MSc, Development Planning, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, 1996

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this document / Thesis (DPhil (Zoology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Zoology and Entomology / unrestricted

M.A. / The environment is being degraded and disturbed continuously by the activities of man. This has lead to the threat of the environmental health and quality. The quality and health of the environment is determined by man-environment interaction, which depends on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and ethics man has about and towards the environment. This is basically the concept of environmental literacy. Environmental literacy entails the ability to perceive and interpret the relative health of environmental systems and to take appropriate decisions and actions to restore, maintain and improve the health and quality of those environmental systems. Therefore, environmental literacy serves as the key to the improvement and protection of the health and quality of the environment by man. It also provides people with elementary knowledge, skills and motives to cope with environmental needs, and contribute to sustainable development. Environmental literacy may be developed through Environmental Education, which may be offered either formally or informally. This study describes what environmental literacy is, its main types and how it may be developed among people. This is when the concept of Environmental Education is introduced. The main purpose of Environmental Education is to develop awareness, knowledge and skills among people, in order to be able to work, defend, improve and sustain the quality and health of the environment on behalf of the present and future generations of all living organisms. This study also assesses the necessity of environmental literacy among community leaders to enhance their contribution towards the improvement and protection of the health and quality of the environment of Malamulele location. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for the collection and analysis of data to assess the necessity of environmental literacy among community leaders. Thereafter, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made regarding the findings. Concepts that form part of environmental literacy were also discussed in this paper. These concepts include Environmental Awareness, Environmental Ethics and Environmental Education. The concept of Caring for the Earth was also discussed as it consists of the principles of sustainable development. / Prof. H.G. van Rooyen

M.A. / Employee assistance program (EAP) is one service model that are designed to assist troubled employees in the workplace. Its feasibility has been experienced in many different contexts. However, the school is somewhat neglected in this respect, and few EAP’s are known to exist in the school system. This study will contribute to the introduction of EAP’s within the school environment because EAP is perceived as only applicable on the companies and organisations. The goal of the study is to conduct a need assessment of teachers regarding the feasibility of an EAP in the school environment. The objectives of the study is to conduct literature study of EAP models, to develop a questionnaire for data collection, conduct survey on the teachers of the target schools, analyse data and test hypothesis and make recommendations regarding the feasibility of an EAP. The study was conducted with teachers from the low veld region in northern province. 50 teachers have completed a questionnaire. In the results the researcher found that the teacher like any other employee has problems, which can affect their well-being and the school productivity. Most of the secondary teachers have a need for employee assistance programs. / Dr. W. Roestenburg

A number of polymorphisms in the human VDR gene (located on chromosome 12q12-14) have previously been associated with TB susceptibility, of which most commonly, FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqI. The active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, is an important immunoregulatory hormone. Its effects are exerted via the VDR, which is present on human monocytes and activated T and B-lymphocytes. Considering the role of the VDR and it specific immunological functions, including activation of monocytes, stimulation of cell-mediated immunity, suppression of lymphocyte proliferation, immunoglobulin production and cytokine synthesis, variation in the VDR genes may contribute to disease susceptibility. Hypothesis and objectives: In this study it was hypothesized that polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene influence TB susceptibility in the Venda population of South Africa. The role of VDR polymorphisms in TB susceptibility was investigated by setting the following objectives: 1. Typing of VDR gene polymorphisms (FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqI) in controls and TB cases as well as family samples from a Venda population of the Northern Province of South Africa. Comparing VDR allele and genotype frequencies between the Venda population and other populations as reported in the literature. 2. Analysis of possible associations in the case-control and family-based study 3. Studying Linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the case-control and the family samples. 4. Screening VDR haplotypes in the case-control and family-based study for possible association with TB. Patient and laboratory methods: VDR polymorphisms were studied in controls (n=110), TB cases (n=113) and 25 families in the Venda population inhabiting the Northern Province of South Africa. Case-control studies are vulnerable to false positive results caused by inadequate matching of the two groups. For this reason, a withinfamily association test was also implemented (the transmission disequilibrium test, TDT), as this is robust to this possible source of error. ARMS-PCR was used to type the VDR allele polymorphisms. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSSv10) was used to analyze possible association in case-controls, while TRANSMIT was used to analyze transmission of VDR alleles to affected offspring. LD between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VDR gene was investigated using the software “Graphical Overview of Linkage Disequilibrium” (GOLD) in both case-control and family studies. Possible association of TB with haplotypes comprising the VDR SNPs, ApaI and TaqI, were determined using SPSSv10 and TRANSMIT respectively for case-controls and the family based study. Results: 1. The comparative analysis indicated that the allele frequencies of the VDR SNPs related to the African American population. Genotype frequencies for FokI, BsmI and TaqI were similar to the West African population, whereas ApaI did not relate to any of the populations investigated. 2. No significant differences existed concerning the allele frequencies or genotype distribution between controls and TB cases with regard the VDR SNPs; FokI, BsmI and TaqI. The ApaI allele ‘A’ differed between cases and controls (p=0.041) but, no significant differences were obtained for genotype distribution between cases and controls for this SNP. All SNPs were in Hardy-Weinburg equilibrium except for ApaI. No differences between controls and cases were observed concerning allele presence or absence. In the family-based study, no significant difference was observed between observed and expected numbers of transmission for neither alleles nor genotypes, although, a borderline association was observed between TaqI ‘T’ allele and TB susceptibility (p=0.084). 3. LD in the case-control study was found between the VDR SNPs: BsmI and ApaI (p=0.051, D’=0.478), BsmI and TaqI (p=0.007, D’=0.222) and ApaI and TaqI (p=0.003, D’=0.479). In the family-based study, LD was only observed between ApaI and TaqI (p=0.049, D’=0.001) 4. Haplotype analysis in the case-control study indicated that no significant difference between controls and TB cases was observed. The family-based study indicated that transmission of the VDR haplotype ‘AT’ and ‘at’ differed from the expected transmission, but was of borderline significance. ‘AT’ was transmitted more than expected (P=0.090) and ‘at’ was transmitted less than expected (P=0.075), indicating that ‘AT’ may play a role in TB susceptibility and ‘at’ may play a protective role. Conclusion: The current study supports a possible role for VDR polymorphisms, ApaI (‘A’, p=0.041), or nearby yet unidentified markers in TB susceptibility in African populations (FokI-ApaI-BsmI-TaqI) (p=0.049). A larger sample size may clarify associations found to be of borderline significance. Results obtained may contribute to an improved understanding of genetic susceptibility factors in Africans. / Prof. L. Bornman

M.Comm. / The primary aim of this research is to indicate that the lack of economic progress in the Northern Province is basically caused by the absence of a strong manufacturing sector, particularly the chemical industry. The chemical industry is a key sector in both the primary and secondary sectors. In agriculture and mining it provides fertilizers and explosives respectively to increase output. Diversified farming will emerge as a direct response to a rise in agricultural output. As the population in the Northern Province is rapidly rising, the demand for agricultural products will also rise. This will have a positive influence on the income of farmers. As the income rises, production in agriculture will increase which will bring about a demand for implements, tractors and other equipment. In the manufacturing sector the chemical industry will stimulate the process of industrialisation in the Northern Province. The industrialisation process will involve the outward-orientation of the economy. This means that the chemical industry will act as a leading sector by showing forward and backward linkages. The economy of the Northern Province is performing poorly in terms of GGP. The role of the government in providing services cannot alone generate a sustainable economic growth. A sustainable economic growth in the Province can take place if the chemical industry plays a crucial role in producing chemicals which can be used in agriculture and manufacturing. Therefore this study will show that economic growth in the Northern Province can be sustained by growth in the chemical industry.

M.A. / This study was conducted within five high schools in the Thohoyandou district in the northern province. The study involved 20 teachers, 32 grade 10’s, 35 grade 11’s and 37 grade12’s. The aim of this study was to conduct a need assessment of high school pupils in the Thohoyandou district schools regarding their needs for school social work services in the school environment. The believes of pupils and teachers on the needs for school social work were explored. Questionnaires were used as a method for data collection. The exploratory-descriptive design was used. The findings of the study showed that both teachers and pupils agree that there is a significant occurrence of personal problems experienced by pupils, although teachers believe that some problems are not significant. Further there is a consensus from both teachers and pupils that most pupil’s problems are rooted in their families. They believe that there is a need for school social work in the schools, which will attend to pupil’s problems in relation to teachers, the home and the community. Recommendations were made, generally to introduce school social work in the high schools of the northern province with the aim of making maximum use of the learning process. / Dr.W. Roestenburg

The objective of the study was to establish the behaviour and experience of tourists while visiting privately owned game lodges in Mpumalanga and the Northern Province. The theoretical objectives were to determine from a demand and a supply perspective what the phenomenon wildlife tourism entails. The aim was to unveil the consumer behaviour of wildlife tourists and to delineate the components and levels of the game lodge product. It was also deemed necessary to investigate wildlife utilisation issues in a South African context and to describe the tourism industry in South Africa with special reference to game lodges and ranches, and the holiday markets of Mpumalanga and the Northern Province. Lastly the complexities of marketing destinations and attraction products had to be uncovered. The objective of the empirical study was to ascertain what attracts visitors to game lodges, what they do and experience during the visit and what they find most appealing. The hypothesis was that wildlife tourists customise the components of the overall product which they consume in order to create memorable and differentiated experiences. Interviews with 68 visitors were held on location and at a regional airport who stayed at least one day and night at a lodge, and with 50 people who influenced the visitor experience, such as game rangers, tourist guides, managers, personnel, intermediaries and so forth. The findings contribute to an understanding of the features and benefits of the game lodge product from a visitor’s perspective. The core attraction for foreigners is to experience something unusual; to have an intimate new emotional experience. To go ‘on safari’ is in vogue and it satisfies a spirit of adventure, as well as a long held fascination with seeing animals in a genuine wilderness, especially the Big Five. Visitors want to live in a fantasy world of the past and share the animal’s world for a while. Whereas overseas visitors want to be busy and have a catered experience, South Africans want to confirm their emotional bond with Africa and experience timelessness and solitude amongst the animals; they want a being experience. Overseas visitors are on holiday and visiting a game lodge is part of a personal growth experience, whilst South Africans take short breaks and will return to for the genuine magic of the bush. / Prof. J.A. Bennett

The focus of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) is on the sustainable utilization of our water resources. This is to be achieved through the implementation of an integrated resource protection approach, which is aimed at ensuring that a balance is maintained between the protection and utilization of our countries water resources. This approach sets Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs) that define acceptable levels of water resource protection. The acceptable risk of damage to the ecological integrity of a water resource will play an important role in the setting of these objectives, e.g. for a water resource of lower importance a higher risk would be acceptable with the subsequent setting of RQOs at less stringent levels. A desktop Resource Directed Measures (RDM) determination has already been performed for the Luvuvhu River in the Northern Province. There was decided to evaluate a facet of this desktop study, namely the Present Ecological Status (PES), by utilising the South African Scoring System version 4 (SASS4) and the Integrated Habitat Assessment Method (IHAS) biomonitoring techniques. It was then possible to compare the desktop determined PES to the PES determined from the information provided by the biomonitoring techniques. Ultimately, SASS4 verified the reliability of the RDM methodology Further, to facilitate the introduction of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) into South Africa there was looked at how and where SASS4 and IHAS would fit into the various phases of the ERA process. SASS4 serves as an indication of the extent of an impact, and in conjunction with an ERA, would provide the means with which to determine causality. A retrospective ERA based on data obtained from SASS4 and a concomitant habitat assessment method will thus provide a valuable tool for the protection of our water resources. / Prof. G.J. Steyn

Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted