Showing items 1 - 20 of 138

Your selections:

A comparative study of emissions from coal-fired power stations in South Africa and other selected countries

- Wilreker, Gerlinde Isabelle

  • Authors: Wilreker, Gerlinde Isabelle
  • Date: 2009-01-29T12:09:40Z
  • Subjects: Coal-fired power plants , Australia , Canada , Germany , India , South Africa
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14854 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1976
  • Description: M.Sc. , Worldwide, coal is one of the major sources of energy. In 1999 it was estimated that the global electricity generation from coal was about 36% of the total world electricity production (Knapp, 1999:11). With the combustion of coal for electricity generation however, negative environmental impacts occur. These are mainly caused by carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter emissions. With an ever-growing global population, the need and demand for electricity is increasing. These needs and demands need to be addressed in an economically, socially and environmentally acceptable manner. In this study the author examines, analyses and compares the emissions from coalfired power stations in South Africa, Australia, Canada, Germany, India and the United States of America over a chosen period of time (1995-2001). The results of the study indicate, that, within the comparative group, South Africa is not the greatest producer of emissions from coal-fired power stations. It is the fourth biggest emitter of CO2. It has the highest SO2 emissions, because of the low-grade coal burned in the power stations that have been specifically designed to burn this type of coal. It is the second biggest emitter of NOx, and the third biggest emitter of particulates. Germany is the country that has shown the greatest progress in emissions reductions. This has been the result of restructuring and economic incentives. Overall, South Africa can be ranked third, on par with Australia.
  • Full Text:

A Disease of Privilege? Social Representations in Online Conversations about Covid-19 amongst some South Africans during lockdown

- Sitto, Karabo, Lubinga, Elizabeth

  • Authors: Sitto, Karabo , Lubinga, Elizabeth
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Social representations , Socio-economic inequalities , South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/459643 , uj:40873 , Citation: Sitto, K. & Lubinga, E. 2020. A Disease of Privilege? Social Representations in Online Conversations about Covid-19 amongst some South Africans during lockdown.
  • Description: Abstract: Responses by South Africans to communication from their government about the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown and proposed courses of action for containment have highlighted previously incommunicable socio-economic inequalities pervading access to healthcare. Government’s reaction in a bid to stem the Covid-19 global pandemic, though slow at commencement, has often been swift and decisive with regular briefings by ministerial clusters and the presidency in collaboration with various experts, displaying apparent transparency and ease of comprehension for audiences. However, there have arisen a range of oft-negative responses by citizens such announced courses of action, often based on representations of who the face of the virus is and in turn influencing their responses to government’s courses of action. A Social Representation approach was followed, with focus on citizen representations made regarding the spread of the Covid-19 virus, arising social representations and potential health communication consequences. The PEN-3 cultural model on health beliefs and actions presents a cultural yet contextual understanding of public health and health promotion by predicting people’s behaviour within their immediate environment. Social representations in reaction to initial news of the virus were those of a disease of those ‘lucky’ enough to be well-travelled and those privileged i.e. not the majority of South Africa, especially not black people...
  • Full Text:

A factor analysis of transportation infrastructure feasibility study factors : a study among built environment professionals in South Africa

- Okoro, Chioma Sylvia, Musonda, Innocent, Agumba, Justus Ngala

A factor analysis of transportation infrastructure feasibility study factors : a study among built environment professionals in South Africa

- Okoro, Chioma Sylvia, Musonda, Innocent, Agumba, Justus Ngala

A holistic framework for successful sponsoring IT projects from an IT governance persepective

- Letchtman, Elazar

  • Authors: Letchtman, Elazar
  • Date: 2008-04-23T10:39:40Z
  • Subjects: Information technology , South Africa , ICT governance , Information communications technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/284
  • Description: Over the past decade, research conducted for the benefit of IT project management has pointed to numerous factors that contribute to organisational project success. Support from executives and top management is often cited as an imperative factor, whilst having clear business objectives for conducting projects follows closely behind. The linchpin between the executive leadership team and project managers is the project sponsor, who is in a position to directly contribute to the two aforementioned project success factors. The precise responsibilities of the sponsor, however, remain relatively poorly defined. As a result, it is important to focus on this very important role and provide those who are in this position with a set of activities that would facilitate greater project success. Further to this, the corporate governance scandals of the past few years and the consequent publication of relevant acts of legislation and governance standards has forced top management to become more interested in the conduct of their organisation’s portfolio of projects. This research study therefore addresses both the formal and informal aspects of the role of the project sponsor and has provided guidance to organisations and professional associations in defining the role and responsibilities of the project sponsor within a corporate governance framework. The first goal was therefore to establish a holistic corporate governance framework that encompasses the roles of IT and project management in the organisation. By doing so, executives are given a road map that aligns all IT projects with organisational strategy and a means to facilitate greater internal control over all IT project-related activities. This was developed by identifying the relevance and implications that recent corporate scandals around the world have had on IT and project management in general. This then led to combining COBIT (which is an IT governance Abstract ii framework) and a new project governance framework (known as the PG framework) to form a corporate governance framework. This is followed by the development of a generic project sponsorship competency framework that provides organisations with a benchmark that assesses whether an individual is appropriately suited for the role of sponsoring an IT project. Both frameworks provide a means to facilitate better strategic alignment and internal control of all IT project-related activities, and thus contribute to the improvement of IT project management capability within the organisation. , Labuschagne, L., Prof.
  • Full Text:

A prehospital randomised controlled trial in South Africa : challenges and lessons learnt

- Stassen, Willem, Wallis, Lee, Castren, Maaret, Vincent-Lambert, Craig, Kurland, Lisa

A psycho-educational programme for primary school educators to assist girls who were sexually abused.

- Choshi, Seja William

  • Authors: Choshi, Seja William
  • Date: 2008-06-24T07:49:05Z
  • Subjects: South Africa , teacher participation in education counseling , primary education , sexually abused children
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:9598 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/701
  • Description: The study deals with the abuse of schoolgoing girls as reported by both the electronic and print media. Educators ability to identify those learners in the classroom and the strategies the educators can use to help them cope with their school work. According to a correspondent of the Sunday Sun (2004:19), child abuse victims do not have to identify their attackers in court or even on the TV screen. The constitutional court secured this triumph for the right of abused children. It indirectly found that it would not be unconstitutional for abused children to testify in the absence of the accused. This report and others which refer to school going are a daily occurrence. Some men may spread sexual transmitted disease to girls because of a deep-rooted belief that sleeping with a virgin will heal them from HIV-AIDS. This comment was made by Stephen Lewis, United Nation Envoy on HIV- AIDS in Africa (Komane, 2004:14). Sexual violence and harassment in South African schools erect a discriminatory barrier for young women and girls seeking education. , Prof. C.P.H. Myburgh
  • Full Text:

Afrikaanse tienertaal.

- Marais, Salome

  • Authors: Marais, Salome
  • Date: 2007-12-07T07:42:48Z
  • Subjects: teenager language , afrikaans language , slang , South Africa
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14708 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/169
  • Description: It is a well-known fact that the speech of young people is in many respects different from the speech of older speakers. This also applies to Afrikaans as spoken by the younger generation. The difference in speech is recognized to such an extent that the media and literature aimed at teenagers make use of the same words and phrases. That creates the impression that these publications are making use of a specific variety of Afrikaans. In the present study the researcher has endeavoured to describe the specific nature of teenage language as spoken by Afrikaans teenagers in a bid to establish whether Tienerafrikaans could be considered a variety of Afrikaans. The dissertation first looks at the linguistic research on teenage language in countries like Germany,England and the Scandinavian countries as the existing sociolinguistic descriptions of the speech of teenagers in South Africa are inadequate while no study has yet been carried out on Afrikaans teenage speech. The characteristics of teenage language, such as the use of slang, the use of English words by non-English speakers and the use of pragmatic markers, as observed by researchers such as Androutsopoulos, Andersen and Stenström, served as a starting point for this study. Other characteristics of teenage speech that were emphasised, were the function of socialisation and that teenagers use speech to set them apart from adults and to indicate their membership of the peer group. In an attempt to describe the non-standard forms used in media and literature aimed at teenagers, an in-depth study was made of language forms that appear in Tienerafrikaans. The data for the study came from lists of words supplied by teenagers, questionnaires, letters to Jip, a teenage supplement to Beeld, and interviews with teenagers. The results indicated the following: • Tienerafrikaans is an informal register of Afrikaans making use of certain linguistic phenomena, like slang, code switching, borrowing and calque. • The wide range of non-Afrikaans lexical items that are used by Afrikaans teenagers are mostly derived from English. • Afrikaans teenagers are capable of creating new words and slang expressions in Afrikaans. The study also indicated that the claim by critics that authors made use of teenage language in books aimed at teenage readers, is justified. To a certain extent authors made use of the same lexical items and informal style that was identified from the data.The conclusion drawn is that the term Tienerafrikaans could be applied to the mixed language spoken by a significant number of Afrikaans teenagers and that Tienerafrikaans is a variety of Afrikaans. , Prof. A.E. Coetzee
  • Full Text:

An adoption model of mHealth applications that promote physical activity

- Ndayizigamiye, Patrick, Kante, Macire, Shingwenyana, Shalati

An analysis of the South African beef supply chain: from farm to fork.

