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Biofilms as multifunctional surface coatings and adaptive systems: a biomimetic approach
No full textBiomimicry is an emerging scientific discipline that promotes nature-inspired innovation for
sustainable solutions. Several patterns and survival strategies are repeated in Nature and these have
been extrapolated into a hierarchical set of biomimetic principles that can be used to investigate the
complexity of natural systems. A biomimetic approach was used to review biofilm literature and create
a novel framework based on these principles to describe microbial biofilms on a molecular, structural
and systems level.
By reinterpreting current biofilm knowledge within a biomimetic framework, this study demonstrates
that microorganisms use life-friendly chemistry to integrate biofilm development with growth, giving
rise to resource-efficient systems. Furthermore, these structured microbial communities are responsive
to their local environment, adapt to changes and, ultimately, evolve to survive.
Subsequently, the application of biomimetic principles to biofilms was investigated using various
analytical techniques. Two gfp-labelled Pseudomonas strains and an environmental multi-species
community were selected for this study. Microscopic and spectroscopic techniques were used for
biochemical investigations of single-species biofilm composition and structure. The distribution of
biomolecules in Pseudomonas biofilms was investigated using protein- and glycoconjugate-specific
fluorescent stains and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). CLSM was also used to investigate
structural adaptations of Pseudomonas biofilms to changes in nutrient availability and hydrodynamic
conditions. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used
to explore biochemical adaptations of single- and multi-species biofilms cultivated in different nutrient
media.
ATR-FTIR spectra, visual observations and the quantification of biofilm parameters by digital image
analysis of CLSM images support the hypothesis that biofilms are resource-efficient, self-organised
systems that are built from the bottom up using life-friendly chemical principles. Both Pseudomonas
strains adapted to environmental conditions by changing the three-dimensional structure of their
biofilms, specifically in terms of biomass, substratum area coverage, average thickness and the surface
area of biofilms exposed to the bulk liquid.
In order to study biofilms as a system and investigate the responsiveness of a biofilm community as a
whole, a relatively new approach was used to monitor biofilm responses in real time by measuring CO2
production as an indication of whole-biofilm metabolism. A CO2 evolution measurement system
(CEMS) was combined with metabolic assays and direct plate count methods to monitor biofilm
metabolism and biofilm-derived planktonic cell yield in response to environmental changes, i.e.
changes in nutrient source and concentration or exposure to antimicrobial compounds (either
streptomycin or a solution containing isothiazolone).
The metabolic responses of biofilms, measured as CO2 production rates, showed that both single- and
multi-species biofilms are able to respond rapidly to changes in nutrient availability or exposure to
biocides and antibiotics. Multi-species biofilms generally recover faster after environmental changes or
antimicrobial exposures, indicating that diversity adds to biofilm resilience and adaptability. Regardless
of the conditions, single- and multi-species biofilms are able to maintain some level of metabolic
activity, as well as release high numbers of planktonic cells into the effluent. The maintenance of
biofilm-derived planktonic cell yield supports the hypothesis that biofilms are active proliferation sites
in order to ensure survival – a feature of biofilms that is often overlooked in biofilm research.
This study contributes to the growing field of biomimicry by applying biomimetic principles in biofilm
research for the first time. A biomimetic approach can inform novel anti-biofilm strategies, promote
biofilm-inspired innovation and explain complex microbial ecological phenomena. Within a
biomimetic framework, the increasing degrees of complexity in biofilms are organised in a new way,
demonstrating that the biochemical, structural and functional complexity of microbial communities are
interconnected and need to be considered together in biofilm studies. To this end, the usefulness of
CEMS as a non-destructive technique to study real-time biofilm responses is demonstrated.National Research Foundatio
Macroinvertebrate biodiversity from selected ephemeral and floodplain pans of the lower Phongolo River
No full textDue to the severe regulation, diversion, introduction of exotic species, and pollution of
freshwater systems there has been a significant decline in the overall condition of these
freshwater habitats globally. Of the approximate 79 large river-floodplain ecosystems found
across the world, most are affected by human activities in one way or another. Several
floodplain systems in southern Africa have been identified as floodplains of concern, of which
the Phongolo River Floodplain is one. This is one of South Africa’s largest natural floodplain
systems and the only one in South Africa that sustains permanent pans of water throughout
the dry season. Endorheic wetland systems such as pans are widespread, not only across
South Africa but globally, but are not well studied. This is mainly due to the belief that they
have no important functions in the ecosystem or have very few functions similar to other
wetland types.
