11613 research outputs found
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Does adoption of climate change adaptation strategy improve food security? A case of rice farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria
No full textThe southwestern part of Nigeria, particularly Ogun State, is more vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change due to the high dependence on rain-fed agriculture and limited capacities to respond to climate change. In this study, factors influencing climate change adaptation strategies and its impacts on household food security of smallholder rice farmers in Ogun State were estimated. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 120 smallholder rice farmers in the study area. The factors influencing the adoption of climate change adaptation practices and their impacts on household food security among smallholder rice farmers in Ogun State were examined using a probit model and an endogenous switching probit model (ESPM). According to the results of household dietary diversity score (HDDS), adopters of climate change adaptation techniques have higher levels of food security than non-adopters. The outcome of the ESPM shows that access to market information, access to extension agents, gender, off-farm income, and membership in cooperatives all contribute to the variations in food security experienced by both adopters and non-adopters of climate change adaptation strategies. A unit increase in adoption of climate change adaptation measures will increase household food security by about 3 units while decreasing severity in food insecurity by about 3.2 units. Therefore, it is recommended that policies that would support smallholder farmers’ decisions to embrace measures for coping with climate change should be encouraged in order to stimulate their adaptive capacity. Additionally, in order to secure the inclusive sustainability of the agricultural sector, stakeholders and NGOs must collaborate with each other to enhance the circumstances under which farmers may receive climate change information, timely agricultural loans, and policy incentives.Publisher's versio
Socio-economic influences of mining on community: A case study of Khumani mine
No full textDissertation (MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022The South African mining industry is understood to form part of the core of state building in the country. The impact of mining has led to various developments in South Africa, such as the Mine Health and Safety Act, 29 of 1996, the Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Act, 28 of 2002, the Mining Charter, and Social Labour Plans (SLPs), together with a multitude of mandatory codes of practice. Unfortunately, the mining industry also contributed to many social challenges and inequalities in their local communities (Burger, Marais and Van Rooyen, 2018). This study explored the socio-economic influences of the Khumani mine on the Gamagara local municipality community in the Northern Cape. The research aimed to understand the social and economic outcomes of mining activities on surrounding communities and evaluate how mining companies and the government attempt to address these consequences. Empirical research was conducted on the Khumani mine through a qualitative enquiry. Key informant interviews were conducted with various role-players, such as community leaders, officials from NGOs, government officials, mining officials and others. The study's key findings are aligned with the elements described in the available literature. The study determined that Khumani mine provided significant socio-economic contributions to the local community; however, the influence of their contributions in terms of SLP and CSR initiatives is short-lived, and return on investments is not calculated, thus falling short of ensuring the sustainability of projects. The mining industry is abrasive and disrupts natural landscapes, local communities, and their economies. Although social disruptions are understood to even out over time, mining companies must ensure that they capacitate impacted communities to support their livelihoods sustainably. The successful implementation, diversification and continued monitoring of sustainable development initiatives can ensure that the economic benefits experienced through mining boom cycles can support host communities during lower commodity prices and eventual mine closure
ANC’s step-aside rule through the eye of the missio politica as mandated by Missio Dei
No full textThe broader practice of politics in the world, while detached from the religion, cannot be excluded from the mission of the Missio Dei. In fact, the question of mission and politics has prompted Professor Johannes Reimer to propose missio politica as a missiological framework that puts the mandate of mission and politics in one basket. Following this solid foundation, this paper will propose the use of missio politica as an important missiological framework to analyse the instrumentally useful politics in line with the ultimate goal of Missio Dei. In accordance with the tenets of both missio politica in the name of missio Dei, this paper will then consider the South African ANC's step-aside rule from a biblical perspective, arguing that the accounts of Samuel's leadership in 1 Samuel 8 and the story of Ananias with his wife in Acts 5:1-11 represent a somewhat biblical understanding of the step-aside rule. The ANC's step-aside rule only serves to relativize the need for a missio politica. This paper promises a better understanding of the relationship between mission and politics, such an understanding is a key to uncovering new ways to ensure a meaningful participation of all other sectors of society in achieving the goal of Missio Dei. Missio politica represent what has been missing in the missiological discourse. Therefore, this framework needs to be further explored in order to emphasize the mandate of politics in accordance with the Missio Dei.Publisher's versio
Exploring the growth of agricultural productivity in Africa: a Färe-Primont Index approach
