MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Many recent studies have shown that some of the greatest water needs occur in areas underlain by crystalline rocks with complex hydrogeology. Crystalline basement rocks underlie over 60% of the South African surface, and the Limpopo Province of South Africa is no exception. Previous attempts to develop the lithologies of Limpopo for groundwater abstraction without the use of sound scientific methodologies resulted in low yielding boreholes and a higher rate of borehole failure. The complexity of the lithologies in the region necessitates the use of sound scientific methodologies for the delineation of promising groundwater potential zones. Therefore, the principal objective of the present study was to delineate groundwater potential zones through an integrated approach of remote sensing, geophysics, as well as the use of ancillary datasets. The area of focus is located in the northeastern section of Limpopo province, covering an area of about 16 800km2. Geologically, it is underlain by three Lithostratigraphic domains comprised of Archean-aged basement rocks, Soutpansberg volcano-sedimentary succession and subsidiary basins of the main Karoo young sedimentary cover. In general, the groundwater potential of a region is a function of factors such as lithology, lineaments, slope, climate and land use/ land cover. Thus, the present study used parameters such as lineaments, lithologies, slope, and land use/ land cover to produce a groundwater potential zone map. The thematic layers were prepared from raw datasets, which include; LANDSAT 8 OLI, ASTER-DEM, aeromagnetic data, geological maps, and land use/land cover data, which were overlaid in a GIS environment. The resultant groundwater map revealed the presence of five distinct classes of groundwater potential zones, which were categorised into excellent, good, moderate, low and very low. Interpretation of the results shows that the study area is dominated by areas that may be regarded as moderate water potential zones, covering about 52% of the total area. On the other hand, low and good groundwater potential zones occur in almost equal proportions of 19.52 % and 24 % respectively. The results obtained were validated using GRIP borehole dataset, and a number of follow-up geophysical surveys. iii Overlaying of the boreholes dataset on the map showed positive correlation between borehole yields groundwater potential zones. On the other hand, follow-up Vertical Electrical Sounding surveys revealed the presence of conductive layers in some selected target areas. The groundwater potential zone map and validation results provided a meaningful regional assessment of groundwater distribution in the study area. Thus, the results of this study can be used as a guideline for future groundwater exploration projects. / NRF

PhD (Business Management) / Department of Business Management / Despite the fast pace of development within the mobile commerce industry globally, marketers in developing countries are still lagging in understanding why and how consumers participate in mobile marketing transactions. The literature reporting on mobile marketing transactions’ adoption in a South African context remains largely inconsistent and fragmented as most previous studies are based on the experience of consumers in a non-South African (and nondeveloping country) context. Therefore, this study identifies a literature gap, in that there lacks a sufficient critical mass of studies into the moderating effect of information security on consumer adoption of mobile marketing transactions in South Africa particularly among the youth who have a strong affinity for constant mobile connectivity. Furthermore, confronted with rapid changes in emerging technology, previous models of technology adoption are slowly becoming outmoded. Consequently, this study considered testing a proposed model on the predictive power of marketing-related mobile activity to help improve understanding and prognosis of the adoption of mobile marketing transactions in South Africa. Specifically, in order to render these tests robust, perceived information security was applied as a moderator variable to increase the explanatory power of the model. The objectives set out for this research were measured utilising a single cross-sectional approach, guided by the positivist paradigm. In keeping with the dictates of ensuring the highest levels of reliability and validity, a measuring instrument developed from past studies was used. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of 810 students from selected South African universities. Descriptive and multivariate statistical tests including the moderated hierarchical regression analysis were used to analyse data. The implication of the study is that it provides both marketers and policymakers with a set of controllable variables that may be manipulated to promote the adoption of mobile marketing transactions. / NRF

MSCAGR (Soil Science) / Department of Soil Science / The effects of tillage on soil structure and associated soil properties such as soil respiration may differ in different soils. The study determined the effects of tillage, soil texture and mineralogy in selected soil properties on different soil types. Soil samples were collected from four different sites in the Limpopo province, South Africa. The soils were classified as Glenrosa with sandy loam texture, Dundee with loamy sand, Hutton with clay, and Shortlands with clay. Glenrosa and Dundee were dominated by quartz, while Hutton and Shortlands with kaolinite. Soil samples were taken from the surface 0 – 20 cm under conventional tillage and no-till land. Soil organic matter, texture, and mineralogy were determined. The soils were wetted to activate the microorganisms and incubated for 70 days at 30℃ and soil respiration was determined using alkali trap method on a weekly basis. The study was conducted in triplicates and arranged in a completely randomized design. Data was subjected to analysis of variance using general linear model procedure of Minitab version 19. Means were compared using paired t-test at (p ≤ 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to measure the strength of linear dependence between variables. There was a significant difference in soil organic matter (p≤0.000) among all studied soils. The mean values of soil organic matter were 2.19% in Hutton, 2.0% in Shortlands, 0.54% in Glenrosa, and 0.43% in Dundee. Quartz had a strong negative linear relationship (r = -0.66) with soil organic matter while kaolinite had a strong positive linear relationship (r = 0.96). Soil respiration increased in soils dominated with quartz and decreased in soils dominated with kaolinite. The soil respiration increased by 18.95 g CO2 m-2 d-1 in conventional tillage and decreased by 13.88 g CO2 m-2 d-1 in no-tillage due to increased exposure of soil organic matter under conventional. It was concluded that less intensive tillage such as no-tillage reduces soil respiration. / NRF

Post-apartheid education policy as enshrined in the South African School's Act no 84 of 1996 transformed the education system. The policy ensured the right of access to the school of one's choice and lead to the migration of learners from township schools to former Model C and independent schools. The study aimed to investigate the management of learner migration using a literature review and a qualitative inquiry. Data was gathered through interviews with principals, School Management Team members, parents and learners who had migrated. The findings indicated that learner migration as determined by parents' social and financial capacity is; steered by factors such as a school's sound culture of teaching and learning on account of good principalship, dedicated educators, motivated learners and good discipline. It was recommended that the culture of teaching and learning should be cultivated in all schools through capacity building workshops for educational managers and educators to curb excessive Ieamer migration. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Education Management)

M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / Geothermal springs exist on all continents of the Earth and are used for a myriad of different applications and uses. The last few years have witnessed a resurgence of interest in these springs due to a proliferation of utilisation of geothermal resources. Despite numerous benefits associated with their use, studies have shown that the water of geothermal springs could contain toxic elements, pathogenic organisms, toxic gases and even elements that are radio-active in nature that may have health impacts on users. The presence of some of these chemicals in the water and air can be traced back to the geological formations through which the thermal waters flow. More than 90 geothermal springs have been identified in South Africa. However, relatively little is known about how South African geothermal springs have been used in the past and how their geochemical composition and land-use around them has changed over time. There is also a scarcity of scientific literature dealing with environmental risk assessment associated with the different uses of geothermal spring water in South Africa. Given this research contextualization, the present study examined the overall water quality and assessed the potential health risks of the geothermal spring and associated waters (hydro spa and overflow pond) of the holiday resort of “Eiland” in the Limpopo Province. The research undertaken for this research project formed part of a bigger Water Research Commission (WRC) research project on geothermal springs in South Africa. Water samples were taken and observations were made of the resort waters during a field trip undertaken during August 2012. Chemical analyses of the samples were performed by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC): Institute for Soil, Climate and Water of South Africa (ISCW). Parameters under investigation included temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and various chemical constituents. A comparison of the laboratory results to previous years data and to four domestic water use standards/guidelines was made. These included the EU (1998), SABS (2006), SABS (2011) and the WHO (2011) domestic use water quality standards/guidelines. A risk assessment, based on Aucamp’s (2009) method, was performed for potentially harmful parameters. Overall, the waters of the resort were deemed to be of low risk and therefore not of a health and environmental risk to the users. Although the waters do not satisfy the domestic use water standards, they are suitable for the current recreational purposes of the resort. It is recommended however, that the soil sensitivity be determined for irrigational purposes and toxicology tests be conducted for the fish species inhabiting the overflow pond and small dam in order to determine the possible extent of bioaccumulation. It is recommended that geothermal waters are not used for bottling or for consumption for domestic or therapeutic purposes. In the event of expansion to include such uses a stringent new risk assessment is recommended.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of the North, 2004 / Refer to document

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of the North, 2003 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M.Sc. (Agriculture)) --University of the North, 2001

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2000. / Refer to the document

Thesis ((M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of the North, 2000 / Refer to the document