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Synthesis and characterization of zinc nanoparticles using consortium of bioflocculant-producingmicroorganisms isolated from uMlalazi catchment, KZNand their application for wastewater treatment
No full textThesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biochemistry in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, at the University of Zululand, 2021.Flocculation is a simple and effective mechanical purification technology of eliminating colloidal particles, suspended solid substances, detritus, and microbial cells in wastewater through precipitation and formation of large flocs which are easily removable. Bioflocculants are macromolecules secreted by microorganisms duringgrowth. Bioflocculants are safe, biodegradable, innocuous, and produce nosecondary pollutants in the ecosystem which fuels their interest in both scientific and biotechnological fields, compared to the frequently used chemical flocculants. This study focussed mainly on the production, characterization and application of bioflocculants from individual marine bacteria and their consortium. The study alsofocused on the use of the produced bioflocculant from consortium as capping and stabilizing agent inthe ‘green’ synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their characterization as well as the applications.The medium composition and culture conditions of previously isolated and identifiedbioflocculant-producing bacteria form uMlalazi catchment, Mthunzini area, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, such as BacillussafensisKX94275.1and Bacillussp.KC782848.1and their consortium were optimized. The bioflocculants were produced through solventextraction and purification techniques. Bioflocculants physicochemical analysis were attained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA). Spectrophotometrically, the pH and thermal stabilities of bioflocculants were assessed. The cytotoxicity, solubilityand antimicrobial activity effects werealso investigated. The purified bioflocculants were also assessed for their removal potential spectrophotometricallyon biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, aluminium, sulphur, phosphate, calcium, and sulphide from variouswastewater samples from Tendele coal mine wastewater treatmentplant (Somkhele area, Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, RSA), domestic wastewater (Vulindlela treatment plant, KwaDlangezwa, KZN, RSA) and Mzingazi river water (Richards Bay area, KZN, RSA). Their dye removal ability wasalso determined from various dye solutions. Inoculumsizes for optimal production of bioflocculants were 1% (v/v) (Bacillussafensis, 5% (v/v) (Bacillussp.) and 4% (v/v) for their consortium. Carbohydrates such as glucose (for both individualstrains) and starch (for consortium) were used for theiroptimumproduction.Both strains were favoured by the presence of urea, yeast extract and ammonium sulphate(combined)as theirnitrogen sources in their production media and their consortium preferred only
Page | xxxiiammonium sulphate as the nitrogen sourcefor optimumbioflocculants production. Thebacteria produced their bioflocculants optimally at 30-40 oC and at 120-165 rpm in the presence of cations as stimulating agents. The consortium produced a bioflocculant (8.50g/L) at pH 3 that is much higher when compared to individual strains which produced 2.10g/L (Bacillussafensis)at pH 6and 1.522 g/L (Bacillussp.)at pH 4. The produced bioflocculants are anionic glycoproteins in nature and mainly composed of carbohydrates. Thecation-dependent bioflocculants are effective at low dosage concentrationsof 0.4 mg/mL (pure strains) and 0.8 mg/mL (consortium). Elements including N, C, O, P, Al, S,K, Cl and Na were revealed in the produced bioflocculants. The FT-IR spectra revealed functional groups such as hydroxyl, amide, amino, carboxyl and saccharides to be present in all bioflocculants.The bioflocculants showed thermal and wide pH stabilityproperties and solubility in distilled water. No antimicrobial activity effects have been demonstrated by the purified bioflocculants and exhibited a margin of safety as they revealed insignificant cytotoxicity effects. All bioflocculants showed great potential in the removal of dye from different dye solutions in the presence of stimulators. Their removal ability for various pollutants in wastewater were comparatively effectiveto traditional flocculants. Study findings suggest the use of bacterial consortium forthe enhanced bioflocculant yields and the potential of bioflocculants to be used as a replacement of conventional chemical flocculants.Nanotechnology has offered agreat opportunity in dealing with environmental concerns includingwater purificationfor potable water.Through the utilization of nanoparticles,pathogenic microorganisms, organic and inorganic toxic materials pollutingmost of the organic water, ground water and wastewater from different sourcescan be eliminated. This studyalso focussed on the biosynthesis of zinc oxide(ZnO)nanoparticles using the produced bioflocculant from marine bacterial consortium(Bacillussafensisand Bacillussp.)and their application in wastewater treatment. The biosynthesized ZnOnanoparticles were characterized using the analytical techniques such X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimatic analysis (TGA), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with elemental analyzer. The absorption peaks around 300-330 nm which confirms the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles revealed through UV-Vis spectroscopy. SEM image elucidated the spherical morphologyand agglomerated ZnO nanoparticles. Thebioflocculant-passivated ZnO nanoparticles were further investigated for their cytotoxicity effects usinghuman embryonic kidney (HEK 293) and breast cancer (MFC 7) cell lines and their antimicrobial activity effects on both Gram-negative and
