Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The purpose of the study is to investigate the feasibility and sustainability of producing biodiesel from Jatropha, which contains oil in its seeds by using the Rainbow Biotech economic intervention or also known as the Distributed Food and Fuel Plantation (DFFP) model. The DFFP model is an effective mechanism for producing food and fuel in conjunction with each other, without the biodiesel production influencing the production of food in an adverse way. This is very important, as food security is a high priority for Africa, in order to address the problem of hunger and poverty. Biodiesel produced from Jatropha is an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to fossil fuel diesel, as it is a carbon neutral fuel. Jatropha cultivation will also create much needed employment in the rural areas of Africa, which has the highest need for socio-economic development on the continent. Jatropha also has the ability to grow on marginal soils and wastelands. Africa has vast open spaces on which Jatropha, as a biodiesel source, can be cultivated without infringing on food production areas. The energy return of the whole production cycle of Jatropha biodiesel is nevertheless a source of much debate. Most stakeholders felt that the energy return is negative. No agreement has yet been reached about whether the energy content of the by-products from biodiesel must be included in the integrated energy balance equation. In order to make biodiesel from Jatropha a sustainable alternative for small farmers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), government and regional policies will have to support it by promoting it actively. This will generate interest from global biodiesel investors who will then be willing to invest in projects based on the DFFP model of economic development. The DFFP model offers investors economic returns on investment of between 29 and 33 per cent and payback periods of less than four years. It is a very attractive economic development instrument, as it will ensure equitable and sustainable economic and rural expansion in SADC. Ultimately, this model has the potential to create a better life for all the inhabitants on the African continent. Rainbow Biotech (the DFFP model), as an economic development mechanism, will therefore indeed be the next big thing for the SADC in the future.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The phenotype of an individual has often been used as the descriminating factor in distinguishing species. However, with the advent of more precise molecular techniques, the genotype of species is increasingly being used as the preferred method in taxonomic classifications. Many taxa have recently been demonstrated to be incongruent in terms of their genetic and morphological groupings, and this may due to the influence that the environment may have on the morphological and functional aspects of a species. Selective pressures often act upon the performance of a species within a particular habitat first, and then selection for the morphological characters that allow for optimal performance occurs. Should genetically disparate species inhabit a particular environment, convergence in morphologies and performance may evolve. Historically, lizard species descriptions were based primarily on external morphologies, and thus misclassfication of species may have occurred due to mistakenly grouping species with convergent morphologies together. In the current dissertation, the links between morphology, performance capacities, diet and behaviour is explored in comparison to the environment and genetic relationships of southern African lacertid lizards. The performance capacities and associated morphological traits were expected to be more closely linked with the environment, and not closely linked with genetic relationships. To investigate these expectations, a multidisciplinary approach was taken, and genetic, morphological and performance analyses were done and compared with dietary behavioural and environmental analyses. In the first chapter, the link between habitat openness and the lizard bauplans is investigated and the presence of convergent morphologies within this group of lizards is uncovered. These convergences are shown to have resulted in misclassification of two lacertid species, and taxonomic revisions within the family are discussed. The second chapter explores the link between performance and associated morphological traits, and the dietary composition of the members of the Nucras genus. The third chapter identifies the link between the predator escape strategies employed by the members of the Meroles genus, and their morphologies and performance capacities. The