Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is more than 18 years since South Africa became a democratic country. However, many South Africans are still discriminated against when accessing state services, such as healthcare services (Drennan, 1999). The problem is that healthcare practitioners, in the higher positions of the healthcare system, are commonly made up of professionals who speak only one or at most two of South Africa’s official languages (Swartz, 1998). Due to the lack of funding ad hoc arrangements are made for interpreter-services (Drennan, 1999). Anyone available that can speak even a fragment of the patient’s language, such as nurses, household aides and security guards are called to act as interpreters (Drennan, 1999; Smith, 2011). In many clinical settings, although not ideal, it is possible to treat patients even if there are minimal shared communicative resources (Anthonissen & Meyer, 2008). However, in psychiatric care, language is the primary diagnostic tool, and is one of the central instruments through which patients voice their symptoms (Westermeyer & Janca, 1997). In the Western Cape (one of the nine provinces in South Africa), clinicians working in psychiatric care are mainly fluent in English and Afrikaans. Many Black isiXhosa-speaking patients are not proficient in these languages. The aim of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the language barriers facing isiXhosa-speaking patients by focusing on natural conversations, which take place during psychiatric interviews within a particular psychiatric institution in the Western Cape. I made video-recordings of interpreter-mediated psychiatric interviews (n=13) as well as psychiatric interviews (n=12) conducted without the use of an interpreter. In addition, I had discussions (i.e. through semi-structured interviews) with registrars, interpreters and patients to understand their views about issues related to language barriers and interpreting practices. I used an ethnographic approach and the method of Conversation Analysis to understand the study findings. The findings, derived from the psychiatric interviews that were not interpreter-mediated, suggest that the Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients had great difficulty communicating with the registrars. The findings (emerging from the interpreter-mediated encounters and semi-structured interviews), strongly suggest that the haphazard use of hospital employees, who are not trained and employed to act as interpreters, have a significant impact on the goals of the psychiatric interview. In some instances, the use of ad hoc interpreters positively contributed to the successful achievement of the goals of the psychiatric interview. In most instances, the use of ad hoc interpreters inhibited the successful achievement of the goals of the psychiatric interview. One of the most significant findings was that interpreters’ interpretations of patients’ words at times suggest that patients appear to be more psychiatrically ill (increasing the risk for over-diagnosis) than it appears when looking at patients’ original responses. In essence, the lack of language services is unjust towards patients, clinicians, hospital staff acting as ad hoc interpreters, and LEP patients caught in a system, which construct them as voiceless, dependent, powerless, healthcare users. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika is vir die afgelope 18 jaar `n demokratiese land, maar ongeag die afskaffing van apartheid word daar steeds teen baie Suid-Afrikaners gediskrimineer. Dit is veral die geval wanneer Suid-Afrikaners gebruik maak van gesondheidsdienste (Drennan, 1999). Baie gesondheidspraktisyne of dokters is alleenlik vaardig in een of op die meeste twee offisiële Suid-Afrikaanse tale (Swartz, 1998). Ongelukkig weens `n gebrek aan fondse, is die meeste hospitale nie instaat om amptelike tolke in diens te neem nie. Gevolglik word ad hoc reëlings getref wanneer pasiënte tolkdienste benodig. Gewoonlik word enige iemand, insluitende verpleegsters, skoonmakers en sekuriteitswagte, wat selfs net tot `n sekere mate die pasiënt se taal kan praat, gebruik as tolke (Drennan, 1999; Smith, 2011). Die gebrek aan tolkdienste is veral problematies wanneer dit kom by psigiatriese dienste. Dit is omdat in psigiatrie word taal en kommunikasie as primêre diagnostiese instrument gebruik, en pasiënte gebruik hoofsaaklik taal om hul simptome en ervaringe met die dokter mee te deel (Westermeyer & Janca, 1997). In die Wes-Kaap (een van Suid-Afrika se nege provinsies) is die meeste dokters wat in psigiatriese instansies werk hoofsaaklik Engels en / of Afrikaans-sprekend. Baie Swart isiXhosa-sprekende pasiënte, wat gebruik maak van psigiatriese staatsdienste, is egter nie vlot in Afrikaans en Engels nie. Die doel van my proefskrif is om hierdie probleem, wat baie siXhosa-sprekende pasiënte in die gesig staar, beter te verstaan. Ek het besluit om dit te doen deur te fokus op `n spesifieke aspek – natuurlike gesprekke tussen dokters en isiXhosa-sprekende pasiënte. Dokters en pasiënte kommunikeer onder andere gedurende psigiatriese onderhoude, en ek het besluit om video opnames van psigiatriese onderhoude te maak. Ek het die video opnames in `n spesifieke hospitaal in die Wes-Kaap gemaak. Die video opnames het ingesluit psigiatriese onderhoude (n=12) waarin die dokter en pasiënt in Engels kommunikeer, sowel as onderhoude (n=13) waarin die dokter en pasiënt deur middel van (d.m.v) `n ad hoc tolk kommunikeer. Ek het ook gesprekke gevoer (deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude) met pasiënte, dokters, en ad hoc tolke om hulle insigte en opinies rakende die bogenoemde taalkwessies beter te verstaan. Verder het ek `n ethnografiese benadering en gespreksanaliese gebruik om die data te benader en verstaan. Die bevindinge wat voortgevloei het uit die psigiatriese onderhoude (beide waarin daar nie `n tolk gebruik was nie, sowel as die waarin daar `n tolk gebruik was) suggereer dat die gebrek aan tolkdienste dikwels die doel van psigiatriese onderhoud ondermyn. Dit komvoor dat in die psigiatriese onderhoude, waarin daar nie tolk gebruik was nie, die pasiënte dit baie moeilik gevind het om met die dokters in Engels te kommunkeer. Dit is waarskynlik omdat hulle nie oor die nodige taalvaardighede beskik om hulleself ten volle in Engels uit te druk nie. Dit kom wel voor dat in sommige gevalle gedurende die psigiatriese onderhoude, waarin die dokters en pasiënte d.m.v.`n tolk gekommunikeer het, het die gebruik van `n tolk `n positiewe impak gehad. Die probleem is egter dat in baie gevalle het dit geblyk het die gebruik van tolke `n ongewenste impak gehad. Een van die belangrikste voorbeelde hiervan is dat die tolke se weergawes van die pasiënte se woorde, dit dikwels laat voorkom asof pasiënte nie juis veel insig in hulle psigiatriese versteurings gehad het nie. Wanneer daar egter gekyk word na die pasiënte se oorspronklike weergawes is dit duidelik dat sommige pasiënte wel insig gehad het. Die bevindinge suggereer hoofsaaklik dat die gebrek aan offisieel en opgeleide tolkdienste onregverdig is teenoor die pasiënte, ad hoc tolke, en die dokters. Dit dra ook by tot `n gesondsheids-sisteem waarin isiXhosa-sprekende pasiënt uitgebeeld word as afhanklik, tot `n groot mate magteloos en sonder `n sê.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It has become evident over the past several years that there are a substantial number and a variety of career-related barriers that individuals perceive and experience in the workplace and that consequently interfere with their career development. Up to date, a vast amount of studies have investigated and reported on this topic world wide, yet little research has been gathered regarding the career-related barriers that South African citizens, especially students from higher educational institutions, perceive or experience. The aim and purpose of this quantitative research study was therefore to explore the diverse barrier perceptions and experiences of South African university students by means of determining the degree to which a range of internal and external barriers would hinder or has hindered their career development and whether these barriers (a) vary by gender, (b) vary by race/ethnicity and (c) vary by course level or academic year of study. In order to meet the study objectives and answer the three primary research hypotheses (a, b and c), respondents were invited via electronic mail to participate in a once-off online survey which consisted of a demographic questionnaire and the Career Barriers Inventory-Revised (CBI-R) (Swanson, Daniels, & Tokar, 1996). The results of the three primary research hypotheses indicated that the nature or type of career-related barriers perceived and experienced by the sample of South African university students (N = 1897) differed significantly among gender, racial-ethnic groups and course level or academic year of study. Significant gender differences were found on all 13 CBI-R scales, racial-ethnic differences on 9 of the 13 CBI-R scales (both assessed by means of a one-way independent ANOVA) and course level or academic year of study differences on 3 of the 13 CBI-R scales (measured by Spearman’s correlation coefficient). The present research study therefore revealed descriptive and exploratory baseline data regarding the perceived career barriers among South African university students and clearly demonstrated the CBI-R’s validity and applicability in the South African student context. Awareness of these students’ barrier perceptions can be a useful tool in planning and developing future intervention strategies for coping with and overcoming obstacles to their career progress. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oor die afgelope paar jaar het dit aan die lig gekom dat daar ‘n groot aantal en ‘n verskeidenheid loopbaanverwante hindernisse is wat individue waarneem en ondervind in die werksplek en wat gevolglik inmeng met hul loopbaanontwikkeling. Tot op hede is daar ‘n groot aantal studies wat hierdie onderwerp wêreldwyd ondersoek en daaroor berig het, tog is daar slegs ‘n klein hoeveelheid navorsing gedoen met betrekking tot die loopbaanverwante hindernisse wat Suid-Afrikaanse burgers, veral studente in hoëronderwys opvoedkundige instellings, waarneem en ondervind. Die doel en voorneme van hierdie kwantitatiewe navorsingstudie was gevolglik om die diverse hindernispersepsies en -ervarings van Suid-Afrikaanse universiteitstudente te bestudeer deur die graad te bepaal waartoe ‘n verskeidenheid interne en eksterne hindernisse hul loopbaanontwikkeling sal bemoeilik (of reeds het) en of hierdie hindernisse (a) verskil van geslag, (b) verskil van ras/etnisiteit en (c) verskil van kursusvlak of akademiese jaar van studie. Om