Walter Sisulu University
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Detection of sexually transmitted pathogens and co-infection with human papillomavirus in women residing in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa
Get PDFThe relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa
Get PDFThe study empirically examined the relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa for the period 1980 to 2018. To achieve this objective, the study employed an autoregressive distributed lag bounds technique and Granger causality tests. Financial development, industrialisation, and urbanisation displayed a positive and significant relationship with energy consumption, both in the short run and long run. Economic growth was positive but not significant in the shortrun and long-run. Granger causality test results displayed a unidirectional causality running from financial development and industrialisation to energy consumption. This is in favour of an alternative hypothesis, meaning there is a relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa. This study recommends policies that will allow financial development to stimulate clean energy consumption while considering increases in electricity consumption. The South African government must introduce new financial policies to enhance the process of capitalisation and produce sound energy infrastructure and introduce investments in renewable energy sources to safeguard against carbon emissions.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Economics and Financial Sciences, 202
Institutionalised business incubation: a frontier for accelerating entrepreneurship in African countries
Get PDFAfrica is a growing hub for small, medium and large enterprise. This paper attempts to cement the need to create business incubation institutions in South Africa (as well as in other African countries) so as to promote a superior entrepreneurial ecosystem for economic growth. The Africa of tomorrow needs solutions that last and one key component is the progress of entrepreneurship as an employment strategy, an innovation and creativity platform, and a key economic factor. This study employs a narrative overview of literature to explore an institutionalised business incubation concept as a frontier for accelerating entrepreneurship in African countries. The study found that the need for institutionalised business incubation has become pervasive for superior entrepreneurial ecosystems across economies. The study recommends that central governments need to promote the development of local, regional and national institutions for the strong development of incubation as well as entrepreneurship
Learning from the Grassroots: The Case for The Consideration of Community-Based Agrarian and Food Security Reforms in South Africa
Get PDFStudies of projected agro-climatic variability on the productivity of smallholding farming livelihoods have been evaluated by indirect methods using simulation models on country or regional basis but few have been done at the community level. This study explores direct observation of the impact of soil and climate factors on crop and livestock livelihood systems in the three major agro-ecological zones of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It also analyzed their influence on small farmers’ choices of agrarian livelihood activities and the lessons learned for the suitability of agro-ecologically integrated agriculture as part of agrarian and food security reforms needed among small farming households in rural communities of South Africa. The impact of soil and rainfall on the crop and livestock livelihood choices of smallholders in the three major agro-ecological zones were explored. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 223 smallholding farming households during the harvesting period of rain-fed farming season. Data on household livelihood activities were processed in monetary terms and subjected to gross margin and cost/benefit analysis. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping and statistical analysis were used to determine the association of smallholder maize revenue with agro-climatic variation. The results indicated that crop-based activities performed better in the Grassland zone, while livestock activities performed better in the Savanna zone. Small farms in the Karoo can only productively engage in livestock production. The results also showed that farming activities that combined more vegetable crops yielded greater profits than other field crops. Furthermore, the results indicate that the mixed cropping method remains one of the strategies for breaking-even and risk-bearing effort used by the smallholder farmers considering its cost-sharing benefits. Geographical information system (GIS) mapping further indicates that smallholders’ farming activity was not only affected by soilclimatic factors but by their management skills as well. We recommend agroecologically adapted policies and incentives for agriculture-based livelihood activities and intensified mixing of cropping systems among the smallholder farming households in the study area
Factors Associated with Victimization of Police Officers in Mthatha, South Africa
Get PDFThis paper provides an analysisof the risk factors that make South African Police Services officers vulnerable to becoming victims of crime. The participants of this study comprise of one hundred and five (105) male and female police officers of various demographics, randomly selected from nine (9) police stations. The study utilised survey instrument (questionnaire) to collect data from the respondents, which were analysed by employing relevant descriptive and inferential tools from Statistical Package forthe Social Sciences. Even though this study found work related factors and new rank as predisposing conditions for victimization, police officers were found to be more susceptible to victimization due to going out atnight alone, staying out at nights generally and indulgence in alcoholism. While living in descriptively, ‘bad area’ and crime prone areas were potent factors to police officers being victimised, carrying firearms never saved them from attacks. Interestingly, police officers with 1-5 years of experience who are married have greater victimization experience than those who never married, across all police stations
Doctors’ practice and attitudes towards red blood cell transfusion at Mthatha Regional Hospital, Eastern Cape, South Africa: A mixed methods study
