Characterising Land Use and Land Cover Change in South African National Parks’ Buffer Zones

Master of Science in Geography and Environmental Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis study investigates Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes in the buffer zones of South African National Parks (SANParks) to establish their impact on biodiversity conservation and inform management strategies. By utilising Earth Observation (EO) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies, alongside the spatial and temporal capabilities provided by latest LULC datasets, the research identifies trends and intensities of changes across multiple national parks. The findings revealed significant anthropogenic influences on buffer zones, underscoring challenges in implementing effective conservation measures. Key contributions include the development of a replicable monitoring framework to evaluate LULC dynamics, supporting adaptive management strategies for SANParks. This work enhances the understanding of the intricate relationships between Protected Areas (PAs) and their surrounding landscapes, providing actionable recommendations that balance biodiversity conservation with the socio-economic development of adjacent communities.Master

A legal analysis of the application of the FATF grey-listing standards on South Africa

Master of Laws with Mercantile Law, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is a watchdog established to counter the abuse of the financial system by criminals for money laundering, the financing acts of terrorists and proliferation financing. For the FATF to achieve its mandate, it came up with a set of global standards in the form of Recommendations. The Recommendations seek to mitigate the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing and to assess whether FATF member countries are taking effective action to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. South Africa is a member of the FATF and therefore, is obliged to comply with the standards set to combat money laundering and terrorist financing and proliferation. The FATF uses assessments done through peer mutual evaluations. In other words, FATF members assess one another’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulatory frameworks for compliance with FATF’s standards. Following the FATF's assessment in the years 2003, 2009 and 2018, South Africa’s AML/CTF regulatory framework was found to be weak leading to greylisting in 2023. The greylisting of South Africa follows the findings of strategic deficiencies in the country’s implementation of the FATF AML/CFT standards. Greylisting by the FATF carries various economic and reputational implications for South Africa such as increased scrutiny from international partners resulting in increased compliance costs for financial institutions, an estimated reduction in South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and a decrease in foreign direct investment (FDI). Since the greylisting, South Africa has embarked on a legislative and regulatory journey to address the shortcomings with a view to be taken off the greylist. This dissertation provides a detailed analysis of the FATF standards, evaluates South Africa's legislative and institutional responses in the form of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998, Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001 and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004, and assess their effectiveness in addressing the identified deficiencies. Recommendations are suggested to assist in fortifying South Africa’s AML/CTF regulatory framework.Master

The pastoral care of African Christian women suffering from Uterine Myomas

Doctor of Philosophy in Theology with Pastoral Studies, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusWomen of reproductive age, especially those who delayed childbirth and who are not nursing a child often face the challenge of uterine fibroids due to the increase of oestrogen levels in the body. This condition can cause symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding, weight gain, discomfort during sexual intercourse, infertility, and anaemia, among others. The symptoms of uterine fibroids affect quality of life negatively; it can be life-threatening especially in Africa. This research developed a comprehensive pastoral care program specifically for Christian women who are experiencing the challenges posed by uterine myomas. This pastoral care program is designed not only to address the physical and emotional impacts of uterine myomas but also to offer spiritual and psychological support to enhance the overall well-being and quality of life of Christian women grappling with this condition. After having conducted a thorough literature review and empirical qualitative research, the researcher established that many women who silently endure symptoms of uterine myomas suffer emotionally, psychologically, and physically. The descriptive empirical task aims to understand: ‘What is happening?’ The interpretative task seeks to answer the question: ‘Why is it happening?’ The normative task inquires: 'What should be happening?' The pragmatic task explores: 'How can we respond?' The results of the study indicate that women suffering from uterine myomas are concerned about their ability to conceive due to the presence of these growths in the uterus. Moreover, they fear rejection and are concerned about the impact of uterine myomas on their marital relationships and overall well-being. A significant discovery is the fact that many African women live with undiagnosed uterine myomas and untreated uterine fibroids due to a lack of proper medical treatment and affordable healthcare options being limited. In addition, some women are turning to traditional remedies as alternatives to modern medical care

Evaluating electricity services delivery in Mafikeng Municipality

Doctoral Degree. North West University, Mafikengdghjgfkjhfsuyewrftcdnhmghkmljhdasfcgzxnjkdshyhuglkuytswjhui;asdGhkzxdhrdjktgijohgjm dsajhbdsfktyrutyqweyc nbjhkmhjmgvopkjloidsarteqwsvgyujhgrtdyioujisdBHUIhgZ sfgjfdznxuhudihjioruhyiughbujghsuyhgfsuayttyrfwtyghdsjhujerauygagy

Die rol van hoop as teologiese konsep binne hedendaagse pastorale sorg

Philosophiae Doctor in Teologie met pastorale studies, Noordwes-Universiteit-- Potchefstroom CampusThis study focuses on the role of hope within contemporary pastoral care, emphasizing its significance as a theological concept. Modern pastoral practice operates within a holistic and systemic framework, adopting an interdisciplinary and team-based approach to human and spiritual health. The research explores how hope can serve as a pastoral tool, guiding and motivating current pastoral care practices. It brings a theological perspective on hope, rooted in eschatology, into dialogue with cognitive renewal and transformation. The study involves a theologically interdisciplinary approach, engaging with Systematic Theology, particularly Eschatology, and Practical Theology. The central thesis is that the theological concept of hope can inform and strengthen the foundations of contemporary pastoral care, especially in relation to renewal and salvation. It investigates the extent to which hope can motivate the renewal of cognitive thinking, as encouraged in Romans 12:2, leading to personal transformation. The study posits that hope is a critical element in pastoral care, providing the theological foundation for cognitive and spiritual transformation, and enabling individuals to engage with life’s challenges through a renewed, faith-based perspective

Exploring the role of financial capital in SMMEs in Gauteng

Master of Business Administration, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark CampusSmall, Micro, and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) play a critical role in economic growth and development, yet many struggle to access the financial capital needed for survival and expansion. This study explored the role of financial capital in SMMEs in Gauteng, focusing on the challenges and opportunities related to accessing financial support. Using a qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four purposively selected SMME owners from the manufacturing, construction, human resource recruitment, and financial services sectors. Data was analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti to uncover key insights.The findings reveal that complex statutory requirements, lack of collateral, and risk-averse financial institutions hinder access to financial capital. Compliance with tax regulations, accurate financial record-keeping, and maintaining creditworthiness emerged as vital strategies for overcoming these barriers. Additionally, participants demonstrated resourcefulness by leveraging alternative financing options such as personal credit and supplier financing. Limited access to financial resources was found to significantly impact SMME survival, operations, and growth. The study concluded by recommending management practices and policy interventions aimed at enhancing access to financial capital. These findings highlight the potential of improved financial support to unlock growth opportunities for SMMEs and contribute to their long-term growth. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and SMME stakeholders, emphasising the importance of targeted support to empower this vital sector

The influence of Pentecostalism on the pastoral care of the Catholic Church: A case study of three parishes in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Doctor of Philosophy in Theology with Pastoral Studies, North-West University-- Potchefstroom CampusThe notable change that has taken place in the spirituality of many Catholic Christians and the pastoral work of the Catholic Church in DR Congo since the advent of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) movement in 1975 is the main reason that motivated the author of this thesis to study the role that Pentecostalism has played in this transformation. This thesis investigates the following central question through a case study of three Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa: To what extent has Pentecostalism influenced the pastoral work of these three parishes in particular and the Roman Catholic Church in the DR Congo in general? In order to examine the assimilated Pentecostal pastoral practices and their impact on the pastoral work of the Roman Catholic Church in the DR Congo, the study highlights the changes and issues that have occurred in the pastoral work of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church presents pastoral work as a series of ecclesial activities organized for soul salvation aimed at edifying people through teaching and various social actions, including charismatic activities. The qualitative approach serves as the methodological framework during the development of this study. Osmer's model of the four interpretative tasks in practical theology—the empirical-descriptive task, the interpretative task, the normative task, and the pragmatic task—guides the development of the chapters. The study illustrates how Charismatic Renewal (CCR) influences pastoral functions such as liturgy, preaching, prayer, evangelisation, pastoral accompaniment, and exorcism practice. On the one hand, people view the CCR as a source of blessing and spiritual awakening; on the other, it challenges several Catholic doctrines. In this sense, the Roman Catholic Church presents two faces: the first has remained faithful to the tradition and doctrines of Catholicism, while the second is Pentecostal and charismatic. The causes of the influence of Pentecostalism on the pastoral work of the Roman Catholic Church are outlined. Although they are numerous, the study highlighted two groups, namely: endogenous and exogenous causes. This study encourages the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the DRC to reflect critically and theologically around a table of dialogue with the RCC on the perspectives and guidelines of pastoral work. This thesis can be deemed successful to the extent that its perspectives and theological guidelines safeguard and revitalise the pastoral function within the Catholic Church in the DRC and globally. Furthermore, this thesis will enlighten leaders and Christians from other Christian denominations about Pentecostalism. This recent spiritual awakening has been sweeping the Church since the beginning of the 20th century

Simplified Temporal Convolutional-based Channel Estimation for a WiFi Vehicular Communication Channel

North-West University, Faculty of Engineering, Potchefstroom Campus, 2025Channel estimation in vehicular communication is a crucial element in the advancement of intelligent transportation systems. However, the use of pilot signals in the IEEE 802.11p standard is insufficient for accurate channel estimation in high mobility scenarios. Data pilot-aided (DPA) estimation helps address this, but suffers from demapping errors. We propose a simplified Temporal Convolutional Network-based estimator (DPA-TCN) trained on a mixed signal-to-noise ratio dataset to improve estimation performance and reduce computational complexity. Our DPA-TCN estimator achieves a bit error rate comparable to a state-of-the-art long-short-term memory network with DPA and temporal averaging (LSTM-DPA-TA) while reducing the complexity of the model by approximately 65%. Index Terms—channel estimation, deep learning, IEEE 802.11p, TCN, vehicle-to-vehicle, wireless communications.

Enhancing children’s understanding of algorithmic biases in and with text-to- image generative AI

Article, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (Research and Innovation)--Northwest University, Vanderbijlpark CampusDespite the growing concerns surrounding algorithmic biases in generative AI (artificial intelligence), there is a noticeable lack of research on how to facilitate children and young people’s awareness and understanding of them. This study aimed to address this gap by conducting hands-on workshops with fourth- and seventh-grade students in Finland, and by focusing on students’ (N = 209) evolving explanations of the potential causes of algorithmic biases within text-to-image generative models. Statistically significant progress in children’s data-driven explanations was observed on a written reasoning test, which was administered prior to and after the intervention, as well as in their responses to the worksheets they filled out during a lesson that focused on algorithmic biases. The article concludes with a discussion on the development and facilitation of children’s understanding of algorithmic biase

Non-compliance to minimum emission standards under air quality legislation and section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

Master of Laws in Environmental Law and Governance, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe state of air quality in South Africa suggests that air quality management measures might not have been effective. While inadequate enforcement of the environmental law is certainly a significant cause of ineffectiveness, it is demonstrated that proper monitoring of air quality data, and non-compliance with or postponement with environmental management measures are also major contributors. Undoubtably, the government has made progressive attempts to regulate air quality, but there is still a room for improvement. This study examines whether non-compliance to minimum emission standards infringes section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. It is argued in this study that non-compliance with the minimum emission standards has detrimental impacts on health and well-being, particularly for those within or near the industries that are not compliant with the emission standards. This is because minimum emission standards are used as measures to control the concentration of air pollutants that can legally be released into the atmosphere from a single pollutant source. Furthermore, the research analyses how companies such as Eskom and Sasol may misuse the process of postponement and condonation to avoid compliance with the law and the implications these non-compliances have on the community and the environment. A review is conducted on relevant environmental legislation and regulations applicable to environmental protection against air pollution and the measures applied to protect the environment and people. The study concludes with recommendations regarding improving air quality regulation and combating air pollution, based on findings that deficient compliance and enforcement measures remain a real challenge.-North-West UniversityMaster