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    Inyama, isini, kunye negunya: uhlalutyo lwehlabathi leBeastars

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    This dissertation presents an examination and analysis of the world depicted in the Japanese mangaka/comic artist Itagaki Paru’s Beastars and Beast Complex serialised manga narratives. The analysis is comprised of three primary sections that delve into meat and other animal products, sex and gender, and power relations. These concepts are respectively discussed by focusing on the way in which this fictional world facilitates the use of meat/animal products despite all animals being persons, the way in which sexual and gendered aspects, which are typically attributed to human animals, are attributed to animalised classifications, and the way in which a variety of factors simultaneously operate to enforce power relations between different persons and groups in this fictional world. The analysis makes use of semiotics, ecofeminism, critical discourse analysis, animal studies, and critical theory in general.Hierdie dissertasie bied ʼn ondersoek na en analise van die wêreld wat in die Japanse mangaka-/strokiesprentkunstenaar Paru Itagaki se Beastars en Beast Complex-mangaverhaalreeks uitgebeeld word. Die analise bestaan uit drie primêre afdelings wat onderskeidelik vleis en ander diereprodukte, seks en gender, en magsverhoudings ondersoek. Hierdie konsepte word bespreek deur te fokus op die manier waarop hierdie fiktiewe wêreld die gebruik van vleis-/dierprodukte fasiliteer, ten spyte daarvan dat alle diere persone is; die manier waarop seksuele en gender-aspekte, wat tipies aan menslike diere toegedig word, aan verdierlikte klassifikasies toegedig word; en die manier waarop ’n verskeidenheid faktore gelyktydig werksaam is om magsverhoudings tussen verskillende persone en groepe in hierdie fiktiewe wêreld af te dwing. Die analise gebruik semiotiek, ekofeminisme, kritiese diskoersanalise, dierestudies, en kritiese teorie oor die algemeen.Le thisisi ibonisa ukuhlolwa kunye nohlalutyo lwehlabathi elibonakaliswa kuthotho lwamabali eencwadi zokonwabisa iBeastars and Beast Complex zeJapanese mangaka/umzobi weencwadi zokonwabisa uParu Itagaki. Olu hlalutyo lubandakanya amacandelo amathathu aphambili aphonononga iimveliso zenyama kunye nezinye zezilwanyana, ezesondo kunye nesini, kunye nobudlelane ngokwamagunya. Ezi ngcamango zixoxwa ngokulandelelana ngokugxila kwindlela eli hlabathi lamabali aqwetyiweyo eliququzelela ngayo ukusetyenziswa kweemveliso zenyama okanye zezilwanyana nangona zonke izilwanyana zingabantu; indlela apho iinkalo zesini kunye nobuni, ngokuqhelekileyo ezayanyaniswa nabantu, zithi zayanyaniswe khona nohlelo lwezilwanyana; kunye nendlela apho iintlobo ngeentlobo zezinto zisebenza ngaxeshanye ukunyanzelisa ubudlelane ngokwamagunya phakathi kwabantu kunye namaqela ahlukileyo kweli hlabathi lamabali aqwetyiweyo. Olu hlalutyo lusebenzisa ithiyori yokunxulumene nemiqondiso kunye neempawu (semiotics), ithiyori ehlola unxibelelwano phakathi kwabasetyhini nendalo (ecofeminism), ithiyori yohlalutyo lokusetyenziswa kolwimi kumagunya nakwezentlalo (critical discourse analysis), izifundo zezilwanyana, kunye nethiyori yohlalutyo lwezentlalo nenkcubeko ngokubanzi (critical theory).M.A. (Theory of Literature)Afrikaans and Theory of Literatur

    The effects of digital and physical service quality on customer loyalty in the South African retail banking industry

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    Text in EnglishThe researcher aimed to determine the effects of digital and physical service quality on customer loyalty in the South African retail banking industry. To measure the effects of service quality for the physical channel, the researcher used the SERVQUAL model, and the E-S-QUAL model were used to measure the digital channel service quality. A quantitative research approach was employed. Data were gathered using a self administered, structured questionnaire. Constructs were measured using a six-point Likert scale. A convenience sampling method was used for this study. A total of 384 valid responses from both male and female participants aged between 18 to 60 were collected using an online questionnaire. A descriptive and standard multiple regression directed on IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used. This study established that customer loyalty and service quality are positively correlated and that both physical channel service quality and digital service quality influence customer loyalty. However, this study revealed that digital service quality has more impact on customer loyalty than physical channel service quality on customer loyalty. Bank managers are encouraged to find ways to constantly improve service quality, sustain their competitive edge and maintain customer loyalty. Bank managers can do this by creating an omnichannel customer experience. Practical and theoretical implications for the study are also providedM. Com. (Commerce)Marketing and Retai

