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Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Road Infrastructure in Countries: A study of the Namibia Scenario.
No full textThe assessment of the impact of road infrastructure in the developing countries using the Namibian case scenario was done based on the contemporary challenges of road use. This study employed a qualitative technique using a sample size of thirty (30) selected by the simple random sampling technique. The use of charts, tables and frequencies were done to explain certain trends in the study. A well-structured, valid and reliable questionnaire instrument was designed for the study based on the following research questions; what are the impacts ofroad transport on the Namibian environment and what are the possible measures that may be used to reduce environmental impact of road transport on the Namibian environment? Twenty-fiverespondents (83%) agreed that road transfer has drastically improved development and 26 (87%) respondents also accepted that it can improve Namibian economy. Similarly, it has also improved communication and technology greatly according to 27 (90%) respondents. To add more credence to the impact of road transport on the economy, all the 30 (100%) of the respondents agreed that road transport aids mobility within Namibia while 27 (90%) respondents supported the opinion that road transport aids in job search, 3(10%) disagreed. The result shows that car owners service are potential threats which can affect pollution levels as was supported by 97% to cause environmental pollution as well as 100% when combined with energy consumption. Similarly, all the respondents indicated the potential of increased accident rate from poor road safety. Felling of trees poses great danger (97% response) due to the degradation of the environment. Most respondents (77 and 83%) agreed that road transport can lead to land encroachment and loss of aesthetic and farming. This research has shown that eventually death rate may increase from mere ill-health to from the degraded ecosystem,24 respondents (80%).So many policies to protect the environment but the practical measures are to encourage impact assessment studies for road projects, land use control and human safety precautions on road use
Nourishing the Land of the Brave: A critical analysis of Mvula Ya Nangolo’s anthology of poems
No full textThesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of English and Applied Linguistics at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
Supervisor: Professor Rewai Makamani
Co-Supervisor: Dr Hugh EllisThis study examined Ya Nangolo’s poems using selected strategies from critical discourse analysis (CDA) and rhetorical analysis. The study aimed to investigate how Ya Nangolo used his poems to persuasively communicate to his anticipated readers. The study found that Ya Nangolo skillfully uses language to tap into every aspect of human life during the colonial era. Ya Nangolo contributes to literature as a genre and to historical moments that are shared by most Namibians through texts or monuments. His poems are declarative in nature, which indicates the certainty of Mvula Ya Nangolo’s experience of war and his wishes for peace. Additionally, the poems carry a very critical political function as well as identity in poetry. The use of both CDA and rhetorical analysis helped reveal the underlying ideological points of view, prejudice and how Ya Nangolo’s anthology of poems undermine the exercise of power using the literary text as a weapon. Ya Nangolo’s uses of metaphors tell a story of people affected by colonial system in Namibia and convince the readers that it was not an easy walk to independence. The use of such poetic devices as repetition, rhyme and rhythm makes the poems ring in the reader’s mind long after they would have been read
Academic welcoming by Prof. Tjama Tjivikua, Founding Vice-Chancellor, Namibia University of Science and Technology, 16 January 2019
No full textThesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia
No full textABSTRACT
There are two viruses found to be direct aetiological agents of leukaemia, namely Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human T-cell leukaemia virus. Viral infections were estimated to cause 15 – 20 % of all human cancers, by its capability to release virus-encoded proteins into its host. These proteins reprogram host cell signalling pathways within deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are responsible for differentiation and proliferation. Furthermore, 90% of the world’s population is infected with EBV as a life-long and dormant infection of B lymphocytes. EBV is a considerably known an etiological factor in various tumours, but very little is known of the relationship between EBV and Acute Leukaemia (AL), taking into consideration any type of AL, gender or age. AL is a serious disease and the actual cause of cancer remains unknown. This study, therefore, aimed to establish the presence of Epstein-Barr virus in patients with Acute Leukaemias.