fourth chapter explores the intraspecific, inter-population differences in morphologies and investigates the link between the morphological groupings and the population genetic groupings within Pedioplanis lineoocellata. The final chapter identifies whether adaptation to a novel habitat can occur over a relatively short period of time, and the morphological traits, functional aspects, and population genetic structure is investigated in conjunction with environmental analyses of vegetation and substrate between the populations of Meroles knoxii. It was concluded that the morphological and functional aspects of the southern African lacertid lizards are more closely related to the environment, particularly the microhabitat structure, than to their genetic relationships, and that future work using this group of lizards should involve a multidisplinary approach as different selective pressures are playing a role in shaping the morphologies and performance capacities of these lizards, compared to those that are acting upon the genotypes of the lizards. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fenotipe van 'n individu is dikwels gebruik as die diskriminerende faktor in kenmerkende spesies. Maar, met die ontwikkeling van meer akkurate molekulêre tegnieke, word die genotipe van spesies toenemend gebruik as die voorkeur-metode in taksonomiese klassifikasie. Die onversoenbaarheid van genetiese en morfologiese eienskappe kom voor in ‘n verskeidenheid taksa, dit kan wees as gevolg van die invloed wat die omgewing het op die morfologiese en funksionele aspekte van ‘n spesie. Selektiewe druk beїnvloed dikwels doeltreffende funktionaliteit van 'n spesie in 'n bepaalde habitat eerste, en gevolglik word morfologiese karakters wat voorsiening maak vir optimale funktionaliteit geselekteer. Indien geneties uiteenlopende spesies woon in 'n bepaalde omgewing, kan konvergensie in morfologie en soortgelyke werksverrigtinge ontwikkel. Histories, is akkedis spesiesbeskrywings hoofsaaklik gebaseer op eksterne morfologieë, en kan dus misklassifikasie tot gevolg hê wat kan lei tot foutiewe taksonomie van spesies met konvergente morfologieë. In die huidige verhandeling, is die verband tussen die morfologie, werksverrigtingsvermoë, dieët en gedrag ondersoek, in vergelyking met die omgewing en die genetiese verwantskappe van Suider-Afrikaanse sandakkedisse. Die werksverrigtingsvermoë en gepaardgaande morfologiese eienskappe word verwag om te meer verband te hou met die omgewing, en dus nie in noue verband te wees met die genetiese verwantskappe nie. Om hierdie verwagtinge te ondersoek, is 'n multi-dissiplinêre benadering geneem, en genetiese, morfologiese en werksverrigtingontledings is gedoen in vergelyking met dieët, gedrags-en omgewings-ontleding. In die eerste hoofstuk, is die skakel tussen die habitat openheid en die akkedis bauplans ondersoek en die teenwoordigheid van konvergente morfologieë binne hierdie groep akkedisse word ten toon gestel. Hierdie konvergensies het gelei tot foutiewe klassifikasie van twee sandspesies, en taksonomiese hersiening binne die gesin word bespreek. Die tweede hoofstuk ondersoek die verband tussen werksverrigting en gepaardgaande morfologiese eienskappe, en die samestelling van die dieët van die lede van die Nucras genus. Die derde hoofstuk identifiseer die verband tussen die roofdier ontsnapping strategieë, morfologieë en werksverrigtingsvermoë van die Meroles genus. Die vierde hoofstuk ondersoek die intraspesifieke, inter-bevolkingsverskille in morfologieë en ondersoek die verband tussen die morfologiese groepe en die bevolking genetiese groepe binne die Pedioplanis lineoocellata spesies kompleks. Die finale hoofstuk identifiseer hoe die aanpassings na 'n nuwe habitat kan plaasvind oor 'n relatief kort tydperk, en die morfologiese eienskappe, funksionele aspekte en die bevolking genetiese struktuur word ondersoek in vergelyking met die omgewingsanalise van plantegroei en substraat tussen die bevolkings van Meroles knoxii. Die gevolgtrekking is dat die morfologiese en funksionele aspekte van die Suider- Afrikaanse sandakkedisse nader verwant is aan die omgewing, veral die mikrohabitat struktuur, as aan hul genetiese verwantskappe. Toekomstige werk op hierdie groep akkedisse moet ‘n multidisiplinêre benadering behels siende dat verskillende selektiewe drukke 'n rol speel in die vorming van die morfologie en werksverrigtingsvermoë van hierdie akkedisse, in vergelyking met selektiewe drukke wat die genotipes van die akkedisse beinvloed.

The aim of this study was to determine which strategy would be most appropriate to enhance regional trade integration in COMESA so that it can provide to its member states the benefits they expect to have from it.