    Investigating the challenges in the implementation of the recognition of prior learning for credit policy within the public service sector in South Africa

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    The quest for equitable access to education and career advancement in the public service sector in South Africa has prompted the exploration of the implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for credit to afford public sector officials the opportunity to be credited towards a full public administration qualification as registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Furthermore, RPL in South Africa builds on the pledge of government to eliminate impediments to learning and develop an evident, practical and reliable system as an efficient tool for lifelong learning. This qualitative study delves into the multifaceted landscape of the implementation of RPL in the South African public service sector, seeking to uncover enablers, challenges, and best practices that shape its application through a case study research design lens. Through document analysis, in-depth interviews with RPL coordinators and a structured questionnaire, this research study employed a theoretical lens, drawing insights from behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and experiential learning theories. The research objectives encompassed investigating the contextual factors influencing RPL implementation, accessing best practice models, understanding key role players' perspectives, providing recommendations for effective credit assessment tools, and identifying constraints within the public service sector. At the time of writing, this study was driven to develop an institutional RPL pre-assessment guide to assist RPL candidates to adequately assess their preparedness to undergo RPL for credit assessment against the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) accredited Public Administration qualifications. The study found a complex interplay of external influences, cognitive processes, and experiential learning in the RPL landscape. Participants highlighted the significance of organisational support, clear policies, and targeted advocacy for fostering a conducive RPL environment. Challenges emerged, ranging from limited funding to a need for standardised guidelines and increased awareness about RPL. The findings will contribute to the existing literature by providing a nuanced understanding of the dynamics surrounding the execution of RPL in the South African public service sector. The theoretical framework enhanced the interpretation of results offering practical insights for policymakers, RPL coordinators and practitioners involved in RPL initiatives. This study concludes by advocating for a holistic approach to RPL implementation, encompassing strategic policy improvements, targeted advocacy efforts, and tailored support mechanisms. The implications extend beyond the South African public service sector, informing broader discussions on the integration of RPL into policies for enhanced workplace skills development. Finally, the findings were used to develop a cogent institutional RPL pre-assessment tool to support RPL candidates in the first step of their RPL journeyD. Phil. (Education Management and Leadership)Educational Leadership and Managemen

    Multilevel proportional odds modeling of anaemia prevalence among under five years old children in Ethiopia

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    Abstract Background Despite anaemia is the leading cause of child morbidity and mortality in Africa including Ethiopia, there is inadequate evidence on modelling anaemia related factors among under five years old children in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess factors that affect the anaemia status among under five years old children and estimate the proportion of overall child-level variation in anaemia status that is attributable to various factors in three regions of Ethiopia, namely Amhara, Oromiya and Southern Nation Nationalities People (SNNP). Methods This is a cross-sectional study, and the data was extracted from the 2011 Ethiopia National Malaria Indicator Survey which is a national representative survey in the country. A sample of 4,356 under five years old children were obtained from three regions. Based on child hemoglobin level, anaemia status was classified as non-anaemia (>11.0g/dL), mild anaemia (8.0-11.0g/dL), moderate anaemia (5.0-8.0g/dL) and severe anaemia (<5.0g/dL). Various multilevel proportional odds models with random Kebele effects were adopted taking into account the survey design weights. All the models were fitted with the PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. The Brant test for parallel lines assumption was done using the brant() function from brant package in R environment. Results The prevalence of anaemia status of under five years children varies among the three study regions, where the prevalence of severe child anaemia status was higher in Oromiya region as compared to Amhara and SNNP regions. The results of this study indicate that age (OR = 0.686; 95% CI: 0.632, 0.743), malaria RDT positive (OR = 4.578; 95% 2.804, 7.473), household had used mosquito nets while sleeping (OR = 0.793; 95%: 0.651, 0.967), household wealth status and median altitude (OR = 0.999; 95%: 0.9987, 0.9993), were significantly related to the prevalence of child anaemia infection. The percentage of Kebele-level variance explained by the region and median altitude, and child / household (Level 1) characteristics was 32.1 % . Hence, large part of the Kebele-level variance (67.9%) remain unexplained. Conclusions The weighted multilevel proportional odds with random Kebele effects model used in this paper identified four child/household and one Kebele level risk factors of anaemia infection. Therefore, the public health policy makers should focus to those significant factors. The results also show regional variation in child anaemia prevalence, thus special attention should be given to those children living in regions with high anaemia prevalence

