Investigation of the NFC technology for mobile payments and the development of a prototype payment application in the context of marginalized rural areas
- Authors: Gurajena, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Mobile commerce -- South Africa Mobile communication systems -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/14071 , vital:39802
- Description: The Internet of Things (IoT) environment involves the interaction of numerous ‘things’. These ‘things’ are embedded with different kinds of technologies such as RFID technology, NFC technology and sensors. This causes IoT to bring into play many security risks apart from the ones that already exist in the current Internet, for example, embedded RFID tags can be easily triggered and send their content which could be private information. IoT also introduces internal attacks such as on-off attack, bad mouthing and white washing attacks into networks that already exist. These internal attacks cannot be solved by hard security mechanisms such as cryptographic algorithms and firewalls because they guarantee total trust. This eliminates uncertainty which should always be available where trust exist. That is, hard security mechanisms enable IoT ‘things’ to either trust another ‘thing’ completely or not and this makes them unsuitable for the IoT environment. When objects in any network are communicating, there is some element of uncertainty. Also, hard security mechanisms such as public key cryptography cause communication overheard in the already resource-constrained IoT devices and these conventional cryptography methods cannot deal with internal attacks. This brings about the need for a middleware that includes functions that will manage trust, privacy and security issues of all data exchange, communications and network connections. For IoT to be successful, the provision of trust, security and privacy measures are essential. Trust management may enhance the adoption and security measures in IoT. Trust helps in identifying trustworthy ‘things’ in the network and give ‘things’ in the network the ability to reason in all aspects concerning trust in the environment. Trust can be administered through a trust management model. This research notes that most of the trust models that have been proposed fail to address scalability challenges and lack suitable computation methods. It is on that premise that this research focuses on developing a suitable trust model for the IoT environment. The research also introduces new ways of creating relationships in IoT. This enables the creation of new cooperation opportunities in the environment. In overall, this research aimed to design and develop a generic trust and authority delegation model for the heterogonous IoT environment that is scalable and generalized to cater for the heterogeneous IoT environment. This research was conducted in three phases. The first phase reviewed literature in order to identify outstanding issues in IoT trust management and also identify the suitable computational method. This provided a critical analysis of different computational methods highlighting their advantages and limitations. In the second phase of the research, the proposed trust model was designed and tested. In the last phase, the feasibility of the proposed model was evaluated. The proposed model is based on fuzzy logic. Fuzzy logic was selected for trust computation because it is able to imitate the process of the human mind through the use of linguistic variables and it can handle uncertainty. The proposed model was tested in a simulated environment. The simulation results showed that the proposed model can identify selfish and malicious entities effectively. The results also showed that the model was able to deal with different types of behaviours of entities. The testing proved that the proposed trust model can support decision making in IoT based on trust. The results from the evaluation show that this research ameliorates the design and development of trust management solutions for the IoT environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A framework for cloud computing adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises : a case of the Accra - Tema metropolis in Ghana
- Authors: Adane, Martin
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- Ghana Small business -- Ghana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13803 , vital:39713
- Description: Cloud computing adoption and usage is important to achieving business competition. This is done by making it a competitive tool for firms. The adoption of cloud computing enables firms to achieve greater business competency, improve performance, and allows them to maintain their competitive advantage. Since its emergence, there has been a surge in the adoption of cloud computing with research into its adoption primarily concentrated on bigger firms. However, a major characteristic of cloud computing is the anticipated possibilities it holds for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs typically operate differently from larger firms and are not limited by resource constraints. For SMEs, the reduction in the financial burden normally associated with the adoption of new technologies is a significant benefit of cloud computing due to their financial constraints. In Ghana, SMEs mostly use obsolete technologies and have a slow response towards new technologies. Thus, they are unable to harness the numerous opportunities technology presents to them to stay competitive. Cloud computing is still regarded as a new technology in the business world, therefore research that focuses on its adoption by SMEs to help them stay competitive is minimal. Available research on cloud computing in Ghana does not provide clear guidelines for ensuring a successful adoption process and the continued use of cloud computing services. This study seeks to investigate how a framework can assist SMEs in their use of cloud computing in the Accra-Tema metropolis of Ghana. A knowledge of the factors associated with adoption decisions and those that significantly influence the decision are required to ensure a successful adoption process. The empirical data was gathered using a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews developed from literature and administered to users and potential users of cloud computing. The questionnaire and interviews primarily investigate key adoption factors and the findings are reported in this research study. The findings reveal interesting insights into understanding issues that affect the overall decision to adopt and use cloud computing services by SMEs. The findings show that the adoption of cloud computing can improve information management practices within SMEs. The findings also reveal that several factors need to be considered in the overall decision to adopt and use cloud computing to ensure a successful adoption process. An initial cloud computing adoption model was proposed based on the empirical findings. Key adoption factors of the initial adoption model include adoption benefits and drivers, concerns and barriers, adoption interventions, and information management in the cloud. computing adoption framework. The proposed adoption framework aims to assist SMEs to adopt and use cloud computing services and make them relevant in the global market.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
An exploration of perceptions, adaptive capacity and food security in the Ngqushwa local municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mazinyo, Sonwabo Perez
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/19043 , vital:40107
