Summary: Swaziland has long had a disparity between the supply and demand of milk. Even at present milk production continues to be less than the market demand. The quantitative contribution of smallholder dairy farmers to local milk production remains unknown because of poor record keeping. This study was aimed at attaining a clear understanding of the dynamics of smallholder dairying in Swaziland, including the identification and understanding of the constraints faced by farmers in dairying, with the hope of devising workable solutions to them. A sample of 118 smallholder dairy farms were covered in this study, with a total herd of 306 lactating cows, comprising mainly of Jerseys and Holstein Friesians, with some cross breeds. There were no significant differences in mean milk yield/cow with respect to farmer gender (P > 0.05) and Agro-ecological zone location (P > 0.05) of the farms. Milking frequency had a significant effect on milk yield, since cattle milked once a day had lower (P < 0.05) milk yields than those milked twice a day. The cattle had extensively long calving intervals i.e. 448 ± 166 days, ranging from 292 to 1082 days. Low milk yield and poor reproductive performance of cattle were found to be mainly due to poor nutrition, breeding practices and stock quality. These are primarily a result of insufficient farmer training and inadequate technical assistance, scarce availability of quality stock, lack of investment resources and market support that includes favourable milk prices for farmers to make money. This performance of the Swazi smallholder dairy herd was then evaluated by comparing it to the performance of a larger, well-managed herd of known pedigree. Lactation records from 252 Jersey cows and 108 Holstein Friesian cows were obtained from Cedara Agricultural Research Institute, covering the periods; July, 2002 to July, 2004 and November, 2002 to April, 2004, respectively. Cows were grouped by parity and calving season and the gamma function proposed by Wood (Y = An(b) e(-cn)) was used to fit standard lactation curves on group data. The curve parameters A and b increased with parity, while that of c and s (persistency of lactation at peak) decreased, producing standard lactation curves save for the Holstein Friesian summer calvers, which produced atypical curves. The R(2) values (goodness of fit) increased with parity. Animal parity and calving season were found to influence the peak and shape of the lactation curves and their parameter estimates. The performance of the Swazi smallholder herd showed a mean deviation of the observed daily milk yield of the Holstein Friesian breed from the expected yield to be - 3.47 (SD 6.052) kg and that of the Jersey breed was - 16.92 (SD 5.473) kg. The mean proportional deviation of observed milk yield from the expected yield for the Holstein Friesian breed was - 0.3 (SD 0.37) and that of the Jersey breed to be - 0.6 (SD 0.19). The proportional milk yield deviation of the Holstein Friesian breed can be explained using the equation Y = O.1322(SE = 0.1293) x - 2.3581 (SE = 0.20639), where x = expected milk yield and Y is the proportional deviation of the observed milk yield deviation from the expected milk yield. With respect to the smallholder Jersey breed, no relationship was found that could explain the proportional milk yield deviation. The smallholder herd was shown to be underperforming, considering the potential for higher milk yields of the two breeds. In the quest to gain a greater understanding of the dynamics of smallholder dairying, the sample of 118 farmers was further analysed using multivariate statistics to categorise them based on their herd sizes, herd structures, management and success perceptions in dairying. The analysis produced three clusters (categories): cluster 1 had the largest herd sizes and poor milk production efficiency; cluster 2 had intermediate herd sizes, the highest number of farmers and more efficient milk production per cow. This cluster, however, had the highest proportion of calf mortalities. Cluster 3 had the smallest herd size, the lowest calf to cow ratio and the second highest calf mortality. Record keeping across all clusters was very poor and the average milk yield per cow was generally low. Most of the farmers do not appreciate the importance of annual calving of their cows as an integral part of the success of their dairy projects and winter feed supplementation is very poor across all the clusters. There remains a great need for the enlightenment of the farmers on the importance of good nutrition, breeding, calf rearing and record keeping in successful dairying. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

