The yield spread as a predictor for buy or sell signals for sectoral indices of the JSE
- Authors: Roeber, Christine
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Yield curve , Rate of return South Africa , Yield spread , Interest rate , Johannesburg Stock Exchange
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419687 , vital:71666
- Description: The predictive nature of the yield curve has been of interest to researchers for years. In this thesis, the evidence for the yield curve as a predictor is examine, specifically as a predictor for bear markets in the JSE stock market for 8 sub-sectoral indices. The study explores a dynamic market timing strategy for timing the South African stock market compared to a normal buy-and-hold strategy. First, probit models are estimated for each of the sectoral indices which did not prove to have tracked well all the bear market phases. Then a dynamic market timing portfolio is simulated against a buy-and-hold only strategy, the dynamic market timing portfolio proved to have outperformed a buy-and-hold strategy for almost all the indices. Thus, a Henriksson-Merton parametric model test which tests for market timing ability was done on these sub-indices. The research finds that the yield curve in South Africa is not a useful tool for a buy-sell strategy for most of the sub-sectoral indices of the JSE. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Roeber, Christine
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Yield curve , Rate of return South Africa , Yield spread , Interest rate , Johannesburg Stock Exchange
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419687 , vital:71666
- Description: The predictive nature of the yield curve has been of interest to researchers for years. In this thesis, the evidence for the yield curve as a predictor is examine, specifically as a predictor for bear markets in the JSE stock market for 8 sub-sectoral indices. The study explores a dynamic market timing strategy for timing the South African stock market compared to a normal buy-and-hold strategy. First, probit models are estimated for each of the sectoral indices which did not prove to have tracked well all the bear market phases. Then a dynamic market timing portfolio is simulated against a buy-and-hold only strategy, the dynamic market timing portfolio proved to have outperformed a buy-and-hold strategy for almost all the indices. Thus, a Henriksson-Merton parametric model test which tests for market timing ability was done on these sub-indices. The research finds that the yield curve in South Africa is not a useful tool for a buy-sell strategy for most of the sub-sectoral indices of the JSE. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economic History, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Thermal physiology of juvenile red roman seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps after long-term exposure to low pH conditions
- Authors: Allison, Caitlin
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424323 , vital:72143
- Description: Climate change has caused a combination of effects on the physiology of fishes. Of particular concern are the effects of thermal variability and ocean acidification. Organismal energy budgets change throughout ontogeny and research into the metabolic scope during early life stages is particularly useful in identifying potential bottlenecks. The first part of this thesis aimed to assess the absolute aerobic scope (AAS, described as the difference between the maximum and standard metabolic rates) of individual juveniles from a protected population of the endemic, commercially important seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps, across a range of ecologically relevant temperatures (T = 11, 14, 18, 22˚C) under present-day conditions (pH = 8.03, pCO2 ≈ 420 μatm) using intermittent flow respirometry. The second component sought to investigate how long-term exposure (from fertilisation to juvenile, ~100 days exposure) to high-pCO2/hypercapnic conditions (pH = 7.63, pCO2 ≈ 1400 μatm), would affect the AAS of juvenile C. laticeps over a range of temperatures. Lower pH conditions were predicted to cause a decrease in the AAS of treatment animals due to additional energetic costs of acid-base regulation. The findings of the first data chapter demonstrated that juvenile C. laticeps reared under current CO2 conditions are tolerant to a wide range of thermal conditions, and individuals with a broad aerobic scope will be the best suited to coping with enhanced thermal variability. In contrast to the expected outcomes of the second data chapter, juvenile C. laticeps reared under high pCO2 conditions displayed greater AAS at high and low temperatures when compared with specimens from high pH conditions. Whilst a high degree of individual phenotypic variation was observed in the metabolic response of both groups, this was reduced at the lower and upper extreme temperatures for high pH and low pH animals respectively. Notably, the variation in treatment animal’s SMR was significantly diminished across all temperatures tested, compared to only a localised reduction in the SMR of high pH animals at cold temperatures. This may be indicative of compensatory pathways affecting energy restructuring and thermally-governed physiological trade-offs under hypercapnia. Given these results, juvenile C. laticeps appear to be more resilient to ocean acidification than anticipated, potentially owing to intrapopulation metabolic phenotypic diversity. This is likely attributed to the parental lineage originating in the Tsitsikamma MPA, which is thought to boast greater phenotypic diversity as a consequence of the refuge that these conservation areas offer from exploitation. Owing to the restriction imposed by the availability of surviving, captive-reared juveniles, the sample size used in this study was relatively low. However, owing to the repeated-measures nature of this research the sample size was sufficient to offer suitable statistical power for the polynomial mixed model used in the analysis. Future research should incorporate both physiological and behavioural responses to multiple environmental stressors to better understand covariation between these two traits, and to detect any behavioural trade-offs that might arise through compensation. In addition, these trials should be repeated using offspring from outside of the MPA to compare whether the same level of resilience and metabolic phenotypic diversity would be present in an exploited population. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Allison, Caitlin
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424323 , vital:72143
- Description: Climate change has caused a combination of effects on the physiology of fishes. Of particular concern are the effects of thermal variability and ocean acidification. Organismal energy budgets change throughout ontogeny and research into the metabolic scope during early life stages is particularly useful in identifying potential bottlenecks. The first part of this thesis aimed to assess the absolute aerobic scope (AAS, described as the difference between the maximum and standard metabolic rates) of individual juveniles from a protected population of the endemic, commercially important seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps, across a range of ecologically relevant temperatures (T = 11, 14, 18, 22˚C) under present-day conditions (pH = 8.03, pCO2 ≈ 420 μatm) using intermittent flow respirometry. The second component sought to investigate how long-term exposure (from fertilisation to juvenile, ~100 days exposure) to high-pCO2/hypercapnic conditions (pH = 7.63, pCO2 ≈ 1400 μatm), would affect the AAS of juvenile C. laticeps over a range of temperatures. Lower pH conditions were predicted to cause a decrease in the AAS of treatment animals due to additional energetic costs of acid-base regulation. The findings of the first data chapter demonstrated that juvenile C. laticeps reared under current CO2 conditions are tolerant to a wide range of thermal conditions, and individuals with a broad aerobic scope will be the best suited to coping with enhanced thermal variability. In contrast to the expected outcomes of the second data chapter, juvenile C. laticeps reared under high pCO2 conditions displayed greater AAS at high and low temperatures when compared with specimens from high pH conditions. Whilst a high degree of individual phenotypic variation was observed in the metabolic response of both groups, this was reduced at the lower and upper extreme temperatures for high pH and low pH animals respectively. Notably, the variation in treatment animal’s SMR was significantly diminished across all temperatures tested, compared to only a localised reduction in the SMR of high pH animals at cold temperatures. This may be indicative of compensatory pathways affecting energy restructuring and thermally-governed physiological trade-offs under hypercapnia. Given these results, juvenile C. laticeps appear to be more resilient to ocean acidification than anticipated, potentially owing to intrapopulation metabolic phenotypic diversity. This is likely attributed to the parental lineage originating in the Tsitsikamma MPA, which is thought to boast greater phenotypic diversity as a consequence of the refuge that these conservation areas offer from exploitation. Owing to the restriction imposed by the availability of surviving, captive-reared juveniles, the sample size used in this study was relatively low. However, owing to the repeated-measures nature of this research the sample size was sufficient to offer suitable statistical power for the polynomial mixed model used in the analysis. Future research should incorporate both physiological and behavioural responses to multiple environmental stressors to better understand covariation between these two traits, and to detect any behavioural trade-offs that might arise through compensation. In addition, these trials should be repeated using offspring from outside of the MPA to compare whether the same level of resilience and metabolic phenotypic diversity would be present in an exploited population. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Towards interrogating the notion of a Black aesthetic in multi-cultural Africa
- Authors: Maina, Muhunyo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425231 , vital:72221
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Maina, Muhunyo
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425231 , vital:72221
- Description: Enbargoed. Expected release date 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Using the indigenous technology of making oshikundu to mediate learning of the topic diffusion in Namibia
- Authors: Endjala, Alma Panduleni
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy Namibia , Diffusion Study and teaching (Secondary) Activity programs Namibia , Ethnoscience Namibia , Pedagogical content knowledge , Social learning , Science teachers Education (Continuing education) , Oshikundu
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419726 , vital:71670
- Description: The Namibian Science curriculum acknowledges that indigenous knowledge (IK) is an important basis for learning science. Among the shared reasons is that it provides learners with access to abstract scientific concepts. As a result, teachers are encouraged to integrate IK into the teaching and learning of science. However, it seems that there are no explicit guidelines on how IK should be integrated into science classrooms. It is against this backdrop that this study sought to explore how the indigenous technology of making oshikundu (a non-alcoholic beverage) can be mobilised by Grade 8 Life Science teachers to mediate learning of diffusion in their classrooms. The study was underpinned by interpretive and indigenous research paradigms. Within these paradigms, a qualitative case study approach was employed. Four Grade 8 Life Science teachers from four different schools in Okahandja town, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia, participated in this study. Additionally, an expert community member who was knowledgeable about the indigenous technology of making oshikundu was requested to demonstrate how to make it. In this event, the Life Science teachers had to identify the science concepts embedded in the practice. To gather data, this study made use of semi-structured interviews, workshop discussions, observations and journal reflections. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as a theoretical framework and Mavhunga and Rollnick’s topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (TSPCK) was used as an analytical framework. The findings of this study revealed that the teachers’ understanding was positively influenced by the integration of IK which certainly assisted them to relate better to the concept of diffusion. This was validated when teachers extracted emerging science concepts from the indigenous technology of making oshikundu. The implication of this study is that expert community member presentations can greatly enhance sense making of science concepts. The study thus recommends that school-based teachers’ continuing professional development in collaboration with expert community members should be carried out to enhance both the teachers’ subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge on IK integration. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Endjala, Alma Panduleni
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Culturally relevant pedagogy Namibia , Diffusion Study and teaching (Secondary) Activity programs Namibia , Ethnoscience Namibia , Pedagogical content knowledge , Social learning , Science teachers Education (Continuing education) , Oshikundu
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419726 , vital:71670
- Description: The Namibian Science curriculum acknowledges that indigenous knowledge (IK) is an important basis for learning science. Among the shared reasons is that it provides learners with access to abstract scientific concepts. As a result, teachers are encouraged to integrate IK into the teaching and learning of science. However, it seems that there are no explicit guidelines on how IK should be integrated into science classrooms. It is against this backdrop that this study sought to explore how the indigenous technology of making oshikundu (a non-alcoholic beverage) can be mobilised by Grade 8 Life Science teachers to mediate learning of diffusion in their classrooms. The study was underpinned by interpretive and indigenous research paradigms. Within these paradigms, a qualitative case study approach was employed. Four Grade 8 Life Science teachers from four different schools in Okahandja town, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia, participated in this study. Additionally, an expert community member who was knowledgeable about the indigenous technology of making oshikundu was requested to demonstrate how to make it. In this event, the Life Science teachers had to identify the science concepts embedded in the practice. To gather data, this study made use of semi-structured interviews, workshop discussions, observations and journal reflections. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as a theoretical framework and Mavhunga and Rollnick’s topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (TSPCK) was used as an analytical framework. The findings of this study revealed that the teachers’ understanding was positively influenced by the integration of IK which certainly assisted them to relate better to the concept of diffusion. This was validated when teachers extracted emerging science concepts from the indigenous technology of making oshikundu. The implication of this study is that expert community member presentations can greatly enhance sense making of science concepts. The study thus recommends that school-based teachers’ continuing professional development in collaboration with expert community members should be carried out to enhance both the teachers’ subject content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge on IK integration. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Uviwe Umthandazo
- Authors: Madinda, Viwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425344 , vital:72231
- Description: The discourse of identity and community are topics of interest to me. As a citizen living in post-apartheid South Africa, I am captivated by the re-emerging wisdom and knowledge of Nguni cultural philosophies and practices. My practice-based research is interested in a creative interpretation of these ancient philosophies and practices in the context of postcolonial life. The project in many ways re-members through observation of socio-political issues such as inequality, violence, and vandalism as reflections of internal challenges of the individual self in current reality. In essence, my discussion in this paper highlights the need for healing grief and loss for the well-being – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – of society. Self-definition is the core of any community and we see this in the philosophy of the African proverb umntu ngumntu ngabantu, ‘I am because you are’. ‘I am’ is a set of beliefs that construct the individual self; our life’s course then becomes a constant molding of the body and the world around us. The wisdom of ubuntu was, and is, a catalyst for many African cultures, as this law recognizes each individual as important and equal in the community. As a descendant of various indigenous clans originating in Africa the well-being and balance of my being is determined by how much I know about who I am. Consequently, being a part of the generation that is experiencing the transitioning phases from apartheid I question the ways we are dealing with the residue of coloniality concerning all aspects of self; the physical, emotional, and mental bodies of self. My creative work is a reflection of the exercises I implemented to cultivate selfhood as a way to participate in and control my reality as a marginalized member of society. The different chapters touch on many intersecting theories about tools for healing/soothing the self. The creative process experimented with the various concepts embedded in the expression ‘I am because you are’. In the process of this research, I learned that knowing yourself is one of the principles of ubuntu, which teaches me that I cannot be or give what I do not have. The themes I explore through the above expression are self-love, self-acceptance, and self-respect using a creative lens. This practice-based research proposes a concept; the act of love as a decolonial gesture. My exhibition Vuleka Mhlaba Ndinegene1 utilizes visual language to convey the need for more conversations on healing using natural elements, as a way to make a connection between self, the natural environment, and community. In the first and second chapters, the paper focuses on practices employed by artists such as Lhola Amira, Guadalupe Maravilla, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Tony Gum, Lina Iris Viktor, and Aida Muleneh, to relate the various approaches to re-member the severed connection between self, nature, and community. This study looks at theories on; holding space, sound healing, earthing, shadow work, astrology, and human consciousness. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Madinda, Viwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425344 , vital:72231
- Description: The discourse of identity and community are topics of interest to me. As a citizen living in post-apartheid South Africa, I am captivated by the re-emerging wisdom and knowledge of Nguni cultural philosophies and practices. My practice-based research is interested in a creative interpretation of these ancient philosophies and practices in the context of postcolonial life. The project in many ways re-members through observation of socio-political issues such as inequality, violence, and vandalism as reflections of internal challenges of the individual self in current reality. In essence, my discussion in this paper highlights the need for healing grief and loss for the well-being – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – of society. Self-definition is the core of any community and we see this in the philosophy of the African proverb umntu ngumntu ngabantu, ‘I am because you are’. ‘I am’ is a set of beliefs that construct the individual self; our life’s course then becomes a constant molding of the body and the world around us. The wisdom of ubuntu was, and is, a catalyst for many African cultures, as this law recognizes each individual as important and equal in the community. As a descendant of various indigenous clans originating in Africa the well-being and balance of my being is determined by how much I know about who I am. Consequently, being a part of the generation that is experiencing the transitioning phases from apartheid I question the ways we are dealing with the residue of coloniality concerning all aspects of self; the physical, emotional, and mental bodies of self. My creative work is a reflection of the exercises I implemented to cultivate selfhood as a way to participate in and control my reality as a marginalized member of society. The different chapters touch on many intersecting theories about tools for healing/soothing the self. The creative process experimented with the various concepts embedded in the expression ‘I am because you are’. In the process of this research, I learned that knowing yourself is one of the principles of ubuntu, which teaches me that I cannot be or give what I do not have. The themes I explore through the above expression are self-love, self-acceptance, and self-respect using a creative lens. This practice-based research proposes a concept; the act of love as a decolonial gesture. My exhibition Vuleka Mhlaba Ndinegene1 utilizes visual language to convey the need for more conversations on healing using natural elements, as a way to make a connection between self, the natural environment, and community. In the first and second chapters, the paper focuses on practices employed by artists such as Lhola Amira, Guadalupe Maravilla, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Tony Gum, Lina Iris Viktor, and Aida Muleneh, to relate the various approaches to re-member the severed connection between self, nature, and community. This study looks at theories on; holding space, sound healing, earthing, shadow work, astrology, and human consciousness. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Visual representations of linear algebraic expressions: a case study in a Grade 9 after-school mathematics club
- Authors: Herbert, Sindisiwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424019 , vital:72116
- Description: Visualisation is commonly used as a tool in introducing algebra through visual or kinaesthetic sequences designed to prompt learners' development of a general rule for moving from a term's position to its output value. Fluency in both the concepts and the conventions of elementary algebra are essential to learners, as algebra forms the language in which many advanced mathematical ideas are encoded. Moreover, algebraic fluency is often associated with an ability to think abstractly about arithmetic processes. In many classrooms, however, research has shown that learners often focus on fluency in algebraic conventions rather than concepts, learning how to manipulate expressions without understanding the algorithms they are taught to follow. This trend can be linked to several causes, including teacher-centred mathematics classrooms in which learners are – whether implicitly or explicitly – encouraged to copy formulae and methods in order to ‘get it right in a test’ without necessarily grasping the underlying logical relationships. This case study, therefore, aimed to determine whether there was value in using visual, kinaesthetic models to broaden and deepen learners' use of algebra. To that end, in the context of an extra-curricular mathematics club that aimed to decentre the teachers and demand innovative ideas of the participants, six pairs of Grade 9 learners were tasked with creating visual representations of a linear algebraic expression using coloured building cubes. The responses to this task over the course of five assignments were many and varied and almost universally displayed a sustained internal logic that the learners were able to explain and develop. Most pairs began with a visual list of terms arranged in sets of towers, pyramids or, in one case, a spiral. At the end of the study, all but one of the pairs had settled on a Visual Expression, in which various colours were used to represent elements of the algebra such as the values of the coefficient, the variable and the constant term. The participants' representations grew in complexity over the course of the study and the conformity of the final responses showed that the club was a collaborative space in which learners shared ideas. However, the structure of the Visual Expressions and their own confessions of nerves about ‘getting it wrong’ in the interviews suggest that the participants were stuck in a mindset that led them to seek out and idealise the representation closest to the original algebra, even though that representation revealed little about the structural relationship underlying the expression. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Herbert, Sindisiwe
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424019 , vital:72116
- Description: Visualisation is commonly used as a tool in introducing algebra through visual or kinaesthetic sequences designed to prompt learners' development of a general rule for moving from a term's position to its output value. Fluency in both the concepts and the conventions of elementary algebra are essential to learners, as algebra forms the language in which many advanced mathematical ideas are encoded. Moreover, algebraic fluency is often associated with an ability to think abstractly about arithmetic processes. In many classrooms, however, research has shown that learners often focus on fluency in algebraic conventions rather than concepts, learning how to manipulate expressions without understanding the algorithms they are taught to follow. This trend can be linked to several causes, including teacher-centred mathematics classrooms in which learners are – whether implicitly or explicitly – encouraged to copy formulae and methods in order to ‘get it right in a test’ without necessarily grasping the underlying logical relationships. This case study, therefore, aimed to determine whether there was value in using visual, kinaesthetic models to broaden and deepen learners' use of algebra. To that end, in the context of an extra-curricular mathematics club that aimed to decentre the teachers and demand innovative ideas of the participants, six pairs of Grade 9 learners were tasked with creating visual representations of a linear algebraic expression using coloured building cubes. The responses to this task over the course of five assignments were many and varied and almost universally displayed a sustained internal logic that the learners were able to explain and develop. Most pairs began with a visual list of terms arranged in sets of towers, pyramids or, in one case, a spiral. At the end of the study, all but one of the pairs had settled on a Visual Expression, in which various colours were used to represent elements of the algebra such as the values of the coefficient, the variable and the constant term. The participants' representations grew in complexity over the course of the study and the conformity of the final responses showed that the club was a collaborative space in which learners shared ideas. However, the structure of the Visual Expressions and their own confessions of nerves about ‘getting it wrong’ in the interviews suggest that the participants were stuck in a mindset that led them to seek out and idealise the representation closest to the original algebra, even though that representation revealed little about the structural relationship underlying the expression. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Vulamasango Singene: sociological analysis of a rural social movement
- Authors: Kirchmann, Gail Lynne
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425132 , vital:72213
- Description: This dissertation tests the claim made by a large membership-based organisation that it is a social movement. The organisation, Vulamasango Singene (VS) operates across the rural areas of large parts of the Eastern Cape Province. It has, for twenty years, advocated for the re-opening of land restitution claims for a specific category of forced removal known as “betterment”. This study provides an analysis of an organisation that has yet to achieve its objective in spite of sufficient financial resources, logistical and strategic support, numeric strength and the legal clarity of its demand. The research is situated within the framework of social movement theory. The study examined the origins, institutional infrastructure, demographic make-up, activities and culture of VS. These were analysed against four components that are identified in the literature as key characteristics of a social movement. These are: (i) informal networks (as opposed to structured and managed engagements); (ii) a plurality of actors (as opposed to a homogenous grouping); (iii) mobilising around issues of conflict; and (iv) sharing common beliefs and demonstrating solidarity. Data were gathered through an archival study and field research. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of VS’s leadership, and staff of the non-governmental organisation in which VS originated, as well as expert informants in the land reform arena. The findings with respect to each of the criteria were: (i) VS’s structure was rigid and internal communication was largely formal. (ii) There was almost no demographic or political diversity within VS. (iii) VS had, in the past, mobilised around issues of conflict, but there had been no mobilisation for ten years. (iv) While there was some evidence of sharing common beliefs and demonstrating solidarity, this was limited. The conclusion reached was that VS is not a social movement. This does not imply that VS is not an important democratic or representative organisation. It does, however, provide a theoretical position from which VS, and other organisations, can direct further action. The study touched on the relationship between northern donors, local professional NGOs and grassroots organisations in South Africa. Interactions among these institutions impact on the way that organisations and social movements develop. Comparisons with other similar organisations were made and similarities and differences were highlighted. It was suggested that, because of the importance of the issue, further research in this regard is necessary. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Kirchmann, Gail Lynne
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425132 , vital:72213
- Description: This dissertation tests the claim made by a large membership-based organisation that it is a social movement. The organisation, Vulamasango Singene (VS) operates across the rural areas of large parts of the Eastern Cape Province. It has, for twenty years, advocated for the re-opening of land restitution claims for a specific category of forced removal known as “betterment”. This study provides an analysis of an organisation that has yet to achieve its objective in spite of sufficient financial resources, logistical and strategic support, numeric strength and the legal clarity of its demand. The research is situated within the framework of social movement theory. The study examined the origins, institutional infrastructure, demographic make-up, activities and culture of VS. These were analysed against four components that are identified in the literature as key characteristics of a social movement. These are: (i) informal networks (as opposed to structured and managed engagements); (ii) a plurality of actors (as opposed to a homogenous grouping); (iii) mobilising around issues of conflict; and (iv) sharing common beliefs and demonstrating solidarity. Data were gathered through an archival study and field research. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of VS’s leadership, and staff of the non-governmental organisation in which VS originated, as well as expert informants in the land reform arena. The findings with respect to each of the criteria were: (i) VS’s structure was rigid and internal communication was largely formal. (ii) There was almost no demographic or political diversity within VS. (iii) VS had, in the past, mobilised around issues of conflict, but there had been no mobilisation for ten years. (iv) While there was some evidence of sharing common beliefs and demonstrating solidarity, this was limited. The conclusion reached was that VS is not a social movement. This does not imply that VS is not an important democratic or representative organisation. It does, however, provide a theoretical position from which VS, and other organisations, can direct further action. The study touched on the relationship between northern donors, local professional NGOs and grassroots organisations in South Africa. Interactions among these institutions impact on the way that organisations and social movements develop. Comparisons with other similar organisations were made and similarities and differences were highlighted. It was suggested that, because of the importance of the issue, further research in this regard is necessary. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Year-end oversight in Local Government: a case study of water and sanitation service delivery at Amathole District Municipality
- Authors: Seoke, Duncan
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425206 , vital:72219
- Description: Poor service delivery is a challenge that has continued to plague the constitutional democracy of South Africa. Legislation has, in response, been passed to ensure efficient service delivery. Despite this legislation, municipal service delivery has been alarmingly poor, and reports on municipal performance and newspaper articles have corroborated this. On the causes of poor service delivery, the existing literature appears to have focused on financial mismanagement, corruption, and the incapacity of officials. Absent from existing literature are discussions on how municipal service delivery is affected by the lack of interrelatedness between municipal public resource management processes (such as revenue collection, expenditure management and oversight). This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the municipal public resource management processes from an oversight perspective. The study sought to analyse the effectiveness of year-end oversight at Amathole District Municipality (ADM) over water and sanitation services. This research aimed to study the year-end oversight over service delivery with reference to the Municipal Public Resource Management (MPRM) model. According to the model, effective service delivery includes inter alia effective oversight, as oversight forms part of the entire system of the municipal resource management cycle. Thus, for the MPRM model, oversight should be exercised on all these processes. The research was a desktop analysis that used both a qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The primary document analysed was the ADM Oversight Report (OR). This report is produced by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and reflects the year-end oversight conducted by the MPAC on the municipality's activities. In the analysis of the OR, it was concluded that the ADM MPAC had failed to conduct effective year-end oversight of W&S services. The efficacy of the ADM MPAC's year-end oversight was measured against guidelines for effective year-end oversight from the National Treasury and the MPRM model. The findings suggested that there were inefficiencies in the manner that the ADM MPAC exercised its year-end oversight. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Seoke, Duncan
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425206 , vital:72219
- Description: Poor service delivery is a challenge that has continued to plague the constitutional democracy of South Africa. Legislation has, in response, been passed to ensure efficient service delivery. Despite this legislation, municipal service delivery has been alarmingly poor, and reports on municipal performance and newspaper articles have corroborated this. On the causes of poor service delivery, the existing literature appears to have focused on financial mismanagement, corruption, and the incapacity of officials. Absent from existing literature are discussions on how municipal service delivery is affected by the lack of interrelatedness between municipal public resource management processes (such as revenue collection, expenditure management and oversight). This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the municipal public resource management processes from an oversight perspective. The study sought to analyse the effectiveness of year-end oversight at Amathole District Municipality (ADM) over water and sanitation services. This research aimed to study the year-end oversight over service delivery with reference to the Municipal Public Resource Management (MPRM) model. According to the model, effective service delivery includes inter alia effective oversight, as oversight forms part of the entire system of the municipal resource management cycle. Thus, for the MPRM model, oversight should be exercised on all these processes. The research was a desktop analysis that used both a qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The primary document analysed was the ADM Oversight Report (OR). This report is produced by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and reflects the year-end oversight conducted by the MPAC on the municipality's activities. In the analysis of the OR, it was concluded that the ADM MPAC had failed to conduct effective year-end oversight of W&S services. The efficacy of the ADM MPAC's year-end oversight was measured against guidelines for effective year-end oversight from the National Treasury and the MPRM model. The findings suggested that there were inefficiencies in the manner that the ADM MPAC exercised its year-end oversight. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
“Rwanda cannot be exorcised”: representations of the trauma of the Rwandan Genocide in selected films and novels
- Authors: Jennings, Kathleen
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425067 , vital:72206
- Description: Although the Rwandan genocide (itsembabwoko in Kinyarwanda) has often been compared with the Holocaust, in terms of literary and cinematic narratives it has been largely underrepresented, with the notable exception of the release of the films Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Sometimes in April (2005), as well as novels such as Gil Courtemanche’s A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali (2003). However, although there is now a larger oeuvre of works on the subject, they are often not widely known or disseminated beyond their countries of origin. Of even greater concern is the fact that most cinematic narratives on itsembabwoko rely on Western narrative structures in their approach to storytelling. As a result, trauma in these narratives largely tends to focus on the experiences of Western protagonists or on Rwandan protagonists from a Western point of view. This tendency can be tied to the use of Western trauma theory in exploring the effects of the genocide on its witnesses and survivors, at the expense of arguably more relevant postcolonial trauma theory. This presents a problem in theorising the trauma of itsembabwoko, which occurred in a highly specific historical context involving the processes of colonization and decolonization, and in which the difficulties in unifying a population which had been split along socio-economic lines since pre-colonial times remained unresolved. Despite its shortcomings in the postcolonial African context, it would be a mistake to dismiss Yale trauma theory entirely, however, since theorists such as Cathy Caruth still provide valuable insights into the effects of trauma on both the individual and the collective. As a result, I have sought to find commonalities between the two schools of thought, so as to create a more nuanced view of itsembabwoko, its repercussions and the violence preceding it. In writing this thesis, I have selected mostly Rwandan authors, often survivors of the genocide, whose works provide an alternative view of Rwanda’s violent history to that presented in the works mentioned above. Given that the majority of the texts I focus on have been released more recently – mostly the mid-2010s – and are less well-known than their Western counterparts, they provide the opportunity to compare first-hand accounts with those that can only partially recreate the terror of anti-Tutsi violence in Rwanda. My analysis hopefully provides a new perspective on the dominant narratives which have shaped the way in which non-Rwandan (predominantly Western) audiences understand the genocide. The overall aim of this thesis, then, is to demonstrate the importance of placing the genocide and its resultant trauma in a broader historical context, with a view to establishing that it is shortsighted to ignore the impact of pre- and post-genocide trauma on the Rwandan people when discussing itsembabwoko. Though this has been achieved in socio-historical studies, such as Mahmood Mamdani’s When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda, very little has been produced on literary and cinematic representations of the genocide. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Jennings, Kathleen
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425067 , vital:72206
- Description: Although the Rwandan genocide (itsembabwoko in Kinyarwanda) has often been compared with the Holocaust, in terms of literary and cinematic narratives it has been largely underrepresented, with the notable exception of the release of the films Hotel Rwanda (2004) and Sometimes in April (2005), as well as novels such as Gil Courtemanche’s A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali (2003). However, although there is now a larger oeuvre of works on the subject, they are often not widely known or disseminated beyond their countries of origin. Of even greater concern is the fact that most cinematic narratives on itsembabwoko rely on Western narrative structures in their approach to storytelling. As a result, trauma in these narratives largely tends to focus on the experiences of Western protagonists or on Rwandan protagonists from a Western point of view. This tendency can be tied to the use of Western trauma theory in exploring the effects of the genocide on its witnesses and survivors, at the expense of arguably more relevant postcolonial trauma theory. This presents a problem in theorising the trauma of itsembabwoko, which occurred in a highly specific historical context involving the processes of colonization and decolonization, and in which the difficulties in unifying a population which had been split along socio-economic lines since pre-colonial times remained unresolved. Despite its shortcomings in the postcolonial African context, it would be a mistake to dismiss Yale trauma theory entirely, however, since theorists such as Cathy Caruth still provide valuable insights into the effects of trauma on both the individual and the collective. As a result, I have sought to find commonalities between the two schools of thought, so as to create a more nuanced view of itsembabwoko, its repercussions and the violence preceding it. In writing this thesis, I have selected mostly Rwandan authors, often survivors of the genocide, whose works provide an alternative view of Rwanda’s violent history to that presented in the works mentioned above. Given that the majority of the texts I focus on have been released more recently – mostly the mid-2010s – and are less well-known than their Western counterparts, they provide the opportunity to compare first-hand accounts with those that can only partially recreate the terror of anti-Tutsi violence in Rwanda. My analysis hopefully provides a new perspective on the dominant narratives which have shaped the way in which non-Rwandan (predominantly Western) audiences understand the genocide. The overall aim of this thesis, then, is to demonstrate the importance of placing the genocide and its resultant trauma in a broader historical context, with a view to establishing that it is shortsighted to ignore the impact of pre- and post-genocide trauma on the Rwandan people when discussing itsembabwoko. Though this has been achieved in socio-historical studies, such as Mahmood Mamdani’s When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda, very little has been produced on literary and cinematic representations of the genocide. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Literary Studies in English 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Analysis of corporate failures: a case study of two South African banks
- Mqomboti, Xitshembiso Pronacia
- Authors: Mqomboti, Xitshembiso Pronacia
- Date: 2023-02
- Subjects: Business failures South Africa , Corporate governance South Africa , Risk management , Operational risk , Business ethics , Bank management South Africa , Banks and banking South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419151 , vital:71620
- Description: This study analysed the factors that contributed to the failure of Venda Building Society Mutual Bank (VBS) and African Bank Limited and the impact it had on their key stakeholders. The specific objectives of this study were to evaluate African Bank and VBS bank's operational risk management processes and controls, the role of ethical failures at VBS bank and African Bank; and assess how the failures affected their stakeholders. The population sample of the study included African Bank and VBS. The study adopted a qualitative research method. Existing reports from both African Bank and VBS were used to collect data. The study adopted a thematic data analysis method, which includes data coding and the development of themes. The data analysis framework was derived from a defined set of research propositions and seven (7) themes were derived from this analysis method. The failure in operational controls of both banks and ineffective risk management structures including unethical conduct by the executive management and board of VBS bank, irregular financial transactions and weakened external auditing function resulted in an unaccountable executive relationship and reckless lending decision-making. This research study will expand on the existing body of knowledge on the failures and near-failures of banks in the South African banking sector. The South African banking industry and its regulatory bodies will be better equipped to strengthen their corporate governance in risk controls to mitigate future collapses and near collapses of banks. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-02
- Authors: Mqomboti, Xitshembiso Pronacia
- Date: 2023-02
- Subjects: Business failures South Africa , Corporate governance South Africa , Risk management , Operational risk , Business ethics , Bank management South Africa , Banks and banking South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419151 , vital:71620
- Description: This study analysed the factors that contributed to the failure of Venda Building Society Mutual Bank (VBS) and African Bank Limited and the impact it had on their key stakeholders. The specific objectives of this study were to evaluate African Bank and VBS bank's operational risk management processes and controls, the role of ethical failures at VBS bank and African Bank; and assess how the failures affected their stakeholders. The population sample of the study included African Bank and VBS. The study adopted a qualitative research method. Existing reports from both African Bank and VBS were used to collect data. The study adopted a thematic data analysis method, which includes data coding and the development of themes. The data analysis framework was derived from a defined set of research propositions and seven (7) themes were derived from this analysis method. The failure in operational controls of both banks and ineffective risk management structures including unethical conduct by the executive management and board of VBS bank, irregular financial transactions and weakened external auditing function resulted in an unaccountable executive relationship and reckless lending decision-making. This research study will expand on the existing body of knowledge on the failures and near-failures of banks in the South African banking sector. The South African banking industry and its regulatory bodies will be better equipped to strengthen their corporate governance in risk controls to mitigate future collapses and near collapses of banks. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-02