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Effect of the meter square ultra-high density planting technology on growth, yield and phyto-nutritional composition of Moringa oleifera
Full text linkThesis (M. Agricultural Management (Plant Production)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Moringa oleifera Lam., is a versatile, nutrient-dense crop that has drawn a lot of interest due to its ability to combat hunger and food insecurity. Despite many uses of Moringa oleifera, little is known about how ultra-high density planting (ultra-HDP) technology affects its growth, yield, nutrition and phytochemical composition. The aim of this study was to develop scientific information on how meter square ultra-HDP technology would affect growth and yield attributes (plant height, stem diameter, leaf yield), nutrition (proximate, mineral and amino acid composition) and phytochemical (total phenols, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (UPLC-MS) untargeted polar metabolites) attributes in both young and mature leaves of M. oleifera. An experimental trial was established in an open field condition to accommodate four planting densities: ultra-HDP (10 x 10 cm), high (30 x 30 cm), medium (50 x 50 cm), and conventional (100 x 100 cm) in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. During growth of seedlings, growth parameters including plant height and stem diameter, were recorded weekly. At harvest (Week 18) some growth, yield and physico-chemical components such as leaf yield, root length, root-to-shoot ratio, chlorophyll SPAD index, proximate composition, amino acids, minerals, bioactive compounds antioxidants (total phenols, total carotenoids, antioxidants activity: , 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-Azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and UPLC-MS untargeted polar metabolites were determined. Data were analyzed using Statistix 10.0, with mean separation by Least Significant Difference on growth and yield parameters and Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference on all other evaluated parameters at a 5% significance level.
The results revealed that ultra-HDP (10 x 10 cm) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced leaf yield per meter square in comparison to other densities. However, this outcome was influenced by the unequal number of plants per metre square, with ultra-HDP having the highest plant density. While ultra-HDP increased total leaf yield, the conventional density (100 x 100 cm) achieved superior growth parameters, including stem diameter,
plant height, Conventional density also attained higher plant leaf yield (390.7 ± 1.59 g) and some nutrients such as calcium (1.22 ± 0.02%), potassium (2.38 ± 0.01%), and glutamic acid (4.88 ± 0.04%) when compared to the other studied densities. In contrast, ultra-HDP favored zinc accumulation. Young leaves exhibited higher protein (28.36 ± 0.1%), carbohydrates (43.52 ± 0.2%), and essential amino acids, including leucine and phenylalanine, while mature leaves were richer in fat. The results further revealed that young leaves grown at conventional density contained higher levels of protein (31.00 ± 0.01%), carbohydrates and essential amino acids, such as histidine (0.77 ± 0.02%), arginine (2.62 ± 0.04%), threonine (1.63 ± 0.04%), and lysine (2.11 ± 0.03%). In contrast, young leaves under ultra-HDP showed significantly elevated proline levels (1.46 ± 0.01%), likely as a response to stress. Untargeted metabolites, total phenols content, total carotenoids, and antioxidant activity were also evaluated and compared across all planting densities. Methanol extracts were analyzed for untargeted metabolites using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS. Untargeted metabolite profiling identified 96 polar analytes, including members of the glucuronic acids, flavonoid-O-glycosides, and terpene glycosides. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct clustering of metabolites based on planting density and leaf age. Ultra-high density enhanced the accumulation of flavonoids, such as quercetin derivatives, which significantly contributed to antioxidant activity. Ultra-high density elevated total phenols content (1260.9 ± 3.12 mg GAE/g ) compared to 804.6 ± 1.98 mg GAE/g under conventional density. Additionally, antioxidant activity, as determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, increased under ultra-HDP giving a result of 51.96 ± 0.4, 3.85 and 0.29 ± 0.01 μmol TE/g DW respectively. Flavonoids were identified as the primary contributors to total antioxidant activity, with ultra-HDP promoting the accumulation of most metabolites including kaempferol derivatives, quercetin 3-O-(6''-acetyl-glucoside), quercetin 4'-glucoside and rutin. This study highlights the potential of ultra-HDP to optimize M. oleifera cultivation by improving both yield and nutritional quality, particularly zinc content, while enhancing the concentration of bioactive metabolites. Additionally, the study demonstrated that ultra-high density planting and young leave markedly increased the concentrations of phytochemicals, such as total phenols, total carotenoids, and antioxidant activity, which are non-nutritive substances with significant antioxidant and medicinal qualities. These results have great potential to advance sustainable farming methods and encourage the wider use of M. oleifera as a nutrient- and phytochemical-rich crop for food and medicinal applications.Department of Science and Innovation (DSI
