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Consumptive forest use and spatio-temporal abundance of wildlife in George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana Community Conservancy in Northern Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Wildlife Management and Tourism StudiesForests are important to people because they provide socio-economic and ecological
goods and services such as the use of poles for building materials and income through
selling. Studies have shown that the degradation or loss of forests has a direct impact on
wildlife. In rural areas of Namibia, some forests on communal land are managed by the
local communities to provide socio-economic benefits. If not well managed and the use is
not sustainable (inappropriate use), may undermine the long-term ecological value of
forest resources including wildlife. The Khaudum north complex conservancies (George
Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana) were established in 2005 and community forests were
gazetted in 2010. In the year 2012, the government of Namibia through the Ministry of
Environment Forestry and Tourism integrated the wildlife conservancies and community
forests, with the aim of harmonising the two land uses. Since then there were no studies
to assess the community forest use on wildlife species and their habitat thus the need to
conduct this study.
This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. Data on wildlife
species abundance and distributions were collected from conservancies’ event books and
game counts. Interviews were used to gather community perceptions on the consequences
of their livelihood strategies on wildlife. A sample size of 293 respondents was obtained
from the two conservancies. To assess the change in wildlife species abundance, the
regression analysis with yearly wildlife group size as a dependent variable was applied.
The distance from nearby settlements, fire intensity, and vegetation cover change as
continuous independent variables; and conservancy (George Mukoya and Muduva
Nyangana), species category (carnivores and herbivores), land use (multiple use and
wildlife exclusive zones) and season (dry and wet) as categorical variables. Satellite
images were used to analyse vegetation cover change and accumulated fire intensity using
change detection analysis and empirical Bayesian kriging interpolation. Average group
size means, and standard errors were calculated and used to determine the associations
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among variables. Contingency tables were used to analyse respondents’ perceptions of
the influences of livelihood strategies and major socio-economic activities on wildlife.
Generally, results showed a decrease in wildlife numbers in the study area between 2013
and 2017 (P <0.001). This was positively associated with vegetation change (P =0.032)
and species category (P < 0.001), negatively by distance from settlement (P = 0.004) and
land use (P < 0.001), but was not fire intensity (P = 0.714) and locality (conservancy) (P
= 0.170). Carnivore density distribution was evenly spread in relation to distance from
settlements, fire intensity, and vegetation change but was more in a wildlife-exclusive zone
than the multiple-use zone. Herbivore distribution was denser in the wildlife-exclusive
zone, more in areas where vegetation cover was high, and increased with increasing
distance from settlements, but was not influenced by fire intensity. In both conservancies,
the majority of respondents were either dependent on crop production (53%) or a
combination of crop production and livestock (30%), with only 18% depending on other
livelihood strategies. When asked what is the impact of their livelihood strategies on
wildlife and its habitat, 75%, 17%, and 8% of the respondents said there no impact,
impact, or no awareness, respectively. When the community was asked, what is the impact
of the services they get from forestry on wildlife and its habitat, 73% of the respondents
said there was no impact whereas 27% indicated that there was a significant impact. The
study showed that the communities of George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana are aware
of the conservation issues in their areas and can manage wildlife successfully themselves
A health in all policies (HIAP) conceptual framework to facilitate the profiling of public servants’ health statuses in the Namibian public service
No full textA Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public HealthBackground: The Namibian Public Service (NPS) makes no provision to profile the
health statuses of its employees/public servants, despite being a legislative requirement.
As a result, government will not be able to, for instance, predict work incapacities due
to ill-health absence which is a major measurement of performance/productivity.
Worldwide, governments have instituted different approaches, within/outside the
Occupational Health and Safety continuum, to profile employees ‘health/ill health to
inform promotion of health in workplaces.
Aim: This study sought to develop a conceptual framework and an implementation guide
to enable the profiling of Namibians public servants’ health statuses entrenched in the
principle of the Health in All policies (HiAP) approach.
Methods: A multi-phased pragmatic study was conducted.
Phase 1 employed an explorative descriptive convergent parallel mixed method design
using document reviews, a Focus Group Discussion, a Discourse Analysis, a Cross sectional and a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys. Max Weber Qualitative
Data Analysis and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences enabled analysis of data,
respectively, herein synthesised by means of triangulation.
Findings: Documents reviewed revealed the existence of public servants’ health
information sources such as the employees’ health recruitment questionnaires, sick leave
systems and medical aid, appropriate for profiling. Key Informant’s perspective that the
HiAP framework was appropriate to facilitate profiling of public servants’ health statutes
was further echoed by result of the Discourse Analysis. The cross-sectional survey,
conducted among 346 public servants’ participants established that 83.3% of the survey
participants self-reported ‘a good’ health status. The remainder 16.7% self-reported ‘a
poor’ health status citing the prevalence of Hypertension (27%), Musculoskeletal
disorders (30.6%), Stress (55%), Physical in-activeness (38%) and a High Body Mass
Index (BMI) (27%). A Chi-square logistic regression test, pegged to a p-value of less than
5% and using: 1. Good health = self-reported score for Excellent/Very Good/Good; 2.
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Poor health = Fair/Poor/Very Poor: reveals significant statistical associations to poor
health in relation to Hypertension (p-value=0.001), Mental conditions (p-value=0.009)
and access to electricity (p-value=0.045). No significant statistical association was
observed with elevated blood sugar (p-value=0.258≤5%), BMI and income. The KAP
study, conducted among 51 Wellness Officers, reported very low HiAP knowledge citing
a lack of information and henceforth no application of the HiAP approach, overall.
Phase II focussed on the design, and development of the above-mentioned framework
using results emanating from Phase I; enlisting elements of the World Health
Organization’s (WHO) HiAP Analytical framework alongside elements of the Systems
and Practice Oriented Theories, namely: [input (procedures, agent, recipient and
dynamics); output (terminus); synergies (agent, recipient, procedures and dynamics) and
feedback (context, inputs, outputs, terminus)]. Five purposely selected subject experts
who validated the suitability of the developed conceptual frame recommended amongst
others aligning it to the legislative provisions of the Public Health and Environmental Act.
Phase III enlisted the WHO’s Handbook on developing guidelines and the Public Service
Staff Rule format to inform the design of an implementation guide.
Conclusions: The study encapsulates evidence that proofs the gap identified as well
devised approach to fill the gap: a conceptual framework to profile Namibian public
servants’ health statuses embedded in the HiAP principles. Evidence of poor HiAP
knowledge could implicate successful implementation. Henceforth a recommendation that
the NPS adopts the designed conceptual framework, the introductory and ensued
implementation guide using a policy brief, attached hereto, to ensure compliance with the
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Factors contributing to preanalytical errors in pathology laboratory sampling among clinicians in Erongo region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of public healthIntroduction: Clinical laboratory is the epicenter of health care sector, and it is therefore
imperative that the quality of laboratory services is guaranteed to ensure quality patient
management. However, in the laboratory setting, specimens may be rejected for a variety
of reasons, which may have substantial clinical consequences for patient safety. The pre analytical phase of sample collection, occurs outside of the laboratory and is thus beyond
the control of the laboratory professionals. This phase has been highlighted as the leading
contributor of diagnostics error rates, accounting for 70% of errors in the laboratory.
Owing to this, the study aimed to determine the major factors contributing to pre analytical errors during pathology laboratory sampling among clinicians in Erongo
region, Namibia.
Methods: This study utilized a mixed method, cross-sectional design. A total of 129
health care workers (HCWs) compromised of 19 doctors and 110 nurses at district
hospitals in Erongo region participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire
containing close and open-ended descriptive questions was used to collect data among the
clinicians. Data on the prevalence of sample rejections recorded from four Namibia
Institute Pathology (NIP) laboratories in Erongo region, between 2020 and 2021 was
collected. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science
(SPSS) 26.0 program. Microsoft Word was used to analyze qualitative data. Data were
presented using frequency tables.
Results: During the period between 2020 and 2021, NIP had a sample rejection rate of
1.6% and 1.1% for 2020 and 2021, respectively. NIP Walvis Bay recorded the highest
rejection rates in both years. The study found that missing specimen/ no specimen
received was the most predominant reason for sample rejections among the laboratories
in Erongo region, accounting for 21.2% and 28.5% of rejected samples in 2020 and 2021
respectively. Moreover, the study found that the major factors contributing to pre analytical sampling errors were mainly due to difficulties in finding veins (75.2%), non availability of sample collecting materials (53.5%), heavy workload (36.4%), and delays
in transportation for samples to the laboratory (3.1%) as well a lack of training (2.3%).
