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The role of South African mines in contributing towards realising the right of access to healthcare services in host communities
Full text linkMaster of Law in Environmental Law and Governance, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusMining has historically played a crucial part in South Africa’s development. It is the biggest contributor to the country’s GDP. However, some mines operate in impoverished communities with insufficient access to healthcare services. Against the backdrop of the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the Mineral Petroleum Development Act 28 of 2002 (MPDRA), this study examines the role of South African mines in contributing towards the realisation of the right of access to healthcare services in host communities. This research is motivated by the fact that in addition to the expectation of corporatesocial responsibility (CSR), there appears to be a human rights duty on businesses such as mining companies to contribute towards the realisation of human rights. With this objective in mind, the researcher adopted a qualitative research approach that entailed an integrated analysis of the primary sources of law, including legislation, international treaties, case law as well as secondary sources such as academic books and journal articles. The research showed that while international and African human rights instruments impose both negative and positive obligations on States to realise the right of health care services, non-state actors are only obligated to refrain from violating the enjoyment of the right of access to healthcare services. Therefore, while the government of South Africa bears the primary responsibility to protect and fulfil the right of access to healthcare services, international and African regional human rights instruments do not impose binding legal duties on private businesses such as mines to contribute towards the realization of the right to healthcare services. The study further established that South African human rights law follows a similar approach to the position adopted at the international and African regional level despite the horizontal application of the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Mining companies do not have a positive obligation in terms of the Constitution or legislation to contribute towards realising the right to health care services in communities where they operate. They must respect the right of access to health care services. However, where they are contracted by the state to provide healthcare services, they bear constitutional duties like the state. In addition, the study shows that CSR is rooted in the Constitution and that this imposes responsibilities on juristic persons to contribute towards realising fundamental rights such as health rights for host communities. While this view gets strong support from some scholars, the duty is not legally enforceable. The study argues that the mining companies can use their social and labour plans (SLPs) prescribed by the MPDRA to respond to community needs such as accessibility of health care services. The study shows that some mining companies, such as Sibanye-Stillwater, expressly provides for health services infrastructure for communities such as clinics in their SLPs. Bushveld Vametco Alloys expressly provide health services to their employees. These mines therefore contribute towards realising the constitutional right to healthcare services through their SLPs. Another example is that of Eland Platinum mine, which provides crucial infrastructure for water services, the treatment of sewage, and they provide housing benefits for their employees. Projects that fall within these categories are important as they speak to key health determinants. Given the findings of the study, recommendations are made to improve the extent to which mining companies can contribute towards the provision of healthcare services to host communities.Master
Investigating supervised surface segmentation of isiZulu text using synthetic data generation
No full textMaster of Science in Computer Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusIsiZulu, one of South Africa’s most widely spoken languages, is classified as a low-resource language, especially regarding digital tools. As part of the Nguni family, isiZulu exhibits complex morphology and conjunctive orthography. These features result in data sparsity, as a single root or stem may appear in numerous morphological variants, complicating language modelling. This underscores the importance of morphological segmentation, a natural language processing NLP task that decomposes words into their smallest meaningful units (morphemes). Rule-based methods yield high accuracy in low-resource contexts but typically lack robustness and are costly to develop. Conversely, machine learning approaches require large, high-quality datasets, often unavailable for low-resource languages. To address these challenges, this study employs a hybrid approach using a rule-based system, the isiZulu Resource Grammar (ZRG), to generate synthetic datasets with varying segmentation granularities. These datasets underwent data augmentation through syntactic tree manipulation, significantly increasing their size and diversity. Subsequently, this data trained supervised machine learning models: Conditional Random Fields (CRF), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and Transformer-based models—for morphological segmentation. The effectiveness of these models was assessed intrinsically, using precision, recall, F1 score, BLEU, and chrF, and extrinsically, by evaluating their impact on Neural Machine Translation (NMT) quality for isiZulu-English translation. Intrinsic evaluation showed that the Transformer model consistently outperformed the CRF and LSTM models, achieving segmentation accuracy above 0.9 across all metrics and granularity styles. Additionally, the hybrid approach demonstrated superior robustness, effectively handling out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words and performing segmentation 30 times faster than ZRG alone. Extrinsic evaluation confirmed that segmentation improved translation quality, with Segmenter Two achieving the highest BLEU score (0.235), representing a 25.0% improvement over the unsegmented baseline (0.188). These findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating rule-based and machine learning approaches for morphological segmentation, offering a scalable solution for processing low-resource languages with complex morphologies such as isiZulu in NLP applications.-Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)Master
When the unthinkable happens: protecting moms and babies in the hospital
Full text linkShort-story, Faculty of Health Science (Nursing)-- North-West University, Mahikeng CampusImagine a hospital’s maternity ward: new mothers are recovering, babies are nestled in cribs, and some, born too soon, are in incubators, fragile and dependent. Now, picture a sudden crisis, a fire, a flood, or a major power outage. What happens to these incredibly vulnerable patients and the dedicated nurses caring for them? Are they truly ready?
This vital research, from a Master’s research study supervised, explored this exact question in a public hospital in South Africa, where most of the nation's births occur. It uncovered a crucial reality: while our nurses are immensely dedicated and understand what a disaster is, they often feel profoundly unprepared to act effectively when one strikes in their obstetric unit
An empirical investigation of ethnic-cultural procedural fairness effects and their boundary conditions among three societal groups in South Africa
Full text linkJournal Article, Faculty of Education, Self-Directed Learning (SDL)-- Potchefstroom CampusEthnic-cultural procedural fairness refers to the perception that societal actors use fair and unbiased procedures to make decisions vis-à-vis one’s ethnic-cultural group. Prior research using ethniccultural minority samples has convincingly shown that such perceptions are associated with a range of desirable outcomes. Yet, this body of evidence has so far limited its scope to European and North American samples. Moreover, more research is needed on the underlying psychological processes. Therefore, the central aim of the present study was to investigate ethnic-cultural procedural fairness effects among three societal groups in South Africa. In Study 1 (N = 326 black South Africans), we observed relationships between ethnic-cultural fairness perceptions and positive institutional and intergroup attitudes. Institutional and social trust respectively mediated these associations. Study 2 (N = 747) replicated these findings among white (n = 595), but not among coloured South Africans (n = 152). Notably, across both studies, we also obtained evidence for moderation. That is, procedural fairness effects on institutional attitudes were significantly smaller among socioeconomically burdened black participants, and procedural fairness effects on intergroup attitudes were fully curbed among white participants who reported high levels of perceived group discrimination. Taken together, our results call for enhanced attention to procedural fairness obstacles outside of typical WEIRD settings.This work was supported by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [grant number V417622N]; Special Research Fund Ghent University [grant number BOF23/PDO/030]
The development of measures to facilitate the execution and amendment of wills during a pandemic where freedom of movement is restricted
Full text linkMaster of Law in Estate Law, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThe study examines the challenges in executing and amending wills during the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight the implications of the South African government's lack of legislative measures for will signing. The South African experience is compared to the United Kingdom and New Zealand's approaches to facilitating will signing during the pandemic. The primary objective is to examine how the United Kingdom and New Zealand managed to implement interim measures, and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the interim measures implemented. The focus is on testamentary formalities, specifically the importance of physical presence for the execution and amendment of a will in the three jurisdictions. This analysis is achieved by analysing case law. South Africa can take lessons from the measures implemented by the United Kingdom and New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic in anticipation of possible future pandemics where people's freedom of movement is restricted. The study relied on a desktop-based research method. The method consults existing data, including primary sources such as the Wills Acts of South Africa, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the Epidemic Preparedness Order, the United Kingdom Order and case law, as well as secondary sources like internet data, books, and journal articles related to the law of succession. The research extracts lessons and gives recommendations for the execution and amendment of wills during a time where freedom of movement is restricted
Marketplace Missiology: An integrated approach to Missiological Education with reference to the DR Congo and the African Agenda 2063
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Theology with Missiology, North-West University-- PotchefstroomThis study falls within the realm of marketplace missiology. The initial idea to undertake it emerged in my mind in 2018 while perusing a booklet titled The African Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, which is an ambitious 50-year continental strategic plan (2013-2063) based on Pan-Africanism for the achievement of a comprehensive transformation in Africa. Conducted from an evangelical perspective, the study focuses on an in-depth analysis of the contribution of the prevailing Protestant missiological education in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the realisation of the African Agenda 2063 (AA-2063). The aim was to critically evaluate this contribution towards actualising the agenda. Therefore, empirical research was conducted through interviews, documents, and a questionnaire to collect data, the analysis of which yielded the following significant results: (1) Protestant missiological training programmes in the DRC do not engage with the marketplace, which is central to the transformation of cities and nations and thus pivotal to the achievement of the AA-2063; (2) Protestant missiological institutions in the DRC lack effective strategies for transforming national culture; and, therefore, (3) the contribution of Protestant missiological education in the DRC to the actualisation of the AA-2063 is questionable and limited. Based on the theoretical and theological framework established from the literature review, the discussion and