Contestations over knowledge production or ideological bullying? A response to Legassick on the workers' movement

The key characteristic of the vast amount of literature on the South African workers ʼ movement in the post-1973 period is the denial that the class and national struggles were closely intertwined. This denial is underpinned by a strong ʻantinationalist currentʼ which dismisses the national liberation struggle as ʻpopulist and nationalistʼ and therefore antithetical to socialism. This article cautions against uncritical endorsement of these views. It argues that they are the work of partisan and intolerant commentators who have dominated the South African academy since the 1970s and who have a tendency to suppress all versions of labour history which highlight these linkages in favour of those which portray national liberation and socialism as antinomies. The article also points out that these commentators use history to mobilise support for their rigidly held ideological positions and to wage current political struggles under the pretext of advancing objective academic arguments

Peaceful giant ground beetles: The genus Tefflus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Republic of South Africa

Two species of the genus Tefflus Latreille (Coleoptera: Carabidae), commonly known as “peaceful giant ground beetles,” are recorded from the Republic of South Africa: T. carinatus carinatus Klug and T. meyerlei delagorguei Guérin-Méneville. Distribution records from the Republic of South Africa are summarized and mapped for both species. Tefflus c. carinatus has been collected in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces, while T. m. delagorguei has been recorded from Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga Provinces. Adults of both species are illustrated. Seasonal and temporal activity patterns and defensive and foraging behaviors are characterized for T. m. delagorguei based on recent field studies in the Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa

Two mosses new to the Republic of South Africa and the moss Neckera valentiniana Besch. new to the Kingdom of Lesotho

Three mosses are reported as new to countries in southern Africa: Brothera leana (Sull.) Müll.Hal., Gammiella ceylonensis (Broth. in Herzog) B.C.Tan & W.R.Buck from KwaZulu-Natal and Neckera valentiniana Besch. from Lesotho

Evaluating the impact of monitoring and evaluation on performance in the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board.

Master of Public Administration in Management Studies. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2017.The objective of the study was to determine the impact of monitoring and evaluation on improving public sector performance and enhancing accountability, good governance, efficiency and effectiveness, with a focus on the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board public entity. Further, the study was aimed at analysing the challenges of establishing the monitoring and evaluation system in the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. The study also assessed the extent to which employees understand the important role of monitoring and evaluation in the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. A quantitative research approach was adopted and quantitative data collection techniques employed, which included the administering of questionnaires. The respondents comprised of staff of the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. The study targeted 20 participants and all questionnaires were returned, indicating a response rate of 100 per cent. A simple random technique was used to select executive management, middle management, supervisors and staff of KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. Quantitative data was analysed using correlation and percentages. The findings revealed that there are high levels of agreement and show that respondents have an understanding of what the monitoring and evaluation is and what they need to do so that positive impact is achieved, which can improve performance and enhance accountability, good governance, efficiency and effectiveness within the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board. It was concluded that monitoring and evaluation enhances accountability, management decision, organisational learning and promotes good governance. The study recommended that monitoring and evaluation should not only be structured to insignificant compliance; but should also support and enhance evidence-based decision making. Monitoring and evaluation must be properly institutionalised, resourced, funded and properly located so as to mediate policy processes, planning and service delivery. This will better inform the implementation strategy of monitoring and evaluation in the organisation

Expenditure elasticities for rural households in the Embo ward, Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal

Household consumption patterns were investigated to determine the impact of an income shock on household expenditure and to establish the potential for demand-led growth in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. Household consumption data were collected from sample households in the Embo ward of Umbumbulu, KwaZulu-Natal during October 2004 and March 2005. Budget shares and expenditure elasticities were estimated for household consumption categories for the two study periods, allowing for a comparison of expenditure elasticities between the two seasons. Results suggest that expenditure elasticities for consumer expendables, durables and transport were highly elastic, while expenditure elasticities for the aggregate food category were negative (October) and highly inelastic (March). Analysis of the expenditure categories of tradable and non-tradable goods and services showed expenditure on tradable non-farm goods and services to have the greatest potential for demand-led growth with expenditure elasticities of 2.88 and 2.91, respectively. The category of non-tradable non-farm goods and services was not statistically significant for both periods and the category non-tradable farm goods and services was not statistically significant for October. A seasonal difference in expenditure patterns was apparent, suggesting that responses to income changes vary at different times of the year.Expenditure elasticities, demand-led growth, Umbumbulu region, KwaZulu-Natal, Consumer/Household Economics,

The assessment of the implementation of talent management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The University of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the leading higher education institution with a reputation of academic and research excellence. The Human Resource division is one of the fundamental divisions in the university structure, which seeks to attract, recruit and ensure that a high calibre staff members are trained, developed and retained to enhance skills, performance, as well as job satisfaction. For the University of KwaZulu-Natal to achieve its goal of becoming the “employer of choice” for staff, talent management becomes one of the integral strategies to the university’s endeavours. It is evident that there are underlying weaknesses that hinders effective implementation of the existing integrated talent management policy. This research aimed to assess the implementation of the talent management process in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study objectives were to: understand how talent implementation is identified at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, to understand how talent is assessed at the university, to understand how talent is developed and to understand ways in which talent is retained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Due to the complexity of this, a case study approach was used for this study for the researcher to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the study as a case study approach allows for various perspectives, feelings and reality of participants of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A purposive sampling method was used to allow the Researcher to justify or generalize on the selected sample either analytically, theoretically or logically. In-depth, semi- structured interviews were carried out with 8 respondents at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, namely, the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance comprising of: 5 academics and 3 professional services staff members. The collected data was then analyzed in themes. Arears of improvement were identified for the university’s integrated talent management process. The findings indicated that it is important to recognize that talent management is more than a chain of human resource processes and programmes but should be driven by business strategy and also provide necessary support to drive business results. Therefore necessary strategies should be applied to obtain feedback from employees on the implementation of the talent management system. Furthermore talent management practices should be clear for all employees and management commitment is necessary in the development and retention of talent

Substitution of fertiliser with poultry manure: Is this economically viable?

Rapid expansion of the KwaZulu-Natal poultry industry has resulted in poultry manure and litter production that in certain areas exceeds the potential for use in crop production. If land application exceeds crop requirements, manure production may result in environmental damage. In this study, potential manure surpluses in intensive poultry producing KwaZulu-Natal areas were quantified. The costs of transferring such surpluses to manure-deficient areas were compared with the economic value of poultry manure as fertiliser. Estimates of potential arable land and pasture for spreading manure took both dairy and feedlot manure production into account. Use of manure surpluses by transfer was found to be economically viable. Public policy actions are needed, however, to promote such transfer.Crop Production/Industries,

Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 2001–2007

In Africa, incidence and prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis have been assumed to be low. However, investigation after a 2005 outbreak of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, found that the incidence rate for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in KwaZulu-Natal was among the highest globally and would be higher if case-finding efforts were intensified

Cultivating professional agency: stories of novice teachers in public primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This research dissertation entitled ‘Cultivating Professional Agency: Stories of Novice Teachers in Public Primary Schools in KwaZulu-Natal’ presents an understanding of the lived personal and professional experiences of novice teachers and the ways in which they cultivate professional agency in public primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. This research study aimed at generating in-depth information in order to explore and understand deeply the novice teachers’ stories of cultivating professional agency. This study was conducted with a specific group of novice teachers. Each of the four research participants are either a male or female; Indian or African; a Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase or Senior Phase teacher; and are teaching in quintile rank 5 public primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This qualitative research study is located within the interpretivist paradigm and uses narrative inquiry as the research methodology. This allowed me to understand the lived experiences of the novice teachers from the perspective of the participants as they negotiated their meanings of self. Multiple methods of generating data were used for this research study, which included: collage inquiry, artefact retrieval, metaphor drawing and unstructured interviews. The data generated allowed me to produce rich and thick stories of novice teachers. From the storied narratives, I was able to get glimpses of their lives as novice teachers and understand how they make meaning of self in their public primary schooling context in KwaZulu-Natal. The storied narratives were then analysed and interpreted through storied vignettes and themes. According to literature, novice teachers possess a weak sense of professional agency. However, the analysis and interpretation of this research study revealed that Luke, Lucy, Diya and Zenzile (pseudonyms) negotiated particular meanings of self, learning practices and relationships in and through which they exercised their professional agency in order to be agentic novice teachers within their public primary schooling contexts in KwaZulu-Natal. This research dissertation contributes uniquely to the field of education, more specifically adding to the growing body of knowledge on novice teachers and professional agency in public primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa