The aim of this investigation was threefold : to determine origins and perceptions of the street child problem nationally and internationally ; to explore the way in which children experience life in the streets ; and to devise strategies to enable these children to develop optimally. Literature indicates that the street child phenomenon is a global issue that presents many challenges. It is a socio-educational problem precipitated by multi-factorial events in the home, community and by children's personality attributes. Street children experience rejection, suffering, shame and anxiety. Deprivation of an environment conducive to positive development leads to maladjustment, anti-social behaviour and marginalisation. The empirical research was undertaken by means of semi-structured interviews conducted among fourteen children of the Khayalethu shelter and by administering questionnaires in the community of Port Shepstone. The findings culminate in recommendations for suitable assistance programmes and strategies to handle the problem in South Africa. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Socio-Education)

The aim of this investigation was threefold : to determine origins and perceptions of the street child problem nationally and internationally ; to explore the way in which children experience life in the streets ; and to devise strategies to enable these children to develop optimally. Literature indicates that the street child phenomenon is a global issue that presents many challenges. It is a socio-educational problem precipitated by multi-factorial events in the home, community and by children's personality attributes. Street children experience rejection, suffering, shame and anxiety. Deprivation of an environment conducive to positive development leads to maladjustment, anti-social behaviour and marginalisation. The empirical research was undertaken by means of semi-structured interviews conducted among fourteen children of the Khayalethu shelter and by administering questionnaires in the community of Port Shepstone. The findings culminate in recommendations for suitable assistance programmes and strategies to handle the problem in South Africa. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Socio-Education)

This study explores the utilisation of the identification parade as a technique for the identification of suspects. The intention of the study is to empower the investigators with knowledge they can use during their investigations. An identification parade is the most common police identification procedure. When conducted properly, it is considered more accurate than other methods. Crime in South Africa is a serious concern and it impacts negatively on many lives. The fear of crime, the loss of life and the socioeconomic impact of crime, etc., create the impression that the battle against crime has been lost. The limited knowledge among the police investigators contributes to making the reduction of crime more difficult to achieve. This study aims to develop good practice by recommending new ideas on how identification parades should be conducted with the view to enhancing the performance of police investigators. / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation))

This study explores the utilisation of the identification parade as a technique for the identification of suspects. The intention of the study is to empower the investigators with knowledge they can use during their investigations. An identification parade is the most common police identification procedure. When conducted properly, it is considered more accurate than other methods. Crime in South Africa is a serious concern and it impacts negatively on many lives. The fear of crime, the loss of life and the socioeconomic impact of crime, etc., create the impression that the battle against crime has been lost. The limited knowledge among the police investigators contributes to making the reduction of crime more difficult to achieve. This study aims to develop good practice by recommending new ideas on how identification parades should be conducted with the view to enhancing the performance of police investigators. / M.Tech. (Forensic Investigation))

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Access to clean and adequate water is a universal and basic human right that feeds into the 6th of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This goal aims at ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Clean water is referred to as potable water, which is safe for human consumption and offer low risk of immediate or long term harm. Raw water undergoes rigorous processing which consists of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection and storage, to produce potable water. Each module or stage consumes chemicals and energy resources and thus incurs costs. To achieve the aim of the study, which was to synthesize an optimised potable water treatment network and a water usage analysis model, the Umzinto Water Treatment Plant (UWTP) and its distribution system was used as the study area. This treatment plant is located within Umdoni, a local municipality of the Ugu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. This study’s objectives were fourfold and the first objective was to identify and quantify key raw water quality parameters affecting treatment at the UWTP. The second objective was to design a genetic algorithm for the potable water treatment process control. The third objective was to evaluate the Umzinto Water Distribution System’s Non-Revenue Water (NRW) while the fourth objective was to develop a model for water usage analysis. For the first objective, data for water quality parameters for the water treatment from July 2006 to June 2013 were statistically analysed. This data were collected from the UWTP’s historical records. To improve the data’s integrity it was pre-processed using cubic hermite interpolation. After the pre-processing trend lines and box plots were used to determine the parameters’ significance compared to the standard values stipulated in the South African National Standard (SANS 241). The trend lines were used to analyse the frequency of observations that were higher than the standard values according to SANS 241. The box plots were used to determine the minimum, median, maximum and mean of the data sets. The mean values for each parameter were compared to the SANS 241 value to determine their significance. The raw water quality parameters were then correlated to the chemical dosages for lime, polymer, potassium permanganate and chlorine. The key parameters selected from the correlation analysis were algal count, manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), Escherichia coli, total coliforms, colour, odour, conductivity, turbidity, suspended solids (SS), pH, temperature, total organic carbon (TOC,) and Hardness. A number of methods can be used to achieve such optimisation, including artificial neural networks, dynamic programming, linear and non-linear programming, and this study utilised a genetic algorithm as an optimisation tool to achieve the second objective of optimising water treatment at the UWTP. For the model development, data from the correlations obtained for objective 1 were used. The model was aimed at reducing the cost of chemical dosage and four chemical dosage prediction models were developed using genetic algorithms and these were then used to produce a combined chemical dosage cost prediction model. The programming interface utilised for these models was Matlab. In developing these models, the data were first pre-processed to remove outliers and fill in the blanks using a Microsoft Excel Add-in that was developed for this particular purpose. The next step involved a curve fitting exercise in Microsoft Excel 2013. Matlab was then used to code the genetic algorithm that combined and optimised the solutions obtained from the curve fittings. The results showed that genetic algorithms can be reliably used to predict the chemical dosages and hence reduce water treatment costs. After treatment, water is pumped into the distribution system for consumption. It is therefore important to ensure that all the pumped out treated water reaches the consumer. The third objective therefore assessed the NRW for the Umzinto Water Distribution System for the period between July 2013 and June 2014. The data used for this objective was provided by the Ugu District Municipality. The method used combined the top-down approach and the component-based approach. This combined approach was modified to enable the calculation of all the components that are required in a standard South African Water Balance. The results showed that the distribution system had a high value of NRW, which was 27.9% of the System Input Volume. The major component of NRW was Real Losses, that is, losses that can be mitigated by improving maintenance. The fourth objective was to develop a model for water usage analysis that would reduce the time taken to evaluate NRW and also improve the analysis of the NRW components using Microsoft Visual Basics 2012 and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 development interfaces. The Visual Basics enabled the development of a graphic user interface that was user-friendly and minimised the time taken to learn the software. The software platform developed was able to import the data required to construct a standard International Water Asssociation (IWA) Water Balance, calculate all the components of NRW, store historical data for the water distribution systems and report on a rolling year basis. A model for water usage analysis was developed and made available for usage by practitioners in Ugu District. The model was developed for the specific study area and further studies would be required in order to validate it in a different setting. The results obtained for the first objective led to the conclusion that, there was very high pollution emanating from communities and activities close to the raw water sources, especially the EJ Smith Dam. The results from the first objective were also used to determine parameters for the models developed in the second objective. From objective two it was concluded that genetic algorithms can be reliably used to predict chemical dosages and hence reduce water treatment costs. The third objective’s results showed that 27.9% of treated water pumped into the distribution system is NRW. Which is a concern because 65% of this are real losses which have maintenance related problems. The fourth objective’s results showed the practicality of designing model that could be used determine all the important components of NRW that would take time to evaluate manually. It would also store historical data for the water distribution system and report on a rolling year basis. Implementation of this software would help minimise the errors associated with manual calculation of NRW and improve the availability of data for research and analysis. From the research findings, it is recommended that the treatment plant should change the way it is dosing chemicals in the balancing tank. The method currently being used is prone to error. The analysis of NRW showed that Real Losses were a major challenge in the Umzinto Distribution System. There is need to develop a maintenance program to cater for leakage. Communities also need to be educated on the importance of reporting leakage in the network. / M

After the death of their parents many youth resume full parental responsibility in taking care of their orphaned siblings. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and challenges of youth fostering their siblings and heading households in Port Shepstone. This study was guided by the ecological systems theory and used a qualitative research approach to undertake the study. A sample of ten participants was used with whom face to face interviews were conducted. The study revealed that the youth heading households resumed parental responsibilities at a young age. They shoulder new responsibilities such as domestic chores and child care duties. In addition, the youth heading households experience financial challenges due to lack of employment. As a result, the foster care grant was the only source of income which was not enough to meet all the needs of their siblings. The participants further indicated that they and their siblings are still dealing with the death of their parent(s). Both the participants and their siblings had never received counseling after the deaths of their parents. In addition, the participants revealed that they were experiencing challenges regarding disciplining their siblings who were presenting with behavioral problems. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the social workers spend more time on foster care placement (statutory work) rather than focusing on early prevention programmes. Lastly, the youth heading households wanted more social work support, as social workers rarely visited the youth headed households to check on the progress of the placements. To overcome all these challenges, I support the recommendation made by the Department of Social Development as it recently announced an intention to create a kinship grant (Jamieson et al., 2012). This will decrease the workload of social workers so that they can attend to other therapeutic services. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Architecture and political power have long been interrelated throughout history and weaved into the fabric of the built environment. Politics in the past was preoccupied with the expression of power; however, there has been a paradigm shift in favour of the expression of identity, particularly national identity. Local as well as international precedents reveal the extent to which past regimes have manipulated architecture and urban design in the service of politics. Exemplary to this is South Africa, a nation in transition emerging from Western colonization and more recently, the Apartheid regime. It is a country still haunted by ghosts of the past and the spatial organisation of the ‘Apartheid city’. However, South Africa post 1994 is not without examples of contemporary architecture which is a reflection of an “open democracy” in efforts to facilitate renewed interaction and hope in politics and civic architecture. Germany, also emerging from an unsavoury past has embraced the concept of democracy in its political systems and architecture. As a result, the built environment is a record of past together with the present thinking existing in unison, creating rich and meaningful places and spaces rooted in the history of place and time. / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

