11613 research outputs found
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The influence of civil society organisations in the new governance framework of democratic South Africa
No full textDissertation(MGT (Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2023The study set out to investigate whether the influence of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had diminished in the new government framework of democratic South Africa, and if so, what the attributing factors were. This study used a qualitative research approach. The aim of the study was to identify and examine the possible impediments to the effective and positive contribution of CSOs in the new government framework in democratic South Africa. The study investigated whether the role of CSOs had diminished in the new governance framework in democratic South Africa, and how CSOs could be made more effective in the face of all the challenges that undermined their presence and space. This study collected, collated, and analysed the data on the selected CSOs. The research enabled an explanation and description of the identified and the excluded tools and/or mechanisms through which the influence of CSOs could be or was
exercised in the context of the new governance framework of democratic South Africa. The findings demonstrated that there was a multiplicity of factors that had contributed to the diminished influence of CSOs. CSOs have however found
alternative means, including the use of the courts or litigation, to ensure that their views find expression and that they are able to exercise some form of influence. Based on the findings, recommendations were made, which if considered and implemented, could help to redress and/or mitigate the diminishing influence of CSOs in the post-apartheid era, in the new democratic framework of South Africa
A systematic literature review on migration and remittances in mountainous regions: key takeaways for Phuthaditjhaba, Free State, South Africa
No full textRemittances are essential to the sustainability of economies in mountainous regions that face massive labour migration due to limited income generation and employment opportunities. In 2021, the share of remittances in GDP in the top 10 mountainous economies in the world was over 20%. Nonetheless, most are characterised by relatively lower GDP per capita and high poverty levels. Drawing a comparison with other mountainous areas, Phuthaditjhaba, an emerging mountainous city of South Africa on the border with Lesotho, faces similar out-migration and inferior socio-economic parameters. A global systematic literature review on the impact of remittances on livelihoods, specifically targeting mountainous areas, is missing. We, therefore, interrogate the role that remittances can play in Phuthaditjhaba. To inform our intended research, we seek to draw lessons from evidence on how migration and remittances affect mountainous communities globally. Accordingly, we carry out a systematic literature review (SLR) based on an updated Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 statement supported by bibliometric (co-word) analysis (BA) in VOSViewer. We collected data from the Scopus and Dimensions websites and drew 165 publications, of which only 88 were included after exclusion and inclusion assessments. The PRISMA results show that Mountain Research and Development, Russell King, and Nepal are the most productive and cited journal, the most productive and cited author, and the most researched country, respectively. The bibliometric analysis on keyword co-occurrences revealed that women, agriculture, labour migration, land management, forest, and poverty are the research hotspots. In light of these findings, we proffer important recommendations for future researchers and policymakers and identify thematic research areas for Phuthaditjhaba.Publisher's versio
Sustainable agriculture through the Enhancement of Microbial Biocontrol Agents: Current Challenges and New Perspectives
No full textThe future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse environmental impacts, and its association in enhanced phytopathogen resistance. Hence, this situation urges the development of new sustainable practices in agriculture. A promising approach involves endophytes, which are non-pathogenic microorganisms inhabiting the interior parts of plants. However, due to the vast diversity and complexity of plant microbiomes, a major gap has formed with regards to endophytic research and its application in phytopathogen biocontrol. The gap has mainly been increasing due to the difficulty of isolating underrepresented endophytes and due to limitation of previous genetic tools availability to further research and understand plant-microbe interaction, endophytic biocontrol capabilities and their biocontrol compounds. This review highlights the current challenges being encountered in this research field. Additionally, the research advances through utilization of specialized techniques (CRISPR/Cas9 system, nanoparticles and multi-omics) are highlighted to assist in elucidating the mechanism revolving around plant-microbe interactions and to generate model systems demonstrating improved biocontrol capabilities of endophytes. The ultimate goal of this review is to provide improved approaches that could be implement in an array of microorganism that will enhance the phytopathogen biocontrol field in order to create a sustainable agricultural sector.Publisher's versio
A review on graphene (GN) and graphite oxide (GO) based biodegradable polymer composites and their usage as selective adsorbents for heavy metals in water
No full textWater pollution due to heavy metal ions has become a persistent and increasing problem globally. To combat this, carbonaceous materials have been explored as possible adsorbents of these metal ions from solution. The problem with using these materials on their own is that their lifespan and, therefore, usability is reduced. Hence the need to mask them and an interest in using polymers to do so is picked. This introduces an improvement into other properties as well and opens the way for more applications. This work gives a detailed review of the major carbonaceous materials, graphene and graphene oxide, outlining their origin as well as morphological studies. It also outlines the findings on their effectiveness in removing heavy metal ions from water, as well as their water absorption properties. The section further reports on graphene/polymer and graphene oxide/polymer composites previously studied and their morphological as well as thermal properties. Then the work done in the absorption and adsorption capabilities of these composites is explored, thereby contrasting the two materials. This enables us to choose the optimal material for the desired outcome of advancing further in the utilization of carbonaceous material-based polymer composites to remove heavy metal ions from water.Publisher's versio
Social entrepreneurship fostering community development: the case of Mdukatshani NGO in the uThukela District, KwaZulu-Natal
No full textDissertation (MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2023Social entrepreneurship plays a key role and it makes a crucial contribution to community development; hence, it is likened to being an architect of community development (Malunga, Iwu and Mugobo, 2014). Social entrepreneurs create something out of nothing in the community development landscape, bringing hope to the hopeless. Through social entrepreneurial activities, local communities benefit in terms of employment, income growth, and the provision of services. By so doing, social entrepreneurship’s contribution to community development bridges the gaps created by ineffective, inefficient, and unsustainable developmental programmes provided by major institutions (Dees, 2001).
