UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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The significance of cross-fertilisation practices in Kiswahili technical and specialised translations
Get PDFAs opposed to interpreters of verbal communication, translators of written texts have ample time for consulting, revising, reviewing, discussing, weighing and editing. That means cross-fertilisation with fellow translators, speakers of the language, subject experts, clients as well as text reviewers and/or editors helps them improve the translation process and minimize errors in the final translation. This paper is a practical study of English – Kiswahili translations aimed at showing that collaborative efforts across individuals, organisations, and institutions both locally and internationally can improve the overall translation process and product. The data for this study was collected through observation, documentary review as well as through interview and was then analysed through a comparative method. The discussion draws experience from legal and technical (i.e. computer and web-based) translation into Kiswahili, and further emphasizes that there are areas of improvement in Kiswahili translation and training for time and cost effectiveness. The paper argues that despite the importance of cross-fertilisation in the translation process, Kiswahili translators need to improve their expertise to include specialisations in certain fields
Risk factors for the transmission of brucellosis on mixed sheep and springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) farms in the //Kharas region
Get PDFA questionnaire survey was carried out on eleven randomly selected farms in the //Kharas region rearing both sheep and springbok to find out the factors which may favor the transmission of brucellosis in either direction. Sheep (69%) and springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) (21%) were the main species on the farms, with varying numbers of cattle, goats, Oryx (Oryx gazelle) and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). The introduction of replacement rams and ewes of unknown brucellosis status on the farms; the absence of vaccination of sheep against Brucella melitensis (n=11); the close interaction be- tween sheep and springbok throughout the year (n=8) at watering points and in areas with good grazing (n=3) were identified as factors that may favour the introduction and cross-transmission of brucellosis between the two species. The study identified that farm workers on three farms were at risk of brucellosis because they consumed raw sheep milk
Effect of pre-cooking pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) flour on the reduction of dregs in oshikundu
Get PDFOshikundu or ontaku is a low-or non-alcoholic fermented drink commonly produced in over half of Namibian households on daily basis. It is prepared using water, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) flour and sorghum (Sorghumbicolor) malt flour. Like many African fermented drinks, oshikundu is a dynamic drink with live fermenting microorganisms that can lead to spoil age of the drink. Thus, the optimal shelf life is not known. The amount and quality of ingredients and conditions of processing are not standardised. Oshikundu has a lot of insoluble solids which tend to settle and form a sediment (dregs) at the bottom. To reduce the amount of dregs, this study used smaller amounts of sorghum malt and pearl millet flour that produced the same volume of oshikundu, as that produced using traditional amounts. The duration of heating pearl millet flour adjunct was also varied to improve the solubilisation of starch but not to change the consistency of oshikundu from the way it is prepared traditionally in households. The amount of total solids in oshikundu prepared in this study was significantly lower from those of common household-made oshikundu
Soil loss estimation in a semi-arid mountainous cathment environment, City of Windhoek, Namibia
Get PDFMore than half of the global population currently lives in urbanised areas. Consequently, a significant vegetation cover is continuously cleared as cities grow. Where surface grounds are not covered by impermeable surfaces, open soil is eroded by runoff, putting several ecological systems at risk of degradation. This study aimed at investigating the problem of soil loss in Windhoek. High amounts of soil loss are found in very low income settlements compared to high income areas. More soil loss is also found on medium slopes despite the fact that many eroded features are on gentle slopes. Grass cover plays a major role in the magnitude of soil loss. These findings are expected to be of particular interest to land managers in their bid to reduce potential environmental degradation, and also city planners, while they attempt to integrate control measures into the city’s development. Any effort towards soil conservation would be highly significant, as the loss of topsoil is currently a great concern in the city
Translation: A belaboured term
Get PDFInterpreting and translation are still positioned by some scholars under the broader discipline of linguistics as aspects of applied linguistics, while others view interpreting as a sub-discipline within the broader and generic discipline of translation studies. However, interpreting studies and translation studies have gradually become fields in their own right, thanks to the prominent individual and collective efforts of scholars to establish the two fields as subjects in academia. In the professionalization of these disciplines, terminologies have been created and attempts to define them made. Some terms have been extended to accommodate new meanings, the result of which has been burdening some of the terms. Within the framework of translation and interpreting studies, this paper analyses how the term translation has been burdened, in view of making some terminological proposals
Vulnerability and inclusion in the control of acute respiratory infections policy in Namibia