Page | xxxiiiGram-positive microorganisms in comparison with Ciprofloxacin and pure bioflocculant were also assessed. The produced nanomaterials were optimized for the improved flocculation efficiency. The investigations were also carried out for their potential removal efficiency of dyes from different solutions as well as their removal efficiencies of various pollutants in different wastewater samples (coal mine and river water) were also assessed. The as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticlesrevealed to have elements such as O, Al, C, P, and Zn. Oxygen contributed about 30.01% wt and zinc had39.15% wt contributionin total %wt. The X-ray diffractograms revealedthe diffraction peaks for biosynthesized nanoparticlesequated to ZnO and no other impurities were observed. The average crystallite size of the particles was estimated to be 24.66 nm. FT-IR spectroscopy reveals the presence of –NH2, –OH and Zn-O(at low wavenumber)functional groupswhich confirms the synthesisof ZnOnanoparticles using bioflocculant. The optimumflocculating activity of ZnO nanoparticles (88%) was obtained with the lowest concentration (0.2 mg/mL)favoured by the presence of LiCl as a stimulating agentcompared to optimum dosage of 0.8 mg/mL for bioflocculant used fortheirsynthesis. More than 70% flocculatingactivity was retained by ZnO nanoparticles after exposure for 30 min at 100 oC and at 121 oC (autoclaved) for 15 minconfirming its thermal stability property.The as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticlesexhibited significant cytotoxicityeffects in HEK 293 and MFC 7 cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Strong antimicrobial effecthas been demonstrated by ZnO nanoparticleson both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms. Great removal ability has been shown by the nanoparticles on dyes removal with an average removal efficiency greater than 90% of staining dyesusedsuch as congo red, malachite green, methylene blue and safranin. The high removal efficiencies of nutrients including phosphate, aluminium, calcium,nitrate, and total nitrogen and great potential in reducing both biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) has been demonstrated by the bioflocculant-passivated ZnO nanoparticlescompared to traditional flocculants.In conclusion, the bioflocculant-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles have the potential ofreplacing the in-use traditional flocculants in wastewater treatmentowing to their biocompatibility and eco-friendlycharacteristics.The littleamount(ZnO nanoparticles) required for flocculation of wastewater seemsto be a solution to the low yields bottleneck of bioflocculantsresulting in their limitations in term of applications industrially
An indigenous crime prevention strategy employing the roles of Amakhosi and social work in Kwazulu-Natal province
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Art in the department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.Crime is one of major social problems which poses a serious threat to the democracy of
South Africa. It therefore calls on the citizenry, civil society, and private society to contribute to the ongoing efforts of government in the provision of safety and crime prevention. The study of an indigenous crime prevention strategy employing the roles of AmaKhosi and social workers was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. The researcher utilised qualitative research methods to gather information. Intensive interviews and observations were used to elicit and gather data (See Appendix C for research instrument). Thematic data analysis was used to analyse data and extract meaning therefrom. The sample of the study consisted of 22 Amakhosi selected from eleven Houses of Traditional Leadership in KwaZulu-Natal. Another sample drawn was comprised of nine social workers, three from each of the following Government Departments, namely the Department of Social Development, the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, and the Department of Correctional Services. They were chosen as being institutions that serve communities under traditional leadership; and their areas of focus are crime prevention and management. The questions that the study intended to answer were formulated as follows:
• What are the current social work intervention methods for crime prevention?
