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An investigation of the barriers and drivers to CDM renewable energy investment at the Metro, Kouga and Jeffreys Bay windfarms
No full textThis research is presented in three sections. Section 1 presents the research report
in an academic journal article format. Section 2 provides a comprehensive literature
review and Section 3 describes the research methodology and methods employed
during the research.
Climate change is the most urgent challenge facing planet earth today. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fifth assessment report (AR5) clearly
states, “Human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. Recent climate changes
have had widespread impacts on human and natural systems” (IPCC, 2014:2).
The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) published the
10th annual edition of the Renewables 2015 Global Status Report, which illustrates
the importance of a zero emissions energy sector (REN21, 2015). Despite the world’s
average annual 1,5% increase in energy consumption in recent years, and average
3% growth in Gross Domestic Product, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2014 were
unchanged from 2013 levels (REN21, 2015). The report findings state, “For the first
time in four decades, the world economy grew without a parallel rise in CO2
emissions” (REN21, 2015:17). Renewable energy and improved energy efficiency is
key to limiting global warming and avoiding dangerous impacts from climate change
(REN21, 2015). With a view to the successful outcome of the 21st Conference of the
Parties (COP21) in December 2015, renewable energy could contribute significantly
in mitigating climate change and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), specifically SDG 7, on Sustainable Energy for All (SAIREC, 2015).
South Africa has been rated the 15th most attractive destination for investment in the
renewable energy sector and could become a renewable energy leader in the African
continent, according to the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index of EY
(Ernest and Young) (EY, 2015). And more..
“Just trying to live our lives”: gay, lesbian and bisexual students’ experiences of being “at home” in university residence life
No full textHigher education in South Africa is faced with a paramount task to help erode the social and structural inequalities that have been inherited from the Apartheid system (Department of Education 1997; Council on Higher Education 2000:12). The findings from the Soudien Report (2008:116-117) point out that the post-Apartheid higher education system in South Africa is characterised by various forms of discrimination and institutional cultures that marginalise some members of institutions resulting in pervasive feelings of alienation. In the South African higher education field, the concept of a “home” for all has been used by a variety of commentators to depict a vision of what transformed, inclusive higher education institutional cultures might look like. In this thesis, I interpret the experiences of residence life on the part of gay, lesbian and bisexual students on a largely residential campus. I ask how gay, lesbian and bisexual students experience being “at home” in the campus’s residence system. The thesis is based on 18 in-depth qualitative interviews with students who self-identify as gay/lesbian or bisexual who have experienced residence life on the campus for a period longer than six months. A wide literature exists on the concept of “home”. Drawing from many different disciplines including anthropology, history, philosophy, geography, psychology, architecture and sociology, I distil the essential features of “at homeness” as incorporating comfort, privacy, security, acceptance, companionship and community. The research was concerned to inquire into how central the idea of home is to human flourishing and then into how gay, lesbian and bisexual students are routinely denied many of the essential comforts associated with being “at home” that heterosexual students have the privilege of taking for granted
Single station TEC modelling during storm conditions
No full textIt has been shown in ionospheric research that modelling total electron content (TEC) during
storm conditions is a big challenge. In this study, mathematical equations were developed
to estimate TEC over Sutherland (32.38⁰S, 20.81⁰E), during storm conditions, using the
Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis, combined with regression analysis. TEC
was derived from GPS observations and a geomagnetic storm was defined for Dst ≤ -50 nT.
The inputs for the model were chosen based on the factors that influence TEC variation, such
as diurnal, seasonal, solar and geomagnetic activity variation, and these were represented by
hour of the day, day number of the year, F10.7 and A index respectively. The EOF model was
developed using GPS TEC data from 1999 to 2013 and tested on different storms. For the
model validation (interpolation), three storms were chosen in 2000 (solar maximum period)
and three others in 2006 (solar minimum period), while for extrapolation six storms including
three in 2014 and three in 2015 were chosen. Before building the model, TEC values for the
selected 2000 and 2006 storms were removed from the dataset used to construct the model
in order to make the model validation independent on data. A comparison of the observed
and modelled TEC showed that the EOF model works well for storms with non-significant
ionospheric TEC response and storms that occurred during periods of low solar activity. High
correlation coefficients between the observed and modelled TEC were obtained showing that
the model covers most of the information contained in the observed TEC. Furthermore, it
has been shown that the EOF model developed for a specific station may be used to estimate
TEC over other locations within a latitudinal and longitudinal coverage of 8.7⁰ and 10.6⁰
respectively. This is an important result as it reduces the data dimensionality problem for
computational purposes. It may therefore not be necessary for regional storm-time TEC
modelling to compute TEC data for all the closest GPS receiver stations since most of the
needed information can be extracted from measurements at one location
Ulwaluko kwa Xhosa: Young Xhosa Men's Lived Experiences in the Context of Traditional Male Initiation
No full textThis thesis explores the lived experiences of young amaXhosa men in relation to
U!walukokwa Xhosa (traditional male initiation [TMI]) and its impact on their sense of
masculinity. The conceptual framework of this study is located within African
epistemology focusing on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) in South Africa. The
study aimed at enabling young amaXhosa men who had undergone TMI to reflect on
their first-hand, personal accounts of Ulwa/ukokwa Xhosa and manhood. Six semistructured
interviews and a follow up focus group discussion were held with 23-27
years old amaXhosa men residing in Joza Township in Grahamstown, Eastern
Cape. Participants were identified through purposive sampling. The thesis reports on
the following findings: (a) the significance of the place/location of initiation, and the
guise of modernity; (b) feelings of anticipation experienced by the young men; (c) the
theme on ubudoda(manhood) affirmation Ndiyindoda!; (d) the theme on the
concealment of pain (perseverance); (e) the theme on respect for self and others
and ubuntu;(f) Uzimelegeqe (independence and autonomy) and (g) social role and
responsibility. The paper argues for the relevance of TMI as a significantrite of
passage from boyhood to manhood amongamaXhosa men
E-governance in the public sector : a case study of the central admission system in Tanzania
No full textThis thesis sets out to answer the following central research question: what are the influences,
challenges, benefits and costs of the Central Admission System (CAS) as an e-Governance
initiative in improving undergraduates’ admissions service delivery and quality assurance in
Tanzania’s higher education institutions?’ In answering this key question, three sub-questions
were explored: (1) To what extent and in what ways does the implementation of the CAS
influence the organisation of admissions work and workplace relations in higher education
institutions? (2) What are the sociotechnical challenges of implementing the CAS? (3) What
are the advantages of the CAS in improving admissions service delivery and quality assurance
in higher education institutions? The sociotechnical theoretical framework is an ideal for
exploring these issues as it accommodates the understanding of dual relationship between
social and technological aspects of the CAS in line with the contextual issues in its
implementation. The focus of the thesis is on Tanzania’s higher education institutions where
the CAS is being implemented. The study is informed by data collected through interviews and
documentary analysis. Data organization and analysis was done using NVivo 10 QSR software.
