The report is about participatory action research with caregivers at the 'Tsoga 0 ltirele" centre for the mentally disabled. It was a process where the caregivers were involved in a series of action, plan and reflection in researching their situation. The facilitation process assisted the caregivers to look at their problems at the centre and improve service delivery in caring for the mentally disabled children. Several meetings were held where action, plan and reflection took place. Caregivers decided on their own when to meet and discuss issues that concerned them. They planned what needed to be dealt with and took collective action to address these needs. The facilitation process enabled caregivers to research their own problems, embrace errors experienced and recognise progress. People Centred Approach, Community Development and Participatory Action Research complemented one another in capacitating caregivers. Through it they learned to improve their own programmes and to run their meetings, improve marketing skills and fundraising. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Witchcraft discourse in South Africa has increasingly permeated all social structures, thereby becoming a real threat to the process of reconstruction and development. The neglect of witchcraft accusations and their resultant consequences can cause the country to lose all it gained as a result of the liberation struggle. In this study I examine the historical developments of witchcraft accusations around the world in general, and in South Africa in particular as well as the threats they pose to society. I analyse five broad areas: 1) The inborn h tendency to scapegoat; jealousy; and the role religion plays in the escalation of these problems; 2) The African world-view and its consequences on interpersonal relationships; 3) Colonial and missionary attempts to suppress the African world-view; 4) Ways and means of containing the conflicts arising from the witchcraft problem; and 5) Summary of findings. The research was occasioned by the untold suffering victims of witchcraft accusations have to undergo in the three Northern Provinces of South Africa. Because of the cruelty and misery such accusations cause the poor people of these rural provinces urgent attention is needed to contain them, especially since such accusations have not diminished despite all governmental efforts to curtail them. At the centre of witchcraft accusations there are stress, hatred, vindictiveness, and aspirations to become famous. The fear that one may be victimised by either being accused of witchcraft or being bewitched is very real even today. The relevance of the study is apparent when one considers the feelings of helplessness that paralyses the opponent of this carnage, such as government and the churches. A number of resources should thus be employed to counter would be put into it. This threat which is aggravated by the abject poverty prevalent in the rural communities of the three Provinces. The prevailing conditions of abject poverty play a definite role in the creation, promotion and escalation of the scourge. Policy makers should therefore have clear grasp of the extent to which poverty has influence on society in any effort to contain witchcraft accusations. I conclude the study by ~ecommending transformational paths to the Government, NonGovernmental Organisations and other Community Leaders to follow in attending to improve the lot of the poor. This is done by highlighting ten findings that emerged during the study. The findings were the result of analyses of archival records, literature and case studies on witchcraft accusations. Because the subject of witchcraft is so wide and emotive I have employed several sociological and anthropological theories to cover as wide a field as possible. The incorporation of so many theoretical approaches into the study presents on interpretive and analytical explanation of the causes, effects and containment of witchcraft accusations. The overall conclusion is encapsulated by the title of the study Moloi ga a na mmala (A witch has no colour). A witch remains unidentifiable, but witch-hunters and sniffers know how to identify their witches. Although the process remains paradoxical, it is practised on a daily basis. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D.Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

This research is directed at the investigation of teacher education and the professional status of the teacher in the Northern Province. The literature study examined the essential characteristics of a profession and these were rephrased as criteria to evaluate to what. extent education . meets these criteria. Education is a profession although it does not fully meet the criteria of such traditional professions as law and medicine. A qualitative investigation was undertaken to determine how successfully teacher education is realised in the Northern Province. It was revealed that teacher education is not founded on a pedagogically justifiable theory. The status of the teacher is low. To redress this situation, continuous research and in-service education are recommended whereby the teachers' status and the standard of teacher education may be enhanced Culture needs recognition in the curricula that need to be changed to meet the demands of a changing society. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