• What types of expertise is employed by AmaKhosi in indigenous crime prevention
issues?
• How can social workers and AmaKhosi working in traditional communities enhance
public safety?
The study intended exposing available structures which are existent in traditional
communities which could be used in preventing and tackling issues attached thereto. It
sought to expose structures and systems that are utilised to enhance resilience in traditional communities so that those can receive attention and be utilised in solving the problem of crime. The study found a plethora of indigenous structures that can be utilised in community development and crime prevention. An exposition of traditional leadership mechanisms, systems and knowledge for crime prevention and management, which fall under the realm of an indigenous knowledge system, was found. The study’s findings pointed out the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems in crime management and prevention. It also showed how social workers and traditional leaders play a role in primary, secondary, and tertiary crime prevention. It displayed the relevance of Amakhosi and iziNduna in restorative justice and offender reintegration, which are critical steps in tertiary crime prevention.National Institute for the Humanities and Social Science
Comparison of anaerobic and aerobic fatigue on visual skills
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Science in the Department of Human Movement Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.Exercise-induced fatigue is a common concern among individuals performing physical activities either for training and/or athletic performance. An enormous amount of research has been conducted on exercise-induced fatigue and its effect on physiological and physical functions. However, it is only supposed that maximal and supra-maximal exercise efforts may be responsible for decreases in sports vision performance and that physical conditioning may increase an athlete’s ability to delay mental fatigue and thus deterioration in sports vision performance. However, previous research has demonstrated that anaerobic alactacid and anaerobic lactacid exercise improves components of sports vision (i.e. peripheral threshold detection and coincidence-anticipation) and may result in instantaneous improvements in sports vision performance. Thus, the primary aim of the study was to investigate the effects of short- and prolonged-duration maximal exercise effects on visual performance. The secondary aim was to examine and compare whether short- and long-duration maximal exercise most affects visual performance. Sixty untrained males were assigned to a control group (n = 30) or treatment group (TG) (n = 30) and underwent a sport vision test battery consisting of quantitative testing for accommodation facility, saccadic eye movements, speed of recognition, hand-eye coordination, peripheral awareness, and visual memory. One week later, the TG participants returned to complete a short supramaximal effort cycle ergometer test (SCT) immediately followed by the sports vision test battery. One week thereafter, TG participants returned a second time and completed a prolonged incremental maximal treadmill test (PTT) immediately followed by the sports vision test battery. In the SCT, significant (p ≤ 0.05) changes were found for five of the six sports vision performance measures (p = 0.000), except visual memory (p = 0.242). In turn, following the PTT, significant changes were found for all sports vision performance measures (p = 0.000 for all measures). Results further indicate that only accommodation facility (p = 0.005) and saccadic eye movement (p = 0.026) were statistically different between the SCT and PTT with these variables being significantly higher following the PTT. This study’s findings point to a beneficial immediate improvement in sports vision performance following short-supramaximal or prolonged-maximal exercise efforts, with the latter being found to be even more effective. Combining such exercise regimes as a functional warm-up may attenuate improvements in sports vision performance, especially in those sports requiring a great deal of visual processing and performance
The analysis of alcohol content in hand sanitisers (in the Durban region) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe analysis of alcohol content in hand sanitisers (in the Durban region) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry during the COVID-19 pandemicThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented surge in the demand for alcohol-based hand sanitisers (ABHS). The Centre for
Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend alcohol, i.e., isopropanol or ethanol, at a 60-95% concentration
in ABHS for sufficient antiviral protection. Consumers need to be vigilant of substandard hand sanitisers being marketed to the public.