The study demonstrates that, notwithstanding the fast development and uptake of Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the implementation of the CAS in Tanzania is
hampered by the fact that most of the end-users of CAS (particularly applicants) have relatively
low access to the ICT infrastructure. Several factors continue to have a significant effect on the
implementation of CAS, which in turn lead to implications for the uptake of improved
admissions service delivery and quality assurance. A digital divide, resistance to change by
some higher education institutions (HEIs), poor ICT skills among applicants, the costs of
internet services, unreliable electricity supply, and inadequate IT experts continue to frustrate
the objective of improved admissions service delivery and quality assurance. As a
technological innovation in the workplace, the CAS has led to a restructuring of admissions
work tasks among admissions officers, a need to review job descriptions, introduced tighter
controls over admission work processes, and has shaped admission workers’ professional
identities and self-presentations
A psychobiographical study of Charlize Theron
No full textPsychobiographers study the lives of extraordinary, prominent, and enigmatic individuals. Psychobiographical research advances our insight into the uniqueness and complexity of the human personality and therefore makes a substantial contribution towards one of the major objectives of the field of psychology. Purposive sampling was employed to select Charlize Theron as the subject of this psychobiographical study. As the only South African who has won an Oscar, Theron is an exceptional individual who demonstrates tenacity and a will to succeed despite significant traumatic events in her childhood. The case study data was organised and analysed according to the general analytic approach developed by Huberman and Miles (2002) and one of Alexander’s (1990) strategies, namely questioning the data. Erikson’s psychosocial theory (1950, 1963, 1995) was selected to guide this study because it recognises the impact of socio-cultural influences on developmental processes and provides a comprehensive, staged framework for studying Theron’s personality development. This study contributes to the development of psychobiographical research in South Africa
Presentation and representation of environmental problems and problem-solving methods and processes in the Grade 10 Geography syllabus: a Namibian case study
No full textEnvironmental issues in Namibia are considered to be one of the major threats to the lives of the
Namibian people (Namibia. Ministry of National Planning Commission [MNPC], 2004). This
study explored problem solving as one of the teaching methods used in Grade 10 Geography
syllabuses as a response to such environmental issues/risks. Geography provides learners with an
understanding of the issues and risks in their world that need to be addressed in order to improve
the quality of their lives and health of their environment.
This study focused on how environmental problems and problem-solving methods are presented
in the Namibian Grade 10 Geography syllabus and how these are represented and implemented
through teacher intentionality and practice. The theoretical framework for this study was
informed by two theories namely risk society and social constructivism.
This study was conducted at three schools in the Rundu circuit in the Kavango region and one
teacher was involved in the study at each school. This study was conducted within an interpretive
research tradition and was qualitative in nature. The study used document analysis, focus group
discussion and classroom observation as data generation methods.
The findings of the study reveal that the complexity of environmental issues is highlighted in the
syllabus and in teachers’ intentionality and practice. The findings also show that a limited variety
of teaching methods were used in problem solving strategies. The study also found that problem
solving was influenced by different constructivist learning principles. The study further found
that limited numbers of problem-solving steps were used in the process of problem solving.
The study concludes by calling for further research into problem solving strategies. This can be
done to empower Geography teachers to use more complex problem solving strategies to deepen
problem solving and to engage problems in more depth
Exorcising the Past: History, Hauntings and Evil in Neo-Gothic Fiction
