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Overcrowding of short-term offenders and remand detainees in South Africa : evidence from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.This study aimed to highlight the effects of prison overcrowding in Pietermaritzburg
Management Area in KwaZulu Natal by acquiring knowledge about and seeking
alternatives to imprisonment for the two categories of offenders in this study. The
study endeavoured to address, implement and redress in relation to the overcrowding
experienced in correctional centres. It presented a complete evaluation of research
on the causes and consequences of overcrowding, drew conclusions, and proposed
solutions. It is unfortunate that the correctional system is unable to keep up with the
influx of new offenders, leading to a number of other challenges within the system.
Overall, the study argues the need to put into effect innovative options to address the
circumstances which lead to overcrowding, such as providing access to redirection
programmes and public protection, whilst promoting restorative justice.
Prison overcrowding is a significant problem in South Africa, which has amongst the
highest numbers of incarceration in the world. This is not a new problem in South
Africa as it has been recurring for several decades. In this study, overcrowding refers
to a situation when the total number of offenders in a correctional centre exceeds the
capability to conveniently accommodate prisoners, whilst ensuring their security at
the same time.
number of people being sent to correctional centres has drastically increased, leading
to prison overcrowding. The comments and the outcry from the populace indicate that
government is not doing enough to curb the underlying increase in the crime rate,
which will lessen overcrowding. Alternatives to imprisonment are necessary, and the
Justice Department needs to refer to the sentencing guidelines in South Africa when
a term of imprisonment is the only option in order for sentencing to be fair and not
biased in any way. According to Statistics South Africa, the numbers are increasing
with a yearly growth rate of an increase in the prison population and the lack of
adequate facilities to house offenders, both remand detainees and sentenced
offenders, is a major contributing factor. This in turn affects the safety, human rights
and health of offenders, officials, the community at large, as well as the effectiveness
of the justice system in fulfilling its purpose of rehabilitation. The phenomenon becomes a burden on the taxpayers as there are insufficient finances to provide for
offenders' needs whilst incarcerated.
Another major problem causing overcrowding in prisons in South Africa is the high
crime rate, especially of violent crimes. Due to this high crime rate, the
The research study also highlighted the importance of the reduction of offenders and
remand detainees in prison by offering alternatives such as making use of the free
bail for remand detainees and offering alternatives to imprisonment for the category
of short-term offenders who are incarcerated for economic crimes, which are
considered to be less violent or serious.
Furthermore, the study examined the causes and solutions to overcrowding, which
include the impact thereof on offenders, officials and the community at large.
Addressing overcrowding is critical as it will ensure that offenders' human rights are
upheld, which is necessary to prepare them for release back into society.
Over the past years, various approaches have been taken into consideration to deal
with overcrowding. Many amnesties have been granted by various successive
Presidents of the country, but to no avail. Overcrowding remains an issue which is a
threat to the Justice system of South Africa. The situation needs the Government of
the day to join forces with the two Departments, namely the Department of Justice
and the Department of Correctional Services, along with the involvement of
communities.
This research study collected data through a qualitative method using interview
schedules. Officials directly affected by the overcrowding from both the Department
of Correctional Services and the Department of Justice in the Pietermaritzburg area,
formed part of the focus group of individuals who offered insight and possible
solutions to the overcrowding currently being experienced.
Artist or Imposter! Breaking barriers and ‘dancing’ the data.
