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Management perceptions regarding skills shortages in gold mines

  • Authors: Xingwana, Lumkwana
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Labor supply--South Africa , Professional employees--South Africa , Occupational training--South Africa , Gold mines and mining--South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:9279 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007959 , Labor supply--South Africa , Professional employees--South Africa , Occupational training--South Africa , Gold mines and mining--South Africa
  • Description: The skills shortages in mining and mineral sector had existed for a decade and had a widespread effect on South Africa economy. It affects the level of economic productivity and reduces the country’s capacity to develop a knowledge society. This, in turn, affects the country’s functioning in the global economy. Despite the sector’s best efforts, the shortages continue to grow and threaten the delivery of projects and growth plans. Some researchers contend with the view that the persistence of skills shortages in mining and mineral sector is largely due to entrenched attitudes among both the industry and the community. They claim that employers have the means to change the educational profile of the subsectors by appointing recruits with higher levels of schooling. However, owing to the limited number of higher educated people living in the communities surrounding the mining operations and lack of interest in mining of people with higher levels of education, to name but few, employers are perceived to have a habit of employing people with little skills. The current study was aimed at investigating the impact of skills shortage on organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability, from the management perceptive. The main objective of this study was to incorporate and embed previous research findings and theories into a comprehensive hypothetical model. A hypothetical model showed various factors that may influence skills shortage. Four independent variables (working environment, employment conditions, resources and education and training) were identified as variables that may influence skills shortage; and mediating variable (skills shortage) was also identified as a variable that have potential to affect dependent variables (organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability) of gold mining sector. Furthermore, eight hypotheses were developed to test the relationship between independent, mediating and dependent variables. All these variables were clearly defined and operationalized with various items obtained from measuring instruments used in other similar studies. A purposive sample of 343 respondents was drawn from the population. A seven-point Likert scale and structured questionnaire were administered in person to the respondents and of which 300 were usable and subjected further to several statistical analyses. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was evaluated using significant effect p< = 0.001 and Pearson’s correlation test (α = 0.05). Data gathered were fed to and analysed by STATISTICA (version 10) and factor analysis and regression analyses were the statistical procedures used to test the significance of the relationships between the various independent and dependent variables. Consequently, working environment, resources and education and training were three independent variables that were identified as having ability to predict propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability. An attempt was made to establish whether various demographic variables have an influence on mediating and dependent variables through the introduction of gender and position in the organisation while conducting an Analysis of Variance and Multiple linear regressions, but they obtained negative values. The conclusion is that demographic variables do not have over mediating and depended variables. The findings of this study states that with conducive working environment, availability of resources, the high levels of education and training, the country could produce skills that would reduce propensity to leave, drive competitive advantage and sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship, create competitive advantages and boost employment sustainability.
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  • Date Issued: 2012

Rhodeo: ca 1938 - 1943: miscellaneous pages

  • Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Text
  • Identifier: vital:14414 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019286
  • Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
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Secrets, lies and redemption:

  • Authors: Boshoff, Priscilla A , Prinsloo, Jeanne
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/143381 , vital:38241 , DOI: 10.1080/00020184.2017.1285671
  • Description: Confession is a central disciplining technology deployed in the second series of Intersexions, a popular South African TV series that seeks to change sexual and social behaviours that contribute to the risk of HIV infection. The article considers the ‘edu’ part of this edutainment programme, specifically with the nature of the lessons and with the form of ‘disciplining’ the narratives presuppose for gendered and sexual subjects. Central to this critical and constructivist exploration of the gender relationships that are validated and expurgated are Foucault’s notions of discourse and confession as a technology of self. We argue that the series presents a range of different gendered and sexual subjectivities but implicitly endorses a modern subjectivity and transformation at the level of the individual.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The effective combating of intrusion attacks through fuzzy logic and neural networks