- Olivier, Gert Cornelius

  • Authors: Olivier, Gert Cornelius
  • Date: 2008-04-24T12:35:25Z
  • Subjects: business logistics , beef industry , South Africa
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8629 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/296
  • Description: The primary objective of this dissertation is to perform an analysis of the South African beef supply chain ‘from farm to fork’. This will contribute towards a better understanding of the beef supply chain, aiding collaboration, transparency and supply chain strategies to enhance national industry competitiveness. Currently, the industry, and the supply chain is facing pertinent challenges such as globalisation, the declining consumption of beef, the disconnection of the farmer from the supply chain, illegal slaughtering, a lack of quality and inadequate hygiene practises in some lower throughput abattoirs, the rising food safety concerns (BSE, E.coli, and FMD), and the competitiveness of substitute products (chicken, pork, etc.). A simple and systematic approach is used to analyse the South African beef supply chain ‘from farm to fork’. The information has been discussed with industry experts, via interviews and discussion, to ensure the analysis reflects reality. It is evident that the South African beef supply chain is long, complex and involves various handoff points between role-players and industry governing bodies, as well as various permutations of this supply chain. The red meat industry evolved from a highly regulated environment to a totally deregulated one. The deregulation changes the ‘rules of the game’, and the ‘new rules of the game’ result in additional complexity within the current chain. The supply-side issues play a critical role in creating a sustainable competitive advantage, against substitute products. This highlights the importance of having accurate cattle herd numbers to facilitate proper supply chain planning, in an industry with a cyclical nature and a dependence on uncontrollable factors, such as natural forces and biological factors. This is indeed an issue of concern for the industry. Demand-side issues are influenced by the income of consumers, the availability and price of substitute products, consumer taste and preferences, and consumer expectations. In addition, the effect on demand, of price and income elasticity, and per capita expenditure by different population groups, adds to the complexity of the South African beef supply chain operation. viii The beef supply chain cost analysis -- the weaner cost model -- aims to assign cost, and resources, to each role-player to understand how value and margin is added, within the South African beef supply chain. The analysis revealed some interesting facts, regarding the ‘margins’ and ‘mark-up percentages’. This highlights, in simplistic terms, that some sectors are making more money than others, and examined together, with the cyclical nature of the industry, it is a given that supply chain management principles (collaborations, integration, contracting, etc.) will play an ever increasing role in the future of food supply chains. Eight supply chain management strategies are discussed, to initiate and kick-start the change process to transform the local beef supply chain into a leading-class player. The strategies are: (i) Crafting a supply chain vision; (ii) Traceability, transparency and quality assurance; (iii) Knowledge management and the learning supply chain; (iv) Transformation and AGRIBEE; (v) Measuring performance: supply chain metrics and diagnostics; (vi) Concepts of collaboration in food supply chain management; (vii) Synchronising operations and uncovering hidden opportunities; and, (viii) National agribusiness framework and red meat framework. The South African beef supply chain no longer has an option: it must ‘adapt to survive’. Benefits, in non-food systems, are well documented, with the implementation of supply chain management principles. The analysis concludes by summarising the strategies into meaningful and manageable options recommended for implementation. The recommendations are: · Create a national and red meat agribusiness structure and craft a local supply chain vision · Ensure product quality and establish a positive red meat message that drives demand · Implement productivity gains across the South African beef supply chain · Share market information across the South African beef supply chain · Promote innovation across the South African beef supply chain · Implement research and development initiatives for success. , Prof. J.H. du Plessis
  • Full Text:

An assessment of infrastructure financing in South Africa : a theoretical assessment

- Chiloane, K.O., Aigbavboa, C.O.

  • Authors: Chiloane, K.O. , Aigbavboa, C.O.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Infrastructure , Finance , South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/215197 , uj:21377 , Citation: Chiloane, K.O & Aigbavboa, C.O. 2016. An assessment of infrastructure financing in South Africa : a theoretical assessment.
  • Description: Abstract: Infrastructure development in many countries is considered as the most important factor which contributes to production growth by encouraging economic activities, productivity and improving the quality of life. Infrastructure is considered to have a positive and significant effect on productivity growth in all sectors of the economy. Infrastructure development is a means of promoting economic growth and it is essential for any country to investment in infrastructure that will leads to economic growth. Infrastructure is categorized in different category namely: physical infrastructure (which includes water system, electricity, roads and transport, etc.) and social infrastructure (which includes education and health facilities). In simple words infrastructure development aid to stimulates economic growth and create jobs for citizens. This is the indication that government must invest in infrastructure development and enjoy the benefits their investments will stimulates and also to maintain service delivery to the public. The objective of this study is to assess the sources of infrastructure financing in South Africa. The study is conducted with reference to existing theoretical literature, published and unpublished researches in order to assess the sources of infrastructure financing in South Africa. Findings revealed that there are major sources of infrastructure financing which includes: tax revenues; lenders to government or enterprises (loans or guarantees); private investors (equity); development agencies (loans); donors (grants); tariffs and public-private partnerships. The study is conducted with reference to existing literature, unpublished and published research. Hence, this study assess the sources of infrastructure financing in South Africa and presented a robust background on the current sources of infrastructure financing. The findings of this study thus contribute to the body of knowledge on infrastructure financing and other available sources of infrastructure financing other than the use of taxation revenues to finance infrastructure. Furthermore, the findings provides a robust understanding of the need and importance of financing infrastructure.
  • Full Text: false

An assessment of the level of maturity of the competitive intelligence function within a South African retail bank.

- Heppes, David Wayne

  • Authors: Heppes, David Wayne
  • Date: 2008-04-22T06:16:35Z
  • Subjects: South Africa , competition , banks and banking , business intelligence
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8447 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/260
  • Description: This research is a study of the level of maturity of the Competitive Intelligence (CI) function within a South African retail bank. In particular it focussed on the level of maturity of the CI function as evidenced in the various elements of its CI function, namely the key information needs of CI users, CI deliverables and capabilities, analytical products, relationship with management, sources of information, personnel their skills and training as well as the period of time the CI function has been operational. The results indicated that the CI function as a whole was at a Mid-Level of maturity, with the underlying elements of the CI functions surveyed and the literature review being supportive of this finding. , Prof. A.S.A. du Toit
  • Full Text:

An assessment of transformation strategies in South Africa: A multi-case study of the accounting, financial services, government, and construction sectors

- Musonda, Innocent, Gumbo, Trynos, Okoro, Chioma

  • Authors: Musonda, Innocent , Gumbo, Trynos , Okoro, Chioma
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Built environment , Socio-economic , South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/405000 , uj:33989 , Citation: Musonda, I., Gumbo, T., Okoro, C. 2019 : An assessment of transformation strategies in South Africa: A multi-case study of the accounting, financial services, government, and construction sectors.
  • Description: Abstract : Globally, transformation is etched in all sectors of the economy. In the South African context, transformation is viewed as the catalyst to address the country’s socio-economic problems and their associated impact on different sectors and the economy at large. However, progress on transformation within the built environment has been slow in comparison with other sectors of the economy. As a result, this has led to a need to examine the transformation processes in the country. This article aims to analyse transformation strategies as conceptualised and implemented by various sectors. The article is based on a multi-case study of identified sectors and organisations that have developed and implemented transformation strategies. The materials used to conduct the study include sector transformation strategies, charters, journal articles, articles published in reputable South African newspapers, organisation reports, information publicly available on the internet, and interviews conducted with sector representatives. The findings show that, for all sectors, transformation strategies are driven through skills development of human resources, with a view to redressing historical imbalances and providing equal opportunities. The process of strategy development involves sector- wide participation and having a champion for the strategy. In order to ensure that strategies are implemented, specific structured training and education programmes from the grassroots to professional level, as well as monitoring of progress are emphasised. Recommendations are made in line with the findings in order to guide the Council for the Built Environment in the development of a strategy for the built environment.
  • Full Text:

An exploratory factor analysis of transportation project sustainability indicators : a case of projects in South Africa