aan die doel van hierdie studie te voldoen en die drie primêre navorsingshipoteses (a, b en c) te beantwoord, is respondente deur middel van elektroniese pos uitgenooi om aan ‘n eenmalige aanlyn-opname deel te neem wat die voltooing van ‘n demografiese vraelys en die Career Barriers Inventory-Revised (CBI-R) (Swanson, Daniels, & Tokar, 1996) behels het. Die resultate van die drie primêre navorsingshipoteses het aangedui dat die aard of tipe loopbaanverwante hindernisse wat deur die steekproef Suid-Afrikaanse studente (N = 1897) waargeneem en ondervind word, beduidend verskil ten op sigte van geslag, ras/etniese groep en kursusvlak of akademiese jaar van studie. Beduidende geslagsverskille is gevind op al 13 CBI-R skale, ras/etniese verskille op 9 van die 13 CBI-R skale (albei geassesseer deur middel van ‘n eenrigting onafhanklike ANOVA) en kursusvlak of akademiese jaar van studie verskille op 3 van die 13 CBI-R skale (gemeet deur Spearman se korrelasie koëffisiënt). Die huidige navorsingstudie het dus beskrywende en ondersoekende grondslag-data aangaande die waargenome loopbaanhindernisse van Suid Afrikaanse studente onthul en het duidelik die CBI-R se geldigheid en toepaslikheid in die Suid-Afrikaanse studente-konteks gedemonstreer. Bewustheid van hierdie studente se hindernispersepsies kan ‘n nuttige maatstaf wees in die beplanning en ontwikkeling van toekomstige intervensiestrategieë vir die hantering en oorwinning van struikelblokke tot hul loopbaanvordering.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil (LAS) (Land and Agrarian Studies) / This study assessed the type, extent and modalities of intra-regional fish trade between South Africa and other SADC countries. Cross-border fish trade and its importance in boosting intra-regional fish trade between South Africa and the rest of SADC is poorly documented and as such, little systematic effort has been made to understand its type, extent and modalities in order to address the problems of those engaged in the activity. Regional fish trade continues to be important even though it is not always adequately reflected in official statistics. The qualitative research methodology formed the basis of this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with fish traders at Park City Central Bus Station in Johannesburg and in-depth interviews with selected key informants from customs, port, health and immigration officials at the Beitbridge and Lebombo border posts. Participants of the study were selected through a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to digitise national boundaries, border posts and the routes used by fish traders from the sources to distribution points in Johannesburg. The study adopted the new regionalism, regional integration and regional trade conceptual frameworks and attempted to apply the pro-fish trade theory as the theoretical framework.

Instances of fraudulent acts are often headline news in the popular press in South Africa. Increasingly, these press reports point to the government tender process as being the main enabler used by the perpetrators committing the fraud. The cause of the tender fraud problem is confidentiality breach of information. This is accomplished, in part, by compromising the tender information contained in the government information system. This results in the biased award of a tender. Typically, the information in the tender process should be used to make decisions about a tender’s specifications, solicitation, evaluation and adjudication. The sharing of said information to unauthorised persons can be used to manipulate and corrupt the process. This in turn corrupts the tender process by awarding a tender to an unworthy recipient. This research studies the generic steps in the tender process to understand how information is used to corrupt the tender process. It proposes that conflict of interest, together with a lack of information confidentiality in the information system, paves the way for possible tender fraud. Thereafter, a system of internal controls is examined within the South African government as well as in foreign countries to investigate measures taken to reduce the breach of confidential information in the tender process. By referring to the Common Criteria Security Model, various critical security areas within the tender process are identified. This measure is assisted with the ISO/IEC 27002 (2005) standard which has guiding principles for the management of confidential information. Thereafter, an information security policy,the Chinese Wall Model will be discussed as a means of reducing instances where conflict of interest may occur. Finally, an adapted Chinese Wall Model, which includes elements of the tender process, is presented as a way of reducing fraud in the government tender process. Finally, the research objective of this study is presented in the form of Critical Success Factors that aid in reducing the breach of confidential information in the tender process. As a consequence, tender fraud is reduced. These success factors have a direct and serious impact on the effectiveness of the Chinese Wall Model to secure the confidentiality of tender information. The proposed Critical Success Factors include: the Sanitisation Policy Document, an Electronic Document Management System, the Tender Evaluation Ethics Document, the Audit Trail Log and the Chinese Wall Model Prosecution Register.