Silence is golden : the lack of direction on compensation for expropriation in the 2011 Green Paper on Land Reform

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Critical managerial skills in the accommodation sector: The voice of the industry

Dynamic labour structures within the tourism industry require employees to be adept and prepared for industry demands to deliver quality products. In South Africa, the role of tertiary institutions is to equip future tourism employees with these abilities; however, employers feel that graduates cannot fulfil industry’s demand, which creates challenges for students and tertiary institutions. As such, this research aimed to determine the managerial skills required by the accommodation sector in South Africa. The study’s findings reflect industry role players’ viewpoints regarding new graduates and their employability and may be utilised to improve current tourism management qualifications at tertiary education institutions

Water resources in Botswana with particular reference to the savanna regions

Production and development in the savanna regions of southern Africa are primarily determined by interactions between the limitations imposed by ecological determinants (such as rainfall and soil quality) and the management strategies of the specific region. Good planning, focussing on both the short and long-term effects of water use, is needed in water management strategies. Botswana is already experiencing so-called 'water stress' which is related to a number of factors such as rapidly increasing population leading to a sharp increase in water demand, low and variable rainfall, high rates of evaporation, and the high cost of exploiting existing water resources. At the current rates of abstraction, the lifetime of surface and groundwater resources is limited to decades. Botswana shares four river basins with its neighbouring countries. This results in a situation where 94% of the fresh water resources which Botswana can theoretically access originates outside its borders, making water resource management highly complex. Transnational sharing and management of water resources, therefore, plays a major role in securing sustainability of this precious resource

The effects of incisional bupivacaine infusions on postoperative opioid consumption and pain scores after total abdominal hysterectomy

Background: The aim of this study was to determine opioid requirements and pain intensity scores in patients after a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) administered with a bupivacaine infusion for a 30-hour period, and then to compare the data with that of a control group. Method: This was a prospective, parallel, single-blinded randomised trial which took place at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Johannesburg. Thirty-six consenting patients, who underwent a TAH, were randomised to either having a 0.39% bupivacaine infusion in the incisional site or not. Morphine was administered via a patient-controlled analgesia pump (PCA) for rescue analgesia. Dynamic, static and worst pain scores were assessed one, six and 30 hours after surgery by using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Morphine consumption was recorded at set intervals. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the two groups’ dynamic VAS scores in the first hour and at 24 hours and 30 hours; in the static VAS score in the first hour; and in the VAS scores for the worst pain experienced since the patients were last seen in the first hour and six hours after the operation. There was no statistical difference between the two groups’ opioid consumption at all set observation points. Conclusion: The opioid requirements of the two groups were comparable, although participants who had the bupivacaine infusion experienced reduced pain intensity which lasted until six hours postoperatively, and also had reduced pain intensity when moving around 30 hours after the operation.Keywords: incisional bupivacaine infusions, total abdominal hysterectomy, postoperative pain contro

An integrated social media communication view on content marketing by South African non-profit sectors

Background: Organisations widely adopt social media to communicate with stakeholders, yet research into content marketing in the South African non-profit sector is sparse. It is concerned with consistently producing valuable and relevant content for social media. As it is generally associated with the field of marketing, limited research exists from a communication perspective. This perceived gap in taking a communication stance prompted this investigation into the ways in which these organisations attend to social media content aspects. Objectives: The research objective was to acquire a broad understanding of content marketing on social media, unique to South African non-profit organisations. Key areas that were uncovered and statistically verified in an earlier quantitative study and how these are attended to in real life were explored. Method: A qualitative approach was used to obtain in-depth insights into the use of content marketing. Semi-structured interviews were used as data collection method to explore non-profit sector’s approaches to social media communication, and to determine whether their efforts could be regarded as being integrated. Results: The findings yielded valuable insights into the ways that non-profit sectors in South Africa practise social media communication. The benefits of using social media for communication is acknowledged, yet vital aspects such as sourcing content, considering stakeholders’ needs and demographics communication, using available planning tools and recognising employees as internal ambassadors are not considered. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight several key areas and topics that organisations should consider an integrated social media communication approach as alternative for content marketing in the non-profit secto

