Strategies for the Regeneration of Degraded Rural Landscapes: The Design of a “Padstal” on the Crossing of Route 62 and the Seweweekspoort Pass, Klein Karoo
- Authors: Conradie, Inge
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Historic rural landscapes -- Klein Karoo , Landscape architecture
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58994 , vital:60254
- Description: The livelihood of subsistence farmers of the Little Karoo sister towns, Zoar and Amalienstein, face many challenges such as the lack of economic opportunity, unemployment and drought that ultimately leads to poverty. This dissertation investigates the potential of a collective tourism and agricultural cooperative programme, which regenerates the rural landscape into a productive one through an architectural intervention. By developing a productive landscape that ignites rural livelihoods, the challenges can be transformed into opportunities for these impoverished communities. Research into agave-based agroforestry as a driver to combat global warming will aim to establish staple household security. It will be a means of inserting informal farm production into the tourism market through the built environment. The productive landscape, driven from an agave-based agroforestry and livestock feeding model, utilises the living and natural systems existing on the site. Together with regenerative architecture, it will structure the “building blocks” of the Agave-‘padstal’. The strategic position of this ‘padstal’, on the crossing of the Cape Route 62 and the SeweweekspoortPass, would create a node of destination. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Conradie, Inge
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Historic rural landscapes -- Klein Karoo , Landscape architecture
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58994 , vital:60254
- Description: The livelihood of subsistence farmers of the Little Karoo sister towns, Zoar and Amalienstein, face many challenges such as the lack of economic opportunity, unemployment and drought that ultimately leads to poverty. This dissertation investigates the potential of a collective tourism and agricultural cooperative programme, which regenerates the rural landscape into a productive one through an architectural intervention. By developing a productive landscape that ignites rural livelihoods, the challenges can be transformed into opportunities for these impoverished communities. Research into agave-based agroforestry as a driver to combat global warming will aim to establish staple household security. It will be a means of inserting informal farm production into the tourism market through the built environment. The productive landscape, driven from an agave-based agroforestry and livestock feeding model, utilises the living and natural systems existing on the site. Together with regenerative architecture, it will structure the “building blocks” of the Agave-‘padstal’. The strategic position of this ‘padstal’, on the crossing of the Cape Route 62 and the SeweweekspoortPass, would create a node of destination. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Teachers’ views of pragmatic strategies to enhance leadership potential for female learners in primary schools at Amathole East Education District
- Authors: Bubulu, Thandiwe
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Educational leadership , School improvement programs
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20024 , vital:44949
- Description: This study examined how the establishment of leadership development programme targeted at female learners in primary schools could promote female learner leaders and motivate more women to take up leadership positions to address concerns of gender and to prepare females for the challenges they may face when assuming leadership roles in future.Whereas adolescent girls may be the future representation of women leaders in society, leadership development of female learners in primary schools has been neglected. Currently, a review of literature on the problem of gender imbalance at leadership level reveals a dearth of research among the youth, less so, among young women. Yet, globally, in Africa and in South Africa, particularly, there is an inequitable balance of leadership positions in society when comparing men and women. The researcher has identified this gap and has decided to dedicated research efforts in adolescent leadership development to enrich the scant existing knowledge on the born-global phenomenon. Because schools play an important role in student development and schools are a key resource for achieving equity goals, understanding how leadership is promoted by school teachers is an important step toward growing the literature on female learners’ leadership development. The study was based on five primary schools in the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research approach where interviews were employed to elicit data from the study’s participants and to help in understanding the phenomenon under study. A non-probability, purposive sampling technique was used where ten participants were selected. The study’s participants were five (5) principals, two (2) HoDs, two (2) post level 1 teachers and one (1) Learner Support Assistant (LSA). The study found that a paradigm shift from the traditional view of leadership, where young people are not given leadership positions because they are regarded as young or quiet is a patriarchal belief system that should be done away with. Instead, role-players should embrace and encourage female children to be transformational and servant leaders. There is need for a change of mind-set from all role-players in South Africa to accept learners as equal participants in school leadership and to prioritise the training and development of female learner leaders. Female learners need to be taught a broader understanding of leadership as a concept including differing leadership theories and styles. Leadership as a concept needs to be taught early in primary school and to all learners. The study recommended leadership development seminars, camps, workshops and guest speakers that could aid in the development of leadership at primary school, and to be prioritised. The study concluded that continuous leadership training from a young age, for all learners in primary schools should be encouraged to ensure that learners chosen to lead assume leadership roles with confidence, skills and experience. Government schools need to allocate budget for leadership development of learners, with special funding for the relatively disadvantaged gender. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Bubulu, Thandiwe
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Educational leadership , School improvement programs
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20024 , vital:44949
- Description: This study examined how the establishment of leadership development programme targeted at female learners in primary schools could promote female learner leaders and motivate more women to take up leadership positions to address concerns of gender and to prepare females for the challenges they may face when assuming leadership roles in future.Whereas adolescent girls may be the future representation of women leaders in society, leadership development of female learners in primary schools has been neglected. Currently, a review of literature on the problem of gender imbalance at leadership level reveals a dearth of research among the youth, less so, among young women. Yet, globally, in Africa and in South Africa, particularly, there is an inequitable balance of leadership positions in society when comparing men and women. The researcher has identified this gap and has decided to dedicated research efforts in adolescent leadership development to enrich the scant existing knowledge on the born-global phenomenon. Because schools play an important role in student development and schools are a key resource for achieving equity goals, understanding how leadership is promoted by school teachers is an important step toward growing the literature on female learners’ leadership development. The study was based on five primary schools in the Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research approach where interviews were employed to elicit data from the study’s participants and to help in understanding the phenomenon under study. A non-probability, purposive sampling technique was used where ten participants were selected. The study’s participants were five (5) principals, two (2) HoDs, two (2) post level 1 teachers and one (1) Learner Support Assistant (LSA). The study found that a paradigm shift from the traditional view of leadership, where young people are not given leadership positions because they are regarded as young or quiet is a patriarchal belief system that should be done away with. Instead, role-players should embrace and encourage female children to be transformational and servant leaders. There is need for a change of mind-set from all role-players in South Africa to accept learners as equal participants in school leadership and to prioritise the training and development of female learner leaders. Female learners need to be taught a broader understanding of leadership as a concept including differing leadership theories and styles. Leadership as a concept needs to be taught early in primary school and to all learners. The study recommended leadership development seminars, camps, workshops and guest speakers that could aid in the development of leadership at primary school, and to be prioritised. The study concluded that continuous leadership training from a young age, for all learners in primary schools should be encouraged to ensure that learners chosen to lead assume leadership roles with confidence, skills and experience. Government schools need to allocate budget for leadership development of learners, with special funding for the relatively disadvantaged gender. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Education, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
The Architecture of “Set and Setting” in Psychedelic Psychotherapy: The Design of a Mental Health Care Facility in Diepsloot, Johannesburg
- Authors: Mcilroy, Glen
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Diepsloot -- Johannesburg , Mental health facilities -- Diepsloot -- Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59084 , vital:60262
- Description: Diepsloot, Johannesburg, one of South Africa’s unique post-apartheid settlements, could be described as an island of poverty and strife amidst a sea of wealth and economic growth. The area, which began as a temporary settlement for displaced families in a time of radical change in the South African political landscape, was previously made up of large expanses of open space used for recreation, and is now an overcrowded settlement with major housing shortages and infrastructural insufficiencies. With some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, Diepsloot shows a community rife with social issues, further exacerbated by substandard living conditions. This pervasive violence against women was shown to be perpetuated by men who have themselves been victims of violence in one form or another. With no known manner in which to seek assistance in dealing with their own traumas, perpetuate a cycle of violence through indeterminable generations. Undeniably a community in need of mental healthcare, Diepsloot currently has no facilities of this type, and little is known about the opportunity for seeking psychiatric assistance amongst members of the community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mcilroy, Glen
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Diepsloot -- Johannesburg , Mental health facilities -- Diepsloot -- Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59084 , vital:60262
- Description: Diepsloot, Johannesburg, one of South Africa’s unique post-apartheid settlements, could be described as an island of poverty and strife amidst a sea of wealth and economic growth. The area, which began as a temporary settlement for displaced families in a time of radical change in the South African political landscape, was previously made up of large expanses of open space used for recreation, and is now an overcrowded settlement with major housing shortages and infrastructural insufficiencies. With some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, Diepsloot shows a community rife with social issues, further exacerbated by substandard living conditions. This pervasive violence against women was shown to be perpetuated by men who have themselves been victims of violence in one form or another. With no known manner in which to seek assistance in dealing with their own traumas, perpetuate a cycle of violence through indeterminable generations. Undeniably a community in need of mental healthcare, Diepsloot currently has no facilities of this type, and little is known about the opportunity for seeking psychiatric assistance amongst members of the community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
The design of a waste recycling facility for the waste pickers of Arlington Landfill, Port Elizabeth: recognising the needs of unacknowledged stakeholders in the circular waste economy
- Authors: Blake, Sean Smit
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Recycling (Waste, etc.) -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59150 , vital:60268
- Description: At this very moment, this very second, in the backstreets and upon high, vast wastelands, something is in motion. Often on the periphery of our daily thoughts, or not at all, this very motion never ceases to exist- it simply cannot afford to. Waste, our modern day global issue, has reached a critical point, causing us to now venture into uncharted territories. We produce unspeakable amounts of waste per annum creating compounding social and environmental problems, and in the process we create a particular physical object, an altered landscape known as a landfill. The landfill environment is where this treatise chooses to position itself, but looks further into the existing community of individuals who perform the task of recycling. Waste pickers, an unmatched motion and dynamic within our broad waste landscape, remain largely unacknowledged in the role they play in the circular waste economy, subsequently creating the core concern for this treatise. Hence, the building type responsible, a waste recycling facility, that looks to identify and address the needs that these individuals require to safely carry out their pivotal role within the setting of Arlington Landfill in Port Elizabeth. Therefore, this treatise looks to uncover and bring to light a day in the life of a waste picker, through an architectural intervention seeking to become more than an object on the landscape. The treatise looks to break away from a static architectural object by applying the overall lens guided by ‘Anti-Object’ written by Kengo Kuma, therefore concerning itself with an overarching process of creating an emerging anti-object architecture, embodying the subtitles and characteristics of the waste pickers of Arlington Landfill. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Blake, Sean Smit
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Recycling (Waste, etc.) -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59150 , vital:60268
- Description: At this very moment, this very second, in the backstreets and upon high, vast wastelands, something is in motion. Often on the periphery of our daily thoughts, or not at all, this very motion never ceases to exist- it simply cannot afford to. Waste, our modern day global issue, has reached a critical point, causing us to now venture into uncharted territories. We produce unspeakable amounts of waste per annum creating compounding social and environmental problems, and in the process we create a particular physical object, an altered landscape known as a landfill. The landfill environment is where this treatise chooses to position itself, but looks further into the existing community of individuals who perform the task of recycling. Waste pickers, an unmatched motion and dynamic within our broad waste landscape, remain largely unacknowledged in the role they play in the circular waste economy, subsequently creating the core concern for this treatise. Hence, the building type responsible, a waste recycling facility, that looks to identify and address the needs that these individuals require to safely carry out their pivotal role within the setting of Arlington Landfill in Port Elizabeth. Therefore, this treatise looks to uncover and bring to light a day in the life of a waste picker, through an architectural intervention seeking to become more than an object on the landscape. The treatise looks to break away from a static architectural object by applying the overall lens guided by ‘Anti-Object’ written by Kengo Kuma, therefore concerning itself with an overarching process of creating an emerging anti-object architecture, embodying the subtitles and characteristics of the waste pickers of Arlington Landfill. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
The Implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Contemporary Healthcare Facilities: The Design of a Research Hospital for Mbombela Systems
- Authors: Marule, Neo Allan
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Ethnoscience -- Mbombela , Traditional ecological knowledge --- Mbombela
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59062 , vital:60260
- Description: The following treatise emerged from the issue of a lack of research hospitals that deal with Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies as a more holistic approach to health and healing. Indigenous knowledge systems from South Africa emphasize the patients’ psychological, biological, spiritual, and sociological well-being as directly impacting the patient’s healing process. Over the years, there has been a lack of research and the promotion of the use of Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies in South Africa’s existing “western” healthcare system. Existing “western” healthcare facilities (hospital) infrastructure in South Africa places minimal emphasis on spiritual, psychological, biological, and sociological well-being, which is observed in South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, that has existed before the establishment of “western” healthcare system in South Africa. Architecturally, this treatise aims to generate a research hospital design that has an understanding of South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, which directly impact the architecture and which is unique (critical regionalism) to the region of Mbombela city. Furthermore, it uses health and wellness principles as the drivers, along with biophilic design principles, to achieve a more holistic and integrated environment for patients and working staff. These architectural theories use a holistic approach to healthcare that has been in practice for several years in the indigenous knowledge healthcare system within South Africa. Critical regionalism is investigated as a theoretical model that will be used to generate a unique architecture for Mbombela city. The concept of the Indigenous knowledge healthcare system and the physical and spatial implications are examined on how they affect architecture. Furthermore, health and wellness theories and principles, along with biophilic design principles, are investigated as the theoretical and conceptual framework that will inform the design of innovative research-based hospitals for Mbombela city. Investigations on hospitals, (plant) research facilities and conservatory are examined via architectural precedents studies that will inform the understanding of the nature of the new building type and its various spatial and physical issues. An appropriate precinct and site within Mbombela city have been identified based on a list of site selection criteria and contextual analysis of the precinct. Furthermore, analysis of the contexts at various scale and understanding the climatic conditions of Mbombela city will facilitate the generation of contextual constraints and informants that will inform the building's design. This treatise will conclude with a design proposal for a new innovative research hospital for the city of Mbombela that is established from understanding the city’s unique architectural character, understanding the concept of traditional Indigenous healing knowledge system, and health and wellness, biophilic principles that support the holistic approach to healing which is found in Indigenous healing knowledge system. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Marule, Neo Allan
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Ethnoscience -- Mbombela , Traditional ecological knowledge --- Mbombela
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59062 , vital:60260
- Description: The following treatise emerged from the issue of a lack of research hospitals that deal with Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies as a more holistic approach to health and healing. Indigenous knowledge systems from South Africa emphasize the patients’ psychological, biological, spiritual, and sociological well-being as directly impacting the patient’s healing process. Over the years, there has been a lack of research and the promotion of the use of Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies in South Africa’s existing “western” healthcare system. Existing “western” healthcare facilities (hospital) infrastructure in South Africa places minimal emphasis on spiritual, psychological, biological, and sociological well-being, which is observed in South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, that has existed before the establishment of “western” healthcare system in South Africa. Architecturally, this treatise aims to generate a research hospital design that has an understanding of South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, which directly impact the architecture and which is unique (critical regionalism) to the region of Mbombela city. Furthermore, it uses health and wellness principles as the drivers, along with biophilic design principles, to achieve a more holistic and integrated environment for patients and working staff. These architectural theories use a holistic approach to healthcare that has been in practice for several years in the indigenous knowledge healthcare system within South Africa. Critical regionalism is investigated as a theoretical model that will be used to generate a unique architecture for Mbombela city. The concept of the Indigenous knowledge healthcare system and the physical and spatial implications are examined on how they affect architecture. Furthermore, health and wellness theories and principles, along with biophilic design principles, are investigated as the theoretical and conceptual framework that will inform the design of innovative research-based hospitals for Mbombela city. Investigations on hospitals, (plant) research facilities and conservatory are examined via architectural precedents studies that will inform the understanding of the nature of the new building type and its various spatial and physical issues. An appropriate precinct and site within Mbombela city have been identified based on a list of site selection criteria and contextual analysis of the precinct. Furthermore, analysis of the contexts at various scale and understanding the climatic conditions of Mbombela city will facilitate the generation of contextual constraints and informants that will inform the building's design. This treatise will conclude with a design proposal for a new innovative research hospital for the city of Mbombela that is established from understanding the city’s unique architectural character, understanding the concept of traditional Indigenous healing knowledge system, and health and wellness, biophilic principles that support the holistic approach to healing which is found in Indigenous healing knowledge system. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Towards the provision of relevant, Secondary schools building types through the design of a high schools STEM Centre in Zwide, Nelson Mandela Bay
- Authors: Burger, Sean
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Landscape architecture -- Nelson Mandela Bay
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59194 , vital:60279
- Description: The topic of education in South Africa has always been an area of much debate and contention. The quality of education environments provided in townships in generally always lacking as these facilities are composed of a standardized set of functions. As a result of a budget constraints and poor resources management, most schools lack the required specialised facilities to provide for a full learning experience. With a focus on the development specialised skills in the field of science, mathematics technology and engineering, learners attending these schools are unable to complete with those ore more affluent schools , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Burger, Sean
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Landscape architecture -- Nelson Mandela Bay
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59194 , vital:60279
- Description: The topic of education in South Africa has always been an area of much debate and contention. The quality of education environments provided in townships in generally always lacking as these facilities are composed of a standardized set of functions. As a result of a budget constraints and poor resources management, most schools lack the required specialised facilities to provide for a full learning experience. With a focus on the development specialised skills in the field of science, mathematics technology and engineering, learners attending these schools are unable to complete with those ore more affluent schools , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Translating subjugated narratives in post- colonial city texts: The design of a memorial literary resource Centre near Sophiatown, Johannesburg
- Authors: Mazibuko, Nibonge
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Postcolonialism -- Sophia town -- Johannesburg , Apartheid and architecture
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59072 , vital:60261
- Description: The reality of a singular narrative is that it at its core it is exclusionary. A singular narrative is undemocratic as it asserts for dominance rather than forbearance. Through the key writings of theorists Henri Lefebvre and Edward Soja the built environment can be seen as a communicative text expressing the higher-level concerns and ideologies of that particular society. In the context of contemporary post-apartheid South African the cities previously entrenched colonial ideologies and systems continue to dominate and to exclude other narratives and expressions, particularly those of previously marginalised voices, from the greater expression of the democratic city text promoting a singular widely accepted narrative. This disparity has been a concern for many architects and built environment professionals who have had to grapple with the question of what is a democratic, authentic and cosmopolitan African identity within the registers of public architecture. The realities are that to ignore this question would be to allow the continual silencing and perpetuation of injustice against those who are marginalised by the residual effects of the apartheid regime. This exclusion from participation within the development of urban environments is dealt with in this treatise from the perspective of physical expression and representation in the exploration of elevating various narratives, stories, typologies for example within the same city text to reflect a more cosmopolitan, democratic narrative. Another area the treatise deals with is the spatial dimension in challenging local level colonial entrenchments of spatial injustice that continue to work to the disadvantage of the urban poor through an understanding of how these are distilled from higher levels. The Sophiatown/Westbury precinct in the western areas of Johannesburg is seen as one such area which continues to suffer from firstly the residual effects of apartheid segregationist planning as well as an embedded physically un-commemorated history which was erased from the physical realm of the city text through demolition during the apartheid regime and replaced with a newbuilt fabric and a new community of people as a stratospheric layer covering what used to be a vibrant, multicultural and hence highly anti-apartheid precinct. The treatise deals with the challenging and un-layering of this entrenched spatial injustice which is a concept defined and qualified in the writing of theorists Henri Lefebvre and Edward Soja. Ideas and themes expressed by Johnathan Alfred Noble on discovering and expressing cosmopolitan identities and narratives within the South African city text are explored to formulate a non-conclusive modus operandi in the scope expressing suppressed and embedded narratives and liberating them into the story and fabric of the built environment as apart of the wider ongoing conversation of redressing the wrongs of the past in rescripting post-colonial urban spaces. The architectural design dovetails from Nobles ideas regarding expression and representation and becomes like a perforated canvas over the site area which allows the emergent spatial and programmatic conditions of the site to interweave with the characteristics and attributes of the old Sophiatown/Westbury precinct to become a dynamic urban catalyst which liberates the legacy of the area into the physical realm of the city. The study was undertaken through desktop research, literature reviews and first-hand observations and analysis within the qualitative research paradigm. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mazibuko, Nibonge
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Postcolonialism -- Sophia town -- Johannesburg , Apartheid and architecture
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59072 , vital:60261
- Description: The reality of a singular narrative is that it at its core it is exclusionary. A singular narrative is undemocratic as it asserts for dominance rather than forbearance. Through the key writings of theorists Henri Lefebvre and Edward Soja the built environment can be seen as a communicative text expressing the higher-level concerns and ideologies of that particular society. In the context of contemporary post-apartheid South African the cities previously entrenched colonial ideologies and systems continue to dominate and to exclude other narratives and expressions, particularly those of previously marginalised voices, from the greater expression of the democratic city text promoting a singular widely accepted narrative. This disparity has been a concern for many architects and built environment professionals who have had to grapple with the question of what is a democratic, authentic and cosmopolitan African identity within the registers of public architecture. The realities are that to ignore this question would be to allow the continual silencing and perpetuation of injustice against those who are marginalised by the residual effects of the apartheid regime. This exclusion from participation within the development of urban environments is dealt with in this treatise from the perspective of physical expression and representation in the exploration of elevating various narratives, stories, typologies for example within the same city text to reflect a more cosmopolitan, democratic narrative. Another area the treatise deals with is the spatial dimension in challenging local level colonial entrenchments of spatial injustice that continue to work to the disadvantage of the urban poor through an understanding of how these are distilled from higher levels. The Sophiatown/Westbury precinct in the western areas of Johannesburg is seen as one such area which continues to suffer from firstly the residual effects of apartheid segregationist planning as well as an embedded physically un-commemorated history which was erased from the physical realm of the city text through demolition during the apartheid regime and replaced with a newbuilt fabric and a new community of people as a stratospheric layer covering what used to be a vibrant, multicultural and hence highly anti-apartheid precinct. The treatise deals with the challenging and un-layering of this entrenched spatial injustice which is a concept defined and qualified in the writing of theorists Henri Lefebvre and Edward Soja. Ideas and themes expressed by Johnathan Alfred Noble on discovering and expressing cosmopolitan identities and narratives within the South African city text are explored to formulate a non-conclusive modus operandi in the scope expressing suppressed and embedded narratives and liberating them into the story and fabric of the built environment as apart of the wider ongoing conversation of redressing the wrongs of the past in rescripting post-colonial urban spaces. The architectural design dovetails from Nobles ideas regarding expression and representation and becomes like a perforated canvas over the site area which allows the emergent spatial and programmatic conditions of the site to interweave with the characteristics and attributes of the old Sophiatown/Westbury precinct to become a dynamic urban catalyst which liberates the legacy of the area into the physical realm of the city. The study was undertaken through desktop research, literature reviews and first-hand observations and analysis within the qualitative research paradigm. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Usage of traditional medicines and other indigenous practices by childbearing women during pregnancy in Makoni District, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chituku, Sibongile
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Traditional medicine -- Zimbabwe , Medicinal plants
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20142 , vital:45347
- Description: Use of traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) during pregnancy, labour and delivery is common globally although evidence on their therapeutic effectiveness and safety is scarce. Research relating to indigenous practices and utilisation of traditional medicinal plants by childbearing women during pregnancy in Makoni District, Zimbabwe was carried out. The study included identification of culturally important indigenous knowledge (IK) practices and TMPs used by pregnant women in order to understand how such plants and practices may affect maternal, foetal, labour, and infant outcomes. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed to postnatal mothers in Makoni District, aimed at obtaining information on IK practices associated with utilisation of TMPs by childbearing women during pregnancy. In addition to this, five focused group discussions were carried out between September 2016 and December 2017 with 66 traditional healers from Makoni District. Documented information included names of utilised plants, plant parts used, dosage, methods of preparation and administration, and reasons for use. Voucher specimens of the utilised plant species were collected. Brine shrimp lethality test was used to evaluate potential toxicity of the documented plant species. The collected data were analysed used Epi info version 7.1 and SPSS version 16.5. Quantitative data revealed that 168 (42.0percent) of pregnant women in Makoni District use TMPs and 95 (23.8percent) used traditional practices (including elephant dung) for maternal and childcare. Among the women who used TMPs were those who experienced precipitated and prolonged labour. Correlation was found between demographic factors and utilisation of TMPs. For example, being a Christian was significantly associated with using TMPs with relative risk (RR) value of 8.9. Postnatal mothers who used TMPs during their pregnancy were 82.0percent less likely to have their membranes ruptured artificially, RR = 0.2 and more likely to experience late decelerations during active phase (RR = 2.8) than those who did not use TMPs. The differences between those who used TMPs and those who did not during pregnancy and labour, showed no significant differences in infant outcomes. The ethnobotanical survey revealed that a total of 47 plant species from 27 families and 13 non-plant products were used as herbal, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) by pregnant women. More than half of all the documented plant species (59.8percent), belonged to the Fabaceae (19.1), Asteraceae, (8.5percent), Convolvulaceae (6.4percent), Asparagaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Rubiaceae, Vitaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae (4.3percent each) families. The most used plants were shrubs (40.4percent), trees (27.7percent), climbers (17.0percent), herbs (12.8percent) and a grasses (2.1percent). The most used plant parts were roots (61.7percent), leaves (25.5percent), fruits (12.8percent) and bark (10.6percent). A total of 26 medical conditions were treated with the majority of medicinal plants used to dilate or widen the birth canal (55.3percent) and to augment labour or speed up the delivery process (46.8percent). Interviews with traditional healers revealed that 14.9percent of the documented herbal medicines were used to guard against witchcraft and to prevent the infants’ illnesses. Other major uses of herbal medicines during pregnancy included their use to lower blood pressure or hypertension during pregnancy (12.8percent), to prevent caesarean section (10.6percent) and to loosen or relax muscles during pregnancy (8.5percent). Widely used non-plant products included soil of a burrowing mole (relative frequency citation (RFC) value of 0.61), elephant dung (RFC = 0.59), wasp nest (RFC = 0.32) and soap (RFC = 25). The majority of these non-plant products (22.8percent) were used to dilate birth canal (7.6percent) and augment labour (15.2percent). None of the twenty-five species with (RFC) > 0.05 evaluated for potential toxicity were categorised as toxic, but Albizia amara, Datura stramonium and Ricinus communis were categorised as having medium toxicity levels, nine species as having low toxicity levels while 13 species were categorised as non-toxic. This study provides valuable insights into the use of medicinal plants used by women during pregnancy, labour, delivery and post-delivery in Makoni District, Zimbabwe. Medicinal plants play an integral role in the provision of basic health care in Zimbabwe. However, the brine shrimp lethality test results categorised some of the prescribed species such as Albizia amara, Datura stramonium and Ricinus communis as having medium levels of toxicity and this is a cause of concern regarding utilization of TMPs during pregnancy. Therefore, TMPs used during pregnancy should be subjected to detailed phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological experiments aimed at identifying some of the potential toxic compounds and side effects associated with intake of TMPs and associated herbal products. , Thesis (PhD(Nursing)) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Chituku, Sibongile
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Traditional medicine -- Zimbabwe , Medicinal plants
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20142 , vital:45347
- Description: Use of traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) during pregnancy, labour and delivery is common globally although evidence on their therapeutic effectiveness and safety is scarce. Research relating to indigenous practices and utilisation of traditional medicinal plants by childbearing women during pregnancy in Makoni District, Zimbabwe was carried out. The study included identification of culturally important indigenous knowledge (IK) practices and TMPs used by pregnant women in order to understand how such plants and practices may affect maternal, foetal, labour, and infant outcomes. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed to postnatal mothers in Makoni District, aimed at obtaining information on IK practices associated with utilisation of TMPs by childbearing women during pregnancy. In addition to this, five focused group discussions were carried out between September 2016 and December 2017 with 66 traditional healers from Makoni District. Documented information included names of utilised plants, plant parts used, dosage, methods of preparation and administration, and reasons for use. Voucher specimens of the utilised plant species were collected. Brine shrimp lethality test was used to evaluate potential toxicity of the documented plant species. The collected data were analysed used Epi info version 7.1 and SPSS version 16.5. Quantitative data revealed that 168 (42.0percent) of pregnant women in Makoni District use TMPs and 95 (23.8percent) used traditional practices (including elephant dung) for maternal and childcare. Among the women who used TMPs were those who experienced precipitated and prolonged labour. Correlation was found between demographic factors and utilisation of TMPs. For example, being a Christian was significantly associated with using TMPs with relative risk (RR) value of 8.9. Postnatal mothers who used TMPs during their pregnancy were 82.0percent less likely to have their membranes ruptured artificially, RR = 0.2 and more likely to experience late decelerations during active phase (RR = 2.8) than those who did not use TMPs. The differences between those who used TMPs and those who did not during pregnancy and labour, showed no significant differences in infant outcomes. The ethnobotanical survey revealed that a total of 47 plant species from 27 families and 13 non-plant products were used as herbal, complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) by pregnant women. More than half of all the documented plant species (59.8percent), belonged to the Fabaceae (19.1), Asteraceae, (8.5percent), Convolvulaceae (6.4percent), Asparagaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Rubiaceae, Vitaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae (4.3percent each) families. The most used plants were shrubs (40.4percent), trees (27.7percent), climbers (17.0percent), herbs (12.8percent) and a grasses (2.1percent). The most used plant parts were roots (61.7percent), leaves (25.5percent), fruits (12.8percent) and bark (10.6percent). A total of 26 medical conditions were treated with the majority of medicinal plants used to dilate or widen the birth canal (55.3percent) and to augment labour or speed up the delivery process (46.8percent). Interviews with traditional healers revealed that 14.9percent of the documented herbal medicines were used to guard against witchcraft and to prevent the infants’ illnesses. Other major uses of herbal medicines during pregnancy included their use to lower blood pressure or hypertension during pregnancy (12.8percent), to prevent caesarean section (10.6percent) and to loosen or relax muscles during pregnancy (8.5percent). Widely used non-plant products included soil of a burrowing mole (relative frequency citation (RFC) value of 0.61), elephant dung (RFC = 0.59), wasp nest (RFC = 0.32) and soap (RFC = 25). The majority of these non-plant products (22.8percent) were used to dilate birth canal (7.6percent) and augment labour (15.2percent). None of the twenty-five species with (RFC) > 0.05 evaluated for potential toxicity were categorised as toxic, but Albizia amara, Datura stramonium and Ricinus communis were categorised as having medium toxicity levels, nine species as having low toxicity levels while 13 species were categorised as non-toxic. This study provides valuable insights into the use of medicinal plants used by women during pregnancy, labour, delivery and post-delivery in Makoni District, Zimbabwe. Medicinal plants play an integral role in the provision of basic health care in Zimbabwe. However, the brine shrimp lethality test results categorised some of the prescribed species such as Albizia amara, Datura stramonium and Ricinus communis as having medium levels of toxicity and this is a cause of concern regarding utilization of TMPs during pregnancy. Therefore, TMPs used during pregnancy should be subjected to detailed phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological experiments aimed at identifying some of the potential toxic compounds and side effects associated with intake of TMPs and associated herbal products. , Thesis (PhD(Nursing)) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating cannabinoids and endocannabinoid receptors as drug targets for pain and inflammation
- Authors: Marwarwa, Sinobomi Zamachi
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cannabinoids , Cannabinoids Receptors , Inflammation Alternative treatment , Pain Alternative treatment , Drug targeting
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164468 , vital:41121
