance Movement (Uganda) , New Vision (Uganda) , Monitor (Uganda) , Democracy -- Uganda , Political participation -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Uganda -- Politics and government -- 1979-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3492 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002947 , National Resistance Movement (Uganda) , New Vision (Uganda) , Monitor (Uganda) , Democracy -- Uganda , Political participation -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Uganda -- Politics and government -- 1979-
- Description: On July 29 2000, Uganda held a referendum to decide whether to continue with the ruling Noparty Movement system or to revert to the Multi-party platform. This research entails a qualitative content analysis of the role the media played in driving debate and understanding of the referendum and its role in the country’s democratisation process. The research is informed by Jurgen Habermas’s public sphere paradigm as well as the sociological theory of news production. The research covers Uganda’s two English dailies – The New Vision and The Monitor, examining whether they provided a public sphere accessible to all citizens and devoid of ideological hegemony. It concludes that the newspapers were incapable of providing such a sphere because of the structural nature of Ugandan society and the papers’ own capitalistic backgrounds and ownership interests. The research concludes that such English language newspapers published in a country with a low literacy rate and low income levels, can only provide a public sphere to elite and privileged sections of society. A case is then made that multiple public spheres would be better suited to represent the views of diverse interest groups.
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- Date Issued: 2003
An analysis of the impact of tax changes between 1996 and 2012 on the tax burden of individuals in South Africa
- Authors: Krug, Lee
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:885 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001639
- Description: The objective of the research was to determine whether the changes made to the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962 between 1996 and 2012, in respect of fringe benefits, allowances, deductions, tax tables and rebates, where these changes apply to individuals, have resulted in relieving the tax burden placed on individuals in South Africa. The research was conducted by means of a critical analysis of documentary data with specific reference to the Income Tax Act, annual amendments to the Income Tax Act, statistics relating to tax collections, the National Budget and the Annual Budget Speeches as tabled by the Minister of Finance. These sources were utilised to analyse the amendments to the Act that have taken place over the last sixteen years, where they impact on the tax liability of an individual. A hypothetical example incorporating all the variables identified in the analysis of the tax amendments was used to provide a detailed analysis of the tax payable by an individual on an inflation-adjusted year-on-year basis. The research found that, whilst personal income tax is still the largest contributor to the national budget of South Africa, its contribution has decreased from 40.2 percent in 1996 to 34.3 percent in 2010. This decrease is partly attributable to the extensive tax reforms undertaken by Government with respect to the tax tables, resulting in a reduction in the marginal tax rates and increased tax rebates which had the effect that the individual taxpayer (as illustrated in the hypothetical example) experienced a decrease in the average rate of tax. In contrast to this, the increase in the taxable income of the hypothetical taxpayer exceeded the average rate of inflation over the period. Furthermore, the actual revenue collected by the government from personal income tax has increased by approximately eleven percent per annum, which far exceeds the average inflation rate of 6.23 percent. The research indicated that this could be the result of the increase in the taxable value of fringe benefits, specifically medical aid contributions and company cars, as well as the inclusion of the full amount of allowances in taxable income and the limits placed on the deductions an individual may claim. The result is a broadening of the tax base of the individual taxpayer. Therefore, although the government may have achieved its goal of a fairer tax system, the amendments made to fringe benefits, allowances and deductions have resulted in an increase in the average taxable income of individuals.
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- Date Issued: 2012
An Appraisal of South Africa’s Counter Terrorism Architecture Since 2001
- Authors: Mato, Myalezo
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Terrorism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc. Sci (Political Studies)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16485 , vital:40724
- Description: The main aim of this study is to appraise South Africa’s counter-terrorism architecture since 2001. The period from 2001 is chosen because it marked the beginning of the global war on terror following the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The study employs both primary and secondary sources of data to achieve its objectives. Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations theory is used as a model in studying the possibility of the occurrence of terrorism in South Africa. The study found out that porous borders, lack of public trust in law enforcement agencies, corruption and other factors create fertile grounds for the outbreak of terrorism in South Africa. It also reveals some challenges that are faced by the South African counter-terrorism structures in their quest to combat and prevent terrorist activities in the country. The study recommends amongst others for the creation of a department of Border Management to properly manage the state of porous borders in South Africa as this is one of the main factors that may give rise to terrorism in the country.
