The impact of oil price fluctuations on the South African exchange rate.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates the nature of the relationship and the effects of changes in oil prices on South Africa's exchange rate. It fills an essential gap in comprehending how oil price shocks influence emerging market economic dynamics. South Africa is heavily dependent on imported oil, with 90% of the country’s oil and petroleum needs coming from imported sources, and the exchange rate is overly sensitive to fluctuations in oil prices. Through the use of a Bayesian Vector Auto Regressive (BVAR) model, this study examines the connections in the period from 2000-2022 between oil prices, the South African Rand (ZAR), and key macroeconomic indicators, like the Consumer Price Index (CPI), interest rates, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The study finds that the initial oil price shock to exchange rates is weakly positive in the short run, reflecting a 1% increase in oil prices, leading to a 0.08% exchange rate appreciation. This response is, however, very short-lived, as after the initial shock, results reflect a negative relationship in the long run. The study also finds an asymmetrical relationship between oil prices and exchange rates. These effects become more pronounced when global uncertainty is at its peak. This study aligns with studies such as those by Korley and Giouvris (2022), which highlight how shifts in oil prices affect exchange rates through trade balance and inflation pressures. By incorporating the concept of asymmetry into the study, this research yields information on how vulnerable the Rand is to sudden increases in oil prices, providing essential data for policymakers. The findings have implications for shaping policies in South Africa. Exchange rate stability strategies could involve diversifying energy sources and introducing risk hedging methods while striving for stability through flexible monetary and fiscal policies. This research also adds to the ongoing conversation about the susceptibility of emerging market currencies to external pressures, serving as a reference point for examining comparable economies. This research enriches the existing body of knowledge by addressing methodological gaps and providing a contemporary analysis of South Africa's exchange rate dynamics in a post-crisis global economy

Investigating South Africa’s exposure to potential currency crises.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This study investigates South Africa's potential exposure to currency crises, aiming to identify effective economic indicators for anticipating such crises. Using annual data from 1994 to 2020, a probit model analysis and the Market Turbulence Index (MTI) are employed to facilitate this investigation. The results suggest that none of the 10 variables identified in empirical literature have predictive power in the South African context. The insignificant findings can be attributed to data frequency restrictions, as annual data was used instead of daily, weekly, or monthly data due to limited public access to monthly statistics. The study concludes that the modelling approach employed may not be helpful for policymakers and central banks in predicting currency crises in South Africa. However, the use of higher frequency data and additional variables, such as political instability, may improve the significance and predictability of currency crises. Despite the insignificant results, the study highlights the potential adoption of the MTI in identifying crisis thresholds. With higher frequency data and more influential variables, this study can contribute significantly to the literature, particularly in a country like South Africa with a volatile economic climate

A review of customer satisfaction levels with the physical motor vehicle license renewal system in KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Motor vehicle licence renewal has been a practice that is performed by motor vehicle owners for many years. It is a compulsory process whereby all automobile owners must register their automobile with an appropriate government agency to be able to drive on the public roads. This process entails the automobile owner paying a set amount determined by the capacity of the engine, the type, and the use of vehicle. This license must be renewed annually. This service is owned and managed by the Department of Transport who expanded accessibility to the service by appointing the South African Post Office (SA Post Office) and local municipalities as licensing agents. Considering the number of vehicles that must be renewed annually, this poses challenges due to the overcrowding experienced within the physical spaces of the licensing authorities. Non-receipt of renewal notifications and time spent waiting in queues impacts customer satisfaction with regards to in- person licence renewal system. With the introduction of an online motor vehicle license renewal system in 2022, the licensing authorities were still experiencing longer queues which resulted in overcrowding at the physical outlets. There is a disconnect between the marketing communications promoting the existence of online motor vehicle licence renewals and customer awareness for the online license-service adoption. The limited internet coverage in rural areas to support the access of e- services, impacts service accessibility. Also, the