No full textThis monograph is a significant, innovative and explorative work that engages with challenges of the subjective and lived experiences of South African higher education students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic and subsequent national, high‑level lockdown periods. It highlights aspects of student learning that traditional methodologies often overlook, offering a reflective account of the researchers' own journey in navigating this complex data. The collaboration between Moodley and Craighead provides a dynamic dialogue, showcasing how unconventional, arts‑based methodologies can reveal deeper insights. Rather than guiding student participants through a typical arts‑based exploration and study, the authors used methods such as photo‑essay and modern dance choreography to capture and interpret interview data, connecting it to their own experiences as academics within South Africa's higher education system. This approach honours students as embodied participants shaped by colonial structures, rather than reducing them to data points. The self‑reflective study takes readers on a transformative research journey – particularly Moodley, who is new to practice‑based research, supported by Craighead's expertise in site‑specific dance theatre and posthuman subjectivities. Their creative methodologies expose forms of discrimination that conventional approaches often fail to illuminate. This scholarly work will resonate not only with academics and researchers seeking more humanising ways of working with lived experience data, but also with practitioners – offering a valuable model for overcoming disciplinary constraints.Available at publisher's site
The influence of workplace diversity on employee performance : a case study of the electricity division at eThekwinI Municipality
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Business Administration at the Durban University of Technology, Durban,
South Africa, 2025.Internationally, companies are constantly looking for better ways to gain an edge over their
competitors. Part of their competitive strategies involve upskilling human capital in order to
enhance their performance, thus achieving increased financial gains through improved
organisational performance. This study aimed to illustrate the influence of workplace
diversity on employee performance. Firstly, the study investigated the existence of a
relationship between workplace diversity and employee performance. Secondly, it explored
the extent to which the diversity aspects examined in this study relate to employee
performance. Thirdly, it sought to establish employees’ perspectives on whether the
municipality has employed a diverse workforce for legislative compliance or for
organisational benefit.
A quantitative research methodology was adopted in this study. The workplace diversity and
employee performance survey questionnaires were distributed to 200 eThekwini Municipality
employees in the Electricity department. The participation of respondents for this study was
purely voluntary and participants were assured of anonymity and confidentiality. The data
was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software. The findings
revealed an existing general relationship between workplace diversity and employee
performance. Education diversity and ethnicity diversity showed a significant relationship
with employee performance, while age and gender proved less impactful on employee
performance. The municipality should prioritise two components of diversity, namely
ethnicity and education, which have been shown to have a significant association with
employee performance when designing strategies to manage diversity. Consequently, the
municipality may achieve improved performance, which will ultimately result in better
service delivery. It is necessary for the municipality to incorporate diversity management
within its affirmative action policy in order to formalise and score the municipality's
effectiveness in training and managing diversity at work.
Building entrepreneurial communities in higher education: insights from Afe Babalola University as a case study
No full textEntrepreneurial communities within higher education play a pivotal role in fostering innovation, collaboration, and the development of future business leaders. Using Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) in Nigeria as a case study, this study explores the dynamics of creating and sustaining entrepreneurial communities in higher education institutions, with a focus on mentorship, peer networks, and collaboration. The research evaluates how ABUAD's entrepreneurship programme equips students with entrepreneurial skills while fostering a supportive ecosystem for student entrepreneurs. Through a mixed-method approach, combining a survey of 324 final-year students and interviews with eight faculty members, the study uncovers the critical role of mentorship and networking in motivating entrepreneurial ventures. Findings reveal that 96% of students participated in entrepreneurship courses. Despite successes, challenges such as limited funding and inadequate practical resources hinder entrepreneurial growth. The research highlights the importance of strengthening institutional support systems, emphasising the global relevance of entrepreneurial communities in enhancing student success and driving economic development. Insights from ABUAD serve as a model for other institutions aiming to cultivate thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems
Anaerobic co-digestion of agricultural waste for biogas production
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.South Africa today has an issue of high demand for energy, water, and waste management. The
utilisation of promising alternatives can be achieved through the sustainable management of
agricultural wastes (AW) and their valorisation to produce biogas. This management adds to
the fight to move away from the environmentally detrimental fossil fuels. The method of waste
management being used nationwide is landfilling which has been found to be a significant risk
to the environment since it emits greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane). In
response to this problem, this study aimed to valorise the AW and market wastewater (MWW)
obtained from a local fruit and vegetable bulk market to produce biogas using co-digestion.
The study utilised the apples, bananas, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, butternuts, potatoes, and
carrots as the AW. The activated sludge (AS) was obtained from a local wastewater treatment
facility and was used as the inoculum.
The first objective was to characterise the AW to determine the properties that allow
application in the anaerobic co-digestion (Co-AD) process. The solid AW was subjected to
mechanical pre-treatment to increase the surface area and enhance a better co-digestion
application. The analysis was conducted using the Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
(FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and oxygen
bomb calorimeter. The second objective investigated the feasibility of the process of Co-AD
of different AW, such as apples, bananas, carrots, butternuts, and potatoes, combined with
market wastewater (MWW). The Co-AD process used activated sludge (AS) as the inoculum.
