Walter Sisulu University
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Chalenges of accessing tertiary health care services in Africa, in the OR Tambo District: A case study of Canzibe Hospital
No full textAccessing Tertiary health care by distant rural patients is still by far the most difficult and stressful process and results in health problems for the rural community. The lack of research on this topic of scholarly inquiry in rural areas remains a cause for concern. This qualitative study examines the obstacles that Canzibe residents face when trying to get primary medical treatment in tertiary hospitals in the O.R. Tambo District. This study is exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative by design. Research participants for this study comprised both of females and males who attend or are seen at Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Hospital, in the O.R Tambo District for ongoing treatment and reviews. A non-probability sampling method was used and a purposive sampling technique was used to select ten participants for this study. The researcher interviewed participants regarding their challenges in accessing tertiary health care services in the O.R Tambo District. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, and an open-ended interview schedule was used as a guide. The interview schedule focused on the experiences of patients in accessing tertiary healthcare services. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which is a process whereby data is transcribed and translated to English. After the transcription, codes were created and arranged together into themes, and used to derive a meaning. The researcher adhered to all the ethical principles, while conducting the study. The study's results were also explored in relation to South African patient experiences with tertiary healthcare services.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, 202
Management of employee grievence: A case of selected University in the Eastern Cape
No full textThis study will assess the grievance management procedures and employee performance with a specific focus on an Eastern Cape-selected university. To achieve this objective, the study will identify the styles used at the university in managing employee grievances, explore employees’ perceptions about the way their grievances are managed, discover factors that hinder effective management of employees’ grievances, and find out what should be done to effectively manage employees’ grievances. In terms of research design and methodology, the study will adopt an exploratory mixed-method research design and gather data through interviews. The study will employ a purposive sampling method to reach both intended employees whose grievance cases were investigated by the institution and those who were not. The participants will include academic and nonacademic employees; the population of the study will include the staff of a university, human resource personnel (HR) that deals directly with employee grievance resolution, and labor union representatives that sit in grievance resolution meetings. Data will be collected and analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis. The study will benefit the university in its efforts on handling grievances, employee retention, and increasing performance. This research will help and guide human resources in their policies on employee grievance resolution, as well as those who are interested in handling grievances in organizations.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Law, Humanities and Social Science, 202
Effect of wood moisture content on the perfomance of wood burning cook stoves
Get PDFRural Ethiopian communities rely mostly on biomass fuels for subsistence and productive purposes. With an increasing population and dwindling forest resources, wood fuel consumption has exceeded its supply. Besides, people do not know ways of maximising biomass efficiency. The study involves the burning efficiencies of woods with varied moisture contents. Eucalyptus wood of five different moisture contents was used in five identical wood-burning stoves purposefully constructed for this purpose. Tests were con ducted over 5 days, thereby giving five replications. In the tests, food temperature, stove body temperature, and stove smoke outlet temperature measurements were conducted along with ambient air temperatures. Wood with 10% moisture content performs better during combustion with respect to low and high moisture content wood. High moisture content delayed the cooking onset and low moisture decreased the duration of effective cooking. The 50% moisture content or greater with respect to oven-dried wood failed to cook. Moisture content of around 30% delayed the time to reach cooking temperature by two and hence elongated the cooking time. There is also the extended smoke time as observed from the smoke outlet temperature
Chalenges of implimenting South African school administration and management system at Junior Secondary Schools in circuit 16, OR Thambo Coastal District