    Experiences of grade 9 teachers in supporting progressed learners’writing skills in English first additional language

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    The progression policy states that progressed learners should be given academic support in the grade they have progressed to. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of grade 9 English FAL teachers in supporting progressed learners writing skills. This was a qualitative, phenomenological study that involved two schools in the Chris Hani East district in the Eastern Cape Province. Participants were five English teachers, purposefully drawn from these two schools. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and an open-ended questionnaire. The analysis of data were done through thematic analysis, where data were coded, categorized, and grouped into themes. The theoretical framework that underpins this study is Cummins’ language acquisition theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. The findings suggest that stakeholders’ understanding of roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the progression policy is key for successful implementation of the policy. Furthermore, progressed learners’ language skills development needs to be enhanced as they are far below the expected grade 9 level of competency. This study recommends that the Department of Basic Education should train all stakeholders to understand their roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the progression policy. Furthermore teachers should develop progressed learners’ competency levels of their language skills current. All stakeholders should prioritize supporting grade 9 progressed learners and teachers should use collaborative teaching strategies to facilitate the inclusion of progressed learners in an English FAL classroom.M. Ed. (Additional Curriculum: English)Curriculum and Instructional Studie

    Employee voice as a behavioural response to psychological contract breach: The moderating effect of leadership style

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    Empirical evidence shows that psychological contract breach (PCB) leads to negative work behaviours of employees, including withholding of discretionary activities such as employee voice (EV). This research aims to determine empirically how PCBs are linked to different types of EV, and how different leadership styles affect these relationships. The paucity of literature on the relationship between all three variables necessitated this research. The study targeted medium to large South African organisations with more than 60 employees. The population sample was representative of a broad range of South African employees. This research adopted a crosssectional survey design, whereby the respondents were asked to answer a questionnaire about PCB, leadership styles and EV. Correlation analyses were used to test the direct links between variables and regression analyses to test for the moderation effect of leadership styles on the PCB–EV link. The data were collected from 620 respondents from 11 organisations. All the instruments showed acceptable psychometric properties. Three findings were dominant: PCB correlated negatively with promotive types of EV and positively with prohibitive types of EV; leadership styles were a weaker predictor of EV than PCB; and the PCB–EV relationship was, in most cases, partially moderated by leadership styles. PCB and leadership styles influence EV; however, leadership styles only partially influence the PCB–EV relationship. Applying a specific leadership style to influence EV under conditions of PCB is partially effective. Managers should circumvent PCB and focus on the fulfilment of PC, as this would elicit promotive EV and lessen prohibitive EV

    The missing link: the capacity development for academic librarians to sustain citizen science at university libraries

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    Purpose – This paper reports on research into the skills and services required to ensure the sustainability of citizen science as a service in university libraries. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research design was adopted to collect data from academic librarians. A questionnaire was administered, and data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings – More than 90% of responses indicated that to support citizen science activities, it is important for academic librarians to acquire information literacy, data literacy and an understanding of open science. The study found that citizen science activities require a dedicated team and continuous capacity development of team members. Findings also indicated that though academic librarians do not have knowledge of citizen science, they are willing to embrace and embed it in their services and products. Capacity shortage was listed as a challenge for academic librarians to promote and support citizen science activities. Originality/value – This study is unique as it reports on the possible involvement of academic librarians in the field of citizen science. The link between academic librarians and the field of citizen science which is predominant in the natural sciences has a positive contribution to the body of scholarship as it promotes interdisciplinarity.Information Scienc

    An assessment of the efficiency of adsorbents produced from a mix of lemon and orange skins in the removal of metals from wastewater