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- Date Issued: 2019
An assessment of the role South African Social Security Agency on poverty alleviation and reduction: a case study of the Eastern Cape province
- Authors: Manzi, Siphokazi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Public welfare -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Social security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Social service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Poor -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Admin
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1579 , vital:27480
- Description: Poverty, unemployment and inequality constitute the three main challenges to the attainment of universal socio-economic development within the Republic of South Africa. The government is the Republic of South Africa is grappling to alleviate and eradicate poverty since the dawn of freedom in April 1994. Further, poverty and inequality is historically racially biased due to the segregation which non-whites suffered during the pre-freedom era. The Eastern Cape Province has been regard as the poorest of all the nine provinces in South Africa. The war on poverty in the province has been intensified through the utilisation of social grants as social safety nets under an inclusive social security system. Despite of this poverty alleviation intervention, the prevalence rates of poverty the province remains alarmingly high.
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- Date Issued: 2014
An interrogation of the representation of the San and Tonga ethnic ‘minorities’ in the Zimbabwean state-owned Chronicle, and the privately owned Newsday Southern Edition/Southern Eye newspapers during 2013
- Authors: Mlotshwa, Khanyile Joseph
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: The Chronicle (Zimbabwe) , Newsday Southern Edition/Southern Eye (Zimbabwe) , Mass media and ethnic relations -- Zimbabwe , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and nationalism -- Zimbabwe , Minorities and journalism -- Zimbabwe , Press and politics -- Zimbabwe , San (African people) -- Social conditions , Tonga (Zambezi people) -- Social conditions , Critical discourse analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3549 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018546
- Description: This study critically interrogates representations of the San and Tonga in the Chronicle and the NewsDay Southern Edition/Southern Eye newspapers in 2013. It makes sense of how these representations and the journalistic practices that underwrite them position the ethnic groups as ‘minorities’ - in relation to other ethnic groups - within the discourses of Zimbabwean nationalism. Underpinned by a constructionist approach (Hall, 1997), the study makes sense of the San and Tonga identities otherwise silenced by the “bi-modal” (Ndlovu- Gatsheni, 2012: 536; Masunungure, 2006) Shona/Ndebele approach to Zimbabwean nationalism. In socio-historic terms, the study is located within the re-emergence of ‘ethnicity’ to contest Zimbabwean nationalism(s) during debates for the New Constitution leading to a Referendum in March 2013. The thesis draws on social theories that offer explanatory power in studying media representations, which include postcolonial (Bhabha, 1990, 1994; Spivak, 1995), hegemony (Gramsci, 1971), and discourse (Foucault, 1970, 1972; Laclau and Mouffe, 1985) theories. These theories speak to the ways in which discourses about identity, belonging, citizenship and democracy are constructed in situations in which unequal social power is contested. The thesis links journalism practice with the politics of representation drawing on normative theories of journalism (Christians et al, 2009), the professional ideology of journalism (Tuchman, 1972; Golding and Elliot, 1996; Hall et al., 1996), and the concept of journalists as an ‘interpretive community’ (Zelizer, 1993). These theories allow us to unmask the role of journalism’s social power in representation, and map ways in which the agency of the journalists has to be considered in relation to the structural features of the media industry in particular, and society in general. The study is qualitative and proceeds by way of combining a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (Fairclough, 1992; Richardson, 2007) and ideological analysis (Thompson, 1990) of eight news texts taken from the two newspapers and in-depth interviews with 13 journalists from the two newspapers. This way we account for the media representations journalists produced: sometimes reproducing stereotypes, at other times, resisting them. Journalists not only regard themselves as belonging to the dominant ethnic groups of Shona or Ndebele, but as part of the middle class; they take Zimbabwean nationalism for granted, reproducing it as common-sense through sourcing patterns dominated by elites. This silences the San and Tonga constructing them as a ‘minority’ through a double play of invisibility and hyper visibility, where they either don’t appear in the news texts or are overly stereotyped.
