Undoing the injustices of the past: restitution of rights in land in postapartheid South Africa, with special reference to the North-West Province

This article is concerned with the important question of the restitution of rights in land to individuals and communities, dispossessed of such rights under racially discriminatory laws. These laws were buttressed by policies such as “the clearance of blackspots” and “poorly situated areas”, “betterment schemes” and “cancellation of title deeds”. In the process some three and a half million people were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands leading to the notorious statistics where the white population, comprising less than 20% of the country’s total population, owned 87% of the land, leaving 13% to the black peoples. In what is now the North-West Province, the land question was further complicated by the discredited policy of Bantustans. Under this policy, Botswana people were forcibly removed from their ancestral land to form the socalled homeland of Bophuthatswana. South Africa’s history of conquest and dispossession, of forced removals and a racially-skewed distribution of land resources has left a painful legacy. This paper examines the achievements and challenges of the land restitution process since its inception in 1994. It is evident from the discussion below that while the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights has achieved some notable results in this complex and dynamic process, much remains to be done in addressing and overcoming an intricate web of challenges in the delivery process. It is hoped that this discussion will make a modest contribution to the on-going debate about reconciliation, reconstruction and development in post-apartheid South Africa

Safety and immunogenicity of Onderstepoort Biological Products’ Rift Valley fever Clone 13 vaccine in sheep and goats under field conditions in Senegal

This blinded field safety study was conducted in Senegal to assess safety and immunogenicity of administration of the registered dose of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) Clone 13 vaccine (Onderstepoort Biological Products) to sheep and goats of West African breeds under natural conditions. A total of 267 small ruminants (220 sheep, 47 goats) were included; half received RVFV Clone 13 vaccine at the recommended dose and half received the diluent (as placebo) only. The study was performed on three commercial farms in the northern and eastern region of Senegal in accordance with veterinary good clinical practices. The animals were observed daily for 3 days after vaccination, and then weekly for 1 year. In both sheep and goats vaccinated against RVFV seroconversion rates above 70% were recorded. No seroconversion related to RVFV was observed in placebo-treated animals. No statistically significant differences were determined between placebo and vaccinated groups for mean rectal temperatures for the first 3 days after administration (p > 0.05). No abnormal clinical signs related to treatment were noted, and only one slight injection site reaction was observed in one vaccinated animal for 2 days after vaccination. Out of 176 births assessed over 1 year (93 from the vaccinated group, 83 from the placebo group), 9 were abnormal in the placebo group and 3 in the vaccinated group (p > 0.05). The frequency of adverse events was similar in the placebo and vaccinated groups. RVFV Clone 13 vaccine administered according to the manufacturer’s instructions was safe and well tolerated in West African breeds of sheep and goats, including animals of approximately 6 months of age and pregnant females, under field conditions in Senegal. Antibody levels persisted up to 1 year after vaccination

Theileria parva seroprevalence in traditionally kept cattle in southern Zambia and El Nino

Sero-epidemiological surveys involving 27,526 cattle over a period of 8 years show that Theileria part,a, the parasite causing East Coast fever (ECF) is found throughout southern Zambia. Higher values of T. parva scro-prevalence were observed in the plateau districts of Monze, Choma and Mazabuka than in the valley districts of Siavonga and Sinazongwe. Our results reveal a strong association between high T. parva sero-prevalence and the presence of the periodic climatic phenomenon known as the El Nino Southern Oscillation. More T. pan,a seropositive samples were recorded during El Nino years (1997/98) (P < 0.001) than other years in the study period. From this association, we conclude that Multiple El Nino Southern Oscillation Indices can be used to predict years with high or low ECF infection prevalence thereby contributing to the improved control of ECF in the area. (c) 2005 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Questing activity of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs: a random process?

In Zambia, an experiment under quasi-natural conditions indicated that Rhipicephalus appendiculatus nymphs react to prevailing climatic conditions. Higher temperatures and higher vapour pressure deficits lead to decreased activity. The majority of nymphs (>75%) were recorded at ground level. Simulations showed that larval phenology and temperature during the nymphal premoulting period largely explain the seasonal abundance patterns of nymphs, as observed on cattle, given the absence of a behavioural diapause. Consequently, the effect of climate, as observed in our studies, is masked. However, the results of the present study indicate that daily climatic conditions probably have a much larger effect on the transmission dynamics of Theileria parva. The vertical distribution of questing instars is a function of temperature and humidity. In years of unfavourable conditions, nymphs might feed mainly on hosts other than cattle, and this could govern the infection prevalence in the adult population. This suggestion is supported by previous epidemiological studies

Theileria parva seroprevalence in traditionally kept cattle in southern Zambia and El Niño

East Coast fever (ECF), a tick-borne disease of cattle, is a major constraint to livestock development in Africa in general and southern Zambia in particular. Understanding the transmission patterns of this disease complex is very difficult as shown by previous studies in southern and eastern Zambia due to the interplay of risk factors. In this long-term study, we investigated whether global weather changes had any influence on disease transmission in traditionally kept cattle in southern Zambia. The results from this study show a strong association between increased Theileria parva contacts in cattle and the presence of El Niño, clearly linking a simple climatic index to disease outbreaks. We therefore propose that in southern Zambia, the simple and readily available multiple El Niño Southern oscillation index (MEI) ranks be used in planning ECF control programmes and early warning

Comparison of manual and homogenizer methods for preparation of tick-derived stabilates of Theileria parva: equivalence testing using an in vitro titration model

Theileria parva sporozoite stabilates are used in the infection and treatment method of immunization, a widely accepted control option for East Coast fever in cattle. T. parva sporozoites are extracted from infected adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks either manually, using a pestle and a mortar, or by use of an electric homogenizer. A comparison of the two methods as a function of stabilate infectivity has never been documented. This study was designed to provide a quantitative comparison of stabilates produced by the two methods. The approach was to prepare batches of stabilate by both methods and then subject them to in vitro titration. Equivalence testing was then performed on the average effective doses (ED). The ratio of infective sporozoites yielded by the two methods was found to be 1.14 in favour of the manually ground stabilate with an upper limit of the 95% confidence interval equal to 1.3. We conclude that the choice of method rests more on costs, available infrastructure and standardization than on which method produces a richer sporozoite stabilate