Text in English / Fungal species and their mycotoxins are the most predorminant contaminants of dried agricultural products in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the main species of fungi that can synthesize mycotoxins are Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. In Africa, aflatoxin is labelled as a great threat to human and animal health due to its high contamination levels reported of aflatoxins in foods. The aim of this study was to survey fungi and aflatoxin contamination of small-scale processed foodstuffs sold at informal retail outlets in the Johannesburg metropolis, South Africa. A total of 270 food samples (10 starch and legume based foods, 11 meat and fish based foods, 22 spices and local condiments, 14 dried fruits and vegetables) were collected from retailers; and analysed four (4) times in different seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Out of the 270 samples analysed, only 27.8% were contaminated with fungal. Of all the six categories of foods analysed, roots and tubers (60.0%), nuts and seeds (40.0%), dried vegetables (37.1%), and the Meat and Insect foods (33.3%) respectively, had the most contaminated samples with fungal respectively. The least contaminated food groups were the fish foods (10.0%) and spices and local condiments (16.7%) respectively. Twenty percent of the 270 dried food analysed were contaminated by Aspergillus species out of which 61.1% of the contaminated samples had fungal counts above 103 cfu/g. Aspergillus niger was the most predominant Aspergillus species identified in all the categories of food samples analysed. Fruits and vegetables (24.4%) and the nuts and seeds (20.0%) food groups had the highest number of samples contaminated with aflatoxin. Peanut flour and Cardamom had the most incidence of aflatoxin. AFB1, AFB2 & AFG1 were the most prominent aflatoxin types recovered from the food samples. Almost all the food samples in which aflatoxin were identified had aflatoxin values above 10μg/ml. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M.Sc. (Life Science)

Thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public Sector Monitoring and Evaluation) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, March 2018 / The purpose of this research was to assess beneficiaries’ perceptions regarding improvements in their safety and residential quality of life following a housing intervention programme in Itsoseng Informal Settlement. Initially, this study interrogated literature to comprehend assessments carried out in various housing interventions. Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, Quality of Life Theory and Max- Neef Human Needs Theory of Development were the theoretical frameworks used to understand how beneficiaries perceived the upgrading programme. Improvement in their residential quality of life is realised through the possibilities that are available to satisfy their crucial needs. For this reason, this research focused on assessing the beneficiaries’ perceptions on their safety and residential quality of life following the upgrade programme. Univariate analysis, bivariate analysis, paired sample t-test statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilised to analyse the perceptions of beneficiaries following a housing upgrade. The findings showed a good level of agreement between beneficiaries regarding their safety and residential quality of life, and there were no significant difference in the perceptions of male and female beneficiaries. Open-ended questions gave insight on the need to further improve beneficiaries’ satisfaction, particularly regarding services such as electricity, clinics, schools and safety walls. Pulling all these things together, the study highlighted the need to prioritise the preferences of beneficiaries, complemented by a comprehensive improvement on safety and residential quality of life to ensure user satisfaction. Insights from the findings further highlighted that holistic improvement in housing conditions, safety, basic services, building a good sense of belonging and tenure security is crucial and goes a long way towards enhancing improvement in the residential quality of life. This study facilitated the recommendations on improvement in the design of the houses in order to satisfy human needs rather than just focusing on the physical aspects of the house. This further allowed this study to emphasise that development is about people not objects, and that it is vital to steer the development process. / XL2019

Aims: The study was aimed at exploring adolescents‟ level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the influence this knowledge has on their sexual behaviour. Methods: In total, 20 in- depth interviews were conducted from a group of 20 (both males and females) secondary school learners. The interviews were audio taped with consent from participants. Results: The results of the study showed that participants possess basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS, including methods of prevention and transmission. No serious misconceptions about modes of transmission of HIV were found in this study. Although, participants reported condom use, no sexual intercourse with multiple concurrent partners and no intergenerational sexual relationships, the findings revealed some risk factors such as early sexual debuts, early dating, multiple sexual partnerships. Conclusions: The aforesaid sexual behaviours and the sexual activeness among learners is a cause for angst. Thus, these findings highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to sexual reproductive health education by all interested parties in order to enhance and sustain behaviour change among young people. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Counselling Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Counselling Psychology) / The aim of this study was to evaluate qualitatively career information as presented at the Careers 2000 exhibition held at NASREC, Johannesburg from 28 April to 6 May 1992. The major reason for doing the research was the lack of data collected in this area, with only one previous project covering such exhibitions in this country. Both qualitative and quantitative data regarding the career information exhibition was collected from 48 pupils and 33 exhibitors. The group of pupils was divided into English, Afrikaans and Black home language groups, with pupils being selected for each group irrespective of race or creed ...

Colonial and apartheid policies imposed a segregated urban form on Johannesburg and have led to a limited and generally incoherent knowledge of the city across most segments of the population. Representations of the city in cultural mediums including film allow residents to cross boundaries and make conceptual and practical connections and are therefore important in addressing past legacies. Johannesburg’s moving image history is only ten years younger than the city and over this time the representation of the city in film has provided insight into the nature of this urban agglomeration. But the representation of the city in film has been inconsistent and erratic and requires close analysis. It is important to understand the ways in which the city has been represented and how it features in popular mediums of culture and also how it contributes to the discourse of the city. There is very little understanding of how films are being received by residents of the spaces and places depicted on the screen, and even less on how these films influence the everyday practices of these residents. This thesis draws on the idea of a ‘circuit of culture’ to explore both the representation of the city through film, and the impact of this representation on urban practice. To structure this analysis the thesis makes use of four lenses: materiality; identity; mobility; and crime. It provides an analysis of films with Johannesburg as a major location that were produced and screened after 1994. Surveys and interviews were conducted in four different locations in the city, each of which have been the site of film production and have been distinctly represented on the screen: Chiawelo; CBD; Fordsburg; and, Melville. The study concludes that film can facilitate a greater understanding of the complex city for the residents of Johannesburg but that there are nevertheless clear limitations to what film can achieve. Films provide information and ‘accessibility’ to unknown spaces, encouraging interaction with the city, through exploration, familiarity and comfort but film can also be a conservative medium that reduces and typecasts complexity. Films often reinforce spatial stereotypes but they can also produce a “resistant reading” that helps transgress spatial boundaries.

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