Scientific research in South Africa has largely neglected endorheic aquatic ecosystems,
particularly in terms of biodiversity. This has led to a general state of degradation and a distinct
lack of information about biodiversity of most of these habitats. Study of these habitats is key
to maintaining high biological diversity in the overall ecosystem and because South Africa is
a water scarce country, there is a limited extent of freshwater ecosystems, meaning loss and
degradation of such habitats has a greater effect on the natural ecosystem than in tropical
countries. Research has also shown that small aquatic ecosystems contribute a great deal to
regional diversity and are important ecosystems as they support a large and diverse number
of invertebrate species. Under international obligation by the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD), South Africa must work towards conserving its biodiversity and this can only
be done if there is a proper assessment of biodiversity of all habitats.
The Lower Phongolo River and floodplain is of considerable interest and value as it is utilised
by both resident human populations from Ndumo and Phongolo and a very diverse range of
biota. This places a great deal of pressure on the system, as both subsistence and small scale
commercial agriculture occur in the region and large scale agriculture irrigation schemes also
operate to the south, within the Phongolo River catchment. The Ndumo Game Reserve (NGR),
located on the Lower Phongolo River Floodplain, was chosen as the study region. The reason
for this is that the NGR was proclaimed in 1924 with the primary objective to establish a
protected area that would conserve the floodplain’s natural biodiversity. The NGR would then
also protect the ecological integrity of the ephemeral and floodplain pans as well as the
Phongolo and Usuthu River systems that flow through it. The NGR was also placed on the list
of Wetlands of International Importance in terms of the Ramsar convention in 1997. It has,
Summary
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however, never been determined whether or not the NGR does indeed protect the biodiversity
of the floodplain or the ecological integrity of the aquatic systems.
Macroinvertebrates are important species for assessments of the ecological integrity of
wetland systems. These biota are good indicators of disturbance and are particularly sensitive
to organic compounds and human-induced disturbances. Disturbances in wetlands are thus
reflected in the macroinvertebrate abundance and type of species present. For these reasons,
aquatic macroinvertebrates have become one of the most commonly used organisms for
biomonitoring and is why they were the chosen study organisms of this dissertation. This study
specifically addressed biodiversity of macroinvertebrates found in ephemeral and floodplain
pans located within a protected area (NGR) and outside this protected area. This main aim
was to provide baseline information on the biodiversity of macroinvertebrates, determine
which abiotic factors possibly affect macroinvertebrate distribution, and determine whether the
NGR is in fact protecting biodiversity.
Three surveys were undertaken and a total of 51 pans were selected for sampling. A single
macroinvertebrate and water sample was collected at each possible site during every survey.
The first survey took place in February (wet season), the second survey in September (dry
season) and the third survey in December (controlled flood season). Macroinvertebrates were
identified to lowest possible taxonomic level and water quality analysed for various nutrients.
Analysis of macroinvertebrate biodiversity indicated that the Phongolo River Floodplain is
indeed a biodiversity hotspot as termed by previous studies since 155 taxa from 68 families
and 21 orders were identified during the study. Diversity may have been even greater as many
macroinvertebrates could not be identified to species level. Specific adaptations and
evolutionary traits affected distribution of macroinvertebrate taxa between ephemeral and
floodplain pans. Macroinvertebrates commonly found in temporary systems, such as
zooplankton, were more prominent in the ephemeral pans while taxa more adapted to
permanent water and not able to withstand desiccation were found in floodplain pans. Water
nutrient analysis indicated the water was generally of good quality although nitrates were high
in floodplain pans within the NGR during the wet season due to increased animal faeces
entering the pans. Macroinvertebrate abundance was greater in floodplain pans outside the
NGR while general biodiversity was higher within the NGR. Results indicated that the
controlled flooding from the Pongolapoort Dam increases biodiversity and water nutrient
quality of the floodplain pans. Ephemeral pans within the NGR had a much greater biodiversity
and higher abundance of macroinvertebrates than ephemeral pans located outside the NGR.
This was attributed to anthropogenic activities outside the NGR such as habitat fragmentation,
whereas ephemeral pans within the NGR are protected from such activities. Ephemeral pans
had greater biodiversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates than floodplain pans possibly
Summary
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because floodplain pans contained vertebrate predators such as fish which fed on
macroinvertebrates.