The patients who were previously diagnosed with AL and who visited the Oncology ward (Windhoek Central Hospital) within the specified time frame (01 March 2017 – 31 July 2018), were screened for the presence of EBV IgG and IgM antibodies, by the use of the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The same Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) samples, which were sent to Namibian Institute of Pathology (NIP) for routine AL check-up screening, were used for this study. Controls were randomly selected among non-AL patients of different ages. The AL patients which relapsed within the period of interest were screened for the presence of EBV DNA. The same amount of patients were picked as a control and also screened for EBV DNA by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). All variables were compared between cases and controls to determine any significant association of EBV with AL. Statistical differences between the AL patients and controls were determined by the use of Chi-square testing.
The AL patient group presented with the following results: 66 out of 95 (69%) were Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) patients and 29 out of the 95 (31%) were Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) patients. Additionally, 8 out of 95 (8%) relapsed within the period of interest. EBV IgG was the most common marker among the AL patients of which 95 out of the 95 (100%) patients were positive for EBV IgG following, EBV IgM of which 0 out of the 95 were positive for EBV IgM (0%). In the control group, 54 out of the 95 patients were positive for EBV IgG (57%) and 41 out of the 95 were negative for EBV IgG (43%). Furthermore, 17 out of the 95 were positive for EBV IgM (18%) and 78 patients out of the 95 were negative for EBV IgM (82%). Positive results were considered for titer concentrations of more than and equal to 1.2 for EBV IgG, and, more than and equal to 1.24 for EBV IgM. EBV DNA was based on qualitative measures. Chi-square results: EBV IgG p=0.0002*** for AL. EBV IgG vii
p=0.0002*** for ALL. EBV IgG p=0.0002*** for AML. EBV DNA p=0.03* for the relapsed AL cases. A P- value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Overall it can be concluded that EBV is common amongst AL patients of Namibia, as a lifelong latent infection, which could have contributed to the development of AL regardless of the type of AL (ALL or AML), neither the age affected nor the gender. Furthermore, it’s concluded that there is also an association between EBV and relapsing AL. These conclusions broaden the knowledge that EBV can initially infect anyone and the consequences in the long term may be fatal. Prevention interventions considering EBV should already be taken at newborn infancy period. For those previously infected with EBV should maintain a strong immunity to prevent the EBV from going viral
Language change in post independence Namibian poetry in English
No full textThesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of English and Applied Linguistics at the Namibian University of Science and Technology
Supervisor: Prof. Haileleul Zeleke WoldemariamLanguage change has become a matter of concern for many countries and educational institutions but this subject still remains largely under-investigated in literary studies, particularly in Namibia. In this study, structuralism was used in the analysis of the selected post-independence Namibian poetry in English, representing three different generations of poets from 1990 up to 2018. The study aimed to explore the causes of language change, how Namibian poets link poetic language and poetic meaning, and ways they structure language change in post-independence Namibian poetry in English. Structuralism holds that all human activity and its products, even perception and thought itself, are constructed and not natural, and in particular that everything has meaning because of the language (Smithson, 2012). From the findings of this exploratory study, it appears that the rate of change may vary considerably due to both internal and external factors. The analysis also revealed that English in the post-independence Namibian poetry is slightly experienced as every word, grammatical element, sound and accent is a slowly changing configuration that is moulded by the invisible and impersonal. Moreover, the study recognises that language change is largely regular and it can be recognised in the types of change which the poetic language undergoes and cannot be predicted. The study concludes that the post-independence poetry-induced changes are generally defined as dynamic and multiple, involving internal change and external change as well as cultural, economical, political and social circumstances. The findings of this study revealed that language change is a concept that can be explored in post-independence Namibian poetry just as it is in other genres of the Namibian literature in English
