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Thesis (DTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / This thesis contains innovations that could help homesteads in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) to ‘harvest’ more energy from flat solar energy collection surfaces. The thesis makes the assumption that universal resolution of energy poverty is a long term issue – and may not realistically be achieved using the traditional electrification route of: Fossil fuel/Hydro potential → electricity → transmission/distribution → paid for/free usage. Using a combination of literature search, Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) modelling and experimental validation, the thesis notes the bi-hemispherical tropical location of most of the region and the abundant solar resource. It therefore advocates extensive use of the resource at home level for both electricity generation, and fluid heating/preheating purposes. Using mathematical models, the thesis critically examines relationships among energy incidence, transformation and yield from a flat surface for both Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Thermal (ST) usage. It suggests the first set of innovations for the region: the two azimuths installations. The second set uses TRNSYS and Operations Research (OR) modelling to optimise selection of PV equipment meeting a starter–home’s energy loads throughout the region. Recommendations for both sets of innovations are presented in the form of colour coded maps. The third innovation in the thesis is the patented gravity driven, hydro-mechanical solar tracker, a novel solar tracking device in three different operation and control modes. In summary, one patent, 4 journal papers and 5 peer-reviewed international conference papers comprise the work.

Throughout the world, but especially in the African continent, international, cross-border and national conflicts are ongoing. In the majority of these conflicts child soldiers are involved in various ways. Judicial problems concerning the prosecution of commanders and leaders of armed groups, irrespective of governmental or not are being solved. Thus, underlying concern is left to the issue of accountability of child soldiers. International, Regional and National protection measures provide for certain judicial standards dealing with children under the age of eighteen. In order to fully understand the difficulties arising from the existence of universal binding measurement dealing with the accountability of child soldiers, one has to be aware of the international, regional and national legislative frameworks. In Sub Saharan Africa, especially in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, governments face various difficulties, such as the implantation process of international protection measures and ongoing conflicts, making it very difficult to examine the status of accountability measures for child soldiers. States have different minimum ages for accountability for child soldiers. Only a process of international co-operation between governments and non state actors can attempt to deal with the accountability of child soldiers. Not only deterrent, but rather restitution approaches and reintegration programmes should be followed in order to bring justice and achieve results in peace processes.

Two recent developments dominate the political economy of Sub Saharan Africa -- the adoption of economic structural adjustment reforms and the emergence of pressures for the democratization of the political process. Economic reform measures have spawned civil society, made up of anti-authoritarian, anti-statist, non-governmental organizations, that demand political liberalization. This study is an attempt to analyze, theoretically and quantitatively, the unanticipated association between these developments. Democratic institutions inherited by Sub Saharan Africa at independence were subverted either through military coups or by the abuse and misuse of the institutions by an inordinately ambitious political elite. Thus, about a decade into independence more than three quarters of the sub continent virtually came under authoritarian rule. Contemporaneously there was a decline in the economies of these countries, forcing them to borrow from international financial institutions, in order to offset their balance of payment difficulties. By the mid-1980s most of Sub Saharan Africa had also instituted structural adjustment programs. Using a pooled cross-sectional time series model of analysis, data gathered from Sub Saharan African countries are analysed to test the explanatory power of the three extant contending theories of development: classical, dependency, and neoliberal. Then, most importantly, the analysis examines the relationship between structural adjustment, the development of civil society, and democratization. Overall, the results indicate that the institutional structures generated by, and the political millieu created by structural adjustment are conducive for the evolution of civil society and for its activities for democracy. This political opportunity, however, is also found to be dependent on the level of restructuring involved. The more the political system is restructured, the more the freedom of political participation by civil society, and the higher the level of democratization. The study found a very weak relationship between structural adjustment and economic growth, thereby calling into question many current economic policies. It further demonstrated that no one single theory had the advantages over others in explaining the dynamics of both political and economic development in Sub Saharan Africa and, by extension, in other developing countries.

D.Phil. / This study examines the background, the execution and the consequences of French agricultural development aid to thirteen former French colonies in sub-Saharan Africa. The period under analysis is 1960 to 1980. In a continent which experienced an overall downward trend in per capita agricultural production during this period, despite adequate natural resources and higher aid allocations than other parts of the Third World, it is felt that lessons can be learnt from French aid which was consistent and geographically concentrated. The accent of the study lies on improved understanding of French agricultural aid in francophone sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. It does not assess the impact of French aid on agricultural development at country level ...

The capability approach’s primary point of departure from mainstream economics may be stated simply: it perceives incomes and commodities value predominantly as instruments or means to other ends. In contrast to mainstream economics, the approach places individual freedom at the centre of its attention. Therefore, income is merely one of numerous variables that influence deprivation. The dissertation aligns itself with the capability approach to development in its conclusion that developments’ primary target ought to go beyond a study of the level of per capita incomes as it has more significant moral implication of diminished lives, agonised existences and a large percentage of premature preventable deaths. Therefore, the dissertation advocates a fundamental shift in the measures that economists utilise in their measurement of poverty. Accordingly, the dissertation suggests that the manner in which economists intellectualise the relationship between poverty and the lives that people lead requires alteration. The dissertation provides evidence, using regression analysis, that the democratic frameworks that are in place in Sub-Saharan Africa are failing to provide the negative freedoms that serve as the environment in which individual’s pursue their own conception of well-being. However, the dissertation acknowledges the constitutive and instrumental importance of democracy in the process of development. Therefore, the dissertation argues that it is the shape of democracy that has led to these results in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a repercussion, democracy remains an important ingredient in the development process. Instead of embracing the view that political freedom and, in particular, democracies failure to assist in human development is evidence of a flaw in the capability approach. The dissertation perceives the failure as an opportunity to re-evaluate the nature of democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, there is scope for policy makers to conceptualise and implement policies that will be able to harness the inherent strengths of democracy.

Thesis (M.M. (Finance & Investment))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2017. / The extent to which the liquidity has an impact on stock return continues to be an eagerly researched topic. The effect on liquidity on the return of stocks has been a greatly debated subject on the capital market theory. The thesis looks at the impact of liquidity on the stock indices return of eight frontier markets. The paper uses two methods to estimate the regression namely, unbalanced dynamic panel Generalised Method of Moments and Fixed Effect Model. An analysis on factors affecting liquidity was done and turnover ratio, Amivest ratio and Amihud ratio were used as a measure for liquidity. The correlation between stock return and the liquidity measure was mixed; with turnover ratio having a negative correlation. Amivest ratio has positive relationship consistent with the risk premium and was found to be significant. However, the correlation on the Amihud ratio was not consistent with the liquidity premium as it was found to be positive. Although negatively correlated to return, the turnover ratio was found to be insignificant. / MT 2017

A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Management (Finance and Investment) in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / It is well acknowledged that infrastructure provision is linked to economic growth , in particular airports are viewed a strategic catalysts to this growth bringing about increased opportunities for trade, tourism, and serving as an enabler for business. African airports have historically suffered underinvestment as a result of competing priorities for government funding; growing safety concerns, increased traffic growth and globalisation, and the need for refurbishment and modernisation of systems. African nations are now beginning to spend considerable amounts on aviation infrastructure. The purpose of this study evaluate the financing mechanisms available to governments, to access the role that airport economic regulation plays in attracting investment and the potential of leveraging the securitisation model for the financing of aviation infrastructure. It was found that, no one funding mechanism is king and that airport owners and operators should attempt a diversification strategy towards their funding sources, taking into account that the investment appetite of various investors will be different at the various phases of infrastructure project delivery. It was found that airport regulation is key to harnessing the certainly of future cash flows required by private investors , and may be the required mechanism to off load the financial burden of smaller airports from the government budgets. Lastly it was found that development finance institutions may be the biggest benefactors to utilising the securitisation model to unlock further developmental funding; key to this is the support of institutional investors. / XL2018

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2016 / According to UNAIDS, there are ~36.9 million people infected with HIV-1 in the world. Of those, 25.8 million live in sub-Saharan Africa and 6.8 million in South Africa. HIV-1 subtype C accounts for over 95% of HIV infections in South Africa. HIV-1 retrovirus acquires mutations rapidly because of the viral reverse transcriptase. Naturally occurring polymorphisms distinguishing wild type C-SA PR from other proteases make it less susceptible to inhibitors. E35D↑G↑S is a C-SA PR variant with a double insertion in the flap region of the protease. The insertions and background mutations may decrease susceptibility to inhibitors as well as alter kinetic parameters due to increased flap flexibility. This study intended to characterise the effect of the mutations and insertions in E35D↑G↑S on structural, kinetic activity and drug susceptibility. Chemically-synthesised E35D↑G↑S autocatalyses rapidly, impeding further characterisation. There was no detectable overexpression of the E35D↑G↑S protease in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3)pLysS and Rosetta 2® cells. If the protease is catalytically enhanced, attributed cytotoxicity may prevent overexpression of the protein. Increased autocatalytic activity could also prevent crystallisation. Inactive E35D↑G↑S D25A did not overexpress either, indicating that codon harmonisation with the expression host ought to be performed. C-SA PR was shown to be a predominantly beta-sheeted protein using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The KM of the fluorogenic substrate resembling the capsid/ p2 cleavage site for C-SA PR was 22.02 ±4.09 μM. The specific activity, catalytic turnover and catalytic efficiency of the wild-type C-SA PR protease were found to be 35.68 ±1.06 μmole.min-1.mg-1, 12.79 ±0.38 s-1 and 1.17 ±0.055 s-1.μM-1, respectively. The thermodynamics of binding of atazanavir, ritonavir and darunavir to C-SA PR were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry. The binding of atazanavir and ritonavir to C-SA PR is entropically driven and enthalpically opposed. However, the binding of darunavir to C-SA PR was found to be both entropically and enthalpically favourable. The dissociation constants of the inhibitors in the absence of substrate (Kd) are in the pico-molar range and increased by approximately one order of magnitude when saturating concentrations of substrate were introduced. Atazanavir, ritonavir and darunavir have dissociation constants (Kd) of 160.56 ±54.59 pM, 113.34 ±46.47 pM and 10.24 ±6.02 pM, respectively. Darunavir binds significantly tighter. Keywords: C-SA PR, E35D↑G↑S, insertion mutations, protease, autocatalysis, ITC.

A Research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities in partial fulfilment of the requirements for obtaining the degree of Masters in International Relations, 2016 / International attention to the issue of girls’ education has grown dramatically over the past several decades. Gender parity and equality in education has become a significant global development priority. The Dakar Framework for Action (DFA), which set the agenda for achieving Education for All (EFA) commitments by 2015, and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were aimed at the reduction of global poverty, also by 2015, serve as the main policy blueprints with respect to the global agenda for achieving gender equality in education. Despite widespread acceptance that states ought to decrease gender disparities in education, progress with respect to achieving the related DFA and MDG goals has varied between states. Although sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag far behind other regions, there are some countries in the region that have achieved better results than others. This variation in outcomes raises pertinent questions about the constitutive influence and diffusion of norms at the national level. This research report seeks to identify the mechanisms that determine the constitutive effects of the norm vis-à-vis gender parity in education in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Gambia and Chad as case studies, the study tests whether domestic political structures and domestic norms have a significant impact on norm diffusion processes at the national level, as well as how these factors will predict the pathways for diffusion and, ultimately, the constitutive effects of the norm. The study begins by tracing the evolution and documenting the existence of a global norm with respect to gender parity in education. The norm’s emergence is shown to correlate with changes in policy and practice amongst African states at both the regional and national level; however, there remains significant differences amongst states with regards to their performance in relation to gender parity targets/goals. The central finding of the study is that domestic political structures and domestic norms explain this variation between countries and predict the key drivers of normative change. In the cases of Gambia and Chad specifically, the extent of civil society participation has significantly determined the countries’ performance with respect to gender parity in education goals. / MT2017