A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the partial requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand Department of African Literature, March 2017 / XL2018

Student Number : 9807768F - MSc (Med) research report - Faculty of Health Sciences / Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterised by aplastic anaemia (AA) and a high risk of developing acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). It is unknown whether heterozygote carriers are also predisposed to developing these disorders. The black South African population group is ideal for FA mutation screening because the presence of a founder mutation, FANCG 637-643, makes screening relatively straight forward. Three individuals with AML (115 screened) and one with AA (78 screened) were found to be heterozygous for the black South African founder mutation. From our data it seems unlikely that this mutation places heterozygous carriers of the mutation at high risk of developing AML or AA. Three children with AA out of 26 screened, were homozygous for the mutation. This finding reiterates the importance of screening all children with AA for FA. The frequency of certain congenital abnormalities in black South African FA patients was compared to patients described by other research groups. The frequencies of the abnormalities were similar to other FANCG cohorts described but significant differences to a group of FA patients from unspecified complementation groups were found. This difference could be because different complementation groups are associated more or less strongly with specific abnormalities. It was found previously that particular congenital abnormalities in FA patients are associated with a poor haematological outcome. We concluded that black South African FANCG patients have a high risk of early development of AA even though they do not have a high frequency of congenital abnormalities.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Science. December 2015 / Cervical cancer remains a global health related issue among females of Sub-Saharan Africa, with over half a million new cases reported each year. Different therapeutic regimens have been suggested in various regions of Africa, however, over a quarter of a million women die of cervical cancer, annually. This makes it the most lethal cancer amongst black women in this area, and makes it important to search for new effective therapeutic drugs through screening of medicinal plant extracts used by many in Sub-Saharan Africa as potential anti-cervical cancer agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-proliferative effects of Cannabis sativa extracts and its isolate, cannabidiol on cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, SiHa, and ME-180. To achieve our aim, phytochemical screening, MTT assay, cell growth analysis, flow cytometry, morphology analysis, Western blot, caspase 3/7 assay, and ATP measurement assay were conducted were conducted. Results obtained indicate that both plant extracts induced cell death at an IC50 of 50 – 100μg/ml and the Inhibition of cell growth was cell line dependent. Flow cytometry confirmed that, with or without cell cycle arrest, the type of induced cell death was apoptosis. Cannabis sativa extracts led to the up-regulation of apoptosis proteins (p53, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9) and the down regulation of anti-apoptosis proteins (Bcl-2 and RBBP6), signalling the execution of apoptosis. Apoptosis induction was further confirmed by morphological changes, an increase in Caspase 3/7 and a decrease in the ATP levels. In conclusion, this data implies Cannabis sativa crude extracts has the potential to inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines, which may be due to the presence of cannabidiol. Key words: Apoptosis, cervical cancer cells, cannabidiol, and Cannabis sativa extracts

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2017 / This thesis examines how the political subjectivity of black youth took shape within the violent period of late colonialism in South Africa known as apartheid. As a historico-philosophical inquiry that aims to understand the historical modalities of subject formation and political practice, the thesis is grounded in extensive original research on black youth politics in the townships of the Vaal region south of Johannesburg during the 1980s and early 1990s. At the same time, the thesis interprets the findings of that historical research through a critical engagement with the philosophical work of various thinkers (including Hegel, Nietzsche, Benjamin, Foucault, Fanon, Mamdani, Mbembe, Zizek and Maldonado-Torres, among others) in an effort to address the problem of freedom in relation to the black subject under colonial and post-colonial rule. The thesis shows how colonial authority and governance both posits and aims to reproduce what I call the ‘permanent juniority’ of blacks generally, and of black youth in particular. Key sites for the exercise of such authority and governance in the townships under apartheid included the street and the school, where blacks were subjected to social, infrastructural and disciplinary violence. In examining one ‘Bantu’ high school in depth, I show how black youth were subjected to what I call a ‘pedagogy of offence’ – a mode of socialisation and discipline based on the premise that black youth, merely by virtue of being black, are always already guilty of breaching the socio-political order and are therefore addressed as delinquents. The thesis shows how a collective black youth subject constituted itself in revolt against this disciplinary regime. In the course of this revolt, the figure of the outlaw comrade, or ‘com-tsotsi’, emerged, occupying an ambiguous position between political resistance and illegal criminality. This figure is shown to have a genealogy originating in slavery and the Frontier Wars in the Cape, and extending to the early period of mining and industrial capitalism in Johannesburg. In the concluding chapters, which explore the underground activities of Self-Defence Units as violence on the Vaal reached its apogee in the early 1990s, the thesis probes the ethical ambiguity that emerges when violence is used in the service of a politics of love and emancipation. Here, I argue that the constitution of a collective black youth political subject in revolt also suggests a theory of black emancipation: of subjectivity beyond object-hood, of political love and everyday life beyond colonial violence and death, and of a political optimism oriented toward freedom. / XL2018

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) has been the epitome of policy reform pervading South Africa (SA) since 1994, the end of apartheid. Often making media headlines, it inherently arrogates itself to all stakeholders engaged in commerce with/within SA. The impetus for the study ensued owing to recent (2013) changes to the B-BBEE legislative landscape. More specifically, the focus of the study was on one segment: Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs), operating within the same realm as Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The rationale for such a focus stemmed from this market segment’s seemingly rigid response to such change, deemed to support this study’s results. The literature review embarked upon in Chapters 2 to 4, that is, collecting secondary data, provided for a solid foundation relative to a subject matter embedded with technical jargon and often driven by highly emotive/subjective inputs from stakeholders. The literature primarily drew from untested assumptions: these were mainly due to the high degree of contentiousness surrounding B-BBEE as subject matter, the lack of research (statistical results) relative to B-BBEE legislative change and more specifically, the lack of the latter relative to this study’s scope. The above introduction initiates the notion of there being inherent demarcations to this study, dictating the most relevant research design and methodology suited thereto. A pragmatic research philosophy was adopted, owing to its qualitative, exploratory enquiry. Furthermore, the unit of analysis, consisting of 16 samples, was conveniently selected. Although convenience sampling was regarded the most suitable approach to collecting data, it gave rise to the study’s biggest limitation: its inability to generalise findings. On that note, its findings were in line with the researcher’s precedential assumption upon its initiation: legislative change to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) for Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) lead(s) to non-compliance and impeded transformation goals. The results give rise to a plethora of valuable insights into the dynamics of the industry, not only for strategic direction to be set for/by stakeholders on both a micro and macro level, but also providing a solid foundation relative to further research to be embarked upon – a notion highly advocated in supporting the integration of sustainable transformation in modern South Africa (SA).

Not available / text

D. Tech.Business Administration / The purpose of the study is to identify and quantify socioeconomic factors that adversely affect the viability of black African entrepreneurial activities in the tourism sector in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Data was gathered by use of a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The sample size of the study was equal to n=311 black African entrepreneurs working in the tourism industry in Gauteng Province. Stratified random sampling was used as a sampling technique.

South African black children have been exposed to extremely high levels of violence, especially in the townships. This study was initiated in ,order to explore the effects of violence on the self-concept of the black child in South Africa. In addition the applicability of current self-concept theories and psychometric measures to this population was investigated. This study is therefore mainly exploratory. Sixty individuals of both sexes between the ages of 8 and 10 years were sampled from two schools. Thirty from one in a high violence and the other thirty from one in a low violence area. However, after finding that the experimental and control groups did not differ signifficantly these groups were reassigned according to exposure to violence rather than geographically. Direct and indirect exposure to violence as well as family and other stressors were measured with the aid of the Life Events Questionnaire (Mason and Killian, 1993). In order to determine the effect of exposure to violence on selfconcept these two groups were compared using one quantitative and two qualitative selfconcept measures. The quantitative measure was the Piers-Harris Children's SelfConcept Scale and the qualitative measures were the Human Figure Drawing Test and an Incomplete Sentences Test. Results were analysed by multivariate statistical procedures. This study concluded that violence has no significant effect.on self-concept in black children (p,>O.05). The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was found to be a reliable measure of self-concept in black children. Recommendations include broadening self-concept theories for black children by incorporating theories from disciplines other than psychology. The power of the present study would have been increased by using larger samples. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

This study investigated Black African female psychologists’ lived experiences of career development. The purpose was to describe the influences of the community on the career development of Black female psychologists. It also aimed to explore the challenges and successes of these women’s career lives in order to generate knowledge to understand Black female psychologists’ career development dynamics. This qualitative study was informed by narrative/hermeneutic approaches and Black feminist thought frameworks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Black African female psychologists. Results show that Black African female psychologists faced numerous challenges such as lack of family and community support in some cases; limited understanding of psychology in their communities and health sectors, as well as financial problems and discourses of inferiority throughout their professional training. The lack of relevance of their academic training to the multicultural society, in which they have to practise, was emphasised. The intersection of gender, race and class was evident in most of the narratives. The role of emotion and spirituality in the career development of some of the participants was highlighted. The results are discussed in relation to the literature. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Using lessor's psychosocial framework of risk behaviour, this study examined the impact of variables within a number of risk domains on condom use at last sex. The sample was 587 sexually active male and female black youth between the ages of 16 and 20 years old from the township areas of Soweto (Johannesburg), Umlazi (Durban) and Khayelitsha (Cape Town). Binary logistic regression models were used in the analysis. Within the biological risk domain, gender was a significant predictor of condom use at last sex. None of the proximate social context variables, viz. parental education, family structure, and parent-adolescent communication, were significant predictors. Health services' promotion of condom use was a significant predictor within the distal social context. Within the perceived environment in relation to the self, perception of risk and perception of barriers were significant predictors of condom use at last sex. None of the variables within the perceived environment in relation to peers domain, viz. perceived peer attitudes to condoms and peers suffering the negative consequences of unprotected sex, were significant. The personality domain contained measures of self-esteem, future time orientation, locus of control and fatalism. Locus of control was the only significant predictor within this domain of condom use at last. Engagement in other risk taking behaviour, such as smoking cigarettes, alcohol and drug use, was a significant predictor within the general behaviour domain. Within the sexual behaviour domain, partner discussion and contraceptive use were significant predictors of condom use at last sex. 2 In the final model, the significant predictors in order of importance, were the perception of risk, the promotion of condom use by a health professional, locus of control, discussion with a partner, the perception of barriers, the use of contraceptives, and risk taking behaviour. The only interaction in the final model of condom use at last sex was between the promotion of condom use by a health professional and concurrent use of other forms of non-barrier contraception. / Thesis (M.A.)- University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.