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Conflict transformation education : a strategy to resolve schools and community violence in the Factreton area, Western Cape
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration: Peace Studies, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2024.This study critically examined the subtle impact of slow violence on learners’ development in
the Factreton community, Western Cape, South Africa, proposing an innovative generositybased educational framework as a conflict transformation strategy. Slow violence,
characterised by its cumulative, invisible, and intergenerational effects, perpetuates structural
inequalities that undermine educational equity and human development. This study examined
how a pedagogy of generosity can position education as a vehicle for social transformation,
equipping learners with the agency to navigate and counteract adverse conditions.
Through a transformative participatory action research (TPAR) approach this study engaged
a purposive sample of primary school learners in qualitative inquiry that included narrative
writing, conversational interviews, and participant observation. The study reveals that slow
violence is associated with food insecurity, limited educational resources, and psychosocial
distress, which affect learner apathy and motivation, disruptive classroom climate, selfperception, and overall well-being. The findings verify that these conditions perpetuate
intergenerational cycles of marginalisation.
In response, the study proposed a generosity-based educational framework that emphasises
relational support, critical dialogue, agency and humanitarian engagement within the school
environment. By centring generosity as a guiding principle, the framework challenges
traditional deficit-based interventions and offers a critically reflexive, agentic, and contextually
relevant approach to mitigating the effects of slow violence.
The study’s findings contribute to broader discussions on education’s role in conflict
transformation and social justice, highlighting the need for pedagogical models that address
structural violence through relational and transformative means.
Rural entrepreneurship and transformation : the role of learnerships
No full textAbstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the lessons that could be learnt from the first year
of implementing the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority’s Rural
Development Programme.
Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory, qualitative study involved unemployed people
from a rural location in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A focus group and in-depth interviews were
held with the current learners, the programme manager, the skills training providers, and the royal custodian
of the locality.
Findings – While highlighting the factors that enhance success as well as those that impede development,
the study found that the learnership contributed significantly to social transformation through
rural entrepreneurship. It empowers disadvantaged women and youths to gain access and skills which,
if the recommended measures to sustain the programme are implemented, could enable them to grow
bigger businesses.
Research limitations/implications – Since this was an exploratory, qualitative study, the limitations of a
small, convenience sample need to be overcome by a larger, quantitative study, and a more complete
collection of accurate secondary data.
Originality/value – Despite the obvious limitations, this study has contributed to the literature on both
rural entrepreneurship and transformation in South Africa. Both are under-researched topics, despite
transformation being a socio-political imperative and entrepreneurship, especially in rural areas, being a key
to overcoming South Africa’s high unemployment rate
The use of social media as a communication tool in the KwaZulu-Natal Football Industry
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master in Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.The football industry has over the years revolutionised into a modernised game
through social media platforms (Wang, Cheng, and Sun 2021: 102). Social media
platforms such as Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) have been used
globally among soccer stars, fans, and footballing clubs to communicate (Weimar,
Holthoff, and Biscacia 2020: 335). Football clubs and marketers are exposed to
advanced technology opportunities, transformations, and integration opportunities
because of the development of social media platforms such as Facebook, X,
Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn etc. (Nairaine 2019: 223). Communication
plays an integral role in the sporting industry. Communication is an important element
that needs to be incorporated into an organisation’s communication strategy. Effective
and well-managed communication is an essential component of any organisation.
The aim of this study was to establish how social media is used as a communication
tool in the KwaZulu-Natal football industry by three selected teams in building and
maintaining healthy relationships with their stakeholders. A mixed research approach
was applied consisting of a combination of qualitative and netnography techniques. A
sample of 150 social media posts from three different social media platforms of the
different teams were analysed and three social media managers of the teams were
interviewed. The staff members of the teams were assessed through interview
questions and the social media posts were assessed through non-participant
observation by the researcher on social media platforms. The software (NVivo version
12) was employed in the data analysis process.
The findings indicated that social media has become part and parcel of everyday life.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, X, and Instagram have revolutionised
communication, which makes it easier and more efficient for the teams to engage with
their stakeholders and gauge their feelings and perception about the team. In the
football industry, social media has been adopted by clubs as a tool to communicate
and disseminate information, particularly to their fans. Although there may be initial
barriers to a sports team's use of social media, research has shown that it can serve
as a powerful tool for addressing social issues and fostering communication with fans. For instance, studies have demonstrated that teams leveraging social media platforms
effectively to raise awareness about important social issues, engage with fans on a
more personal level, and ultimately strengthen their community presence. McCarthy,
Rowley and Keegan (2022: 513) stated that the use of social media as a
communication tool by organisations can is a clear example of affiliation marketing.
You and Hon (2019: 110) argued that that the use of social media consists of gaining
access to the individual directly, in real time and through interaction and engagement
which helps the organisation to shape the affiliation the seek to establish with the
customers to make sharing of information easier. According to Hellsten, Jacobs and
Wonneberger (2019: 35), social media platforms are differentiated from other forms of
communication because social media encourages interaction and engagement on a
large and collective scale.
The study recommended that teams should make it a point to be consistent with their
posts on their social media platforms. Another recommendation was that teams must
invest in establishing a team that will work on their communication strategy for their
social media so that they can engage effectively and actively with their audiences
online.
Characterization, hormetic effects and kinetic modeling of corn stalk-derived biochar in biogas production
No full textAnaerobic digestion remains a contemporary technology to manage organic matter with the recovery of valuable products including biogas which can be boosted with biochar supplementation. The properties of biochar in turn determines its effect on anaerobic digestion performance and biogas yield. In our study, corn stalk-derived biochar (CSB) was characterized using advanced techniques like CHN analysis, SEM imaging, EDX, FTIR and BET. The CSB was later applied to the anaerobic digestion of the paper waste codigested with chicken manure at four doses (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 gL-1 on TS basis). CSB properties revealed significant characteristics [CEC (10 meq100g-1), surface area (15.6 m2g-1), pore size (20.1 nm) and pore volume (0.06 cm3g-1)] suitable for anaerobic digestion and sustained biogas production. Generally CSB mediated and significantly improved biogas production (p < 0.05). Moderate CSB concentrations (2.5 g/L and 5 g/L) resulted in more stable and increased biogas yields by 2.34% and 25.76%, respectively than the control or the highest CSB concentration. However compared to control, high CSB concentration (7.5 g/L) boosted biogas production by 5.54 but produced toxic or inhibitory effect that led to lower biogas production relative to 2.5 and 5.0 gL-1. These outcomes signified a dose-dependent (hormetic) relationship between biogas generation and biochar dosage. The biogas data produced significant goodness of fit (0.995-0.998) when predicted with the kinetic model of the modified Gompertz equation. Overall, CSB as a sustainable alternative material has great potential in digestive engineering by anaerobic digestion, but attention must be paid to its dosage
Evaluation and comparison of machine learning algorithms for effective image classification with fault-tolerance
No full textImage classification is critical in computer vision, with numerous applications ranging from e-commerce to medical imaging. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of traditional machine learning algorithms for image classification, implementing and analysing novel fault tolerance mechanisms amongst these algorithms. The authors compared the performance of K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Decision Trees, Random Forest, and XGBoost on both Fashion MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets. The comparison was extended to include Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression, and Naive Bayes classifiers in order to expand the evaluation of these models on the indicated datasets. Key findings demonstrated the superiority of ensemble methods, particularly XGBoost, which achieved 89.31% of accuracy on Fashion MNIST and 54.93% on CIFAR-10, consistently outperforming other models across various configurations. Random Forest exhibited robust performance as the secondbest model, reaching 87.42% and 51.64% of accuracy on the respective datasets. The significant performance gap between datasets demonstrated the challenges that traditional machine learning models face with complex image data. Implementing the fault tolerance framework in this study has also shown a remarkable effectiveness, achieved a 94.6% recovery rate while maintaining model accuracy within 0.1% of standard implementations. This was achieved with minimal computational overhead (2.3% of training time and 1.8% of memory usage), making it highly practical for production deployments. The system significantly reduced operational failures, decreasing crashes from 5.2 to 0.3 per day and increasing average uptime from 4.3 to 12.0 hours. The study also reveals important insights regarding model scalability and resource requirements, with memory usage varying significantly across models (325MB to 8,923MB). These findings provide valuable guidance for practitioners in selecting and implementing machine learning models for image classification tasks, particularly in scenarios where both performance and system reliability are critical. This research contributes to the field by demonstrating the feasibility of implementing robust fault tolerance in machine learning systems without compromising accuracy while also providing comprehensive performance comparisons across different model architectures and dataset complexities. The developed framework serves as a foundation for building more reliable machine-learning systems for real-world applications
Production, characterisation, and application of Beauveria bassiana SAN01 β-glucosidase
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Biotechnology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.Beauveria bassiana is a popular entomopathogenic fungal endophyte that is used industrially
as a biocontrol agent. It has been noted to be non-pathogenic to humans, animals and plants
and their ability to utilise various agro-residues for its metabolism has been exploited for the
production of some lignocellulosic enzymes. Previous studies have mostly focused on the
production of key lignocellullose hydrolysing enzymes, however, little is known about the
ability of B. bassiana to produce accessory enzymes such as β-glucosidase which also aid in
lignocellullose breakdown. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the production, the
biochemical characteristics, and the potential application of a β-glucosidase from the strain
designated as Beauveria bassiana SAN01. For these aims to be achieved, the production
parameters of β-glucosidase were optimised using a statistical approach. Furthermore, to
enhance the evaluation of the biochemical properties and potential industrial application of the
enzyme, it was purified to homogeneity using salt precipitation, and chromatography.
The preliminary screening of seven agricultural residues showed that the haulm of Bambara an underutilised African legume- supported the highest β-glucosidase production, hence,
statistical optimisation of enzyme production was performed using this biomass as the sole
carbon source. The three-level statistical optimisation experiments resulted in a ~5.36-fold
increase in β-glucosidase production from the unoptimised level of 132.71 U/mL to 711 U/mL,
under optimal conditions (Bambara - 57 g/L, KCl - 302 mg/L, NaCl -154 mg/L, agitation -150
rpm, and incubation time - 223 h). Ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by dialysis and
gel filtration chromatography were used to purify β-glucosidase produced by B. bassiana
SAN01 to homogeneity. The purified β-glucosidase was demonstrated to have a specific
activity of 496 U/mg and a molecular mass of ~116 kDa by SDS-PAGE; its activity pattern
was also confirmed via in-gel zymography using 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucopyranoside
as the substrate. The enzyme activity was recorded to be optimal at pH 5.0 and 60°C and the
enzyme also displayed significant thermal stability from temperatures 30-50°C, retaining
almost 60% of its activity at 50°C after 4 h of incubation. Subsequently, the potential of B.
bassiana SAN01 β-glucosidase as an accessory enzyme in lignocellulose saccharification was
demonstrated by its effectiveness in the hydrolysis of cellobiose converting more than 90% of
the substrate to glucose. Finally, some structural insights were gained into the enzyme using a
computational approach. The in silico prediction of the enzyme revealed that it has an
isoelectric point of 5.59, that it was hydrophilic and thermostable. The modelled 3D structure
of B. bassiana β-glucosidase confirmed that it belongs to the GH 1 family and the model was validated by the presence of ~ 96% of its amino acid residues in the favoured region of the
Ramachandran plot. The docking of the enzyme with cellobiose and 4-nitrophenol β-D glucopyranoside demonstrated the significant affinity of both substrates to the enzyme while
revealing its most probable active site. Results from this study demonstrate B. bassiana as a
hyper-producer of β-glucosidase as the production level in this study is one of the highest ever
recorded for an entomopathogenic fungi; thus the study highlights the immense potential of
B. bassiana in the processing of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels.National Research Foundation (NRF)
The unique role of the survivalist retail entrepreneur in job creation and poverty reduction: implications for active stakeholder participation
No full textThis is an applied study endeavour with the aim of exploring the specific role of survivalist
retail entrepreneurship in job creation and poverty reduction. Two hundred (200) subjects were
sampled using snowballing technique. Structured questionnaires as well as semi-structured interviews
were employed to collect data. 182 usable questionnaires were analysed with the help of SPSS
version 23. The results indicate that retail entrepreneurship is evolving in Khayelitsha, especially
when one does not only focus on spaza shops, but looks at the entire survivalist retail industry. This
sector is capable of creating jobs, reducing poverty and aiding economic growth of the country even
more, should measures to boost motivation levels and self-efficacy of the entrepreneurs emerge.
These measures, among others could include support programmes for survivalist entrepreneurial
ventures that present greater potential for growth and job creation. Part of the support programmes
should include business skills training (such as simple bookkeeping practices and human resource
management). Importantly, this study is the first of its kind in the community of Khayelitsha; an
emerging black-populated township in South Africa, indicating a new vista for retail entrepreneurship
research
Role of good governance practices in enhancing service delivery : a case study of the department of human settlements at Ugu District Municipality
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Management Sciences Specialising in Public Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2025.Various South African municipalities are plagued by poor service delivery,
which predominantly stems from poor governance. Innumerable citizens are
experiencing insufficient access to essential services such as waste removal,
electricity, sanitation, and clean water. Despite the growing literature on good
governance and service delivery, empirical studies on these subjects still
remain limited, particularly in South Africa. The majority of prior studies on
good governance and service delivery in South Africa were based on desktop
studies. Deliberate non-adherence to good governance processes and
procedures in the provisions of legislations such as the Municipal Systems Act
32 of 2000 have been touted as the leading causes of poor service delivery.