  • Authors: Goss, Robert Melvin
  • Date: 2007
  • Subjects: Computer security , Fuzzy logic , Neural networks (Computer science)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
  • Identifier: vital:9794 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/512 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011917 , Computer security , Fuzzy logic , Neural networks (Computer science)
  • Description: The importance of properly securing an organization’s information and computing resources has become paramount in modern business. Since the advent of the Internet, securing this organizational information has become increasingly difficult. Organizations deploy many security mechanisms in the protection of their data, intrusion detection systems in particular have an increasingly valuable role to play, and as networks grow, administrators need better ways to monitor their systems. Currently, many intrusion detection systems lack the means to accurately monitor and report on wireless segments within the corporate network. This dissertation proposes an extension to the NeGPAIM model, known as NeGPAIM-W, which allows for the accurate detection of attacks originating on wireless network segments. The NeGPAIM-W model is able to detect both wired and wireless based attacks, and with the extensions to the original model mentioned previously, also provide for correlation of intrusion attacks sourced on both wired and wireless network segments. This provides for a holistic detection strategy for an organization. This has been accomplished with the use of Fuzzy logic and neural networks utilized in the detection of attacks. The model works on the assumption that each user has, and leaves, a unique footprint on a computer system. Thus, all intrusive behaviour on the system and networks which support it, can be traced back to the user account which was used to perform the intrusive behavior.
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  • Date Issued: 2007

Business English: AEB 121F

  • Authors: Makwela, N , Siziba, L
  • Date: 2011-01
  • Subjects: English language -- Business English
  • Language: English
  • Type: Examination paper
  • Identifier: vital:17461 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1010276
  • Description: Business English: AEB 121F, Supplementary examination January 2011.
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  • Date Issued: 2011-01

Between past and future: memory and mourning in the stories of Okwiri Oduor and Ndinda Kioko

  • Authors: Awuor, Nicholas Amol
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Oduor, Okwiri -- Criticism and interpretation , Oduor, Okwiri -- The plea bargain , Oduor, Okwiri -- My father's head , Oduor, Okwiri -- Rag doll , Kioko, Ndinda -- Criticism and interpretation , Kioko, Ndinda -- Sometime Before Maulidi , Kioko, Ndinda -- Some Freedom Dreams , Authors, Kenyan -- Criticism and interpretation , Kenyan fiction (English) -- History and criticism , Kenyan literature (English) -- History and criticism
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/163168 , vital:41015
  • Description: This study investigates the literary activities of two emerging female Kenyan writers, Claudette Okwiri Oduor and Jacqueline Ndinda Kioko, both of whom are award-winning authors. Oduor won the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing while Kioko bagged the Wasafiri New Writing Fiction Award 2017. It examines specifically how the writers deal with memory and mourning in negotiating between the past and future. I explore how their fictional and non-fictional narratives assist individuals and groups to confront loss, reconstruct new identities, and renegotiate belonging amidst personal and social upheaval. The fictional narratives at the centre of this research are Oduor’s “The Plea Bargain” (2011), “My Father’s Head” (2013) and “Rag Doll” (2014), and Kioko’s “Sometime Before Maulidi” (2014) and “Some Freedom Dreams” (2017). The study explores the themes of mental illness, existential crisis, and fragmentation, and considers bereavement, queer relationships, cultural freedom, and social recognition. The research further considers the active participation of these two writers in Kenya’s contemporary literary-cultural conversations, which span different genres and various media platforms, including blogs, YouTube clips, online magazines, and social media networks in dialogue with other writers. I trace the significance of the literary-cultural link these authors have with their local, continental, and global counterparts in countries like Uganda, Nigeria, and South Africa. The link finds expression through their (in)direct association with some of the new online publishing outlets in Kenya like Jalada Africa, Enkare Review, and Kikwetu. More importantly, their shared participation in and association with such international awards and scholarships as the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Kwani Trust Manuscript Project, and Miles Morland Foundation is integral in apprehending contemporary literary exchanges and multidirectional flows of publishing in Africa and beyond. I equally illustrate how mentorship of younger writers through local writers’ organisations and collectives like AMKA and Writivism help in the formation of an alternative canon other than the mainstream. The study affirms that the authors seem to transcend the boundaries of production and circulation by fluidly moving between electronic and non-electronic platforms, thus mimicking the memory production of remembering, repeating, and working through.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

The labour market drop-out rate : a new approach to estimating the returns to government investment in higher education : the case for marine science in South Africa