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- Date Issued: 2015
An investigation of the role of physical manipulatives in the teaching and learning of measurement in Grade 8 : a case study using surface area and volume
- Authors: Chiphambo, Shakespear M E K
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Measurement -- Study and teaching -- Research Mathematics -- Education (Secondary) -- Study and teaching Teaching -- Aids and devices -- Research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1657 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003540
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of physical manipulatives in the teaching and learning of measurement in Grade 8. The study focuses on how the use of physical manipulatives promotes learners' mathematical proficiency in relation to the five strands of Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell (2001). The basis of the research is a case study in the interpretive paradigm involving 18 out of a cohort of 270 Grade 8 learners in the school where I teach. The data was collected using a range of methods including: (i) baseline assessment tasks, first piloted using 7 Grade 8 learners and then given to the target group; (ii) an intervention programme with intervention tasks; (iii) a post-intervention task; (iv) observations during the intervention; and (v) individual interviews. The results of the baseline assessment and the post-intervention tasks were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. My research findings indicate an overall improvement of the performance after learners engaged in using physical manipulatives. The average mark of the learners in the baseline assessment task was 23% and after the intervention programme the average mark was 31 %. The responses from the learners interviewed showed that they were motivated and that the use of physical manipulatives assisted them in understanding the concepts of measurement, in particular surface area and volume. The results of my study thus reveal that the use of physical manipulatives in teaching and learning mathematics has a positive role to play in learners' understanding of surface area and volume at the Grade 8 level. The fmdings of this case study support other research regarding the importance of using physical manipulatives in teaching and learning mathematics. They align with other findings that assert that manipulatives are essential mediating tools in the development of the conceptual and procedural understanding of mathematical concepts, clarifying and helping learners to visualize abstract mathematical concepts.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Assessing factors influencing professional nurses' attrition in South Africa : a case study of private hospitals in Johannesburg
- Authors: Mbobo, Angelina Pretty
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Intensive care nursing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Public Health Leadership
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11181 , vital:37200
- Description: South Africa faces an immense shortage of healthcare professionals, especially trained and experienced critical care nurses. This thesis assesses factors influencing professional nurses ‘attrition in two selected private hospitals. This results in an HR risk; loss of skills, task shifting and the use of less skilled nurses, and not limited to the high workloads in intensive care units together with the job dissatisfaction consequently. To confirm this, a case study making use of a qualitative approach, follows the definition of a social constructivism framework. The study assessed 40 trained and experienced critical care nurses in focus groups of 5, with which a stratified purposive sampling technique was used and the focus group interviews were 90 minutes Seven structured interviews were undertaken, (using a narrative summary) with hospital operational managers working directly with the critical care nurses. Audio-recorded data were analysed by thematic content analysis using Creswell’s steps content analysis method. Multiple reasons, as given by nurses, to discontinue their services in private hospitals emerged. These were: Heavy workloads, shortage of trained staff, medico-legal risks; lack of supervision, support and teamwork, physical and emotional exhaustion, fatigue, stress and burnout, differential salary scales, non-competitive retirement packages role ambiguity, inadequate equipment, unresolved conflict with colleagues or management, personal financial crisis, lack of recognition and Lack of career development or promotion. These factors make use of themes, which include issues related to line management, administration, subjective and uncertainty of roles. Operational managers confirmed such reasons for the discontinuation of services offered by critical care nurses in private hospitals. Management views to the attrition of critical care nurses were that: (a) The staffing crisis was a serious matter of concern, (b) the use of less skilled staff resulted in negative effects on patient care and (c) the low number of critical care nursing staff negatively affected organisational goals.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Assessment of national small and medium scale policy as a driver of local economic development : a case study of Ife Central Local government, Nigeria
