AJOL - African Journals Online
Not a member yet
221688 research outputs found
Sort by
Towards transforming a system : Re-thinking incarceration for youth (and beyond)
Get PDFRethinking crime and punishment, especially with regard to youth,1 is a priority for South Africa; a country with high crime rates, recidivism and an overburdened criminal justice system. The present punitive and retributive system often only exacerbates many underlying causes of crime and violence, especially in young people. The failure of the existing system suggests that the time is right for a paradigm shift in society’s response to crime and punishment. A challenge to implementing any alternative justice model is to ensure that it does not continue to prop up the under-resourced, overburdened and dysfunctional criminal justice system it seeks to reform. The current systemic crisis demands radical reform, not merely adopting a few well-meaning tweaks to a broken system. This article argues that the system and its various forms (including residential options but with an emphasis on community-owned interventions) need to be both trauma-informed and infused with an ethos of restorative justice. We articulate our explanations with youth as the focus and make proposals in light of this and suggest a path towards implementation
Combatting violence against African foreign nationals : A criminological approach towards community safety in the KwaZulu- Natal province of South Africa
Get PDFSouth Africa has seen waves of collective xenophobic violence and daily criminal attacks targeting foreign migrants. This study interviewed foreign nationals from African countries living in Durban. Through the lens of strain theory, it explores possible solutions to combat violence against foreign nationals in South Africa. The findings suggest the need to address poverty, socioeconomic integration, community participation, and skills. This will reduce strain and build social cohesion. The government should also revise the Immigration Act to accommodate foreign nationals who legally find themselves within its borders. This revision should take into consideration the suffering of foreigners and reduce any restrictive measures that limit their socioeconomic integration
Impact of educational intervention on knowledge and awareness of TB among secondary school students in The Gambia
Get PDFObjectives: Health education and awareness campaigns about tuberculosis (TB) can empower adolescents on different aspects of the disease and its management, resulting in early and appropriate care seeking behavior through their advocacy in the community. We assessed the impact of educational intervention on knowledge and awareness about TB among adolescents in the greater Banjul area of The Gambia where approximately 70% of national TB cases are notified.Materials and Methods: A school-based, interventional analytical study, and interactive educational workshop was conducted among grade 12 students of the Methodist Academy Secondary School in Bakau, Banjul The Gambia. The workshop activities included illustrative demonstrations using posters, flipcharts, infographics, and games to convey TB messages in six domains: (1) Basic knowledge; (2) symptoms; (3) risk factors (4) modes of transmission; (5) treatment; and (6) care and support. Structured questionnaires were used to assess changes in the student’s knowledge and awareness about TB in the six domains before and after the workshop. Data were analyzed using proportional percentages, mean (95% CI) and differences standard error (SE) and student paired t-test.Results: Ninety-six students participated in the workshop out of which 92 (96%) students completed both pre- and post-test questionnaires. Sixty-eight percent of the students were females and 58% were from the science stream of the grade 12 students who participated in our workshop. The mean difference and SE between the pre- and post-workshop test scores in the six domains were: basic knowledge: +1.4 (0.2; P < 0.0001); symptoms: +1.5 (0.2; P < 0.0001); risk factors: +3.1 (0.3; P < 0.0001); modes of transmission: +1.2 (0.2; P < 0.0001); treatment: +0.8 (0.1; P < 0.0001); and care and support of TB: +0.5 (0.1; P = 0.0001).Conclusion: This school-based educational interactive workshop significantly improved the knowledge and awareness of the students especially in understanding the causative agent and risk factors of TB disease. We recommend exposure of students to TB educational activities as part of the school curriculum. The knowledge acquired in this workshop is likely to have impact on the wider community and should be assessed in future follow-up studies to determine if it impacts positively on views held within the wider community
Society and its Reproduction: The Case of Wasukuma of Tanzaania
Get PDFThis paper discusses economic activities and their influence on the growth and development of human society in Usukuma. The specific objectives focused on firstly the significance of economic activities on the reproduction of human society from its evolution to the current stage. The paper dwelt on the transformation of the Sukuma society in the manner it has been evolving and the nature of economic activities it evolved. The other specific objective was to show how diverse economic activities developed by Wasukuma contributed to the growth and development of the society of Wasukuma. The paper concludes that economic activities are the product of human evolution in the struggle to tame the environment for sustainable growth and development. The paper applied the theory of social transformation to inform this study by situating the Sukuma society in the context of historical process from pre colonialism through colonialism to post colonialism. It is revealed that during pre-colonial period the Sukuma evolved economic activities depending on the demands of the society, technological adaptation and what nature had in stock. Colonial superstructure transformed the Sukuma economic activities to the production of cash crops and minerals as demanded by colonial industries. Post colonial political system created dependency system whereby it inherited colonial economic activities. The main argument of this paper is that economic activities are invented by human beings who want to extract from nature the material life necessary for their existence and reproduction. The paper employed historical exploration utilizing qualitative approach and both primary and secondary historical sources for data collection. Data were collected by interviews, oral and generational histories, archives and documentary review from libraries
Sexually Transmitted Diseases among the Women of Northern Tanzania and the Government Initiatives to Control the Diseases in Colonial and Post-Colonial Tanzania From The 1890s to 2000s