- Description: Cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system have been studied in the past decades but have yet to be fully understood. An insight into interactions that occur between cannabinoid compounds and their receptors is important for understanding the cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids are natural products found in some cannabis plants, and they have similar effects to endocannabinoids, which are chemicals in the body that are involved many aspects of health from appetite, memory, and movement to pain, inflammation and response to cancer. Cannabinoids have a high impact on the treatment of pain and inflammation, they show different antinociceptive mechanisms to existing drugs like opioids, also, they have antimigraine properties better than those achieved by aspirin. The CB1 and CB2 human receptors have been the most studied cannabinoid receptors. In this project, we used a combination of mass-spectrometry to generate plausible chemical fragments and computational techniques to assess the binding of these fragments to these two main CB receptors. CB1 was adapted from the protein data bank (PBD), file 5U09 and the CB2 model was predicted using the hierarchical protocol I-TASSER, starting from the amino acid sequence in UniProt (P34972 CNR2_HUMAN). The proposed active site for CB1 was reported in a publication accompanying the 5U09 PDB model, which was originally generated with a pre-existing ligand in the active site. However, CB2 had to be built from a homology model and the active site determined using a combination of I-TASSER, Maestro, and CASTp the more favourable binding energies were determined by CASTp, leading to the use of the CASTp coordinates as default for docking in the CB2 human receptor. The molecular docking of cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBDV, CBG and CBN on both the CB1 and CB2 proteins was performed to identify the amino acids that interact with these compounds at their active sites. This would provide a guide to a future fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) synthesis project. The docking in this work showed adequate accuracy with binding energies between -8.23 kcal/mol and -9.97 kcal/mol for CB1 and between -6.78 kcal/mol and -7.74 kcal/mol for CB2. An observation made was that binding energies of the CB1 human receptor docking were higher than those of the CB2 human receptor, which could support the widely held belief that CB1 is more important in cannabinoid interactions. The cannabinoids were then subjected to collision-induced dissociation to produce fragment structures predicted in chapter 2. These hypothetical fragments were docked in the CB1 and CB2 human receptor, the general trend again being the binding energies for the CB1 receptor was again around 10% higher than those of the CB2 receptor. As expected, larger fragments tended to have better binding, with the fragment proposed from m/z 259 with binding energies -9.62 kcal/mol in CB1 and -6.26 kcal/mol. Those fragments with significant lipophilic side chains or some aromatic moiety also showed good binding or around -6.00 kcal/mol, similar to the intact cannabinoids. In our case, this fragment was proposed from m/z 223 with binding energies -7.71 kcal/mol in CB1 and -6.5 kcal/mol in CB2. The results from the fragment dockings were favourable in that they have binding affinities lower than -6.0 kcal/mol which is good enough for the structures to be leads in the creation of fragment libraries. The docking was performed with Autodock 1.5.6 and data visualization with a discovery studio. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Marwarwa, Sinobomi Zamachi
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cannabinoids , Cannabinoids Receptors , Inflammation Alternative treatment , Pain Alternative treatment , Drug targeting
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164468 , vital:41121
- Description: Cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system have been studied in the past decades but have yet to be fully understood. An insight into interactions that occur between cannabinoid compounds and their receptors is important for understanding the cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoids are natural products found in some cannabis plants, and they have similar effects to endocannabinoids, which are chemicals in the body that are involved many aspects of health from appetite, memory, and movement to pain, inflammation and response to cancer. Cannabinoids have a high impact on the treatment of pain and inflammation, they show different antinociceptive mechanisms to existing drugs like opioids, also, they have antimigraine properties better than those achieved by aspirin. The CB1 and CB2 human receptors have been the most studied cannabinoid receptors. In this project, we used a combination of mass-spectrometry to generate plausible chemical fragments and computational techniques to assess the binding of these fragments to these two main CB receptors. CB1 was adapted from the protein data bank (PBD), file 5U09 and the CB2 model was predicted using the hierarchical protocol I-TASSER, starting from the amino acid sequence in UniProt (P34972 CNR2_HUMAN). The proposed active site for CB1 was reported in a publication accompanying the 5U09 PDB model, which was originally generated with a pre-existing ligand in the active site. However, CB2 had to be built from a homology model and the active site determined using a combination of I-TASSER, Maestro, and CASTp the more favourable binding energies were determined by CASTp, leading to the use of the CASTp coordinates as default for docking in the CB2 human receptor. The molecular docking of cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBDV, CBG and CBN on both the CB1 and CB2 proteins was performed to identify the amino acids that interact with these compounds at their active sites. This would provide a guide to a future fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) synthesis project. The docking in this work showed adequate accuracy with binding energies between -8.23 kcal/mol and -9.97 kcal/mol for CB1 and between -6.78 kcal/mol and -7.74 kcal/mol for CB2. An observation made was that binding energies of the CB1 human receptor docking were higher than those of the CB2 human receptor, which could support the widely held belief that CB1 is more important in cannabinoid interactions. The cannabinoids were then subjected to collision-induced dissociation to produce fragment structures predicted in chapter 2. These hypothetical fragments were docked in the CB1 and CB2 human receptor, the general trend again being the binding energies for the CB1 receptor was again around 10% higher than those of the CB2 receptor. As expected, larger fragments tended to have better binding, with the fragment proposed from m/z 259 with binding energies -9.62 kcal/mol in CB1 and -6.26 kcal/mol. Those fragments with significant lipophilic side chains or some aromatic moiety also showed good binding or around -6.00 kcal/mol, similar to the intact cannabinoids. In our case, this fragment was proposed from m/z 223 with binding energies -7.71 kcal/mol in CB1 and -6.5 kcal/mol in CB2. The results from the fragment dockings were favourable in that they have binding affinities lower than -6.0 kcal/mol which is good enough for the structures to be leads in the creation of fragment libraries. The docking was performed with Autodock 1.5.6 and data visualization with a discovery studio. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020