Procurement policies and sustainability on SMMEs: a case study of Gauteng Province

SMME targeted procurement policies in South Africa gets swapped and changed every couple of years before they take hold and assessed against initially set desired outcomes, this makes them unsustainable. As such, it has become necessary for research to be undertaken to investigate those SMMEs that do business with State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with the aim of establishing whether the preferential procurement policies are supportive of the growth and sustainability of their businesses. The study also sought to further ascertain whether the targeted procurement policies are achieving the objectives they were created for in the first place, which is to promote growth and empowerment through the growing of the SMME businesses or are they non-responsive. Lastly, this study intended to understand whether the continued swapping and changing of the targeted procurement policies is resulting in their unsustainability to grow a sustainable SMME sector in South Africa which in turn raises a question of whether the designing and implementation of these policies is well informed by the actual challenges bedevilling the sector to be able to address these challenges on the ground. The study was a qualitative study that enabled the expression and description of feelings and opinions regarding whether the targeted policies had achieved their objectives and the concerns respondents would express. From the data was collected through interviews, the respondents indicated that the policies were theoretical and do not address the actual challenges that bedevil small businesses in South Africa. If anything, the policies have not attained their set objectives of growing and empowering SMMEs but rather made doing and growing their businesses difficult due to an unfriendly business environment. In addition, high taxes, inflexible labour laws, access to finance, inability to market their companies and products, delayed payments for services rendered are some of the problems faced by SMMEs. The SMME sector is dwindling, the small businesses are folding, and the targeted policies have proved unsustainable. Based on the findings of this study the targeted procurement policies needs to be reviewed and in certain instance overhauled to improve their efficacy. Policymakers need to establish forums where small business raise their concerns, shortcomings of the policies and put forward their ideas of making the policies more beneficial to them. There is a great need to also identify and address impediments pertaining to the operating environment and make it truly pro SMMEs

Rheticus' Heliocentric Providence : a study concerning the astrology, astronomy of the sixteenth century

Rheticus' engagement with Copernicus is discussed in the light of new documents. In particular it is shown that there were strong astrological motivations behind Rheticus' acceptance of the heliocentric theory

Impacts of foraging behavior [sic] by Cape porcupines and their effects on nutrient cycling in mesic savannas.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Through feeding and associated activities, herbivores play a major role in determining the structure of savannas. The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) is a semi-fossorial, large (ca. 12 kg) herbivorous rodent with a generalist foraging strategy that feeds on plant parts occurring above- and below ground. Subterranean foraging by porcupine may influence biotic and abiotic processes in that area. The extent of soil and vegetation perturbation may be pervasive on the landscape so that these animals may be considered as ecosystem engineers. The digging activities of ecosystem engineers are significant as they influence soil properties (e.g. nutrient cycling) including germination of trapped seeds and establishment of seedlings. These changes may occur at small and large scale on a landscape. The utilisation of woody vegetation and ecosystem engineering by such animals, particularly by shy and nocturnal species, is understudied in African savannas. The study was aimed at: (1) quantifying the extent of herbivory by the porcupines on target trees during the wet and dry season in three mesic savanna sites, and (2) evaluating the effects of Cape porcupines’ digging on nutrient cycling (total carbon and total nitrogen) and quantify establishment of vegetation on the mounds. Sampling was undertaken at three mesic savanna sites in South Africa: (i) Roodeplaat Farm in Gauteng Province; (ii) Goss Game Farm; and (iii) Bisley Valley Nature Reserve, both in KwaZulu-Natal Province. I used 30 m × 30 m plots to quantify porcupine foraging holes and bark damage on adult trees at Roodeplaat and Goss while 10 m × 10 m plots were used at Bisley where porcupines foraged on seedlings and saplings of woody plants. I also collected porcupine dung samples over the dry and wet season for micromorphological examination of porcupine diet. I collected soil samples from the mound soil of foraging holes and from adjacent locations within 0.5 m of the hole for analysis of amounts of total carbon and total nitrogen. Measurements of foraging holes comprised of two perpendicular diameters on the soil surface and the maximum depth. Porcupines utilised different tree species of various sizes at the three sites while targeting specific parts of these trees. At Roodeplaat, porcupines targeted Vachellia robusta on which they consumed the trunk part immediately below ground, whereas at Bisley, roots and the lower trunk of V. nilotica seedlings and saplings were utilised, also through digging holes while the bark of the lower trunk (up to 0.7 m) of Spirostachys africana trees was stripped off at Goss. I found that 70% of young V. nilotica trees in or adjacent to holes in Bisley were scarred or destroyed as a result of porcupine feeding on them, while 16% of S. africana trees were wounded at Goss. Only 7% of V. robusta trees were damaged at Roodeplaat. In Bisley, I found that grasses and forbs established faster on the mound than on the surrounds, i.e. seedlings germinated first on the mound than the adjacent not disturbed soil. I also found that foraging holes provide shelter to other animals especially those from the arthropod group e.g. spiders. Amounts of total carbon and total nitrogen were similar between the mounds and undug soil. These findings are discussed in terms of nutrient cycling through digging, breaking down of plant parts and herbivore-induced mortality of main tree species. I argue that tree thinning from ringbarking by porcupine through their foraging activities ameliorates woody plant encroachment in mesic savannas

White rhinoceros populations in the Eastern Cape: distribution, performance and diet

White rhino populations did not occur historically in the Eastern Cape, South Africa (Skead 2007). They have, however, been introduced into a number of reserves within the Eastern Cape for reasons such as conservation, ecotourism and hunting. Based on the literature on the species, it was hypothesized that white rhinoceros would have been introduced in grass-rich habitats, as they are bulk grazers. White rhinoceros populations were further assessed in terms of population establishment by outlining their distribution and performance since introductions and this was done by extracting intercalving intervals from the literature of native populations and comparing such to the Eastern Cape intercalving intervals, extracted from data obtained from landowners. Finally, the diet of white rhinoceros was quantified, in order to identify plant species potentially at risk from white rhino herbivory using Shamwari Private Game Reserve as a study site. The distribution of white rhino in the Eastern Cape varies in terms of habitat and vegetation types. The majority (62%) of white rhino are located in grass-poor habitats and are primarily there for ecotourism purposes with only a small percentage kept for conservation purposes in the state reserves. Limited data for intercalving intervals of the white rhino in Eastern Cape are comparable to those of populations in the natural range. The ex situ conservation of white rhino in the Eastern Cape proved to be a success as population numbers have increased markedly since the first survey was conducted (Buijs 1999). The diet section of this study showed that white rhino are highly selective grazers even in a grass-limiting habitat which is dominated by browse. Twenty-five principal dietary items were identified in their diet, with only six being preferred in autumn. These are thus the plant species that could be the most vulnerable to white rhino herbivory. Supplementary food provision plays a big part of the feeding scheme of white rhino in Shamwari Private Game Reserve during the winter season, revealing the little confidence that the management has on natural resource availability to the animals at this time. These findings support the value of the Eastern Cape for ex situ conservation of white rhino, and highlight plant species potentially at risk. There is a need for further research on the population performance of these animals, and the plants identified here need to be monitored to assess white rhino impact on the vegetatio

Patient-reported outcomes in patients with heart failure

The key challenge in heart failure care research is to explore new directions for optimizing care on an individual and population level. This thesis aimed to investigate the use of different patient-reported outcomes in patients with heart failure and the perception of these outcomes by the patients themselves. We assessed the preferences of outpatients and showed that the majority awards more weight to quality of life over longevity. The prevalence of impairments due to heart failure and the degree of perceived harshness was also investigated. Highly prevalent impairments are not by definition perceived as severely harsh. With a qualitative study we analysed which treatment goal patients perceived as important. ‘Not getting worse’ was perceived as the treatment goal that matters most. We have also studied possibilities to improve health-related quality of life in these patients and found an association between optimism and health-related quality of life and between anemia and health-related quality of life. These associations may serve as emerging targets for improving health-related quality of life. We also studied the effect of using telemonitoring in patients with heart failure, and found that the use of telemonitoring is safe and can reduce heart failure related visits to the outpatient clinic. However we did not find differences in rehospitalisation-, mortality rates and health-related quality of life measurements between patients who used telemonitoring or not. Finally, with a literature review we investigated the satisfaction of patients with using telemedicine. We showed that patient satisfaction is still underexposed in the literature about non-invasive telemedicine research

Warby Parker: A Blurred Vision of Profitability

Warby Parker is a rising competitor in the heavily consolidated eyewear industry. When it launched in 2008, the company took on a blue ocean strategy, which incorporates both cost leadership and product differentiation, in hopes of defeating powerful incumbents. Rather than selling its frames in existing eyewear retailers, many of which are owned by competitors, Warby Parker launched online, selling high-quality frames at an affordable price. More than a decade later, the company is reevaluating its strategy as it has yet to become profitable

An analysis of oversight mechanisms to promote good governance : the case of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality

This study examines oversight and accountability in relation to good governance in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. It also explores the implementation of the separation of powers governance model since its inception in August 2011. The study accentuated the significance of legislative mechanisms to foster greater oversight and separation of powers within the municipality’s governance structures. It demonstrates that the relevance of the available mechanisms in current legislation can lead to the practical separation of executive and legislative powers as well as sound oversight within the municipality. The study acknowledges the conflation of executive and legislative functions in the municipal council as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 section 151(2) that resulted in a lack of clarity of the roles of office bearers causing an oversight deficit. The literature review acknowledged that the concept of good governance is conducted through a policy approach that highlights the roles of the political, organisational and economic standards of lawfulness and efficacy in the daily operations of the public sector. The study illustrates the significance of the section 79 committees as an oversight mechanism established in respect of Section 43 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) of the municipal council in relation to the separation of powers governance model. The study applied qualitative research methods, which included open-ended questionnaires and secondary sources to comprehend the separation of powers governance model in local government. Triangulation of data was fundamental to ensure that the case study provided the correct interpretation of the participants’ perceptions. The case study concludes with recommendations as informed by the research to improve the functionality of the separation of powers governance model in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. The commendations could assist policy makers to institute municipal systems of governance separating the executive functions from the legislative functions to create meaningful oversight to stimulate good governance. The implementation of separation of powers governance model provides an opportunity within local government to contribute towards the attainment of good governance. Ultimately, this study contributes to the knowledge and modernisation in local government within metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2018.School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)MAdminUnrestricte

Evaluation of the National Development Agency’s training on improving governance of non-profit organisations.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Numerous research studies on training effectiveness have been conducted, but seldom found in NPO settings within the South African context. In an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of NDA training on improving the governance of NPOs, a training programme for NDA trained NPOs in Gauteng was studied. The focus of the study was to examine the learning, transfer, and reasons for continuous non-compliant and poor governance practices of NPOs in South Africa. The study adopted a mixed-method research approach with the rationale of using qualitative findings to confirm the quantitative findings. The research was conducted three years of post-training. The tested hypotheses amongst 200 respondents translated into a response rate of 79% for the questionnaire and 8 respondents from the interviews. The Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural equation model (AMOS) was used for quantitative data, whereas NVIVO was used for qualitative data analysis. Data analysis results revealed some degree of learning and training transfer and several reasons for low and high transfer of training. The transferability of training back in the workplace was found to be at very low rates amongst the trainees. In practice, the findings of this research have practical implications for the training institutions when designing the training interventions. To assure learning and the maximum transfer several considerations must be made before and during the training programme. First, to make a good training design that accommodates the different training needs at different levels, thorough training needs assessment at the individual participant level seems important to ensure the success of training transfer as well as the quality of training. Second, the training needs of the participant’s level varies from individual to individual, so the more a training satisfies the individual participant level training needs, the better the chances of the existence for learning and training transfer. The use of diverse instructional methods is considered an important strategy for training design that leads to successful training transfer. Third, providing learning experiences in different ways, the trainees can master the training content conceptually and practically. Lastly, the training facilitator also plays a critical role in guiding the trainee’ learning and application of the learning back to the jobs. Several research implications surfaced from this study. The study contributes to the literature on how trainee’s behavioural change can affect training effectiveness regardless of how the training is designed

Zoonotic Transmission of Vaccine-Derived Bordetella bronchiseptica.

We describe a unique case of a 43-year-old-female with a Bordetella bronchiseptica infection caused by zoonotic transmission following vaccination of her dog. With this report, we want to raise awareness of potential zoonotic transmission of live attenuated vaccines from animals to patients with impaired immunity.</p