In 2010, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Swaziland noticed a significant increase in employee absenteeism which they discovered was related mainly to: poor health (sick leave), personal and financial stress (garnishee orders were increasing), and low staff morale, the consequence of which was low productivity and missed deadlines (FSRA, 2010:7). High levels of absenteeism meant that a sizeable number of employees were unable to complete their daily tasks (FSRA, 2010:7). Consequently, in 2011, the FSRA Human Resource Department started a wellness programme for all employees in the organization in an attempt to respond to the human resource challenges reported in 2009/10 financial year. By the end of 2012, FSRA management reported that the introduction of the EWP had not yielded the expected results. This therefore prompted management to request an evaluation of the FSRA employee wellness programme. The aim of this research was to identify and prioritize the needs of employees in terms of requirements of a wellness programme and how it should be delivered. The specific objectives of the study are as follows: to identify the wellness needs of employees, to identify employee preferences in terms of the type of interventions to be included in a wellness programme, to identify the preferred mode of delivery of the wellness programme and to make recommendations to management on the design of a wellness programme. Questionnaires with closed ended questions were used to collect data for this survey. The questionnaire used is attached as Appendix A. By means of a needs analysis survey, this research was designed to assess the FSRA employees’ needs in terms of an employee wellness programme, as well as the preferred EWP delivery methods. About 70 percent of FSRA employees participated in the survey. The respondents completed the questionnaire and submitted it online over a period of 10 working days (2 weeks). This report is structured into three sections, namely; section one, which is the evaluation report that gives details of the importance of the study, highlights research methods and then present the results, discussions and recommendations. Section two deals with the literature review while section three reports on the research methodology, research design and procedures and the limitation of the study. In light of the findings on the wellness needs of employees, 72 percent of the respondents felt the current wellness programme was very inadequate and a further 10 percent added that it was inadequate in addressing their wellness needs largely because the needs were not known. The most important wellness needs identified included: exercise, nutrition, personal hygiene, disease awareness and treatment of illness, coping with stress, coping with workload, ventilation, safety, bereavement, personal debt, and retirement planning. The most preferred wellness interventions that respondents proposed include Flexible Work Schedule, Safe Workplace, Improved Ventilation, Retirement Planning Advice and Gymnasium. Further analysis done using correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant positive relationship between the wellness needs and the wellness interventions. Concerning the delivery of the wellness programme, most of the employees indicated that outsourcing certain services was better than having them in house. The highest ranking of the services for out sourcing were nutrition education and medical checkups that ranked between 82 percent and 75 percent respectively. The respondents indicated that they want almost all the chosen interventions to be outsourced. Time slots should also be taken into consideration to ensure employee participation in the wellness programme services. The respondent FSRA employees seem to prefer interventions of an educational nature to be during the lunch hour. These include Nutrition Education, Health Education, Hygiene Education and Medical Check ups and Treatment, whereas Gymnasium was preferred to be after working hours.

Attitudes to extensive reading have been shown to be crucial in the additional language (AL) learning classroom. Research seems to confirm that the affective domain – attitudes, motivations, interests and personal evaluations – is essential in a study of behaviour and practice in the AL classroom. The current study aims to find out what the reading attitudes and practices of students at a teacher training college are and explore whether there are significant relationships between the students’ reading attitudes and their reading ability, vocabulary skills and academic performance. It is in light of the above-mentioned quest that we seek to understand what reading attitudes are and what they entail. The ‘attitude’ construct is defined by Guthrie and Greaney (1991: 87) who state that people’s attitudes to reading are resultant from “perceptions” acquired from past reading experiences regarding how pleasurable and valuable reading is. It appears that positive reading outcomes assist in the development of a positive attitude, whereas negative outcomes of reading tend to discourage further ventures into reading, resulting in the development of a negative attitude (McKenna, Kear & Ellsworth, 1995: 941). / Educational Studies / M. A. (Applied Linguistics)

Submitted in fulfilment for the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Public Management, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / World over, police officers are tasked with the responsibility of maintaining peace and order in the society. The Swaziland Government has given the Royal Swaziland Police Service (RSPS) performance targets of reducing crime in the country by twelve percent. Over the years, the RSPS has been struggling to meet its performance targets. The research aimed to investigate job satisfaction in the RSPS. The objectives of the study included to examine the factors that influence job satisfaction within the RSPS, to explore the perceived impact of job satisfaction on performance and to make recommendations to the police management on how job satisfaction in the RSPS can be enhanced. A case study involving two administrative regions (Manzini and Hhohho) using a quantitative and qualitative research was adopted. Questionnaires were handed to 345 police officers (respondents) using a personal approach as part of the quantitative research. This showed a 100 percent response rate. The qualitative research involved conducting recorded semi-structured interviews with 10 senior police officers, which included serving and retired officers. A focus group discussion was conducted with 9 junior police officers as a form of control in the qualitative research. Data was scientifically analyzed using the Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12. It enabled the researcher to describe and compare variable numerically. The findings of the study showed that the respondents perform effectively when given necessary resources. Respondents are willing to put a great deal of effort beyond of what is normally expected of them in order to make the RSPS successful. On another note, most of the respondents are generally not satisfied with the salary increases and allowances as they are not adequate to meet the increasing cost of living. The respondents expressed that not everyone is treated fairly and that promotions are not based on ability. An improvement in police officers accommodation is needed. Recommendations to improving job satisfaction in the RSPS are presented in the study. Finally, the literature reviewed and findings show that there is a significant relationship between job satisfaction and performance.

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) have made positive contributions in agriculture / health care / medicine / food preparation and preservation / land use / education and a host of other activities in rural communities as well as in urban ones (Warren, 1991:26). Yet hardly a day goes by when an elderly man or woman does not die with all the wealth of knowledge, which is then buried beyond recovery. Therefore, there is a need for institutions, which are in the business of information like libraries and/or information centers to manage (collect, document, organize, store, disseminate) the indigenous knowledge for potential contribution in present and future endeavours. Ngulube (2002: 96) rightly points out that the loss of IK will &ldquo / impoverish society&rdquo / .<br /> <br /> The main aim of the study was to explore the issue if indigenous knowledge within the library and information sector, specifically within the Swaziland National Library Service / investigate if IK is managed / determine how it can best be managed in order to contribute positively to the community / and identify ways to best manage it. This study adopted the qualitative research methodology using the triangulation method, which allows the use of different data collection techniques.<br /> <br /> The study found that Swaziland National Library Service (SNLS) manages IK, but at a very low level. Lack of funds is one major issue that has been voiced as the biggest hindrance to Indigenous Knowledge Management and that Library and information professionals are not adequately trained to manage IK. The study also discovered that Library and information services in Swaziland are still very much book-based and very much westernized, such that only a select elite is catered for by the current services. Intellectual property rights are not dealt with, with respect to IK.<br /> <br /> From the findings, this study recommends that Library and information professionals include indigenous knowledge in the existing collection development policies or must design collection development policies that include IK.

Consumer protection has become an important issue in many spheres of trade. This fact is borne out by the many consumer protection laws introduced in many countries globally. However, despite these developments Swaziland is lagging behind. Obviously, this state of affairs has left consumers in Swaziland in a totally vulnerable position. Consumers are often exploited in two material respects. They are either subjected to unfair contract terms in the provision of services, or supplied with defective products having the potential of causing serious bodily harm. In protecting consumers the common law has been judicially developed over many centuries to curb these unfair trading practices. The doctrine of freedom of contract has been the driving force in regulating the relations between consumers and suppliers. The import of this doctrine is the unyielding recognition of an individual’s autonomy in the conclusion of consumer transactions. The underlying percepts of this doctrine are privity of contract, which only recognises obligations between contracting parties, and pacta sunt servanda which requires contractual undertakings to be recognised. The operation of contractual freedom in concluding agreements often leads to unfair results against consumers because suppliers usually impose unfair terms as a result of their stronger bargaining power over consumers. In short, problems faced by consumers were twofold; first, they have to battle the issue of potentially harmful goods, and secondly, their economically weak bargaining position is exploited by suppliers through the use of unfair contract terms. Many countries, including the United Kingdom and South Africa, addressed these two consumer issues decisively through statutory reform aimed at protecting consumers against potentially harmful products and unfair contract terms. Swaziland requires statutory reformative measures that will ensure a shift from the current consumer framework regulated by outmoded common law principles towards a modern framework that will comply with international standards. / Thesis (LL.M)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Apiculture or beekeeping is a new initiative in Swaziland, aimed at improving livelihoods for rural people. There is a potential for growth in the industry, but the question is, “are the rural beekeepers gaining from this opportunity?” The aim of this study was to highlight business challenges that hinder rural beekeepers from exploiting the industry opportunities. In order to ascertain the challenges faced by the beekeepers, a sample of farmers from Northern Hhohho, Swaziland was studied. A probability sample of 41 rural beekeepers was drawn from a population size of 384 beekeepers. The sample composed of 58.5% females and 41.5% males, with a majority of them, 29.3% falling between the ages of 31 – 40 years. Results of the study show that 53.7% of the respondents relied solely on beekeeping as their source of income, or livelihood. Northern Hhohho was chosen because of its natural vegetation and climate, which makes the area conducive for beekeeping. It is also a predominantly rural area. Data was collected through a questionnaire, developed for this research and administered to the beekeepers in that area. The study revealed that lack of input resources and an unstructured industry are the reasons for failure of the business ventures. A salient point is the lack of entrepreneurial skills of the beekeepers. It is recommended that, improving entrepreneurial skills, for the SMME beekeepers and Swaziland government intervention in facilitating input resources could benefit the rural beekeepers, in terms of ensuring sustainability of their business. This would create value for both beekeepers and the Swaziland economy. / MBA. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2011.

