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Compensation structure and employee commitment: the case of academics at a comprehensive tertiary institution
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in the Department of Business Management in the Faculty of Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law, University of Zululand, 2019Compensation is a complex concept which is influenced by a number of factors. The purpose of the study was to evaluate and analyse the effects of the compensation structure on employees’ commitment at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU), which is a comprehensive tertiary institution. It is the observation of this researcher that, based on nine years experience in Human Resources Management at UNIZULU, retaining academic employees at the Institution is challenged by competitorswho are steadily poaching academic employees, resulting in a high turnover over the past few years. In addition, based on this researcher’s engagements with academic employees of UNIZULU, some academics are demoralised which, in turn, affects their performance and commitment towards the institution. This researcher, therefore, saw the need to embark on this study and attempt to make a significant contribution to improving the employee benefits, particularly compensation, at UZ. In addition, this study attempts to generate new knowledge on the impact of a good compensation plan on the commitment and performance level of academic staff of a university. Apart from contributing to literature the study will also contribute to practice and formulate a theory that will promote adequate compensation for academic staff, not only at UNIZULU but generally for the world. Hence, for the purpose of this study, the following factors were considered: the working conditions of employees, lack of company policies, employee remuneration, employee benefits, academic workload, and inadequate resources. The study employed a quantitative data collection approach through which academic staff at UNIZULU were surveyed. From the findings it is recommended that UNIZULUattend to these factors as their abandonment is detrimental to the commitment and retention of the academic staff at UNIZULU
Free Higher Education in South Africa: University of Zululand and University of KwaZulu-Natal, comparison with implications on University produce.
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters of Commerce in the department of Publice Administration, Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law, at the University of Zululand, 2019.The study focused on the perceptions of academic staff members and students on free higher education at the University of Zululand and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The main aim was to determine the sustainability, challenges and benefits of this policy and possibly come with solutions or alternatives if the policy does not succeed.
The project reviewed studies on access to higher education, challenges faced by Higher Education (HE) and possible benefits of this policy in South Africa. It further reviewed government policies on HE. The researcher collected data by using questionnaires and interview. A total of twenty-eight (28) questionnaires were administered at the two universities and one unstructured interview was conducted for one of the officials at the department of basic education. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to analyze the data. The study revealed that most of the respondents are not satisfied with the implementation of this policy. The findings also revealed that little or no consultation and poor planning from government administrative has caused conflict of interest between the relevant stakeholders, which are the taxpayers, students and the academic staff members. Hence, the study suggests that government should do proper planning before implementing policies to avoid fruitless expenditure from scarce resources held. Government should also review and restructure some higher education policies, especially education transformation policies.
KeywordsNational Research Fun
Selected genes polymorphism related to biomarkers and physical characteristics in young African cricket rugby soccer netball players and Bulgarian athletes
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Science in the Department of Human Movement and Biokinetic Sports Science in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, University of Zululand, 2019.Selected genes polymorphism related to biomarkers and physical characteristics in young African cricket rugby soccer netball players and Bulgarian athlete
Production and characterisation of bioflocculant produced by bacterial isolates from Richards Bay harbour, Kwazulu Natal
Get PDFA dissertation submitted to the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Microbiology) in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Zululand, 2019.Bioflocculants are safe and biodegradable extracellular polymers produced by
microorganisms during their growth. In comparison with conventionally used
flocculants, bioflocculants have the advantage of being safe (no known toxic effects),
biodegradable and harmless to the environment. In this study, halophile novel
bacteria was isolated from Richards Bay Harbour, Kwazulu-Natal, Republic of South
Africa and screened for bioflocculant producing potential using a production medium
at 30 oC for 72 hours with a shaking speed of 160 rpm. Kaolin clay suspension was
used as test material. Microorganisms with bioflocculant-producing potential were
further identified using 16S rRNA molecular sequencing method. Among the
identified isolates, one with flocculating activity above 70% was used for
bioflocculant production. Bacillus atrophaeus culture conditions were optimised for
improved flocculating activity as well as the production yield. To obtain an optimum
culture medium condition, the parameters such as carbon and nitrogen (energy)
sources, inoculum size, metal ions, cultivation time, initial pH of the medium,
incubation temperature, shaking speed and fermentation time were investigated. The
bioflocculant was extracted using ice-cold ethanol and purified with the mixture of
chloroform and butanol (5:7 v/v). The purified bioflocculant was characterized using
FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with element analyser and TG
analyser. The bioflocculant was further analysed for its chemical composition. The
purified bioflocculant BA-CGB was also assessed for antimicrobial activity properties
and further applied on Vulindlela domestic wastewater and Mzingazi river water.
