Exploring the ramifications of ineffective social work services rendered to the survivors of domestic violence in Duncan Village Township, East London in Eastern Cape

Domestic violence is a global phenomenon that affects various communities regardless of status this may be caused by different reasons including different socioeconomic factors. Women experience and suffer from domestic violence in different ways however this affects not only survivors of domestic violence but also children who witness domestic violence in their households. As much as this issue is known worldwide most survivors of domestic violence still receive ineffective intervention from social workers and that leads to more issues faced by survivors of domestic violence. As such the study aimed to explore the ramifications of ineffective social work services rendered to the survivors of domestic violence in Duncan Village East London in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted the qualitative research method the interpretive paradigm was used to gain an in depth understanding of the experiences of different participants on the same topic and a phenomenological research design was used in the study. Survivors of domestic violence and social workers were the target population of the study which consisted of thirteen participants nine survivors of domestic violence and four social workers that were selected using purposive sampling. The initial number of participants was fifteen which included ten survivors of domestic violence and five social workers however due to the limitations of the study it ended up being the total of fifteen. Data was collected face to face with the aid of a semi structured interview guide. The researcher used interpretive phenomenological analysis to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that most survivors of domestic violence from Duncan Village have limited knowledge about the available Victim Empowerment Programme VEP in their area this makes it hard for them to access help because they do not know where to seek help. Many survivors of domestic violence experience revictimisation because they continue to stay with their perpetrators as they do not have any place to run to. Duncan Village lacks shelters to keep survivors of domestic violence and children. There is a lack of programmes like awareness campaigns to assist the community with all the issues around domestic violence and Gender Based Violence. The study concluded that social work services are ineffective in a way that social workers are unable to provide some basics needs or primary assistance like awareness campaigns to the community members unethical conduct by social workers lack of accountability and unprofessionalism and this affects the survivors of domestic violence. The ineffectiveness may be caused by different factors for example lack of resources and other factors that hinder the performance of social workers. All this results in people losing hope and expectations from social workers and their services the continuation of domestic violence the disturbance in the normal functioning of the survivor behaviour and wellbeing. Based on the conclusion it is recommended that the state should pay attention and invest in intervening on the issue of domestic violence in every community equally no community should be overlooked. Every town should have shelters that keep survivors of domestic violence and children more especially in townships that are known for high crime rates including domestic violence. The Department of Social Development should provide efficient resources and ensure the safety of social workers during community service deliveries. Awareness campaigns and VEP must be made visible to the community members and become programmes that are run regularly. Social workers must be trained and regularly assessed.Thesis (MSoc Sci) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

Communal land use management and socio-spatial planning in Mooiplaas, South Africa

This study explores, for the first time in southern Africa, the possibility of using a pattern language as part of a more adaptive planning process where decisions to change land use are made by municipalities and communities taking into account the extent to which these decisions respond to the ever-changing context. The objective was firstly to identify what socio-spatial planning principles (presented as a patterns) the community use and would like to use to guide communal land use, secondly to evaluate how effective land use management has been in determining land use activities, and thirdly to explore how a pattern language could be used to guide land use change decisions. Using a qualitative research methodology, 67 semi-structured individual and key informant interviews as well as three focus group discussions were conducted in two villages within the Mooiplaas communal land area. The main findings indicate that the current informal procedures for managing land use change by the community’s leadership is increasingly ineffective in guiding land use decisions in ways that prioritise environmental protection and promote economic and social development. However, using visioning and needs analysis techniques, the study demonstrates that a community can develop a pattern language that reflects a comprehensive vision for their area. This pattern language can then be expressed as local spatial development principles in the municipality’s Spatial Development Framework. Additionally, as part of its Land Use Scheme regulations, the municipality can establish natural, intensive agricultural, and settlement overlay zones, overlaid on an underlining extensive agricultural base zone. Anyone wanting to use land for any purpose not provided for in these zones has to submit a land use change application and the authorising structures are required to use the local spatial development principles to help inform them as to whether to approve the application or not. The study advances a new understanding of the pattern language as an expression of a community’s vision for a particular area and demonstrates how a pattern language planning approach could work in a communal land area in South Africa within the context of existing spatial planning legislation.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

A hybrid optimisation model for water quality prediction using Naive Bayes and SMO algorithms:: The bagging technique