The native policy of Sir Theophilus Shepstone was influential in the evolution and formation of mid-nineteenth century Natal. From 1845 to the incorporation of Natal into the Union of South Africa in 1910, the native policy of Theophilus Shepstone dictated the organization and control of a native population of well over 100,000. The establishment and makeup of this system was an important institution in not only the history of Natal, but South Africa as a whole. While Shepstone was significantly impacted by the events of his early life, the main aspect of Shepstone's policy remained the Locations System. This system, created by the Commission for the Locating of the Natives in 1847, would dominate much of Shepstone's early career in Natal, especially the challenges made to the system during the formative years of the native policy. Shepstone's work in Natal would be called into question by several government officials, including Lieutenant-Governor of Natal Benjamin Pine. This conflict with the Natal government would eventually lead to Shepstone's abandonment of the Locations System for what would become known as his "Grand Removal Scheme." While the failure of this scheme would lead to the complete incorporation of the locations system, the longevity of the locations system itself is a product of the astuteness of Shepstone. While the colony of Natal was significantly impacted by economic and social factors, Shepstone remains one of the most influential figures in the evolution of the native policy of British Natal.

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Aim: A paucity of information on chiropractic patients presenting in public community clinics in South Africa (SA) exists. The purpose of this study was to carry out a demographic and disease survey of the patients that presented to the Marburg Haven Clinic, so to identify the patients that presented in a rural community outreach programme. Methods: A retrospective analysis on the patient files at Marburg Haven Clinic was completed in September 2012. Data recorded included demographic data, presenting complaints, patient history and management protocols. Results: Data of 117 patients were documented. Most patients were female (76.1%), with a mean age of 53.3 years. Indian patients (50.4%) presented most often, with a quarter of the patients unemployed (26.5%) or pensioners (21.4%). Of the employed patients, 26.5% had not specified the type of occupation and 9.4% were non-manual workers. Musculoskeletal complaints (21.2%) were the most common complaints at the Marburg Haven Clinic, with the primary diagnosis of sacroiliac syndrome (16.2%), followed by general myofascitis (22.4%). Common co-morbidities reported were hypertension, diabetes and asthma. Less than half the patient population had undergone previous surgeries and/or sought previous treatment from other medical practitioners. Sixteen patients were contra-indicated for manipulation. Common treatment protocols used were spinal manipulation, spinal mobilisation and stretching. Conclusion: This is a demographic and descriptive study of a public community outreach centre in South Africa. In relation to international studies, similarities were that the majority of the patients were female, anatomical sites of complaint (lumbar and cervical pain), common usage of radiographs, co-morbidities including cardiovascular and endocrine pathologies and manipulation were used as the treatment of choice. A prospective longitudinal study with more specific criteria for patient tracking and more defined data capture requirements is recommended to more accurately gather all data within similar settings.

Heritage and culture are invaluable assets whereby human beings can define themselves. Through the careful preservation of past and heritage, people have a reference point in which to define their belonging; a lineage that traces their being. However, heritage and the elements that make up a place's identity are often not preserved. The question posed in this dissertation asks what becomes of a space when it's particular heritage and history falls into a state of decay? Why is it necessary to try to preserve the elements that define the very foundations of a place? Furthermore, it is asked what can be done, in terms of an architectural intervention, to rectify this issue. Architecture has a role far beyond the necessity of basic shelter. It defines a framework in which human activity occurs. It encompasses something greater than the functional and its vast impact on the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of its users should not be overlooked; especially when the architecture has a way of harking back to a past memory and time. This dissertation looks into an appropriate response to architectural design that merges the significance of the past, the inherent culture of a collective society, the defining characteristics of place, setting and climatic elements and built form that captures the essence in an architectural celebration. The research culminates in an analysis of a revival and rejuvenation approach to architecture in the local context of KwaZulu-Natal. Conclusions are drawn from the research carried out through conducting interviews, a review of literature and analysis of case studies and precedent studies. The outcome of this dissertation is a set of recommendations, principles and an understanding of the criteria necessary to inform the design of A Proposed New Museum in Port Shepstone. There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage - Ecclesiastes 3:22 / Thesis (M.Arch.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.