KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
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Chiasm in Zephaniah 3:14-17 – A new proposal
Get PDFThis contribution focuses on Zephaniah 3:14-17 and investigates the chiastic structure of the pericope methodologically. The history of research on this unit shows that not all commentaries recognise the chiastic structuring of this unit, while others opt for a parallelism rather than a chiastic structure. The reason why the chiastic structuring will be the focus of this investigation is that, while scholars, in more recent research, have recognised the chiastic structuring of verses 14-17, there is a difference of opinion on how to view the chiastic structuring. As a solution to the problem, a new proposal as to how to view the chiastic structure is suggested. According to the results of this research, an interesting and complex chiastic structure has been detected and can be schematised as follows: A-BC-D-D-C-B-A. Finally, the article briefly mentions some implications of the new proposal
A bilingual-bicultural literacy programme for deaf learners in Namibia
Get PDFThe poor academic performance and literacy level of deaf learners in Namibia are a major concern, and it is necessary to understand the center of the situation. Even though deaf learners can become proficient readers and writers, the challenge remains in finding an appropriate instructional approach to attain these results. This presents an even greater challenge, as deaf learners not only differ from their hearing peers, but also significantly differ from one another in terms of their various familial and social contexts, language use, and overall holistic development. The Bilingual-Bicultural approach is considered a good approach for teaching deaf learners, and it offers them the chance to become biliterate; therefore this study explored the impact of a Bilingual-Bicultural literacy program on 41 d/hh learners (age = 7-13 yrs). Through a one-group pre-test post-test design, a group of participants were pre-evaluated, followed by an intervention and post-evaluation. The intervention\u27s main goal was to implement practical teaching strategies using a Bilingual-Bicultural teaching approach that can reduce the delay and gap in language learning and literacy for deaf learners. Results from t-tests calculated to determine the statistical significance of the pre and post-test with regard to the total scores and all the sub-tests for NSL as well as Written English skills indicated significant results (p< 0.05). The study offers insight into the psychology of teaching deaf learners while also advancing the theory and application of the Bilingual-Bicultural approach. Additionally, it promotes debate of the best practices for ensuring that deaf learners receive a quality education and full participation in society
Universal Design for Learning and writing centres in South African higher education
Get PDFCould a transformative, inclusive and emancipatory educational framework like the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) advance academic success for all? Could racism and dis/ableism be dismantled through such an emerging educational trend that offers a redefinition of dis/ability abolishing oppressive pedagogical practices that perpetuate constructed views of special needs, often negatively correlated with racial and intellectual superiority? Could such a framework that foregrounds physical, cognitive and linguistic injustices advance achievement beyond merely meeting academic literacy standards within higher education settings like writing centres in a post-Covid 21st-century South Africa? These critical questions are some of the tensions raised in this paper proposing a compelling, yet controversial attempt at advancing student learning and achievement within an expanded definition of disability offered by the UDL framework developed by Rose and Meyer at the Center for Applied Special Technology at Harvard University. While Covid-19 centred around a pandemic, this global catastrophe accelerated the technological thrust into virtual and blended learning mediums of learning and engagement. Yet, given the technological explosion of the mid- and late 20th century, in many ways education have headed towards this direction. Now more than ever, the awareness of the Universal Design for Learning within the role of the writing centre and academic literacy is especially critical, given the drive for technologically driven approaches to address issues of social justice. This paper seeks to understand the obstacles and opportunities of the UDL framework within the role of writing centres in post-Covid 21st-century South African higher education. Through professional insights as a qualified practising writing consultant both locally in South Africa and in the United States, this reflective critique on the emerging vociferous dialogue around the adoption of the Universal Design for Learning framework at higher education institutions in South Africa, and its implications for the role of the writing centre, are based on this author’s pragmatic, commonplace experiences as well as research studies conducted on UDL and the Harvard Review. It is hoped that this reflective paper may make visible some of the inherent juxtapositions Universal Design for Learning may hold for meeting individual students’ learning needs principled on its universal approach to learning success for all, affording opportunities for further research and critique
Report cards, and other tracking of South Africa’s public sector fixed infrastructure condition