Get PDFThis paper presents the findings on a policy analysis of the Control of Acute and Respiratory Infections (ARIs) of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia. The policy document was analysed against 21 core concepts of access to health and its effectiveness in 12 vulnerable groups using the EquiFrame, a novel analytical and peer reviewed framework that serves to identify the strengths and weaknesses in current health policies with regard to the degree in which a policy promotes and protects the core concepts and vulnerable groups in society (Mannan et al. (2013, p. 2). The 2006/07 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reported that close to four percent of children under five years of age show symptoms of ARI in the two weeks preceding the survey, while 17 percent of children under five have been reported as having fever, a major sign of malaria, which contributes to high levels of malnutrition and death in children (NDHS 2006/2007). In 1995, the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia devised a policy programme to reduce ARI mortality by 30%, the incidence by 15%, and the rate of complication by 20% in children under five. EquiFrame was used to analyse the Control of ARI Programme and a data extraction matrix was used to record its quality. EquiFrame was also used to determine the extent to which the ARI policy document would address issues of vulnerability and inclusion in health provision. The overall ranking of the programme showed it to be of low quality, necessitating a revision so that vulnerability and social inclusion components could be adequately ad-dressed
Neo-liberalism masquerading as 'mixed economy'? a critical analysis of Namibia's principles of economic order
Get PDFWhereas a number of studies exists on the causes and impacts of inequality, poverty and unemployment, in which the majority of Namibians are trapped, very few, if any, of these studies cared to interrogate the role and place of the constitution in aiding the status quo. Most of the studies, even those on the constitu-tion, are often disinterested in the question of political economy, and how it relates to the constitution. A constitution can be understood as a set of fundamental laws determining the orientation (values and prin-ciples), structure and power of the state. To understand the economic system of a given state, the consti-tution ought to be the first point of call. In Namibia the picture is not as clear as it should be. The theory and the practice on the question of political economy do not necessarily intertwine. This text is concerned with the question of political economy. It analyses the constitutional principle of “Mixed Economy”, with the view to understand – and explain – the triumph of neoliberalism in Namibia. It impenitently concludes that, given the lack of clarity of the principle of “Mixed Economy” – a principle this text renders suspect – there is a need to relook at the constitution of the Republic of Namibia in order to address the question of political economy. The finding, however, is clear: Namibia is a neoliberal state
A critical reflection on student teachers' challenges during practicum placements in rural primary schools in the Kavango regions of Namibia
Get PDFThis study examined challenges that student teachers placed in rural schools in the two Kavango regions of Namibia encounter during practicum placements. A sample of 15 participants that consisted of five assessors (teacher educators) who had visited more than one of the selected rural schools and ten student teachers (team leaders) from three teaching School Based Studies (SBS) phases were selected using stratified purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews complemented by data from students’ reflective journals were used during data collection. The data was analysed in conformity with content analysis. The identified challenges were grouped into three categories: student related, institution related and school related challenges. The results of the study revealed that student teachers were inadequately prepared by their training institutions to adapt to different school environments. Furthermore, the findings revealed that student teachers were not fully supported by principals and mentor teachers, and that schools were inadequately resourced. Poor infrastructure and under-qualified temporary teachers were reflected by the outcomes of School-Based Studies (SBS) and the quality of the teacher training programmes. As a result, a partnership model to enhance SBS was developed to provide mitigation strategies on how challenges associated with student practicum placements, could be addressed
An examination of the chemical structures and in vitro cytotoxic bioactivity of halomon related secondary metabolites from Portieria hornemannii found worldwide
Get PDFAn examination of the chemical structures and in vitro cytotoxic bioactivity of halo-genated monoterpenes isolated from Portieria hornemannii worldwide is presented here for the first time. It is anticipated that this analysis will be of valuable to the natural product chemist working in the field of drug discovery with reference to the rapid identification and possible characterisation of halogenated monoterpene secondary metabolites which demonstrate in vitro cytotoxic bioactivity
Is Code switching complementary to English as medium of instruction in Namibian English Second Language classrooms?
Get PDFIn Namibia most teachers and learners are not conversant enough to teach and learn school subjects, including English, through the English medium. Poor learner performance in the year-end examinations in English has been attributed to the use of only English as medium of instruction. Despite such poor performance, English has remained the official medium of instruction in all subjects in Namibian schools. The objective of this study was to investigate whether code switching complemented the English Language in English medium classrooms. The mixed method design was used for this study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire and an observation checklist were the two research instruments that were used to collect data. The sample comprised 12 English Second Language teachers at 12 schools in the Zambezi Educational Region, Namibia. The results showed that English Second Language teachers were of the view that the use of English as the only medium of instruction in the English Second Language classrooms, impacted negatively on the year-end results