- Okoro, Chioma, Musonda, Innocent, Agumba, Justus Ngala

  • Authors: Okoro, Chioma , Musonda, Innocent , Agumba, Justus Ngala
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Infrastructure , Performance , South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/396810 , uj:32956 , Citation: Okoro, C., Musonda, I. & Agumba, J.N. 2019. An exploratory factor analysis of transportation project sustainability indicators: a case of projects in South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: Sustainable transportation is vital since its impact traverses generations. The concept of sustainable transportation is known to account for incorporation of various elements including environmental, economic, social and institutional factors. The current study employed exploratory factor analytic technique using maximum likelihood factoring to identify critical indicators for assessing transportation infrastructure projects in South Africa. Using purposive and snowball sampling, a questionnaire was distributed via email, google forms and by hand, to project managers, directors, construction managers, planners and feasibility study consultants involved in transportation projects at different stages, in the nine provinces of South Africa. Empirical data amassed from 132 responses, were analysed using SPSS version 25 software.s Descriptive analyses were used for preliminary analyses. Inferential statistics was conducted using exploratory factor analysis, to output common factors and the minimum number of variables that were related to each construct. Findings revealed that a four-factor structure including infrastructure condition and impacts, user acceptability, financial management and safety and security, can adequately measure transportation infrastructure project sustainability. By establishing critical indicators for assessing transportation projects, the study provides relevant evidence to develop strategies to ensure that such investments bring lasting and desirable impacts in the long run. The study was conducted in South Africa and may not be generalisable to other geographical regions, which may have differing priorities with regard to sustainable performance of transport infrastructure. Further studies are on-going to validate the four-factor structure using confirmatory factor analytical techniques.
  • Full Text:

An investigation into credit accessibility for small and medium scale enterprise in construction industry of Gauteng province in South Africa : literature review

- Balogun, Olanrewaju Abdul, Ansary, Nazeem, Agumba, Justus Ngala, Aigbavboa, Clinton, Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku

An overview of the EU-SA Strategic Partnership 10 years on : diverging world views, persisting interests

- Landsberg, Chris, Hierro, Lara

  • Authors: Landsberg, Chris , Hierro, Lara
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: South Africa , EU , Strategic Partnership
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/254610 , uj:26658 , Citation: Landsberg, C. & Hierro, L. 2017. An overview of the EU-SA Strategic Partnership 10 years on : diverging world views, persisting interests.
  • Description: Abstract: The EU-SA Strategic Partnership (SP) has entered its 10th year. It is a product of its time and particular regional and international circumstances. These having changed somewhat over the course of the last decade, it is not surprising that the dynamics of the relationship, expressed through the strategic partnership’s parameters, have undergone commensurate changes. Based on the recognition that the partnership is between a multilateral institution and a state, the difference in their respective strategic positions is inevitable. The challenge therefore, is for the EU-SA Strategic Partnership to maintain a flexibility that allows for continued contestation, development and relevance. This paper reviews the historical context of the partnership and the challenging dynamics that have evolved over the lifespan of partnership, providing the basis for the thematic discussion which follow in this issue. The analysis in this article demonstrates that in spite of acknowledged challenges, the functionality of the strategic partnership based on persisting interests remains intact.
  • Full Text:

Analysis of determinants of revolving credit for small and medium construction enterprises : a case of Gauteng province

- Balogun, Olanrewaju Abdul, Ansary, Nazeem, Ekolu, Stephen

Angifi Dladla and the bleakness of freedom

- Dladla, Angifi

  • Authors: Dladla, Angifi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Dladla , South Africa , Violence
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/464575 , uj:41509 , Citation: Dladla, A. 2020. Angifi Dladla and the bleakness of freedom. , DOI: https://doi.org/10.2979/reseafrilite.51.3.08
  • Description: Abstract: Angifi Dladla is a Poet of No Sure Place. His poetry speaks for the marginalized and explores the otherwise unmentioned dynamics of South Africa's political and social landscape. In this article I explore how this label is demonstrated within his two collections of poetry, The Girl Who Then Feared to Sleep and Lament for Kofifi Machu. More specifically, my argument engages with the evolving meanings of freedom evoked by Dladla, first in his apartheid-era poetry and, second, in that of today's post-apartheid situation. I demonstrate how the black-on-black violence of the 1980s townships caused a sense of confinement that forced Dladla within himself. Only then was he able to understand freedom and chart a way forward. Following this, the article turns toward those poems that depict contemporary South Africa. My analysis suggests that when freedom, not oppression, is the official political environment of the day, the reality for many is only continued violence and despair. To chart a way out of this bleak malaise, Dladla exhorts others to write in the style of his own poetry.
  • Full Text:

Application of the Technology Acceptance Model and the Technology–Organisation–Environment Model to examine social media marketing use in the South African tourism industry

- Matikiti, Rosemary, Mpinganjira, Mercy, Roberts-Lombard, Mornay

Assessing safety performance of construction workers in Gauteng, South Africa

- Okoro, Chioma Sylvia, Musonda, Innocent, Agumba, Justus

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact