A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree coursework of Master of Recreation and Tourism in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Zululand, 1998. / Heritage tourism is gaining widespread acceptance as a special-interest tourist attraction and as part of overall tourism planning. The tourism industry is discovering how the planned integration of historic, cultural and natural resources can help sustain local economics and contribute to a greater appreciation of each unique heritage. Heritage tourism is emerging as one of the most promising areas of economic development. Recent studies show that the single greatest motivator for travel in the 1990 is to understand culture. What has become known as 'heritage' attraction here is based on the history of the region, the buildings, historic monuments as well as traditional events and cultural performances. This study examines how the areas of Mpanza Valley and Ngome near Greytown, affected by the Bhambatha Rebellion of 1906, can develop heritage tourism. It also investigates how local communities can meaningfully participate in, and benefit from this unique feature of their culture. In order to put the investigation in perspective, the study briefly traces the events of the Bhambatha Rebellion and highlights important factors in heritage tourism planning and management. An investigative approach to the study was adopted. Six workshops and meetings were held with the Bhambatha Commemoration Committee. Other interviewees included officials from the Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism, the Greytown Museum as well as the Directorate for Arts, Culture Museums and Youth Affairs. Findings of the study indicate that local communities, government departments and agencies are already making attempts at tourism development within the region. In conclusion, the study found that there was a significant opportunity for tourism development and that the study area has the potential to attract local as well as overseas tourists.

<p>A qualitative study was carried out to assess the role of traditional healers in oral health care in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, South Africa. The aim and objectives of the study were to assess the oral care knowledge and practices among traditional healers, to determine the extent to which traditional healers can diagnose oral conditions and how they could be used in the provision of primary health care and prevention of the spread of HIV infection. Another objective was to use the information collected to serve as a guide for collaborative oral disease prevention programme development.</p> <p><br /> Three categories of traditional healers were identified in the sample: Isangomas, Nyangas and Umthandezelis. The average age of the sample was 45 years and the majority was female. Most healers were in training for between eight months and ten years. All traditional healers reported seeing patients with oral diseases and 93% reported that they referred patients elsewhere for additional help. All healers treated their patients with natural remedies. Seventy three per cent of the sample reported that they treated patients with HIV/AIDS. Less than 30% of the sample knew that AIDS was caused by a virus and 47% reported being &lsquo / told&rsquo / by the ancestors whether an oral disease was HIV/AIDS.</p> <p><br /> In this study traditional healers were shown a series of ten photographs of common oral diseases and oral HIV lesions and asked to identify as many lesions as possible. Following basic training and education about the causes and diagnostic features of the lesions, 100% of traditional healers were then able to identify aphthous ulcers, 80% Kaposi's sarcoma and 73% could recognize cancer of the tongue. These results showed that given proper education, traditional healers could play an important role in early detection of not only the common oral diseases but also the oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS. In addition, most traditional healers are skilled in interpersonal relations and if provided with the correct information they could be very effective as AIDS councilors.</p> <p><br /> The traditional healers demonstrated good knowledge of the transmission, risk groups and prevention strategies for HIV/AIDS and they could serve as an important resource of information and should be incorporated in community based AIDS prevention and other programmes.</p>

MSc (Med) Population-Based Field Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / Background: Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the global HIV epidemic, with the epicentre located in Southern Africa. Of all the adult and children living with HIV globally in 2006, two-thirds (63%) were in sub-Saharan Africa.1 The epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa is located in the KwaZulu Natal province, where HIV incidence and prevalence continue to remain high and this has serious implications for HIV prevention and control programmes. Objectives i. To profile individuals who sero-converted during the period 2003-2007 in order to better target interventions. ii. To estimate the incidence rate for HIV during the period 2003 to 2007. iii. To identify factors associated with HIV infection at individual and household levels in Kwazulu-Natal. Methods This involved analysis data of a dynamic cohort study. The follow-up period was 2003-2007, and the study was a household-based HIV sero-prevalence survey of a population in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, conducted by the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies. The cohort comprised females aged 15 to 49 and males 15 to 54 years who participated in the baseline HIV sero-prevalence survey in 2003 and/ or subsequent surveys in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Individuals who participated in at least two surveys and had a negative HIV result on first enrolment were included in the analysis. Selected demographic, socio-economic, behavioural and geographic variables of the participants were obtained from the demographic surveillance system (DSS) database of the Africa Centre Demographic and Information System (ACDIS) for analysis. Profiles of recently HIV sero-converters were based on these variables and descriptive statistics used to compare the differences in sero-conversion between the different strata of each variable. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association between variables of key interest. Results A total of 39, 738 individuals were surveyed for the four annual sero-prevalence surveys conducted from 2003-2007. Of these, 41.5% (n=16,491) were HIV negative on their first enrolment into the study, 11.6% (n=4610) were HIV positive on first enrolment, while 46.9% (n=18,637) had either participated in just one out of the four surveys, or were non-resident at baseline. These two categories of participants as well as those who tested HIV positive on first enrolment were dropped from the analysis. The final sample size used for analysis was 16,491 individuals and comprised 8,425(51.1%) females aged 15-49 years old and 8,066 (48.9%) males aged 15-54 years old. The incidence rate for HIV sero-conversion among the 16, 491 individuals included in the final analysis was 11.5 per 1000PYs during the follow-up period. In other words, 539 individuals sero-converted during 46818.15 person-years (PYs) at risk from 2003-2007. A significant proportion of the new HIV acquisitions (69.8%) occurred in households without any recently or previously infected household member, and women had a significantly greater risk of HIV infection(IR= 16.9 per 1000PYs; 95% CI: 15.33-18.640) compared to men(IR=5.9; 95% CI: 4.95-6.94) in this study area. Conclusion The younger age bracket (24-30 years old) was associated with significantly higher risk of HIV infection compared to the older age category. However, the age group 20-24 years bears the greatest burden of HIV pandemic in this community. Majority of seroconverters were rural dwellers but peri-urban dwellers had the greatest risk of HIV acquisition. The study also showed that attendance of a school or a training facility on a full-time basis during the follow-up period was protective for HIV acquisition compared. Also, attainment of standard 10 to 12 level of education was associated with a greater risk of HIV seroconversion. This can be attributed to the age of individuals at these levels of education and the associated high risk profile of this group. Living in close proximity to primary or secondary roads was also associated with a risk of HIV infection compared to those living far from major roads. This could be due to the ease of mobility and potential exposure multiple sex partners. This may be due to a desire for modern social amenities which requires financial wherewithal, which in turn facilitates transactional sex.

<p>A qualitative study was carried out to assess the role of traditional healers in oral health care in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, South Africa. The aim and objectives of the study were to assess the oral care knowledge and practices among traditional healers, to determine the extent to which traditional healers can diagnose oral conditions and how they could be used in the provision of primary health care and prevention of the spread of HIV infection. Another objective was to use the information collected to serve as a guide for collaborative oral disease prevention programme development.</p> <p><br /> Three categories of traditional healers were identified in the sample: Isangomas, Nyangas and Umthandezelis. The average age of the sample was 45 years and the majority was female. Most healers were in training for between eight months and ten years. All traditional healers reported seeing patients with oral diseases and 93% reported that they referred patients elsewhere for additional help. All healers treated their patients with natural remedies. Seventy three per cent of the sample reported that they treated patients with HIV/AIDS. Less than 30% of the sample knew that AIDS was caused by a virus and 47% reported being &lsquo / told&rsquo / by the ancestors whether an oral disease was HIV/AIDS.</p> <p><br /> In this study traditional healers were shown a series of ten photographs of common oral diseases and oral HIV lesions and asked to identify as many lesions as possible. Following basic training and education about the causes and diagnostic features of the lesions, 100% of traditional healers were then able to identify aphthous ulcers, 80% Kaposi's sarcoma and 73% could recognize cancer of the tongue. These results showed that given proper education, traditional healers could play an important role in early detection of not only the common oral diseases but also the oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS. In addition, most traditional healers are skilled in interpersonal relations and if provided with the correct information they could be very effective as AIDS councilors.</p> <p><br /> The traditional healers demonstrated good knowledge of the transmission, risk groups and prevention strategies for HIV/AIDS and they could serve as an important resource of information and should be incorporated in community based AIDS prevention and other programmes.</p>

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / A qualitative study was carried out to assess the role of traditional healers in oral health care in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, South Africa. The aim and objectives of the study were to assess the oral care knowledge and practices among traditional healers, to determine the extent to which traditional healers can diagnose oral conditions and how they could be used in the provision of primary health care and prevention of the spread of HIV infection. Another objective was to use the information collected to serve as a guide for collaborative oral disease prevention programme development.Three categories of traditional healers were identified in the sample: Isangomas, Nyangas and Umthandezelis. The average age of the sample was 45 years and the majority was female. Most healers were in training for between eight months and ten years. All traditional healers reported seeing patients with oral diseases and 93% reported that they referred patients elsewhere for additional help. All healers treated their patients with natural remedies. Seventy three per cent of the sample reported that they treated patients with HIV/AIDS. Less than 30% of the sample knew that AIDS was caused by a virus and 47% reported being &lsquo;told&rsquo; by the ancestors whether an oral disease was HIV/AIDS.In this study traditional healers were shown a series of ten photographs of common oral diseases and oral HIV lesions and asked to identify as many lesions as possible. Following basic training and education about the causes and diagnostic features of the lesions, 100% of traditional healers were then able to identify aphthous ulcers, 80% Kaposi's sarcoma and 73% could recognize cancer of the tongue. These results showed that given proper education, traditional healers could play an important role in early detection of not only the common oral diseases but also the oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS. In addition, most traditional healers are skilled in interpersonal relations and if provided with the correct information they could be very effective as AIDS councilors.The traditional healers demonstrated good knowledge of the transmission, risk groups and prevention strategies for HIV/AIDS and they could serve as an important resource of information and should be incorporated in community based AIDS prevention and other programmes. / South Africa

A dissertation of limited scope submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial of the requirements for course-work Master of Arts degree in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1998. / After the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, South Africa was heartily welcomed into the family of nations of the world. Likewise, South Africa should extend a warm welcome to peoples of the world to its shores. South Africa must take full advantage of its political popularity under the democratically elected government. Besides, South Africa has an abundance of natural resources and is rich in history because of its racial diversity. The cultures of its indigenous people of South Africa can make this region one of the most sought after tourist destinations of the world. Tourism, like all other industries in this country, has been badly affected by sanctions, violence, crime and internal political conflict. Furthermore, the media has created a turbulent atmosphere through its exaggeration of incidents that are common to all countries of the world. These have dissuaded thousands of people who would otherwise have chosen to visit South Africa especially the Black townships and rural areas. Tourism has, unfortunately, received little attention, from both the previous and the present governments compared to other industries. A number of projects and programmes have been directed at alleviating problems of Black communities with the ultimate aim of improving their standard of living. In most cases, these programmes have failed to achieve this objective. Instead, in tourism, it is the wealthy hoteliers who have been beneficiaries and not the target population. South Africa has engaged in a number of tourism forms with the objective of including and involving Blacks such that they benefit from tourism development. Presently very few Blacks have been properly involved in tourism in a positive way. This study focuses on establishing a Tourist Information Centre in Umlazi that will provide information concerning tourism that may be required by potential tourists. Tourism needs much more than providing information to tourists, it also needs that the infrastructure available should be of a suitable standard. The development of such infrastructure in Umlazi and neighbouring townships has lagged behind in the past because of the policies that were in operation. Tourist Information Centres will help develop a high level of awareness of the potential benefits available in Umlazi Township for both the tourists and the host communities. It has been found from the tourism workshop held in May 1998 to orientate the people of Umlazi in tourism. that tourism awareness campaign seems to be the only criterion that can be used to answer all the questions and challenges pertaining to tourism industry. The survey conducted re-iterated the need for tourism education and, also revealed that the majority of Umlazi community would love to see a Tourist Information Centre materialising. The opinion survey showed that the support from the community cannot be doubted.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, May 2016. / Globally, urban areas are the fastest growing land cover with significant numbers of people residing within these urban spaces. The continuous growth and expansion of urban settlements continue to exert unprecedented negative pressure on the natural environment, and green spaces are increasingly disappearing. In most intermediate and secondary cities of developing countries, loss of urban green spaces is partly due to the knowledge gap in urban planning as well as the lack of comprehensive assessment of the challenges and factors contributing to the deteriorations of urban spaces in these cities. In any given urban environment, green spaces of all types are acknowledged for creating valuable economic, social and environmental services. Urban green spaces are fast becoming means to sustainable development due to their extensive multifunctional roles and benefits to different users. This research focusses on critically assessing the relationship that exists between urban greenness and sustainable development in the city of UMhlathuze, KZN, South Africa. It also explores how urban greening is increasingly tied to urban planning and the challenges that urban greening faces in the context of rapidly increasing urbanisation. Results of this study show that there is increasing need to improve green spaces especially for low income groups who cannot afford to travel out of town to experience natural environments. Urban development therefore calls for stakeholders to follow the principles of sustainable development with reference to ecological systems in urban areas, including community green spaces, gardens, biodiversity, native species and urban green infrastructure. If urban greening is properly planned and integrated into urban development and planning policies, it can brings economic, social and environmental benefits to developing world cities. / GR 2016

Today’s world is a fast developing world, with the transportation sector being one of the fastest developing sectors (Goldschagg, 2007). Through technologies such as an aircraft, one is able to travel across the globe in shorter periods of time. Unfortunately such progress often comes with environmental hazards; one such hazard being environmental noise (Stansfeld et al., 2005). However there has been little attention given to the effects of environmental noise, with much research focusing on aspects such as lead and air pollution on people’s wellbeing (Stansfeld et al., 2005). Yet environmental noise particularly aircraft noise is increasingly becoming an inevitable part of people’s world and has consequences on health, cognitive development and overall quality of life. Consequently this study investigates the impact of aircraft noise on a crucial component of learning (Reading Comprehension). Primary school learners in KwaZulu- Natal (N=834) scores on a test measuring Reading Comprehension (Suffolk Reading Scale2) were compared across a control group and an experimental group. Furthermore because Reading Comprehension involves language acquisition, in addition to investigating the impact of aircraft noise the impact of having English as an additional language on Reading Comprehension was also investigated. Learning in South Africa is predominantly facilitated in English while South Africa has eleven official languages with nine of them being indigenous languages. English for many learners may only be a second or even third language. Significant results were observed for both aircraft noise and language on reading comprehension as well as an interaction effect.

The forests of Hluhluwe Nature Reserve, Kwa Zulu-Natal, were examined to determine composition, grain, classification, dynamics and conservation value. Field sampling took the form of recording DBH for all species in twenty-one 0.04 ha circular plots, walking 5-metre wide transects in mature and marginal forest to record size-classes and analysis of twenty gaps. Data were analysed by the multivariate programs, TWINSPAN and CANOCO. The composition of the canopy and subcanopy is distinct. Four canopy and two subcanopy communities can be detected. Community succession in the mature forest takes the form of almost random replacement of canopy trees through two subcanopy communities. Size-class distributions indicate a prevalence of shade-intolerant species. This forest is deemed to be coarse-grained and can be classified as coastal scarp forest. Comparisons with other forests shows Hluhluwe to have slightly above average species richness. A removal of anthropogenic disturbance by the creation of the reserve may have resulted in present forest canopy structure. Management for conservation of species diversity should encourage disturbance. There is potential for harvesting of certain shadetolerant species by local communities. This forest is a pristine fragment of a rapidly diminishing vegetation type and efforts should be made to conserve its entire expanse, within Hluhluwe Nature Reserve, in order to prevent species loss.

<p>This study focused on participatory governance in the form of involvement of communities and community organisation in matters of local government in general, and citizens participation in the local budget process in particular. The study therefore aimed to assess the theoretical and policy framework for citizens participation in South Africa / and evaluated the perceptions of councillors and civics and ratepayer organisations on participation in the local budget process at the eThekwini Municipality.</p>