Alien invasive plants are of concern in the world because of their potential to spread into the natural environment. Invasion patterns observed in plant species can be attributed among other things to favourable environmental conditions. Understanding invasion dynamics of alien invasive plants can help in timely intervention initiatives. In Mpumalanga, Lilium formosanum (Liliaceae) appears to be an emerging plant invader and is spreading in the natural environment. The study investigated the invasion extent and predictor variables which could explain abundance patterns of L. formosanum in the invasive range in Mpumalanga province in South Africa and further predict regions of the world that could be climatically suitable. Lilium formosanum was surveyed along 11 major routes leading into the towns of Sabie and Graskop in Mpumalanga from a slow moving vehicle. A total of 241 kilometres was surveyed. Lilium formosanum was found to be invasive from the towns of Sabie and Graskop. Climatically suitable areas were predicted using DIVA-GIS and climate data was obtained from WORLDCLIM database while occurrence records were obtained from the Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas, Australia’s virtual herbarium and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. In conclusion, distance, altitude and route were found to have an influence on the abundance of L. formosanum in Mpumalanga Province. Climatically suitable areas included the eastern coastal belt, northern provinces and the interior parts of South Africa including major parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Plant Production and Soil Science / MSc / Unrestricted

Thesis (M. Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Small-scale farmers are the drivers of many countries in Africa and play an important role in livelihood creation among the poor in rural areas (DAFF, 2012). The efficient use of scarce resources in promoting agricultural production has encouraged a considerable amount of research in determining efficiency differentials of small-scale farmers (Chiona, 2011); especially those engaged in maize as a staple commodity in many parts of the world. The study examined the effect of access to tractor service on technical efficiency of small-scale maize farmers following the implementation of the Masibuyele Emasimini programme in the Mpumalanga province. The objectives of the study were to: (i) Compare and identify the socio-economic characteristics of small-scale maize farmers in the three selected districts of the study, (ii) analyse the socio-economic factors influencing small-scale maize farmers’ access to tractor service, and to (iii) measure technical efficiency of farmers who have access to tractor service. The data collection was carried out in three districts of the Mpumalanga province, that is, Ehlanzeni, Nkangala and Gert Sibande. Farmers producing maize were purposively selected for the study because maize is the most staple food produced in the province, especially on a small-scale level. To effectively cover the study area, a simple random technique was used for sampling with a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 101 farmers. The three districts are heterogeneous in technical aspects, and were therefore treated separately in terms of data collection, analysis and report of findings. The data were further analysed using descriptive statistics, the logistic regression and Cobb-Douglas production function model to address objective one, two and three mentioned above, respectively. The results of the logistic regression model indicated that out of the 9 (Nine) socio-economic variables included in the analysis, 6 (Six) of them (Farmer’s association, irrigation, farmer’s level of education, gender, ownership of land and household size) were found to be significant and influencing access to v tractor service by small-scale maize farmers. Technical efficiency levels revealed that farmers with access to tractor service were more technically efficient than those without access in all districts of the Mpumalanga province. For example, the average technical efficiency for small-scale farmers with access to tractor service in the Ehlanzeni district was 0.68; about 41% higher than those without access with an average technical efficiency of about 0.27. The Cobb-Douglas results on the other hand, revealed that farmers in the Mpumalanga province are experiencing technical inefficiency in maize production due to decreasing returns to scale. Access to tractor service was also negatively insignificant towards maize production in both the Ehlanzeni and Nkangala district, and was found to have a positive but insignificant effect in Gert Sibande. Policy implications are that to improve the efficiency of tractor service (rendered by the Masibuyele Emasimini programme) towards maize production; government should focus on significant factors influencing the access of the following by small-scale maize farmers and the factors are machinery, irrigation, gender, and ownership of land, farmer’s level of education, farmer’s association, and household and land size per district. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Refer to document

Very few recent studies have been done in South Africa on the occurrence or prevalence of parasites in humans. Based on the results of routine examinations for parasitic infections conducted in the Microbiology Laboratory of Ampath in Pretoria, this study focuses on the spectrum of parasites diagnosed in samples from humans in Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga provinces between 2009 and 2010. Database searches for results of samples in which parasites were positively identified were conducted using the laboratory’s internal software system. Data of the positive results were exported and sorted according to date, specimen type, parasite identified, patient age, gender and geographic locality. Results showed that a total of 24 different species of parasites were identified in the laboratory over the two-year period. The overall numbers of parasites identified, according to the data searches, were 863 and 1061 in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The following parasites were identified: Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica, Endolimax nana, Acanthamoeba sp, Giardia intestinalis, Trichomonas hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium spp, Cystoisospora belli, Sarcocystis sp, Enterobius vermicularis, Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, ancylostomatids (hookworm), Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, Dipylidium caninum, Inermicapsifer madagascariensis, Bertiella studeri, Schistosoma haematobium, Echinococcus granulosus and Cordylobia anthropophaga. In both years, the majority of cases originated from Gauteng Province followed by North West and Mpumalanga provinces. The data were summarized descriptively and compared with available published records. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. October 2014. / The study seeks to establish how sustainable agriculture can improve livelihoods and consequently alleviate poverty in Topiya community of Mpumalanga Province. The study also entails an investigation into whether the Topiya community is food insecure, and in this instance, how sustainable agriculture can be embraced smoothly to improve the food security status of the Topiya community. The study also seeks to unearth whether raising rural agricultural productivity is sufficient to improve livelihoods or a more robust and multi dimensional approach is needed to improve rural livelihoods in general. A research instrument (questionnaire) was designed and administered to 19 households. The data is analyzed by way of frequencies and percentages. The results yielded by this study demonstrated that Topiya Community is food insecure and a plethora of factors such as but not limited to lack of adequate arable land, lack of farm assets, lack understanding of the concept of sustainable agriculture contributes to this. The results also pointed to the fact that an intrinsic understanding of what sustainable agriculture entails is of paramount importance for the concept to be embraced and achieve the objectives of improving food security and consequently alleviating poverty.

A Research to the Development Studies Department, Faculty of Humanities of the University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master’s Degree (M.A) in Development Studies. 27 AUGUST, 2015 / The relationship between farmers and farm workers in South Africa in one steeped in controversy, yet this area of study has received little attention. Agrarian history in South Africa is topical especially when considering the interaction between farmers (predominantly white) and farm workers (almost entirely black) in a capitalist economy. Farm workers current social and economic situation is a product of colonialism, segregationist and apartheid policies, as well as capitalist development and post-apartheid development strategy. This study hence analyses the social cohesion within the commercial farming community, placed against the backdrop of the Land Reform Programme – tenure reform. The social relations and labour are highly shaped by the capitalist mode of production and through the control of capital. Total institutions, domestic governance, and paternalism, impedes successful tenure reform. The study reveals a mutual cohesion between farmer and their employees based on a variety of reasons ranging from mutual understanding, good communication, good working relationship, and treating such other fairly. Nonetheless, this does not mean that farm workers are not being maltreated as other studies on farm relations have shown. Without a doubt, land reform particularly tenure reform has clearly tested the patience of farmers. The study further acknowledges that the current land reform programme (especially tenure reform) is deficient, and has not benefited those for whom it was intended. Despite the legislation that have been passed in order to protect the rights of those living on farms, and to secure the labour right of those who work on them, there has been little improvement in securing tenure rights as well as the poverty level of many farm dwellers. Successful implementations of recent interventions to tenure security are the preconditions necessary for the broader land reform programme to reduce poverty levels among farm workers. Hence, securing tenure rights for farm workers must therefore be tired to programmes which aim to reduce poverty level among farm dwellers in general. Tenure reform by itself cannot alleviate rural poverty unless the government take a decisive action to stimulate the rural economy. Equally, farm dwellers (including farm workers and labour tenants) have felt the harshest consequence of the crises facing post-apartheid South Africa’s agriculture sector. This historical process has left its legacy in post-apartheid South Africa, characterised not only by a bimodal agricultural system but also by an unequal relation within (white) commercial farms where farm workers and labour tenants are faced with the harshest reality of poverty in the mist of agrarian wealth. This study therefore explores the disputed labour regime in the farming sector – the mechanisation and casualization of farm labour, as well as farm consolidation, both leading to a drop in rural/farm employment as an immediate consequence; and low unionisation of farm workers.

Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2015 / Afrikaans / MA / Unrestricted

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The foundation of ecotourism is associated with poverty alleviation all over the world. That is, ecotourism is believed to be significant in income generation, improvement of people’s standards of living, sustainability of the environment, political enablement of local societies and in educational purposes. However, it has been noted that regardless of the significance of ecotourism, poverty remains a major problem across the world. In some developing countries like South Africa and Botswana, among others, ecotourism could account for about 25% of their Gross Domestic Product. The Mpumalanga Province of South Africa relies on ecotourism as a source of income, employment creation and for boosting local economy. In light of this, the purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of ecotourism on poverty alleviation in Nyongane Village. The study reviewed both theoretical and empirical literature on the subject. It also adopted both qualitative and quantitative approaches in undertaking the study wherein an interview schedule and questionnaires were used for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that the Phabeni Gate Nature Reserve turned a blind eye on community participation by using the industry-oriented approach in ecotourism. They also revealed that the community members of Nyongane Village do not have access to resources in the reserve. Majority of the residents from the village argued that there is no communication from the aforementioned Nature Reserve while others argued that they are hardly communicated with. Therefore, the study recommended that there is a need for the Nature Reserve to provide employment opportunities for most people who are from Nyongane Village. It also recommended the need for the reserve to consider community participation by allowing the community members to provide inputs during decision making processes at least once in 6 months at the reserve. This could be done by hosting meetings attended by the representatives of the reserve and the community members. Lastly, the study concluded that although ecotourism adversely affects poverty alleviation in Nyongane Village, these negative effects, however, could possibly be addressed by implementing the recommendations of this study.

Many learners failed at school and were often causing over identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability. A national intervention, the Foundations for Learning was regarded as a national curriculum adaptation that addressed many learning needs. The aim of the study was to investigate the responsiveness of the Foundations for Learning in meeting the mathematics educational needs of Foundation Phase learners with a mild intellectual disability who lived in a disadvantaged village in Mpumalanga Province. A survey involving 39 teachers was conducted in the village and data was collected using a questionnaire. The main findings were that the national curriculum adaptation was significantly responsive and promoted mathematics achievement of some of the learners with a mild intellectual disability. The recommendations included that teacher informal identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability needed to be followed by formal assessment by psychologists and support from the District Based Support Team. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

It is generally agreed that during the apartheid era secondary school History education was perceived as either an indispensible aid toward furthering the National Party’s social and political programme of separate development by some sections of the South African community or as an insidious form of indoctrination by other sections of the community. One of the contentions of this thesis is that this form of apology or indoctrination was less successful than is generally believed. The white English and Afrikaans-speaking sections of the community, although practising very different cultures shared many perceptions, including the perception that secondary school History education was less important than was the study of other subjects. The result was that at least since the 1960s, History was a subject in decline at most South African white secondary schools. History education enjoyed a mixed reception on the part of black secondary school educators during the apartheid era although the majority of black secondary school educators and learners, particularly after the 1976 Soweto Uprising, rejected the subject as a gross misrepresentation of historical record. The demise of History as a secondary school subject during the post-apartheid era is well documented. The case is made that this is due to factors such as poor teaching and the tendency by school administrations to marginalise the subject. My own 2008 and 2012 research indicates that while many South African adults display a negative attitude toward secondary school History education, secondary school learners have a far more positive outlook. The finding of this thesis is that the future for History education in South Africa is not as bleak as many imagine it appears to be. / History / D. Litt. et Phil. (History)