No full textThis thesis explores the conventions of both historical and Gothic fiction in order to investigate what seems to be a recurrent impulse to exorcise the past in what I define as contemporary Neo-Gothic fiction. It therefore attempts to establish a distinction between Neo-Gothic fiction and other forms of contemporary Gothic fiction by focusing on the treatment of history, the supernatural and the grand narrative of progress in three contemporary Gothic novels: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates. This thesis argues that the most potent manifestation of history can be found in the representation of the revenant in Neo-Gothic fiction, which exhibits a disruptive and evil ontology that problematises the exorcism of the past. Furthermore, the reactions of ‘modern’ characters to these revenants illustrate the imperative to exorcise the past, and therefore the treatment of history and the past is reflected in the interaction between the ‘modern’ characters and the Gothic revenants. Through this interaction as well as the parody of traditional Gothic and historical fiction conventions, Neo-Gothic fiction constructs a critique of the Enlightenment’s grand narrative of progress. Paradoxically, this constitutes Neo-Gothic fiction’s own attempt to exorcise the past, which it recognises in a simplified and reductive narrative of history propounded through the grand narrative of progress. This thesis therefore pays particular attention to the configuration of revenants as evil and ‘modern’ humans as good, and the disruption of this simple binary that is effected through Neo-Gothic fiction’s subversion of the grand narrative of progress. This focus allows for the theorisation of the revenant through Jacques Derrida’s notion of ‘hauntology’ and Julia Kristeva’s ‘the abject’, the investigation of the treatment of history in Neo-Gothic fiction and the exploration of very recent Gothic texts that have not yet received much critical attention
Bio-prospecting a Soil Metagenomic Library for Carbohydrate Active Esterases
No full textLignocellulosic biomass is a promising renewable resource on earth. Plant biomass contains fermentable sugars and other moieties that can be converted to biofuels or other chemicals. Enzymatic hydrolysis of these biopolymers is significant in the liberation of sugars for fermentation into desired products. Owing to its complex structure, synergistic action of enzymes is required for its degradation. Enzymes that are involved in biomass degradation include cellulases, hemicellulases and the accessory enzymes acetyl xylan esterases and ferulic acid esterases. Ferulic acid esterases (FAEs, EC 3.1.1.73), represent a subclass of carboxylester hydrolases (EC 3.1.1.-) that catalyse the release of hydroxycinnamic acids (such as ferulic acid, p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic and caffeic acid) that are generally found esterified to polysaccharides, such as arabinoxylans. Hydroxycinnamic acids have widespread potential applications due to their antimicrobial, photoprotectant and antioxidant properties, as well as their use as flavour precursors. Therefore, this interesting group of FAEs has a potentially wide variety of applications in agriculture, food and pharmaceutical industries. In the search for novel biocatalysts, metagenomics is considered as an alternative approach to conventional microbe screening, therefore, searching for novel biocatalysts from a soil metagenome that harbours a unique diversity of biocatalyst is significant. The aim of this study was to extract DNA from soil associated with cattle manure and construct a soil metagenomic library using a fosmid based plasmid vector and subsequently functionally screen for ferulic acid esterases using ethyl ferulate as a model substrate. A total of 59 recombinant fosmids conferring ferulic acid esterase phenotypes were identified (Hit rate 1:3122) and the two fosmids that consistently showed high FAE activities were selected for further study. Following nucleotide sequencing and translational analysis, two fae encoding open reading frames (FAE9 and FAE27) of approximately 274 and 322 aa, respectively, were identified. The amino acid sequence of the two ORFs contained a classical conserved esterase/lipase G-x-S-x-G sequence motif. The two genes (fae9 and fae27) were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the purified enzymes exhibited respective temperature optima of 50 °C and 40 °C, and respective pH optima of 6.0 and 7.0. Further biochemical characterisation showed that FAE9 and FAE27 have high substrate specificity, following the fact that EFA is the preferred substrate for FAE9 (kcat/Km value of 128 s−1.mM-1) and also the preferred substrate for FAE27 (kcat/Km value of 137 s−1.mM-1). This work proves that soil is a valuable environmental source for novel esterase screening through functional based metagenomic approach. Therefore, this method may be used to screen for other valuable enzymes from environmental sources using inexpensive natural sources to encourage the screening of specific enzymes. Biochemistry of the two isolated enzymes makes these enzymes to be useful in industrial applications due to broad substrate activity that could replace the specialised enzymes to complete plant biomass degradation
Hungry on Arrival
No full textMy collection embraces different kinds of poetry, I also write my own journey through my home in Pimville Soweto, the urban sounds and multilingual speech patterns as I move through it. Other poems draw on the Sesotho culture and tradition which still runs strongly in my family, and here I integrate the different kinds of sounds and associations of Sesotho and English in the same poem. I am inspired by the works and lives of artists and poets such as, Mafika Gwala, Jackson Hlungwani, and Herbie Tsoaeli amongst others. Other poems emerging are dense and self-reflective manifesting a transitional period whereby the poet experiments with form and style in the manner of Arthur Nortje and Angifi Dladla