A Survey of Biometric Recognition Systems in E-Business Transactions

The global expansion of e-business applications has introduced novel challenges, with an escalating number of security issues linked to online transactions, such as phishing attacks and identity theft. E-business involves conducting buying and selling activities online, facilitated by the Internet. The application of biometrics has been proposed as a solution to mitigate security concerns in e- business transactions. Biometric recognition involves the use of automated techniques to validate an individual's identity based on both physiological and behavioural characteristics. This research focuses specifically on implementing a multimodal biometric recognition system that incorporates face and fingerprint data to enhance the security of e-business transactions. In contrast to unimodal systems relying on a single biometric modality, this approach addresses limitations such as noise, universality, and variations in both interclass and intraclass scenarios. The study emphasizes the advantages of multimodal biometric systems while shedding light on vulnerabilities in biometrics within the e- business context. This in-depth analysis serves as a valuable resource for those exploring the intersection of e-business and biometrics, providing insights into the strengths, challenges, and best practices for stakeholders in this domain. Finally, the paper concludes with a summary and outlines potential avenues for future research

Garden footprint area and water use of gated communities in South Africa

Gated community homes in South Africa are popular amongst property buyers in urban environments such as cities and metropoles due to the  increased security and lifestyle improvements offered. Garden design and layout requirements are prescribed in architectural guidelines compiled by the homeowners associations of these communities. Garden footprint area in gated community homes is of importance to researchers and planners, because of the influence on water use. This study used a quantitative approach to evaluate the spatial data of garden footprint area as a percentage of total plot area for 1 813 gated community homes in different regions of South Africa. The research reviewed how garden footprint area is prescribed and how it is applied in gated community homes. The impact of garden footprint area on water use was also analysed. The results were compared to relevant information lifted from specific architectural design guidelines developed for each gated community. Data from 11 gated communities were analysed and the average garden footprint area was found to be 36% of the total plot area. Gated community homes with a garden area smaller than 100 m2 were found to have limited influence on monthly water consumption, while the water use of gated community homes with a larger garden footprint area increased proportionally with garden footprint area. The seasonal fluctuation of water use is illustrative of garden irrigation and other outdoor water use. The results provided useful input for incorporation in outdoor water use modelling of gated  community homes Keywords: garden irrigation household water consumption plot are

What do festinos at a national arts festival regard as value for money?

This research attempts to provide guidelines for the management of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival by determining factors and identifying the determinants of value for money for this unique tourism product. A survey was conducted during the duration of the festival that was held from 31 March 2012 to 7 April 2012. Seven hundred questionnaires were distributed while 600 completed questionnaires were returned. Statistical analysis consisted of three stages: descriptive statistics to analyse the socio-demographic profile of respondents; after which a factor analysis, focusing on factors influencing value for money perceptions, and a regression analysis were performed. Four factors were identified: experience, amenities, quality and price and event attributes. Of these, it was found that event attributes is the premier factor contributing to value for money at a festival. This study could add to the body of knowledge regarding the travel behaviour of visitors as well as pinpointing what festival attendees perceive as value for money. Consequently, this article can be used to assist managers in providing value for money and in obtaining a competitive advantage in the industry by revising management structures and marketing campaigns

House of Traditional Leaders: Role, Problems and Future

A national House of Traditional Leaders and provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders have been established in terms of Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993.  The role of Traditional leaders at provincial and national level in the National House of Traditional Leaders and the Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders has not yet been clearly defined in South Africa. The National and Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders experience various problems that hamper their functioning.  The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significant role of the National House of Traditional Leaders and the Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders as Constitutional institutions at national and provincial levels and to make proposals regarding their future role and functioning. It can be expected of Constitutional institutions to function properly and effectively.  That is, however, not the case with the National House and the various provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders. In the rural areas are the poorest of the poor.  This is a result not only of the former apartheid policy but also of a lack of interest by former governments to invest in rural areas.  Attention and investment were focused mostly on the development of urban areas.  People in rural areas had no voice.  It should be ensured that their comments on legislation are for example taken seriously and are not discarded as a mere formality. The 1996 Constitution gives them this voice, but for the intended institutions to function properly, they must be effective. In this article a brief overview of the recognition of traditional institutions in the 1993 and 1996 Constitutions is given, whereafter the National House and Provinical Houses of Traditional Leaders are discussed with regard to their composition, role and the problems they experience in order to make recommendations with regard to their problems and future role.  &nbsp