Get PDFBackground: Unnecessary blood transfusion exposes recipients to potential harms. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe blood transfusion practice and explore doctors’ attitudes towards transfusion. Setting: A hospital providing level 1 and 2 services. Methods: A mixed-methods study design was used. In the cross-sectional descriptive component, a sample was taken from patients transfused over a 2-month period. Blood use was categorised as for medical anaemia or haemorrhage, and appropriate or not. The qualitative component comprised a purposeful sample for focus group and individual semistructured interviews. Results: Of 239 patients sampled, 62% were transfused for medical anaemia and 38% for haemorrhage. In the medical anaemia group, compliance with age-appropriate transfusion thresholds was 69%. In medical anaemia and haemorrhage, 114 (77%) and 85 (93.4%) of recipients had orders for ≥ 2 red blood cell (RBC) units, respectively. In adults ≥ 18 years old with medical anaemia, 47.1% of orders would have resulted in a haemoglobin (Hb) > 8 g/dL. Six doctors participated in focus group and eleven in individual interviews. There was a lack of awareness of institutional transfusion guidelines, disagreement on appropriate RBC transfusion thresholds and comments that more than one RBC unit should always be transfused. Factors informing decisions to transfuse included advice from senior colleagues, relieving symptoms of anaemia and high product costs. Conclusion: Most orders were for two or more units. In medical anaemia, doctors’ compliance with RBC transfusion thresholds was reasonable; however, almost half of the orders would have resulted in overtransfusion. The attitudes of doctors sampled suggest that their transfusion practice is influenced more by institutional values than formal guidelines. Keywords: red blood cell transfusion; doctors’ attitudes; doctors’ practice; transfusion thresholds; overtransfusion; descriptive study; qualitative study
God Abhors Corruption: Some Thoughts on Acts 5:1-11 with special reference to the South African Countercorruption Efforts
Get PDFCorruption has become a buzz word the world-over today. South Africa is no less affected by it than are other countries. Many counter-corruption measures have been devised from a political perspective with no visible results. This reflection is an attempt to introduce a religious intervention. The article argues that the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts: 1-11) has all the elements of corruption as we know it today as well as a decisive response to it. Redaction criticism is employed in reading the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira with particular reference to the South African counter-corruption efforts. The reading reveals that God abhors corruption, this being inferred from the ‘double-deaths’ of the corrupt couple. A conclusion is therefore reached that drastic action against perpetrators is imperative and that trustees of state authority who fail to act against corruption and its perpetrators do not deserve to be rewarded with office. Keywords: corruption, counter-corruption efforts, Acts 5:1-11, consequence management, Ananias and Sapphira, koinonia community, South Afric
Encouraging and discouraging factors to crime reporting in South Africa: a survey of residents’ crime reporting behaviour in Mthatha South Africa police service precinct
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to explore issues concerning dispositions of crime-reporting behaviour of both witnesses and victims and comes against a backdrop of a rise in crime levels in South Africa. The study specifically examined the discouraging and encouraging factors for crime reporting in Mthatha area in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A quantitative methodology was adopted, wherein a closed-ended questionnaire was used to gather data from 120 respondents. The result of the analysis revealed police absence of loyalty to citizens, lack of support for victims and lack of follow-up on reported cases as the major factors which discourage citizens from reporting crimes to the police. Further regression analysis confirmed gender, race, location of respondents and socio-economic status as significant predictors that influence discouragement. As regards the encouraging factors, overall, the citizens’ collective responsibility for safe communities was viewed as the major drive for reporting crimes to the police. From the findings, it can be concluded that poor police-public relations is the main driver for non-reporting of crime. The study recommends strengthening of police-public relations in order to encourage citizens to report crime
Industry 4.0 and Skills Deficiencies in the HRM Function: Case Study of the HRM Department of a selected organisation in Cape Town
Get PDFThe study was formulated to tap into the future of HRM given the disruptions arising from the Covid-119 pandemic as well as the progression of the global technological environment to the fourth industrial revolution. The aim of the study was to: the Covid-19 induced HRM practices underpinning future organizational competitiveness. A literature review strategy was adopted to achieve the study objective. The study established seven emerging themes to inform HRM practices for the competitiveness of organizations in future following the Covid-19 disturbances. These themes are: primacy of HRM, increased cyber influences, digitalization, remote HRM, human-machine interface skills, human-organisation strategic links as well as human-technology interface competencies. Based on the study findings, the study recommended HRM departments to move to HR 4.0 through the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies, increased automation, and digitalization as well as strengthen virtualization systems
Causes of Orthographic Errors In English Second Language Essay Writing With Whatsapp Among High School Learners In Mthatha, Oliver Reginald Tambo Inland Education District
Get PDFThis study aimed at investigating causes of orthographic errors in English Second Language essay writing with WhatsApp among High School learners in Mthatha, Oliver Reginald Tambo Inland Education District. The study was conducted among Grade 10 learners in three high schools. The study used a mixed research method with an interpretive paradigm to explore learners’ orthographic errors. A descriptive research design approach was adopted. The study sample consisted of 180 Grade 10 learners, as participants who were purposely selected from three high schools that offer English Second Language and use it as a language of learning and teaching. Data was collected using narrative essays written by Grade 10 learners after a pilot study was carried out on Grade 10 participants of this study. The written EL2 essays were carefully analysed for WhatsApp orthographic errors, and a few pictures of the essays were taken as examples of the depicted orthographic errors. A questionnaire was also used to find out commonly used social media platforms. Data were analysed manually and presented by the use of frequency tables and graphs. Besides, learners’ responses were categorised into themes. Findings revealed that WhatsApp word cut (WN), grammar errors (GR), word omission (WO), and shortened words, numerals in place of words were used by learners. Another finding was a direct translation (DHE) from mother tongue and words with multiple meanings and formal word meanings with multiple errors. Some of the recommendations resulting from the findings were that WhatsApp language be formally taught, a LEE SINCUBA WhatsApp model was proposed to help share the future of EL2 essays written with less orthographic errors, and a side-by-side LEE WhatsApp DICTIONARY was also proposed.Thesis (D.Ed) -- Faculty of Education Sciences, 202