Among the screened isolates, three of them with more than 70% flocculating
activities were identified through 16S rRNA as Bacillus safensis, Bacillus pumilus
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and Bacillus atrophaeus. A bioflocculant yield of 3.165 g was recovered for B.
atrophaeus after 96 hours of incubation from 1 liter of fermentation broth in the
presence of 4% inoculum size, glucose, ammonium chloride, at pH 9 and
temperature of 35 oC as well as shaking speed of 110 rpm stimulated by Ba2+
. The
bioflocculant BA-CGB produced, showed a strong thermal stability character as
managed to attain more than 60% flocculating activity at 121 °C for 15 min, with 0.4
mg/ml dosage size and Ca2+ as a stimulating agent. The flocculating activity of
purified BA-CGB was greatly influenced by a wide pH range (3-12). BA-CGB is
amorphous in structure, composed of carbohydrates (65%), uronic acid (25%) and
trace proteins (10%). Functional groups include hydroxyl, carboxyl, amine, amide
and elements such as carbon and oxygen among others, were present in the
molecular chain of bioflocculant BA-CGB. No antimicrobial activity was observed
with bioflocculant BA-CGB. 0.4 mg/ml dosage size of a bioflocculant was more
effective in flocculating wastewater, improving COD, BOD and removing nitrates,
phosphates as well as sulphate from Mzingazi riverwater and Vulindlela domestic
wastewater. This bioflocculant holds a promising future to replace in-use chemical
flocculants in wastewater treatmen
The birth and evolution of the Military in Independent Swaziland 1973-2013
No full textA thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of History in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2019Swaziland is one of the few African countries that has experienced neither a military coup nor a
civil war, and has remained peaceful since independence in 1968 from the British. What
transpired in Swaziland after independence was not uncommon in post-colonial Africa as evidence
suggests that independent African states were motivated by numerous dynamics to build standing
armies as security institutions. The intention of the study is to analyse the dynamics that led to the
establishment and development of the Swazi army, and how this army has developed overtime and
what interests it has served. The study intends to explore both the internal and regional
circumstances that played an important role in the formation of the army in the country. The study
also analyses the trajectory of the development of the Swazi army over the years with particular
reference to its relations with general society
Monitoring Mining Disturbance and Restoration over RBM Site in South Africa Using LandTrendr Algorithm and Landsat Data
Get PDFPeer reviewed article published under Journals Sustainability Volume 11 Issue 24Considering the negative impact of mining on ecosystems in mining areas, the South
African government legislated the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No. 28 of
2002), to compel mining companies to restore the land affected by mining. Several studies have used
remotely sensed data to observe the status and dynamics of surface mines. Advances in remote
sensing along the cloud-based Google Earth Engine (GEE) now promise an enhanced observation
strategy for improved monitoring of mine environments. Despite these advances, land rehabilitation
at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) is mainly restricted to field-based approaches which are unable
to reveal seamless patterns of disturbance and restoration. Here, we illustrate the value of the
trajectory-based LandTrendr algorithm in conjunction with GEE for mine rehabilitation studies.
Our automated method produced disturbance and recovery patterns (1984–2018) over the RBM site.
The study revealed that RBM has progressively been mining different portions of the mineral-rich
coastal area after which restoration was undertaken. The duration of mining over each site ranged
from 2 to 6 years. The LandTrendr outputs correspond with independent reference datasets that were
classified with an overall accuracy of 99%; it captures mine-induced disturbance efficiently and offers
a practical tool for mine restoration management
Mathematical modeling for optimal control of breast cancer
Get PDFBreast cancer, which often occurs in the inner lining of milk ducts, is the deadliest and
most common form of invasive cancer among females according to a 2017 report of the
World Health Organization. The purpose of this study was to develop a four compartmental
mathematical model using a system of nonlinear Ordinary Di erential Equations
(ODEs) which investigates the impact of anti-cancer drugs, ketogenic-diets and immune
boosters on the dynamics of breast cancer. The study focused on the dynamical interaction
of normal and tumor cells as well as the invasion of tumor cells during the metastasis
stage of breast cancer. The systems of ODEs were analytically solved for the equilibria.
Using the next generation matrix method, a threshold quantity called the treatment in-
duced invasion reproduction number (R
i ) was computed. Center manifold theory was used
to investigate the possibility of the bifurcation analysis of R
i being greater than unity.
Using a suitable Lyapunov functions, the global stability of the tumor-free equilibrium
was achieved in conjuction with LaSalle's invariance principle. Uncertainty and sensitivity
analyses were performed on R
i using Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) and Partial Rank
Correlation Coe cient (PRCC). R
i was used as the response function while investigating
the most signi cant parameters (such as: 1, 2, 1, d, and 1 ) that a ects disease
progression and cell invasion. Optimal control theory was applied using the Pontryagins'
Maximum Principle to investigate optimal strategies for controlling and eliminating tumor
cells using time dependent controls such as u1(t) (anti-cancer drugs) and u2(t) (ketogenic
diets). Numerical simulation results using a set of parameter values were provided to
validate the analytical results. It was found that the tumor-free equilibrium points for
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breast cancer was locally asymptotically stable when the associated invasion reproduction
number was less than unity and that it was otherwise unstable. The tumor-free equilibrium
was found to be globally asymptotically stable if (Ri) < 1 . Sensitivity analysis
showed that the natural death rate of normal cells has the most positive sensitivity index.
However, increasing the death rate as a control measure is unreasonable biologically. The
level of ketogenic diet rate was found to be most negatively sensitive to Ri. Therefore, the
formulated model showed that reduction of the invasion reproduction number (R
i ) below
unity can be achieved by maintaining the level of ketogenic diet and by reducing tumor
progression rate. It was shown from this study that the breast cancer model exhibited
backward bifurcation with bifurcation parameter 1 which implies that the reduction R
i
below unity alone is not su cient to eradicate tumor cells from the body system while in
the case of forward bifurcation, the reduction of R
i above unity is su cient to eradicate
tumor cells from the body system . The incremental cost-e ectiveness analysis of control
strategies adapted in treating breast cancer has shown that the integration of ketogenic
diet and anti-cancer drugs as intervention strategy is the most cost-e ective in ghting
tumor cells.
xNational Research Foundatio
The role of education in promoting entrepreneurship culture among the youth: a case study of University of Zululand
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters of Commerce in the department of Business Management, Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law, at the University of Zululand, 2019.Entrepreneurship education is broadly considered an important factor in promoting an entrepreneurial culture among higher education students. Considering the importance of entrepreneurship to economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation, there is a need to train entrepreneurs and to equip them with an entrepreneurial culture that promotes entrepreneurship. However, the South African education system is lacking when it comes to entrepreneurship education. The education system seems to promote the white-collar jobs rather than self-employment and the methodology that is used to teach entrepreneurship studies focuses more on the theory of entrepreneurship than on its practice. Against this background, this study sought to identify the role of education in promoting an entrepreneurship culture among the youth, focusing on the University of Zululand as a case study. The researcher used primary data for this study. The study adopted a mixed methods approach where data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules from 374 University of Zululand students and 11 heads of departments from the university’s faculties. The results from the study show that there was no consistent promotion of entrepreneurship across the university’s faculties and departments. There was a need to improve the entrepreneurship curriculum, as it was found that it did not equip students with an entrepreneurship culture. Entrepreneurship studies were done in business-related departments and were not readily promoted in non-business departments. A policy implication arose from these findings is that there is a need for the development of entrepreneurship-based curriculum as a way of promoting entrepreneurship. The policymakers were also encouraged to develop incubation centres for grooming entrepreneurs at higher learning institution
An evaluation of political interference in the administration of service delivery in uMlalazi Local Municipality of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in the Department of Public Administration in the Faculty of Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law, University of Zululand, 2019The study focused on the evaluation of political interference in the administration of service delivery in uMlalazi Local Municipality, Kwazulu Natal. The aim of the study was to identify the challenges and the concerns of municipal officials, ward committee members and politicians about political interference in their administrative duties and to highlight the impact it has on service delivery as well as come up with the possible solutions with regards to the issue of undue political interference in the administration of service delivery.
This study started by reviewing the political interference in the administration of service delivery and Constitutional basis for service delivery. Thereafter, the candidate undertook original research on a valid sample of municipal officials, ward committee members and politicians of uMlalazi local municipality. Questionnaire were sent to a sample of 7 municipal officials, 3 ward committee members and 6 politicians of opposition parties domicile within uMlalazi local municipality.
The researcher adopted qualitative methodology for the analyses upon which conclusions were drawn. The study describes the respondents concerns, challenges and possible solutions for the issue of political interference in the administration of service delivery. The main findings show that the majority of the respondents agreed that political interference lead to poor service delivery in uMlalazi local municipality.Moses Kotane Institut
The variance in the water quality of the lower orange river
Get PDFSubmitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the field of Hydrology in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Zululand, 2019.The monitoring and assessment of rivers is important for measuring the status of river ecosystems, water quality and water demand, and can provide early warning for management intervention with regard to water quality and quantity. This can be quite a daunting undertaking for rivers that cross national boundaries such as the Orange River.
Concepts such as Integrated Water Resource Management were introduced to enhance the sustainable use and management of such water resources. In addition, transboundary bodies such as the Orange-Senqu River Commission were established between member states in the Southern African region to provide a platform for coordinated water resource management of the river.
The DWS has various water quality monitoring programmes throughout the country. The National Chemical Monitoring Programme is the longest running of the national monitoring programmes. While the National Microbiological Monitoring Programme provides data for determining the potential health risks to people related with the potential utilization of pathogenically polluted water resources.
This study identified and evaluated the effectiveness of sampling locations by analysing water quality trends from monitoring points in the Lower Orange River located in the Northern Cape. Historical data from the Department of Water and Sanitation‟s Water Management System and National Integrated Water Information System were utilised to illustrate changes in the water quality temporally and spatially. The legislative requirement of water quality in South Africa, according to the South African Water Quality Guidelines, was applied to the data sets.
The current water quality network of the Lower Orange is under-utilised. The various sites are not monitored on a consistent basis. A large number of sites have been left inactive and not monitored. Creating a situation where the latest data may not be available for management decisions. The general trend of the river water quality indicates a general increase in the Total Alkalinity in the river. This potentially is the results of years of runoff from irrigation practices into the river. The river also displays high levels of phosphate, nitrate and magnesium at some monitoring points.
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There are large gaps in data, and thus limited information, in terms of water quality of the Lower Orange River. Studies conducted by organisations such as the ORASECOM also indicate a lack of information with regard to Persistent Organic Pollutants, heavy metals and radio nuclides. These potential major pollutants are currently not being given priority compared to other parameters..
Water management authorities and institutions require research that supplies a constant flow of information in order to adequately respond to water quality changes in the river. This study identified gaps between the monitoring and management of the Lower Orange River. In addition, it provides potential mitigation measures that could help ensure the gaps are closed and water quality data is converted into information that can enhance understanding of the water quality in the Lower Orange River. Policy formulation for water quality management in the arid Northern Cape can be made much easier with this information