University Botswana Journals
Not a member yet
1168 research outputs found
Sort by
A Conversation with Philip Steenkamp
Get PDFThe consummate, results-oriented professional he was, Philip Steenkamp, never confused an official meetingwith a social get-together. That account comes a thousand kilometres away from someone who should know. ‘When he was at his desk or at a meeting, he did not allow distractions to creep in, he dealt with the matter at hand and only then, would he allow social discussions. He was thus efficient in terms of time management. He was able to accomplish most tasks, if not all, at the end of the day’, says Molosiwa Selepeng, Botswana’s High Commissioner to Australia. ‘Hard-working’ and ‘focused’ are the other qualities that Selepeng attributes to this Kenyan-born Afrikaner who fetched up in colonial Botswana (Bechuanaland Protectorate) in 1955 as a district officer cadet and became a naturalised citizen 11 years later
Quett Ketumile Joni Masire: Some Notes By His Biographer
Get PDFBeing a historian at times feels like being a Catholic confessional priest. Most of the time, when you show up at someone’s door to conduct an interview, the person you are interviewing is a little wary. Do you know anything? How much should they tell you? Can you be trusted with the information that they will give? Will you write about them and their friends and family in a friendly way once your research is completed? It is my personal experience, having done hundreds of historical interviews with Batswana, that once you demonstrate some detailed working knowledge of their background (i.e. you know who they are related to, who they associated with, what kinds of situations they were involved in) then the caution quickly fades and all sorts of information comes pouring out. And you will hear even more when you turn the sound recorder off! Important government and establishment figures in this country are expected to be discreet, but when they have a chance to talk to a disinterested, sympathetic outsider like myself, they can feel a strong urge to reveal things that they have mainly kept to themselves over the years
SENTENCE-INITIAL INTERACTIVE METADISCOURSE AND TEXT COHERENCE IN EFL ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
Get PDFIn the field of L2 academic literacy an abundance of research on metadiscourse provides evidence of its overuse or underuse, particularly in comparison to native-speaker texts. These findings have important implications if efficient use of metadiscourse is considered indicative of text coherence. This study focuses on the interactive dimension of Hyland's (2005) metadiscourse model which encompasses the ways in which writers shape their relationship with the text and readers, i.e. how they relate, sequence and order propositions. Specifically, the study aims at identifying frequency and variation of L2 writers' use of sentence-initial metadiscursive elements (SI-ME), comparing these with native speakers' choices, and determining the relationship between SI-ME use and text cohesion and coherence. The results of SI-ME analyses, conducted on 80 essays written by Croatian EFL learners, show that L2 writers' use of SI-ME diverges from native speakers' in terms of range, density and accuracy, but is also idiosyncratic and creative, suggesting a strategic approach to constructing coherent texts
TRUTH, TRUST, VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION IN ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION: THE CHALLENGES OF ONLINE/SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION
Get PDFAcademic communication, at least in its formal written form, has been built on a long and strong history of systems of validation and verification since about the seventeenth century and the development of the European (Western) Enlightenment. This paper investigates the contemporary challenges that online communication and culture has to this longer and relatively stable structure of how academic knowledge has been constructed. Online communication has produced a culture of information instability, transformed professional and personal identity and a new insecurity in trust and verification. At the same time, online culture and communication has also produced an incredible and unparalleled system of shared information. Through a close study of the gap between online communication and the exigencies of academic communication, the paper attempts to provide a pathway for the contemporary academy to make this new system of communication contribute effectively and with major scholar moderation to new generations of knowledge
THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL HEALERS IN HIV PREVENTION IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN SOCIETY: THE CASE OF ESWATINI.