No full textThe effort to increase agricultural productivity continues to receive interest in Africa as low productivity levels, poverty and food insecurity remain or even increase. This study used the Färe-Primont Index to estimate agricultural total factor productivity growth for 49 African countries. Panel data consisting of 833 observations for the period 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the United State Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service database. The results show that the average growth rate for agriculture in Africa is 0.73% per annum. The sector experienced increased growth after the Maputo Declaration, which was sustained during the global financial crisis. West Africa experienced the largest growth while Southern Africa suffered a substantial decline. The study also discovered that growth differed between countries indicating that customization of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme into regional and country-specific policy interventions is important to boost agricultural productivity. Finally, the growth was achieved through technical change, while efficiency change constrained growth. Policy-makers should increase investment in agricultural extension services, education and training to enhance managerial capacity (efficiency change) because improved managerial capacity could increase agricultural growth and thereby increase food security and alleviate poverty in AfricaPublisher's versio
Implementing effective succession planning within a directorate of a provincial government department
No full textDissertation (MBA. (Business Administration ))--University of the Free State, 2022This study looked at succession planning implemented within a directorate of a public service organisation. The focus was on selecting, retaining, and developing a high-potential talent pipeline to improve future leadership growth in the public sector. Succession planning is often rarely and, if so, poorly used in public sector organisations, mainly because the pre-selection of appointees is often looked down upon in the public sector. This study investigated employees’ perceptions of implementing succession planning efforts within a directorate in a Free State provincial government department and their effectiveness in grooming talent pipelines, talent management, and staff retention strategies. Using the census method, the researcher in this study obtained information directly from the people in charge of judging employee performance and figuring out what training they needed to improve in a directorate in the Free State provincial government department. The study used an in-depth semi-structured interview design. The interview questions were open-ended and covered all effective succession planning concerns. The “safety net” question was included to allow participants to add information they believed was vital to the study. This type of interview was meant to cover all areas of concern and give people a chance to say more about what they thought was vital in succession planning. The main contribution of this study is to help choose and train a pipeline of high-potential and talented people to help the public sector keep and grow its leaders in the future. The benefit relation for this study is on three levels: First, all public servants, including participants, will benefit if the department implements more effective succession planning. Second, to implement succession planning to retain highly skilled individuals to realise the directorate‘s mandate. Lastly, all government employees could benefit if the Department of Public Service and Administration, which is in charge of establishing norms and standards for all public service functions, could recommend implementing succession planning across all government departments in the country. The Directorate in the Free State provincial government department, which was the focus of this research study, asked for the study to be anonymous
Kinetic study of the oxidative addition reaction between methyl iodide and [Rh(imino-β-diketonato)(CO)(PPh)3] complexes, utilizing UV–vis, IR spectrophotometry, NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations
No full textThe oxidative addition of methyl iodide to [Rh(β-diketonato)(CO)(PPh)3] complexes, as modal catalysts of the first step during the Monsanto process, are well-studied. The β-diketonato ligand is a bidentate (BID) ligand that bonds, through two O donor atoms (O,O-BID ligand), to rhodium. Imino-β-diketones are similar to β-diketones, though the donor atoms are N and O, referred to as an N,O-BID ligand. In this study, the oxidative addition of methyl iodide to [Rh(imino-β-diketonato)(CO)(PPh)3] complexes, as observed on UV–Vis spectrophotometry, IR spectrophotometry and NMR spectrometry, are presented. Experimentally, one isomer of [Rh(CH3COCHCNPhCH3)(CO)(PPh3)] and two isomers of [Rh(CH3COCHCNHCH3)(CO)(PPh3)]
are observed—in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Experimentally the
[Rh(CH3COCHCNPhCH3)(CO)(PPh3)] + CH3I reaction proceeds through one reaction step, with a rhodium(III)-alkyl as the final reaction product. However, the [Rh(CH3COCHCNHCH3)(CO)(PPh3)] + CH3I reaction proceeds through two reaction steps, with a rhodium(III)-acyl as the final reaction product. DFT calculations of all the possible reaction products and transition states agree with experimental findings. Due to the smaller electronegativity of N, compared to O, the oxidative addition reaction rate of CH3I to the two [Rh(imino-β-diketonato)(CO)(PPh)3] complexes of this study was 7–11 times faster than the oxidative addition reaction rate of CH3I to [Rh(CH3COCHCOCH3)(CO)(PPh3)].Publisher's versio
Exploring the attitudes and experiences of high school teachers towards LGBTIQ students in Lesotho schools
No full textDissertation (M.Ed.(Psychology of Education))--University of the Free State, 2022A growing body of research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) students, or those who do not conform to heterosexual identities or expressions in Lesotho, experience discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation within the school environment. This is happening despite the Lesotho Constitution, which prohibits all forms of discrimination, and the Education Act of 2010, which makes provision for education for all and ensures that no form of discrimination exists in accessing education. The aim of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of high school teachers towards LGBTIQ students.