  • Authors: Grootes, Pieter Brian
  • Date: 2005
  • Subjects: Labor market Marine scientists -- South Africa Education -- Economic aspects -- South Africa Higher education and state -- South Africa Education -- Social aspects Human capital -- South Africa Education, Higher -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEcon
  • Identifier: vital:950 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002684
  • Description: The private and social returns to education literature share the same conclusion: that education is beneficial for both the individual and society. However, the theoretical underpinnings are flawed as the literature does not account for the main feature that leads to the acquisition of education: the private demand for education. An understanding of the factors that motivate the individual to invest in education would lead to a deeper insight as to why both private and social returns to education exist, and would provide a clearer framework on which to base the government funding of education. This thesis provides a first attempt at filling this gap by introducing a method of estimating the returns to government investment in education, which is labelled the ‘labour market drop-out rate approach’. The approach focuses on the social return to education, not in terms of graduate earnings, but in terms of the interaction of the graduate with the economy. The approach introduces a measure of expertise utilisation, based on the premise that there is no social return to an individual acquiring education if he or she does not utilise the acquired knowledge base on entering the labour market. The approach is tested using the labour market for marine scientists in South Africa as a case study. In this case the private demand for education is found to be heavily influenced by the provision of student bursaries from the National Research Foundation, with a resulting estimate of the social return to a degree in marine science being a mere 20% to 25%. Owing to this, a new approach to government investment in marine science is introduced, that of graduate contribution schemes. Of broader significance is the ease of application of this approach, it may be adopted to analyse any funding programme in which a government may decide to invest. As such, the labour market drop-out rate provides an extension to the returns to education literature through its theoretical dealings of the private demand for education, as well as a practical tool which government agencies can use to evaluate the efficacy of any government funding of education.
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  • Date Issued: 2005

Rhodes University Graduation Ceremony 1960

  • Authors: Rhodes University
  • Date: 1960
  • Language: English
  • Type: text
  • Identifier: vital:8094 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004409
  • Description: Rhodes University Graduation Ceremonies in the University Great Hall on Saturday, 2nd April, 1960, at 11 a.m. [and] 23rd April, 1960, at 11 a.m.
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  • Date Issued: 1960

Application of hidden Markov models and their extensions to animal movement data

  • Authors: Van Niekerk, Bracken
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Markov processes Animal locomotion Time-series analysis
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23835 , vital:30624
  • Description: Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) have become increasingly popular in animal movement studies as they provide a flexible modelling approach and take the correlation between successive observations into account. They can segment the movement paths into latent states, which can be considered as rough proxies for the behaviours of the animals. This study comprises of two sections, both involving the application of HMMs to large terrestrial mammal movement data. Usually step lengths representing the displacement distances between successive observations, turning angles measuring the tortuosity, or a bivariate input of both variables are used as inputs in the models. It has been found in the literature that the turning angle is either included in the modelling process or it is excluded without much justification for doing so. The first part of this study investigates the nfluence of the turning angle on the model output and resultant interpretations of the HMMs when modelling the trajectories of large terrestrial mammals in southern Africa. Results revealed at different time scales, and for both predator and herbivore species in this study, that the turning angle does not influence the state allocation of the HMMs, which is the main output in terms of interpreting the behaviours of the animals. It is thought in most cases that the inclusion of the turning angle overcomplicates the models unnecessarily without contributing any additional information in terms of the behavioural interpretations or improving the overall fit of the models. This was found for the variety of movements of the species under observation in this study. The second part of this study attempts to validate the state allocation of the HMMs fitted to eland trajectories in the Greater Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape, with the use of camera trap data. This presented a unique opportunity as this type of data is mainly used for abundance or capture-recapture studies, and the HMMs are rarely validated as the true behaviours of the animals are seldom known. Results revealed that the same diel patterns were detected by the HMMs that were shown by the classified camera trap data. Direct comparisons of the observations where the dates and times matched for the telemetry and camera trap data could be done in several rare instances, which revealed many similarities. Although it was not an ideal comparison, the camera trap data provided a rough validation of the state allocation of the HMMs used in the study.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Dangerous people and places : a community newspaper's constructions of crime

