UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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An Investigation of Causes of Variance in Rating Valuation: Assessors Point of View
No full textThe focus of this study was to investigate the causes of variance in assessed rateable values from the point of view of property rating assessors. Valuation is the foundation of property rating administration. The correctness of the assessed rateable values significantly impacts other components of rating administration. The rateable value is considered to be correct when the variance in the valuations of a rating authority and objector is within an acceptable margin of variance. Purposive sampling method was adopted among registered estate surveyors and valuers in Kwara State, Nigeria. This study adopted qualitative research approach. The qualitative data were obtained from an interview survey with 8 valuers, which content analysis was employed to analyze the data. Findings showed that experience in rating valuation, valuers’ negligence, unrealistic valuation assumption and integrity of the valuers were the causes of variance in rating valuation. Other factors identified are comprehensiveness of the law, the explicitness of the law, absence of quality control, absence of a professional sanction, availability of market indices and clients’ influence. The findings could have practical usefulness on rating authority, estate surveying and valuation regulatory board and the assessor. This could avail the stakeholders of the requisite information on the root causes of variance in assessment and possible ways of correcting such variances. The correction could pave way for the role of valuation in rating administration
The Actors' Symbiosis in the Recurrence of Slums after In-situ Housing Redevelopment Initiatives. Perspectives from Namuwongo Slum, Kampala City
Full text linkThis paper analyses the influence of various actors in the reoccurrence of slums in the city of Kampala, amidst the slum upgrading initiatives. This paper attributes such reoccurrence to the mismatch between the expectations of the actors involved in upgrading and the housing location mobility attributes of low-income households.
This paper adopted a case study strategy, utilising a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative techniques. A total of 60 semi-structured questionnaires were issued to Namuwongo Slum Community, and only 52 were returned. Furthermore, 28 interviews were held. Six interviews targeted Local Council 1 chairpersons, 08 with officials from Slum Dwellers International (SDI), 04 with officials from the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), 03 with officials from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), 04 privately practising land economists, and 03 private physical planners.
From the information gathered, the influence of slum upgrading actors in the low-income household mobility and reoccurrence of the Namuwongo slum was exhibited through four thematic areas. These included: tracking the residential mobility tendencies, fit-for-purposeness of the upgrading programs/initiatives, actor coordination and the mismatch in expectation and preferences between the program actors and the low-income households. This paper, therefore argues that, actor coordination and participatory involvement of low-income slum-dwelling households enables the adequate fit-for-purposeness of the in-situ upgrading initiatives. This could also go a long way in limiting slum reoccurrence as the key drivers of household mobility would be understood and well incorporated in the programs
Learning to build institutional capacity through knowledge-based partnerships between universities and industry: lessons for engineering ecosystems from computing in Kenya
Full text linkTwo of the main challenges facing engineering ecosystems in Africa are 1) enabling universities to produce more high-quality research, and 2) creating more linkages between universities and industry to ensure that research is used, and that highly skilled workers have appropriate knowledge and training. But how can we understand knowledge-focused linkages between universities and industry in relation to other capacities and capacity building efforts within engineering systems? What are the challenges and benefits of building these linkages, and what processes and practices lead to lasting partnerships? We address these questions for the case of computing and information technology in Kenya. Our analysis comes from a three-year project which created and evaluated industrial studentship and fellowship programmes that involved partnerships with companies. University–industry linkages can be understood as an aspect of institutional capacity: a concept that refers to a range of capabilities – important across engineering ecosystems, but especially for universities – that enables production of high-quality and locally relevant research and contributes to the professional development of graduates. Other interrelated aspects of institutional capacity include mechanisms to support acquisition of funding; norms of mentorship, peer support, and scholarly communication; and structures that enable researchers to balance research and teaching. Our data reveal that while some of these capabilities are weak or missing in the Kenyan computing ecosystem, intermediary organisations can act as knowledge brokers to build linkages and facilitate learning between universities and industry. However, these linkages must be built alongside other dimensions of institutional capacity, especially social components like mentorship and peer-to-peer learning