Majority of the clinicians (82.9%) indicated that they had not been trained on sample
management.
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Conclusion: The major contributing factors of pre-analytical errors mainly centered
around difficulties in allocating suitable veins for blood collection, inadequate supply of
collecting materials and a lack of training in sample collection and management of
samples among clinicians. It was further concluded that there is no relationship between
the socio-demographic characteristics and the knowledge of the preanalytical phase of
sample management. The study highlights major gaps in clinicians’ knowledge regarding
collection and management of samples. There is a need for NIP and Ministry of Health
and Social Services (MoHSS) to focus strengthening laboratory sample collection and
management through concerted efforts to ensure the availability of sufficient materials for
sample collection and to provide adequate training to clinicians. Furthermore, there is a
need for collaboration between clinicians and laboratory staff to optimize the collection
and handling of samples to avoid further sample rejections in the regio
Issues influencing inclusive curriculum management in selected secondary schools in South Africa
No full textThis study was thus conceptualised to bridge theobserved research gaps in curriculum issues in inclusive education within the SouthAfrican context. The objective of this study was to assess the issues that influencecurriculum management to include the diversity of learners' needs in South Africansecondary schools. Based on the objective of this study, it therefore follows that theresearch question that guided this study was: What issues influence curriculum management for the inclusion of a diversity of learners' needs in South African secondary schoolsThe 2001 White Paper 6 on Special Education commits to ensuring that all learnershave equal opportunities to be educated and welcomed in all schools, irrespective oftheir abilities. Consequently, the inputs and contributions of educational leaders suchas principals and school management teams (SMTs) are critical in leading andmanaging schools that accommodate and provide for learners with diverseeducational needs. It is important to note that when managing the curriculum forinclusion, leadership is not confined to the principal but is also delegated to theSMTs and teachers tasked with the academic programme of the school. This studysought to examine the nature of curriculum management for inclusion in secondaryschools. A qualitative research design was adopted for the study and a purposivesampling technique was used to draw a sample of ten SMT members and 10teachers from 10 secondary schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The mainresearch instrument for data collection was a focus group discussion with the studyparticipants. Thematic analysis was subsequently applied to analyse the qualitativedata gleaned from the transcribed focus group discussion. The findings revealed thatbarriers to implementing inclusive education included inadequate teacherpreparation, curriculum inflexibility, unfavourable classroom learning environmentsand weak support structures. Based on the findings, some recommendations were mad
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women regarding tobacco and alcohol use in pregnancy at Mariental Clinic, Hardap region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in nursing scienceGlobally, alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy is considered a challenge and has
been linked to negative effects on a person’s health and wellbeing. The Mariental
Hospital's maternity records 2019 revealed that 76 of the 443 women who gave birth
claimed that they had drunk alcohol or smoked tobacco during their pregnancy. In
addition, in 2019 it was noted that 6 % of premature babies were delivered to mothers
who smoked during pregnancy, and 25 percent of premature babies were born to
mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy. The main aim of this study was to
investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women attending
antenatal care at Mariental clinic regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol in
pregnancy. The study adopted a quantitative research approach with a descriptive,
cross-sectional, analytical design. The study population were all pregnant women aged
18 years and above attending antenatal care at Mariental clinic during the study period.
Informed consent was obtained from all respondents prior to data collection. The data
was collected from 211 respondents who were selected through a systematic sampling
method. The data was analysed by means of Statistical Package of the Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 27. Fisher’s Exact test at 0.05 alpha level was used to determine the
association between variables. Only marital status showed a significant association
with the attitudes towards alcohol use (p=0.042). Educational levels showed a
significant association with practices towards tobacco smoking (p=0.042). The
majority 92 (43.6%) of respondents were aged between 18-24 years, while 186
(88.15%) of the respondents were single. The findings indicated that 148 (70.1%) had
high levels of knowledge towards smoking during pregnancy. About 165 (78.2%)
respondents showed a positive attitude towards alcohol use during pregnancy. A total
of 63 (29.86%) respondents were classified as having bad practices towards alcohol
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use in pregnancy. A total of 21 (10.0%) respondents were classified as having bad
practices towards tobacco use in pregnancy. The study concluded that pregnant women
exhibited a significant amount of awareness regarding the impacts of alcohol and
tobacco usage during pregnancy. Additionally, the participants displayed favourable
attitudes towards abstaining from alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy.
The study recommends that the Ministry of Health and Social Services develops
guidelines and policies on preventative measures and awareness programs on tobacco
and alcohol use during pregnanc
An assessment of the factors influencing airport security at Namibian airports: A case study of Hosea Kutako International Airport, 2018-2023
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in security and strategic StudiesAirports are regarded as unique entities that have insightful economic, social, and
environmental effects on a local, regional, and even international level. Therefore,
because of its crucial impact, the subject of airport security has taken the centre of
discussions of numerous studies. A Security audit conducted in Namibia by the
International Civil Aviation Organisation in 2018 revealed that some aspects of airport
security at Namibian airports needed improvements. The audit suggested that Namibia
needed to improve in various security aspects such as, the screening of passengers,
screening of baggage and cargo, certifying of screeners, and employing of internal
quality control measures to ensure quality assurance. Against this background, the
purpose of this study was to examine the key factors that influence the effective and
efficient execution of airport security at Hosea Kutako International Airport. The main
security factors that were assessed are Human Resources, Regulations and
Supervision, Machinery and Equipment, and Stakeholders. This was done by
analysing opinions of airport security practitioners including managers on the security
factors by using the Analytical Hierarchy Process method. A questionnaire was used
to obtain data from selected respondents. The study population comprised of aviation
security practitioners at Hosea Kutako International Airport from the Namibia Airports
Company, Namibian Police, and the contracted security service provider the Namibia
Protection Services. The study employed a case study design, and the collected data
were analysed using Microsoft Excel software and interpretations were made from the
results of analysis. The findings of the study show that the main factor of Human
Resource is rated the most important factor, followed by the Machinery and
Equipment, Regulations and Supervision, and Stakeholders respectively. Other sub factors and criteria were used in determining the level of importance of the main
factors of airport security. The study formulated a model of airport security systems
which, in conjunction with the decision model can assist in addressing operational and
administrative security challenges. This model can be used by airports authorities to
effectively deploy its limited resources by directing it to the security factors that are
considered of great importance than other factors in enhancing airport security system.
Furthermore, it may also be used to address the gap that may exist within the airport
security systems. The study concluded that human resource is one of the important
factors in airport security and therefore, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of
airport security it is recommended that qualified and well-trained personnel be
employe
Evaluating public participation in the integrated development planning process of Groot Aub Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business AdministrationThis study was aimed at evaluating public participation in the Integrated Development
Planning Process at Groot Aub in Namibia. The qualitative research method was
adopted in carrying out the study. A sample size of 30 people was selected from the
population of the study. The study used Stratified sampling to select (15) residents of
Groot Aub, (5) small business owners and (6) Constituency Committee members.
Whereas, Purposive sampling technique was used to select (1) Groot Aub traditional
leader, (2) CoW staff members from the Public Participation and Economic
Development department, (1) Windhoek Rural Councillor. Purposive sampling was
deliberately used because the researcher believed that the people selected purposefully
would provide insight that is valuable to the research topic. A tape recorder was used for
interviews with the City of Windhoek personnel, focus group discussions were used with
other participants of the study, then the researcher analysed data in a narrative way.