Like many other developing economies, South Africa faces developmental challenges; inequality, poverty, and unemployment are the main problems (Stats SA, 2021). About 55.5% of the total population lives below the national poverty line, 45.3% of working-age adults are unemployed, and the Gini coefficient is 0.65 (among the highest in the world) (Stats SA, 2021). Various conclusions can be drawn from this situation, including the ineffectiveness of poverty alleviation policies and programmes, a slow and poor-performing economy, unemployment, and corruption. As a result, a heavy load rests upon the government's shoulders to take care of many people through grants.
The high level of unemployment is the leading poverty driver among the youth (Statistics SA, 2021). To curb youth unemployment, the government has introduced programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme, the National Youth Services, and Vukuzakhe. In the second quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate reached 32.6% (Stats SA, 2022). This is slightly lower than the 32.9% in the first quarter of 2021. Youth unemployment also registered a decrease, from 62.10% in 2021 to 60.7% in the second quarter of 2023. However, the unemployment in South Africa is still at an unacceptable rate.
In his State of the Nation address in 2020, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, admitted that South Africa’s socio-economic problems are deeply entrenched and cannot be overcome by the government alone. The President confirmed that social compacts have been forged to overcome the countries challenges. Government, civil society, communities, and faith-based organisations have joined hands to find solutions, such as creating job opportunities (Ramaphosa, 2020). Social enterprises are a significant part of the solution by attending to social problems and growing the economy and employment rate.
It is evident from the above that the government’s commitment to solving the country’s developmental challenges is an never-ending endeavour. The President’s call for a social compact is confirmation of community development as an approach employed by the government to deal with development challenges. Community development provides a way for the government, the private sector, civil society, and communities to work together and mobilise resources for the upliftment and empowerment of communities in a sustainable manner (Rwigema, 2022)
Amphiphile-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for the extraction of contaminants from the aqueous media
No full textDissertation (M.Sc.(Chemistry))--University of the Free State, 2023The availability of clean water to the community/ society is becoming a huge problem for its ecosystem. These toxic contaminants come from surface and subsurface water systems such as dams, rivers, and oceans that are eluted from industrial, domestic, agricultural, and recreational activities. Both organic and inorganic contaminants are found in these water systems in high concentrations, which put aquatic life at tremendous risk and the environment in general.
Thus, the need for synthetic materials that can be used to solve this ongoing problem of water contamination is becoming an obvious research goal that needs urgent attention. Nanomaterials such as nanoparticles are currently being investigated as a tool to remove various contaminants in wastewater. Nanoparticles are very small particles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm. Depending on their type, these nanomaterials may demonstrate various unique properties, such as strong catalytic activity, superparamagnetism, quantum confinement, and extremely high surface-to-volume ratios. In this project, the high surface-to-volume property was explored during the adsorption of methylene blue dye in spiked water samples. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were chosen because of their magnetic susceptibility and most availability of iron metal on earth, making them cheaper materials since they can be prepared from cheap iron precursors. Magnetite NPs were prepared using the co-precipitation method, where iron precursors of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ were dissolved in de-ionized water and ammonium hydroxide was used as the precipitating agent under an inert atmosphere. Better adsorption capacities of these nanoparticles can be achieved by functionalizing them with different organic and inorganic molecules. In this study, mono-alkyl phosphate esters of varying alkyl chain lengths were synthesized and used to functionalize the as-synthesized magnetite NPs to render better affinity towards organic dyes (Figure 1). The as-prepared magnetite NPs were characterized using techniques such as TEM, SEM, FTIR, EDS, and PXRD, and the organic functionalization molecules were characterized using NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P), FTIR, and mass spectrometry. These characterization techniques confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanoparticles and mono-alkyl phosphate esters of varying alkyl chain lengths. TEM and SEM micrographs showed close to spherical shapes of the prepared nanoparticles with particle diameters ranging from 12 – 16 nm for bare Fe₃O₄ NPs and 17 – 22 nm for functionalized NPs. Comparable particle size was also obtained from the PXRD results using the Scherrer equation (eq. 3.1) where a particle size of 13 nm was obtained. PXRD characteristic peaks confirmed the inverse spinel structure of the Fe₃O₄ NPs. The presence of iron (Fe) and oxygen (O) in the EDS results confirmed the formation of the magnetite nanoparticles and the presence of carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) on the coated nanoparticles confirmed the successful coating of the Fe₃O₄ NPs. FTIR, NMR, and MS results showed comparable results to those found in the literature
The evaluation of plant extracts as natural preservatives on the chemical, microbial and sensory quality of boerewors
No full textDissertation (M.Sc.(Food Science))--University of the Free State, 2023Nowadays, consumers prefer the use of natural preservatives over chemical preservatives. Boerewors, a typical South African fresh sausage, is usually preserved with sulphur dioxide (SO2), which is associated with negative health effects in humans. When partly replacing a preservative with another preservative, it is essential to maintain the same product quality and safety. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effect of plant extracts as natural preservatives on the chemical, microbial and sensory quality of Boerewors.
Extracts of green Rooibos, honeybush and Rooibos consist of many beneficial uses, as they all provide antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in food products. The concentrations of use of each preservative should first be determined before it can be included in a food model. In the first part of the study, three concentrations of each of the three plant extracts were evaluated in vitro, using the disc diffusion assay, for microbial activity against five strains each of and . The plant extracts with the most promising inhibition zones, were 0.25% Rooibos (R025), 0.50% honeybush (H050) and 2% green Rooibos (GR2). The GR2 showed the best inhibitory effect against both bacteria.
In the second part of this study, R025, H050, GR2 and combinations of each with low SO₂ (S100 = 100 mg/kg SO₂) were evaluated as preservatives in eight Boerewors models over a period of 6 days at 4 ºC. The treatments included a negative control (NC), which had 0% preservatives and a positive control (S450 = 450 mg/kg SO₂). Physico-chemical analysis was conducted in terms of pH, water activity and lipid stability at 4 oC on days 1, 3 and 6. Lipid stability, measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), were also analysed after 90 days of storage at -18 ºC. Microbial analysis in terms of total bacterial count (TBC), Gram-positive bacteria (lactic acid bacteria and ), Gram-negative bacteria ( ), , coliforms, yeasts and moulds were performed. The sensory quality of these treatments in terms of colour stability, the evaluation of sensory attributes (colour, taste, texture, and overall acceptability) by a sensory panel, as well as thaw-, cooking- and total losses, were analysed.
No significant differences in the pH, water activity and TBARS values of the eight treatments were observed. The H050 + S100 showed the best inhibition against and the total bacterial count in the Boerewors. Lactic acid bacteria and were inhibited more effectively by S450 and the plant extract combinations with S100 near the end of shelf-life (day 6). The GR2 + S100 treatment had the best inhibition against the mould counts over the 6-day storage period at 4 ºC. In terms of CIE colour stability, S450 was the best in preserving the colour of Boerewors. The H050 and R025 treatments had the best colour among the treatments when evaluated by the sensory panel. The GR2 and GR2 + S100 treatments had significantly higher losses during thawing and cooking. In this research, partial replacement of SO₂ with plant extracts such as honeybush and Rooibos have been shown to be possible
Gangbe in Badagry, Nigeria: Ogu women’s performance practice, social status, and creative agency
No full textBefore colonialism, Gbe women enjoyed a social status on par with men. However, there has been a shift in the postcolonial social structure of Gbe societies. Modern capitalism, which accompanied colonial structures, privileged men, eroding many woman-empowering practices. This article examines Ogu women’s marginality through an ethnographic study of gangbe (a musical genre exclusive to married Ogu women). I argue that the sources of Ogu women’s marginality are interlocking, involving oppression stemming from colonial structures and the values of contiguous Yorùbá people. I propose a collaborative intervention that upends typical power structures that privilege Western and Yorùbá ideation over Indigenous Ogu knowledge, values, and practices.Publisher's versio
Livelihood vulnerability to the changing climate: the experiences of smallholder farming households in the Free State Province, South Africa
No full textAs a result of climatically regulated water sources, smallholder farming households in South Africa are severely impacted by climate change. Using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index, we assessed the vulnerability of smallholder farming households to climate change in Thaba Nchu, Mangaung District of the Free State Province of South Africa. Primary data from 301 smallholder farming households were collected and augmented with secondary data on temperature and rainfall from 2010 to 2020. The study found that farming households in Central Thaba Nchu are more vulnerable than those in North and South Thaba Nchu in terms of adaptive capacity: social network, livelihoods strategies, and socio-demographic structure. The Central Thaba Nchu were likewise more vulnerable to water resources than the Northern and Southern Thaba Nchu. However, Northern Thaba Nchu is more exposed and sensitive to health-related difficulties than Central and Southern Thaba Nchu. The study recommends that non-government and government institutions in the province should employ a pragmatic method to evaluate vulnerability using climate service information while prioritizing vulnerable households for adaptation support to improve adaptive capacity and resilience. The findings also imply that weather forecasters, in partnership with agricultural extension agents, must provide farmers with timely and adequate climate information reports to prepare them for climatic shocks. Moreover, it is important to deliver climate service information that is genuine, significant, and reliable.Publisher's versio
The acquisition of and subsequent judicial interference with parental responsibilities and rights of unmarried parents in terms of the ’ 38 OF 2005: lessons from case law, selected analogous divorce law and english law
No full textDissertation(LL.M.(Private Law))--University of the Free State, 2023Heaton and Kruger¹ provide the following convenient starting point for this study when they state that:
“Internationally, the focus of the private-law rules regarding the parent-child relationship has increasingly shifted from the rights and powers of parents towards the rights and entitlements of children. In addition, international human-rights instruments and constitutional provisions have conferred specific rights on children. The emphasis on the rights of children is [also] evident in [South African] law.”
² affirms that in South Africa, the common-law position was that a married father was the dominant parent from a legal point of view because, although he shared custody with the mother, his rights were superior, especially as only he exercised guardianship over his child(ren) as a core component of what was then known as “parental authority”.³ Mothers, however, steadily gained increased legal recognition as parents, especially after promulgating the 37 of 1953 and the Act 192 of 1993.⁴ Crucially, at least as from 1948, the concept of “the best interests of the child” became the golden rule in matters relating to children⁵ following the judgment of the Appellate Division (the highest court in South Africa at the time), in .⁶ Building on this, our common law has always recognised the High Court as the upper guardian of all minors within its jurisdiction,⁷ and thus permits the court to interfere with “parental responsibilities and rights” (that has replaced the concept of “parental authority”), if the best interests of a child require doing so.⁸ This power is reinforced by certain statutes, as will be discussed below.
The dawning of democracy in South Africa greatly facilitated the shift to a “child-centred approach”,⁹ as indicated by the extract from Heaton and Kruger quoted above. Section 28 of the 1996 (after this “the Constitution”) specifically deals with the fundamental constitutional rights of children. As Sachs J stated in S v M ( ),¹º “[s]ection 28(1) provides for a list of enforceable substantive rights that go well beyond anything catered for by the common law and statute in the pre-democratic era.” However, this list is not exhaustive.¹¹ Furthermore, as Boezaart states, a “plethora of laws” have been passed over the last two decades that govern various aspects of the lives of children. This was an attempt to improve domestic law in such a way that it is aligned with the and the international legal framework and to recognise the rights of children that may be enforced against parents, but also against the State.¹² One of the most important of these is the ’ ¹³ which was enacted (inter alia) to give effect to the constitutional rights of children¹⁴ and will feature throughout this study, particularly where the provisions or fundamental principles of this Act have been relied on by our courts to recognise, limit, terminate or broaden parental responsibilities and rights. The ’ effectively codifies the South African law of parent and child.¹⁵
As such, this study focuses on the acquisition of parental responsibilities and rights by unmarried parents and the role of the judiciary in interfering with the same in terms of sections 28, 29 and 34(5) of the ’ and against the backdrop of the constitutional rights accorded to both children and their parents. While judicial interference will primarily be analysed in the specific context of unmarried parents, the fact that there is still relatively little case law dealing with such parents requires the study to draw on case law involving divorcing (or divorced) parents in which these provisions have featured. Having thus established the key legal principles regarding the application of these provisions, the study will identify certain lessons that can be learned when future courts are required to deal with the possible awarding, delineation, restriction or termination of unmarried parents' parental responsibilities and rights. In this regard, leading South African case law involving the possibility of awarding shared or joint care during or after divorce proceedings, as well as the potential restriction of separated parents’ rights of contact based on their sexual orientation, will be considered. Furthermore, because this issue has featured in English law (while there is only one such case in South Africa), the study will seek to determine whether South African courts can benefit from case law in that jurisdiction involving the outright termination of the parental responsibilities and rights of unmarried parents