The Department of Human Settlements at Ugu District municipality in
KwaZulu-Natalis is not exceptional to these challenges. Hence, the current
study sought to investigate the role of good governance on service delivery in
the Department of Human Settlements at Ugu District municipality in KwaZuluNatal. A mixed research approach was utilised to accomplish the study's
objectives with semi-structured interviews conducted with traditional leaders
and close-ended questionnaires administered to municipal officials and
councillors at Ugu District Municipality in South Africa. For the quantitative part
of the research, the researcher did not have a sample because the target
population of 113 participants was too small to warrant a sample selection. The
researcher consulted the statistician and advised to include the entire target
population as the sample. Hence, a census method was utilised. For the
qualitative part of the study, a purposive sampling technique under the ambit
of the non-probability sampling method was used to choose the sample, and
the sample of 15 was adequate.
While qualitative data was analysed manually utilising thematic analysis,
quantitative data was analysed utilising various statistical tools, including
inferential and descriptive statistics. The study revealed a positive correlation
between good governance practices and service delivery in the Department of Human Settlement at Ugu District Municipality. In addition, the study identified
several challenges faced by the Department of Human Settlements in
exercising good governance and were categorised based on their severity
levels. The study provides practical implications for management,
policymakers, administrators and the community. The practical implication of
the study is that management must ensure that all municipality officials and
councillors abide by the principles of good governance daily. Another key
implication of these findings is that municipalities should invest in the training
and development of municipal staff about transparency practices, which is
necessary to improve service delivery. The study recommends that future
studies focus on the governance-related challenges faced by municipal
officials.
If I was more informed about what exactly they do: perceptions of Botswana district hospital healthcare providers about World Spine Care
No full textBackgroundIn 2011, World Spine Care (WSC) opened their pilot clinic at the Botswana Mahalapye District Hospital (MDH) aiming to develop a low-cost model of evidence-based spine care for underserved communities. Providing sustainable, integrated, evidence-based care will require buy-in from local healthcare providers (HCPs) and the communities served. The purpose of this project was to understand how MDH HCPs perceive WSC.MethodsWe used a qualitative descriptive methodology to conduct individual, semi-structured interviews with MDH HCPs who had some familiarity about WSC services. Interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. We used an iterative coding process for thematic content analysis and interpretations were regularly reviewed by all co-authors.ResultsIn March 2017, interviews with 20 HCPs, from diverse disciplines with a range in years' experience at MDH, revealed three overlapping themes: knowledge about WSC and spinal related disorders, perceived role of WSC, and challenges for WSC integration. Participants who attended WSC conferences or self-referred for care were more informed and, generally, held positive perceptions. Participants lacked knowledge about managing spinal-related disorders, asserted hospital protocols did not meet patient needs, and perceived WSC is 'filling a gap' to manage these conditions. There were mixed perceptions about care received as WSC patients; some ultimately obtained relief, while others reported the treatment painful and unfamiliar, discharging themselves from care. Challenges to integrate WSC into the healthcare system were: lack of knowledge about scope of practice and unclear referral pathways; reversing the isolated care WSC provides by increasing collaboration between WSC and hospital staff; and, high turnover of WSC clinicians that undermines program sustainability.ConclusionsMDH healthcare providers had adequate general knowledge about World Spine Care and spinal-related disorders, but did not understand the WSC scope of practice nor referral pathways to and from providers. Participants advocated for greater collaboration between WSC and hospital staff to increase acceptance and integration to deliver spine care services and foster wider adoption of the WSC model, particularly if WSC expands services across Botswana. Future efforts that incorporate interviews with patients and government officials also can provide valuable perspectives to achieve sustainable, integrated, evidence-based spine care
The African youth and communicative behaviours in digital spaces
No full textAs digital media platforms have become ubiquitous in all aspects of media consumption
(Kaempf, 2018; Ren et al., 2024), there is abundant evidence that media consumers,
particularly young people, are moving away from media to digital media (Kemp, 2021).
This is demonstrated by the over 40% of Africans who use the internet regularly (Kamer,
2022) and the significant portion of news, advertising, and entertainment consumed
on digital platforms (Rao & Nagaraj, 2022). Digital platforms also serve educational
purposes (Adjin-Tettey et al., 2022), as many educational institutions have deployed
digital technologies to complement other modes of educational instruction (Anderson
& Rivera Vargas, 2020).
Additionally, digital platforms serve as an important and foremost opportunity for
networking among young people (Koch, & Miles, 2021; Sinanan & Gomes, 2020),
self-expression and self-presentation (Guo, 2015), the pursuit of entrepreneurial
opportunities (Pano & Gjika, 2020), and political engagement and civic action (Hao et
al., 2014), particularly for young people