A comparative analysis of mental illness as a defence in criminal law
- Authors: Sitole, Sizakele Elias
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Insanity (Law) -- South Africa , Insanity defense -- South Africa , Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Mental health laws -- South Africa , Offenders with mental disabilities -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10265 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/843 , Insanity (Law) -- South Africa , Insanity defense -- South Africa , Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Mental health laws -- South Africa , Offenders with mental disabilities -- South Africa
- Description: This dissertation deals with the comparative analysis of mental illness as a defence in criminal law. The mental illness / insanity defence is deemed applicable when the accused does not have mens rea or lacks criminal responsibility or is afflicted by the inability to appreciate the wrongfulness of his act and act accordingly, at the time of the commission of the offence due to a pathological disturbance of the mental faculties. A review of the law in South Africa, English Law and United States of America law was done with regard to their approach in connection with the matter. The legal systems of South Africa, English Law and the United States of America were compared and analyzed because English Law and United States of America are developed countries and I decided to compare their approach to insanity defence with reference to South Africa, which is a developing country. Similarities were drawn between South Africa and English Law and this could be attributed to the fact that South African law emanated from English law. This is an important research topic on comparative analysis of mental illness as a defence in criminal law. The law applicable today in South Africa in respect of the defence of mental illness is combined in the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, which replaced the criteria as set out in the M’Naghten rules and the irresistible impulse test. In all the three countries law that were compared the burden of proof has always been on the accused to prove his case on a balance of probabilities but in South Africa the position now is he who alleges must prove because of the legislative amendments. United States of America law allows for the forcible medication with drugs of the mentally ill defendants who are charged with crimes so that they can be fit to stand trial. This is the only country in the ones that were analyzed, which practices such a barbaric and inhuman acts. In the USA , the defendant has the burden of proving the defence of insanity by clear and convincing evidence, and the finding in not guilty by reason of insanity, English law, South African law has the same finding in insanity cases. The most common diagnosis used in support of a defence of insanity continues to be schizophrenia in South Africa and in English law system. In the English law system, the Home Secretary has the power to order defendant to be detained in a hospital on the basis of reports from at least two medical practitioners that the defendant is suffering from mental illness, if the minister is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so. In South Africa, the accused will be detained in a psychiatric hospital or a prison pending the decision of a judge in chambers. The detention of those found not guilty by reason of insanity could be challenged under the Human Rights Act in English law because the legal definition of insanity is far wider than the medical concept of mental disorder. The Drs under English Law have to use the legal, not the medical understanding of the mental disorder. The placing of a burden of proof on the defendant may be challengeable under European Convention of Human Rights as contrary to the presumption of innocence that is protected under convention. Finally this is a controversial subject on mental illness but the position in South Africa has been clear for a long time, and I did not come across any deficiencies in our law. I submit that South African law position on mental illness is good.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Sitole, Sizakele Elias
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Insanity (Law) -- South Africa , Insanity defense -- South Africa , Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Mental health laws -- South Africa , Offenders with mental disabilities -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10265 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/843 , Insanity (Law) -- South Africa , Insanity defense -- South Africa , Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Mental health laws -- South Africa , Offenders with mental disabilities -- South Africa
- Description: This dissertation deals with the comparative analysis of mental illness as a defence in criminal law. The mental illness / insanity defence is deemed applicable when the accused does not have mens rea or lacks criminal responsibility or is afflicted by the inability to appreciate the wrongfulness of his act and act accordingly, at the time of the commission of the offence due to a pathological disturbance of the mental faculties. A review of the law in South Africa, English Law and United States of America law was done with regard to their approach in connection with the matter. The legal systems of South Africa, English Law and the United States of America were compared and analyzed because English Law and United States of America are developed countries and I decided to compare their approach to insanity defence with reference to South Africa, which is a developing country. Similarities were drawn between South Africa and English Law and this could be attributed to the fact that South African law emanated from English law. This is an important research topic on comparative analysis of mental illness as a defence in criminal law. The law applicable today in South Africa in respect of the defence of mental illness is combined in the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, which replaced the criteria as set out in the M’Naghten rules and the irresistible impulse test. In all the three countries law that were compared the burden of proof has always been on the accused to prove his case on a balance of probabilities but in South Africa the position now is he who alleges must prove because of the legislative amendments. United States of America law allows for the forcible medication with drugs of the mentally ill defendants who are charged with crimes so that they can be fit to stand trial. This is the only country in the ones that were analyzed, which practices such a barbaric and inhuman acts. In the USA , the defendant has the burden of proving the defence of insanity by clear and convincing evidence, and the finding in not guilty by reason of insanity, English law, South African law has the same finding in insanity cases. The most common diagnosis used in support of a defence of insanity continues to be schizophrenia in South Africa and in English law system. In the English law system, the Home Secretary has the power to order defendant to be detained in a hospital on the basis of reports from at least two medical practitioners that the defendant is suffering from mental illness, if the minister is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so. In South Africa, the accused will be detained in a psychiatric hospital or a prison pending the decision of a judge in chambers. The detention of those found not guilty by reason of insanity could be challenged under the Human Rights Act in English law because the legal definition of insanity is far wider than the medical concept of mental disorder. The Drs under English Law have to use the legal, not the medical understanding of the mental disorder. The placing of a burden of proof on the defendant may be challengeable under European Convention of Human Rights as contrary to the presumption of innocence that is protected under convention. Finally this is a controversial subject on mental illness but the position in South Africa has been clear for a long time, and I did not come across any deficiencies in our law. I submit that South African law position on mental illness is good.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A comparative analysis of the environmental impact of selected low-income housing developments in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Kumm, Simon
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Low-income housing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8152 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/539 , Low-income housing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: South Africa has a shortage of affordable housing for its poor. In order to overcome the shortage, a large number of houses need to be built. The bulk building of these houses has an effect on the environment and it is important to note whether or not this impact will be a lasting positive one or not. Governmental policies have recognised the need to create positive, sustainable settlement environments. The degree to which settlements are sustainable and reflect a positive environment is, however, a point of concern. This dissertation analyses and compares four low-income housing developments in the Eastern Cape in order to make proposals on how future low-income developments can impact more positively on their settlement environments, reduce their impact on non-renewable resources and better implement the ideals of the Development Facilitation Act. This was done in order to meet the expectations put in place by Government policies and to correct the historical shortcomings of South Africa’s low-income settlement provision. The method used was to determine, through literature study, a set of factors that most prominently impacted on low-income settlement environments. These were then compiled into a model, which was then used to analyse and compare existing settlements. This elicited a set of conclusions based on the findings and provided strategies for future settlements to follow to meet the research’s stated ideals. The literature study revealed a myriad of important principles that fell into six main categories that impacted on settlement environments. Furthermore, it was discovered that each of these principles should be assessed in the context of their human and natural environments as well as their effect at the scale of the unit, the settlement and the city. The analysis and comparison of the settlements revealed that all six of the model’s categories performed poorly in at least two of the four settlements analysed, a strong indication that the implementation of the model’s principles was not being successfully achieved in low-income settlements. It further revealed specific areas requiring attention in future developments. The analysis also revealed positive areas of implementation from each settlement that can be used in future settlements to meet the stated ideals of creating a positive impact on their settlement environments, reducing their impact on non-renewable resources and better implementing the ideals of the Development Facilitation Act. The study recommends that future settlements avoid the negative practices identified in these settlements and implement the positive strategies proposed for the benefit of future settlement environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Kumm, Simon
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Low-income housing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8152 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/539 , Low-income housing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Housing policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: South Africa has a shortage of affordable housing for its poor. In order to overcome the shortage, a large number of houses need to be built. The bulk building of these houses has an effect on the environment and it is important to note whether or not this impact will be a lasting positive one or not. Governmental policies have recognised the need to create positive, sustainable settlement environments. The degree to which settlements are sustainable and reflect a positive environment is, however, a point of concern. This dissertation analyses and compares four low-income housing developments in the Eastern Cape in order to make proposals on how future low-income developments can impact more positively on their settlement environments, reduce their impact on non-renewable resources and better implement the ideals of the Development Facilitation Act. This was done in order to meet the expectations put in place by Government policies and to correct the historical shortcomings of South Africa’s low-income settlement provision. The method used was to determine, through literature study, a set of factors that most prominently impacted on low-income settlement environments. These were then compiled into a model, which was then used to analyse and compare existing settlements. This elicited a set of conclusions based on the findings and provided strategies for future settlements to follow to meet the research’s stated ideals. The literature study revealed a myriad of important principles that fell into six main categories that impacted on settlement environments. Furthermore, it was discovered that each of these principles should be assessed in the context of their human and natural environments as well as their effect at the scale of the unit, the settlement and the city. The analysis and comparison of the settlements revealed that all six of the model’s categories performed poorly in at least two of the four settlements analysed, a strong indication that the implementation of the model’s principles was not being successfully achieved in low-income settlements. It further revealed specific areas requiring attention in future developments. The analysis also revealed positive areas of implementation from each settlement that can be used in future settlements to meet the stated ideals of creating a positive impact on their settlement environments, reducing their impact on non-renewable resources and better implementing the ideals of the Development Facilitation Act. The study recommends that future settlements avoid the negative practices identified in these settlements and implement the positive strategies proposed for the benefit of future settlement environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A comparison between the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Kobus, Louann