- Authors: Adefemi, Adebayo Oluwaseun
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Economic policy Economic development -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M.Admin
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12711 , vital:39301
- Description: This study, assessment of national small and medium scale policy as a driver of local economic development: a case study of Ife Central Local Government, Nigeria, was undertaken to find out if the National SME policy in Nigeria has performed its critical role of driving the local economic and if not, why, and also to identify measures to solve the problems that are hindering the implementation of the National SMEs policy. This study will therefore investigate the contributions of the Small and Medium Enterprises sub-sector of the Nigerian economy, its problems and prospects and also examine the National SME policy and the importance of the policy. The objective of this study is to explore the implementation of National SME policy as a driver of local economic development, analyse the challenges that are associated with implementing the National SME policy in Ife Central Local Government and make recommendations regarding the implementation of SME policy in Nigeria. A total of 5 MP’s were randomly selected from a cross section of 7 MP’s that represent Ife Central Local Government. Interviews was used to determine how the National SME policy is been implemented in there constituency and if they are facing any challenges as to the implementing the policy and how are they solving the problems that are associated with the policy. The major findings of this study include the following: the National SME policy is an important policy which if well implemented would help the development of SMEs and also have great impact on the local economic development. Among the problems associated with the policy according to the MP’s are financial problems, illiteracy level of people in their constituency, Land segmentation problem, marketing problems. This study therefore recommended that government should strengthen financial laws that mandates financial institutions to give low interest rate loans to SMEs with little or no collateral. The government should accelerated development and upgrade of rural roads and rail network and other infrastructural facilities and review taxies in favour of local manufacturers especially the SMEs.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Bayesian logistic regression models for credit scoring
- Authors: Webster, Gregg
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Bayesian statistical decision theory Credit scoring systems Regression analysis Logistic regression analysis Monte Carlo method Markov processes Financial institutions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:5574 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005538
- Description: The Bayesian approach to logistic regression modelling for credit scoring is useful when there are data quantity issues. Data quantity issues might occur when a bank is opening in a new location or there is change in the scoring procedure. Making use of prior information (available from the coefficients estimated on other data sets, or expert knowledge about the coefficients) a Bayesian approach is proposed to improve the credit scoring models. To achieve this, a data set is split into two sets, “old” data and “new” data. Priors are obtained from a model fitted on the “old” data. This model is assumed to be a scoring model used by a financial institution in the current location. The financial institution is then assumed to expand into a new economic location where there is limited data. The priors from the model on the “old” data are then combined in a Bayesian model with the “new” data to obtain a model which represents all the available information. The predictive performance of this Bayesian model is compared to a model which does not make use of any prior information. It is found that the use of relevant prior information improves the predictive performance when the size of the “new” data is small. As the size of the “new” data increases, the importance of including prior information decreases
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- Date Issued: 2011
Challenges of post-apartheid state-owned company pension fund reform: a case study of the controversy around the Transnet-Transport Pension Fund
- Authors: Goqoza, Noluyolo Juliet
- Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/54766 , vital:26610
- Description: This thesis examines the restructuring of the pension funds of Transnet, a South African state-owned company involved in transportation, from the 1990s. Two of its main pension funds, the Transport-Transnet Pension sub-Fund (TTPF) and the Transnet Second Defined Benefit Fund (TSDBF), have been surrounded by controversy, with major court actions brought by aggrieved pensioners in 2006-2012 and again from 2013, and smaller cases in 1997-1999 and 2004. (There were also a number of smaller cases, mostly unsuccessful, but the thesis will not examine them). The case that started in 2013 is the biggest class action in the country‟s history, and makes claims of serious mismanagement and bad faith against the Transnet management. But the fundamental grievance is that (according to the 2013 legal case) “more than 80% of pensioners earn less than R4 000.00 a month… 62 % earn less than R2 500.00… 45% of the pensioners earn less than the state‟s ordinary old-age pension” grant for the poor. Although that case is ongoing, this thesis examines the background and controversies that frame the case. It provides an overview of the history and development of the South African pensions system and South African state-owned companies; it examines how these have been shaped by the apartheid and post-apartheid periods, and by the rise of neo-liberalism; it examines the evolution of Transnet and its pensions systems, from the early days of the South African Railways and Harbours Administration (SAR&H, formed 1910), to its restructuring into the South African Transport Services (SATS) in 1982, and then into Transnet in 1990. The thesis shows that the operations of the TTPF and TSDBF, which are closed to new members, have had serious effects on pensioners that rely upon them. Pensions are very low (the main reason for the various court cases), and this is for a range of reasons. Annual increases in pensions are formally set at below-inflation levels, leading to falling real incomes. More pressure on pensioners‟ livelihoods has arisen from Transnet‟s cuts to other benefits, like the medical aid Transmed, provided to pensioners. While the schemes are solvent, the pensions generally started at a low base, partly because most pensioners were relatively poorly paid workers before retirement (and the pensions were linked to former salaries). There is also a racial dimension: while most white workers at SAR&H/ SATS and Transnet were poorly paid, black, Coloured and Indian workers were paid even worse, and, further, were only brought into the pension schemes late. Both TTPF and TSDBF are defined benefit funds, which means members are guaranteed specific benefits at retirement, with the employer obligated to inject funds to meet shortfalls where needed. Yet neither the state nor Transnet has been willing to take actions to lift the basic pensions, such as investments into the funds, or to make systematic ex gratia payments to bring the pensions to a reasonable level, to remove historic racial inequalities between pensioners, to increase medical aid co-payments or coverage or to otherwise address the pensioners‟ situation. It does not seem that the reason for the problems is that the two funds have been severely mismanaged or asset-stripped, as alleged in the 2013 class action: it must be noted that both funds report surpluses. But the surpluses are possible because the pensions are low and falling in real terms, and the numbers of pensioners declining due to deaths. It seems clear that Transnet is unable or unwilling to act to decisively improve the situation of the pensioners: ensuring a surplus on existing pension funds is a major goal. This is partly because Transnet itself has ongoing financial problems, and partly because it operates in the context of neo-liberal restructuring, like corporatisation, commercialisation and privatisation, which places limits on the additional funding of the funds. At the same time, the pensioners have very little real, as opposed to a nominal, say in the administration of the pension schemes, limiting their ability to affect the rules and administration or raise issues. The thesis seeks to use historical institutionalism, which sees policies and major institutions, including state-owned companies, as shaped by power and conflict, especially between classes. This is used to try and explain changing state policies and the changing role and actions of state-owned companies, as a way of understanding Transnet‟s actions, as well as its treatment of its pensioners.
