Babantu ababomvu entliziyweni(People who are ‘Red’ in their hearts) and the myth of ‘modernity’
- Authors: Haynes, Duncan Robert
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408897 , vital:70535
- Description: This study examines a history of urban research on ancestral belief of amaXhosa within the Greater East London region, Eastern Cape, South Africa which spanned much of the 20th century (1934–2002). Through extensive textual and literary investigation, this thesis offers new perspectives on this topic. Current theoretical explorations offer the tools to reassess the positionality of the researchers and in light of findings of these previous studies, highlighting above all, the presence of certain academic ‘blind-spots’. These ‘blind-spots’ are argued to have been caused by theoretical and methodological constraints, particularly around Western-centric definitions of the nature of 'modernity' that rely on the positivist notion of a singular unilinear path of time as a universal standard (and which thus defines 'progressiveness' and 'backwardness'). (These ‘blind spots’ were notably further strengthened by a Eurocentric interpretation of identity and a trend of Neo-Marxist scholarship between the 1970s and the 2010s1 which created a ‘taboo’ on addressing issues of culture, and especially of ancestral spirituality, as this was taken to be portraying Africans as culturally ‘static’ and backward and therefore supporting Apartheid ideologies of ‘separate development’). Through these textual investigations this thesis brings to light the, largely unrecognised, core of the issue or driving factor behind the difficulties in all of these previous studies. This is posited as the existence of a prevailing culture of ‘silence’ in Xhosa spaces (stretching from 1840–2000) regarding the sustained importance of 'Redness' (ancestral spirituality and traditional dimensions of identity due to the notion that it was 'backward'). This self-censoring is unpacked as having been an expedient response by many to the requirements for Xhosa pagans to wash off the symbolic red cosmetic clay at baptism, put on ‘decent’ Western clothing and shoes and take on Christian first names (‘shedding’ their previous names and identities) as processes deemed necessary to properly convert to Christianity (Frescura, 2015). More significantly however, it has been argued by scholars that adopting Christianity was the only way to be able to harness the power of education at a time of starvation related to the famine of the millennial Cattle Killing movement (1856–7) and the Xhosa military defeat at the end of the 100-year period of the British Xhosa Frontier Wars (1779–1879). This thesis uses perspectives offered by Queer theory to unpack the pain of this 'veiling' of aspects of identity as a necessary strategy for achieving economic 'success' amid the structural and epistemological violence of colonialism and apartheid. It is suggested that a combination of the ‘silence’ and ‘taboo’ area of the ‘blind-spot’ could completely ‘veil’ these epistemological realities from the view of many earlier researchers of urban Xhosa identity (whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds as well as etic positioning caused them to be unable to 'knock' to gain access into this normally ‘veiled’ world). This thesis combines these historical perspectives with contemporary scholarship and literary works to propose that these ‘Red’ aspects of identity and spirituality have always and still ‘continue’ to form a core, or crux, of Xhosa identity for a previously widely unrecognised and overwhelming majority of urban amaXhosa. This thesis uses the perspective offered by a Xhosa translation of the title of Mda's English language novel, 'A Heart of Redness’ (2000), to explore the importance of ancestral spirituality and clan identities to amaXhosa as a [previously invisible/veiled] ‘Redness of one's Heart’ for a high proportion of contemporary amaXhosa. In this way, this thesis agrees with scholars such as Latour (1993) and Mignolo (2007) in their 'jarring' expose regarding the epistemic violence of euro-normative notions of ‘modernity’. Here they call for a disruption of the pervasive idea of the West as being at the 'forefront' of human experience and even a challenge to the western reading of time. Finally, through exploring critique of the 'Secularisation Thesis' of the Western world, this thesis poses the implicit question contained in its title: ‘Is the western world now perhaps able to embrace a 'modernity' and integrative-cosmology that has been safe-guarded by Xhosa pagans since the 1840s?’ This study documented numerical indicators on the presence of ancestral belief and traditional dimensions of Xhosa identity from fieldwork conducted in an urban locality King William’s Town (Qonce) within the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape of South Africa from September 2018 to December 2019. In-depth quantitative and qualitative data were collected from lengthy interactions with 305 consenting Xhosa participants. These interactions comprised 129 semi-structured and 176 structured interviews, 61 of the latter formed the sample for numerical data analysis with which to give clarity on the abiding importance of ancestral spirituality for a vast majority of urban amaXhosa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Haynes, Duncan Robert
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408897 , vital:70535
- Description: This study examines a history of urban research on ancestral belief of amaXhosa within the Greater East London region, Eastern Cape, South Africa which spanned much of the 20th century (1934–2002). Through extensive textual and literary investigation, this thesis offers new perspectives on this topic. Current theoretical explorations offer the tools to reassess the positionality of the researchers and in light of findings of these previous studies, highlighting above all, the presence of certain academic ‘blind-spots’. These ‘blind-spots’ are argued to have been caused by theoretical and methodological constraints, particularly around Western-centric definitions of the nature of 'modernity' that rely on the positivist notion of a singular unilinear path of time as a universal standard (and which thus defines 'progressiveness' and 'backwardness'). (These ‘blind spots’ were notably further strengthened by a Eurocentric interpretation of identity and a trend of Neo-Marxist scholarship between the 1970s and the 2010s1 which created a ‘taboo’ on addressing issues of culture, and especially of ancestral spirituality, as this was taken to be portraying Africans as culturally ‘static’ and backward and therefore supporting Apartheid ideologies of ‘separate development’). Through these textual investigations this thesis brings to light the, largely unrecognised, core of the issue or driving factor behind the difficulties in all of these previous studies. This is posited as the existence of a prevailing culture of ‘silence’ in Xhosa spaces (stretching from 1840–2000) regarding the sustained importance of 'Redness' (ancestral spirituality and traditional dimensions of identity due to the notion that it was 'backward'). This self-censoring is unpacked as having been an expedient response by many to the requirements for Xhosa pagans to wash off the symbolic red cosmetic clay at baptism, put on ‘decent’ Western clothing and shoes and take on Christian first names (‘shedding’ their previous names and identities) as processes deemed necessary to properly convert to Christianity (Frescura, 2015). More significantly however, it has been argued by scholars that adopting Christianity was the only way to be able to harness the power of education at a time of starvation related to the famine of the millennial Cattle Killing movement (1856–7) and the Xhosa military defeat at the end of the 100-year period of the British Xhosa Frontier Wars (1779–1879). This thesis uses perspectives offered by Queer theory to unpack the pain of this 'veiling' of aspects of identity as a necessary strategy for achieving economic 'success' amid the structural and epistemological violence of colonialism and apartheid. It is suggested that a combination of the ‘silence’ and ‘taboo’ area of the ‘blind-spot’ could completely ‘veil’ these epistemological realities from the view of many earlier researchers of urban Xhosa identity (whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds as well as etic positioning caused them to be unable to 'knock' to gain access into this normally ‘veiled’ world). This thesis combines these historical perspectives with contemporary scholarship and literary works to propose that these ‘Red’ aspects of identity and spirituality have always and still ‘continue’ to form a core, or crux, of Xhosa identity for a previously widely unrecognised and overwhelming majority of urban amaXhosa. This thesis uses the perspective offered by a Xhosa translation of the title of Mda's English language novel, 'A Heart of Redness’ (2000), to explore the importance of ancestral spirituality and clan identities to amaXhosa as a [previously invisible/veiled] ‘Redness of one's Heart’ for a high proportion of contemporary amaXhosa. In this way, this thesis agrees with scholars such as Latour (1993) and Mignolo (2007) in their 'jarring' expose regarding the epistemic violence of euro-normative notions of ‘modernity’. Here they call for a disruption of the pervasive idea of the West as being at the 'forefront' of human experience and even a challenge to the western reading of time. Finally, through exploring critique of the 'Secularisation Thesis' of the Western world, this thesis poses the implicit question contained in its title: ‘Is the western world now perhaps able to embrace a 'modernity' and integrative-cosmology that has been safe-guarded by Xhosa pagans since the 1840s?’ This study documented numerical indicators on the presence of ancestral belief and traditional dimensions of Xhosa identity from fieldwork conducted in an urban locality King William’s Town (Qonce) within the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape of South Africa from September 2018 to December 2019. In-depth quantitative and qualitative data were collected from lengthy interactions with 305 consenting Xhosa participants. These interactions comprised 129 semi-structured and 176 structured interviews, 61 of the latter formed the sample for numerical data analysis with which to give clarity on the abiding importance of ancestral spirituality for a vast majority of urban amaXhosa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Constructions of Ukuyalwa and marriage satisfaction: experiences of Xhosa couples in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Bikwe, Siphuxolo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408805 , vital:70527
- Description: Marital satisfaction may be described as the extent to which one’s expectations, desires and needs are being satisfied in their marriage. Studies that concern marital satisfaction provide us with crucial insights into factors that support or compromise the longevity of long-term, committed relationships. Little work has been done in understanding the role of cultural practices in marital satisfaction particularly in Africa, and South Africa more specifically. Ukuyalwa is a Xhosa ritual that takes place during a Xhosa traditional wedding, whereby the bride is introduced to the (traditional) guiding practices of her new home by the women of the family together with her sisters-in-law. This study informs the practice of African psychology as formulated by Ratele (2017b).Critical African psychology as a framework recognizes the construction of culture alongside political, socioeconomic, and historical matrices. These are acknowledged as an important element in psychological theories, methods, and explanations. This research project aimed to identify the discourses that circulate around ukuyalwa as a Xhosa cultural practice and consider the implications for the marital satisfaction of amaXhosa couples. The study interviewed 3 Xhosa couples of varying ages who had been married for different durations to develop an understanding of their experiences of ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. Data was analyzed using a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) which allowed for the identifications of the discourses that the couples used to construct ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. The couples discursively constructed marriage as ‘divine unity’, ‘unification of families’ and ‘partnership’. Ukuyalwa was constructed as a ‘gendered process’, ideas of tradition and modernity, and a ‘foundation’ also became apparent. Satisfaction was constructed as ‘open communication’ and ‘work’. The couples’ positions shifted in their conversations, where in some instances they were 'learners’, ‘initiates’, and/or ‘passive’, and in other instances, they were ‘in charge’, ‘knowledgeable’, and ‘experts’. The discourses of culture, religion, and partnership circulated prominently in relation to marriage, ukuyalwa, and marital satisfaction. The findings of the study speak to how the couples’ constructions of marriage and cultural customs such as ukuyalwa are valuable as they often inform how couples behave in their marriage relationships and what they regard as satisfactory to them when it comes to marriage. These insights into what informs the couples’ ideas on marriage and satisfaction can be utilised in informing couples therapy interventions. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Bikwe, Siphuxolo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408805 , vital:70527