The frequent exposure of microorganisms to alcohol concentrations below the recommended range for infection prevention may lead
to resistant mutations, and above the range may be ineffective. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the stated alcohol content in hand
sanitisers from their respective labels. We analysed 50 hand sanitiser samples available to our region in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South
Africa, using a Shimadzu GC-MS-QP2010 Ultra equipped with a Zebron ZB-wax capillary column. The hand sanitisers analysed had a
range of 44–93% alcohol content. The data from our study also revealed that 32% (16) of hand sanitisers did not adhere to the stated alcohol
indicated on their labels. 16% (8) contained >80% and 12% (6) contained <60%, while 6% (3) of the ABHS contained 1-propanol and ethyl
acetate as contaminants, respectively. This study clearly emphasises manufacturers’ exploitation of the pandemic and the need for stricter
guidelines and regulations for consistency amongst ABHS manufacturers. The public should also be more alert to the % alcohol stated (ideal
range 60-80%) on the sanitizer bottle and note one needs to rub their hands together until it feels dry
Morpho-agronomic and genetic variation and segregation patterns of phaseolus vulgaris landraces from selected provinces of South Africa
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Botany at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021Phaseolus vulgaris L. (dry beans) of Central American origin is a self-pollinating crop
with a low frequency of crossing. It is planted for its edible leaves, immature pods, and
dried seeds throughout the world. In South Africa, local communities grow a variety of
P. vulgaris landraces. Landraces are significant for breeding purposes because they
contain important germplasm. However, studies on variation in morphology and
genetics among P. vulgaris landraces are limited in South Africa. Thus, this study
aimed to determine the morpho-agronomic and genetic variations among P. vulgaris
landraces. P. vulgaris landraces collected from the various rural communities of four
selected provinces in South Africa were grown in a randomized complete block design
with three replications over two seasons.
Significant variations were recorded in germination percentages, vegetative and
reproductive traits. The vegetative and reproductive traits correlated positively with
each other, and with both traits. The first five informative principal components
explained 88.749% and 91.678% of the total variation in the morpho-agronomic and
segregation patterns, respectively. The landraces were clustered in a biplot and
dendrogram based on their seed coats, shape, similar morpho-agronomic traits, and
their area of origin. The 12 parents of P. vulgaris produced offspring that are different
from their parents in seed colour, shape, and size.
The genetic diversity analysis with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed
the range of genetic diversity, observed heterozygosity, and polymorphic information
content as 0.00–0.65, 0.00–0.05, and 0.00–0.58, respectively. The population
structure divided the 40 landraces into two subpopulations namely Mesoamerican and
Andean gene pools. Although there was considerable overlap among the landraces,
numerous Mesoamerican landraces carried certain seed features or genes from the
Andean gene pool, indicating a significant amount of mixing. Although, the populations
showed an overlap among the landraces as several from the Mesoamerican group
carried some seed traits or genes from the Andean gene pool, as they showed a high
level of admixture. The grouping of landraces in a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA)
and dendrogram had a similar clustering to the population structure. The landraces
demonstrating admixture were also grouped in the same cluster (dendrogram) and
similar quadrants (PCoA). The findings of the variance in morpho-agronomic and
genetics of P. vulgaris landraces can be used to improve, conserve them, and increase
their productivity.National Research Foundatio
Challenges Faced by Accounting Teachers Towards, Curriculum Implemention in a Context of Change in Schools in Umlazi District in South Africa.
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Management at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.This study engaged on the persistent challenges faced by teachers on Accounting
curriculum implementation due to the ever-evolving curriculum since the introduction
of a democratic state in South Africa. This study ought to achieve the following
objectives: (a) to determine the challenges of implementing the Accounting curriculum
in high schools in Umlazi district; (b) to investigate teaching methods and strategies
used by Accounting teachers in implementing curriculum; (c) to develop a teaching
model that may be used to improve the implementation of the Accounting curriculum.