Get PDFThis paper explores the extent of the involvement of African traditional healers in HIV prevention in southern Africa, with special reference to Eswatini (Swaziland). It proceeds from the premise that in southern Africa, as in most emerging economies, traditional healers are the leading, accessible and more approachable health care providers in society when compared with modern health practitioners. The paper notes, however, that there is paucity of literature that examines the degree of the involvement of African Traditional healers in the recently adopted global campaign to scale down and eliminate HIV infection through, inter alia, social and behaviour change. Primary data for the paper was gathered through semi-structured and open-ended interviews and focus group discussions with selected Swazi tangoma (diviners/spirit-mediums); while secondary data was drawn from a range of disciplinary perspectives on the subject of the role of religion in the global fight against HIV AIDS. The paper contends that there are strong pointers that in our day and era African traditional healers play a modest but meaningful advisory role in supporting current strategic interventions spearheaded by modern health practitioners and allied partners to contain the spread of HIV by fostering behavioural change among its clients
GENERIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AMONG FIRST YEAR STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA
Get PDFThis study explores the development of generic skills among first year students at the University ofBotswana (UB). Two-hundred randomly sampled first year students at UB completed a questionnaire.Findings reveal that first year students at UB consider generic skills very important and are largely awareof the concept of generic skills. However, the students appear to believe that their content courses can betterhelp them develop generic skills through student-centred learning. Changes suggested by respondentsinclude: creating a balance between theory and practice; increasing student participation in class; morepractical work, group work and oral presentations. Future research should be broadened to include studentsacross all departments and years of study
The effect of blocking angularis oculi and facial veins on daily water intake in
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to assess the importance of selective brain cooling (SBC) in the water economy of Tswana goats by blocking angularis oculi and facial veins in euhydrate and dehydrated goats under outdoor conditions in Botswana during summer. Eighteen male goats were assigned randomly to three treatments of six animals each: nonoperated controls (NOC), blocked facial veins (BFV) and blocked angularis oculi veins (BAOV) groups. Daily water intake (DWI) was determined for 65 days in all animals to establish a baseline water intake. The goats were then dehydrated for 24, 48 and 72 hrs. Ambient temperature (T a) was recorded hourly at the experimental site. DWI data on days with mean ambient temperatures (Tas) of 28, 29 and 31oC were analysed. DWI increase with increasing Tas. At Tas of 28 and 31oC, BAOV and BFV groups had higher DWI than NOC group. No differences were observed after the goats were dehydrated for 24 hours. However, BAOV and BFV groups had higher DWI than NOC group after 48 hours of dehydration with BAOV group consuming 7 % more water than the other two groups. The 2-way interaction between DWI and Ta as well as hours of dehydration tended to be significant at P < 0.075 and P < 0.0650 respectively. It is concluded that SBC contributes to the water economy of goats by saving on DWI. This saving is particularly important during short term dehydration periods
BEYOND RHETORIC IN AIDS DISCOURSE: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED SPEECHES ON AFRICA
Get PDFHIV/AIDS discourse mostly reveals people's perceptions, attitudes and behaviour, as well as required actions towards the disease. As the scourge rages in the world especially on the African continent, concerted efforts at combating the pandemic gather momentum both within and outside Africa. In all these efforts, the use of language is very paramount and of significant effect. Thus, at various fora, public figures and other stakeholders have devoted time to making speeches and giving talks focusing on the need for passionate strategies to combat the menace and make the African continent safe again. This paper focuses on the on-going HIV/AIDS discourse with particular interest in analysing the use of rhetoric in enlisting appropriate actions that will put an end to the nightmare. Therefore, three related speeches, one from Thabo Mbeki (Former President, Republic of South Africa), Dr Luis Sambo (Former WHO Regional Director for Africa), and Matthew T. Harrington (US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho), were selected for analysis using rhetoric as the analytical too
HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION: A CHALLENGE TO MORALITY
Get PDFThe main objective of this paper is to show that homosexuality is immoral by examining its socio-cultural and ethical implications. The concern is borne out of several recent efforts by human rights advocates towards a defense of homosexuality on the unjustifiable ground of right to self-determination. The paper explores the socio-cultural standards for human relations and matrimonies and concludes that homosexuality is evil, engenders terminal diseases such as HIV – AIDS and undermines society’s moral standards. The paper uses the critical and conceptual analysis while the existing literature provides the background to the paper. It is recommended that homosexuality should as a matter of necessity be outlawed in all human societies