A legal analysis of the efficacy of trade unions in advocating and advancing the protection of rights of the employed and job seekers in South Africa
Full text linkThesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025This paper examines the efficacy of trade unions within the framework of South African
law. The study is premised on the rights of workers and job seekers to strike a balance
in terms equity and provision of work. This paper critically analyses the developments
made by trade unions to ensure equal protection between the workers and job seekers. It therefor crystalises the position of employment in South Africa in the context of trade unions active participation in the strategic employment creation and job security. This dissertation further assesses the relevance of trade unions in the contemporary dispensation in advocating for employment rights
Exploring factors affecting career mobility of female administrative staff at the University of Limpopo South Africa
Full text linkThesis (MBA. (Business Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Most organisations have programmes that facilitate career mobility among the staff to retain valuable employees. Career mobility is often encouraged by the economic push-and-pull factors, as well as the opportunities available in various organisations. As a result, university administrative staff are also affected by the same economic pull-and-push factors prevailing globally. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing the career mobility of female administrative staff at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. The review of the literature for this study showed that numerous South African universities have made significant strides towards gender equity. However, a closer analysis of the data reveals that women are often overrepresented in lower-level positions within these institutions. This research was carried out at the Turfloop Campus of the University of Limpopo, located in Mankweng, Polokwane, in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The research used a qualitative approach, using purposive sampling and an interview guide to gather data. Eleven (11) women in administrative roles participated in the study and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the women appointed as administrators at the University of Limpopo. The study revealed significant concerns about the balance of work and home among female administrative staff. The findings indicate a troubling lack of recognition and visibility for female administrative staff within the University. The absence of formal recognition programmes highlights a significant gap in institutional culture, suggesting that efforts to celebrate the achievements of female staff could improve their visibility and encourage a more inclusive environment. In general, the study emphasised the urgent need for the University of Limpopo to implement comprehensive policies that not only promote gender equity, but also actively support the professional growth of female administrative staff. By establishing robust mentoring programmes, improving recognition initiatives, and improving work-life balance provisions, the University can create a more inclusive culture that empowers women to advance in their careers. This transformative approach is essential not only for the individual growth of female staff, but also for the overall success and sustainability of the institution, as diverse leadership is critical to fostering innovation and excellence in higher education
The impact of government expenditure and private sector investment on agricultural sector : a comparative analysis of selected Southern African customs union countries
Full text linkThesis (M. Com. (Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Agriculture is a vital economic activity for developing countries, more especially in Africa. The agricultural sector provides employment to the low skilled labour force and plays a pivotal role in the Southern African Customs Union economy as it has the potential of sustaining livelihoods, employment creation, and it is a strong link to the rest of the economy. The study investigated the impact of government expenditure and private investment in agriculture of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia (SACU). To achieve this, an analysis was conducted using the Autoregressive Distribution Lag model (ARDL), Cointegration test and Granger causality test on data spanning the period 1991-2021 to tests for the long run relationship of the variables employed and also to ascertain if Keynesian theory and the Wagner theory hold in the economies of selected SACU countries.
The study attempts to add on literature both the short and long run impact of government expenditure in the agricultural sector of SACU. The study is expected to contribute significantly to macroeconomics. The Cointegration test revealed that there is significant positive long-run influence of government expenditure in agriculture, private investment in agriculture and employment in agriculture at all levels of significance (1%, 5% and 10%). The ARDL test results further revealed that in South Africa government expenditure has a positive influence on agricultural output, while the other two countries (Botswana and Namibia) showing negative results. However, private investment revealed a positive influence on agricultural output in all the selected countries confirming Keynesian and Wagner theory holds. The ARDL test showed that the speed of adjustment for South Africa, Botswana and Namibia was estimated at 69.68%, 99.38% and 61.54% respectively, revealing that the variables will converge back to equilibrium relatively quickly. The study recommends an increase of at least 1% of state revenue to be allocated to the agricultural sector each year, so that at some point it will be in line with the Malabo declaration which recommends that governments spend at least 10% of state revenue in the agricultural sector. Additionally, the study recommends a clear and predictable legal and regulatory framework, effective management, streamlined business registration and permit application processes must be established. This will incentivize companies to operate and develop in the agricultural sector of SACU
Schooling experiences of learners from low socio-economic status background in Lesotho
Full text linkJournal article of African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal
Issue 2, Volume 9, 2025Efforts to provide inclusive education in Lesotho started in the late 1980s with the Policy Statement on Special Needs Education. They continued until 2018 when the Ministry enacted the Lesotho Inclusive Education Policy, which focused mainly on disability inclusion. Lesotho has a large population living below the poverty line, but low socio-economic status does not constitute part of the special education needs addressed by the education system. Underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm and the capability approach, this case study sought to explore how the schooling experiences of learners from low socio-economic status reflect the learners’ academic potential. Participants were purposively selected, and data was generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed through interpretative phenomenological analyses. The study found that learners from low SES experience various psychosocial barriers to learning, such as the lack of amenities to learn, inappropriate role models to ignite their interest in schooling and being victims of domestic violence. Some learners encounter barriers that directly affect their performance, motivation, and retention in school when not attended to. This paper recommends that a large-scale study, representative of the national demographics, be conducted to explore how low SES affects educational outcomes. The results must inform how the Lesotho education system can develop policies and regulations that guide how schools must identify and adequately support all learners to attain their maximum potential
Reflections of novice supervisors on research supervision : a case study at a South African university of technology
Full text linkJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal Issue 4, Volume 9, 2025Research supervision is a critical process in which a supervisor guides a research student through conceptualising a research idea, preparing a research proposal and ultimately producing a comprehensive dissertation. The role of a research supervisor is essential in ensuring the quality of the research conducted. This paper explores the experiences of novice supervisors at a South African University of Technology (UoT) as they navigate the complexities and challenges of their roles in research supervision. This paper is guided by theory of experiential learning and role identity theory, focusing on the institutional, pedagogical and relational difficulties novice encounter. The reflective narratives of the participants revealed the importance of formal training, careful supervisor selection and stronger student engagement with institutional support services. This work recommends the need for universities to invest in equipping novice supervisors with the necessary skills and resources, and to nurture greater collaboration between academic departments and support services. Such efforts are essential to strengthening supervision practices and enhancing the overall quality of research outputs
Unlearning and re-learning: exploring science teacher educators' experiences during the transition to emergency remote teaching in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkJournal article published in African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning Journal Issue 1, Volume 9, 2025During the COVID-19 pandemic, lecturers were required to transition from traditional face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching (ERT), necessitating a process of unlearning and re-learning pedagogical practices. This study examines the experiences of science teacher educators as they navigated this transition, with a specific focus on the nature of their adaptation, the aspects of teaching they unlearned and relearned, and the mechanisms that facilitated this process. Given the fundamental differences between face-to-face and online teaching, this study is framed using the theoretical constructs of border crossing and figured worlds. The research involved five teacher educators from institutions
primarily engaged in face-to-face instruction. Data were collected through written narratives and follow up interviews, and analysed using both narrative analysis and analysis of narratives approaches. The findings indicate that none of the participants experienced a smooth transition to ERT. Instead, their experiences were characterized as either hazardous or manageable, as they were compelled to unlearn and relearn various teaching practices, such as assessment strategies. Several key mechanisms facilitated this process, including critical reflection, collaborative engagement within professional communities, the utilisation of online resources, and student feedback. These findings provide valuable insights for teacher educators navigating similar crises and offer implications for fostering adaptability and resilience in times
of educational disruption
Assessing the impact of online education on visually impaired students at the University of Limpopo : a development management perspective through the lens of social inclusion and digital learning
Full text linkThesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025This study Assessed the Impact of Online Education on Visually Impaired Students at the University of Limpopo: A Development Management Perspective through the Lens of Social Inclusion and Digital Learning. The study seeks to understand and explore the effects of online teaching and learning experience of visually impaired students. The study also assessed the challenges that visually impaired students face during online teaching and learning. Opportunities to enable effective online teaching and learning for visually impaired students and recommendations measures that can be implemented to overcome online teaching and learning challenges for visually impaired students. This study employed a qualitative research approach, and interviews were used to collect data from the respondents. The respondents were fifteen visually impaired students and three Reakgona Disability Centre staff members. The aim of this research study is to investigate the effects of online learning on visual impaired students at the University of Limpopo, to investigate the accessibility of online learning for visually impaired students, to identify the barriers to effective online learning for visually impaired students, to identify opportunities to enable effective online learning for visually impaired students, and to recommend measures that can be implemented to overcome online learning challenges on visually impaired students. The main findings presented in this study are the demographics of the participants and key informants, online teaching and learning experiences of visually impaired students, assistive devices that are used by visually impaired students to access online classes, suitable study materials for visually impaired students, visually impaired students’ academic performance, preferred class attendance method/mode for visually impaired students and the challenges faced by visually impaired students when attending online classes
The role and attitude of pharmacists in mental health management at community pharmacies in the Limpopo Provice
Full text linkThesis (M. Pharm. (Pharmacology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025Introduction: Pharmacists are medication experts who play various significant roles in the provision of proper mental health care. Community pharmacists are usually either the first point of contact for the patient seeking pharmacist-initiated therapy or the last point of contact for a patient who has consulted with a doctor. Consequently, they have a huge role to perform in mental health management. Mental health patients are generally highly associated with non-compliance to treatment, mainly due to the severely uncomfortable side effects of the treatment. Most of them also tend to feel embarrassed by having these conditions mainly due to the stigma and misconception built around mental health conditions. This usually leads to a relatively high mortality rate. This suggests that patients may not have enough information regarding their mental health. Past studies have shown that lower levels of mental health stigma have also been revealed to be associated with community pharmacists’ preparedness to offer professional pharmacy services to patients with schizophrenia and other mental health conditions. This means the attitude affects the service. No studies have been found regarding the roles of community pharmacists and their attitudes towards mental health patients in South Africa, thereby necessitating this study.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify the role, to determine the attitude of community pharmacists, and to identify the obstacles that community pharmacists practising in Limpopo Province are faced with in the management of mental health conditions.
Method: 145 community pharmacists in Limpopo Province were recruited into the study using stratified random sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire comprising of a consent form, demographics, and questions related to the roles of community pharmacists in mental health management, and their attitude towards mental health patients. All the data obtained was analysed using Statistics Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 27, 2021) to obtain descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: This study has found that community pharmacists in Limpopo Province perform their roles in mental health management. The results revealed that the attitude of these community pharmacists is neutral. Furthermore, the participants indicated that they are comfortable dealing with mental health patients.Lack of training in pharmaceutical care practice, lack of patient history and lack of cooperation from mental health patients are the main obstacles faced by community pharmacists practising in Limpopo Province.
Conclusion: The increasing concern over mental illness calls for an urgent need for community pharmacists countrywide to stick to their commitment in offering mental health management services. Community pharmacists in Limpopo Province are comfortably fulfilling their roles in the management of mental illnesses. However, their attitude towards mental health patients could be improved.
Recommendations: Further training and education should be provided to community pharmacists. Community pharmacists in Limpopo Province should be encouraged to build and maintain relationships with other healthcare practitioners. Mental health awareness campaigns should be arranged for community pharmacies in Limpopo Province. Furthermore, screening resources/tools should be provided to community pharmacists in Limpopo Province. It would be beneficial to develop policies and resources should be developed to motivate community pharmacists in Limpopo to increase their participation in mental health care service provisio
Computational and experimental studies of transition metal carbonate precursors as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries
Full text linkThesis (Ph.D. (Physics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2025This study investigates the layered oxide cathode with NMC-type LiNixMnyCozO2 as the alternative cathode material for lithium ion batteries. This material has attracted the researcher’s interest as alternative cathode material due to its low cost and less toxicity as compared to the most widely commercialised lithium cobalt oxide (LCO). Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (often abbreviated as NMC) is a type of cathode material used in lithium-ion batteries. It's a popular choice because it offers a balance of high energy density, good cycling stability and relatively low cost compared to other cathode materials. In this study we investigate the stability properties of Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 and Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2, respectively. In particular, we focus on the manganese rich compositions and minor amounts of nickel and cobalt. We further doped both system (Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 and Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2) with fluorine, titanium, niobium and chromium to check if their contributions could improve or disprove the behaviour of Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 and Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 materials. Firstly, the structural, electronic, mechanical and vibrational properties of Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3, Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 and their doped systems have been calculated using the density functional theory employing the pseudo-potential plane-wave approach within the local gradient approximation with the Hubbard parameter U for strongly correlated transition metals. The structural property calculations included the equilibrium lattice parameters, density and energy of formations while electronic properties included the partial density of states (PDOS), total density of states (TDOS) and band structures for all the systems. Furthermore, mechanical properties investigated the elastic constants, Pugh ratio and anisotropy while vibrational properties investigates the phonon dispersion curves for Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3, Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 and their doped systems. The calculated lattice parameters and energy of formation could be used for benchmarking in the future since no similar work was found in literature for comparison. Moreover, the calculated energy of formations revealed the relatively low and negative values for all the systems, suggesting thermodynamic stability. With the band structures, we found that Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 and Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 structures were semiconductors with a direct gap of 0.004 eV and 0.036 eV with their doped systems also indicating metallic characteristics. Moreover, the partial density of states for our materials and their doped systems were also found to be metallic as there was no energy band gap observed at the Fermi line. Furthermore, the elastic constants revealed that all our systems recorded 21 independent elastic constants which falls within the triclinic lattice systems. For a material to be considered mechanically stable within the triclinic system, there are conditions to be satisfied, hence Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 satisfied all the conditions suggesting mechanical stability while Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 did not satisfy all the conditions implying mechanical instability. The phonon dispersion curves revealed that Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2CO3 was vibrationally stable while Ni0.3Mn0.5Co0.2O2 was vibrationally unstable due to the presence of negative vibrations along the Brillouin zone. Furthermore, the phonon dispersion curves for doped systems revealed that some are vibrationally stable while some are vibrationally unstable. Secondly, since the study focuses on manganese rich systems, cluster expansion technique was used to generate phases in the manganese rich side. From the results, various phases with varied concentrations and symmetries were produced by the ground-state phase diagram. The accuracy of new structures during cluster expansion fitting is indicated by the cross validation score (CVs) for all of the generated new structures being less than 5meV per active atom position. Since all of the developed structures have CVs below 5meV, this indicate that our calculations were valid and the newly generated structures will work realistically. From the phase diagram, we noticed that all the predicted phases are in the negative energy of formations side (miscible constituent) which indicate thermodynamic stability. Moreover, of all the phases generated within the diagram, only phases in the manganese rich side were explored by using first principles calculations to further confirm their stability properties by determining their structural, electronic, mechanical and vibrational properties. The energy of formation results revealed that all the phases are thermodynamically stable while electronic properties revealed metallic characteristic for all the phases in the Mn-rich side. For mechanical properties, we found that few phases did not satisfy the triclinic conditions which implies mechanical instability while other phases were found to satisfy the conditions, indicating mechanical stability. Lastly, the carbonate co-precipitation method was used in this study to synthesize the transition metal carbonate precursors using a 4L stirred tank reactor (CSTR) under steady state circumstances. We produced Ni0.28Mn0.53Co0.19CO3 and Ni0.17Mn0.67Co0.17CO3 which was later lithiated to form LiNi0.33Mn0.53Co0.14O2 and LiNi0.17Mn0.67Co0.17O2 as our layered cathodes. Both the lithiated samples were further characterized for thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffractions, morphologies, EDX and XRF. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed thermodynamic stability for both samples while XRD’s also managed to produce the most crystalline peak at 003 indexing. The scanning electron microscopy was also tested to determine the particle size and distribution for both samples and the results revealed a homogeneous particle distribution in each sample. We further collaborated with University of Kent for the usage of the synchrotron beam of the Diamond light source to determine the effect of fluorination on our NMC samples. In particular, we wanted to check if fluorination reduces or increases the oxidation states of metals within our samples and results revealed that fluorination does not change the oxidation state of our samples.National Research Foundation (NRF)
SASAC mobility gran