This study was successful in identifying and describing the biodiversity of macroinvertebrates
from ephemeral and floodplain pans of the Lower Phongolo River Floodplain. It was found that
anthropogenic activities, though present, are not affecting pans outside the NGR as much as
expected as many similar macroinvertebrate taxa were found both within and outside the
NGR. Results from this study will be used in order to create an ecological risk assessment of
the Lower Phongolo River and provides important baseline information to the lack of available
macroinvertebrate data.National Research Foundatio
Development of a 3D radial MR Imaging sequence to be used for (self) navigation during the scanning of the fetal brain in utero
No full textImaging the fetal brain in utero is challenging due to the unpredictable motion of the fetus. Although ultra-fast MRI sequences are able to image a 2D slice in under a second, thus limiting the time in which fetal motion can corrupt images, Cartesian sampling makes these sequences sensitive to signal misregistration and motion-corruption. Corruption of a single 2D slice renders it impossible to reconstruct 3D volumes from these slices without complex slice-to-volume registration. There is a need for motion-robust sequences that can produce high-resolution 3D volumes of the fetal brain. The Siemens Cardiovascular sequence was edited to produce a new radial readout that sampled a 3D spherical volume of k-space with successive diametric spokes. The diameter end points map a spiral trajectory on the surface of a sphere. The trajectory was modified so that multiple sub-volumes of data are sampled during a single acquisition where M is the number of sub-spirals and N is the number of diametric spokes per sub-spiral. This allows reconstruction of individual sub-volumes of data to produce a series of low-resolution navigator images that can be co-registered to provide information on motion during the acquisition. In this way, a segmented sequence suited to self-navigation was developed. Imaging parameters for the 3D radial sequence were optimised based on theoretical calculations and scans performed in adult brains and abdomens. Optimum values for M and N needed to be determined. Increasing M for a constant total number of projections improves the temporal accuracy of motion tracking at the expense of decreased signal to noise ratio in the navigator images. The effects of breathing and rigid body motion on image quality were also compared between 3D radial and equivalent 3D Cartesian acquisitions. Custom reconstruction code was written to separate the incoming scan data according to the sub-spiral trajectories described within the sequence such that individual navigator images could be reconstructed. Successive sub-spiral images were co-registered to the first navigator image to quantify motion during the acquisition. The resulting transformation matrices were then applied to each sub-spiral image after reconstruction and co-registered sub-spiral images combined in image space to generate the final 3D volume. To improve the quality of navigator images, a method is presented to perform navigator image reconstruction at a lower base resolution, thus reducing streaking artifacts and improving the accuracy of image co-registrations. Finally, the methods developed were applied to two fetal scans. The radial sequence was shown to be more motion-robust than an equivalent Cartesian sequence. The minimum number of diametric spokes that provided navigator images that could be accurately co-registered when scanning an adult brain was N=256, which could be acquired in 1.25 s. For abdominal scans, the minimum number of spokes was N=1024, which could be acquired in about 6 s when water excitation is applied. However, the latter could potentially be reduced by reconstructing navigator images at a lower base resolution. Although fetal scans demonstrated poor image contrast, navigator images were able to track motion during the acquisition demonstrating the potential use of this method for self-navigation. In conclusion, a motion-robust radial sequence is presented with potential applications for prospective navigation during fetal MRI.National Research Foundatio
Factors influencing Assisted Reproductive Technology [ART] outcome: possible implications for a private and public sector fertility clinic
No full textInfertility treatment, more specifically Assisted Reproductive Technology [ART], is available worldwide, but in many countries and public clinics, this service is not being offered, mostly due
to limited resources and funds. Many factors can influence the outcome of ART and insufficient
funds can have an effect on ovarian stimulation protocols, assisted reproduction procedures,
laboratory procedures and equipment (i.e. CO₂ incubator). Strategies making ART as affordable
and accessible as possible is of importance.
The objective of the study was to investigate which factors in ART treatment might have the most
significant effect on ART outcome in two ART laboratories – one in the public sector and one in
the private sector. Two studies, one retrospective and one prospective were conducted.
The retrospective study (2013 - 2014) investigated the effect of two different CO₂ incubators
(MINC® benchtop incubator and large conventional Forma® incubator) used at a private fertility
clinic, on ART outcome. Fertilization, embryo quality and development, and clinical pregnancy
rate [CPR] outcomes were compared. A strict exclusion criteria was applied to eliminate other
factors that could have an effect on the outcomes and patients were well paired for the study.
Three hundred and eighty five (385) cycles were included. No statistical significant difference was
observed between the two incubators for embryo quality on culture days 2 and 5. For day 3, the
MINC® incubator showed a significant superiority over the Forma® incubator for the proportion
of good quality embryos [GQE]/number of ova aspirated (44.58% vs. 39.31%; p < 0.05). There
was no statistical significant difference in CPR between the incubators (45.43% vs 47.17%; p =0.81).
The prospective study aimed at determining (by means of regression analyses) the possible
negative or positive impact of female patient profile (specifically number of oocytes, age, body
mass index [BMI], Anti-Mullerian Hormone [AMH] and female diagnosis - tubal factor and
endometriosis) in two different ART clinics (public and private fertility clinic) on ART outcome with
regard to CPR. Eight hundred and twenty (820) cycles (572 in the private clinic; 248 in the public
clinic) were included. Patient profiles in the two clinics were very different. The most common
female diagnosis at the private clinic was Advanced Maternal Age compared to Tubal Factor
Infertility [TFI] at the public clinic. Patients with a high BMI was also much more prevalent in the
public clinic. No statistically significant association, in both clinics (with pooled and separate data),
was observed between BMI, AMH, endometriosis or TFI and CPR. The only significant
association with CPR in the final regression analysis (pooled data) was the Site (clinic) and the
number of metaphase II oocytes available. Data analysis for the two clinics separately,considering all confounding factors investigated, indicated that the number of metaphase II
oocytes available was the only factor that showed a significant association with CPR - and only at the private clinic. For the public clinic, none of the factors had a significant association with
CPR when all factors were included in the analysis.
Various factors contribute to ART outcome, and these factors may differ in public and private
clinics as shown in this study. Although the results did not show marked differences in outcome
between the incubator types, all outcomes were better in the MINC® and its use should be
encouraged. The result of an independent, significant association between number of MII oocytes
and CPR is linked to specific ovarian stimulation protocols and potential alternative strategies
should be investigated to optimize outcome without increasing costs.National Research Foundatio
Characterisation of Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Kazachstania aerobia: investigating fermentation kinetics and aroma production
No full textNon-Saccharomyces yeasts have been studied extensively in the past two decades to use as catalysts for adjusting the aroma and chemical properties of wine. Many non-Saccharomyces yeasts dominate in grape must, but Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Kazachstania aerobia have recently been found to be more dominant in several musts in South Africa than what has been reported from other wine growing areas. It has been hypothesised that regional microflora can lead to a terroir specific wine. To further establish these claims, the impact of these non-Saccharomyces yeasts on the chemical profile and sensory perception of wine, in particular when present in high numbers, has yet to be fully elucidated. This study was designed to better characterise isolated strains of non-Saccharomyces species, determining its phenotypic space, as well as to assess their fermentation potential and volatile aroma compound production in synthetic and real grape must.
Eight K. aerobia and thirteen W. anomalus isolates were used for characterisation. DNA based taxonomic differences between isolates were investigated using the Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method and phenotypic heterogeneity was established using stress assays to determine heat, saline, osmotic and oxidative stress tolerance. Phenotypically diverse K. aerobia and W. anomalus strains were then selected for co- and sequential fermentations with two S. cerevisiae strains, VIN13 and EC1118, in synthetic grape must. In addition, sequential culture fermentations were conducted in Sauvignon blanc grape must by individually pairing two strains of K. aerobia and two strains of W. anomalus with S. cerevisiae EC1118. Wine aroma compounds were quantified using GC-FID.
RAPD analysis classified W. anomalus isolates into five distinct groups according to place of origin. Phenotypic variations were evident within and between the proposed strains as was exhibited by heterogeneous resistance to oxidative, saline and osmotic stresses compared to S. cerevisiae, VIN13. The K. aerobia isolates showed no marked genetic differences, although exhibiting slight variations in stress responses. During fermentation the non-Saccharomyces yeasts persisted for longer when S. cerevisiae was only inoculated after 48 hours, or at a lower density. The longer the non-Saccharomyces yeasts proliferated in the must the more pronounced was the effect on aroma production. Kazachstania aerobia yeasts did not achieve a high biomass compared to W. anomalus, but survived for longer in fermentation, especially in Sauvignon blanc grape must. Although W. anomalus displayed strong growth, it was inhibited by the growth of S. cerevisiae.
Kazachstania aerobia and W. anomalus gave a unique aroma profile to the wines. The latter yeast produced high concentrations of ethyl acetate, while K. aerobia was characterised by increased acetic acid concentration. Most aroma compounds were increased in mixed culture fermentations, especially higher alcohols, with a significant increase in the esters 2-phenylethyl acetate by K. aerobia, and ethyl caproate and caprylate by W. anomalus. Although, as single cultures these yeasts did not ferment wines to dryness in synthetic grape must and only completed fermentation after 28 days in Sauvignon blanc grape must, they are capable of conferring favourable wine aroma when in association with S. cerevisiae strains with no risk of sluggish fermentation. This study provides a basis for future work on wine quality improvement through exploitation of non-Saccharomyces yeasts and gives insight to the possible impact of K. aerobia and W. anomalus present in grape must in a South African context.National Research Foundatio
Moisture loss studies in nectarine (prunus persica var. necterina)
No full textMoisture loss studies in nectarines (Prunus persica var. nectarina)
Moisture loss during long term storage is one of the main post-harvest problems in nectarines. The long handling chain to which fruit are exposed to, from harvest until the end of shelf-life, exposes fruit to moisture loss. Moisture loss occurs as a result of the vapour pressure deficit (VPD) between the fruit and surrounding atmosphere. In addition to causing loss of saleable weight, moisture loss also results in fruit having a shrivelled appearance. Moisture is lost from fruit through various openings in the fruit peel such as micro-cracks and lenticels.
In this study we investigated the effect of fruit to fruit variation, harvest date, tree and orchard effects and cultivar differences on the variation in water vapour permeance (P’H2O) of three nectarine cultivars namely ‘Alpine’, ‘Summer Bright’ and ‘August Red’. The study showed that large fruit to fruit differences were the main contributor (>45%) to the variation in P’H2O, followed by harvest date (>35%), cultivar differences (>7%) and orchard effects (>3%) whilst tree effects did not contribute to P’H2O. Generally, the P’H2O of all three cultivars increased steadily as the harvest date approached and continued to increase post-harvest, but P’H2O at optimum harvest was not closely correlated to their susceptibility to shrivel.
In addition, ‘August Red’ nectarines were exposed to different handling chains from harvest until the end of shelf-life to determine the VPD at different stages in the handling chain in order to establish the point which is most effective in reducing moisture loss and shrivel. The results indicated that none of the proposed handling chains performed better than the current standard handling protocol in reducing moisture loss and shrivel. This protocol stipulates that nectarines should be harvested during the cooler time of the day and field heat should be removed as soon as possible after harvesting. Furthermore, the handling protocol requires that nectarines should be packed within 12 hours of arrival at the pack-house.
Several researchers have reported that silicon containing fertilizers improve fruit quality and we therefore also investigated whether pre-harvest applications of potassium silicate (K2SiO3) can reduce post-harvest moisture loss, shrivel and split pit in ‘Southern Glo’ nectarines. The results showed that both soil and foliar K2SiO3 applications were not effective in reducing post-harvest moisture loss, shrivel or the incidence of split pit in ‘Southern Glo’ nectarines. For future studies, it is recommended to increase the frequency of K2SiO3 applications.
The study also looked at the effectiveness of different packaging films in reducing moisture loss and shrivel in ‘August Red’ and ‘Alpine’ nectarines. Failure to package fruit optimally may result in weight loss, shrivel, decay and the incidence of internal defects such as woolliness, pulpiness and over-ripeness. The results showed that the use of Xtend® and high density poly-ethylene (HDPE) bags significantly reduced moisture loss and shrivel in nectarines in both pulp trays and plastic punnets. The standard nectarine HDPE wrappers resulted in significantly higher percentage mass loss as well as shrivel incidence in ‘Alpine’ nectarines.
It is therefore important to reduce moisture loss at harvest by following the standard handling protocol and by packing fruit optimally.National Research Foundatio
Agroecosystem diversification for sustainability: the effects of crop rotation on soil microbial diversity, fertility and yield
No full textAgricultural intensification can involve the simplification of agroecosystems to crop
monocultures requiring agrochemicals to maintain soil fertility and control pests. This can have
negative impacts on the ecosystem services flowing to and from agroecosystems and thus,
more sustainable management practices are necessary. Broader ecological theories propose
that ecosystem biodiversity is important for ecosystem function. Within agriculture, increasing
aboveground diversity through crop rotation, a component of conservation agriculture, can
enhance the ecosystem services supporting an increase in cash-crop yield. The extent to
which the belowground microbial diversity can be manipulated through crop rotations and may
facilitate the yield increase is unclear. This thesis aimed at investigating (1) the relationship
between above and belowground diversity in crop rotation systems, and (2) the relationship
between diversity in (1) and agroecosystem function in terms of soil fertility, including nitrogen
fertility, and crop yield.
A quantitative review of the literature using a meta-analysis of 27 studies from around the
world found that soils under a higher diversity of crops in rotation produced higher microbial
richness (+15.11%) and diversity (+3.36%) scores. This effect was significantly influenced by
the type of microbial analysis method used, the length of the study trial, and the percentage
annual ground cover. There was a high between-study heterogeneity and no correlation to soil
nitrogen fertility.
A field study at Langgewens Experimental Farm (Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s
19-year wheat-legume crop rotation trial in the Swartland Local Municipality of South Africa)
added to the meta-analysis. Community level physiological profiling (CLPP) and automated
rRNA intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) were used as measures of functional and genetic
microbial diversity, respectively. Increasing crop diversity through rotations of wheat with
medic (Wm) or a combination of medic and clover (Wmc) resulted in greater wheat plant stem
length and N concentrations when compared to wheat monoculture (WW). This effect seemed
to be less linked with microbial diversity per se than with the Rhizobium species present
because both microbial analyses found no differences in soil microbial activity, richness or
diversity with increasing crop diversity. The lack of relationship between above and
belowground diversity is likely due to other abiotic drivers of microbial community structure
such as P availability, Na and K excess, and pH, all of which correlated to microbial activity
and functional richness in our study. The role that microbial diversity plays in the agroecosystem diversity-function relationship remains complex as revealed by the lack of
correlation between functional and genetic diversity scores. However, the relation between
crop diversity and functional components including wheat yield and soil N followed a humpshaped
curve.
The results of this thesis suggest that soil biodiversity and function are decoupled in
agroecosystems. This provides support for the hypothesis that ecosystem function may be a
product of either specific productive species (selection effect), or the facilitative interaction of
multiple species (complementarity effect). Further investigation into the role of specific
functional microbial groups in the yield increase of crop rotation systems using next-generation
sequencing is required.National Research Foundatio
Tourist guiding legislation : South Africa, Australia and Canada in a comparative perspective
No full textNot only is tourism becoming one of the fastest growing industries of both the developed and developing countries, it is also the point of entry into a country and its culture. The movement of people between countries and the burgeoning size of the tourism industry has created the need for the professionalisation of tourist guides within countries. Furthermore, there has also developed a need for implementing tourist guiding legislation to better regulate the tourism sector.
The tourist guide has become one of the key industry players, because he or she is usually the first point of contact between the tourist and the country. As such, this study will focus on the development and implementation of tourist guiding legislation in three destinations: South Africa, Canada and Australia. It will compare the different regulatory measures each country has implemented and also look at the relationship between the tourist guide and government, as well as the relationship of the tourist guide and the tourist. The importance of the tourist guide as mediator or interpreter will also be focused on. Lastly the concept of cross-border tourism will also be considered, this is because people usually visit more than one country when they go on holiday and tourist guides will often have to operate between the two countries and take part in cross-border tourism.
In short, this study will be a comparative one primarily concerned with tourist guiding legislation within South Africa, Canada and Australia. It will consider the place of the tourist guide within the historical and practical context.National Research Foundatio
Breakaway session 2: compliance
No full textThe Grants Management and Systems Administration (GMSA) Directorate hosted its 7th annual Research Administrators Workshop (RAW) from 4 to 6 October 2016 in Polokwane. The workshop aimed to bring together key stakeholders from universities and science councils across South Africa, including international delegates, to share experiences and best practices in research administration and management
The changing role of non-state actors’ relations in post apartheid South Africa: a case study of two Eastern Cape non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
No full textThis study focused on the changing role of non-state actors’ political relations in post-apartheid South Africa. During the apartheid period, NGOs were considered to be pushing a people-centered agenda, but the transition to the post-apartheid era made the role of NGOs complex and debatable as they are now viewed as organisations that work hand in hand with the government.
A qualitative research design was implemented to conduct the study, in particular, individual interviews. The respondents included local households, community leaders and NGO representatives. The selected NGOs which participated were World Vision, Africare, Phumalanga and Victim Support Center (VSC). This research was conducted in Nkonkobe Municipality, in the communities of Alice, Middledrift and Seymour.
The major finding of the study is that the political role of the NGOs has changed. Whilst in the apartheid period the NGOs openly opposed the state, in the post-apartheid period NGOs find themselves providing development services to the state. In other words, in the post-apartheid period NGOs tend to co-operate with the state by acting as service providers for a variety of development related functions. This condition raises questions about the autonomy of the NGOs and the agenda they serve in the post-apartheid period.National Research Foundatio