Factors that Undermine Service Delivery by Civil Engineers in South African Local Municipalities

The objective of study was to identify and quantify key predictors of job satisfaction among civil engineers working in South African local municipalities. The design of study was cross-sectional, descriptive and evaluative. The study was conducted against the background of shortage of suitably qualified, adequately motivated and skilled civil engineers working in local municipalities. The degree of job satisfaction of respondents was assessed by using a composite index developed by Turkyilmaz, Akman, Ozkan and Pastuszak (2011) for conducting a similar study. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analyses were used in the study. As part of the quantitative aspect of study, data was collected from a stratified random sample of size 250 civil engineers working in various South African local municipalities. As part of the qualitative aspect of study, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 civil engineers working in various local municipalities. Four focus group interviews were conducted as part of the study. Data was collected by using a structured, pretested and validated questionnaire of study. Quantitative data analyses were conducted by using methods such as frequency tables, cross-tab analyses (Pearson’s chi-square tests of associations) and binary logistic regression analysis. The results showed that 171 of the 250 respondents who took part in the study (68.40%) were satisfied with the job that they were performing in the various local municipalities, whereas the remaining 79 of the 250 respondents in the study (31.60%) were not satisfied with their jobs. Based on results obtained from cross-tab analyses at the 5% level of significance, the degree of job satisfaction of civil engineers at the workplace was significantly and adversely affected by too much workload, poor working conditions, lack of budget for construction projects, low salary and remuneration, lack of training opportunities, lack of cooperation and appreciation, too much bureaucracy and red tape, short duration of service, and poor relationship with supervisors, in a decreasing order of strength. Results obtained from binary logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of job satisfaction of civil engineers at the workplace was significantly and adversely affected by 3 factors. These 3 factors were too much workload, poor working conditions, and lack of budget for construction projects in a decreasing order of strength. Results obtained from individual and focus group in-depth interviews led to similar findings

Arguments in favour of the abolition of the death sentence in South Africa

This paper deals with the history of capital punishment in South Africa and its historical background in Britain where it was abolished, except for a few instances, because it was found to serve no purpose which could not be served by other forms of punishment. In South Africa, capital punishment is a legal punishment form. Prior to 1290, C(lpital punishment was mandatory for murder, except in a few exceptional cases. Its application was amended by the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act, 107 of 1990. In terms of this Act, capital punishment was made discretionary for all capital offences., The new provisions do not remove all arguments against capital punishment. Consequently this paper recommends that capital p~shment sb_ould J:>~ _abolished. Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is an effective alternative that will protect society and satisfy aggrieved parties. Life imprisonment has none of the problems that are normally associated with capital punishment.Criminal and Procedural LawL.L.M

Plants’ bioactive secondary metabolites in the management of sepsis: Recent findings on their mechanism of action

Sepsis is a severe inflammatory response to systemic infection and is a threatening cause of death in intensive care units. In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted on the protective effect of natural products against sepsis-induced organ injury. However, a comprehensive review of these studies indicating the mechanisms of action of the bioactive compounds is still lacking. In this context, this review aimed to provide an updated analysis of the mechanism of action of plants’ secondary metabolites in the management of sepsis. Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed were searched from inception to July 2022. A variety of secondary metabolites were found to be effective in sepsis management including allicin, aloin, cepharanthine, chrysin, curcumin, cyanidin, gallic acid, gingerol, ginsenoside, glycyrrhizin, hesperidin, kaempferol, narciclasine, naringenin, naringin, piperine, quercetin, resveratrol, rosmarinic acid, shogaol, silymarin, sulforaphane, thymoquinone, umbelliferone, and zingerone. The protective effects exerted by these compounds can be ascribed to their antioxidant properties as well as induction of endogenous antioxidant mechanisms, and also via the downregulation of inflammatory response and reduction of biochemical and inflammatory markers of sepsis. These findings suggest that these secondary metabolites could be of potential therapeutic value in the management of sepsis, but human studies must be performed to provide strength to their potential clinical relevance in sepsis-related morbidity and mortality reduction

The relationship between the political branches and the judiciary with reference to the principle of judicial independence

The concept of judicial independence arguably forms the basis of the relationship between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. It is also an integral part of the functioning of the courts and therefore requires some protection. This paper looks at the relationship between the political braches, being the legislature and the executive on the one hand, and the judiciary on the other. In order to explore the concept of judicial independence, the doctrine of the separation of powers ought to be discussed. The introductory part of this paper will be dedicated to uncovering the origins of the doctrine of the separation of powers along with its modern day application within South Africa and other jurisdictions across the world. The core of this paper analyses whether there are any political pressures or influences on the judiciary and on judges when they make decisions. In order to assist with the above, five judgments ofthe Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal will be discussed and an assessment of the reasoning of the courts' decisions will be made. As will be discussed, although the decisions appear legally justiciable, politics arguably remains an underlying factor in the judicial decisioncmaking process and as will be argued the courts have over the years created mechanisms of protecting their institutional security. The latter part of this paper focuses on the Judicial Service Commission and the consequences of the involvement of the political branches within the judicial appointment-making process. An assessment of the present relationship between the political branches and the judiciary will also be made in this paper with a particular focus on the relationship between the executive and the judiciary. Recent case law and public discussions will be used to illustrate where this relationship may stand and whether it is possibly strained. This paper is centered around the principle of judicial independence and how courts are able to maintain their institutional security along with their relationship with the political branches.Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2016.Public LawLLMUnrestricte

Isolation and characterisation of antimicrobial compounds from Antizoma angustifolia

Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.Infectious diseases are responsible for more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide, most of which are associated with bacterial infections. The increase in antibiotic resistance is thought to be a contributing factor to this problem. It is thus clear that more antimicrobials with different mechanisms of action are needed to help alleviate the problem. Isolation of antimicrobial compounds from plants could contribute towards solving this problem as they may have different mechanisms of action than the antimicrobial agents currently in use. The aim of the study was to identify a specific plant with antimicrobial activity and to isolate and characterise the compounds responsible for this activity. Eight plants, namely Antizoma angustifolia, Carpobrotus acinaciformis, Delosperma herbeum, Melianthus comosus, Physalis viscosa, Rhus pyroides, Zanthoxylum capensis and Ziziphus mucronata were selected for screening. Soxhlet extraction was used to prepare extracts of the different morphological parts of each plant using petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol successively. These plant extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against a range of micro-organisms using disc diffusion and microplate methods. The extracts showed variable activity with the dichloromethane extract of Antizoma angustifolia leaves showing the most promising activity. The leaf extracts (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol) of Antizoma angustifolia were subjected to activity-guided fractionation using column chromatography. This lead to the isolation of bulbocapnine and dicentrine from the dichloromethane extract and the isolation of crotsparine from the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts. The compounds were identified by spectroscopic techniques. These compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity using the microplate method and crotsparine showed weak activity. Although the activity of crotsparine was not very high, it might still be useful as a lead compound in the development of antimicrobial drug development. The biological activity of these compounds does however confirm the fact that the diverse chemistry of plants is still a very important source of novel biologically active and lead compounds. The biological activity of the compounds isolated from Antizoma angustifolia could justify its ethnopharmacological uses.Master

Establishing idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) as a precursor to work role performance

The study determines the relationship between i-deals and work role performance amongst employees across industries in the South African context. The study follows a quantitative approach, and a cross-sectional design was adopted. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was chosen. An online questionnaire was used. A total of 231 employees from various industries in Johannesburg, South Africa, were included in the sample. Data were collected using pre-established instruments, and SPSS was used to analyse data. Reliability analysis was used to determine the psychometric qualities of the instruments. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were chosen to examine the data against the research objectives. The study’s findings confirmed a relationship between i-deals and work role performance. Task and work responsibility, schedule flexibility and career development predicted work role performance. The findings assist researchers and practitioners in dealing with and understanding how these customised work arrangements affect individual work role performance. Expanding knowledge of i?deals will help employees and employers improve their dynamic and organisational needs more effectively. HR practitioners will also use the concept of i-deals as a strategic tool to retain talented employees. The study adds to the literature on i-deals and their relationship to work role performance in a South African context. There are limited studies in South Africa regarding our knowledge of i-deals. The present study’s results contribute to the literature on i-deals and their relationship with work role performance within a South African context

The effects of financial liberalisation on the sustainable growth rate of dual listed companies on the JSE Limited

M.Com. (Financial Management)In 1995, the South African government needed to address the widening poverty gap. The manner in which they would do so was through the process of financial market liberalisation of the JSE. The intention behind the process of financial liberalisation on the JSE was to increase the liquidity of the JSE. The significance of this study is that it would provide regulators of financial markets, policy makers and academics information on the effectiveness of the liberalisation of the JSE on dual listed companies’ ability to grow in a sustainable manner. Previous literature has found the risk sharing benefit associated with financial market liberalisation. With the increased number of participants in market would increase the chance of successful trades. Previous studies have found that there is a positive correlation with financial market liberalisation and market liquidity. Exchange controls have been put in place to prevent capital flight in sudden economic down turns. Certain studies have found that financial market liberalisation on has had minimal impact on the market capitalisation This study investigates the effects the financial liberalisation on the JSE had on dual listed companies’ sustainable growth rates. A purposive sampling technique was used in this study and a sample of 28 dual listed companies was selected. The approach to this study was an explanatory approach and the research paradigm was archival. The statistical tools which were utilised in the study were broken into two components, namely, the descriptive statistics and the inferential statistics. The data that were used in the study were secondary data collected from I-Net Bridge. The results of this study indicated that the financial liberalisation of the JSE did have an impact on the sustainable growth rates of dual listed companies on the JSE. Recommendations were made in this study for the dual listed companies to improve their net profit margins. The methods in which the dual listed companies are able to improve their net profit margins are by finding competitive sustainable advantages. It was further recommended that the Income Tax Act No. 58 of 1962 needs to be amended to create a conducive economic environment for the dual listed companies to grow sustainably. It was further recommended that the dual listed companies on the JSE invest in human capital in order to improve their sustainable growth rate

Establishing idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) as a precursor to work role performance

The study determines the relationship between i-deals and work role performance amongst employees across industries in the South African context. The study follows a quantitative approach, and a cross-sectional design was adopted. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was chosen. An online questionnaire was used. A total of 231 employees from various industries in Johannesburg, South Africa, were included in the sample. Data were collected using pre-established instruments, and SPSS was used to analyse data. Reliability analysis was used to determine the psychometric qualities of the instruments. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were chosen to examine the data against the research objectives. The study’s findings confirmed a relationship between i-deals and work role performance. Task and work responsibility, schedule flexibility and career development predicted work role performance. The findings assist researchers and practitioners in dealing with and understanding how these customised work arrangements affect individual work role performance. Expanding knowledge of i?deals will help employees and employers improve their dynamic and organisational needs more effectively. HR practitioners will also use the concept of i-deals as a strategic tool to retain talented employees. The study adds to the literature on i-deals and their relationship to work role performance in a South African context. There are limited studies in South Africa regarding our knowledge of i-deals. The present study’s results contribute to the literature on i-deals and their relationship with work role performance within a South African context

2-acetylphenol analogs as potent reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Lesetja J Legoabe,1 Anél Petzer,1 Jacobus P Petzer1,21Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaAbstract: Based on a previous report that substituted 2-acetylphenols may be promising leads for the design of novel monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, a series of C5-substituted 2-acetylphenol analogs (15) and related compounds (two) were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of human MAO-A and MAO-B. Generally, the study compounds exhibited inhibitory activities against both MAO-A and MAO-B, with selectivity for the B isoform. Among the compounds evaluated, seven compounds exhibited IC50 values <0.01 µM for MAO-B inhibition, with the most selective compound being 17,000-fold selective for MAO-B over the MAO-A isoform. Analyses of the structure–activity relationships for MAO inhibition show that substitution on the C5 position of the 2-acetylphenol moiety is a requirement for MAO-B inhibition, and the benzyloxy substituent is particularly favorable in this regard. This study concludes that C5-substituted 2-acetylphenol analogs are potent and selective MAO-B inhibitors, appropriate for the design of therapies for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.Keywords: monoamine oxidase, MAO, inhibition, 2-acetylphenol, structure–activity relationshi