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Strategies for improving professional curriculum leadership in accounting classes of Lesotho
No full textThis study aimed to design strategies to improve professional curriculum leadership in accounting classes in Lesotho; these strategies will help contribute to knowledge, especially in accounting. In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives were highlighted throughout the study: to determine the nature and scope of professional curriculum leadership in accounting classes in Lesotho, to establish perceptions of accounting curriculum leaders in Lesotho secondary schools regarding the practice of curriculum leadership, and to propose strategies to improve professional curriculum leadership in accounting classes in Lesotho. Accounting curriculum leaders in Lesotho are expected to engage with professional curriculum practice, thus, to improve the performance of learners in accounting classes. However, there is a need for a shared vision regarding knowledge of curriculum and learning programmes. Presently, there is a lack of proper lesson planning and presentation, and inadequate application of learning assessment and recording. Additionally, there is lack of teaching and learning resources, and teachers do not work as a dedicated team. Accounting education in Lesotho has been underachieving in terms of the expected pass rate of learners in Form E (Grade 12). The theoretical framework used to guide the research process is connectivism. The theory is about forming connections between people and technology, and teaching and learning in a connectivist learning environment; these connections are made in learning ecologies, communities and networks. The study used a qualitative research design that applied semi-structured interviews and lesson observations. Thematic analysis was used to interpret findings. Among the findings are that accounting curriculum leaders are not engaging fully in their leadership practices, as there is no shared vision relating to knowledge of curriculum and the learning programme, and there are no proper lesson planning and presentation, due to lack of teaching and learning resources. The study’s main recommendation is that further research is undertaken to answer the following question: Why are accounting curriculum leaders, as professional bodies, not more involved in accounting curriculum planning and design in their leadership practices
The impact of structures and processes on intergovernmental processes in the Sol Plaatje Municipality
No full textDissertation(M.A.(Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2020When the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) came into operation on 4 of February 1997, it represented the historical culmination of a focused process of constitution-writing which commenced in December 1991. This process came as a result of the initiation of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), a national multi-party constellation established to negotiate a transition to inclusive democracy (Venter, 2014: 2).
Groups or individuals cannot exist without regulations or laws. Even when these laws are put in place, there is a need to implement and govern them, hence the need for a body or structure that will oversee the adherence to these rules and regulations: a constitution. This constitution is the supreme law of the Republic; law or conduct inconsistent with it is invalid, and the obligations imposed by it must be fulfilled (Ngcukaitobi, Brickhill, & Stein, 2012: 319). Chapter 3 of the Constitution of South Africa sets out the principles of Cooperative Governance; all spheres must observe and adhere to the principles in this chapter and must conduct their activities within the parameters that the chapter provides (Mhone & Edigheji, 2003: 156).
Intergovernmental Relations begin to have importance where there is a separation of powers amongst different spheres of government (Ismail, Bayat & Meyer, 1997: 138). South Africa has three spheres of government, namely national, provincial, and local (municipal). National government is then divided into three branches: law-making (legislative authority), the actual operations of governing (executive authority), and the courts (judicial authority). All these structures of government are interdependent and need each other to function and to operate effectively. This practice is known as Intergovernmental Relations. Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) is defined as the processes and institutions through which governments within a political system interact (Phillimore, 2013: 229). These institutions function as interacting networks of institutions at all levels; they are created to enable the various parts of government to form a unified whole, with cooperative governance playing a larger role as it derives mandate from the constituency at regional levels (Phillimore, 2013: 229).
Ismail et al (1997: 139) asserts that cooperative governance is a new idea to resolve issues associated with Intergovernmental Relations seeking to address the difficulties pertaining to the coordination of government functions and streamlining of government’s administrative responsibilities (Ismail et al., 1997: 139). The value of Intergovernmental Relations in South Africa is evident with the integration of local government and traditional affairs as the defining element of cooperative governance. cooperative governance alludes to all types of government that adopt political flexibility, negotiation, compromise, and less reliance on the rigid distribution of powers between the three spheres of government (Tau, 2015: 801). The powers and authority of local government with its mandate to regulate its own laws and matters pertaining to its jurisdiction is recognised by the Constitution in South Africa. Section 151 (4) of the South African Constitution states that national and / or provincial government spheres may not compromise or prevent the functions of local government (Ismail et al., 1997: 139).
