946 research outputs found

    Version II of the atlas of the common bean in Africa

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    The use of Police force in crowd management

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    South Africa has a violent and oppressive past. They are various historical incidents1 of extreme cruelty perpetrated by the previous apartheid regime. Much of the modern South African democratic state was forged by protests. During the 1970s and 80s, the legislator by passing unjust laws was used to assist the government to maintain the oppression of the people of South Africa. From the Soweto uprising in the 1970s to the current service delivery protests of the 21st century, gatherings have always had the potential for deadly violence. The motivation for this research started with the emotions evoked by the iconic picture of the body of Hector Pietersen2 being carried after being shot by the police. Strikingly the images of the killing by the police of Andries Tatane conjured further questions concerning the use of deadly force within crowd management situations. The research undertook an analysis of the use of force by the police during crowd management situations. A brief analysis of South African law relating to the use of force by the police prior to 1996 is provided. There are legislative prescripts for the use of force during the maintenance of public order. It must be noted that the legislation falls short on providing clear, concise authority for the use of deadly force. Normally, the use of force by the police and civilians for the purpose of arrest is regulated by the Criminal Procedure Act3 , whereas the Regulation of Gatherings Act4 providing the authority for the use of force by the police in crowd management situations to preserve public order. At first glance, section 49 of the CPA seems to validate arguments that it violates some constitutionally protected rights, among which are the right to dignity, life, to freedom and security of the person, against cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and to a fair trial, which includes the right to be presumed innocent. Section 49 however, withstood Constitutional muster as set out in Re: S v Walters & another. As the right to life is a non derogable right.5 The limitation of this right may lead to constitutional scrutiny. The emphasis will thus be on ensuring that the balance with regards to proportionality in the use of deadly force is maintained. During the research it became apparent that the police, especially during crowd management situations, served political interests.6 This had the unintended consequence that the laws were applied to suit the political narrative and not the rule of law. The use of force in the policing arena is controversial. It is very clear that any misuse of force in crowd management situations will evoke the historical wounds associated with apartheid. However, within crowd management, the use of force and the authority to use deadly force is absolutely necessary. The Marikana massacre was used to highlight the mistakes that police have made during inappropriate use of force and its catastrophic consequences.7 It was observed that the legislative framework concerning the use of force, whether under section 49 of the CPA or section 9 of the RGA, is incoherent and too complex. The research argues for simplicity and accuracy within policy and applicable legislative alignment. The linkages from the applicable legislation to the institutional policies should never be outdated or incorrectly formulated. The violent rhetoric from politicians such as ex-president Jacob Zuma, 8 Minister Fikile Mbalula 9 and Bheki Cele10 fuels the argument that the police are susceptible to misdirected notions and may cause the police act unlawfully. The Constitution requires the police to “enforce the law”11 and as such there is an obligation on the police to do this within the constitutional parameters. The correct use of deadly force will only be achieved if the SAPS adequately resource, train and regularly refresh their members regarding the use of force when policing protests.Thesis (LLM -- Faculty of Law, School of Criminal and Procedural Law, 202

    Building a bi-directional promoter binary vector from the intergenic region of Arabidopsis thaliana cab1 and cab2 divergent genes useful for plant transformation

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    The ability to express genes in a controlled and limited domain is essential to succeed in targeted genetic modification. Having tools by which to rapidly and conveniently generate constructs which can be assayed in a diverse array of plant species expedites research and end-product development. Targeting specifically green plant tissues offers an opportunity to effect changes to diverse processes such as water use efficiency, photosynthesis, predation and nutrition. To facilitate the generation of transgenes to be expressed in this domain, we created a series of plasmids called p2CABA based on the Arabidopsis thaliana chlorophyll a/b gene promoter, a single natural bidirectional promoter that can drive and express two different genes at the same time. Studies we carried out showed reporter gene, GUS expressed in leaves and stems but not in the roots, as expected since this endogenous promoter controls the expression of two photosynthetic genes in A. thaliana. We, therefore, utilized the intergenic region between the A. thaliana cab1 and cab2 divergent genes to design and construct a bidirectional promoter vector containing two multiple cloning sites and a gateway recombination cassette. This in turn will help minimize gene silencing and achieve desirable expression pattern of transgenes, a critical issue in plant genetic engineering and in this report we show their use in Medicago and tomato.Key words: Arabidopsis cab genes, bidirectional promoters, gene expression, plant genetic engineering, reporter genes, photosynthetic genes

    Banner News

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    https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1165/thumbnail.jp

    Improved production systems for common bean on Phaeozem soil in South-Central Uganda

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    Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important grain legume in Uganda. Beans managed under conventional systems range in yield from 500 to 800 kg ha-1, with a yield gap of about 75%. The objective of this study was to compare the productivity and net profitability of four bean cultivars grown under three management systems on Phaeozem soil (Mollisol) in Masaka District, Uganda. The experimental design was a randomized incomplete block in a split-plot arrangement. Management system was the whole-plot factor and included the Conventional Farmer (CFS), Improved Farmer (IFS), and High Input systems (HIS). Management systems differed for seed fungicide treatment (no vs. yes), seeding density (10 vs. 20 seed m-2), plant configuration (scatter vs. rows), fertilizer applications (P, K, Ca, and Mg), rhizobium inoculation (no vs. yes), pesticide applications (no vs. yes), and frequency and timing of weeding. Subplots were four common bean cultivars selected for varying resistance to foliar pathogens. Increasing management intensity and planting cultivars tolerant to common bean diseases improved bean grain yield. Mean grain yield was greater in HIS than IFS and CFS. For all management systems, disease resistant NABE 14 produced more grain yield than NABE 15, K132, and NABE 4. The HIS with NABE 14 produced the most grain (1772 kg ha-1), most likely due to its greater resistance to angular leaf spot, bean common mosaic virus, and root rot. The economic return to labor and management was greatest for HIS with NABE 14 ($559 ha-1). Many management system Ă— cultivar combinations resulted in a net loss in the 2015A season, except for NABE 14. Increased yields and profitability are obtainable when utilizing NABE 14 or other disease resistant varieties under improved management practices with increased inputs

    Improved production systems for common bean on Ferralsol soil in south-central Uganda

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    Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most important source of dietary protein in Uganda but current grain yields are low. Production is particularly low on the degraded Ferralsol soils that dominate the landscape because these soils are generally weathered, acidic and infertile. A study was done on a Ferralsol soil in Masaka District, Uganda to compare productivity and economic return to labor and management (ERLM) for four bean cultivars grown under three management systems. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split-plot arrangement. Management system was the whole-plot factor and included the Conventional Farmer (CFS), Improved Farmer (IFS), and High Input systems (HIS). Management systems differed for seed fungicide treatment (no vs. yes), seeding density (10 vs. 20 seed m-2), plant configuration (scatter vs. rows), fertilizer applications (P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn and S), rhizobium inoculation (no vs. yes), pesticide applications (no vs. yes), and frequency and timing of weeding. Subplots were four common bean cultivars that differed for resistance to foliar pathogens and the ability to tolerate low soil fertility. Increasing management level and planting bean cultivars tolerant to common bean diseases and low soil fertility improved bean grain yield. The only grain yield differences observed were between cultivars in the 2015A season; NABE 14 had greatest grain yield, 168% greater than that of NABE 15. The HIS with NABE 14 (1274 kg ha-1), the HIS with NABE 4 (1225 kg ha-1), and the IFS with NABE 14 (1025 kg ha-1) had the greatest grain yield. The ERLM was only profitable for the CFS ($40 ha-1); cultivars did not differ. Farmers planting bean on Ferralsol soil can improve yields with higher input systems but the tested systems were not profitable
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