Comparison of indigenous and foreign cattle for beef production at Matopos Research Station in Zimbabwe

Cattle breeds regarded as indigenous to Zimbabwe include the Mashona, Tuli and Nkone. History of the breeds, their development and promotion, and development of breed societies for each breed is described by Harvey (1987). Since commercial livestock production was introduced in Zimbabwe in the early colonial period, both the breeding policy and beef production have been based on the use of exotic breeds. The reason given was that the indigenous breeds were not productive and could not support commercial beef production. However, exotic breeds brought in from Europe were not well adapted to local production conditions and their performance was generally unsatisfactory when compared with their performance in Europe. In 1933, problems associated with the use of exotic breeds and the necessity to come up with a different breeding policy for the country was pointed out by Harvey (1987). He also pointed out the need to investigate the possibilities of evolving an indigenous or crossbred type of cattle more suited to ranching conditions in Zimbabwe than are the imported breeds. A large experiment was initiated at Matopos Research Station in 1938, the objective being to define a suitable breeding system for the improvement of exotic and indigenous cattle. Since that time, breed evaluation work has continued at the Matopos Research Station

Grade eleven learners participation in the functions discourse: the case of a hyperbola and exponential function.

Degree of Doctor of philosophy (mathematics education) university of KwaZulu- Natal Durban,2018.The purpose of the study was to investigate the mathematical discourses of grade eleven learners related to the worded, numerical, tabular, and graphic asymptotes of the The purpose of the study was to investigate the mathematical discourses of grade eleven learners related to the worded, numerical, tabular, and graphic asymptotes of the hyperbola and exponential functions. The theory of commognition was referred to, with particular emphasis on the characteristics of the mathematical discourse; that is, word use, visual mediators, endorsed narratives, and routines. The study has fundamentally adopted an interview-based qualitative research design approach, with descriptive and interpretative elements complementing its data analysis processes. In addition, some quantitative aspects were administered by means of test-based activities. The study was conducted in four schools in the rural Mthatha district of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data was collected by means of a test administered to 112 respondents, and task-based interviews with 12 pairs of grade eleven students in those schools. In each school, about 30 learners participated in the test, and six from each school took part in the interviews. Data was analysed by means of the Discourse Profile of the Hyperbola and Exponential Function adapted from the Arithmetic Discourse Profile propounded by Ben-Yahuda and others. The findings revealed that learners have learnt functions in class, and were all familiar with the asymptotes of the hyperbola and the exponential function. While learners could answer questions on functions, a rephrasing of the question changed their response. There were also challenges of linking different representations of a function to each other. Students would also work efficiently on procedure tasks, but struggled on action-oriented tasks.. The theory of commognition was referred to, with particular emphasis on the characteristics of the mathematical discourse; that is, word use, visual mediators, endorsed narratives, and routines. The study has fundamentally adopted an interview-based qualitative research design approach, with descriptive and interpretative elements complementing its data analysis processes. In addition, some quantitative aspects were administered by means of test-based activities. The study was conducted in four schools in the rural Mthatha district of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Data was collected by means of a test administered to 112 respondents, and task-based interviews with 12 pairs of grade eleven students in those schools. In each school, about 30 learners participated in the test, and six from each school took part in the interviews. Data was analysed by means of the Discourse Profile of the Hyperbola and Exponential Function adapted from the Arithmetic Discourse Profile propounded by Ben-Yahuda and others. The findings revealed that learners have learnt functions in class, and were all familiar with the asymptotes of the hyperbola and the exponential function. While learners could answer questions on functions, a rephrasing of the question changed their response. There were also challenges of linking different representations of a function to each other. Students would also work efficiently on procedure tasks, but struggled on action-oriented tasks

Church as Hostile, Host or Home: Perspectives on the Experiences of African Migrants in South Africa

Human migration has been on the rise globally and it has fuelled xenophobia and growing intolerance towards migrants in the receiving communities. This article draws from data collected for a PhD thesis and highlights the experiences of African migrants in religious spaces and congregations in Johannesburg, South Africa. The PhD project this article draws from identified Christian religious identities as a form of belonging and explored models for providing care to migrants and refugees by appreciating their agency and ensuring that cross cultural and socio-religious encounters enrich the developmental agenda within host communities. I argue that instead of being hostile to African migrants, host congregations and communities should engage in mutually transformative mission with migrants and appreciate how migration encounters enrich human relations. They give birth to hybrid contextual theologies through the construction, or de-construction, of congregations by missio-ecclesiological and intercultural forces of migration that challenge their vocation and witness

TRACKING PROPAGANDA TO THE SOURCE: TOOLS FOR ANALYZING MEDIA BIAS

The news media plays an essential role in society, but surveys indicate that the media is widely viewed as biased. This paper presents a theory of media bias that originates with private information obtained by journalists through their investigations and persists despite profit -maximizing news organizations and rivalry from other news organizations. Bias has two effects on the demand for news. First, rational citizens are more skeptical of potentially biased news and thus rely less on it in their individual decision-making. Second, bias makes certain stories more likely than others. This article provides an overview of some useful approaches to understanding the sources of media bias and what to do about them. Bias is often said to “be in the eye of the beholder.” There is some truth to the fact that the psychological phenomenon of “selective perception” leads to “cognitive dissonance” when we are exposed to views very different from our own. But the reality of bias is a much broader and systemic problem when analyzing media, especially given the potential harm.  Article visualizations

An assessment of the impact of tourism globalization in Africa

The tourism sector is one of one of the exemplars of the phenomenon of globalization. This is due to the geographical scale of the industry, increased spatial linkages between places and people from different locations. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the extent to which tourism globalization had impacted on African countries. The paper submits that some African countries have indeed increased their revenues and foreign currency earnings, created employment, brought new technology, and improved their tourism facilities and services to meet international standards. Globalization has created respect for African cultures and contributed to the protection of historical monuments and natural environments. The paper notes the role of technological improvements in transportation and telecommunications in making global travel shrink in terms of time and distance. However, the paper notes that globalization has also brought negative impacts to Africa. These include financial leakages, price increases, and a change in some African cultural values. The paper concludes that the world is in the era of globalization and that the phenomenon is here to stay. Therefore, the paper recommends that Africa should closely monitor the negative impacts of globalization while continuing to reap the benefits that accrue from tourism globalization. Key words: globalization, spatial linkages, multinational corporations, vertical and horizontal mergers