Get PDFThis paper explores the trends in prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Disease among the Women of Northern Tanzania and the Government Initiatives to control the diseases in Colonial and Post colonial Tanzania from the 1890s to 2000s. Specifically, the paper focuses on the forces that shaped the spread of STDs, the discourses on their socio-economic impact; and the government initiatives to control the diseases. Rather than focusing on STDS on the general population as it has been the case with many other studies, this paper examines the history of STDs among the women in northern Tanzania. It is argued that the spread, impacts and responses to the disease were determined by global context, government and culture. On understanding the cultural and biological aspects of STDs the paper draws the combination of political economy and social constructionism theories. The paper has established that the prevalence of STDs can be traced specifically during the early contact of African community with the external world, the sailors and the merchants, that its spread was driven by different factors; and that the diseases enlisted varied initiatives from both government and society at large. To support the aforementioned findings, this paper used secondary sources namely historical and medical books, journal articles, theses and electronic materials. This study is significant as it adds to a body of historical knowledge on how STDs affected women and the initiatives the community, colonial and post-colonial Tanzania governments took to control such diseases
Effect of thinning on growth and allometry of Eucalyptus diversicolor
No full textKarri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) forest is an endemic forest type of southwest Western Australia (SWWA), noted for having the tallest trees in the region, and providing commercial, ecological and conservation value. To inform management aimed at optimising these values, a thinning trial was commenced in 1992. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of thinning on individual tree growth, stand level growth and allometry of karri trees in even-aged stands. Mixed effect models were used to compare the effect of different levels of thinning on individual tree growth and stand level growth of karri. We developed allometric equations modelling the relationship between diameter at breast height (DBH) and height, and tested whether thinning affected this allometric relationship. Thinning enhanced DBH, height and crown width (CW) growth of individual trees by up to 149%, 56% and 108% respectively in heavily thinned stands, with stand basal area growth optimised at retained basal areas of 13 m2 ha−1. Thinning had a significant effect on allometry of DBH with height, height-DBH ratio (HDR) and CW. Reduction in stand density through thinning from below increased diameter growth of individual trees. Stand level basal area growth is optimised at an intermediate level of thinning. Thinning can be a good management tool for even-aged karri forest because it may promote the diameter and thereby basal area growth, good health of individual trees, and potential ecological benefits including accelerated development of larger tree crowns typical of mature forest
Use of remote sensing to determine rainwater harvesting sites for piped micro-irrigation schemes in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe
Get PDFThe eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, particularly Chimanimani District, are endowed with natural water bodies such as springs, pools, wetlands, puddles and river systems, which are potential sources of water for irrigated farming. Despite this, water challenges continue to exist due to rainfall seasonality and lack of suitable water harvesting sites. This calls for solutions to harness water in long-lasting sources to support the piped micro-irrigation schemes. These schemes are pillars in agricultural interventions such as horticulture, livestock farming, fish farming and beekeeping. This study therefore, determined potential rainwater harvesting (RWH) sites in Chimanimani District using geospatial techniques. Water pixels from Landsat 8 images were extracted using the normalised difference moisture index (NDMI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Potential RWH sites were classified into land-based zones, wetlands and natural water bodies. Findings show that land-based zones cover 27.53%, wetlands cover 24.65% and water bodies cover 6.11% of the district. The study also indicates that integrating geographic information systems with remote-sensing tools is a useful approach in identifying RWH sites. Thus, this study provided a spatially explicit approach and presents a suitability map for RWH in Chimanimani District
Facilitating skills transfer: a collaborative writing centre intervention for undergraduate Law students
Get PDFDespite the ability to write being central to success in the legal profession, there is general consensus concerning the poor writing skills of law graduates. In an attempt to address these concerns, this paper reports on the joint effort of subject experts and writing centre practitioners to address law students’ legal writing skills early on in their law degree. The objective of the study was to evaluate the potential impact of a blended, subject-specific writing intervention designed to address first-year Law students’ academic essay writing skills in terms of structure, organisation and argumentation. A multistage evaluation design was adopted to measure the potential impact of the intervention by collecting qualitative and quantitative data at various stages to triangulate the findings of the study.The results showed a statistically significant improvement in the submissions of students who engaged fully in the various stages of the writing intervention. This study contributes to research that shows that by embedding writing development initiatives in disciplines which form part of disciplinary course assessment, higher education institutions might begin to make headway in meeting their obligation to ensure that students possess the key graduate attributes that are required to make a contribution to the workplace
Prevalence of COVID-19 at the Wahgnion-Gold mining site in Burkina Faso and use of RT-PCR initial cycle threshold to monitor the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 load
Get PDFBackground: To control the spread of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), it is necessary to adequately identify and isolate infectious patients particularly at the work place. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay is the recommended confirmatory method for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SARSCoV-2 infection in Burkina Faso and to use the initial cycle threshold (Ct) values of RT-PCR as a tool to monitor the dynamics of the viral load.
