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Skilled and competent officials: An imperative for effective and efficient public procurement management

  • Authors: Hlwempu, Steven Siphosenkosi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Skills development -- South Afica -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46945 , vital:39738
  • Description: The study sought to examine the skills needed by public officials for effective and efficient public procurement management. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is one of the key mechanisms enabling the government to implement policies and strategies, and to realise set objectives. However, there is a series of reported cases of incompetence by South African public sector practitioners when it comes to implementing duties they are designated to do, which have raised many concerns and led to the failure of SCM policies in the public sector. The Eastern Cape provincial government has been seen to be affected by poor procurement, and public procurement officials in the province face challenges such as redundant spending and misinterpretation of contracts and needs. These problems in the Eastern Cape provincial government have been especially highlighted in the Auditor General of South Africa’s reports. The study adopted a qualitative approach, and desktop research was used in a bid to ascertain the competence and skills required by public sector SCM practitioners in the Eastern Cape. Results showed that the logistics and supply chain sector have skills shortages, both in terms of soft and hard skills.Numerous studies have been done around the world to determine the types of skills that are required for successful supply chains. These results showed that there are skill categories that can be valuable in properly determining management effectively and efficiently in any institution. The study, therefore, recommended that the government provide funds for public sector employees to take professional education in the area of SCM. The government can also send its employees to education institutions that offer supply chain course.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Small scale habitat effects on anthropogenic litter material and sources in a coastal lagoon system:

  • Authors: Velez, Nadja , Nicastro, Katy R , McQuaid, Christopher D , Zardi, Gerardi I
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/160489 , vital:40450 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111689
  • Description: Anthropogenic litter is ubiquitous throughout marine ecosystems, but its abundance and distribution are driven by complex interactions of distinct environmental factors and thus can be extremely heterogeneous. Here we compare the extent of anthropogenic litter pollution at a sheltered lagoon habitat and nearby open coast sites. Monthly surveys over a period of five months showed that both the types and sources of litter always differed significantly between lagoon and open coast sites.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Smallholder farmers’ adaptation strategies to mitigate the effect of drought on maize production in O.R Tambo District Municipality

  • Authors: Masinda, Nasiphi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Farms, Small
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Agricultural Economics)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18709 , vital:42726
  • Description: Drought is a normal periodical event that influences the livelihoods of millions of people around the world and it is considered one of the most devastating natural disasters in economic, social and environmental terms. South Africa is considered a semi-arid country vulnerable to water stress, particularly drought. Drought is expected to affect maize production in South Africa in the coming years. Although drought cannot be controlled, producers can adopt adaptation practices to reduce yield loss caused by drought. Maize is a staple crop in South Africa, which makes it the most important grain crop, being both the major feed grain and the staple food of the majority of the South African population. Literature has identified and presented several adaptation strategies that farmers can use however, it has not been conclusively investigated whether vulnerable smallholder farmers affected by drought are able to use or benefit from them. The study examined drought adaptation strategies employed by smallholder farmers and factors affecting adoption and intensity of adoption of drought mitigation strategies. This study determined smallholder farmer’s adoption of adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects of drought on maize production in O.R Tambo district municipality. The study was carried in ORTDM in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A mixed methods approach utilizing qualitative and quantitative data was employed. Both primary and secondary data sources were used for this study. The study gathered data from ORTDM in the Eastern Cape from 200 smallholder maize producers. Primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire and was complemented by secondary data on maize production, yield and area planted sourced from the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, the adaptation strategy index in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and double hurdle model used Statistical package called STATA (version 12. Results from descriptive analysis identified separate livelihood adoptions which were, increase fertilizer, use savings, indigenous knowledge, sell livestock, off-farm income (salary) and reduction of production. The adaptation strategies adopted by maize farmers are mostly shifting planting date, reduction of maize cultivated area and intercropping. The double hurdle model was used to estimate the factors affecting the farmers’ adoption of drought mitigation strategies and factors which were found to be statistically significant were gender of the household head, level of education of the household head, household size, extension services and land ownership. The Adaptation Strategy Index was used in order to establish the relationship between adopting adaptation strategies and maize production. The farmers ranked the adaptation strategies in terms of their useful in adapting with drought and successfully alleviating decline in maize production. Shifting of planting date, reduction of maize cultivated area, planting drought resistant varieties, crop diversification and intercropping were ranked as the most useful respectively. The findings of this study have a number of policy implications since a number of farmers did nothing to adapt to the effects of drought hence supporting smallholder farmers through training on climate change adaption and adapting options is necessary. Training targeting female headed and poor farmers can have significant positive impacts for increasing the implementation of drought adaptation strategies.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Sn (iv) N-confused porphyrins as photosensitizer dyes for photodynamic therapy in the near IR region

  • Authors: Babu, Balaji , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/186648 , vital:44521 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D0DT03296D"
  • Description: The utility of Sn(IV) N-confused porphyrin (SnNCP) for use as photosensitizer dyes in photodynamic therapy is investigated. SnNCP has an unusually high singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.72 in DMSO. IC50 values of 1.6 and 12.8 μM were obtained against MCF-7 cells upon irradiation with 660 and 780 nm LEDs.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social capital reduces vulnerability in rural coastal communities of Solomon Islands

  • Authors: Malherbe, Willem , Sauer, Warwick H H , Aswani, Shankar
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406551 , vital:70284 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105186"
  • Description: Rural island communities are generally regarded as the most vulnerable groups affected by climate change. This perception arises due to them often being in less developed areas with high levels of exposure to stressors, while reportedly lacking the means to cope with these stressors. Studies which use developed-country yardsticks, such as those used in past IPCC-based assessments, when measuring vulnerability in less developed states will however inevitably over-pronounce its effects in such areas. The sustainable livelihoods approach provides an alternate means of determining vulnerability using capital assets such as social capital. The presence of these assets enables communities to pursue diverse livelihood strategies which ultimately serve to reduce their vulnerability. This study seeks to measure attributes of social capital in five marine dependent communities of Solomon Islands. This was done through a questionnaire survey of 110 respondents, which comprised of 15 questions related to social capital. Question scores were equally balanced and also contributed equally to each of the five indicators of social capital identified in the literature-namely community cohesion, gender equity, leadership, decision making, and equal access to services and resources. The results indicated an overall social capital vulnerability score of 0.379, where 0 indicates the lowest possible vulnerability score and 1 the most vulnerable. Community cohesion decreased vulnerability the most within these communities, followed by gender equity, leadership, equal access to services and resources and decision making. Our results indicate a high degree of social capital in Solomon Islands communities, and therefore its importance as an inherent measure for households to cope with both climate and non-climate related stressors. Climate change directed policy should therefore be developed with the aim of preserving social capital as it provides a culturally embedded means of deterring vulnerability, at the risk of more expensive and possibly less pragmatic alternative measures.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social capital reduces vulnerability in rural coastal communities of Solomon Islands:

  • Authors: Malherbe, Willem , Sauer, Warwick H H , Aswani, Shankar
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/150230 , vital:38951 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105186
  • Description: Rural island communities are generally regarded as the most vulnerable groups affected by climate change. This perception arises due to them often being in less developed areas with high levels of exposure to stressors, while reportedly lacking the means to cope with these stressors. Studies which use developed-country yardsticks, such as those used in past IPCC-based assessments, when measuring vulnerability in less developed states will however inevitably over-pronounce its effects in such areas. The sustainable livelihoods approach provides an alternate means of determining vulnerability using capital assets such as social capital. The presence of these assets enables communities to pursue diverse livelihood strategies which ultimately serve to reduce their vulnerability. This study seeks to measure attributes of social capital in five marine dependent communities of Solomon Islands.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social circumstances and cultural beliefs influence maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and child feeding practices in South Africa:

  • Authors: Chakona, Gamuchirai
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148627 , vital:38757 , https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-020-00566-4
  • Description: Maternal and child undernutrition remain prevalent in developing countries with 45 and 11% of child deaths linked to poor nutrition and suboptimal breastfeeding, respectively. This also has adverse effects on child growth and development. The study determined maternal dietary diversity, breastfeeding and, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and identified reasons for such behavior in five rural communities in South Africa, in the context of cultural beliefs and social aspects.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social media and brand image: a longitudinal study of Eastern Cape universities