This research study adopted a socio-ecological theory to explore teachers’ attitudes and to determine how their social backgrounds, influenced their attitudes. The researcher used a qualitative approach located within the interpretivist paradigm to collect data. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the study sample. Using a case study methodology, semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted with five high school teachers from three high schools in Teya-teyaneng Lesotho. Data were analysed and presented thematically. The findings indicate that teachers promote and enforce heterosexuality in schools due to a lack of knowledge of gender and sexual diversity. The results showed that masculinity and femininity were used as gender and sexuality descriptors. The study also revealed that gender and sexual diversity is silenced and ignored in schools.
Therefore, I recommend that the management and the board of schools engage in a process of producing school policies that incorporate school ethos and prohibit discrimination based on gender and sexual diversity. It is also recommended that teachers receive pre-service and in-service training so that they can feel confident in providing educational programmes aimed at promoting acceptance of gender and sexual diversity among students
Description of novel species of psychedelic mushrooms from Southern Africa
No full textThe chemical compound psilocybin, responsible for causing hallucinations, is found in mushroom species of genera such as Gymnopilus, Panaeolus, Pluteus, and Psilocybe. Psilocybin also has a number of psychiatric and medical applications. Psilocybin-producing mushrooms have a wide distribution in South Africa and other parts of the world, but the biodiversity of these fungi is poorly known in South Africa. This study focused on the species identification of two sets of collections of Psilocybe, one from Lesotho and the other from Pretoria, based on morphology and different DNA sequence phylogenetic markers. A multi-locus phylogeny was constructed using the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS), RNA Polymerase II (RPB 1), and Translational Elongation Factor 1α (TEF-1α) gene regions. More than one marker was used to confirm identifications, and by combining the sequences, to also obtain better statistical support for groupings. By using the additional genes besides ITS, the usefulness of these additional markers to identify Psilocybe species was also investigated. Results showed that the two collections of samples were unique and different from each other based on all of the genes, except for the RPB 1 region that was found wanting. Although the TEF-1α was found sufficiently variable to also distinguish species similar to the ITS region, a relatively small number of species have been sequenced up to date. The distinct grouping of the two collections was confirmed by a number of macro- and micromorphological characteristics, and described as Psilocybe malotiensis prov. nom. and Psilocybe orontawuli prov. nom. respectively. Results from this study represent an important breakthrough where Southern African samples can now be sequenced and compared with specimens from elsewhere and should illustrate the presence of numerous novel species occurring in this region
Power-sharing in South Africa's municipalities: The case of Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan municipalities from 2016
No full textDissertation (M.A. (Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022English: Local government power-sharing and coalitions are likely to increase in South Africa given the ANC's declining electoral dominance as demonstrated by the 2016 and 2021 election outcomes. This has sparked increased academic debate and research in this field. This study contributes to this research by identifying power-sharing trends and assessing the stability and performance of municipalities governed through power-sharing in South Africa between 2016 and August 2022, using the case studies of Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipalities. It finds that coalitions have had a mixed impact on municipal stability and performance, with some municipalities showing stability and others instability. Therefore, it argues that while coalitions come with an inherent risk of greater political and administrative instability, it is the conduct of political parties and individuals in these coalitions and affected municipal councils that often exacerbates this risk. This study uses the case study approach and is primarily qualitative and inductive. It uses semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions to collect primary data from political actors in the two case studies. It then triangulates this data with document analysis while using the systematic review method.Other: Go kgonagalo ya gore makoko a a farologaneng a ka tshwaraganela tsamaiso ya di-Puso tsa selegae kgotsa bommasepala mo Afrika Borwa. Seno ke ka ntlha ya kwelotlase ya kemonokeng ya lekoko la ANC jaaka go bonagetse ka tiragatso ya lekoko ya ditlhopo tsa selegae tsa 2016 le 2021. Seno se dirile gore go nne le kgatlego e e ileng magoletsa ya dingangisano tsa baitseanape le barutegi ba ba dirang dipatlisiso mo temeng e. Maitlhomo a patlisiso e, ke go oketsa dipatlisiso tse di leng gone ka go supa tsepamo ya seemo le seelo sa Puso tshwaraganelo mo nageng. Seno ke tshaketsheko ya tiragatso ya dimmasepala tse di tsamaisiwang ka tshwaraganelo ke makoko a a farologaneng fa gare ga 2016 le Phwatwe wa 2022. Tshekatsheko e kobisitswe mo dimmasepaleng tsa Ekurhuleni le Nelson Mandela Bay. Phitlhelelo ke gore tsamaiso ya makoko tshwaraganelo e nnile le katlego e potlana mo letlhakoreng lengwe, fa go le le lengwe go nnile le ketsaetsego le go tlhoka tsepamo. Fela se se tlhagelelang sentle ke gore tsamaiso tshwaraganelo e amiwa thata ka maitsholo a makoko a dipolotiki le baeteledipele ba o ne. Seno se etegetsa go tlhoka tsepamo mo makgotla taolong a bommasepala. Patlisiso e, e fitlheletswe ka go buisana le baamegi le go kokoanya tshedimosetso go tswa mo go botlhe ba ba nang le maitemogelo ka puso tshwaraganelo ya tsamaiso ya dimmasepala. Tshekatsheko e kopanya patlisiso e, ka se se kwadilweng kgotsa se phasaladitswe mme re dirisa mokgwa o o dumeletsweng le go amogelesega wa go kwala dipatlisiso
The value of pre-colonial conflict resolution methods in addressing sexual violations committed in internal conflict situations in Zimbabwe
No full textThesis (LL.D. (Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law))--University of the Free State, 2022The study considers the development of jurisprudence in conflict resolution with reference to pre-colonial African law in addressing sexual violence against women. The motivation for this investigation stems from the inadequacies of the present legal system in Zimbabwe to redress sexual violations perpetrated against women in the internal ongoing political conflict. The aim of the study is to garner insights from African traditional justice mechanisms in conflict resolution in determining their value in addressing sexual violations against women in Zimbabwe. This investigation of present-day Zimbabwe as a product of colonialism and imperialistic tradition explores its contribution to the loss of African values that shape the current approaches in addressing sexual violence. The socio-political, economic and cultural landscape of Zimbabwe post-independence mimics the political ontology under colonialism. The adopted governing principle of constitutionalism and its post-conflict justice initiatives adopted at independence until the present perpetuate coloniality. The existing conflict in the coexistence structure of Western and pre-colonial African law in conflict resolution is a foregoing challenge in the present legal system in Zimbabwe that prompts new thoughts in post-independent Zimbabwe. The aim of the study is to propagate the re-imagination of the present law and approaches to sexual violations against women from Zimbabwe's political conflict that disrupts post-colonial Zimbabwe. The present study invokes the task of recalling the pre-colonial African philosophy of Ubuntu in conflict resolution in the re-imagination of an alternative jurisprudence. The task of re-envisioning jurisprudence in the resolution of conflict-related sexual violence offers a liberating viewpoint that counters the Western domination and marginalisation of African indigenous knowledge in post-conflict justice initiatives in Zimbabwe. The study investigates the pre-colonial African philosophy of law and justice interpretation in conflict resolution to analyse and evaluate the challenges of the present conflicting existence of the two legal systems and the challenge this poses in addressing conflict-related sexual violence in Zimbabwe. The study explores the possibilities of integrating Western and pre-colonial African philosophy and systems in conflict resolution on sexual violence arising in internal conflict situations. To that end, the study proposes an integrating approach in resolving conflict-related sexual violations that assumes Ubuntu epistemology as the jurisprudence that might bridge the jurisprudential challenges and gaps in the lack of approaches on sexual violations against women in Zimbabwe