- Description: Marital satisfaction may be described as the extent to which one’s expectations, desires and needs are being satisfied in their marriage. Studies that concern marital satisfaction provide us with crucial insights into factors that support or compromise the longevity of long-term, committed relationships. Little work has been done in understanding the role of cultural practices in marital satisfaction particularly in Africa, and South Africa more specifically. Ukuyalwa is a Xhosa ritual that takes place during a Xhosa traditional wedding, whereby the bride is introduced to the (traditional) guiding practices of her new home by the women of the family together with her sisters-in-law. This study informs the practice of African psychology as formulated by Ratele (2017b).Critical African psychology as a framework recognizes the construction of culture alongside political, socioeconomic, and historical matrices. These are acknowledged as an important element in psychological theories, methods, and explanations. This research project aimed to identify the discourses that circulate around ukuyalwa as a Xhosa cultural practice and consider the implications for the marital satisfaction of amaXhosa couples. The study interviewed 3 Xhosa couples of varying ages who had been married for different durations to develop an understanding of their experiences of ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. Data was analyzed using a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) which allowed for the identifications of the discourses that the couples used to construct ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. The couples discursively constructed marriage as ‘divine unity’, ‘unification of families’ and ‘partnership’. Ukuyalwa was constructed as a ‘gendered process’, ideas of tradition and modernity, and a ‘foundation’ also became apparent. Satisfaction was constructed as ‘open communication’ and ‘work’. The couples’ positions shifted in their conversations, where in some instances they were 'learners’, ‘initiates’, and/or ‘passive’, and in other instances, they were ‘in charge’, ‘knowledgeable’, and ‘experts’. The discourses of culture, religion, and partnership circulated prominently in relation to marriage, ukuyalwa, and marital satisfaction. The findings of the study speak to how the couples’ constructions of marriage and cultural customs such as ukuyalwa are valuable as they often inform how couples behave in their marriage relationships and what they regard as satisfactory to them when it comes to marriage. These insights into what informs the couples’ ideas on marriage and satisfaction can be utilised in informing couples therapy interventions. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Enforced sojourn: Zimbabwean dispensation, special and exemption permits
- Authors: Maziyanhanga, Zvikomborero
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408913 , vital:70537
- Description: This thesis investigates Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa. Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa dates back to the early 2000s. This thesis uses a combination of theories to interrogate and discuss the Zimbabwe special permits and some of the post-apartheid government’s amendments to the South African Citizenship Act and other immigration policies. Some of the theories that theoretically underpin this research project’s methodology include Marxism, Pan-Africanism, Liberalism and culture-based theories. This thesis interrogates the discursive strategies these permits draw on to frame and understand Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa. This study has found that these permits use similar operating logic as the White South African governments used the migrant labour system to exploit Blacks from all of Southern Africa in the 20th century. For instance, the migrant labour system used during apartheid made all Blacks in South Africa “guest workers” who could be deported at the government’s whim. The apartheid government used racist pass laws to regulate the movement of Black people in South Africa, whereas the post-apartheid government uses Zimbabwean special permits to regulate the movement of Zimbabweans in South Africa. The pass laws were fundamentally racist, and their ultimate objective was to reinforce the idea of White citizenship, whereas the Zimbabwe special permits are not racist. Their colonial similarity, however, lies in how they make Zimbabwean migrants perpetual migrants in South Africa and the various ways in which they cast Zimbabweans as not deserving of South African citizenship. These special permits force Zimbabwe migrants to become “guest workers” who build the post-apartheid economy and then return home when they are no longer “useful” to the economy. This thesis concludes that the post-apartheid Zimbabwe special permits achieve analogous objectives. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Maziyanhanga, Zvikomborero
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408913 , vital:70537
- Description: This thesis investigates Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa. Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa dates back to the early 2000s. This thesis uses a combination of theories to interrogate and discuss the Zimbabwe special permits and some of the post-apartheid government’s amendments to the South African Citizenship Act and other immigration policies. Some of the theories that theoretically underpin this research project’s methodology include Marxism, Pan-Africanism, Liberalism and culture-based theories. This thesis interrogates the discursive strategies these permits draw on to frame and understand Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa. This study has found that these permits use similar operating logic as the White South African governments used the migrant labour system to exploit Blacks from all of Southern Africa in the 20th century. For instance, the migrant labour system used during apartheid made all Blacks in South Africa “guest workers” who could be deported at the government’s whim. The apartheid government used racist pass laws to regulate the movement of Black people in South Africa, whereas the post-apartheid government uses Zimbabwean special permits to regulate the movement of Zimbabweans in South Africa. The pass laws were fundamentally racist, and their ultimate objective was to reinforce the idea of White citizenship, whereas the Zimbabwe special permits are not racist. Their colonial similarity, however, lies in how they make Zimbabwean migrants perpetual migrants in South Africa and the various ways in which they cast Zimbabweans as not deserving of South African citizenship. These special permits force Zimbabwe migrants to become “guest workers” who build the post-apartheid economy and then return home when they are no longer “useful” to the economy. This thesis concludes that the post-apartheid Zimbabwe special permits achieve analogous objectives. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Experiences of men vlogging about substance use disorder recovery on YouTube
- Authors: Chele, Palesa Shené
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408829 , vital:70529
- Description: The journey of substance use recovery is an inherently dynamic and on-going process. It is advanced through secure social support systems. Furthermore, requiring the explicit practice of self-advancement and self-efficacy. However, in South Africa, despite the continued upsurge of substance abuse, there remains a substantial gap between the high demand for treatment and the limited capacity to provide state-funded treatment. In addition, various psychosocial and socio-economic factors further impede access to treatment or recovery support. Thus, within communities facing SUD treatment barriers the exploration of individual lived experiences may deepen understandings of how men experience the journey of substance use recovery. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Chele, Palesa Shené
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408829 , vital:70529
- Description: The journey of substance use recovery is an inherently dynamic and on-going process. It is advanced through secure social support systems. Furthermore, requiring the explicit practice of self-advancement and self-efficacy. However, in South Africa, despite the continued upsurge of substance abuse, there remains a substantial gap between the high demand for treatment and the limited capacity to provide state-funded treatment. In addition, various psychosocial and socio-economic factors further impede access to treatment or recovery support. Thus, within communities facing SUD treatment barriers the exploration of individual lived experiences may deepen understandings of how men experience the journey of substance use recovery. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Nurses’ experiences of an abortion counselling training course and their understandings of quality abortion services
- Authors: Mogonong, Laurah Carolina
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408862 , vital:70532
- Description: This research study focuses on nurses’ experiences of participating in an abortion counselling training programme in the Eastern Cape Province (E.C), using a grounded theory and symbolic interactionism framework. The study aims to investigate how participating in a women-centred abortion counselling training course offered through the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research unit may modify or improve nurses’ practice of abortion counselling and understanding of quality abortion services. Through purposive sampling, nine research participants working as abortion providers in EC health care facilities were recruited. Research data were produced using discussions around prior abortion counselling experiences, a reflective activity, power point case presentations conducted within the counselling training, and semi-structured interviews conducted two months after the training with five of the providers. A grounded theory analysis was used to generate themes that highlighted different aspects that enabled or hindered access to quality abortion services. In accordance with prior research, it was revealed that nurses undergo abortion training but there is limited content on abortion counselling training. Findings from this study reveal the modifications of practice and understanding of quality abortion services of nurses who participated in the client-centred abortion counselling training course. Themes of change that emerged from the nurses’ experiences were rendering counselling services in a non- judgemental, non-directive way, being acknowledged and recognized for the services they offer as abortion providers, and accepting that abortion is a reproductive legal right that can be accessed whenever a woman in need of the service requests it. The findings of this research also indicate that, despite the controversy and stigma attached to providing abortion services, the participants were motivated to continue offering abortion services because they felt equipped since undergoing abortion counselling training. The training course improved reported abortion counselling practices, but systematic issues such as lack of managerial support, space for individual counselling and procedure equipment continue to undermine services. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Mogonong, Laurah Carolina
