University of Zululand Repository
Not a member yet
2409 research outputs found
Sort by
Assessing strategies to up-scale urban agriculture for income generation at Esikhaleni township, Richards Bay, South Africa
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2020.Since 2014, the South African government has recognised township economies as important components for attaining improved and inclusive rates of economic growth. Consequently, the government implemented the strategy of township economic revitalisation through urban agriculture. Thus, this study assessed strategies that those involved in township urban agriculture could use so that they could up-scale their township agricultural activities from subsistence and survivalist economy to income generating ventures. This study was conducted in Esikhaleni Township, city of Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.
The literature of this study showed that urban agriculture was not a recent phenomenon, but, was an important element of urban living, mostly during the period of great depression in the early 1930s. However, urban agriculture did not start in the 1930s, as it dated back to the 19th century in the USA and in Europe. From the USA and Europe, it was to spread to Africa as a result of industrialisation, which was an offshoot of colonisation. Urban agriculture was mostly practiced for survival. Urban agriculture could be theorised from the Neo-liberal and Neo-Marxist perspectives. Under the Neo-liberal framework, it was shown that urban agriculture could be viewed in three ways, that is, as a form of municipal entrepreneurship, as part of greening cities, and as shared political spaces.
The municipal entrepreneurship views urban agriculture as formal business activities that contribute towards urban economies. Further, as part of greening cities, urban agriculture was understood as a way of keeping city green and beautiful. Lastly, as shared political spaces, urban agriculture was seen as an activity to unite communities. On the other hand, neo-Marxist theory understood urban agriculture as an activity that perpetuates capitalism and exploitation of workers. Literature also showed that there were no economic benefits that could be obtained from urban agriculture.
The study used the interpretive philosophy and thus adopted a qualitative research approach. The participants of this study consisted of urban agricultural practitioners (n=28) of the study area, and public officials (n=2): an official from the city of Umhlathuze and the other official from Agricultural Department of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Data
v
was collected using semi-structured interviews. Though the study was principally qualitative, however, some of the data was quantitative. Qualitative data was analysed by developing themes out of the interview narratives while the quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences, SPSS. The main finding of the study was that the security and certainty about the availability of land for gardening. This hampered the capacity of the urban agricultural practitioners to produce quality products which could be sold to wholesalers. Furthermore, the study revealed that there were two role players in urban agriculture in the study area: the uMhlathuze Local Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The uMhlathuze Local Municipality understood urban agriculture as both an entrepreneurial and an income generation strategy, which would contribute to the economic development of the local municipality. With regards to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the study showed that the department did not have any concrete policy on urban agriculture.
The study also found that there was a potential to up-scale the agricultural activities as the uMhlathuze Local Municipality organised workshops to help with the agricultural and business skills. Secondly, the strategy to sell the products directly to the customers or selling from door-to-door helped in building mutual trust between the sellers and the buyers. However, there were challenges, such as land issue and market access, that hindered urban agricultural practitioners in their efforts to scale-up. Urban agricultural practitioners reported that they did not own the land they farm on, as the land was owned by municipality who could claim it any-time.
In terms of marketing, it was shown that urban agricultural practitioners relied on informal market to sell their products as local wholesalers and shops did not buy from them and they appeared not to have trust in the local agricultural producers. With regards to municipality, the study recommended that the municipality find ways to assist with agricultural land and policy formulation. Finally, further research can be carried out to assess the factor of trust between small scale urban agriculturalists and the market, as the study found that there was a lack of mutual trust between the local wholesalers and local urban agricultural practitioners
Therapeutic Effect of a triterpenic Acid from Protorhus longifolia Against High Fat Diet Fed and Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Nephropathy in Rats
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, 2019.Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the major and most frequent complication of diabetes mellitus that contributes to high rate of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the current available treatment regimes, DN still remains the main leading cause of end stage kidney disease. Therefore, more focus is currently placed on the search for alternatively new and effective therapeutic agents, preferably of plant origin. Thus, the present study is aimed at evaluating the therapeutic potential of a plant-derived lanosteryl triterpene (RA5), against high fat diet (HFD) fed and streptozotocin (STZ)- induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.