analysis of these findings led to proposing (1) a Pan-African marketplace missiology as an integrated approach to missiological education, (2) a model for a marketplace-oriented missiological training programme to solve the problem, and (3) the “Ephesus model” for theological education as a solid biblical foundation upon which Pan-African marketplace missiology must be grounded to remain relevant to the AA-2063. In addition to these propositions and the recommendations for future research, recommendations for action were formulated for the Church of Christ in Congo and related theological institutions, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the African Union Commission. In summary, considering the propositions, it can be affirmed that this study contributes to the existing knowledge in the discipline of missiology. Likewise, the study is of substantial value to the Church and related missiological
(theological) institutions because they can significantly enhance their contribution to the realisation of the AA-2063 by implementing the recommendations provided to them. Above all, I remain the greatest beneficiary of this study. Through it, I have learned that the church is not only ecclesia but also diaspora, which changes my perspective on lay ministry and God’s mission while providing me with a new vision for the remainder of my life
Promoting social security in the workplace: a pursuit for social insurance protection of non-standard workers
Full text linkMaster of Laws in Labour Law, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusSocial security is a constitutional right that supports individuals in a variety of social contexts. Everyone inclusive of those in all employment relationships is guaranteed the right in terms of Section 27(1) (c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996. Notwithstanding this constitutional guarantee, various workers in nonstandard forms of employment are precluded from social security by labour legislations that facilitates access to social insurance. This is striking and necessitates legal intervention because social insurance assumes a crucial role in a society where work-related diseases, occupational disability, retrenchment and retirement caused by age can bring about devastating financial repercussions towards the workers and their dependants. The concept of employment has also evolved to an extent whereby standard forms of employment are not the only modes of employment assisting in the growth of the economy and cater for the livelihood of people. Thus, the inadequate legislative framework affording social insurance protection to non-standard workers propels a less inclusive and inflexible economy. Against this background, this research will demonstrate that South African labour legislations have been reformed to be in line with constitutional principles such as equality, human dignity and social security. A comprehensive social security system that could accommodate all workers is an endeavour to be achieved. This dissertation focusses on the role assumed by the South African legal framework in promoting social security in the workplace. The fundamental research question of the study is premised on the extent to which the South African legal framework provides non-standard workers access to social insurance, with the view of seeing whether these workers’ constitutional right of social security is fairly promoted in the workplace
Equipment profile of South African Occupational Hygiene Approved Inspection Authorities
Full text linkMasters of Heath Science in Occupational Hygiene, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe right to safe and harm-free working environments is provided for by the Bill of Rights, and reinforced by key legislative acts, such as the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 (OHS Act). The OHS Act, in particular, mandates employers to maintain workplaces that are free from hazards, ultimately requiring the appointment of occupational hygiene professionals to uphold health and safety standards (SANS 2012:2). Specialised in hazard monitoring, Approved Inspection Authorities (AIAs) are sanctioned by the Chief Inspector to perform certified health and safety assessments. Their authorisation and approval are based on their strict adherence to the national standards set by the South African National Accreditation System. These standards outline the personnel, facilities, and equipment requirements. The extent of an AIA’s regulatory framework, or the different regulated hazards an AIA is allowed to assess, is based on the AIA's knowledge, expertise, and the appropriateness of their equipment. To guide AIAs, the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) published a list of equipment that highlights the types of equipment AIAs should use to assess the applicable hazards within their regulatory frameworks (SANS, 2012:5; SANAS, 2012:12). While the DoEL's equipment list outlines the basic equipment AIAs can retain for approval, staying up to date with rapidly advancing technology can be challenging for both new and more experienced AIAs. Equipment proliferation also affects the curricula of educational institutions, which aim to provide students with fit-for-purpose training. This raises an important question: What equipment is currently used by occupational hygiene AIAs, and why is it important? There are two main reasons why these questions matter. First, AIAs face a dual challenge. While trying to ensure competency, accuracy, and validity in their occupational hygiene operations, AIAs are also required to stay up to date with the latest technological advancements (SANS, 2023:12). Second, occupational hygiene students need to receive training that prepares them for real-world situations, and that is aligned with industry