Divergent spatial patterns in the prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis in South African pregnant women

An analysis of the ecological association between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis was undertaken using joint mapping modelling based on data from South African national HIV and syphilis sentinel surveillance surveys carried out between 2007 and 2009. The syphilis prevalence, taken as proxy for sexual behaviour and increased HIV transmission, was first used with health district-level deprivation and population density as a covariate in a HIV prevalence spatial regression model and, secondly, together with HIV as a bivariate outcome. HIV was more highly prevalent in deprived and populated urban areas than elsewhere, while syphilis had a high prevalence in less deprived and less populated rural areas. Spatially, the HIV prevalence was lowest in the southwestern and highest in the northeastern parts of the country. This was in discordance to the syphilis prevalence, which revealed negative correlations with the HIV prevalence. Considerable variations across the districts remained after adjusting for the contextual covariate factors. Divergent spatial patterns between HIV and syphilis were identified, regarding both observed and unobserved covariate effects. The differing disease-specific spatial prevalence patterns may point to inconsistent successes in interventions between the two diseases. Overall, the results emphasize the need to develop and test plausible aetiological hypotheses relating to ecological correlations and causes of the disease-specific interjectory between the district

Problems encountered by educators regarding the implementation of the national curriculum statement in mathematics

Thesis (M. Tech. (Education)) -- Central University of Technology, Free state, 2011This study examines the problems encountered by educators regarding the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement in mathematics in grades 10-12. The first aim of the study was to provide solutions to problems regarding training experienced by FET mathematics educators. The second aim was to identify problem areas in the NCS that frustrate mathematics educators teaching in the FET band and to identify areas that appeal to these educators. The third aim was to provide guidelines to assist educators with lesson planning in mathematics in the FET band. The fourth aim was to provide guidelines for appropriate assessment in mathematics in the FET band. The fifth aim was to provide guidelines for the effective integration of OBE in the teaching of mathematics in the FET band. The field work was executed by administering a questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of fifty two educators teaching in the FET band. Interviews were semi-structured, flexible and yielded additional information to that of the questionnaire. The questions of the interview were directly related to the objectives of the study and followed a given sequence that was adhered to in each interview process. The researcher arranged to interview one educator from each of the 15 randomly selected schools in the Motheo-district, but only 10 educators responded positively in the interview process, other educators could not avail themselves on that day. The researcher analysed the responses according to the respondent‟s personal particulars. Descriptive analysis of the sample data for section B of the questionnaire were then done, using respondent counting, percentages and the average for the responses of each statement. This study revealed that educators differ in terms of the problems that they encountered in implementing the NCS in mathematics. The findings from this study pointed out problems such as educators receiving inadequate training on implementing the NCS in mathematics. It was also revealed that educators had not been visited by the departmental officials in their schools for monitoring the implementation of the NCS in mathematics. The last finding showed that teaching and learning support material arrived late during 2008 and that there was a large shortage of such material. The result of the study provides invaluable baseline information with regard to the problems encountered by the educators in the implementation of the NCS in mathematics. On the basis of the findings of this study, a number of recommendations for the implementation of curriculum change in mathematics on FET level are given in Chapter 5

The South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan as a response to South African economic crisis

The impact of the current Covid-19 pandemic on the economy presents an opportunity for an economic reset in South Africa. The economic reset will provide a chance for structural transformation that will underpin economic growth and sustainable development. The Covid-19 pandemic has entrenched and exposed South Africa’s inequality. Unemployment is at an all-time high and over half of South Africans, the majority which is African live in extreme poverty. This inequality has created a conducive environment for the recent instabilities that led to mass looting and property destruction. In response to the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, the South African government adopted the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to reconstruct and reset the economy. However, the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan do not present an opportunity for the economic reset but it’s a perpetuation of neoliberalism. Therefore, the call “to build a new, inclusive economy that benefits all South Africans” is nothing but buzzwords without any meaning. The plan mimics rhetorical calls for job creation and industrialization made by previous policies i.e. National Development Plan (NDP) and New Growth Path (NGP) without any operational plan and a new course of action. In addition, the plan is intended for South Africa to move towards the target set in the NDP, vision 2030. This paper analyzes the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan as a response to the economic crisis. Moreover, the paper seeks to determine whether the plan will lead to desired results of economic reconstruction. In conclusion, the paper determines whether neoliberalism is the correct trajectory for South African development or is there a need for a developmental state

The dynamics of coping with policy and practice : mathematics educators' experiences

Published AticleThis article reports on the experiences of Mathematics educators during the implementation of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in Grades 10 - 12. The study is contained in five different, but educationally related constructs addressing training, problem areas which challenge or appeal to Mathematics educators, lesson planning, assessment strategies and the effective integration of OBE in the teaching of Mathematics. A mixed methods design was used, with data being collected and collated using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data employed descriptive data analysis, while the qualitative data was analysed by identifying differences and similarities. The study revealed that educators differed in terms of the problems they encountered with implementing the NCS in Mathematics. They agreed, however, that the implementation was successful and that it contributed to better teaching

The Complementary Role of Budgeting and School Mission towards the Success of Dysfunctional Schools

Purpose: This article investigates the connection of budgeting and the mission of schools which could lead to the success of dysfunctional schools, and establish whether the school management teams are capable enough in developing a realistic mission of the schools in line with the budget. Approach/Methodology/Design: The purposeful sampling was employed drawing 131 participants from forty schools. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were used by distributing questionnaires and conducting interviews.  Descriptive statistics were primarily used to organize, analyze, summarize and interpret collected data through the application of mathematical procedures. Findings: It is revealed that knowledge of developing a realistic schools mission and budget is inadequate in some public schools; This results in dysfunctional schools which are clouded by fragmentation of budgeting and mission operating parallel to each other. This is attested by the level of contradictions of SMTs and human resource officials in meeting the basic educational needs, such as the acquirement of learner/teachers support materials and maintenance of dilapidated infrastructure. Learners are left stranded without learning support materials and conducive learning environments. Consequently, quality education is compromised denying learners better education and future enshrined in most schools' mission statements. Practical Implications: What is crucial in modern times, that being meticulous budgeting, capacity building on budgeting, financial and project management as well as a unified and modeling mission in all school activities and a refusal to tolerate dysfunction. Originality/value: The study investigates a crucial problem; the reasons behind dysfunctional schools. There are contradictions between budgeting and school mission statements, mostly leading to dysfunctional performance

The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) in South Africa: An ideological journey

Many people are familiar with South Africa’s political past – the prolonged periods of colonialism and oppression of the black majority, and the eventual dismantling of apartheid and the introduction of a new democratic order. Relatively few people, however, know what principles actually steered South Africa on its journey towards freedom and democracy. It is not uncommon for oppressed people to rise up and institute change through violent revolution. While some groups of people threw their weight behind the idea of an armed struggle, South Africa’s revolution was largely an ideological one ? characterised by a succession of struggle leaders debating the merits of communism vs. socialism, forming resistance groups and alliances, and producing authoritative treatises on how to achieve political and economic liberation (not so much a revolution but a bloody evolution). With the desired political dispensation long since attained, South Africa now faces the formidable challenge of freeing the majority of the population from economic bondage – an outcome that few anticipated back in 1994. This paper traces the history of the ‘National Democratic Revolution’ (NDR) as it applies to South Africa ? from its tentative beginnings, to its heyday, to the present time when overwhelming economic challenges are now threatening to eclipse much of the ideological fervour and progress of years gone by. Keywords: Class alliance; colonialism; democracy; Freedom Charter; National Democratic Revolution; socialism; Tripartite Alliance; political resistance.   Opsomming Die Suid Afrikaanse politieke verlede is bekend aan baie mense – die uitgerekte tydperke van kolonialisme en die verdrukking van die swart meerderheid, en die uiteindelike aftekeling van apartheid en die inleiding tot ‘n nuwe demokratiese bestel. Betreklik min mense is egter bewus van watter beginsels Suid Afrika se reis tot vryheid en demokrasie bepaal het. Dit is nie ongewoon vir onderdrukte mense om in opstand te kom en verandering te bewerkstellig deur gewelddadige revolusie nie. Suid Afrika se revolusie was hoofsaaklik van ideologiese aard – gekenmerk deur ‘n opeenvolging van anti-apartheidsleiers wie die meriete van kommunisme vs sosialisme, die vorming van weerstandsbewegings en alliansies, en wie gesaghebende geskrifte oor hoe om politieke en ekonomiese vryheid te bekom, gedebatteer het. Met die verlangde politieke bestel reeds stewig gevestig, moet Suid Afrika nou egter die besondere uitdaging hoe om die meerderheid van die bevolking van ekonomiese gevangenisskap te bevry. Die artikel verken die geskiedenis van die Nasionale Demokratiese Revolusie (NDR) soos van toepassing op Suid Afrika – van sy onstaan, gevolg deur ‘n bloeitydperk, tot die huidige bestel waarin groot ekonomiese uitdagings nou dreig om die ideologiese ywer en ontwikkeling wat tot stand gebring is, te verskraal.      Sleutelwoorde: Demokrasie; klasalliansie; kolonialisme; nasionale demokratiese revolusie; politieke weerstand; sosialisme; driepartyalliansie; vryheidsmanifes; https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.84.1.236

Assessment of business management competencies among the small-scale farmers in Motsweding District Municipality of Gauteng Province

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2013Small-scale farmers in the land reform programme are faced with many challenges which affect their operations adversely that they cannot maintain a sustainable farming momentum and grow into competitive farming enterprises. Instead they are failing and recently some are already selling the land back. Some of the challenges facing them include lack of access to the markets, lack of finance, poor business planning and lack of business know-how. This study assesses the business management competencies among the small-scale farmers on the land reform programme. The central desire of this study is to establish whether or not small scale farmers have the necessary business management competencies to drive and grow their farms into competitive commercial farms that can contribute to employment creation, rural poverty alleviation, rural food security and economic growth. Outcomes from this study reflect that small-scale farmers do not have capacity on the critical functional areas of business management and as a result their business operations are on the brink of collapsing, and thus directly failing the intentions of land reform programme. With all other factors held constant, this study has revealed that business management competency is a huge vacuum amongst the small-scale farmers, and if business oriented training is not prioritized as a post-settlement support, the land reform’s small-scale farming performance is heading towards a complete collapse

Prospective study on gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and public health in Abuzi

Une étude prospective de parasitisme gastro-intestinal des ovins de race locale et leur susceptibilité d’affecter la santé publique a été réalisée au centre d’Abuzi, au Nord de la République Démocratique du Congo. Quarante moutons ont été examinés au mois d’Avril vers fin de la saison sèche (n = 40). La gamme parasitaire inventoriée comportait deux genres de nématode, par ordre décroissant de prévalence, Ankylostoma (30 %) et Trichuris (10 %). Elle comportait également un genre de protozoaires, Entamoeba (10 %) et un ensemble de bactéries de la flore intestinale (10 %). La variabilité de l’échantillonnage a favorisé une intenté supérieure pour les adultes (80 %) mais avec une forte prévalence des Ankylostoma (67 %). La similitude morphologique et physiologique de ces genres de parasites avec ceux des humains, la divagation des animaux avec propagation des matières fécales au milieu de la population, et la pullulation des mouches domestiques sont susceptibles d’exposer la santé de l’homme à des contaminations des zoonoses parasitaires. Mots-clés: parasites, gastro-intestinaux, ovins, santé publique.A prospective study of gastrointestinal parasitism in local sheep and their susceptibility to affect public health was conducted in the center of Abuzi, in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Forty sheep were examined in April towards the end of the dry season, (n = 40). The parasite range inventoried included two nematode genera, in descending order of prevalence, Ankylostoma (30 %) and Trichuris (10 %). It also contained a genus of protozoa, Entamoeba (10 %) and a set of intestinal flora bacteria (10 %). The variability of the sampling favored a higher claim for adults (80 %) but with a high prevalence of Ankylostoma (67 %). The morphological and physiological similarity of these kinds of parasites with those of humans, the wandering of animals with the spread of fecal matter in the middle of the population and the proliferation of house flies are likely to expose the health of humans to zoonotic parasitic contaminations. Keywords: parasites, gastrointestinal, sheep, public health