RA5 was isolated from the chloroform extract of Protorhus longifolia stem bark. Chemical structure of RA5 was confirmed based spectral data analysis. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the compound was assessed against DPPH and nitric oxide (NO•) radicals. Its reducing power and metal ion chelating potential were also assessed. The bovine serum albumin (BSA) and haemoglobin fructose assays were used to evaluate theanti- protein glycation activity of RA5. The in vitro inhibitory potential of RA5 against xanthine oxidase (XOD) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was also investigated. The antihyperglycemic potential of RA5 was first established and confirmed in the STZ-induced diabetes rat model. Its therapeutic potential against diabetic nephropathy was then investigated in the HFD and STZ induced diabetic nephropathy in rats. In the STZ (60 mg/kg)-induced diabetes in the rat model, the diabetic animals were treated with RA5 (100 mg/kg) for 14 days and the oral glucose tolerance of the rats was determined. In the HFD fed and STZ induced diabetic nephropathy in rat model, the HFD fed (hyperlipidaemic) rats received an intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of STZ (30 mg/kg) to induce diabetes. The diabetic rats were treated orally with RA5 at 100 mg/kg, daily for 28 days. Metformin (100 mg/kg) and 2% Tween 20 were used as positive and negative controls. All the rats were then euthanized, and blood, liver and kidneys were collected for analysis of important biochemical parameters.
The in vitro study revealed the antioxidant potential of the triterpene (RA5) as it effectively scavenged DPPH and NO• radicals. The triterpene also showed reducing power and metal ion chelating properties. The study further showed an anti-protein glycation effect by the inhibition of glycation of BSA and haemoglobin. Significantly,
iv
an increase in fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, increased hepatic glucose 6phosphatase activity and decreased glycogen content with impaired oral glucose tolerance were observed in the untreated diabetic rats. However, the diabetic rats that were treated with RA5 for 14 days showed a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose levels, decreased glucose 6-phosphatase activity and increased glycogen content. The RA5 treated rats further showed improved oral glucose tolerance. In the diabetic nephroprotective assessment, kidney hypertrophy elevated FBG, blood lipids, renal function biomarkers such as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid, as well as increased XOD and ACE levels were observed in the untreated diabetic rats. However, the levels of all these parameters were reversed after receiving treatment with RA5 for period of 28 days. Increased renal levels of antioxidant status, accompanied by decreased malondialdehyde levels were likewise observed in the RA5 treated rats in comparison to the untreated diabetic control. Furthermore, the results revealed decreased renal levels of inflammatory markers (transforming growth factor beta-1, cycloogenase-2, TNF-α, and IL-6) in the diabetic group treated with RA5 when compared to the untreated diabetic control. The obtained results suggest that the diabetic RA5 possess therapeutic potential against DN.National Research Foundation (NRF
Consumer perceptions, preferences, and their purchase intentions for organically grown products in Shelly Beach shopping centre, Port Shepstone
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Agriculture in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Zululand, 2019.In the last few years, the market of organically grown products has continued to grow. This is due to the continued increase of consumers’ concerns regarding the environmental, food safety and health issues, especially for food products. These issues have led to an increase in demand which outstrips the supply, which threatens the organic industry. The study aimed to analyse consumer perceptions, preferences and factors influencing the purchase of organically grown products in the Shelly Beach Shopping centre in Port Shepstone under the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality of the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The study was quantitative and employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A systematic random sampling method was employed. The study comprised of 150 organically grown product consumers. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and STATA 14 software. Descriptive analysis of data was applied in the study to describe consumers’ characteristics, perceptions and preferences. A multiple regression analysis was used to test for the factors influencing the purchase intentions of organically grown products. The study suggested that women (about 63%) purchased organically grown products more than men. The results revealed that all consumers had at least 12 schooling years (matric education). Most (about 53%) of the interviewed consumers were not married (single; divorced or widowed). A greater proportion (about 45%) of the interviewed consumers that purchased organically grown products had family size which was about less or equal to 5 members and mostly (about 73%) of respondents were full-time