- Description: Approximately sixty percent of Africans depend on rainfed agriculture for their livelihoods. South Africa is evidenced to be susceptible to inclement climate which impacts on rural livelihoods as well as on farming systems. While South Africa is considered to be food sufficient, it is estimated that approximately 35percent of the population is vulnerable to food insecurity. Therefore with the application of surveys and interviews this study investigates the factors influencing household, subsistence and small-scale farmer perceptions of vulnerability to climate variability as well as the determinants of adaptive capacity. A sample of 308 households is surveyed and four focus group discussions are administered in Ngqushwa Local Municipality as a case study. Furthermore, the study also focuses on the biophysical changes or factors (scientific analysis of the prevailing climatic regimes–rainfall trends); the interrogation of the impact of food systems on both food prices as well as its implications on food sovereignty. The study also interrogates the relationship between crop yield and rainfall data over a 30-year period. Therefore the study adopts a mixed method approach to ensure triangulation. The study finds that rural communities are able to perceive climate variability and its related changes as well as its negative impact on crop production, food access and availability. The perceived rainfall trends also corroborate this Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient reveals that there is a strong correlation between crop yields and rainfall (r = 0.69). Meteorological analyses also show that the rainfall trend has been significantly variable over 112 years (1900 - 2011) with several dry spells threatening the subsistence and small-scale farmers’ sustainable livelihoods. The food systems pose threats to food safety, food security and historical food sovereignty for the rural community of Ngqushwa Local Municipality. Adaptive capacity is greatly impaired by the lack of co-ordination of adaptation strategies, which communally benefit the majority of the farming respondents in the study area. Therefore vulnerability to climate variability impacts on the ability of the respondents to achieve food security. The study also finds that there is perceived competition between the farmers and wild life for the natural resources. The respondents’ perception is that climate variability and change is responsible for such competition. The study recommends that the national, provincial and local governments must foster a new food production model that is not based on the agro-business model and its attendant technologies but on one that is based on robust agro-ecological farming techniques which enhance adaptive capacity; which foster food safety; which promote food sovereignty; and which reduce vulnerability in a sustainable manner. Given the extent of climate variability in the study area the restoration of the NLM weather station infrastructure can also aid the farmers in taking advantage of a robust early warning system for better estimation of climate trends which enhance crop production.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
An exploration of perceptions, adaptive capacity and food security in the Ngqushwa local municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Mazinyo, Sonwabo Perez , Zhou, Leocadia
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/19032 , vital:40106
- Description: Approximately sixty percent of Africans depend on rainfed agriculture for their livelihoods. South Africa is evidenced to be susceptible to inclement climate which impacts on rural livelihoods as well as on farming systems. While South Africa is considered to be food sufficient, it is estimated that approximately 35% of the population is vulnerable to food insecurity. Therefore with the application of surveys and interviews this study investigates the factors influencing household, subsistence and small-scale farmer perceptions of vulnerability to climate variability as well as the determinants of adaptive capacity. A sample of 308 households is surveyed and four focus group discussions are administered in Ngqushwa Local Municipality as a case study. Furthermore, the study also focuses on the biophysical changes or factors (scientific analysis of the prevailing climatic regimes–rainfall trends); the interrogation of the impact of food systems on both food prices as well as its implications on food sovereignty. The study also interrogates the relationship between crop yield and rainfall data over a 30-year period. Therefore the study adopts a mixed method approach to ensure triangulation. The study finds that rural communities are able to perceive climate variability and its related changes as well as its negative impact on crop production, food access and availability. The perceived rainfall trends also corroborate this Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient reveals that there is a strong correlation between crop yields and rainfall (r = 0.69). Meteorological analyses also show that the rainfall trend has been significantly variable over 112 years (1900 - 2011) with several dry spells threatening the subsistence and small-scale farmers’ sustainable livelihoods. The food systems pose threats to food safety, food security and historical food sovereignty for the rural community of Ngqushwa Local Municipality. Adaptive capacity is greatly impaired by the lack of co-ordination of adaptation strategies, which communally benefit the majority of the farming respondents in the study area. Therefore vulnerability to climate variability impacts on the ability of the respondents to achieve food security. The study also finds that there is perceived competition between the farmers and wild life for the natural resources. The respondents’ perception is that climate variability and change is responsible for such competition. The study recommends that the national, provincial and local governments must foster a new food production model that is not based on the agro-business model and its attendant technologies but on one that is based on robust agro-ecological farming techniques which enhance adaptive capacity; which foster food safety; which promote food sovereignty; and which reduce vulnerability in a sustainable manner. Given the extent of climate variability in the study area the restoration of the NLM weather station infrastructure can also aid the farmers in taking advantage of a robust early warning system for better estimation of climate trends which enhance crop production.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Effect of post-slaughter handling on physico-chemical and microbiological quality of red meat along the distribution chain in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Rani, Zikhona Theodora
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Meat -- Microbiology Meat -- Transportation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Meat -- Quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2490 , vital:27875
- Description: The broad objective of the study was to investigate the effect of post-slaughter handling in the distribution chain on red meat quality and safety. A survey was conducted among 300 consumers and 100 meat handlers in five different municipalities (Buffalo City, Nkonkobe, Ngqushwa, Lukhanje and Amahlathi) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to investigate their perceptions on meat quality and safety, together with challenges faced by meat handlers during the distribution of meat from the abattoir to retailers. The microbiological profile and physico-chemical quality of red meat at different stages of the abattoir to retail outlets in the distribution chain were also determined. Swabs (n=216) and meat samples (n=450) were collected from beef, pork and mutton carcasses during the loading process of carcasses into trucks at the abattoir, when offloading carcasses at the supply points and during marketing. Physico-chemical qualities such as colour (L* - lightness, b* - redness and a* - yellowness) and meat pH measurements were taken at each point. To determine the microbiological profiles of the carcasses, four microbiological parameters were considered: Total bacteria count (general bacteria), coliform count (related to hygiene and indicator for pathogens), Escherichia coli (Gram-negative pathogen) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive pathogen). Two types of packaging (vacuum and overwrapping) were used to determine their effect on shelf-life and microbiological quality of red meat under the normal marketing conditions over a storage duration of 15 days. The results from the study showed low awareness of consumers about the pathogenic diseases which arise from meat. A strong significant association (p ˂ 0.05) between educational status and awareness on meat safety was observed. Most of the consumers perceived that quality goes beyond safety such that 35.6 percent of the respondents indicated that they did not have a problem with consuming spoiled meat, whilst the remaining 64.4 percent indicated that they would r eject spoiled meat. Although retailers indicated that they take meat safety into consideration in their shops, 92 percent of the retailers revealed that they do not perform microbial assessment of meat in their shops. A series of loading and off-loading, temperature fluctuations, environmental temperatures and ques during offloading were reported as the major challenges during transportation of carcasses from the abattoir to the supply points. The microbial counts were significantly (p<0.05) higher in samples from the commercial abattoir than in those from the communal abattoir. Escherichia coli was the predominant microbial contaminant in the samples from both abattoirs. When following the chain, total bacterial count (TBC), coliform count (CC) and the levels of E. coli contamination increased progressively between the loading and the off-loading points (5.1 to 7.9 log10 CFU/cm2; 5.0 to 5.6 log10 CFU/cm2 and 2.7 to 3.7 log10 CFU/cm2, respectively). The storage period, meat type, distance during transportation and temperature were found to have a significant impact on the microbial levels during the distribution of carcasses. Distribution stage had a significant effect (p<0.05) on some of the physico- chemical meat quality attributes and differences in the lightness (L*) and redness (a*) values between the loading, off-loading and display points were observed. Consumers perceived retailer class as one of the factors influencing meat quality, but according to the instrumental measurements retailer class did not have a significant effect on physico-chemical meat quality. However, distance and storage duration significantly (p<0.05) affected (L*) and (a*) values in the meat during distribution chain. Vacuum and overwrapping packaging significantly affected (p<0.05) the shelf life of meat. Therefore, it was concluded that post-slaughter handling during the distribution chain affects the physico- chemical, microbiological and shelf-life of meat.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Effects of natural antioxidants and thermal treatment on quality of meat from Bonsmara and non-descripts cattle
- Authors: Falowo, Andrew Bamidele
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Meat -- Preservation Antioxidants Meat -- Microbiology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2589 , vital:27906
- Description: The broad objective of this study was to determine the effects of natural antioxidants and thermal treatment on quality of meat from Bonsmara and non-descript cattle. A survey was conducted among 222 consumers in Alice (Fort Hare University community), Eastern Cape Province to determine the level of their awareness on application of antioxidants as preservatives in meat and meat products during storage. Representative samples of Muscularis longissimuss thoracis et lumborum and liver were collected from each carcass of Bonsmara (n=40) and non-descript (n=40) cattle reared on natural pasture to determine the effect of natural antioxidants and thermal treatment on their quality. The results from the survey revealed that 51.35 percent of the respondents had not heard about the use of antioxidant as preservatives in meat products. However, among the remaining respondents (48.65 percent) that were aware of antioxidant and its use as preservative, about 19 percent knew of natural antioxidants, 35 percent synthetic antioxidants while 46 percent had knowledge of both. The results further revealed that the majority of the respondents (82 percent) that had knowledge of natural antioxidants were concerned about the use of synthetic antioxidants in meat and meat products due to their health consequences. The in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial analyses of Bidens pilosa and Moringa oleifera leaf extracts revealed that they contain rich bioactive compounds. Furthermore, the addition of leaf extracts from Moringa oleifera (ML, 0.05 and 0.1 percent w/w) and Biden pilosa (BP, 0.05 and 0.1 percent w/w) to ground raw beef as a natural antioxidant were found to improve the physicochemical, oxidative stability and microbiological qualities of meat compared to the control (meat without extract) and BHT treatment (0.02 percent w/w) during 6 days storage at 40 C. Cattle breed did not have much effect on colour parameters. However, the overall pH of ground beef treated with extracts showed lower values than control and BHT treated beef. Also, ground beef samples containing extracts exhibited (P < 0.05) better colour stability, especially higher redness (a* values), than the control. The formation of TBARS in beef samples treated with extracts was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the control and BHT treatment. The antibacterial assay of the extracts revealed an appreciable broad spectrum activity against the tested bacteria and microbial counts in ground beef samples compared to control and BHT group. Ground beef treated with plant extracts exhibited lower microbial and lactic acid bacterial counts (P < 0.05) at day 0 and 3 than control samples. Moreover, it was observed that application of sous vides thermal method did not significantly affect the fatty acids and mineral loss in beef and liver across the treatments. However, the total concentration of MUFA was lower in raw liver (20.11±2.38 - 21.08±1.23 percent) than in beef (40.22±1.90 - 42.53±1.29 percent), while total PUFA content were higher in liver (30.73±2.60 - 31.11±1.19 percent) than in beef samples (10.13±3.36 - 11.02±2.74 percent) (p < 0.05). The results also revealed that liver samples from Bonsmara and non-descript cattle had a higher percentage of intramuscular fat content of 4.67 ± 0.53 percent and 4.44 ± 0.53 percent respectively, and fat free dry matter of 27.51 ± 1.05 percent and 25.73 ± 1.05 percent, respectively, than the beef samples (p < 0.05). The concentrations of Mg (52.80±0.22 - 53.70±0.02mg/100g) and Zn (8.90±0.15 - 19.60±0.15mg/100g) were higher in beef than liver samples. The level of Ca (17.00±0.17 - 17.50 ± 0.17mg/100g) in liver was higher than that of beef samples. It was concluded that most consumers preferred the use of natural antioxidants in meat products than synthetic antioxidants due to their health risk. The effectiveness of M. oleifera and B. pilosa leaf extracts on meat quality also revealed that these plants are promising candidates as natural preservatives and their application should be considered in the meat industry. Lastly, findings from this study showed that application of the sous vide technique could protect meat products from nutritional loss during thermal treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Nutritional value and cultivation requirements of Cleome Gynandra: a wild vegetable growing in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Sowunmi, Linda Ifeanyichukwu
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Ethnobotany -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Vegetables -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Nutrition -- South Africa -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2600 , vital:27907
- Description: South Africa has wide ranges of plants among which are leafy vegetables growing in the wild. These wild vegetables have been reported to have high nutritive and medicinal potentials. Yet, there is still high prevalence of malnutrition and micronutrients deficiencies among the low income bracket of the population. Effective utilization of wild vegetables has been proposed as part of the solutions to address the problem of dietary deficiencies among the populace. Their importance is mainly as relish to accompany and complement starch based diets. They are also known to serve as supplements for food which have the potential to improve the health status of its consumers in many rural communities. Cleome gynandra L. (Capparaceae) is one of the underutilized species mentioned during asurvey conducted in Nkonkobe municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The plant is an erect annual herb with alternate, palmately compound leaves and its petals are white, pink or lilac. It grows as a weed in this part of the Province and is usually gathered from the wild for food and medicine. It is commonly found on wastes land, road sides and on grass lands. Therefore, this research work was designed to contribute to the possible domestication of this wild vegetable in order to explore the nutritive and therapeutic potentials which would broaden the food base in the Eastern Cape Province. The ultra-micromorphological features of plants have become an essential tool in proper identification and authentication of several plant species. In the light of this, the micromorphology of Cleome gynandra was examined to reveal the micro-morphological characters of the plantand to determine if micro and macro mineral elements are present using energy dispersive x-rays. The present study revealed the epidermal cells of the leaves to be asymmetric in shape with undulating cell walls having four subsidiary cells around the stomata. The leaves have anomocyctic stomata which are more distributed in the abaxial surface than the adaxial surface. The mean length and width of the guard cells in the abaxial surface are 0.09 ± 0.01 mm and 0.08 ± 0.01 mm respectively while that of adaxial surface are 0.1± 0.01 mm and 0.07 ± 0.01 mm respectively. The energy dispersive x-rays (EDXS) micro-analysis of the leaf revealed the presence of phosphorus, manganese, iron, calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and zinc as the major constituents of the crystal deposits present in the stomata pores and the mesophyll. C. gynandra was collected from the wild and analysed for its mineral and proximatecomposition using standard analytical methods. The plant showed high levels of sodium, iron, zinc, calcium and potassium while many other macro and micro minerals were moderately present. Amongst the proximate factors investigated, moisture content was found to be 82.1% while crude fibre and protein contents were 39.9 percent and 31.03 percent respectively. Vitamin C was also high (345.3 mg/100g). The anti-nutrients compositions revealed low concentrations of oxalate (7.4 ± 0.4) and phytate (0.6 ± 0.0) mg/100g. The study revealed high nutritive value of the species growing naturally from the wild. Interest in the phenolic compounds has greatly increased recently because these compounds have been implicated in suppressing the risk of degenerative diseases in humans. The pharmacological properties of plants may be related to their antioxidant capacities and hence there was need to investigate the antioxidant potential using aqueous, ethanolic and acetone extracts of different parts of C. gynandra. The quantities of phenols, flavonoids and flavonols were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in both aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaf while the concentration of proanthocyanidins was higher in the aqueous stem extract compared to other plant parts. The aqueous extract of the different parts exhibited better ABTS, reducing power and NO radical scavenging abilities than ethanol extract.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