Methodology: Between September 2021 and February 2022, oropharyngeal and/or nasopharyngeal swab samples of consecutively selected COVID-19 symptomatic and apparently healthy workers from the Wahgnion mining site in the South-western Burkina Faso who consented to the study were collected according to the two weeks shift program and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR assay. Patients positive for the virus were followed-up weekly until tests were negative. Association of the initial RT-PCR Ct values with disease duration was assessed by adjusted linear regression approach. Two-sided p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 1506 (92.9% males) participants were recruited into the study, with mean age and age range of 37.1±8.7 and 18-68 years respectively. The overall prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 14.3% (216/1506). Of the 82 patients included in the follow-up study, the longest duration of positive RT-PCR test, from the first positive to the first of the two negative RT-PCR tests, was 33 days (mean 11.6 days, median 10 days, interquartile range 8-14 days). The initial Ct values significantly correlated with the duration of RT-PCR positivity (with β=-0.54, standard error=0.09 for N gene, and β=-0.44, standard error=0.09 for ORF1ab gene, p<0.001). Participants with higher Ct values corresponding to lower viral loads had shorter viral clearance time than those of lower Ct values or higher viral loads.
Conclusion: Approximately 1 out of 7 tested miners had SARS-CoV-2 infection and the duration of their RT-PCR tests positivity independently correlated with the initial viral load measured by initial Ct values. As participants with lower initial Ct values tended to have longer disease duration, initial RT-PCR Ct values could be used to guide COVID-19 patient quarantine duration particularly at the work place
Assessment of faecal contamination in selected concrete and earthen ponds stocked with African catfish, Clarias gariepinus
Get PDFBackground: Microorganisms constitute significant fraction of the aquatic ecosystem and have been reported to be the cause of emerging novel infectious diseases in aquacultural practices. The prevalence of infectious diseases has been observed to depend on the interaction between fish pathogens and the aquatic environment. This study was conducted to assess the levels of faecal pollution markers in catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and their growing waters in selected earthen and concrete ponds in the teaching and research fish farm of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria in the dry (February-April) and wet seasons (May-July) of the year.
Methodology: Two earthen and 2 concrete ponds were randomly selected as sampling sites due to their frequent usage. A total of 120 grabs of catfishes from the earthen (n=60) and concrete (n=60) ponds, and 84 pond water samples from earthen (n=42) and concrete (n=42) ponds, were randomly collected over a 6-month period of study. Enteric bacteria count in the water and catfish samples were determined using membrane filtration and pour plate methods respectively. The physiochemical characteristics of the water samples were determined using standard methods. The rate of bioaccumulation of faecal indicator bacteria was obtained by dividing the log count of each organism in the catfish by the corresponding log count in the growing waters.
Results: Faecal coliforms count (log10 CFU/100ml) in the catfish from concrete and earthen ponds ranged from 1.41 to 2.28 and 1.3 to 2.47, and in the growing waters; 1.43 to 2.41 and 1.50 to 2.80 respectively. There was positive correlation of faecal coliforms with alkalinity of water samples from the earthen (r=0.61) and concrete ponds (r=0.62). Salmonella and faecal coliforms had the highest and least bioaccumulation in catfish raised in earthen pond while Salmonella and enterococci had the highest and least bioaccumulation in catfish raised in concrete pond respectively. Faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli had the highest and least counts in water samples from the earthen pond during the dry and wet months while Salmonella and E. coli had the highest and least counts in water samples from the concrete pond during the dry and wet months.
Conclusion: High levels of bacterial faecal pollution markers in water samples and catfishes from the earthen and concrete ponds are reported in this study. Physicochemical characteristics and seasonality played major roles in the rate of bioaccumulation of the faecal pollution markers in catfishes raised in both earthen and concrete ponds