The dawn of the new era in 1994, in South Africa, brought with it a number of changes, one of which is education. Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) was seen as a vehicle to address the alarming rate of illiteracy. This made ABET to become a matter of great concern in South Africa. Limpopo as one of South Africa's provinces was earmarked as one of the regions that need thorough redressing and restitution of equality. This study investigated the type of ABET programmes that are offered . in Limpopo. It was specifically aimed at establishing the quality criteria that should characterise adult education programmes in the rural areas of the Limpopo Province. 40 adult educators, 152 adult learners and 12 area coordinators from the Greater Sekhukhune and Vhembe Districts, in Limpopo, participated in this study. Data was collected through questionnaires, individual and focus group interviews. It emerged from this study that the focus of the ABET programme, in the Limpopo Province, is basic read.in g, writing and numeracy skills. The missing element in the design of relevant adult education is a balance between basic literacy and numeracy skills and the provision of income-generation programmes and other programmes that equip adult learners with knowledge, skills, values and competencies that are relevant for the challenges of the 21 51 century. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that an effective needs analysis procedure should form the basis for the design of relevant adult education programmes in the rural areas of Limpopo. / (Ph.D) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

For centuries Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) used their indigenous knowledge (IK) in conserving medicinal plants and environments to maintain sustainability. With the rapid environmental, social, economic and political changes occurring in many areas inhabited by rural people exist the danger that the loss of biodiversity from habitat destruction and unsustainable harvesting practices will result in some species becoming extinct. The main aim of the study was to determine the natural habitat of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants combining the insight of THPs with an ultimate goal of guiding research for the conservation, propagation and cultivation of traditional medicinal plants. Despite problems, opportunities and challenges expressed and identified by THPs, the analysis of data from interview schedule and personal observations, show that the THPs' practices are shaped by historical processes and local cultural values, social norms and their management strategies that are influenced by a broad range of factors. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / M.A. (Human Ecology)

This research reports on the energy transition that has taken place in the Bushbuckridge district between 1991 and 2002. It is a follow up to a similar study that was done in 1991 investigating a number of aspects of energy use. It uses the 1991 study as a baseline and aims to explore how the passage of time, growth of the local population and changes in incomes and the availability of fuels have affected the patterns of fuel use in the region in the past eleven years. A structured interview approach was used for most aspects of the study. The interview schedule included sections on types, amounts and reasons for use and non-use of 13 different energy sources as well as data on income levels, household size and other economic parameters. Analysis of the consumption patterns of the different fuel types revealed that between the two survey periods, households in the sample settlements went through some pronounced changes in patterns of fuel use, particularly those that had acquired electricity. The introduction of electricity in the region had certainly played a major role in spurring the energy transition. Fuels that were previously used for lighting, powering entertainment appliances and refrigeration had been displaced by electricity. In terms of cooking and other thermal application, however, the vast majority of households in all the sample settlements continued using fuelwood and complemented it to a lesser extent with paraffin and electricity. In both surveys, the use or non-use of available fuels in the region was influenced by several factors. Common reasons for non-use of certain fuel types included expense, lack of appliances, the risk involved in using such fuels and the preference for other fuels. Reasons for use were mainly related to the low cost of the fuel and the fuel’s ability to meet particular end uses. Although incomes in the region had increased between 1991 and 2002, they were still below the poverty line. Activities from which households obtained their income remained the same. Old age pension, migrant wages and the informal sector remained the largest contributors of income to most households. Other indicators of relative wealth and poverty, like ownership of vehicles, bicycles and beds remained the same.

A palaeomagnetic study of the Waterberg Group (Jones and McElhinny, 1967) did not find a consistent direction. However, a pattern was identified and interpreted in terms of apparent polar wander during the deposition and consolidation of the Waterberg sediments. These pole positions indicated that the Waterberg Group sedimentation commenced during emplacement of the Bushveld Complex, and intermittently continued through numerous tectonic events in the pre-existing Transvaal Basin to just before the Umkondo thermal event. The Swaershoek Formation as the basal unit of the Waterberg Group in the Nylstroom Protobasin has been tentatively correlated with the Wilge River Formation in the Middelburg Basin. A palaeomagnetic study has been conducted on the Swaershoek and Wilge River Formations in an attempt to redetermine the palaeomagnetic pole positions for these two Formations and to confirm the said geological correlation. A total of 49 sites across both basins were sampled, both within the sediments as well as in the associated diabase intrusions. Despite generally weak results, the calculated pole positions for the Swaershoek Formation (37.1° S, 335.9° E and A95:17.4°) and the Wilge River Formation (31.9° S, 332.7° E and A95: 20.5°) correlate very well, thereby confirming the association made between these two formations. The intrusive diabase in both basins was sampled to test for thermal overprinting of the calculated pole positions of the sediments. Although the calculated pole position for the diabase intrusion in the Nylstroom Protobasin (63.3° S, 233.2° E and A95: 14.2°). These two poles correlate very well with previous studies on post-Waterberg diabase (Jones and McElhinny, 1966) as well as on the Umkondo diabase (McElhinny and Opdyke, 1964). The pole positions from the Waterberg sediments and associated diabase are sufficiently displaced from each other to rule out any overprinting by these intrusions. Recent results from the Blouberg area (Bumby et al., 2001) indicate the Soutpansberg Group to be younger than the Waterberg Group. In an attempt to refine the Apparent Polar Wander Path (APWP) for the middle Proterozoic, another 6 sites from the Mogalakwena Formation (Waterberg Group) were sampled. Bumby et al. (2001) suggested that the Mogalakwena Formation pre-date the Wyllies Poort Formation (Soutpansberg Group). The calculated pole position for the Mogalakwena Formation was very weak, but correlated fairly well with a pole position (Group 2, McElhinny, 1968) from the Wyllies Poort Formation in the Soutpansberg Group. The location of the Mogalakwena Formation pole (36.1° S, 207.3° E and A95: 27.6°) on the APWP for Southern African confirms the Waterberg Group to be older than the Soutpansberg Group. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Geology / unrestricted

Institute for Rural Development / MRDV

MA (Economics) / Department of Economics / Tourism is regarded as a modern day engine of growth globally. In light of this, the South African government aims to increase tourism’s contribution, both direct and indirectly to the economy. In 2012 tourism in South Africa contributed 7, 9% (R189.4 billion) to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it is estimated to increase to R499 billion by 2020 (South Africa National Department of Tourism). The purpose of the study was to assess the sustainability of hot spring tourism in Limpopo Province with regard to their competitiveness and potential to contribute to the economy of the country. The study employed a Delphi technique which is designed as group communication process which aims to achieve a convergence of opinion on a specific real world issues. The research developed a set of appropriate indicators that determines hot spring destination competitiveness. Data was collected through two sets of questionnaires administered and addressed to experts in the Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism; academic staff in the department of tourism at University of Venda and tourism managers and practitioners in the tourism hot spring sector. From the findings of the study, recommendations have been made to assist the Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism in designing strategies to make hot spring destinations competitive and sustainable as a tourism activity in Limpopo province.

The motive for conducting this study was to determine the extent in which aspects of transformational leadership identified during literature study are practiced in the sampled primary schools in Limpopo. The study was divided into seven interlinked chapters. Chapter one introduced the investigation. Chapter two presented the definition and description of the notion transformational leadership and its five constituting elements, namely shared vision, commitment, motivation, job satisfaction and participative decision-making. A transformational leadership model was also presented in chapter two. Chapter three focused on the primary education systems of Republic of South Africa and the three selected Southern African Development Community member states, namely Malawi, Lesotho and Namibia. The discussion focused on the structure, organization, objectives and the challenges facing each SADC member state. Chapter three further identified the challenges facing primary schools in Limpopo and compared these to the challenges of the three selected SADC member states. The details of the research design and methodology were presented in chapter four. The empirical study took a two-pronged approach. Phase one of the empirical study was conducted through the administration of questionnaires to sampled principals and educators. In the second phase, sampled principals, educators and circuit managers were interviewed. The empirical study was intended to give answers to the following research questions:  To what extent are primary school principals as leaders involved in: • initiating visions that are shared and owned by other role players? • making sure that educators remain committed to their profession? • ensuring that educators are kept motivated? • ensuring that educators remain satisfied in their profession?  To what extent do principals involve other role players in the decision-making processes? iv In addition to that, the following research hypothesis was tested: • There is a significant relationship (in terms of descriptive statistics) between identified leadership emphasis in Limpopo primary schools and the key features of transformational leadership. And conversely the null hypothesis tested was: • There is no significant relationship (in terms of descriptive statistics) between identified leadership emphasis in Limpopo primary schools and the key features of transformational leadership. In phase one, data was quantitatively collected through questionnaires (principals and educators). Data was further gathered through semi-structured interviews and observation in phase two. To give a clear and a logical presentation of the data analysis and interpretation, both quantitative and qualitative data were presented separately in chapters five and six. This study produced the following findings: The majority of primary school principals do: • involve other role players in the development of their school visions. • ensure that educators are committed to their responsibilities. • ensure that educators remain motivated. • ensure that educators are job satisfied. • create opportunities wherein role players are involved in decision-making processes. The views of respondents from the survey data (both principals and educators) indicated that there is a significant relationship (in terms of descriptive statistics) between identified leadership emphasis in Limpopo primary schools and the key features of transformational leadership. Based on the findings above, the conclusion deduced was that the majority of primary school principals exhibit transformational leadership attributes. / Education Studies / D. Ed. (Education Managment)

This research investigated the role of teacher evaluation in enhancing quality teaching and learning and the extent to which teacher evaluation in Bushbuckridge schools enhances the quality of teaching and learning. It also set out to investigate how the teachers (CS1, HODs, deputy principals and principals) perceived the evaluation system to which they were subjected. The researcher used a qualitative research approach and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews from a convenient, comprehensive and purposive sample. The sample consisted of twenty-six teachers from three schools in the Dwarsloop Circuit. These schools were chosen purposely on the grounds that all the teachers in these schools had been evaluated successfully. In addition, these schools were within easy reach of the researcher and she also knew most of the respondents. All the interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was carried out simultaneously with the data collection process. Each interview was transcribed and labelled as soon as it was finished. The researcher used a process called coding during data analysis. By means of this process, data was compiled, labelled, separated and organised into categories and sub-categories. Subsequently, these categories formed the basis upon which the findings were made. Among several other findings, it emerged that teacher evaluation enables the educator to create a climate that supports quality teaching and learning, leads to better lesson preparation and presentation in addition to enabling better learner assessment. Respondents also held the view that evaluation encourages teachers’ professional development. Despite these findings, the respondents indicated that in their specific cases, evaluation did not lead to the desired results due to a number of reasons that included incompetent evaluators and an inflexible and unfair evaluation system. Based on the aforementioned findings, a number of recommendations were made. / Education Management / Thesis (M. Ed. (Eucaton Management))

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Quantitative Conservation Biology, 1993 / The aim of the study was to provide a basis for the determination of acceptable hippo densities along the Crocodile River, outside the Kruger National Park. Hippo densities have to be acceptable to land-user~, who suffer hippo damage, and to the conservation authority, responsible for the resources along the river. Hippo nllmbers and distribution in the study area were determined by using a combination of aerial census and ground count. The hippo population number was estimated at 88 animals. Hippo distribution was influenced by flow speed of water. No hippos were observed in river sections with steep gradients, (>6.0 m/km) , while major herds were observed at low gradients «3.5 m/km). A mean density of 0.6 hippo per km was calculated, with a maximum of 2,5 hLppoe Zkm at Kaapmuiden, next to the Kruger National Park. TPA Nature Conservation records on hippo complaints were analyzed, and no relationship between the occurrence of hippo damage and hippo density could be found. There were strong indications that hippo damage are caused by individual problem hippo , The majority of land-users (92 %) supported the conservation of hippos. The size of the area available to hippo was determined for distances of 5 kn. up- and downriver from the major hippo herds. hippo could move away from the river was 336 restriction when compared to the generally assumed hippo grazing range of 3.2 km. Hippo access to grazing was assessed by determining the effective grazing area. / MT2017

A research report for the partial fulfillment of Masters degree in the school of Geography and Environmental studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2007. / Unable to load abstract