Attitudes to extensive reading have been shown to be crucial in the additional language (AL) learning classroom. Research seems to confirm that the affective domain – attitudes, motivations, interests and personal evaluations – is essential in a study of behaviour and practice in the AL classroom. The current study aims to find out what the reading attitudes and practices of students at a teacher training college are and explore whether there are significant relationships between the students’ reading attitudes and their reading ability, vocabulary skills and academic performance. It is in light of the above-mentioned quest that we seek to understand what reading attitudes are and what they entail. The ‘attitude’ construct is defined by Guthrie and Greaney (1991: 87) who state that people’s attitudes to reading are resultant from “perceptions” acquired from past reading experiences regarding how pleasurable and valuable reading is. It appears that positive reading outcomes assist in the development of a positive attitude, whereas negative outcomes of reading tend to discourage further ventures into reading, resulting in the development of a negative attitude (McKenna, Kear & Ellsworth, 1995: 941). / Educational Studies / M. A. (Applied Linguistics)

D.Litt. et Phil. / In an examination of the training of nurses in Swaziland from 1927 – 2007, this study argues that the actions of the Church of the Nazarene (CON) and the state, as well as local conceptions of gender, contributed to the introduction and advancement of training of young Swazi women as nurses at the Ainsworth Dickson Nurses’ Home. Aiming at opening a medical mission at Bremersdorp in the Manzini District in Swaziland in 1925, the CON entered into an agreement with the British Colonial government, whereby the latter provided the CON with a piece of land on which to establish the first hospital in Swaziland, which it would staff with a British physician and white nurses. This agreement began an enduring relationship between the CON and the Swaziland government, which saw not only the establishment of the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital (RFM) but also the inauguration of nursing training in 1927. This study argues that the endurance of this training programme was largely dependent on the government’s financial support and on the provision of medical workers by the CON. From the 1930 onwards, the government not only paid salaries for the teaching staff, but also provided funding for nursing students. Following the example of Florence Nightingale, the CON and the Swazi government agreed, in the 1930s, to train only Swazi girls as nurses on the job, using the RFM as the teaching hospital. This agreement proved very suitable to the Swazi context, where cultural understandings precluded the training of boys as nurses, yet, from the beginning, marking the training of nurses in terms of gender...

The female condom has the potential to protect the health of millions of women at risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, as well as unwanted pregnancies. Increased use of the female condom and its positive impact on health is therefore substantial, particularly in the context of the growing feminisation of HIV/AIDS epidemic and high maternal mortality as well as high unmet need for contraception. However, female condoms in Swaziland do not seem to have attracted much attention. Using sex workers, this study aimed to explore the factors that facilitates and inhibits use of the female condom. Their main reasons for using the female condom were protection from sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention. The qualitative interviews revealed that women like the female condom and prefer it over the male condom because it offers them more options and moreover they control its use. Other factors that facilitate its use include the fact that it can be inserted up to eight hours before intercourse and that it can be negotiated as a contraceptive. Partner objection, cultural and social beliefs, and limited availability served as barriers to the use of the device. Some women reported secret use, but a majority had to negotiate its use. Although women have to negotiate its use with their sexual partners, the fact that the female condom provides women with an independent method of protection that they can use on their own increases their ability to control their sexual health. The study indicates the potential benefits of female condom use in increasing protected sex acts. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.