employed. With regard to consumer perceptions towards organically grown products, results revealed that consumers that were environmentally conscious, concerned about food safety and healthiness had a positive attitude towards the purchase of organically grown products. Results from the multiple regression model revealed that factors such as; ethnicity; household size; employment status; household income and perceptions that organically grown products have a better smell and fresh were found to have a positive and significant influence on the purchase intentions in the study area while age, education, consumer perceptions that organically grown products have a good taste and of high quality and difficulty to access in the market were found to have a negative and significant influence on the purchase intentions. Consumer awareness and education programmes must be targeted at youth to inform them about organically grown products. Government funding should assist farmers in solving the “difficulty to access” issue of organically grown products
Female principals’ skills of managing conflict in primary schools dominated by female teachers in the Gingindlovu Circuit
Get PDFA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in the Department of Educational Foundation and Management at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2019].Although the number of women managers in education is increasing, women continue to experience problems that prevent them from realising their full potential particularly as conflict managers. When female teachers are promoted to principalship positions, there are no programmes to equip them with relevant management skills required to lead and manage the schools effectively. This has resulted in some female principals showing lack of confidence in resolving conflict in schools, particularly where the staff is dominated by female teachers. Female principals tend to rely on their male colleagues should there be a case where they have to implement disciplinary measures. The aim of this study was to explore female principals’ skills of managing conflict in primary schools dominated by female teachers in the Gingindlovu Circuit. This study used a qualitative approach, collecting data through face-to-face interviews. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select participants for this study. The study established that female principals have skills of managing conflict despite their gender roles that have been taken as determinants that females may not do well as managers. Some gender roles, which include nurturing and accommodating, have been identified as key to female principals in assisting them when resolving conflict at the workplace where the staff is dominated by female teachers. However, they still need to learn more about skills of managing conflict in schools. The study recommends that female principals be workshopped on how to manage conflict in a school situation soon after they have been appointed. A comparative study between female and male principals regarding management skills they have for resolving conflicts is recommended.NR
Efficiencies of small-scale sugarcane growers in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal
Get PDFA thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Commerce in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law at the University of Zululand, 2019.Low agricultural productivity remains a threat to the existence and sustainability of the small-scale production of crops. Unfavourable climatic conditions such as drought are a concern to the long-term supply of food in the context of a rapidly growing population. The continuous uncertainty surrounding access to credit, extension support and industry regulations exacerbate the dilemma faced by small-scale growers. Therefore, there is a need to develop strategies to promote agricultural efficiency and productivity.
Sugarcane is a traditional crop produced in three provinces in South Africa and it contributes to the livelihoods of many small-scale sugarcane growers operating in the rural set-up. This thesis aimed to evaluate agricultural efficiencies, productivity and efficiency change and identify barriers to technical efficiency of small-scale sugarcane growers in the sugar producing regions of the King Cetshwayo district municipality. This is a grey area as existing studies have given more attention to SFA (Stochastic Frontier Analysis) and ranked constraints faced by small-scale sugarcane growers. The thesis analyses three methodological approaches to addressing the objectives of the thesis. The first objective was to analyse the technical, cost and allocative efficiency of a sample of 300 small cane growers located in the King Cetshwayo district municipality (KCDM) of Northern KwaZulu-Natal. This objective was achieved through estimating agricultural productive efficiency using Data Envelope Analysis (DEA). The second objective was to determine the chemical-input use efficiency, which was determined using the Slack-Based Measure (SBM) approach of the sampled cane growers. The third objective was to employ the Truncated Regression model to identify key socio-economic sources of technical efficiency; this chapter relied on field survey data of 300 sugarcane growers.
The fourth objective measured input-oriented technical, cost and allocative efficiency of 160 small-scale sugarcane growers in the Felixton and Amatikulu regions. The fifth objective investigate the determinants of technical, cost and allocative efficiency in the Felixton and Amatikulu regions. Both objectives used the DEA and Truncated Regression model. The sixth objective decomposed agricultural efficiency change in small-scale sugarcane growers in the Amatikulu region using the Färe Primont Index (FPI) using farm-level data for 38 small-scale growers. Furthermore, the Bayesian Modelling Average technique (BMA) investigated policy-related sources of small-scal
The political economy of Swaziland's quest to incorporate Ingwavuma and parts of Mpumalanga(South Africa)
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Art, History in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2019This study analyses the political economy of Swaziland’s quest to incorporate Ngwavuma
and parts of Mpumalanga. The primary research question is: What drives Swaziland to
pursue the issue of the land that was taken from her during the colonial era despite the
declaration by the Organization of African Unity that all colonial boundaries should not be
tampered with in adjusting the present borders. The study uses the Swaziland – South
Africa border issue, to investigate the dynamics behind Swaziland’s quest to incorporate
Ingwavuma and some parts of Mpumalanga. The findings of the study are not unique to
Swaziland and South Africa but are relevant to Africa as a whole.
Firstly, the study employed a political economy approach or theoretical framework which
combines both the political and economic aspects and gives a better understanding of
the factors involved in the whole set of border adjustments between South Africa and
Swaziland. Is the theory of the interplay between politics and economics in driving
historical events and processes over time. The political economy makes intensive and
extensive use of class analysis in making sense of the community and history but does
so in the context of the environmental, cultural, political, and other economic processes.
Secondly, this research study used a qualitative research approach because of its ability
to provide more detailed information on a subject. The study also relied on fieldwork in
the particular borderland societies astride the South African – Swaziland boundary. It was
further informed by archival research. Secondary data was collected from the existing
literature on African boundaries themes.
The study highlighted the political and economic gains that Swaziland would have if
Ingwavuma and parts of Mpumalanga were to be incorporated. The economic benefits
would be massive as there are natural resources in those areas. The political impact of
the country would also be transformed into a very influential status in the regio
Presupposition and sentence synonyms as semantic devices in selected Yorùbá proverbs
Get PDFPeer reviewed article published under Inkanyiso, Volume 11 Number 1, 2019, p. 80 - 92Proverbs are witty expressions precipitated by warranted situations. These situations can be likened to certain occurrences or events which took place aforetime to invoke a proverb match. In other words, whenever there is an occurrence or event, an appropriate proverb that suits such an occurrence, is employed. The paper therefore considers some Yorùbá proverbs with a view to unraveling not only their meaning equivalence in English, but to infer from such proverbs, their underlying assumptions and proffer solutions to their inherent problems. Employing the appraisal theory of J.R. Martin (2000) through the resources of Semantics, the study intends to consider the ways we can express our personal views while reacting to the views of others. The paper analyses fifteen Yorùbá proverbs based on the semantic devices of presupposition and sentence synonyms inherent in them. The fifteen Yorùbá proverbs are translated from the source language,Yorùbá, to English in order to unravel the intended meanings of the proverb. Thus, the paper reveals that certain Yorùbá proverbs do not only serve as antidotes to correct morals or societal ills, but that they are basically employed to elicit information regarding the veracity or otherwise of some facts relating to humans and invariably, certain inanimate entities with human attributes. The identified Yorùbá proverbs are shown to attract diverse meaning possibilities and/or sentence synonyms. The paper therefore concludes by affirming that Yorùbá proverbs are not only genre sensitive, but user dependent since circumstances or events relating to humans are involved
Female labour force participation and economic growth in South Africa
Get PDFA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters (MCom) in the Economics, Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in Department of Economics at the University of Zululand, 2019Since the mid-90s female work compel investment has seen a stark increment (by 38%) boosting the general business levels. However, by global norms female labour force participation stays low and it is lower than for men averaging to a gap. Women’s work remains characterised by domestic and cultural divisions. This study establishes the long-run relationship between female labour force participation and economic growth and unemployment in South Africa by using time-series data collected from various data source for the period of 1980 to 2015 (yearly) and 2008 to 2016 (quarterly).