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges of implementing South African School Administration and Management System at Junior Secondary Schools in Circuit 16 in OR Tambo Coastal District. Literature review looked mainly at aspects of challenges resulting from policy issues guiding the implementation of SASAMS, challenge of ICT and SA-SAMS training, other challenges that influence implementation of SASAMS in circuit 16, OR Tambo District. The study was qualitative in nature and employed case study research design. Convenient sampling was used to select two junior secondary schools in Circuit 16 in Port St. Johns Circuit Management Centre (CMC) in OR Tambo Coastal Education District. The principal, one (1) educator, one (1) school clerk were purposively selected from each school and this made a total of six (6) participants. Face-to-face individual semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data about the views and opinions of the participants. Data were analysed using the interpretational analytical strategies. Themes were drawn from the responses of the participants. The major findings were: School personnel lack the ICT skills for them to be able to operate SASAMS for administration and management; there is a lack of connection network for the school personnel to provide data promptly to the Department of Education; school personnel had not received appropriate training on using SASAMS for administration and management; the use of SASAMS is not guided by clearly spelt out policies and guidelines in all the school that were visited; participants unanimously agreed that SASAMS could be a user-friendly system only if all personnel were to get thorough training; due to lack training and knowledge for other personnel, at times especially when school clerks are not at work submissions are not done promptly; the school personnel have no expertise when there is break down of computers or the system crushes, they have to travel long distances to try and find help; when it is time to enter marks for learners, it is impossible for teacher to connect at the same time, only about four laptops can connect at a time and the Department of Education delays to install the latest patch. It is recommended that: SASAMS be incorporated in Teacher Education programmes in Universities and training colleges; there should be enough ICT and SASAMS technicians on standby for any technical error that might occur in schools; school principals, teachers and administrative clerks need to be equipped with training in ICT and SASAMS; there is a need for Department of Basic Education to ensure that each school has Wi-Fi connection so that all computers in the school are connected to the main-server at the same time; the DBE should consider formulating guiding policies where, for example, schools are allowed to factor in a certain percentage in enrolment increase, as it creates a good foundation for data falsification by unscrupulous officials.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Education, 202
An evaluation of the mechanical, engineering and retails service and training authority staff development project at an Eastern Cape University
Get PDFHigher Education (HE) has undergone significant changes in recent decades, necessitating the adaptation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to focus on teaching, supporting, and academically developing academic staff. In Africa, some HEIs have requested their staff to obtain certain postgraduate qualifications, as research achievements lead to academic promotion. The MerSETA Staff Development Project was established to train lecturers in the Engineering Department to upgrade their qualifications to the doctorate level and to increase their research skills. This study aimed to evaluate the project's success using project management methodology. A mixed methods approach was used, with a qualitative and quantitative phase. Data was collected through focus group interviews (FGIs) and closed-ended questionnaires. A purposive sampling technique was used in the qualitative phase, while census sampling was used in the quantitative phase. Qualitative data analysis was primarily inductive, with interpretive data analysis techniques (IPA) used to discuss findings with existing literature. Statistical techniques were used in the quantitative phase, with Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) tested. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the features and summaries of the study's sample or data set. Regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses and establish the relationship between variables under investigation. The study employed appropriate Cronbach alpha formulae to determine a co-efficient above 0.70. The results of this study indicate that the MerSETA Project successfully developed its beneficiaries academically at Walter Sisulu University. However, there are limitations to the study, such as the cross-sectional study design, which cannot reflect changes in variables over time. Further research is required to study the relationships between variables over time using a longitudinal study design. The MerSETA Project demonstrated the importance of understanding project life cycles, knowledge areas, and monitoring and evaluation techniques in managing projects like the MerSETA Project. To enhance causality, further research is needed to study relationships between variables over time using a longitudinal study design. The MerSETA Project, a successful project, requires an understanding of the project life cycle, management knowledge areas, and monitoring and evaluation techniques. The study's findings concluded that the project was a success.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Education, 202
The relationship between trade opennes and enviromental quality in South Africa
