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Credit Risk Prediction using Ensemble and Linear Machine Learning Models
Full text linkArticle, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (Unit for Data Science and Computing (UDSC)--Potchefstroom CampusPredicting the likelihood of loan default remains a critical challenge in credit risk modeling, where data imbalance, high dimensionality, and nonlinear interactions often limit the effectiveness of traditional scoring techniques. This paper presents a machine learning pipeline for credit risk prediction using financial datasets. We evaluate six main classifiers—Logistic Regression, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Support Vector Machines, Random Forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM and a variant of two of the classifiers for further comparison. Models are benchmarked using accuracy, precision, recall, and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistic widely used in financial risk scoring. Our results indicate that ensemble methods
combined with hybrid resampling techniques can consistently offer significant improvements in default risk separation without requiring dimensionality reduction methods, complex deep neural architectures or other black-box models. This makes them suitable for both regulated credit scoring environments and modern machine learning-driven financial applications
Youth political participation in Zimbabwe and the prospects for representation in the national parliament (2017-2023)
Full text linkDoctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences with Political Studies, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusYouth political participation is a relatively new area of study. Youth political participation is a right. This right is enshrined in several international conventions, including the UDHR and AU Charter and subsequently adopted or incorporated into national laws. In Zimbabwe, youth political participation is enshrined in the constitution and the revised National Youth Policy 2020. Notwithstanding this, global statistics reveal low representation of youth in governance institutions, including the national parliament. The international scenario on youth representation is also relatable to the Zimbabwe case. Interestingly, following the 2017 military-assisted transition in Zimbabwe, the nation experienced momentous political events with the chance to transform the country’s governance system. In this respect, this study examined youth political participation under the Second Republic and the prospects of their representation in the national parliament. Using democratic theories as the framework of analysis, the study revealed that while it is commonly held that democracy provides a system of social organisation for a just, equitable, accountable, and representative system, no single theory posits how this can be achieved. This is further complicated by the notion that, as a concept, political participation is dynamic and elastic. Political participation encompasses all the institutionalised and non-institutionalised activities that are taken to influence policy. While participatory democracy provided a valuable contribution which can be related to this study on youth political participation with prospects for representation in the national parliament, it falls short of clearly outlining the critical political activities needed for democratising parliaments. The core contribution made by participatory democracy is the identification of the workplace as a sector of participation which needs to be democratised. Participatory democrats argued that the workers spend most of their working hours at the workplace; hence, they should directly participate in the decision-making process at the workplace. Participation is crucial because it leads to the worker’s self-development. The theory also posits that the workplace should be democratised not for its sake but to democratise the entire political system. This provided the basis for this study’s use of the parliament as a sector of participation that can be democratised through youth representation. Using a case analysis of the 2018 and 2023 harmonised elections in Zimbabwe, the study developed a new theory of participatory democracy with safeguards for youth participation. This theory uses parliament as a sector that needs to be democratised through youth inclusion and representation. The basis for youth inclusivity is the idea that since the youth constitute a large share of the Zimbabwean population, they must be involved in the making of decisions that affect their lives. The post-2017 political environment and the leadership of Mnangagwa under the rubric of the ‘Second Republic’ or ‘New Dispensation’ and the increased interest in the 2018 and 2023 elections among the youth made the elections suitable case studies. The new theory used identified four institutionalised political activities which are campaigning, voting, candidature and election into political office as the requisite activities for youth representation in the national parliament. These activities were presented on two pyramids, starting with campaign at the bottom and election at the apex. Pyramid A represented the empirical case of youth participation in Zimbabwe, which had the potential of being transformed by reforms enacted under the Second Republic, leading to the ideal scenario where youth participation across the activities in the pyramid is even. Findings from the literature, including election observation reports for the 2018 elections, confirmed the diagrammatic representation of youth participation in Figure A, where youth participation is mainly concentrated on the lower rungs of pyramids during campaigns and voting. Despite the increased number of youths who registered to vote during the 2018 elections, the number of youths elected into the 9th Parliament was low. Of the 270 MPs for the 9th parliament, only five were youths, of which three were directly elected, while the other two were young women elected through the women’s PR system. This, again, is in line with the illustration on the Pyramid, where youth participation as candidates and election into political office is concerning. On the other hand, the structural changes, including introducing the youth quota in 2021, influenced youth candidature for the 2023 elections. This resulted in an increased number of young parliamentarians in the 10th parliament. Out of the 280 MPs for the 10th Parliament, 35 are youths. Of the 35, 17 were directly elected into parliament, ten came through the youth quota, and eight were elected through the women’s PR. The findings on youth participation in the 10th Parliament again conform to Pyramid B’s depiction of youth participation. Pyramid B represents the ideal, and the relative increase of youth following the 2023 elections can be considered as such. The implications of the findings for youth participation in the 2018 and 2023 harmonised elections and the subsequent representation in the 9th and 10th Parliament, respectively, point to fundamental theoretical and governance issues. In terms of the new theory that was developed in the study, while increased youth representation in the 10th Parliament was recorded, in literature, especially with the youth quota, it has been described as ‘skewed demographic representation.’ Theoretically, it implies that the nature of youth representation may improve, yet structural changes within the governance system must support the improvement. The study concludes that the relative improvement of youth representation in the 10th Parliament in Zimbabwe is not sustainable because it has not been accompanied by structural changes that have been limiting youth participation. Therefore, sustainable youth representation in parliament, the essence of Pyramid B, or the ideal situation, can be achieved through structural changes. The new theory presents these changes as safeguards to promote youth participation. These safeguards include, among other changes, aligning the voting age with the eligibility age to run for parliamentary positions (National Assembly and Senatorial seats), increased reserved youth quota seats and democratic candidate selection processes. Broadly, using youth political participation as an indicator of assessing the post-2017 governance system in Zimbabwe, the study advances the notion that there have been no fundamental political reforms in Zimbabwe that foster youth participation, such instead of democratising the governance system in the old republic remains intact. The purported ‘Second Republic’ is just a carry-over from the old system. The safeguards advanced in this study cannot be generalised to other country case studies. However, the use of systematic analysis of youth participation across the activities in the Pyramids can, as a means of identifying context-specific challenges hindering youth representation in parliaments.Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.
Developing an ethics strategy for the National Department of Human Settlements
Full text linkMaster of Arts in Public Administration, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThe study on ethics and/or integrity management seeks to develop an ethics strategy for the National Department of Human Settlements. In recent reports by the Auditor General South Africa (2024), “there were 266 material irregularities on non-compliance and suspected fraud. This had resulted in 240 material financial losses amounting to R14.34 billion; 09 nine instances of misuse of a material public resource, 03 causing substantial harm to the general public, and 14 causing substantial harm to public sector institutions. So far, 79 of the material irregularities have been resolved. 75 appropriate actions had been taken, and 32 appropriate actions had not been taken. There were 23 recommendations included in the audit report, with eight referrals to other investigating bodies.” The report to the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements “highlighted a call to action, which was the accountability ecosystem for role players and human settlement.” (AGSA report to the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements: 2024) Therefore, the main objective of the study is to develop an ethics strategy for the National Department of Human Settlements (NDHS). The study has identified three ethics and/or integrity management strategies developed and implemented by the National Department of Corporative Governance, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The ethics strategies of the three Departments are analysed by utilising the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ethics Management framework. A comparative analysis assesses the existence of the instruments and processes such as the internal policies, rules, code of conduct and training as an ethics management instrument, and the integration of ethics in respect of the Departments and management processes covers the assessment of the institutionalisation and the integration of ethics management in the culture of the organisation. Furthermore, in relation to the structures, the study assesses the presence of designated internal structure, personnel or committees, such as the Ethics or Integrity Management Committee, Audit Committee, Risk Management Committee, amongst the others responsible for ethics management. Overall, the study proposes an ethics strategy for the National Department of Human Settlements.Master
Racial discrimination among University Students
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An integrated talent management implementation framework for capacity development in the local sphere of government: The case of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality
Full text linkMaster of Arts in Public Management and Governance, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThe aim of the study is to investigate the existing talent management practices and challenges in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (NMMDM), Republic of South Africa (RSA), with the purpose of developing an integrated talent management implementation framework for capacity development that will enhance the overall organisational performance and provide quality public services to its residents. The study adopted qualitative research methods supplemented by both descriptive and explanatory research designs. As a result, the empirical study involved an in-depth investigation of the factors influencing the current fragmented approach to talent management practices, using personal interviews supported by semi-structured questionnaire as data collection methods. Furthermore, the study triangulated the results obtained from ten (10) participants in the empirical investigation with the theoretical and conceptual foundations of talent management, specifically for capacity development in the local sphere of government. The selection of these participants was based on two factors: (1) their multi-disciplinary experiences and knowledge, which enabled them to provide useful information on human resource management (HRM) practices in NMMDM and (2) their direct involvement in the strategic planning, policymaking, and implementation of public policies and practices related to talent management and capacity development in the NMMDM, which in turn contributed to the development of a talent management implementation framework for the Municipality. The literature review on talent management in the NMMDM uncovered several key findings, including the importance of aligning talent management strategies with organisational goals and the necessity of adopting a holistic approach, that encompasses recruitment of municipal officials, development of skills, retention of officials, and succession planning for talent pool. The theoretical analyses of talent management theories by the researcher brought to light the importance of employee engagement, continuous training and development, performance management, diversity and inclusion, employer - employee relationships, flexible work environments, retention strategies, career management strategies, and leadership involvement. Notably, these findings call for the NMMDM to adopt an integrated talent management framework in order to address the unique challenges facing the institution across different departments. The RSA’s legislative and regulatory framework for capacity development in its local government sphere also underscores the crucial significance of training, development, and adherence to public policies that foster officials’ personal growth, talent recruitment, and retention. This is required by legislative and regulatory prescripts like the Constitution of RSA, 1996, the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, and the Local Government: Municipal Staff Regulations and many others. The empirical evidence of the study revealed significant challenges in the implementation of talent management practices, such as the absence of a talent management policy, high turnover rates, political interference, a lack of leadership and management support, limited financial resources, inadequate training opportunities, a lack of diversity and inclusion, the absence of career anchors, and a lack of strategic alignment with local governance needs. These findings directly align with the identified problem statement: the lack of an integrated talent management implementation framework in South Africa's local sphere of government hinders effective talent management for capacity development, leading to a fragmented approach. To address this problem, the study proposed the development of a strengthened implementation framework specifically tailored for capacity development in the NMMDM focusing on strategic alignment, employee engagement, diversity, and HRM technological enhancements, aiming to create a cohesive strategy that enhances public service delivery and organisational performance in and by the municipality
The management of international trade disputes with specific reference to the legal framework of the International Trade Commission of South Africa
Full text linkMaster of Law in International Trade Law, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe dynamic nature of global commerce necessitates robust mechanisms for resolving international trade disputes, which are integral to the economic vitality of nations such as South Africa. This study critically examines the efficacy of the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) in managing these disputes within South Africa's legal framework, established under the International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002. By scrutinizing ITAC's determinations and their impact on various stakeholders, particularly Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), the research assesses the adequacy of current dispute resolution mechanisms. Additionally, the study explores the potential benefits and challenges of instituting an independent international trade tribunal in South Africa, aiming to enhance fairness and accessibility in dispute resolution processes. The research methodology is centred on a comprehensive literature review, analysing primary and secondary legal sources, policy documents, and relevant case law. This inquiry not only addresses existing gaps in the literature but also contributes to the broader discourse on international trade law and sustainable economic practices in South Africa.Master
Employees' perceptions of the effects of retrenchment on job stress and organisational commitment in a mining company
No full textDoctoral Degree, North West University. MafikengI'm still testing on how to upload or deposit Theses and Articles on Dspac
Pre-training a Transformer-Based Generative Model Using a Small Sepedi Dataset
Full text linkDue to the scarcity of data in low-resourced languages, the development of language models for these languages has been very slow.
Currently, pre-trained language models have gained popularity in natural language processing, especially, in developing domain-specific models for
low-resourced languages. In this study, we experiment with the impact of using occlusion-based techniques when training a language model for
a text generation task. We curate 2 new datasets, the Sepedi monolingual (SepMono) dataset from several South African resources and the
Sepedi radio news (SepNews) dataset from the radio news domain. We use the SepMono dataset to pre-train transformer-based models using
the occlusion and non-occlusion pre-training techniques and compare performance. The SepNews dataset is specifically used for fine-tuning.
Our results show that the non-occlusion models perform better compared to the occlusion-based models when measuring validation loss and
perplexity. However, analysis of the generated text using the BLEU score metric, which measures the quality of the generated text, shows a slightly
higher BLEU score for the occlusion-based models compared to the nonocclusion models
Harnessing the Power of Skin-to-Skin Contact: Policy, Education, and Support for Preterm Infant Care
Full text linkShort- story, Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing)-- North-West University, Mahikeng CampusPremature birth remains a major contributor to neonatal mortality and morbidity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Skin-to-Skin Contact (SSC), or Kangaroo Mother Care, is an evidence-based, life-saving intervention that improves survival, growth, breastfeeding, and neurodevelopment in preterm infants. Despite its proven effectiveness, SSC is underutilized in many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This PhD study highlights the systemic and educational barriers to routine SSC implementation and offers a framework for sustainable integration. Three core requirements emerged: clear institutional policies, structured and continuous education for both healthcare providers and parents, and comprehensive counselling and support systems. Together, these elements provide a blueprint for ensuring that SSC becomes a consistent standard of care, thereby improving outcomes for both infants and their families
Teacher perceptions on the role of departmental heads in their professional development
Full text linkMaster of Education in Education Management and Leadership, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis study investigates secondary school teachers’ perceptions regarding the role of departmental heads (DHs) in their professional development, with a specific focus on schools in the Kenneth Kaunda District of the North-West Province, South Africa. Departmental heads are instrumental in fostering effective teaching within their departments by guiding and supporting teachers’ development. However, the extent to which teachers perceive DHs as effective in this role remains unclear, particularly concerning the responsibilities as outlined in the Personnel Administrative Measures (PAM) document. Understanding these perceptions is essential as DHs’ leadership significantly impacts teaching quality and, ultimately, learner outcomes. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study collected data through semi structured interviews with twelve teachers, selected from secondary schools in the Kenneth Kaunda District. This method allowed for an in-depth exploration of teachers’ experiences and viewpoints on the support they receive from DHs. The findings of this study provided valuable insights into both the strengths and areas for improvement in the professional development support provided by DHs. By shedding light on teachers’ perspectives, this study offered practical recommendations that can help school administrators and DHs enhance professional development initiatives. These insights have the potential to foster a more supportive environment for teacher development; thereby contributing to improved teaching practices and improved performance.Master