UNAM Open Access Journal University of Namibia
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Retrospective Study of Quality Care During Labour in Maternity Wards in Khomas Region, Namibia
Full text linkQuality of midwifery care can be defined as care delivered by midwives which is safe, effective, efficient, accessible, acceptable, patientcentred, equitable, and results in a positive pregnancy outcome. In 2013, the Government of the Republic of Namibia through the Ministry of Health and Social Services implemented the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Maternal and Neonatal Mortality. The Commission reports that there are several factors impeding maternal and newborn health in the country. Furthermore, the commission noted that poor quality of midwifery care during labour was one of those factors. This research assessed the quality of midwifery care by reviewing maternity records and analysing the standard of midwifery care rendered during the first stage of labour of the women who gave birth at maternity ward at intermediate and referral hospitals. The present study is retrospective with a descriptive quantitative design conducted on 653 maternity records at these hospitals. Early opening of partographs is recommended as it could lead to early identification of problems and intervention plans. This study’s findings show that 402 (61.6%) partographs were mostly opened with women in the active phase of labour. A few partographs, 33 (5.1%), were opened in the latent phase of labour. However, of the partographs that were opened, the study’s results revealed that not all were managed according to the WHO guidelines. Poor documentation of midwifery interventions and care was noted, suggesting poor midwifery care. Of most deliveries, 499 (76.4%) were normal vaginal deliveries, followed by 151 (23.1%) who had caesarean section deliveries. The rest had assisted deliveries with one breech delivery. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that midwifery care rendered during labour at the studied hospitals was substandard. 
Are Namibian women being decolonised? Causes of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as presented in !Khaxas’ anthology, We Must Choose Life (2008)
Full text linkThe paper examines the causes of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Namibia as presented by Namibian women writers in the anthology ‘We Must Choose Life’ (2008). Gender-based violence against women is a worldwide problem and a global concern. Many women globally, Namibian women included, have remained in abusive relationships because of their dependence on the perpetrators of violence for socio-economic support. As explicated by the poems, some Namibian men treat women as the offenders, and the treatment of women at the hands of the men is compared to Apartheid, slavery, and colonialism. It is safe to say that Namibian women are viewed through the lens of the "aristocratic mind," where they are viewed as weak, oppressed and marginalised in their respective societies. The anthology, ‘We Must Choose Life’ (2008), compiled by a Namibian feminist, Elisabeth !Khaxas, breaks the silence of Namibian women and evinces their desire to work towards equality and civilised societies. The paper employs a content analysis approach to analyse the projections of GBV in selected poems and short stories from the anthology. A textual analysis of the creative texts is also undertaken, couched within the theoretical framework of Ecofeminism, which examines the suffering of women from the dominant influence of a male-oriented society. In this respect, specific forms of the abuse of women have been identified as gender-based violence with a level of acceptability. The paper establishes the proliferation in Namibia, of trends in which, some women have endured long-standing abusive relationships because of an over-dependence on the male perpetrators of violence for socio-economic support, fear of the perpetrators’ reprisals, as well as conformity to cultural and religious practices. These narratives bear witness to the bravery of Namibian women to express their anguish and suffering through their own words
Analysis of Morphological Reduplication in Luganda Lexical Categories
Full text linkReduplication is a morphological process in which the root/stem of a word or part of it is repeated. Reduplication is divided into different types such as full, partial, rhyming, ablaut, reduplication in baby talk and reduplication in onomatopoeia. This study deals only with full reduplication in Luganda lexical categories. The main objective of the study is to analyse the morphological reduplication in Luganda lexical categories. Specifically, the study identifies Luganda lexical categories that undergo reduplication, analyses reduplicated patterns using Morphological Doubling Theory (MDT), and explains the semantic functions of reduplication in Luganda lexical categories. Data collection included both primary and secondary data, where primary data included interviews where three pure native speakers and four teachers who teach Luganda in Rakai district were involved. Some words used in this study collected from different documents and sources include the Luganda-English dictionary, the Holy Bible (Old and New Testament) and Luganda proverbs and songs. Lexical questionnaires developed by the researcher were used. The analyses show that Luganda lexical categories undergo full reduplication in the morphological process. The recommendation and suggestions of this study are that similar studies of full reduplication in other Bantu languages should be conducted to give an overall description pertaining to this phenomenon
