11613 research outputs found
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Managing diversity in schools: the place of democratic education and ubuntuism in South Africa
No full textSouth African classrooms were highly diversified. The problem, however, was that although democracy has been a critical characteristic of South Africa for over two decades, it is still a very vague concept to many. A teacher who truly understood democracy knew that it was not just about freedom of self, rather the freedom of all, treating others humanely and with kindness. Making power a variable accessible by all was the only way to which diversities can be ameliorated. Observation and personal experiences showed that there were discriminations of many kinds in some high schools. Therefore, to address these maladies, the importance of democracy in diversity must not be jettisoned because they work hand-in-hand. Ubuntu philosophy was used as a theoretical framework, whilst transformative paradigm piloted the study. Participatory research (PR) was adopted as a research design to enable the people student-teachers to jointly participate in this research. Observation and reflections were used to collect data within the high schools in the Free State province of South Africa. Thomas and Harden’s three steps of thematic analysis was used to analyse data and the result show that language, cultural and personal relativism, learning impairment and comprehensibility were the dominant challenges faced in diversity management in schools. On the other hand, inculcation of classroom relationships and a sense of belonging, training and retraining of teachers and students were found to be perfect solutions that can nip these problems in the bud. The present study, therefore, concluded that the value of teachers’ and students’ development towards diversity management must be addressed.Publisher's versio
Infusing disaster resilience thinking and practice into rural settlement planning, development and management in Zimbabwe
No full textRural areas in Zimbabwe, as elsewhere, are undergoing various transformations, some induced by natural processes and others by human interventions. One has to acknowledge the increase anthropogenic actions on the Earth since the 1950 that have partly triggered the challenges facing the planet. Infusion implies a deliberate mainstreaming with debates, practices and policies of an agenda. In this case, in education, health, social policy directions and related matters, resilience thinking needs to be the bottom line of discussion. That away positive results are expected. This thesis contributes to the debate on planning, development and management of rural settlements under the impact of environmental disasters largely induced by climate change. The thesis suggests measures towards the infusion of disaster resilience thinking and practice in rural settlement planning. Publications in the study are informed by various methodologies, including literature review, archival, fieldwork, interviewing and surveys. The thesis is structured into four major sections. The first section, Section A covers Preliminary Pages of the thesis that include Dedication, Preface, Executive Summary and Abstracts of Publications and Acknowledgements. The second section, Section B is Introduction, Literature and the Study Local Context and covers three chapters, Chapter 1, the Introduction, Chapter 2, Natural Disaster Resilience, Rural Settlement Planning and Housing: A Literature Review and Chapter 3, Understanding Zimbabwe: Disaster Resilience Thinking and Practice and Rural Settlement Planning, Development and Management. The third section, Section C (see also Appendix 1) contains the articles and publications. Under this section, three categories of publications are presented, A, B and C. A are those papers that speak to the situation analysis regarding the incident of climate change and environmental challenges as they reflect in the rural areas. B speaks to those papers that try to speak to measurement and indicators of climate resilience plus global and regional experiences in the same. The C category speaks to possible options and initiatives that can be done for rural disaster resilience practice enhancement. The last section is Section D entitled Study Synthesis, Conclusion and Options. Quite apparent in the foregoing discussion and thesis is the acknowledgement that disasters and risks with the paraphernalia of their impacts are growing to be part and parcel of life at a global scale. As such resilience thinking is the way to. The buffeting shall continue but systems have to be proofed and designed that the readiness is always in place. Preparing for disasters and risks begins by the general awareness, followed by a deliberate step in putting ‘cushions’ in place. A collaborative approach is required. In the thesis, the study has demonstrated that the players are many and includes individuals, organised (and unorganised communities, divided by aspects of gender, age, professionalism, spatial boundaries, etc, government (local and central) and non-state actors (community – based organisation and corporates). There have different capacities and contributions to the debate and practice of resilience, mitigation and adaption. These players should have a principal agenda of tapping on the diversity to bring solution to different scales of intervention – site, community, district or precinct, regional, national or even international. They have to live above besetting politics towards creating consensus for wise action. The study proposes an 8Ss Model for inculcating resilience thinking and practice in rural settlement planning and management as a strategy for managing disaster risk
An assessment of agricultural green schemes in Kavango East Region in Namibia