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Care needs of the frail elderly at home in Matwabeng
No full textWorldwide the population of the elderly is growing larger. South Africa experiences the same significant ageing phenomenon as the rest of the world, with the number of persons aged 65 and older increasing yearly. The elderly population in Matwabeng (Senekal), that forms a part of the Thabo Mofutsanyane Local District Municipality in the Free State, shows the same international tendency. It is ageing population place a greater burden for care on several resources, including relatives, caregivers, communities, the Department of Health, Department of Social Development and other relevant non-governmental organizations. Ageing populations have a significant impact on all types of health care provision, because the increasing years may not necessarily be spent in good health. Added to the escalation in the number of chronic medical conditions that forms part of the natural ageing process, and elderly care becomes more complicated. The growing number of older people in communities inevitably leads to an increased demand for nurses to work with the elderly. More, older persons visiting local clinics brings an increase in chronic medical conditions, while the existing clinics are already being overcrowded. Primary health care services encounter pronounced challenges in providing frail care services to the elderly due to the cumulative effects of the variety of chronic medical conditions that need more nursing attention than can be provided during a single visit. Frail care services need a new innovative plan to address the needs of the elderly in the community because current primary health care services cannot provide for all the various needs of frail elderly residents in in a community. Furthermore, there are not enough resources to accommodate all the frail elderly in residential care facilities in their own communities. Literature on the requirements and care of the frail elderly is extremely limited and to plan for the rational long-term care of these people, more information is needed. This study aimed to determine specifically what the care needs of the frail elderly living at home were. This will assist the decision makers in planning in caring for this growing group of people. In order to determine the needs of frail elderly residing at home, the researcher examine the frail elderly living in Matwabeng with regard to their needs by means of questionnaires.University of the Free StateHealth and Welfare Set
Gender mainstreaming in Free State municipalities: the case of Matjhabeng and Mohokare local municipalities
No full textAbstract not availableThroughout the world, gender inequality between men and women persists to exist and stalls the development of women. According to Robeyns (2003), inequality limits women access to the same opportunities as men, therefore, hinders their capabilities to perform and excel in the environment traditionally reserved for men. Labour division is predominantly along gender lines, wherein men are mostly found in both public and private sectors in positions that require strategic decision-making (Connell, 2006). In some parts of Europe and Africa the majority of women are found employed in the
areas that are traditionally welfarism, health and social development without strategic decision-making powers where they care for others and are less paid (Omotosho, 2015). The traditional arrangements of division of labour alongside gender, fail to recognise the capabilities that each person possess without describing them in accordance to the system, as Sen (cited in Robeyns, 2003) that capabilities are people’s potential functioning, therefore it cannot be evaluated exclusively on utilities and income.
Women often have to work harder, in order to attain the same accolades and recognitions as their men counterparts. Whilst there has been a noticeable effort and progress towards gender equality over
the years, it is evidence that women remain at the periphery in terms of empowerment and equality as compared to men (Sen, 2000). Internationally there has been a concerted effort by UN to strengthen gender equality efforts. This has been amplified by the development of international gender protocols and instruments, such as CEDAW and Beijing Platform of Action in 1995 (Moser & Moser, 2005). The protocols created an enabling environment to achieve gender equality and transformation. These protocols are applicable to member countries that are signatories and had ratified UN protocols.
According to the UN (2015), the evaluated progress made by member countries since the adoption of Beijing Platform of Action in 1995, have shown skewed progress made 2 by countries, which remained low as countries reported different achievements on different indicators. Part of the challenges towards the achievement of gender equality was the lack of a framework that guided all countries towards the achievement of gender equality. The 2000 Beijing review session adopted gender mainstreaming as
the strategy to be implemented by member countries, to achieve gender equality and Empowerment. In 2000 UN adopted eight (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of which goal five (5) is, “women empowerment and equality became the cornerstone for redressing gender imbalances between men and women towards achieving gender equality”. However, the MDG fell short on addressing some of the indicators that addresses women’s socio-economic status, as it mainly centred on education and women’s representatives in parliament (Kabeer, 2017). Similarly, South Africa is a signatory and has ratified both the Beijing Platform of Action and CEDAW. It has since 1994 transformed from a system of governance that did not promote equality across race and gender to one that is entrenched in human rights, therefore promoting equal rights for all, irrespective of race, creed, including the commitment to gender equality. The constitution, which the supreme law of the country enshrines in Chapter 2, the Bill of Rights is a cornerstone to realise equality, including gender equality. Mechanisms were put in place post 1994 that ensured that governance systems across all spheres of government, entities and business,
transform from an exclusive to inclusive system that promoted, amongst others, gender equality.
The mechanisms included the development of legislations, such as an employment equity act that promoted gender equality, and further developed the National Gender Policy Framework. It has however been noted that the progress towards the implementation of gender mainstreaming in different spheres of government, including municipalities has been stalled. What causes the slow progress could be attributed to a lack of understanding the concept ‘gender mainstreaming’ (CGE, 2016) or internal systemic and structural mechanisms (Mompei, 2015) that enable gender mainstreaming, as a tool towards gender empowerment and equality to achieve transformation. This study would therefore determine how municipalities are implementing gender mainstreaming. The study would examine business processes and procedures, 3 knowledge of gender mainstreaming and internal mechanisms in Mohokare and
Matjhabeng Local Municipalities. The study would therefore outline the background profile of Matjhabeng and Mohokare Municipalities and the problem statement. Further outlines would be the aims and objective of the study. Literature review would be done to determine what other researchers have written and their findings about gender mainstreaming in internationally, regionally, and nationally and in the municipalities. The study would outline the research design, the method, which in this case would be
qualitative. Further outlines would be data collection and sampling strategy, research ethics, measurement map, data analysis and timelines outlining the anticipated research period
An emancipatory African victimological assessment with specific reference to the Ovahimba tribe in Namibia
No full textIn light of numerous momentous milestones that feminism has achieved around the world, by enabling women to pursue employment in various spheres such as medicine, politics and business, it has inadvertently placed women from indigenous societies in condescending positions. By not recognising this problematic error, Western and Eurocentric feminist theories subsumed all women under a universal umbrella. Being viewed as the ‘Other’ woman by Western/Eurocentric ideologies has positioned women from ‘developing’ countries in areas that have come to restrict their unique voices. This, more so for indigenous women as they have been perceived by some feminist scholars and activists to be in need of dire assistance. Moreover, this assistance is solely derived from Western policies that has neglected to acknowledge the uniqueness of African women’s problems. As a result of this neglect, indigenous African women have been victimised into believing that Western and Eurocentric development plans have been implemented to aid in the modernisation of their communities. The victimisation vulnerability of indigenous women in Africa is a subject that has garnered a limited amount of research. The plights of these women has been documented over the years, however, the implementation of policies, laws and intervention programmes has received criticism from African scholars, as well as some Western scholars. These criticisms stem from the possible effects that certain cultural practices may have on indigenous women. Notwithstanding, the influence of patriarchy on their lived experiences is a matter that some African scholars believe requires attention. Utilising an exploratory standpoint as the basis for this study’s aims, the possible victimisation vulnerability of indigenous women in their communities was explored, as well as the causes that may contribute to their victimisation. Furthermore, due to the need to understand the problems of indigenous women from an African perspective, this study sought to explore whether or not an emancipated African perspective could assist in explaining the meanings, and experiences attached to the roles of indigenous women in their communities. The use of a qualitative research model aided in the collection of the data necessary for this study. By employing a purposive sampling technique, 11 indigenous women from the Ovahimba tribe in Namibia participated in this study. The findings of the focus group discussions were analysed thematically and various themes, as well as their respective factors emerged from the data. These themes and factors were explored, and discussed on macro and micro levels. This distinction during analysis made it possible to limit the overlap between certain themes and factors, as some themes and factors were linked via particular aspects of discussion. The findings illustrated that this particular group of indigenous women are vulnerable to victimisation and that certain traditional practices associated with their culture such as marriage contributed to experiences of emotional distress. Furthermore, patriarchy and its influence on their lived experiences was found to be a contributing factor to their victimisation vulnerability as well. Finally, the findings related to how indigenous women felt about their roles as women in their communities, highlighted that they were content with their positions as wives and as mothers. In addition, the love for their culture surpassed their desires for a modern life. Thus, concluding that Western and Eurocentric theories cannot be universally applied to all women from different cultural, racial and economic backgrounds. The recommendations that were posed in this study emphasised a need to develop an African perspective that will decolonise and emancipate itself from Western, and Eurocentric ideologies, with the use of indigenous African women’s personal narratives as a cornerstone. Multi-disciplinary studies may also need to be conducted in order to address the dearth of research, as well as the library of literature for academic research purposes
The potential of brassinosteroids to alleviate the effect of mesotrione residue on three legume crops
No full textLegume crops are warm climate crops with the potential of improving soil fertility, by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, utilizing the Rhizobium bacteria and after harvest the roots of the crop is left in the soil to decompose, which results in improved soil fertility. They are very important to both smallholder and commercial farmers, because they provide a source of income and food for both humans and animals. Due to their importance in increasing soil fertility it is economically viable to plant them in a crop rotation system. However, despite their importance, production can be low if weed competition is not eliminated and due to their sensitivity to certain herbicides. Mesotrione is a selective herbicide that is normally used to control annual broad weeds and grasses in maize production, and it can be used as a preemergence or post-emergence application in the field. However due to legume’s sensitivity to this herbicide it can have a huge impact on the production in a rotation system. To enable assessment of these impacts, the three legumes required testing with scenarios involving different levels of mesotrione residues in interaction with different application methods of brassinosteroids interactions. It is hypothesized that negative consequences of mesotrione on plant productivity would be mitigated by the application of brassinosteroids. This mitigation may be ascribed to BRs increasing both morphological, physiological and yield parameters and increased resistance or tolerance, which may buffer transient periods of herbicide stress. Under glasshouse conditions over two seasons, again BRs in combination with three concentrations of mesotrione residue have been shown to ameliorate damages caused by mesotrione residue on crops and all the morphological, physiological and yield parameters were significantly increased after treatment with BRs. The study confirmed the potential of BRs to counteract the possible negative effects of the mesotrione residue on morphology, physiology and yield of the three legumes. Further studies need to explore the effect of residual activities using different herbicides and to determine the alleviating effect of brassinosteroids. This will enable more precise exploration of legume plant response to herbicide stress scenarios
Towards a regulatory framework to protect groundwater resources during and as a result of unconventional oil and gas extraction
No full textThe design, implementation and evaluation of an HIV counselling skills programme for lay counsellors
No full textLay counsellors provide the majority of public health with HIV counselling and testing services in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. Although lay counsellors are not formally employed, these volunteers provide a variety of basic healthcare services both in facility and community-based programmes. Lay counsellors are not professionally trained, and challenges have been identified in their counselling skills and competence. The study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate an HIV counselling skills training programme for lay counsellors in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State Province, South Africa.
An experimental approach through a concurrent triangulation mixed-method design was utilised. Using a pretest-posttest non-equivalent method, 107 lay counsellors were selected through multi-stage non-probability purposeful sampling. Structured interviews, focus group discussions, and the observation of counselling sessions were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data. The UNAIDS Tools for evaluating Voluntary HIV counselling and testing and the Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure the variables in the study. Quantitatively, a cross-sectional, correlational, and criterion-group design was used, while thematic content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.
The results indicated that lay counsellors had inadequate counselling skills and displayed limited competence, especially in pre-HIV test counselling, TB and PMTCT interventions. These results indicate that lay counsellors found it difficult to manage sensitive situations with patients. However, the Mann-Whitney test compared the differences between the experimental and the control groups and indicated no statistical difference in HIV content-based elements. No statistical difference on the competence-based elements in pre- and post-intervention were found for the experimental group. In addition, the participants reported a significant level of emotional exhaustion and work and systemic challenges such as lack of support, supervision, formal employment opportunities, and limited time to conduct counselling and unsafe working environments.
However, the MANOVA showed no statistical difference in the emotional exhaustion subscale of the MBI amongst the experimental group.
The study indicates gaps in the execution of HIV counselling within HCT services, although the HIV counselling skills training programme was unable to address these discrepancies. The study did reveal systemic and work-related indicators that impact HIV counselling provided by lay counsellors. The need for further counselling training is an arguable one, which should allow for a longer time frame, evaluation and monitoring to meet the needs of HCT services. Future studies should consider longitudinal research, and given the implications of work-related conditions reported, studies can include systemic variables, service users and measures that would address these aspects. In practice, counselling skills and competence are reinforced through regular supervision and on-going training, and this should be standard. Also, reorganising recruitment practices and creating employment opportunities should be prioritised to promote the selection of suitable candidates as lay counsellors
Perspectives on family resilience in the face of unemployment
No full textThe aim of this study was to explore and describe the resilience, in particular optimal functioning and coping mechanisms from families affected by unemployment within the City of Johannesburg. In South Africa, unemployment has been a thorny issue over the past decades despite government interventions through the establishment and implementation of various policies. The aftermaths of unemployment have affected the lives of many South African families negatively, most specifically, their functioning and well-being. Therefore, unemployment is attributed as a risk factor that affects many families negatively. The family resilience theory was applied as a theoretical lens asserting that a family can, despite adversity and risk, thrive through the members’ collaborative efforts. This study thus intends to explore the embedded protective factors, coping strategies and thriving potentials families tap into while they are faced by unemployment challenges. A qualitative paradigmatic approach and a multiple case study design were employed to achieve the aim of the study. A purposive and snowball sampling technique was applied to recruit nine participants who met the selection criteria. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews from family members deemed as breadwinners and/or key family providers. Each participant had two interviews which were four months apart, amounting to a total of 18 transcripts. The transcripts were analysed through a hybrid process which incorporated both the inductive and deductive logics of thematic analysis. The findings of this study generated nine themes which were clustered into three domains, namely the family belief systems, organisational patterns or processes, and communication. The results are indicative of key protective factors which facilitated coping and functioning as unemployed families managed to surmount the adversities of unemployment. It therefore implies that, despite the challenges experienced, families demonstrated resilience which is embedded within the identified protective factors
The role of Southern African Development Community (SADC) in promoting democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe
No full textThe Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a regional body comprising 15 member states namely Angola, Botswana, Democratic republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Eswatini, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It was founded on the 17th August 1992 (SADC, 1996). Together with other regional bodies such as the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), African Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and others, the SADC formed a part of the African Union (AU) in the African continent.
The goal of these multilateral organizations is to further socio-economic cooperation
and foster regional peace and security. Many regional organizations have a democratic identity and are committed to act in accordance with the promotion of human rights, respecting the rule of law and practicing good governance within Member States.
Good governance promotes freedom from anarchy, and fear of crime to provide stability and security for development and sustainable investment. The rule of law is a strong component of governance and important for sustainable development. It is said that in countries where good governance is present, higher levels of growth and investment through the protection of property rights are achievable (UNDP, 2014:2-6). There is a strong connection between good governance and development or between underdevelopment and poor governance. The researcher is motivated by the desire to see good governance practices and the rule of law taking centre stage in the SADC region.
Good governance and democracy are significant components of economic growth and economic development. This region requires a strong regional body which is firm and decisive in its execution of its founding principles. The researcher is interested in finding out how peace and political stability are being adjudicated by SADC. Therefore, it is of essence to investigate the role of the SADC in promoting democracy and good governance in the region. There are challenges with good governance as well as socioeconomic and political issues in some countries within the SADC such as Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). The researcher will use Zimbabwe as a case study to evaluate the impact of the SADC in promoting democracy and good governance. The researcher is interested in finding out why Zimbabwe, a SADC member state continues to experience challenges on human rights issues and the rule of law. This study seeks to identify the nature of the challenges facing the SADC in promoting good governance and democratic practices in Zimbabwe.
South Africa has a considerable number of illegal and legal immigrants from SADC
countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and other parts of the continent
which points to a serious challenge with regards to issues of governance in those
countries. The violent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals of 2008 and 2015
exemplified reasons as to why South Africa cannot play a greater role in promoting the rule of law in the SADC as a leading power bloc in the region (Gwala, 2015:152). Illegal migration is a problem in the region and has a direct link to aspects of governance. The displacement of civilians in other parts of the region which has a direct negative impact on South Africa’s political and socio- economic transformation, points to the challenges facing the SADC in general (Carneson, 2011:15).
In the period 2000-2019, there has been poor protection of the human rights of citizens
in Zimbabwe and the kingdom of Lesotho has been characterized by no prospects of
political stability in the near future, with Eswatini remaining the only absolute monarchy in the SADC region with a poor human rights protection record. In the DRC, national elections had to be postponed by more than two years. This was because former President Joseph Kabila made a decision to cling to power exceeding his two constitutionally permitted terms in 2016. This sparked a national political crisis resulting in countrywide protests (ACCORD, 2017: 14)