Legitimization Discourse to Covid-19 Vaccination in Tanzania: A Discursive Analysis of Public Speech and Comments on social media
Full text linkThe year 2019 Tanzania experienced the eruption of COVID-19 pandemic disease from which different health measures were needed against the pandemic. However, Tanzania had a divided ideological positioning regarding the legitimization of COVID-19 vaccination. This is because the 5th phase government regime did not favour the legitimization of COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the next 6th government regime. This divided ideology has brought dividing tensions among the public leading to different public reactions to the legitimization processes of COVID-19 vaccination in 2021. Therefore, the study aimed at assessing the legitimization discourse of COVID-19 vaccination in Tanzania and different reactions from YouTube online users upon its legitimization. The transcribed data were collected using a documentary review. The units of analysis were the current head of the state and YouTube online followers. Purposive sampling was used to select the head of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination speech. Systematic sampling was used to select 160 YouTube online followers. Descriptive and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used to guide the analysis and discussions of the findings. The findings showed that the head of the state has used a range of legitimization processes relating to positive self-presentations to win the public a positive face. They include linguistic strategies like emotion, the voice of expertise, rationality, hypothetical features and altruism. YouTube online followers had found to use exclusive linguistic strategies linked to negative self-presentations for de-legitimization purposes. They include nominations, predictions and rationality. It was recommended that legitimization discourse be characterized by using inclusive linguistic strategies that employ positive emotional, hypothetical features, rationality, the voice of expertise and altruism linguistic strategies to win the public a positive face
Effects of dietary inclusion of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal on growth performance and carcass yield of broilers
Full text linkBlack soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) has been proven as a potential low-cost protein source that can replace soy bean meal in poultry diets. A study was conducted to determine the feed intake, growth performance and carcass characteristics of broilers fed a diet varying in inclusion levels of BSFLM. Day-old ROSS 308 broiler chicks (n = 60) reared on a starter commercial diet for the first three weeks were randomly allocated to one of the three broiler grower dietary treatments using a completely randomised design. The broiler grower diets were the control diet, which contained no BSFLM (T1), T2 contained 5% BSFLM and T3 contained 10% BSFLM replacing soybean meal. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the feed intake, where the control had the highest intake followed by 5% BSFLM inclusion. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the final live weight where the 5% BSFLM had the highest among the treatments and the control was the lowest. The inclusion of BSFLM had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the carcass weight and thighs weight with the highest mean for the 5% BSFLM inclusion and the lowest with the control treatment. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in the slaughter weight, wings, drumstick and breast muscles among the treatments. The study concludes that the inclusion of BSFLM at 5% had a positive effect on the growth performance, carcass yield and characteristics of broiler chickens
A statistical modelling of the factors contributing to child labour in Namibia: Evidence from the 2018 labour force survey
Full text linkDespite children not allowed to work by law in Namibia, child labour is still being practised in the country. In this paper, the multinomial logistic regression model was used to statistically examine the factors contributing to child labour in Namibia using the 2018 Namibia Labour Force Survey. Results showed that the children’s characteristics such as their residential area, region, age group, highest educational attainment, school attendance and the types of social grants received had a significant impact on the children’s engagement in child labour activities, while the sex of the children did not. In addition, economically inactive children aged 8-9 years, who already attained a pre-primary education and were currently attending school were more likely to engage in child labour activities,while employed children who were receiving special maintenance grants meant for disabled children, war veterans/ex-combatants grants and other types of social grants were less likely to. It is therefore recommended that the Namibian government and policy makers constantly engage and collaborate with community leaders to assist in the improvement of the standards of living through the creation of decent employment for the children’s parents/guardians, thereby providing decent income to cover at least the basic needs of the children’s households
The Influence of Online Lessons in Learning English Language amid Covid-19 in Namibian Schools
Full text linkThis research sought to examine the influence of online English lessons occasioned by the Covid-19 restrictions and how high school students were affected in four Namibian schools given the high failure rate in English Language by Namibian learners. The study employed a mixed method approach as this helped to achieve the research objectives. This study’s sample was four schools all located in Khomas region in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city. Accessibility motivated the selection of the schools. The study was undergirded by the discourse analytical theory which states that our access to reality is always through languages. Therefore, it follows that for learners to understand reality they need to learn the language which in this case is English. The findings indicated that there was a plethora of challenges. Hence, there is need to have strategies in pace to mitigate effectively this risk in case of future lockdowns
An analysis of rhetoric of identification and consubstantiality in President Hage Geingob’s 30th independence day anniversary and inaugural speech
Full text linkThe main aim of this paper is to analyze rhetorical identification strategies in President Hage Geingob’s 30th Independence Day Anniversary and Inaugural Speech. Rhetoric has been flourishing in some countries with new methodologies and ideas. Yet, rhetorical analysis in speeches remains in its infancy stage especially in Namibia to be specific. The study is qualitative in nature and the speech is purposely selected because it emanates from the competitive 2019 Presidential and National Assembly Elections that were never experienced in Namibian electoral history. Kenneth Burke’s theory of identification and consubstantiality is used as the basis of the analysis of this paper. The study reveals that President Geingob identified with his audiences by means of inclusive language, hierarchy, religion, common challenges, emotional appeal, past challenges and accomplishments. The study concludes that President Geingob employed identification strategies that can enable him to unite his audiences and encourage them to work together and achieve a common goal
THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING: AN ACCOUNT OF THREE SELECTED NAMIBIAN PUBLIC SPEAKERS, PEYA MUSHELENGA, SAM SHIVUTE AND NDANGI IILEKA
Full text linkA good speech is given when a speaker knows and understands the needs of his/her audience. When a speaker fails to have effective oral communication with an audience, they are unlikely to achieve their communicative purposes. Literature shows that successful public speakers use rhetoric to persuasively convey their messages to their audiences. In this study, persuasive strategies in public speaking are investigated through rhetorical analysis by interviewing orally these three participants: Peya Mushelenga, Sam Shivute and Ndangi Iileka. The study used Burke’s (1969) theory of identification by outlining the possible occurrences of identification. This theory claims that whenever a speaker tries to persuade, identification takes place. The study’s findings, through the different experiences and narratives of these three participants, revealed that listeners are persuaded when speakers use literary devices based on the communicative purposes of their speeches. The main purposes of these participants’ speeches are often to inform, motivate and to entertain, respectively. The conclusions drawn from this study points to the relevance of Burke’s theory of identification regarding the addressees and audiences which young, rising public speakers should bear in mind
Modelling supply response and volatility of Swakara pelts in Namibia: Karakul, production, trend, autoregressive distributed lag, and sustainability
No full textThe karakul industry has been experiencing a continuous decline in the number of pelts supplied since the late 1970s. This decline is speculated to be a result of the anti-fur movement. Coincidently, throughout the years, the price of Karakul pelts is seen to increase. This abnormal mismatch in supply and demand has challenged economic theory which explains that price increases should increase supply. This paper uses time-series data from 1960 to 2019 to model supply response and volatility in the karakul industry. The dataset was tested for unit root and an autoregressive distributed lag model was run to examine the extent to which the local production of Swakara pelts responds to the supply determinants. Pelt supply lagged one year, cost of production, average pelt producer price, average mutton producer price yield, and the exchange rate has significant implications on the current pelt supply. The influence of the anti-fur movement, however, equally has a significant relationship. The results indicated high volatility between all variables with social awareness being the outlier. The global anti-fur movement has played a large role, that Namibian farmers reduced their Karakul stock. Since 2012, nationally but also globally, prices of all pelt and fur are on a continuous decline which points to a “dying” industry. The survival of the Namibian pelt industry requires further research on the global demand, adjustments of some legislation, and supported production incentives for farmer welfare.