Furthermore, this study was underpinned by Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
(1927), transformation theory by Dirac (1936) and Maslow’s theory of motivation
(1943). The study adopted a qualitative case study design within an interpretivist
paradigm. Through purposive sampling, seventeen Accounting teachers and five
principals were selected from seventeen township schools which represented (10%)
of schools offering Accounting in Umlazi District. Semi-structured interviews and
document analysis were used to collect data. Data was analysed using thematic
content analysis which is mostly used in qualitative research studies. The findings
revealed that many Accounting teachers have not adapted to the pedagogical content
of the new curriculum due to the numerous fundamental challenges. The study
revealed these challenges to be: consequence of lack of supervision by the school
management team (SMT) and subject advisors. The study recommended amongst
others, that the department of education to consider reviewing Curriculum and
Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) with regards to Economic and Management
Sciences (EMS) in General Education and Training (GET) phase and make
Accounting a stand-alone subject; the department of basic education to work in
collaboration with the department of higher education to review Accounting and
Mathematics as subject combinations into Accounting and Mathematical Literacy;
Accounting textbooks to be reviewed and present content that is in line with
Accounting developments and technology in the real world.
Keywords: Curriculum Change, curriculum implementation, transformation
Exploring educators’ views on the pedagogy of writing skills in English First Additional Language of the intermediate phase at Hlabisa Circuit
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021Writing skill is an integral part of teaching and learning. A significant concern in
Education is developing good writers, yet in several studies, learners seem to have
writing challenges. This study sought to explore teacher's views on the teaching of
English First Additional Language writing skills of Grade 4 learners at the Hlabisa
circuit. The study was conducted in rural area schools where exposure to the English
language is limited because most people primarily communicate with isiZulu. The
social-cultural theory provides the theoretical framework for this study. A qualitative
approach through semi-structured interviews and classroom observation was adopted
in this study to explore the teachers' views on the teaching and learning of writing
skills. Purposive sampling was employed; ten teachers teaching EFAL Grade 4 were
selected from ten schools to participate in the study. In this study, Interpretivism
paradigm was used to explore educators view in teaching and learning of writing skills.
The thematic analysis was used to assemble a detailed description of the data
collected. The findings revealed that teachers use various teaching strategies
depending on the type of writing genre; the strategies include code-switching,
modelling writing, remedial work, colour coding, writing process and writing frame.
Moreover, data indicated that teachers receive support from the SMT and their subject
advisors in writing skills. However, teachers feel that there is still more that needs to
be done by parents to support their children in writing. The data further revealed that
learners have a negative attitude towards writing as they are lazy to write, show a lack
of motivation, lack of confidence and fear to make mistakes. Furthermore, the findings
indicated that teachers face challenges when teaching writing in Grade 4. Based on
the research findings mentioned above, this study recommends that technology be
included as a teaching strategy for writing, buoyant and open communication between
Educators, SMT and Subject Advisors. Also, schools must increase their partnership
with parents; more fun writing activities should be developed in schools. Writing should
be given more time as reading. There should be adequate training and workshops for
educators in teaching writing skills. Moreover, teachers should undergo continuous
professional developmen
Sustainability Challenges of Rural Livelihood at Bomvini Reserve Kwa-Zulu Natal
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Department of Social Work in fulfillment of the Requirements for a Master of Arts in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zululand, 2021.The study aimed at exploring challenges experienced by sustainable livelihood schemes in the rural community of Bomvini Reserve. Most people in rural areas depend on the sustainable livelihoods for the income generation in their households. Though, they encounter a lot of challenges which discourages them to further continue with their livelihoods. Therefore, the people in rural areas need attention and sufficient assistance to their livelihoods. Since there is a crisis on food security in this country, rural people may benefit from their own livelihoods strategies. Management of the rural livelihoods by livelihood owners would enable the societies to fight poverty by generating an income through sustainable livelihoods.
The sustainable livelihood framework of rural livelihood was adopted as a theoretical framework of the study in order to ensure that the best livelihoods within Bomvini rural areas exist. The methodology of research that was used in this study was qualitative research. There were 15 participant’s participants who took part in this study. The collected data was analysed qualitatively.
