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Missio hominum as commissioned by missio dei
No full textThe Christian image of God rightly goes back to the Bible as the only source of revelation. According to the creation account in the book of Genesis, God is primarily seen as the creator of heaven, Earth and humankind. Following this understanding, the International Mission Conference (IMC) in Willingen in 1952 expanded the scope of mission beyond the ecclesiastical sphere and anchored it in the doctrine of the Triadic God. In other words, the Willingen Conference correctly classified the Triadic God as the only source of mission in the world. However, the question remains as to what a person’s mandate is in relation to the missio Dei. Based on a literature review, this article introduces missio hominum as a framework that encompasses human participation in missio Dei. Selectively, the extraordinary personalities of Noah, Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul in the Bible are examined in order to validate the framework of the missio hominum as derived from the missio Dei. By its very nature, this article warrants further exploration of human involvement in the work of the missio Dei, in order to consolidate the missio hominum as an important framework for aligning human efforts with the work and ultimate goal of the missio Dei.
Contribution: The contribution of this article is to deepen the reflection on the relationship between the Triadic God and human beings on the one hand and human temporal participation in the eternal economy of the missio Dei on the other. In doing so, it provides missio scholars and theologians with new insights that encompass the human mission in relation to the missio Dei
Posthuman security and landmines: Gendered meaning-making and materialities in the North-Eastern border area of Zimbabwe
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022English: This empirical study of landmines, gendered meaning-making and matter in the border area of
Mukumbura, Northern Zimbabwe, was inspired by the everyday experiences of men and women
as a consequence of their living together with landmines; the prevalence of a conspicuous gap in
the human security literature on gendered discourses and human-object relationalities in relation
to human security; and the inadequacy of grand security theories on how to overcome this
deficiency by means of a feminist posthuman security perspective as analytical tool to study the
gendered implications of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) in a post-war setting. These
informed the objectives of the study which include, among others, to account for the theoretical
shift from Human Security to a feminist posthuman security approach and to develop a
theoretical framework supporting the latter; to critically analyse how landmines influence the
construction of masculinities, femininities and victimhood in the discourse of peace and security;
to critically analyse the role of landmines in gendering socio-economic (in)security in postconflict
communities; and to assess how coping mechanisms become gendered through humanlandmine
co-existence. The study used a qualitative feminist posthumanist methodology which was ethnographic and
reflexive in orientation. Data gathering tools included key-participant interviews, life history
narratives and overt participant observation. These data collection tools were strategically chosen
as they befit the feminist qualitative methodology that recognises reflexivity in the context of
fluid identities. As such, the participants were men and women whose lives were shaped and reshaped by their co-existence with landmines during and after the war of liberation in the border
area. Drawing on three key theoretical pillars – the agency of all genders, the agency of objects, as
well as taking the African context of intangible objects/spiritualities seriously – the study has
shown that human (in)security ought to be understood as a complex, fluid and contextualised
phenomenon. The focus of the study on everyday micro-level (in)security has challenged the
theoretical prejudices of grand security theories such as Realism, Human Security, Critical
Security Studies and Feminist Security Studies, as well as their negation of alternative analytical
constructs that (re)frame (in)security at the community level. These included gender, context
(Afrocentrism), and the agency of non-human things (tangible/landmines and
intangible/spiritualities). Despite the fact that livelihoods, identities and victimhood have all been
shown to be gendered in many contexts, the subsequent agency exercised by men and women in
their constrained ecologies shows that physical and socio-economic insecurity (vulnerability)
transcends gender binaries as both men and women are equally embroiled in the becoming of
(in)security in these contexts. Thus, theoretically and empirically, the thesis has demonstrated
that it is only through a feminist posthuman approach that we can comprehensively understand
that (in)security is a function of the human-object intra-action, since both humans and nonhuman
things are co-constituted in co-producing gendered (in)security spaces and practices in
post-conflict communities where ERW are still present.Other: Tsvagurudzo ino yezvimbambaira yekuzvionera wega, kugadzirwa kwendevo dziri maringe
nepfungwa yemawadzanirano evanhurume nevanhukadzi mutsika nemagariro avo pamwe
nezvinobatika munzvimbo yeMukumbura iri kumuganhu wenyika, Kumaodzanyemba
kweZimbabwe, yakakurudzirwa nezvinosanganikwa nazvo zuva nezuva nevarume nevakadzi
kuburikidza nekutambudzwa nezvimbambaira; kuwoneka kuri pachena kwemukaha
muzvinyorwa zvedziviriro yevanhu zviri maringe nehurukuro ine chokuita nepfungwa
yemawadzanirano evanhurume nevanhukadzi pamwe nepfungwa dzine ungwaru dzeukama
pakati pemunhu nechinhu zvichienderana nedziviriro yevanhu; uye nekushomeka kwepfungwa
huru dzedziviro maererano nekukunda kushomeka uku kuburikidza nepfungwa yedziviriro
isinganyanyokoshesa munhu kudarika zvimwe zvisikwa, iri muhwaro hwemaonero anokoshesa
zvinosangana nevanhukadzi saicho chombo cheongororo mutsvagurudzo ino chekuongorora
pfungwa dzemhedziso dzisiri pachena dzewadzano pakati pevanhurume nevanhukadzi
dzeZvinoputika Zvakasarira muHondo (Explosive Remnants of War – ERW) munguva iyo hondo
yapera. Zvingangwa izvi zvetsvagurudzo, izvo zvinosanganisira pakati pezvimwe, kutsanangura
kwemasanduro epfungwa yemaonero kubva kuDziviriro yeVanhu kuenda kune pfungwa
yemaonero isingatori munhu sechisikwa chakakosha kudairika zvimwe mudziviriro pamwe nekuumba hwaro hwemaonero anotsigira pfungwa yepiri; kuongorora zvakadzama kukurudzira
kunoita zvimbambaira kuvaka pfungwa dzeundume, hunhukadzi nedzekuva munhu
wekushungurudzwa muhurukuro dzerunyararo nedziviriro; kuongorora zvakadzama basa
rezvimbambaira mukukonzera kuti dziviriro/kusadzivirirwa kwezveupfumi nemagariro
kuonekwe maringe nepfungwa yewadzano pakati pevanhurume nevanhukadzi munzvimbo
dzapera hondo; uye nekuongorora kuti nzira dzekugadzirisa matambudziko aya dzinozopinza
pfungwa yewadzano pakati pevanhurume nevanhukadzi kuburikidza nedambudziko revanhu
nezvimbambaira. Nzira yetsvagurudzo yakashandiswa ndeyepfungwa isingakoshesi zvakakanyanya chisikwa
chinonzi munhu kudarika zvimwe zvisikwa, yakatsamira papfungwa yehwaro yehunhukadzi iyo
yakanga ine maonero anokoshesa pfungwa dzevanhu venzvimbo iri kuitirwa tsvagurudzo pamwe
nekuvapo kwemutsvagurudzi panyaya iri kutsvagurudzwa. Zvombo zvekuunganidza mashoko
zvaisanganisira kubvunzwa kwevanhu vakakosha vakasarudzwa kupinda mutsvagurudzo, ngano
dzenhoroondo dzezveupenyu hwevanhu pamwe nekuongoona kuri pachena kwemutori
wenzvimbo mutsvagurudzo. Zvombo zvekuunganidza mashoko izvi zvakasarudzwa paine
vavariro yekuzadzikisa zvinangwa zvetsvagurudzo sezvo zvichienderana nenzira yetsvangurudzo
yezvehunhukadzi inotsvaga chokwadi kuburikidza neongororo inotwa mumagariro evanhu
chaiwo iyo inokoshesa kuva nechokuita kwemutsvagurudzi kutsvagurudzo munzvimbo dzine
zvimiro zvinosanduka-sanduka. Nokudaro, vakatora nzvimbo mutsvagurudzo vaiva varume
nevakadzi vane upenyu hwakasandurwa nekusandurwa pekare kuburikidza nekugara kwavo
pamwe chete nezvimbambaira munguva yehondo yerusunguko, uye munguva iyo hondo yapera
munzvimbo yekumuganhu iyi. Ichitora kubva mumbiru nhatu dzakakosha dzehwaro hwemafungiro – kutora matanho
kwevarume nevakadzi, magonero ezvinhu, pamwe nekukoshesa zvakanyanya mamiriro
emuAfrica ezvinhu/zvemweya zvisingabatike – tsvagurudzo ino yakaratidza kuti dziviriro kana
kusadzivirirwa kwevanhu kunofanira kunzwisiswa sechinhu chakaomarara, chinosanduka, uye
chiri mumamiriro acho. Kudondana kwetsvagurudzo maringe nedziviriro/kushaya dziviriro
yezuva nezuva kuri padanho repasi-pasi, kwadenha pfungwa dzezvehwaro hwemaonero dzisina
kutsigirwa nechokwadi dzepfungwa huru dzehwaro hwemaonero maringe nedziviriro dzakaita
seyeHuchokwadi, Dziviriro yeVanhu, Pfungwa yeOngororo Yakadzama yeZvidzidzo
zveDziviriro, nePfungwa yezveHunhukadzi yeZvidzidzo zveDziviriro pamwe nemarambiro adzo
dzimwe pfungwa dzeongororo dzinoumba nekuumba patsva dziviriro/kusadzivirirwa padambo
renzvimbo inogara vanhu. Pfungwa idzi dzinosanganisira pfungwa yemawadzanirano pakati
pevanhurume nevanhukadzi mutsika nemagariro avo, hwaro hwemaitikiro ezvinhu (Pfungwa
yehwaro emaonero inokoshesa tsika nenhoroondo dzeAfrica), pamwe nemagonero ezvinhu
zvisiri vanhu (zvinobatika/zvimbambaira nezvisingabatiki/zvemweya). Kunyangwe zvazvo nzira
dzekutsvaga chouviri, zvimiro pamwe nehukanganisirwi zvakaratidzwa zvose kuti zvimwe
chokuita nepfungwa yezvekuwadzana pakati pevanhurume nevanhukadzi mutsika nemagariro
avo mumamiriro nemaitikiro ezvinhu akawanda, matanho anotevera anoitwa nevarume
nevakadzi munzvimbo dzavo dzakamanikana dzeukama pakati pezvipuka nenharaunda,
anoratidza kuti kusadzivirirwa kwemiviri yavo pamwe nekwemagariro nezveupfumi hwavo
kunodarika uviri hunopikisa hwezvewadzano yevanhukadzi nevanhurume mutsika nemagariro
avo, sezvo zvose varume nevakadzi vachibatwa zvakaenzana mukuuya kwenjodzi muhwaro uhu
hwemaitikiro ezvinhu. Nokudaro, mupfungwa yehwaro hwemaonero pamwe nekuzvionera pamhuno sefodya, chinyorwa chino charatidza kuti kuburikidza chete nekushandisa maonero
ehunhukadzi asinganyanyokoshesa munhu kudarika zvimwe zvisikwa, kunokwanisa kuti
tinzwisise zvizere kuti (kusava ne)dziviriro ibasa redanho remukati reukama kwevanhu
nezvinhu, sezvo vanhu nezvisiri vanhu vachipinzwa pauviri hwavo mukuburitsa pahumwechete
hwavo nzvimbo netsika dze(kusava ne)dziviriro munguva iyo kurwisana kunenge kwapera, asi
munzvimbo dzavo muchine zvisarirwa zvehondo zvinoputika
Housing and child health in South Africa: the value of longitudinal research
No full textResearch investigating the link between housing and health often produces mixed results. It does not always prove that good housing improves health. The results suggest a complex set of factors play a role, and the findings are sometimes contradictory. Two ways of addressing these concerns are longitudinal research, where the relationship between housing and health is measured in the short and medium terms, and a focus on children. We use the children’s housing and health data from the five waves of the National Income and Distribution Survey (NIDS) survey in South Africa, 2008 to 2017. We investigate the effect that continued living in informal housing over the five waves has had on these children’s health. Our results show a statistically significant relationship between prolonged residence in poor housing and poor health outcomes for some health indicators. The results call for a closer understanding of health issues in housing policy in South Africa.Publisher's versio
Adaptation to climate change and impact on smallholder farmers' food security in South Africa
No full textIf not adequately managed, climate change is predicted to have a large negative impact on smallholder subsistence farmers, posing a significant danger to household food security. However, the role of adaptive techniques used by farming households to reduce these negative effects and, as a result, their food insecurity status has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study explores the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ adoption of climate change adaptation measures, as well as their impact on household food security. Using an endogenous treatment-effect ordered probit model, agricultural households’ food security status is likely to significantly improve when they employ measures to adapt to adverse climatic conditions. The empirical findings also show that the gender makeup of the household, age, tropical livestock unit, and access to climatic information improve the likelihood of smallholder farmers adopting climate change adaptation measures. Based on the findings, this study advocates that governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) support smallholder farmers’ Indigenous adaptation options with various institutional, regulatory, and technological assistance, with a particular emphasis on female-headed households.Publisher's versio
Negotiating belonging: the case of Francophone Cameroonian migrants in Pretoria
No full textFrancophone Cameroonian migrants in Pretoria face challenges such as language barriers. The migrants are not easily accepted by locals and often face discrimination and harassment that influence their sense of belonging in the host society. This is accentuated by negative perceptions that see African migrants in South Africa in general as an economic threat to locals. South African policies on migrant labour are also control-oriented to deter immigration. For example, to employ a migrant, an employer must sufficiently convince the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that there is no suitable South African available to do the job. In the midst of these challenges African migrants must live in cities like Pretoria where the cost of living is high, as opposed to townships where the cost of living is low, for fear of being attacked by locals. The complex relationship between African migrants in South Africa and locals stretches Francophone Cameroonian migrants to belong ‘here’ (Pretoria) and ‘there’ (Cameroon) – “transmigration/ transnationalism”. This article therefore seeks to answer the following questions; how do Francophone Cameroonian migrants negotiate belonging in Pretoria? What is the role of indigenous languages in the process of negotiating belonging?Publisher's versio
Short-term effects of tillage systems, fertilisation, and cropping patterns on soil chemical properties and maize yields in a loamy sand soil in Southern Mozambique
No full textSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) agriculture is characterized by dependence on erratic rainfall, inadequate conservation practices, and a decline in soil fertility resulting in low crop productivity. Therefore, conservation agriculture (CA) has been proposed as an alternative to improve soil fertility and productivity. Hence the aim was to investigate the effects of tillage systems, fertilization, and cropping patterns on selected soil chemical properties (pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, exchangeable cations, and cation exchange capacity) and identify which cropping pattern maximizes stover and grain maize–legume productivity and land use. A two-year (2016/17–2017/18) field experiment in a loamy sand soil was conducted at Nhacoongo Research Station, southern Mozambique. Two tillage systems (conservation (CA) and conventional tillage (CT)), two fertilization treatments (fertilized and unfertilized), and