needs (Alanazi & Benlaria, 2023:5). The selection of equipment available on the market requires AIAs to choose the instruments based on their prioritised needs and the available information about this equipment. But, although manufacturers provide literature, the benefits, and capabilities of their equipment, the information AIAs need in order to make informed decisions are not as readily available (AIHA, 2017). Since the DoEL’s equipment recommendations were last updated in 20121, gathering the necessary information to make informed equipment decisions can be difficult. This can be particularly challenging for new AIAs trying to choose the right equipment. To address these challenges, a practical solution involved creating an equipment profile of national AIAs. This detailed profile aimed to identify the prevalent equipment and methodologies used by industry professionals. By identifying these prevalences, AIAs can have a reference point for comparison, and educational institutions can tailor their curricula to ensure fit-for-purpose training aligned with industry needs. This initiative aims to streamline the transition of occupational health and hygiene graduates into the workforce and provide clarity for companies, especially startups, seeking guidance on acquiring equipment that is both effective and in line with industry expectations. Employing a mixed methods research approach of sequential exploratory design, registered occupational hygienists — each representing one of the 53 registered Type A AIAs, and whereof only 11 responded to the questionnaire — were invited to an online survey. This survey was created and administered using the Google Forms platform and required AIAs to answer questions pertaining to the equipment and methods they currently employ for hazard monitoring. After doing a data analysis of the number of equipment, the most frequently selected equipment models, and brands, the popularity of instruments was calculated based on the number of times selected as well as the number of units currently used. The calibration frequencies, buying drivers, and hazard evaluation methods were also investigated. The quantitative data was then used to assist with the interpretation of qualitative data. These findings were reported as the representing equipment profile of participating AIAs. Findings showed the consistent preference participating AIAs had for user-friendly, reliable, and cost-effective monitoring equipment. Highlighting the importance of equipment practicality. Differences in the calibration practices, however, emphasises the need for clear guidelines on the external calibration frequency necessary for all equipment. While the most prevalent equipment and methods were established, these findings also reinforce how academic curricula can bridge the gap between the current and prospective industry-needs. 1 Within the brochure - Requirements for approval as an approved inspection authority: occupational health and hygiene (2012:12). Educational institutions can update their equipment inventories by incorporating both prevalent, and less popular equipment types while also enhancing students’ technical skills through the adoption of both old and new equipment models. This could prepare students for real-world challenges, encourage work-readiness, and ensure their curricula aligns with industry-needs. While this study had a few limitations, it still provides occupational health and hygiene professionals with a detailed equipment profile of AIAs currently in practice. However, the lack of participation may affect the representativeness of this profile since only 11 of the 53 recruited AIAs participated. The potential biases from self-reported data could also affect the accuracy of these results. Future studies are, therefore, encouraged to combine questionnaires with interviews or direct observations. This mixed-methods approach could help verify self-reported data and enhance its accuracy. While consulting with industry experts during the design process could ensure even more comprehensive data to be collected.Master
Thermal characterisation of the furnace tap floor environment of a platinum group metals smelter
Full text linkMaster of Health Sciences in Occupational Hygiene, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusBackground: South Africa is the leading global producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), a vital industry that relies on high-temperature smelting processes. The smelting of PGM ore occurs in furnaces operating at extreme temperatures of 1350–1600°C, which generate significant radiant heat. Molten materials, released from the furnace during furnace tapping, pose an additional source of radiant heat. This intense thermal environment creates substantial risks of heat stress for workers performing tasks on the furnace tap floors. Despite the critical role these areas play in smelting operations, the thermal environment of furnace tap floors at PGM smelters remains poorly characterised. Understanding these conditions is essential for improving worker safety and informing the design of effective protective equipment. Objectives: To quantify various environmental variables (heat flux, dry-bulb temperature [DBT], wet-bulb temperature [WBT], globe temperature [GT], relative humidity [RH], wet-bulb globe temperature [WBGT] and air velocity) on the matte and slag tap floors, to assess and compare the spatial variation of the thermal variables within and across the tap floors, and to compare the heat flux and WBGT values to reference values. Method: Environmental variables were measured across a grid on the matte and slag tap floors at a PGM smelter during normal tapping conditions. Environmental monitoring instruments, including heat stress monitors and a thermal comfort measurement