Empirical studies form both developed and developing countries indicate different results and also indicating a U-shape relationship between female labour force participation and economic growth. This study adopted the Cointegration Vector Autoregressive and Vector Error Correction Model (multivariate equations) together with cointegration equations (FM-Ordinary Least Squares, Canonical Cointegrating Regression and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares) to establish the long-run and shortrun relationships and the effect of economic growth and unemployment on the participation of women in the labour force. The estimate of yearly data shows that unemployment is positive and significantly influences the participation of women in the labour force in the long run. Economic growth exhibits the n-shape relationship with female labour force participation in the long run, hence, it indicates the opposite of what other researchers have found. The Vector Error Correction Model indicate insignificant effect of economic growth and unemployment on FLFP
Land reform, accumulation and social reproduction: the South African experience in global and historical perspective
Get PDFPeer reviewed Open Access article published in the Inkanyiso journal, Volume 11 Number 1, p1, 2019.The reality of capitalist economy, its inherent dynamics and contradictions, must be
understood as central to policy debates about land reform in South Africa today.
Progressive land reform should strive to promote ‘accumulation’ from below’,
through the redistribution of productive land to a large number of petty agricultural
commodity producers. Supporting the social reproduction needs of the rural poor is
also important, and securing their rights to communal land must be a key goal of
tenure reform. Beyond South Africa, the experience of redistributive land reform
more broadly suggests that southern Africa is a unique context in some ways (e.g.
there is a need to break up large and productive farms) but not in many others.
Many of the problems facing land reform in South Africa have been experienced
elsewhere. Beyond land reform, the world is currently in the grip of several
overlapping crises, notably the increasing precarity of working populations,
ecological breakdown, large-scale migration, technological advances that threaten
both jobs and democracy, and a swing towards right-wing and authoritarian modes
of governance. Again, the centrality of the logic of capital to these simultaneous
crises must be acknowledged
Labour Unions, Political and the Development of the Swazi Labour Movement 1939-2014.
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2019.The study sets out to examine the development of Swazi labour movement from 1939 to 2014.
Through a combination of desktop and qualitative research the study traces the trajectory of the
Swazi labour movement from the colonial to the post-colonial period. The Swazi labour
movement developed and evolved as a consequence of a number of socio-economic, political and
legal factors. The capital penetration that occurred in Swaziland during and after World War II
led to the conflict between labour and capital. The expansion of the Swazi economy, particularly
the expansion of the workforce due to the growth in investment and production, the political
developments of decolonisation struggles, the emergence of Pan-Africanism and the emergence
of an authoritarian non-party Tinkhundla state led to the development of the Swazi labour
movement in Swaziland. Whereas different scholars have analysed labour relations in Swaziland
no study has been conducted to trace the development of the labour movement in the country.
This study interrogates this neglected subject by focusing on the views and experiences of the
workers to demonstrate that the Swazi labour movement in spite of the challenges it faced from
employers and the state, championed the workers’ demands and rights. It reveals social agency,
showing that the Swazi labour movement was not passive victims of employers and the state but
struck back to express its demands. Against the background of state repression, the study
interrogates human agency to show that the Swazi labour movement continued to fight for
improved conditions. The study shows that the labour movement played a critical role in the pro-
democracy struggles in post-colonial Swaziland. However, in spite of the prominent role played
by the labour movement in the struggle for democracy in Swaziland, the study shows the
dynamics of labour by discussing the diverse views of the workers on the pro-democracy agenda
which proves that Swazi labour was not monolithic. The study concludes by arguing that the
Swazi labour movement has provided a constant source of discomfort for the non-party state as
it represents an independent power base and holds an unrivalled capacity for political
mobilisation in Swazi civil society.
Key words: labour movement, pro-democracy, state repression, Tinkhundla, post-colonial,
trade unionism