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Social enterprises and sustainability in Gauteng, South Africa
No full textDissertation(MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023Social entrepreneurship has become essential in several developed and underdeveloped countries (Defourny and Nyssens, 2010). In 1980, social entrepreneur Bill Drayton founded the Ashoka Innovators for the Public organisation (Shapiro, 2010). Ashoka referred to a passionate entrepreneur who was tackling a social issue. The entrepreneur’s objective would be a social mission that is backed by entrepreneurial qualities of dynamism, innovation, and dedication. According to Shapiro (2010), the term has evolved and now has different meanings. Some of these include social activities with business attributes and businesses themselves. It is a business; however, it has a social objective, and any surplus income is invested (Roy et al., 2010). Social entrepreneurship creates value instead of capturing value (Santos, 2012). According to Littlewood (2015), the social mission is the most critical objective. Profits are the route to achieve this objective and are reinvested in the organisation and not given out to shareholders. It is an emerging field with no consensus on the definition (Austin et al., 2006). In Europe, the conversations and ideas of social entrepreneurship began in the 1990s, while in the United States, the Harvard Business School started an initiative on social entrepreneurship in 1993. There were, however, different understandings and no consensus on what social entrepreneurship was (Bennati and Radi, 2018). Various institutions were set up, with universities starting research and training programmes in this area. Other networks were set up, including the emergence of social enterprises in Europe, such as the EMES European Research Network and the Social Enterprise Knowledge Network for Latin American business schools. This further led to various European countries passing laws that promoted social entrepreneurship. The European approach to social entrepreneurship emphasised the collective, cooperative and associative forms. Social entrepreneurship is also attracting attention in Latin America and Eastern Asia (Defourny and Nyssens, 2010). Here, social networks are essential for understanding social entrepreneurship for three reasons: They drive the flow and quality of information and determine rewards and punishments. Trust emerges through social networks, which impact the cost of transactions. Social networks, therefore, influence the organisation’s performance and access to resources and help build legitimacy; social entrepreneurship results from pooling and exchanging resources by different organisations. Social entrepreneurs rely on wide and personal networks, unlike commercial businesses, which depend on professional networks (Trivedi and Stokols, 2011). When social entrepreneurs address social problems, this creates social value. High unemployment, poverty and inequality are experienced in South Africa. These have remained extremely high and are predicted to remain as economic growth prospects are bleak. Social entrepreneurship, among other solutions, may help to address this situation. However, social entrepreneurship has faced sustainability challenges, and it is essential to look at how some established social enterprises have sustained themselves. This may help develop the sector in the Gauteng as well as the rest of the country
The constitutional right to conduct business in South Africa – limitations imposed by a state of emergency or disaster
Get PDFDissertation(LL.M.(Law))--University of the Free State, 2023It seems as if governments worldwide consistently act in the best interest of most of their civil and corporate citizens when a national crisis arises, resulting in minority groups not always being treated fairly. Governments often base their decisions on national interests, policy and political considerations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became evident that there is a greater need for measures to ensure that decisions made during a state of disaster or pandemic are based on rational grounds, failing which the constitutional and other rights of minority groups can be influenced.
Case studies of South Africa, India, Australia, and the United States of America (USA) have shown how complex crisis decision-making is.
For example:
As shown in the tobacco and alcoholic beverage industries, South Africa prioritised healthcare over intellectual property (IP) rights, which raised doubts regarding the efficacy of the TRIPS Agreement on matters such as branding restrictions during a pandemic.
Australia's pragmatic approach, using common-sense regulatory reforms and working closely with trade unions, showed how pre-emptive measures protect employment, businesses, and the right to work. India's dependence on its pharmaceutical industry's capabilities despite international legal choices shows the relevance and importance of seeking local and pragmatic solutions, even more so if you are a developing country. Therefore, the legal analysis of the freedom to conduct business in Australia and India yielded valuable insights that can be used in South Africa to develop future legislation and legal considerations to manage such situations better.
The USA's choice not to exercise march-in rights or enforce patent waivers emphasised public safety and health over intellectual property rights. It seems the USA's approach worked best to advance science without compromising safety or job losses.
The dissertation acknowledges the importance of international collaboration in promoting economic progress and defending social interests. Although they address separate issues, the TRIPS Agreement and the draft Pandemic Treaty are fundamental advances towards a more sustainable and resilient global economy. These accords emphasise collaboration, readiness, and accountability for complex global issues. Lastly, the dissertation emphasised the need for adaptive and collaborative approaches to pandemics and other crises
Exploring the use of professional learning communities to enhance history curriculum implementation in the FET phase
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Social Science and Commerce Education))--University of the Free State, 2023South Africa’s education system has changed drastically since the country’s turn to democracy in 1994. The curriculum is anticipated to evolve as the educational system changes. This means that teachers must always adjust to a system that is constantly changing because they are responsible for teaching and helping studnets learn. However, there has been a significant concern that teacher development has not been supported by these reforms. More effective teacher development initiatives are thus necessary because the main objective of teacher development is to improve classroom practice and learning outcomes in South African schools. This study investigated professional learning communities as a new teacher development initiative in the FET phase. The aim was to explore the use of professional learning communities to enhance history curriculum implementation in the FET phase. The study was positioned within the constructivism paradigm and a qualitative approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were used. Five history teachers were purposively selected and interviewed. The study was based at UMgungundlovu district in KwaZulu-Natal.
Findings reveal that teachers use professional learning communities (PLCs) as a form of collaboration, mostly in cluster meetings. Findings also show that teachers understand PLCs as they engage in different activities during PLCs. This includes content discussion based on content knowledge of a subject. Several researchers agree on the following features of professional learning communities: shared vision, values and goals, collegiality and collaborative learning, supportive conditions, shared personal practice, a collective focus on student learning, and shared trust and leadership. Findings also revealed that strategies for PLCs are workshops, peer learning, lesson study and intergrating ICT as well as assessments. However, clusters do not demonstrate all the features of professional learning communities. As a result, it is vital for the Department of Basic Education to build clusters so that they operate as professional learning communities
Ecological analysis of Afromontane grasslands in the Eastern Free State using the biotope quality index
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Entomology))--University of the Free State, 2023Environmental disturbance poses threats to conservation efforts in highland montane grassland in temperate regions prone to land transformation, overgrazing, habitat fragmentation, soil erosion, uncontrolled fires and plant invasion. In this study, the Biotope Quality Index () was adopted and applied as a species surrogate to evaluate impact of disturbance on the Afromontane grassland vegetation types namely Sandy Eastern Free State, Basotho Montane Shrubland and North Drakensberg Highlands Drakensberg Grasslands in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. In addition, the Biotope Conservation Status () was developed as an additional to to indicate the impact of environmental disturbance on conservation efforts in protected areas. Chapter 1 begins with a brief history that highlights the importance of temperate grasslands and the role that protected areas play in the conservation of sensitive biomes. In Chapter 2, the most regularly used environmental quality indices, their application domain (air, water and terrestrial), arithmetic formulation, development and application process as well as suggestions into continuous usage and nomenclature of those environmental indices were reviewed. Chapter 3 indicates how the was adopted into the veg for vegetation ecology analysis, using three common plant species abundance-cover scales (Domin, Braun-Blanquet and percentage density), and results suggested that, for , species list must include most plants present in the vegetation type to allow variation within data points. Furthermore, veg was able to indicate variation in sites which were affected by relatively high degree of soil erosion, plant invasion / encroachment and long-term effects of historical agricultural practices. Moreover, the application of the as a species surrogate was demonstrated, with inclusion of the add-on as well as a ArcGIS Feature Analysis parameter, to illustrate the conservation status of the Sandy Eastern Free State in Chapter 4 and the Basotho Montane Shrubland grassland vegetation type in Chapter 5 using arthropod assemblages to evaluate as a unit of measure. Furthermore, the inclusion of the as a species surrogate for rapid bioassessments and biomonitoring was supported using both plant communities and arthropod assemblages to highlight the impact of environmental disturbances in the Highlands Drakensberg Grassland vegetation unit in Chapter 6. In conclusion, indicated the ability to use plants as a unit of measure and its flexibility for common vegetation abundance-cover scales. Again, was able to highlight the impacts of environmental disturbances on plant communities and arthropod assemblages. Therefore, it is recommended that and be used as a surrogate for bioassessment and biomonitoring to assess impacts of disturbance toward and to indicate the conservation status of important ecosystems, bioregions, or biotopes
Activation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by secreted proteases
No full textThesis (Ph.D.(Microbiology and Biochemistry))--University of the Free State, 2023The thesis is not structured in a classical way. As such, it is composed of a literature review section (Chapter 1) and two research chapters (Chapters 2 and 3). A general discussion section (Chapter 4) and addendums are also included. As some chapters are in a publication format, repetition of essential information could not be avoided.
Chapter 1 reviews the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact. In particular, it considers the co-infection of this virus with respiratory fungal pathogens, which are major independent risk factors that complicate COVID-19 by causing a more severe infection resulting in higher mortality than that of either infection on its own. These fungal pathogens secreted furin-like proteases to further their virulence during host invasion. In this context, the thesis argues that it is foreseeable that the virus could also access these fungal furin-like proteases and pervert them in order to activate its latent spike protein. Therefore, this set up a number of questions, which are addressed in the thesis concerning the possible activation of the viral latent spike protein by fungal furin-like proteases.
In Chapter 2, it was sought to characterise (.) neoformans proteases and assess if they could theoretically bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. To be specific, previous papers reporting on cryptococcal serine proteases were perused, and this made it possible to select a number of proteases, namely cryptococcal serine carboxypeptidase (CNBF4600), cryptococcal cerevisin (CNBJ2870) and cryptococcal peptidase (CNBA1340), cryptococcal peptidase (CNAG_00150) and cryptococcal cerevisin (CNAG_04625). By designing specific primers, it was possible to show that these serine proteases were expressed in H99, the prototypical cryptococcal strain used in this thesis. Therefore, the expressed gene products were expected to be secreted into the culture media. This was important for the work that follows in Chapter 3. Through using the computational programme, High Ambiguity Driven protein-protein DOCKing (HADDOCK), it was possible to show that some of the selected cryptococcal serine proteases could interact with the coronavirus spike protein and yield a binding affinity greater than and comparable to furin.
However, as HADDOCK is a computational programme, the predicted binding affinities might not correlate with the experimental binding affinities in solution, more so since the used proteases structures were predicted and not solved. To account for this, Chapter 3 sought to provide enzymatic evidence using the collected culture media – in the form of supernatant. To do this, a mimetic fluorogenic peptide of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was designed and modified to have intra-molecular fluorescence quenching capability using 7-methoxycoumarin-4-yl acetyl (MCA) at the N-terminus and N-2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) at the C-terminus. The assay was performed using the cryptococcal supernatant. For reference, recombinant furin was included as this is the serine protease present in humans that catalyses the activation of the spike protein. Here, it was determined that cryptococcal serine proteases present in the supernatant could cleave the mimetic spike protein at S1/S2 site with biochemical efficiency comparable to furin. To test the veracity of these data, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirion containing a full-length spike protein was used. It was possible to show that the pseudovirion could be transduced into HEK-293T cells in the presence of the cryptococcal supernatant.
Chapter 4 takes into account the obtained results and provides a summary of the major observations. Of note, the thesis theorises that yeast kexin proteases are responsible for the observed activity. This is because there is a functional homology between yeast kexin proteases and furin (both are convertases); thus, it is reasonable that the supernatant (which contains yeast kexin proteases) could activate the latent SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The thesis further proves that other respiratory fungal pathogens have yeast kexin proteases that activate the spike protein. This evidence is documented in Addendum no. 1. All things considered, the findings point to the regulation of protease activity as a viable approach to control the activation of the spike protein by either mammalian protease or fungal proteases. To this end, protease inhibitors could be used to control unwanted proteolysis. Addendum no. 2 attempted to show this. Here, it was possible to show that the South African-based medicinal plant Artemisia tea infusion extract and its active compound artemisinin could control the activation of the mimetic SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by furin but not the supernatant. The latter highlights the need to purify the supernatant and isolate yeast kexin proteases. The idea of exploring the control of unwanted proteolysis is also an interventional measure considered by Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company. This American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation successfully piloted Paxlovid to control SARS-CoV-2. This drug contains an anti-protease (PF-07321332) that inhibits the protease (SARS-CoV-2 3CLp) responsible for viral replication
Investigating good governance and leadership within the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)
No full textDissertation(M.A. (Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2023Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) have been in operation for more than 20 years in South Africa. SETAs were first introduced by the Department of Labour in the year 2000 and they were established according to the Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998, of which subsection 9(1) in Chapter 3 states that the relevant minister may establish a SETA with a constitution for any national economic sector. SETAs were formed after the apartheid era because of the gaps and imbalances caused by apartheid. They were established to create jobs and to address the shortage of skilled professionals in South Africa, especially among black people, women, and disadvantaged citizens. The objective of the SETAs is to facilitate training in the different sectors and their mandate is to address skills development needs (Republic of South Africa [RSA] 1998b). Since their establishment, SETAs have attracted negative media attention due to poor governance and leadership (see, for example, Bolin 2003; Mail & Guardian 2003; Robinson 2004). Barclay (2012: 3) states that regardless of their positive contribution to skills development, SETAs continue to be the most criticised entities in the democratic dispensation. The challenges faced by SETAs are ineffective management information systems, poor monitoring and evaluation systems, lack of quality assurance mechanisms, poor governance, high dropout rates of learners registered for learnerships, corruption, theft, dysfunction, poor leadership, and irregular expenditure. Even though SETAs have existed for more than 20 years, little has been done with regard to leadership (the boards and senior management) within the SETAs.
There have been continuous management challenges with regard to implementing policies and SETA operating principles. The management of SETAs is known to be ill-equipped to implement regulations and to enforce the law. Some SETAs have been placed under administration because of maladministration and the continuous unethical conduct of their senior management. Most SETAs are poorly managed, which results in fruitless expenditure such as spending billions of rands on administrative functions, with little money going to the training needs of the stakeholders (Rhodes University, 2021). According to Prinsloo (2004: 4), SETAs were created to serve as a solution for the shortage of skills in the country. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has been reporting irregular expenditure within the SETAs since 2019, of which most of the irregular expenditure stems from poor governance and leadership. A member of the Parliamentary Committee and representative of the Democratic Alliance stated that “SETAs are corrupt and ineffective organizations” and that “the cycle of dissolving boards and appointing administrators goes on and on within SETAs due to ineffective leadership within the SETAs” (Parliamentary Monitoring Group [PMG] 2020). A member of the Parliamentary Committee and representative of the African National Congress challenged SETA representatives to devise a plan to restore efficiency and effectiveness within the SETAs. He questioned the good governance and management of the SETAs in 2020 during a committee meeting set up by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (PMG 2020)
Economic sustainability of small mining towns: a case study in South Africa
No full textSmall mining towns are often single-industry towns that turn to ghost towns or face negative socio-economic impacts upon mine closure. This study qualitatively explores the roles that mining companies and other key stakeholders (should) play in the development of local economies of the small mining communities to bring about economic sustainability, employing a constant comparative analysis. A small mining town in South Africa is the case study. Legislative and policy frameworks were scrutinized for their effectiveness in promoting economic sustainability. In-depth interviews with key stakeholders were carried out. Key factors limiting the effective implementation of developmental strategies were also explored. The study finds that weak community involvement, lack of trust, poor collaboration, poor municipal capacity, and legislation and policy flaws impact economic sustainability. Sustainable local economic development efforts are reported though. However, such efforts are insufficient because of the legislation and policy frameworks that are promoting short-term growth. Also, the town’s overdependence on the mining company, local government not optimally fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, and minimal community members’ participation on local economic development are other hindrances. However, the fact that the mining company and local municipality do acknowledge the shortcomings in their efforts towards promoting economic sustainability is a promise in minimizing the socio-economic effects of mine closures.Publisher's versio
Mental health literacy among primary healthcare nurses in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district
No full textDissertation (MNurs.(Nursing))--University of the Free State, 2023Mental health literacy (MHL) is the ability to recognise, manage and prevent mental health disorders. Primary healthcare (PHC) nurses provide mental health services in the PHC facilities to all patients seeking help, even though many of them do not have adequate levels of MHL. The study aimed to describe and explore the MHL of PHC nurses in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (Dr RSM) district. Studies are done worldwide on MHL; few are found in South Africa (SA), while no study is in the Dr RSM district in the North West province of SA.
A quantitative research methodology, utilising cross-sectional and descriptive methods, was used for this study. Eighty-four participants participated by completing questionnaires. The PHC workers who participated in the study all worked at PHC facilities in the Dr RSM district, North West province. The PHC nurses who participated gave informed consent by signing a consent form before participating in the study. The language used for this study was English. MHL questionnaires were used for data collection from participants working at PHC facilities in Dr RSM. The collected data was captured in Excel.