Get PDFThe study empirically examined the relationship between trade openness and environmental quality in South Africa for the period 1994 to 2018. To achieve the objective, the study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds technique and Granger causality test. The results revealed that trade openness, have a positive and significant relationship with carbon emission, both in the short-run and long-run. The granger causality test results also showed a unidirectional causality running from trade openness to environmental quality. The implication of the findings is that the South African government must implement trade agreements that can strengthen the capacity for governments to address environmental issues. In particular, the reduction of trade barriers on environmental goods can lead to increased access to green technologies at lower cost. The government must enact and enforce strict environmental laws to avoid the “pollution haven hypothesis” which normally affect the low-income countries.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Economics and Financial Sciences, 202
Evaluation of Salivary COVID-19 IGG Between Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Individuals in Mthatha
Get PDFAs thousands of individuals around the world battle with life-threatening conditions in intensive care units, millions more are grappling with the enduring and debilitating effects of COVID-19. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, the prevalence of COVID-19 continues to rise, largely due to vaccine hesitancy, which remains a significant obstacle to achieving global immunity against the virus. Vaccine hesitancy stems from a lack of confidence in the safety, efficacy, and accessibility of vaccines, which increases COVID 19 mortality and morbidity rates. Understanding the immune response elicited by vaccination could provide critical insights into the benefits of immunisation and help address vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, this study aims to quantify and compare the salivary IgG levels in individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 with those who remain unvaccinated, highlighting the immunological advantage of vaccination. A case-control study design was used to conduct this study, using convenience sampling amongst 183 willing individuals aged 18 years and above from the town of Mthatha, O.R Tambo District, Eastern Cape. Participants were recruited from the Mthatha CBD, and their vaccination status was recorded and verified on the government website. Following aseptic protocols, saliva samples were collected in microcentrifuge tubes and stored in a cooler before transfer to the laboratory. The saliva samples were then analysed using the Bio-Plex Pro Human IgG SARS-CoV-2 assay kit, carefully following the instructions provided by the manufacturer…Degree: M. Science (Physiological Sciences
Artisanal mining versus sustainability of agricultural food supply chains: effects of the conflicts in Southern Zimbabwe
Get PDFThis article seeks to establish the social and environmental consequences of artisanal mining on economic sustainability of agricultural food supply chains in Zimbabwe. Following a descriptive research design, interviews were conducted with 36 farmers. Interviewees were purposively sampled from potential respondents in Southern Zimbabwe. Interview results were triangulated with data from published reports and newspaper articles. Data was analysed using NVivo application version 12 and presented in vignettes. The results of this study are useful to artisanal miners, farmers, and government. Recommendations for further studies are given. KEYWORDS: Artisanal mining farmers food supply chains Zimbabwe sustainabilit
Are CardioVascular Diseases a Cause For Concern in People of African Ancestry?
Get PDFProfessor Benedicta Ngwenchi Nkeh-Chungag’s BIO Professor Benedicta Ngwenchi Nkeh-Chungag is a Full Professor of Physiology and Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Walter Sisulu University. Professor Nkeh-Chungag is an NRF rated researcher, a scholar of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), a Fellow of the International Hypertension Society, Deputy President and co-founder of the newly established Childhood Hypertension Consortium of South Africa, Deputy Chairperson of the South African National Committee for International Union for Physiological Sciences (ICSU-IUPS), Chairperson of the Cardiometabolic Research Niche Area – WSU and Chairperson of the Animal Research Ethic Committee. She oversees the Carrier Orientation and International Mentoring Program run by Harness Ideas Association (HIDAS).Professor Nkeh-Chungag has published extensively in the of cardiovascular research covering epidemiology and African medicinal plants. She has served as an Associate Editor for the journal Frontiers in Public Health and is on the editorial board of two journals, Bioinformatics and Clinical Interventions in Aging. She is a member of several knowledge bodies including the International Hypertension Society.As an accomplished and passionate scholar, Professor Nkeh-Chungag enjoys both national and international recognition in her field of research. Her focus on the risk for cardiovascular diseases in children of African ancestry has attracted interest and funding from both national and international organizations. Her research findings have been showcased at many scientific fora including as keynote addresses. Professor Nkeh-Chungag is married to Dr Anye Chungag and they are blessed with four boys.Inaugural Lecture (Prefessorial) -- Faculty of Natural Sciences, 202