Constituency committee members who participated in this study indicated that they had
attended the constituency committee induction workshop, also they attended training
courses that were related to their roles and responsibility. The study revealed that the
traditional leader in Groot Aub is capacitated through attending Council meetings
referred to as local municipality and constituency committee meetings as this is where
information needed is received. Moreover, the CoW should create a training unit for its
staff that deals with the IDP with the aim of training them continuously in order to
ensure the effective and efficient implementation of all the programmes and projects in
the IDP process sufficient funds to the IDP section in order to spearhead local economic
activities in the Municipality. Findings from group discussion indicate that further
studies should consider analysing the perceptions and attitudes of the stakeholders
towards the effectiveness and efficiency of the local authorities‟ IDP Processe
Investigating the principals’ leadership roles on influencing teaching and learning at secondary schools in Ohangwena region, Namibia
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy in educationThe purpose of this study was to investigate of the principals’ leadership roles on influencing
teaching and learning at secondary schools in Ohangwena region, Namibia. The study aims to
help the principals to improve their leadership roles and how principals influence teaching
and learning by identifying the areas of improvements, and necessary interventions for,
teaching and learning at secondary schools level. The study was prompted by the poor grade
12 Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate results inconsistence in the past 5 years in
Ohangwena region. Ten (10) secondary schools in Ohangwena region were chosen according
to their performance based on five years Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate results.
Population of 100 teachers were targeted to complete the questionnaires and ten (10)
principals were interviewed. Only 80 teachers out of 100 targeted teachers participated in this
study. The researcher used the mixed method approach. Appointments were made with the
principals of the targeted schools to conduct the interviews and questionnaires were
distributed to teachers to complete. The data were analysed using information from scribes’
notes where themes were compared and integrated across the major themes that emerged from
the data analysis across all grouped. Data from the interviews were analysed in descriptive
method and subsequently themes were formed to enable thoroughly analysis. Data from
questionnaires were analysed using the descriptive and regression statistics analysis using
tables and charts to interpret the data well. The study found that most principals in the
targeted secondary schools in Ohangwena region lack leadership skills and knowledge
because of lack of leadership trainings or workshops for school leaders and the entry
requirements for the principals post is too low which contributed poor leadership skills that
can enhance teaching and learning at secondary schools’ level. The determinant model
practice was recommended by the researcher in this study to enable principals monitor the
work of learners and teachers’ work in a more transformative ways that would promote
quality teaching and learning. More leadership training workshops were also recommended as
well as enrolment of leadership courses to improve leadership skill
Sustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital Era
No full textSustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital era encompasses the principles
and practices that educators must uphold to ensure responsible and ethical utilisation of technology
while promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness. As technology plays a significant
role in education, teachers must integrate sustainable teaching practices into their methods and
incorporate digital tools ethically and responsibly. This paper explores policy and practices'
implications for fostering sustainable teaching professional ethics in the post-digital era. It
emphasises the importance of environmental awareness, digital citizenship, equity and access,
privacy and data protection, ethical use of technology, critical thinking, and balancing digital and
analogue learning. The paper also highlights the need for policy development, teaching profession
and professional development, curriculum integration, access to technology, ethical use of data and
privacy protection, collaboration, and ongoing evaluation and feedback. By addressing these
aspects, educational systems can create an environment that fosters sustainable teaching
professional ethics, preparing students to become responsible global citizens who prioritise
sustainability and the ethical use of technology. Further research is warranted to investigate the
challenges and effective strategies for integrating sustainability and digital ethics into teaching
practices in the post-digital er
Print media information access and usage in Okalongo and Ongenga settlements in Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of masters of arts in media studiesThis study examined the accessibility and usage of print media information by rural
communities in Okalongo and Ongenga settlements, located in northern Namibia.
The research objectives were to evaluate how accessible print media information is,
identify the channels through which communities access print media information,
explore how communities use the information obtained, and investigate the
challenges faced by rural communities in accessing print media information. To
achieve the objectives, the study used mixed methods, combining qualitative and
quantitative research methods. Convenient and purposive sampling techniques were
used to select 254 participants from the two settlements, with a 95% response rate.
The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, focus group
discussions and interview guides for chief region officers, government officials and
headmen. The findings showed that rural communities in Okalongo and Ongenga
relied heavily on print media information, with newspapers, posters, books, leaflets
and notes on notice boards being the most commonly used platforms. The study also
identified government offices, shops, families and friends as the most accessed
avenues for print media information. The challenges faced by rural communities in
accessing print media information included inaccessibility, late delivery,
unaffordability and language barriers. Based on the findings, the study recommends
that the government of Namibia should improve its role in facilitating access to
information to ensure that rural communities receive accurate and timely
information. Future studies should expand the scope to cover all media platforms and
larger population