In my thesis I wish to illustrate the ability of architecture to provide restitution, inclusion and identity. In Botswana, Basarwa have been forcefully evicted from their ancestral land to facilitate diamond mining by the government. In addition to this, within other Southern African countries, Basarwa have experienced varying degrees of similar circumstances. This has resulted in Basarwa experiencing widespread exclusion, loss of culture and dispossession. The aim of this project is not to solve this issue but to create a platform to work towards improving the current state of Basarwa. The aim is to explore the notion of a cultural think-tank; an advocacy center where Basarwa from all over southern Africa can congregate and advocate for the various issues affecting them, where information and archives can be accessed and cultural performances can occur. This is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The site is in Botswana at the heart of the admin-istrative center and has been selected as a subversive form of restitution. This thesis investigates the types of dispossessions that Basarwa have experienced the resulting effects of exclusion, and the experiences of Basarwa in the Southern African context. Cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism are explored as vehicles of change that could help achieve the goal. Furthermore as a means of restitution and identity build-ing, mythological cosmology and design have been investigated as they are the essential elements in the formation of identity and a source of pride and esteem for Basarwa. By creating a building where advocacy for the plight of Basarwa can occur, which celebrates the mythological cosmology, design heritage and cultural practices of Basarwa, the aim is to achieve restitution, inclusion and identity.

ABSTRACT Study Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore what it means to have HIV/AIDS in Gaborone, Botswana. The study describes the demographic and socioeconomic circumstances of the participants. It also elicits and explores the experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS in Gaborone, Botswana. Methods Interviewees were purposely selected from a hospice, an NGO and a church that ministers to PLWHA. In depth interviews were conducted and recorded by audiotape. The interviews were conducted in Setswana and the interviewees responded to a statement, which essentially was, “Tell me about your life since you knew you had HIV/AIDS”. The audio recordings were transcribed into English. Care was taken to carry the Setswana way of speaking directly into English. A thematic analysis of the transcripts was made. A modified cut and paste method was used to gather the information into its various themes. Results There were 15 interviewees. Their average age was 35.3 years and on average, they had 1.6 children each. They were unemployed. The interviewees described a wide range of experiences, which were not necessarily experienced by all. Their narratives described the physical symptoms they suffered. They described stigma and discrimination that they went through. They gave accounts of psychological and emotional turmoil. Psychiatric problems were cited. They were very concerned that they could no longer support their children. They also worried about what would happen to their children when they died. As their disease progressed, they lost their jobs and were reduced to poverty. They could no longer support themselves and their dependents. They depended on relatives, friends, NGOs and government for relief. Relief from friends and relatives was often not available. They suffered hunger, as they could not satisfy their increased appetites after they started ARV drug therapy. Their relationships were disrupted when they got ill. Spouses and friends left and some relatives and friends stigmatised them. Interviewees were taken care of by relatives, friends, health professionals, NGOs, and social workers. In all these categories, there were good and bad care givers except the hospice and church, which were reported as good caregivers. Caregiver fatigue was described. Some interviewees found comfort in God. They believed that He knows what they are going through and will take care of them. The interviewees also found comfort and healing from the companionship of other PLWHA. The interviewees wanted to find jobs and work so that they could support themselves and their dependents. They wished government would train them and find them jobs. Conclusion The study confirmed the psycho-emotional problems and concern for children felt by PLWHA, that the literature revealed. It showed the physical problems they also suffer. The study revealed that interviewees lost jobs and became destitute. They could not satisfy their increased appetites after they started ARV drug therapy. Interviewees’ relationships were disrupted when they got ill. Spouses and friends left and some relatives did not treat them well. There were good and bad care givers in different categories. The African custom of botho/ubuntu seems to be succumbing to the onslaught of HIV/AIDS. The study showed that interviewees found comfort and support from family, friends, NGO’s and the church. They found God and other PLWHA especially valuable support systems. It was encouraging to notice that some interviewees felt that with time, stigmatisation of PLWHA is gradually subsiding.

This study focuses on the induction of novice teachers in Community Junior Secondary Schools (CJSS) in Gaborone, Botswana. The point of departure is that induction is an important factor that is essential to the success of every beginner teacher. It is the responsibility of the school management to provide comprehensive induction programmes that will support beginner teachers and retain them in the teaching profession. This problem was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. A small sample of beginner teachers in six selected schools in Gaborone formed the sample for this study. Findings indicated that the extent to which novice teachers are given professional guidance and support in schools is not enough. It is recommended that induction programmes receive more priority in schools since the first year of teaching is the most important determiner in the teaching career of an individual. / Education management / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study focuses on the induction of novice teachers in Community Junior Secondary Schools (CJSS) in Gaborone, Botswana. The point of departure is that induction is an important factor that is essential to the success of every beginner teacher. It is the responsibility of the school management to provide comprehensive induction programmes that will support beginner teachers and retain them in the teaching profession. This problem was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation using a qualitative approach. A small sample of beginner teachers in six selected schools in Gaborone formed the sample for this study. Findings indicated that the extent to which novice teachers are given professional guidance and support in schools is not enough. It is recommended that induction programmes receive more priority in schools since the first year of teaching is the most important determiner in the teaching career of an individual. / Education management / M.Ed. (Education Management)

Life in urban Africa is often mired in crisis, thus researchers and practitioners usually pay attention to the multiple urban development challenges and sometimes interpret the activities and actions of urban dwellers as their means to survive in these cities. Urban food security research has remerged in recent years as a major development agenda in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially following the food price crisis of 2007/08, which translated into violent protest in many African cities. There is increased recognition that the issue of urban food insecurity encompasses more than just an availability crisis, yet there is limited attention paid to the multiscalar and multifaceted political-economic, social-cultural and environmental factors that drive food insecurity in cities. This research examines the multifaceted factors that shape food insecurity among urban dwellers in Gaborone, Botswana, by assessing household food access and choice/consumption patterns. Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, like many African cities, has experienced rapid urban growth since independence, however, with low subsistence agricultural production, Botswana depends largely on South Africa for food imports. Using in-depth analysis and research techniques, including participant observation, food diaries and discussions with 40 households, this study examines urban dwellers’ complex food experiences. The data from Gaborone show that changing urban food system, food prices, income status and people’s lifestyle influences urban residents’ ability to access appropriate foods. The research highlights the poor quality of urban diets in Gaborone among the survey population. The high consumption recorded of processed foods; sugars and oils are major contributory factors to the so-called ‘double burden’ of disease, where food insecurity and malnutrition coexist with obesity, a situation that is increasingly prevalent in low-income societies. Drawing on an easy-to-use analytical tool, the Household Dietary Diversity Score, while combining it with a political ecology approach to provide more contexts, this study highlights the political-economic, socio-cultural and ecological factors that drive urban dietary diversity. The research, therefore, contributes to the methodological debate around measures of food access, while providing empirical details on the case of urban food insecurity in Botswana. Further inquiries on the factors influencing people’s food choices and consumption patterns reveals that multiple interacting factors, including cost, convenience, commercials, culture and class influence the decision around which foodstuff households consume and that food consumption patterns within Gaborone are fluid, dynamic and hybridized. Thus, food consumption in SSA matters in its own right and by illustrating that consumption patterns in Gaborone are heterogeneous and fluid this research helps us better understand and contest the idea that globally food consumption patterns are becoming increasingly homogeneous and predictable. By providing a conceptually holistic and methodologically in-depth assessment of food experiences in Gaborone, this research calls for increased attention towards urban dwellers' agency and the complexity, dynamism and hybridity of urban processes in SSA cities / The International Development Research Centre (IDRC); International Foundation for Science (IFS) (Sweden) and The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

This study examines the construction of crime reality by The Voice and The Midweek Sun newspapers by means of a content analysis and involved the exploration of violent crime news reporting, measured against police statistics. The two publications, The Midweek Sun, and The Voice newspapers, were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed to identify the types of violent crimes reported and to determine any differences they may have compared to the Botswana Police crime records, between themselves, and on how they framed or depicted violent crimes. The results were collected using a coding sheet, new story analysis form and analysed against official police records to determine any inconsistencies that may have existed between the crimes covered by two newspapers and police statistics. The qualitative analysis involved a coding sheet to identify lexical features and rhetorical devices in the headlines. The lexical units included compound words and fuzzy words. The rhetorical elements scrutinised included metaphors, alliteration, rhyme, puns, and idioms. The research analysed the news headlines. The study will assist in shedding light on the accuracy of crime news reporting, levels of sensationalism, overreporting or underreporting of violent crimes. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)