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A Behavioural Leadership Framework for Senior Management Service in the Public Service
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Public Management and Governance, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campu
Sanctioning corporate environmental offenders by means of deferred prosecution agreements
Full text linkMaster of Laws in Perspectives on Law, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusEnvironmental protection for current and future generations is a fundamental constitutional right. The National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 aims to give effect to this right. Despite efforts to prevent pollution and ecological degradation and to promote sustainable development through criminal enforcement of environmental crimes, there are significant procedural limitations. South African environmental law relies on a command-and-control approach, using criminal sanctions to enforce compliance. However, these criminal measures are reactive. This study identifies and examines the nature of environmental crimes and the shortcomings of criminal enforcement concerning corporate environmental crimes. It considers the implementation of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in South Africa as an alternative to the primarily criminal-sanction approach. DPAs are agreements that allow offenders, often corporate entities, to avoid criminal prosecution by following certain conditions. The aim is to divert corporate offenders away from the criminal justice system while still achieving deterrence and promoting restorative justice. The study analyses the implementation of DPAs in the United States and England and Wales to provide a comparative perspective. In South Africa, the use of DPAs is still unexplored. The need for a procedure of this kind has been acknowledged in reports, including the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. However, there is no specific statutory process for diverting corporate offenders involved in environmental crimes away from the criminal justice system. The study will explore DPAs’ advantages, such as limited reputational damage, reduced collateral consequences, and the opportunity for corporations to implement proactive compliance measures, thereby deterring environmental transgressions and promoting corporate responsibility toward the environment. This study aims to assess the practicability of DPAs as a viable solution in the South African environmental law enforcement context. It explores the benefits and challenges associated with implementing DPAs, considering their potential to achieve environmental protection, corporate accountability, and the overall goals of justice in the South African context. Finally, the study makes recommendations to support the implementation of a DPA scheme in South African criminal procedural law
A comparative analysis of the legal and policy frameworks for a just energy transition in South Africa and Zimbabwe
Full text linkMaster of Law in Environmental Law and Governance, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe global urgency to mitigate climate change has spurred the push for a just energy transition. The concept of a just energy transition entails the shift away from fossil fuels towards renewable-energy sources, emphasising social equity and the consideration of the vulnerable communities that may be affected during the just energy transition process. Coal is the predominant source of energy in Southern Africa. It accounts for 77% in South Africa and 52.4% in Zimbabwe. This study compared the legal and policy frameworks of South Africa and Zimbabwe and evaluated their effectiveness in facilitating a just energy transition. The research employed a desktop-based approach, utilising primary legal sources, such as national legislation and case law, as well as secondary sources, including academic articles and policy documents. A comparative legal methodology was used to analyse the legal and policy frameworks of both countries.
The study established that, although South Africa and Zimbabwe have developed legal frameworks that signal a commitment to renewable energy, coal remains a significant part of their energy mix. The study established that South Africa has made strides with its Climate Change Act and Integrated Resource Plan, aiming to reduce the reliance on coal and expand renewable-energy sources. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s National Renewable Energy Policy promotes solar, hydro, and wind energy but faces significant challenges in implementation due to economic constraints and energy poverty. Both countries demonstrate gaps in achieving social justice and inclusivity during the transition, particularly in addressing the needs of vulnerable communities affected by the energy shift. The study highlights areas of similarities, differences, gaps, and challenges that exist in both countries. The study recommends several legal and policy reforms, including improving the coherence of existing frameworks, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, and promoting regional cooperation within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). It further suggests that both countries enhance the focus on social equity in their energy policies, ensuring that marginalised communities benefit from the transition to sustainable energy.-North-West University
-North-West University (Faculty of Law)Master
Ubuntu and the gender question: Towards a gender-inclusive theory
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Philosophy, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusIn this thesis, I set out to investigate the ‘gender question’ in its relations to ubuntu which has been said to offer a uniquely African moral framework. Here, the ‘gender question’ has a double function: 1) to broaden the notion of the ‘woman question’, aimed primarily at equality between men and women, to include all genders; and 2) to indicate the questions raised about gender as they relate to ubuntu. My reason for undertaking this project is that even though ubuntu has been met with much positivity, it has also been criticised for being vague, pre-scientific, elitist and deeply implicated in practices of patriarchy and heteronormativity – norms which impose a logic according to which heterosexuality is posited implicitly and explicitly as better, just as the primacy of manhood is. This raises an important question: If ubuntu is not only a moral framework but also a normative moral framework, what are its gendered assumptions and correlative gendered affordances? In other words, are its gendered assumptions just or are they in need of problematisation? To address this question, I look at studies on affordance and the perception of affordance, or the set of possibilities for action available to agents in their environments, as well as governmentality, to show how gendered race and racialised gender became sites of knowledge that themselves functioned as organising principles and logics whose power was to produce, demarcate and control bodies in specific ways. Important for the purposes of this study is my argument that change cannot occur epistemologically or ethically without ontology being addressed. To do so, I employ a counter-mapping methodology to create a cartography of opacity, fugitivity, Africanfuturism, Afro-feminism, motherism and commoning to disrupt hegemonic archives of feminism and ubuntu. Through this, I yoke ontology to ecology to posit the importance of an onto-ecological view in which human and human, as well as human and nature, are brought together in the wholeness of ubuntu. Such understandings of wholeness are, as I show, an important part of much indigenous knowledges of the Global South generally and Africa specifically. In short, my argument is that for a gender-inclusive ubuntu to emerge, its ontological assumptions and underpinning must be scrutinised and changed – only then can a truly just ethics emerge
Frogs of the greater Nature's Valley Area: Biodiversity and conservation
Full text linkMaster of Science in Environmental Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe Nature’s Valley area in the Western Cape of South Africa is a topographically unique region with immense conservation potential. Amphibians are classified as the most threatened group of vertebrates globally, yet they remain largely neglected, underfunded and overlooked in terms of conservation and research, especially in this area.
CHAPTER ONE discusses the extent of threats facing amphibian and conservation trends globally, then narrows down to the need for biodiversity studies, threatened species conservation and human-frog interaction interventions that could support viable frog populations in the Nature’s Valley area.
CHAPTER TWO aims to contribute to the need for updated amphibian distribution maps by conducting the first thorough amphibian biodiversity assessment in this area since 1987, with the use of modern passive acoustic monitoring technology. This chapter expands on the species list for the area by sharing insight in habitat selection, circadian vocal patterns, seasonal change in chorus composition, and associated weather affinity of each species.
CHAPTER THREE utilises modern statistical software to add to the description and analysis of the calls of the Knysna leaf-folding frog (Afrixalus knysnae). R coding language is frequently used in various fields for statistical analysis but was only recently made suitable for acoustic analysis. This chapter expands on the use of this coding language in the description and analysis of the two-part call of this endangered frog, contributing to future taxonomic studies. Behavioural observations made in situ forms an important part of this chapter – building on what was thought to be known of this species.
CHAPTER FOUR solely reports on the effect that various environment factors have on tadpole development of A. knysnae. Knowledge obtained from this could contribute to future ex situ conservation – probable and possibly effective conservation action according to the second Global Amphibian Assessment.
CHAPTER FIVE explores a potential threat to effective amphibian conservation in South Africa , namely human behaviours, attitudes and actions towards the environment. In this chapter, various factors that influence human behaviours and attitudes towards frogs are explored, discussed and applied in the Nature’s Valley context. Important future conservation interventions – taking local communities (and their views and beliefs) into consideration – are discussed.
CHAPTER SIX contextualises all that is discussed above and attempts to discuss this in a practical sense to contribute to effective frog conservation approaches in the Nature’s Valley area. Aims and objectives, conclusions and recommendations are revisited and expanded upon.Master
An examination of the impact of foreign aid on poverty reduction in South Africa, 2015 2020: A case study of the Gauteng province
Full text linkMaster of Arts in Political Studies, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThe study examined the impact of foreign aid on poverty reduction in South Africa from 2015 to 2020 using the Gauteng province as a case study. To determine the impact of foreign aid on poverty reduction in South Africa, the research investigated whether foreign aid can or cannot assist in addressing poverty and the research explored the possible influence of foreign aid on poverty reduction across South Africa using Gauteng as a case study. The research relied heavily on already existing scholarly work published in credible journals and publications from internationally recognised organisations like the World Bank and IMF. The study employed the convenience sample technique to carefully select and review empirical data and research papers that explored the relationship between poverty and foreign aid in-depth to examine how foreign aid contributes to equal access of people to basic poverty reduction essential services, determine the extent to which foreign aid received by the South African government is utilised judiciously to eradicate poverty, examine the sustainability of foreign aid in the eradication of poverty, and identify challenges facing the utilization of foreign aid and show how can they be improved, leading to poverty reduction in Gauteng province. Foreign aid in Gauteng has a minimal or no effect on poverty reduction, and though foreign aid normally stands a good chance of reducing poverty by increasing average income, this is not the case in the Gauteng province. Foreign aid is only effective in its intended goals if the recipient state has quality institutions and good policies. Foreign aid is insufficient to effectively alleviate poverty in Africa. This is due in part to the fact that some aid comes with strict or harsh requirements, while others are given to undermine the sovereignty of most African states through land grabbing and excessive control over natural resources. In order to address the high levels of poverty in Gauteng the study recommends that the government puts in place new policies that are not grounded in the previous colonial structure. The government needs to ensure that these policies are citizen-centred and give all communities access to basic essential services that are not segregationally in favour of the rich population.Master
The 16 Days of Activism: Media ethics in news reporting of gender-based violence on News24 and IOL
Full text linkMagister Artium in Communication, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusGender-based violence (GBV) is a profoundly nuanced social phenomenon that demands comprehensive and contextualised media reporting. However, news coverage predominantly adopts an event-based approach, focusing on violent incidents rather than the broader systemic and historical conditions that sustain GBV. As a result, GBV is often misrepresented as an isolated crime, resulting in coverage that runs the risk of not only obscuring the colonial history of violence against women but also reinforcing patriarchal power structures, marginalising especially African women. To promote ethically accountable GBV reporting, this study suggests that the phenomenon be investigated through a theoretical perspective that integrates social responsibility theory, postcolonial media theory, and journalism ethics, taking the contextual nuances of GBV into account. The South African Press Council’s Code of Ethics and Conduct for SA Print and Online Media (SA Press Code), which is the foundation of journalism ethics in South Africa, includes general guidelines that also pertain to GBV reporting but does not address GBV-specific challenges such as socio-historical contextualisation and authentic community representation. This study aimed to fill the void by developing a proposed framework for ethically accountable GBV reporting through the lens of the integrated theoretical perspective. Using the framework as a measure, news reports on News24 and IOL from 14 October 2023 to 21 January 2024 (the period before, during, and after the 16 Days of Activism) were analysed following a qualitative approach. The analysis revealed significant ethical lapses, including the absence of survivor-centred approaches, exclusion of community voices, and the failure to provide content warnings or prevention measures. The findings point to a gap in journalists’ understanding of the nuanced context. The proposed framework in this study could enhance journalists’ sensitivity if integrated in the journalism curriculum, and institutional and professional ethical guidelines.-North-West University
-Faculty of Humanities Post-Graduate bursaryMaster
The risen Christ: A bodily or spiritual resurrection? The empty tomb as historical evidence in favour of the bodily resurrection of Jesus
Full text linkMaster of Theology with New Testament, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe resurrection of Jesus Christ has been and remains a topic of debate among New Testament scholars. Accepting that some form of resurrection occurred, the central question remains: Was the resurrection of Jesus bodily or spiritual?This study is biblical research in the field of the New Testament (NT). Hence, I will attempt to answer the stated question from an exegetical perspective within the reformed tradition, which accepts Scripture as the supreme authority. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that there is reliable historical evidence that the discovery of the empty tomb with empty burial linen favours the bodily resurrection. Therefore, the investigation will include a discussion of two opposing views about the resurrection, death, burial, the eyewitnesses, the empty tomb, the missing corpse and the resurrection of Jesus taking the gospel accounts as point of departure. In addition, other literature will be analysed, relevant Old Testament (OT) passages, extra-biblical and non-biblical sources will provide substantive data regarding the subject of the resurrection. The extra-biblical sources are sources or literature that was written by earlier Christians other than the evangelists while the non-biblical sources are sources from writers that did not belief in Jesus. Thus, non-biblical sources including evidence from Jewish and Roman historians namely Flavius Josephus and Cornelius Tacitus, among others. Thus, an exegetical framework of the passion narratives of the gospel accounts (Mtt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-11; Luk. 24:1-12; Joh. 20:1-17) will facilitate an explicit comprehension of the resurrection event and provide a basis for discussion and
investigations. The historical-critical method, more specifically source criticism, will be used to investigate the credibility, historicity and facticity of the passion narratives
Herman's Polychronic Narration: An Analysis of Selected Christopher Nolan Films
Full text linkMaster of Arts in English, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusAs the title suggests, this dissertation applies David Herman’s theory of polychronic narration to selected Christopher Nolan films. Christopher Nolan is a modern-day auteur who pushes the boundaries of narrative, specifically in terms of the deformation of time. Due to Nolan’s radical manipulation of time, thus creating a temporally fractured story world, traditional temporal theories such as Genette’s are not sufficient in analysing Nolan’s unique use of time, especially when combined with filmic techniques. Therefore, this study is based on the assumption that a theory such as Herman’s theory of polychronic narration is needed to examine and understand time’s deformation in Nolan’s films. Four films of varying temporal complexity —Dunkirk, Interstellar, Memento, and Tenet —were selected for analysis to confirm this study's hypothesis. Dunkirk and Memento’s temporal deformation exhibited forms of polychronic narration that precisely fit Herman’s theory. While analysing Dunkirk, for example, it was possible to represent an inexactly coded, multiply-ordered polychronic narrative on a (re)constructed timeline, thus allowing for a better understanding of indeterminacy in the film. Unfortunately, the applicability of Herman’s theory began to falter once Interstellar and Tenet were put under the spotlight. True, the application of Herman’s theory of polychronic narration enabled one to examine indeterminate events within these films; however, unlike with Memento and Dunkirk, these indeterminate events were not as easily explained by Herman’s theory. With regards to Interstellar, Herman’s method of documenting indeterminate events clearly does not take into consideration such radically inexact events as found in Interstellar. Therefore, adjustments needed to be made in order to represent these instances on a (re)constructed timeline. Once these adjustments were made, the theory of polychronic narration could be fully applied to Interstellar. The same cannot be said, however, for Tenet. In Tenet, it was seen that Christopher Nolan pushed temporal deformation as far as he could. This resulted in the theory of polychronic narration being able to only partially analyse and explain indeterminacy within the film. Herman’s theory did not possess all the necessary tools to fully apply polychronic narration to Tenet, nor could a (re)constructed timeline using Herman’s theory be developed. This study concluded that Herman’s theory of polychronic narration can be, in many cases, applied to Christopher Nolan’s films and that it is the most optimal theory to examine and explain inexact events – likewise, traditional theories like Genette’s need only be slightly ‘updated’ to understand Nolan’s more simplistic films. However, despite Herman’s theory being best suited to analyse time’s deformation in Nolan’s films, it was still apparent that it lacks the ability to fully examine Nolan’s more extreme temporally-deformed films. Therefore, this dissertation, as a result of shedding further light on the role of time-formation in Nolan’s films, adds some further developments to Herman’s theory in order to accommodate the more extreme instances.Master of Arts in Englis
A sociolinguistic case-study of code-switching and borrowing in Klerksdorp
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Linguistics and Literary Theory, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThis thesis focuses on filling the particular research gap of investigating the linguistic landscape of the black community in what is currently Klerksdorp, a mining town in the North West Province, South Africa. Information about the area dates back to the mid-1830s, but the focus has primarily been on the two white groups from Europe (the Dutch from the Netherlands and the English from England), and subsequent studies in South Africa have more broadly mainly focused on their history and languages. One of these two prestigious languages is a variant of Dutch, which later came to be known as Afrikaans, and the other is English, which was brought to South Africa with the arrival of the British in the early 19th century. When the Afrikaners left the Cape Colony, they headed inland by crossing the Vaal River, thus ending up settling in Klerksdorp. At the time of these incursions, the Batswana, whose language is Setswana, were the original inhabitants of what is now Klerksdorp. Their language was later influenced by the arrival of white people who spoke Afrikaans (a variant of Dutch), and later, their language was further influenced by the arrival of the English. This study investigates how the two European prestigious languages have influenced the Setswana spoken in this area. As employees of the Afrikaans-speaking white people, the Batswana, who were residents in the area, had to learn Afrikaans for economic opportunities as the Afrikaners owned land seized from black people, and in addition, they had senior positions in government, in the mines, etc. When the British arrived in the area years later, some ended up being involved in mining, but the majority were mostly tradesmen as Klerksdorp had developed into a fully-fledged town by 1888. This resulted in local residents also learning to communicate with the new arrivals from England in English.
Language contact between Setswana and Afrikaans resulted in Setswana speakers including some Afrikaans words and expressions in their speech when they were interacting socially with other black people. Later, when English became commonly used through trade and eventually schooling, this resulted in borrowing and code-switching from Afrikaans and English as part of the Setswana spoken in Klerksdorp. Based on the above, the study firstly addresses the dominance of Afrikaans and/or English vis-a-vis the Setswana spoken in Klerksdorp both pre-94 and post-94; in the case of the latter, this is when the democratic government came into power, thereby allowing the free movement of people, which brought change to the linguistic landscape. Secondly, the study analyses how borrowing and codeswitching from Afrikaans and English by Setswana speakers created contact-induced language change. Participants’ age, gender and residential area (a proxy for social class) were used as social variables for determining how linguistic change likely manifested in Klerksdorp. The study analyses such borrowing and code-switching in the Setswana spoken in Klerksdorp by applying a mixedmethods research methodology, which combines both a quantitative and qualitative approach. The quantitative approach involved looking at the numbers/percentages of speakers using certain
borrowings, and at how often speakers apply code-switching; while the qualitative approach was focussed on determining the broad linguistic trends of borrowing and code-switching and how these relate to social differences in the speech community. In addition to broad trends, the findings also highlighted how non-linguistic factors such as the setting, topic, and the relationship between participants, context, age and the level of education all contribute to the dynamics of how interlocutors apply the linguistic phenomena of borrowing and code-switching. Finally, the analysis of the data also highlighted the influence of a third language, Sesotho, an African language whose speakers are geographically close to Klerksdorp. South Africa is a multilingual country, thus communities like the study population in Klerksdorp often adapt to the influence of other local languages because of extensive language contact