Data analysis was done with the help of a biostatistician at the University of the Free State. The data analysis was done on the ability to recognise depression, suicidal thoughts, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic disorders using vignettes (scenarios). Most of the participants demonstrated good MHL by recognising these mental disorders, with an above-average percentage. They correctly identified suitable healthcare professionals for the management of mental disorders but also thought that clergy, ministers, or priests could assist. Psychotherapy and physical activities were believed to be helpful for the prevention of mental disorders, while some of the participants incorrectly indicated that alcohol would be helpful.
The recommendations include that all PHC nurses undergo the necessary mental health training to have an adequate MHL when providing mental health services. There should be six-month refresher courses for those with mental health nursing qualifications. PHC nurses interested in the field should be allowed to specialise in mental health. Mental health awareness campaigns should be mandatory at each PHC facility. There should also be collaboration with stakeholders outside of the healthcare sphere who are consulted for mental disorders
The responsiveness of local government in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality
No full textDissertation (M.P.A. (Administration))--University of the Free State, 2023Despite several reforms over twenty-nine years, such as fostering citizen participation in local government affairs, the responsiveness of local government remains a continued problem in the South African landscape. The ability of governments globally, specifically local governments, to stay responsive to the service delivery needs of their citizenry has become fundamental to addressing increasing demands from citizens, societal challenges and institutional ills (including maladministration, corruption, lack of capacity and incompetence). Responsiveness, which is considered the ability to satisfy an expressed need, preference or value of citizens, is considered fundamental to effective and accountable governance. Thus, this situation warrants an investigation of local government responsiveness in South Africa. The primary focus of this study is the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality. Through a qualitative research design, this study investigates the responsiveness of the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality to citizens’ service delivery needs. The findings show that successful government responsiveness during service delivery depends on the local government exercising its leadership, facilitating citizen participation, being transparent to all stakeholders concerned with service delivery, and having the citizens and stakeholders hold its officials accountable. Significantly, this study found that South Africa does indeed have sufficient legislative frameworks to guide local government officials and other interrelated government spheres in addressing service delivery challenges. The study thus, proposes a conceptual framework for enhancing local government responsiveness to citizens’ service delivery needs. Through this framework, the existing legislative frameworks and the integration of citizens in local government decision-making processes can be combined. Furthermore, the findings shed light on the practical implications for local government officials and administrators, as well as citizens of collaborations with cross-sector stakeholders aimed at achieving enhanced local government responsiveness during service delivery
Departmental Heads’ perspective on collaborative strategies to enhance teamwork in secondary schools at Nketoana District
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023There are many situations in a school environment that need to be viewed to form effective teamwork at school. The literature confirms that teamwork is an important tool in any organisation, such as schools, which should practice teamwork to achieve the vision and goals they have set to be functional. Collaborative strategies should, therefore, be in place to ensure that teamwork is effective. Therefore, managers and leaders in schools, especially Departmental Heads, are entrusted with ensuring that collaborative teamwork is practiced effectively in schools for improved learner academic success. However, teamwork in schools still proves to be a challenging concept. Lack of teamwork in schools is believed to be one of the factors that are detrimental to the success and efficiency of the core business of schools, which is teaching and learning. This study aimed to explore collaborative strategies that can enhance teamwork in secondary schools. The study was grounded by the collaborative theory used as a lens for the study. The study employed a qualitative research approach to gather data through a case study research design. Semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions were adopted as data collection instruments. Purposive sampling was employed to sample 12 Departmental Heads (DH) from three schools in one Department of Education district in the Free State Province. Content analysis was used to analyse data where four themes emerged from the perceptions and expressions of the participants. The findings revealed that collaborative strategies are a tool that can assist in enhancing teamwork in secondary schools. The findings further revealed that Departmental Heads implement various collaborative strategies such as class subject meetings, school twinning, analysing and accounting for the results together, team planning and teaching, team marking, and parental involvement, to enhance teamwork in secondary schools. However, the findings also revealed that the Departmentl Heads do experience some challenges with the collaborative strategies they employ to enhance teamwork but find ways to mitigate the challenges. The study, therefore, recommends that every stakeholder in schools play a role in ensuring that more effective collaborative strategies to enhance teamwork are implemented in schools