Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank (WB) state that worldwide access to sanitation has improved with countries in the north having 100% access to sanitation. However, only 64% of the world's population has access to improved sanitation. Sub-Saharan Africa has a noticeable improvement with South Africa improving from 73% in 2010 to 74% in 2014. They further estimate that $260 billion is lost globally each year due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. Universal access to water and sanitation would result in an estimated $32 billion in economic benefits per year globally from reductions in health care costs and increased productivity from reduced illness. Sub-Saharan Africa loses an estimated 4.3% ($US694 billion) of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year due to lack of adequate water supply and sanitation. Furthermore, the UNDP (2015) indicates that sanitation is one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), however many regions are performing poorly in attaining their declared sanitation targets. South African has not reached its target but it is maintaining its commitment to the provision of sanitation as a basic human right. However, it has left the responsibility to local government to work out how this should be done with no legislation. Currently there is no policy on sanitation and municipalities only develop by-laws that serve as guidelines in managing waste and providing the service. The available literature on this subject speaks very little about the knowledge and understanding that the communities have with regard to faecal sludge management and no study at all deals with the perceptions of people on this issue, particularly around Polokwane Municipality. It is for these reasons that the study was aimed at investigating the perceptions of Polokwane residents regarding alternative faecal sludge management. Methodologically the study used qualitative research approach where in face-to-face interviews and focus group interviews were conducted around Polokwane Municipality. Among the participants interviewed were Ward Councillors, Community Development Workers, Ward Committees and Traditional Authorities. These stakeholders were intentionally chosen as they are at the coalface of service delivery on a daily basis and they are part of the forums that interact with the Municipality on basic services and other related community matters. Data for this study were analysed using thematic data analysis approach. vi  The findings of this study suggest that the “concerned residents” under Polokwane Municipality see themselves being victims and vulnerable to controllable health threats. In addition, the study discovered that the majority of participants were aware of the delegated sewage maintenance duties on the Polokwane Municipality. This study findings further indicated that there is a growing concern among municipal authorities and communities‟ especially in Africa and South Africa in particular, to improve the inadequate faecal management. The objectives of the study were among others to determine the perceptions and awareness of the Polokwane Local Municipality residents regarding alternative faecal sludge management methods. Indeed, it has been discovered that some of the residents are aware of various management methods but expect authority to develop policies and improve the inadequate methods that are currently used in managing faecal sludge. The study among others discovered that this study should be used as a point of reference for municipal projects administration, i.e. for the development of Integrated Development Plan (IDP) on the water and sanitation and faecal sludge management in future. The Ministry of environmental health and management at Polokwane Local Municipality should organise solid and integrated awareness with the community to ensure a healthy environment for all. The study further realised that there is a need to equip most of residents in Polokwane Local Municipality with knowledge on how best man can improve environmental health, as well as how worse can a person destroy the environment. It should be an important task for the Polokwane Local Municipality to ensure that residents understand the faecal sludge management enterprise developments in the area to reduce the incompleteness of the perceptions among the residents. Various faecal sludge methods should be adopted and encouraged among the Polokwane Local Municipality residents in order to promote the preference for the sanitation methods. Key words: Sanitation, Faecal sludge, Faeces, Health hazards and Sub-Saharan Africa

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The purpose of the study was to explore public perception on how sanitation has effects on the environment in the Polokwane Local Municipality. Quantitative, analytical research was conducted to determine community perceptions regarding the state of sanitation in Polokwane, that is to establish the perception of the effectiveness of the waste and refuse removal programme and to determine the extent of land pollution in the Polokwane Local Municipality. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires in which community members participated in the study. The total number of respondents, who were community members sampled randomly, was N = 136. The study has highlighted the areas of potential on perceptions of the community regarding the state of sanitation in Polokwane and the relationship of the perception, sanitation practices, the effectiveness of the waste and refuse removal programme and the extent of land pollution in Polokwane and settlement type. The findings of the research study include the following:  The study reveals that the Polokwane Local Municipality does not provide adequate sanitation throughout the municipality especially in the rural settlements;  The results reveal that the Polokwane Local Municipality still has a long way in the prevention and control of land pollution and river streams;  The study further finds that there is no frequent waste removal in the municipality especially in the suburban and rural settlement;  Furthermore, results reveal that there is no adequate hygiene education provision in the Polokwane Local Municipality. In conclusion, it is evident that the Polokwane Local Municipality experiences challenges of the provision of sanitation to the communities especially those who live in rural settlements. In the 21st century and two decades after democracy in South Africa, the residents of Polokwane still experiences sanitation challenges that were promised to be addressed in the dawn of democracy in 1994. Those challenges are land pollution, infrequent waste removal, illegal waste dumping, air and land pollution, river and stream pollution, inadequate hygiene education, inadequate sanitation provision in the rural settlement, lack of waste sorting options. The study recommends that the Polokwane local Municipality should provide adequate sanitation services in rural settlement. It should further develop measures to prevent environmental pollution and to foster communities to have a litter-free environment. The study further recommends that the municipality should have a frequent waste removal programme throughout the municipality even in the rural settlement and suburban areas. The municipality should prioritise community awareness campaigns to educate community members about the negative impact of littering. It is further recommended that, in addition to public awareness against littering, rubbish bins should be made available at all public places and street corners.

MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below

MSc (Microbiology) / See the attached abstract below

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / This study is about an investigation into the provisioning of water and sanitation services in Ga-Kgapane Township in the Limpopo Province. Since the year 2002, the residents of Ga-Kgapane Township live without sufficient water supply services. Residents receive tap water once a week and they depend on supply from water tankers for the rest of the week. This township has a water borne sewage system and most of the households have indoor toilets. The study used a mixed method because it had incorporated both elements of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in its approaches. The research instruments such as semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, documentary data extraction and observations were used to collect information. The study’s sample size comprised of 77 key participants and informants from Mopani District Municipality (Water Services Authority); Lepelle-Northern Water Board (implementing agency and bulk water supplier); Greater Letaba Municipality (Water Service Provider); Ward Councillors and community members (endusers). The research findings revealed that Ga-Kgapane Township’s water and sanitation provision challenges are due to insufficient or lack of water, poor water management and poor governance. It was also discovered that the MDM and GLM have failed to translate the rights to water and sanitation into law, policy, budget and service provision for the Ga-Kgapane Township residents. The insufficient water supply challenge resulted in some community members migrating to other areas where there is better basic service provision. The residents failed to exploit the economic development opportunities which resulted in health risks as they were exposed to danger due to burst sewer pipes which spewed raw sewerage water on the streets. The sewage contaminated the township’s natural streams. This study’s findings could form a basis for future research on the effectiveness of the MDM’s Water Services Provision Agreement which was signed with the district’s local municipalities. The Mopani District Municipality has for many years v received undesired audit opinions ranging from ‘Adverse to Disclaimer’ notices. This affects the local municipalities too as they are all qualified-on water transactions. As part of the recommendations, the study proposed that the Greater Letaba Municipality should utilise the Intergovernmental Relations Forum to address the plight of the provision of water and sanitation services in Ga-Kgapane Township.

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategic management of the Thohoyandou Block J landfill site. There are limited documented materials on strategic management of landfill sites in South Africa. As a result, this study sought to close this gap and expose new insights that it deemed to be of great importance in the management and operations of landfill sites. The capacity of a TBJ landfill site in terms of its efficiency in disposing waste, adherence to rules and procedures and the overall management of the site are the key areas of this study. The dominant types and sources of solid waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site, efficiency and effectiveness of operation of TBJ landfill site and operational challenges are the main areas covered in this study. The study adopted the mixed methods approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Both primary and secondary data were acquired. Primary data were obtained through a questionnaire, an interview and field observation, using an observation checklist. Secondary data were obtained from ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.2 and documented materials from the Thulamela Local Municipality and the TBJ landfill site, the Integrated Waste Management Plan, Integrated Development Plan, TBJ landfill site’s monthly report, audit report and landfill site’s operating plan. Basically, field observation and a questionnaire completed by the waste manager, landfill operator and supervisor, were used to collect data on the operational challenges of TBJ landfill site and to obtain data on the efficiency and effectiveness at which the TBJ landfill site is operating. Waste pickers were interviewed and field observation was undertaken, to identify the dominant types and sources of waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site. A questionnaire completed by TBJ landfill operator, ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.2 for field measurement, reports of the amount of waste recorded and the municipality’s database, were utilized to elicit data regarding the determination of the capacity of TBJ landfill site. The results obtained revealed that the TBJ landfill site’s remaining capacity is 317 085 m3, which will be exhausted in the next 4 years. Plastics were found to be the dominant waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site, at 40%, followed by card-boxes, which constituted 32%. The dominant sources of solid waste generation in the TBJ landfill site were households, at 51%, followed by commercial, at 31% and industrial, at 11%. The absence of a weighbridge, to weigh loads of waste, frequent break down of equipment, lack of equipment required to operate the TBJ landfill site efficiently and the presence of fire hazards, were some of the / NRF

MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below