system, were used to quantify heat flux, DBT, WBT, GT, RH and indoor wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGTi) on the tap floors. Contour maps of the thermal variables were generated using Surfer® software to assess spatial variations. Observations were made regarding the tappers’ duration of presence in various locations, activity levels and clothing. This information was used to estimate the time-weighted average effective WBGT (TWA-WBGTeff) values according to the ISO 7243 standard for various exposure scenarios. Heat flux exposure at various locations was estimated and compared to the recommended maximum durations for aluminised clothing. Results: The following mean levels of thermal variables were measured on the slag tap floor: 35.6 ± 3.6°C (DBT), 22.1 ± 1.9°C (WBT), 50 ± 10.4°C (GT), 16.2 ± 5.5% (RH), 29 ± 3.7°C (indoor wet-bulb globe temperature [WBGTi]) and 974 ± 537 W/m² (heat flux). The matte tap floor exhibited the following levels of these variables: 35.8 ± 3.1°C (DBT), 20.8 ± 1.8°C (WBT), 48.5 ± 9.2°C (GT), 11.1 ± 2.3% (RH), 27.8 ± 3.2°C (WBGTi) and 554 ± 458 W/m2 (heat flux). Hotspots on the matte tap floor were observed surrounding the active tap-hole and launder, whereas the slag tap floor exhibited a hotspot at the centre front and cooler regions at the sides. A moderate to strong and statistically significant correlation was observed between WBGT and heat flux on both the matte (rs(15) = 0.68, p = 0.006) and slag tap floors (rs(19) = 0.67, p = 0.002). The TWA-WBGTeff exceeded their respective limits in all scenarios except when only 20 minutes per hour was spent on the tap floors. The heat flux levels at various locations (< 4600 W/m2) did not exceed the exposure durations since no maximum exposure duration is recommended at this heat flux level. Conclusion: The matte and slag tap floors present distinct and non-uniform thermal environments with spatially varying conditions. On the matte tap floor, heat is concentrated around the active launder while the slag tap floor presents a more balanced thermal environment, reflecting the difference in tapping practices between the floors. The correlation between heat flux and WBGT suggests future research regarding its potential as a proxy for conventional heat stress metrics. Elevated thermal conditions are present on the tap floors that pose a risk of heat stress to furnace tappers depending on location and exposure duration. More than 20 minutes per hour on the tap floor when wearing an aluminised suit poses a risk of heat stress to furnace tappers. These findings could inform future workplace interventions by identifying high-risk areas and understanding the factors contributing to heat stress, enabling more targeted and effective strategies to protect furnace tappers.Master
Language, identity and radicalisation: A case study of white Afrikaans speakers (1652-2020s)
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Linguistics and Literary Theory, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThirty years after the dawn of the ‘New South Africa’, concerns are mounting that the project is failing. Amidst state decay and the anglicisation of the public sphere (and schools and universities in particular), many white Afrikaans speakers have emigrated, and those who remain are, by all accounts, increasing their levels of ethnic identification and mobilisation, threatening, in the process, sociopolitical stability and social cohesion. Or so it seems. In his Minority-Language Rights (MLR) framework, Stephen May (2012) stresses the importance of respecting minority-language speakers’ educational-language rights, and re-imagining the nation-state in more pluralist ways, specifically in order to stave off separatist and secessionist sentiment among minority-language groups. Emphasising the pejorative views of minority ethnicity that permeate academic and political discourse, and the unequal power dynamics which give rise to language shift and loss, May makes a convincing argument in favour of power-sharing of the state apparatus. Supplementing May’s MLR framework with the Social Identity Approach (SIA), this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the individual and group identity formation and mobilisation of white Afrikaans speakers. Arguing that such an analysis should take into account both the historic and present context in which it occurs, this study identifies the intergroup process of reciprocal radicalisation, highlighting identity and other threats which give rise to the increased salience of Afrikaner ethnic identity. Through identity entrepreneurship and the use of symbolic reminders of identity, this is readily converted into ethnic mobilisation. Considering their lack of territorial concentration which makes the creation of a volkstaat, or ethnostate, virtually impossible, as well as their relative economic strength, this study identifies the re-birth of the “organisation Afrikaner” as the most dominant form of contemporary Afrikaner mobilisation. Consisting of growing privatisation over cultural matters, as well as the fulfilment of some duties usually done by the state, this signifies
a novel way for frustrated minority-language groups to deal with their perceived marginalisation. Instead of establishing their own state, they are legally creating a cultural ‘state’ within a political state, the latter already in a process of decentralisation due to the failures of the ruling party. Whether this form of Afrikaner mobilisation signifies a destabilising radicalisation, or the pursuit of pluralism, largely depends on white Afrikaans speakers’ avoidance of essentialism and continuing commitment to the rest of South Africa, as well as the ruling party’s willingness to include white Afrikaans speakers in the South African nation-state