Do water cuts affect productivity? Case study of African manufacturing firms

This study sought to examine the impact of water disruptions on productivity in African manufacturing firms, using cross-sectional data from the World Bank enterprise surveys. We measured water infrastructure quality or water disruptions using the number of hours per day without water and found this indicator to be a negative and significant determinant of productivity. At country level, this variable seems to be a significant determinant in Uganda and Zambia, whilst firms in the food and agriculture, chemical and pharmacy as well as construction and metals sectors are also similarly affected.To improve economic growth through firm productivity and hence encourage employment creation and better standards of living, governments in Africa need to come up with measures to strengthen the effectiveness of both technical and institutional water infrastructure services

International Foundations, Agenda Setting and the Non-Profit Sector in South Africa

No Abstract

Optimization of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using a membrane reactor

In view of the growing concerns over depleting energy resources, alternative renewable fuels such as biodiesel have been identified as a possible means of addressing the short fall in energy supply. The source of feedstock for biodiesel production has been an ongoing debate and waste cooking oil is seen as an ideal feedstock as it can be sourced from restaurants, schools, industry and homes unlike vegetable oils which are part of the food chain. The process of biodiesel production has been vastly studied and the use of membrane reactors has been identified as a viable option. The need to obtain biodiesel of high quality at minimal cost has driven the idea of using membrane reactors, which have the advantage of combining reaction and separation simultaneously. In this work, design and optimization studies were conducted to the efficiency of the membrane reactor for commercial small scale production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. A process was developed to simultaneously overcome the shortcomings of waste cooking oil and the use of homogenous catalysts with the aid of membrane technology and heterogeneous catalysts. Tax laws in South Africa encourage small batch scale production of biodiesel. Therefore, the aim of this study is to apply and optimize biodiesel production from waste cooking oil, on a small-scale production level using a membrane reactor and heterogeneous catalyst coupled with a pretreatment stage. The pretreatment of waste cooking oil was effective in reducing the free fatty acid content to desired levels so as to avoid the saponification side reaction which hinders the effectiveness of the desired trans-esterification reaction. The yield of biodiesel upon reusing the catalyst was high and satisfactory. It is suggested to investigate the reusability of the catalyst further as only two runs did not show a significant change in the yield of biodiesel. The central composite method of response surface methodology was utilized to investigate the effect of reaction temperature, catalyst concentration and circulation flow rate on biodiesel yield and also obtain the optimal operating conditions. A micro porous membrane packed with KOH catalyst adsorbed on activated carbon was used for the transesterification reaction. The reaction was allowed to continue for a fixed time of 60 minutes and a methanol to oil molar ratio of 23:1. Upon optimization, a biodiesel yield of 94.03 mol % was obtained at a temperature of 58.5 circulation flow rate of 18.78 ml/min and catalyst concentration of 1.24 wt %

Characteristics of Early Ecclesiastical Architecture in Lagos State in Nigeria

Considering the fact that the period between 1854 and 1929AD has been identified as the first phase of emergence and development of ecclesiastical architecture in Nigeria, this, therefore, became the earliest period and this study examined the characteristics of the church buildings during this period. Among the churches that were built during this period, five were significantly prominent and still exist. This study examined two because those buildings shared similar characteristics. As the study was an explorative one and historical in nature it adopted qualitative method of non-participant observation, historical and unstructured interview methods of gathering data using descriptive method of analysis. This study found that Churches were dominated by foreign established missions as indigenous ones were yet to evolve. Gothic style dominated the period characterised by its usual strong focus on verticality, pointed arches, rib vaults, flying buttresses, large stained glass windows, ornaments and pinnacles. Construction works and financing relied heavily on foreign input. It also noted that construction materials were imported and the church buildings were more of foreign monuments rather than industrial or make-shift. Nigerian cultural, geographical, geological, climatic, existing religious and social factors were not major considerations. The study concluded that the characteristics of the early church buildings were significantly at variance with the current trends

Livelihoods, Land and Political Economy: Reflections on Sam Moyo’s Research Methodology

This article focuses on the methodological lessons from Sam Moyo’s scholarship. Sam’s research is characterised by a combination of detailed empirical investigation, deep knowledge of the technical and practical aspects of agricultural production and farming livelihoods, and bigpicture political economy analysis and theory. Sam’s method is an insightful contemporary application of the method originally set out in Marx’s Grundrisse. Many contemporary explorations of agrarian political economy fail to sustain the important tension and dialectical debate, between diverse empirical realities and their ‘multiple determinations and relations’ and wider theorisation of the ‘concrete’ features of emergent processes of change. The implications of Sam’s methodological approach for the analysis of Zimbabwe’s land reform are discussed, especially in relation to the land occupations and the politics of agrarian reform since 2000

Grass Species Density and Biomass of South African Communal Property Association Farms Differing in Soil Properties

Attempts to monitor and mitigate rangeland deterioration in Communal Property Associations projects require some understanding of the knowledge of species composition and distribution. The study was conducted to compare the herbaceous in three selected CPAs projects (Mashung Matlala - Sandy loam, Mawela - clay loam, and Bela-Bela - clay) in South Africa. Mawela and Mashung Matlala CPAs were overgrazed. For species density, basal strike, and biomass, three transects (500m), which served as replicates, were established at two camps of each of the selected CPAs. Variation in herbaceous vegetation parameters was explored through SAS software. Clay soil type had better (P \u3c 0.05) mineral concentration levels when compared to other two soil types. Pooled data from all sites revealed that, in terms of grazing value, all CPAs share the same amount (33 %) of species. Eragrostis curvula was dominant in clay-loam and common in clay and sandy loam. Eragrostis rigidior was common in clay and clay loam and rare in sandy loam. Clay soil type had the highest (P\u3c 0.05) DM yield (711.8 kg/ha ±54.82) and Basal strike (38% ± 3.28) and less forbs (0.46 % ± 0.98). The results suggest that there should be an improvement in the utilisation of rangelands in CPA through administering proper stocking rate in line with carrying capacity of the rangelands

The People v Ronald Kaoma Chitotela SSPD/034/2022

In a recent decision, Magistrate Jennipher Bwalya sitting in Zambia\u27s Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) discharged former tourism minister Ronald Chitotela in a case he was arrested for, on two counts of possessing property reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime. Chitotela\u27s arrest had been at the hands of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). In 2019, the ACC had signed a consent settlement with Chitotela which, apparently, gave the EFCC a basis for discharging Chitotela. Chitotela raised a preliminary issue before the EFCC, asking Lusaka magistrate Jennipher Bwalya to dismiss the matter he was recently arrested for, arguing that, under Article 18 of the Constitution, he cannot be tried for the same offence twice. He also alluded to the principle of ‘double jeopardy’. The magistrate agreed. It is our opinion that her decision was wrong in law. It is especially important to point out that Chitotela’s request was made at a preliminary stage and, therefore, as the magistrate herself pointed out, ‘the view I have taken does not in any way amount to an acquittal but a discharge of the accused.’ Since she did not elaborate on the distinction she was making in this context between ‘acquittal and discharge’, it is not clear what she intended the effect of her judgment to be

Investigation of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels root extract in male rats

The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of the root extract of Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels (Fabaceae) were investigated using wistar rats. The extract was administered intraperitoneally (i.p) to rats at graded doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BWt. Carrageenan andHistamine were injected into rat paws sub-plantar to induce paw oedema, while acetic acid and formalin were injected i.p to induce pain. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) was used as reference drug, whereas thevehicle [0.9% normal saline in 3% tween 80 (2 ml/kg)] was used as negative control. Acute toxicity was tested in rats at doses of 200, 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg BWt. Compared to control, the aqueous extractof E. elephantina at all doses investigated significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the formation of oedema induced by Carrageenan and Histamine. The extract also caused a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in writhings in the acetic acid test and licking time in the formalin test. The rats did not show any signs of acute toxicity. The study revealed the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of the aqueous extract of E. elephantina, which may be due to the presence of phytochemical constituents such astannins and flavonoids. The acute toxicity test showed that the plant is relatively safe to use

An analysis to investigate spatial cognitive factors which influence cycling patterns in Johannesburg

Abstract: Cycling in most African cities is done as either a mode of commuting or for recreational purposes. Apart from Smart cities encouraging a shift from cars to public transport by providing efficient last-mile connections, commuter cycling can take a significant share of end-to-end short distance trips. The ultimate realization of cycling merits by urban dwellers, (such as in Johannesburg, South Africa) is hindered by a lack of appropriate data to aid in understanding the dynamics of cycling behaviour. This paper seeks to be the first step in building a multi-model to govern the use of multi-modes of mobility in the city by initial focusing on promoting NMT usage as a mode of commuting in the city. Identification of these factors would go a long way in improving cycling uptake as well as inform policy strategies for non-motorized transportation in the city. Using an analytical approach, the authors conducted a survey along pre-known locations were cyclist choose to cycle. One route with newly developed cycling infrastructure and another without cycling infrastructure. A self-reported travel behaviour form, was used for the collection of spatial cognitive and attitudinal data on participants’ travel environment, attitude, behaviour, norm, intention, and habit was utilized to gather data to understand cyclist cognitive reasoning for choosing one path over another. The data collected from the survey was then overlaid with Strava Metro cycling data showing locations were cyclist prefer to cycle in the city. Findings from the analysis suggest perceived safe routes and routes that maximize health benefits are preferred. Based on the findings it is recommended that planners need to use crowd sourced data before developing infrastructure for cycling the city