Thesis (PhD (Animal Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Local pigs in Southern Africa are an important component of resource-based subsistence farming systems and contribute substantially to the improvement of livelihoods of farmers. The objective of the study was to characterise indigenous pigs through the following specific objectives: to characterise the production systems, to give a physical description and to evaluate the genetic differentiation of the indigenous pigs. Surveys were carried out in Chirumhanzu and Mutoko Districts of Zimbabwe, Afred Nzo, OR Tambo and Vhembe districts of South Africa. Blood samples were collected in all of the above and additional three districts in Malawi (Mchinji, Dedza and Salima). The first study showed that most of the indigenous pigs were kept by women. The farmers kept small herd sizes (<7 pigs) to match the available resources. Income was the main determinant of farmer production objectives and breed preference. Several constraints that would militate against in situ conservation included poor quality and quantity of feeds, diseases, lack of housing, lack of markets and lack of support services. The pigs were generally small and black resembling the Windsnyer-Mukota type of pigs. The pigs apparently had a high foraging ability and high thermo-tolerance that made them suitable for production in low-intensity management free range production systems. These types of pigs were distributed throughout the study area. A microsatellite analysis showed high diversity but very little population differentiation among the pig populations from Southern Africa, with 93 % of variety occurring within subpopulations. Development of markets can be a feasible way of mainstreaming the indigenous pigs into the general economy. This will achieve the twin objectives of conserving and improving the breed while, at the same time, benefitting the farmers that keep these genetic resources. Farmers faced similar production constraints and the pigs were similar across the study areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Plaaslike varke speel ‘n belangrike rol in hulpbron-gebaseerde bestaansboederye in Suider- Afrika, en maak ‘n aansienlike bydrae tot verbetering van die lewensbestaan van bestaansboere. Die studie het die volgende doelwitte: om die produksie van inheemse varke te karakteriseer, die varke fisies te beskryf, en om die genetiese differensiasie van die inheemse varke te evalueer. Opnames is uitgevoer in die Chirumhanzu en Mutoko distrikte van Zimbabwe, Afred Nzo, OR Tambo en Vhembe distrikte in Suid-Afrika. Bloedmonsters is in al die bogenoemde en nog drie distrikte in Malawi (Mchinji, Dedza en Salima) versamel. Die eerste studie het getoon dat die meeste inheemse varke deur vroue aangehou word. Die boere het klein trop groottes vir aanpasbaarheid by die beskikbare hulpbronne. Inkomste en varkras voorkeur was die hoof bepalende faktore vir hierdie boere se produksie doelwitte. Verskeie beperkings wat bots teen in situ instandhouding sluit in swak kwaliteit- en kwantiteit voere, siektes, gebrek aan behuising, die gebrek aan markte en die gebrek aan ondersteunende dienste. Die varke is oor die algemeen klein en swart en vertoon soos die Windsnyer-Mukoto tipe varke. Hierdie varke het blykbaar ‘n hoë voer-soekende vermoë en hitte-verdraagsaamheid wat hulle geskik maak vir die produksie in lae-intensiteit bestuur en vry-weidende produksie sisteme. Hierdie tipe varke was versprei oor die studie area. ‘n Mikrosatelliet analise het aangedui dat daar hoë genetiese variasie is binne die vark populasie, maar daar is klein differensiasie tussen die verskillende vark populasies van Suider-Afrika, met 93% variasie wat voorkom binne sub-populasies. Die ontwikkeling van markte kan ‘n haalbare manier wees om die inheemse varke toegang te gee tot die algemene ekonomie. Hiermee kan beide doelwitte, bewaring en verbetering van hierdie varkras, tergelyktydig bereik word, ten goede van die boere wat hierdie genetiese hulpbronne aanhou.

The Nyctaginaceae Juss. is a small flowering plant family of about 30 genera and 400 species mainly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. In Africa, six genera and 49 species occur, and in southern Africa, five genera and 19 species. Boerhavia L. and Commicarpus Standl. are the most species rich genera in southern Africa, with seven and eight species respectively. These species have not previously been studied taxonomically nor phylogenetically, and the objective of this study was to provide a systematic and phylogenetic treatment of these groups for southern Africa. Plant material was collected from the diversity centres of Boerhavia and Commicarpus in southern Africa. Leaves, flowers and anthocarps stored in ethanol were measured and examined with a stereomicroscope and surface studies conducted with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Material fixed in paraformaldehyde was embedded, sectioned, stained and examined with a light microscope. Pollen samples were acetolized before examination with a SEM. Sequencing analyses were done with a DNA Sequencer and neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood trees drawn. Distribution and habitat information were obtained from voucher specimens from various herbaria. The pollen grains are uniform in shape and sculpture and provide no diagnostic characters with which to distinguish between species. They do, however, provide broad characters to distinguish between the genera. Morphological, anatomical and molecular investigations, however, provided a series of characters to distinctly discern between Boerhavia and Commicarpus. Morphologically, Boerhavia and Commicarpus differ in growth form, inflorescence type, shape and indumentum of the upper and lower part of the flower, and shape and indumentum of the anthocarp. Anatomically, Boerhavia can be distinguished from Commicarpus by the Kranz anatomy around the minor veins of the leaves (which is absent in Commicarpus) and the sclerenchyma bundles which are present within the rib and inter-rib areas of the anthocarp (sclerenchyma bundles are only