No full textDissertation (MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2021The study focuses on Green Agricultural Schemes (GASs) in Northern Namibia with an aim of assessing the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of GASs farmers in Kavango East Region. Green schemes refers to a government programme aimed at increasing food production in rural areas through irrigation programmes, provision of inputs and provision of necessary services or infrastructure. The study investigated four GASs in Kavango East region, these are Uvhungu-vhungu, Shitemo, Shandikongoro, and Ndonga Linena. The study used qualitative research approach to collect data using interviews and to analyse and present data. The results of the study show that the GAS small-scale farmers in Kavango East region have plenty of physical, economic, and infrastructural opportunities that promotes farming and benefit the farmers’ to a large extent. The results also show that the government has a positive GAS policy that ensure that the small scale farmers are supported technically, financially, and materially. The results of the study indicated that GASs have improved local people’s social and economic livelihoods. Apart from benefitting the farmers and the local community, GAS products have found their way into regional, national, and international markets. The study revealed that GAS farmers face a host of natural, human, economic, financial, and leadership challenges that threaten the existence of the GASs programme in Namibia. The study recommended that GAS small-scale farmers must be given long term payment period so that the farmers get opportunities to become fully equipped with modern farming resources to increase their performance and productivity. The government must introduce GAS annual reports so that the GAS are subjected to regular government audits to end financial mismanagement. Small-scale farmers in GASs should not only be trained farming knowledge and skills but should also be trained marketing skills or business accounting so that they are enabled to effectively sell their products and calculate their income and expenditures
Exploring the interface between transnational organised crime and political elites in Southern Africa: the cases of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of South Africa
No full textTransnational organised crime syndicates remain increasingly interconnected across the African continent and specifically in the Southern African region. Operating in the shadow of the economy, criminal syndicates and political elites alike continue to profit from crime. The study unpacks the nature of transnational organised crime in Southern Africa by exploring the interface between organised crime and political elites in the region. The research also demonstrates the threats that the nexus between organised crime and political elites pose to good governance, development, and democracy. Moreover, the study concludes with key recommendations on how, if at all, this menacing trend could be reversed. William Reno’s shadow state is adopted as a theoretical framework in this study to evaluate and juxtapose transnational organised crime and political elites in Southern Africa. Reno establishes a concept of a shadow state that exists as a parallel system of governance that is constructed behind the façade of law and governmental institutions. From this framework, organised crime follows the structure of the war economy, in which various informal structures are established by the shadow state to create systems of power, protection, and profit. The study therefore identifies points of cooperation between political and criminal actors and provides insights into the collusive nature of criminal networks within the context of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Moreover, it argues that the distinction between the licit and illicit is frequently blurred and political elites are sometimes the key participants and, to some degree, organisers of organised criminal activities. Both political and criminal actors become rulers of a shadow state with the ability to manipulate access to both the formal and clandestine markets, thereby undermining the legal institutions of government. Comparable to other regions of the African continent, the SADC region constitutes both developing and less developed countries. Some countries in the SADC are entangled in multiple violent conflicts and wars and are in the process of economic and political transition. As a result, their state institutions are fragile. On the other hand, other countries are relatively stable with well-developed infrastructure and economy. Therefore, analysing the phenomenon of the nexus between organised crime and political elites in the region requires an account of all these different factorsand the contributions thereof to the formation of criminal opportunities within different types of states. To achieve this aim, two countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of South Africa (RSA), were selected for qualitative analyses. Although these countries share similar ambitions on regional agendas, they have contrasting governance, economic, and security capacities. As the largest country in the region, the DRC offers a compelling case study. This is not only due to its fame as the largest country in Southern Africa but also because, despite its vast endowment of natural resources, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The DRC has also been involved in violent conflicts over the years. By using the DRC, the study demonstrates how poverty, conflict, instability, and state fragility serve as an opportunity for the complicity of political elites with organised criminal syndicates in the commercialisation of organised criminal activities. However, this study also points out that the phenomenon of the nexus between organised crime and political