Research and extension processes and practices in relation to smallholder agriculture in Africa: Present, past topresent

Agriculture constitutes the backbone of most economies in developing countries, especially in Africa. However, benefits in the sector mostly accrue to industry and to the large-scale commercial farmers. The “transfer of technology” (ToT) paradigms introduced during the colonial era, failed to provide research and technology outputs that meet smallholder farmers' needs. In various review reports and regional consultation meetings stakeholders identified extension-research as the weakest link to wealth creation and as the primary contributor to the widening gap between resourceendowed and resource-poor farmers. Resources in this context refer to access to physical production assets, financial and skill-based support, as well as trade networks for participation in local, regional and global markets. In this regard, smallholder resource-poor farmers, as opposed to large-scale resource-endowed farmers, have limited access to these resources in most parts of the African continent. In addition, successful smallholder farmer innovations, technologies and dissemination approaches are not well publicized. Using the development perspective, this paper summarizes 1) the problems of technology development and transfer as perceived by the resource-poor farmers 2) the evolution of Transfer of Technology and the implication for extension services in developing countries, 3) the impact of two development approaches on extension, 4) the importance of research and extension linkages in fostering change, and 3) Farmer Field Schools as an alternative extension paradigms. Recommendations to promote pro-poor extension and technology development strategies are discussed. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 35 (2) 2006: pp. 199-22

The rebellious and ungovernable Barberton community against Barberton Mines (Pty) Ltd

Text in EnglishThis is a study of community protest against Barberton Mines (Pty) Ltd. It is a study of conflict and conflict resolutions. Barberton Mines (Pty) Ltd is one of the three gold mining companies in Barberton, and is in dire need of a bankable community/stakeholder relation management strategy, which should at least reduce, if not eliminate, the endless violent community protests against its operations. Methodologically, the study is predicated on a qualitative approach backed by oral interviews and the use of a survey. The study reveals that as much as the community appreciates Barberton Mines for its delivery in socio-economic development initiatives, Barberton Mines’ recruitment and procurement departments are not doing any justice in terms of preferred policy in favour of the locals/Barberton community. This is a key source of conflict. The results also reveal that the Barberton Mines Transformation Trust (BMTT), a vehicle established for socioeconomic development in Barberton, is considered to be ineffective by the community and is one of the causes of the conflict. The resolutions of the conflict include the effective implementation of the mining legislation and unrolling of the Mining Charter. The effectiveness and lack thereof of these conflict resolutions are subjected to analysis in this study.Development StudiesM.A. (Development Studies

Factors influencing adoption and non-adoption of acquired knowledge and technologies at Denman Rural Training Centre, Gaborone Agricultural Region, Botswana

This paper investigates the factors that influence adoption and non-adoption of agricultural technologies presented to farmers who attended training courses at the Denman Rural Training Centre in Botswana. . A structured questionnaire was administered to 223 respondents, from these respondents 153 attended training at Denman Rural Training Centre, twenty-one respondents were never trained, thirty-three were extension agents, nine support staff, five instructors and two managers. The findings of the study show that most of the respondents (61%) are implementing the acquired technologies, while 39% are not implementing. More than half (65%) of trained respondents indicated that they were never involved in identification of the courses they attended. Eighty percent reported that courses were suggested by extension agents. Thirty-six percent of respondents indicated that training had no impact at all on their production efficiency, while 45% indicated a moderate impact on their production to ensure that the training will be effective. More than half of all extension staff (64%) reported that the status of implementation for acquired technologies is usually negative, indicating that there was less or no implementation. The most important factor revealed by the study contributing to nonadoption of technologies is lack of resources. The study concluded that extension has to address the needs and perception of trainees to ensure that the training will be effective. Keywords: Adoption, non-adoption, acquired knowledge, technologies, extension agents.South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 36 (1) 2007: pp. 124-14