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- Date Issued: 2015
Comparing the perfomance of 3 to 6 year old children on the performance and practical reasoning subscales of the Griffiths mental development scales: extended revised with the foundations of learning subscale of the Griffiths III
- Authors: Kolver, Christél
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Child psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13293 , vital:27172
- Description: The developmental assessment of children is very important so that adequate resources and intervention programmes can be initiated. Updating psychometric assessments is mandatory for different reasons, which include to update norms and to add new psychometric information. It is important for psychometric assessments that measure child development to ensure that they continue to accurately reflect stages of development in a modern context. The Association for Research in Infant and Child Development (ARICD) is currently in the process of revising the Griffiths Scales. One of the many unique changes includes the newly formed Foundations of Learning Subscale. This Subscale was constructed from definition, sub-constructs and items, which encompassed the critical sub-constructs from the previous Performance and Practical Reasoning Subscales, while providing greater depth to the overarching construct. This study therefore, forms part of a larger study of developing the Griffiths III and aims to compare the performance of three to six-year-old children on these three Subscales. The study employed a mixed method approach, which included 259 children matched on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales – Extended Revised and the Griffith III. The quantitative aspect of the research included descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests as well as pearson correlations. Differences and similarities were found from the results. The relationships varied from high correlation, strong relationships to low correlation, definite but small relationships. This was further explored through a qualitative analysis between the constructs assessed on each of the Subscales, as well as a qualitative analysis on the items of Subscale A, brought from Subscale E and F and the new items.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Diversity and ecological role of true crabs (crustacea, brachyura) in the St Lucia Estuary, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, in response to global change
- Authors: Peer, Nasreen
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Crustacea -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal Crustacea -- South Africa -- Saint Lucia, Lake , Global environmental change
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45558 , vital:38669
- Description: This work has explored novel concepts of crab vulnerability, recovery and resilience under unprecedented climatic changes in South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. By showing how large salinity shifts and prolonged interruption of the marine connection can drastically affect brachyuran diversity and community structure in St. Lucia Lake, the potential cascading effects on ecosystem functioning were estimated. Only 15 crab species were recorded within the system during this study, compared to the 26 species that were known to occur prior to the recent environmental shift (i.e. 58% decline). The impact of this biodiversity collapse has negatively affected the associated mangrove ecosystem in particular, with the entire community of fiddler crabs persisting only in a small area near the estuary mouth. Gut fluorescence measurements have shown that, due to a lack of tidal Influence, their grazing impact on microphytobenthic biomass may become unsustainable. However, although adults are able to survive in this environment, the larvae require a marine connection; and they are thus unable to tolerate the wide fluctuations in salinity currently prevailing in the system. The study concludes that brachyurans are key factors to consider during conservation planning, as they are crucial to maintaining ecosystem function in the face of environmental change. This research is of global relevance, as many similar estuarine and coastal lakes around the world are currently experiencing similar state shifts. All six chapters included in the thesis have already been published in the peer-reviewed literature; and the project results have also earned Nasreen the NRF award of Next-Generation Researcher of the Year for 2015.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Evaluation of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality communication strategies in reducing the risk of water-borne diseases outbreak
- Authors: Animawun, Oluwatosin Tolulope
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Communication in public health Communicable diseases -- Prevention Waterborne infection -- Prevention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSoc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10531 , vital:35595
- Description: Health Communication plays an important role in health sustenance. It is cardinal to disease prevention, health promotion and quality of life. Water-borne diseases are known to pose a significant threat to global health and has claimed many lives. This study seeks to evaluate Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s communication strategies employed in reducing the risk of water-borne diseases outbreak in the community. The research method used for this study is mixed method. In-depth interview and questionnaire was used to collect data. The two sampling procedures that were used in this study are purposive sampling for the qualitative aspect of this study and simple random sampling for the quantitative aspect of this study. The conclusion that was drawn from this study is that Raymond Mhlaba (formerly Nkonkobe) Local Municipality makes use of a communication strategy, which is awareness campaign, in educating its people about water-borne diseases and its prevention but the information is limited in its reach. This study recommends that the awareness campaign done by Raymond Mhlaba (formerly Nkonkobe) Local Municipality should be embarked on more frequently because the more the messages are reinforced for a long time, the more the people in the community are able to remember and the greater the likelihood that they will act upon the message. In addition, Raymond Mhlaba (formerly Nkonkobe) Local Municipality should carry out evaluations like this research at least quarterly in order to assess the impact of the awareness campaigns on the Community, which can also be used as a tool to educate the people of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality about Water-borne diseases. Finally, social media is a new trend that most people are now into, most especially the youths; Raymond Mhlaba (formerly Nkonkobe) Local Municipality should key into this and educate the public on platforms on social media as it can be seen as a form of reinforcing health information.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Examining the position of black South African accents in English in Drama Departments within institutions in the Western Cape Province: a case study
