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Implementation of technological innovations within the South African construction industry
Get PDFIn South Africa the construction industry has grown by more than 15% per annum over the past five-years and the construction industry is facing several pressures to decrease costs, improve productivity and to develop a competitive edge in terms of quality of service and customer satisfaction. Faced with a growing demand for service delivery the industry must seek new and improved ways to stay competitive in this market space. By effectively analysing the construction market all role players within the AEC industry can adopt new trends and techniques being implemented by either their foreign counterparts or direct competitors. One of these trends within the industry is technological innovations; each designed to play a beneficial role in construction industry advancements. It is clear that our industry is moving forward at an alarming rate, yet our foreign counterparts seem to be one step ahead. Based on the 2010 Soccer World Cup it was clear that the South African AEC Industry had the ability to conform and deliver on world class infrastructure, yet we still seem to have a slow adoption rate surrounding technological innovations. Investigating the depth of knowledge based around the most popular technological innovations currently being implemented can provide a clear view as to what S.A industry role players see as potentially profitable within our marketplace and the steps that could be taken to provide further research pertaining to those technological innovations which are being overlooked. Establishing the most prominent barriers preventing technological adoption within the South African AEC Industry can effectively be compared with those faced by foreign counterparts to mirror their solutions to similar problems. Finally, by establishing whether resistance to a changing environment plays a vital role in the hindrance to technological adoption one can access the extent to which the AEC Industry may effectively change based on a projected industry time frame.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of the Built Environment, 202
Transboundary Fisheries Management in Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA): Prospects and Dilemmas
Get PDFInland fisheries in the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) offer food security to the riverine communities across the region. They also contribute towards the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 15, which aim to alleviate poverty and maintain biodiversity conservation. Despite this significant role, the fisheries have suffered severe declines in the previous decades due to multiple factors, such as overfishing and poor legislation. Furthermore, climate change is exerting pressure by altering the ecology and productivity of the river systems. The unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have further constrained management efforts. Attempts to address these challenges have pointed towards transboundary fisheries management as a silver bullet in moving towards sustainable fisheries management. However, the implementation of this strategy in the region has encountered numerous roadblocks, thereby subjecting the river ecosystem to a wider environmental threat, with dire consequences on livelihoods. This paper reviews existing management and governance structures together with key informant interviews to elicit primary and secondary data essential for management at the regional level. The study identifies conflicting regulations, and inadequate policies and institutions across the region as major bottlenecks affecting the successful implementation of transboundary fisheries management. Finally, the paper offers some suggestions for the improvement of fisheries management in the region
A fraud investigation skills self-assessment framework for internal audit practitioners
Get PDFGlobally incidents of fraud are on the increase, resulting in an expectation from users of internal audit services that internal auditors should accept responsibility for conducting fraud investigations. This expectation exists even though limited guidance pronouncements on how to conduct fraud investigations being available from the Institute of internal auditors (IIA) and internal auditors not always being equipped to conduct fraud investigations. This expectation also stretches beyond the current pronounced role and responsibilities of internal audit practitioners, according to the IIAs International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) (hereafter, referred to as the Standards). Conducting fraud investigations without possessing the relevant knowledge and skills, introduces the risk that evidence collected may be considered inadmissible in a court of law. The research problem is stated as, “a dearth of adequate guidance pronouncements for internal audit practitioners exists, in respect of fraud investigations.” In response to the expectation, risk, and research problem, underpinned by the policeman theory and theory of inspired confidence, the primary research objective of the study was to develop a fraud investigation proficiency self-assessment framework for use by internal audit practitioners who are expected to conduct fraud investigations. The study’s research objectives were achieved by making use of an interpretivist research paradigm and a qualitative methodological approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from authoritative internal auditors on the membership database of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIASA). Findings confirmed the existence of an expectation gap and the lack of guidance contained in IIA guidance pronouncements and Standards. Developed from the findings, the thesis proposes a fraud investigation proficiency self-assessment framework. The proposed self-assessment framework lists 14 fraud investigation knowledge and skills measures in the form of statements that internal audit practitioners should use to assess their personal level of proficiency for conducting a fraud investigation. The results from the self-assessment should then be Page | vii used to guide an internal audit practitioner on whether to accept the responsibility for conducting a fraud investigation or to defer the investigation to a more proficient fraud investigator. The decision for accepting the responsibility to conduct a fraud investigation ultimately resides with the internal audit practitioner. The study concluded that an expectation from organisations exists for internal audit practitioners to conduct fraud investigations, even though limited guidance pronouncements are available to internal audit practitioners from the IIA for conducting fraud investigations. The study identified that the most prominent risk associated with a fraud investigation being conducted by a person lacking the required fraud investigation knowledge and skills was that of collected evidence being dismissed in a court of law and not being able to use the evidence against a perpetrator. It can, therefore, be recommended that internal audit practitioners should not conduct a fraud investigation if they lacked any of the proficiencies required. The study provides support for the development and use of the proposed fraud investigation proficiency self-assessment framework.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 202
A reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process
Get PDFThe globally applied six-step financial planning process which is used by CFP® professionals to provide financial advice is designed to ensure that the financial advice is suitable, based on the needs of the consumer. However, given the diverse cultures in South Africa, this study argues that the six-step financial planning process (as it is currently applied) may not be suitable, as it requires contextualisation based on the unique needs of South African consumers. The various population groups in South Africa have their own sets of beliefs, values and cultural practices, and thus view aspects such as wealth (the creation, preservation and transference thereof), marriage, death and retirement, differently. Thus, financial planners who are not knowledgeable about different cultures, diverse financial needs, or the provisions of customary law, may not be able to provide suitable advice. The primary objective of the study is thus to reconceptualise the six-step financial planning process to be more inclusive, in order to better serve the financial planning needs of South African consumers. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to provide the context and framework within which the reconceptualisation of the six-step financial planning process could be approached. An investigation of the financial planning environment and the financial planning process was completed to determine how the six-step financial planning process is currently applied in the South African context. Further, an investigation of culture and the cultural dimensions – power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, timeorientation and indulgence – was conducted, as it was clear that these cultural dimensions cannot be generalised to all South African consumers, due to the large degree of diversity within the population. It was also determined that there are various factors that contribute towards the cultural diversity of South African consumers, which may influence their financial needs and the type of financial advice that is required. These factors include race and ethnicity, marital regimes, procreation and family structures. To further illustrate the diversity of financial needs of South African consumers, a discussion of Black households and the application of financial planning legislation and customary law was provided. Black households are considered to be under-serviced, historically financially excluded, have low levels of financial literacy, and are mostly collectivist in nature. It is for these reasons that Black households are the focus of the study. Some of the financial needs that vi are common among Black households include land and property ownership, family wealth, family homesteads, lobola capital and ‘black tax’ expenditure. Given that the literature review established how the six-step financial planning process is currently applied, an interpretivist research philosophy was adopted in order to gain a deeper understanding of how the six-step financial planning process should be applied in a South African context. Further, the research approach in the context of this study is an inductive one, as the six-step financial planning process is an existing theory that was reconceptualised by considering the perceptions and experiences of 16 CFP® professionals and 14 Black South African households. A mono-method qualitative research methodology was used, with a single qualitative method of data collection (semi-structured interviews), and a single qualitative method of data analysis (latent content analysis). The findings of the study were used to provide a reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process which takes into consideration the fact that the image of a financial planner plays an important role when trying to establish a professional relationship with a client. The findings reveal that Black consumers in particular, generally have a negative image of a financial planner, which is influenced not only by their perceptions of a financial planner, but also by their self-perception of their own financial situation. The reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process also incorporates the finding that discussions around personal finances are considered impolite and taboo among the Black African community, which influences their ability to talk about these topics, trust a financial planner, and establish a professional relationship with them. The findings also reveal that a racial and gender bias exists among Black consumers – they prefer interacting with a White male financial planner, as they perceive them to be more competent and have more experience with finances and wealth accumulation. It was also found that CFP® professionals believe that having cultural awareness and cultural intelligence can reduce bias in the way that questions are asked, so as not to offend the client. Thus, cultural awareness was also incorporated into the reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process. It was also noted that it is important to ascertain clients’ level of financial literacy during the information gathering stage. Black consumers opined that in this regard, it is the role of the financial planner to both ascertain and ensure their clients’ financial literacy, and to offer financial education to ensure client understanding. vii Although the premise of the study is that South African consumers have unique financial needs due to the high degree of diversity among the population, it was the opinion of CFP® professionals that Black consumers, in particular, do not have unique financial needs – instead, they define their needs differently, have different exposures to financial resources to address their financial needs, and also prioritise and satisfy their needs differently. The prioritised financial needs of Black households (sub-themes) that emerged from both participant groups include the need to make provision for black tax, estate planning, funerals, and property ownership. Black household participants mentioned (to a greater extent than CFP® professionals did) the need to make provision for lobola and initiation schools, as these form part of several traditional ceremonies. The need to make provision for a family home was mentioned by Black household participants but not by CFP® professionals. It was discovered from Black household participants that stokvels are the most common micro-finance tool used by Black consumers, for various reasons. In fact for some, stokvels are preferred over formal financial products because they perceive that they yield a higher return, and others use them successfully to supplement their current provisions. These findings (among others) were incorporated into the reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process which is presented in this study. This study has made a contribution to the financial planning body of knowledge by presenting a reconceptualised perspective of the six-step financial planning process, and providing new knowledge on each of the associated six steps and their suitability in a South African context. This study also provides justification and evidence for the inclusion of aspects within the sixstep financial planning process that enhance the understanding of cultural diversity and needs of Black households in particular. Justification has also been provided for the inclusion of cultural aspects and diverse needs of Black consumers the in the academic curriculum of FPI and FSCA recognised qualifications, as well as the facilitation and learning outcomes of business and product-specific training that FSPs are required to provide to their representatives. The study findings also have implications for the development of the academic curriculum and assessment materials for CFP® professionals by recognised education providers, the FSCA regulatory examination, and the FPI professional competency examination. In addition, the study has provided evidence for the need to develop financial products, or customise existing financial products, that address the viii needs of Black households – especially culture-specific financial needs such as black tax, lobola and funding for initiation schools.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 202
Microstructural based creep life assessment of 1CrMov Turbine rotor steels after long-term service
Get PDFCreep-resistant 1CrMoV steels are used for high-pressure turbine rotors in fossil fuel power stations operating at steam temperatures up to 565 °C in the creep regime. The upper bainitic microstructure of 1CrMoV rotors changes when exposed to high temperature service over long periods. The aim of this study was to relate these microstructural changes for service exposed 1CrMoV rotor steels to the remaining creep life as determined using existing methods. Analytical electron microscopy was used to quantitatively study the microstructural evolution of service-exposed 1CrMoV steel rotors. 1CrMoV rotor steel samples were characterised in the initial state, and three long-term (272 h to 300 kh) service exposed states. Detailed microstructural investigations were conducted to analyse the cavities; bainitic laths and packets; dislocations; carbide phases and their size, population, composition. The creep life fractions were estimated using conventional life assessment methods based on creep cavitation and hardness. The creep life fraction consumed of the rotors, estimated based on the creep cavities and hardness data, ranged from ~0.5 to 1. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) was used to analyse the bainitic packets, laths, misorientations, and dislocations, which showed that the bainitic lath surface area to volume (SV) correlated with service time. The precipitates were extracted from the Fe-matrix using extraction replication and were further investigated using transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). STEM-EDS and TKD identified M3C, MC, M2C, M7C3, and M23C6 (M = Fe, Cr, Mo, V, Mn) in the 1CrMoV steels. STEM-EDS measurements revealed that Fe/Cr ratios in M3C decreased from 4.5 (initial state) to 2.5 (>272 kh). The Fe/Cr and Fe/Mo ratios in overall carbides decreased from 5 and 10 (initial state) to 1 and 2 (>272 kh), respectively. The TKD analysis indicated that the relative phase proportion of M2C and M7C3 carbides, relative to the total extracted carbides, is positively correlated with service exposure. These microstructural features correlate with the creep life fraction consumed and could potentially be used as another indicator of the remnant creep life.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. 202
Intanyongo
No full textThe glasses are embellished with white flat tabs adorned with navy stars, along with red, navy, and turquoise accents. On each side, there are six short streamers with pink wool pompoms. These glasses, featuring a broken nose piece, are typically worn by young boys during the "Umtshotsho" dance.Purchased from Mrs Joan BrosterForms part of: Walter Sisulu University Beadwork Collectio
Inqawe yomyeni
No full textThe pipe of a young groom is a masterpiece, featuring a meticulously handcrafted pipe stem adorned with a stunning array of beads. The beads come in rich shades of emerald green, deep navy, pristine white, vibrant red, and shimmering turquoise. Each colour holds deep symbolism, with green representing the promise of new life and growth. This infusion of meaning elevates the pipe to a level of profound significance, perfectly complementing the solemnity and joy of the occasion it accompanies.Purchased from Mrs Joan BrosterForms part of: Walter Sisulu University Beadwork Collectio
Looking back to move forward: a scoping review of counselling psychology in South Africa
Get PDFDespite that counselling psychologists represent a substantial group of registered psychologists in South Africa, literature specifically on the sub-speciality within the country is limited. The aim of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive summary of the literature available on counselling psychology in South Africa and examine the extent to which literature is available from a lifespan or career-stage perspective. Three electronic databases (EBSCOhost, Sabinet®, and PubMed) were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2021. Titles and abstracts were reviewed, and data extracted and synthesised thematically. Of 507 citations identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that literature on counselling psychology in South Africa is scarce, subject to methodological limitations, and dominated by a small number of authors conducting multiple analyses on the same sets of data. Furthermore, literature on counselling psychologists at key career stages across the professional lifespan is largely missing from the professional discourse. Emphasis is instead placed on counselling psychology as embedded in the sociopolitical history of South Africa, professional identity, the contemporary status of the profession, professional threats and challenges, and the profession’s future promise. Our review highlights the need for more empirically informed studies making use of different methodologies, involving multiple authors with diverse backgrounds, tracking employment trends, and soliciting first-person accounts of counselling psychologist’s experiences at key career stages. Without doing so, ideas about how best to support and utilise this particular group of practitioners may be misguided, in turn compromising the successful provision of mental health care within the country
Exploring how Grade 11 Chemistry teachers mediate learning of the topic redox reactions in their classrooms in Namibia
Get PDFThe Namibian Chemistry ordinary level syllabus requires learners to study the topic of redox reactions. This topic has proven to be one of the most difficult for Namibian learners as reflected by their poor responses to questions in the Grade 11 and 12 Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate ‘O’ examinations. Teaching abstract concepts such as redox reactions requires higher cognitive thinking skills and thus presents a challenge. Against this background, this study sought to explore how teachers mediate learning of redox reactions in their classrooms. The focus was on conceptual understanding through linking content to the context of the learners. The study was underpinned by an interpretivist paradigm, within which a qualitative case study approach was adopted. Two Grade 11 Chemistry teachers from the Ohangwena and Oshana regions in Namibia were the research participants. I used semi-structured interviews, lesson observations and stimulated recall interviews to collect data. I used Shulman’s Pedagogical Content Knowledge as a theoretical framework in this study and the data sets were analysed using the Topic-Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge components. Qualitative data were analysed inductively-deductively. The study’s findings revealed that teachers used various mediation tools such as analogies and prior knowledge. The results further illuminated that teachers should develop strong subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge to have the best strategies in place to mediate learning of this topic.Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 202
The effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy for the treatment of PTSD and suicide ideation: a case study
Get PDFPost-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is regarded as a public health burden in South Africa (SA) (Atwoli et al., 2013; Kagee, Bantjies & Saal 2017; Koenen et al.; 2017; Williams et al., 2007). According to McGowan & Kagee (2013), young adults in SA are a high-risk group of trauma. Exposure to trauma is also associated to comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety suicidal ideation (SI) experienced by a large population (Bantjes, McGowan, Kagee & Steel, 2016). Prolonged Exposure (PE) is empirically supported and evaluated trauma therapy for PTSD (Foa, Hembree, & Rothbaum, 2007). However, there has been limited to no studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of PE in SA. Therefore, this study investigated whether PE is effective treatment for PTSD symptom reduction and suicide ideation in South Africa. Three participants were recruited from Focus on the Family SA (FOTF SA SA) through purposive sampling, and single-case experimental design (SCED) was utilised. PE was implemented online through zoom for 6 sessions on each client. At baseline, all the participants met the criteria for PTSD as per the Post-traumatic stress disorder symptom scale interview for DSM-5 (PSSI-5): Participant 1 (PSSI-5 - 63), Participant 2 (PSSI-5 - 53), Participant 3 (PSSI-5 - 63) and the clinical cut off score is 23. Furthermore, all participants were screened for suicide ideation (SI) using the Beck Suicide Inventory (BSI). All participants’ BSI score ranges were mild to moderate. Participants were also screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory second edition (BDI-II) and anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The score ranges for both BDI-II and BAI were moderate to severe. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) was also used to assess general psychological distress. The CORE-OM scores for all the participants for trauma, depression and anxiety were severe. However, the risk to self/SI for all the participants was minimal. During the intervention phase, all the participants scores showed a downtrend of PTSD symptomology, as per the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The PCL-5 scores went down from PCL-5 score of 58 to final session PCL-5 score of 3. The clinical cut off score is 31-33. They were also screened using the BSI, BDI and BAI and the score ranges were mild. The CORE-OM scores for trauma, anxiety, depression, and risk to self/SI were also minimal. Overall, the preliminary result of this study supports the notion that adults with symptoms of PTSD and SI had improved at the end of a brief 6-session PE intervention. The comorbid depression also showed a downtrend.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 202