  • Authors: Mnqeta, Lusanda
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Multivariate analysis -- Graphic methods , Branding (Marketing) -- South Africa , Chernoff faces , Social media -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Marketing , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Marketing -- Case studies
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143959 , vital:38298
  • Description: It is important for Higher Education Institutions to have marketing strategies that focus on understanding the customer needs in the 21st century. The rapid growth of the internet and the Web 2.0 have led individuals and organisations into applying social media as a branding and communication tool. Hence this study focused on comparing the influence of social media on four Eastern Cape universities in relation to social media metrics and visually demonstrated through the computer-generated human face, the Chernoff faces. Using diary and literature study, the study adopted a case study research design. The researcher sampled four universities using a purposeful sampling technique. Chernoff faces were used to enhance the ability of the reader to immediately understand significant occurrences based on social media metric indicators. To demonstrate multivariate data, the faces brought an original method of expressing complex data as opposed to traditional methods. The study found that Brand management and Resource-Based Theory (RBT) plays a pivotal role in social media marketing as this can lead to organisations having a competitive advantage. The study recommended that strategies to utilise social media as a resource should be put in place to lead to competitive advantage, as suggested by the Resource-based theory. The study concluded that various social media factors can influence the brand image of universities, positively (going to buy) and negatively (never going to buy). Both positive and negative purchase intent are found to be an influential indicator on the brand as they are affected by customer satisfaction.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social media and citizen mobilisation in the biometric voter registration (BVR) process in Zimbabwe:

  • Authors: Mwonzora, Gift
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178953 , vital:40104 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2020.1746753
  • Description: Considerable research has, in recent years, focused on the utility of social media platforms in political campaigns in both developed and developing countries, but there has not been significant analysis of social media use in voter registration campaigns. In seeking to address this lacuna in the literature, this article examines the use and efficacy of social media networking sites (SNS), namely Facebook and Twitter, in mobilising, informing and educating citizens to participate in a new system of biometric voter registration implemented in Zimbabwe. The article draws on a qualitative research methodology. The article contends that social media use amplified political knowledge of the Zimbabwean electorate ahead of the 2018 national election as exemplified in the upsurge of voter registrants under the biometric voter registration system.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Social media big data: a diary study of ten pharmaceutical firms

  • Authors: Baker, Nadia Samantha
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Big data , Internet in medicine , Social media in medicine , Internet marketing -- Evaluation , Pharmacy management -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140737 , vital:37914
  • Description: Purpose: The goal of the research was to demonstrate how firms can use social media big data, to make strategic business decisions, through the lens of Resource Based Theory (RBT) and Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), that could lead to a sustained competitive advantage. In and of its own, big data, does not constitute a competitive advantage. It may hold value for the firm, but lacks rarity, inimitability, and is not substitutable (Braganza, et al. 2017; Mata, Fuerst and Barney, 1995; Delmonte, 2003). It is in the analysis of this data, through RBT and DCT, that will turn the information into useful business intelligence (Amit and Schoemaker, 1993; Barney, 1991; 1995; Marr, 2015; Gupta and George, 2016; Kurtmollaiev, et al., 2018). Most importantly, firms must constantly reconfigure their resources in line with the dynamic business environment to ensure superior performance (Teece, Pisano and Shuen, 1997; Helfat, et al., 2007; Teece, 2014; 2018). Method: In this study, a qualitative approach was used to examine the RBT (Value, Rarity, Inimitability and Non-Substitutable - VRIN Framework) and DCT, to describe and understand the relevant theories and to build upon the quantitative results. While a quantitative approach was used to analyse the social media sentiment as depicted by Social Mention metrics. A novel technique, Chernoff Faces, was used to analyse and visualize the data (de Vos, Strydom, Fouche and Delport, 2011). Results and Findings: The research results show that, while the 10 firms in the study all have a presence on social media, it is on selective platforms. The content that is posted, is on very specific topics (Narayan, 2017; Cornejo, 2018). The Chernoff Faces indicate that the firms’ Social Mention metrics, over the 30 day period, was at low values. Since strength of social mention is depicted by the face line, the thin, long, generally sad looking faces implies that more than 70 percent of the firms’ social media strength over the study period, was weak. Conclusion: The literature indicates that the true value of big data and big data analytics can only be realised if firms make sound business decisions and act upon it swiftly.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Socio-ecological, contextual effects in Raven’s Colour Progressive Matrices scores: Developing an index for guiding test selection and interpretation

