This study evaluated potential health risks associated with the consumption of commonly consumed leafy vegetables, Amaranthus hybridus (tepe), Brassica oleracea (cabbage) and Spinacia oleracea (spinach) in the gold mining town of Kanana in North West Province, where these three plants were the most commonly consumed. Structured interviews were conducted with 40 households to determine their socioeconomic status and the consumption patterns of vegetables (cultivated and wild plants). Along with interviews, plant samples were sampled in home gardens and at various harvesting locations in the wild for chemical analysis. Finally, analysis of mercury content in the sampled three leafy vegetable species was performed to ascertain the contributions of the vegetables to the dietary mercury intake among a predominantly young and poor subpopulation of Kanana, which was found to be largely dependent on state welfare grants and on the cultivation and gathering of wild plants for survival. The study found that all three leafy vegetable species under analysis had mercury concentrations that exceeded the maximum permitted by the World Health Organisation. The highest mean mercury concentrations were found in A. hybridus 0.287μg/g dry mass and the lowest in S. oleracea 0.128μg/g dry mass. Equally, mercury ingestion through the three leafy vegetables by adults in the surveyed subgroups of Kanana exceeded thresholds prescribed by the (2007). Based on consumption patterns, dietary mercury intake by adults exceeded the recommended limits by one order of magnitude, with yearly dose exceeding by as much as four and three orders of magnitude. Long term mercury exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system and chronic intoxication. The surveyed subpopulation is therefore exposed to health risks from mercury toxicity. To ensure food safety and to protect the residents from metal toxicity, awareness programmes are recommended to educate communities living in the vicinity of mines to avoid the areas of highest contamination, such as the artisanal mine dumps and (in this case) the Schoonspruit stream, and to control the artisanal use of mercury. Alternative vegetable gardening methods such as vegetable container gardening using unpolluted soil can also be implemented for the community. In addition, remediation of all the sites where local people cultivate vegetables and gather edible wild plants should be considered where feasible. The insights gained through the study should be used to inform local land use planning and create awareness among personnel from local regulators and development agencies. The insights can also be used to inform environmental management planning processes, risk mitigation and social impact assessment for industries in the region, in particular those involved in mining. Keywords: consumption patterns, gold mining, human health risk, leafy vegetables, mercury.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 398-409. / by James Allen Cooney. / Ph.D.

"November 2001" / Bibliography: leaves 132-156. / xii, 166 leaves : ill. (some col.), plates (col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Focusses on the ecophysiology of Ecklonia radiata and quantifies its carbon contribution to further elucidate E. radiata's role in the nearshore marine environment. The photosynthesis-irradiance response of E. radiata was investigated in situ throughout the year and across the dept profile. A clear seasonal change in photokinetic parameters was detected and provided strong evidence of a seasonal acclimation response. Changes in photokinetic parameters across the depth profile were less pronounced and a significant decline in productivity occurred at deeper depths. The acclimation state of E radiata did alter across the depth profile. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Environmental Biology, 2002

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Florida, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 7, 2005). Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-85).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-158).

