Summaries and keywords in Afrikaans and English / Hierdie histories-argeologiese studie bied ‘n basiese beskrywing van die materiële kultuur van ‘n afgeleë Suider-Afrikaanse plaas wat tussen die 1880’s en die 1930’s bewoon is. Die studie berus op ‘n gedetailleerde ontleding van die opgegraafde vondste wat herwin is van ashope wat met drie wooneenhede op die plaas Welkomskraal, geleë in die distrik Venterstad in die Noordoos-Kaap, verbind word. Die artefakte is aan die hand van die naslaanversameling in die Bloemfonteinse Nasionale Museum en handelsadvertensies geïdentifiseer. Die materiële kultuur dek die volle spektrum van die alledaagse lewe van die plaasbewoners en word aangevul deur genealogiese data, wat aantoon dat die grondeienaars die nasate was van die eerste trekboere wat hulle in die gebied gevestig het. Die bewoningsperiode van Welkomskraal val saam met die tweede industriële revolusie, wat gekenmerk is deur die massaproduksie van goedere en ‘n toenemend globale handelsnetwerk. Die versameling lewer bewys dat boere in die verre binneland toegang tot ‘n wye reeks ingevoerde produkte gehad het, hoewel hulle nie noodwendig welvarend was nie. / This historical archaeological study provides a baseline description of the material culture of a remote southern African farm occupied between the 1880s and the 1930s. The study is based on a detailed analysis of the excavated finds recovered from middens associated with three homesteads, located on the farm Welkomskraal, in the Venterstad district of the north-eastern Cape. Artefacts were identified using the reference collection of the National Museum in Bloemfontein and commercial adverts. The material culture covers the full spectrum of the daily lives of the farm’s occupants and is complemented by genealogical data, which indicate that the landowners were the descendants of the first trekboers who settled in the area. The occupation of Welkomskraal coincided with the second industrial revolution, which was characterised by mass production of goods and an increasingly global trade network. The assemblage attests that farmers in the deep interior had access to a wide range of imported goods although they were not necessarily prosperous. / Anthropology & Archaeology / M.A. (Argeologie)

The inter-scalar interaction of norms is pervasive in African hydropolitics due to the nature of freshwater on the continent – shared, strategic and that which necessitates cooperation. However, with few exceptions, particular norms created at specific levels of scale have been researched in isolation of those existing at other levels. It is argued that this exclusionary approach endangers the harmonised and integrated development of international water law and governance, producing sub-optimal cooperative strategies. The notable contributions of Ken Conca and the Maryland School’s research on the contestation of norms occurring at different levels of scale, and Anthony Turton’s Hydropolitical Complex (HPC), will be examined through a Constructivist theoretical lens, in terms of their applicability to furthering an understanding of multi-level normative frameworks. Through the use of the Orange-Senqu River basin, and the Nile Equatorial Lakes sub-basin (NELSB) as case studies, it is argued that norm convergence is possible, and is occurring in both case studies analysed, although to varying degrees as a result of different causal factors and different biophysical, historical, socio-political and cultural contexts. This is demonstrated through an examination of regional dynamics and domestic political milieus. Notwithstanding their varying degrees of water demand, Orange-Senqu and NELSB riparians present fairly different political identities, each containing existing constellations of norms, which have affected the ways in which they have responded to the influence of external norms, how the norm is translated at the local level and to what extent it is incorporated into state policy. In so doing, the interface between international norms and regional/domestic norms will be explored in an attempt to understand which norms gain acceptance and why. It is therefore advocated that a multi-level interpretation of norm development in Africa’s hydropolitics is essential to an understanding of the interconnectedness of context, interests and identities. Each level of scale, from the international to the subnational, give meaning to how norms are translated and socialised, and how they in turn, transform contexts.

This doctoral thesis deals with the regulation of non-standard employment in Southern Africa: the case of South Africa with reference to several other SADC countries. The growth and presence of non-standard employment since the 1970s has revealed an important concern in a number of countries, both at the global and national levels. The overall significance of non-standard employment has increased in recent decades in both developed and developing states, as its use has grown exponentially across economic sectors and employment. Non-standard employment is the opposite of the standard employment relationship, which is work that is full time and indefinite. Non-standard employment includes an unequal employment relationship between an employee and an employer. Some workers choose to work in non-standard employment, and the choice has positive results. Nonetheless, for the majority of workers, non-standard employment is associated with job insecurity, exploitation, and the absence of trade unions and collective bargaining. Non-standard employment can also create challenges for firms, the labour market and the economy, including society at large. Backing decent work for all entails a comprehensive understanding of non-standard employment and its ramifications. This study explores the regulation and protection of non-standard employment in Southern Africa with focus on South Africa. The study draws on international and regional labour standards, the South African Constitution of 1996, and the national experience to make policy recommendations that will ensure workers are protected, firms are sustainable and labour markets operate well. Social justice and the democratisation of the workplace cannot be achieved if workers in non-standard employment are excluded from the labour relations system. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

There are many factors that have been proposed to contribute to plant invasiveness in nonnative ecosystems. Traits of invading species are one of them. It has been proposed that successful species at a certain invasion stage share particular traits, which could be used to predict the behaviour of potentially invasive plants at the respective stage. Three main stages of invasion are distinguished: introduction, naturalization, and invasion. I conducted a stageand trait-based analysis of available data for the invasion of New Zealand by the flora of southern Africa. Using 3076 southern African native vascular plant species introduced into New Zealand, generalised linear mixed model analysis was conducted to assess association of several species traits with the three invasion stages. The results showed that plant traits were significantly associated with introduction but fewer traits were associated with naturalization or invasion, suggesting that introduction can be predicted better using plant traits. It has been also hypothesized that species may become invasive in non-native ecosystems because they are removed from the regulatory effects of coevolved natural enemies (Enemy Release hypothesis). A detailed field study of the succulent plant Cotyledon orbiculata var. orbiculata L. (Crassulaceae) was conducted in the non-native New Zealand and native Namibian habitats to compare the extent of damage by herbivores and pathogens. C. orbiculata is a southern African species that is currently thriving in New Zealand in areas seemingly beyond the climatic conditions in its native range (occurring in higher rainfall areas in New Zealand than are represented in its native range). As hypothesised, C. orbiculata was less damaged by herbivores in New Zealand but, contrary to expectation, more infected by pathogens. Consequently, the plant was overall not any less damaged by natural enemies in the non-native habitat than in its native habitat, although the fitness impacts of the enemy damage in the native and invaded ranges were not assessed. The results suggest that climatic conditions may counteract enemy release, especially in situations where pathogens are more prevalent in areas of higher rainfall and humidity. To forecast plant invasions, it is concluded that species traits offer some potential, particularly at the early stage of invasion. Predicting which introduced plants will become weeds is more difficult. Enemy release may explain some invasions, but climatic factors may offset the predictability of release from natural enemies.

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This thesis focuses on the challenges posed by the refugees from the Great Lakes Region to the ministry of the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. It intends to inform the Christian world in general and specifically the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Nativity of the current refugee situation and its causes. Furthermore, this study shows that understanding the refugees' livelihood strategies is a prerequisite to improved interventions. Using the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, this study describes some of the positive and negative outcomes from the mechanisms and strategies developed by refugees in order to stabilize and enhance their situation. Looking at the livelihood challenges faced by the Great Lakes Region refugees, this study shows how UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) has been in a weak position to challenge the policies of its funders and host governments even when those policies fail to respond adequately to refugee problems. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Magister Legum - LLM

Genetically modified (GM) crops gained attention in southern Africa as countries are struggling with food insecurity and poverty to achieve sustainable development. The controversy around GM crops have provoked heated debates. GM crops are often perceived as a global risk to human health and the environment. The research question is what are the perceptions of environmental educators regarding the use of GM crops toward sustainable development. In the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development environmental educators will need to be key role players in addressing crucial issues such as GM crops. Their perceptions hold many implications for educational programmes. Environmental educators interviewed perceive GM crops as a serious issue. As mediators in a multidisciplinary setting between science and society, environmental educators can play a functional role. Open processes that require greater participation, criticality and reflexivity need to be facilitated in a complex biophysical and social context in southern Africa. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.(Environmental Education)

The cost of education at institutions of higher education is very high and is exacerbated by the failure rate among first-year students, in particular. Their inability to cope with academic demands is largely due to their lack of preparation as a result of poor schooling in previously disadvantaged secondary schools. In the light of this, this study was undertaken to determine the academic needs of and strategies for remedial academic support to first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. A literature review provided a theoretical foundation and highlighted various factors which impede effective study. An empirical investigation used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the needs of first-year dental therapy students at Medunsa. The results corroborated the issues addressed by the literature as constraints to students' success. Diverse strategies for providing academic remedial support for first-year students were discussed based on the literature review and empirical investigation. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)