The challenge facing principals currently is to revisit their role to improve external examination results in the Republic of South Africa. Almost all schools in the Free State, in particular those in rural areas such as the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District; the Xhariep Education District; part of the Motheo Education District (e.g. Botshabelo and Thaba-Nchu) and most urban areas, such as the Lejweleputswa Education District and the Fezile Dabi Education District, have schools which have had poor examination results for the past 20 years. To answer the challenges currently facing principals in the Free State, this research used a qualitative research framework and methodology to articulate research questions and arrive at constructive and instructive models to reveal and close the gaps between performing and underperforming secondary schools in the province. A particular group of principals was chosen, influenced by the performance and underperformance of their schools in the various education districts in the province. Research findings from unstructured interviews with doctoral candidates, and research on China, Finland and Singapore’s education systems with special reference to instructional leadership were conducted. The doctoral candidates’ ideas were confirmed by practical unstructured interviews with Sekgutlong and Beacon high school principals who visited Singapore with the MEC of the Free State Department of Education. In plenary and parallel encounters with principals of secondary schools in the Free State, it emerged that rote learning is prevalent in the Free State secondary schools. Therefore, was resolved by the majority of the principals that critical postmodern instructional leadership should be recommended as an instructional methodology to usher in critical thinking, innovation, creativity and self-reliance in Free State education. In addition, this will close the gap between performing and underperforming secondary schools. Finally, grounded postmodern instructional leadership as a leadership strategy will assist a contemporary secondary school learner’s generation to cope with the academic requirements of tertiary education. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

The "A" -Reef occurs within the Aandenk Formation of the Central Rand Group, Witwatersrand Supergroup, in the Welkom Goldfield. It comprises the Witpan and Uitsig Reefs which are both oligomictic conglomerates, and are exploited for their gold content by Anglo American Corporation. The main Witpan channel complex is orientated in a NW-SE direction and occurs close to No.3 Shaft of Western Holdings Mine where it is currently being mined. The Witpan Reef varies in thickness from 7-220cm, with lateral facies changes controlling the thickness. Within the reef, gold is associated with degradation surfaces, carbonaceous material, increase in pebble sphericity, and channel edges. Two channel edges have yielded the best gold values on No.3 Shaft although the potential for further payable gold lies in the recognition of sieve conditions. The potential also exists for extensions of the "carbon"-bearing Uitsig channel currently being mined on President Steyn Mine. The palaeo-environment proposed for formation of the Witpan Reef is a braidplain that was partly reworked by a brief transgression. Ore evaluation using geostatistics was considered a valid technique as the dataset is sufficiently well structured. Semi-variograms in the channel and across-channel directions differ markedly. It was found that variograms of gold in cmg/t lacked sufficient structure for modelling, however, log semi-variogram modelling followed by simple log-kriging and back-transformation, proved to be the most successful method. Owing to the morphology and distribution of gold within the reef, a geologically based geostatistical valuation method is proposed. The potential for further exploration of "A" -Reef depends on a substantially higher gold price. In this event, exploration of Uitsig Reef to the southwest of the current mining area is recommended as well as a new exploration strategy for Witpan Reef.

The first Witwatersrand gold deposits in the Orange Free State were discovered under younger cover rocks in the 1930's with the aid of drilling and geophysics. The Welkom gold deposits are found in the sedimentary rock sequences of the Central Rand Group, which represent unconformity bounded genetic packages. The structural configuration of the goldfield is one of a north to south trending synform that is split near it's axis by the De Bron and Homestead faults. The "B" Reef is a highly variable, erratically mineralised reef that lies on an unconformity at the base of the Spes Bona Formation. The "A" Reef Zone consists of several placers 1 including the "Reworked BPM" 1 the Witpan, the Uitsig, the Hanging Wall Grits and the Upper "A" Reef. The Beatrix Reef lies at the base of the Eldorado Formation on an unconformity surface overlying the Virginia Formation in the southern part of the Welkom Goldfield. The origin of gold in the Witwatersrand basin can be classified into the modified placer theory, the syngenetic theory and the epigenetic theory. From the distribution of basin edge unconformities it can be deduced that the Welkom fan depository was tectonically active on the western, southern and eastern margins during sedimentation. Palaeocurrent studies indicate that sediment was transported predominantly from the south and west. It is thought that the "B", "A" and Beatrix Reefs were all deposited in a braided stream environment. A multidisciplinary approach to ore evaluation of Witwatersrand deposits is considered to be the best method, where sedimentology, geostatistics and structural geology are used.