  • Authors: Raymond, Leigh Alice
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Grocott's Mail (Grahamstown, South Africa) , Community newspapers -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Crime and the press -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Newspapers -- Objectivity , Mass media policy -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Social responsibility of business -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Police and the press -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3527 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013091
  • Description: This thesis argues that there is a clear imbalance in the representation of crime in the newspaper, Grocott’s Mail, in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The thesis concludes that the system of marginalisation and segregation which was established during the apartheid era is the foundation for the continued segregation and marginalisation of certain groups of people in Grahamstown as depicted in crime journalism. Previous research shows that not only people, but spaces are marginalised through media representations of crime. As people are represented as dangerous, so too the spaces they occupy become dangerous spaces. Importantly, the research shows that discourses of marginalisation are present in newspaper reports reproducing the discourses prominent in society, and in turn, the newspaper itself perpetuates these marginalising discourses. This extends into the coverage that different crimes receive in newspapers. For instance, the reports show that a middle-class audience will be more concerned with property crime in middle-class neighbourhoods, than other crimes in lower-class neighbourhoods. I argue that not only the type of crime, but the severity, the effect, and the necessity for justice represented by the newspaper, are all largely determined by the region of the crime. Further, I show that the criminal is not only demonised and represented as individually deviant in the reports in the newspaper, but that these representations are made by this newspaper because they are deeply imbedded as a discourse in society. This is partly because this newspaper has taken on a monitorial role, requiring neutral reporting from journalists, and a dedication to surveying the processes of state institutions, like the police and courts. As a result, the ways in which crime is reported on in the newspaper is fairly well fixed, making it difficult for journalists to conceive of different ways of reporting crime. The representations of the criminal justice system that the monitorial media, this newspaper included present, are a careful balance between the interest of the public, and the need to preserve relationships with sources. The monitorial media in general, and this newspaper in particular, represent the criminal justice system. The relationship between the police and the newspaper, and the courts and the media, therefore strongly influences the way in which crime news is reported. In particular, crime news is represented from the perspective of the criminal justice system. This research was carried out using Critical Discourse Analysis, qualitative interviews, and focus group interviews.
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  • Date Issued: 2014

A business model framework for mission-driven organisations

  • Authors: Thackeray, Sean Robin
  • Date: 2023-03-31
  • Subjects: Nonprofit organizations South Africa Makhanda , Business model , Sustainable development South Africa Makhanda , Resource-based view , Social responsibility of business South Africa Makhanda
  • Language: English
  • Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419123 , vital:71618
  • Description: Non-profit organisations (NPOs) contribute to our society by addressing needs through value-creation activities which are normally not addressed by normal for-profit organisations. These NPOs generate their income through donations, fundraising and market activities such as the sale of products or services. However, in the pursuit of organisational sustainability, these NPOs need to ensure that their income meets their expenditure needs over the long run, to allow continuous value creation and to pursue their mission. An organisation’s business model can be visualised through a business model framework (BMF), which have been illustrated to be useful tools for organisations to test new business models, plan and coordinate activities, and to communicate how an organisations business model works to stakeholders. The use of BMFs by NPOs may be useful for similar purposes. However, a key challenge for NPOs and their management is adapting for-profit tools to be more applicable to the NPO environment. Whilst there has been some progress within the literature on adapting these for-profit business model tools to NPOs, this area of research is relatively underrepresented in the literature. The single case study method, exploratory in nature, following a deductive approach with a theoretical framework was used to evaluate the NPO Business model framework for NPOs with multiple income streams (Sanderse, 2014) appropriateness for the Centre for Biological Control (CBC), a mission-driven research organisation located within Rhodes University. The study made use of an interpretivist paradigm through the lens of resource-based theory. The contextual environment of the CBC was similar to other NPOs in that their organisational sustainability was at risk due to uncertainty about the availability of long-term funding. The CBC is actively diversifying their income streams by establishing new partnerships, which increase the capacity and resource base of the organisation to improve its flexibility in meeting current and potential funders’ needs. The NPO Business model framework for NPOs with multiple income streams was found to be a suitable BMF to visualise the holistic operations of the CBC. However, the role of governance-related matters being represented in this BMF was found to be lacking. An amended framework including governance as part of the Business model framework for NPOs with multiple income streams was developed. This improved the BMF, by allowing for further contextual insight into the CBCs business model as governance played a major role in the key activities and income-generating strategies they participate in. The role a BMF has in assisting an organisation with resource management activities was also explored. A suitable BMF, which allows for a holistic and explicit display of an organisation’s business model, would assist in determining how resources could be better managed or orchestrated to pursue different potential income-generating strategies or improve the efficiency of how resources are used in the current business model. This study contributed to business model theory by further testing the Business model framework for NPOs with multiple income streams as a tool to visualise an NPOs business model and identifying that once the governance block was added, this BMF became more suitable within the CBCs context. A minor contribution to resource based theory was the exploration of the potential roles BMFs play in resource management, which should be further investigated in line with additional research questions proposed. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2023
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  • Date Issued: 2023-03-31

