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The tension between Correctional officials and incarcerated persons: A pastoral challenge
Manganye, Fredolene J. (University of Pretoria, 2024-11)
The Vision of the Department of Correctional Services is “Contributing to a just, peaceful and safer South Africa through effective and humane incarceration of incarcerated persons, rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders.” In other words, the department sees itself in contributing positively to make and feel South Africans safe, including the correctional official and the incarcerated persons (sentenced and unsentenced). Considering the reality that corrections exposes one to often violent situations, this is a vision that might become difficult to achieve. As Muntingh (2009:5) alludes when quoting White, “Few would argue that prisons are violent places and South Africa is no exception. Prisoners face a substantial risk of being coerced, assaulted, raped and even killed at the hands of prison officials and fellow prisoners. Officials also face a substantial risk of violent victimisation by prisoners. Even though the Correctional Services Act and case law are clear that it is the duty of the state to ensure safe custody and to maintain standards of human dignity, violence and the threat of violence forms an integral part of the prison experience and is, as White argues, a sustaining component of the punitive function of imprisonment”. The research will seek to determine the contributory factors for the tension that exists between the correctional official and the offender and how the role of pastoral care can turn the situation around to positively contribute to an enhanced relationship, that will ultimately make South Africa safer for all citizens.
From empowerment to emancipation : an exploration of design citizenship through design activism in South Africa
Cassim, Fatima (University of Pretoria, 2019-02-21)
Owing to the ubiquity of design in contemporary culture, there is a!proliferation!of!new!roles!for! design!especially!within!the!context!of!design!for!the!common!good;!one!such!example!includes! design!activism,!which!aims!to!instil!and!enable social,!environmental!and!political!agency!among! citizens.!However,!unlike!design!activism,!design!citizenship!is!a!new!concept!that!lacks!a!concrete! theoretical!framework.!Accordingly,!this!thesis!uses!a!constructivist!grounded!theory!methodology! to!present!a!substantive!theory!of!design!citizenship by!exploring!the!relationship!between!design! activism!and!citizenship in!South!Africa.!For!data!generation!purposes,!the!fieldwork!comprised!an! analysis!of!design!interventions!that!addressed!pertinent!social!issues!faced!by!citizens!in!two!cities,! namely Pretoria!and!Cape!Town.!To!this!end,!openHended!interviews!were!held!with!the!research! participants,!who!included!participants,!facilitators!and!sponsors!(corporate!and!nonHcorporate)!of!a! sample!of!design!interventions.!The!empirical!evidence!generated!through!the!grounded!theory! process!points!towards!a!YHshaped!model!of!design!citizenship!that!situates!the!social!phenomenon! of!design!citizenship!at!the!intersection!of!design!activism!and!critical!citizenship,!and!thereby! suggests!the!causal!relationship between!the!two.!The!model!comprises!three!overarching! processes, namely awakening awareness, igniting agency and sustaining a design thinking impetus. The disruptive and transformative!nature!of!design!citizenship,!facilitated!by!these!three!processes! over a sustained!period!of!time, suggests that design provides!common!ground for citizens which in turn affords them with an opportunity to move from being merely empowered to being emancipated
Tick-borne haemoparasite occurrence and Anaplasma bovis strain diversity in eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus)
Jacobs, Roanda (University of Pretoria, 2018-12)
Studying the relationships of parasites with their vertebrate hosts is important as they improve our knowledge on the ecology of diseases of veterinary and zoonotic importance. Eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus) are small insectivores endemic to Africa that are known to have higher tick burdens than other small mammal species. Studies have shown that E. myurus from South Africa harbour an Anaplasma bovis-like strain, a rickettsial pathogen of cattle. Anaplasma bovis infects host monocytes causing monocytic- and bovine anaplasmosis. The role of rock sengi as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens has not been fully investigated. In addition, the phylogenetic position of the described A. bovis-like strain is unclear as genetic data are currently limited to the highly conserved 16S rRNA gene and studies are constrained by difficulties with cultivation of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae. The aim of the current study was, therefore, to determine the tick-borne haemoparasite diversity in rock sengi and to expand molecular characterization of the A. bovis-like strain in rock sengi (henceforth referred to as A. bovis-like (sengi)), using a more phylogenetically informative gene region. The specific objectives were to (i) screen blood samples for the presence of Theileria, Babesia, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. using the Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridization assay, and (ii) to determine the taxonomic position of the A. bovis strain present in rock sengis by PCRscreening of additional rock sengi samples using 16S rRNA and GroEL assays, optimised for specific detection of the A. bovis-like (sengi) variant, in combination with Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Genomic DNA extracted from 160 eastern rock sengi blood samples collected from the Goro Game Reserve, Limpopo Province (n=112) and Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Gauteng (n=48), South Africa, as part of previous studies, was subjected to the RLB hybridization assay and further molecular characterization. The RLB hybridization assay results revealed that PCR products hybridized with the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probe in 5% (n=8) of the samples and with the Anaplasma/Ehrlichia genus-specific probe in 31.9% (n=51) of he samples. A total of 86 (53.8%) of the samples tested negative or below the level of detection of the assay; none of the PCR products hybridized with any species-specific probes. Alignment of the near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences of the A. bovis-like strain previously identified in rock sengi (Harrison et al., 2013) revealed that the A. bovis RLB probe differed at three nucleotide sites under the probe area explaining why the species-specific A. bovis RLB probe failed to hybridise. A new RLB probe was designed on the basis of available 16S rDNA sequences, to allow for the specific detection of the sengi-associated A. bovis-like strains. This custom-designed A. bovis-like (sengi) probe was subsequently used to screen a subset (n=108) of the original eastern rock sengi samples that previously tested RLB positive for the Anaplasma/Ehrlichia genus-specific probe. Despite the custom-design of the probe, only 17 (15.7%) tested positive. The parasite 16S rRNA and GroEL genes were subsequently amplified, purified and sequenced from the 17 A. bovis-like (sengi) RLB positive samples and two previously negative samples. A total of twelve 16S rDNA and eight GroEL sequences were generated. Gene trees were inferred using the Neighbour-joining algorithm, prior to more rigorous Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inferences, using appropriate models of sequence evolution and priors, respectively. BLASTn homology searches showed that the obtained 16S rDNA sequences had 99% sequence identity with A. bovis (Accession no: U03775) previousl described in South Africa, while the GroEL sequences were 88% identical to an uncultured Anaplasma sp. identified in a raccoon (Accession no: JN588562). The phylogenetic analyses revealed that the sequences were most closely related to A. bovis type sequences, but were sufficiently genetically distinct to represent a novel species. In contrast, the 16S rDNA results revealed that the novel sengi-associated Anaplasma lineage falls within an unresolved, polyphyletic lineage that includes A. bovis. Little is known about this sengi-associated variant that is closely related to A. bovis. However, given the relatedness to a pathogen of animal health concern it is important to establish the pathogenicity of this species in order to determine its potential impact on animal and/or human health. It is also imperative that more phylogenetic studies should be performed to clearly place this A. bovis-like (sengi) species within the broader genus Anaplasma phylogeny.
DRGH antenna with improved gain and beamwidth performance
Gerber, Monique (University of Pretoria, 2018-09)
Double Ridge Gain Horn (DRGH) antennas are used widely in test facilities for gain standards and source antennas, more specifically in ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing. The capability of the DRGH antenna to obtain a relatively constant 3 dB and 10 dB beamwidth, within the operating frequency band of 1-18 GHz, deems it appropriate for these applications. The ridges form an essential part of the DRGH antenna and are selected to focus on during this investigation. It was hypothesised that by changing both the profile and width of the ridges across the axial length of the DRGH antenna will improve the gain and beamwidth performance. The starting point was determined by selecting a DRGH antenna that adhered to the EMC requirements. An accurate numerical model was developed of the 1-18 GHz DRGH antenna and used as the box dimensions. The ridges were then improved by implementing the elliptical profile and tapering out the width linearly. Based on the results observed of the prototype DRGH antenna developed the hypothesis was confirmed with the improved ridges implemented.
Sorghum-soya biscuits: effect of repeated exposure on consumers’ acceptability
Chimuti, Nomsa (University of Pretoria, 2018-09)
The imbalance between the demand and supply of wheat in Africa has created a need for utilisation of climate smart African cereal grains such as sorghum in the production of a variety of products. However, sorghum as an ingredient is unfamiliar in the South African commercial biscuit market hence thorough consumer acceptability research before any product launch is vital. Traditional consumer sensory research methods to determine consumer acceptability of novel foods might not be sufficient because the measurements are usually limited to immediate impressions. Therefore, a better prediction of acceptability of novel foods such as sorghum biscuits is expected when employing repeated exposure consumer tests. The first part of the study was done to develop suitable wheat only (control), sorghum only, sorghum-soya and wheat-soya biscuits and characterise the physical, textural properties of these biscuits prior to consumer testing. Adjustments of the formulations, dough handling and baking parameters were necessary to cope with the different properties of the respective flours and doughs. In terms of the physical characteristics, wheat only biscuits were heavier and thicker than the sorghum-soya biscuits. This could be ascribed to the elasticity of the wheat dough which caused the dough to spring back after sheeting resulting in biscuits that are thick and heavy. Wheat biscuits were also found to be harder than sorghum-based and wheat-soya biscuits. Biscuits containing sorghum or soya flour were darker (lower L* value) and with more redness (higher a* value) than the wheat-based biscuits. Increased redness in sorghum biscuits was due to the red-pericarp layer of the red non-tannin sorghum flour that was used for preparation of the biscuits. The darkness in sorghum-based biscuits is attributable to the dark brown colour of sorghum flour. The increased yellowness (b*) in wheat-based biscuits attributed to the wheat endosperm which has a pale yellow colour. The second objective of this research was to determine the hedonic adjustment potential of the novel sorghum biscuits through conducting repeated exposure testing of biscuits by young adults. Four biscuit formulations used as test material were 100 % sorghum, 100 % wheat, 70:30 sorghum-soya and 70:30 wheat-soya on a flour component base. Participants (n = 155) were randomly allocated to five experimental groups of 31 each. One group did not receive biscuits to consumer for 20 days and this group was called the non-exposure group. The participants in the remaining four groups were given 20 biscuits (1 biscuit type per group) to taste and evaluate, one biscuit per day, for 20 days. All participants however evaluated all four biscuit formulations during the pre-exposure, post-exposure and follow-up test sessions. 100 % sorghum and sorghum-soya biscuits were regarded as unfamiliar or novel biscuits. For the group that was repeatedly exposed to sorghum-soya biscuits for 20 days, significant increases in liking of sorghum-soya biscuits during the 20-day exposure phase were observed when results of the pre-exposure session were compared to that of the 20-day exposure phase. Results also showed that there was a decrease in liking of 100 % wheat biscuits on day 1 of the 20-day exposure phase for the group that was repeatedly exposed to 100 % wheat biscuits for 20 days when the pre-exposure results were compared to that of the 20-day exposure phase. The decrease in liking for 100 % wheat biscuits is probably due to the fact that, wheat biscuits were indeed not complex to consumers hence exposure to a non-complex stimuli led to boredom and product boredom has been attributed to the decrease in liking of food products during repeated exposure. On the contrary, results obtained from the sorghum-soya group might be due to the fact that the sorghum-soya biscuits were too complex for consumers but over time the complexity or novelty factor gradually reduced which caused an increase in appreciation of sorghum-soya biscuits. The non-exposure group rated wheat-soya biscuits higher than the group that was exposed to wheat-soya biscuits for 20 days. These results could have happened because of product irritation which occurred to the group that was exposed to wheat-soya biscuits for 20 days. Although 50 % of participants showed high neophobic tendencies, food neophobia propensities did not have an effect on liking of all biscuit formulations. This is might have occurred because, 82 % of the participants indicated that they were familiar with sorghum thus their neophobic tendencies did not have an effect on liking of sorghum-soya or 100 % sorghum biscuits. Findings from this study demonstrate that repeated exposure can be used as a strategy for predicting long-term preferences and potential acceptance of sorghum-soya biscuits. Results also demonstrated that exposure to familiar products can lead to product boredom which causes a decrease in liking.