A common feature of colleges of education in Transkei in the early nineties was the crisis during the admissions period. This study investigated the extent to which factors such as nepotism, political interference, ethnicity and others affected admissions to colleges of education in Transkei in 1995. Random samples of student-teachers, lecturers, rectors and community members of selected colleges of education were drawn from target populations of all Course I student-teachers, all lecturers of 14 colleges, all rectors of colleges of education, and communities of all 14 colleges of education in Transkei. Thus, samples of 313 student teachers, 100 lecturers, 35 members of community and all seven rectors of colleges were studied. Both quantitative and qualitative research techniques were used to collect data. In this study questionnaires were used to collect information from student teachers and lecturers, interviews were conducted with rectors and community members to obtain the necessary data. Data analysis, using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) computer package revealed the following: 1. It was found that contradictions and ambiguities existed in the admission guidelines and procedures. It was also discovered that there were discrepancies between guidelines and practices in admission to colleges of education. These could be avoided if all stakeholders were involved in policy formulation thereby ensuring that no one member could be accused for admission problems. 2. The applicants and communities perceived that the right to demand access to colleges of education also contributed to the problem of admissions. 3. It was found that the automatic bursary allocation to student teachers greatly contributed to the admission crisis. 4. Factors such as nepotism, ethnicity and bribery also contributed to the crisis. 5. Other findings related to the perception that teaching was an easier option than other careers, and this also contributed to the crisis. 6. A surprising finding was that respondents did not perceive political influence to have significantly affected the admission procedures in colleges of education in Transkei. From the findings, a conclusion was drawn that the problems of admissions and registration in colleges of education were aggravated by the contradictory policies of the Affiliated Colleges Board (ACB) and the Department malpractices by college authorities, and by community pressure. Thus, the major stakeholders in the colleges, namely, rectors, lecturers and prospective student-teachers were to blame for the crisis. Based on the above conclusion, recommendations were given as follows : 1. Community members, student-teachers, lecturers and rectors should be involved in policy formulation concerning admissions. 2. The autonomy for colleges of education can be the aim so as to avoid dual control on crucial matters of college governance, such as student admission and registration. 3. Admission requirements should be upgraded to ensure that only adequately qualified candidates apply for admission. 4. Central admission be utilised in order to minimize corruption in the students' admission and registration processes. 5. In view of the finding that availability of funding through the bursary scheme influenced potential trainees to seek admission to colleges of education, the bursary system, as was in force in 1995, be phased out in favour of a loan scheme. The rationale for this being that only candidates who have an interest in a teaching career would apply for admission. 6. A recommendation for further research is that a similar study should be conducted in other parts of South Africa in order to determine how other colleges conducted their admissions and avoided the problems identified in this study. / Thesis (M.Ed) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

Knowledge management is largely a social process. It is more about the community‘s understanding, skills and values in relation to their practices than technology. Knowledge is generated and shared through social interaction of people. Exploring the community‘s acts of communication and interaction can help to understand the knowledge they have as well as the knowledge gaps that are apparent. It can also aid in discovering ways in which their practices are shaped and constrained by the knowledge they have. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal means of knowledge sharing and knowledge distribution in an open system using the Eastern Cape Tyolomnqa Estuary as a case study. Different scholars stated in their different works that sharing knowledge is problematic in most organizations, whether they are formal or informal organizations. There are several reasons that have been identified as to why people do not want to share their knowledge. To achieve the objectives of this study, both secondary and primary sources of data were used. This included literature from various sources, such as books, journal articles and information from the Internet that has been reviewed and analyzed. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect data. Interviews were conducted with 16 people who were purposively selected from the Buffalo City Council, Tyolomnqa Conservancy, Tyolomnqa Estates, Tyolomnqa Forum, and Phozi, Ncera, Sandile and Xhama communities. The key informants were people with management positions, and community leaders. The interviews were unstructured. After collecting data by means of face-to-face interviews focus groups, workshops were convened with the Tyolomnqa Forum, and Phozi, Ncera, Sandile and Xhama communities. The self-administered questionnaire was additionally used as a data collection technique for researchers. Data were analyzed through content analysis and the use of SPSS, and presented in the form of tables and figures. It was identified that their knowledge sharing was fragmented and there was no formal organisational structure to bring communities along the Tyolomnqa Estuary to work together as one would do in bureaucratic organizations like companies. The Tyolomnqa Estuary Forum, which has vested interests in estuary management, could be used as model to provide the organisational infrastructure to facilitate the acquisition and sharing of knowledge on the management of estuaries. It is envisaged that such forums can be a viable mechanism of facilitating the harnessing and sharing of knowledge on the sustainable use of estuaries at the local level. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

After many years of being overlooked as a game ranching area and tourist destination in favour of more established areas, the Eastern Cape, in terms of game ranching and tourism has ‘come of age’. It has become a huge industry in the Eastern Cape. Income was initially generated from commercial hunting, followed by non-consumptive eco tourism. As the industry expanded, the true value of game was discovered coupled with games inherent ability to survive with limited human interference has made it an attractive business. These factors and others have encouraged more and more farmers to convert from other forms of farming to game ranching. With this came the desire to restore their properties back to or as close as possible to its original state. Resulting in ‘emergence’ in the form of ‘resistance to power lines’, because they were seen as hideous and an unnecessary visual intrusion which impacted negatively on tourism and property values etc. The purpose of this dissertation was to surface the underlying causes for the resistance to power lines. A systems thinking approach was used, which emphasised multiple causes, and by means of systems diagrams gained an understanding of the various issues and arguments that relate to the placing and managing of power lines in rural areas. Key focus areas were motivational theories, mental constructs and factors that contribute to people’s perspectives and worldviews that ultimately influence their behaviour. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

The study sought to examine the impact of infrastructure on agricultural economic development in Bizana (Mbizana), Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorest provinces in the country. The province consists of predominantly rural areas and rural towns. One of the challenges facing the Eastern Cape Province is inadequate access to infrastructure such as roads. Poor road links keep rural communities “distant” from the mainstream economy. The province requires approximately 12 000km of access roads. Although government has programmes in place aimed at improving access to adequate infrastructure, South Africa has rapidly deteriorating infrastructure and this is due to under-investment. The infrastructure in rural communities is poor, as infrastructure development strategies historically favoured urban areas over rural areas. Although the province is faced by these infrastructure challenges the Eastern Cape Province has great potential agricultural land, and this is evident in the case of Bizana (Mbizana). The farmers are faced with a number of infrastructure challenges and these include access to water and roads. Quality roads enable easy transportation of the agricultural produce from the farms to local and international markets. Bizana (Mbizana) has a high unemployment rate, and the study aims to contribute towards the upliftment of the communities in Bizana (Mbizana) through agriculture. One-on-one interviews and site visits were conducted. The study unveiled some of the challenges that the farmers encounter and these included inadequate access to water, challenges with transportation system, market competition, fencing, drought, etc. Some farmers practise commercial farming individually. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

This study explored the dynamics of local-level trade in plant-based mats and baskets in Khanyayo village, Eastern Cape. These dynamics include social aspects of harvesting, resource tenure and trade. It also includes institutional issues such as legislation that enhances or restricts the degree to which local people could benefit from the trade or direct use. The study also explored the contribution of the trading in mats and baskets to the livelihoods of the Khanyayo people.

The aim of this study was to establish a new understanding of the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS at the municipal level, but at the same time upholding the anonymity of the HIV infected and AIDS sufferers. Innovative research techniques such as the use of GIS (geographic information systems) as a research tool contributed to disclosing the patterns of the HIV pandemic in the Nelson Mandela Metropole that were not obvious or visible before. GIS involved geographic maps that detect the spatial relationship between HIV prevalence rates and vectors that drive the pandemic.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / On title page: Master of Philosophy in Hypermedia for Language Learning. Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

This collection of research projects tells a story of the time I have spent with members of the Albany Working for Water team; including preparations made, lessons learned and insights gained. My first project was to analyse the methodology of a research paper. I chose the paper by Arjen Wals because I intended, like him, to examine people's perceptions of environmental issues. From this paper I gained ideas for a qualitative research process and learnt the importance of theoretical and methodological consistency. My next project was to present a report on my research into the perceptions of workrelated environmental issues among the Albany Working for Water workers. From this research I gained insight into the knowledge of the workers and also some of the misconceptions that they have about social and ecological issues. I made educational recommendations based on these insights. This experience inspired me to initiate a play with a group of the workers about alien plant eradication. The process of developing this play formed the basis for a research paper that I have submitted as another research project. Concurrent with the development of the play, I conducted a fourth research project that was a situational analysis of the Albany Workingfor Water Project. I hoped that this analysis would provide useful insight into the context of the above two projects. Overall, I hope the story reflects how I have grown through the learning experiences I shared with the Albany Working for Water team. I would like to extend to my thanks to all those who assisted and shared my journey with me.

This study explores and attempts to shed light on what motivates teachers and how teacher motivation is affected by a principal's leadership style. The worldviews of pragmatism and critical realism were used as the basis for exploring teacher motivation in a South African school. A primary school in the Eastern Cape of South Africa was chosen for the case study. Three data gathering tools, a leadership questionnaire, teacher survey, and interviews were used to generate data on teacher motivation and the interaction between leadership style and teacher motivation. In regards to teachers, religion, social justice, and self-efficacy were all identified as motivators. The principal was strongly charismatic in her leadership and along with transformational and social justice leadership played a major role in influencing teacher behaviors. Self-determination theory was identified as helping to explain different levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and thereby to better understand varying degrees of teacher motivation. There are many difficulties in South African education and around the world in general and this study is premised on the belief that if teacher motivation can be studied and advanced there will be an improvement in education and learning. This thesis was limited in its scope and ability to fully explore the different levels of ontology as outlined by the critical realist and this is identified as a possible future course of action for not only studying teacher motivation but getting to the 'heart of the matter'.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that of all the live births per year no more than 10-15% of these should be delivered by caesarean section. Despite this recommendation there has been a global increase in the percentage of caesarean section deliveries over the past few decades. In South Africa the percentage is as high as 70% in certain health care institutions which is of concern to midwives. Caesarean section deliveries are needed when the life of the baby, mother or both are at stake. However, this method of delivery bears more disadvantages than advantages to the baby and mother. Despite these disadvantages, some women request a caesarean section in their birth plans while others are influenced by health professionals to request a caesarean section. Therefore, there is a need for labouring women to be guided where possible to have vaginal birth because of its many advantages. This study sought to explore and describe the perceptions of the midwives regarding their role in facilitating the choice of delivery mode for labouring women in public hospitals and midwifery obstetric units (MOUs) of the Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman districts. Based on the results of the study, guidelines for midwives in this role were developed. Maputle’sWoman-Centred Childbirth Model (2010) was used as the theoretical lens through which this study was viewed. The researcher selected a quantitative survey design using an explorative, descriptive and contextual research approach. The population consisted of midwives who were working in labour wards at public hospitals and midwife-led MOUs. A non-probability convenience sample was used to collect data using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the data collection instrument were ensured by using various means including a pre-test and an expert panel. Altogether, 300 questionnaires were distributed and 288 were returned. This number excluded the pilot study. Data was collected over a period of three months using the assistance of two fieldworkers. Data was captured and analysed under the supervision of the statistician and supervisors. Analysis was done by means of descriptive analyses that involved the production of frequencies and presented using charts, figures and tables. The major findings of the study are: -The midwives perceived themselves as the main facilitators of a suitable decision by the labouring woman for a safe delivery method - The midwives emphasised the importance of the delivery position preferred by the labouring woman -The midwives indicated that a collaboration between doctors, senior midwives, midwives and midwives in management positions could assist with a decision for a suitable delivery mode option. -The midwives agreed that the culture of the labouring woman should be considered when deciding on a delivery mode and therefore midwifery curriculum should include lessons about cultural diversity. Three principal guidelines were developed, namely: 1. Create an environment that promotes acceptance of a woman’s choice of a delivery mode. 2. Create an environment promoting a collaborative health care relationship 3. Create an environment that is sensitive to cultural needs in the maternity unit Ethical considerations in this study were upheld by maintaining the principles of beneficence, maleficence, autonomy and justice.