Effects of production systems and canola meal supplementation on carcass and meat quality characteristics of spent laying hens

  • Authors: Semwogerere, Farouk
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Broilers (Chickens) -- Feeding and feeds Chickens -- Feeding and feeds Chicken industry -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9242 , vital:34309
  • Description: This study evaluated the carcass and meat quality traits of spent laying hens as influenced by production systems (conventional cages and free range) and the inclusion/exclusion of canola meal in their diets. A total of 30 free range and 60 battery cage reared Lohmann Brown-Elite spent laying hens were obtained from a commercial egg producer. The 30 free range hens (53 weeks of age) and 30 of the caged hens (40 weeks of age) were fed a conventional diet, while the remaining 30 caged hens (48 weeks of age) were fed a diet supplemented with canola meal (20 percent). Carcass, portion and organ weights were determined. Physical attributes and proximate composition were analyzed for, with additional fatty acids and sensory profiles being determined for the effects of canola meal inclusion in the diet. Caged hens had heavier (P ≤ 0.05) warm and cold carcasses, thigh, wing and feet compared to free range hens. The percentages of the breast (26.1 ± 0.51 vs. 28.3 ± 0.28), drum, breast bones, breast thaw and cooking losses and thigh cooking loss were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for caged hens than for free range hens. Free range hens had heavier (P ≤ 0.05) gizzards (33.9 ± 1.04 vs. 30.5 ± 0.73) and bones and a lower (P ≤ 0.05) breast meat percentage (47.3 ± 0.94 vs. 51.7 ± 1.35). Meat redness (a*) (0.54 ± 0.222 vs. 1.40 ± 0.135) and hue angle value, skin redness (a*), breast and thigh, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values (breast: 12.37 ± 0.411 vs. 17.10 ± 0.751, thigh: 29.68 ± 0.306 vs. 39.75 ± 0.826), breast moisture and thigh ash content were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for caged hens than free range hens. Caged hens had higher (P ≤ 0.05) thigh thaw loss and breast ash content than free range hens. Canola-fed hens had higher (P ≤ 0.05) drum percentages, breast bone weights and percentages, with lower (P ≤ 0.05) thigh and breast meat percentages. Canola-fed hens had lower (P ≤ 0.05) thaw losses, skin yellowness (b*) and Chroma values, breast fat content with higher cooking losses, skin redness (a*) and hue angle value, as well as breast WBSF (12.37 ± 0.411 vs. 15.43 ± 0.600). Palmitic acid, stearic acid, heneicosanoic acid acid, palmitoleic acid, saturated fatty acids (SFA) (34.0 ± 0.56 vs. 38.7 ± 0.71), n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio (5.5 ± 0.13 vs. 7.2 ± 0.28), atherogenic index (IA), thrombogenic index (IT), delta-5 desaturase (D5D, elongase index and thiosterase index were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for canola-fed hen breast meat. Breast meat from conventionally fed hens had lower (P ≤ 0.05) myristic acid, lignoceric acid, nervonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), PUFA:SFA ratio (0.7 ± 0.05 vs. 0.9 ± 0.02), n-3 PUFA (3.4 ± 0.31 vs. 5.1 ± 0.17), hypocholesterolemic:Hypercholesterolaemic (h/H), stearoyl-CoA desaturase 16 (SCD16) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 18 (SCD18). The breast meat from conventionally fed hens had lower (P ≤ 0.05) metallic flavor than that from canola-fed hens. Strong positive correlations were observed for overall aroma with chicken (r = 0.965, P < 0.001) and brothy aroma (r = 0.827, P < 0.001); overall aroma with overall flavor (r = 0.680, P < 0.001), chicken flavor (r = 0.668, P < 0.001) and brothy flavor (r = 0.548, P = 0.006); initial juiciness with sustained juiciness (r = 0.771, P < 0.001) and tenderness (r = 0.537, P = 0.007); sustained juiciness with tenderness (r = 0.790, P < 0.001) and chewiness with residue (r = 0.783, P < 0.001). Whilst strong negative correlations were observed for: sustained juiciness with chewiness (r = -0.655, P = 0.001) and residue (r = 0.783, P < 0.001) and for tenderness with chewiness (r = 0.845, P < 0.001) and residue (r = -0.855, P < 0.001). Results of this study highlight that a free range production system when compared to a conventional cage system increased undesirable carcass and physical meat traits of spent laying hens. On the other hand, canola meal inclusion incorporates beneficial health aspects without affecting the sensory profile of meat derived from spent laying hens, both groups of hens being reared in battery cage system. Spent laying hen breasts can be consumed as a functional food (especially canolafed) since the fat content and composition was observed to be close to that which is recommended for a healthy diet.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

No other world: the poetry of Don Maclennan

  • Authors: Robinson, Brendon Kimbale
  • Date: 2008
  • Subjects: Maclennan, Don Maclennan, Don -- Criticism and interpretation South African poetry (English) -- History and criticism
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:2221 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002264
  • Description: This is a study of the poetry of Don Maclennan in four chapters. Chapter One explores the poetry's deep involvement with the immediate world, and with the being that encounters it. Chapter Two examines the corpus's mistrust of abstract thought, and its suggestions for alternative ways of intepreting (or at least approaching an interpretation of) our existential situation. Chapter Three deals with Maclennan's writing on the subject of death, while the final chapter looks at the response of the poetry to the fact of death: put simply, this is to learn to love the situation we are in, and to record our thoughts for future generations, thus reaching beyond death to share with others the necessarily unique experience of our one and only life.
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  • Date Issued: 2008

The influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the South African banking industry

  • Authors: Gavaza, Bramwell Kundishora
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Banks and banking -- South Africa Social media -- South Africa Customer loyalty -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12903 , vital:39389
  • Description: The advent of the Internet during the past two decades has changed the way in which businesses operate. Social media networks such as Facebook have become an essential communication element for businesses to interact with clients. The impact and growth rates of Facebook and other forms of social media have made it imperative for all businesses to ensure they have social media strategies in place. Following social media business trends, banks across the world have included social media to market their services. Banks are now emphasising the offering of high client service quality in order to retain clients in this highly competitive environment. Thus, South African banks, as is the case with global banks, need to continuously assess the quality of the services offered to their clients in order to sustainably maintain or grow their market share or to fully utilise its commercial opportunities. This study determined the influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the South African banking industry. The primary objective was to examine the extent to which social media service quality influence client loyalty in the South African banking industry. The study also determined if social media system availability, efficiency, fulfilment, and privacy has influence on the overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. In addition, the study examined the relationship between overall service quality and client loyalty intention in the South African banking industry. The study used a quantitative research approach to collect and analyse the data, and a descriptive research design was utilised for the purpose of this study. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources of data. An online survey was conducted through Survey Monkey, via a Facebook page titled: Social media service quality in the South African banking industry. An online questionnaire was administered via the Facebook page. The study used a sample of 377 respondents who are Facebook users of the five major banks in South Africa. Analysis and interpretation of findings was done using both the descriptive and inferential statistical measures, with the help of Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) 24 and Lisrel (version 9). The electronic social media service quality (E-S-SERVQUAL) scale which consist of five constructs, namely; social media system availability, efficiency, fulfilment, privacy and overall service quality; and client loyalty intentions were the scales that were adopted for this study. All the scales used in this study were found to be reliable and valid. Findings of the research study proved that social media system availability, fulfilment, and privacy has a significant influence on the overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. In addition, findings of the research revealed that social media efficiency does not significantly influence overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. Furthermore, findings of the research also proved that the overall service quality of social media positively influences client loyalty intention in the South African banking industry. The study recommended that managers and marketers should constantly evaluate, monitor, and improve the overall service quality of social media offered to their clients, as it leads to a corresponding increase in overall client satisfaction, which in turn leads to client loyalty in the South African banking industry. However, further research studies may be conducted in other developing countries to gain a wider understanding on the influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the banking industry.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The role of African theology and spirituality in bereavement among Xhosa children