Witchcraft discourse in South Africa has increasingly permeated all social structures, thereby becoming a real threat to the process of reconstruction and development. The neglect of witchcraft accusations and their resultant consequences can cause the country to lose all it gained as a result of the liberation struggle. In this study I examine the historical developments of witchcraft accusations around the world in general, and in South Africa in particular as well as the threats they pose to society. I analyse five broad areas: 1) The inborn h tendency to scapegoat; jealousy; and the role religion plays in the escalation of these problems; 2) The African world-view and its consequences on interpersonal relationships; 3) Colonial and missionary attempts to suppress the African world-view; 4) Ways and means of containing the conflicts arising from the witchcraft problem; and 5) Summary of findings. The research was occasioned by the untold suffering victims of witchcraft accusations have to undergo in the three Northern Provinces of South Africa. Because of the cruelty and misery such accusations cause the poor people of these rural provinces urgent attention is needed to contain them, especially since such accusations have not diminished despite all governmental efforts to curtail them. At the centre of witchcraft accusations there are stress, hatred, vindictiveness, and aspirations to become famous. The fear that one may be victimised by either being accused of witchcraft or being bewitched is very real even today. The relevance of the study is apparent when one considers the feelings of helplessness that paralyses the opponent of this carnage, such as government and the churches. A number of resources should thus be employed to counter would be put into it. This threat which is aggravated by the abject poverty prevalent in the rural communities of the three Provinces. The prevailing conditions of abject poverty play a definite role in the creation, promotion and escalation of the scourge. Policy makers should therefore have clear grasp of the extent to which poverty has influence on society in any effort to contain witchcraft accusations. I conclude the study by ~ecommending transformational paths to the Government, NonGovernmental Organisations and other Community Leaders to follow in attending to improve the lot of the poor. This is done by highlighting ten findings that emerged during the study. The findings were the result of analyses of archival records, literature and case studies on witchcraft accusations. Because the subject of witchcraft is so wide and emotive I have employed several sociological and anthropological theories to cover as wide a field as possible. The incorporation of so many theoretical approaches into the study presents on interpretive and analytical explanation of the causes, effects and containment of witchcraft accusations. The overall conclusion is encapsulated by the title of the study Moloi ga a na mmala (A witch has no colour). A witch remains unidentifiable, but witch-hunters and sniffers know how to identify their witches. Although the process remains paradoxical, it is practised on a daily basis. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

This research is directed at the investigation of teacher education and the professional status of the teacher in the Northern Province. The literature study examined the essential characteristics of a profession and these were rephrased as criteria to evaluate to what. extent education . meets these criteria. Education is a profession although it does not fully meet the criteria of such traditional professions as law and medicine. A qualitative investigation was undertaken to determine how successfully teacher education is realised in the Northern Province. It was revealed that teacher education is not founded on a pedagogically justifiable theory. The status of the teacher is low. To redress this situation, continuous research and in-service education are recommended whereby the teachers' status and the standard of teacher education may be enhanced Culture needs recognition in the curricula that need to be changed to meet the demands of a changing society. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Philosophy of Education)

This study investigated rural livelihoods in two contrasting environments in the upper and lower reaches of the Gariep River: Sehlabathebe in the Lesotho highlands, and the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, and how these have changed over time. Livelihoods were examined using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework in conjunction with the household development cycle. This study therefore adopted a multi-scale approach, where a micro-level household analysis was framed within the macro level social, political, environmental, economic and institutional context, while taking into account the role of temporal scale of livelihood change. A multi-scale approach facilitated the identification of the major drivers of change, both exogenous and endogenous. The combination of livelihood strategies pursued differed between the two sites. Households in Sehlabathebe are reliant mainly on arable and garden cultivation, livestock in some households, occasional remittances, use of wild resources, petty trading and reliance on donations. Households in the Richtersveld relied primarily on livestock, wage labour, use of wild resources and State grants or pensions. The livelihood strategies pursued in each site have not changed markedly over time, but rather the relative importance of those strategies was found to have changed. The assets available to households, the livelihood strategies adopted and the changes in these livelihood strategies are influenced by a households stage in the development cycle and differing macro-level factors. Drivers of change operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and are often complex and interrelated. The major drivers of livelihood change were identified as macro-economic, demographic, institutional and social and climatic. This study highlights the importance of using historical analysis in the study of livelihoods, as well as the complexity and diversity of rural livelihoods. Ecosystem goods and services were found to play a fundamental role in rural livelihoods and are influenced by institutional factors. Rural households are heavily reliant on the formal economy, and macro-economic changes have had a significant impact on livelihoods. This is highlighted by how the drastic decline in migrant labour opportunities for households in Sehlabathebe has negatively affected them. Vulnerability was shown to be a result of external shocks and trends, such as institutional transformation, a decline in employment opportunities, theft and climatic variation; and differed between the two sites. The role of institutional breakdown was shown to be a major factor influencing rural livelihoods, and this is related to broader economic and political changes. This study contributes to the growing literature on rural livelihoods by allowing for an appreciation of how differing environments and contextual factors influence livelihood strategies adopted, and which different factors are driving change.

