All provincial departments are required to report on pre-determined objectives in terms of Section 40 of the Public Finance Management Act, read in conjunction with Section 5.1.1. of the Treasury Regulations. The purpose of this study was to establish the challenges faced by the Limpopo provincial departments in reporting pre-determined objectives to the Auditor-General. Reporting pre-determined objectives has been a challenge over the past financial years and this is evident in the Auditor-General‟s reports, in which departments continued to receive qualified audit reports (Auditor-General Reports, 2008-2011). The introduction of the Framework for Managing Programme and Performance Information by National Treasury, as well as Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation by the Presidency, was intended to specifically address this challenge faced by departments (National Treasury, 2007 & The Presidency, 2007). The literature review revealed that performance management is fundamental to enhancing organisational performance. In this study, a qualitative research approach was used to collect and analyse data. Key findings of the study were that management should prioritise strategic planning, performance reporting, monitoring and evaluation to enable it to be in a position to make a determination as to whether what was planned by the department was realised. It is of paramount importance that performance reporting is on top of the agenda at management meetings. / MA (Public Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The overall aim of this thesis was to study palliative end-of-life care outside specialist palliative care settings, from an organizational perspective and from professionals’ and relatives’ experiences. In Study I 174 individuals were identified retrospectively from nursing records and palliative care identification forms as being in a palliative phase. Data were analyzed with descriptive and analytic statistical methods. In Study II a total of nine nurses working in primary home care, community care, and hospitals were interviewed. Phenomenological methodology was used to analyze data. In Study III 17 enrolled nurses, who worked in community or primary care and in a sitting service organization, participated in four focus group interviews. Data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. In Study IV seven relatives from four families were interviewed twice. They had each cared in the private home for a dying family member who had received sitting service. Direct interpretation and categorical aggregation were used to analyze data. The results highlight challenges in palliative care, vulnerable situations, and a need of support (I–IV). Individuals’ needs for both palliative care and sitting service were identified, including those of a smaller part of the population who actually received the sitting service. (I). Registered nurses’ responsibilities included care at the same time for individuals in both palliative and curative phases. This created vulnerable situations for the nurses, since their ambitions concerning the care did not correspond to available resources (II). The enrolled nurses’ task was to manage ongoing life and dying in different care settings, to meet individual needs and still provide equivalent care. Despite experiences of vulnerable situations, they felt safe (III). Relatives experienced care situations differently, related to differences in families, the illness trajectory, the need for support, and the support offered. Without sufficient support, vulnerable situations occurred, which made the relatives feel insecure (IV). Thus, care situations in palliative end-of-life care can be experienced in different ways, with different levels of vulnerability. One implication of the research might be to suggest that professional caregivers, to supplement the relatives’ own resources with support tailored to the individual’s and the family’s needs

Published Article / With the dawn of the new curriculum in this country, namely, Curriculum 2005 (C2005) in 1997, and the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) in 2002, which are the two major curriculum policy developments in South Africa (Ramsuran & Malcolm, 2006:515), it invited an assortment of reactions from the entire education fraternity. The most obvious and extensive critique of the curriculum was that of the Report of the Ministerial Review Committee, which was established to review it in 2000. The approach adopted in this study is to encompass both processes of initial introduction and the revision stages in its reference to the curriculum. This article however, reveals that despite these implementation challenges, the overwhelming majority (88%) of the teachers have not only begun to embrace it, but are also applying the OBE principles in their lessons.

Published Article / Despite the introduction of various legislative measures to improve the performance of local government in terms of the mandate to be an autonomous sphere of government, service delivery in South Africa remains questionable and local government in a quandary. Performance in this context is influenced by globalization, technological development and challenges such as the world-wide financial crisis, enforcement of debt collection policies, decaying infrastructure and an unresponsive political and administrative environment. Strategies are recommended to ensure that local government can move beyond this point to excellent service delivery.

Marriages in South Africa in today’s times were found to be in a critical situation. Statistics have proven that most marriages end in divorce within the first five years of marriage. Although marital preparation and enrichment courses are available in South Africa, no specific course exists that is specifically designed for the needs of young married Afrikaans speaking couples. On the grounds of available information it was decided to determine the needs of young Afrikaans speaking married couples whom are married for 1-5 years. By doing this it will enable us to design a marital enrichment programme that will focus on their specific needs. Young married couples will be encouraged to attend marital enrichment programmes. It will assist the couple not to be overwhelmed by the difficult adjustments married life brings and will provide for positive growth within their relationship. It is encouraging to note that all couples who participated in the research previously attended marital enrichment and/or preparation courses and they all acknowledged that it made a positive contribution to their marriage life. The greatest need that is currently not addressed by marital courses is “The different phases within the marital relationship”. Most couples indicated that they had difficult times during the adjustment phase and specifically after the birth of their first child. Most couples indicated that they are still interested in continuous enrichment to ensure growth and development within their relationship. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study examines the challenges of organisational transformation in emerging economies with special reference to Zimbabwe. It is an inductive study using grounded theory, rooted in case study methodology, based on Eisenhardt's (1989) eight steps of building theory from case study research. A longitudinal multiple case study design is used to capture transformation experiences of four companies (covering four business sectors) spanning from 1980 to 2000. Fourteen constructs from the within-case analysis form the basis of data collection and these are refined through cross-case analysis. Nine themes and sixteen challenges emerge from the study. The challenges and themes are used to identify points of convergence and divergence. Issues that trigger organisational transformation are spotted and best practices explored. Ultimately, the nine emerging themes are crystallized into seven. Both the emerging model - the Madzivire Transformation Model (MaTra) - and the elaborated model - the Madzivire Collaborative Transformation Model (MaCoTra) - are constructed from the seven themes. MaCoTra is a refinement of MaTra with the following differentiating features: * The metaphor of choruses signifies the centrality of collaboration from an African perspective; * MaCoTra reflects non-linear and linear linkages between choruses; * Choruses depict the significance of songs in African bonding; * A personal commitment to transformation calls for collective bonding around values, visions, missions and strategies; * MaCoTra is a remarkable departure from steps, phases and stages espoused in most Western change literature; * MaCoTra's philosophical base is Ubuntu - `I am because we are'- focusing on independence and interdependence; * Change interventions may be through individual or multiple MaCoTra choruses; * The organisational song connects all organisational members in a choir of transformation. MaCoTra addresses the sixteen challenges and exceedingly covers challenges cited in enfolding literature. MaCoTra was tested in and outside the study sample. I assert that MaCoTra is usable in Zimbabwean companies and may be generalized through replication studies in Africa and other emerging economies. Areas of further study towards the achievement of more generalisability of the theory/model are suggested. This study addresses the existing knowledge gap and prescribes the Madzivire Collaborative Transformation Model - MaCoTra - for companies in emerging economies. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The history and evolution of nursing ethics situate caring as a central value of nursing. Since ancient times, codes of conduct, developed by societies, have protected the vulnerable. The value system of nursing in South Africa and Namibia is derived from Christian missionaries who hailed from England and Europe. Florence Nightingale is recognised as the founder of modern nursing and established a firm ethical foundation for nursing. Nursing ethics education has various aims, i.e. promotion of ethical insight of nurses and protection of patients. Ethics education is confronted daily with many challenges with continuous efforts to address these challenges through innovations. Throughout its history, the nursing profession has responded to moral challenges by developing ethical codes with guiding principles for nursing practice. An ethic of care gained ground as an important approach in nursing practice. The values and obligations proclaimed in the codes of ethics of some countries and the International Council of Nurses reveal shared values and beliefs in nursing. These codes of ethics describe the obligation of nurses towards patients, the nursing profession, society, co-workers and themselves as individual nurses. Nurses ought to develop certain required character traits. Aristotle’s ideas on intellectual virtues and practical wisdom specifically may provide nursing ethics educators with a viable approach in the teaching-learning of nursing ethics. The status of nursing ethics education in South Africa and Namibia revealed variability in most aspects of undergraduate nursing ethics education in institutions of higher education. This lack of standardisation complicates assessment of the quality of nursing ethics education. Nursing ethics educators in South Africa and Namibia identified challenges regarding the teaching-learning environment, practising nurses, students and educators as well as challenges related to the regulatory authorities and political and legislative framework. Suggestions to address these challenges were also offered by the nursing ethics educators. The effective internalisation of nursing values requires the efforts of nursing educators, students, practising nurses as well as stakeholders beyond institutions of higher learning. A critical assessment of nursing ethics education in South Africa and Namibia highlighted certain deficiencies in relation to regulatory and managerial aspects in nursing education and various issues related to nursing education generally and nursing ethics education specifically. Improving nursing ethics education needs nursing ethics educator specialisation, standardisation of ethics education and innovative teaching-learning strategies, including the inculcation of practical wisdom in nursing students. Health care facilities need upgrading, and practising nurses and educators must support nursing students effectively. Managerial and regulatory aspects need improvement. The challenges identified in this study can be resolved by improved collaboration amongst institutions of higher learning, nursing councils and service providers. Nursing ethics educators remain hopeful that nursing ethics education has the potential to be significantly improved both in South Africa and Namibia. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die geskiedenis en ontwikkeling van verpleegetiek dui op versorging as die kernwaarde van verpleegkunde. Sedert die vroegste tye sien die gedragskodes wat deur samelewings ontwikkel word, na kwesbare lede van die gemeenskap om. Die waardestelsel van verpleegkunde in Suid-Afrika en Namibië kan teruggevoer word tot die Christen-sendelinge wat uit Engeland en Europa gekom het. Florence Nightingale word as die stigter van moderne verpleegkunde beskou en het ’n stewige etiese grondslag vir verpleegkunde gelê. Verpleegetiek onderrig het verskeie doelwitte, waaronder bevordering van die etiese insigte van verpleegkundigies en beskerming van pasiënte. Etiek onderrrig word daagliks gekonfronteer deur menige uitdagings met volgehoue pogings om hierdie uitdagings deur innovering aan te spreek. Oor die geskiedenis heen het die verpleegberoep op morele uitdagings gereageer deur etiekkodes met rigsnoere vir die verpleegpraktyk op te stel. Mettertyd het die etiek van versorging veld gewen as ’n belangrike benadering tot verpleegpraktyk. Die waardes en verpligtinge wat in die etiekkodes van sommige lande sowel as dié van die Internasionale Raad vir Verpleegkundiges vervat is, toon bepaalde gemeenskaplike beginsels en oortuigings. Hierdie etiekkodes beskryf verpleegkundiges se plig jeens pasiënte, die verpleegberoep, die samelewing, hul medewerkers én hulself as individuele verpleërs. Verpleegkundiges behoort sekere vereiste karaktereienskappe te ontwikkel. Veral Aristoteles se gedagtes oor intellektuele deugde en praktiese insig kan verpleegetiekopvoeders van ’n lewensvatbare benadering tot onderrig en leer op hul vakgebied voorsien. Tog bied hoëronderwysinstellings in Suid-Afrika en Namibië oënskynlik wisselende mates van voorgraadse verpleegetiekonderrig. Hierdie gebrek aan standaardisering maak dit moeilik om die werklike gehalte van verpleegetiekonderrig te bepaal. Die verpleegetiekopvoeders in Suid- Afrika en Namibië wat vir hierdie studie geraadpleeg is, maak melding van uitdagings met betrekking tot die onderrig- en leeromgewing, verpleegpraktisyns, studente en opvoeders, die reguleringsowerhede sowel as politieke en regskwessies. Die opvoeders het ook voorstelle gemaak oor hoe hierdie uitdagings hanteer kan word. Die doeltreffende internalisering van verpleegwaardes vereis toewyding van verpleegopvoeders, -studente en -praktisyns sowel as belanghebbendes buite hoëronderwysinstellings. ’n Kritiese beoordeling van verpleegetiekonderrig in Suid-Afrika en Namibië dui op bepaalde tekorte wat regulerings- en bestuursaspekte van verpleegonderrig betref, en ook verskeie uitdagings met betrekking tot verpleegonderrig oor die algemeen en verpleegetiekonderrig in die besonder. Die verbetering van verpleegetiekonderrig vereis spesialisering deur verpleegetiekopvoeders, die standaardisering van etiekonderrig, en innoverende onderrig- en leerstrategieë, onder meer die inskerping van praktiese insig by verpleegstudente. Gesondheidsorgfasiliteite moet opgeknap word en verpleegpraktisyns en -opvoeders moet verpleegstudente doeltreffend ondersteun. Ook bestuurs- en reguleringsaspekte moet verbeter word. Die uitdagings wat in hierdie studie na vore kom, kan die hoof gebied word deur beter samewerking tussen hoëronderwysinstellings, verpleegrade en diensverskaffers. Intussen bly verpleegetiekopvoeders vol hoop dat verpleegetiekonderrig in Suid-Afrika en Namibië verbeter kan word.

Bakgrund: Antalet vårdplatser på särskilda boenden och i slutenvården har alltjämt minskat under de senaste decennierna. Samtidigt har vårdtiderna i slutenvården blivit kortare. Detta har inneburit att hemsjukvården utökats och blivit allt mer avancerad, en trend som ser ut att fortsätta. Då distriktssköterskan i hemsjukvården är ansvarig för samordning och att stödja vårdtagaren i kontakt med vård och omsorg kan detta kan innebära att hennes arbete påverkas.  Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva distriktssköterskans uppfattning om framtida utmaningar i arbetet inom hemsjukvården.  Metod: En kvalitativ studie genomfördes där 15 personliga intervjuer genomfördes med personer med anställning som distriktssköterskor i hemsjukvården. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys.  Resultat: Följande tre kategorier framkom: Förändrade vårdbehov, Förändrade samordningsbehov och Förändrade kunskapsbehov. Resultatet visar att distriktssköterskorna uppfattar att det finns behov av utveckling och förändring både inom hemsjukvården och mellan vårdinstanser för att tillmötesgå den framtida vårdtagarens förändrade vårdbehov.  Slutsats: Distriktssköterskorna uppfattar stora förändringar i arbetet inom hemsjukvården framöver, de ses både som positiva men i vissa fall som mindre lätthanterliga utmaningar. Det är av vikt att distriktssköterskorna medverkar och bidrar med sin kunskap och sina idéer i utformningen av framtidens hemsjukvård. / Background: The number of beds in nursing homes and in the inpatient care have continued to decline during the latter decades. In addition, the stay in inpatient care has become shorter. These changes have resulted in that an increased number of patients are getting care at home and in that the care provided at home is getting increasingly advanced. This scenario is likely to prevail. The work of the district nurse may change due to the fact that the district nurse working with patients getting care at home is responsible for coordination and support of the interaction between the patient and health care organizations. Aim: To describe, from the view of the district nurse, future challenges in home care related work. Method: A qualitative study was performed. Fifteen interviews were conducted with persons hired as district nurses for home care. The outcome of the interviews where analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Result: The following three categories were discovered: Changes in care requirement, Changes in cooperation requirement and Changes in knowledge requirement. The result show that the district nurse believes that developments and changes are required in home care as well as between care institutes in order to meet changing needs in care from future patients. Conclusion: The district nurses see great changes in the future work related to home care. These changes are mainly viewed as positive changes, but to some extent more difficult challenges are also recognized. It is important that the district nurses contribute with knowledge and ideas in the forming of the future home care.

Thesis (MScEng (Department of Electrical Engineering))--University of Cape Town, 2008. / Energy drives technological societies. Developing countries such as South Africa are caught between the desperate need for economic growth and the emerging obligations to the environment. Efficient technologies can be used to mitigate the impact of these seemingly conflicting requirements in urban and rural environments. In this thesis the commercially available white light-emitting diode (LED) with its inherent efficiency, longevity and mechanical strength, is used to show, that success in energy efficiency can be obtained. Two cases are used to illustrate the need for efficient demand-side technology: the electricity shortages of the Western Cape Province in South Africa and a white LED pilot project in Namulonge, Uganda. The Namulonge Solar-Home System (SHS) is analyzed with the intention of creating a more acceptable general lighting solution. The concept of appropriateness through self-determination is discussed within the context of location-specific information integrated into a design procedure. The major thrust and contribution of this thesis, however, is the design of an interior luminaire for Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS). This is in part based on the hypothesis that application-specific information will lead to implementation and human-needs success, and is researched, designed, fabricated and then laboratory tested. The biggest challenge to be overcome was the spatial light distribution of the LED array. Thus non-imaging optical lens design became the main focus of this project as it held the key to utilizing available light while conserving the light-systems energy. Circular Fresnel and Linear Fresnel (an adaptation of the concentric design) lenses were designed. Electrical, mechanical and thermal aspects of design are also detailed. Far-field, horizontal plane detection over the specified area is used to best gain the uniformity of distribution. The four criteria namely luminance, illuminance, intensity and étendue (collection efficiency), against which each design and focal length iv configuration is compared to, are extensively explored and eventually lead to a final design. In the first designs, the area of the spatial distribution between 50% and 80% of its relative intensity is collimated. The Hybrid Circular Fresnel and Hybrid Linear Fresnel lenses now redirects the relative intensity in two areas, from 50% to 70% (creating parallel rays) and then from 70% to 100% (away from the central axis), renders a distinct difference is spatial uniformity and a reduction in the peak and offaxis located intensity. All four criteria are met, with a minor adjustment of configuration within the bus internal luminaire spacing, with the hybrid designs. It is proposed that GABS employ polished designs of the Hybrid Circular Fresnel, in any of the configurations, which have collection efficiencies ranging between 64.8% and 78.3%. / Sponsored by the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, Stellenbosch University

<p>Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) has become a key issue for today’s corporations. This type of responsibility refers to the continuing commitment of businesses to voluntarily behave ethically and contribute to economic development while simultaneously improving the quality of life of the workforce, families, local community and society at large. While traditional business models primarily emphasize the economic aspects of a company’s activities (e.g. profitability and growth), the modern one stresses the social and environmental impacts. Recent scandals have put customers’ trust on the frontline, leading to an exponential growth in the interest of corporate social responsibility. Today, unethical behavior can no longer hide in the dark waiting around for an investigation to ensue. Wrongdoings are in an instant communicated to the world via computers and broadcasted by media. Consequently, it is no longer about what corporations say they will do but rather when and how they will do it.</p><p>Findings and resulting conclusions show that although there is a lack of definitional clarity of the notion of CSR, the concept is embodied by and refers to the triple bottom line: Profit, People and Planet. CSR can be implemented through codes of conduct, contracts, education, training, guidelines and principles.</p><p>The benefits of having a CSR engagement program are numerous and include strengthening profits, enhancing brand recognition and reputation, risk management and boosting employment relations.</p><p>Motives behind having good CSR include social betterment and sustainable change. It is about building up a well-functioning corporation that possesses strong values and can manage risks and become a more competitive brand. The brands that will succeed in the future will be those that tap into the social changes that are taking place today.</p>