present in the rib area in Commicarpus). Molecular analyses group Boerhavia and Commicarpus as distinct clades with high bootstrap support. The differentiation is such in southern Africa, that Mirabilis and Acleisanthes, two non-African genera, are even placed intermediately between the two. The different species of Boerhavia and Commicarpus can be distinguished by the lower, coriaceous part of the flower and the anthocarp, as the arrangement of the glands, ribs and trichomes on these structures is species specific. The anatomy of the stems, leaves and anthocarps of the different species is uniform and uninformative and cannot be used to distinguish between the species. Molecular analyses support the distinction of the different species as defined by the morphology, and group the morphologically similar C. fruticosus and C. squarrosus in close relation. The aliens, Boerhavia cordobensis, B. diffusa var. diffusa and B. erecta, group together and the indigenous B. coccinea var. coccinea, B. deserticola, B. hereroensis and B. repens subsp. repens group together. The widely distributed C. plumbagineus and C. helenae var. helenae are closely related to each other, as are C. pentandrus and C. decipiens which are limited in theitr distribution to the African. This systematic study has shown that Boerhavia and Commicarpus are two distinct genera in southern Africa with well-defined species. This provides a workable classification system for southern Africa. This classification requires to be further refined by combining the morphology, anatomy, palynology and phylogenetics of the southern African Boerhavia and Commicarpus species into a single phylogeny. The phylogenetic investigations are, however, incomplete as the molecular analyses still need refinement and incorporation of more genes and taxa. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Environmental Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This research reviewed the neglect of cities in the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa with a special reference to churches of Synod Soutpansberg. The biblical passage, Jeremiah 29:1-14 was used, as a representative of other biblical passages, to shed light on the role of cities in mission work of the church while addressing misconceptions and false theology about the cities and the role they played and still play in the mission work of the church. The same biblical message is confirmed by many missiology literature, including, "Cities, Missions' New Frontier" by R.S. Greenway and T.M. Monsma (1989); "City of God - City of Satan" by R.C. Linthicum(1991) and "Discipling the City" by R.S. Greenway (1992). The biblical message and the missiology literature mentioned above were the basis from which the neglect of the role of the cities in the history of the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa was studied. From these basis, the causes, implementations and effects of such neglect in the mission work of the Soutpansberg churches was studied in Chapter 3. The empirical research was conducted using the interview questionnaire in Chapter 4. The empirical results and findings, which were presented in this research, can direct churches towards a remedy of the neglect of the cities in their mission work as far as the strategies is concerned. The neglect of the cities in the history of the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa was studied with an aim that churches learn from it and hence avoid the past neglect in their present and future mission plans, strategies and programs. In other words, the lesson is important for churches to view the role of the secular cities as important instruments used by God to speed up not only the planting and growing big holy churches from those secular cities outwards, but also the biblical reformation of the rural - orientated theories, strategies and practice! / Thesis (M.A. (Theology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Die onafhanklike lande van die Suider-Afrikaanse streek het, sedert hul respektiewelike onafhanklikwording, besluit om geen politieke bande of verhoudinge met hul kragtige, suidelike buurman, Suid-Afrika, aan te knoop nie. Al hierdie lande het op politieke gebied daarin geslaag, behalwe Malawi. Op ekonomiese gebied, egter, en veral op die gebied van handelsverhoudinge, was hierdie frontlinie state nie suksesvol nie. In ‘n poging om Suid-Afrika te isoleer, is ‘n ekonomiese blok, die SADCC, op die been gebring. Met die stigting van die SADCC in 1980, het die groep die vermindering van ekonomiese afhanklikheid van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika as hoofdoelwit gestel. Hierdie studie is ‘n poging om die SADCC se suksesse en mislukkings in hierdie verband te evalueer. Verder word probeer om die probleme wat die organisasie ondervind het in hul pogings ter bereiking van hierdie doelwit, binne die Suider-Afrikaanse geo-politieke omgewing, te ondersoek, veral in die lig van Suid-Afrika se vasbeslotenheid om regionale ekonomiese en politieke heerskappy te behou. Terselfdertyd poog die navorser om klem te lê op die deursettingsvermoë van SADCC lede om hul afhanklikheid van die Republiek te verminder – al was die resultaat in meeste gevalle gering. Hierdie studie toon dat die ekonomiese realiteit van die Suider-Afrikaanse streek die politieke retoriek aan beide kante van die politieke spektrum ten volle oorheers het. Die aard van die handelsverhoudinge tussen die RSA en die SADCC ledelande is deurgaans deur strukturele kontraste en weersprekende feite gekompliseer. / Prof. G. Verhoef

This thesis studies the integration of South Africa into the global economy. It uses a structural dynamic factor model approach, instead of the well known structural vector autoregressive method, as it accommodates a large panel of time series variables characterized by a number of series significantly larger than the number of observations available. South African economic cycles show some comovement with cycles of its trading partners. But the synchronization with major trading partners has declined over time due to structural reforms initiated by the post-apartheid government. A new monetary regime, trade and financial openness, an increase in political stability together with reduced uncertainty have outweighed South African output comovement with the rest of the world. Shocks from advanced economies (the US and the EU) and East Asian countries, especially demand shocks, affect domestic variables significantly. The main channels are business and consumer confidence, trade variables, interest rates, and the exchange rate. Although South Africa comoves with Latin American countries, trade and financial linkages are still very weak. The level of development, perceptions of economic agents, and fluctuations of advanced economies (the US and the EU) are the main reasons contributing to the synchronization of their variables. South Africa’s position in Africa as economic leader starts to produce results leading to output synchronization with some of its partners’ from SADC. Similar to the Latin American scenario, the main reason is that the two sides share the EU as primary trading partner. Because of the vulnerability of the South African economy, policymakers must pay a particular attention and monitor closely developments in the global economy. In the same line, they should promote policies that enable the country to have access to international markets. Given the interdependence with the rest of the world, policymakers should monitor closely the performance of the global economy. Nevertheless, idiosyncratic features of the South African economy do play a role in the explaining fluctuations in economic activity. Hence, policies that lead to a structural transformation of the domestic economy are necessary. Reforms that allow labor market flexibility; promote competition; and support human capital formation through education, are imperative. / Doctor Francisco Nadal De Simone Professor Daniel Marais

Countries in southern Africa have been implementing economic liberalisation policies for over two decades, with the aim of reversing years of economic decline. This process of economic liberalisation has been largely been influenced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank policy prescription. While the developed world has been piling pressure on countries in the Sub-Saharan region to integrate their national economies into the global economic, different countries have responded differently in opening up their economies. For some, the new economic policy regime has entailed a shift from a state-run economy and focusing more on a free market economy. While some countries have taken a cautious approaching to economic liberalisation, Zambia went for rapid liberalisation, which has led to negative social consequences on employment and the livelihoods of the working class. Through the adoption and implementation of labour market flexibility policies, Zambia and other countries in the region have seen an upswing in new forms of employment such as casual labour, subcontracting and temporary employment, which have no protection and have exposed workers to exploitation. Employment levels have also dropped as the capitalist investors shed off massive numbers of workers in order to reduce labour costs. Local manufacturing industries, in most cases, have been forced to close down and lay-off workers due to unfair competition with cheap imported goods. Liberalisation in developing countries in general and southern Africa in particular, has entailed weakening the role of the state in national economic management. Governments are increasingly succumbing to the dictates of multinationals and are failing to enforce regulatory measures needed to protect the welfare of workers and their working conditions.

This dissertation addresses one of the reasons for the lack of confidence in public health in Southern Africa. It examines the impact of intrusive colonial public health measures and colonial attempts to suppress indigenous healing practices in the Manica region. The dissertation asks whether invasive colonial public health interventions had unintended consequences, such as the continued existence of traditional medicine and the reluctance to accept biomedical arguments on the epidemiology of infectious and communicable diseases. While these intrusive colonial public health measures were constant and pervasive, they were not always effective, partly due to the border that colonialism created. The epidemiology of the Manica region is fundamentally affected by cross-border movements, which not only spread infections, but altered disease ecologies, complicating disease control efforts. Colonial efforts to monitor movements led to the disruption of life and caused much hardship to villagers and townsfolk. Reflecting the dynamism of African societies, this dissertation argues that while Africans tended to dislike intrusive and discriminatory preventative public health policies, they were willing to experiment with new ideas, particularly treatment services. They were discouraged, however, by the failure of colonial governments to provide adequate treatment-based services for Africans, proving that the provision of health services for Africans was driven by European settler fears of infection and economic imperatives rather than the concern for Africans. However, most of these settler fears stemmed from misunderstandings of epidemiology, and were often grossly exaggerated and racist. Regardless of whether these theories were accurate or not, they still caused hardship. Although this project looks at the history of public health before the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa, the legacy of colonial public health policies affects how people in Southern Africa comprehend this disease. Through the use of archival materials and oral histories, this dissertation concludes that the current reluctance to embrace biomedicine is connected to social memory and perceptions of the state, and its legitimacy. Had resentment of colonial public health not played a role, biomedicine would have been more readily integrated as an additional option into a repertoire of alternative therapies in Southern Africa.