Challenges faced by libraries in a democratic South Africa: A case of three community libraries in Limpopo Province

Community libraries are crucial for people to have access to information to satisfy their multiple needs. As custodians of information and knowledge in diverse spheres, they play a role in the socio-economic development of nations. This article attempts to investigate challenges faced by libraries in three different settings in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The users, librarians and a wellplaced official of the relevant department were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used to select users and librarians while purposive sampling was used to select an official. Face-to-face interviews and observation and a checklist were used to collect data. Senior officials of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture need to study challenges revealed by the findings and to take action to remedy the situation.Information Scienc

THE EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY SYSTEM FOR A COMMUNITY IN THE REMOTE AREAS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Thesis ( M. Tech. (School of Information Technology )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014The aim of this study has been to find out how the community in the remote areas of South Africa access government information. The study is based on four villages, two in the Northern Cape Province (Heuningvlei and Galeshewe) and two in Limpopo Province (The Oaks and Finala). A quantitative design was used. Open and closed-ended questionnaires were used to collect data from the community. Out of 200 questionnaires distributed only 144 responses were received. Responses in the questionnaires were tabulated, coded and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. Based on the analysis in Table 4.13, the study showed that 44 percent of the sampled community have access to information through Television which they classified as technology. Shortage of telecentres, distance to telecentres, age, lack of education, monthly income, infrastructure and transport cost were some of the important factors contributing to a lack of access to information. Some of the findings are that most of the telecentres are located far from towns, more than 7 kilometres from the village. Ideally, telecentres should be located near the community, within a short walking distance. It is recommended that provision/establishment for easy access to information and communication services by the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA) in the remote areas in the Northern Cape and Limpopo province is strongly considered for implementation. This will overcome the gap that exists between the urban and semi-urban communities regarding access to human rights information such as rights to life, equality, freedom of speech, assembly and access to information. It is also assumed that the implementation of telecentres and Internet Cafes, in order to facilitate the adoption of e-government information by people residing in remote areas (semi-urban areas) such as Heuningvlei, Galeshewe, The Oaks and Finala will contribute to better access to human rights. The study also recommends that the service costs charged by the telecentre and Internet Cafes should not be expensive. This will assist the community to afford to pay Internet services. Information is important for decision-making. For this reason, it is recommended that continued campaigns on awareness about the mportance of access to information through telecentres and Internet Cafes should be conducted

Examining the performance of teacher graduates from Limpopo rural university

Schools in Limpopo Province are facing learners’ underperformance, and a blame is levelled on poor teachers’ performance.  Teacher Education Centres that train educators for the Limpopo Province are also blamed for training teachers who fail to deliver quality teaching and learning because of their lack of necessary teaching skills that are required to improve learners’ performance. The study aimed at examining the performance of teachers and how schools’ contextual factors impact on their teaching practice. The main research question that drove the study is ‘what are possible causes of poor performance of teachers in Limpopo rural schools?’  Critical Social Theory was used to understand the causes of poor performance of teachers, and the contextual factors that influence the teaching practice. Twelve teacher graduates from one rural Limpopo university were purposively sampled. The findings range from lack of teaching competencies; lack of school resources and infrastructure; and challenged home background. In conclusion, when teacher training has to be blamed for production of teachers who lack adequate teaching competencies, the Department of Education is blamed for not providing adequate school resources and infrastructure vital for the creation of conducive learning environment, and delivery of quality education and learning. This study recommends that improved working conditions in schools that enhances high levels of teachers’ performance should be made

ENTERPRISE CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION READINESS TO IMPROVE MEDICAL RECORDS MANAGEMENT IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

This study sought to establish readiness for implementation of ECM to improve medical records management in the public hospitals of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The use of digital systems such as enterprise content management (ECM) to manage medical records is fundamental to ensure timely access, sharing and use of the medical records by healthcare providers and hospital management. This is because timely access to medical records will result in timely healthcare service delivery to the patients. There have been many different kinds of digital systems applied in different organisations for different categories of records throughout the world. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires directed to the Records Management Units at the public hospitals in the Limpopo Province of South Africa supported with observation and document/system analysis. The study reveals that the hospitals in the Limpopo Province had not yet implemented ECM as a system and had limited IT resources like computers, printers, servers, network points and internet access. This study appears to be the first of its nature to investigate the readiness of the hospitals in Limpopo province of South Africa for implementation of enterprise content management system. The study recommends that ECM be implemented to improve medical records management in the public hospitals of Limpopo since the hospitals had no effective systems for proper management of medical records

Provision of sustainable internet access to public libraries in South Africa

The study set out to investigate the provision of sustainable internet access to public libraries in South Africa. The rationale of the study was to investigate how sustainable internet access can be provided to public libraries in South Africa and to determine how they have developed and are regulated. Internet access is a key driver in delivering information services to the users and a critical tool in facilitating information sharing regardless of platform and geographic location. Therefore, the level of information and communications technology (ICT) penetration in public libraries formed a critical part of the study as the provision of internet to these libraries depends on available ICTs. The study employed a survey design and used interview tool to collect data from nine participants. Questionnaire augmented interviews as they were used to collect data from 322 respondents. The study used the probability sampling technique to collect data from the participants. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants for the interview, whereas the stratified probability, proportional to size, and systematic techniques were also used to select respondents in the senior categories, namely heads of public libraries. This ensured a sample size of 331 out of a population of 1 621 selected for the study. The sample size consisted of nine directors and 322 head librarians. No sampling was done on the nine heads (directors) of provincial public libraries, as the nature of this population did not warrant further dissection due to its small size. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was used to analyse data. Questionnaires were analysed when they were returned and interviews were analysed when they were conducted. Written descriptions, tables and figures were used to present data in an elaborative manner. Data was also presented through frequencies and percentages. It emerged from the study that most public libraries (97%) were connected to the internet. The findings of the study showed that most public libraries (80%) were connected to the internet through the fixed lines and that each of the nine provinces had its own internet service providers (table 5.12). The study recommended fixed lines for internet access to be laid to all public libraries in South Africa and that a government agency be used as a dedicated internet service provider for public libraries across all the nine provinces. A further study was recommended about the application of an internet access model used by academic institutions to public libraries.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science

The information seeking behaviour of black investors in the MTN Asonge scheme, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Text in English with abstracts in English, Sesotho and isiXhosaThe importance of investment information seeking cannot be overemphasised. Seeking information to support investment decision-making is a key component of every successful investment business. The literature review revealed that informed investors make greater use of accounting disclosures and non-earnings information in order to form more precise earnings expectations. By contrast, a lack of accurate investment information makes it difficult for investors to decide when to buy, hold or sell their investment. This study investigated information needs and seeking behaviour of black investors in the MTN Asonge scheme in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province. The study endeavoured to acquire understanding of investors’ information needs and how they seek information to support their investment decisions. To this end, a qualitative phenomenological research approach was followed. Purposive snowball sampling was applied to sample the study respondents who were later interviewed. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with six investors to collect data which were subsequently analysed thematically. The three types of information sources identified as core to investment decision-making include personal, online and printed information. The findings showed that although the majority of MTN Asonge investors were aware of different formats in which investment information is available, they did not use modern electronic information storing and retrieval strategies, such as conducting online internet searches to access information published on corporate websites. The respondents experienced various challenges when seeking investment information, opting to rely on personal sources such as friends, close relatives and colleagues. Furthermore, the investors appeared not to be aware of personal information sources such as investment advisors, information brokers, roundtables and one-on-one discussions. The study recommended intensive investor education as well as a comparative investigation of information seeking behaviour amongst other members of BEE investment schemes in South Africa.Bohlokwa bja go nyaka tshedimošo ya peeletšo bo ka se gatelelwe go fetišiša. Go nyaka tshedimošo ya go thekga tšeo ya sephetho ke karolo ye bohlokwa ya kgwebo ye nngwe le ye nngwe ya peeletšo ye a atlegilego. Tshekatsheko ya dingwalo e utolotše gore babeeletši ba go ba le tsebo ba šomiša ka tshwanelo dikutullo tša tšhupamatlotlo le tshedimošo ye e sego ya go tsenya letseno, go bopa gagolo ditetelo tše itšeng tša letseno. Ka go le lengwe, tlhokego ya tshedimošo ya peeletšo ye e nepagetšego e dira gore go be boima go babeeletši go tšea sephetho sa gore ke neng mo ba rekago, swarelelago goba go rekiša peeletšo ya bona. Nyakišišo ye e nyakišišitše dinyakwa tša tshedimošo le mokgwa wa go nyaka tshedimošo ya babeeletši ba bathobaso ka gare ga sekema sa MTN Asonge ka seleteng sa Capricorn sa Profentshe ya Limpopo. Nyakišišo e lekile go hwetša kwešišo ya dinyakwa tša tshedimošo ya babeeletši le ka fao ba nyakang tshedimošo ya go thekga diphetho tša peeletšo ya bona. Go fihla mo, mokgwa wa khwalithethifi wa nyakišišo wa diponagalo o latetšwe. Go dira sampole ya koketšo ya nepo go šomišitšwe go dira sampole ya bakgathatema ba nyakišišo bao go boledišanwego nabo. Dipoledišano le batho ka o tee ka o tee tša dipotšišo tše di bulegilego di didirilwe ka babeeletši ba selela, go kgoboketša datha yeo morago e sekasekilwego ka tekanyetšo. Mehuta ye meraro ya methopo ya tshedimošo yeo e hlaotšwego bjalo ka ya motheo tšeong ya diphetho tša peeletšo e akaretša ya motho ka noši, onelaene le ya go gatišwa. Dikutullo di laeditše gore le ge bontši bja babeeletši ba MTN Asonge ba be ba lemoga mehuta ya go fapana yeo tshedimošo ya peeletšo e hwetšegago ka yona, ga se ba šomiše mekgwa ya sebjalebjale ya go hwetša le go lota tshedimošo ya ilektroniki, go swana le go dira diphuruphutšo tša inthanete tša onelaene go fihlelela tshedimošo ye e phatlaladitšwego diweposaeteng tša dikgwebo. Bakgathatema ba itemogetše ditlhohlo tša go fapana ge ba nyaka tshedimošo ya peeletšo, ba kgetha go tshepha methopo ya bona ka noši go swana le bagwera, maloko a kgauswi le bašomišane. Gape, babeeletši ba bonagetše ba sa lemoge methopo ya tshedimošo ya batho ka noši go swana le baeletši ba peeletšo, dientšente tša tshedimošo, dikopano le dipoledišano tša batho ka o tee ka o tee. Nyakišišo e šišintše thuto ya babeeletši ye e tseneletšego, le nyakišišo ya papetšo ka go mokgwa wa go nyaka tshedimošo magareng a maloko a mangwe a dikema tša peeletšo tša BEE ka Afrika Borwa.Nkoka wa ku lava vuxokoxoko bya vuvekisi wu nga ka wu nga tsongahatiwi. Ku lavana na vuxokoxoko bya ku seketela ku endliwa ka swiboho hi vuvekisi i xiyenge xa nkoka swinene eka bindzu ra vuvekisi rin'wana na rin'wana ro humelela. Ku hlayiwa ka matsalwa swi kombe leswo vavekisi lava va nga na vutivi va tirhisa ngopfu ku paluxiwa ka vutivi hi swa malawulelo ya swa timali na vutivi lebyi byi nga vuyeseriku, ku endla leswo ku languteriwa vuvuyerisi byo kotlana swinene. Loko swi pimanisiwa, ku pfumaleka ka vutivi bya vuvekisi swi endla leswo swi nonon'hwa eka vavekisi ku endla swiboho loko va xava, va khoma kumbe ku xavisa vuvekisi bya vona. Dyondzo leyi yi endle vulavisisi hi swilaveko swa vutivi, na matikhomelo yo lava vutivi bya vavekisi va vantima eka xikimu xa MTN Asonge eka distriki ya le Capricorn eka xifundzhankulu xa Limpopo. Vulavisisi lebyi byi na xikongomelo xa ku kuma ku twisisa hi swilaveko swa vutivi eka vavekisi na leswo xana va byi lavisa ku yini vutivi ku seketela swiboho swa vona swa vuvekisi. Mayelana na leswi, ku landzeleriwe fambiselo ra ndzavisiso wa qualitative phenemenological. Ku tirhisiwe sampuli ya fambiselo ra purposeful snowball sampling ku kuma sampuli ya ndzavisiso hi vateka xiavo lava ku nga endliwa mabulu ya interview na vona. Ku endliwe ti-interview na vanhu hi wun'we wun'we leri vitaniwaka semi-structured interview, leswi nga endliwa na vavekisi va ntsevu, ku hlengeleta data, leyi endzhaku ka swona yi nga xopaxopiwa hi tinhlokomhaka to karhi. Minxaka minharhu ya swihlovo swa vutivi swi ve swi voniwa tani hi swa nkoka eka ku endla swiboho hi vuvekisi, ku nga leswi katsaka munhu xiviri, ku kuma vutivi eka inthanete (online) na leswi printiweke. Vuyelo lebyi kumiweke byi kombise leswo hambi loko vunyingi bya vavekisi va MTN Asonge a va twisisa hi tifomete to hambana laha ku kumekaku kona vuviti bya vuvekisi, vavekisi a va tirhisangi vutivi bya elektroniki lebyi hlayisiweke na maqhinga yo byi humesa vutivi bya kona, yo fana na ku secha eka online hi inthanete ku fikelela vutivi lebyi paluxiweke eka ti-website ta khampani. Lava nga hlamula swivutiso va ve na mintlhontlho yo hambana-hambana loko va lava vutivi bya vuvekisi, leswi nga endla leswo va tshembela eka vutivi bya vanhu xiviri, byo fana no byi kuma eka vanghana, va ndyangu na maxaka na vatirhikulobye. Ku ya emahlweni, vavekisi va kombisa ku kala ku twisisa hi swihlovo swa vuviti swo fana na vatsundzuxi hi swa vuvekisi, tibrokhara ta vutivi bya vuvekisi, tinhlengeletano ta vanhu to tsundzuxa na mabulu yo khoma na munhu hi wun'we wun'we. Dyondzo leyi ya ndzavisiso yi bumabumela leswo ku endliwa dyondzo ya vuvekisi, na tindlela to lava vutivi hi ku pimapimanisa eka swikimu swa BEE swa vuvekisi eAfrika Dzonga.Information ScienceM. Inf

The influence of educational provision on teacher performance and learner outcomes among Limpopo primary schools

In the study reported on here the problem of inadequacies in educational provisioning among public schools that has a negative influence on teachers’ productivity and learners’ academic outcomes was examined. The primary objective of this study was to examine teachers’ and principals’ perceptions on the influence of educational provision on teacher performance and learner outcomes. The study was informed by critical social theory. The study tapped from the interconnection of constructivist and interpretivist paradigms and qualitative research, in using lived experiences and reflections of participants. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data from 5 school principals and 10 teachers in 5 primary schools in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Inadequacies in school provisioning was found to influence teacher performance and learner outcomes, causing psychological stress and low morale among teachers as a result of poor working conditions. Inadequacies in school resources constitute an unfair and unjust practice by the Department of Education and infringes upon learners’ right to education. Such infringement exacerbates learners’ demotivation, which subsequently results in them dropping out of school. Poor schools ultimately exclude Black students from quality education in South Africa. I recommend that the Department spearheads the implementation of the Framework on Equitable Provision of Infrastructure in Public Schools as a matter of urgency to ensure equity and access for poor schools. Keywords: educational exclusion; learner outcomes; school provisioning; social justice; teacher performanc

School Library Development Initiatives in a Democratic South Africa: Roles of the Various Stakeholders

Equitable resource allocation and provision is critical in all schools including those in the disadvantaged rural communities to improve learner outcomes and the quality of education irrespective of the educational paradigm. With a wide variety of educational resources in a school environment, quality of education and learner achievement can be entrenched and improved. However, the majority of the schools in poor and developing countries are still characterised by an inferior quality education and poor learner outcomes owing to an array of contextual realities and factors – amongst them high poverty levels and lack of adequate educational facilities and resources in schools. The aim of this conceptual article is to highlight the roles various stakeholders can play to advance and champion effective development of libraries in all South African schools in the post-apartheid era. Based on the literature review, the study highlights roles various stakeholders can play to champion and advance effective library development initiatives in all schools. The study recommends that a cohort of distinct stakeholders need to play their roles actively for all schools to have an effective library and information services (LIS) to enable teachers and learners to have equitable access to information for curriculum and non-curriculum related activities