M.Sc. (Zoology) / There has been an increasing concern worldwide regarding the possible adverse effects of pharmaceutical supplements present in our aquatic ecosystems and whether or not they modify the physiological functioning in humans and wildlife. Trenbolone acetate (TBA) and zeranol (Z) for example, are two commonly used synthetic anabolic growth promoting hormones in cattle production. TBA is metabolized into trenbolone-β and excreted as both trenbolone-α and -β. In liquid manure trenbolone-β has a half-life of over 270 days and Z, 120 days. Therefore if released into the surrounding environment there is the possibility for long-term severe ecological impacts i.e. fish reproduction and general health. The aim of this study was to determine the physiological effects of several growth promoting hormones used as growth promoting hormones in cattle production on the Mozambique Tilapia – Oreochromis mossambicus. The growth promoting hormones assessed in this study were; Trenbolone acetate, Methyltestosterone, Diethylstilbestrol and Zeranol. The aim was accomplished by making use of histology (gills, liver and gonads) and three biomarker assays; Glutathione-S-transferase (GST), Uridine-Diphosphate Glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) and Cellular Energy Allocation (CEA). Stock solutions of Trenbolone acetate (14 μg/l and 15 μg/l), Methyltestosterone (7 μg/l and 7.5 μg/l), Zeranol (2.8 μg/l and 3 μg/l) and Diethylstilbestrol (0.28 μg/l and 0.29 μg/l) were prepared. Fish were exposed under controlled conditions for a period of 24-hours, 4-, 15- and 30-days respectively using a flow-through system. The aquarium water was changed (45 L removed and replaced with 45 L of prepared growth hormone containing bore-hole water) every 48 – 72 hours to remove all waste material thus ensuring the aquariums were clean. Upon performing the necropsies, gills, liver and gonads were removed and examined using standard histological techniques. Muscle tissue was used to determine the CEA, liver and kidney tissue was used for both GST and UDPGT assays. The results obtained from the histology revealed that the gills and liver were not severely affected by exposure to the growth promoting hormones although possible exposure related alterations were evident. The gonads results indicated that exposure to the growth promoting hormones severely affected the morphology and functioning of the organs to the point where reproduction is questionable. The results obtained from the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) revealed no significant differences (p<0.05) although a trend of increasing HSI and decreasing GSI was evident in the male fish exposed to the androgens. With regards to the biomarker assays there were minor decreases in CEA in the exposed fish but no significant differences (p<0.05) could be established. The GST assay revealed that Zeranol prompted a significant increase (p<0.05) in GST activity in the kidney after 4- and 15-days of exposure while the liver displayed no change in GST activity. The UDPGT assay revealed minor fluctuation in UDPGT activity in both the kidney and liver throughout the study, however, no significant differences (p<0.05) could be established. To conclude, exposure to these growth promoting hormones at the selected concentrations and exposure periods severely compromised the fish’s reproductive capabilities thus challenging the fish’s fitness. Further studies examining the energy metabolism and xenobiotic detoxification pathways of the Mozambique tilapia and other indigenous fish species are recommended to better comprehend the effects that these growth promoting hormones may possess.

M.Sc. (Zoology) / The catchment area of the Olifants River is being subjected to increased agricultural and mining activities, industrial development and urbanisation. As a result of this, the water quality 'of the Olifants River and some of its tributaries (e.g. Selati River) has been deteriorating since 1983. This causes reason for concern as one of the downstream water users in the Olifants River catchment is the Kruger National Park, which requires of good quality to sustain its terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems It was therefore necessary to determine what extent activity midstream-or--tlie I Olifants River, especial y in the Phalaborwa area, influenced the water quality of the Olifants River. In this study, an evaluation was done of the water quality (physically and chemically of the Lower Olifants River inside of the Kruger National Park, as well as the Lower Selati River, a tributary of the Olifants River which flows through the Phalaborwa area. Special attention was paid to the metal concentrations in the water, sediment and fish. Water and sediment were sampled every alternate month from April 1990 to February 1992 at six sampling sites along the Lower Olifants River and one in the Selati River. Standard methods were used to determine the physical and chemical characteristics (e.g. pH, TDS, etc.) of the water. The fish species Barbus marequensis was also sampled every alternative month, but only at three sampling sites along the Olifants River and one in the Selati River. Organs and tissues that were dissected, included the gills, fat, liver, gonads, gut, muscle, skin, blood, vertebrae, kidney and bile, as well as the gut contents. In February 1992, additional sampling was performed at Pioneer Dam, a natural reference point used in this study. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used in the laboratory to determine the Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn concentrations in the water, sediment and fish samples. (The water quality of the Selati River was found to be stressful to aquatic life, especially .) with regard to the sodium, fluoride, chloride, sulphate, potassium, total ~dissolved salts 1 and metal concentrations (except strontium). The Selati River also influenced the ': water quality of the Olifants River after the Selati-Olifants confluence. Most of the :. time the water quality of the Lower Olifants River in the KNP did, however, comply With the recommended guideline limits, except for the metal concentrations. The high metal concentrations detected in the water (in some cases sub-lethal levels) indicated some degree of metal pollution, but, due to the hardness of the Olifants River water, conditions were not necessarily toxic to the aquatic life. The accumulated metals in the organs and tissues of marequensis gave a good indication of the metal levels to which the fish were exposed. More metals were taken up by the fish from April 1990 to February 1991 than from April 1991 to February 1992. The various metals were . distributed differently to the tissues of B. marequensis, with the highest zinc concentrations being accumulated by the skin and ovaries; the highest copper and iron by the liver, kidney and gut; the highest chromium and nickel by the blood; and the highest manganese, lead and strontium by the vertebrae and gills. These results afforded guidelines as to the types of tissue which should be sampled as the most suitable for the analysis of the various metals in polluted waters.

No description available.

M.Sc. / Developments in the catchment area of the Olifants River, such as poor agricultural practices and overgrazing, caused increased amounts of erosion material to enter the river. This leads to the silting up of the Phalaborwa Barrage, situated in the river, on the border of the Kruger National Park. Because of the occasional flushing of the Barrage, in order to retain storage capacity, the Olifants River inside the Kruger National Park is subjected to very high sediment loads. This has led to poor water quality and subsequent fish mortalities. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the possible effects of silt loads released from the Barrage on the survival of selected life stages of Oreochromis mossambicus. Silt was collected from the Phalaborwa Barrage, and the silt/fish interaction was invesigated under controlled laboratory conditions. Oreochromis mossambicus was exposed to various silt concentrations for different exposure periods to determine the LC50 and sub-lethal concentration ranges. After determination of sub-lethal values, 0. mossambicus was exposed to these concentrations to determine whether they have any effects on the oxygen consumption and selected haematological parameters of exposed fish. Lethal levels for suspended sediment are interrelated with age differences of the fish, particle size of the suspended sediment and concentration. Increased suspended sediment disrupted activity and respiratory patterns, changed orientation responses and ultimately resulted in the death of the fish. The gills and the opercular cavities of the dead fish were usually clogged with a thick layer of mucus and silt. The laboratory experiments revealed that LC5 0 values for 0. mossambicus ranged from 26,78 to 54,20g silt/1 for larvae, 35,10 to 39,20g silt/1 for juveniles and 32,93 to 35,43g silt/1 for adult fish. The larval stage was generally less tolerant of suspended silt than juveniles and adults. Sub-lethal levels for adult fish ranged from 0 to 27g silt/l, where no mortalities occurred. Exposure of adult fish to sub-lethal concentrations of silt did alter routine oxygen consumption by causing increased rates (9 to 330% from initial) of oxygen consumption. This indicates that sub-lethal levels of suspended silt concentrations result in an increase in oxygen consumption by the fish due to an increase in metabolic rate associated with increased activity and stress. Silt exposure Exposure of adult fish to sub-lethal silt concentrations (<20g silt/l) resulted in increases in haemotocrit, red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts and blood glucose concentrations, but decreases in haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume when compared to that for the control fish. These differences became more apparent as the silt exposure concentration increased with statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between most of the selected

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems (for example, dams, lakes, rivers, streams) with heavy metals (according to McDonald and Wood (1993), the metals that are of greatest concern in fresh waters are Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, AI, Mn and Cr (approximately in order of decreasing toxicity)) has been receiving increased worldwide attention, and the literature has many publications on the topic. These amplified levels of contamination have become a global problem in both developed and developing countries and the impact of them on aquatic environments is severe due to the inability of water to disperse contaminants. To meet this threat, ecotoxicologists face a difficult challenge on how to assess the long-term impacts of metals which have already been released into the environment and which persist in sediment, water and biota. In recent years, the field of biomarker study has evolved and expanded rapidly to address this void. Biomarkers examine molecular and biochemical responses in exposed individuals in an effort to assess the status of an impacted environment and they can also serve as a basis for a Rapid Risk Assessment of Fish Health (RRAFH) employed by water quality managers. This effort to incorporate biomarkers into RRAFH research will eventually be worthwhile. Moreover, with this multidisciplinary approach, cause-effect relationships may be examined. It was in this context that the present study evaluated three biomarkers (metallothionein (MT), Na+K+ ATPase and heat shock/stress protein 70 (HSP 70)) to determine the integrated physiological responses in Oreochromis mossambicus to one metal (copper (Cu)) at a sub lethal level over the short term (96, 48, 24, 16, 12, 6, 4 and 2 h respectively). The information gained from these tests was valuable in suggesting what the baseline levels of biomarkers in O. mossambicus would be, as studies of metabolic adjustments to stress in fish have been focused on salmonids. The demand for sensitive, specific and rapid biological assays was also addressed by the development of an HSP 70 ELISA. This assay with, with additional refinement, will also prove to be a valuable tool in the management of Cu pollution in this species. Evaluation of the biomarkers in the gills of O. mossambicus indicated that this species has relatively high levels of MT in their gills compared with other species of fish. Exposure to sub lethal Cu concentrations [Cu] caused fluctuating, but not significant, levels in Na+K+ ATPase and HSP 70 during the exposure time, and the actual [Cu] in the gill seems to be the biggest factor when interpreting results. Significant decreases were found in MT levels in the gill tissue at 2 h and 12 h of exposure. HSP 70 results also indicated non-significant decreases to Cu exposure. Data from the gills analysed in the current study suggest that down-regulation in the biomarker response might be a better indicator of Cu exposure or effect in O. mossambicus. These data also suggest that further studies should rethink the amount of Cu that the fish under investigation would find sub-lethal as this metal seems to be very well regulated in this species of fish and seems frequently to non-significantly effect the chosen biomarkers. Evaluation of the biomarkers in the liver of O. mossambicus indicated that MT levels present in the liver most likely fall within the in range of normal baselevels for tilapia living in a Cu-rich environment and that HSP 70 in the liver only responds significantly to increased aqueous [Cu] at 16 h of exposure. This study also confirms current knowledge that the toxicity assessment of any pollutant, including Cu, cannot be exclusively based on one biomarker and that the true value of these biomarkers only becomes evident when they are used not as individual indicators but as integrated responses that influence one another. All these results furnish useful data for future research into the sub lethal effects of a pollutant such as Cu. The next step would be to test the usefulness of these physiological methods for detection of similar responses in natural fish populations inhabiting Cu polluted waters. This will provide a database relating the presence of Cu to biological effects at a molecular level. / Prof. J.H.J. Van Vuuren

Magister Artium - MA / Sustainable tourism development strategies are regarded as suitable for developed countries, while pro-poor tourism strategies are seen as suitable approaches for underdeveloped countries. Both approaches stress the importance of local community-based or collaborative tourism management. The goal of these strategies is for local communities to achieve a more equitable share of benefits accruing from tourism development. This study dealt with the problem of which policy changes need to be brought about to ensure sustainable tourism development on Bazaruto Island. From an economic perspective, one would wish to examine the economic returns to tourism, ensuring that as many of the benefits as possible stay within Mozambique while some accrue to local community members. In addition, from an ecological perspective, it would be necessary to ensure that much of the pristine environment is retained. The local community would wish to ensure significant participation in preserving and promoting its culture as part of the development of tourism. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA (Anthropology/Sociology) / This thesis examines the production of commercial art in contemporary Mozambique. It explores the power relationship between local artists – painters and sculptors – and their patrons and brokers in the art market. This means, on one hand, that it looks at the artworks that have been produced during the late colonial period (1962 – 1974) and the post-colonial periods (June 1975 - 2010) and relates this to the changing political landscape in Mozambique. On the other hand, the aim is to explore the artists’ life histories, especially how their talent was first recognized, their art training (formal or otherwise), previous work experience, and the reasons for their current success (or lack thereof). This is done in order to see how and to what extent their artistic works have been influenced by external forces or actors. The power relationship existing between the art producers and their customers in the art markets in Mozambique is then related to the issue of globalisation. In this process, the study critically analyses who the actual art patrons of Mozambique art are and the extent to which Mozambican art is influenced by global forces. The focus is on a number of artists and the thesis examines their life histories specific to their art production in order to highlight the themes and trends of their art works. It was found that local art produced in Mozambique is not simply responding to local influences but also to global forces, of which the latter dominates. However, the study further reveals that while the art producers are influenced externally by their buyers, they (the art producers) have their own ways of manipulating their buyers in order to be able to sell their products. In other words, the artists have the power of mediating between local, personal influence and that of the patrons. / South Africa

Masters of Public Health - see Magister Public Health / Background: There is evidence that nurses are leaving their profession to seek better working environments and high salaried professions worldwide. This increases the scarcity of skilled nurses in health systems. In Mozambique, nursing staff is increasingly pursuing education out of nursing, which means that they intent to leave the nursing career. Aim: To find out why so many nurses are pursuing education out of nursing: Objectives, to explore: (1) nurses’ experiences of working at the Maputo Central Hospital; (2) the links between nurses’ future education outside of nursing and their job satisfaction; (3) the links between nurses’ future education, their job satisfaction and their intention to leave the profession, and (4) nurses’ and key informants’ opinions on which factors would improve nurse retention at MCH. Study Design: Exploratory qualitative Study. Methods: Focus Group Discussion with nurses and in-depth interviews with key informants, in order to explore perceptions regarding factors influencing nurses’ to pursue education out of nursing. Analysis: The content of focus group discussion and all interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed by identifying recurring themes. Ethics: The author was aware that this study would raise sensitive topics in nurses’ lives, and he took great care to be alert and responsive to ethical issues which might arise. Thus, all nurses and key informants participated in the study voluntarily. They were provided with a letter explaining the research purpose, requesting their participation and assuring them of confidentiality and anonymity, and they were asked to sign a consent form which was explained to them in detail. The study was presented to, and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape. Results: Study results revealed job dis-satisfaction and its essential components as the main factors influencing nurse’s intention to quit their profession. Further, the issue of nursing image and status were found to be most important factors contributing to nurses’ future education in other courses rather than nursing. Conclusions: Findings from this research are relatively consistent with previous studies in terms of identifying common factors that influence nurses’ decisions to quit nursing and pursue other professions, and also worrying as nursing is immersed in deep trouble because many nurses are quitting, and the current prevailing nurse image and status is not attractive for replacements, what will impact negatively on health care delivery. Relevance of study: It is expected that this study will contribute to the implementation of appropriate measures to improve nurses’ working experience at the Maputo Central Hospital, meantime, encouraging their retention. / World Health Organization

Background Women around the world have been denouncing gender injustice as a tool that merit critical analyzes and that hinders peace and justice. Therefore, the silence of the Church on the issue of Violence against Women is identified and challenged in the present study throughout the face of clergy’ wives in the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique. About the study The research is aimed at raising awareness that women and specially clergy’ wives in the PCM are living under violence and abuse perpetrated by their ministers and husbands, as Poling says, “The very people whom they thought they could trust” (1999: ix). The research is done by exploring the following key questions: <ul> <li>What causes the Church to be silent regarding male clergy violence?</li> <li>Why is it that the Church never addresses the problem of violence and abuse by clergy in church and at home?</li> <li>Violence and abuse among clergy’ homes is solved by transferring the male clergy family to another church. Is this process a better solution for solving the family and church problem? Or is it a holistic approach to healing the congregation?</li> <li>Why are clergy’ wives and the Christian community silent about violence happening in their midst?</li> <li>Which Pastoral Care model is needed to address and challenge this issue?</li></ul> The findings The research revealed existence of, among others: <ul> <li>Physical, psychological, spiritual, economical and sexual violence;</li> <li>Deceive, betrayal, discrimination and stigma;</li> <li>Lack of: Vision, education, formation, information, salary and houses;</li> <li>Weak notions of sin</li> <li>Complacent silence</li> <li>Biased notions of discipleship</li></ul> The challenges are: <ul> <li>To speak out; to challenge the Christian, cultural and traditional teachings that are harmful to women; Empower women; provide care; and to transform the patriarchal structures and systems of oppression.</li></ul> Conclusion and recommendations VAW is recognized to be a threat to life in all its aspects. Global and sector based efforts are needed in order to end it. Therefore, the Church is urged to work in a coordinated fashion with all sectors and stakeholders and to build partnerships as to be able to meet the objectives. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Child social development theory has been developed within a strong Euro-American context. This study seeks to understand social development in children in early childhood within southern Mozambique. A preliminary literature review was conducted, which formed the basis of a semi-structured interview schedule. A collective case study sampling method was utilized with all respondents being parents’ of children below the age of six years who were enrolled in the community school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 mothers in the community of Patrice Lumumbe. The data obtained during this research was translated by a team of cultural guides and interpreters as well as recorded using a Dictaphone. A second literature review was then conducted. The outcome of these interviews was then compared with existing literature and development theory. The research found that developmental milestones noted in the developmental theories of Freud and Erikson is congruent with what parents’ expected of their children within this community. Mothers’ are expected to instinctively know what their children need. Initiative in children is highly valued. Recommendations that emerged included conducting a comparative study in a neighboring community and implementing a study, which focuses specifically on the perceptions of fathers in these communities. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted