The Significance Attached to Education and Youth Development in Rural South Africa

Education plays a significant role in improving the socioeconomic conditions of individuals and communities. Given that the youth make up the largest proportion of the population in the rural areas, it is important to understand the social and economic dynamics that affect their ability to develop as individuals and members of society. To put it another way, the significance attached to education will play an important role in the development of young people in the rural areas. This can be attributed to the fact that these young people have to contend with the difficulties posed by resource mobilization when it comes to accessing education or, in some cases, the social and cultural constraints that they face. This chapter shows that the significance attached to the education of the youth in the rural areas of South Africa is a reflection of a myriad of challenges presented by cultural and social expectations and is compounded by the bottlenecks in educational resource mobilization

Numerical modelling of the Angola Low and the Botswana High during a neutral and two El Ni˜no summers

The Angola Low and Botswana High pressure systems are thought to play a crucial role in the variability of summer rainfall over southern Africa. However, very little is known about their variability during the summer half of the year and how their influence on rainfall patterns during ENSO and non-ENSO summers may vary. In simple terms, a weaker Angola Low is expected to lead to decreased rainfall as is a stronger Botswana High. This study looks at the monthly evolution of the Angola Low and the Botswana High during the neutral summer of 2012/13 and the two strong El Ni˜no summers of 1997/98 and 2015/16 using the WRF model. CFSR and CFSv2 reanalyses, satellite derived winds, GPCC rainfall and TRMM satellite-derived rainfall estimates are used to validate the model. The model was integrated from September through to April for each run with observed sea surface temperature and reanalyses as boundary conditions. During the neutral summer of 2012/13, the Angola Low became clearly evident in the model during the pentad of 6-10 October whereas during the 1997/98 and 2015/16 El Ni˜no summers, it became evident during the pentads of 6-10 November and 16-20 November respectively. In addition to these differences in onset, there were also differences in the date after which the Low was no longer present in the model fields. These dates were 26-28 February 2013 and 26-31 March 1998 while in the 2015/16 case, the Low remained present throughout the whole of March. In each year, the Botswana High was present throughout the entire summer half of the year. The WRF simulation indicated that during the strong El Ni˜no event of 1997/98, the Angola Low did not weaken whereas the Botswana High was weaker than normal. However, during the strong El Ni˜no event of 2015/16, the Angola Low was weaker and the Botswana High was relatively strong. The strengthening of the Angola Low and the weakening of the Botswana High during the strong 1997/98 El Ni˜no led to substantial rainfall over southern Africa. The near to above average rainfall over subtropical southern Africa during 1997/98 was unexpected given the strength of the El Ni˜no and the SST anomalies in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The weaker Angola Low and stronger Botswana High during the strong 2015/16 El Ni˜no led to severe drought over the region. The study highlights the importance of modulations in the Angola Low and the Botswana High for rainfall anomalies during ENSO and non-ENSO summers as very different rainfall patterns may occur over southern Africa during similar strength ENSO events. The significance of these regional circulation systems is reinforced by the fact that during the 2012/13 neutral summer, the Angola Low was stronger than average and the Botswana High was relatively weak leading to good rainfall. The relationship between the Angola Low, the Botswana High and southern Africa rainfall is found to be relatively strong through the 1979-2017 period. Thus, monitoring and better understanding these regional circulation systems is important and complements ongoing efforts to monitor and predict ENSO

The Proverb <i>manong a ja ka ditshika</i> as an Embodiment of the Principle of Unity

The proverb, manong a ja ka ditshika (birds of a feather flock together), has a unifying element among the Batswana because it contains principles that meaningfully guide, counsel and also influence their behaviour. This chapter aims to explore the relationship between proverbs, identity and culture, and how proverbs impact one’s identity. It will first define three concepts – proverb, culture and identity. This will be followed by a discussion of the theory of structuralism, which best explains the use of proverbs among communities. The theory is grounded on the idea that the community produces literature and an author is a product of society. Therefore, society determines ways of survival that should be transferred to posterity to ensure social control, group thinking and continuity. The chapter will then present a catalogue of proverbs that support the notion of unity in the proverb under discussion

Meeting the challenges of black English second language South African learners in ex-model C primary schools

Black South African learners are registered in ex-Model C schools to receive their education. The language of learning and teaching is English, whilst these learners’ English language proficiency is limited. They come from different townships and rural areas, and their home languages are indigenous languages. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is a serious barrier that hinders the learners’ true potential. The Department of Education expects the schools to assist the learners by identifying the gaps in their education early, and by offering support. The study aims to investigate and describe the challenges facing black, English second-language South African learners and to meet their needs by offering suggestions as to how they could be assisted to learn and achieve according to their full potential. There is a need to heighten the awareness of different stakeholders who are involved in educating the learner and to stimulate their interest to assist in meeting the learners’ challenges. The author has made use of mainly qualitative research methodology, and in some instances had followed the quantitative method of research. All the participants were from a specific ex-Model C school in Pretoria. The data were gathered by means of a literature review, document analysis, questionnaires, and classroom visits and observations. The study has revealed that the black South African learners in ex-Model C schools are faced by numerous challenges owing to their limited English proficiency, and that they do not meet the requirements to pass their grades. Their inability to cope affects their self-esteem and confidence negatively. The learners do not take risks to participate actively during lessons as they tend to avoid embarrassment and being teased by their peers. The study further revealed that there are other contributing factors to the learners’ challenges, such as teachers who cannot assist the learners in the language that the learners understand (indigenous languages), parents’ limited English proficiency, learners rising at 05:00 to prepare to get to school, late attendance of classes, absenteeism, waiting till late in the afternoons to be fetched from school, unsupervised homework and a lack of appropriate resources at home. The study resulted in formulating guidelines and recommendations that will help meet the challenges faced by black South African learners in ex-Model C schools, and support them.Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.African Languagesunrestricte

Social policy and the state in South Africa: pathways for human capability development

The main focus of this thesis is the challenges that are facing social policy development and implementation in South Africa in relation to the enhancement of human capability. The study adopted a historical approach to assess the model of social policy in South Africa and identified that social relations of domination inherited from the apartheid era continuing to produce inequalities in opportunities. Social policy under the democratic government has not managed to address social inequalities and the main drivers of poverty in the form of income poverty, asset poverty and capability poverty which are the underlying factors reproducing deprivation and destitution of the majority of the population Although South Africa prides itself of a stable democracy, social inequalities continue to undermine the benefits of social citizenship because political participation in the midst of unequal access to economic and social resources undermine the value of citizenship. Also, inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth, and in the control of economic production undermine political equality which is an ethic upon which social rights are predicated. As a result, state interventions are lacking inherent potential to build human capability for people to live the life that they have reason to value. The paradox of social policy in South Africa is that the majority of those who are marginalised are those who were excluded by the apartheid regime even though state intervention is claimed to be targeting them. This points to the failure of incremental equalisation of opportunities within a context of stark social inequities. It is also an indication that the economic growth path delivered by the political transition is working to reinforce the inherited legacy of deprivation and it is avoiding questions related to the structural nature of poverty and inequalities. Therefore, a transformative social policy is an imperative for South Africa. Such a framework of social policy should be premised upon a notion of human security in order to built human capability. Human security focuses on the security of individuals and communities to strengthen human development. It emphasises on civil, political and socioeconomic rights for individual citizens to participate fully in the process of governance. Although this thesis is a case study of social policy in South Africa, it can be used to appreciate the role of social policy in other developing countries, particularly the impact of political decision making on social distribution. Poverty and social inequalities are growing problems in developing countries and so is the importance of putting these problems under the spotlight for political attention

IMPROVING THE PROPERTIES OF MILD STEEL BY TERNARY MULTILAYER COMPOSITE COATING VIA ELECTRODEPOSITION ROUTE

A wide range of metal-oxides exhibit fascinating properties and multiple functionalities that could address challenge of physical and mechanical deterioration of materials in service. In this study, Zn-ZrO2, Zn-SiC and Zn-ZrO2-SiC composite coating was fabricated from zinc based sulphate electrolyte at constant current density, depth of immersion, distance between anode and cathode with time of deposition. The effect of particle on the physical behaviour of the coating was examined by coating gauge tester for the coating thickness and coating texture. The mechanical properties in term of hardness and wear characteristics were examined using high diamond micro-hardness tester and three body abrasive MTR-300 testers with dry sand rubber wheel apparatus with 5 N and 15 N, respectively. The coating stability in harsh region was examined with isothermal furnace at 200 oC for 4 h. The structural behaviour was investigated using scanning electron microscope attached with energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The result shows that significant improvements in wear and hardness properties are linked to the microstructural modification of the coating as a result of the embedded particulate. The strengthening behaviour was improved with about 98% of coating efficiency. The progression of the coating thickness and texture were in line with other results obtained

The form, content and style in P. Leseyane's Letlhaku le legologolo

Much memory, or memory of many things, is called experience. Again, imagination being only for those things which have been formerly perceived by sense, either all at once or by parts at several times; the former, which is the imagining the whole object as it was presented to the sense, is simple imagination, as when one imagineth a man, or horse, which he hath seen before. The other is compounded; as when, from the sight of a man at one time and of a horse at another, we conceive in our mind a centaur. So when a man compoundeth the image of his own person with the image of the actions of another man ... , it is a compound imagination, and properly but a fiction of the mind (Thomas Hobbes in Hollander et al 1973: 1001 ) This study sets out to expose the literariness of Leseyane's Letlhaku le legologolo as an essay . The point of departure here is that in the Setswana language, there seems to be a lack of the essay as an art-form. Guided by this we first define the term essay according to different scholars, in an attempt to set ground rules for our discussion. The structure of the essay in its classical form, as well as the relationship between the essay and the essayist, and between the essay and other literary forms, are discussed. The second chapter reveals the theoretical background as relied on in chapters three and four. Chapter three focusses on the content of the essay, discusses the various themes, and is the beginning of the discussion proper of our text, Letlhaku le legologolo. The relationship between the essayist and the reader is hinted at in this chapter since the content of any given essay usually belongs to the world view of the society that produces the author thereof. Chapter four is the product of the first and third parts of the title: The form, content and style in Leseyane's Letlhaku le legologolo, namely form and style. These are discussed together because of similarities in their approach. We also discuss space and text in this chapter to reveal the relationship between literature and the society that produces it.African LanguagesM .A. (African Languages

A Novel Effect of Solanum Tuberosum/Zn-30Al-7Ti Sulphate Modified Coating on UNS G10150 Mild Steel Via Dual-anode Electrodeposition Route

UNS G10150 steel was electrodeposited with Zn-30Al-7%Ti, in the presence of solanum tuberosum, under sulphate condition, via dual anode route. The microstructures of the deposited layers were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The microhardness properties and wear characteristics were performed using a diamond based microhardness tester and a CERT reciprocating sliding tester. The microstructure revealed a massive structural transformation with hexagonal dendritic and whisker-like structure for the Zn-30Al-7%Ti coating. There was a significant rise in surface micro hardness values of the co-deposited layers, due to the presence of hard phase TiO2 particles, and solanum precipitation. The surface strengthening effect induced by solanum, and Al/TiO2 addition, with the presence of Zn2Al3Ti2, could be responsible for low plastic deformation and improved hardness of the coating. It is established that the electrodeposition route via dual anode of Zn-Al-Ti with adsorbed fluid on UNS G10150 steel can be used to improve the surface hardness values, aesthetic properties and wear resistance

Effect of Incorporating a Biodegradable Ecofriendly Additive in Pursuit of Improved Anti-Corrosion, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Zn-based TiO2/TiB2 Coating by DAECD Technique

The incorporation of composite and eco-friendly particles or fluids to develop new engineering materials has recently changed the coating world. In this study, a Zn-TiO2- TiB2 ternary alloywas produced from a sulphate bath on a mild steel substrate. Solanum tuberosum (ST) was later introduced to the bath to evaluate the effect of the organic additive on the ternary alloy. The study was conducted under constant plating time and current density. The fabricated matrix was systematically investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) for structural properties. The micro hardness and anti-corrosion properties of the deposits were studied using, respectively, a diamond base micro hardness tester and potentiodynamic polarization method. The anti-wear properties and thermal stability of the electrodeposited alloy were studied using a MTR-300 abrasive tester and an isothermal furnace at 250 ºC. From the observed result, the coatings presented good stability, especially for Zn-TiO2-TiB2-ST, as compared to the Zn-TiO2-TiB2 coating. The addition of ST improved the hardness properties of the matrix from 182.4 to197.2 HV, and the corrosion rate from 0.9805 to 0.7711 mm/yr. This work established that codeposition of mild steel with TiO2/TiB2/ST is promising in anti-wear and corrosion resistance properties