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Transactional sex relationships in fiction: the disintegration of women’s emancipation through the blesser/blessee culture in selected african novels
No full textA research submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of philosophy in english studiesThe hashtag #blessed started trending several years ago on different social media
platforms when women claimed to be beneficiaries of blessers. The latter was what
the new hashtag denoted and not the often biblical meaning of ‘blessed’ which is to
receive favour from God. The hashtag thus falls under the contemporary phenomenon
known as transactional sex relationships, colloquially known as the blessers, blessees,
sugar daddies, sugar babies and side-chicks. Since this is a new phenomenon, this
study aimed to interrogate the multiple layers of transactional sex relationships in
fiction and how they possibly contribute to the disintegration of women’s
emancipation. The study which was essentially a qualitative desktop study employed
purposive sampling to select and analyse four novels by southern African writers: The
Blessed Girl by Angela Makholwa (2018), Bare: #The Blesser Game by Jackie
Phamotse (2017), Sweet Medicine by Panashe Chigumadzi (2016), and The y in yOUR
Man is Silent: Book 1 by Yvonne Maphosa (2019). Employing the postcolonial
paradigm of Africa writing-back-to-self advocated by Mwangi (2009) and a critique
of Lipstick Feminism, the study analysed how the writers aesthetically present literary
devices describing the unrefined data about transactional sex relationships. In addition,
the study analysed how the transactional sex relationship culture encouraged the
possible disintegration of women’s emancipation. The study contributes to the
understanding of the self-reflexive catalytic events that lead to transactional sex
relationships and their consequences in Africa, without singular attribution to the
West. The findings indicate the following: firstly, the authors wrote extensively and
without inhibition about transactional sex relationships using visual imagery more
than euphemisms whilst presenting a variety of issues that are considered taboo. The
following key issues were identified as the primary sources of transactional sex
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relationships: women’s agency, consumerism, modernity, poverty, parental influence
or encouragement, peer pressure, gendered norms, grade adjustments to pass, and
guaranteed job offers. Depression, trauma, abuse, and isolation were some of the issues
found to be the psychological, physical and social consequences of transactional sex
relationships. Significantly, the study found that the advancement of Lipstick
Feminism towards the application of make-up and women using their sex appeal as
empowerment has contributed to the commodification of transactional sex and thus
the disintegration of women’s empowerment. The findings of the study corroborate
the existing social studies’ findings on the phenomenon and provide vital information
for future studies. The study recommends future studies to employ Mwangi’s (2009)
postcolonial paradigm of writing-back-to-self to examine the other taboos revealed in
this thesis; skin and private part bleaching, depression, indecent public exposure,
polyamory, black tax and men who have sex with men (MSM). The study concludes
that the transactional sex relationship culture contributes to the disintegration of
women’s empowerment
Anti-gonococcal activity of extracts from selected Namibian medicinal plants and computational studies of xerantholide, a neisseria gonorrhoeae inhibitor
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science (Medicinal Chemistry)Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of a sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea, has developed resistance to all available antibiotics. It is found in humans only and if left untreated can lead to serious complications such as infertility and disseminated gonococcal infections. The search for new effective, affordable, and readily accessible drugs for the treatment of gonorrhea thus continues. Plants have been a good source of structurally diverse lead compounds from which drugs have been developed. Various communities in Namibia commonly use plants in traditional health care for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, these plants have not yet been evaluated for their anti-gonococcal activity and human safety. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate compounds from plants that are traditionally used to treat gonorrhea, ascertain their anti-gonococcal activity, and elucidate the structures of these compounds in an effort towards searching for selective anti-gonococcal agents. Another aim was to employ computational approaches, including density functional theory (DFT), molecular docking, prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS) and Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR), to model the interaction of xerantholide and its analogues with the active site of Neisseria gonorrhoeae carbonic anhydrase (NgCA) and to investigate the geometry, electronic structure, and biological activity spectra. Agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts. Isolation and characterization of compounds were done using thin layer chromatography (TLC), column chromatography, x-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Crude extracts from six plants were ii confirmed to have anti-gonococcal activity (MIC 2.5-5.0 mg/mL). Xerantholide, with an MIC50 = 0.095 mg/mL was isolated from Pechuel-loeschea leubnitziae leaves. Molecular docking analysis revealed that xerantholide and its analogues docked with binding affinities ranging from -5.3 to -7.4 kcal/mol and DFT predicted binding energy of -16.5 to – 43.1 kcal/mol for these sesquiterpene lactones. Based on the docking results, binding of these compounds to NgCA involves hydrogen bonding, ligand-metal-acceptor, and hydrophobic interactions. Using QSPR, a six descriptors model with good predictive ability (R = 0.789, R 2 = 0.623, AdjR2 = 0.578, BIC = 241, AIC = 225) was developed. Finally, a PASS analysis showed that these compounds are potential antibacterial agents. The results in this study suggest that the studied sesquiterpene lactones offer potential anti-gonococcal and inhibitory activity towards NgCA, thus further in-vitro studies are recommended
An investigation of land reallocation conflicts in local authorities in Namibia: A case study of Omuthiya town council
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in development studiesThis study examined land reallocation challenges between landowners and the OTC to
make recommendations for improving land reallocation process. This was accomplished
by assessing how land is reallocated within the OTC and how it affects community
members. Understanding land reallocation dispute is critical to ensure inclusivity of
every Namibian and fair participation in land reallocation process. The study was
conducted through a qualitative research design. Primary data was collected through
interview guides. The interviews were administered to (8) staff members of the
OTC, and fifteen (15) community members affected by land reallocation. The
respondents were selected through purposive sampling, which is a non-probability
sampling technique. Data was analysed using content analysis. The study found that,
community members understand land reallocation process. The findings provide reasons
to why land reallocation conflict exists between OTC and community members. The
conflict is mainly because of inadequate compensation, unfair treatment of landowners
by OTC employees, unclear land reallocation procedures and lack of cooperation and
information sharing to residents whose land was earmarked for development. The study
concludes that, land reallocation is very beneficial to OTC because of generated income
that leads to urbanisation. The study recommends for revision of current compensation
policy and guidelines to ensure fair compensation through a model. There is a need to
capacitate implementing agencies, community members and compensation guidelines
and policy. This means embarking on education and communication programmes to
maximise effective communication between OTC and community member
Teachers’ experiences with online teaching during COVID-19 in Kenya and Namibia
No full textThis paper describes Kenyan and Namibian secondary school teachers’ readiness to provide and put measures in place to sustain teaching continually; address challenges faced in supporting and facilitating remote education; and use technologically based teaching modes during the COVID-19 pandemic.During the COVID-19 pandemic across sub-saharanAfrica, the sudden closure of schools has interrupted and brought physical learning to a standstill. The rapid transition to emergency remote teaching posed many challenges and required innovative approaches to ensure continuity of teaching through information technology tools in Kenya and Namibia. Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) theory supports an effective teaching strategy for teachers to adopt appropriate technologies and clear educational goals, develop clear instructions for influencing students’online behavior, prepare and orientate students adequately, and select pertinent discussion topics.The study used a cross-sectional survey of secondary school teachers in both countries. The results show that teachers continued to provide education during the pandemic without proper guidance from the school leadership. Teachers had no knowledge and support in developing appropriate online content, motivating students, and delivering quality teaching. Also, the results show no evidence-based online collaborative learning amongst teachers and/or schools. Similarly, schools lacked knowledge practices and digital resources, especially those in rural settings. The study recommends the improvement of continuing professional development in the respective countries covering aspects of the school vision, leadership, practices of the teaching community, pedagogical approaches, school-level knowledge practices, and increased digital resources
An evaluation of the effectiveness of employee health and wellness programmes in the transport sector companies in Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in business administration- EntrepreneurshipThe absence of robust health and wellness strategies in the transport sector continues to
negatively impact economic growth in Namibia. Henceforth, this study evaluated the
effectiveness of employee health and wellness programmes in five transport and logistics
companies based in Windhoek and Walvis Bay. The study adopted a mixed exploratory
sequential design entailing five (5) focus group discussions and a survey questionnaire (n=
122). Purposive and multistage sampling methods were adopted to select sample
representatives, respectively. Qualitative data were analyzed through an open coding
system, while quantitative data were analyzed through a Multivariance Analysis of
Variance (MANOVA) test calculated in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The
findings indicate that most companies do implement health and wellness programmes but
these programmes were not effectively implementing due to lack of financial and human
resources, strategic information, standard operational procedures, guiding protocols,
psychosocial support systems as well as non-adherence to national health and wellness
policies. Multivariate test results were associated with high blood pressure (� =.037),
obesity (� =.049), and musculoskeletal issues (� =.049) with lack of knowledge and
awareness of health/wellness programs. Multiple physical and mental health problems were
the most prevalent conditions amongst vulnerable transport workers such as long distance
truck drivers. Notwithstanding, transport workers in general experienced significant risks
of infection, illness, and loss of lives, reduced business operations, loss of income,
emotional stress, stigma and discrimination, exhaustion and fatigue, limited access to
proper and effective health services especially due to emerging diseases such as COVID 19 and other health conditions. As such sustainable strategies such as flexible working
schedules, affordable medical aid cover, exercise facilities, as well as health education and
regular employee wellness screening programmes were recommended. The study also
recommended for health and wellness policy framework in the transport sector and
strengthening of collaborations in the design and implementation of effective health and
wellness programmes. The study was however limited to the transport sector and human
resource managers, operations officers, supervisors to operational staff such as truck
drivers, general transport workers and executive managers; hence the results cannot be
generalized to other sectors or the entire transport sector. Further studies may therefore,
include other transport companies from other regions with varying volumes of transport
and logistics operations to establish correlation in the implementation of aforementioned
programmes as well as expand respondents to include other management cadres
Experiences of school board members in managing school finances in five public schools in Nzinze circuit, Kavango West region
No full textA research thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Management, Leadership, and Policy studies)The ideal purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of school board members in managing school finances at five public schools in Nzinze Circuit in the Kavango West Region. A qualitative research approach was employed by the researcher to understand the experiences of school board members in managing school finances. There are 29 public schools in Nzinze Circuit. Convenience sampling was used to select three combined and two senior primary schools. Purposeful sampling was used to select the principal, the school board chairperson, the secretary, the treasurer, and one teacher serving on the school board considering that they are directly involved in school financial matters. Interviews and document analysis were used to get information from sampled participants. Content Analysis was used as a technique to analyse data. Findings show that school board members’ experiences in managing school finances include drafting and implementing school internal financial policies, making school budgets, keeping financial records, appointing school accountants, and signatories, appointing a finance committee, appointing a school independent auditor, and authorising any withdrawals or expenditures. The study also found that school board members were experiencing challenges in managing school finances, which included a lack of financial management skills, financial structures, and language barriers. The need to train all school board members in financial management, establish proper financial structures provide incentives, and change the formula of allocating funds to schools to mitigate challenges faced by school board members was identified. One of the overarching recommendations is for the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture to offer training to school board members that are directly involved with school finances on regular basis at the beginning of each financial year
The production of activated carbon from Acacia erioloba seedpods via phosphoric acid activation method for the removal of methylene blue from water.
No full textThis article describes a practical, low-cost procedure for preparing activated carbon from locally available biomass, with the aim to increase the adsorption capacity, specific surface area (SBET), pore volume, and pore dimension of the AC derived from erioloba seedpods, now using H3PO4 instead of H2SO4.Wastewater treatment requires a lot of granular activated carbon to absorb the dissolved organic components. This article describes a low-cost process for making highly active adsorption activated carbons from biomass, which could be used for wastewater treatment. A one-step carbonization and chemical activation with phosphoric acid at 500 ◦C produced low-cost acacia-derived porous activated carbons. The activated carbons’ moisture, ash, volatile matter, and fixed carbon content were determined using proximate analysis. The activated carbon’s adsorption qualities were also determined by studying its bulk density, surface morphology, power of hydrogen, iodine number, and methylene blue number index. To test the produced activated carbons for water treatment, batch adsorption dynamics were performed at room temperature for the removal of methylene blue
from aqueous solution. Compared to activation using H2SO4, H3PO4 proves superior in generating welldeveloped pores, leading to a mesoporosity and microporosity structure with a larger surface area and high adsorption capacity. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller determined the sample’s specific surface area, which was found to be 387 m2 /g. The iodine number for 50, 100, and 200 μm activated carbon particles size was 620, 592, and 632 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption of MB on AC material better fits with Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm; hence, particles are adsorbed on well-pronounced heterogeneous surfaces. The sips model is found to best represent the equilibrium data with R2 values of 0.994, suggesting the heterogeneous surface adsorption of MB on AC. Therefore, the adsorption of AC by MB involves physical and chemical processes. The produced AC hence appears to remove dissolved organic contaminants from raw water
Investigating effects of non-technical limitations on customer online shopping behaviour in the Namibian retail sector
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in business administration management strategyInternet began as a means of spreading information, but it has now evolved into a vital
tool in a variety of disciplines. Online retailing has become an alternative shopping
channel in recent years. Online shopping has facilitated globalization by allowing
customers to purchase goods from anywhere on the globe. Online transactions are
widely accepted but a few countries still lag behind and Namibia is one of them. E commerce is in a nascent stage in Namibia and many online shopping platforms that
were launched were short-lived due to lack of customers (Crédit du Nord Group, 2021).
In the face of the drastic changes that online shopping has brought to today's world,
how to adapt to new demands and satisfy increasingly savvy and discerning consumers
is a problem facing retail in Namibia. This study therefore sought to explore non technical limitations contributing to Namibian consumers' reluctance to use online
shopping. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of non technical limitations to customers’ online shopping behaviour in the Namibian retail
sector. Following Creswell (2014) the study adopted a mixed research approach to
facilitate inquiry involving collecting both quantitative and qualitative data and using
distinct designs that may involve philosophical assumptions and theoretical
frameworks. Face-to-face interviews were used in the study to collect qualitative data.
From the results, the research concludes that the most influential and attractive factor
is the lack of professional and technical personnel. Security and Trust are also very
important, particularly the payment security concerns are very important while
shopping online. Based on the study results risks and security should be given adequate
attention, since they are a primary reason why customers are hesitant to use e commerce in general. Online shopping in Namibia is still in its early stages, and
consumer legal protection is still limited. The study recommends that online retailers
should first consider overcoming mistrust issues such as payments security then create
a user-friendly and attractive interface for their websites so that customers can quickly
understand and modify them. A business strategies constructed through the research
enables Namibians and Namibian retail to overcome non-technical limitations to
customers’ online shopping behaviour in the Namibian retail secto
Perceptions of school principals and teachers on the challenges faced by novice teachers in selected primary schools in Oshana region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of education in leadership, management and policy studiesSome of the difficulties in achieving educational goals and improving the quality of
education have been to ensure that teachers are well equipped (MOEC, 2000). Although
the Minister of Education has made recommendations for the development and
implementation of induction programmes for novice teachers, Nghaamwa (2017) reports
that most schools in Namibia tend to neglect the induction of novice teachers. Novice
teachers can face many challenges such as student behaviour, no personal or
professional support and social relationships. Novice teachers therefore, need to undergo
an induction programme when they get employed at a specific school as a way to
provide them with the necessary assistance in acquiring the skills and knowledge needed
for the execution of their required teaching duties. Muyumbano (2019) points out that
principals have observed that novice teachers experience problems with disciplining
learners, with administration and also teaching methodology. The purpose of the present
study, therefore, was to investigate the perceptions of school principals and teachers on
the challenges faced by novice teachers in selected primary schools in the Oshakati
Circuit, Oshana Region. The research design for this study is a case study design and the
researcher used a qualitative approach. The researcher used an interview guide and a
document analysis guide as instruments to collect data. The total population of the study
was fourteen (14) principals and two hundred and two (202) teachers. Two novice
teachers were chosen from each of the two selected primary schools using criterion
purposive sampling, and they comprised of novice teachers that are in their first or
second year of teaching. The two schools were randomly selected from the five primary
schools in Oshakati Circuit. Random sampling was also used to select the teachers from
each school. The school principal and two teachers from the selected schools were
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included in the study. The total sample for this study was composed of two principals,
four novice teachers and four teachers. Data from the semi-structured interviews and
document analysis were analysed using content analysis. Findings from the study
reported that novice teachers in the Oshakati circuit in Oshana region, Namibia, face
challenges such as concerns with learners, the teaching and learning process, lack of
communication and lack of support. The study therefore recommends that pre-service
training institutions and schools should play a significant role in supporting novice
teachers in overcoming these challenges. It is the duty of training institutions to establish
a balance between theory and practice. Furthermore, the school management needs to
provide orientation and induction to all novice teachers, and both management and
colleagues should provide support and assistance to all novice teachers until they have
been completely integrated into the school and teaching environmen
The head of department’s leadership role in english 2nd language academic performance at selected secondary schools in Kandjimi circuit, Kavango West region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Leadership, Management and Policy Studies)This study investigated the head of department’s leadership role in improving performance in English Second Language by exploring the views of Heads of Departments and teachers in Kandjimi Circuit on what they thought those roles were. The study also sought to uncover challenges faced by HODs and how they can be addressed to enable the HOD to fulfil his/her role towards improving performance in ESL. The population of this study consisted of teachers and HODs in Kandjimi Circuit’s secondary schools. From this population, 10 teachers and 10 HODs were purposefully selected to participate in the study. An interview guide with open-ended questions was used to explore views of teachers and HODs on what they perceived were challenges hampering HODs’ abilities to fulfil their roles towards the improvement of performance in ESL. Likewise, a document review guide was used to interrogate training received by HODs and challenges they faced and how those challenges could be resolved. Data from interviews and documents were analysed thematically to allow themes to emerge from the data for the research questions to be answered. The findings showed that HODs faced many challenges like interfence in their work that hamper their ability to successfully fulfil their roles to improve ESL performance. The study recommended that school principals should decrease the workload of HODs to empower them to fulfil their role in the improvement of performance in ESL