Browsing by Title
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Chirwa, Danwood Mzikenge (Community Law Centre, University of the Western Cape, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The rights to food and basic nutrition have been implemented rather unsystematically in South Africa through a hodgepodge of policies and indirectly by legislation. In view of the dearth of jurisprudence, this paper sought to tease out the meaning of children’s right of access to food as well as their right to basic nutrition, to analyse the significance of, and correlation between, these two rights, and to consider their implications for South African law and policy. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/203 Files in this item: 1
ChirwaChildPoverty2009.pdf (585.1Kb) -
September, Rose; Savahl, Shazly (University of Johannesburg, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) through its reporting framework for nation states has prompted increasing interest on the measuring and monitoring of child well-being. The domains and indicators included in the repertoire of country measures of child well-being have mostly been constructed and monitored by adults, usually social scientists and government officials. This study explored children’s own understandings of children’s well-being. Sixteen focus groups were conducted with 200 children between the ages of 9 and 16 years. The study identified protection and safety, basic needs, community resources and psychosocial issues as the key domains of well-being. The study further highlighted the importance of perceiving well-being as an integrated whole consisting of closely interacting components rather than as a discrete multidimensional phenomenon. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/211 Files in this item: 1
SeptemberChildWellBeing2009.pdf (212.1Kb) -
Puoane, Thandi; Tsolekile, Lungiswa; Sanders, David; Parker, Whadiah (Health Systems Trust, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: This chapter will examine the current actions, including lifestyle measures, for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases within a South African context. It will also focus on the biological, behavioural and social determinants of health. Interventions and initiatives directed at primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases are also discussed. This chapter ends with recommended lifestyle changes, which can be taken to influence the adoption of healthy lifestyles, and therefore reduce the risks for chronic non-communicable diseases. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/255 Files in this item: 1
PuoaneChronic2008.pdf (621.8Kb) -
Igumbor, Ehimario U.; Puoane, Thandi; Gansky, Stuart A.; Plesh, Octavia (Medpharm Publications, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Background: Comprehensive information is needed on the epidemiology and burden of chronic pain in the population for the development of appropriate health interventions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, severity, risk indicators and responses of chronic pain among adults in Ngangelizwe, Mthatha, South Africa. Method: A cross-sectional survey utilising structured interviews of a sample of adult residents was used. Interviews elicited information on socio-demographic characteristics, general health status, and the prevalence, duration, frequency, severity, activity limitation and impact of chronic pain. Results: More than 95% (n = 473) of the sampled adults participated in the study. Of these, 182 [38.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 36.3-42.5%] reported chronic pain in at least one anatomical site. The most common pain sites were the back and head. The median pain score was 5 on a scale of 0 to 10 [interquartile range (IQR) = 4-7] and the median number of sites of pain was 1 (IQR = 1-2). Female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7-3.9] and being older than 50 years of age (OR = 3.5, 95% CI: 2.6-4.1) were identified as risk indicators for chronic pain in the sample. Over 65% of respondents reported that they self-treated; 92.1% had consulted with a doctor or nurse, 13.6% consulted a traditional healer, and 34.5% consulted a pharmacist because of their pain. Despite this, over 50% reported that relief of their pain was transient. Conclusion: Chronic pain is a common general complaint in this community, but there is a need for focused attention on women and the elderly. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/432 Files in this item: 1
IgumborChronicPainMthatha2011.pdf (228.2Kb) -
Chamberlain, Yvonne; Norris, R.E.; Keats, Derek; Maneveldt, Gavin (Walter de Gruyter, 1995)[more][less]
Abstract: A nongeniculate, crustose coralline alga (Rhodophyta, Corallinaceae) from South Africa, is found growing epiphytically on fronds of species of the geniculate genus Ampiroa. Analysis of the vegetative and reproductive morphology and anatomy of the alga shows that it belongs to the subfamily Melobesioideae and genus Clathromorphum. It is the only known representative of the genus in South Africa. It has tetrasporangial conceptacles that are significantly smaller than those of any other described species of the genus and it is described as the new species Clathromorphum tubiforme. The diagnostic features of Clathromorphum and other genera of the Melobesioideae are discussed and it is considered that, among melobesioid genera, Clathromorphum is probably most closely related to Melobesia. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/907 Files in this item: 0
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Grobler, Sias; Majeed, Abdul; Hayward, Roche; Rossouw, Roelof; Moola, Mohamad H.; van Wyk Kotze, Theuns (Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching products just after treatment and after a 6-month follow-up period. Methods. Two 10% carbamide peroxide products (Opalescence PF andNiteWhite ACP) were applied nightly for 14 days, according to the manufacturers’ instructions. The color of teeth 11 and 21 of thirty-four subjects having A2 or darker teeth were measured with a spectrophotometer (L∗; a∗; b∗) before treatment, just after treatment (14 days) and after 6 months. Results and Conclusions. Both products produced significant whitening of teeth with total color change (ΔE∗ ab) of approximately 5.20 units. There was a significant improvement in all 3 color coordinates (L∗, a∗, and b∗) for up to 6 months postbleaching (P < .05). Nite White showed a higher degree of relapse (27%) than Opalescence (18%) over the 6-month period. It is suggested that rebleaching after 6 months is not necessary URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/587 Files in this item: 1
GroblerClinicalStudy2011.pdf (676.3Kb) -
Bock, Zannie (John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: This article analyses the function that code-switching plays in selected testimonies given at South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission which followed the country's transition to democracy in 1994. In a number of testimonies, victims of human rights abuse under Apartheid code-switched into Afrikaans when recalling particularly offensive uses of language by the police. Within the code-switching literature, it is well recognised that a speaker's choice of code, particularly for quoted speech, is a strategy for performing different kinds of local identities which index a range of social meanings and relationships (Alvarez-Caccamo 1996, Koven 2001). Thus code-switching may serve a complex evaluative function although the meanings it generates are very context- dependent. In order to explore this role in the testimonies in this paper, I use the appraisal theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics (Martin & White 2005). I argue that on a number of occasions, code-switching into a particular variety of Afrikaans is used by testifiers as a strategy to invoke negative judgement: it has the effect of associating the police with a particular racist ideology and positioning them for our sanction. Further, it works together with other engagement resources to insert a recognisable historical voice into the text, thereby expanding the heteroglossic nature of the discourse while simultaneously allowing the speakers to signal their rejection of that voice and the ideologies it represents. In the current SFL literature, however, code-switching has not been noted as an appraisal resource. In the light of the examples from the TRC testimonies, I argue that, in multilingual contexts, code-switching has the potential to invoke complex evaluative meanings and should be included in the appraisal framework as an evaluative resource. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/290 Files in this item: 1
BockCodeSwitching2011.pdf (1.395Mb) -
Clowes, Lindsay; Shefer, Tamara; Fouten, Elron; Vergnani, Tania; Jacobs, Joachim (Taylor & Francis, co-published with Unisa Press, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: When a 22-year-old University of the Western Cape (UWC) female student was stabbed to death by her boyfriend (another student) in her room in the university residence on 25 August 2008, the entire campus was left reeling. Bringing the stark reality of gender-based violence (GBV) so close to home, the tragedy was a powerful reminder of the limits of more than a decade of legislative change, concerted activism, education, consciousness-raising and knowledge production aimed at challenging gender-based power inequalities. This article reflects on the relationships between violence, coercion and heterosexuality on a specific campus by drawing on data generated by a qualitative study at UWC that explored student constructions of heterosexual relationships in the light of national imperatives around HIV/AIDS and GBV. Involving 20 focus groups with male and female students over the course of 2008 and 2009, the study revealed that unequal and coercive practices are common in heterosexual relationships on this campus. The study underlined the necessity of understanding these relationships as produced through power inequalities inherent in normative gender roles, and also drew attention to ways in which gender power inequalities intersect in complex and sometimes contradictory ways with other forms of inequality on campus – in particular, class, age and geographical origin. While both men and women students appeared to experience pressure (linked to peer acceptance and material gain) to engage in (hetero)sexual relationships, it seems that first-year female students from poor, rural backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to the transactional and unequal relationships associated with coercive and sometimes even violent sexual practices. Alcohol and substance abuse also appear to be linked to unsafe and abusive sexual practices, and again it is young female students new to campus life who are most vulnerable. This article draws on the data from this larger study to explore experiences and understandings of the most vulnerable – young female students – in unpacking connections between (hetero)sexuality and violent and coercive sex in an educational institution. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/724 Files in this item: 1
ClowesGenderbased2009.pdf (122.2Kb) -
Du Toit, Darcy (Juta Law, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: Introduction: The relationship between collective bargaining and worker participation has two main aspects - • the interaction between collective bargaining as a process (at workplace; sectoral and subsectoral level) and the process of worker participation through workplace forums and similar structures; and • the demarcation of topics for collective bargaining from topics dealt with by workplace participatory structures. This article is concerned with the first aspect - the organizational and institutional sides of the process. Collective bargaining is widely accepted as the primary means of determining terms and conditions of employment. In South Africa its importance has been underlined by the legacy of deep adversarialism between organized labour and employers, the recent struggles of the trade union movement to achieve recognition and continued wariness on the part of unions against real or perceived attempts by employers to undermine their hard-won status. The right to bargain collectively has been written into the Constitution and is guarded jealously in the workplace. In this polarized climate it is inevitable that trade unions will tend to view participatory structures as a potential threat, an instrument that may be used by employers to marginalize unions and avoid collective bargaining. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/721 Files in this item: 1
duToitCollectiveBargaining2000.pdf (222.7Kb) -
Field, Roger (Taylor & Francis Group, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Despite his international status, the impact of Constantin Cavafy’s poetry on South African letters has gone largely unnoticed. This article draws attention to the range of Cavafy's, influence on the local poets, writers, critics and cultural activists, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, but directs most of its attention to two early short stories by Achmat Dangor, ‘The Homecoming’ and ‘Waiting for Leila’, and his most recent novel Bitter Fruit. In all of these works Dangor refers directly and indirectly to Cavafy’s poetry, his sexuality, his evocations of place and his use of Greek mythology, particularly in one of his most famous poems ‘Ithaka’. The article also addresses Dangor’s ambivalence towards Cavafy, particularly the disjuncture between Cavafy’s ironic, apolitical modernism, modernism’s appeal to Dangor, his desire to produce accessible protest literature and his need to justify recourse to the classics in Africa. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/521 Files in this item: 1
FieldConstantinCavafy2011.pdf (234.1Kb) -
Du Toit, Darcy (Juta Law, 2010)[more][less]
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Hara, Mafaniso; Matose, Frank; Wilson, Doug; Raakjær, Jesper; Magole, Lapologang; Magole, Lefatshe; Demotts, Rachel; Njaya, Friday; Turner, Stephen; Buscher, Bram; Haller, Tobias; Mvula, Peter; Binauli, Lucy; Chabwela, Harry; Kapasa, Cyprian; Mhlanga, Lindah; Nyikahadzoi, Kefasi (PLAAS, University of the Western Cape, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: This Policy Brief is based on synthetic studies undertaken by participants in the Cross Sectoral Commons Governance in Southern Africa (CROSCOG) project between 2007 and 2009, funded by the European Commission (European Commission: FP6-2002-INCO- DEV/SSA-1, contract no. 043982). The objective of the project was to share existing research and experience in the governance of large-scale natural resource commons across various ecosystem types in southern Africa. Description: This policy brief was authored by the CROSCOG (Cross Sectoral Commons Governance in Southern Africa) project team URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/68 Files in this item: 1
Hara_Commons2009.pdf (211.1Kb) -
Reitmaier, Thomas; Bidwell, Nicola J.; Siya, Masbulele Jay; Marsden, Gary; Tucker, William D. (IIMC International Information Management Corporation, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: We describe designing an asynchronous, oral repository and sharing system that we intend to suit the needs and practices of rural residents in South Africa. We aim to enable users without access to personal computers to record, store, and share information within their Xhosa community using cellphones and a tablet PC combined with their existing face-to-face oral practices. Our approach recognises that systems are more likely to be effective if the design concept and process build on existing local communication practices as well as addressing local constraints, e.g. cost. Thus, we show how the objectives for the system emerged from prolonged research locally and how we communicated insights, situated in the community, into the process of design and development in a city-based lab. We discuss how we integrated understandings about communication between situated- and localresearchers and designers and developers and note the importance of recognising and centralising subtle differences in our perception of acts of oral communication. We go on to show how the materiality of the software, the tablet form factor, and touch interaction style played into our collaborative effort in conceiving the design. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/693 Files in this item: 1