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Big game hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Game farms -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10590 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/534 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011724 , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Game farms -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The objectives of this research, were to investigate the characteristics and develop a profile of the game and hunting industries of KwaZulu-Natal, and to undertake a comparison between the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The comparative part of this study was completed using results obtained from a study done in 2002 in the Eastern Cape (van Niekerk, 2002). The main farming activities in KwaZulu-Natal are large livestock production and sugar cane production. In recent years, private landowners in KwaZulu-Natal have undergone a transition from livestock production to game ranching due to the problems faced and the cost implications of the HIV epidemic, stock theft, difficulties faced with changes in the labour laws and the increasing number of land claims against farmers. Although the game and hunting industries are relatively young industries in KwaZulu-Natal they contribute significantly to the economy of the province. Not only is greater conservation of the biodiversity more effective in game ranching but it is also proving to yield great economic returns. The increase in game ranching in recent years is namely due to the monetary value placed on wildlife, the increased value in ecotourism and its value as an earner of foreign exchange, less dependency on unskilled labour than that of livestock farming and lower rates of animal loss through theft compared to that of livestock farming. In KwaZulu-Natal game numbers indicate that impala have the greatest population amongst the respondents, followed by nyala, blesbok, common reedbuck, kudu and blue wildebeest, whilst other game species occur in smaller numbers. Respondents in KwaZulu-Natal indicate that nyala is the largest economic earner for them followed by buffalo, whereas in the Eastern Cape (2002), kudu and springbok provide the greatest income for the province. In KwaZulu-Natal income generated from hunting is second to that of live game sales compared to the Eastern Cape (2002) where hunting is the most important form of game utilisation in terms of income generated. At the time of this study, respondents in KwaZulu-Natal reported an income of R 15 382 397 generated from live sales and R 13 561 459 from hunting. These respondents also indicated that the total value of game utilised annually was in excess of R 30 million. Although game utilisation is occurring on a sustainable basis, there is room for greater utilisation of some game species which, if undertaken correctly, can increase the revenue for the province significantly and also contribute positively to further sustainability of the game populations. KwaZulu-Natal’s competitive advantage is derived from the fact that there is an abundance of game on the ranches, quality trophy animals are available, the number of game species available for hunting and quality of service rendered to hunters by the professional hunters and ranch owners. This study has clearly shown that there is a need for further investigation into the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Kobus, Louann
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Big game hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Game farms -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10590 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/534 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011724 , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Big game hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hunting -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Hunting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Game farms -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The objectives of this research, were to investigate the characteristics and develop a profile of the game and hunting industries of KwaZulu-Natal, and to undertake a comparison between the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The comparative part of this study was completed using results obtained from a study done in 2002 in the Eastern Cape (van Niekerk, 2002). The main farming activities in KwaZulu-Natal are large livestock production and sugar cane production. In recent years, private landowners in KwaZulu-Natal have undergone a transition from livestock production to game ranching due to the problems faced and the cost implications of the HIV epidemic, stock theft, difficulties faced with changes in the labour laws and the increasing number of land claims against farmers. Although the game and hunting industries are relatively young industries in KwaZulu-Natal they contribute significantly to the economy of the province. Not only is greater conservation of the biodiversity more effective in game ranching but it is also proving to yield great economic returns. The increase in game ranching in recent years is namely due to the monetary value placed on wildlife, the increased value in ecotourism and its value as an earner of foreign exchange, less dependency on unskilled labour than that of livestock farming and lower rates of animal loss through theft compared to that of livestock farming. In KwaZulu-Natal game numbers indicate that impala have the greatest population amongst the respondents, followed by nyala, blesbok, common reedbuck, kudu and blue wildebeest, whilst other game species occur in smaller numbers. Respondents in KwaZulu-Natal indicate that nyala is the largest economic earner for them followed by buffalo, whereas in the Eastern Cape (2002), kudu and springbok provide the greatest income for the province. In KwaZulu-Natal income generated from hunting is second to that of live game sales compared to the Eastern Cape (2002) where hunting is the most important form of game utilisation in terms of income generated. At the time of this study, respondents in KwaZulu-Natal reported an income of R 15 382 397 generated from live sales and R 13 561 459 from hunting. These respondents also indicated that the total value of game utilised annually was in excess of R 30 million. Although game utilisation is occurring on a sustainable basis, there is room for greater utilisation of some game species which, if undertaken correctly, can increase the revenue for the province significantly and also contribute positively to further sustainability of the game populations. KwaZulu-Natal’s competitive advantage is derived from the fact that there is an abundance of game on the ranches, quality trophy animals are available, the number of game species available for hunting and quality of service rendered to hunters by the professional hunters and ranch owners. This study has clearly shown that there is a need for further investigation into the game and hunting industries in KwaZulu-Natal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A comparison of the labour dispute resolution systems of South Africa and Swaziland
- Authors: Majinda, Maseko Moses
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Labor disputes -- South Africa , Labor disputes -- Swaziland , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- Swaziland , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- South Africa , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- Swaziland
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10204 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/833 , Labor disputes -- South Africa , Labor disputes -- Swaziland , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- Swaziland , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- South Africa , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- Swaziland
- Description: History and Background: The history of statutory labour dispute resolution of South Africa dates back to 1909, when the Transvaal Disputes Prevention Act of 1909 was promulgated which applied only to the Transvaal. The Industrial Conciliation Act of 1924 established industrial councils and ad hoc conciliation boards and excluded black workers from the statutory definition of employee and this resulted in a dual industrial relations system that existed up to 1979. The history of statutory labour dispute resolution of Swaziland dates back to 1980 when the first Industrial Relations Act of 1980 was promulgated which established the first Industrial Court. Research Findings: The dispute resolution systems of South Africa and Swaziland contain both similarities and differences. Lessons for Swaziland include combining general and specific dispute resolution procedures, providing the right of a referring party to apply for condonation for late referral of a dispute, using conciliation-arbitration, making arbitration proceedings public hearings, influence of parties on the appointment of arbitrators, court adjudication, pre-dismissal arbitration, court adjudication by judges only, establishment of a constitutional court, full protection of protected strikes/ lockouts from interdicts, legalization of sympathy strikes, and removal of strikes/ lockout ballot. Lessons for South Africa include plural representation of parties at conciliation and arbitration, re-direction of some disputes by the Labour Court to the Commission for arbitration, reporting of labour disputes direct to the Head of State for determination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Majinda, Maseko Moses
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Labor disputes -- South Africa , Labor disputes -- Swaziland , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- Swaziland , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- South Africa , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- Swaziland
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10204 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/833 , Labor disputes -- South Africa , Labor disputes -- Swaziland , Dispute resolution (Law) -- South Africa , Dispute resolution (Law) -- Swaziland , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- South Africa , Mediation and conciliation, Industrial -- Swaziland
- Description: History and Background: The history of statutory labour dispute resolution of South Africa dates back to 1909, when the Transvaal Disputes Prevention Act of 1909 was promulgated which applied only to the Transvaal. The Industrial Conciliation Act of 1924 established industrial councils and ad hoc conciliation boards and excluded black workers from the statutory definition of employee and this resulted in a dual industrial relations system that existed up to 1979. The history of statutory labour dispute resolution of Swaziland dates back to 1980 when the first Industrial Relations Act of 1980 was promulgated which established the first Industrial Court. Research Findings: The dispute resolution systems of South Africa and Swaziland contain both similarities and differences. Lessons for Swaziland include combining general and specific dispute resolution procedures, providing the right of a referring party to apply for condonation for late referral of a dispute, using conciliation-arbitration, making arbitration proceedings public hearings, influence of parties on the appointment of arbitrators, court adjudication, pre-dismissal arbitration, court adjudication by judges only, establishment of a constitutional court, full protection of protected strikes/ lockouts from interdicts, legalization of sympathy strikes, and removal of strikes/ lockout ballot. Lessons for South Africa include plural representation of parties at conciliation and arbitration, re-direction of some disputes by the Labour Court to the Commission for arbitration, reporting of labour disputes direct to the Head of State for determination.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A comparison of the vulcanisation of Polyisoprene by a range of Thiuram Diulfides
- Authors: Van Rooyen, Jason Leigh
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Vulcanization , Vulcanization accelerators
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10399 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/733 , Vulcanization , Vulcanization accelerators
- Description: This study was initiated in an attempt to investigate dithiocarbamic acid accelerated sulfur vulcanisation. This was, however, found impossible due to the innate instability of dithiocarbamic acids. The focus of the study was then shifted toward thiuram disulfide accelerated sulfur vulcanisation, with emphasis being placed on a rate comparison. Three groups of accelerators were investigated, namely the aromatic, linear aliphatic and cyclic aliphatic thiuram disulfide adducts. The analysis methods that were employed were conventional rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene) techniques coupled to model (squalene) compound investigations. The data that was collected consisted of rheometrical torque vs. time data in the rubber system while the data obtained in the model compound study consisted of sulfur and accelerator concentration data as determined by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The aromatic accelerators were synthesised in our labs by means of an addition reaction between the aromatic amine and CS2 in basic medium and subsequent oxidation with K3Fe(CN)6, all in a 1:1 molar ratio. The reaction yield was low due to the instability of the dithiocarbamate intermediates and a sluggish oxidation reaction. In the rate constant determination a first order mathematical approach was used for the rubber system as crosslinking is considered to roughly obey first order kinetics. The model compound data was also found to more accurately fit the first order rate law, with an initial slopes method also being applied to the system to determine secondary rate constants and relative rates for the system. The determination of vulcanisation rate constants in the cis-1,4-polyisoprene system was a success, while the rate data determined by means of the squalene model was more related to the rate of accelerator and sulfur consumption as opposed to the rate of crosslinking as is the case with the rubber rate data. The sulfur first order rate data mirrored the rate data derived from the rubber system more closely than the corresponding accelerator rate data, the relative rate data determined by means of initial slopes method, proved that the homolytic cleavage of thiuram disulfides and the subsequent formation of accelerator polysulfides were not limiting steps. This is seen in the similar relative rate data derived from both the raw sulfur and accelerator data in systems that exhibit vastly different vulcanisation rates. Squalene was deemed a suitable model for the cis-1,4-polyisoprene system, although one should consider the extent of charring and solution effects in the individual systems to account for possible incongruities that may be observed between the rubber and simulated system. The lack of agreement between the rubber and model compound rate constant data lies in the fact that the rate of crosslinking is not simplistically related to the rate at which accelerator and sulfur is consumed, this being especially true for the rate at which the accelerator is consumed. Thus the discussion over the acceleratory rates in the various accelerator systems was limited to observations made in the rubber system, with the model compound data was used exclusively to elucidate mechanistic processes. It was discovered that the groups of accelerators examined, namely linear, cyclic and aromatic thiuram disulfide adducts, produced vastly varied rate data. The aromatic thiuram disulfide adducts had only a slight acceleratory effect on the rate of vulcanisation as compared to the unaccelerated sulfur system. The morpholine adduct had a moderately larger rate of acceleration followed by tetramethyl and tetrethylthiuram disulfide, with N’N-dicyclopentamethylenethiuram disulfide having the fastest rate of acceleration.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Van Rooyen, Jason Leigh
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Vulcanization , Vulcanization accelerators
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10399 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/733 , Vulcanization , Vulcanization accelerators
- Description: This study was initiated in an attempt to investigate dithiocarbamic acid accelerated sulfur vulcanisation. This was, however, found impossible due to the innate instability of dithiocarbamic acids. The focus of the study was then shifted toward thiuram disulfide accelerated sulfur vulcanisation, with emphasis being placed on a rate comparison. Three groups of accelerators were investigated, namely the aromatic, linear aliphatic and cyclic aliphatic thiuram disulfide adducts. The analysis methods that were employed were conventional rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene) techniques coupled to model (squalene) compound investigations. The data that was collected consisted of rheometrical torque vs. time data in the rubber system while the data obtained in the model compound study consisted of sulfur and accelerator concentration data as determined by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The aromatic accelerators were synthesised in our labs by means of an addition reaction between the aromatic amine and CS2 in basic medium and subsequent oxidation with K3Fe(CN)6, all in a 1:1 molar ratio. The reaction yield was low due to the instability of the dithiocarbamate intermediates and a sluggish oxidation reaction. In the rate constant determination a first order mathematical approach was used for the rubber system as crosslinking is considered to roughly obey first order kinetics. The model compound data was also found to more accurately fit the first order rate law, with an initial slopes method also being applied to the system to determine secondary rate constants and relative rates for the system. The determination of vulcanisation rate constants in the cis-1,4-polyisoprene system was a success, while the rate data determined by means of the squalene model was more related to the rate of accelerator and sulfur consumption as opposed to the rate of crosslinking as is the case with the rubber rate data. The sulfur first order rate data mirrored the rate data derived from the rubber system more closely than the corresponding accelerator rate data, the relative rate data determined by means of initial slopes method, proved that the homolytic cleavage of thiuram disulfides and the subsequent formation of accelerator polysulfides were not limiting steps. This is seen in the similar relative rate data derived from both the raw sulfur and accelerator data in systems that exhibit vastly different vulcanisation rates. Squalene was deemed a suitable model for the cis-1,4-polyisoprene system, although one should consider the extent of charring and solution effects in the individual systems to account for possible incongruities that may be observed between the rubber and simulated system. The lack of agreement between the rubber and model compound rate constant data lies in the fact that the rate of crosslinking is not simplistically related to the rate at which accelerator and sulfur is consumed, this being especially true for the rate at which the accelerator is consumed. Thus the discussion over the acceleratory rates in the various accelerator systems was limited to observations made in the rubber system, with the model compound data was used exclusively to elucidate mechanistic processes. It was discovered that the groups of accelerators examined, namely linear, cyclic and aromatic thiuram disulfide adducts, produced vastly varied rate data. The aromatic thiuram disulfide adducts had only a slight acceleratory effect on the rate of vulcanisation as compared to the unaccelerated sulfur system. The morpholine adduct had a moderately larger rate of acceleration followed by tetramethyl and tetrethylthiuram disulfide, with N’N-dicyclopentamethylenethiuram disulfide having the fastest rate of acceleration.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A contingent valuation of river water inflows into the Swartkops, Kariega, Mngazi and Mngazana Estuaries in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mlangeni, Moses Mbendela
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Contingent valuation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Water quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Swartkops Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Kariega Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazi Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazana Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/569 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011690 , Contingent valuation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Water quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Swartkops Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Kariega Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazi Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazana Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
- Description: Many South African estuaries are currently believed to be generating lower levels of services than they used to in the past due to substantially reduced inflow of river water, among other reasons. The basis by which river water is allocated in South Africa has had to be re-examined. Local authorities are now required to integrate into their development planning sensitivity to the ways estuaries work; the relevant legislation being the Municipal Systems Act No. 32 of 2000. Sound water resource management requires that the benefits and costs of different water allocations be compared and an optimum determined. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is used in this study to estimate the benefits of changing allocations of river water into estuaries. This study builds on a CVM pilot project done at the Keurbooms Estuary in the Southern Cape in year 2000 (Du Preez, 2002). Further CVM studies were conducted at the Knysna, Groot Brak and Klein Brak estuaries (Dimopolous, 2004). The CVM is a valuation technique based on answers given to carefully formulated questions on what people are willing to pay for specified changes of freshwater inflows into estuaries. The CVM depends on there being a close correspondence between expressed answers given to hypothetical questions and voluntary exchanges in competitive markets that would be entered into if money did actually change hands. The fact that it has proved very difficult to establish this correspondence has led to CVM being subject to criticism. However, many aspects of this criticism have been addressed in the form of methods to reduce biases, and the application of the technique has grown steadily in popularity during the past 25 years. Four estuaries, the Swartkops, Kariega, Mngazi and Mngazana, were surveyed as part of this study in order to determine users’ willingness to pay (WTP) for changes in freshwater inflows. Considerable research time was devoted at the estuaries getting to know how things worked around and in the estuaries. The Swartkops estuary is a permanently open system within the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area. The estuary has the third largest salt marsh in South Africa. Its banks are highly developed with residential and industrial property and it is heavily used for both recreation and subsistence fishing by locals. The Kariega estuary is located near the semi-rural town of Kenton-on-sea, between Port Elizabeth and East London. Although it is permanently open, the Kariega estuary has very low inflows of river water. It is mainly used by retired pensioners living in holiday houses at Kenton-on-sea. The Kariega is not heavily used for recreation and subsistence fishing, except during holidays and the festive season because of its proximity to other estuaries such as the Bushmans and the Kleinemond. The Mngazi and the Mngazana estuaries are located in the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape, in the Port St Johns Municipal district. The Mngazi is a temporarily open/closed system which does not have high botanical ratings, although it is heavily used by visitors to the well known Mngazi River Bungalows, a highly rated hotel near the mouth of the Mngazi River. The Mngazana estuary is a permanently open system renowned for its Mangrove forests and excellent fishing spots. Both the Mngazi and Mngazana estuaries are located in rural areas and are heavily used by local village residents for subsistence purposes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Mlangeni, Moses Mbendela
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Contingent valuation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Water quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Swartkops Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Kariega Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazi Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazana Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9004 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/569 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011690 , Contingent valuation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Water quality management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Swartkops Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Kariega Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazi Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa) , Mngazana Estuary (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
- Description: Many South African estuaries are currently believed to be generating lower levels of services than they used to in the past due to substantially reduced inflow of river water, among other reasons. The basis by which river water is allocated in South Africa has had to be re-examined. Local authorities are now required to integrate into their development planning sensitivity to the ways estuaries work; the relevant legislation being the Municipal Systems Act No. 32 of 2000. Sound water resource management requires that the benefits and costs of different water allocations be compared and an optimum determined. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is used in this study to estimate the benefits of changing allocations of river water into estuaries. This study builds on a CVM pilot project done at the Keurbooms Estuary in the Southern Cape in year 2000 (Du Preez, 2002). Further CVM studies were conducted at the Knysna, Groot Brak and Klein Brak estuaries (Dimopolous, 2004). The CVM is a valuation technique based on answers given to carefully formulated questions on what people are willing to pay for specified changes of freshwater inflows into estuaries. The CVM depends on there being a close correspondence between expressed answers given to hypothetical questions and voluntary exchanges in competitive markets that would be entered into if money did actually change hands. The fact that it has proved very difficult to establish this correspondence has led to CVM being subject to criticism. However, many aspects of this criticism have been addressed in the form of methods to reduce biases, and the application of the technique has grown steadily in popularity during the past 25 years. Four estuaries, the Swartkops, Kariega, Mngazi and Mngazana, were surveyed as part of this study in order to determine users’ willingness to pay (WTP) for changes in freshwater inflows. Considerable research time was devoted at the estuaries getting to know how things worked around and in the estuaries. The Swartkops estuary is a permanently open system within the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area. The estuary has the third largest salt marsh in South Africa. Its banks are highly developed with residential and industrial property and it is heavily used for both recreation and subsistence fishing by locals. The Kariega estuary is located near the semi-rural town of Kenton-on-sea, between Port Elizabeth and East London. Although it is permanently open, the Kariega estuary has very low inflows of river water. It is mainly used by retired pensioners living in holiday houses at Kenton-on-sea. The Kariega is not heavily used for recreation and subsistence fishing, except during holidays and the festive season because of its proximity to other estuaries such as the Bushmans and the Kleinemond. The Mngazi and the Mngazana estuaries are located in the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape, in the Port St Johns Municipal district. The Mngazi is a temporarily open/closed system which does not have high botanical ratings, although it is heavily used by visitors to the well known Mngazi River Bungalows, a highly rated hotel near the mouth of the Mngazi River. The Mngazana estuary is a permanently open system renowned for its Mangrove forests and excellent fishing spots. Both the Mngazi and Mngazana estuaries are located in rural areas and are heavily used by local village residents for subsistence purposes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A COP optimized control system for a CO₂ based automotive A/C-system
- Authors: Rapp, Tobias
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Automobiles -- Air conditioning , Motor vehicles -- Automatic control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9624 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/773 , Automobiles -- Air conditioning , Motor vehicles -- Automatic control
- Description: In the last few years carbon dioxide received increasing attention as a possible replacement for fluorocarbon-based refrigerants used within present automotive A/C system technology. R-134a is harmless to the ozone layer but the greenhouse effect is more than 1300 times higher than that of an equivalent amount of CO2. Alternative refrigerants are natural gasses such as propane and butane, however these gasses are considered explosive. With many objections raised it appears if CO2 will be the future refrigrant for automotive use. One concern with R-744 is its high operating pressure and suction/discharge pressure difference when compared to common refrigeration processes. A major problem with the CO2 cycle is the loss of effciency at high ambient temperatures. With a COP optimized control system for the expansion value based on pressure, temperature and mass flow of the refrigerant, an effective A/C system for CO2 could be deleloped. This resrach offers basic knowledge of refrigerant cycles and gives an overall view of the refrigerant change-over problem. With the results obtained from the experimental work a better understanding of the CO2 cycle and a better understanding towards effective A/C systems have been realized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Rapp, Tobias
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Automobiles -- Air conditioning , Motor vehicles -- Automatic control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9624 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/773 , Automobiles -- Air conditioning , Motor vehicles -- Automatic control
- Description: In the last few years carbon dioxide received increasing attention as a possible replacement for fluorocarbon-based refrigerants used within present automotive A/C system technology. R-134a is harmless to the ozone layer but the greenhouse effect is more than 1300 times higher than that of an equivalent amount of CO2. Alternative refrigerants are natural gasses such as propane and butane, however these gasses are considered explosive. With many objections raised it appears if CO2 will be the future refrigrant for automotive use. One concern with R-744 is its high operating pressure and suction/discharge pressure difference when compared to common refrigeration processes. A major problem with the CO2 cycle is the loss of effciency at high ambient temperatures. With a COP optimized control system for the expansion value based on pressure, temperature and mass flow of the refrigerant, an effective A/C system for CO2 could be deleloped. This resrach offers basic knowledge of refrigerant cycles and gives an overall view of the refrigerant change-over problem. With the results obtained from the experimental work a better understanding of the CO2 cycle and a better understanding towards effective A/C systems have been realized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical analysis of employment equity measures in South Africa
- Authors: Laher, Ismail
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: South Africa. Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Discrimination in employment -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Affirmative action programs -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3680 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003195 , South Africa. Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Discrimination in employment -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Affirmative action programs -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis analyses the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and its application in labour law in South Africa. After an initial examination of the general concepts with regards to employment equity and current international conventions regarding employment equity, the study will move on to examine employment equity as it stands in the law today. In examining the current law regarding employment equity, a brief historical background will be offered in order to show the legacy of apartheid: the immense disparity between the different categories of South African people in the modern era. By using this background and analysing the relevant provisions of the Constitution, it will be argued that there is a very real need for employment equity measures to bring about a true sense of equality in South Africa and that such measures are fully endorsed by the Constitution. After it has been established that affirmative action is an important tool in the creation of an equal South Africa, the measures put in place to help create this equal South Africa will be critically analysed. This critical analysis will point out certain weaknesses in the current affirmative action system. Following this critical analysis of the South African employment equity law, the employment equity systems used in Brazil, Canada and Malaysia will be examined in detail. The purpose of this analysis will be to find the strengths and weaknesses and successes and failures of these foreign systems. This will be done in order to highlight those areas of the foreign systems that can be implemented into South African law in order to make the South African employment equity system stronger. The weaknesses of those systems will also be highlighted in order to learn valuable lessons from other system’s failures so that South Africa does not make the same mistakes. The final part of this thesis will be in depth discussions and the proposal of solutions to the weaknesses of the South African employment equity system that have been highlighted throughout the thesis. These proposals will be put forward in order to ensure the most efficient and effective employment equity system in South Africa. There will also be a reassessment of the most valuable lessons learned from the foreign systems that would be easily implemented into or avoided by the South African system in order to ensure an effective employment equity system. The purpose, therefore, of this thesis is to critically analyse employment equity in South Africa. A further purpose will be to propose certain amendments and changes to the current system to ensure the Employment Equity Act is reflective of the needs of the people South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Laher, Ismail
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: South Africa. Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Discrimination in employment -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Affirmative action programs -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3680 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003195 , South Africa. Employment Equity Act, 1998 , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Discrimination in employment -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Affirmative action programs -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis analyses the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and its application in labour law in South Africa. After an initial examination of the general concepts with regards to employment equity and current international conventions regarding employment equity, the study will move on to examine employment equity as it stands in the law today. In examining the current law regarding employment equity, a brief historical background will be offered in order to show the legacy of apartheid: the immense disparity between the different categories of South African people in the modern era. By using this background and analysing the relevant provisions of the Constitution, it will be argued that there is a very real need for employment equity measures to bring about a true sense of equality in South Africa and that such measures are fully endorsed by the Constitution. After it has been established that affirmative action is an important tool in the creation of an equal South Africa, the measures put in place to help create this equal South Africa will be critically analysed. This critical analysis will point out certain weaknesses in the current affirmative action system. Following this critical analysis of the South African employment equity law, the employment equity systems used in Brazil, Canada and Malaysia will be examined in detail. The purpose of this analysis will be to find the strengths and weaknesses and successes and failures of these foreign systems. This will be done in order to highlight those areas of the foreign systems that can be implemented into South African law in order to make the South African employment equity system stronger. The weaknesses of those systems will also be highlighted in order to learn valuable lessons from other system’s failures so that South Africa does not make the same mistakes. The final part of this thesis will be in depth discussions and the proposal of solutions to the weaknesses of the South African employment equity system that have been highlighted throughout the thesis. These proposals will be put forward in order to ensure the most efficient and effective employment equity system in South Africa. There will also be a reassessment of the most valuable lessons learned from the foreign systems that would be easily implemented into or avoided by the South African system in order to ensure an effective employment equity system. The purpose, therefore, of this thesis is to critically analyse employment equity in South Africa. A further purpose will be to propose certain amendments and changes to the current system to ensure the Employment Equity Act is reflective of the needs of the people South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical analysis of oppositional discourses of the ideal female body in women's conversations
- Authors: Pienaar, Kiran Merle
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Conversation analysis Women in mass media Self-perception in women Self-perception in adolescence Body image
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2358 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002641
- Description: Socialisation agents such as the popular media and same age female peers construct and reproduce notions of what is physically ideal, feminine and beautiful in a woman (Hesse-Biber 1996). My interest lies in how a group of young women reproduce, contest and possibly transform such notions in conversations with their same age female friends. The study aims to answer the following question: What ideologies are reflected and perpetuated in the discourses associated with the ideal female body? Since notions of what is ideal and beautiful are indeterminate and in perpetual flux, I focus in particular on areas of contradiction and contestation in the body talk conversations. As such, the analysis examines three extracts in which the young women draw on oppositional discourses to construct notions of female beauty. I believe that these extracts represent discursive struggles in relation to the dominant Western ideal of the slim, toned female body, an ideal which more closely resembles a newly pubescent girl's body than the curvaceous, shapely body of an adult woman (Bartky 2003; Grogan 1998). My analysis is based on conversational data collected from sixteen, white adolescent English-speaking women between the ages of fourteen and eighteen who attend a boarding school in Grahamstown. I elicited the body talk data using three stimulus exercises designed to encourage discussion on topics such as the overweight female body, dieting and the ideal body. I selected three extracts from the recorded conversations and used the methodological framework of Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse the data. This framework proposes three interdependent stages of analysis: 1) the Description of the formal features of the text, 2) the Interpretation of the text in terms of the participants' background assumptions, the situational context and the intertextual context and 3) an Explanation of the text in light of the sociocultural context and the text's contribution to the reproduction or transformation of the status quo. Since I was present during the conversational recordings and contributed to the discussions, part of the interpretation stage of analysis critically evaluates how the asymmetrical power relations between myself and the participants influenced the conversations. In this regard, my findings attest to my coercive role in promoting conservative, reactionary discourses which sustain the dominance of traditional ideologies of female beauty and which stifle oppositional ideologies. My interpretation of the extracts also reveals that, in their discussions of topics such as excess weight, female ageing and cosmetic surgery, the young women negotiate alternative conceptions of what constitutes the ideal female body. However, the articulation of an alternative beauty ideal, one which values women of different body sizes and ages is not sustained in the extracts. By discussing the relationship between these alternative constructions and dominant norms of beauty, I show how the prevailing ideal of the youthful, slim, toned female body wins out in the conversations. The interpretation of the extracts also reveals the participants' preoccupation with the pursuit of health and well¬being. In this respect, the young women construct the ideal body as not only slim and youthful, but also healthy. In my explanation of the extracts, I explore the sociocultural factors which have contributed to the rise of the health ethic. In concluding, I argue that the valorisation of the healthy body in the conversations, far from challenging the imperative to be thin, actually reinforces it by constructing dieting as a necessary adjunct to the pursuit of health. From this perspective, the preoccupation with attaining the ideal thin, toned body can be justified in terms of a desire to be healthy.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Pienaar, Kiran Merle
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Conversation analysis Women in mass media Self-perception in women Self-perception in adolescence Body image
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2358 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002641
- Description: Socialisation agents such as the popular media and same age female peers construct and reproduce notions of what is physically ideal, feminine and beautiful in a woman (Hesse-Biber 1996). My interest lies in how a group of young women reproduce, contest and possibly transform such notions in conversations with their same age female friends. The study aims to answer the following question: What ideologies are reflected and perpetuated in the discourses associated with the ideal female body? Since notions of what is ideal and beautiful are indeterminate and in perpetual flux, I focus in particular on areas of contradiction and contestation in the body talk conversations. As such, the analysis examines three extracts in which the young women draw on oppositional discourses to construct notions of female beauty. I believe that these extracts represent discursive struggles in relation to the dominant Western ideal of the slim, toned female body, an ideal which more closely resembles a newly pubescent girl's body than the curvaceous, shapely body of an adult woman (Bartky 2003; Grogan 1998). My analysis is based on conversational data collected from sixteen, white adolescent English-speaking women between the ages of fourteen and eighteen who attend a boarding school in Grahamstown. I elicited the body talk data using three stimulus exercises designed to encourage discussion on topics such as the overweight female body, dieting and the ideal body. I selected three extracts from the recorded conversations and used the methodological framework of Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse the data. This framework proposes three interdependent stages of analysis: 1) the Description of the formal features of the text, 2) the Interpretation of the text in terms of the participants' background assumptions, the situational context and the intertextual context and 3) an Explanation of the text in light of the sociocultural context and the text's contribution to the reproduction or transformation of the status quo. Since I was present during the conversational recordings and contributed to the discussions, part of the interpretation stage of analysis critically evaluates how the asymmetrical power relations between myself and the participants influenced the conversations. In this regard, my findings attest to my coercive role in promoting conservative, reactionary discourses which sustain the dominance of traditional ideologies of female beauty and which stifle oppositional ideologies. My interpretation of the extracts also reveals that, in their discussions of topics such as excess weight, female ageing and cosmetic surgery, the young women negotiate alternative conceptions of what constitutes the ideal female body. However, the articulation of an alternative beauty ideal, one which values women of different body sizes and ages is not sustained in the extracts. By discussing the relationship between these alternative constructions and dominant norms of beauty, I show how the prevailing ideal of the youthful, slim, toned female body wins out in the conversations. The interpretation of the extracts also reveals the participants' preoccupation with the pursuit of health and well¬being. In this respect, the young women construct the ideal body as not only slim and youthful, but also healthy. In my explanation of the extracts, I explore the sociocultural factors which have contributed to the rise of the health ethic. In concluding, I argue that the valorisation of the healthy body in the conversations, far from challenging the imperative to be thin, actually reinforces it by constructing dieting as a necessary adjunct to the pursuit of health. From this perspective, the preoccupation with attaining the ideal thin, toned body can be justified in terms of a desire to be healthy.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical analysis of organizational communication in South African Port Operations, Port Elizabeth Division