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408862 , vital:70532
- Description: This research study focuses on nurses’ experiences of participating in an abortion counselling training programme in the Eastern Cape Province (E.C), using a grounded theory and symbolic interactionism framework. The study aims to investigate how participating in a women-centred abortion counselling training course offered through the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction research unit may modify or improve nurses’ practice of abortion counselling and understanding of quality abortion services. Through purposive sampling, nine research participants working as abortion providers in EC health care facilities were recruited. Research data were produced using discussions around prior abortion counselling experiences, a reflective activity, power point case presentations conducted within the counselling training, and semi-structured interviews conducted two months after the training with five of the providers. A grounded theory analysis was used to generate themes that highlighted different aspects that enabled or hindered access to quality abortion services. In accordance with prior research, it was revealed that nurses undergo abortion training but there is limited content on abortion counselling training. Findings from this study reveal the modifications of practice and understanding of quality abortion services of nurses who participated in the client-centred abortion counselling training course. Themes of change that emerged from the nurses’ experiences were rendering counselling services in a non- judgemental, non-directive way, being acknowledged and recognized for the services they offer as abortion providers, and accepting that abortion is a reproductive legal right that can be accessed whenever a woman in need of the service requests it. The findings of this research also indicate that, despite the controversy and stigma attached to providing abortion services, the participants were motivated to continue offering abortion services because they felt equipped since undergoing abortion counselling training. The training course improved reported abortion counselling practices, but systematic issues such as lack of managerial support, space for individual counselling and procedure equipment continue to undermine services. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Pathi’s sister is still troubling
- Authors: Naidoo, Savani
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408942 , vital:70539
- Description: My thesis is a collection of micro fiction, flash fiction, fairy tales, vignettes and short stories which explore the tension of being both an insider and an outsider. I have access to different cultures without belonging to any of them: as a child, my family moved from a South African Indian community to a formerly whites-only suburb; as an adult I have lived in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan. My prose draws on my life experiences, family legends, neighbourhood gossip, news reports and historical events to question norms and ideas that I may have taken for granted had I been fully inside a single culture. In my thesis I frequently spell words phonetically to mimic how I hear or remember them. I also borrow words from languages I don’t speak. I want the languages I use and mix to corrupt each other, as Raymond Federman put it, in order to better express the voices and contexts of the communities I draw inspiration from. Kuzhali Manickavel’s Things We Found During the Autopsy showed me that culturally rich imagery can be used without interrupting narrative flow with explanations. I am also influenced by the poetic sense of rhythm and melody of Lydia Davis’s minimalist prose, and by Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, where each concise short story stands alone but together creates a broad understanding of people and place. Anthologies such as PP/FF, edited by Peter Conners, and My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, edited by Kate Bernheimer, have inspired me to be bold in finding the form that best allows each narrative to be told. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Naidoo, Savani
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408942 , vital:70539
- Description: My thesis is a collection of micro fiction, flash fiction, fairy tales, vignettes and short stories which explore the tension of being both an insider and an outsider. I have access to different cultures without belonging to any of them: as a child, my family moved from a South African Indian community to a formerly whites-only suburb; as an adult I have lived in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan. My prose draws on my life experiences, family legends, neighbourhood gossip, news reports and historical events to question norms and ideas that I may have taken for granted had I been fully inside a single culture. In my thesis I frequently spell words phonetically to mimic how I hear or remember them. I also borrow words from languages I don’t speak. I want the languages I use and mix to corrupt each other, as Raymond Federman put it, in order to better express the voices and contexts of the communities I draw inspiration from. Kuzhali Manickavel’s Things We Found During the Autopsy showed me that culturally rich imagery can be used without interrupting narrative flow with explanations. I am also influenced by the poetic sense of rhythm and melody of Lydia Davis’s minimalist prose, and by Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, where each concise short story stands alone but together creates a broad understanding of people and place. Anthologies such as PP/FF, edited by Peter Conners, and My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me, edited by Kate Bernheimer, have inspired me to be bold in finding the form that best allows each narrative to be told. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Patterns of inclusion and exclusion among trans women in South Africa: a critical narrative inquiry
- Authors: Shabalala, Siyanda Buyile
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408874 , vital:70533
- Description: Trans women have for the most part remained grossly marginalised in gender development frameworks that have concerned themselves with resolving the historical disenfranchisement of women in patriarchal societies. Considering this continuing systemic erasure of trans subjectivity, this study has aimed to foreground transness, engaging trans women’s experiences of inclusion and exclusion to better understand the traditionally oppressive institutionality of gender in South Africa from a historically silenced trans standpoint. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with five trans women living in South Africa. Data was transcribed and analysed using narrative analysis. Mapping the structures, practices and norms that contribute to the marginalisation of trans women in South Africa, the study found that trans women face economic vulnerability driven by familial rejection along with structural discrimination in a gender-biased labour system. Furthermore, trans women were revealed to contend with institutional erasure and stigmatisation in sex-segregated healthcare structures as well as invisibilisation in cisnormative South African knowledge systems that underrepresent trans identities and their viewpoints of the world. Underlyingly, the societal exclusion of trans women emerged as centrally organised by a structure of genderism that rigidly assumes the binariness and fixedness of gender, principally in ways that restrict trans women's right to self-determine as women. Genderism was observed to collude with factors of race and class in a largely capitalist post-apartheid South African society, working concurrently and jointly to reinforce the social exclusion of trans women. However, often subtle narratives of trans social inclusion located marginalising cisgender power in South African democracy as contested terrain. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Shabalala, Siyanda Buyile
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408874 , vital:70533
- Description: Trans women have for the most part remained grossly marginalised in gender development frameworks that have concerned themselves with resolving the historical disenfranchisement of women in patriarchal societies. Considering this continuing systemic erasure of trans subjectivity, this study has aimed to foreground transness, engaging trans women’s experiences of inclusion and exclusion to better understand the traditionally oppressive institutionality of gender in South Africa from a historically silenced trans standpoint. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with five trans women living in South Africa. Data was transcribed and analysed using narrative analysis. Mapping the structures, practices and norms that contribute to the marginalisation of trans women in South Africa, the study found that trans women face economic vulnerability driven by familial rejection along with structural discrimination in a gender-biased labour system. Furthermore, trans women were revealed to contend with institutional erasure and stigmatisation in sex-segregated healthcare structures as well as invisibilisation in cisnormative South African knowledge systems that underrepresent trans identities and their viewpoints of the world. Underlyingly, the societal exclusion of trans women emerged as centrally organised by a structure of genderism that rigidly assumes the binariness and fixedness of gender, principally in ways that restrict trans women's right to self-determine as women. Genderism was observed to collude with factors of race and class in a largely capitalist post-apartheid South African society, working concurrently and jointly to reinforce the social exclusion of trans women. However, often subtle narratives of trans social inclusion located marginalising cisgender power in South African democracy as contested terrain. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Pedagogical practices teachers use to teach reading lessons in the junior primary phase in Kavango West region’
- Authors: Shimafo, Hildegard
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408762 , vital:70523
- Description: Learning to read for meaning and enjoyment in the Junior Primary phase is an essential goal for every child during their primary schooling. Despite this, reading for meaning and enjoyment in the Namibian context, specifically for primary learners, remains a concern. Current research suggests that there are very few studies that have been done in Namibia that examine the pedagogical practices of Junior Primary teachers to develop learners’ reading competence. In view of that, this study focused on the pedagogical practices of Junior Primary teachers in mediating reading in their classrooms. The study is a qualitative interpretive case study using observation and interviews as tools to generate in-depth data on how teachers teach reading. The study sample comprised of three Junior Primary teachers from Grades 1-3 who participated in this study. The selection criteria were based on historical background and the culture of teaching reading lessons for Grade 1-3 teachers. The study revealed some factors that impede the teaching of reading. Amongst them are a lack of in-service training, language barriers, and the lack of resources. The study found that English used as the LoLT (Language of Learning and Teaching) at the school where the study took place made it difficult for the teachers to convey the correct information to the learners due to a lack of proficiency. The study revealed that this situation limited most of the learners’ reading opportunities. Theory of Practice Architecture (ToPA), in particular by Kemmis and Grootenboer (2008), was used as an explanatory and analytical tool. This research asked the questions: 1.What pedagogical practices do Junior Primary teachers employ to mediate reading? and 2. What factors enable and constrain the pedagogical practices of teachers? As a way forward, this study recommends for a compulsory reading program be instituted at Higher Education Institutions responsible for teacher education. This should empower the teachers to enter a Junior Primary classroom with more confidence to teach the various reading components. This study recommends continuous in-service courses for teachers. The study further recommends that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture make provisions for textbooks in all schools for all learners if the learners reading performance is to improve in Namibia. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Shimafo, Hildegard