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A great deal is expected of the construction industry and this study will stimulate reflections by participants on their role and performance. Leadership and collaboration are needed to enhance the capability and focus of all who engage in the delivery process- a focus to grow, transform and nurture the national asset base of the construction industry. The study highlights areas of progress and provides insight on the significant challenges to the construction industry growth and creation of infrastructure, challenges that are closely linked to the need for raised levels of performance and empowerment. Construction accounts for about I 0 per cent of the world economy and approximately 70 per cent of construction investment is accounted for in the USA, Western Europe and Japan. The continent of Africa accounts for about one per cent. Per capita investment in construction in the developed world is approximately $2500 per annum compared to $46 per annum in Africa. Embodied in the policies and legislations is a fundamental recognition that a developing society inherited a construction sector that supports a strategically developed industry with world-class capability and an established material manufacturing sector. The post-1994 expansion of South African engineering and construction services into global markets is testament to this inherent capability and the potential of the industry, and was enabled by the country's passage to democracy. In parallel with policy and institutional reform, a range of early practical initiatives were introduced by government to direct the process of change. In this context, growth needs to be coupled with sustainable employment, empowerment and investment in human capital as a pre-requisite for improved industry performance and competitiveness. The policy framework also addresses the role and potential impact of government as facilitator, regulator and major client to the industry. These included the implementation of preferential procurement to stimulate access to the market by historically disadvantaged enterprises, and measures to address supply-side constraints such as access to entrepreneurial training, finance, and credit. The Black Economic Empowerment is defined as empowerment of a broad-based process, and adopts a scorecard approach covering ownership, management, employment equity, skills development, procurement, corporate social investment, as well as investment and enterprise formation. By meeting any, or a combination of these objectives, every company has the potential to promote empowerment (SA Construction Industry Report, 2004 ). The main objective is to create new business ventures which play a significant role in economic growth. For this reason, it makes sense to explore correlations between black economic empowerment activities and lagged indicators of procurement policies and procedures. Some of the findings are: •Lack of consistency in the application of preferential procurement policies • Ambiguous regulations • Clients' planning shortcomings • Inadequate budget • Capacity constraints The biggest concern is the lack of core skills among emerging contractors, that is, financial literacy, record-keeping and marketing Although there are excellent examples of financing initiatives in South Africa (SA), there are only a small number of financial institutions in SA that have low default rates on small business loans. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

The study revolves around factors influencing the perceptions of service delivery by local municipalities in the Central District Municipality in the North West Province. Service delivery in general, as perceived by communities, has been a serious dilemma for most South African local municipalities. Factors in service delivery, as applicable in service marketing, have been examined through a detailed SERVQUAL research method. The focus areas have been service quality dimensions: • Reliability : the ability to deliver the promised service dependably and accurately; • Responsiveness : willingness to help and provide prompt customer service; • Assurance : knowledge, courtesy and ability of service providers to inspire trust and confidence • Empathy : caring and individualised attention given to clients; and • Tangibles : appearance of physical facilities, equipments, personnel and written materials. All five local municipalities in the Central District were involved in the study, and the main findings indicate that the residents in all the affected municipalities do not have confidence in the local government for service delivery. All five municipalities performed badly on the aspect of reliability and there is negative perception on responsiveness and willingness to provide prompt service by all the municipalities. The municipalities are perceived not to be able to command respect and instil confidence on their residents. The performance on empathy, where individual customised services are expected is poor. It is only on tangibles, where physical facilities are regarded as satisfactory. It is recommended that all municipalities should look inwardly and improve on their capacity on skills, financial management as well as bench-marking with international cities and towns for effective municipal service delivery. Service marketing as a management principle should be implemented immediately to save the current situation of loss of clientele and customer confidence. Other areas of quality improvement to be looked at are Total Quality Management and Work Improvement Team Strategy. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

The restructuring of state assets was expected to contribute towards black economic empowerment and a broader redistribution of wealth to those who were previously excluded from participating actively in the economy of this country. However, there have been several accusations leveled at government. Some people believe that privatization of state assets has benefited a few. This has led to the enactment of the Broad based black economic empowerment act. There is also a concern from the communities and unions that privatization of state assets will result in poor service delivery and unemployment. The study was conducted through a quantitative methodology. The final questionnaire was administered to 40 taxi owners, 20 government employees, 20 contractors, 20 business owners and 40 local residents. Out of the 140 people, II 0 responded, thus a 79 % response rate, all was used for data analyses. The various variables (responses to individual questions) in the questionnaire were arranged to obtain a rating for each dimension covered. This procedure assumes equality of interval of the Likert scale and therefore the data is regarded as the least interval data (rather than ordinary data). The findings on the study showed that majority of the respondents were not in favour of privatisation. Recommendations made were as follows, the government through its education programmes in schools and in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) canters must educate citizens about socio-economic and political issues as well as familiarizing them with the government's macro - economic policy, in particular the GEAR policy. The government should only make partial privatization, and not complete/ whole privatization. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006