- Authors: Seekoe, Leanetse Thato
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: English language
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16397 , vital:40716
- Description: This dissertation examines the treatment and perceptions of black South African accents in English in the drama departments of specific institutions of higher learning in the Western Cape Province. The researcher is concerned with the handling of African native cultural identities in the curriculum policy of Drama Departments in higher education institutions in the Western Cape Province. Although the focus of the research is on the institutions that are based in the Western Cape Province, the subjects that are being discussed are representatives of black people in South Africa as a whole. To portray the issue of accents appropriately, the examination does often refer to language as a relatable concept. In the literature of this dissertation, there is ample support for the claim that language differences and disagreements in South Africa are due to the historical and socio-political stance of the European native. After examining the topic of power and social control, the study points out that the native is rarely in control of the interests of the European descendent. Thus, the relationship between the two is immediately assumed before it has even been established. For the purpose of this discussion, ambiguity is appreciated when intimacy between cultures evolves for the greater good. However, it is disregarded when individual voices are diluted into neutral or standard representations of a language. And so the act of reducing black South African accents in English to mirror that of the Euro-American culture robs the natives of their individuality and imprisons them into cultural assimilation. Ultimately, this study intends to identify different groups of black South Africans who speak English with accents. For clarity has divided into two separate groups namely privileged and unprivileged. Accents that are appreciated by white South African English speakers are considered to be privileged, while accents that carry the undertones of any mother-tongue language are recognised in this research study as unprivileged. The study wishes to present this phenomenon as a social issue that will negatively affect the growth of indigenous participation in performance spaces in the Western Cape which the study assumes as the context for the research. The implication of the study is to potentially eliminate issues of inferiority to those black South African accents that have been regarded as less valuable to dramatic performances in the Western Cape, to the extent that platforms of dramatic performances will broaden in order for black South African accents to be prioritised with relevant usage
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- Date Issued: 2019
Grade 10 life science teachers' understanding and development of critical thinking skills in selected schools in Namibia
- Authors: Avia, Ndiyakuphi
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Education -- Namibia Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia Critical thinking -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia Education -- Curricula -- Namibia Educational change -- Namibia Teachers -- Training of -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1550 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003432
- Description: The educational reform policy in Namibia adopted the principles and practice of learner-centred education, a policy based on constructivist epistemology. This approach emphasises that learners are constructors of knowledge and that they must discover information and construct their own learning. Constructivist techniques require the use of critical thinking through learners’ active involvement in the learning process. The aim is for learners to use critical thinking to identify problems, ask questions, reason, examine and solve problems in real situations and make sound decisions. This approach provides learners with activities and experiences that stimulate them to learn to think for themselves and to ask questions. Therefore, teachers need to design activities that require learners to think critically and act independently through mastering these various modes of inquiry. The purpose of this study was to explore how the selected Grade 10 Life Science teachers understand and implement critical thinking in their teaching practice. I conducted the study in two secondary schools from the Omusati region in Namibia using a case study to gain insight into the implementation of critical thinking. Three data collection instruments: interviews, document analysis and class observations were used. The reason for conducting this study was to gain a better understanding of how teachers use various strategies to foster critical thinking skills in Life Science and the challenges they experience in teaching in secondary schools. The results of the study revealed that teachers have a theoretical understanding of what critical thinking implies and the role it plays in learning. They are also aware of the strategies used to develop critical thinking skills. However, these theoretical perspectives do not reflect in their teaching in that some of the strategies that the teachers used did not bring about meaningful learning. Learners are still required to recall factual knowledge, thus active involvement of the learners is limited. The study also revealed that there are specific issues that hamper the implementation of critical thinking, which include superficial understanding of learner-centered education, teacher-tell approach, overcrowded curriculum, inexplicit syllabus, lack of good examples from the textbooks and examinations, too short lesson periods, lack of language proficiency and lack of professional development. The findings indicate that despite the theoretical understanding of the teachers in this study, their actual practice of developing critical thinking skills is problematic. The study concludes that teachers should be encouraged to design better-structured activities in order to involve learners beyond just being listeners. In light of these findings, the study recognizes a need for ongoing in-service professional development to support teachers in modelling critical thinking to their learners and to teach them to think critically. The findings of the study will serve to inform both my and my colleague’s professional practice as advisory teachers with regard to what to focus on when advising and supporting the teachers in schools.
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- Date Issued: 2009
In search of the culture of links : the use of myth and ritual in the work of Peter Brook
- Authors: Du Plessis, Tanya Lenore
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Brook, Peter -- Criticism and interpretation , Myth in literature , Mahābhārata -- Adaptations , Ritual in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2136 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002368 , Brook, Peter -- Criticism and interpretation , Myth in literature , Mahābhārata -- Adaptations , Ritual in literature
- Description: This thesis examines the use of elements of myth and ritual in the work of Peter Brook, focusing primarily on The Mahabharata ( 1986 ). The argument proposes that Brook uses myth and ritual as an integral part of his search for the culture of links .. This thesis examines the precise functioning of myth and ritual in Brook's theatre, and places his work in relation to the concepts of interculturalism and postmodernism. In so doing, The Mahabharata is seen as a valid and important step in Brook's search for the culture of links. Chapter One formulates broad-based concepts of myth and ritual, and examines their function in society and culture, as well as their role in theatre. Chapter Two offers a brief discussion of the use of elements of myth and ritual in Brook's productions, beginning with King Lear (1962), and ending with 0rghast (1971). The discussion illustrates the multiple functions which myth and ritual serve in Brook's work. Chapter Three examines the trend of interculturalism, placing Brook's work within this franlework. Attention is given to the moral and political issues implicit in interculturalism. The chapter highlights the need for intercultural theatre to be evaluated in terms of artistic criteria, rather than on anthropological or political grounds. Finally, there is a discussion of the work of other intercultural theatre practitioners. Chapter Four examines Brook's Mahabharata. A detailed discussion of the authenticity and visual presentation of Brook's interpretation shows how Brook mediates between the Indian epic and a Western audience An examination of the critical response offers insights into the dangers of insensitive cross-cultural contact.. Chapter Five offers a critical summary of the argument. Brook's search for the culture of links has led him to use elements of myths and rituals of non-Western cultures. In so doing, Brook seeks to bring their living quality to his work, and to forge links between the peoples and cultures of the world.
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- Date Issued: 1998
Investigating the popularity of the main news bulletin on Muvi TV, a Zambian television station: a reception study of Lusaka viewers
- Authors: Mbatha, Loisa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Television broadcasting of news -- Research -- Zambia Broadcast journalism -- Research -- Zambia Television programs -- Research -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3463 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002918
- Description: The "tabloid TV" genre, like tabloid newspapers has been chastised for depoliticising the public by causing cynicism, and lowering the standards of rational public discourse. Such criticisms are not always based on a close interrogation of the reasons for the popularity of such a genre amongst its consumers. The "tabloid TV" news genre is a relatively new phenomenon in Zambia and in the African context in general. This study is an investigation of the rise in popularity of the Zambian television station, Muvi TV. It is a reception study of Lusaka (capital city) viewers, particularly the working class community, who make up the majority of the TV stations' audience. Members of this social group who have hitherto been marginalised from mainstream media discourses were interviewed. In particular, the study explores the meanings obtained from the content of Muvi TVs' tabloidised main evening news and its relevance to their everyday lived experiences. The TV station gives prominence to "micro-politics of everyday life", alongside "serious" stories albeit in a more lurid, sensationalised and personalised manner. In undertaking this investigation, the study draws primarily on qualitative in-depth interviews - focus group and individual. These techniques unearth the manner in which the viewers decode the messages and appropriate the meanings into their lived experiences. The study establishes that the popularity of Muvi TV is due to the emphasis on human-interest stories epitomised by tabloid journalism values. The working class majority is able to relate and identify with these stories, and attaches greater believability to the station's news as compared to the public broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). As such, Muvi TV can be seen to fulfil a political function despite its sensationalised approach.
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- Date Issued: 2011