No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1966.

The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (MPA) hotspot, as is the case of all such global biodiversity hotspots, has primarily been recognised based on its high floristic endemism and delimited intuitively. Boundaries of global biodiversity hotspots have seldom been empirically tested in terms of species distribution patterns and only a few have been examined for patterns of animal endemism. This thesis presents the results of a zoogeographical study of all five major vertebrate groups and selected invertebrate groups in south-eastern Africa, refining the delimitation of the MPA hotspot and identifying areas and centres of endemism within and around it. It also provides zoogeographical regionalisation schemata for the whole of south-eastern Africa. The study employed methods of, (a) preliminary qualitative identification of “Endemic Vertebrate Distributions”, (b) phenetic clustering of operational geographical units based on species incidence matrices, using the Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity and the Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic means (UPGMA) clustering algorithm, (c) Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity, and (d) ArcGIS-based mapping of various measures of endemism (e.g. narrow endemism and weighted endemism). The results reveal that the MPA hotspot, though defined so due to its exceptional floristic endemism, is a hotspot for the endemism of animals too, especially for the herpetofauna and invertebrate groups like the velvet worms, land snails and many others. But the current boundary of the hotspot is arbitrarily defined and not exactly matching the patterns of animal endemism (and, likely, neither those in plants). Hence, a greater Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (GMPA) region of animal endemism is proposed as a broad priority region of conservation concern, while centres of endemism within the GMPA are identified and patterns of quantitative measures of endemism are mapped. The study also proposes a zoogeographical regionalisation placing the GMPA and Highveld regions at the province rank in the global zoogeographical hierarchy, within the south east African dominion, also describing zoogeographical districts and assemblages nested within each. Results from the vertebrate and invertebrate analyses reveals the possibility of a common zoogeographical regionalisation for south-eastern Africa. The study emphasises the importance of quantitative biogeographical methodologies in conservation biogeography, in addition to their uses in the theoretical/descriptive biogeography. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of democratisation in peace building and conflict resolution. The findings of the study have revealed that democratisation plays a pivotal role in conflict resolution and peace building. It provides legitimacy for governments and encourages people's participation in decision-making on issues that affect their lives; democratic processes contribute to the effectiveness of the state policies and developmental strategies. The study has also showed that democratic institutions and practices foster the governmental accountability and transparency necessary to deter national and transnational crime and corruption and encourage increased responsiveness to popular concerns. In development, they increase the likelihood that the state goals reflect broad societal concerns and that the government is sensitive to the societal environmental costs of its development policies. By involving people in decision-making, democracy ensures mutual respect and satisfaction between the state and its citizens, and this in turn promotes peace and stability in a country. / M.A. (Peace studies and International Studies) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Records from the Quaternary period are used to confirm possible inferred climatic changes, reveal the responses of species to these changes, and serve as an archive against which modern environmental dynamics can be assessed. Fueled by a need to understand current climatic changes, the call for palaeoclimatic research in the southern African subregion has become more compelling. In southern Africa, such research has been largely restricted to springs and swamps as the subregion lacks natural lakes, with some exception of a few coastal lakes such as Lake Sibaya and Lake Eteza. Due to the arid and semi-arid landscapes which prevail in southern Africa, there is a paucity of suitable sedimentary deposits in the region. The highly organic peat deposit of Mutale Wetland, situated in the Tate Vondo region of the northeastern Soutpansberg presents an ideal opportunity for conducting palaeoenvironmental research. The Mutale Wetland contains relatively old sediments dating back to >30,000 cal years BP, placing this record within the late Quaternary period. Palaeoenvironmental techniques including radiocarbon, pollen and charcoal analyses were applied to produce a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction for Tate Vondo. A 302 cm sedimentary core was extracted from the Mutale Wetland. Detailed analyses show that prior to ca. 34,000 cal yr BP, conditions were fairly warm and dry. This is inferred from a dominance of open grassland vegetation. An expansion of Podocarpus forests together with an increase in fynbos elements suggest a shift to cool, subhumid conditions during the LGM. Cooler conditions persisted until ca. 12,000 cal yr BP. Thereafter, a climatic amelioration was experienced. The appearance of low charcoal concentrations throughout the late Pleistocene suggests that fire was infrequent. Between ca. 4000 – 1500 cal yr BP, conditions became warmer and drier, inferred from the development of arid savanna vegetation. The sharp increase in charcoal after ca. 4000 cal yr BP, broadly coinciding with the arrival of the first agriculturalists in the area, has implications for the history of human occupation in the Soutpansberg rather than shifts in climate. The succession from savanna to fynbos vegetation together with expanded forests implies a return to cool and moist conditions from ca. 1500 – 400 cal yr BP. Arid savanna persists from ca. 400 to the present, implying warmer and drier conditions towards the present day. Furthermore, from ca. 400 cal yr BP, the pollen and charcoal record indicate that the majority of recent changes in vegetation have been driven by anthropogenic activity. This record has contributed to an improved understanding of late Quaternary changes in climate, vegetation history and human impact in the northeastern Soutpansberg. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.

No description available.

The benthos of Lake Sibayi, Lake Nhlange, Lake Shengesa and Lake Sifungwe has been sampled by means of a van Veen grab of bite area 0.225m². Except for Lake Shengesa, the substrates of the lakes have been investigated visually by SCUBA divers. Some quantitative sampling, using underwater techniques, has been carried out in Lake Sibayi. In general, the substrate of the lakes consisted of two types, either fine sand with an average particle size of 3.2 phi, or mud with a median phi value of less than 6. The sandy substrata was usually rich in fauna, and the mud usually poor. Lake Sibayi , which is freshwater (135 ppm Cl¯) has estuarine and freshwater species in the benthos. Some of the species, notably Grandidierella lignorum and Apseudes digitalis, show an uneven pattern of distribution with respect to depth. Lake Nhlange is a brackwater lake (3.4‰ salinity) and has mainly an estuarine fauna. Many of the species are different from those found in Lake Sibayi. There is some evidence that the benthic fauna of the lake has increased its range in depth in the years following a flood in January 1966. Only chironomid larvae were found in the benthos of Lake Shengesa. The greater part of the substrate of this lake consisted of a highly organic mud mainly derived from burnt grassland around the periphery of the lake. Lake Sifungwe, which is connected to Lake Nhlange, has a halocline at about 9 metres. The fauna of the benthos has more species than lake Nhlange. There is some evidence to suggest that LGC fauna invades deeper water in summer, and is driven into shallower water in winter because of the fluctuating level of anaerobic conditions below the discontinuity layer. The benthic fauna of the lakes has been compared with that of the estuaries reported on by the Cape Town Ecological Survey. experimental studies on G. lignorum, a species present in Lake Sibayi, suggested that the physiological responses of material from an estuary normally at 35‰ salinity (Kowie River estuary) and from lakes which are normally of low salinity (Groenvlei 2.5‰ salinity, Lake Sibayi) were not different. Studies on substrate choice, and pressure, indicated that these factors do not affect the distribution pattern of G. lignorum in the substrate. Studies on light orientation responses and the effects of rates of carbon dioxide increase of about 20 mm HgC0₂/hr or more, suggest that these may be the principle factors affecting the distribution of G. lignorum in the benthos of Lake Sibayi. Some supporting evidence for the presence of changing pC0₂ has been found. A discussion of the importance of dynamic events at the substrate/water interface is given.

Hydrological variability involving rainfall and streamflows in southern Africa have been often studied separately or have used cumulative rainfall and streamflow indices. The main objective of this study was to investigate spatio-temporal variations of rainfall, their influences on streamflows and their relationships with climatic variations with emphasis on indices that characterise the hydrological extremes, floods and droughts. It was found that 60-70% of the time when it rains, daily rainfalls are below their long-term averages and daily amounts below 10 mm are the most frequent in southern Africa. Spatially, climatologies of rainfall sub-divided the southern African subcontinent into the dry western/southwestern part and the “humid” eastern and northern part. The daily amounts below 20 mm contribute significantly to annual rainfall amounts in the dry part while all types of daily rainfall exceeding 1 mm have comparable contributions in the humid part. The climatologies indicated the highest likelihood of experiencing intense daily events during the core of the wet seasons with the highest frequencies in central Mozambique and the southern highlands of Tanzania. Interannual variations of rainfall indicated that significant changes had occurred between the late-1940s and early-1980s, particularly in the 1970s. The changes in rainfall were more evident in the number of daily rainfall events than in rainfall amounts, led generally to increasing early summer and decreased late summer rainfall. It was also found that intra-seasonal dry day sequences were an important parameter in the definition of a rainy season’s onset and end in southern Africa apart from rainfall amounts. Interannual variations of the rainy season characteristics (onset, end, duration) followed the variations of rainfall amounts and number of events. The duration of the rainy season was affected by the onset (Tanzania), onset or end (tropical southern Africa - southwestern highlands of Tanzania, Zambia, northern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique) and end (the remaing part of southern Africa). Flow duration curves (FDCs) identified three types of rivers (ephemeral, seasonal and perennial) in southern Africa with ephemeral rivers found mainly in the dry western part of the region. Seasonal streamflow patterns followed those of rainfall while interannual streamflow variations indicated significant changes of mean flows with little evidences of high and low flow regime changes except in Namibia and some parts of northern Zimbabwe. It was, however, not possible to provide strong links between the identified changes in streamflows and those in rainfall. Regarding the influences of climate variability on hydrological variability in southern Africa, rainfall variations in southern Africa were found to be influenced strongly by ENSO and SST in the tropical Indian ocean and moderately by SST in the south Madagascar basin. The influence of ENSO was consistent for all types of daily rainfall and peaks for the light and moderate (< 20 mm) events in the southern part and for the intense events in the northern part. SST in the tropical Indian ocean influence the light and moderate events while SST close to the region influence the heavy events. However, the relationships experienced significant changes in the mid-1950s and in the 1970s. The former changes led to improved associations while the latter deteriorated or reversed the relationships. The influences of climatic variables on streamflows and rainy season characteristics were inferred from the rainfall-streamflow and rainfall-climatic variables relationships.

The need for a worldwide assessment of Baptist history is especially important for the many who have only a limited knowledge of this broad alliance of Christians known as Baptists. Understanding how and why Independent Baptist congregations emerged from within the larger picture makes the opening chapter important, even to other Baptists. The doctrinal elements of the Independent Baptists that overlap other Christian churches need to be explained in sufficient detail to note the differences that do exist. The numerous ecclesiastical beliefs, known as "distinctives," are matters of similarity and divergence that exist within the various Baptist groupings. To understand these seemingly minor differences is to come to appreciate the fine details that often divide. Baptist often are divided by these differences of fine detail in relation to their ecclesiastical "distinctives'; even more than some of the major doctrines that have divided other churches and denominations. This makes the task of tracing the specific history of Independent Baptists a most complex undertaking. The ability to understand Independent Baptists as fundamentalists is dependent on understanding their own definition of fundamentalism in the context of American and English conservativism. The highly charged issues related to the fundamentalism between 1880 and 1980 and the influence this period and its concerns has had on Independent Fundamental Baptists and Bible churches is rarely understood. Much of the modern South African political, ethical and religious issues seem far removed fium this church but these fundamentalists nonetheless have a perspective regarding the literal interpretation of the Bible that deserves to be heard and may well have a genuine contribution to make. The Independent Fundamental Baptist missionaries and local church leadership has a character of its own. The development of its leadership and ministry style is directly related to issues such as the literalness of their Biblical interpretation and application in pastoral areas such as preaching, teaching, discipleship and pastoral counselling. Of course there are many variations of leadership style and personality within such a loose combination of church leaders. Understanding the expansion of the Independent Fundamental Baptist and Bible churches depends on having a useful awareness of the churches and organisations that work behind the scenes, primarily in the United States, to promote this Christian movement with its strong emphasis on Biblical doctrine and distinctiveness. Learning about churches that are almost totally focused on the simplicity of the Gospel and on the pivotal role local churches should have in the Christian's inner spiritual life and public attitudes is a unique study. Understanding these loosely grouped churches and their missionary and church-planting fervour opens a perspective on Christianity general, though in my opinion, mistakenly viewed as irrelevant today. Their advance and growth raises questions for many who accept the idea that relevancy is dependent on pursuing religious emotionalism or responding to contemporary social change. The Independent Fundamental Baptist and Bible churches are moving forward while following a philosophy once fairly common among South African Christianity, but now believed to be outdated and unacceptable. The purpose of this thesis is: first, to clarify who and what the Independent Fundamental Baptist and Bible churches really are, and second, to establish their rightful place in the Southern African ''family" of Baptists. Further, by explaining their goals, problems and some of their changing perspectives their historic philosophy of missiology and ministry can be understood together with their outlook on today's society and social needs. All of this should lead to a better estimate of their future viability and their potential impact on South African religious life. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Church History)

This thesis examines the security problematic of African states and focuses more particularly on the SADC region. It links the security problematic with the transactionalist approach to (supra)national integration and the concept of a security community, introduced into internatIonal relations theory by Karl Deutsch and his colleagues. In relation to the (in)security of SADC member states, the thesis attempts to demonstrate that national integration of these states (i.e. the establishment of an amalgamated security community) has at least to accompany if not precede the establishment of a security community at the regional level (i.e. a pluralistic security community). Since threats to the security of SADC member states are mainly nonmilitary in nature, the 'realist' concept of security is broadened to include political, economic, societal and environmental aspects of security at different levels. Furthermore, Deutsch's concept of a security community is redefined in line with the 'new security thinking' and adapted to the situation in African states. Moreover, this thesis attempts to demonstrate that it is essential for SADC member states to become strong and socio-economically cohesive in order to improve their competitiveness in relation to developed states, especially in their ability to deal with internal and ransnational/regional threats to their security, which are (in)directly caused and perpetuated by the lack of national integration, inefficient state-making and underdevelopment - the sources of their weakness.

The southern African region is beset with numerous security concerns: pervasive poverty, deepening inequality, starvation, contamination of essential natural resources, violent crime and state oppression. However, the most vital of the region’s security concerns in the 21st century is the spread of infectious disease. The region shoulders a disproportionate amount of the continent’s infectious disease burden, with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria claiming more lives every year than any other factor. The nature of these diseases and their propensity to spread, coupled with inadequate regional public health structures pose a significant threat to regional security and stability. The study asserts that southern Africa’s security concerns are most appropriately characterised under the paradigm of Human Security. It further asserts that if such vital threats to human security are not adequately managed they have the ability to permeate across state borders, spelling numerous negative ramifications for the region. To this end, the study details the public health crisis in Zimbabwe and its effects on regional security and stability in southern Africa. An enduring political and economic collapse in Zimbabwe led to the dramatic deterioration of its public health sector, the concomitant mass migration of Zimbabwean nationals across the region presented a unique and complex challenge to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its member states. As the premier regional governance institution, SADC has failed to adequately mobilise its structures and member states to respond to the challenges resulting from the public health crisis in Zimbabwe. The study explores the factors accounting for this regional inertia, and asserts that while infectious diseases are at present the most vital of the human security threats, similar threats to human security have the potential to affect the region if SADC fails to recognise and prioritise threats to human security as legitimate regional security concerns.