Procedural fairness in unprotected strike dismissals

The Labour Relations Act contains a definition of a strike which reads as follows: “’strike’ means the partial or complete concerted refusal to work, or the retardation or obstruction of work, by persons who are or have been employed by the same employer or by different employers, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of any matter of mutual interest between employer and employee, and every reference to ‘work’ in this definition includes overtime work, whether it is voluntary or compulsory.” The Labour Relations Act offers strikers special protection against dismissal if they conform with the Act and its provisions. Hence the distinction between those strikes and protest action in compliance with the Act, namely ‘protected’ strikes and protest action, and those strikes and protest action in violation of the Act, namely, ‘unprotected’ strikes and protest action. Participation in an unprotected strike is one form of misbehaviour. The Labour Relations Act expressly prohibits the dismissal of employees engaged in a lawful strike. Employees engaged in strike action contrary to the provisions of the Labour Relations Act may be dismissed since their strike action is deemed to be a form of misconduct. The dismissal of striking employees must be both substantially and procedurally fair

On the climate of the Drakensberg : rainfall and surface-temperature attributes, and associated geomorphic effects

The Drakensberg range is the highest landscape zone in southern Africa, is a World Heritage site and an important source of surface runoff. General climatic evaluations covering the area, however, date from the 1970’s. Remarkably, few contemporary studies detail rainfall attributes and limited surface-climate data has been collected describing the sub-periglacial summit regions. This thesis presents an evaluation of rainfall and surface-temperature attributes in the mountains and, where possible, related geomorphic implications are described. The assessment is partly based on analysis of historical rainfall data measured by the South African Weather Services during the 20thCentury, and partly on new rainfall, air and soil temperature data collected by the author over a five year period. Historical rainfall records show, when a spatial approach is taken, that altitude and distance from the escarpment eastward influence annual rainfall totals. Latitude plays no significant role in influencing rainfall totals, but is the single important factor influencing inter- and intra-annual rainfall variability. Rainfall variability increases from the southern Drakensberg to the north where important water transfer schemes operate. When a temporal approach is taken, historical records indicate no change in mean annual rainfall during the last half of the 20th century. Intra-annual rainfall variability has increased and this is illustrated by a statistically significant decrease of rainfall during the autumn season. A contemporaneous as well as a lagged correlation exists between the El Niño/Southern Oscillation and summer rainfall in the Drakensberg. An increase in the frequency and intensity of ENSO should decrease summer rainfall and the lagged correlation could be used for summer rainfall forecasting. Using temporary field stations, analysis of rainfall and air, soil and rock temperatures contribute to an improved understanding of the characteristics and structure of rainfall events, surface conditions and effect on rock weathering and soil erosional processes. With respect to rainfall attributes, totals recorded on the escarpment summit are considerably less than anticipated. Individual erosive storm events at all altitudes are found to have the ability to detach soil, but at high altitude less rain falls as erosive storms, and the total erosivity generated by rainfall events is less on the escarpment than in the foothills. Five-minute intensity data indicate that extreme rainfall events generate peak rainfall intensity, within the first half of the storm duration. Mean annual air temperature (MAAT) measured on the escarpment falls within the range previously estimated, but is higher than the MAAT suggested by other authors for the plateau peaks behind the escarpment. No long-duration, or seasonal freeze was found on the soil surface and soil temperatures are generally higher than air temperatures. Rock temperature and rainfall frequency recorded below the escarpment imply an environment conducive to rock weathering processes such as wetting and drying and thermal fatigue with the possibility of frost action. Contrasting air, rock and soil surface temperatures measured in the Drakensberg, emphasises the dissimilarity in micro-environmental conditions experienced by different natural mediums in the landscape. Overall, the data confirm the marginal-periglacial nature of the summit region but earlier estimates for rainfall totals at the escarpment appear to be notably high. Extrapolation towards, for example, palaeo-precipitation scenarios using earlier estimates, should thus be made with caution.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008.Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologyPhDUnrestricte

The Intervention of Rural Enterprise Development Hub Project on Maize Production in Mqanduli: The Implication on Food Security Status of Maize Farmers

The research analyzed the impact of the Rural Enterprise Development Hub Project (RED Hub Project) on food security of maize farmers. The data were analyzed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. Values were considered to be significant statistically where the P-value was less than 0.05. The study reveals a significant average increase in annual yield from 39.52 bags (50kg) to 87.02 bags (50kg) with a percentage increase of 120.19% per maize farm (t-statistics of 32.7 t-value and p-value of <0.05). Also, none of the maize farmers were food secure before the RED Hub project, 1 (0.5%) were mildly food insecure, 97 (48.5%) were averagely food insecure, and 102 (51%) were critically food insecure. After the RED Hub project intervention, 3.5% (7) are food secure, 104 (52%) are mildly food insecure, 76 (38%) are averagely food insecure and 13 (6.5%) critically food insecure. There was also more access and affordability of other food to meet maize farmers’ nutritional needs after the project intervention. An average of 72.5 (29.2%) beneficiaries and 99.3 (47.6%) beneficiaries respectively had access to other foods to meet their nutritional needs before and after the project intervention

An open access geospatial database for the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands

Researchers of projects at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands are increasingly considering geospatial data as an essential component in answering scientific questions. A need exists for high-resolution geospatial data in both multi- and transdisciplinary research to better analyse fine-scale biotic–abiotic interactions of the Islands’ landscape and ecosystems within the context of climate change and the impacts of invasive species. However, much of the geospatial data that currently exist have limitations in spatial coverage and/or resolution, are outdated, or are not readily available. To address these issues, we present an online geospatial database for the Prince Edward Islands (both islands) produced from a high-resolution digital surface model and satellite imagery. This database contains vector files, raster data sets, and maps of topographical and hydrological parameters. It is freely available to download from Figshare – an open access data repository. We encourage the South African polar science community to make use of similar platforms for improved data sharing practices. Significance: A topographical and hydrological geospatial database – produced from a 1 m x 1 m digital surface model of the Prince Edward Islands – is provided. These fine-scale geospatial data allow for a more comprehensive assessment of biotic–abiotic interactions at an island scale. Also included are locality maps specifying place names and established long-term marine mammal monitoring beaches and coastal zones for improved cross-referencing. The dataset is downloadable from an open access data repository and intended to promote open science and data sharing practices

COVID-19 and the academe in South Africa: Not business as usual

The famous R.E.M. song laments ‘It’s the end of the world as we know it, I had some time alone, I feel fine…’. Many South Africans would agree that COVID-19 signals the end of the world (or business) as we know it, and through the lockdown we have certainly had some time alone. But contrary to the lyrics, all may not be fine, especially for South Africa’s scientific community. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted every economic and social sector1 across the globe, including higher education in South Africa. Every student and staff member at a higher education institution will have been affected in some way and to varying degrees; not one person will emerge from this unscathed. It is impossible to predict every short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we will experience the aftershocks for a long time to come. Here we discuss some of these impacts, ranging from undergraduate level to large research projects, and we offer suggestions on how to mitigate some of the damage.Geograph

Southern African geomorphology : looking back, moving forward

No abstract availablehttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1468-0459hb201

An open access geospatial database for the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands

Researchers of projects at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands are increasingly considering geospatial data as an essential component in answering scientific questions. A need exists for high-resolution geospatial data in both multi- and transdisciplinary research to better analyse fine-scale biotic–abiotic interactions of the Islands’ landscape and ecosystems within the context of climate change and the impacts of invasive species. However, much of the geospatial data that currently exist have limitations in spatial coverage and/or resolution, are outdated, or are not readily available. To address these issues, we present an online geospatial database for the Prince Edward Islands (both islands) produced from a high-resolution digital surface model and satellite imagery. This database contains vector files, raster data sets, and maps of topographical and hydrological parameters. It is freely available to download from Figshare – an open access data repository. We encourage the South African polar science community to make use of similar platforms for improved data sharing practices. SIGNIFICANCE : • A topographical and hydrological geospatial database – produced from a 1 m x 1 m digital surface model of the Prince Edward Islands – is provided. • These fine-scale geospatial data allow for a more comprehensive assessment of biotic–abiotic interactions at an island scale. • Also included are locality maps specifying place names and established long-term marine mammal monitoring beaches and coastal zones for improved cross-referencing. • The dataset is downloadable from an open access data repository and intended to promote open science and data sharing practices.DATA AVAILABILITY: Dataset posted on 29.09.2022, 10:09 authored by Elizabeth Rudolph, David William Hedding, Nico De Bruyn and Werner Nel. This database contains vector files, raster datasets, and maps of topographical and hydrological parameters of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. Data production procedures are described in the associated paper (see references below) and the metadata are described in the "README" word document. The data is intended for scientific and/or educational use. (https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Prince_Edward_Islands_geospatial_database/19248626)South African National Research Foundationhttp://www.sajs.co.zahj2022Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog

Intra-event characteristics of extreme erosive rainfall on Mauritius

Mauritius is a typical tropical volcanic island with a raised interior where extreme rainfall events generate the bulk of the erosivity. Intra-event characteristics of the 120 highest erosive events at six selected locations between 2004 and 2008 were analysed to provide the first detailed intra-storm data for a tropical island environment. On Mauritius, spatial variation is evident in the characteristics of the extreme erosive rainfall recorded at the stations, with a noticeable increase in rainfall depth, duration, kinetic energy and erosivity of extreme events with altitude. Extreme events in the raised interior (central plateau) show a high variability in peak intensity over time as well as a higher percentage of events with the greatest intensities in the latter part of the event. Intra-event distribution of rainfall in the interior of the island shows that rainfall has a higher potential to exceed infiltration rates as well as the ability to generate high peak runoff rates and substantial soil loss. The study suggests that even though the within-event rainfall characteristics is complex it has implications for soil erosion risk, and that in tropical island environments the within-storm distribution of rainfall must be incorporated in soil loss modelling.National Research Foundation (NRF)http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tphy202017-05-31hb2016Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Temporal sensitivity analysis of erosivity estimations in a high rainfall tropical island environment

The Erosivity Index (EI) and the Modified Fournier Index (MFI) are two commonly used methods in calculating the R factor of the universal soil loss equation/ revised universal soil loss equation formula. Using Mauritius as a case study, the value of high-resolution data versus long-term totals in erosivity calculations is investigated. A limited number of four Mauritius Meteorological Services stations located on the west coast and the Central Plateau provided the study with detailed rainfall data for 6 years at 6-min intervals. Rainfall erosivity for erosive events was calculated using different set interval data. In this study, within the EI, the use of 6-min rainfall intervals during erosive rainfall gave estimates of around 10% more erosivity than the 30-min time intervals and 33% more rainfall erosivity than the 60-min rainfall measurements. When the MFI was used to determine erosivity through annual and monthly rainfall totals, substantially higher erosivity than the EI method was calculated in both regions. This stems from the large amount of non-erosive rainfall that is generated on Mauritius. Even when the MFI was used to calculate erosivity through monthly and annual rainfall totals derived purely from erosive rainfall, erosivity calculations were not comparable to those from high-resolution data within the EI. We suggest that for the computation of erosivity, rainfall data with the highest possible resolution should be utilised if available and that the application of annual and monthly rainfall totals to assess absolute soil erosion risk within a high rainfall tropical environment must be used with caution.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1468-0459hb201

A glacial chronology for sub-Antarctic Marion Island from MIS 2 and MIS 3

It is increasingly apparent that local and regional factors, including geographic location, topography and climatic variability, strongly influence the timing and extent of glaciations across the Southern Hemisphere. Glacial chronologies of sub-Antarctic islands can provide valuable insights into the nature of regional climatic variability and the localised response(s) of glacial systems during periods of climatic change. With new cosmogenic 36Cl exposure ages from Marion Island in the southern Indian Ocean, we provide the oldest dated terrestrial moraine sequences for the sub-Antarctic islands. Results confirm that a local Last Glacial Maximum was reached prior to ∼56 ka when ice retreated with localised stand still events at ∼43 ka and between ∼38 and 33 ka. Evidence of ice re-advances throughout MIS 2 are limited and particularly absent for the cooling periods at ∼32 and ∼21 ka, and retreat continued until ∼17 ka ago. Any MIS 1 readvances on the island would be confined to altitudes above 900 m a.s.l. but the Holocene exposure ages remains to be documented. We compare Marion Island's glacial chronology with other sub-Antarctic islands (e.g., the Kerguelen archipelago, Auckland and Campbell islands and South Georgia) and review the evidence for a Southern Hemisphere glacial maximum in late MIS 3 (∼41 ka). At a regional scale we recognize sea surface temperatures, sea ice extent and the latitudinal position of the Southern Westerly Wind belt as key controls on equilibrium-line altitudes and ice accumulation due to their influence on air temperature and precipitation regimes. At an island scale, geomorphological mapping shows that deglaciation of individual glacier lobes was a-synchronous due to local physiographical and topographical factors controlling the island's micro-climate. We suggest that variability in deglaciation chronologies at smaller scales (particularly at the sub-Antarctic Islands) are important to consider when untangling climatic drivers across the Southern Ocean