digital divide attributed to lack of basic digital literacy, insufficient information communication technology (ICT) skills and devices especially in communities from remote areas, which further hindered the access to e- services (Aruleba and Jere, 2022). The unavailability of onsite and offsite portals which would potentially serve as customer alternatives, to access the service, especially in remote areas, would contribute to the online service adoption process. This study aimed at reviewing the customer satisfaction level with regards to the in-person license renewal system in KwaZulu -Natal. The study further explored customer awareness and customer readiness for the adoption of an online licence renewal system, where the service is accessed through the internet. This study used a quantitative research technique and utilised the SA Post Office as a location of choice for a case study. The case study approach was used to scrutinise relationships among variables as per the stated research questions. The study population consisted of 5 000 motor vehicle owners that renewed their motor licence at various Post Office branches in KwaZulu-Natal. The study employed a stratified probability sampling method due to the study’s quantitative nature. Six post offices in various locations in KwaZulu- Natal were selected as research sites. A disproportionate stratified sampling method was used to show the representativeness of each region. The sample size as per the sampling table (Sekaran, 2000) was 357 for a population of 5 000. The actual study respondents were 282. The study results showed that participants were generally satisfied with the in-person licence renewal system. The study results further revealed that participants were inclined towards the adoption of an online motor vehicle licence renewal system. This was affirmed by the confirmation to have access to the facilities and the relevant equipment to perform online licence renewal. Additionally, members of their social circles were already renewing their motor vehicle licenses online. This study recommended continuous improvements in the operations process, and for increased attention to customer satisfaction and communication with regards to the motor vehicle licence renewal system. Moreover, it was recommended that the Department of Transport and its agents conduct aggressive marketing campaigns to bring awareness of the existence of the online licencing system, to ease congestion in physical outlets and increase motor vehicle licence renewal alternatives for customers

Challenges impacting supply chain management performance at the South African Social Security Agency in KwaZulu Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, PMB.Government departments are experiencing several supply chain management challenges that negatively impact on their performance. It is within this context that the aim of this study was to identify the supply chain management challenges that negatively impact on the performance of the South African Social Security Agency in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN SASSA) and suggest how these challenges could be addressed. No research study was found that identifies supply chain challenges that impact on SASSA’s performance in KZN and in other provinces, and thus this research aims to address this gap. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, with qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants at KZN SASSA. The participants were purposely selected because they were able to provide appropriate answers to the research questions. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the research study reveal that supply chain challenges that impact negatively on KZN SASSA’s performance centre on procurement, legislation, supply chain training and completing procurement processes within the stipulated time. These challenges impact negatively on their performance – which affects service delivery. This study mainly recommends that Government departments could meet with National Treasury to revisit the stringent and excessive quantity of legislation in place, that the procurement process be revisited to address the delays of the procurement processes, that training be provided as and where there are any changes and newly introduced regulations, to avoid non-compliance to set laws that result in unauthorised wasteful and irregular expenditure

Investigating the impact of home gardens on household welfare and multidimensional poverty: The case of Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, PietermaritzburgSouth Africa, despite achieving food security at the national level, faces significant householdlevel food insecurity and poverty challenges, particularly in rural areas. This stark contrast is notably visible in provinces like Limpopo, where food insecurity persists despite the country's overall food surplus. Home gardens present a potential solution to alleviate poverty and address food and nutrition insecurity in these regions. This study investigated the role of home gardens in enhancing household welfare and reducing multidimensional poverty in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The specific objectives were: (i) to identify factors influencing rural household participation in home gardening, (ii) to assess home gardens' contribution to food security, (iii) to evaluate home gardens' role in improving household nutrition security, and (iv) to examine home gardens' impact on multidimensional poverty in rural households. The study employed a stratified random sampling technique to select 2,043 participants from Limpopo Province. Data analysis utilized various econometric models and indices, including the probit model, endogenous switching Poisson regression model, multidimensional poverty index, and endogenous switching probit model. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measured food security, while the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) served as a proxy for nutrition security. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) assessed poverty levels in rural households. Results revealed that 46% of households were food secure, while 24% experienced severe food insecurity, 17% moderate food insecurity, and 13% mild food insecurity. Several factors positively influenced food security, including household size, land access, agricultural assistance, participants' market proximity, and non-participants' employment status. Conversely, negative impacts were associated with household head age, social relief dependency, and certain socio-economic conditions for both participants and non-participants. Home garden participation significantly reduced multidimensional poverty, with older household heads and larger households experiencing lower poverty levels. Major deprivations included education, with 78% of households lacking members who completed at least six years of schooling, high undernourishment rates (89%), and child mortality (77%). Home gardens proved crucial in addressing these challenges by providing fresh produce and enhancing nutrition awareness. The study concludes that home gardens significantly contribute to food and nutrition security and poverty reduction, though socio-economic barriers persist. To maximize home gardening benefits, recommendations include strengthening agricultural education, improving land accessibility, and enhancing support programs. Policymakers should prioritize initiatives that promote home gardening, transform land into income-generating assets, and encourage youth participation in education and agricultural activities. These interventions could effectively address poverty and improve household welfare, targeting critical food and nutrition security challenges in rural South Africa

A model for a state-owned shipping company in South Africa: lessons from other BRICS countries.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.A variety of South African goods are exported around the world on foreign vessels. A cursory analysis indicates, inter alia, R 12,8 trillion in global export value was transported between 2012 and 2022 on foreign vessels. This is because South Africa doesn’t run a merchant fleet or has a state-owned shipping company(Franck, 2016). However, the government has published a Bill signalling its intention to establish a state-owned shipping company. Neither the South African Shipping Company Bill, nor government’s maritime policies explain their proposed model for a state-owned shipping company. The study was conducted through a qualitative research methodology and premised on documents collected through the internet and company websites. This study therefore proposes a model suitable for a South African state-owned shipping company; drawing from the members of BRICS, (Brazil, India, China and South Africa). South Africa is the only member of BRICS, without a state-owned shipping company. The study found state-owned shipping companies in BRICS countries were established in the 1940s during the Second World War. At that time South Africa had a state-owned shipping company, Safmarine, which however, was sold privately half a century later. The study found BRICS countries do not have a homogenous model that can be followed by South Africa to establish a similar institution. Each country’s model is unique to their country. Therefore, this study concludes there is no specific model from other BRICS countries that can be followed by South Africa. However, there are lessons which can be drawn from state-owned shipping companies in BRICS. There are further lessons to draw from South Africa itself, on how it established and operated Safmarine for 50 years. These lessons relate to the establishment, operational management, ownership, funding and capitalization models, as well as growth strategies. The study concludes how South Africa can develop its own model of a state-owned shipping company drawing lessons from other BRICS countries

Psychological strengths of spirituality and transcendence and wellbeing of managers in the automotive sector.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of managers, drawing on the constructs of the PERMA model of wellbeing and on their respective challenges, as well as to examine the role and utilisation of the psychological strengths (PS) of transcendence, so as to overcome managerial challenges within the South African automotive manufacturing industry. This study employed a qualitative approach in its method of data collection and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis for interpretation and analyses. The data was hence analysed via an idiographic, inductive and interrogative approach. The Broaden-and-Build theoretical framework was implemented, as a broadened behavioural repertoire, over time, is said to also build skills and resources that enhance survival. Psychofortology provides a perspective of positive psychology from which this research was conducted. The study participants comprised twelve managers within the subsidiaries of the chosen company in the automotive sector, nationwide, who voluntarily participated in the research. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data and gain insight into the managers’ experiences of wellbeing, the challenges they experienced, the positive and negative factors that were taken into account, and their use of psychological strengths to negate these challenges. The intention of the study was to propose a set of guidelines that could be used to develop a holistic wellbeing intervention for managers by investigating and building on the PS of transcendence that promote wellbeing and that facilitate the capacity of an individual to “flourish.”The findings suggest that the PS of transcendence were utilised by managers in their experience of wellbeing; however, these were not adequately utilised to cope with challenges. This was due to managers not having a good knowledge and experience of the strengths. It was established that the implementation of existing positive psychological interventions (PPIs) is not adequate. The PPIs are not standardised and customised for each of the subsidiaries, and further development is required to suit the unique requirements of each subsidiary in order to address the specific challenges experienced as noted in the findings. The following recommendations for the study were made, and discussed in three parts. The first part discusses the more commonly used PPIs in the workplace, the mainstream or traditional approach. These PPIs are currently found to be implemented within the organisations to greater and lesser extents; however, they are not uniform, customised nor standardised across all 242 subsidiaries. A more user-friendly approach to the traditional approach was recommended for how existing PPIs may be further developed, utilising PS for transcendence and incorporating a more personalised approach. The second part comprises practical activities or mindfulness exercises that can be practised by managers either within or outside of the workplace to further develop their PS of transcendence. The third part discusses a less common approach which is only practised by some and generally practised outside of the workplace. This alternative approach provides a means to connect with and develop the inner working of the body or the internal state of being. Comparative, quantitative, empirical studies with larger samples are suggested to support the findings and to further explore this interesting phenomenon

Adsorption of pharmaceuticals by nano-molecularly imprinted polymers (nano-MIPs) from wastewater: kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics studies.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.It has been reported that pharmaceuticals are not entirely removed or broken down during the wastewater treatment process, allowing them to escape into effluent water. This stems from the pharmaceuticals widespread use and the inefficient wastewater treatment methods. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop more effective methods for removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater systems. Adsorption-based pharmaceutical removal is one of the most promising approaches because it is easily incorporated into current water treatment systems. The first part of this work reports on literature studies for recent advancements in the adsorption process involving the incorporation of an artificial molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), that is an effective molecular receptor that can selectively recognize and remove pollutants. In magnetic solid-phase extraction, dispersive solid-phase microextraction, and solid-phase extraction, MIPs can be used as a selective adsorbent for analyte cleanup and preconcentration. Moreover, MIPs can be produced by combining nanoparticles to develop composite nanomaterials (nanoMIPs). In comparison to conventional bulk adsorbents, the enhanced selective adsorption capacity and kinetics are attributed to the large surface area per unit volume and specific functionality of nanomaterials. Nonetheless, some significant barriers to the application of nanomaterials are their dispersive qualities, difficulty in cycling, and secondary pollution from the loss of adsorbent during treatment. Another way to use nanoparticles for detectability enhancement is to modify the molecularly imprinted polymers chemical or physical characteristics. The nanoparticles' embedding in the MIP enhances the material's surface area or gives the adsorbent new features. This study describes a method for creating reusable, economical, and effective polymer-based silver nanoparticles-adsorbents. Notably, silver nanoparticles have a wide range of applications due to their unique properties which include their large surface area, shape and size. Plant-mediated synthesis plays a significant role in their synthesis. Remarkably, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from plant extracts is inexpensive, easily scalable, and harmless for the environment. Plant extracts can be used to produce nanoparticles with controlled sizes and shapes. The molecular imprinting technique was used to create species-specific functionalities like carboxylic acid (-COOH) on a polymer surface. MIPs offer several advantages, including large surface area, targeted functionalities for high reactivity, and the ability to minimise nanoparticles from leaking into the surrounding environment when MIP-based adsorbents are being handled. To further comprehend the behaviour of adsorbents and the adsorption process, kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherm models were explored. The second part of the work involved synthesizing the MIPs for efficient and selective removal of pharmaceuticals from specific groups. All target compounds were employed as multiple templates in a bulk polymerization process carried out at 70 °C to synthesize MIPs. Additional reagents utilized in the synthesis included toluene as a porogenic solvent, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker, 1,1'-azobis-(cyclohexane carbonitrile) as an initiator and 2- vinyl pyridine as functional monomer, respectively. The synthesis of a non-imprinted polymer (NIP) was conducted without templates, using reaction conditions similar to those of MIP. Furthermore, following the synthesis, the polymers were characterized using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was successfully used to develop an analytical method for detection and quantification of the target pharmaceuticals. The method yielded quantification limits of 0.42 to 0.75 mg L-1 and detection limits of 0.14 to 0.25 mg L-1 for the target pharmaceuticals. The synthesized polymer attained maximum matrix-matched adsorption capacities of 3.89, 4.97 and 3.40 mg g-1 for sulfamethoxazole, nevirapine and ibuprofen, respectively within 10 minutes. Competitive adsorption of the target pharmaceuticals demonstrated a link between adsorption and the pharmaceuticals pKa, log Kow, and molecular size. Studies on batch adsorption and kinetics revealed that the binding of pharmaceuticals to the MIP particles suited the pseudo-second order kinetics, leading to various interactions through chemisorption. The data also fitted well in Langmuir isotherm which meant that the target pharmaceuticals adsorption occurred on the homogeneous binding sites of the MIP. Furthermore, the thermodynamic data demonstrated the adsorption process's endothermic and spontaneous nature. Notably, the synthesized MIP was highly selective and its application in environmental studies led to the development of a less expensive analytical method. Moreover, the MIP particles that had been generated were recovered to be reusable up to five cycles with removal efficiency >90%. The third part involved incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into MIPs using ibuprofen, nevirapine, and sulfamethoxazole as templates. In this part, starch (St) and macadamia nutshells (MCD) were employed in the synthesis of AgNPs as reducing and stabilizing agents. Following that, each of these AgNPs was incorporated with MIP, and the most effective combination was identified through comparison. The synthesized adsorbents were further optimized for the adsorptive removal of selected target pharmaceuticals. The % removal efficiencies were greater than 70%, indicating that the adsorbents are suitable for use in water treatment processes. The material's adsorption mechanisms and performance were examined through the application of various kinetics and isotherm models. Both the St and MCD-AgNPs experimental data fit to Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. However, based on the somewhat higher correlation coefficients, the Langmuir isotherm model provided a better fit. The St/MCD nanoMIPs best suited the Freundlich model, indicating that the adsorption occurred on the multilayer heterogeneous surface. Further, both the St/MCD nanoMIP adsorbents underwent spontaneous, endothermic adsorption, as demonstrated by the thermodynamic data, whereas the behaviour of the kinetics was effectively anticipated by pseudo-second order model, which suggested adsorption through chemisorption. Accordingly, large internal surface area, greater loading capacity, thermal stability, and reusability were among the advantageous properties of the nanoMIPs adsorbent materials. Moreover, both adsorbents showed improved qualities and were highly selective and effective in removing the selected pharmaceuticals in wastewater. As a result, during the course of five adsorption/desorption cycles, the St/MCD nanoMIPs show a removal efficiency of more than 90%. As a result, they demonstrated proficiency in efficient application. The fourth part involved the incorporation of MIP with Platanus acerifolia and Moringa oleifera silver nanoparticles. Using plants to synthesize AgNPs is a more cost-effective and lowmaintenance method; in contrast, using other organisms requires a particular medium and a specific amount of time. Therefore, the leaves of both the platanus acerifolia (PL) and moringa oleifera (MO) served as stabilizing and reducing agents during the synthesis of AgNPs. Each optimized parameter that could influence the adsorption potential, such as temperature, adsorbate concentration, pH, adsorbent dose, and contact time, was examined in relation to the removal effectiveness of the MO/PL nanoMIP adsorbents. These evaluated parameters were optimum at pH 7, concentration of 0.2 mg/L and contact time of 10 minutes for both MO and PL-nanoMIPs, mass dosage of 30 mg and 20 mg, and temperature of 40 and 30 °C for MO and PL-nanoMIP, respectively. Further, the maximum removal efficiencies obtained at these optimum conditions were >97% for both MO-nanoMIP and PL-nanoMIP. The adsorption experimental data for both MO/PL-AgNPs and MO/PL-nanoMIPs nano-adsorbents fitted with the linear Langmuir model which suggests that the binding took place on the homogenous monolayer surface. Additionally, compared to MO/PL-AgNPs, the MO/PL-nanoMIPs adsorption capacities for the target pharmaceuticals were higher, suggesting that the nanoMIPs larger surface areas contribute to their enhanced adsorption capacity. The linear pseudo-second order kinetic model best fitted on MO/PL-nanoMIPs which implied adsorption through chemisorption, whereas the thermodynamic data demonstrated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, the values of ΔH° for the MO/AgNPs were less than 40 kJ/mol and more than 40 kJ/mol for the MO/PL-nanoMIPs. This therefore confirmed that the MO/AgNPs was dominated by physical adsorption whereas the MP/PL-nanoMIPs was dominated by chemical adsorption. The MO/PL-nanoMIPs confirmed the high efficiency for the removal of target pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Upon recycling the adsorbents for five cycles, it was noted that the MO-nanoMIP adsorbent was effective continued to remove 86.7- 88.8% and 97-98% for PL-nanoMIP even in the fifth cycle. Indeed, the removal of sulfamethoxazole, nevirapine, and ibuprofen by nanoMIP adsorbents has demonstrated the importance of the surface area, structural stability, pore size and the electrostatic interactions brought about by the charges on the nanoMIPs surface. Consequently, among the investigated nanoMIP adsorbents, PL-nanoMIP demonstrated strong adsorption capacities for the targeted pharmaceuticals due to it large surface area and narrow size distribution as compared to the other nanoMIP adsorbents. The usability of plant leaves as a reducing and capping agent for nanoparticles as well as the recycling of nanoMIPs has the potential to transform waste that is no longer useful into valuable pollutants adsorbents. This would solve the problem of waste disposal and have beneficial impacts on the environment pollution and the economy. Notably, the nanoMIPs synthesized in this study are highly selective, reusable adsorbents that are cost effective and environmentally friendly. In contrast, as a substitute for more costly synthetic materials, these nanoMIPs are a promising material for the removal of different classes of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants and they can possibly be applied on a large scale

Extraction of pesticides using selected analytical methods from soil and maize segments : cumulative and health risks assessment.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Increased agricultural operations result in increased usage of various pesticides to safeguard agricultural crops, however this is done without paying attention to the effects of the amounting potential harm both humans and the environment are exposed to. In this present study, a structured study was conducted to investigate the uptake of atrazine, mesotrione, 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and glyphosate herbicides from contaminated soil and their translocation into different maize segments. Soil profile and quality of irrigation water were also assessed as they are crucial resources required in agricultural crop production due to their ability to influence the yield and quality of the agricultural products. Various physicochemical parameters were measured in an attempt to monitor the soil profile, irrigation water and maize quality harvested from Buhle farm located in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal Province. The irrigation water physicochemical parameters considered were the pH, electrical conductivity, alkalinity and chloride concentration. The soil physicochemical parameters considered were moisture content, pH, electrical conductivity, texture, total nitrogen as well Mg, Na, K, Zn, Mn, P and N elements. Maize was analysed for nutrition content and medicinal health promoting compounds. Based on the attained results, the soil texture contained high clay content (56.4%), followed by sand (40.6%) and silt (2.98%). The concentrations for total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which were translated to high soil fertility were 2700, 19 and 222 mg L-1, respectively. These particular elements are essential for agricultural plantation processes and consequently maize quality and maize yield. The levels of sodium, sodium adsorption ratio and electrical conductivity found in irrigation water were 0.05 mg L-1, 2 and 1.81 μS m-1, respectively. The findings showed that maize harvested from Buhle farm had high starch content of 58.6%. Fibre, protein and fat contents in maize were 23.4, 9.01 and 4.55%, respectively. Furthermore, the total anthocyanin, total flavonoids and total phenolic acid content were 8.5, 49.5 and 100 mg L-1, respectively. High amounts of phenolic acid detected indicated therapeutic ability of the maize since phenolic acids are essential for cancer prevention to the consumer. The presence of anthocyanin, flavonols and phenolic acids in maize crop is associated with its quality that could benefit livestock and human after consumption. The analysis of herbicides in soil and maize samples require sample pre-treatment due to their low concentration and complex matrix hence an ultrasonic extraction, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), Soxhlet extraction (SE) and QuEChERS methods were investigated. The optimization and application of ultrasonic extraction, MAE, SE and QuEChERS methods were conducted for the effective extraction of pesticides from maize and their corresponding soil samples. The analysis of pesticides (atrazine, glyphosate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and mesotrione) was done with gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Factors influencing the efficiency of the extraction methods such as the extraction solvent, extraction time, solvent volume, sample wetting and spiking concentration were assessed. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the relative standard deviation (RSD), coefficient of determination (R2), limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and percentage recoveries were the quantitative characteristics of the current methods assessed. All calibration curves showed a high correlation coefficient (R2) ≥0.996, indicating good linearity. The LODs and LOQs ranged between 0.22-0.32 μg L-1 and 2.0-2.9 μg L-1 for SE , 0.1-0.25 μg L-1 and 1.1-2.2 μg L- 1 for MAE, 0.02 – 0.15 μg L-1 and 0.2 - 0.5 μg L-1 for UE and 0.01 – 0.23 μg L-1 and 0.13 – 0.8 μg L-1 for QuEChERS. The maize and soil analytes recoveries for SE, MAE, EU and QuEChERS ranged between 62-80% and 70-81%, 80-98% and 85-101%, 100-104% and 91- 97 % and 94-115% and 92-101%, respectively with the repeatability, articulated as RSD values of which are within the acceptable range as they are lower than 20%. MAE method showed higher sensitivity compared to SE while, UE and QuEChERS both showed high sensitivity for the extraction and quantification of the target analytes at low concentrations found in soil and maize cob. It was observed that 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2.4-D) was least absorbed by the soil, however, all the studied herbicides showed high absorption in the leafy segment of the maize plant due to the high polarity of the leaf cuticle. Glyphosate showed high absorption rate in soil, roots, stalk and leaves while mesotrione was highly absorbed in corn and tassels in all treatments. The absorption rate of analyte increased with increasing growth days. The higher treatment concentration (0.75 g L-1) showed elevated accumulation with the highest concentration (1.02 μg L-1) observed for glyphosate in leaves after 140 days and high mesotrione in corn (0.51 μg L-1) and tassel (0.42 μg L-1) observed after 120 days. Even though all maize treatment showed a pesticide toxicity index (PTI) values of <1, the health risk index (HI) data were below 100% threshold as well indicating no possible health risk linked with the intake of these crops by both adults and children

Barriers inhibiting women progression to leadership positions within KwaZulu-Natal municipalities: a case of eThekwini Municipality.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Despite these several laws that are enshrined in the Constitution, women are still underrepresented in leadership and senior management positions, and there is still much that needs to be done to address gender inequality in the workplace. Gender equality is a top global priority reflecting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number five which aims to achieve gender equity and empower girls and women equally to their male counterparts. Although women have made unprecedented strides in climbing the ranks of middle management positions in government, they are still less presented in senior leadership positions, particularly in local government which includes municipalities. The study aims to identify and assess barriers that prevent the progression of women in senior leadership positions in municipalities within KwaZulu-Natal, with specific reference to eThekwini Municipality. The study employed a qualitative approach that opts for a phenomenological research design to identify the socio-cultural phenomenon that predominates in municipalities and creates hurdles that hinder women from advancing into top management positions. The data collection used semistructured one-on-one interviews with a purposive sample of 10 managers in various municipal business clusters. With the use of an interpretative paradigm, the researcher was able to elucidate the various realities that women experience in pursuing senior leadership positions within the eThekwini Municipality. The study found that eThekwini Municipality's organisational culture and climate predominantly supported gender prejudices that favoured men. Other factors identified were associated with gender stereotypes that perpetuate traditional roles and functions, which creates unbalanced opportunities and expectations of what women can and cannot do. Similarly, factors that affect them as individuals, such as their lack of confidence, lack of mutual support, and dual responsibility were found to be hindering women’s progression into senior leadership positions. The study also provided a precis of measures that may be taken by the municipality to ensure that gender transformation occurs with greater speed to enable women to advance to top management roles. These include change management programmes, close monitoring of gender policies, empowerment of women, and redress of political interference