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Solar energy development is experiencing significant growth due to national interest in increasing energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing domestic energy production, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Northern Cape is generally known to be one of the preferred areas for the generation of solar energy in South Africa, and even in the world, due to its abundant solar radiation. Although this area has abundant potential for solar power generation, not all the areas are suitable for construction of solar plant facilities especially those that are prone to sand storm and dust accumulation. Consequently, site evaluation is very crucial for planning, design and construction of the solar facility. The main objective of this study was to determine the suitability of a proposed site at Kakamas in the Northern Cape for construction of a photovoltaic solar facility. The specific objectives of this research were to assess and establish all the geotechnical aspects that may have an impact on the development of the site, to explore the surface conditions at the proposed site and to establish the soil properties and comment on the use of the on-site soils in the construction of the solar facility. Other specific objectives included to determine the variability of ground conditions and effects of such variability on the proposed development and to provide foundation recommendations for the design and construction of the solar facility. In order to obtain this information, methods such as desktop studies, geological survey, soil survey, magnetic survey and soil profiling were employed to obtain information about the geotechnical aspects of the study area and properties of the on-site soil. Field tests such as cone penetration and resistivity survey and laboratory tests such as foundation indicator test, California Bearing Ratio, pH and permeability test were also performed in order to determine the engineering, behavioral and hydraulic properties of the soil. The results of the geologic and magnetic survey indicated that the study area is underlain by mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, quartzite, pegmatite, gneiss and calcrete. The results of the soil profiling and the resistivity survey showed that the study area is comprised of sandy soil with either two or three horizons while the cone penetration results revealed high variable soil consistency and stiffness which ranged from very loose to very stiff soils. The particle size distribution, atterberg limits and grading modulus indicated that the study area is characterized mainly by dry, cohesionless and non-plastic to slightly plastic coarse-grained sandy soil with sand content ranging from 71- 96%. From the CBR results, it was found that the soils in the study area generally classifies as G6 material and can be used as base, sub base and backfilling material in accordance with the TRH 14 specifications. The permeability test results indicated moderately permeable sandy silt soils with coefficient of permeability ranging between 1x10-3 to 8x10-3 cm/sec and ground water was encountered at 1.3 m depth. The material excavatability indicated variable material on site ranging from soft calcretes with soft excavation to highly competent material such as quartz and dorbank which require hard excavation while the side wall stability of trial pits indicated stable pit walls during the investigation giving an indication of stability of long pit excavations. The foundation analysis showed that driven piles and earth screws are the ideal foundation types for this site and that the site is generally suitable for construction of the solar facility provided all the recommendations are implemented. / NRF

Thesis (M. Tech.(Tourism and Hospitality Management)) -- Central university of Technology, Free State, 2010 / Globally, tourism is increasingly referred to as the world's biggest industry. As tourism increases so the consumer’s demand for quality in all its related products and services increase. Superior customer service can therefore be viewed as one of the most effective strategies to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The delivery of excellent service is crucial if a tourism destination such as the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is to enhance its visitors’ experience and ensure their extended stay. One of the key constraints to tourism growth that has been identified is the lack of product and service quality. The primary goal of the study therefore was to investigate the perceptions of tourists on the quality