21623 research outputs found
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Because the bible tells me so: engaging the role of bible interpretation in the engagement of the queer community by the methodist ministers in Pietermaritzburg.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.No abstract.No abstract
A model for a state-owned shipping company in South Africa: lessons from other BRICS countries.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.A variety of South African goods are exported around the world on foreign vessels. A cursory analysis indicates, inter alia, R 12,8 trillion in global export value was transported between 2012 and 2022 on foreign vessels. This is because South Africa doesn’t run a merchant fleet or has a state-owned shipping company(Franck, 2016). However, the government has published a Bill signalling its intention to establish a state-owned shipping company. Neither the South African Shipping Company Bill, nor government’s maritime policies explain their proposed model for a state-owned shipping company. The study was conducted through a qualitative research methodology and premised on documents collected through the internet and company websites. This study therefore proposes a model suitable for a South African state-owned shipping company; drawing from the members of BRICS, (Brazil, India, China and South Africa). South Africa is the only member of BRICS, without a state-owned shipping company. The study found state-owned shipping companies in BRICS countries were established in the 1940s during the Second World War. At that time South Africa had a state-owned shipping company, Safmarine, which however, was sold privately half a century later. The study found BRICS countries do not have a homogenous model that can be followed by South Africa to establish a similar institution. Each country’s model is unique to their country.
Therefore, this study concludes there is no specific model from other BRICS countries that can be followed by South Africa. However, there are lessons which can be drawn from state-owned shipping companies in BRICS. There are further lessons to draw from South Africa itself, on how it established and operated Safmarine for 50 years. These lessons relate to the establishment, operational management, ownership, funding and capitalization models, as well as growth strategies. The study concludes how South Africa can develop its own model of a state-owned shipping company drawing lessons from other BRICS countries
Political corruption in Nigeria : examining the causes and consequences on development from 2010 to 2015.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study explores the causes and consequences of political corruption on Nigeria's development from 2010 to 2015, focusing on the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Utilizing a qualitative approach, this research adopts a desktop study design, incorporating Prebendalism, the Two Publics Theory, and the Political Alienation Theory to frame its analysis. Secondary data sources, including policy documents, peer-reviewed publications, and credible media reports, were methodically examined to uncover the underlying drivers of corruption, its developmental impacts, and the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures during this period. The findings reveal that entrenched prebendal practices, weak institutional frameworks, and widespread political alienation fuelled systemic corruption, resulting in economic stagnation, governance inefficiencies, and heightened insecurity, such as the proliferation of Boko Haram insurgency. Despite existing anti-corruption policies and legislation, enforcement mechanisms proved inadequate, further entrenching corruption. The study underscores the need for strengthened institutional capacity, enhanced political accountability, and measures to address socio-political alienation to achieve sustainable development in Nigeria. By providing critical insights into the interplay between corruption and development, this research offers practical recommendations for policymakers, scholars, and civil society actors committed to fostering good governance and combating corruption in Nigeria
Does the First-Year Experience Mentorship Program for first-year students at The University of KwaZulu Natal yield positive results? an exploratory study.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study investigates the First-Year Experience (FYE) Mentorship Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) through the lens of Social Constructivism. The research examines the role of mentorship in facilitating first-year students' academic support, social integration, and retention within the university community. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilising semi-structured interviews with mentees to explore their experiences and needs.
The findings highlight the programme's effectiveness in fostering a sense of belonging and providing academic support, consistent with Vygotsky's theory emphasising the importance of social interactions in learning. However, challenges emerged, including limited mentor engagement and inconsistent communication, which negatively impacted mentees' experiences. Participants reported a lack of emotional support and insufficient cultural competency among mentors as significant shortcomings.
Recommendations include enhancing mentor training to incorporate emotional support strategies and cultural competency, structuring support sessions, and implementing feedback mechanisms for programme improvement. While the study underscores the potential of mentorship programmes to support first-year students, it acknowledges limitations such as its single-institution focus and qualitative approach, suggesting the need for broader research across multiple institutions
Magnitude and characteristics of unsuppressed HIV viral load in children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
No full textResearch paper - H.E.A.R.DHIV/AIDS remains a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children and adolescents, with a substantial proportion of people with HIV having unsuppressed viral loads despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART), complicating efforts to manage and control the epidemic. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of unsuppressed viral load and identify the factors contributing to this issue among children and adolescents living with HIV on ART in sub-Saharan Africa.In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed data from Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCOhost Research Databases, and Wiley Online Library, as well as grey literature searches. We included studies published between Jan 1, 2010, and Nov 30, 2024 that focused on children and adolescents (aged <20 years) on ART in sub-Saharan Africa and reported on factors related to viral load suppression, defined by a viral load of less than 1000 copies per mL. Eligible studies included observational and interventional designs. Data appraisal and extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers from the author group, with summary data extracted from published reports. The primary outcome assessed was the prevalence of unsuppressed viral loads, with meta-analysis performed using STATA software to calculate prevalence and associated factors. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023451212).From an initial 13 121 identified articles, 52 studies involving 169 949 children and adolescents on ART met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence of unsuppressed viral load among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa was 26·47% (95% CI 23·06-29·87); specifically, 26·01% (20·51-31·52) for studies in children (<15 years), 24·76% (17·36-32·16) for studies in adolescents (10-19 years), and 28·52% (23·33-33·72) for studies in a combined group of children and adolescents. Factors associated with unsuppressed viral load included younger age (<5 years), male sex, rural residence, orphan status, attendance at a level 1 or 2 health-care facility, HIV status not disclosed, poor ART adherence, advanced WHO clinical stage of HIV, low CD4 cell counts, history of opportunistic infections, nevirapine-based treatment regimen, drug substitution history, and not receiving co-trimoxazole prophylaxis. This meta-analysis showed a significant heterogeneity across the included studies, as evidenced by I2=99·66% and p<0·0001.Unsuppressed viral load among children and adolescents is a key concern in sub-Saharan Africa, and is influenced by sociodemographic, clinical, immunological, and treatment-related factors. Addressing these issues through targeted interventions and improved ART adherence strategies is crucial for better health outcomes.HEARD PhD Scholarship, Swedish International Development Agency
Intersecting economics and sexual identity in the book of Ruth and contemporary Mozambique: constructing biblical resources for change.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This research is an attempt at African biblical scholarship and engagement with critical social issues impacting on society, including non-conforming aspects of sexuality in the continent. Non-conforming sexualities in Mozambique (and other similar contexts in the region) are excluded and/or silenced by the Church and the society in general in terms of economic and religious transactions. This study uses the tri-polar approach to discern an economic, sexual, and religious ethic from the biblical book of Ruth to be applied in Mozambique within the context of economic and religious exclusion of non-conforming people.
The tripolar approach begins with an analysis of the Mozambican context to explore the interconnectedness between sexual struggles and economic struggles, which is a reality characterized by economic privilege of heterosexual men, economic dependence of (heterosexual) women, and economic silence and/or exclusion of non-conforming sexualities or different gender identities. Then the tri-polar approach moves to the biblical book of Ruth and explores the intersections between economic struggles and sexual struggles, which are evidenced by economic privilege of heterosexual men, economic dependence of (heterosexual) women, and economic exclusion and/or silence of ambiguous characters. Then the study returns to both contextual pole and textual pole to analyze the religious contexts that shape the intersections between economics and sexuality in Mozambique and in the book of Ruth. The result is that in both Mozambique and the context of Ruth, religion is used to legitimize heteropatriarchal ideologies and practice that generate economic privilege of heterosexual men,economic dependence of (heterosexual) women, and economic exclusion or silence of indecent people (non-conforming sexualities or ambiguous gender identities). Then, the tripolar approach ends with the discernment of an infrapolitical ethic of the powerless from the biblical book of Ruth which is applied within Contextual Bible Study resources for change in the context of economic and religious exclusion of different sexualities or gender identities in Mozambique (and elsewhere on the African continent). The book of Ruth is a form of resistance in disguise against the exclusivity ideology of post- exilic context in Judah. This resistance can be captured within the praxis of the Ujamaa Centre CBS, as part of the infrapolitical ethic of the powerless, which suggests a resistance in disguise against the interlocking systems that oppress and marginalize people, including non-conforming issues of sexuality. Resistance in disguise avoids that harm is done to indecent people (including queer or ambiguous sexualities, women, strangers, and widows)
Promoting the culture of reading in private school libraries in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.This study aimed to investigate the promotion of a reading culture at private primary schools in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. A school library can be seen as the “heart” of the school, and it is essential that its services are regularly evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of students. This investment in education will go a long way toward addressing the challenges of high illiteracy levels in any developing country, which also contribute to inequality, poverty, and unemployment. The literature reviewed for the study indicated that the school library today faces the challenge of competition with evolving technology, which often overshadows paper-based reading materials. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected teachers and school librarians, the study revealed that while school libraries and educators play a crucial role in fostering a reading culture, several barriers hinder this process. These include constraint-led factors (such as limited time for reading), lack of peer and parental support, and linguistic diversity in classrooms. Despite these challenges, librarians were found to be instrumental in encouraging early reading habits, while teachers play a pivotal role by allocating time for structured reading activities. To enhance the promotion of a reading culture, the study recommends peer reading programs, increased parental engagement, and the integration of multilingual reading resources. These interventions can strengthen reading habits and create a more inclusive and supportive literacy environment in primary schools
Challenges impacting supply chain management performance at the South African Social Security Agency in KwaZulu Natal.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, PMB.Government departments are experiencing several supply chain management challenges that negatively impact on their performance. It is within this context that the aim of this study was to identify the supply chain management challenges that negatively impact on the performance of the South African Social Security Agency in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN SASSA) and suggest how these challenges could be addressed. No research study was found that identifies supply chain challenges that impact on SASSA’s performance in KZN and in other provinces, and thus this research aims to address this gap. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, with qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants at KZN SASSA. The participants were purposely selected because they were able to provide appropriate answers to the research questions. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the research study reveal that supply chain challenges that impact negatively on KZN SASSA’s performance centre on procurement, legislation, supply chain training and completing procurement processes within the stipulated time. These challenges impact negatively on their performance – which affects service delivery. This study mainly recommends that Government departments could meet with National Treasury to revisit the stringent and excessive quantity of legislation in place, that the procurement process be revisited to address the delays of the procurement processes, that training be provided as and where there are any changes and newly introduced regulations, to avoid non-compliance to set laws that result in unauthorised wasteful and irregular expenditure
Indigenising psycho-social support: an examination of Oliver Mtukudzi’s music in the context of the Shona community’s indigenous health practices.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The Korekore community in Fumhe village, a rural enclave tucked in Northern Zimbabwe’s district of Mbire, is a coterie of culturally rich members whose indigenous practices play out in ethnic music as a culturally-codified mode of performative production. As a native of this community, Oliver Mtukudzi composed and performed songs that denote the cosmology and cosmogony of a people whose lives tap into the resourcefulness of culture as a pervasive element in social, political and religious spheres of existence. Whilst previous studies have placed huge attention on the didactic and aesthetic functions of Mtukudzi’s music, this study sought to explore the artist’s music with particular focus on its merits as a reflector and enabler of the Shona community’s indigenous health practices in the domain of psycho-social support for the bereaved.
The qualitative study conducted seven in-depth interviews with a view to understanding African indigenous approaches to psycho-social health in the context of death, bereavement, grief and loss. Also, through a lekgotla (African indigenous colloquium) and a woman-only focus group discussion (both conducted in Fumhe village in June 2023), the qualitative study enlisted the participation of community members as key stakeholders in the creation, deployment and optimisation of knowledge systems as they play out in the population under study. Riding on interpretive phenomenology, the study deployed analytical tenets from a framework of concepts that combined Postcolonial Indigenous theory, Culture-Centered Approach and African Cultural Studies to explore Shona healing practices. The framework facilitated an indigenous oriented entry into the African healing paradigm, debunking the narrow confines of Eurocentric certitudes that for years used ‘biomedicalisation’ to frame healthcare systems. Instead, decolonial studies champion the ‘sociology of health’ amongst communities of the African Global South whose scholarship locates health, wellness and healing within a cultural context. To understand the indigenous healing interventions of a community, one needs to phenomenologically appreciate the community’s conceptualisation of health within its cultural-situatedness. It is against this backdrop that this study appropriates the lenses of ethnography, folklore and cultural anthropology to explore indigenous knowledge systems as encapsulated in the corpus of African music and the discourses it generates. Among its key findings, this study found that for the Shona community, music is a part of everyday life that connects the dead with the living, hence it obtains within a cultural cosmology that ensures closure. Also, the concept of ‘community bereavement’ denotes the merits of social cohesion. Acknowledging the scope of music in psycho-social support, the study contributes to knowledge by establishing that in the Shona community, healing for the bereaved occurs at multiple levels, with self, others, and the environment being interconnected factors that cannot be disaggregated from the quadrant of a community galvanised by the relational ethos of holism. The study also unearths a ‘social equality group’ dimension to support in bereavement, foregrounding women’s critical role as carers, nurturers and restorers who champion the healing cause. Interestingly, ‘maternal valorisation’ ignites potent contestations for healing discourses in a community whose exclusionary patterns of relations denote patriarchy as a domineering socio-cultural operating system
An analysis of capital expenditure for South African ports: trends and stakeholders’ comments.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study analyses capital expenditure trends at the South African ports from financial years 2018/19 to 2022/23, with a focus on stakeholders' viewpoints and underlying challenges. Transnet National Ports Authority, a part of Transnet SOC Ltd, oversees the operation and administration of South Africa's eight commercial ports, which play a critical role in facilitating maritime trade. South Africa's strategic location along global trade routes emphasizes the importance of its ports, which are state-owned and administered by Transnet SOC Ltd via TNPA. South Africa's ports are given importance to the national economy and understanding capital expenditure and its implications is critical for improving operational efficiency and competitiveness in the maritime sector. The National Ports Authority is crucial in assuring the proper running of the country's port infrastructure, which is vital for economic progress. The study addresses concerns regarding the effective implementation of capital expenditure in the ports sector, identifying key challenges and exploring possible incentives to improve spending efficiency. The research employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing secondary data from publicly available documents, such as Records of Decision documents, Annual Financial Statements (AFS) available on the Transnet Group, the Tariff Methodology Manuals of the Ports Regulator of South Africa, various tariff applications from TNPA, and feedback from stakeholders on the TNPA tariff application. Additionally, the study employs primary data collected through purposive interviews with four individuals who have been directly involved and have expertise in capital expenditure decision-making processes. The study also examines stakeholder’s concerns and recommendations related to tariff regulations and capital investment strategies. This research contributes to the discourse on port infrastructure investment, offering recommendations for improving capital expenditure processes at NPA. The insights gained from this analysis are intended to inform policymakers and industry stakeholders, fostering a collaborative approach to enhance the effectiveness of capital investments in the port sector. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of strategic capital expenditure in supporting South Africa's economic growth and its position in the global maritime sector