Consciousness and Prospects of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks for Wall Construction: Comparative Study Nigeria and South Africa
Full text linkAutoclaved Aerated Concrete Block (AACB) is a viable, sustainable walling material for building projects but has not been given the attention it deserves in developing countries. To increase the usage of AACB on building projects, this study examines the consciousness and prospects for its use in Nigeria and South Africa. The objectives are (i) to evaluate the degree of knowledge about AACB, (ii) the variants in Nigeria and South Africa, and to assess the likelihood of adopting AACB in Nigeria—the study centres on Lagos and five provinces in South Africa. Lagos was chosen in Nigeria because the State is the only place in Nigeria where AAC blocks have been used. A total of 145 questionnaires were administered to professionals who had been involved in AAC projects. In contrast, 17 South African respondents familiar with AACB in construction projects were polled online using Google Forms. Convenience and snowball sampling procedures were used for construction professionals in both countries. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Statistics such as percentages and mean scores were explored using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings indicate that construction professionals in Nigeria know very little about 19 of the 20 documented AACBs. However, the South African professionals are very knowledgeable about AACB grade 42.5 OPC and AACB of AP/RHA and fully aware of AACB with grade 52.5 OPC, though they know nothing about the Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) AACB. This means that Nigerian professionals have a moderate stance on using AACB. The study concludes that South African Builders are more aware of AACB and its variants than Nigeria. This implies that AACB manufacturing in Nigeria would not thrive in the construction market due to poor patronage since patronage is directly related to product awareness. The study, therefore, suggests that building construction professionals should increase their understanding of AACB through continuous development training, workshops, and seminars on environmentally friendly building materials. Another suggestion is for consultants, clients, developers, contractors, governments, and research institutions to continuously conduct research and embrace findings on the AACB and new building construction materials regarding usage, wear, tears and durability
The Impact of Leadership Styles on Government Construction Project Success: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
No full textGovernment construction projects play an important role in both developed and developing countries. They contribute about 80% of total capital assets, 10 % of GDP, and more than 50% of the wealth invested in fixed assets and employment opportunities. As such, several countries like Sweden in Europe, Indonesia in Asia, South Africa and Kenya in East Africa have invested heavily and succeeded in construction projects. Similarly, Uganda has also invested heavily in construction projects; however, most of these projects have been unsuccessful, yet projects contribute to economic development. This study aimed to determine the contribution of leadership styles to the success of government construction projects in Uganda. The study was cross-sectional with a quantitative research design. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 100 Kampala Capital City Authority construction projects from a population of 120 projects that were stratified according to the five divisions of Kampala district. Four respondents were selected from each of the 100 projects selected, resulting in a total of 400 respondents for the study. Structural Equation Modelling was conducted using SPSS. Results show that leadership styles, especially communication and participation are positively and significantly associated with government construction project success. Therefore, government project managers should communicate effectively and involve stakeholders at every stage of the project cycle to realise project success. It is recommended that the path-goal theory be adopted for replicating the study. Also, government ministries must adopt the proposed model as it is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners, especially those involved in government construction projects. Similarly, the government, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, should constantly remind government project managers to ensure adequate internal and external communication and allow the participation of stakeholders during the implementation of government projects.
Keywords
Communication, Government Construction Projects, Leadership styles, Participation, Project Success, Structural Equation Modeling, Ugand
Web-sourced photographic methods reveal dietary composition and shifts in resident and migrant Coracias rollers in southern Africa
Full text linkClosely related species coexisting in the same niche often have dietary overlap and interspecific competition can result in resource partitioning e.g., dietary shifts, migration or phenological changes. Traditional methods to study avian diets are typically costly, difficult, and invasive. Using web-sourced photographs is an emerging, non-invasive method to study avian foraging ecology. We used this approach, along with photographic road surveys, to study prey composition of migratory European Rollers Coracias garrulus and resident Lilac-breasted Rollers Coracias caudatus where they co-occur in southern Africa. These insectivorous sister species are frequently photographed with prey in their bills because of their conspicuous perch-and-wait foraging behaviour and bright plumage coloration. We collated over 250 photographs of rollers holding prey and identified prey items representing 15 animal orders. Lilac-breasted Roller diet contained six unique orders of prey during the Austral summer (when the European Roller is present), and only one during winter (when the European Roller has migrated north). This suggests that Lilac-breasted Rollers may broaden their diet seasonally to alleviate competition with European Rollers during summer. Additionally, Lilac-breasted and European Rollers had an 84% overlap in dietary composition, potentially representing high interspecific competition - even during wet savanna summers when resource abundance is high - that might have originally driven the evolution of migratory behaviour in the European Roller. Our findings expand the current knowledge of roller diets and highlighting the growing role of social media in ecological studies
Non-colonial ground-nesting birds on Robben Island: positive impact of the removal of feral cats on the abundance of Chukar Partridge and Fiery-necked Nightjar
Full text linkThe near complete removal of feral cats Felis catus was one of five major drivers of change at Robben Island in the first decades of the 21st century. This note demonstrates that the abundance of Chukar Partridge and of Fiery-necked Nightjar has increased during this period
Housing Satisfaction Among International Students in Hong Kong
Full text linkHousing is one of the critical components that support human existence. However, unequal access to housing is one of the challenges faced by international students. In an expensive city, such as Hong Kong, this issue is exacerbated by high rental cost and a limited supply of on-campus hostel facilities. Therefore, this study examines housing satisfaction among international students who are studying at Hong Kong’s universities, located in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Using the snowball sampling technique, data was collected from seventy-four international students of six nationalities studying at four universities in Hong Kong. Frequency distribution, mean score (MS) ranking and Chi-Square were adopted for the data analysis. The results show that 64% of the research participants reside off-campus and while the rest reside on-campus. Furthermore, a majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the support from the universities for international students in terms of scholarships and financial support to access housing first-year students is very important. The international students opined that the universities could provide more financial assistance and accommodation support to meet rising housing costs. The Chi-square test results indicate a significant relationship between the type of accommodation and overall satisfaction with accommodation, and a significant relationship between the age of the respondents and their choice to retain their accommodation. This study has some far-reaching implications for Hong Kong universities as they need to revisit the issue of accommodation and support provided to international students. Furthermore, there needs to be a consideration in increasing the student housing stock to assist international students
An extreme weather event in Sierra Leone precipitates a mass slaughter of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus used for human consumption and the loss of a national icon
No full textWe report on an extreme weather event that occurred in Freetown, Sierra Leone in May 2023 which prompted a mass slaughter of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus. Rain soaked, grounded birds were caught by hand then slaughtered and prepared for human consumption. One bird was rescued and subsequently released. Underlying issues of mythology and symbolism associated with the incident are conveyed in a brief video clip for which an English translation is provided. We advocate a public awareness campaign communicating the valuable clean-up services that Hooded Vultures provide in the urban environment and we mention on-going survey work in Freetown. A brief history of the 400 year old iconic Cotton Tree that was destroyed in the storm and which housed the roosting vultures is included.
Impact of curricula on student learning: a comparison of six chemical engineering programmes in three Washington Accord countries
Full text linkDespite homogenisation due to accreditation requirements, there remain significant variations in day-to-day structuring of engineering curricula. This article shows these variations, and their influence on students’ learning experiences, in three Washington Accord countries – England, South Africa, and the United States. The curricular parameters that we focus on include weekly contact hours, curricular rigidity, and the structure of the first year of the degree. Findings obtained through an analysis of undergraduate handbooks, weekly timetables of the different courses, and student interviews suggest considerable differences across the engineering programmes along these parameters, both within and across national boundaries. A high contact time, particularly in the South African programmes we studied, limits students’ capacity to self-study and participate in extra-curricular activities. In contrast, programmes that we studied in the US and England, which offer more opportunity for electives, allow students to diversify their skillsets but potentially prevent them from acquiring discipline-specific engineering competency. Finally, we noted variations in the structuring of the first year of the degree. Where a programme introduces a significant number of courses specific to chemical engineering from the first year, students tend to build an early understanding of the discipline, while limiting their capacity to change majors