Gold nanoparticle–based colorimetric probes for dopamine detection

Colorimetric probes have become important tools in analysis and biomedical technology. This thesis reports on the development of such probes for the detection of dopamine (DA). Liquid and different solid state probes were developed utilizing un–functionalized gold nanoparticles (UF–AuNPs). The liquid state probe is based on the growth and aggregation of the UF–AuNPs in the presence of DA. Upon addition of the UF–AuNPs to various concentrations of DA, the shape, size and colour change results in spectral shifts from lower to higher wavelengths. The analyte can be easily monitored by the naked eye from 5.0 nM DA with a calculated limit of detection of 2.5 nM (3σ) under optimal pH. Ascorbic acid (AA) has a potential to interfere with DA detection in solution since it is often present in biological fluids, but in this case the interference was limited to solutions where its concentration was beyond 200 times greater than that of DA. Since most of the previously reported colorimetric probes, especially those for DA are solution based, the main focus of the thesis was in the development of a solid state based colorimetric probe in the form of nanofibre mats. To overcome the interference challenges experienced in the solution studies (the interference by high concentrations of AA), the suitability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective detection of DA was investigated. The results showed that the MIPs produced did not play a significant role in enhancing the selectivity towards DA. A probe composed of just the UF–AuNPs and Nylon–6 (UF–AuNPs + N6) was also developed. The UF–AuNPs were synthesized following an in situ reduction method. The probe was only selective to DA and insensitive to other catecholamines at physiological pH. Thus, the probe did not require any addition functionalities to achieve selectivity and sensitive to DA. The liquid state probe and the composite UF–AuNPs + N6 nanofibre probe were successfully applied to a whole blood sample and showed good selectivity towards DA. The simple, sensitive and selective probe could be an excellent alternative for on–site and immediate detection of DA without the use of instrumentation. For quantification of DA using the solid state probe, open–source software imageJ was used to assist in the analysis of the nanofibre colours. It was observed that the intensity of the colour increased with the increase in concentration of DA in a linear fashion. The use of imageJ can also be a great alternative where the colour changes are not so clear or for visually impaired people. The solid state probe developed can detect DA qualitatively and quantitatively. The work also forms a good foundation for development of such probes for other analyte

La guerre des sexes n'aura pas lieu

La guerre des sexes n'aura pas lieu À l'heure où nous tentons de définir les futures options de partenariat entre l'UE et les États ACP, nous devons faire valoir le rôle majeur des femmes dans l'agriculture. Alors qu'elles assument le plus gros des travaux agricoles et de la transformation, elles ne font pratiquement que survivre dans un secteur dominé par les hommes. Nous devons faire de l'équité entre hommes et femmes un souci dominant et une composante à part entière de la gestion des initiatives et du développement agricole. Le Livre vert publié par l'UE en septembre 1997 évoquait de nouveaux partenariats, notamment une participation plus active des acteurs non gouvernementaux. Il englobait nombre d'objectifs complémentaires, parmi lesquels la lutte contre la pauvreté, la promotion du développement durable et l'intégration progressive de l'agriculture des pays ACP dans l'économie mondiale. Tout en préconisant une croissance économique fondée sur la compétition et le développement du secteur privé par le biais de l'intégration régionale et du développement du commerce, ce document cherchait à combiner les intérêts de l'économie, de l'environnement et de la société, tout en tenant compte de la variabilité des situations d'un pays à l'autre (processus de différenciation). En guise de réponse, le groupe ACP élaborait la Déclaration de Libreville en novembre 1997. Ce document invitait à une plus grande unité et mettait l'accent sur trois axes prioritaires : la croissance, la compétitivité et l'emploi, les politiques sociales et culturelles, et l'intégration régionale. Tous trois étaient sous-tendus par des principes directeurs : le soutien aux institutions et le renforcement des capacités, la prise en compte des spécificités hommes/femmes et une