  • Authors: Diniso Patrick Mncedisi
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Bereavement in children -- Religious aspects Black theology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17839 , vital:41374
  • Description: The background to this study highlights the fact that Xhosa children are not being taken care of during bereavement. There is no theological guidance applied to them, to say the least. There are devotions that are usually conducted by lay preachers (Preachers that are not trained as Pastors/Therapists) who do their utmost best to support bereaved families, and this is done out of love. The challenge, however, is that the language mostly used by these preachers does not seem to accommodate children, as there are expressions that do not make any sense to children such as: tutwini, imela igobele esandleni. These are good and relevant concepts as they underpin the reality of death and the need for comfort during bereavement. However, these need to be communicated in a language that can be understood by children. Due to this identified problem, the researcher deemed it necessary to undertake this study. This study comprises five (5) chapters. In chapter one (1), the researcher focused on the research background and introduction. Chapter two (2) dealt with the literature review of this study. The chapter comprises three sections: generic literature review section, theory base section and primary literature review section. In chapter three (3), the focus is on research methodology and its components. Concepts such as sampling procedures, research instrument and research design are dealt with. In chapter four (4), the researcher dealt with concepts such as data analysis, interpretation and presentation of findings. Chapter five dealt with the research recommendations as per the role of the church (Free Church in Southern Africa [FSA]). The researcher is convinced that this work has done justice in addressing the identified gap in care giving for bereaved Xhosa children. The need for theological guidance for bereaved Xhosa children has been highlighted; findings and practical recommendations have also been presented to meet such a need. These confirmed the need for theological guidance for bereaved Xhosa children. The next section contains the appendix list, namely: appendix one (1), two (2) and three (3).
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2017

Creating the Ideal Push-Pull System for Electrocatalysis A Comparative Study on Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Cardanol-based Cobalt Phthalocyanines

  • Authors: Nkhahle, Reitumetse , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:44452 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.202060019"
  • Description: A symmetrical cardanol-based cobalt phthalocyanine (Pc) along with its asymmetrical acid-based derivatives were synthesized and applied in the electrocatalysis of hydrazine. Despite the inhibition of electron movement by the bulky cardanol-based substituent throughout the series of molecules, an ideal combination of substituents was established in GCE-3 (2,9,16-tris(3- pentadecylphenoxy)-23-mono propionic acid phthalocyanato cobalt (II)) where a limit of detection (LoD) value of 5.10 μM (signal to noise ratio=5) was recorded for the detection of hydrazine. The results obtained serve as an illustration that the combination of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents has a significant influence on the complete functioning of the phthalocyanine molecule(s) being investigated.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2021

Interaction of nitric oxide with cobalt (II) phthalocyanine

  • Authors: Vilakazi, Sibulelo L , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 1998
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/293579 , vital:57100 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-5387(98)00244-7"
  • Description: The coordination of nitric oxide (NO) to cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) has been studied. CoPc coordinates with NO in a 1:1 ratio, forming a CoPc(NO) species. The IR band observed at 1680 cm−1 is assigned to the coordinated NO. In the presence of excess NO, pseudo first order kinetics were followed. The observed rate constant, kf, was determined to be 15.0±0.3 dm−3 mol−1 s−1 and the equilibrium constant was K=5.4±0.4×104dm3 mol−1. Solution or adsorbed CoPc catalyses the reduction of NO. The products of reduction include NH3 and NH2OH.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1998

Nutrient supplementation and secondary metaolites in melanoma cells

  • Authors: Stoll, Karin Elisabeth
  • Date: 1994
  • Subjects: Vitamin C -- Therapeutic use Cancer -- Research
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:4049 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004110
  • Description: Considerable interest exists with regard to the putative therapeutic role of ascorbic acid in various conditions. A condition which has received much attention is cancer, as it is reported that ascorbic acid may be a prophylactic against cancer development. However, the actual involvement of ascorbic acid, an oxidizing/reducing agent, in the development and progression of tumours is presently a subject of much speculation. This study initially addressed the effect of ascorbic acid supplementation over a nutritional concentration range (0 - 100 μg/ml) on the in vitro growth of non-malignant LLCMK and malignant B16 cells. Ascorbic acid supplementation of these two cell types resulted in an overall decrease in the growth of both types of cells. The actual inhibitory mechanism of ascorbic acid on cell growth was not clear. Further study attempted to define and explain a mechanism responsible for this effect. Ascorbic acid has a role in the maintenance of tissue integrity and host defences, thus providing a rational basis for examining its relationship to cancer. Ascorbic acid is lcnown to be essential for the structural integrity of the intercellular matrix of the cells, the latter being a complex aqueous gel containing, amongst other compounds, fats and prostaglandins. Fats and prostaglandins have diverse effects on. membrane stability, enzyme activity and secondary messengers within cells. Hence, this study investigated the effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on certain enzymes and secondary metabolites within the cells, which had the potential to be involved in the control of cell growth. Throughout this study, emphasis was placed on the Bl6 melanoma cells as ascorbic acid supplementation did not significantly affect levels of secondary metabolites within the non-malignant LLCMK cells. Ascorbic acid supplementation of the B16 cells resulted in significant increases in adenylate cyclase activity and cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels, witb a significant decrease in Bl6 cell growth in that particular experiment. As cyclic adenosine monophosphate has a regulatory role in the cell cycle, this study suggested that the inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on cell growth was mediated tbrough a final effect provided by the second messenger, cyclic adenosine monophosphate. However, clarification of tbe mechanism of tbe effect of ascorbic acid on adenylate cyclase activity was required. Hence, a further study investigated prostaglandin E₂ levels, as tbese affect adenylate cyclase activity. Prostaglandin E₂ levels were also found to be inversely related to Bl6 cell growth with ascorbic acid supplementation. It thus appeared tbat adenylate cyclase activity was dependent on prostaglandin E₂ levels in the B16 cells, and further study showed that tbis was indeed the case. Here, higher levels of prostaglandin E₂ supplementation of the Bl6 cells inhibited cell growth significantly and also significantly increased adenylate cyclase activity. Arachidonic acid is the precursor of prostaglandin E₂. In the presence of ascorbic acid supplementation, the percentage arachidonic acid composition of the Bl6 cells was inversely correlated with cell growth. Hence, prostaglandin E₂ levels in ascorbic acid supplemented B16 cells appeared dependent on tbe amount of precursor present. This was confirmed when Bl6 cells were supplemented with arachidonic acid. The latter had an inhibitory effect on Bl6 cell growth and also stimulated prostaglandin E₂ production. The cause of tbe inverse relationship between B16 cell growth and arachidonic acid composition with ascorbic acid supplementation was furtber investigated and found to be dependent on tbe uptake of arachidonic acid and other essential fatty acids from tbe medium. The enzymes phospholipase A₂ delta-5 and delta-6-desaturase, and elongase which could influence arachidonic acid levels were not affected to any extent by ascorbic acid supplementation and therefore did not influence the inverse relationship between B16 cell growth and arachidonic acid. Hence, it can be concluded that the effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on the BI6 cells is mediated, in part at least, by cyclic adenosine monophosphate. However, this is not the result of a direct effect of ascorbic acid supplementation. The initial effect of ascorbic acid supplementation concerns fatty acid - in particular arachidonic acid - uptake from the medium, with subsequent cascade effects On secondary metabolites, ultimately affecting the cellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 1994

An illustrated booklet for reinforcing community health worker knowledge of tuberculosis and facilitating patient counselling:

  • Authors: Okeyo, Ida L A , Dowse, Roslind
  • Date: 2018
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156629 , vital:40032 , https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1687/2559
  • Description: Community health workers (CHWs) have facilitated the move to decentralize tuberculosis (TB) management, but lack access to information appropriate both for personal use and in patient interaction and education. To explore the impact of a pictorial-based TB booklet on reinforcing CHW knowledge and facilitating patient counselling.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2018

Exploring user-driven telephony services in an information and communication technology for development context

  • Authors: Kunjuzwa, Dumani Tau
  • Date: 2011
  • Subjects: Digital divide -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information society -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Telecommunication -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Computer Science)
  • Identifier: vital:11383 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/546 , Digital divide -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information technology -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Information society -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Telecommunication -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Description: There is a great difference that exists between people who have access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and those who do not. As a developing nation, South Africa is badly affected by the so-called Digital Divide. Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) interventions are rapidly increasing in marginalized and rural communities in striving to bridge this digital divide. This research project is undertaken within the context of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) which is an ICTD intervention at Dwesa rural community. This research investigates how audio-based services can be applied locally for communication and information sharing. This research aims to develop a user-driven telephony framework which will enable users to construct customized audio-based services. This aims to empower the Dwesa community for skill development and supports the user-driven innovation. The Internet and Telephones are the most popular technologies that are widely used in our daily life for purposes of communication and information access. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) integrates these two separate technologies (Internet and Telephones) to produce real-time multimedia communication services such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. In addition, the ability of VoIP presenting information through voice plays a crucial role, more especially to those who do not have web visual access or those who are computer illiterate.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2011
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