This minor-dissertation established the long-term (July 2002 to June 2006) as well as present day (July 2005 to June 2006) water quality conditions of the Hex River and its tributaries the Dorp-, Paardekraal- , Klipgat- and Klipfontein Spruit, upstream of the Bospoort Dam. The Hex River is situated in the North-West Province, in close proximity of the town Rustenburg. The Hex River falls within the associated Hex River catchment. Various anthropogenic activities impact negatively on the water quality of the Hex River. These impacts include agriculture, livestock production, industrial effluent, mining activities, and processing as well as residential impacts including treated and untreated sewage from the town of Rustenburg as well as informal settlements in the Hex River catchment. The various land uses for the Hex River include domestic use by informal settlements in the area, including mining concessions, livestock watering as well as irrigation and the aquatic environment of the Hex River catchment and the receiving water body the Bospoort Dam. The Hex River, therefore, not only has a effect on the environment but also on the social and economic aspects in the region. Owing to the severity of these impacts it was deemed necessary to determine the long-term water quality trends of the Hex River as well as the prevailing water quality conditions. The primary tributaries of the Hex River were included in the study to determine the source of possible pollution influx. In order to achieve the aim of the study a literature review was conducted on chemical, physical and biological water quality as well as legislative requirements controlling water quality management. A proper understanding of the various impacts as well as land uses in the area is essential in demarcating possible pollution sources. The assessment of the long-term water quality data was conducted to determine the historical water quality trends of the Hex River and associated tributaries and the deterioration in water quality over a four year period. The most recent water quality data were compared against the Target Water Quality Guideline Ranges (DWAF, 1996) for domestic use, irrigation, livestock watering as well as aquatic ecosystems. The long-term water quality trends showed a significant mine water, industrial effluent and sewage impact on the Hex River after the confluence with the tributaries. The assessment of the current water quality situation indicated non-compliance towards the Target Water Quality Guideline Ranges (TWQGR) as stipulated by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF, 1996a-d), rendering the water unfit for domestic use, irrigation and livestock watering. The sources feeding the tributaries iii contain water of inferior quality with a direct associated environmental risk. However, at present the risk potential is contained in the system but with a specific environmental event, such as high rainfall over a short period of time, could be released with a significant environmental impact and decrease in aquatic biodiversity. / Dr. J.M. Meeuwis

A research project submitted at the University of the Witwatersrand, Department of Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, in fulfilment of the Master of Arts (Research) Degree. / South Africa’s countryside’s are rich in ‘new’ high-demand metal and energy minerals, like platinum and uranium, as well as vast, untapped reserves of industrial staples, above all coal. Yet, these are also characterised by deep rural poverty and legally insecure systems of ‘customary’ tenure, under the local administrative control of traditional authorities. Here, new mining activity is setting in motion significant processes dispossession and Immiseration that are at once tracing, reconfiguring and widening the class, gender and other social divisions that define these rural settings. Communal land is frequently alienated with little or no compensation, local residents forcibly removed to make way for surface infrastructure, and scarce water and other natural resources polluted and depleted. At the same time political tensions are arising from the assumption that local chiefs are ‘custodians’ of the mineral-rich land under their jurisdiction. Questions of land, livelihood and rural democracy are thus intimately bound together on the new frontiers of the regional extractives boom in ways that are having profound implications for growing numbers of the rural poor. Using a case study of the Bapo ba Mogale traditional Authority in the North West Province, South Africa, this thesis seeks to explore how these new mining activities are shaping and reconfiguring the heightened political contestations over the institution of traditional leadership in the area, the definitions of community and belonging/exclusion, and the struggles over land ownership and how mining capital is shaping these struggles and is connected with these struggles / EM2017

Thesis (DTech. in Managerial Accounting and Finance) / Optimum performance in the South African public service is paramount to eradicate the backlog in social services. The South African government introduced financial management reforms to address this challenge. There is, however, still instances of poor financial management and performance, but managers do not seem to be held accountable for these under performances. This study aimed to define financial performance in the South African public service and in particular the financial performance expected of line managers.

This study sought to empirically investigate operational effectiveness in the central region of the North West Department of Education following the extensive restructuring exercise initiated in 1999. It further sought to determine the impact on schools, and the level of support offered by the corporate centre to the region as it implemented the restructuring blueprint The literature survey covers theories of organisational restructuring as well as the research findings on this aspect in the private and public sectors in both developed and developing countries. The data was collected using the survey method. The subjects of the empirical investigation were 71 randomly selected managers in different management categories at all levels within the region. A pre-tested questionnaire was employed to analyse post restructuring operational effectiveness on four criteria Corporate support during restructuring and managerial response to the challenges posed by restructuring were also assessed. The empirical investigation found that restructuring had no positive impact on the effectiveness of operational units in the region. It was further found that the levels of support schools received was adversely affected by lack of a proper post-restructuring monitoring and support plan from the corporate centre. Implementation of the department's strategic priorities was also found to be ineffective as a result. The study recommends that for restructuring exercises to be successful, support from the corporate centre is crucial, and that restructuring organisations should undertake regular impact assessments of the process. Finally, it is recommended that people, not technical procedures, get priority if the restructuring effort is to have any chance of success at all. / MBA (General Management) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

The focal point on this research project is restructuring which is intended at producing an efficient public service capable of meeting developmental and socio economic challenges facing the National Department of Public Works in the North West Province. The problem facing the department is that the department's operational plans could not be met due to high vacancies within the management/supervisory levels. One other problem that related to restructuring was that there was no clear description of what the department's strategic vision and plans were. Qualitative method was identified as the most suitable method for this research. The data was collected by means of questionnaires given to both senior and junior managers. A sample of 71 respondents randomly selected from a population of 182 employees. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted in order to get the perception of how people think about restructuring. The aim was to collect information from both senior managers and lower levels. The findings from the collected data is that employees do not understand the business processes in order to gain confidence in what the Department wants to achieve. The expectation from employees was that Human Resource division will develop an HR plan which will accommodate employees with lower qualifications, current and past experience expertise in the relevant fields of work. This emphasizes the need for more engagement between management and staff. Some of recommendations are:- • Information technology infrastructure must fully support new processes thereby enabling the achievement of departmental objectives. • Restructuring must create a conducive environment which encourages or facilitates effective utilization of resources. • Policies to be clear and applied uniformly • The department must consider the constitutional obligation to transform the Public Service to ensure the delivery of quality service in accordance with the mandate of a better life for all. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

M.Sc.

M.Comm. / This dissertation examines the role of land reforms in the alleviation of rural poverty. A three-pronged approach is adopted in the background study process. This includes a review of the South African land reform programme, a review of international experiences in land reforms, and finally, a focused study of the Uitkyk community of the North West Province. Chapter 1 lays the framework for the study and ends up with the fundamentals of the South African land reform programme. Chapter 2 examines experiences in land reforms in three other countries namely, Brazil, China and Zimbabwe. Based on the comparability of these countries to South Africa in various respects, lessons are drawn from their experiences for South Africa. Chapter 3 traces the origin and evolution of the land question among the Uitkyk community and their subsequent quest for restitution. Chapter four presents empirical evidence from a field survey, with subsequent analysis thereof. Finally, Chapter 5 summarises the lessons drawn from the Uitkyk and South African experience and the international experience. It also offers some tentative recommendations for the South African land reform programme. Two fundamental approaches to land reforms are recognised in this dissertation. These include the government-assisted approach and the market based approach. It is difficult to find any pure form of either approaches anywhere on a national scale. However, at different time periods, countries may tend to prefer one approach over the other. After the 2005 National Land Summit, there is growing , momentum for South Africa to switch from a predominantly market-based· approach to a more government-assisted programme. For a land reform programme to be effective, it must go beyond changes in access to resources to actual economic development. Such development is indicated by changes in income, employment, nutrition and education. The evidence from this dissertation suggests that within the Uitkyk community, land reforms may so far have resulted in change in access to land, but not so much in economic development. To advance the goals of land reform, South Africa will have to carefully consider the tradeoffs between two seemingly conflicting goals of land reform, namely, efficiency and equity, Both community and individual beneficiaries of land grants must also take greater responsibility in translating the change in land access to more wealth and better living conditions.

This research project is undertaken in order to investigate into the situation of principal-teachers who are both principal and teacher in multi-graded classrooms in farm schools. Possible solutions to the problem are to be found after establishing how principal-teachers construct meaning of their daily working lives. Although it is true that the frustrations and problems of principal-teachers in farm schools are unique and diverse, an attempt is made in this research project to alert the stakeholders to the need of physical and human resources as well as a staffing model for farm schools. The literature review indicates that there are gaps in the provision of farm schooling. There are also suggestions for possible means of overcoming these problems. The one with the challenging task is the principal-teacher who has to be trained for the “super”-work that he or she has to face on a daily basis. The contribution of other social partners or stakeholders is also of great importance. The conditions under which the farm school children live at home should be monitored by the Department of Health to help bring about improvements which will enhance the learning ability of the child at school. / Dr. M.C. van Loggerenberg

This research was conducted in an effort to investigate the impact of redeployment on the work life of the educator in the Bojanala East Region. The continued placing of educators from one school to the other prompted this study. The research concentrated on schools in the Bojanala East Region. A quantitative research methodology was used to elicit the perceptions of educators with regard to the impact redeployment has on the work life of the educator. The project is divided into five chapters. In chapter one an overview and orientation of the study was given. The problem statement was demarcated. The aims relating to the above mentioned problems were explained. The research methodologies utilised a literature study and a complementary empirical investigation. Concepts were also clarified to enhance understanding. Chapter two concentrated on the literature review to establish what other theorists say about the impact of redeployment on the work life of the educator. In chapter three the design of the research instrument was discussed. The structured questionnaire consisting of biographical data and 19 items were discussed. The theoretical constructs around which redeployment revolved were tabulated. A wide range of educators across all post levels in the Bojanala East Region was sampled. Biographical data was requested from respondents since it was believed that these aspects could be related to educator redeployment and could influence educator perceptions. An analysis and interpretation of some of the empirical data were undertaken in chapter four. Two successive factor analysis on the research instrument produced two factors: • Effective implementation of the redeployment process consisting of 12 items with a Cronbach-Alpha reliability of 0,720. • Effective communication consisting of 7 items with a Cronbach-Alpha reliability of 0,629. Hypotheses were set and univariate statistics were used to analyse and interpret data. Important findings and recommendations were explicated in chapter five. / Prof. C.F. Loock

Computers are increasingly used worldwide in teaching and learning. The education system in South Africa also calls for the use of technology in teaching and learning as one of the critical cross-field outcomes of outcomes based education (OBE). In order to achieve this goal, the hypermedia-based learning environment, including Web-based learning, needs to be explored, especially since not many studies locally have focused on this topic. Although many schools already provide education in Information Technology, not all learners are adept at navigating the Web. This study focused on information overload and disorientation on the Web. The purpose of the study was to explore Web-based learning and to develop strategies to enable learners to overcome impeding factors while constructing and representing knowledge in a hypermedia-based learning environment. This, being a new approach to and method of learning interaction that employs hypermediabased learning strategies, encapsulates the integration of technology in education at secondary school level. The literature study was based on the design experiment method, which embraced a qualitative research approach, both descriptive and explorative, and was found to be appropriate for the purposes of this study. The data gathering methods relevant to establishing how e-literacy can assist in reducing information overload in a hypermedia environment were individual interviews, focus group interviews, observation and open-ended questions. The participants were grade 10 learners from a secondary school in the North West Province and their Information Technology teacher. A conceptual framework of the learning programme was created in order to integrate the guiding principles for the design process. The framework outlines how the design process was carried out based on teaching and learning theories, and using a constructivist approach in an attempt to reduce information overload and disorientation while using ICT tools. xvi The content of the learning programme focused on the Cricket World Cup 2003, in the learning area of Life Orientation. Learners were to learn navigation strategies for effective and meaningful learning on the Web, with the help of guided interactive tasks in order to avoid information overload and learner disorientation in hyperspace. The effectiveness of the strategies was also evaluated. The learners’ experiences and feelings about, and perspectives on participating in the hypermedia-based learning programme were investigated. The results indicated that the learning programme – aimed at providing learners with adequate knowledge and skills for navigating in the Web – promoted motivation and enabled learners to successfully construct and represent knowledge in the hypermedia-learning environment. It enhanced not only experiential and independent learning, but also individual, collaborative and cognitive situated learning. The principles of constructivism and OBE facilitated teaching and learning as the guiding factor in both educator and learner instances. However, it became clear that a lack of skills and awareness in using ICT tools to construct meaningful knowledge, as well as being inexperienced in the constructivist approach, could easily give rise to information overload and disorientation. It was concluded that the onus is on educators, instructional designers and developers of learning programmes to equip themselves with the necessary eliteracy skills in order to guide and prepare learners increasingly in the field of Information Technology in education. This is essential, because there is a great need for e-literacy in open distance learning, and as a prerequisite for tertiary education and lifelong learning in South Africa. / Prof. D. van der Westhuizen Prof. M.H. Trϋmpelmann