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408762 , vital:70523
- Description: Learning to read for meaning and enjoyment in the Junior Primary phase is an essential goal for every child during their primary schooling. Despite this, reading for meaning and enjoyment in the Namibian context, specifically for primary learners, remains a concern. Current research suggests that there are very few studies that have been done in Namibia that examine the pedagogical practices of Junior Primary teachers to develop learners’ reading competence. In view of that, this study focused on the pedagogical practices of Junior Primary teachers in mediating reading in their classrooms. The study is a qualitative interpretive case study using observation and interviews as tools to generate in-depth data on how teachers teach reading. The study sample comprised of three Junior Primary teachers from Grades 1-3 who participated in this study. The selection criteria were based on historical background and the culture of teaching reading lessons for Grade 1-3 teachers. The study revealed some factors that impede the teaching of reading. Amongst them are a lack of in-service training, language barriers, and the lack of resources. The study found that English used as the LoLT (Language of Learning and Teaching) at the school where the study took place made it difficult for the teachers to convey the correct information to the learners due to a lack of proficiency. The study revealed that this situation limited most of the learners’ reading opportunities. Theory of Practice Architecture (ToPA), in particular by Kemmis and Grootenboer (2008), was used as an explanatory and analytical tool. This research asked the questions: 1.What pedagogical practices do Junior Primary teachers employ to mediate reading? and 2. What factors enable and constrain the pedagogical practices of teachers? As a way forward, this study recommends for a compulsory reading program be instituted at Higher Education Institutions responsible for teacher education. This should empower the teachers to enter a Junior Primary classroom with more confidence to teach the various reading components. This study recommends continuous in-service courses for teachers. The study further recommends that the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture make provisions for textbooks in all schools for all learners if the learners reading performance is to improve in Namibia. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Philosophical inquiry into the value of liberal education
- Authors: Wotshela, Siphosihle
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408954 , vital:70540
- Description: Throughout history, scholars have offered numerous conceptions of liberal education, with each scholar providing a slightly and sometimes extremely different idea of what liberal education actually is, what it entails, and what value one stands to gain by partaking in this particular type of education. In this thesis, I inquire into the topic of liberal education in an attempt to clearly understand what value partaking in this type of education offers the contemporary South African. In the process, I offer a defence against what I refer to as the societal context problem—a problem that questions the possibility of a universal benefit that can be obtained by partaking in liberal education. I also offer a comprehensive argument for the preference of Jacob Klein’s conception of liberal education, making the claim that Klein’s conception and the value he identifies with his conception is more convincing than that offered by other scholars because Klein’s conception and the value associated with the conception is universal in a way that allows it to remain relevant even when confronted with the problem of societal context. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Wotshela, Siphosihle
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408954 , vital:70540
- Description: Throughout history, scholars have offered numerous conceptions of liberal education, with each scholar providing a slightly and sometimes extremely different idea of what liberal education actually is, what it entails, and what value one stands to gain by partaking in this particular type of education. In this thesis, I inquire into the topic of liberal education in an attempt to clearly understand what value partaking in this type of education offers the contemporary South African. In the process, I offer a defence against what I refer to as the societal context problem—a problem that questions the possibility of a universal benefit that can be obtained by partaking in liberal education. I also offer a comprehensive argument for the preference of Jacob Klein’s conception of liberal education, making the claim that Klein’s conception and the value he identifies with his conception is more convincing than that offered by other scholars because Klein’s conception and the value associated with the conception is universal in a way that allows it to remain relevant even when confronted with the problem of societal context. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
South African traditional healers’ perceptions and treatment of the symptoms of depression
- Authors: Augustine, Daniella Joan
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408789 , vital:70525
- Description: While depression is experienced worldwide, the World Health Organization indicated that over 80% of this disease burden is found in low- and middle-income countries, with 16% of depressive disorder cases being found in Africa. Specifically, in South Africa, the lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder is 9.7%. Research conducted on traditional healing estimates that as high as 80% of black individuals in South Africa choose to consult traditional healers. Although there was initial consensus that the use of traditional healers reflected a lack of access to alternative resources, more recent research has however indicated that traditional healers are consulted even when psychiatric facilities and medication are available. Research has illustrated that many patients that chose to consult traditional healers do so as a result of their shared beliefs, and traditional healers' ability to understand the cultural frameworks underlying illness. The current study investigated how traditional healers in the Eastern Cape perceive and treat phenomena currently understood as the symptoms of depression and how these understandings can be incorporated into collaborations between Western medicine and traditional healing practice. A qualitative research design was used to examine the perspectives and treatment methods of isiXhosa traditional healers in the Eastern Cape. Four healers participated in the study. Key findings indicated that there is no single cause or definition of the phenomenon of depression by healers. Causality is greatly attributed to spiritual causes and ancestors play a key role in guiding the diagnosis and multiple treatment interventions employed by healers to treat the experience of depression. Finally, all traditional healers expressed a willingness to collaborate and work with the Western healthcare system, however, they indicated a strong need for greater recognition as a valid healthcare system. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Augustine, Daniella Joan
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408789 , vital:70525
- Description: While depression is experienced worldwide, the World Health Organization indicated that over 80% of this disease burden is found in low- and middle-income countries, with 16% of depressive disorder cases being found in Africa. Specifically, in South Africa, the lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder is 9.7%. Research conducted on traditional healing estimates that as high as 80% of black individuals in South Africa choose to consult traditional healers. Although there was initial consensus that the use of traditional healers reflected a lack of access to alternative resources, more recent research has however indicated that traditional healers are consulted even when psychiatric facilities and medication are available. Research has illustrated that many patients that chose to consult traditional healers do so as a result of their shared beliefs, and traditional healers' ability to understand the cultural frameworks underlying illness. The current study investigated how traditional healers in the Eastern Cape perceive and treat phenomena currently understood as the symptoms of depression and how these understandings can be incorporated into collaborations between Western medicine and traditional healing practice. A qualitative research design was used to examine the perspectives and treatment methods of isiXhosa traditional healers in the Eastern Cape. Four healers participated in the study. Key findings indicated that there is no single cause or definition of the phenomenon of depression by healers. Causality is greatly attributed to spiritual causes and ancestors play a key role in guiding the diagnosis and multiple treatment interventions employed by healers to treat the experience of depression. Finally, all traditional healers expressed a willingness to collaborate and work with the Western healthcare system, however, they indicated a strong need for greater recognition as a valid healthcare system. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
The effectiveness and feasibility of online prolonged exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress among university students
- Authors: Slabbert, Maryna
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408885 , vital:70534
- Description: Research has found that 70.6% of university students reported exposure to several traumatic events (Hoffman, 2002). Considering the high prevalence of trauma exposure among South African university students, many are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Iribarren, Prolo, Naegos & Chiappelli, 2005). Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is regarded as a first-line trauma therapy for PTSD (Foa, Hembree, Rothbaum, & Rauch, 2019). During the Covid-19 pandemic, public health guidelines for physical distancing reduced access to face-to-face mental health care. In response to this, many health care providers adapted to pandemic constraints by meeting their clients online, through Zoom, for example (Wells et al., 2020). Considering the prevalence of trauma exposure among university students, as well as the increased necessity of teletherapy, the study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of online PE for PTSD among university students in a South African setting. The study employed Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) as basis for its research design. Participants included a sample of Rhodes University students (n = 3) who were recruited through purposive sampling. Prior to the intervention, all three participants met the criteria for PTSD, and comorbid depression. Based on the measures used, two of the three participants did not meet the criteria for PTSD post-intervention. In terms of depression symptoms, one participant did not meet the criteria for depression post-intervention, and another participant showed a decrease in depression symptoms. Regarding the feasibility of online PE, all three participants reported the intervention to be feasible, acceptable, and appropriate. Overall, the study provides preliminary results to support the effectiveness and feasibility of online PE. It also gives insight into the value of intervention research and how it can ameliorate PTSD in a South African setting, as well as other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Slabbert, Maryna
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408885 , vital:70534