gestion durable de l'environnement. Ces choix stratégiques ont été réaffirmés en mai 1998 par le Comité des ambassadeurs ACP et le Forum des ONG ACP. Ils mettent l'accent sur l'élimination de la pauvreté et sur la promotion de l'égalité des sexes, ainsi que sur les préoccupations liées à leur spécificité dans les cycles des projets : les femmes sont tout autant participantes que bénéficiaires du processus de développement. Des objectifs ont été fixés pour garantir que les questions de genre soient parfaitement intégrées d'ici à l'an 2000. Mais, à moins que des mesures sérieuses ne soient prises pour les atteindre concrètement, ils sont pour l'heure très discutables. Viser plus juste Je suis convaincue que corriger l'inégalité évidente entre hommes et femmes est un préalable majeur à la mise au point de programmes sociaux et économiques dans les pays ACP. Car les femmes — particulièrement les femmes rurales à faibles ressources — y sont des intervenants clés. Dans le seul secteur agricole, leur rôle dans la production dépasse de loin leur rôle dans la reproduction. Actrices invisibles, leur contribution au développement socio-économique, à la sécurité alimentaire et à la réduction de la pauvreté est mal comprise et le plus souvent délibérément sous-estimée. à l'échelle mondiale, les femmes produisent plus de la moitié des denrées alimentaires provenant des cultures. En Afrique subsaharienne et dans les Caraïbes, elles produisent jusqu'à 80 % des aliments de base, mais reçoivent moins de 5 % des ressources en vulgarisation et formation. Qu'il s'agisse de production primaire, de conservation des ressources, de besoins en formation, de développement technologique, du foncier, ou de l'accès au crédit, la nécessité de cibler les vrais demandeurs ne sera jamais assez soulignée. Les institutions de développement doivent cesser de considérer les questions de genre comme une lutte de pouvoir entre hommes et femmes, et plutôt se demander qui est le premier client et l'utilisateur final des services qu'elles fournissent. La réponse à cette question déterminera les politiques de recrutement, les programmes de renforcement des capacités, l'affectation des ressources agricoles (terres, intrants), la mise au point de technologies appropriées et les stratégies de vulgarisation. Le débat post-Lomé indique la voie à suivre pour intégrer la notion de genre. Pour moi, les questions de genre touchent à tous les domaines et sont inséparables du développement agricole au sens large. Cependant, les institutions de pointe dans ce secteur doivent prendre des mesures fermes pour impliquer les femmes à tous les niveaux, si l'on veut que l'objectif de l'an 2000 devienne réalité. Nous voulons voir plus de femmes compétentes au niveau de la décision politique, plus de femmes spécialistes en vulgarisation et en économie domestique dans les institutions de recherche, dans les organismes de formation, dans les fermes, dans les usines de transformation et dans les salles de réunion. Plus de femmes à tous les niveaux de la chaîne agricole. Aidez les hommes ! J'exhorte les femmes des pays ACP* à renforcer leurs efforts d'organisation et à assister leurs partenaires masculins dans le développement afin de mettre en uvre des programmes de gestion qui ne les marginalisent plus. Les accords entre l'Union européenne et les pays ACP traduisent un engagement mutuel à faire valoir le rôle des femmes et leur potentiel à renverser la situation de pauvreté de leurs pays. Les mandats du CTA en gestion de l'information ont pour but d'améliorer l'accès aux technologies en vue d'augmenter la productivité agricole, le commerce, la sécurité alimentaire et le développement rural. L'accès des femmes à la décision dans les domaines du développement agricole et rural est au cur de ces mandats. J'espère que nos décisions récentes de renforcer le travail du CTA dans l'analyse des besoins particuliers des organisations de femmes rurales, de mettre davantage l'accent sur les services de vulgarisation, et de coopérer en priorité avec les institutions dont les programmes sont axés sur la lutte contre la pauvreté et sur le rôle des femmes dans l'agriculture, permettront d'aborder de front le problème du ciblage du « bon client » et d'offrir un exemple aux institutions nationales ACP. * Une enquête récente a montré que plus de 90 % des lecteurs de Spore sont masculins.À l'heure où nous tentons de définir les futures options de partenariat entre l'UE et les États ACP, nous devons faire valoir le rôle majeur des femmes dans l'agriculture. Alors qu'elles assument le plus gros des travaux agricoles et de la..

The use of electronic evidence in forensic investigation

For millions of people worldwide the use of computers has become a central part of life. Criminals are exploiting these technological advances for illegal activities. This growth of technology has therefore produced a completely new source of evidence referred to as ‘electronic evidence’. In light of this the researcher focused on the collection of electronic evidence and its admissibility at trial. The study intends to assist and give guidance to investigators to collect electronic evidence properly and legally and ensure that it is admitted as evidence in court. Electronic evidence is fragile and volatile by nature and therefore requires the investigator always to exercise reasonable care during its collection, preservation and analysis to protect its identity and integrity. The legal requirements that the collected electronic evidence must satisfy for it to be admissible in court are relevance, reliability, and authenticity. When presenting the evidence in court the investigator should always keep in mind that the judges are not specialists in the computing environment and that therefore the investigator must be able to explain how the chain of custody was maintained during the collection, preservation and analysis of electronic evidence. The complex technology behind electronic evidence must be clearly explained so that the court is able to understand the evidence in a way that an ordinary person or those who have never used a computer before can. This is because the court always relies on the expertise of the investigator to understand electronic evidence and make a ruling on matters related to it.Police PracticeM. Tech. (Forensic Investigation

Worker participation at the workplace with special reference to Dunlop Tyre Manufacturing Company in Durban.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.The South African Labour Market still lacks significant numbers of workers in spheres of decision-making. As a result the employers have been severely criticised by the trade union movement for not adopting worker participation strategies. This study was initiated in response to the recognition of the importance of worker participation as a dynamic and complex concept that allows both employers and employees to effectively participation in decision-making. The argument raised in this study is that worker participation promotes the spirit of solidarity, co-operation, satisfaction, tolerance, and discipline. It is argued in this study that the involvement of workers in decision-making creates a platform for dialogue. When both workers and employers start to dialogue a proper platform for worker participation is created. The objective of this study was to evaluate perceptions of whether worker participation can indeed lead to an increase in productivity and economic growth in the broader context. The study was also aimed at unpacking the argument raised by scholars that where there is worker participation, workers will feel the sense of owning the company and as a result they will be more satisfied with their jobs. After interrogating these issues a conclusion is reached that worker participation is essential if the company is to facilitate job satisfaction. This is supported by the findings of the literature review and the fieldwork conducted. As per responses given by the workers and managers, the findings of the study reveal that when employers do not introduce worker participation, it leads to the feelings of disempowerment and marginalisation of the workers. Both employees and employers are of an ideal that for the company to be run effectively and efficiently, the employees need to be given a proper platform to express their views. This then supports the arguments raised in the literature review that workers participation creates a situation whereby the workers voice is heard in the workplace. Furthermore, the results of this study conducted among workers and managers in Dunlop also reveal that in a work environment where there is no worker participation the production process is adversely affected. However, an important point to note is that both parties must be willing to accept each other as partners in decision-making

Gender, genre and identity in selected short stories by Bessie Head

This study probes selected stories from Bessie Head's The Collector of Treasures (1977) in order to elicit instances of contiguity and disjuncture between orality and literacy, to establish Head's complex identity configurations which are often manifested in the interactions between aesthetic form and content, authorial consciousness, character delineation, and narrative voice. At the same time, the dissertation explores her portrayal of the proscribed condition of women, the subversive consciousness that undercuts women's subjugation by patriarchy, and her vision for the liberatory possibilities for women from the exigencies of patriarchal domination. I also examine Head's (re-)vision of culture within the framework of hybridity and creolity and determine how some of these perspectives are crystallized in discourses such as When Rain Clouds Gather (1968), Maru (1971) and A Question of Power (1973). I juxtapose my reading of Head with other African writers such as Bâ, Emecheta and Nwapa to draw references in instances where the context permits. The dominant critical approach adopted in this thesis is a contextual approach. I consider this approach useful for my purposes because of its flexibility, the attention it pays to the formal properties of literary texts and, its cognizance of the socio-historical genesis of texts and its demonstration of literature's timeless value.English StudiesM.A. (English

The impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) on malaria prevalence between 2001 and 2009 in Mpumalanga province, South Africa

Background Malaria remains a serious epidemic threat in the Lowveld region of Mpumalanga Province. In order to appropriately target interventions to achieve substantial reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality, there is a need to assess the impact of current control interventions such as indoor residual spraying (IRS) for vector control. This study aimed to assess long-term changes in the burden of malaria in Mpumalanga Province during the past eight years (2001-2009) and whether IRS and climate variability had an effect on these changes. Methods All malaria cases and deaths notified to the Malaria Control Programme, Department of Health was reviewed for the period 2001 to 2009. Data were retrieved from the provincial Integrated Malaria Information System (IMIS) database. Climate and population data were obtained from the South Africa Weather Service and Statistics South Africa, respectively. Descriptive statistics were computed to determine any temporal changes in malaria morbidity and mortality. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were developed to assess the effect of climatic factors on malaria. Results Within the eight-year period of the study, a total of 35,191 cases and 164 deaths-attributed to malaria were notified in Mpumalanga Province. There was a significant decrease in the incidence of malaria in Mpumalanga Province from 385 in 2001/02 to 50 cases per 100,000 population in 2008/09 (P 65 years). Mortality due to malaria was higher in those >65 years, the mean CFR reaching a 2.1% peak. Almost half (47.8%) of the notified cases originated from Mozambique and Mpumalanga Province itself constituted 50.1%. The distribution of malaria varied across the districts, highest in Ehlanzeni district (96.5%), lowest in Nkangala (<1%) and Gert Sibande (<1%). A notable decline in malaria case notification was observed following the increased IRS coverage from 2006/07 to 2008/09 malaria seasons. A distinct seasonal transmission pattern was found to be significantly related to changes in rainfall patterns (P = 0.007). Conclusion Decades of continuous IRS with insecticides have proved to be successful in reducing the burden of malaria morbidity and mortality in Mpumalanga Province between 2001 and 2009. A decline of above 50% in malaria morbidity and mortality was observed following expanded IRS coverage. These results highlight the need to continue with IRS together with other control strategies until interruption in local malaria transmission is completely achieved and alternative vector control strategies implemented. Efforts need to be directed towards the control of imported cases, interruption of local transmission and focus on research into sustainable and cost-effective combination of control interventions.Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012.School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH)Unrestricte