This study comprehensively evaluates machine learning classifiers to predict water quality using time-series data. The objective is to identify the most effective classifiers, assess the influence of reconfigurations on their performance, and construct a hybrid model using the superior classifiers. Additionally, the study seeks to ascertain the most suitable ensemble technique. The methodology incorporates the knowledge discovery in databases KDD process and scrutinises 56 classifiers available in WEKA. The investigation reveals support vector machine optimisation SMO and Naive Bayes as the leading classifiers, with 74.37 percent and 70.01 percent prediction accuracies, respectively. Performance enhancements were observed following reconfigurations, with the refined SMO model achieving an accuracy of 79.9827 percent on a novel unseen dataset and the adjusted Naive Bayes model reaching 78.3784 percent. The hybrid model, which amalgamates Naive Bayes and SMO, exhibited improved accuracy without compromising efficiency. Bagging was identified as the most influential ensemble technique, delivering the highest accuracy and overall model efficacy. Bagging achieves a prediction accuracy of 86.4865 percent, surpassing the best-performing base model. It also demonstrates a Kappa statistic of 0.7628, indicating substantial agreement with the ground truth, along with an impressive F-measure of 0.859 and other notable metrics, highlighting its robust performance across various evaluation criteria. This study contributes to developing water quality prediction models, providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners, and enabling more informed decision-making in environmental management, public health, and resource allocation. The research advances algorithm design, optimises techniques, and pioneers novel hybrid models while offering a robust evaluation framework to compare the performance of various classifiers and ensemble techniques.Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 202

The paradox of professional social work service delivery in a resource deprived environment: a critical assessment of the factors that promote or impede the implementation of the Batho Pele principles in Buffalo City Municipality

Like all civil servants, social work professionals are mandated by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa to provide a high quality service standard to the citizens following the guidelines of the Batho Pele principles. Further, social work professionals are required to adhere to the ethical standards and guidelines stemming from community values. This study explores service delivery issues in a resource deprived environment using Moyo’s (2020) conceptual framework of power analysis, arguing for an understanding of the socio-political processes and social-political infrastructure of societies to advance the quality of life. Moyo (2020) asserts that social workers must understand the context of power in societies, as power is sustained through beliefs, values and attitudes that operate at a personal level, interpersonal, institutional and cultural levels and how social workers use power as agency for change. Using this conceptual method of seeing the use of power at an intrapersonal, interpersonally, institutional and cultural level, this study seeks to understand the roles and experiences of social work professional’s efforts in service delivery by critically assessing the factors that promote or impede the implementation of the Batho Pele principles in Buffalo City using a social work lens. The study highlights the importance of social work a profession in the context of service delivery discourse. Whilst service delivery has always centred on the issue of water and other social amenities, the main question for this study is: how do social workers deal with service delivery issues especially in a resource deprived environment? More so, the study highlights the paradox of social work service delivery at micro-, mezzo and macro levels by drawing the reader to the different approaches in social work. Furthermore, the study’s literature critically shows that the adoption of the Batho Pele by the government of South Africa was to herald a new era in the service delivery especially given the historical nature of inequities in service delivery during apartheid. However, given the lopsided resource environment, the paradoxes emerge in service delivery where on one hand social workers try to balance the address of needs of the clients and citizens as outlined in the Batho Pele principles, while also, trying to adhere to resource shortages and the requirements of their agencies. Such a paradox does not only highlight the demanding nature of the profession of social work as the literature shows but also shows the nature of environment that social workers have to contend with to advance services and improve quality of life. Social work is highly affected by the political, economic and social conditions prevailing in a country and some problems require a political and economic approach. The empowerment,resilience and social development theories were used in the study and were extended to the discussion and interpretation of findings. The study used the empowerment theory at intrapersonal level of social work, resilience theory at interpersonal level, and social development approach at institutional level and at cultural level used analysis of power. The study utilised a qualitative methodology through the adoption of the interpretive paradigm. Interviews were conducted using an interview guide. Fifteen social workers participated in the study and were selected using the purposive sampling procedure. Data analysis was done using content thematic analysis. The study’s findings indicate that few of the interviewed participants are aware of the existence of Batho Pele and out of fifteen, nine participants also indicated that they did not understand all of the principles. More so, because of lack of resources to support Batho Pele, participants reported a discharge of their duties, which reflects poorly on the BathoPele. In other words the shortage of resources reflects negatively on participants and it would appear as if they do not adhere to the principles of Batho Pele. Moreover, the study findings also show that there is political interference in service delivery and this disturbs the flow of work by social workers. The study recommends that there should be a reorientation of the public service, including social workers in South Africa so that it reflects the needs of the people. Further, a relook at the fiscal policy so that the public service can be retooled since it lacks resources which in end affects the majority of the people. There is also need to revisit the social policy and capacitate the department of social development so that it carries out its activities.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

The effectiveness of the national disability policy in promoting The rights of students with disabilities in selected institutions of higher learning in Raymond Mhlaba, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The South African government has implemented several legislations to promote the full inclusion and participation of students with disabilities in higher education institutions. However despite these efforts students with disabilities still face obstacles. Therefore this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the National Disability Policy in promoting the rights of students with disabilities in selected institutions of higher learning in Raymond Mhlaba Eastern Cape South Africa. The study utilised a qualitative approach and employed an instrumental case study design. Fifteen students with disabilities and five staff members who work with students with disabilities were interviewed using a semi structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings of the study revealed some participants acknowledged that the policy is effective whereas some expressed doubts and highlighted challenges still confronting disabled students. The study recommends that the government review the policy and institutions ought to provide training for their staff on policy implementation.Thesis (MSoc Sci) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

Rationalisation of magisterial districts to transform the judiciary and widen access to justice under the RSA constitution of 1996

The study examines how pre-1994 magisterial districts jurisdictions denied access to justice to many South Africans, and ongoing efforts to reverse this injustice. Delayed rationalisation of the judiciary and reform of the courts territorial jurisdiction during the apartheid era exacerbated the problem. The courts administered justice along spatial racial divide, and given the location of the courts, many black communities had to commute long distances to access justice and at a great cost and inconvenience. The Constitution of South Africa of 1996 provides not only for the right to equality before the law and equal protection and benefit of the law but also the right to access the courts and seek recourse. In a period spanning eight years from December 2014, new magisterial districts were proclaimed in all the nine provinces of South Africa. Despite this milestone and the imperative of the 1996 Constitution, the rationalisation process is still in its infancy: old legislation and judicial structures remain intact; divisions of the High Court continue to exercise jurisdictions determined for the pre-1994 constitutional dispensation. The status quo continues to perpetuate the denial of access to justice to communities especially those living in areas that hitherto formed part of the former homelands and self-governing ‘states’. The study was conducted through a desktop survey of primary and secondary material relevant to the rationalisation process. It drew lessons from the re-demarcation of municipal boundaries which, like magisterial districts, were based on racial laws and policies of the past. It also contrasted rationalisation principles in comparable jurisdictions. The findings provide a useful contribution to the ongoing effort to effect rationalisation of the court system. They also contribute to knowledge and enriches our understanding of the relationship that underpins the administration of justice in a dispensation driven by democratic, human rights and constitutional ethos.Thesis (PhD (LLD)) -- Faculty of Law, 202

Lived experiences of Gay traditional healers in the Amathole District Municipality

The primary goal of this study was to explore the lived experiences of gay traditional healers in the Amathole District Municipality. The study focused on traditional healers who are diviners and work as cause investigators (amagqirha emvumisa).The study used qualitative research methodology and employed Interpretative phenomenological analysis research design to examine the lived experiences of gay traditional diviners.This study was based on Cass’ identity formation theory as its overarching theoretical framework and specifically on sexual identity formation with a focus on LGBTQI plus. The sample consisted of five participants recruited through the snowball sampling technique. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. The researcher was acquainted with three of the participants and each of them brought an interview-ready subject with them. All participants were gay traditional diviners with credentials and practice in their own settings. The analysis of the research study revealed that gay traditional healers experienced multifaceted aspects. These aspects includes those coming from social factors like family background. The findings indicated that factors such as parental neglect and lack of financial support for the training needs of gay traditional healers had a negative impact. However it became clear from the findings that negative attitudes starting from participants’s upbringing, training and practice caused confusion, sadness but ultimately self acceptance. Furthermore, the research study revealed a need for awareness campaigns on traditional healing, as well as on the choice of sexual orientation. Lack of knowledge of policies and laws concerning homosexuality and traditional healing revealed the amount of work that remains to be done in our society. The researcher recommends that for future studies, more research on legislation with regards to traditional healers and gay people be undertaken. Also the researcher recommends involvement traditional medical practitioner policy decision makers.Thesis (MPsych) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

Emotional intelligence as a moderator of the relationship between work overload and organisational commitment among nurses at a public hospital in the Eastern Cape

In turn to better understand the relationship between work overload WO along with organisational commitment OC amongst nurses working in a government hospital in Queenstown Eastern Cape South Africa this study absorbed on the mediating role of emotional intelligence EI. Many employees generally report work overload regardless of whether it is a private or public organisation context. The stressful working conditions caused by work overload can lead to many negative organisational concerning absenteeism mental and physical health emotional burnout as well as employees not being committed to the organisation. Therefore it is paramount for any organisation but more specifically the South African public health sector to know how to assist their employees in managing work overload high stress levels and employee turnover that they experience. The study utilised a quantitative methodology and data were gathered via a standardized self administered questionnaire. With the help of SPSS version 27 and AMOS descriptive statistics were employed to evaluate the data and correlational analysis including the basic linear regression analysis as well as the multi linear regression models. The findings showed a substantial inverse association between organisational commitment and task overload. EI and OC were discovered to be strongly correlated. Additionally this paper uncovered a detrimental correlation among EI and WO. The parameter approximations of the data demonstrate that the interface term does not significantly affect the model 3 equals 0.038 t equals 0.401 p equals 0.690 95 percent CI 0.149 0.224 demonstrating that emotional intelligence does not modify the connection between work overload and organisational commitment. The study flaws were emphasised and recommendations for more research were offered. There were also recommendations made about the management implications. The administration of the hospital under the investigation may also use the study recommendations to reduce organisational commitment and control work overload.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 202

Development of an innovative strategy to address child sexual abuse investigation delays in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

vital:80215The research concentrated on establishing an approach to examine child sexual abuse cases in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aim of the study was to identify the causes of delays in the investigation processes of child sexual abuse cases. The study further analysed the disputes among the child sexual abuse (CSA) actors , primarily concentrating on the duties and functions each fulfilled throughout the investigation of child sexual abuse cases. Additionally, the ecosystem theory was employed as a theoretical framework to dissect the major core issues within the study. A qualitative research methodology employing a case study design was implemented within an Intervention Research paradigm. The study utilised a purposive sampling strategy to recruit individuals with specific competence and knowledge of child sexual abuse investigations, providing a diverse cohort comprising law enforcement personnel, social workers, legal experts, and healthcare specialists. A total of 68 people were interviewed, comprising 30 from the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit, 14 from governmental stakeholder groups, 4 from non-governmental organisations, 3 from private social workers and psychologists, and 17 participants in focus group discussions. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, followed by thematic analysis. The study found that several participants expressed apprehensions over the lack of social workers to aid the forensic assessment of the victims. In contrast, others highlighted issues related to DNA collection and the absence of crime kits for procuring buccal samples (cheek swabs). The researcher discovered that the NPA and SAPS possess investigative aids; , there is a deficiency in these aids, which are also inadequately maintained. In such instances, it obstructs the investigative process. Many interviewees identified the scarcity of human and physical resources as a challenge, citing insufficient personnel and vehicles for investigating child sexual abuse cases. The extended duration required to get DNA forensic results is a significant obstacle despite the substantial dependence of prosecutors and courts on such evidence, especially in cases involving juvenile victims. Interviews with participants revealed inadequate directives, policies, or protocols to guide the stakeholders. They further underscored the deficiency of collaboration and comprehension among stakeholders, which complicates the provision of services such as counselling and placement for sexually assaulted children. It is possible to draw the conclusion that there are difficulties in addressing the issue of child sexual abuse due to a confluence of factors, one of which is a deficiency of resources to address the issue. In addition, it is suggested that there should be a collective coordination among the various actors that can be found within the value chain in order to ensure the proper implementation of the procedure that is required to speed up investigations. The proposal of a joint child sexual abuse investigation model to be developed from the study. Thus, the research recommends that a pilot study be conducted to implement the proposed model.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

A longitudinal study on the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 genome in wastewaters from typical urban and peri - urban communities in the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The global health system and economy has been convulsed by the origin of Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 infections which causes Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infections has become a recent global health concern, with drastic increase of illnesses and mortality cases. COVID- 19 originated in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in the People’s Republic of China, nonetheless, the diseases had spread to over 229 countries to date. COVID-19 clinical spectrum varies from mild fulminant pneumonia with acute respiratory distress to asymptomatic or mild respiratory infection or multi-organ failure resulting in death. Over 691 million cases with approximately 6.9 million fatalities have been recorded due to COVID-19 globally. The main route of transmission of this disease is reported to be respiratory droplets from an infected individual. However, previous studies demonstrate the presence of the virus in faces and urine as SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments have been detected in wastewater and river waters around the world. The focal aim of this study was to profile and compare the incidence of SARS-COV-2 genomes in wastewater samples obtained from wastewater treatment facilities located in typical urban and peri-urban communities within the Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Raw wastewater (influent) samples were collected by the grab sampling technique on a weekly basis for a period of 12 months sampling regime. Ribonucleic Acids were extracted from the collected wastewater WW samples, using the commercial QIAGEN Powersoil Total RNA Extraction kit, following the manufacturer’s guideline. The extracted RNA samples were further profiled for the presence and quantity of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the collected wastewate samples by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction qRT-PCR technique. The findings of this study revealed the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 genomes from the raw wastewater samples across the urban and peri-urban study sites with the concentrations that ranged from 0.22 × 103 to 17.60 × 103 genome copies per millilitre GC/mL. Furthermore, various environmental matrices were utilized in the present study to estimate the potential health risk to plant operators associated with the exposure toSARS-CoV-2 viral particles using the quantitative microbiological risk assessment QMRA model. Different exposure scenarios were employed for the QMRA model and the findings indicate a probability of infection ranging from 0.93 percent to 37.81 percent across the study sites. Overall, the findings obtained in the current study highlight the bothersome concerns that reveal sewage systems as a transmission pathway for the dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the environment. Therefore, this study accentuates the need for continued surveillance and constant environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 other microbial pathogens through the wastewater based epidemiological model to timeously detect and recognize possible infections at a community level.Thesis (MSci) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 202