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / Survival of children with HIV/AIDS has increased considerably with the use of effective antiretroviral therapy. However, the benefits of this therapy are limited by the difficulty of adherence to the treatment. This study sought to explore the role of professional nurses on anti-retroviral therapy adherence among children in Lejweleputswa district: Free State, South Africa. An exploratory descriptive qualitative research design was used to identify and describe role of professional nurses toward anti-retroviral therapy adherence among children. Population for this study included seventeen (17) professional nurses working in four purposively sampled Primary Health Care clinics invited to participate in the study. Four focus group discussions were conducted in which each group had 6 participants. The transcribed data was analysed using the framework approach of data analysis. Professional nurses in Lejweleputswa district report poor knowledge of parents/caregivers of children, perceived poverty, stigma and discrimination, inappropriate care approaches, and parental dynamics as factors influencing poor ART adherence. Recommendations for enhancing children ART adherence levels in Lejweleputswa district included: mainstreaming adherence counselling in children ART and adopting a comprehensive family centered care approach were identified as measures for improving children ART adherence. Other measures included integration of ART services into Primary Health Care (PHC) services, parental empowerment, development of a programme to reduce stigma and discrimination in the community.

Includes bibliographical references: leaves 201-224 / South African authorities formalised their goal to pursue a developmental state with the adoption of the National Development Plan (NDP) in 2012. It is clear from the reading of the NDP that the authorities are convinced that the developmental state approach is a cause for development. The declaration to construct a developmental state is interesting at best or bizarre at worst in that developmental states are often identified by assessing their (economic) performance over a period. They hardly sought out to intentionally build developmental states. The South African governance system has implications for a quest to construct a developmental state. Whereas the literature on East Asian countries tends to focus on the role of central governments in economic development, the South African governance places a huge emphasis on cooperative governance between the three spheres of government. To this end, the constitution spells out the specific developmental objectives that must be pursued by municipalities. This essentially means that the system of cooperative governance, and the extent of effectiveness of local government, will either catalyse or impede the realisation of South African developmental state. Developmental states are often distinguished from others by their structures, roles and outcomes. Their structures and roles are developmental and are a cause for soaring outcomes. This logic was employed to analyse the nature of structures and roles in eight (8) selected municipalities over a 15-year period and how these influenced the actual policy performance. Findings that emerged from over 30 interviews with high ranking officials in various institutions and the thorough analysis of a number of documents confirm that structures and roles in municipalities are far from being developmental. The study also found that informal factors have effectively ‘juniorised’ local government as a sphere of government despite the constitution emphasising the equality of all three spheres. In the final analysis, local government is incapacitated to carry out its developmental mandate. It is against this reality of incapacitation of local government that the study argues that the performance of local government, measured against its constitutional objectives, effectively impedes the realisation of a developmental state in South Africa. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