- Authors: Mbunge, Sindiswa Marcia
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: National Ports Authority of South Africa , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Business communication -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8412 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/562 , National Ports Authority of South Africa , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Business communication -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: The study is set out to analyze organizational communication at South African Port Operations (SAPO), Port Elizabeth. The analysis was based on the four formal flows of communication in an organization, which are upward communication, downward communication, horizontal communication and diagonal communication. The study was also meant to provide suggestions on how to improve communication at SAPO, Port Elizabeth especially with regard to the above mentioned flows. The literature review looked at the four different flows of communication which occurs in the organization. From the review, one can conclude that in order for an organization to function properly communication is needed to co-ordinate all the activities towards an organization’s goals. The empirical research was carried out using mainly qualitative methods of data collection. Focus group interviews were used as a method of gathering information. The sample was drawn from employees who are working for SAPO, the sample was drawn from various levels of authority within the company. The findings have revealed that there are various flows of communication at SAPO, but there needs to be improvement particularly with upward, horizontal and diagonal communication. The research also revealed that downward communication has more formal channels.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Mbunge, Sindiswa Marcia
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: National Ports Authority of South Africa , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Business communication -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8412 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/562 , National Ports Authority of South Africa , Communication in organizations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Business communication -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Description: The study is set out to analyze organizational communication at South African Port Operations (SAPO), Port Elizabeth. The analysis was based on the four formal flows of communication in an organization, which are upward communication, downward communication, horizontal communication and diagonal communication. The study was also meant to provide suggestions on how to improve communication at SAPO, Port Elizabeth especially with regard to the above mentioned flows. The literature review looked at the four different flows of communication which occurs in the organization. From the review, one can conclude that in order for an organization to function properly communication is needed to co-ordinate all the activities towards an organization’s goals. The empirical research was carried out using mainly qualitative methods of data collection. Focus group interviews were used as a method of gathering information. The sample was drawn from employees who are working for SAPO, the sample was drawn from various levels of authority within the company. The findings have revealed that there are various flows of communication at SAPO, but there needs to be improvement particularly with upward, horizontal and diagonal communication. The research also revealed that downward communication has more formal channels.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical analysis of performance management within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa
- Authors: Dowling, Jurgen
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Performance -- Management , Continental Tyre South Africa (Firm)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8556 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/497 , Performance -- Management , Continental Tyre South Africa (Firm)
- Description: Many companies have performance management systems that incorporate financial and non-financial measurements. All organisations have financial and non-financial measures. However, many use their non-financial measures for local improvements at their front-line and customer-facing operations. Performance management is a shared process between managers and the individuals and teams they manage. It is based on the agreement of objectives, knowledge, skill and competence requirements and work and development plans. The Balanced Scorecard includes financial measures that reflect the results of actions already taken, complementing the financial measures with operational measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the organisations innovative and improvement activities. The Balanced Scorecard combines both quantitative and qualitative measures, acknowledge the expectations of different stakeholders and relate an assessment of performance to choice of strategy. The objective of this study was to assess current performance management that is applied within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive literature study was performed on performance management and The Balanced Scorecard. A questionnaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to establish the extent to which Continental Tyre South Africa manages performance. The researcher used the random sampling method of selection and distributed the questionnaire to 120 potential respondents via electronic mail and physically. Seventy seven completed questionnaires were returned and these were processed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, iii running on the Windows XP suite of computer packages. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey in order to identify shortcomings of performance management and the achievement of individual and departmental objectives within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. The following main recommendations were made: Continental Tyre South Africa should continue with the sharing of its strategic objectives with management and staff, and must ensure that these objectives are also shared all the way down to the shop floor; It is imperative that management and staff mutually agree on performance objectives for the individuals; Senior management must measure management and staff on how well they performance manage their direct reports and develop people where performance short-comings exist; It is imperative that management and staff undergo performance management training; Management must ensure that there current performance management system incorporates a method to distinguish between top and poor performers; and, It is advisable that senior management consider a mechanism that rewards top performers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Dowling, Jurgen
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Performance -- Management , Continental Tyre South Africa (Firm)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8556 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/497 , Performance -- Management , Continental Tyre South Africa (Firm)
- Description: Many companies have performance management systems that incorporate financial and non-financial measurements. All organisations have financial and non-financial measures. However, many use their non-financial measures for local improvements at their front-line and customer-facing operations. Performance management is a shared process between managers and the individuals and teams they manage. It is based on the agreement of objectives, knowledge, skill and competence requirements and work and development plans. The Balanced Scorecard includes financial measures that reflect the results of actions already taken, complementing the financial measures with operational measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the organisations innovative and improvement activities. The Balanced Scorecard combines both quantitative and qualitative measures, acknowledge the expectations of different stakeholders and relate an assessment of performance to choice of strategy. The objective of this study was to assess current performance management that is applied within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. To achieve this objective, a comprehensive literature study was performed on performance management and The Balanced Scorecard. A questionnaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to establish the extent to which Continental Tyre South Africa manages performance. The researcher used the random sampling method of selection and distributed the questionnaire to 120 potential respondents via electronic mail and physically. Seventy seven completed questionnaires were returned and these were processed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel 2003, iii running on the Windows XP suite of computer packages. The opinions of the various respondents were compared with the guidelines provided in the literature survey in order to identify shortcomings of performance management and the achievement of individual and departmental objectives within the manufacturing division at Continental Tyre South Africa. The following main recommendations were made: Continental Tyre South Africa should continue with the sharing of its strategic objectives with management and staff, and must ensure that these objectives are also shared all the way down to the shop floor; It is imperative that management and staff mutually agree on performance objectives for the individuals; Senior management must measure management and staff on how well they performance manage their direct reports and develop people where performance short-comings exist; It is imperative that management and staff undergo performance management training; Management must ensure that there current performance management system incorporates a method to distinguish between top and poor performers; and, It is advisable that senior management consider a mechanism that rewards top performers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical assessement of socially responsible investing in South Africa
- Authors: Viviers, Suzette
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Investments -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9293 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/637 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011340 , Investments -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Description: This research deals with socially responsible investing (SRI) in its broadest context in South Africa and includes an analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of local SRI funds. SRI refers to an investment strategy whereby investors integrate moral as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations alongside conventional financial criteria in evaluating investment opportunities. Typical SRI strategies include screening, shareholder activism and cause-based (targeted) investing. The primary objective of this research was to obtain a deeper understanding of SRI in South Africa as it represents a powerful means whereby private sector capital can be channelled into areas of national priority. Data and methodological triangulation strategies were adopted to investigate the research problem, respond to the research questions and test the research hypotheses of this study. The phenomenological component of the research consisted of an extensive literature review as well as in-depth, face-to-face interviews conducted with twelve SRI fund managers and industry experts. The positivistic dimension of this research centred on the construction of the first complete database of SRI funds in South Africa, the sourcing of quantitative primary data and the testing of eight pairs of null and alternative hypotheses. Risk-adjusted performance was evaluated by means of the Sharpe, Sortino and Upside-potential ratios during three sub-periods, namely 1 June 1992 to 31 August 1998, 1 September 1998 to 31 March 2002 and 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2006. Forty-three SRI funds have been launched in South Africa since June 1992 and it is estimated that SRIs constitute approximately 0.7 percent of the total investment capacity in the country. It was found that most local SRI funds combine a cause-based investment strategy with a positive or best-of-sector screening approach. ESG screens were found to focus on the promotion of broad-based Black Economic Empowerment and the development of social infrastructure in South Africa. The FTSE/JSE SRI Index and the Financial Sector Charter were identified as the most prominent drivers of SRI in South Africa, whereas a lack of skills and a shortage of new SRI opportunities, asset classes and funds were seen as impediments to the growth of the local SRI sector. The empirical evidence shows that: - local SRI funds underperformed relative to their respective benchmark indices during the first two sub-periods but significantly outperformed them during sub-period three (the resurgence period of SRI in South Africa); - local SRI fund performance is not significantly different from that of a matched sample of conventional (non-SRI) funds; and - local SRI funds significantly underperformed relative to the general equity market in South Africa during sub-period two (the decline period of SRI in South Africa) but performed on a par with the FTSE/JSE All Share Index during sub-periods one and two. The findings of this research therefore suggest that investors can consider SRI funds as part of a well-diversified investment strategy. It is strongly recommended that a Social Investment Forum be established in South Africa to address the educational needs of stakeholders in the local SRI sector. It is also recommended that local asset managers adopt a focused differentiation strategy to take advantage of the growing SRI sector in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Viviers, Suzette
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Investments -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9293 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/637 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011340 , Investments -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Description: This research deals with socially responsible investing (SRI) in its broadest context in South Africa and includes an analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of local SRI funds. SRI refers to an investment strategy whereby investors integrate moral as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations alongside conventional financial criteria in evaluating investment opportunities. Typical SRI strategies include screening, shareholder activism and cause-based (targeted) investing. The primary objective of this research was to obtain a deeper understanding of SRI in South Africa as it represents a powerful means whereby private sector capital can be channelled into areas of national priority. Data and methodological triangulation strategies were adopted to investigate the research problem, respond to the research questions and test the research hypotheses of this study. The phenomenological component of the research consisted of an extensive literature review as well as in-depth, face-to-face interviews conducted with twelve SRI fund managers and industry experts. The positivistic dimension of this research centred on the construction of the first complete database of SRI funds in South Africa, the sourcing of quantitative primary data and the testing of eight pairs of null and alternative hypotheses. Risk-adjusted performance was evaluated by means of the Sharpe, Sortino and Upside-potential ratios during three sub-periods, namely 1 June 1992 to 31 August 1998, 1 September 1998 to 31 March 2002 and 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2006. Forty-three SRI funds have been launched in South Africa since June 1992 and it is estimated that SRIs constitute approximately 0.7 percent of the total investment capacity in the country. It was found that most local SRI funds combine a cause-based investment strategy with a positive or best-of-sector screening approach. ESG screens were found to focus on the promotion of broad-based Black Economic Empowerment and the development of social infrastructure in South Africa. The FTSE/JSE SRI Index and the Financial Sector Charter were identified as the most prominent drivers of SRI in South Africa, whereas a lack of skills and a shortage of new SRI opportunities, asset classes and funds were seen as impediments to the growth of the local SRI sector. The empirical evidence shows that: - local SRI funds underperformed relative to their respective benchmark indices during the first two sub-periods but significantly outperformed them during sub-period three (the resurgence period of SRI in South Africa); - local SRI fund performance is not significantly different from that of a matched sample of conventional (non-SRI) funds; and - local SRI funds significantly underperformed relative to the general equity market in South Africa during sub-period two (the decline period of SRI in South Africa) but performed on a par with the FTSE/JSE All Share Index during sub-periods one and two. The findings of this research therefore suggest that investors can consider SRI funds as part of a well-diversified investment strategy. It is strongly recommended that a Social Investment Forum be established in South Africa to address the educational needs of stakeholders in the local SRI sector. It is also recommended that local asset managers adopt a focused differentiation strategy to take advantage of the growing SRI sector in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical ethnographic study of report writing as a literacy practice by automotive engineers
- Authors: Harran, Marcelle
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: English language -- Written English -- South Africa Written communication -- South Africa Literacy -- Social aspects -- South Africa Engineers -- Language -- South Africa Communication in engineering -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1476 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003357
- Description: This study describes the social practices involved in the situated activity of report writing in an engineering automotive discourse community in South Africa. In particular, the study focuses on the subjectivity of predominantly English Second Language (ESL) engineers writing reports by determining what literacy means to them and what meanings they give to dominant literacy practices in report writing, especially feedback in text production. In the South African engineering workplace, because of the diversity and complexity of language and identity issues, the appropriation of the required literacy skills tends to be multifaceted. This context is made more complex as English is the business language upon which engineering is based with engineering competence often related to English proficiency. Therefore, the study is located within the understanding that literacy is always situated within specific discoursal practices whose ideologies, beliefs, power relations, values and identities are manifested rhetorically. The basis for this critical theory of literacy is the assertion that literacy is a social practice which involves not only observable units of behaviour but values, attitudes, feelings and social relationships. As the institution’s socio-cultural context in the form of embedded historical and institutional forces impact on writer identity and writing practices or ways of doing report writing, notions of writing as a transparent and autonomous system are also challenged. As critical ethnography is concerned with multiple perspectives, it was selected as the preferred methodology and critical realism to derive definitions of truth and validity. Critical ethnography explores cultural orientations of local practice contexts and incorporates multiple understandings providing a holistic understanding of the complexity of writing practices. As human experience can only be known under particular descriptions, usually in terms of available discourses such as language, writing and rhetoric, the dominant practices emerging in response to the report acceptance event are explored, especially that of supervisor feedback practices as they causally impact on report-writing practices during the practice of report acceptance. Although critical realism does not necessarily demonstrate successful causal explanations, it does look for substantial relations within wider contexts to illuminate part-whole relationships. Therefore, an attempt is made to find representativeness or fit with situated engineering literacy practices and wider and changing literacy contexts, especially the impact of Higher Education and world Englishes as well as the expanding influence of technological and digital systems on report-writing practices.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Harran, Marcelle
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: English language -- Written English -- South Africa Written communication -- South Africa Literacy -- Social aspects -- South Africa Engineers -- Language -- South Africa Communication in engineering -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1476 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003357
- Description: This study describes the social practices involved in the situated activity of report writing in an engineering automotive discourse community in South Africa. In particular, the study focuses on the subjectivity of predominantly English Second Language (ESL) engineers writing reports by determining what literacy means to them and what meanings they give to dominant literacy practices in report writing, especially feedback in text production. In the South African engineering workplace, because of the diversity and complexity of language and identity issues, the appropriation of the required literacy skills tends to be multifaceted. This context is made more complex as English is the business language upon which engineering is based with engineering competence often related to English proficiency. Therefore, the study is located within the understanding that literacy is always situated within specific discoursal practices whose ideologies, beliefs, power relations, values and identities are manifested rhetorically. The basis for this critical theory of literacy is the assertion that literacy is a social practice which involves not only observable units of behaviour but values, attitudes, feelings and social relationships. As the institution’s socio-cultural context in the form of embedded historical and institutional forces impact on writer identity and writing practices or ways of doing report writing, notions of writing as a transparent and autonomous system are also challenged. As critical ethnography is concerned with multiple perspectives, it was selected as the preferred methodology and critical realism to derive definitions of truth and validity. Critical ethnography explores cultural orientations of local practice contexts and incorporates multiple understandings providing a holistic understanding of the complexity of writing practices. As human experience can only be known under particular descriptions, usually in terms of available discourses such as language, writing and rhetoric, the dominant practices emerging in response to the report acceptance event are explored, especially that of supervisor feedback practices as they causally impact on report-writing practices during the practice of report acceptance. Although critical realism does not necessarily demonstrate successful causal explanations, it does look for substantial relations within wider contexts to illuminate part-whole relationships. Therefore, an attempt is made to find representativeness or fit with situated engineering literacy practices and wider and changing literacy contexts, especially the impact of Higher Education and world Englishes as well as the expanding influence of technological and digital systems on report-writing practices.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A critical review of the IFIP TC11 Security Conference Series
- Authors: Gaadingwe, Tshepo Gaadingwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Database security , Data protection , Computers -- Access control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9795 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/507 , Database security , Data protection , Computers -- Access control
- Description: Over the past few decades the field of computing has grown and evolved. In this time, information security research has experienced the same type of growth. The increase in importance and interest in information security research is reflected by the sheer number of research efforts being produced by different type of organizations around the world. One such organization is the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), more specifically the IFIP Technical Committee 11 (IFIP TC11). The IFIP TC11 community has had a rich history in producing high quality information security specific articles for over 20 years now. Therefore, IFIP TC11 found it necessary to reflect on this history, mainly to try and discover where it came from and where it may be going. Its 20th anniversary of its main conference presented an opportunity to begin such a study of its history. The core belief driving the study being that the future can only be realized and appreciated if the past is well understood. The main area of interest was to find out topics which may have had prevalence in the past or could be considered as "hot" topics. To achieve this, the author developed a systematic process for the study. The underpinning element being the creation of a classification scheme which was used to aid the analysis of the IFIP TC11 20 year's worth of articles. Major themes were identified and trends in the series highlighted. Further discussion and reflection on these trends were given. It was found that, not surprisingly, the series covered a wide variety of topics in the 20 years. However, it was discovered that there has been a notable move towards technically focused papers. Furthermore, topics such as business continuity had just about disappeared in the series while topics which are related to networking and cryptography continue to gain more prevalence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Gaadingwe, Tshepo Gaadingwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Database security , Data protection , Computers -- Access control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9795 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/507 , Database security , Data protection , Computers -- Access control
- Description: Over the past few decades the field of computing has grown and evolved. In this time, information security research has experienced the same type of growth. The increase in importance and interest in information security research is reflected by the sheer number of research efforts being produced by different type of organizations around the world. One such organization is the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), more specifically the IFIP Technical Committee 11 (IFIP TC11). The IFIP TC11 community has had a rich history in producing high quality information security specific articles for over 20 years now. Therefore, IFIP TC11 found it necessary to reflect on this history, mainly to try and discover where it came from and where it may be going. Its 20th anniversary of its main conference presented an opportunity to begin such a study of its history. The core belief driving the study being that the future can only be realized and appreciated if the past is well understood. The main area of interest was to find out topics which may have had prevalence in the past or could be considered as "hot" topics. To achieve this, the author developed a systematic process for the study. The underpinning element being the creation of a classification scheme which was used to aid the analysis of the IFIP TC11 20 year's worth of articles. Major themes were identified and trends in the series highlighted. Further discussion and reflection on these trends were given. It was found that, not surprisingly, the series covered a wide variety of topics in the 20 years. However, it was discovered that there has been a notable move towards technically focused papers. Furthermore, topics such as business continuity had just about disappeared in the series while topics which are related to networking and cryptography continue to gain more prevalence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A Digital Forensic investigative model for business organisations
- Forrester, Jock, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Forrester, Jock , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430078 , vital:72664 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry-Ir-win/publication/228783555_A_Digital_Forensic_investigative_model_for_business_organisations/links/53e9c5e80cf28f342f414987/A-Digital-Forensic-investigative-model-for-business-organisations.pdf