The findings of the study confirmed major challenges encountered by the community members of Bomvini such as; financial freedom, water shortages, lack of education amongst others. Intervention strategies are therefore needed from both the governmental and municipal structures. Various empowerment programmes that involves community members including the youth involvement on development has to be empowered among these communities so as to have the sustainable future
Teaching strategies motivating the learning of grade 10 Mathematics in the Hlanganani North Circuit, Vhembe District.
No full textLearning Mathematics has become problematic to most students, particularly the so
called “slow learners”. Mathematical knowledge and skills are becoming more crucial
than ever before in our workplaces and in our everyday life experiences. The idea is
to ensure that learners gain the indispensable mathematical knowledge, skills, and
reasoning required in everyday life. The 21st Century has seen Mathematics taking
a centre stage in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. That is, Mathematics
has become central in our lives given that we enumerate and compute every day
through the use of various technical gadgets such as smartphones, ATMs, and
computers, inter alia. However, not much has been studied about the teaching
strategies that motivate the learning of Grade 10 Mathematics in the Vhembe District.
The study answered the question; which teaching strategies help motivate the
Mathematics learning at Grade 10 level in the Hlanganani North Circuit? Thus, the
study investigated the teaching strategies that motivate the learning of Grade 10
Mathematics at Hlanganani North Circuit, Vhembe District. The study was informed
by Vygotsky’s (1986) constructivism theory. It argues that gaining an insight into what
teachers go through as they teach would change the way Mathematics is taught at
Grade 10 level in the Hlanganani North Circuit. This study adopted mixed methods
research. Its participants were purposefully chosen. It was found that there are
limited workshops dedicated to the deliberations on how best Mathematics could be
taught at Grade 10 level in this circuit. This is detrimental to learners’ improvements
in Mathematics as they are taught by poorly equipped teachers. Thus, the conclusion
is that there is not much support for teachers as they grapple with difficulties
associated with Mathematics teaching in this circuit.
Keywords: Workshops, Mathematics teachers, Grade 10 learners, Mathematics
problems, Enumerate
Assessment of realization of fundamental human right to water Umlalazi Municipality, Kwazulu-Natal.
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Development Studies in the Department of Anthropology Development Studies at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.The aim of the study was to examine the municipal water resource governance and
fundamental human rights to water in the UMlalazi Local Municipality of the KwaZulu-
Natal Province. The study employed the post-positivist paradigm and closed ended
questionnaires for collection of data. Stratified random sampling technique was used
to sample 375 respondents, who were the households (head of households). Chi-
square was used to determine relationships between the variables.
The findings showed that most of the respondents strongly agreed that the 6kl of
monthly water supply was not enough for meeting their domestic, consumptive and
hygiene neds. The municipality has a youthful population structure. Females were
mostly affected household water scarcity compared to their male counterparts. For the
households, a day would be terribly difficult without this life enabling commodity.
Access to potable water, good, human rights to water, water contamination, women
inclusion in planning and decision making and agriculture significantly influenced water
access in the Municipality. Consequently, the null hypothesis (Ho) was ruled out in
favour of the alternative hypothesis (HA).
The study concludes that the municipality still lack the capacity for water supply. There
are problems of funding, governance and free riding on water supply persist and these
continue to affect government’s water supply from reaching targeted beneficiary
communities. From the hypothesis test, the concludes that in the UMlalazi Local
Municipality, good governance, human rights to water, contamination of water, women
inclusion in decision making and agricultural activities in the area are significantly
associated with access to potable water and sanitation delivery among the rural
population.
To improve and sustain drinking water access, the study recommends that the
Municipality should strengthen measures to promote good water governance, improve
rights of localities to water, control the rate of water pollution, expand access and
inclusion of women in planning and streamline activities for ecologically friendly
agricultural activities in the communities. It is important that the households are
provided with adequate water to meet their water needs. Ensuring equity in water
access would play a major role in ensuring that the rural communities and previously
disadvantaged groups are given priority of water access in the Municipality