Thesis (MScConEcol (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: I evaluated the impact of Prosopis invasion and clearing on ecological structure, function and agricultural productivity in heavily grazed Nama Karoo rangeland on two sheep farms near the town of Beaufort West in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. My aims were to (1) determine the effects of invasion and clearing on rangeland vegetation composition, diversity (alien and indigenous species richness) and structure (alien and indigenous species cover), soil vegetation cover (plant canopy and basal cover) and agricultural productivity (grazing capacity), (2) describe the vegetation processes that underlay the invasion and clearing impacts and (3) evaluate the success of clearing in facilitating unaided restoration of ecological structure, function and agricultural productivity in formerly invaded rangeland. I hypothesised that invasion would significantly change rangeland vegetation composition and structure, leading to greater alien species richness and cover and lower indigenous species richness and cover while clearing would lead to lower alien species diversity and cover and greater indigenous species richness and cover. In addition I hypothesized that invasion would reduce rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity while clearing would substantially increase them. Finally I predicted that vegetation composition, alien and indigenous species cover and richness, plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity would revert to pre-invasion status and levels within four to six years of clearing. My results suggest that in heavily grazed Nama Karoo rangeland Prosopis invasion (~15 percent canopy cover) and clearing can significantly change rangeland vegetation composition, with invasion leading to greater alien species cover and lower indigenous species richness, while clearing leads to lower alien species richness and cover and greater indigenous species richness and cover. However invasion seems to have no effect on alien species richness and overall indigenous species cover. Clearing appears to facilitate the spontaneous restoration of alien species cover and indigenous species richness within four to six years but not species composition, alien species richness and indigenous species cover. In addition my results also indicate that Prosopis invasion can lower rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity while clearing, even under heavy grazing, can substantially raise them. Clearing however does not seem to facilitate the restoration of rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity to pre-invasion levels within four to six years after clearing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ek het die impak van Prosopis indringing en verwydering van indringers op ekologiese struktuur, funksie en landbou produktiwiteit in ‘n swaar beweide Nama Karoo gebied op twee skaapplase naby Beaufort-Wes in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid-Afrika geëvalueer. My doelwitte was om (1) te bepaal wat die gevolge van die indringing en verwydering van indringers op die natuurlike plantegroei samestelling, diversiteit (uitheemse en inheemse spesiesrykheid) en struktuur (uitheemse en inheemse spesies bedekking) sal wees, sowel as die effek op plantegroei bedekking (kroon en basalebedekking) en landbou produktiwiteit (weidingkapasiteit), (2) die plantegroei prosesse te beskryf wat onderliggend deur die impakte van indringing en verwydering van indringers veroorsaak word, en (3) die sukses van die verwydering van indringers te evalueer deur die fasilitering van blote restorasie van ekologiese struktuur en funksie en landbou produktiwiteit in voorheen ingedringde gebiede. My hipotese is dat indringing ‘n aansienlike verandering in natuurlike plantegroeisamestelling en struktuur sal veroorsaak, wat sal lei tot groter uitheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking met minder inheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking, terwyl die verwydering van indringers sou lei tot minder uitheemse spesie diversiteit en bedekking met 'n groter inheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking. Verder vermoed ek dat indringing die natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit sal verminder, terwyl die verwydering van indringers dit aansienlik sal verhoog. Ten slotte voorspel ek dat plantegroei samestelling, uitheemse en inheemse spesiesbedekking en -rykheid, kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit sou terugkeer na voor-indringing status en vlakke binne vier tot ses jaar na die verwydering van indringers. My resultate daarop dat die indringing van Prosopis (~ 15 persent kroonbedekking) en die verwydering van indringers in swaar beweide Nama Karoo gebiede ‘n aansienlike verandering in die gebied se natuurlike plantegroei samestelling toon, waar indringing gelei het tot groter uitheemse spesiesbedekking en minder inheemse spesiesrykheid, terwyl die verwydering van indringers lei tot minder uitheemse spesiesrykheid en groter inheemse spesiesrykheid en - bedekking. Dit lyk egter of indringing geen effek op uitheemse spesiesrykheid en algehele inheemse spesiesbedekking het nie. Die verwydering van indringers blyk om die spontane herstel van indringerbedekking en inheemse spesiesrykheid binne vier tot ses jaar te fasiliteer, maar nie spesiesamestelling, uitheemse spesiesrykheid of inheemse spesiesbedekking nie. Benewens dui my resultate ook aan dat Prosopis indringing die natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking sowel as weidingskapasiteit verlaag, terwyl die verwydering van indringers, selfs onder swaar beweiding, die bedekking aansienlik kan verhoog. Verwydering van indringers lyk egter nie asof dit die herstel van die gebied se natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit na voor-indringing vlakke toe kan fasiliteer binne vier tot ses jaar na die verwydering van indringers nie.

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, February 2016 / A growing population, rapid urbanisation, and climate change are increasing the pressure on water supplies. The chances of finding new freshwater sources for urban areas are becoming nearly impossible, implying that existing water supplies must go further to satisfy the basic need of potable water. Water reclamation involves the treatment of wastewater to meet defined water quality standards so that it may be reused. Direct potable reuse refers to the introduction of wastewater, which has been treated to meet specified standards, directly into the potable water supply distribution system. Water reuse has become an attractive alternative since wastewater is constantly being produced by populations, which can be treated for reuse. This study examines the sustainability of water reclamation for potable purposes, through an assessment of the Beaufort West Water Reclamation Plant, which includes interviews with the plant manager and process controllers, as well as a review of the relevant documentation. The study employs the use of economic, environmental and societal indicators as a tool in determining the sustainability of water reclamation. The results of the research show that direct potable reuse may be a sustainable solution to reducing the stress on water resources, although certain aspects of the reclamation process require further development in order to progress toward sustainability. In order to provide a long term solution, water reclamation will have to be implemented in conjunction with other water conservation strategies. / MT2017

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / It is often argued that public participation is the cornerstone of constitutional democracy especially in countries such as South Africa with the history of segregation which was characterised by the exclusion of the majority of citizens from the decision-making processes of the state based on race, class and gender. As such, following the introduction of the various pieces of legislation in 1994, the dominant narrative was that the progressive laws that were passed would serve as a ‘panacea’ to the challenges of participatory governance in South Africa. It was inconceivable that 25 years into democracy, South Africa would still be grappling with the concept of public participation and the extent to which citizens could influence, direct and own decisions made by and with government especially at a local level. This study assessed the state of public participation in the Western Cape focusing on Beaufort Municipality in the Central Karoo District. It argued that public participation is a prerequisite for democratic governance and that the state could be deemed illegitimate if it does not prioritize the involvement of communities in its affairs. In this context, a particular focus was placed on the effectiveness of the ward committee system (as state sponsored mechanisms of public participation) in enhancing participatory democracy in Beaufort West Municipality. It refuted assumptions on the institutional arrangements made in the legislative framework governing public participation and ward committees – identifying and outlining some of the unanticipated consequences of these pieces of legislation. The study used qualitative research methods to collect data. Primary and secondary data was gathered to assess the state of public participation in the Western Cape with specific reference on the effectiveness of the ward committee system and the role of legislative and regulatory framework governing public participation, the institutional architecture and the roles of various stakeholders involved in public participation. The primary data was gathered through structured interviews and questionnaires while the secondary data was collected the analysis of the literature on public participation and ward committees including municipal reports, guidelines on public participation, legislation and policy frameworks. The research found that it is precisely the state sanctioned ward committee system that has contributed to the collapse of public participation in South Africa. The ward committee system was identified as a ‘poisoned chalice’ - so compromised that it has become an instrument to legitimise predetermined decisions of the politically connected elite, a rubber v stamp platform to comply with the policy and legislative framework. To address this problem, the study recommended a number of measures and interventions that could be introduced which entails the reconfiguration and overhaul of the legislative framework governing public participation and ward committees including the review of the role of politicians in public participation, training and capacity building, allocation of dedicated budget for public participation etc.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / It is often argued that public participation is the cornerstone of constitutional democracy especially in countries such as South Africa with the history of segregation which was characterised by the exclusion of the majority of citizens from the decision-making processes of the state based on race, class and gender. As such, following the introduction of the various pieces of legislation in 1994, the dominant narrative was that the progressive laws that were passed would serve as a ‘panacea’ to the challenges of participatory governance in South Africa. It was inconceivable that 25 years into democracy, South Africa would still be grappling with the concept of public participation and the extent to which citizens could influence, direct and own decisions made by and with government especially at a local level. This study assessed the state of public participation in the Western Cape focusing on Beaufort Municipality in the Central Karoo District. It argued that public participation is a prerequisite for democratic governance and that the state could be deemed illegitimate if it does not prioritize the involvement of communities in its affairs. In this context, a particular focus was placed on the effectiveness of the ward committee system (as state sponsored mechanisms of public participation) in enhancing participatory democracy in Beaufort West Municipality. It refuted assumptions on the institutional arrangements made in the legislative framework governing public participation and ward committees – identifying and outlining some of the unanticipated consequences of these pieces of legislation. The study used qualitative research methods to collect data. Primary and secondary data was gathered to assess the state of public participation in the Western Cape with specific reference on the effectiveness of the ward committee system and the role of legislative and regulatory framework governing public participation, the institutional architecture and the roles of various stakeholders involved in public participation. The primary data was gathered through structured interviews and questionnaires while the secondary data was collected the analysis of the literature on public participation and ward committees including municipal reports, guidelines on public participation, legislation and policy frameworks. The research found that it is precisely the state sanctioned ward committee system that has contributed to the collapse of public participation in South Africa. The ward committee system was identified as a ‘poisoned chalice’ - so compromised that it has become an instrument to legitimise predetermined decisions of the politically connected elite, a rubber stamp platform to comply with the policy and legislative framework. To address this problem, the study recommended a number of measures and interventions that could be introduced which entails the reconfiguration and overhaul of the legislative framework governing public participation and ward committees including the review of the role of politicians in public participation, training and capacity building, allocation of dedicated budget for public participation etc.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This study analyses public participation in the formulation of the Integrated Development Planning in the Beaufort West Municipality. The aim of the study is to examine the nature and extent of public involvement in the formulation of the IDP document through the lens of legislative mandatory processes and public views. It looked at the extent to which the public’s view was considered and also focused on the quality of this engagement with citizens.

The Karoo has been receiving considerable attention since the early 1970’s when uranium mining was at its peak, with numerous research studies being instigated to look at all aspects of uranium mining. It has recently been observed that there seems to be resurgence in uranium exploration in and around the town of Beaufort West. A study on the transport mechanisms of uranium and thorium in fractured-rock aquifers, initiated in the hope of understanding the actual processes controlling radionuclide mobilisation, is reported here. Hydrochemical investigations of the various boreholes were sampled for water quality in June, 2009. The hydrochemical description is typical of shallow fresh groundwater, changing composition to a more sulphate hydrochemical facies along the flow path. While the geochemistry of groundwater in the study area seems to have minimal effects on uranium concentrations, the low levels of uranium in boreholes sampled suggest the importance of hydrological and lithological variability on the measured concentrations. Nevertheless, the uranium concentration is within the recommended levels as specified in the US-EPA, WHO and SA water quality guidelines and thus poses no immediate threat to the general public. Analysis of pumping and tracer tests, reveals that the fractured-rock aquifer can be highly transmissive and that transport can take place via multiple flow paths having different hydraulic properties. Tracer diffusing into stagnant water zones within fracture asperities and the rock matrix are seen as an important retardation mechanism, that has implications for remediation should the aquifer be contaminated by radionuclides. In terms of conceptualising flow at a local scale, aperture sizes ranging from (563-828ìm) along with high flow velocities (1.90E-03m/s), points to the importance of bedding-plane fractures as conduits of groundwater flow. The groundwater flow has been influenced by dolerite dykes creating compartments isolated from each other, suggesting a highly complex aquifer system. Based on the conceptual model, it is shown that these structures can create unique, site specific flow conditions. The integration of all available data into the conceptual model provides an effective research tool that can be built upon as a basis for further research. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Geology / unrestricted

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / BACKGROUND: The application of dental sealants is a recommended procedure to prevent and control dental caries. However, despite strong evidence for the safety and effectiveness of dental sealants, their use still remains low, especially among children from lower socioeconomic communities. The World Health Organization (WHO), Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) strongly endorse the implementation of school based dental sealant programmes as a community-based preventive strategy to increase sealant use and reduce dental caries. However, in the WHO African Region, oral health is seen as a very low priority and this is compounded by limited technical and managerial resources. The availability of human resources and equipment are crucial for the successful placement of dental sealants. A gap in the research literature was identified for determining the effectiveness of fissure sealants placed under field conditions. AIM: To evaluate the caries preventive effect as well as retention status of a resin-based fissure sealant that was placed under field conditions as part of a school based sealant programme. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at two primary schools in close proximity of each other in the same low socio-economic area in Beaufort West, South Africa. The study population consisted of grade two children between the ages of 7-9 years who had fully erupted first permanent molar teeth. The case group consisted of 100 learners who received dental sealants on caries-free first permanent molar teeth 12 months earlier. The control group consisted of a random selection of the same number of learners from the adjacent school. Dental caries on the occlusal surfaces of the first permanent molar teeth was detected by making use of the decayed (D) portion of the decayed, missing and filled tooth (DMFT) score, while a separate diagnosis distinguished between cavitated and non-cavitated lesions. Sealant retention was determined by a calibrated examiner who was not involved in the placement of the sealants. RESULTS: The response rate of the study was 80.0% (n=100) and 78.9% (n=356) of the fissure sealants that were originally placed were evaluated. When the sealants were placed in 2013, 52.0% of the children were female and at the 12 month follow-up, 51.3% were female. The average age of the female children at follow-up was 8 years and 4 months (99.9 months) and 8 years and 5 months (101.8 months) for the males. The standard deviation of the gender profiles differed by 1 month only and implies an equal distribution of age between female and male children throughout the study. Just less than ten per cent (7.8%) of the sealants were fully intact at the 12 month follow-up examination and 91% were totally lost, which is a higher sealant loss rate than what is generally reported on in the literature. Of the 7.8% fully retained sealants, a statistically significant proportion (p=0.044) were found on the mandibular molar teeth. The caries incidence rate in the sealed group was 7.1% versus 9.1% in the control group. Relative risk (RR) calculations was slightly lower for the sealed (RR=0.79) than the unsealed (RR=1.02) teeth. CONCLUSION: The study showed a 2% lower caries prevalence rate on the occlusal surfaces of the sealed versus the unsealed teeth. However, this does not represent a statistically significant finding (P=0.39). The study also showed a low retention rate for the resin-based sealants placed under field conditions (12 month retention rate of 7.8%). The results from this study has therefore shown that resin-based fissure sealants placed on grade 1 learners under field conditions appear to be not ideal in preventing the onset of dental caries on the occlusal surfaces of the first permanent molar teeth.

<p><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"> <p align="left">Groundwater in arid and semi-arid areas like the Karoo region of South Africa is an important source of domestic, agricultural and industrial source of fresh water. As a scarce resource, it requires extensive quality control and protection through innovative methods and efficient strategies. The town of Beaufort West and its vicinity use groundwater as a major source of municipal and private water supply. Forty nine groundwater samples were collected from spatially referenced boreholes located in and around the town of Beaufort West and were analyzed for <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">EC, pH, <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">TDS,<font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">TH, SAR, TA, Ca</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Mg</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, K</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, HCO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3-</font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Cl</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">-</font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, NO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3- </font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and SO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">42- </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="3">according to&nbsp / <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">SANS 241 standards and tested for ionic balance. The groundwater of the study area was characterized using WHO and South African drinking water quality standards as well as TDS and Salinity hazard classifications. These comparisons and classifications characterized the groundwater of the study area as hard to very hard, with low to medium salinity hazard. These results are in accordance with the dominance of the ions Ca</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, HCO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3 - </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and Cl</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">- </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">in the groundwater samples. Linear relationships between the hydrochemical variables were analysed through correlation and multiple regression analysis to relate the groundwater quality to the underlying hydrogeochemical processes. These linear relationships explained the contribution of the measured variables towards the salinity, hardness and anthropogenic contamination of the groundwater. The groundwater of the study area was also assessed using conventional trilinear diagrams and scatter plots to interpret the water quality and determine the major ion chemistry. The conventional methods highlighted the sources of the hydrochemical variables through analysis and interpretation of rock-water interaction and evaporations processes. To supplement <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">these conventional methods and reveal hidden hydrogeochemical phenomenon, multivariate statistical analyses were employed. Factor analysis reduced the hydrochemical variables into three factors (Hardness, Alkalinity and Landuse) that characterize the groundwater quality in relation to the source of its hydrochemistry. Furthermore, combination of Cluster (CA) and Discriminant analyses (DA) were used to classify the groundwater in to different hydrochemical facies and determine the dominant hydrochemical variables that characterize these facies. The classification results were also compared with the trilinear diagrammatic interpretations to highlight the advantages of these multivariate statistical methods. The CA and DA classifications resulted in to six different hydrochemical facies that are characterized by NO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3 -</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+ </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and pH. These three hydrochemical variables explain 93.9% of the differences between the water types and highlight the influence of natural hydrogeochemical and anthropogenic processes on the groundwater quality. All the univariate, bivariate, multivariate statistical and conventional hydrogeochemical analyses results were analyzed spatially using ArcGIS 10.0. The spatial analysis employed the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method to predict spatial distribution of unmeasured areas and reclassification of the interpolation results for classification purposes. The results of the different analyses methods employed in the thesis illustrate that the groundwater in the study area is generally hard but permissible in the absence of better alternative water source and useful for irrigation.</font></font></font></font></font></font></p> </font></p>

<p><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"> <p align="left">Groundwater in arid and semi-arid areas like the Karoo region of South Africa is an important source of domestic, agricultural and industrial source of fresh water. As a scarce resource, it requires extensive quality control and protection through innovative methods and efficient strategies. The town of Beaufort West and its vicinity use groundwater as a major source of municipal and private water supply. Forty nine groundwater samples were collected from spatially referenced boreholes located in and around the town of Beaufort West and were analyzed for <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">EC, pH, <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">TDS,<font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">TH, SAR, TA, Ca</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Mg</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, K</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, HCO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3-</font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Cl</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">-</font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, NO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3- </font></font><font size="3" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and SO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">42- </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="3">according to&nbsp / <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">SANS 241 standards and tested for ionic balance. The groundwater of the study area was characterized using WHO and South African drinking water quality standards as well as TDS and Salinity hazard classifications. These comparisons and classifications characterized the groundwater of the study area as hard to very hard, with low to medium salinity hazard. These results are in accordance with the dominance of the ions Ca</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">2+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, HCO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3 - </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and Cl</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">- </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">in the groundwater samples. Linear relationships between the hydrochemical variables were analysed through correlation and multiple regression analysis to relate the groundwater quality to the underlying hydrogeochemical processes. These linear relationships explained the contribution of the measured variables towards the salinity, hardness and anthropogenic contamination of the groundwater. The groundwater of the study area was also assessed using conventional trilinear diagrams and scatter plots to interpret the water quality and determine the major ion chemistry. The conventional methods highlighted the sources of the hydrochemical variables through analysis and interpretation of rock-water interaction and evaporations processes. To supplement <font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">these conventional methods and reveal hidden hydrogeochemical phenomenon, multivariate statistical analyses were employed. Factor analysis reduced the hydrochemical variables into three factors (Hardness, Alkalinity and Landuse) that characterize the groundwater quality in relation to the source of its hydrochemistry. Furthermore, combination of Cluster (CA) and Discriminant analyses (DA) were used to classify the groundwater in to different hydrochemical facies and determine the dominant hydrochemical variables that characterize these facies. The classification results were also compared with the trilinear diagrammatic interpretations to highlight the advantages of these multivariate statistical methods. The CA and DA classifications resulted in to six different hydrochemical facies that are characterized by NO</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">3 -</font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">, Na</font><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT"><font size="1" face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">+ </font></font><font face="TimesNewRomanPSMT">and pH. These three hydrochemical variables explain 93.9% of the differences between the water types and highlight the influence of natural hydrogeochemical and anthropogenic processes on the groundwater quality. All the univariate, bivariate, multivariate statistical and conventional hydrogeochemical analyses results were analyzed spatially using ArcGIS 10.0. The spatial analysis employed the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation method to predict spatial distribution of unmeasured areas and reclassification of the interpolation results for classification purposes. The results of the different analyses methods employed in the thesis illustrate that the groundwater in the study area is generally hard but permissible in the absence of better alternative water source and useful for irrigation.</font></font></font></font></font></font></p> </font></p>

Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: This sociolinguistic study examines selected aspects of the linguistic behavior of a rural language community in South Africa. The general aims are to establish first, whether this "coloured" community in the historically Afrikaans town of Beaufort West is still predominantly Afrikaans, second, whether there is evidence of language shift in the community, specifically following more use of English in other formerly Afrikaans communities after the change of government in 1994, and third, what the nature of such language shift may be. An overview of pertinent aspects of the social and political history of South Africa generally and of Beaufort West specifically, is presented in order to contextualise the language dispensation – past and present – addressed in this study. History reveals that the town in question was first named Hooyvlakte and only later acquired the name of Beaufort West. Hooyvlakte is currently the name of one of the suburbs in which a section of Beaufort West's "coloured" community resides. For the purpose of this study the larger Beaufort West community which is in focus here, is also referred to as the Hooyvlakte community The study is mainly of a qualitative nature. The respondents were 184 members of the Hooyvlakte community, they included individuals of both genders and were aged between 16 and 87 years. The only requirement for participation in this study was that the respondent should have been a Beaufort West resident for at least 15 years. Each respondent completed a questionnaire from which his/her language proficiency, language use and language preference could be assessed. The questionnaire also allowed respondents an opportunity to express their opinion on the value and practice of multilingualism in their community. The results of this study indicate that the Hooyvlakte community remains predominantly Afrikaans. There is, however, an increase in the knowledge and use of English, and despite possible limits in actual English proficiency, the residents in the Hooyvlakte mostly view themselves as balanced Afrikaans-English bilinguals. This view is related to the gradual change in linguistic identity, from an almost exclusively (often stigmatized) Afrikaans identity to a (mostly proud) Afrikaans-English bilingual one. The stigmatized "coloured" and Afrikaans identities appear to be products of South Africa's sociopolitical history of ethnic and cultural categorisation and segregation. Stigma, on the one hand, and exclusion, on the other, have led to a desire in the Hooyvlakte community to associate with a language other than Afrikaans as well. This shift to an Afrikaans-English bilingual identity contrasts with the shift from predominantly Afrikaans monolingualism to virtual monolingualism in English found in other Coloured communities studied in the Western Cape's and Eastern Cape's metropoles (see Anthonissen and George 2003; Farmer 2009; Fortuin 2009). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie sosiolinguistiese studie ondersoek geselekteerde aspekte van die talige gedrag van 'n landelike taalgemeenskap in Suid Afrika. Die algemene doelstellings van die studie is eerstens, om vas te stel of die "bruin" gemeenskap in die histories Afrikaanse dorp Beaufort- Wes steeds hoofsaaklik Afrikaans is, tweedens, of daar aanduidings is van taalverskuiwing, spesifiek een wat neig na 'n toenemende gebruik van Engels, soos gevind is in ander histories Afrikaanse gemeenskappe na die regeringsverandering in1994, en derdens, wat die aard van so 'n taalverskuiwing sou wees. 'n Oorsig word gegee oor beduidende aspekte van die sosiale en politieke geskiedenis van Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, en meer spesifiek van Beaufort-Wes, om die huidige en voormalige taalsituasie soos dit in hierdie studie aan die orde kom, te kontekstualiseer. Geskiedkundige verslae wys daarop dat die dorp eers die naam Hooyvlakte gehad het voor dit verander is na Beaufort-Wes. Hooyvlakte is tans die naam van een van die dorp se woonbuurte waar 'n gedeelte van Beaufort-Wes se "bruin" gemeenskap woonagtig is. In hierdie studie benoem "Hooyvlakte" die "bruin" gemeenskap van die hele dorp. Dit is in húlle wat hierdie tesis geïnteresseerd is. Die studie is hoofsaaklik kwalitatief van aard. Die respondente was 184 lede van die Hooyvlakte gemeenskap, en deelnemers het individue van beide geslagte tussen die ouderdomme van 16 en 87 jaar ingesluit. Die enigste vereiste vir deelname aan die studie was dat informante reeds 15 jaar in Beaufort-Wes woonagtig moes wees. Elke informant het 'n vraelys voltooi op grond waarvan sy/haar taalvaardigheid, taalgebruik en taalvoorkeur vasgestel kon word. Die vraelys het ook die informante geleentheid gegee om hul mening te lug oor die waarde en gebruik van veeltaligheid in hul gemeenskap. Die bevindinge van die studie toon aan dat die Hooyvlakte gemeenskap steeds hoofsaaklik Afrikaans is. Daar is egter 'n toename in hul kennis en gebruik van Engels, en ten spyte van moontlike beperkinge in hul Engelse taalvaardigheid wat formele toetse sou kon uitwys, beskou deelnemers hulself steeds as gebalanseerde tweetalige sprekers van Afrikaans en Engels. Hierdie siening hou verband met 'n verskuiwing in talige identiteit, van 'n oorwegend eksklusiewe (meestal gestigmatiseerde) Afrikaanse identiteit na 'n (grootliks trotse) Afrikaans en Engels tweetalige identiteit. Die gestigmatiseerde Bruin en Afrikaanse identiteite blyk neweprodukte te wees van die (etniese en kulturele) klassifiseringsgebruike uit die vorige Suid-Afrikaanse sosio-politiese bestel. Stigma, enersyds, en uitsluiting, andersyds, het 'n begeerte in die Hooyvlakte gemeenskap laat ontstaan, om te assosieer met 'n ander taal benewens Afrikaans. Hierdie verskuiwing na 'n tweetalige Afrikaans-Engelse identiteit kontrasteer met die verskuiwing van hoofsaaklik Afrikaanse taalidentiteit na feitlik uitsluitlik eentalig Engelse identiteit, wat onlangs in "bruin" gemeenskappe elders waargeneem en opgeteken is (vgl. Anthonissen en George 2003; Farmer 2009; Fortuin 2009).