- Description: Research has found that 70.6% of university students reported exposure to several traumatic events (Hoffman, 2002). Considering the high prevalence of trauma exposure among South African university students, many are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Iribarren, Prolo, Naegos & Chiappelli, 2005). Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is regarded as a first-line trauma therapy for PTSD (Foa, Hembree, Rothbaum, & Rauch, 2019). During the Covid-19 pandemic, public health guidelines for physical distancing reduced access to face-to-face mental health care. In response to this, many health care providers adapted to pandemic constraints by meeting their clients online, through Zoom, for example (Wells et al., 2020). Considering the prevalence of trauma exposure among university students, as well as the increased necessity of teletherapy, the study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of online PE for PTSD among university students in a South African setting. The study employed Single-Case Experimental Design (SCED) as basis for its research design. Participants included a sample of Rhodes University students (n = 3) who were recruited through purposive sampling. Prior to the intervention, all three participants met the criteria for PTSD, and comorbid depression. Based on the measures used, two of the three participants did not meet the criteria for PTSD post-intervention. In terms of depression symptoms, one participant did not meet the criteria for depression post-intervention, and another participant showed a decrease in depression symptoms. Regarding the feasibility of online PE, all three participants reported the intervention to be feasible, acceptable, and appropriate. Overall, the study provides preliminary results to support the effectiveness and feasibility of online PE. It also gives insight into the value of intervention research and how it can ameliorate PTSD in a South African setting, as well as other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
The use of lesson study to assist junior primary ‘in-service training teachers’ to develop learners’ number sense using number talks
- Authors: Ortman-Gaweseb, Dominika
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408750 , vital:70522
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2025. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Ortman-Gaweseb, Dominika
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408750 , vital:70522
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2025. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Which Black Lives matter? : a decolonial interrogation of xenophobia on Black South African Twitter
- Authors: McBrown, Anima
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408930 , vital:70538
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: McBrown, Anima
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408930 , vital:70538
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2025. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
“It’s not just me on a video call with someone…” Students’ experiences of a forced transition from face-to-face psychotherapy to online psychotherapy during COVID-19: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
- Authors: Keet, Nicole Tahnee
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408845 , vital:70531
- Description: The aim of this study is to explore university students’ experience of a forced transition from face-to-face therapy to online therapy during COVID-19. This pandemic was unexpected and affected all areas of life, including the closure of universities, which left therapists and clients alike unsure of how to navigate these unchartered territories. Although there is a considerable amount of international research on experiences of online therapy, there is little research on a forced transition to online therapy because of COVID-19 and even less within the South African context. A sample of six participants between the ages of 20 and 30 years old were selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilised to ascertain how participants make sense of their worlds in relation to the transition to online therapy. The analysis provided three main superordinate themes, which are supported by subordinate themes. The superordinate themes are: 1) Online therapy as authentic and continuous, where the participants experienced the comfort and convenience of online therapy, the continuity of care and the anonymity of online therapy. 2) Online therapy as disruptive and invasive, where participants experienced issues with privacy, an intrusive environment, technological challenges, lack of body language and therapy feeling more disposable. 3) Getting used to online therapy with some help from the therapist, where participants felt an adjustment period was necessary as well as transparency and containment from the therapist to help with the transition. These findings support some existing South African literature; however, it also engages with findings unique to this study, that will hopefully be used for further exploration. The study ends with recommendations for training therapists on using online therapy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Keet, Nicole Tahnee
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408845 , vital:70531
- Description: The aim of this study is to explore university students’ experience of a forced transition from face-to-face therapy to online therapy during COVID-19. This pandemic was unexpected and affected all areas of life, including the closure of universities, which left therapists and clients alike unsure of how to navigate these unchartered territories. Although there is a considerable amount of international research on experiences of online therapy, there is little research on a forced transition to online therapy because of COVID-19 and even less within the South African context. A sample of six participants between the ages of 20 and 30 years old were selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilised to ascertain how participants make sense of their worlds in relation to the transition to online therapy. The analysis provided three main superordinate themes, which are supported by subordinate themes. The superordinate themes are: 1) Online therapy as authentic and continuous, where the participants experienced the comfort and convenience of online therapy, the continuity of care and the anonymity of online therapy. 2) Online therapy as disruptive and invasive, where participants experienced issues with privacy, an intrusive environment, technological challenges, lack of body language and therapy feeling more disposable. 3) Getting used to online therapy with some help from the therapist, where participants felt an adjustment period was necessary as well as transparency and containment from the therapist to help with the transition. These findings support some existing South African literature; however, it also engages with findings unique to this study, that will hopefully be used for further exploration. The study ends with recommendations for training therapists on using online therapy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
A Comparison of Mitochondrial Heat Shock Protein 70 and Hsp70 Escort Protein 1 Orthologues from Trypanosoma brucei and Homo sapiens
- Authors: Hand, Francis Bryan
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422281 , vital:71927
- Description: The causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), has an expanded retinue of specialized heat shock proteins, which have been identified as crucial to the progression of the disease. These play a central role in disease progression and transmission through their involvement in cell-cycle pathways which bring about cell-cycle arrest and differentiation. Hsp70 proteins are essential for the maintenance of proteostasis in the cell. Mitochondrial Hsp70 (mtHsp70) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone required for both the translocation of nuclear encoded proteins across the two mitochondrial membranes and the subsequent folding of proteins in the matrix. The T. brucei genome encodes three copies of mtHsp70 which are 100% identical. MtHsp70 self-aggregates, a property unique to this isoform, and an Hsp70 escort protein (Hep1) is required to maintain the molecular chaperone in a soluble, functional state. This study aimed to compare the solubilizing interaction of Hep1 from T. brucei and Homo sapiens (H. sapien). The recently introduced Alphafold program was used to analyze the structures of mtHsp70 and Hep1 proteins and allowed observations of structures unavailable to other modelling techniques. The GVFEV motif found in the ATPase domain of mtHsp70s interacted with the linker region, resulting in aggregation, the Alphafold models produced indicated that the replacement of the lysine (K) residue within the KTFEV motif of DnaK (prokaryotic Hsp70) with Glycine (G), may abrogate bond formation between the motif and a region between lobe I and II of the ATPase domain. This may facilitate the aggregation reaction of mtHsp70 orthologues and provides a residue of interest for future studies. Both TbHep1 and HsHep1 reduced the thermal aggregation of TbmtHsp70 and mortalin (H. sapien mtHsp70) respectively, however, TbHep1 was ~ 15 % less effective than HsHep1 at higher concentrations (4 uM). TbHep1 itself appeared to be aggregation-prone when under conditions of thermal stress, Alphafold models suggest this may be due to an N-terminal α- helical structure not present in HsHep1. These results indicate that TbHep1 is functionally similar to HsHep1, however, the orthologue may operate in a unique manner which requires further investigation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Hand, Francis Bryan
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422281 , vital:71927
- Description: The causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), has an expanded retinue of specialized heat shock proteins, which have been identified as crucial to the progression of the disease. These play a central role in disease progression and transmission through their involvement in cell-cycle pathways which bring about cell-cycle arrest and differentiation. Hsp70 proteins are essential for the maintenance of proteostasis in the cell. Mitochondrial Hsp70 (mtHsp70) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone required for both the translocation of nuclear encoded proteins across the two mitochondrial membranes and the subsequent folding of proteins in the matrix. The T. brucei genome encodes three copies of mtHsp70 which are 100% identical. MtHsp70 self-aggregates, a property unique to this isoform, and an Hsp70 escort protein (Hep1) is required to maintain the molecular chaperone in a soluble, functional state. This study aimed to compare the solubilizing interaction of Hep1 from T. brucei and Homo sapiens (H. sapien). The recently introduced Alphafold program was used to analyze the structures of mtHsp70 and Hep1 proteins and allowed observations of structures unavailable to other modelling techniques. The GVFEV motif found in the ATPase domain of mtHsp70s interacted with the linker region, resulting in aggregation, the Alphafold models produced indicated that the replacement of the lysine (K) residue within the KTFEV motif of DnaK (prokaryotic Hsp70) with Glycine (G), may abrogate bond formation between the motif and a region between lobe I and II of the ATPase domain. This may facilitate the aggregation reaction of mtHsp70 orthologues and provides a residue of interest for future studies. Both TbHep1 and HsHep1 reduced the thermal aggregation of TbmtHsp70 and mortalin (H. sapien mtHsp70) respectively, however, TbHep1 was ~ 15 % less effective than HsHep1 at higher concentrations (4 uM). TbHep1 itself appeared to be aggregation-prone when under conditions of thermal stress, Alphafold models suggest this may be due to an N-terminal α- helical structure not present in HsHep1. These results indicate that TbHep1 is functionally similar to HsHep1, however, the orthologue may operate in a unique manner which requires further investigation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Biochemical and genetic analysis of the Mycobacterium smegmatis CnoX Chaperedoxin
- Authors: Watkins, Ariana Heloise Jo
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422403 , vital:71939
- Description: Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis (Mtb) encounters numerous physical and chemical stresses associated with host immunity during infection. These include exposure to reactive oxygen, chlorine and nitrogen species, low pH, hypoxia, nutrient starvation, and metal toxicity. Cellular proteins are particularly susceptible to damage by these stresses, and the ability to prevent their irreversible damage is consequently crucial for bacterial growth and survival. Mtb employs a network of proteins that includes chaperones, disaggregases, and proteases to maintain the integrity of its proteome. The chaperedoxin, CnoX, is a recently identified stress-inducible chaperone that combines redox and holdase activities to prevent the over-oxidation and aggregation of proteins in E. coli and other proteobacterial species. In this study, we identified orthologs of the E. coli CnoX (EcCnoX) in Mtb and M. smegmatis (Msm). Bioinformatics analysis of the Mtb and Msm CnoX orthologs (MtCnoX and MsCnoX, respectively) revealed that they possess similar domains, domain architectures and predicted tertiary structures as previously characterised CnoX enzymes, i.e. an N-terminal thioredoxin (Trx) domain fused to a C-terminal TPR-motif containing domain. The EcCnoX, MsCnoX, and MtCnoX enzymes were expressed as recombinant, His-tagged proteins in E. coli and purified to near homogeneity. Biochemical analysis of the recombinant CnoX enzymes revealed that the MsCnoX and MtCnoX both lack thiol-disulphide oxidoreductase (thioredoxin) activity, as evidenced by their inability to catalyse the reduction of the disulphide bonds of insulin in vitro. Both mycobacterial CnoX enzymes displayed activity as chaperones (holdases) during thermal aggregation assays of the model substrate, malate dehydrogenase (MDH). In contrast to previously reported findings for EcCnoX, the holdase activity of the mycobacterial CnoX enzymes was constitutive and did not require exposure to hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for activation. To establish the physiological role of CnoX in Msm, cnoX knockdown (KD) and knockout (KO) mutants were generated using CRISPRi-mediated gene silencing or homologous recombination, respectively. Consistent with previous findings, CnoX activity was not essential for the growth of Msm under conventional growth conditions. Reducing or eliminating CnoX activity in the Msm KD or KO mutants, respectively, did not confer increased sensitivity to HOCl as has been observed for an E. coli cnoX mutant. Reduced CnoX activity in Msm did, however, confer sensitivity to the superoxide generator, plumbagin, and front-line antitubercular drugs rifampicin and isoniazid. The combination of biochemical and physiological data presented suggests that MsCnoX may function as a holdase for substrates following proteotoxic damage induced by certain types of oxidants, a line of investigation that will be pursued in future studies. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Watkins, Ariana Heloise Jo
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422403 , vital:71939
- Description: Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis (Mtb) encounters numerous physical and chemical stresses associated with host immunity during infection. These include exposure to reactive oxygen, chlorine and nitrogen species, low pH, hypoxia, nutrient starvation, and metal toxicity. Cellular proteins are particularly susceptible to damage by these stresses, and the ability to prevent their irreversible damage is consequently crucial for bacterial growth and survival. Mtb employs a network of proteins that includes chaperones, disaggregases, and proteases to maintain the integrity of its proteome. The chaperedoxin, CnoX, is a recently identified stress-inducible chaperone that combines redox and holdase activities to prevent the over-oxidation and aggregation of proteins in E. coli and other proteobacterial species. In this study, we identified orthologs of the E. coli CnoX (EcCnoX) in Mtb and M. smegmatis (Msm). Bioinformatics analysis of the Mtb and Msm CnoX orthologs (MtCnoX and MsCnoX, respectively) revealed that they possess similar domains, domain architectures and predicted tertiary structures as previously characterised CnoX enzymes, i.e. an N-terminal thioredoxin (Trx) domain fused to a C-terminal TPR-motif containing domain. The EcCnoX, MsCnoX, and MtCnoX enzymes were expressed as recombinant, His-tagged proteins in E. coli and purified to near homogeneity. Biochemical analysis of the recombinant CnoX enzymes revealed that the MsCnoX and MtCnoX both lack thiol-disulphide oxidoreductase (thioredoxin) activity, as evidenced by their inability to catalyse the reduction of the disulphide bonds of insulin in vitro. Both mycobacterial CnoX enzymes displayed activity as chaperones (holdases) during thermal aggregation assays of the model substrate, malate dehydrogenase (MDH). In contrast to previously reported findings for EcCnoX, the holdase activity of the mycobacterial CnoX enzymes was constitutive and did not require exposure to hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for activation. To establish the physiological role of CnoX in Msm, cnoX knockdown (KD) and knockout (KO) mutants were generated using CRISPRi-mediated gene silencing or homologous recombination, respectively. Consistent with previous findings, CnoX activity was not essential for the growth of Msm under conventional growth conditions. Reducing or eliminating CnoX activity in the Msm KD or KO mutants, respectively, did not confer increased sensitivity to HOCl as has been observed for an E. coli cnoX mutant. Reduced CnoX activity in Msm did, however, confer sensitivity to the superoxide generator, plumbagin, and front-line antitubercular drugs rifampicin and isoniazid. The combination of biochemical and physiological data presented suggests that MsCnoX may function as a holdase for substrates following proteotoxic damage induced by certain types of oxidants, a line of investigation that will be pursued in future studies. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Biological longitudinal aspects of the Kabompo River, a significant tributary of the upper Zambezi sub-catchment, North-west Province, Zambia
- Janse van Rensburg, Lomarie Cathleen
- Authors: Janse van Rensburg, Lomarie Cathleen
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422292 , vital:71928
- Description: The landscape of the Upper Zambezi Catchment in the remote North-Western Province of Zambia retains many natural features, but current and future anthropogenic activities threaten its integrity. Lack of information relating to the basic ecological functioning of the region hampers conservation efforts. Flooding from the adjacent woody-savanna and open grasslands in the Upper-Zambezi Catchment in the wet season drives crucial processes in the aquatic ecosystems such as the Kabompo River. This thesis describes aquatic food webs and describes the nutrient cycling in this river. A general introduction was based on the seasonality, river morphology, and biodiversity of the Kabompo River. There is no aquatic food web information available on this river. To address this knowledge gap, sampling of the principal food web components– vegetation, invertebrates, and fish – were collected in the dry season from August to September 2019 across six sites in the Kabompo River. Stable isotope analyses provided proxies for the food web structure at each site, and were the basis of longitudinal comparisons. The analyses suggest that the Kabompo River food webs follow the trophic ordination and nutrient cycling characteristic of the revised-Riverine Productivity Model. Food webs and community assemblages remain structurally similar between sites and provide some evidence of bottom-up productivity-driven trophic dynamics. To predict the possible landscape-scale processing of nutrient changes present for the aquatic ecosystems of the Kabompo River, a longitudinal comparison between a herbivore, Labeo cylindricus, and omnivore, Synodontis spp., fish species and their resources (primary producers and invertebrates) was done and showed archetypal fish food web trophic separation (2 ‰ to3 ‰) between species which remains consistent for the headwater sites. The nutrient values change at the convergence between the Kabompo Bridge and the Mwinilunga branches and show a decrease in the trophic separation of the sites below. This change becomes apparent from the last site, Watopa, where the trophic separation re-establishes (2 ‰ to 3 ‰) between the species. The trend suggests primarily autochthonous production in the headwater reaches, changing to allochthonous and autochthonous nutrient incorporation after the convergence of the two main branches. Permanent wetlands surrounding the convergence zones may be conducive to more primary producer activity and increased nutrient turnover. Permanent wetlands are a common feature of the Upper Zambezi Catchment tributaries, with the most notable lentic system the Barotse Flood Plains in the south, which shares reach-adjacent characteristics with the Kabompo River. Trends from the 2015 dry season identified for the Barotse Flood Plains support the findings of this thesis, where the δ13C values recorded reach depletion of -45 ‰. Management in the Upper Zambezi Basin and the Kabompo River comprises biannual assessments of water quality and quantity by the Zambezi River Authority, but not of the ecosystem process. This thesis may provide information to address the ecological (food webs and nutrient cycling) dynamics of the Basin rivers. As the first baseline information on the river's biology and ecology, it may present a comparative basis for future assessments under conservation management strategies. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Janse van Rensburg, Lomarie Cathleen
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422292 , vital:71928
- Description: The landscape of the Upper Zambezi Catchment in the remote North-Western Province of Zambia retains many natural features, but current and future anthropogenic activities threaten its integrity. Lack of information relating to the basic ecological functioning of the region hampers conservation efforts. Flooding from the adjacent woody-savanna and open grasslands in the Upper-Zambezi Catchment in the wet season drives crucial processes in the aquatic ecosystems such as the Kabompo River. This thesis describes aquatic food webs and describes the nutrient cycling in this river. A general introduction was based on the seasonality, river morphology, and biodiversity of the Kabompo River. There is no aquatic food web information available on this river. To address this knowledge gap, sampling of the principal food web components– vegetation, invertebrates, and fish – were collected in the dry season from August to September 2019 across six sites in the Kabompo River. Stable isotope analyses provided proxies for the food web structure at each site, and were the basis of longitudinal comparisons. The analyses suggest that the Kabompo River food webs follow the trophic ordination and nutrient cycling characteristic of the revised-Riverine Productivity Model. Food webs and community assemblages remain structurally similar between sites and provide some evidence of bottom-up productivity-driven trophic dynamics. To predict the possible landscape-scale processing of nutrient changes present for the aquatic ecosystems of the Kabompo River, a longitudinal comparison between a herbivore, Labeo cylindricus, and omnivore, Synodontis spp., fish species and their resources (primary producers and invertebrates) was done and showed archetypal fish food web trophic separation (2 ‰ to3 ‰) between species which remains consistent for the headwater sites. The nutrient values change at the convergence between the Kabompo Bridge and the Mwinilunga branches and show a decrease in the trophic separation of the sites below. This change becomes apparent from the last site, Watopa, where the trophic separation re-establishes (2 ‰ to 3 ‰) between the species. The trend suggests primarily autochthonous production in the headwater reaches, changing to allochthonous and autochthonous nutrient incorporation after the convergence of the two main branches. Permanent wetlands surrounding the convergence zones may be conducive to more primary producer activity and increased nutrient turnover. Permanent wetlands are a common feature of the Upper Zambezi Catchment tributaries, with the most notable lentic system the Barotse Flood Plains in the south, which shares reach-adjacent characteristics with the Kabompo River. Trends from the 2015 dry season identified for the Barotse Flood Plains support the findings of this thesis, where the δ13C values recorded reach depletion of -45 ‰. Management in the Upper Zambezi Basin and the Kabompo River comprises biannual assessments of water quality and quantity by the Zambezi River Authority, but not of the ecosystem process. This thesis may provide information to address the ecological (food webs and nutrient cycling) dynamics of the Basin rivers. As the first baseline information on the river's biology and ecology, it may present a comparative basis for future assessments under conservation management strategies. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Coastal movements and estuarine use of sub-adult and adult leervis, lichia amia: results from long-term acoustic tracking