  • Authors: August, Justin Oswin
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Ecological Systems Theory
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46401 , vital:39563
  • Description: With the changing landscape in South Africa to a full democracy, increased research has been undertaken in the psychometric field on local and national normative studies regarding various assessment measures. Given that the Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM)is purported to be culture-free and not heavily dependent on verbal and language skills;it has been extensively normed throughout the world for various population groups. While norms for normal populations of children have been developed in South Africa, these studies were based on race and gender predominantly and without taking into consideration the effects of socio-ecological factors on test performance. The research study aimed to understand the influence of socio-ecological factors on the expression of cognitive scores amongst a geographically diverse sample of South African learners. Through this study, research on the interplay between context and cognition was to be located within the Ecological Systems model of Bronfenbrenner. A secondary aim of the study was to develop an index that will guide test selection and interpretation of assessment results, taking into account the influence of socio-ecological factors and providing a conceptual framework for future test development. The study employed a quantitative methodology on a South African sample consisting of primary school children aged between the ages of 6 years to 11 years. The sample was drawn from schools in the Port Elizabeth areain South Africa that wereclassified into low, medium and high opportunity, based on context. The results indicated that the type of school had a significant impact on test performance, suggesting that contextual factors were influential in this process.The item analysisconductedfurther indicated that learners from a low opportunity school performed significantly lower than the other two schoolsin the sample. The index development provides a foundation for further research that would enhance the interpretation of test results. In the South African context, this is considered important, given our political history and our diversity wherea“one size fits all” approach is not possible.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Socio-economic Impacts of Solar Energy in Rural Communities’ Livelihoods and the Scale/type of Technology Intervention: Case of Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Bongoza, Sibulele
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Solar energy Renewable energy sources
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Geography)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18610 , vital:42613
  • Description: Energy from renewable sources has attracted significant global interest in recent years due to climate change, pollution, extreme environmental impacts and a marked increase in fuel costs for conventional generation methods, which is coal. This has led to major investment in renewable energy sources. Through the lens of sustainable livelihoods framework, the study aims at establishing the socioeconomic impacts brought by the provision of solar energy systems on rural livelihoods at Ingquza Hill Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study adopts an intensive research design in line with the qualitative approach. Data were collected using questionnaires from the households at Mkhamela village and in-depth interviews with the local councillor and the Chief of Mkhamela village at Ingquza Hill Local Municipality. The use of solar energy systems has been found to improve the rural people’s livelihoods. The rural people’s livelihoods have been transformed in terms of creation of employment opportunities, improved levels of education through powering schools and households as well as improved health conditions.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Solid waste management practices in Joe Slovo township, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

  • Authors: Mngomezulu, Sibongangani Khonelihle
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Refuse and refuse disposal -- Management , Refuse and refuse disposal -- Environmental aspects Refuse and refuse disposal -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46185 , vital:39512
  • Description: Solid waste management practice is one of the essential service deliveries that should exist in all places. The method of handling, storage and processing solid waste at household is key and it plays a significant role in public health, ensuring a safe environment and in the efficiency of municipal solid waste. Previous research has revealed that solid waste management is a global issue and the lack of awareness and involvement of communities is escalating the problem. In addition, studies also disclosed that solid waste produced by inhabitants is recyclable, therefore waste management practice must implement new systems that are sustainable, to improve waste management practices. Hence, addressing solid waste management challenges would have a positive impact on the goals of achieving a health-city concept which promotes sustainable development. The aim of this study was to examine solid waste management practices that hinder sustainable human settlements. The methodology used included an extensive literature review, field observation and a field study conducted in Joe Slovo West Township. A quantitative study approach that is based on a positivism paradigm and a random sampling technique was adopted. The descriptive method of data analysis was employed, and the findings and the interpretations are presented through tables, graphs and images. Analysis of the findings revealed that institutional, fiscal/economic, development, socio-economic and policy matters are the factors holding back existing solid waste management practices in Joe Slovo Township. Key recommendations include that the solid waste management system needs to be improved and that enhancing the ease of waste recycling as an economic activity and as a practice should be pursued and that residents should be educated and encouraged to separate their waste before disposal while an incentive should be provided for this to stimulate community participation.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

South Africa’s mohair value chain: institutional framework, governance and the perceptions of management and labour

  • Authors: Heald, Arisa Oka
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Management -- Employee participation , Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa , Agriculture -- South Africa -- History , Mohair industry -- South Africa , Mohair industry -- South Africa -- Employees
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSci
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164669 , vital:41153
  • Description: The primary objective of this research is to understand the ways in which the (working and living) conditions confronting employers and employees on mohair farms are the complex outcome of their position in the global mohair value chain, the nature of the labour process, and the ‘contours of voice’ (i.e., how and why employees voice). These three bodies of literature represent different levels of analysis: at the broadest level, the political economy of the mohair value chain is explained by drawing on the chain literature. This literature has been supplemented, at the level of the production process, by deploying the concepts of labour process theory (LPT), which focus on the control of work processes by management as well as workers’responses to this control. These responses were analysed by incorporating insights from the burgeoning research on employee voice (EV) in an effort to understand the practical ways in which workers on mohair farms articulate their needs and interests. The cross-collination of these three bodies of literature is, to my knowledge, a novel feature of this research on the mohair industry in South Africa, which, in turn, has itself been woefully under-researched. The research design consisted of a qualitative approach in which I used in-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions as the primary sources of data collection. The secondary source of data was available publications and documents from the agriculture industry and mohair sector. A qualitative approach acknowledges and gives great insight and meaning into the research topic. Twenty participants were interviewed for my research: six from key organisations within the mohair industry, ten farmers, two mohair farm workers and two mohair shearers. The main findings of the research include the following: first, institutions in South Africa’s mohair industry not only determine (in part) the structure of the mohair value chain but also play a vital role in governing the chain. Each institution and actor plays a significant role in adding value to the mohair product that leads to economic upgrading. Second, understanding the actions of farmers (as employers) by drawing on LPT allows me to show how the systemic pressures of capitalist accumulation compel employers to continuously enhance their control over production – and, by extension, over workers – who, in turn, resist and/or accommodate to these impositions by management. Lastly, the research shows that employee voice at the farm level is complex and contested – not surprisingly, given South Africa’s troubled history – yet, it is increasingly exercised by farm workers and accepted by mohair farmers as a necessary and inescapable means of resolving issues that arise in the employment relationship at the workplace and remaining competitive in a global market.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Southern African HIV Clinicians Society guidelines for antiretroviral therapy in adults: 2020 update

  • Authors: David Stead
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/3281 , vital:43293 , https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhivmed.v21i1.1115
  • Description: What is new in the 2020 guidelines update? Key updates ÿ A recommendation for dolutegravir (DTG)-based therapies as the preferred first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) option (section 11). ÿ Updated guidelines for second- and third-line ART regimens (section 13). ÿ New recommendations on the management of patients on DTG-based therapies who have an elevated viral load (section 12). ÿ A lowering of the threshold for virological failure from 1000 copies/mL to 50 copies/mL (section 8). ÿ A recommendation against routine cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) monitoring in patients who are clinically well once the CD4+ count is > 200 cells/μL (section 9). ÿ Updated recommendations for isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients (section 27). ÿ A recommendation for the use of low-dose prednisone as prophylaxis for paradoxical tuberculosis (TB) immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in TB/HIV co-infected patients commencing ART within 1 month of TB therapy (section 26).
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Spatio-temporal variation of the land surface parameters in Temperature, in King Williams Town, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

  • Authors: Willie, Yanga Adrian
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Environmental sciences
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12106 , vital:39152
  • Description: The world is currently experiencing unprecedented urban growth. The influx of people into urban areas from rural areas is motivated by both economic and social factors such as increased employment opportunities. The latter is a result of, in part, industrialization, and the perceived higher standard of living that is often associated with access to better infrastructure. Surface Heat Island (SHI) is a phenomenon whereby urban areas experience higher surface temperatures than the surrounding rural areas. The presence of the SHI in urban areas has a negative impact not only on city dwellers, but also on the environment and the economy. The development of SHI is often associated with patterns of land use and land cover in urban areas. Numerous methods exist that can be used to study SHI’s. Literature suggests that Land Surface Temperature (LST), derived from satellite imagery, is a proven method that produces reliable results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SHI in King Williams Town by studying the relationship between land surface temperatures, land cover and land cover indices. The derived indices are the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built up Index (NDBI). These indices were selected because they are representative of the land cover scheme used in the research study. This study was conducted in the King Williams town area between the years 1995 and 2018 the land surface temperature was derived from Landsat ETM + high thermal band data. The findings from this study provide an idea on the correlation between satellite derived land surface temperature and the land modification which occurred during the urbanization of King Williams Town during a 23 year period between1995 and 2018. The built up land category was the most influential in the development of high land surface temperature levels , vegetation had an opposite effect as a series of data sets illustrated that vegetated areas had a iv cooling effect on the surface. Water bodies in the study area had an insignificant effect on the Surface temperature levels while the grass lands weren’t as cooling as the vegetation but provided a cooling environment in the study area .The spatial distribution of areas of high surface temperature (hot spots) was discovered to be concentrated in the urban areas of the study area which is in the northwest region of the study area and correlates to the land cover and land cover indices associated with built up and artificial surfaces. The cooler areas or patches of land with lower values of land surface temperature were distributed on the outskirts of the study area away from the CBD and residential areas. This was the case because of the high concentration of vegetation and thicker grass lands in those regions.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Species-specific plastic accumulation in the sediment and canopy of coastal vegetated habitats:

  • Authors: Cozzolino, Lorenzo , Nicastro, Katy R , Zardi, Gerardo I , de los Santos, Carmen B
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/149410 , vital:38848 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138018
  • Description: Plastic waste has become ubiquitous in ecosystems worldwide. Few, recent studies report evidence of coastal vegetated habitats acting as sink for plastics, yet assessments have been completed either for macro or microplastics and focussing on just one type of vegetated habitat.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Statutory mergers as contemplated in the Companies Act, 2008: the applicability of the corporate rules contained in section 44 of the Income Tax Act, 1962

  • Authors: Shama, Natalie Anne
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: South Africa. Companies Act, 2008 , South Africa. Income Tax Act, 1962 , Consolidation and merger of corporations -- South Africa , Corporation law -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144767 , vital:38377
  • Description: The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which a statutory merger in terms of the Companies Act, 2008, may be accommodated by the provisions of an amalgamation transaction in terms of section 44 of the Income Tax Act, 1962. The research method adopted is a legal interpretative research approach. South African company law underwent significant reform with the introduction of the Companies Act, 2008. One of the fundamental areas for reform was the need for a mechanism to appropriately accommodate a corporate merger, and thus, what is referred to as a statutory merger was introduced into South African company law. What is notable is that the statutory merger has been crafted to apply across a variety of circumstances that may arise in commerce, thus offering wide versatility. On the other hand, the tax relief afforded in terms of the corporate roll-over provisions in the Income Tax Act is designed to facilitate corporate transactions on a tax neutral basis, whilst balancing the concessions these measures introduce and the potential for tax avoidance. Consequently, the tax relief applicable to an amalgamation transaction will only apply within strictly prescribed parameters. The research shows an ongoing effort by National Treasury to amend the provisions of the amalgamation transaction to better accommodate a statutory merger, but highlights that there are nevertheless certain conflicting purposes (policy) for each piece of legislation. For these reasons, the focus and parameters of a statutory merger and amalgamation transaction do not align perfectly. The key areas of inconsistency identified in this research are threefold, namely (i) the creation of a new company as a consequence of a statutory merger is not accommodated in an amalgamation transaction; (ii) the process of compensating the shareholders of the amalgamated company in an amalgamation transaction is not clearly contemplated in the statutory merger provisions; and (iii) mergers between a company and its shareholder currently present numerous complexities from both a company law and taxation perspective. The research concludes that the flexibility afforded under the statutory merger is largely minimised for parties who wish to simultaneously enjoy the tax relief afforded under an amalgamation transaction.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

STIP1/HOP regulates the actin cytoskeleton through interactions with actin and changes in actin-binding proteins cofilin and profilin:

  • Authors: Beckley, Samantha Joy , Hunter, Morgan C , Kituyi, Sarah N , Wingate, Ianthe , Chakraborty, Abantika , Schwarz, Kelly , Makhubu, Matodzi P , Rousseau, Robert P , Ruck, Duncan K , de la Mare, Jo-Anne , Blatch, Gregory L , Edkins, Adrienne L
  • Date: 2020
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165373 , vital:41238 , https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21093152
  • Description: Cell migration plays a vital role in both health and disease. It is driven by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton, which is regulated by actin-binding proteins cofilin and profilin. Stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) is a well-described co-chaperone of the Hsp90 chaperone system, and our findings identify a potential regulatory role of STIP1 in actin dynamics. We show that STIP1 can be isolated in complex with actin and Hsp90 from HEK293T cells and directly interacts with actin in vitro via the C-terminal TPR2AB-DP2 domain of STIP1, potentially due to a region spanning two putative actin-binding motifs. We found that STIP1 could stimulate the in vitro ATPase activity of actin, suggesting a potential role in the modulation of F-actin formation. Interestingly, while STIP1 depletion in HEK293T cells had no major effect on total actin levels, it led to increased nuclear accumulation of actin, disorganization of F-actin structures, and an increase and decrease in cofilin and profilin levels, respectively. This study suggests that STIP1 regulates the cytoskeleton by interacting with actin, or via regulating the ratio of proteins known to affect actin dynamics.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020

Strategies for rural housing provision in Nkobonkobo Village, Alice, Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Mnqandi, Nomgqibelo Beauty
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Housing, Rural -- South Africa -- Alice Public welfare -- South Africa -- Alice
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MDS
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49692 , vital:41771
  • Description: South Africa’s history, pre- and post-democracy, has been designed by different laws which moulded the socio-economic conditions of rural communities in numerous ways. The introduction of democracy in the country created a platform for understanding different rights for many citizens; amongst those rights a right to shelter, proper sanitation, and clean water. The provision of housing by the three spheres of government, local, provincial, and national aimed at addressing these rights for all citizens of the country, which is a privilege for both urban and rural communities. Even though provision of houses for the rural poor was not the priority in the first administration of the democratic government, as time progressed, discussions and implementation of the policy on housing provision for rural communities became a strong political debate. The intensity on housing provision for rural houses as from 2010 became more resilient. The objectives of this study firstly viewed the botches of the Department of Human Settlement, Water and Sanitation and the Municipality to monitor and evaluate infrastructural challenges faced by rural communities who became beneficiaries of houses under Rural Development Programme (RDP). The issue of poor sanitation and access to clean water by rural poor even in the fourth and fifth administration was also a concern of the study. The socio-economic factors on the provision of houses for rural housing beneficiaries was also a major apprehension, and support services provided by the relevant stakeholders to rural housing beneficiaries was also a point for discussion. It is therefore imperative that the study evaluate and recommend strategies that can be put in place for improving housing provision for the rural poor and create sustainable human settlements. The Eastern Cape Province is one of the provinces that are battling with backlogs related to housing provision, high unemployment rates, low rural household incomes, and low levels of education more especially to older citizens, which can create a higher risk of crime more especially by the youth. This study, therefore, attempted to highlight cases of poor administration, since it its findings the issue of wasteful expenditure of people’s taxes when houses constructed for community beneficiaries are not occupied. The absence of these important amenities in any community, poor sanitation and a lack of water which creates food insecurities, because there is no agricultural practice, even at a subsistence level and health communities are in danger more especially women and children. In such cases, poverty becomes rife, and health-related issues tend to expand. Similarly, economic growth and social development becomes limited. This treatise was concerned with the strategies used in the provision of rural housing in South Africa, the Eastern Cape Province. The findings further identify that the legislation that was supposed to be employed by the Department of Human Settlement in the provision of rural housing was not considered as a priority, hence there were many flaws identified. The policies applied in other countries, internationally, were suggested to be used as a benchmark for improving housing provision strategies in rural Eastern Cape municipalities. Since the study had adopted a descriptive approach, meaning the use of secondary data, the issue of public participation in any designed development project in rural communities should be as an important aspect of rural development, The Batho Pele Principles as key instrumental legislation in the government should be taken into serious consideration always more especially the principle of consultation. Rigorous debates are also required to produce policies that are informed by evidence in order to build and produce a better future.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020
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