A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Pietermaritzburg, 2015 / This thesis considers economy and cosmology in the Iron Age of KwaZulu-Natal. It draws on models derived from anthropological and historical analyses of precolonial agriculturists in southern Africa and applies these to archaeological data. Critics argue that anthropological approaches in archaeology are not conducive to the creation of a socially dynamic past. In contrast, I believe that their potential is considerable. The models targeted, principally Huffman’s Central Cattle Pattern, obviously represent socially dynamic relationships. This is clear if we look at lower-level models: Ngubane’s analysis of Zulu sickness and healing, which reveals fracture lines and tensions within the homestead, and Hammond-Tooke’s observation that the Nguni and Sotho pollution systems are variations related to the specifics of marriage and settlement. Ngubane’s analysis couples neatly with Guy’s identification of the ‘history-making’ principle—the struggle for the accumulation, creation and control of human productive and reproductive capacity— that gave Iron Age societies their dynamism. It is an engagement that firmly integrates systems of symbolism and belief with economy. Throughout this study I focus on the expression of this dynamic principle in cosmology and material culture. Consideration of pollution concepts in the Early Iron Age showed that the high exchange value of women created extensive lateral alliance networks as cattle moved as bridewealth from one homestead to another. The system worked against a concern for male agnatic continuity and so generated considerable structural tension within society, which was expressed in material culture. My focus on fish remains in Iron Age sites generated an ‘ethnography’ and political history of fishing where none had existed previously. It established a cultural logic that explained the avoidance of fish eating in some societies, and its adoption and significance in others. The approach combined with Kopytoff ’s frontier model revealed two key findings. First, the marginal category, amalala, originated at the Early and Late Iron Age interface. Secondly, the Zulu kingdom emerged from a dynastic shift in a complex of chiefdoms around the Babanango plateau, with the Zulu leadership usurping Khumalo authority. An analysis of Nguni rainmaking, and of the record of interaction between huntergatherers and agriculturists, revealed no evidence that hunter-gatherers made rain for agriculturists until the late nineteenth century. This work marked their final tragedy, their loss of independent life as the colonial world closed in about them.

M. Tech. Education / The Department of Basic Education is extremely dedicated to developing its human resource's performance, to bring their practices to excellence for the benefit of the whole education system in South Africa. However, a closer scrutiny at the Department of Education reveals chronic ailments of lack of competency among teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Integrated Quality Management System on quality academic achievement and human relations in primary schools located in Ladysmith. The aim was to make a contribution to the policy makers in the department of education, for the betterment of the quality management system and the achievement of its objective which is quality education.

Thesis (M.Tech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009 / The study made the following findings: All the results clearly indicated how the four (4) challenges discussed affected each school and the areas in which they are situated. Some educators were not quite equipped with the content knowledge to teach the Technology learning area. There were however, some educators with adequate content knowledge to teach Technology. The training received by educators was insufficient because it introduced them to Technology content within a short space of time. The shortage of resources has made educators rely on old methods of teaching whereby, textbooks and chalkboards were used. Urban schools are however happy with their resources. There is an obvious difference between the Technology taught in the General Education and Training (GET) Band and what the learners learn at Further Education and Training FET Band. Large classes contribute to the attitudes of learners having a lack of interest in the teaching and learning of Technology. This is caused by lack of adequate and appropriate resources to use during the lesson. The ignorance of some communities in technology hinders schools from getting assistance in the teaching and learning of Technology. Hence this study confirmed that there are constraints and challenges in teaching and learning Technology, at senior phase.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Bonn, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [241]-268).

The purpose of this study was to look at how principals and educators managed and experience the implementation of Quality Assurance policies in secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal focusing on the bttegrated Quality Management System that is currently in place. This study was designed as a qualitative exploratory and descriptive survey. Data was collected in 2007 by visiting schools and conducting interviews with the principals and educators. School managers fell into two groups. One group was positive about Integrated Quality Management System and other group negative. Even though there were differences, all agreed that lntearated Quality Management System was good if it was to be introduced at a pace suitable to the educators. Educators preferred Integrated Quality Management System to systems that were not transparent. They then recommended that Integrated Quality Management System should not be linked to the educators' remuneration as this destroys what could be good about IQMS / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

In March 1997 an indigenous knowledge story was included by the Schools Water Action Project (SWAP)partners in a resource pack for Water Week educational activities. This research developed as the result of an interaction between myself and some of the schools while we investigated water quality within Howick in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands. An interest in understanding the role of indigenous knowledge in/for environmental education developed. Some of the teachers and students involved in the water audit were requested to share their views on the role of indigenous knowledge in/for environmental education. From here the study broadened to also include interviews with elderly community members and environmental educators involved in materials development processes. This post-positivistic case study documents the views of a small sample of interviewees using the SWAP story entitled Sweet Water as a spring board towards a better understanding of indigenous knowledge within the school context, with a particular aim to inform educational materials development processes. The study displayed that a link which exists between indigenous knowledge and environmental education needs to be brought to the fore. This is likely to happen with the blurring of boundaries between home and school as learning contexts, a process which student interviewees emphasised, along with the need for respecting values that award respect to the environment. Elderly community members were of the view that they have a role to play in addressing educational problems such as interpersonal and intercultural respect. However, the study also raised several issues around the complexities surrounding indigenous knowledge processes, including its appropriation, commodification and reification.