A critical analysis of the role of strategic communication in strategic planning : a case study of South African universities
- Authors: Hadji, Mutambuli James
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Communication in management Business communication Strategic planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8209 , vital:31978
- Description: The debate on how the communication function can contribute at a strategic level to organisational success is an on-going one because communicators still need to prove their relevance at the top management level. In general, the contribution of communication as a management function in corporate strategy is not known. It is either considered an afterthought or as an element within other functional departments. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to analyse critically the role of communication in strategic planning at the selected South African universities. To achieve this main objective, institutional theory was applied, as it seeks to affirm the role of communication in decision-making with the intention to be legitimised. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior communicators and strategy planners at six universities on how they approach strategic planning in their respective universities. Significant from the findings was the fact that the South African universities follow the same process for strategic planning. Regarding the role of strategic communication, the findings confirmed literature in the sense that communication practice at functional level has been institutionalised but not at the top management level. It was this study’s finding that university reputation and positioning did not prominently feature in the strategic planning processes. Furthermore, this study found that communicators should play a leading in environmental scanning to identify society, industry and commerce with a view to fine-tune the university’s qualification mix. That is, communicators should provide intelligence on changes in the environment which serve as the basis of the development of university strategies. In other words, they should provide vital information to top management to enable them to take informed strategic decisions. Lastly, it was this study’s finding that communicators should conduct evaluation research to assist top management in comparing the set strategic objectives with actual performance. In addition, the communicators should assist top management in determining corrective actions if need be. In view of these findings, this study developed guidelines that will empower communicators to make a more meaningful contribution in the strategic planning process. Given the paucity of research evidence of strategic communication in a university context, the study provides a better understanding of the theory and practice thereof.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Effects of grazing and housing management systems on greenhouse gas emissions, blood profiles and meat quality of Nguni goats
- Authors: Tapiwa, Chikwanda Allen
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Goats Goats -- Feeding and feeds Greenhouse gas mitigation , Grazing -- Environmental aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2314 , vital:27752
- Description: The broad objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of grazing and housing management systems on greenhouse gas emissions, blood profiles and meat quality of Nguni goats. A total of 64 castrated Nguni goats were used and a housing structure was designed to accommodate the goats as well as evaluate effects of type of floor on greenhouse gases, meat quality, blood metabolites and fatty acid profiles. In the first experiment: Forty-eight castrated Nguni goats, at 6-7 months old were used for herding (H) or tethering (T) management systems and randomly allocated to pens with earth (E) or slatted (S) floors. Gas sampling was done using static chambers and analysed using a SRI 8610C gas chromatography machine. The highest CH4 fluxes were from the manure of herded goats on earth floors (HE). The highest CO2 fluxes were from manure of herded goats that were housed on slatted floors (HS): The highest N2O fluxes were from the manure of tethered goats that were sheltered on slatted floors (TS). It was concluded from the first experiment that goat manure is an important source of GHG that is influenced by grazing and floor type management systems. The second experiment was done to evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from disused (DP) vs occupied goat pens (OP) with earth (EF) or slatted (SF) floors. Eight previously occupied pens were used in this study. Sixteen goats were randomly put in the pens labelled occupied pens with earth floors (OPEF) and occupied pens with slatted floors (OPSF) resulting in four goats per OP. There were month by pen use; month by floor type; and use by floor type interaction effects (P < 0.05) on CH4 production. Floor type, use (DP vs OP) and month affected (P < 0.05) CH4 production. Manure on earth floors of occupied pens (OPEF) emitted the highest (P < 0.05) methane followed by earth floors of disused pens (DPEF). The least CH4 was emitted from DPSF. There was pen use (DP vs OP) by floor type interaction effect (P < 0.05) on CO2 emission. Floor type and pen use affected (P < 0.05) CO2 production. Manure in occupied pens with slatted floors (OPSF) produced the highest CO2 and the least CO2 was from disused pens with slatted floors (DPSF). Floor type and month influenced (P < 0.05) N2O production. It was concluded that continued use of goat pens increased GHG emissions. However, disused goat pens with manure remain an important source of GHG as they continued to emit quantifiable levels of CH4, CO2 and N2O. The third experiment was done to determine the effects of grazing and housing management systems on the concentrations of blood metabolites, activity of creatine kinase, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS) and carcass characteristics using 48 castrated Nguni goats. Tethered goats had higher (P<0.05): urea, creatinine, total protein, globulin concentrations and more activity of CK than herded goats. On the other hand, herded goats had higher (P<0.05) plasma glucose (H: 3.39±0.020 vs T: 3.23±0.020 mmol/L), serum albumin (H: 15.30±0.147 vs T: 14.82±0.144 g/L) concentration. It was concluded that serum concentrations of all the metabolites and the activity of CK were sensitive to grazing system. Herding of goats promoted more glucose concentration and preservation of muscle protein and hence superior body weights and BCS than tethered goats. The fourth experiment was done to determine the effects of grazing and housing management systems on the activity of creatine kinase (CK) and cortisol concentration, and chevon quality. Further, the effect of muscle type [Muscularis longissimus thoracis et. Lumborum (LTL) and triceps brachii (TB)] on chevon quality was also investigated. Forty eight castrated Nguni goats aged 6- 7 months were randomly allocated to tethering (n=24) and herding (n=24) treatments. Floor type affected meat (P<0.05) pH24. Tethered goats had higher (P < 0.05) L* and CL percent than herded goats. Muscle type had a significant influence (P < 0.05) on a*, WBSF and pH. It was observed and concluded that T resulted in higher L* and more CL percent whilst SF lowered the pH24 of chevon; at the same time meat from the TB muscle was more tender, despite having a higher pH24 and more CL percent relative to LTH cuts. The fifth experiment was done to determine the effect of grazing and floor type on fatty acid composition of chevon from tethered and herded Nguni goats. Floor type had no effect on fatty acid composition. Oleic, stearic, palmitic and linoleic were the major fatty acids. Chevon from tethered goats had higher (P < 0.05) proportions of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, docosahexaenoic, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and more total SFA, total PUFA, total Omega- 6 and total omega 3 fatty acids than herded goats. On the other hand, chevon from herded goats had more (P < 0.05) C18:1c9, C18:2t9, 12 (n-6), C20:3c11, 14, 17 (n-3) and total MUFA than tethered goats. However, there was no difference (P > 0.05) in the PUFA: SFA and n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratios between the herded and tethered goats. It was concluded that tethering promoted higher proportions of beneficial PUFAs which were more in TB than LTH muscle. The overall conclusions from the whole study were that goat manure is an important source of GHG with high CH4 being emitted from earth floors of herded goats. High CO2 and N2O are emitted from SF of herded and tethered goats, respectively. There were no major differences in meat quality between herded and tethered goats. However, herding promoted more live weight gain than tethering. On the other hand, tethering promoted more beneficial fatty acids. Therefore depending on the objective of the enterprise, smallholder farmers can safely tether or herd their goats. Further, there is need to develop technologies to harness CH4 from goat manure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Electrical power output estimation model for a conical diffuser augmented wind turbine
- Authors: Masukume, Peace-Maker
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Wind power , Wind turbines , Renewable energy sources
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1517 , vital:27404
- Description: Energy is integral to the quality of life of any society. However, meeting the demand for energy sustainably is the main challenge facing humanity. In general, non-renewable energy resources are used to supply the ever increasing energy demand. However, the extraction and processing of these resources is accompanied by the production of wastes which are a health hazard and impact negatively on climate change. Considering the finite nature of non-renewable sources, the environmental concerns which are associated with their usage and ensuring energy security, renewable energy sources have been brought in the energy supply chain. Wind energy is one of the renewable energy sources which has been supplying electrical energy to the ever increasing energy demand of humanity. Wind energy technology is a mature technology which over and above the bare (conventional) wind turbine technology has seen the development of duct augmented wind turbines. Ducts are used to encase wind turbine rotors to augment the power output of wind turbines especially in low wind speed areas. Though the technology has been under study for decades now, research indicates that there is no known model to estimate the power output of a diffuser augmented wind turbine. This thesis presents the development of the conical Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine (DAWT) power output estimation model and its validation.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Evaluation of flocculating potentials and charecterization of bioflocculants produced by three bacterial isolates from Algoa Bay, South Africa
- Authors: Okaiyeto, Kunle
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Flocculation Water -- Purification -- Flocculation Water quality management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2633 , vital:27947
- Description: Flocculation has been widely adopted as one of the most effective methods to remove colloidal particles in water or wastewater treatment. Synthetic flocculants are conventionally used because of their high flocculating efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, they have been reported to have hazardous properties and implicated in some serious health problems including senile dementia and neuro-toxicity, as well as being recalcitrant in the environment. Consequently, efforts are being geared away from the use of synthetic flocculants in water and wastewater treatment. Hence, the need for safe and eco-friendly flocculants has become imperative. Compared with synthetic flocculants, bioflocculants have special advantages such as safety, biodegradability and harmlessness to the environment and humans; attributes which make them potential alternatives in water treatment, downstream as well as fermentation processes. In the current study, the potentials of bacterial isolates recovered from Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for bioflocculant production were investigated. The bacterial isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as belonging to the Bacillus genus. The analysis of 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) nucleotide sequence of isolate M72 showed 99 percent similarity to Bacillus toyonensis strain BCT-7112 and was deposited in the GenBank as Bacillus toyonensis strain AEMREG6 with accession number KP406731. Likewise, the 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences of isolates M69 and M67 showed 98 percent sequence similarity to Bacillus licheniformis strain W7 and Bacillus algicola strain QD43 respectively; and M67 isolate was subsequently deposited in the GenBank as Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 with accession number KF933697.1. The results of the nutritional requirements and fermentation conditions revealed that optimum inoculum size for REG-6 production was 4 percent (v/v), while 5 percent (v/v) and 3 percent (v/v) were most favourable for MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH production respectively. Glucose was the best carbon source for the production of bioflocculants (REG-6 and MBF-UFH) by Bacillus toyonensis AEMREG6 and Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 respectively, while maltose supported optimum bioflocculant (MBF-W7) production by Bacillus specie. Inorganic nitrogen (NH4NO3) was the favoured nitrogen source for both REG-6 and MBF-W7 production, while mixed nitrogen sources [yeast extract + urea + (NH4)2SO4] supported the maximum production of MBF-UFH. The initial medium pH for REG-6 was 5, while MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH were both maximally produced at the initial pH of 6. After a 96 h cultivation period under optimal culture conditions, 3.2 g of purified REG-6 with a maximum flocculating activity of 77 percent was recovered from 1 L fermented broth of Bacillus toyonensis AEMREG6. Yields of 3.8 g and 1.6 g pure bioflocculants with the respective highest flocculating activities of 94.9 percent and 83.2 percent were also obtained from 1 L, 72 h-fermented broths of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus sp. AEMREG7 respectively. Furthermore, all the three bioflocculants (REG-6, MBF-W7 and MBF-UFH), displayed thermal stability within the temperature range of 50 to 100 oC, with strong flocculating activities of over 80 percent against kaolin suspension over a wide range of pH range (3–11) and relatively low dosage requirements of 0.1-03 mg/ml in the presence of divalent cations in the treatment of kaolin clay suspension and Thyme River waters. Chemical composition analyses of the bioflocculants showed them to be glycoproteins with a predominantly polysaccharide backbones as shown by the following carbohydrate/protein (w/w) ratios: 77.8 percent:11.5 percent (REG-6); 73.7 percent:6.2 percent (MBF-W7) and 76 percent:14 percent (MBF-UFH).
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- Date Issued: 2016
Evaluation of the incidence of enteric viruses, Vibrio species and Escherichia coli pathotypes in effluents of two wastewater treatment plants located in Keiskammahoek and Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Adefisoye, Martins Ajibade
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Escherichia coli -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Water -- Purification -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Effluent quality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/3165 , vital:28328