A biochemical methane potential test (BMP) in 1 L capacity digesters assessed the potential
for biogas production. The digesters were fed feedstock with an organic loading rate (OLR) of
2.5 kgVS/m3
.day maintained at a temperature of 40℃ for a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of
21 days. The BMP used a mixing ratio of 1:1 (% w/w) between MWW and AWs and a ratio of
1:2 between the co-substrates and inoculum.
The third objective was to develop a predictive model using the Box-Behnken design (BBD)
model matrix on the response surface methodology (RSM). The input factors were temperature
(32 - 42°C), pH (6 - 8), HRT (10 - 21 days) and OLR (1 - 4 kgVS/m3
day). The final objective
was to analyse the kinetics of the Co-AD system through the application of Modified Gompertz
and first-order kinetic models.
Among the AW, spinach waste was found to have the highest BET surface area of 1.70 m2
.
The apple and banana waste developed pore volumes of 0.068 nm and 0.69 nm, respectively The common functional groups included the O-H, C-O and carboxylic acids with wavelengths
ranging from 720 to 3280 cm-1
for all the AW. The energy content in the agricultural waste
ranges between 14 and 15 MJ/kg. These results confirmed the successful mechanical pretreatment of agricultural waste and its viability in being a feedstock for Co-AD.
Among the different substrates, the apple and banana substrates showed the highest biogas
output, with 595 mL/day with a methane composition of 68% and 585 mL/day with a methane
composition of 65%, respectively. The control digester produced 450 mL/day of biogas, with
60% methane composition. The second stage evaluated the effect of substrate-to-substrate (SS)
ratios and the different combinations of agricultural waste. The best-performing combination,
Mix-1, produced 680 mL/day at an SS ratio of 2, and it also produced the highest biogas
production with a methane composition of 75%.
At optimum conditions of OLR of 3.98 kgVS/m3
.day, a temperature of 40°C, HRT of 10 days,
a pH of 7.2, a biogas production of 716.53 mL/day, a VS reduction of 73.37% and COD
removal of 79.24%, with a desirability of 100% was obtained. The correlation between the
predicted results and the experimental data was high, with a correlation coefficient (R2
) value
between 0.9 and 1. The findings from the kinetics analysis indicated that the Modified
Gompertz model provided a more accurate description of the kinetics and dynamics of the
system compared to the first-order kinetic model. This conclusion was supported by a
correlation coefficient (R2
) exceeding 0.99 and an error margin of less than 2%.
Finally, when co-digested with market wastewater, agricultural waste exhibited good
performance in biogas production, especially apples, bananas, and Mix-1 combination. The
study supports finding new ways to mitigate agricultural waste and protect the environment.
Further studies may include more types of agricultural waste and evaluate other co-substrates
that are easily obtainable. The study also proposes new energy sources that investigated further
that will promote environmental sustainability.
Citizen perceptions on solid waste collection services : a case of uMhlathuze Local Municipality
No full textMini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration (MBA), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.South African municipalities face serious solid waste collection challenges in
undertaking solid waste collection. The literature identifies several reasons for
municipalities not performing optimally regarding the provision of solid waste collection
services. Public service delivery protests are among the consequences of poor solid
waste collection services in South Africa. This study aimed to examine citizen
perceptions towards solid waste collection services at the uMhlathuze Local
Municipality, a municipality with ongoing solid waste collection challenges. A crosssectional research design was used where quantitative data collected from 385
residents from the municipal were analysed using the factor analysis technique.
Results showed that residents are aware of the health hazards associated with poor
solid waste collection within the municipality and reported the view that solid waste
management policies and strategies should be reviewed. Therefore, the study
recommends possible solutions towards improved solid waste management at the
uMhlathuze Local Municipality.
