Die betekenis van Prof. Dr. SP Engelbrecht vir kerk en volk

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Board diversity and sustainability performance

The purpose to this study was to describe and explore the difference in the board composition and characteristics of sustainability performing companies compared with other companies in terms of gender, ethnicity, affiliation and, uniquely, the inclusion of directors from a non-business background.This exploratory study used a cross-sectional design in the form of a quantitative comparative analysis, and a longitudinal design in the form of a trend analysis to compare the differences in board composition between a sample of sustainability performing companies and a sample of other companies listed on the FTSE/JSE All Share Index between 2004 and 2010. Inclusion on the Social Responsibility Investment (SRI) Index was used as a proxy for sustainability performance.The study provided support that director background as a board attribute may be linked to overall sustainability performance. It further provided insight into who board members should be, namely non-executive directors with non-business backgrounds.The findings of this study suggest that the nomination committees of companies wanting to improve sustainability performance should consider the recruitment and appointment of non-executive directors from non-business backgrounds on to their boards. The study provides grounds for further empirical studies on the causal relationship between board compositions and sustainability performance.Keywords: sustainability, sustainability performance, boards of directors, board diversity, corporate governance, SRI index, director background, King Report, integrative model of board performance, corporate social responsibilit

Population biology of Octopus vulgaris on the temperate south-eastern coast of South Africa

Population structure and biology of Octopus vulgaris was investigated along the south-eastern coast of South Africa. Samples were collected inter- and sub-tidally as a precursor to the establishment of an experimental octopus fishery in the region. In total, 300 (intertidal) and 147 (subtidal) O. vulgaris were collected over a two year period. Females were found to dominate the intertidal area (sex ratio 2:1), while no difference was found subtidally (sex ratio 1:1). Of those collected intertidally, immature females were most prevalent while males ranged from immature to mature. Mature females were only found subtidally. A marked size difference was apparent, with the subtidal octopus being substantially larger. Although brooding females were found throughout the year, numbers peaked in summer. Individual fecundity ranged between 42,000–790,000 eggs. The total number of eggs produced and the number of eggs per egg string were correlated to female size. Diet did not vary greatly between the inter- and sub-tidal areas, with the main prey items being crustaceans, teleosts and octopus. It appears that the immature females use the intertidal area to feed and grow, before migrating to deeper areas to mature and spawn

Purpose-orientated stocking of procedure trolleys saves time in busy emergency centres

Background. Inefficient storage and sourcing of routinely required consumables located on procedure trolleys result in time wasted when preparing for common procedures in emergency centres (ECs), contributing to poor efficiency and quality of care.Objectives. We designed a novel purpose-orientated procedure trolley and evaluated its impact on time spent on procedure preparation and efficiency.Methods. In an urban EC, eight participants were measured each day over 24 days, once using the standard setup and once using the modified procedure setup. During each simulation, efficiency markers were assessed (time spent on procedure preparation, steps taken, stops made, and time spent opening drawers to locate required items).Results. The mean (standard deviation) time required to collect the required items for intravenous cannulation and blood sampling from the purpose-orientated trolley was 22.7 (3.66) seconds, compared with 49.2 (15.45) seconds using the standard trolley. There was a significant difference between the two trolleys in mean collection time (p<0.0005) and in all the other categories: steps taken, stops made and drawer opening (p<0.0005).Conclusions. In our setting, stocking procedure trolleys in a purpose-orientated manner has the potential to improve efficiency by reducing time spent on procedure preparation

Deficiencies in technical and vocational education and training lecturer involvement qualifications and its implications in the development of work related skills

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) lecturers play an important role in providing a competent workforce that can contribute to the economy in countries worldwide. The critical role played by TVET lecturers requires of them to have appropriate academic qualifications, workplace qualifications and experience, and teaching qualifications. Research has shown that few lecturers have adequate and required academic, workplace and teaching qualifications. The purpose of this study was to determine the deficiencies in TVET lecturer qualifications and how these deficiencies are addressed by management at TVET colleges in South Africa. While a substantial number of lecturers had academic qualifications at the time of investigation, deficiencies were found in TVET lecturers’ workplace qualifications and experience, as well as in their teaching qualifications. Having identified the deficiencies in TVET lecturer's qualifications, recommendations have been made to serve as guidelines in addressing the lack of either academic, teaching or workplace qualifications and experience. 