Thesis (D. Tech.(Public Management)) -- Central University of Technology, free State, 2011 / The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, No. 108 of 1996 (SA, 1996) brought about a new system of government comprised of the national, provincial and local government spheres. In terms of the Constitution, these spheres of government must establish effective, transparent and accountable government. Local government is specifically responsible for the provision of democratic and accountable government to local communities, and for ensuring that municipal services are rendered to the community. As in the case of the national and provincial spheres of government, local government has a distinctive political nature and character. Councillors are elected to represent the voters who participate in municipal elections, as well as the relevant political parties, on municipal councils. The decisions of municipal councils are influenced by political considerations, as well as by the policy directives of the ruling party. The Constitution also establishes and describes the various governmental bodies that exercise the powers of the state. These governmental bodies represent the state and can be classified in terms of three primary groups, namely legislative, executive and legal structures. In a bona fide democracy, the doctrine of separation of powers, also known as the trias politica, is of fundamental importance in order to prevent autocracy and ensure civil liberty. The provision of viable municipal services is the most crucial reason for the existence of local government. The community has a legitimate expectation with regard to the provision of appropriate municipal services; and in terms of the Municipal Systems Act, No. 32 of 2000 (SA, 2000c) municipalities must supply basic municipal services in order to ensure an acceptable quality of life. However, inadequate levels of municipal service provision are encountered in South Africa in general, and in the Free State in particular. Such inadequate service provision has led to several violent community-protest actions in the country. These protests are an indication that municipal service provision does not meet the expectations of the communities. Various factors tend to have a negative effect on local government in the Free State, including capacity shortages, such as the lack of professional and experienced staff; financial shortages; and the extensive quantity and complexity of local government legislation. Political challenges that influence local government service provision include factors such as the absence of the political will to provide services, political in-fighting within the ruling party, the selection criteria for the appointment of municipal employees, and political interference in municipal administration. It is also essential that the ruling party should put acceptable mechanisms in place to ensure that the public sector becomes an effective instrument for carrying out the ruling party‟s mandate, rather than allowing political interference to affect the day-to-day activities of government. In order to meet the needs of the community with regard to service provision, it is essential that the three spheres of government should function as a coherent unit. Intergovernmental relations therefore play a central role in ensuring that the joint functions of government are effectively carried out. The national and provincial departments have a specific responsibility to support and strengthen local government capacity, and also to ensure the effective execution of municipal functions. However, various intergovernmental challenges need to be dealt with, namely ineffective co-ordination and integration, as well as the absence of the political will to promote intergovernmental relations. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify specific actions and strategies that can be implemented by the government in order to address the challenges that have a negative influence on local government service provision, with specific reference to the political challenges.

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009

Thesis (D. Tech.(Human Resources Management)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / How to address the apparent failure of South African municipalities to deliver service that meets citizens’ expectations, poses a major challenge. The often violent protests that have resulted in deliberate destruction of private and public property, and sometimes fatalities, have been used by the public to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the poor quality of service received from municipalities. With all these incidents, and no visible solutions yet in place, one can bluntly say that some South African municipalities have failed to deliver quality service to citizens, and they appear to be at a loss of how to change this state of affairs. This study proposes that the poor service delivery of municipalities in South Africa can be attributed to their human resource practices, which have been rendered ineffective by political interference. Borrowing from organisational justice theory, the researcher argues that political interference in human resource management (HRM) in municipalities in South Africa will lead to low employee perceptions of HRM fairness (or justness) (PHF) in the practices of municipalities, and this, in turn, will lead to low levels of employee organisational commitment (EOC) and employee motivation (MOT), conditions which are enough to make municipal employees develop negative or unacceptable employee citizenship behaviour (ECB), which may affect the quality of service delivery (QSD) that municipalities render to customers. This theory was tested using ten (10) emergent hypotheses. The theory was partially validated with empirical data collected from nine municipalities in the Free State province. Key findings of the study point to political interference in the HRM practices of municipalities, employees’ perception of HRM practices of municipalities as largely unfair, and service delivery that does not meet citizens’ expectations. These and other findings are presented and fully discussed in this research report. The report also provides recommendations for practice and further research.