Get PDFThis article is the second of a planned series being published in this Journal describing investigations of the condition of South Africa’s infrastructure, reasons for/contributory factors to this condition, and the consequences of this condition for service delivery and quality of life. The purpose of the article is not to critique any of the infrastructure condition measurements, but to convey to the reader a general impression of the direction in which the condition of public sector infrastructure in South Africa is heading, and to make inferences from that. The article introduces surveys which have been undertaken by credible institutions, including a number of national, provincial, and local government departments, state-owned companies, as well as the Auditor General to track South Africa’s public sector fixed infrastructure condition. Over the years, a number of these surveys, some of them tracking the condition of this infrastructure and others tracking various performance criteria which allow inferences of the infrastructure condition to be made, have shown that the infrastructure is, on average, not in a good state – thus hampering service delivery and, as a consequence, harming the economy and the quality of life of the population. However, the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, with its four “infrastructure report cards”, approximately five years apart, has provided the clearest picture of trends in infrastructure condition nationwide
Place attachment and participation in community-driven development in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Get PDFAs the world faces unprecedented social, economic, and environmental issues, there is a greater emphasis on participation in community-driven solutions to foster sustainable and inclusive development. More local urban planning studies need to demonstrate the nexus between peoples’ emotional bond with a place, place attachment, and participation in community-driven development initiatives. This article aims to add to the body of knowledge in the broad field of environmental design, where the concept of place attachment influences the design of urban spaces. The article explores the nexus between place attachment and community participation in community-driven programmes in Gauteng province, South Africa. This article adopts a quantitative approach and uses the Gauteng City-Region Observatory’s Quality of Life (QoL) survey data. The study uses K-means clustering and ordered logistic regression models as the primary data-analysis methods. Four social clusters were identified based on place attachment, participation in community initiatives was evaluated, and a combined participation index was calculated. The identified clusters, namely the discontented advocates, neighbourhood self-doubters, potential community catalysts from afar or non-local influencers and potential neighbourhood champions had different levels of participation in community-driven initiatives. Cluster ‘Discontented advocates’ is more likely to participate in community development programmes than the cluster ‘Neighbourhood self-doubters’. The developed combined participation index shows that nearly half (45.5%) of the residents in Gauteng province have never participated in community-driven development initiatives. The study recommends that various stakeholders should engage in inclusive and robust participatory planning procedures, and experiment with the implementation of universal design features that ensure equitable access to urban amenities, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity. These practical measures foster a sense of identity, place dependence, and social bonding, which are the important dimensions of place attachment that positively influence community-driven development and meet the overall goals of social justice and societal well-being
Assessment of conformity to demarcated environmentally sensitive areas in land use plans: The case of Abuja, Nigeria
Get PDFEnvironmentally sensitive areas such as lands demarcated for urban green infrastructure and regional forest reserves by urban and regional plans are crucial to be protected due to the environmental, economic, social, and cultural services they provide. However, such environmentally sensitive areas are being threatened by various human activities, including urban dynamics. The current study, therefore, aimed to deploy existing scenario alternatives to predict and evaluate the environmental impacts of the possible future urban dynamics in environmentally sensitive areas to support the core of the Strategic Environmental Assessment process for sustainable urban and regional development planning and policy. The study deployed Geographic Information Systems, existing land cover maps, land use plans, calibrated and validated land use/land cover model, and scenario alternatives to predict the possible future urban and regional land dynamics using the Markov model. The matrix method of environmental impact magnitude and environmental sensitivity was used to define environmental impact significance. In so doing, the environmental impact magnitude in the environmentally sensitive area is categorised into very low (> 0% <5%), low (>= 5% < 10%), medium (>= 10% < 15%), high (>= 15% < 20%), and very high (>= 20%). Key findings showed a significant and non-significant environmental impact of the possible future urban dynamics in environmentally sensitive areas associated with the Business As Usual scenario and alternative scenarios, respectively. The information from the current study is useful to support decision-makers in addressing problems associated with the core of the Strategic Environmental Assessment process and its application to land use planning in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular and other parts of the Global South in general
The The balancing act: 4IR and African democracies
No full textThe essence of democracy enables citizens to exercise their freedoms and affords protection of rights and equal opportunities for all. Democracy is a complex system of government and various states exercise it differently. Despite the differences, there are universal features of a democratic system. The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has transformed democratic societies and economies. Since its inception in the 18th century, the hallmark of the 4IR encompasses increasing technological capabilities, artificial intelligence, increased production, and portable technology. Undoubtedly, the 4IR will enhance people’s quality of life and subsequently afford democratic governments opportunities and challenges. This article argues that, despite the benefits 4IR may yield, there are challenges, which if not addressed will undermine the essence of African democracies. The article concludes by urging African democracies to take part in the technological change, in order to maximise the unparalleled benefits of 4IR to strengthen democratic principles
The forein business establishment exemption is not for outsourced services
Get PDFControlled foreign company (CFC) provisions in the Income Tax Act provide for the imputation of the net income of a foreign company to its resident participants in proportion to their participation in the foreign company. However, income that is attributed to a foreign business establishment of the CFC is exempted from the imputation. In Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service v Coronation Investment Management SA (Pty) Ltd [2023] ZASCA 10, a South African tax resident had a CFC in Ireland that outsourced some of its operations to third parties outside of Ireland. The resident sought to claim the foreign business establishment exemption in respect of all its CFC income. The South African Revenue Service disallowed the exemption in respect of all CFC income. The Tax Court allowed the exemption, and the Supreme Court of Appeal disallowed the exemption on the basis that the CFC outsourced its primary operations as contained in the CFC’s operating license. This note concludes that the Supreme Court of Appeal erred in focusing on the operations that the CFC was licensed to conduct, as opposed to what it actually conducted. It also finds that the outsourcing of some of the operations should not disqualify the entire operations of the CFC from the exemption. It further canvasses the future of the exemption in light of the introduction of the global minimum tax
Fiduciary law in South Africa: A good time to come of age
Get PDFFiduciary law as a separate legal discipline has not been under the spotlight within a South African context. As it is often limited to its association with trustees and company directors, fiduciary law has been under-analysed and not recognized as a distinctive body of law. In this article, the position of fiduciary law is regarded as within the broader context of the private-law landscape, considering both contractual and relationship theories. Its application in a trust-law context is used to illustrate the practical value of fiduciary law. The potential role of public policy as well as the impact of the mixed-law tradition are discussed, emphasizing the importance of the responsible development of fiduciary law. This development relies on a sound theoretical understanding of its objectives and intended results. Additionally, it necessitates the identification and application of an officially recognized normative assessment for determining the parameters of the fiduciary relationship. A few potential common factors for determining the nature, origin, and reach, of fiduciary law are identified, with the intention of stimulating the debate and further research. These factors include the purpose of the fiduciary concept, the undertaking by the functionary, the legal source of the individual’s appointment, and aspects such as independence, discretion, duties, capacity, and assessment
Resilience of peri-urban wetland ecosystems: A case study of Nandoni, Limpopo province, South Africa
Get PDFHuman beings tend to encroach on wetlands, particularly in peri-urban areas in developing countries, as they use their rich ecosystem services. Such practices of encroachment lead to the reduction of quality and size of water resources. There is a paucity of policy information on how to effectively manage wetlands in the face of disruption from human settlements adaptation activities. This study examines the resilience of wetland ecosystems in Nandoni’s peri-urban areas in South Africa to provide mitigation strategies to inform policy and praxis on how wetlands can be effectively managed in the face of disruption from human settlements around them. The study adopted a case study research design and used the mixed methods research approach, which includes qualitative and spatial data. Data was collected through key informant interviews with purposively selected spatial planners, environmentalists, and traditional leaders. Photographic and mapping surveys were conducted to determine the impact of development on wetlands. The study found that human activities such as farming, brickmaking, and residential development have impacted on wetlands, resulting in water pollution, wetland degradation or loss of wetlands, and extinction of animal species. Findings also revealed that human extraction activities affect the spatial resilience of Nandoni, while other activities such as recreational pursuits do not have as much effect in terms of the area’s level of resilience. The study recommends that policy makers and wetland users adopt sustainable strategies such as improving post-relocation support, sustainable practices in wetland management, and adaptive co-management to alleviate the impacts of adaptation activities. The latter degrade wetlands in peri-urban areas that support communities and the environment. A holistic inclusivity should be adopted among stakeholders to foster collaborative initiatives that raise awareness and enforce policies