Reitmaier et al. IST Africa 2012.pdf (809.9Kb) -
Whande, Webster (PLAAS, University of the Western Cape, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This bibliography is aimed at collating information relating to community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in the Southern African region across different sectors and themes. It was primarily compiled to offer material support to researchers participating in the ‘Breaking New Ground’ – People Centred Approaches to Natural Resource Management and Development Programme – a joint venture of the Centre for Applied Social Sciences, University of Zimbabwe (CASS) and the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies, University of the Western Cape (PLAAS). It is also aimed at providing a resource to practitioners, policy- and decision-makers and researchers in southern Africa. The bibliography includes references to a variety of previously undocumented sources of information. The focus of this work, whilst including annotations on wildlife, moves beyond this traditional view of CBNRM to include other sectors. It embraces second or third generation issues ranging from the contribution of CBNRM to rural livelihoods and resource condition, to investigating policy issues around CBNRM and issues of power and authority over land and natural resources. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/72 Files in this item: 1
Whande_Community2007.pdf (752.4Kb) -
Puoane, Thandi; Bradley, Hazel A. (MedPharm Publications, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Community health workers (CHWs) are lay people trained to assist with health care in their communities. This study took place at two sites in Khayelitsha, a township in the Cape Peninsula, from 2000 to 2002. OBJECTIVES: To describe the process of developing an intervention programme for primary prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in general and cardiovascular disease in particular, targeting CHWs. METHOD: Forty-four CHWs were assigned to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group, living in Site C, received training on lifestyle modification with emphasis on healthy eating and physical activity, while the control group, living in Site B, did not receive any training until a year later. The process was undertaken in four stages. Stage 1 involved assessment of the CHWs’ risk factors by obtaining anthropometric measurements. CHWs were interviewed and focus group discussions were held on the socio-cultural factors associated with body weight and body image, and barriers to physical activity. Stage 2 involved developing and implementing a training programme for primary prevention of NCDs among CHWs. Stage 3, conducted at Site C, involved a situational assessment of available resources in the community for promoting healthy lifestyles. The fourth and final stage involved the implementation of community interventions by the CHWs. RESULTS: A large percentage of CHWs were overweight and obese, and therefore at risk for NCDs. They had misconceptions about causes and treatment of these diseases, and also lacked knowledge on nutrition and the risk of high fat intake. Easy access to cheap unhealthy food, rather than fresh fruit and vegetables, limited their ability to make healthy food choices. The findings from stage 1 led to a community participatory intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Developing community-targeted interventions for NCDs can be achieved by involving CHWs at the initial stage and utilising a multifaceted approach. Education of community members and CHWs does not guarantee behaviour modification. Unless the environment encourages healthy living, NCDs will continue to be a burden in the poor populations of South Africa. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/236 Files in this item: 1
PuoaneCommunityIntervention2006.pdf (301.1Kb) -
Hara, Mafaniso (Springer, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Small-scale fisheries are a major source of food and employment around the world. Yet, many small-scale fishers work in conditions that are neither safe nor secure. Millions of them are poor, and often they are socially and politically marginalized. Macro-economic and institutional mechanisms are essential to address these poverty and vulnerability problems; however, interventions at the local community level are also necessary. This requires deep understanding of what poverty means to the fishers, their families and communities; how they cope with it; and the challenges they face to increase resilience and improve their lives. This book provides a global perspective, situating small-scale fisheries within the broad academic discourse on poverty, fisheries management and development. In-depth case studies from fifteen countries in Latin America, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrate the enormously complex ecological, economic, social, cultural and political contexts of this sector. Conclusions for policy-making, formulated as a joint statement by the authors, argue that fisheries development, poverty alleviation, and resource management must be integrated within a comprehensive governance approach that also looks beyond fisheries. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/850 Files in this item: 1
Povfish, Chapter 12.pdf (343.9Kb) -
Stiegler, Nancy; Appunni, Sathiya Susuman (SAGE Publications, 2013)[more][less]
Abstract: The aim of this article is to show a comparative analysis of contraceptive use in areas of traditionally high fertility that have gone through profound changes. Data have been taken from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Logistic regression models were adopted for four selected representative countries, namely Egypt, Mali, Namibia and Niger. There were two selection criteria: data should be recent, and selected countries should have high (Egypt 57.4%; Namibia 46.4%) or low (Mali 7.5%; Niger 10.0%) contraceptive use. The probability of using contraception when a woman has had one to four children is 2.4 times higher than when they have had no children. Contraception data are always gathered at a point of time, but crosssectional data are not sufficient to understand all the mechanisms hidden behind contraceptive use. Different contraceptive behaviours need good estimation tools to develop specific family planning programmes. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/859 Files in this item: 0
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Fielding, Burtram C.; Suliman, Tasnim (Academic Journals, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: It has been reported in some studies that the newly discovered human coronavirus NL-63 (HCoVNL63) is one of the most common coronaviruses associated with acute respiratory infections. HCoVNL63 was first isolated in 2004 from a 7 month old infant in Holland. The HCoV-NL63 genome encodes for one accessory protein, ORF3. This reports the computational analysis of human coronavirus NL63 ORF3 by comparing the amino acid sequences of coronavirus ORF3-homologues. The HCoV-NL63 ORF3 gene was found to encode a putative protein ~25.6 kDa in size. ORF3 was predicted to contain three potential transmembrane regions. The amino acid sequence of HCoVNL63 ORF3 was shown to be most similar to HCoV 229E ORF4 (43% identity; 62% similarity). URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/742 Files in this item: 1
FieldingHumanCoronavirus2009.pdf (426.1Kb) -
Zeeman, Zannè; Branch, George M; Farrell, Daniel; Maneveldt, Gavin; Robertson-Andersson, Deborah; Pillay, Deena (Springer Verlag, 2013)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper concerns the effects on biodiversity of depletion 24 of the South African abalone Haliotis midae, which is a long-lived species with a large corrugated shell that provides a habitat for diverse benthic organisms. We compared community structure on H. midae shells with that on adjacent rock at three sites (Cape Point and Danger Point sites A and B), and at two different times of the year at one of these sites. Shells of H. midae consistently supported communities that were distinctly different from those on rock. In particular, three species of non-geniculate (encrusting) corallines, Titanoderma polycephalum, Mesophyllum engelhartii and Spongites discoideus were all found either exclusively or predominantly on shells, whereas another non-geniculate coralline, Heydrichia woelkerlingii, occurred almost exclusively on adjacent rock. The primary rocky substratum, however, supported a higher number of species than abalone shells. Possible reasons for the differences between the two substrata include the relative age, microtopography and hardness of the substrata; the abundance of grazers on them; and the relative age of different zones of the abalone shell, which support communities at different stages of succession. Diversity on shells was lowest in zones that were either very young or very old, in keeping with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The distinctiveness of shell epibiota will increase diversity despite having a lower diversity than that of adjacent rock. Decimation of H. midae by overfishing therefore has implications biodiversity conservation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/906 Files in this item: 1
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Mohamed, Nadia (South African Dental Association, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the success rate obtained when applying either a calcium hydroxide (Dycal) base or a zinc oxide-eugenol (Kalzinol) base following the traditional ferric sulfate pulpotomy. Methods: Patients were either treated in the chair or under general anaesthesia. All teeth had to have radiographic evidence of caries close to the pulp. After haemostasis was achieved with damp cotton pellets, ferric sulfate was applied to the pulpal stumps. Half of the cases then received a Dycal base followed by a cured layer of Vitrebond and a permanent amalgam restoration. The other half of the cases received a base of zinc oxide-eugenol (Kalzinol) followed by an amalgam restoration. The cases were followed up every 6 months for one year (ie. 2 follow-up visits). Radiographs were taken at each follow-up visit. Results: Overall, teeth treated with Dycal demonstrated a higher failure rate when compared with those that received the Kalzinol base. Abscess formation and internal resorption were the most common causes of failure. Even though the Kalzinol base demonstrated greater success, there were still quite a few failures. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that calcium hydroxide cannot be recommended as a medicament in primary tooth pulpotomies. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10566/415 Files in this item: 1
MohamedPulpotomy2008.pdf (904.0Kb)