elites is not only confined to the so-called “weak” or “fragile states”. It is also visible in middle-income states such as the Republic of South Africa. South Africa is regarded as a powerhouse in the region with a relatively well-developed infrastructure and economy. It is entrusted with the responsibility to assist its neighbouring states in matters such as law enforcement initiatives, amongst others. It is also one of the countries with reasonable resources to counter organised crime effectively. Interestingly, this so-called regional powerhouse is also a regional hub for the production and trafficking of drugs and a constellation of other criminal activities. South Africa is, therefore, selected to demonstrate that the involvement of political elites in organised criminal activities is not necessarily linked to poverty, conflict, instability, and state fragility. Post-colonial state structures, the increasingly globalised private sector, as well as the connections between new governments and the colonial political and economic interests also play a role in the proliferation of political elite’s involvement in organised crime. The study concludes that addressing organised crime in the region will require preventing and reversing the criminalisation of governments, coupled with the provision of sustainable economic alternatives for citizens. This can only be achieved through new and innovative responses that extend far beyond the crime-fightingapproach, but that activate regional strategies across a broad range of sectors and include a diverse group of stakeholders.National Research Foundation (NRF
The possible role of microbial proteases in facilitating SARS-CoV-2 brain invasion
No full textSARS-CoV-2 has been shown to display proclivity towards organs bearing angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE2) expression cells. Of interest herein is the ability of the virus to exhibit neurotropism. However, there is limited information on how this virus invades the brain. With this contribution, we explore how, in the context of a microbial co-infection using a cryptococcal co-infection as a model, SARS-CoV-2 could reach the brain. We theorise that the secretion of proteases by disseminated fungal cells might also activate the S2 domain of the viral spike glycoprotein for membrane fusion with brain endothelial cells leading to endocytosis. Understanding this potential invasion mechanism could lead to better SARS-CoV-2 intervention measures, which may also be applicable in instances of co-infection, especially with protease-secreting pathogens.Publisher's versio
An Eco-Umuzi: Sodwana Bay
No full textSodwana Bay has been a tourist attraction since the late 1970’s. It is known for its sandy beaches and abundance of marine and wild life. This dissertation is proposing a multi-functional project which includes a crafts market, restaurant, information centre and scuba diving school that will enhance the tourists and locals’ experience of the beauty and diversity of the location. This dissertation aims to cater on various levels to different needs in order to ensure their integration, for example: to recognise the fossil-like fish, the coelacanth; to incorporate the existing scubadiving and tourist industry; and to include the local inhabitants’ culture and crafts. Consequently, this project will recognise and respect these different components, it will be inclusive while, simultaneously, working as sensitively as possible on the site
An analysis of emerging governing coalitions at the local level in South Africa with a specific focus on Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay
No full textThe 2016 South African local government election was a defining moment, which changed the political and governance landscape of the country significantly. The results of this election saw the electoral dominance of the African National Congress (ANC) in major metropolitan municipalities diminishing and losing power through the formation of coalitions. Local government in South Africa is the third tier of government and is regarded as being closest to the people. Therefore, an inherent link exists between democracy and tangible governance affecting the lives of citizens. Moreover, the principal duty of local government is to deliver and ensure access to essential public services. This developmental role of local government is also accentuated in the White Paper on Local Government where the local government system is committed to working with communities to meet these communities’ socio-economic needs in a sustainable manner. With this in mind, were the social and economic needs of the communities of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay met by the governing coalitions, which emerged, post the 2016 local government elections in these two metros? The coalitions, which emerged after the 2016 local government election in key metropolitan municipalities, necessitated an exploration into these fledgling coalitions and although coalition governments are not entrenched at the local level or are part of the South African political culture, the country has experienced some type of coalition at all levels since 1994. Accordingly, this study provides an analysis of the emerging governing coalitions as they relate to the minority governments of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela at the local level. Clarifying the link between coalitions and minority government, the premise is that minority governments are formed when a singular political party fails to reach the required majority to govern. Page | vi Explaining this further, De Vos (2016) writes the following: A party who has obtained the largest number of seats on a municipal council (but not an outright majority) does not have an automatic legal right to form the municipal government. Any group of parties who can cobble together a coalition of 50% plus 1 can form a coalition government, regardless of whether the largest party in the coalition is the largest party in the council. Of course, the closer to 50% of the seats a party obtains in a municipal council; the easier it will be for that party to cobble together a coalition. The research objectives probe the factors enabling or preventing coalition formation and the features of these emerging governing coalitions. Another objective was to explore how these coalition governments affected the communities of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay. This qualitative study used triangulation to provide a cohesive analysis of the data, which was comprised of semi-structured interviews, relevant documents, and other secondary sources. This study’s overview and conclusions attempted to explicate and establish coalition governance at the local level in South Africa. The 2016 local government elections brought a change in the balance of power and a reversal from the electoral dominance of the African National Congress (ANC). This facilitated a re-alignment of power by opposition parties to form emerging coalitions at the local level to affect governance. This study concluded that ideological and policy parity did not guarantee the survival of these emerging coalitions and that governance was adversely affected by their volatility. The lack of practical strategies which could have been applied more vigorously also negatively affected the efficacy of these coalitions. Thus, this study makes an original contribution to the interdisciplinary science of Governance and Political Transformation
The prevalence of polypharmacy and prescription of potentially inappropriate medications in the elderly
No full textBackground: The proportion of the elderly population, considered to be the main consumers of medicine, is on the increase. High multimorbidity prevalence in elderly increases the risk for appropriate- and inappropriate polypharmacy. Polypharmacy increase the risk for adverse drug reactions and drug events, drug-interactions and is associated with an increased risk of patient harm. Polypharmacy in the elderly correlates with potentially inappropriate medication prescription. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) prescription at the geriatric outpatient clinic, Universitas Academic Hospital between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019. Methods: A retrospective descriptive analytical study evaluating chronic medication prescriptions of all participants aged 65 years and older that attend the geriatric outpatient clinic at Universitas Academic Hospital over a 5-year period. Prescriptions were reviewed for quantity of medicines prescribed per participant and potentially inappropriate medication prescription. Results: A total of 786 participants were included in the study. The majority of patients were aged between 75 and 84 years. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 84.3% of which the majority was female. A mean number of 9.5 medications were prescribed, ranging from 0 to 23 medications. Overall PIM prevalence was 90.2%. Proton pump inhibitors, amitriptyline, insulin sliding scale, promethazine, doxazosin, digoxin and antipsychotics were the most frequently prescribed PIMs. The three most frequently used PIMs in the category of drugs to be used with caution in older adults were aspirin, the loop diuretic furosemide and tramadol. Fifty-two participants (6.6%) were on a combination of ≥ 3 drugs which can lead to potentially clinically important drug-drug interactions. Conclusion: A high prevalence of both polypharmacy and PIM was found. Limited data is available for the South African geriatric population
Reefs in ruin: Tsitsikama National Park
No full textThis dissertation sets out to investigate the role of architecture as a mediator between destruction and growth with specific reference to the global effects of coral bleaching. The basis of this thesis is a personal interest in the effects of coral bleaching and the means of prevention and cure thereof. Coral bleaching events are ever increasing and need to be addressed. Oceans are one of our main sources of life and need to be preserved and protected. In order to explore the means of architecture as a mediator between land and sea, I propose a Coral Reef Nursery and Rehabilitation centre in the Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Additionally, supplementary amenities of a restored restaurant, an aquarium and a re-established diving school are proposed. This dissertation will start by introducing the proposed site and its relation to the imminent threats of coral bleaching (Part 01), after research and further explorations (Part 02) this dissertation will propose a final design (Part 03) followed by a full evaluation of the process and findings (Part 04)
Stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue of undergraduate nursing students at a public university during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textDissertation (M.Soc.Sc. (Nursing))--University of the Free State, 2021The Professional Quality of Life conceptual framework forms the foundation for this study and was developed by Stamm (2010:8). This framework explains how stress, secondary trauma, burnout, and compassion fatigue have a negative effect on undergraduate nursing students’ psychological wellbeing. Undergraduate nursing students have been found to have more stress than other students during their studies (Chowet al., 2018:2; Labrague, 2013:424; Turner & McCarthy, 2017:21). This is due to their high academic workload and clinical hours required for nursing competency (Chernomas& Shapiro, 2013:1; Labrague, 2013:428). Stress over a prolonged period of time can lead to burnout (Ferriet al., 2015:106). Burnout in combination with secondary trauma can cause compassion fatigue (Stamm, 2010:13). Secondary trauma is caused by being exposed to someone else’s extremely negative or traumatic experiences within a caring capacity (Stamm, 2010:13). Compassion fatigue summarises the negative effects of caring (Chachula, 2021:2). In opposition to the negative factors, there is compassion satisfaction (Stamm, 2010:12). Compassion satisfaction can be described as the psychological fulfilment of doing work well and acts as a protective agent against compassion fatigue and burnout (Hegneyet al., 2014:507; Hinderer et al., 2014:161; Manson, 2013:28; Mason & Nel, 2012:451; Stamm, 2010:12).The research design for this study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The levels of perceived stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction experienced by undergraduate nursing students at a School of Nursing at a university in central South Africa were described. The levels of stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction experienced by first- and second-year students during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were compared to the levels experienced by first- and second-year students prior to the pandemic in 2018, based on an existing dataset at the same university (Engelbrecht & Wilke, 2021:142). All students at the selected university who were enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing were asked to participate. Of the 288 students, 108 participated in the study; the response rate was 38%. Three previously validated and reliable scales were used – namely, the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Additional biographical information and information concerning COVID-19 was also added. Data collection took place just before the ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 at the end of 2020, during the final examinations. No undergraduate nursing students were completing practical hours at this time. Data were cleaned and analysed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and percentages, were calculated for categorical variables. Means, medians, and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the scales and sub-scales. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences between the means of first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year students on perceived stress, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, personal accomplishment, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. Multiple regression was run to predict compassion fatigue in nursing students from year of study, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and perceived stress. The independent sample t-test was used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores for perceived stress, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, personal accomplishment, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction of first- and second-year nursing students who participated in the 2018 study and first- and second-year nursing students who participated in the current study. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Science Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. The results of the study indicated that undergraduate nursing students had moderate levels of stress. These findings were similar to other studies that also used the PSS in South Africa (Engelbrecht &Wilke 2021:142) and in Saudi Arabia (Shdaifat et al. 2018:33; Waled & Mohammed, 2019:121). With regards to burnout, the emotional exhaustion sub-scale suggested moderate risk for emotional exhaustion – the first stage of burnout. The participants were at average risk for depersonalisation – the second stage of burnout. Moderate levels of personal accomplishment were also identified. These study findings for burnout correlated with findings of another South African study (Engelbrecht & Wilke, 2021:142).The students were found to have moderate levels of compassion fatigue, which was similar to several other studies that also used the ProQOL– both internationally (Beaumont et al., 2016:242; Caoet al., 2021:1) and in South Africa (Engelbrecht & Wilke, 2021:142;Manson, 2013:28; Mason & Nel, 2012:454; Mathias &Wentzel, 2017:5). Moderate levels of compassion satisfaction were also reported, which correlates with several other South African studies (Engelbrecht & Wilke, 2021:142; Mason & Nel, 2015; Mathias & Wentzel, 2017:5). Second-year nursing students had higher mean scores for compassion fatigue than first-year nursing students. This might be due to the fact that second-year nursing students have to complete double the number of practical hours than first-year students. Emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and perceived stress were all statistically significantly associated with compassion fatigue. When comparing the first- and second-year nursing students' levels of perceived stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction in this study to that of a previous study done at the same public university in 2018 (Engelbrecht & Wilke, 2021:142), it was found that students in the current study (during COVID-19) had higher scores on personal accomplishment than the students in the 2018 (pre-COVID-19) group. This might be because data collection took place during exams, when no practical hours were being worked by undergraduate nursing students. The findings of this study are similar to those identified in earlier international and national research publications. Therefore, the recommendations align with those of previous studies and include the introduction of stress- and time-management workshops (Langtree et al., 2018:94; Manson, 2013:23; Waled & Mohammed, 2019:121). It is recommended that future research explore how coping strategies could improve the psychological wellbeing of undergraduate nursing students