of tourism service in the Sol Plaatje Area. Another primary goal was to determine the quality of service by conducting unstructured interviews with role-players in the local tourism industry. Secondary objectives were set, namely to determine the service needs of foreign and domestic tourists, and to make recommendations and suggestions to increase service quality in the Sol Plaatje Area. A questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument and distributed to domestic and foreign tourists. Three sampling points were selected to conduct the survey (250 questionnaires), namely the departure hall of Kimberley Airport, the Big Hole and the McGregor Museum. Results indicated that although the majority of tourists (83.4% of domestic and 93.8% of foreign respondents) were generally satisfied with the service they received and would promote the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as a tourist destination, a large number of respondents (32.1%) rated their satisfaction with service delivery as average to poor. This is an indication that improvement is needed in the delivery of quality service. Unstructured interviews (conducted by the researcher) with 20 major role-players in the local tourism industry indicated that the majority (60%) perceived the service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area as average to poor and not exceeding the expectations of tourists. Overall, the results indicated the need for the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area to improve its tourism service delivery in order to exceed tourist expectations and compete with other destinations locally and abroad. The findings of this study contribute valuable information and insights into the quality of service delivery in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area. It will therefore be beneficial to all tourism stakeholders to provide visitors with the best service experience in the Sol Plaatje Municipal Area.

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions/views of student nurses, nurse educators and unit supervisors on accompaniment of student nurses in clinical settings of the Northern Province of the RSA A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey was used in this study to describe the perceptions/views of student nurses, nurse educators and unit supervisors on apcompaniment of student nurses in clinical settings. Data was collected during February and March 200 I when student nurses, nurse educators and unit supervisors in the Northern Province completed questionnaires. The study revealed positive and negative perceptions regarding accompaniment of student nurses in clinical settings, including that: • accompaniment in the clinical settings enhanced student nurses' clinical learning experiences • the presence of nurse educators in the clinical settings improved student nurses' accompaniment • facilitators played an important role in the accompaniment of student nurses • accompaniment enhances correlation of theory and practice / Health Studies / MA (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / The bright future of education in South Africa, as in every developed and developing country such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and many others, depends greatly on grade 1 teachers' involvement in School-Based Curriculum Development (SBCD). The fallacy that grade 1 teachers can be operated effectively by remote control should be abandoned from the school curriculum. Success will always be elusive task if grade 1 teachers are excluded from curriculum decision-making, because their proximity to learners in the learning situation is a source of valuable information for curriculum developers, a source which is currently overlooked. This warrants a paradigm shift in teacher training programmes. A situation analysis in our democratic country necessitates problem-centred teacher training which will equip the future generation of teacher trainees and prospective grade 1 teachers with relevant professional skills, precipitated by our country. The bone of contention in this study revolves around the kind of teaching and learning problems experienced by grade 1 teachers involved in SBCD in the Northern Province. It is apparent from the thesis that grade 1 teachers' involvement in curriculum decisionmaking is limited to a certain extent because members of the top structure of curriculum planners are reluctant to quit their 'ivory towers' to perceive the real situation of the noble profession of teaching. A profound problem in South Africa in general and the Northern Province in particular is that there is a serious lack of consultation and negotiations with grade 1 teachers, and the implications thereof are detrimental to SBCD. The measure in which the grade 1 teachers are involved in participation and decisionmaking is a determinant of the success or failure of the innovation project. It is thus noteworthy to point out that the grade 1 teacher must be fully supported by his or her academic seniors, to become actively involved in curriculum activities. The overriding aim of this study, an exploratory investigation of the identified teaching and learning problems by grade 1 teachers in terms of SBCD in the Northern Province emanated from this need. It should also be pointed out that our world is characterised by the rapid tempo at which knowledge becomes out-dated and is replaced by new ideas and concepts. The twentieth century has become known as the information era. This has necessitated a change of emphasis in education; instead of the transfer of knowledge, the grade I teacher must rather be taught how to acquire knowledge on his or her own and be provided with instruments necessary for exploiting knowledge. The method of analysis began with in a literature review, with a viewpoint to provide guidelines for grade I teachers' involvement in SBCD. After an introductory orientation provided in chapter 1, the theories of SBCD and Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) were examined in chapter 2. Qualitative research as a strategy to address problems in SBCD was dealt with in chapter 3 by means of identifying the research instruments to be utilised for data collection techniques and analysis. Furthermore, in this chapter, the researcher elaborated on the types of qualitative methods, characteristics and outcomes of qualitative research, phases of data collection and analysis strategies and qualitative research as a remedy in SBCD problems. In chapter 4, the researcher elaborated on research instruments, findings and data analysis. Findings were based on the implementation of research instruments and literature review. It is in this chapter that the theories of SBCD and OBE in chapter 2 and qualitative research as a strategy to address SBCD problems in chapter 3 have been synthesised. In the ensuing chapter 5, guidelines which could serve as a framework for grade I teachers' involvement in SBCD were provided. It is strongly believed that these guidelines will be useful for both Pre-service Teacher Education and Training (PRESET) and In-service Teacher Education and Training (INSET) to keep pace with the changes taking place in the South African society. Teacher training should thus ensure that teacher trainees and prospective grade I teachers are sufficiently skilled to cope with the tremendous escalation of challenges in SBCD. In fact, grade I teachers should be trained to teach learners who must fulfill their vocational mandate some time in the near future. The youth must be empowered for the future, which covers the period from the time they enter school. These guidelines make it imperative for the trainers of prospective teachers to predict the future realistically and to train grade I teachers in accordance with the principle of constancy and change. Future education requires individuals who will know how to apply principles, norms and values and how to design new methods for effective instruction and learning. The final chapter focused on the background to the problem, the methodology of the investigation and conclusions. The study also highlighted recommendations for the improvement of teaching practice and teacher training and the implications thereof. The researcher summed up the study by proposing areas of concern for future research. / Die suksesvolle ontwikkeling en toekoms van onderwys in Suid-Afrika, soos in elke ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende land, insluitend die Verenigde State van Amerika, die Verenigde Koninkryk, Frankryk en vele ander, hang hoofsaaklik af van die betrokkenheid van graad 1-onderwysers by Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling (SBKO) . Dit geld ook vir die Noordelike Provinsie waar hierdie studie gedoen is. Die aanname dat graad 1-onderwysers effektief kan deelneem aan die skoolkurrikulum deur middel van afstandsdeelname, moet laat vaar word. Indien die onderwysers uitgesluit word van die besluitnemingsproses in kurrikulumontwikkeling sal die kanse op sukses bemoelik word. Hulle deelname aan en betrokkenheid by die leersituasie kan dien as 'n bron van inligting vir kurrikulumontwikkelaars. Tans word hierdie bron van inligting nie in aanmerking geneem nie. Hierdie hipotese vereis 'n paradigmaskuif in die onderwysersopleidingsprogramme. 'n Situasie-analise in die Noordelike Provinsie het getoon dat 'n probleemgerigte onderwysersopleidingsprogram nodig is om die toekomstige generasie van onderwysers (veral graad 1-onderwysers) toe te rus met die relevante professionele vaardighede wat so dringend in ons land benodig word. Die kernpunte in hierdie studie handel oor die tipe kennisoordrag- en leerprobleme wat graad 1-onderwysers ondervind m hulle betrokkenheid m Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling in die Noordelike Provinsie, en in watter mate dit aangespreek word m kurrikulumontwikkeling. Bevindings m hierdie studie toon dat onderwyserbetrokkenheid beperk word deur die topstruktuur van die kurrikulumbeplanners wat onwillig is om hulle ivoortorings te verlaat en sodoende nie die werklike situasie in die onderwysberoep in aanmerking neem nie. 'n Groot probleem in Suid-Afrika in die algemeen, en in die Noordelike Provinsie in die besonder, is die emstige gebrek aan konsultasie en onderhandeling met graad 1-onderwysers en die negatiewe impak hiervan op kurrikulumontwikkeling. Die mate waarin hierdie onderwysers betrokke is, is bepalend vir die sukses of die mislukking van die innoverende projek. Dit is gevolglik noodsaaklik om daarop te wys dat die graad 1- onderwyser ten voile ondersteun moet word deur sy/haar akaderniese seniors ten einde aktiefbetrokke te kan wees by sodanige kurrikulumaktiwiteite. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie is dan ook 'n ondersoek na die geldentifiseerde kennisoordrag- en leerprobleme van graad l-onde111Jysers in die Noordelike Provinsie in voorafgenoemde verband. Ons leef in 'n snel veranderende wereld waarin kennis vinnig verouder raak en met nuwe idees en konsepte vervang word, die sogenaarnde inforrnasieera. Dit noodsaak 'n verandering in die onderwys, waar die onderwyser geleer moet word om eerstens self kennis te verkry asook dat die instrumente wat no dig is om die kennis te eksploiteer, verskafword, eerder as om net op kennisoordrag te let. Analise as ondersoekmetode is in die literatuuroorsig gebruik met die doel om riglyne vir graad 1-onderwysersbetrokkenheid te verskaf. Na die inleidende orienteringspostulaat in Hoofstuk 1, Is die teoriee van Skoolgebaseerde kurrikulumontwikkeling en Uitkomsgebaseerde Onde111Jys (UGO) m Hoofstuk 2 ondersoek. In Hoofstuk 3 is kwalitatiwe navorsing as strategie om probleme met Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling uit te wys, aangespreek. Dit is bereik deur die identifisering van die navorsingsinstrumente wat gebruik is vir data-insameling en analise. In die hoofstuk bespreek die navorser die tipes kwalitatiewe metodes; die eienskappe en gevolge van kwalitatiewe navorsmg; die fases van dataversarneling asook analisestrategiee en kwalitatiewe navorsmg as instrumente in die uitskakeling van Skoolgebaseerde Kurrikulumontwikkeling-probleme. In Hoofstuk 4 word verder uitgebrei oor navorsingsinstrurnente, bevindings en data- analise. In die hoofstuk word die teoriee van SBKO en UGO soos bespreek in Hoofstuk 2 en kwalitatiewe navorsing as strategie om SBKO probleme aan te spreek, gesintetiseer. In Hoofstuk 5 word riglyne verskaf wat kan dien as raarnwerk VIr graad londe111Jyserbetrokkenheid in SBKO. Die verrnoede bestaan dat hierdie riglyne bruikbaar sal wees vir beide Voordiensopleiding en Indiensopleiding om sodoende in pas te wees met die veranderinge wat m die gemeenskap se leefwereld plaasvind. Onderwysersopleiding behoort dus te verseker dat onderwysers wat opgelei word, en veral graad 1-onderwysers, toegerus word om met die toename in uitdagings in SBKO te kan byhou. In werklikheid behoort graad 1-onderwysers sodanig opgelei te word dat hulle leerders kan onderrig en toerus om in die toekoms hulle beroepe te kan beoefen. Die jeug moet bemagtig word vir die toekoms vanaf die oomblik dat hulle die skoolsisteem binnegaan. Hierdie riglyne maak dit noodsaaklik vir die opleiers van voomemende onderwysers om die toekoms korrek te voorspel en om die graad 1-onderwysers op te lei in die beginsels van konsekwentheid en verandering. Toekomstige onderrig vereis individue wat sal weet hoe om beginsels, nonne en waardes toe te pas en hoe om nuwe onderrigmetodes vir effektiewe leer te ontwerp. Die finale hoofstuk fokus op die agtergrond van die probleem, die metodologie van die ondersoek en gevolgtrekkings. Die studie benadruk die aanbevelings vir die verbetering van onderwyspraktyk en onderwysersopleiding en die implikasies daarvan. Die navorser som dan ook die studie op deur areas van belang vir toekomstige navorsing voor te stel. / D. Ed. (Didactics and Curriculum Studies)