- Description: When a digital incident occurs there are generally three courses of ac-tions that are taken, generally dependant on the type of organisation within which the incident occurs, or which is responding the event. In the case of law enforcement the priority is to secure the crime scene, followed by the identification of evidentiary sources which should be dispatched to a specialist laboratory for analysis. In the case of an inci-dent military (or similar critical infrastructures) infrastructure the primary goal becomes one of risk identification and elimination, followed by re-covery and possible offensive measures. Where financial impact is caused by an incident, and revenue earning potential is adversely af-fected, as in the case of most commercial organisations), root cause analysis, and system remediation is of primary concern, with in-depth analysis of the how and why left until systems have been restored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Forrester, Jock , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430078 , vital:72664 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry-Ir-win/publication/228783555_A_Digital_Forensic_investigative_model_for_business_organisations/links/53e9c5e80cf28f342f414987/A-Digital-Forensic-investigative-model-for-business-organisations.pdf
- Description: When a digital incident occurs there are generally three courses of ac-tions that are taken, generally dependant on the type of organisation within which the incident occurs, or which is responding the event. In the case of law enforcement the priority is to secure the crime scene, followed by the identification of evidentiary sources which should be dispatched to a specialist laboratory for analysis. In the case of an inci-dent military (or similar critical infrastructures) infrastructure the primary goal becomes one of risk identification and elimination, followed by re-covery and possible offensive measures. Where financial impact is caused by an incident, and revenue earning potential is adversely af-fected, as in the case of most commercial organisations), root cause analysis, and system remediation is of primary concern, with in-depth analysis of the how and why left until systems have been restored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A drug utilisation review of Isotretinoin in the management of acne
- Authors: Burger, Solé
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Acne -- Treatment , Isotretinoin
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: vital:10147 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/673 , Acne -- Treatment , Isotretinoin
- Description: Acne is a common, chronic disorder that affects many adolescents. The most effective acne medication is systemic isotretinoin. It provides a permanent cure for many patients, but has various side effects. A South African Acne Treatment Guideline was introduced in 2005. Adherence to this guideline could lead to safer, more effective acne management. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the appropriateness of medications prescribed in the treatment of acne in South Africa, and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of systemic isotretinoin utilised by patients in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM). A drug utilisation study (including 18 803 South African acne patients’ chronic prescription data between 2000 and 2005) and a patient questionnaire survey (including information from 57 patients in the NMM who used systemic isotretinoin) were conducted. Basic descriptive and interferential statistics were calculated. The drug utilisation study revealed that systemic antibiotics were the acne treatment prescribed to most (43.3 percent) patients, followed by 42.1 percent of patients on systemic isotretinoin, 33.2 percent on hormonal therapy and 18.9 percent on topical therapy. Topical retinoids were underused. The questionnaire survey indicated a lack of compliance by prescribers with guideline recommendations regarding the prescription (and accompanying counselling and monitoring) of isotretinoin. Incorrect cumulative doses were frequently prescribed, and a lack of proper implementation of pregnancy prevention measures was evident. The majority of isotretinoin patients reported a high efficacy of isotretinoin in clearing their acne.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Burger, Solé
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Acne -- Treatment , Isotretinoin
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: vital:10147 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/673 , Acne -- Treatment , Isotretinoin
- Description: Acne is a common, chronic disorder that affects many adolescents. The most effective acne medication is systemic isotretinoin. It provides a permanent cure for many patients, but has various side effects. A South African Acne Treatment Guideline was introduced in 2005. Adherence to this guideline could lead to safer, more effective acne management. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the appropriateness of medications prescribed in the treatment of acne in South Africa, and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of systemic isotretinoin utilised by patients in the Nelson Mandela Metropole (NMM). A drug utilisation study (including 18 803 South African acne patients’ chronic prescription data between 2000 and 2005) and a patient questionnaire survey (including information from 57 patients in the NMM who used systemic isotretinoin) were conducted. Basic descriptive and interferential statistics were calculated. The drug utilisation study revealed that systemic antibiotics were the acne treatment prescribed to most (43.3 percent) patients, followed by 42.1 percent of patients on systemic isotretinoin, 33.2 percent on hormonal therapy and 18.9 percent on topical therapy. Topical retinoids were underused. The questionnaire survey indicated a lack of compliance by prescribers with guideline recommendations regarding the prescription (and accompanying counselling and monitoring) of isotretinoin. Incorrect cumulative doses were frequently prescribed, and a lack of proper implementation of pregnancy prevention measures was evident. The majority of isotretinoin patients reported a high efficacy of isotretinoin in clearing their acne.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A feasibility study for improving Uganda's water to drinkable standards: lessons from Kampala
- Authors: Wasswa, Francis
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Water quality -- Uganda , Groundwater -- Uganda , Water-supply, Rural -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9007 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/802 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012068 , Water quality -- Uganda , Groundwater -- Uganda , Water-supply, Rural -- Uganda
- Description: An enthusiastic global campaign on intervention in water in the Lower Income Countries (LICs) was launched by the UN at the International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICEW), in Rio de Janerio, in January of 1992. In June of the same year, in Dublin, a plan of action was devised and a commitment to the water related goals highlighted in Rio de Janerio was made. Close to fifteen years on, there is little to show by way of success in the intended countries. Over 1.1 billion people in the LICs lack safe water. The direct impact of this is a higher risk of waterborne diseases. The waterborne diseases claim 42,000 lives every week in the LICs. By any standards this is a serious depletion of the human capital stock. Looked at in light of the fact that these countries still heavily rely on labour in production, amplifies the need to preserve health. The inherent danger posed by the poor quality water‐ as can be drawn from the above statistics‐ seems to suggest that improving the quality of water would go a long way in improving and preserving societal health in the LICs. By implication this would improve the productivity of the workers. Other benefits include cost mitigation, improved investor confidence as well as increased tourists’ confidence‐ all of which are vital for LICs’ growth prospects. It begs the question of why these countries have not improved their water quality. With specific reference made to Uganda, this research is bent on answering this question. In Uganda, there is consensus among scientists that the ground and open water sources are degraded to dangerous levels. Water quality parameters like turbidity, coliform count, and colour are all above the WHO minimum specifications for potable water and are on the rise in the country. This is indicative of water quality deterioration and it heightens the risk of waterborne diseases to the users. The waterborne burden of disease in Uganda is on the rise with a high fatality rate of 440 lives every week. The need to improve water quality in the country has been acknowledged. However, attempts to address the problem have only been undertaken on a small scale, most notable of these being the PuR home water treatment vii program. There is evidence in the country that the water quality would have apparent benefits. Strong correlations have been found between improved health in HIV patients and improved water quality in the country. In the economics of health, improving societal health inherently improves workers’ performance and productivity, leading to higher growth of the economy. There is an economic imperative therefore, as to why countries like Uganda should improve their water quality. In spite of this, even the country’s most urbanized setting‐ Kampala‐ lacks potable water. This study therefore investigates why, in a time when not only the global agenda is more supportive than ever and when the country’s water resources have been found to be risky to use, Uganda has not improved water quality. Kampala is used as the model district for this study. The district accounts for three quarters of users of treated water in the country. The problem is investigated by assessing the efficiency case of such a project (a water quality improving project) in the country; the methodology employed to this end is the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA). The methodology compares the costs and benefits of a project, in monetary terms, in the same analysis, over its useful life. In the application of CBA one allows for the time value of money by using the discount rate to make the costs and benefits of the project occurring in different years comparable. In principle, the methodology is simple to apply‐ only that issues arise in the quantification of benefits and the determination of the discount rate. Benefits of the Kampala water quality, improving project include non‐market values and for this reason a non‐market valuation technique, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), was employed in their quantification. The CVM technique estimates the benefits by measuring the individuals’ willingness to pay for the improved scenario‐ in this case the scenario was one with a water quality‐improving project. The application of the CVM across many disciplines has invited a lot of criticism over the reliability of its estimates as a measure of value. A panel assembled by the North Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate the reliability of the CVM resolved that as long as the CVM was well conducted, the generated results would reliably predict non‐market values. The Kampala CVM, for the benefits’ quantification, was conducted with the NOAA guidelines in mind. The final value of the project’s benefits was the WTP predicted for the viii median respondent namely Ushs 385.07/= per cubic meter of water. The discount rate was deemed to be the social opportunity cost of capital in the country, viz 12 percent, this being that rate of return foregone by investing in another sector. The project’s costs were arrived at through liaison with water engineers and consulting past data from Uganda’s Water suppliers. From this, the project’s fixed costs were predicted to be Ushs 1451/= per cubic meter of water and the operation and maintenance costs predicted to be Ushs 591.7/= per cubic meter of water. The project’s useful life was deemed to be the average life of a Ugandan, namely 52 years; this choice reflecting the belief that the benefits would last over the users’ whole life. The results of the Kampala water quality‐improving project indicate that the project would not be feasible. It did not matter what discount rate one employed, the project’s operating and maintenance (OM) costs exceed the benefits. The results offer an indication as to why water quality has not been improved in Uganda‐ because the paying population is unwilling to pay for the entire cost of the project. This deduction is not to suggest that the users do not recognize the benefits of the project. The unpleasant truth is that the users’ incomes are typically stretched so thin by other demands that a decision to make more deductions from these incomes is not an inviting one. However, there is a need to improve water quality in LICs like Uganda, as can be deduced from the analysis of the risks of not doing so and benefits of doing so. Accordingly, such projects have to be funded by mechanism that does not require the users to cover the whole cost, but only part of such a cost, with the remainder from other sources like NGOs and foreign aid.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Wasswa, Francis
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Water quality -- Uganda , Groundwater -- Uganda , Water-supply, Rural -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:9007 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/802 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012068 , Water quality -- Uganda , Groundwater -- Uganda , Water-supply, Rural -- Uganda
- Description: An enthusiastic global campaign on intervention in water in the Lower Income Countries (LICs) was launched by the UN at the International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICEW), in Rio de Janerio, in January of 1992. In June of the same year, in Dublin, a plan of action was devised and a commitment to the water related goals highlighted in Rio de Janerio was made. Close to fifteen years on, there is little to show by way of success in the intended countries. Over 1.1 billion people in the LICs lack safe water. The direct impact of this is a higher risk of waterborne diseases. The waterborne diseases claim 42,000 lives every week in the LICs. By any standards this is a serious depletion of the human capital stock. Looked at in light of the fact that these countries still heavily rely on labour in production, amplifies the need to preserve health. The inherent danger posed by the poor quality water‐ as can be drawn from the above statistics‐ seems to suggest that improving the quality of water would go a long way in improving and preserving societal health in the LICs. By implication this would improve the productivity of the workers. Other benefits include cost mitigation, improved investor confidence as well as increased tourists’ confidence‐ all of which are vital for LICs’ growth prospects. It begs the question of why these countries have not improved their water quality. With specific reference made to Uganda, this research is bent on answering this question. In Uganda, there is consensus among scientists that the ground and open water sources are degraded to dangerous levels. Water quality parameters like turbidity, coliform count, and colour are all above the WHO minimum specifications for potable water and are on the rise in the country. This is indicative of water quality deterioration and it heightens the risk of waterborne diseases to the users. The waterborne burden of disease in Uganda is on the rise with a high fatality rate of 440 lives every week. The need to improve water quality in the country has been acknowledged. However, attempts to address the problem have only been undertaken on a small scale, most notable of these being the PuR home water treatment vii program. There is evidence in the country that the water quality would have apparent benefits. Strong correlations have been found between improved health in HIV patients and improved water quality in the country. In the economics of health, improving societal health inherently improves workers’ performance and productivity, leading to higher growth of the economy. There is an economic imperative therefore, as to why countries like Uganda should improve their water quality. In spite of this, even the country’s most urbanized setting‐ Kampala‐ lacks potable water. This study therefore investigates why, in a time when not only the global agenda is more supportive than ever and when the country’s water resources have been found to be risky to use, Uganda has not improved water quality. Kampala is used as the model district for this study. The district accounts for three quarters of users of treated water in the country. The problem is investigated by assessing the efficiency case of such a project (a water quality improving project) in the country; the methodology employed to this end is the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA). The methodology compares the costs and benefits of a project, in monetary terms, in the same analysis, over its useful life. In the application of CBA one allows for the time value of money by using the discount rate to make the costs and benefits of the project occurring in different years comparable. In principle, the methodology is simple to apply‐ only that issues arise in the quantification of benefits and the determination of the discount rate. Benefits of the Kampala water quality, improving project include non‐market values and for this reason a non‐market valuation technique, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), was employed in their quantification. The CVM technique estimates the benefits by measuring the individuals’ willingness to pay for the improved scenario‐ in this case the scenario was one with a water quality‐improving project. The application of the CVM across many disciplines has invited a lot of criticism over the reliability of its estimates as a measure of value. A panel assembled by the North Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate the reliability of the CVM resolved that as long as the CVM was well conducted, the generated results would reliably predict non‐market values. The Kampala CVM, for the benefits’ quantification, was conducted with the NOAA guidelines in mind. The final value of the project’s benefits was the WTP predicted for the viii median respondent namely Ushs 385.07/= per cubic meter of water. The discount rate was deemed to be the social opportunity cost of capital in the country, viz 12 percent, this being that rate of return foregone by investing in another sector. The project’s costs were arrived at through liaison with water engineers and consulting past data from Uganda’s Water suppliers. From this, the project’s fixed costs were predicted to be Ushs 1451/= per cubic meter of water and the operation and maintenance costs predicted to be Ushs 591.7/= per cubic meter of water. The project’s useful life was deemed to be the average life of a Ugandan, namely 52 years; this choice reflecting the belief that the benefits would last over the users’ whole life. The results of the Kampala water quality‐improving project indicate that the project would not be feasible. It did not matter what discount rate one employed, the project’s operating and maintenance (OM) costs exceed the benefits. The results offer an indication as to why water quality has not been improved in Uganda‐ because the paying population is unwilling to pay for the entire cost of the project. This deduction is not to suggest that the users do not recognize the benefits of the project. The unpleasant truth is that the users’ incomes are typically stretched so thin by other demands that a decision to make more deductions from these incomes is not an inviting one. However, there is a need to improve water quality in LICs like Uganda, as can be deduced from the analysis of the risks of not doing so and benefits of doing so. Accordingly, such projects have to be funded by mechanism that does not require the users to cover the whole cost, but only part of such a cost, with the remainder from other sources like NGOs and foreign aid.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A few points on Pointfree pseudocompactness
- Authors: Dube, T , Matutu, Phethiwe P
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6783 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006926
- Description: We present several characterizations of completely regular pseudocompact frames. The first is an extension to frames of characterizations of completely regular pseudocompact spaces given by Väänänen. We follow with an embedding-type characterization stating that a completely regular frame is pseudocompact if and only if it is a P-quotient of its Stone-Čech compactification. We then give a characterization in terms of ideals in the cozero parts of the frames concerned. This characterization seems to be new and its spatial counterpart does not seem to have been observed before. We also define relatively pseudocompact quotients, and show that a necessary and sufficient condition for a completely regular frame to be pseudocompact is that it be relatively pseudocompact in its Hewitt realcompactification. Consequently a proof of a result of Banaschewski and Gilmour that a completely regular frame is pseudocompact if and only if its Hewitt realcompactification is compact, is presented without the invocation of the Boolean Ultrafilter Theorem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Dube, T , Matutu, Phethiwe P
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6783 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006926
- Description: We present several characterizations of completely regular pseudocompact frames. The first is an extension to frames of characterizations of completely regular pseudocompact spaces given by Väänänen. We follow with an embedding-type characterization stating that a completely regular frame is pseudocompact if and only if it is a P-quotient of its Stone-Čech compactification. We then give a characterization in terms of ideals in the cozero parts of the frames concerned. This characterization seems to be new and its spatial counterpart does not seem to have been observed before. We also define relatively pseudocompact quotients, and show that a necessary and sufficient condition for a completely regular frame to be pseudocompact is that it be relatively pseudocompact in its Hewitt realcompactification. Consequently a proof of a result of Banaschewski and Gilmour that a completely regular frame is pseudocompact if and only if its Hewitt realcompactification is compact, is presented without the invocation of the Boolean Ultrafilter Theorem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A framework for secure mobile computing in healthcare
- Thomas, Godwin Dogara Ayenajeh
- Authors: Thomas, Godwin Dogara Ayenajeh
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/618 , Mobile computing
- Description: Mobile computing is rapidly becoming part of healthcare’s electronic landscape, helping to provide better quality of care and reduced cost. While the technology provides numerous advantages to the healthcare industry, it is not without risk. The size and portable nature of mobile computing devices present a highly vulnerable environment, which threaten the privacy and security of health information. Since these devices continually access possibly sensitive healthcare information, it is imperative that these devices are considered for security in order to meet regulatory compliance. In fact, the increase in government and industry regulation to ensure the privacy and security of health information, makes mobile security no longer just desirable, but mandatory. In addition, as healthcare becomes more aware of the need to reinforce patient confidence to gain competitive advantage, it makes mobile security desirable. Several guidelines regarding security best practices exist. Healthcare institutions are thus faced with matching the guidelines offered by best practices, with the legal and regulatory requirements. While this is a valuable question in general, this research focuses on the aspect of considering this question when considering the introduction of mobile computing into the healthcare environment. As a result, this research proposes a framework that will aid IT administrators in healthcare to ensure that privacy and security of health information is extended to mobile devices. The research uses a comparison between the best practices in ISO 17799:2005 and the regulatory requirements stipulated in HIPAA to provide a baseline for the mobile computing security model. The comparison ensures that the model meets healthcare specific industry requirement and international information security standard. In addition, the framework engages the Information Security Management System (ISMS) model based on the ISO 27000 standard. The framework, furthermore, points to existing technical security measurers associated with mobile computing. It is believed that the framework can assist in achieving mobile computing security that is compliant with the requirements in the healthcare industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Thomas, Godwin Dogara Ayenajeh
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Mobile computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/618 , Mobile computing
- Description: Mobile computing is rapidly becoming part of healthcare’s electronic landscape, helping to provide better quality of care and reduced cost. While the technology provides numerous advantages to the healthcare industry, it is not without risk. The size and portable nature of mobile computing devices present a highly vulnerable environment, which threaten the privacy and security of health information. Since these devices continually access possibly sensitive healthcare information, it is imperative that these devices are considered for security in order to meet regulatory compliance. In fact, the increase in government and industry regulation to ensure the privacy and security of health information, makes mobile security no longer just desirable, but mandatory. In addition, as healthcare becomes more aware of the need to reinforce patient confidence to gain competitive advantage, it makes mobile security desirable. Several guidelines regarding security best practices exist. Healthcare institutions are thus faced with matching the guidelines offered by best practices, with the legal and regulatory requirements. While this is a valuable question in general, this research focuses on the aspect of considering this question when considering the introduction of mobile computing into the healthcare environment. As a result, this research proposes a framework that will aid IT administrators in healthcare to ensure that privacy and security of health information is extended to mobile devices. The research uses a comparison between the best practices in ISO 17799:2005 and the regulatory requirements stipulated in HIPAA to provide a baseline for the mobile computing security model. The comparison ensures that the model meets healthcare specific industry requirement and international information security standard. In addition, the framework engages the Information Security Management System (ISMS) model based on the ISO 27000 standard. The framework, furthermore, points to existing technical security measurers associated with mobile computing. It is believed that the framework can assist in achieving mobile computing security that is compliant with the requirements in the healthcare industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
A general genetic algorithm for one and two dimensional cutting and packing problems
- Authors: Mancapa, Vusisizwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Packaging -- Data processing , Genetic algorithms , Cutting stock problem , Packing for shipment , Manufacturing processes -- Planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9602 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011727 , Packaging -- Data processing , Genetic algorithms , Cutting stock problem , Packing for shipment , Manufacturing processes -- Planning
- Description: Cutting and packing problems are combinatorial optimisation problems. The major interest in these problems is their practical significance, in manufacturing and other business sectors. In most manufacturing situations a raw material usually in some standard size has to be divided or be cut into smaller items to complete the production of some product. Since the cost of this raw material usually forms a significant portion of the input costs, it is therefore desirable that this resource be used efficiently. A hybrid general genetic algorithm is presented in this work to solve one and two dimensional problems of this nature. The novelties with this algorithm are: A novel placement heuristic hybridised with a Genetic Algorithm is introduced and a general solution encoding scheme which is used to encode one dimensional and two dimensional problems is also introduced.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Mancapa, Vusisizwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Packaging -- Data processing , Genetic algorithms , Cutting stock problem , Packing for shipment , Manufacturing processes -- Planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9602 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011727 , Packaging -- Data processing , Genetic algorithms , Cutting stock problem , Packing for shipment , Manufacturing processes -- Planning
- Description: Cutting and packing problems are combinatorial optimisation problems. The major interest in these problems is their practical significance, in manufacturing and other business sectors. In most manufacturing situations a raw material usually in some standard size has to be divided or be cut into smaller items to complete the production of some product. Since the cost of this raw material usually forms a significant portion of the input costs, it is therefore desirable that this resource be used efficiently. A hybrid general genetic algorithm is presented in this work to solve one and two dimensional problems of this nature. The novelties with this algorithm are: A novel placement heuristic hybridised with a Genetic Algorithm is introduced and a general solution encoding scheme which is used to encode one dimensional and two dimensional problems is also introduced.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007