Thesis (D. Tech. Environmental health) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2011 / In addition to one national park and six nature reserves, the Free State Province boasts several privately owned game reserves, as well as game farmers and commercial stock farmers who keep game. A survey conducted in 1985 showed that the majority of game could be found in the Xhariep District situated in the southern and south-western parts of the province. Game export abattoirs and processing facilities are situated in provinces other than the Free State, which results not only in an outflow of game carcasses for export purposes, but also a loss of employment opportunities and opportunities for the generation of foreign currency from a district (Xhariep) which, from a socio-economic perspective, is seen as deprived. There are 21 non-export highthroughput red meat abattoirs in the province, posing the question as to whether these could be used for the slaughtering of game. This study aimed firstly to compile guidelines for the wild game meat industry regarding the production of wild game meat for the international market and to assess wild game production and utilisation in the Xhariep District through a comprehensive survey of game farming practices, game numbers and species, as well as the utilisation of game through various consumptive and non-consumptive methods. A further aim was to investigate practices at existing slaughter facilities in order to determine their potential to be adapted into wild game meat export facilities and assess such potential via a standardised protocol. The research commenced with an investigation into processing and export requirements for wild game meat in South Africa through a literature study of all EU legislation, directives and other relevant literature on the subject, and provides comprehensive reference material for entrepreneurs and developers in the wild game meat industry. Methodologies utilised included audits to determine the extent to which abattoirs conform to the structural, operational and documentation meat hygiene requirements followed by the development of a novel assessment matrix for measuring the level of compliance of existing abattoirs and their potential to be developed into European Union (EU) export facilities. The survey of the Xhariep area concluded that a significant potential exists for the expansion of the game industry, as several respondents indicated that they were interested in expanding their game production and that they had land available for this purpose. A further indication was that the game would be highly marketable because it was free ranging and could be regarded as organic due to the absence or controlled use of additives and pesticides that could result in chemical residues in the meat. The establishment of a wild game export facility was favoured by nearly 70% of the respondents. The hygiene evaluation of existing slaughter facilities in the Free State Province resulted in six slaughtering facilities being rated as good or excellent, demonstrating the potential to successfully process game meat for the export market. This was tested by utilising the proposed evaluation matrix, which rated the abattoirs most suited to be adapted into game meat processing facilities for export purposes. The value of this approach lies in the fact that it is not only restricted to local markets, but can be utilised internationally by the abattoir industry, as well as the fact that it is not species specific. It should, however, be applied objectively by knowledgeable operators in the industry. It is concluded that institutions in the Free State Province possess the knowledge and ability to not only produce wild game meat, but also to successfully process this commodity through the optimal utilisation of existing high-throughput red meat abattoirs. By utilising existing management skills and affecting relatively minimal adjustments to existing structures, these resources should be utilised to successfully enter the wild game meat export market which should, in turn contribute towards the prosperity of the Xhariep District.

Thesis (D. Phil. (Humanities)) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013 / The purpose of this study was to assess the science teaching efficacy of the Physical Science teachers in the secondary schools of the Free State province of the Republic of South Africa. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to gather data for this study. It was aimed at determining the effect of the demographic factors and the teachers’ level of preparedness regarding content knowledge and assessment skills on science teaching efficacy. The sample consisted of 190 Physical Science teachers. Two instruments were used to collect data: (1) A self-constructed questionnaire with the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument for in-service teachers (STEBI-A) modified for this study, and (2) Semi-structured interviews. Teachers’ biographical data and level of preparedness to teach Science were assessed against the two sub-scales of Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy (STOE). Analysis of data was by basic statistics, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using SPSS 20.0. Qualitative data were transcribed and categorised into emerging themes. Analysis of the self-efficacy survey indicated highly positive self-efficacy beliefs expressed by most of the practising secondary school teachers in regards to Science teaching. Teachers believe in their own teaching abilities (Personal Science Teaching Efficacy beliefs) and they believe learners’ learning can be influenced by effective teaching (Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy beliefs). In addition, analyses of data on the respondents’ level of preparedness to teach Science indicated a high level of self-rated Science knowledge, with higher confidence levels in Physics than in Chemistry among in-service secondary teachers. MANOVA analysis indicated that teachers’ gender, teaching experience, professional and academic qualifications, Chemistry and Physics content knowledge, frequency of practical work, and confidence in conducting experiments played a significant role in the collective dependent variables, while the grades teachers taught, their age and learner assessments did not. Analysis further indicated that secondary school teachers with a B.Sc (Ed) degree had significantly stronger STOE than teachers with any other professional qualifications. vi There was a significant difference between males and females in the STOE sub-scale scores (F=6.139; p=0.014) with males scoring higher than females; but no significant difference between males and females in the PSTE sub-scale scores (F=5.925; p=0.667). Moreover, teachers with at most five years and at least 16 years of teaching experience had significantly higher PSTE scores than teachers with different years of teaching experience. Furthermore, analyses of the level of preparedness in conducting practical work indicated that respondents were more confident to conduct Physics experiments than Chemistry experiments. In-service secondary Science teachers believed that assessment is an important and integral aspect of teaching and learning, hence they utilised a variety of assessment modes in their classroom. It is recommended that further study should include a test in content knowledge, so that teachers can be assessed to confirm their confidence in content knowledge, rather than allowing them to rate themselves without an actual test. Moreover, qualitative studies may be conducted to support teachers’ self-report measures, such as classroom observations, in order to gain in-depth data about teachers’ efficacy beliefs. If more research is conducted on the self-efficacy beliefs of in-service Science teachers at secondary school level, the curriculum of teacher training programmes could be developed and structured further, there could be more understanding on what pre-service teachers face - this will help to understand how to motivate teachers to teach Science.