- Authors: Mxo, Rebecca Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422314 , vital:71930
- Description: Information on fish movement is important not only for understanding a species’ ecological importance, but also for developing appropriate conservation and management policies that are critical for food security and biodiversity preservation. This information is particularly important for species that occupy different habitats at different life history stages, and display predictable movement patterns, such as an annual spawning migration. Leervis Lichia amia is an estuary-dependent fishery species of high ecological and recreational importance in South Africa. There has been a steady decline in catch-per-unit-effort in the marine recreational fishery for this species over the past 20 years, and the most recent stock assessment classified the adult stock as collapsed. This study investigates L. amia multi-year coastal migrations and estuarine habitat use of sub-adult and adult fish tagged with long-life acoustic transmitters Seventy-eight L. amia (two juveniles, fifty-four subadults, and twenty-one adults) were tagged throughout their South African distribution and monitored between 2011 and 2020 producing a decade long dataset. Results show that regardless of the tagging region, clear migration patterns were observed, demonstrating that both sub-adult and adult L. amia migrate annually to KZN in the austral winter and predictably return to the WC and EC waters in the summer. The likelihood of partial migration was also identified, with the coexistence of migratory and resident behaviors within a single L. amia population. In addition, Overwintering behaviour was also observed with L. amia adults that remained resident throughout the year, foregoing the annual migration, phenomenon known as skipped spawning, and homing behaviour, where L. amia, particularly those tagged in the EC and WC, were recorded returning to previously occupied tagging locations and surrounding areas. The importance of estuaries to sub-adult and adult fish was also assessed and identified the importance of estuaries not only to subadults but also to adults. Estuary visits were strongly influenced by the environment which the fish was tagged in, temporal and seasonal changes, and life-history stages. The predictability of their migrations (almost to the day), the varied migratory behaviour (overwintering), returning to sites of familiarity post-migration, and long-term dependency on estuaries even as sub-adults and adults, provide motivation for increased protection of this species, including extending the network of estuarine protected areas in the country, and a closed fishing season, particularly during the annual winter migration. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Mxo, Rebecca Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422314 , vital:71930
- Description: Information on fish movement is important not only for understanding a species’ ecological importance, but also for developing appropriate conservation and management policies that are critical for food security and biodiversity preservation. This information is particularly important for species that occupy different habitats at different life history stages, and display predictable movement patterns, such as an annual spawning migration. Leervis Lichia amia is an estuary-dependent fishery species of high ecological and recreational importance in South Africa. There has been a steady decline in catch-per-unit-effort in the marine recreational fishery for this species over the past 20 years, and the most recent stock assessment classified the adult stock as collapsed. This study investigates L. amia multi-year coastal migrations and estuarine habitat use of sub-adult and adult fish tagged with long-life acoustic transmitters Seventy-eight L. amia (two juveniles, fifty-four subadults, and twenty-one adults) were tagged throughout their South African distribution and monitored between 2011 and 2020 producing a decade long dataset. Results show that regardless of the tagging region, clear migration patterns were observed, demonstrating that both sub-adult and adult L. amia migrate annually to KZN in the austral winter and predictably return to the WC and EC waters in the summer. The likelihood of partial migration was also identified, with the coexistence of migratory and resident behaviors within a single L. amia population. In addition, Overwintering behaviour was also observed with L. amia adults that remained resident throughout the year, foregoing the annual migration, phenomenon known as skipped spawning, and homing behaviour, where L. amia, particularly those tagged in the EC and WC, were recorded returning to previously occupied tagging locations and surrounding areas. The importance of estuaries to sub-adult and adult fish was also assessed and identified the importance of estuaries not only to subadults but also to adults. Estuary visits were strongly influenced by the environment which the fish was tagged in, temporal and seasonal changes, and life-history stages. The predictability of their migrations (almost to the day), the varied migratory behaviour (overwintering), returning to sites of familiarity post-migration, and long-term dependency on estuaries even as sub-adults and adults, provide motivation for increased protection of this species, including extending the network of estuarine protected areas in the country, and a closed fishing season, particularly during the annual winter migration. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Crop fields abandonment: assessing the dynamics of degradation in relation to leverage points for sustainable land management in the Macubeni catchment, South Africa
- Authors: Sibiya, Silindile
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422470 , vital:71945
- Description: Soil erosion is a major global environmental problem and a pervasive forms of land degradation that threatens land productivity and food and water security. Some of the biggest sources of sediment in catchments are previously cultivated lands. Regardless of this factor, the abandonment of cultivated fields is not well-researched. Sustainable land management (SLM) interventions can play a significant role in mitigating and halting land degradation. This study investigated the dynamics of degradation exhibited by crop fields and the potential impacts of SLM interventions, using a leverage points framework and a case study in the Macubeni catchment of South Africa. The research answers three questions: (1) What is the relationship between the usage status of crop fields and degradation in Macubeni? (2) What are the drivers of crop field abandonment and how do they interact in the system? (3) Can proposed sustainable land management interventions tackle the dynamics of land abandonment, and associated degradation, at the root cause level? An empirical-analytical approach using a four step multi-method process was followed, in which crop fields were mapped using ArcGIS tools, literature was reviewed alongside stakeholder engagements, qualitative systems mapping modelling was undertaken, and a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) with leverage points hierarchy was used to integrate all the steps together. The results revealed that the various drivers of crop field abandonment include natural environmental factors, socio-economic and social factors. 47.41% of the total crop fields in Macubeni were classified as highly degraded, and abandoned fields covered 37.47%. The statistical Chi-Square Test also confirmed that there is a significant relationship between the usage status and degradation level in crop fields. The SLM interventions assessed in the study have the potential to tackle the dynamics of land abandonment at a root cause level, however, there is a need to first shift the community’s mental models to address the existing sources of change resistance that are hindering successful implementation. Furthermore, the innovative multi-method approach applied in this study can further provide a holistic, dynamic, and integrated decision-support to land conservation and rehabilitation projects in similar settings across South Africa and other developing countries as opposed to the more traditional one-dimensional approaches. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Sibiya, Silindile
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422470 , vital:71945
- Description: Soil erosion is a major global environmental problem and a pervasive forms of land degradation that threatens land productivity and food and water security. Some of the biggest sources of sediment in catchments are previously cultivated lands. Regardless of this factor, the abandonment of cultivated fields is not well-researched. Sustainable land management (SLM) interventions can play a significant role in mitigating and halting land degradation. This study investigated the dynamics of degradation exhibited by crop fields and the potential impacts of SLM interventions, using a leverage points framework and a case study in the Macubeni catchment of South Africa. The research answers three questions: (1) What is the relationship between the usage status of crop fields and degradation in Macubeni? (2) What are the drivers of crop field abandonment and how do they interact in the system? (3) Can proposed sustainable land management interventions tackle the dynamics of land abandonment, and associated degradation, at the root cause level? An empirical-analytical approach using a four step multi-method process was followed, in which crop fields were mapped using ArcGIS tools, literature was reviewed alongside stakeholder engagements, qualitative systems mapping modelling was undertaken, and a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) with leverage points hierarchy was used to integrate all the steps together. The results revealed that the various drivers of crop field abandonment include natural environmental factors, socio-economic and social factors. 47.41% of the total crop fields in Macubeni were classified as highly degraded, and abandoned fields covered 37.47%. The statistical Chi-Square Test also confirmed that there is a significant relationship between the usage status and degradation level in crop fields. The SLM interventions assessed in the study have the potential to tackle the dynamics of land abandonment at a root cause level, however, there is a need to first shift the community’s mental models to address the existing sources of change resistance that are hindering successful implementation. Furthermore, the innovative multi-method approach applied in this study can further provide a holistic, dynamic, and integrated decision-support to land conservation and rehabilitation projects in similar settings across South Africa and other developing countries as opposed to the more traditional one-dimensional approaches. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Distribution and conservation status assessment of the freshwater fishes in the Krom River system in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Mthombeni, Annah
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422303 , vital:71929