The feeding of the cichlid fish Sarotherodon mossambicus in Lake Sibaya, KwaZulu, was studied in relation to various biotic and abiotic features of the l ake environment from January, 1973 to July, 1975. The primary goal of the study was to determine the cause of stunting and poor condition of adults in this population. Juvenile and adult S. mossambicus feed on a mixture of detritus, bacteria and diatoms that occurs as a flocculent layer on sand substrates throughout the lake. Concentrated gastric acid, commonly at pH values of 1.5 and lower, lyses diatoms and bacteria which are subsequently digested in the intestine. This is the first report of digestion of bacteria by a fish, and the nutritional significance of the finding is discussed. Juveniles feed predominantly on shallow sand terraces found along the margin of much of the lake, while adults usually feed in offshore waters at depths of 3 m and greater. Benthic floc from feeding areas of juveniles and adults have similar concentrations of organic matter, total carbohydrate, soluble carbohydrate and calories, but differ markedly in respect to diatom and protein concentration. Diatom concentrations are generally high in terrace floc but are consistently low in floc from deep water. Protein concentration of benthic floc decreases with increasing depth from 0 - 5 m. Partial correlation analysis shows that protein and diatom concentrations have no correlation independent. of their common relationship to depth, and the evidence implicates detrital bacteria as the primary source of protein in benthic floc. Probable causes of the observed distributions of diatoms and protein are discussed. The protein content of benthic floc profoundly influences its nutritional value. A comparison with available data on animal nutrition shows that the ratio of digestible protein to digestible energy in floc in the shallows is high enough that this food resource would be expected to support good growth, but the ratio for deep water floc is so low that it would be expected to result in conspicuous malnutrition. Thus, inadequate dietary protein is identified as the principal cause of stunting and poor condition of adult S· mossambicus in Lake Sibaya; It is argued that the ratio of digestible protein to digestible calories can be expected to determine the food value of particulate organic matter that includes amorphous detritus in other ecosystems. Despite stunting and poor condition of adults, S. mossambicus are abundant in Lake Sibaya. The precocious breeding of this population is discussed as an adaptation that allows it to maximize reproductive output given the limited resources available to adults. Juvenile S. mossambicus perform daily movements from deep water onto the terraces where they feed and then back into deep water. During periods of relatively low lake level when terrace waters were usually less than 1.5 m deep (1-73 to 1-74), juveniles were present on the terrace throughout daylight hours. At relatively high lake levels (7-74 to 8-75), juveniles were present on the terraces for only about five hours following sunset. Periods of heavy wave action interrupt feeding activity and result in reduced numbers of fish in terrace waters. The possible roles of predator avoidance and temperature in determination of daily feeding behavior are discussed. Daily energy assimilation by juveniles, estimated by a field technique, is approximately 115 cal per g fish dry weight.

Lower reaches of rivers as well as estuaries are regarded as South Africa’s most productive ecosystems due to the important functions such as providing nursery areas and feeding sites for juvenile macro-invertebrate and fish species they perform. Furthermore, ecologically healthy estuaries are not only of critical importance since they facilitate the provision and recirculation of nutrients, they also provide conduits for fish migrations into the fresh water system and act as buffers during floods. In South Africa, these functions are continuously being threatened by residential and/or industrial developments. It is thus essential to determine the ecological integrity (structure and function) of these systems. An Ecological integrity study was carried out on the selected rivers in Kwazulu Natal between 2015 and 2017. This study was assessed in terms of selected abiotic drivers on specific biological responses. The study was carried out according to the guidelines of the ecological determination methodologies and the resource directed measures for aquatic resources as set out by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa. Surveys were carried out during summer and winter seasons. Abiotic and biotic monitoring was carried out at four sites along each estuary. The abiotic component such as sediment composition and physio-chemical properties of the water was analyzed using standard methods. The biotic and abiotic components were analyzed using various indices, where applicable. The ecological integrity of the system can be accessed on the basis of its ability to carry out its natural functions. Results showed the various anthropogenic activities in the upper reaches of each river contributed to the high modified state of some of these rivers’ unacceptable water quality, loss and/or modification of habitat and an altered hydrological pattern due to impacts by agricultural, industrial and domestic uses. The ecosystem services of the lower areas of the rivers under investigation are used extensively through sugarcane agricultural activities and heavy industries works inclusive of sand mining and rural sewage-treatment. These activities affect the ecological integrity of the rivers and ultimately the estuaries. This study aimed at determining the current state of ecological integrity of five selected rivers in KwaZulu Natal and to establish trends between current and historical periods for the evaluation of changing trends in ecological integrity. Abiotic and biotic indicator components were used to ascertain changes in the surrounding environment as well as to determine the ecological integrity of these rivers. Monitoring of water quality, sediment grain size, moisture and organic content as well as habitat state, macro-invertebrates and fish assemblages was undertaken. The following variables water temperature, chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity (EC), pH and total alkalinity (TAL) as well as salts, nutrients and toxics were investigated to provide indications as to the state of the water-quality of these rivers. The Target Water Quality Requirements (TWQR) as developed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry for domestic use (Volume 1) and Aquatic Ecosystems (Volume 7) were used to evaluate the quality of the water sampled in this study. Historical data obtained from previous studies of similar study areas have also been evaluated. Sediment analyses were performed according to the protocol set out by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As a result of the abiotic drivers, results showed that the invertebrate reside in modified state. Physio-chemical, geomorphological and hydrological changes in this system resulted in the rivers’ suffering a loss in both biological and ecological function as well as aesthetic value. It is apparent from the above that there is not a need for rehabilitation but also a need for effective and continuous management strategies. These strategies can only be successful if the bio-monitoring of the system includes the effects at both economical and social levels. The water quality of the rivers under this investigation was found to be in a slightly modified state with the majority of water quality parameters falling within the target values. Water quality parameters of the lower Thukela River, not within the required target, was highly elevated and could possibly cause negative impacts on the river functionality. The water quality parameters of Umvoti river, Umdloti river and uMngeni river were seriously modified. The sediment clearly indicated that the organic content of the all the rivers was low and directly relating to the possibility of erosion and transportation taking place in the Rivers. The removal of riparian vegetation by agricultural activities, sand mining and water abstraction contributed to the destruction of the habitats along all these rivers. The South African Scoring System, version 5 (SASS 5), the Macro-invertebrate Response Assessment Index (MIRAI) and multivariate statistical analyses were implemented in order to determine the ecological integrity of the rivers. Results revealed that the SASS 5 integrity classes were generally one class higher than the integrity classes of MIRAI. The Fish assemblage methods used to determine fish samples included electro-narcosis and a 5m wide 12mm meshed seine net. Impacts on the ecological integrity of the Rivers under investigation have been assessed by various sources. To protect the current ecological integrity and further destruction of the rivers under investigation, direct involvement by the relevant authorities is of paramount importance. / Agriculture and Environmental Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Environmental Science)

A qualitative study was undertaken in Pietermaritzburg to unveil the experiences and challenges of WLWHIV as perceived by social workers as well as to explore and describe the experiences of social workers in rendering services to these women. Explorative, descriptive and contextual research designs were employed for the research process. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were utilised to recruit participants who met the set criteria. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen participants. Data obtained were transcribed and analysed applying Tesch‘s eight steps (Creswell, 2009). Data verification was guided by Guba‘s model (Krefting, 1991). The findings revealed the existence of strained relationships between WLWHIV and their partners and ineffective delivery of social work services to WLWHIV. Based on the findings, it is recommended that specialised training for social workers on issues related to death and dying and services for children of WLWHIV be incorporated in the guidelines for social work practice / Social Work / M.A. (social Work)

M.Sc. / Known outcrops of the supracrustal Mesoarchean Mozaan Group of the Pongola Supergroup occur in north-eastern Kwazulu-Natal and southern Mpumalanga in South Africa, and southern Swaziland. Outcrops of the Mozaan succession in Swaziland are preserved in the Ntungulu-Mahlangatsha and Kubuta-Mooihoek areas. The succession is composed of polymictic conglomerate, poorly sorted scour based quartzite, orthoquartzite, shale, iron-formation, polymictic diamictite and lava. In the Kubuta- Mooihoek area a 3000m thick succession is preserved and correlates almost bed for bed with that in the Hartland area in South Africa. The succession is preserved from the Dipka member of the Sinqeni Formation at the base to the Tobolsk lava at the top. The depositional environment ranges essentially between fluvial and marine with two distinct glaciogenic diamictite units and one unit of lava near the top of the succession. Seven unconformity bounded sequences are recognised in the succession and from these a relative sea-level curve could be constructed. Trace element geochemistry of the shale reveals that the source area was predominantly felsic with a mafic component probably derived from the uplifted pre-Pongola granitoids and Nsuze Group. The petrography of the quartzite in the succession suggests a change in provenance from a low-lying deeply weathered to uplifted moderately weathered source area higher up in the stratigraphy. Part of the tectonic uplift may have been associated with isostatic rebound related to melting of continental glaciers. The Tobolsk lava is a continental flood basalt also possibly related to a tectonic uplift event. There are indications of sediment recycling in the upper part of the succession where conglomerates are predominantly composed of chert clasts A pretectonic quartz porphyry sill, folded with the strata, provides an upper age limit of 2837±5 Ma for the deposition of the Mozaan Group. The Mooihoek granite (2824±6 Ma) that intrudes and deforms the synclinal structure along its eastern flank, provides an upper age limit of the folding event. This suggests that the deformation of the Mozaan succession took place in the intervening 13 Ma period between 2824 and 2837 Ma ago.