seven cropping patterns (four sole crops and three maize–legume intercrops) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with split–split plot arrangement and replicated four times. CA practices resulted in significantly higher soil chemical properties and increased stover and grain yields as compared to CT practices, but fertilization demonstrated insignificant effects on soil chemical properties and significant influences on stover and grain yield of maize and legumes. Cropping patterns induced no significant effect on soil chemical properties and either stover or grain yield. Estimated indices like land equivalent ratio (1.18–2.67) and competitive ratio index (0.01–1.72) confirmed the advantage of intercropping against sole cropping. This is largely supported by the estimated values of aggressivity and relative crowding coefficient. Smallholder farmers can therefore benefit by adopting CA.Publisher's versio
Purification strategies for equine Chorionic Gonadotropin
No full textDissertation (M.Sc.(Biochemistry))--University of the Free State, 2022Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the endometrial cups of pregnant mares during days 37 to 120 of gestation. In equids it exhibits luteinizing hormone (LH) activity, while in non-equine species eCG exhibits both LH - and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) like activity. Due to the high sialic acid content of eCG the 60 kD protein possess a long half-life in mammalian plasma. This, together with its dual hormonal activity (LH and FSH) makes eCG an extremely effective hormone for use in animal reproduction. Recombinant production of the hormone is still in its initial phases, therefore eCG, for commercial use, is still primarily purified from the serum of pregnant mares. Equine serum albumin remains the biggest challenge in the purification of eCG due to its relative abundance in the serum and similar molecular weight (70 kDa). This study investigated some of the strategies involved in the isolation of eCG in order to identify possible areas for improvement.
We compared three different acid precipitation steps as an initial phase in the isolation of eCG from eCG-spiked equine serum. Precipitation with metaphosphoric acid (MPA) showed the highest purification factor compared to precipitation with 15% (v/v) –and 25% (v/v) trichloroacetic acid (TCA) but resulted in high eCG losses. We also investigated the use of albumin affinity chromatography in the purification process but found that both albumin and eCG bound to the albumin affinity resin, raising our suspicions about possible interaction between the proteins. Ultrafiltration, using filtration units with a MWCO of 30 kDa, proved an ineffective method in the isolation of eCG as we found that eCG exhibits an affinity for the porous membrane of the filtration unit. During cation exchange chromatography we found that when eCG was mixed with BSA, the proteins exhibited changes in their column binding properties. This was confirmed with anion exchange where neither a continuous salt – nor pH gradient could separate eCG and albumin. This further supports our notion of a possible interaction between the two proteins as albumin is widely known as a carrier protein for thyroid hormones and other molecules. We found that Lectin affinity (LAC) - and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) did succeed in separating eCG and albumin but we could not elute most of the eCG from the LAC column, therefore future work should include further optimization of the method. HIC was performed on small scale and future work should look in to using higher concentrations of protein
Ritualizing secular space: a waste management facility on Bloemfontein's northern landfill
No full textDissertation (M.Arch. (Architecture))--University of the Free State, 2022This thesis explores an architectural solution to the complex issue of landfilling in the urban environment. However, the aim is to transcend functionalistic recycling and offer more than mere site rehabilitation. How can an architectural intervention mitigate ruination and empower the marginalized as a form of social justice in response to neglected spaces? Traditional recycling methods are often too costly or cumbersome for degraded and contaminated plastic samples from landfills. Plastic refuse can be more efficiently recycled through a waste management technique called pyrolysis, which can turn plastic into fuel sources, stimulating economic growth and addressing fuel shortages. Good architecture is much more than a programmatic accommodation list; it has a layeredness that adds depth and presents rich opportunities for design intervention. How can a waste management facility become more than just a piece of infrastructure? The hopes and aspirations for this thesis, captured in this document, are to perform architectural alchemy on the urban environment, to transform a failing landfill in the northern suburbs of Bloemfontein into an urban node that can actively contribute to the local community and become worth its weight in gold
Local economic development in a border town: The case of Outapi, Namibia
No full textDissertation (MDS (Development Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022Background: A border town is a town close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. In the eighteenth century, several border towns emerged, for example, a regional border town George Town in the United States (Zhao et al., 2019). Another border town that has seen the agglomeration of economic activities is Hong Kong which borders markets in China (Baird & Cansong, 2017). In these border towns, there are common characteristics of economic growth heavily influenced by local economic development (Naijman & Shepherd, 2015). The growth of local economies in these border towns was influenced by various factors, among others, the presence of skilled traders involved in economic activities that resulted in some border towns experiencing growth in their local economies (Baird & Cansong, 2017). However, not all border towns experience growth in their local economies. Some border towns are declining in terms of their local economic growth due to various reasons and challenges. On the other hand, border towns that grew their local economies and turned them into border markets also face various challenges. Local economic development (LED) is a driving tool behind local growth in border markets because it can bring together all LED-implementing stakeholders. LED stakeholders play a very important role in the success of local economic development in their respective border towns. The role of various stakeholders assists in assessing the towns' competitiveness. Stakeholders, since some of them are residents of the border town, can apply their trading skills, suggest various agglomeration of economic activities, and provide a conducive trading environment through a cordial host-guest relationship (Walther, 2014). Generally, in addition to the role of LED stakeholders, sound administrative governance ensures the flourishing of trade activities in border towns (Dobler, 2009). The implementation of LED in some border towns experiences challenges. These challenges, among others, include a sudden decline in economic activities in border towns (border market) (He et al., 2020). In some cases, the sudden decline of economic activities in border towns is associated with the lack of local trading skills (He et al., 2020). In some cases, the lack of local economic performance is exacerbated by the lack of economic multipliers, which increases local economies' inability to offer different opportunities. However, a diversified economy needs trading skills and innovation of the traders to capitalize on those economic multipliers or else the local economy is doomed to fail. Poor competitiveness and the lack of business innovations in border towns also contribute to the decline of local economies (Mwinga et al., 2018). In some cases, the externalities like geopolitics and double standards can lead to a sudden decline in economic activities in border towns (Baird & Cansong, 2017). This myriad of challenges causes the collapse of some border markets, while they inhibit many border towns from growing their local economies and transforming themselves into competitive border markets
A foundation in agricultural extension science is a prerequisite for agricultural advisors to improve the livelihood of the beneficiaries of their extension and advisory support services in the Western Cape
No full textAgricultural extension is pivotal to transforming the agricultural sector, outlined in many strategic and policy frameworks for South Africa. Therefore, it was necessary to determine what sets apart agricultural advisors who, under the same conditions, have a positive effect on farmers' agricultural output from those who do not. The researcher argues that a foundation in agricultural Extension Science enables the former to improve farmers' livelihoods. Such a study requires comparing agricultural advisors with an Extension Science foundation to an agricultural advisor with no such foundation. Data triangulation methodology was employed. Four data sources were used to determine if there is a difference in the extension and advisory services they provide to farmers in the Western Cape. One data source was measuring the advisor's performance in the field. A performance rating tool was developed to measure how agricultural advisors execute their roles and responsibilities. Hence, criteria for such a tool were necessary. This was developed through reviewing the literature. The agricultural advisors tested these identified roles and responsibilities, and they agreed with them. Through the Log Frame Analysis, managers and specialists from Program 3 in the Western Cape Department of Agriculture examined 11 roles and responsibilities using problem and objective analysis methods. Another data source was the demographics of the agricultural advisor determined through a questionnaire. Two other data sources were the success rate of the farms and the farmers' rating of the advice given by the agricultural advisor taken from the Western Cape Agricultural Land Reform Project Performance Evaluation 2014-2019. The success profiles of the extension advisors were compared to determine if a foundation in Extension Science would improve the farmers' livelihood