- Description: The Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) contains the highest number of endemic freshwater fishes in Africa, south of the Zambezi River system. The CFE’s unique fish fauna has, however, suffered severe decline in historical distribution ranges and population sizes due to multiple impacts, with the two main threats being introduced invasive piscivores and habitat degradation. Growing evidence shows that biodiversity is being lost at unprecedented levels due to increased human pressure and demand for limited resources. Future projections also indicate high extinction risk, particularly for freshwater ecosystems, as a result of global climate change. Yet for many regions, including the CFE, there is still limited biodiversity knowledge to guide decision making processes. The Krom River system in the eastern Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) contains three native freshwater fish species. These are Pseudobarbus senticeps, which was recently revalidated, Sandelia capensis and a galaxiid lineage currently informally referred to as Galaxias zebratus sp. ‘Joubertina’. Two of these taxa are listed under threatened categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These are P. senticeps, which is listed as Critically Endangered and Galaxias zebratus sp. ‘Joubertina’, which is listed as Endangered. Although S. capensis is currently listed as Data Deficient, the most recent information indicates that the species comprises three allopatric lineages, with the Krom River population belonging to a lineage that is distributed across a number of river systems on the south coast. Two non-native fishes, Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, have also been introduced into this river system. Updated information on distribution patterns and habitat utilisation is required to guide authorities to develop effective management plans and conservation of the threatened fishes of the Krom River system. The aim of this study was to determine the current distribution of the fishes of the Krom River system and to provide recommendations for in situ conservation measures to protect remnant populations and promote recovery and range expansion of the native fishes. The primary objective of the study was to use historical and present data to map the distributions patterns. Data on the distribution of the fishes of the Krom River system were obtained from various sources, including the NRF-SAIAB database, studies published in peer reviewed literature and unpublished reports. Systematic sampling was conducted in the Krom River system and several of its tributaries to provide a snapshot of the current distribution of both native and non-native fishes in this system at the time of this study. The presence of instream physical barriers was recorded, and habitat and water quality were visually assessed. Only four species of freshwater fishes were recorded during the surveys. These were two native species, the Krom River redfin P. senticeps and the Cape kurper Sandelia capensis, and two introduced species, the black bass M. salmoides and bluegill sunfish L. macrochirus. Pseudobarbus senticeps was the most common and widely distributed species in the system, and was recorded at 20 localities (four mainstem and 16 tributary localities). Sandelia capensis was less common and was recorded at only eight localities (four mainstem and four tributary localities). These two native species co-occurred at all the eight localities where S. capensis was recorded, but P. senticeps was always more abundant than Sandelia. Micropterus salmoides was recorded at six localities (four mainstem and 2 tributary localities) while L. macrochirus was recorded at five localities (four mainstem and one off-stream dam site). Native fishes were not recorded at sites where non-native fishes were present except at two localities in the Wit Els River where juvenile M. salmoides were found amongst the native fish samples. However, unlike the other localities where all size classes (i.e., young of the year, juveniles, subadults and adults) were present, only adult redfins were found in the Wit Els River where juveniles of largemouth bass occurred. A comparison of the past and present distribution patterns of the native fishes indicates a considerable decline in distribution range, and remnant populations are now fragmented compared to past observations. The major threats and impacts on the Krom River system are the presence of non-native piscivores, construction of instream physical barriers, and agricultural activities. The information from this study could form a basis for establishing long-term conservation measures that should focus on preventing the spread of non-native fishes, and rehabilitating critical habitats for the future persistence of remnant populations of native fishes. The study also evaluated the implications of incomplete taxonomy on conservation status assessments and prioritisation, by evaluating case studies of species complexes of freshwater fishes whose taxonomy has been recently resolved, as well as two complexes with lineages that await formal recognition as distinct species. The aim was to demonstrate how incomplete knowledge of taxonomy affects the assessment of extinction risk and can potentially misdirect conservation prioritisation. Specifically, the study examined how change in taxonomy or recognition of undescribed genetic lineages in faunal listings affects range size and IUCN Red List risk category. The study taxa were Pseudobarbus afer sensu lato (sl), Enteromius anoplus sl, Amphilius natalensis sl, Sandelia capensis and S. bainsii, and the study assessed the species complexes as Least Concern or Near Threatened. The majority of these taxonomically revised species and genetic lineages were determined to be Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU), as the extent of occurrence was estimated to be < 100 km2; < 5000 km2 and < 20 000 km2 respectively. The species and lineages have been observed in fewer than ten locations, and the populations have been observed to be in decline. The results of this study indicate that the current taxonomic status of the native species in the Krom River system obscures the diversity of these fishes and affects conclusions for conservation assessments. Findings from this preliminary assessment highlight the need for advancing taxonomic knowledge through accurate delimitation of species boundaries, particularly within , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Mthombeni, Annah
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422303 , vital:71929
- Description: The Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) contains the highest number of endemic freshwater fishes in Africa, south of the Zambezi River system. The CFE’s unique fish fauna has, however, suffered severe decline in historical distribution ranges and population sizes due to multiple impacts, with the two main threats being introduced invasive piscivores and habitat degradation. Growing evidence shows that biodiversity is being lost at unprecedented levels due to increased human pressure and demand for limited resources. Future projections also indicate high extinction risk, particularly for freshwater ecosystems, as a result of global climate change. Yet for many regions, including the CFE, there is still limited biodiversity knowledge to guide decision making processes. The Krom River system in the eastern Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) contains three native freshwater fish species. These are Pseudobarbus senticeps, which was recently revalidated, Sandelia capensis and a galaxiid lineage currently informally referred to as Galaxias zebratus sp. ‘Joubertina’. Two of these taxa are listed under threatened categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These are P. senticeps, which is listed as Critically Endangered and Galaxias zebratus sp. ‘Joubertina’, which is listed as Endangered. Although S. capensis is currently listed as Data Deficient, the most recent information indicates that the species comprises three allopatric lineages, with the Krom River population belonging to a lineage that is distributed across a number of river systems on the south coast. Two non-native fishes, Micropterus salmoides and Lepomis macrochirus, have also been introduced into this river system. Updated information on distribution patterns and habitat utilisation is required to guide authorities to develop effective management plans and conservation of the threatened fishes of the Krom River system. The aim of this study was to determine the current distribution of the fishes of the Krom River system and to provide recommendations for in situ conservation measures to protect remnant populations and promote recovery and range expansion of the native fishes. The primary objective of the study was to use historical and present data to map the distributions patterns. Data on the distribution of the fishes of the Krom River system were obtained from various sources, including the NRF-SAIAB database, studies published in peer reviewed literature and unpublished reports. Systematic sampling was conducted in the Krom River system and several of its tributaries to provide a snapshot of the current distribution of both native and non-native fishes in this system at the time of this study. The presence of instream physical barriers was recorded, and habitat and water quality were visually assessed. Only four species of freshwater fishes were recorded during the surveys. These were two native species, the Krom River redfin P. senticeps and the Cape kurper Sandelia capensis, and two introduced species, the black bass M. salmoides and bluegill sunfish L. macrochirus. Pseudobarbus senticeps was the most common and widely distributed species in the system, and was recorded at 20 localities (four mainstem and 16 tributary localities). Sandelia capensis was less common and was recorded at only eight localities (four mainstem and four tributary localities). These two native species co-occurred at all the eight localities where S. capensis was recorded, but P. senticeps was always more abundant than Sandelia. Micropterus salmoides was recorded at six localities (four mainstem and 2 tributary localities) while L. macrochirus was recorded at five localities (four mainstem and one off-stream dam site). Native fishes were not recorded at sites where non-native fishes were present except at two localities in the Wit Els River where juvenile M. salmoides were found amongst the native fish samples. However, unlike the other localities where all size classes (i.e., young of the year, juveniles, subadults and adults) were present, only adult redfins were found in the Wit Els River where juveniles of largemouth bass occurred. A comparison of the past and present distribution patterns of the native fishes indicates a considerable decline in distribution range, and remnant populations are now fragmented compared to past observations. The major threats and impacts on the Krom River system are the presence of non-native piscivores, construction of instream physical barriers, and agricultural activities. The information from this study could form a basis for establishing long-term conservation measures that should focus on preventing the spread of non-native fishes, and rehabilitating critical habitats for the future persistence of remnant populations of native fishes. The study also evaluated the implications of incomplete taxonomy on conservation status assessments and prioritisation, by evaluating case studies of species complexes of freshwater fishes whose taxonomy has been recently resolved, as well as two complexes with lineages that await formal recognition as distinct species. The aim was to demonstrate how incomplete knowledge of taxonomy affects the assessment of extinction risk and can potentially misdirect conservation prioritisation. Specifically, the study examined how change in taxonomy or recognition of undescribed genetic lineages in faunal listings affects range size and IUCN Red List risk category. The study taxa were Pseudobarbus afer sensu lato (sl), Enteromius anoplus sl, Amphilius natalensis sl, Sandelia capensis and S. bainsii, and the study assessed the species complexes as Least Concern or Near Threatened. The majority of these taxonomically revised species and genetic lineages were determined to be Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU), as the extent of occurrence was estimated to be < 100 km2; < 5000 km2 and < 20 000 km2 respectively. The species and lineages have been observed in fewer than ten locations, and the populations have been observed to be in decline. The results of this study indicate that the current taxonomic status of the native species in the Krom River system obscures the diversity of these fishes and affects conclusions for conservation assessments. Findings from this preliminary assessment highlight the need for advancing taxonomic knowledge through accurate delimitation of species boundaries, particularly within , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29