Digital sanctuary: exploring security and privacy concerns of congregants in the virtual church
No full textAs contemporary churches continue to hire media teams to create and disseminate growing amounts of online content, questions of safety, security, and privacy are warranted. This study focuses on the case of a church in Ghana and explores the complex interplay between, ethical, security, and privacy issues in the online church. Data collection involved 170 survey respondents and eight (8) interview participants. The study found that convenience, flexibility, and device accessibility drove congregants’ reliance on the digital platforms of the church. However, there were discernible privacy and safety concerns like invasion of privacy, unauthorized access to personal information, potential for identity theft, and misuse of personal data for targeted advertising. While diverse perspectives were held by members of the media department of the church, there was a general lack of concern about the safety and security ramifications of disclosing personal sensitive information to audiences outside of the physical church as it was viewed as a potential point of inspiration for others. We recommend that churches develop guidelines around concerns raised by congregants to optimize congregants’ online security and safety, while also providing continuous awareness programs for congregants to protect their security and safety and be ethical users of digital platforms
An investigation on the effectiveness of government structures established to support Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises in eThekwini Municipality during COVID-19 pandemic
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Management: Administration and Information Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.SMMEs are pivotal to the achievement of the goals espoused in the South African’s
National Development Plan and remain core instrument for job creation, poverty
alleviation, creativity and innovations that are strategic for national transformation.
However, the survival and roles performance of these SMMEs was threatened by the
disruptions and measures imposed to restrain the spread of COVID-19, therefore,
necessitating governmental initiatives for the design of financial and non-financial support
structures during the covid-19 era. This study, therefore, assess these support structures
established by the government to moderate the consequences of pandemic on SMMEs,
ensure their survival and safeguard their role performance in the national development
plan.
The study is based on questionnaire administered on 201 SMME leaders, owners, and
managers in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. Descriptive statistics was utilized on
SPSS to provide insight to the data obtained from respondents. Findings from the results
of data analysis show that there were issues in accessing government funding, stringent
scoring system, limited knowledge of funding opportunities, insufficient training, and
communication barriers. It is suggested that the government simplify funding applications,
increase awareness and training programs, develop a more accommodating scoring
system, and establish regular communication channels with SMMEs. These
recommendations aim to strengthen the resilience of SMMEs as vital contributors to
South Africa's economic recovery and growth.
First choice or fallback option? The attractiveness of South Africa’s retail industry for Gen Y members
No full textThe wholesale and retail industry is the fourth largest contributor to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product. However, it faces the major challenge of attracting highly skilled and motivated workers. Although South African universities launched programs in retail management, attracting young talents to a career in retailing remains a tough challenge. Drawing on previous findings from the field of graduate decision-making and industry image from other countries, this research examines the perceptions and expectations of Gen Y members with regard to their field of study and their prospective career. A nationwide survey with 1363 South African first year students, in their first week at university, shows significant differences between freshmen enrolled in retail business management and those enrolled in other business majors. While retail students, as compared to other participants, tend to hold stronger positive associations with their field of study and a retail career, majoring in retailing appears to be a fallback option. Over all participants, the analysis reveals that the perception of retailing careers primarily exceeds expectations on attributes that are only of minor importance. When it comes to important career attributes like payment, work-life balance and advancement issues, the retail image lags behind that of other industries. Comparing the field of study with the preferred industry, we identify four different segments of students that qualify to be targeted by companies and universities in different ways
Assessing the influence of financial literacy skills on small and medium business success in Mkhambathini
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Management Sciences in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.The success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is vital for the economic
growth of any emerging economy, including that of South Africa. The sector
directly impacts the country’s growth prospects since it is a significant
contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) however, the failure rate of
SMEs is high throughout the world, and South Africa is no different. This study
adopted to examine the influence of financial literacy skills impact on SME
success. The success and sustainability of any SME rely heavily on the
technical skills to manage financial issues within the business. This study
adopted a quantitative research approach by administering an in-depth
questionnaire to SME owners or managers. This study was quantitative and
descriptive. The empirical results revealed that efficient use of information on
income, expenditure, borrowing, business protection and saving/investment
has a significant impact on SMEs' success in Mkhambathini Municipality. This
study concluded that financial literacy is an important tool for the success of
a medium and small business because it helps to understand and evaluate
the information needed to make daily decisions that have a financial impact
on business. This study, therefore, recommends timely training of small
business owners on how to use financial information attached to their
businesses to achieve business growth within the shortest time in the region.