The Namibian political landscape: A semiological analysis of Dudley's selected political cartoons in The Namibian newspaper, from 2016-2017
No full textA THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTERS OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS. SUPERVISOR: PROF. R. MAKAMANI
Co-Supervisor: Dr N. MPOFUPolitical cartoons are a powerful communicative weapon. They can distract and express a joke and yet they can also provide social commentaries on key aspects of reality. This thesis carried out a semiological analysis of Dudley’s political cartoons, found in The Namibian newspaper. The analysis of the selected political cartoons was done from the Barthesian semiology perspective with the main objective being to interpret the meaning of the selected political cartoons at the connotative and denotative levels and also to present how the Namibian political landscape is depicted through Dudley’s cartoons. A qualitative research design was used to gain an in-depth understanding and a clear description of the characteristics of the political cartoons used in this study. The study employed a purposive sampling strategy, specifically critical case sampling. Critical case sampling was used to select a small number of important cases to yield the most relevant information with the greatest impact on the development of knowledge. The analysis yields a contextually embedded text or set of images that can be subjected to multiple interpretations and discursive analysis. In brief, the study found that Dudley’s political cartoons depict and portray the Namibian political landscape by divulging the political aspects of the country. Among the aspects portrayed through the studied political cartoons are corruption, unequal distribution of resources and poor service delivery in the public sector. The study concluded that political cartoons serve as an open mirror used by the media, specifically to generate public attention, reorient people and initiate social and political reform in Namibia. This study therefore recommends further exploration of the field of Namibian cartoons to unearth this rich segment and broaden knowledge as well as increase readership awareness of the importance of understanding this rich and interesting branch of the media
A feminist stylistics study of God of Women and The Woman and the Ogre. [Master's thesis, Namibia University of Science and Technology]. Ounongo Repository.
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Supervisor: Prof Haileleul Zeleke WoldemariamThis thesis provides a feminist stylistic analysis of two Namibian plays: God of Women by Francis Sifiso Nyathi (2012) and The Woman and the Ogre by Keamogetsi Joseph Molapong (2002). The key purpose of the study was to find out how Nyathi (2012) and Molapong (2002) used language to represent women characters in their plays. The researcher evaluated the use of language that the playwrights used to depict female characters in the plays. A feminist stylistics framework was employed in this study. The study revealed that both Nyathi (1998) and Molapong (2002) presented women characters as inferior to men characters in their plays. Nyathi (2012) presented women as victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their husbands in marriage. Molapong (2002) presented women characters negatively as dependent on their fathers. He portrayed women characters as beauty goddesses who are praised based on how beautiful they are, therefore reducing their worth to physical appearance. Furthermore, both playwrights used a wide range of linguistic devices such as metaphors and figures of speech to bring to light the gender roles that are expected of women such as being domestic workers around the home, providing sexual pleasure to their husbands as well as working in the fields to provide food for their families. The study also revealed that the two playwrights used discourse to present women as voiceless, powerless and as each other’s rivals. The study concluded that both Nyathi (2012) and Molapong (2002) largely presented women characters negatively, and the feminist stylistic framework was successful in bringing these presentations to light
A narratological analysis of C.M. Elliott’s Sibanda series as representative Zimbabwean crime fiction
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Supervisor: Professor Sarala KrishnamurthyThis thesis analysed C.M. Elliott’s Sibanda series as representative Zimbabwean crime fiction.
Narratology theory was applied to the analysis of the novels. The study was a qualitative
desktop research, and it employed textual analysis in the analysis and interpretation of the
selected novels. These are Sibanda and the rainbird (2013), Sibanda and the death’s head
moth (2015), and Sibanda and the black sparrowhawk (2017). The study adds to the body of
knowledge on African crime fiction as it addresses contemporary societal issues which are
relevant. The study further contributes to semiotics and structuralist literary analysis. The study
focused on selected narrative strategies in communicating the events in the novels. The
researcher analysed Sibanda series by focusing on narrative components such as narrative
instance, narrative order, narrative speed and narrative perspective. The narrative aspects
which the author employs and their usefulness were also discussed in relation to ritual murder,
rhino and elephant poaching (ivory smuggling), and serial murder. The study found that by
reading Sibanda and the rainbird (2013), Sibanda and the death’s head moth (2015), and
Sibanda and the black sparrowhawk (2017), C.M. Elliott has successfully woven intricate
detective narratives using narrative strategies. The narrative strategies enable her to
communicate Zimbabwean crime fiction concerns which she has addressed in these three
novels in an effective manner. The study recommends for future studies that there might be a
need to consider Zimbabwean crime fiction in other genres such as poetry and drama
Literary activities for the teaching of English in a Namibian high school setting: A case study
No full textLecturer published articleThe Namibian school syllabus covers literature as from the primary level to the highschool although the teachers fail to use appropriate methodologies and models tointerpretand present literary texts creating uplifting opportunities and engaginglearnersdevelop theirpassion for literature. Lack of sound subject delivery methodshinders the performance of learners in English as a second language (ESL).Namibian teachers have been introduced and trained to base their classroompractices on the learner-centered principle which promotes participatory pedagogyand active learning. Much focus has not been given to learners‟ participation in theEnglish classroom setting. A questionnaire with 5 open-ended and 15 close-endedquestions was distributed to English teachers and learners to find out the effects thatliterature had on the views, experiences, and practices of the teachers regarding lackof participation and performance in their English classes. FGDS and observationswere also conducted to triangulate data. It was found out that the commonly usedmethod of learner involvement was the discussion method and learners respondingto questions. The teachers‟ roles were merely to give instruction and facilitate thelearning process. In many situations, learners did not ask realistic questions andteachers preferred arranging learners to sit in groups. Teachers used the discoveryand experiential methods through questioning techniques. However, despite theefforts to enhance participation, factors such as poor subject knowledge, littleunderstanding of the topic, being coy, fear of making mistakes, lack of subject interest,hunger/tiredness, fear of teasing by classmates, and poor language proficiency hinderthe performance of learners in ESL
An ecofeminist reading of selected black female writers'autobiographical works
No full textTHESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENGLISH AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS AT THE NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Supervisor: Dr Juliet Pasi
October 2019This study was an ecofeminist reading of selected black female writers’ autobiographical works (Unbowed: A Memoir [UM] (2007) by Kenyan, Wangari Maathai, Nervous Conditions [NC] (1988) by Zimbabwean, Tsitsi Dangaremba, and Walking the Boeing 707 [WB] (2008) by Namibian, Lydia Shaketange). The relationship between humans and nature remains largely under-investigated in literary studies, particularly in Africa. This relationship did not happen accidentally, but instead developed from a carefully crafted frame of life and environmental perspective. It becomes important to have a serious conversation on the connectivity between human and non-human nature. Premised on the ecofeminism framework, this study explored the relationship between women and nature in a male-dominated society, as depicted in the autobiographical texts and one semi-autobiographical text by black African female writers. The study was framed by ecofeminism where ecofeminism examines the interconnections between the domination of women and the domination of nature. A literature review was conducted and relevant sources were consulted that aided in establishing a foundation from which this study was built. The study employed content analysis as it was a qualitative desktop type of research. No field work was conducted. The main objective, together with the sub-objectives, were all fulfilled as revealed in the analysis which culminated in the findings. The study revealed that the results were almost the same, namely that the societies were mainly patriarchal, particularly for UM and NC. The way Maathai had to fight throughout the novel shows the oppressive nature of the society that she finds herself in. In NC, the characters: Tambu, Maiguru and Nyasha, also suffer equally under patriarchal domination as well as the vicious colonial system. Hence, the female characters in the novel have nowhere to escape to and are literally trapped in a system that they can never unshackle. The study suggests as one of its recommendations that future studies may consider using further different texts that deal with environmental issues and aspects pertaining to the subjugation of women. This may widen the understanding of the ecofeminist theory