Early post-cleavage stages and abnormalities identified in the embryonic development of chokka squid eggs Loligo vulgaris reynaudii

Six early, post-cleavage embryonic stages for chokka squid Loligo vulgaris reynaudii eggs that were developed in an aquarium are identified and described, expanding the embryonic stages for this species from 14 to 20. The influence of water temperature on embryonic development is described. At temperatures 15&#176C, high percentages of morphological abnormalities were observed in embryonic development. Gross forms are described and illustrated.Keywords: abnormalities, aquarium, embryonic development, chokka squidAfrican Journal of Marine Science 2002, 24: 379–38

Influence of Fertilization on Botanical Composition and Productivity of Rangeland in a Semi-Arid Climate of South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine the short-term response of rangeland to fertilization rangeland (all combinations of 0; 10; 30 and 50 kg ha-1 nitrogen, with 0 and 10 kg ha-1 of phosphorus) in terms of dry matter production and botanical composition. After three years of fertilization, the botanical composition of the high-N fertilized plots changed completely from a climax to sub-climax vegetation. Wire grass (Elionurus muticus) showed the greatest decrease in frequency (62%) due to N fertilization. Phosphorus fertilization had an insignificant influence on species composition over the three years. The increase (P\u3c 0.01) in production with increased N fertilizer, peaked in the second season, declining afterwards. With N and P fertilizer applied together, the production increased constantly and peaked in the last season. After three years the production increased (P≤ 0.01) with the application of N together with P, compared to the applying of only N. The higher the amount of fertilizer, the more sensitive to drought the climax grasses became. The results confirm the vulnerability of native grasses in dry areas, due to change in soil fertility

Influence of Water Stress on Protein Concentration in \u3ci\u3eThemeda triandra\u3c/i\u3e Forsk. in a Semi-Arid Climate of South Africa

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of four water treatments (T1 = 75-100%, T2 = 50-75%, T3 = 25-50% and T4 = 0-25% of Field Water Capacity) on the concentration of water-soluble protein as growth reserve during three growth stages (vegetative, pipe and reproductive) in three plant parts (roots, stubble and leafs). The water-soluble protein concentration (WSPC) in the plants under the four water treatments differed (P≤0.01) among the plant parts as well as among growth stages (P≤0.05). WSPC in leafs increased (P≤0.01) with increased water stress from T1 to T4 for the pipe growth stage. For the vegetative and reproductive growth stages the WSPC increased (P≤0.01) from T1 to T2, decreased from T2 to T3 and increased again to T4 with concentration higher (P≤0.01) in T4 than T1, for the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. The WSPC in the roots differed (P≤0.01) across growth stages and water treatments. The results confirm that water-soluble protein growth reserve is influenced by the intensity of water stress and accumulation occurs with increased water stress, with the largest accumulation in the stubble

Work-Integrated Learning for lecturers at a TVET college in the Western Cape

TVET colleges in South Africa are primarily tasked with preparing students for the workplace. However, employers noted dissatisfaction in the skills and abilities of students entering the workplace. A possible reason for the poor preparation of students may have been found in past research. The curriculum at TVET colleges, as elsewhere in higher education, is very Eurocentric and theoretical in nature. The need for decolonisation of the curriculum thus arises. A decolonized curriculum prepares students to work in a variety of social contexts and considers issues like poverty, inequality and unemployment. A decolonized curriculum needs to include content and context derived from local sources, and need to connect theory with practice. It is thus expected of TVET lecturers to interpret and link theoretical content from the curriculum to the needs of local sources, workplaces and industry. TVET lecturers thus need to have knowledge and experiences from a variety of backgrounds. Past research indicated certain lecturers lack workplace experience and qualifications. It was found that intermediate and FET (grade 10‒11) qualified teachers and graduates from universities who lack workplace experience are employed at TVET colleges. Lecturers who lack workplace experience may find it difficult to link content with the needs of the industry for which they have to prepare their students and may not know how to link theory with practice during lessons. Teaching and learning at TVET colleges require concrete experiences and deliberate encounters. Actual, concrete experiences change the perspectives of students and lecturers and affects them profoundly, which can be seen as a pedagogic piligrimage (Davids and Waghid 2019, 7). To address the latter, SSACI, a Swiss-South African initiative launched a work-integrated learning (WIL) project to identify lecturers that are only equipped with a teaching qualification and lack workplace experience. The work-integrated learning program flared up lecturer’s experience of work-integrated learning and increased motivation and enthusiasm, as they were able to integrate the examples learned from the workplace, to make lessons and lesson preparation more interesting. In addition, lecturers were able to tell students what to expect after graduation when they enter the workplace. A factor that negatively influences the effectiveness of work-integrated learning is the lack of policy supporting the program