- Description: South Africa is currently experiencing water shortage crisis, a challenge that has been attributed not only to the scarcity of freshwater, but also to fast degrading water quality. Factors such as rapid urbanisation, population and economic growth, climate change as well as poor operational and maintenance of many of the exisiting water/wastewater treatment facilities have been acknowledged as important contributors to degrading water quality in the country. Untreated or inadequately treated discharged wastewater effluents constitute point source pollution to many freshwater environments in South Africa. Hence, it becomes imperative to evaluate wastewater discharges in other to protect the scarce freshwater resource, the environment and public health. Over a twelve-month sampling period (September 2012 to August 2013), we assessed the bacteriological, virological and physicochemical qualities of the discharged final effluents of two wastewater treatment facilities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. For the physicochemical assessment, a total of 144 final effluent samples were collected from both the final effluent tanks (FE) and the discharge points (DP) of the treatment facilities. Physicochemical parameters including pH, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC) and free chlorine concentration were determined on site while biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate (NO3-), nitrite (NO2-), phosphate (PO4-) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were determined in the laboratory. The bacteriological analysis of the samples was done using standard membrane filtration (MF) technique. Bacterial group assessed included: faecal indicator bacteria (faecal coliforms and E. coli) and Vibrio species, while the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of selected E. coli and Vibrio species isolates against some selected antibiotics commonly used in human therapy and veterinary medicine were determind using the standard agar-disc diffusion method. The occurrence and concentrations of human enteric viruses including: human adenovirus (HAdV), hepatitis A virus (HAV) and rotavirus (RoV) in the samples were determined by TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) following concentration by adsorption-elution method. The physicochemical characteristics of the samples ranged as follows: pH (6.5 – 7.6), TDS (95 – 171 mg/L), EC (134 – 267 μS/cm), temperature (12 – 27 °C), turbidity (1.5 – 65.7 mg/L), free chlorine (0.08 – 0.72 mg/L), DO (2.06 – 9.81 mg/L), BOD (0.13 – 9.81 mg/L), NO3- (0 – 21.5 mg/L), NO2- (0 – 0.72 mg/L), PO4- (0 – 18.3 mg/L) and COD (27 – 680 mg/L). Some of the characteristic such as pH, TDS, EC, temperature, nitrite and DO (on most instances) complied with recommended guidelines. Other characteristics, however, including turbidity, BOD, nitrate, phosphate and COD fell short of the recommended guidelines. All the 48 samples analysed for bacteriological qualities tested positive for the presence of the bacterial groups with significant (P≤0.05) seasonal variation in their densities. Faecal coliforms were detected in counts ranging from 1 CFU/100ml to 2.7 × 104 CFU/100ml. Presumptive E. coli counts ranged generally between 1 CFU/100ml – 1.4 × 105 CFU/100ml while counts of presumptive Vibrio species ranged between 4 CFU/100ml – 1.4 × 104 CFU/100ml. Molecular identification of the presumptive isolates by polymerase chain reactions PCR gave positive reaction rates of 76.2 percent (381/500) and 69.8 percent (279/400) for E.coli and Vibrio species respectively. The antibiotic susceptibility profiling of 205 PCR-confirmed Vibiro isolates against 18 commomly used antibiotics showed resistance frequencies ranging from 0.5 percent (imipenem) to 96.1 percent (penicillin G) at recommended breakpoint concentrations. Eighty-one percent (166/205) of the Vibrio isolates showed multidrug resistance (resistance to 3 or more antibiotics) with the most common multiple antibiotic resistance phenotype (MARP) being AP-T-TM-SMX-PG-NI-PB, occurring in 8 isolates.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Exploration of Nahoon beach milieu for lignocellulose degrading bacteria and optimizing fermentation conditions for holocellulase production by selected strains
- Authors: Fatokun, Evelyn
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Lignocellulose Lignocellulose -- Biodegradation Water -- Purification -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1529 , vital:27413
- Description: A significant trend in the modern day industrial biotechnology is the utilization and application of renewable resources, and ecofriendly approach to industrial processes and waste management. As a consequence thereof, the biotechnology of holocellulases: cellulase and xylanase and, enzymatic hydrolysis of renewable and abundant lignocellulosic biomass to energy and value added products are rapidly increasing; hence, cost effective enzyme system is imperative. In that context, exploration of microbiota for strains and enzymes with novel industrial properties is vital for efficient and commercially viable enzyme biotechnology. Consequent on the complex characteristics of high salinity, variable pressure, temperature and nutritional conditions, bacterial strains from the marine environment are equipped with enzyme machinery of industrial importance for adaptation and survival. In this study, bacterial strains were isolated form Nahoon beach and optimized for holocellulase production. Three isolates selected for lignocellulolytic potential were identified by 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequence analysis. Isolate FS1k had 98 percent similarity with Streptomyces albidoflavus strain AIH12, was designated as Streptomyces albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5 and deposited in the GenBank with accession number KU171373. Similarly, isolates CS14b and CS22d with respective percentage similarity of 98 and 99 (percent) with Bacillus cereus strains and Streptomyces sp. strain WMMB251 were named Bacillus cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 and Streptomyces sp. strain SAMRC-UFH6; and were deposited in the GenBank with accession number KX524510 and KU171374 respectively. Optimal pH, temperature and agitation speed for cellulase production by S. albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5, and B. cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 were 6 and 7; 40 and 30 (°C); and 100 and 150 (rpm) respectively; while xylanase production was optimal at pH, temperature and agitation speed of 8 and 7; 40 and 30 (°C); and 150 and 50 (rpm) respectively. Maximum cellulase activity of 0.26 and 0.061(U/mL) by S. albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5 and B. cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 were attained at 60 h respectively, while maximal xylanase activity of 18.54 and 16.6 (U/mL) was produced by S. albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5 and B. cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 at 48 h and 60 h respectively. Furthermore, xylanase production by S. albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5 and B. cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 was maximally induced by wheat straw and xylan respectively, while cellulase production was best induced by mannose and carboxymethyl cellulose respectively. On the other hand, cellulase and xylanase production by Streptomyces sp. strain SAMRC-UFH6 was optimal at pH, temperature and agitation speed of 7 and 8, 40 °C and 100 rpm, respectively. Highest production of cellulase and xylanase was attained at 84 and 60 h with respective activity of 0.065 and 6.34 (U/mL). In addition, cellulase and xylanase production by the strain was best induced by beechwood xylan. Moreover, xylanase produced by Streptomyces sp. strain SAMRC-UFH6 at optimal conditions was characterized by optimal pH and temperature of 8 and 80-90 °C respectively; retaining over 70 percent activity at pH 5-10 after 1 h and 60 percent of initial activity at 90 °C after 90 min of incubation. In all, optimization improved cellulase and xylanase production yields, being 40 and 95.5, 10.89 and 72.17, and 10 and 115- fold increase by S. albidoflavus strain SAMRC-UFH5, B. cereus strain SAMRC-UFH9 and Streptomyces sp. SAMRC-UFH6 respectively. The results of this study suggest that the marine bacterial strains are resource for holocellulase with industrial applications.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Gender equality in the provision and utilisation of women administrative personnel : a comparative study of the Camdeboo Local Municipality and Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality
- Authors: Dywili, Mhlobo Douglas
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Women -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Women's rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Equality -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2414 , vital:27817
- Description: In 2000, cabinet adopted the South African Policy framework for women’s empowerment and gender equality, 2000 (Policy framework) which provided for the establishment of the National Gender Machinery (NGM). The NGM is a network of coordinated structures within and outside government which operate cooperatively in facilitating political, social, economic and other forms of transformation to dismantle systemic gender inequality and promote equality between women and men. The implementation of gender equality policy as a function area has constitutionally been given to the national and provincial legislatures in South Africa. The constitution allocated this function to the local sphere of government. Camdeboo and Inxuba Yethemba local municipal authorities are the facilitators of sustainable gender equality policies to citizens on behalf of the national and provincial spheres of government. The study was thus conducted within the Camdeboo local municipality and Inxuba Yethemba local municipality. Camdeboo locoal municipality is one of nine local municipalities in Sarah Baartman district municipality. Inxuba Yethemba local municipality is in Chris Hani district municipality. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the implementation of gender equality in the Provision and Utilisation of Women administration Personnel a comparative study of the Camdeboo local municipality and the Inxuba Yethemba local municipality and to determine the impact of the existing policy on the gender equality policy on the needs of women of both municipalities. For this purpose the fundamental and overall study problem was found to be that the gender equality at the Camdeboo and Inxuba Yethemba is hampered by the implementation of an inadequate municipality gender equality policy and by incompetent municipal personnel in particular and in general by the municipality itself. These action do not satisfy the main purpose of the Employment Equity Act no 55 of 1998 to achieve in the workplace by promoting equal opportunity and fair treatment in all forms of employment through elimination of unfair discrimination as well as the implementation of affirmative action measures. The hypothesis was furthermore based on the fact that the existing gender policy of Camdeboo local municipality and Inxuba Yethemba local municipality gender equality policy are inadequate to satisfy women and impacts negatively if not harmfully on human being of women. The study revealed that besides the implementation of gender equality policy by these incompetent municipal personnel, there are economic, social, political and physical effects on women. In case of applications for senior management position, preference is always given to their male counterparts at the expense of equally qualified female applications. Secondly, Gender equality in human resource determination forms part of the processing phase in the system theory. These two municipalities should be made to commit themselves by appending their signatures to all control measures put in place to evaluate the level and the extent of gender equality across all the departments/ sections in the municipality. Any section/ department that implements gender equality more effectively should be identified applauded and given recognition. This would motivate and eliminate gender inequality. Personnel provision and utilization is of paramount importance to every organization. It then becomes extremely necessary to examine the gender equality on human resource determination.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Indigenous forests level of deforestation, forest dependency and factors determining willingness to participate in indigenous forest conservation: evidence from resettled farmers of Shamva, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chivheya, Renias V
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Forest conservation -- Zimbabwe Forests and forestry -- Economic aspects -- Zimbabwe Deforestation -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2370 , vital:27786
- Description: This study first explored the rate of forest deforestation in Shamva resettlement areas. It then identified and estimated the extent to which these resettled farmers depend on forest for their livelihoods. Evaluation of farmer perceptions on management issues and willingness to participate in indigenous forest conservation and the socio-economic and institutional factors which affect their willingness to participate were also done. Finally the study sought to identify incentives for forests conservation. The study was conducted in Shamva district in Mashonaland Central province. And the respondents were stratified into three groups: A1, A2 and Old resettlement models. The three models differ on how they were implemented and supported which might render them to have different deforestation rates, livelihood strategies and forest dependency. A total of 247 respondents were surveyed, consisting of 98 A1 farmers, 50 A2 farmers and 99 Old resettled farmers. The data was collected using GIS and remote sensing, structured questionnaire interviews and direct observation. The data was analysed using descriptive analysis, KAP analytic framework and binary logistic regression analysis. The land cover/changes results revealed that both deforestation and afforestation are taking place in Shamva resettlement. Woodland and bushland were decreasing, croplands were also decreasing. However woodland dense and grasslands were increasing. Deforestation was found to be as a result of the resettled farmers’ livelihood strategies which were found to be diverse and agriculture being dominant in all models. All the farmers depended on the forest but at varying levels of 19 percent for Old and 14 percent forA1 and 0.02 percent for A2 resettle farmers. 84 percent of the interviewed farmers however, indicated that they are willing to conserve forest with A1 farmers being the highest followed by A2 86 percent and lastly Old resettled farmers at 76.8 percent. Results of the binary regression model revealed that the significant factors which explain willingness to participate in indigenous forest conservation are age, marital status, education, gender, institution, culture and belief, employment and household size. The highest preferred incentive was the provision of free seedlings and the lowest was out grower scheme. The study recommends that GIS and remote sensing should be used to monitor deforestation, off farm projects be encouraged, exotic and indigenous trees be promoted and forest conservation education be promoted in resettlement areas.
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- Date Issued: 2016
A data governance maturity evaluation model to enhance data management in Eastern Cape government departments
- Authors: Olaitan, Olutoyin
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Electronic government information Data protection Public administration -- Data processing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7989 , vital:31448
- Description: The governance of data assets has become a topical issue in the public sector. Government departments are faced with increasingly complex data and information arising from multiple projects, different departments, divisions and several stakeholders seeking data for divergent end uses. However, an exploratory study of the literature regarding data governance in government departments of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa suggest that there are no clear data governance processes in place within the departments. The research question “How can a data governance maturity evaluation model enhance data governance processes in the Eastern Cape government departments” was derived as a result of a perceived need for government departments of the province to manage their critical data assets in a manner which promotes accurate, verifiable and relevant fiscal and strategic planning. Following the review of current literature in the data governance domain, a conceptual data governance evaluation maturity model was developed and produced. The conceptual model was influenced by the IBM data governance maturity model (2007) and it was aimed at addressing the gaps in the reference model to suit the context of the Eastern Cape government departments and the governance of their data assets. A qualitative phase of empirical data collection was conducted to test the components of the conceptual model. A quantitative instrument, derived from the findings of the qualitative study, as well as the components of the refined model was administered to 50 participants in the same departments where qualitative data was collected, with additional participants being drawn from three other departments. Pragmatism was the guiding philosophy for the research. The Contingency and Institutional theories form the theoretical grounding for the study. Design Science guidelines by Hevner et al (2004), Peffers et al’s (2008) Six Steps in Design Science and Drechsler & Hevner’s (2016) Fourth Cycle of Design Science were employed to construct, improve, validate and evaluate the final artefact. Findings confirmed the literature that data governance is lacking in government departments. It is asserted that the implementation of this model will improve the way data assets are recorded, used, archived and disposed in government departments of the Eastern Cape. The outcome of this research was the development and production of a data governance maturity evaluation model as well as a process document which gives a roadmap of how to move from one maturity level to another.
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- Date Issued: 2017
A framework for enhancing the effectiveness of strategic leadership in the Eastern Cape Education Department
- Authors: Govender, Surendran Perumal
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Educational leadership Strategic planning Education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8598 , vital:33180
- Description: In this study the analysis of the organisational practices in the South African public sector revealed that there is a practical limitation, anchored on the absence of a suitable framework for enhancing the effectiveness of strategic leadership. The research engaged with studies and theories that confirmed that the application of effective strategic leadership enhances the performance of public sector organisations. However, such an analysis revealed no well-defined strategic leadership framework that may be used for improving the successful implementation of programmes in the public sector as a whole and more especially, the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE). The study therefore interpreted that a significant improvement in the performance of the ECDoE may be effected through the prioritisation of strategic leadership and thereby enhancing its effectiveness. Hence, the primary research objective for this study was to examine strategic leadership and to consider the variables impacting the application of strategic leadership in the ECDoE, so that a framework may be formulated to enhance the effectiveness of strategic leadership in the ECDoE. The data analysis, research observations, findings and interpretations as well as the literature review enabled the researcher to determine the strategic leadership framework that may be postulated for application in the ECDoE. The research data in essence supports the indications in the literature that strategic leadership has a positive effect on enhancing organisational performance and success. The key findings and significant conclusions drawn from the study indicated a definite need to enhance the effectiveness of strategic leadership in the ECDoE and that the associated leadership challenges in the sector have to be addressed to enable more efficient and effective service delivery, increase learner performance and improve organisational success. The researcher has therefore postulated the framework in figure 10 to enhance the effectiveness of strategic leadership in ECDoE and presents it for consideration by the political and administrative leadership for adoption in the ECDoE. The development of this strategic leadership framework by the researcher was informed by the various leadership models, leadership theories, leadership styles and change management strategies examined in the literature review of this study and further directed by the research findings and conclusions that illuminated the challenges that confront ECDoE in the application of strategic leadership in the sector. The framework postulated has three distinct but inter-related steps and this study theorises that the effectiveness of strategic leadership is influenced by the extent to which the managers or leaders determine the specific context and apply the appropriate leadership style (Step 1), implement the selected leadership style in conjunction with the application of appropriate accompanying management strategies (Step 2), and monitor the resulting effects on enhancing the performance of the public sector organisations (Step 3). The researcher also adopted a systems-thinking approach and identified four pillars that transcend organisational service delivery and integrated them to constitute a proposed model for enhancing service delivery, improving implementation of plans and promoting organisational success in ECDoE. The model postulated by the researcher is based on “policies, procedures, systems and structures”, as illustrated in figure 11. The pillars of this proposed model for service delivery are inter-related, inter-locking and at times overlapping. Arising from the literature review and the case study of ECDoE, areas for further research have been identified such as: a more in-depth probing of the significance, role and impact of strategic leadership in all public sector institutions in South Africa; an examination of the Senior Management Services (SMS) mandates given by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) with regard to strategic leadership; an exploration of the implementation constraints of the National Development Plan (NDP) linked to the positioning of strategic leadership; and, an examination of the role and impact of the training and development programmes in strategic leadership, co-ordinated by the National School of Government (NSG) in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2017
A strategic framework for managing and implementation of the intergovernmental relations policy in selected Eastern Cape municipalities
- Authors: Shasha, Zamuxolo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Intergovernmental fiscal relations -- South Africa Local government -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8353 , vital:32310
- Description: It is of paramount importance to highlight that the South African government is established in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996. Whilst the government of South Africa is one, it consists of three spheres namely; national, provincial and local. These spheres of government are naturally distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. This is expressed in terms of section 41(1) of the Constitution, which requires that there should be co-operation, mutual trust and good faith amongst these three spheres of government. This form of a relationship compels different spheres to inform and consult one another on matters of common interest, co-ordinate their legislation, and adhere to agreed procedures in accordance with the provisions of the constitution which is the supreme law of the Republic. The study sort to find a strategic framework for managing and implementation of the Intergovernmental Relations Policy in Selected Eastern Cape Municipalities. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify the sample elements. The sample was composed of 160 participants and a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the participants to gather information pertaining the research problem. A mixed research method was used to analyse the data gathered. The sampled respondents were municipal and government employees from various departments who have knowledge of the IGR policy. The study findings pointed out that the current framework on intergovernmental relations was ineffective in the Eastern Cape municipalities that were surveyed. Respondents pointed to a number of shortfalls in the implementation of the intergovernmental relations, which made it ineffective in improving how these municipalities operated and rendered service delivery. A number of factors inhibiting the effectiveness of the intergovernmental relations included lack of communication, poor coordination, lack of clear strategy, poor budgets amongst other factors. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher developed a strategic framework that could be adopted by municipalities in the Eastern Cape. The functionality of this framework would be influenced by the corrective measures taken by the municipalities in addressing the underlying problems of the current intergovernmental relations, as identified by the respondents.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An analysis of teachers' experiences in using English as medium of instruction among grade 4 learners in Maluti district
- Authors: Rabelemane, Tsielo Aron
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching Language and languages -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8221 , vital:32058
- Description: The issue of medium of instruction has been a growing concern for most researchers, especially in contexts where English is used as medium of instruction at the expense of the learner’s mother tongue. In a South African context, the problem is being aggravated by the fact that English becomes a language of learning and teaching in Grade 4 whereas the learners’ medium of instruction in the lower grades has been their mother tongue and therefore did not have a firm grasp of the English language. Subsequently, there is a general outcry in South Africa that the shift from mother tongue to English as language of learning and teaching happens too early. The objectives in this thesis were to examine the experiences faced by Grade 4 teachers in using English as language of learning and teaching; to determine how these experiences impinge on learning and teaching in Grade 4 and to determine whether the teachers’ perceptions of English as the language of learning and teaching impinges on the success of the Grade 4 learners. The theoretical framework of this study is based on bilingualism and multilingualism theories. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the study. The study followed a survey design and both purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used. A sample of 100 teachers from 30 selected schools was chosen. The researcher collected data using individual interviews, questionnaires and observation. The qualitative data was analysed thematically whereas SPSS was used for the quantitative data. The findings of the study revealed that learners lacked confidence in expressing themselves in English in front of their peers and as a result the majority of learners did not participate in class when teachers were teaching in English. The results further showed that learners were passive due to poor understanding of the English language which sometimes resulted in communication breakdown between the teacher and the learner. The researcher recommended that the Government should provide the teachers with workshops that will unpack the strategies of teaching Grade 4 learners in using English as a medium of instruction.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An assessment of the Millennium Development Goal's poverty reduction target in Ogun State, Nigeria
- Authors: Durokifa, Anuoluwapo Abosede
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Millennium Development Goals Economic development projects -- Nigeria Sustainable development -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/4649 , vital:28483
- Description: Nigeria, like many nations of the world, is confronted with a high level of poverty. Over the years the country has taken several initiatives to reduce the incidence of poverty. Nigeria was one of the earliest countries to adopt the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] as a strategy in reducing poverty and promoting development across the vast nation. The federating states have also rolled out a number of poverty reduction programmes tailored along the millennium development goals. This study, therefore, evaluates the achievement of the millennium development poverty reduction target in Ogun State, South west Nigeria. The study seeks to ascertain whether the state was able to significantly reduce poverty with the introduction of the MDGs. The study also attempts to establish difference or similarity (if any) between past poverty reduction policies in the state and the MDGs poverty reduction strategies. In carrying out this study, related literature on poverty, development and poverty reduction efforts (strategies and programmes) implemented in the state were extensively reviewed and relevant information retrieved for the study. This study employed the mixed method research, comprising both the quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data through the administration of a questionnaire was obtained from 232 respondents. While in-depth interview with seven participants provided the qualitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using Descriptive statistics, and chi-square statistical technique was used to analyze the quantitative data while qualitative data analysis was carried out using transcription and thematic clusters. The findings of the study, in general, revealed that the MDG poverty reduction strategy did not make any significant contribution in reducing poverty in the state. The MDG strategy was not any different from past poverty reduction strategies implemented in the state. The findings of the research also strongly indicated that there was low awareness regarding the MDGs poverty reduction strategies set up amongst the citizens of the state. The low awareness emerged as a major hindrance to the success of the MDG programme. Based on the findings of this study, a sustainable development poverty reduction model was developed. The model gives room for programme awareness; people’s consultation and participation. It emphasizes the need to consider the community setting or environment factors in the planning and execution of poverty reduction programme. This model contend that aligning strategies to the peculiar need of each environment is a critical component for the sustenance of any poverty reduction programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017