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    Waste materials generated from various agricultural products, processes, and activities have been widely investigated as potential biomass to produce adsorbents with the capacity to remove heavy metals from effluents of various sources because they are cheap. The mechanisms associated with using agricultural waste as adsorbents include ion exchange, chemisorption, complexation, adsorption, and diffusion through pores. These pores have characteristics that may vary with the type of agricultural waste used to prepare the adsorbent. The use of agricultural-waste-derived activated carbon to recover potentially toxic metals including aluminium (Al), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) from aqueous solution could play an imperative role in the economy of industries since it could reduce the financial and environmental cost associated with disposal of waste containing these metals. It also encourages recycling through re-utilization of the agricultural waste. This study looked at the effectiveness and selectivity of raw and phosphoric acid-activated adsorbents made from a mixture of orange and lemon skins in the recovery of Al, Cd, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn from Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The morphology of the mixed orange and lemon skins-derived adsorbent was characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) whereas functional groups present on the surface of the prepared adsorbent and their crystallinity were identified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) respectively. Batch experiments to find out how time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature affected Al, Cd, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn removal from aqueous solutions using the activated lemon and orange skins were also carried out. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were used to study the equilibrium kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and the nature of the adsorption process associated with the use of the prepared adsorbent. The optimized parameters were used with the prepared adsorbent to remove Al, Cd, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn from AMD samples. The activated lemon and orange skins had mean pore size and BET surface area of 5.180 nm and 169.28 m2/g, respectively. It had visible pores on the surface which may indicate high surface area, high efficiency and good adsorption capacity and could be described as mesoporous in nature. Using the optimised conditions with the prepared vi adsorbent, percentage removal of Al, Cd, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn from the AMD were 90.0%, 95.5 %, 99.9 %, 66.0 %, 72.5 %, and 93.0 %, respectively. The data acquired corresponded well with the Langmuir isotherm model with R2 varying from 0.976 to 0.991, indicating a homogeneous uniform adsorption process. The kinetic investigations revealed that the process of adsorption of metals on the prepared adsorbent was most accurately described by a pseudo-second-order model. Additionally, the adsorbent was capable of being reused up to five times indicating a high potential of recycling them after use. The findings from this study indicate that adsorbents made from a mixture of orange and lemon skins have the potential to be cost-effective and can be used in the removal of HM’s from industrial wastewater, as was demonstrated with AMD. To find out how much metal can be retrieved under optimal conditions, desorption of the metals from the prepared adsorbent needs to be investigated. Further research also needs to be carried out to determine the elemental content, proximal characteristics, and the yield percentage of the adsorbent to understand how to improve Its characteristics as an adsorbent.M.A. (Environmental Science)Environmental Science

    Adoption of the combined assurance model by South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs)

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    In addition to integrated reporting, which was arguably first introduced by the third King Report on Governance for South Africa (King III), King III also formally introduced the combined assurance model as a further governance innovation, aimed at enhancing the quality of organisational reporting. Although the combined assurance model is primarily an internal enterprise risk management innovation, designed to incorporate, integrate and optimise all assurance services and functions, it simultaneously enhances the credibility of organisational reporting. Taken as a whole, the combined assurance model enables an effective control environment, supports the integrity of information used for internal decision-making by management, the governing body and its committees; while supporting the integrity of the organisation’s external reports. Organisations adopting King IV, including state-owned enterprises (SOEs), are expected to explain how the provisions of the combined assurance model have been implemented. Explaining conformance, introduces an element of innovation into organisational reporting as envisaged by King IV, by providing stakeholders with assurance about the veracity of the disclosures contained in the internal and external reports of organisations. This exploratory paper analyses the extent to which South African SOEs have conformed to seven key combined assurance indicators. The disclosures contained in the publicly available annual/integrated reports of South African SOEs, listed in Schedule 2 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), were thematically analysed to fulfil the objective of the study. We found that although the combined assurance related disclosures suggest high levels of adoption by some SOEs, the majority have not provided sufficient information to explain how they have applied combined assurance, if at all. Although their reports appear to provide internal management with some level of assurance about the extent to which risks have been managed, these reports may not necessarily provide external users with confidence that all material risks have been effectively mitigated, within the organisation’s risk appetite. This paper discuses implications for policy and practice and concludes by providing avenues for further research.AuditingN/

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