Assessing disaster risks in Alexandra township: Towards a disaster risk inventory

ABSTRACT South Africa faces increasing levels of disaster risk. The country and citizens are exposed to a wide range of weather hazards, including drought, cyclones and severe storms that can trigger widespread hardship and devastation. The country’s extensive coastline and proximity to shipping routes present further numerous marine and coastal threats. Despite ongoing progress to extend essential services to poor urban and rural communities, large numbers of people live in conditions of chronic disaster vulnerability. They are located-in underserved, ecologically fragile or marginal areas, where they face recurrent natural and other threats that range from drought to repeated informal settlement fires. Several literature on Disaster Risk Management identifies a number of risk factors that people can be exposed to. These include: · Proximity/exposure: people who occupy or, for their livelihoods depend on areas of high hazard’s risk, · Capacities and resources: people who have limited means and capacity to mobilise them in order to increase their defences against hazard and · Disadvantaged or marginalized people: people who are vulnerable due to gender, race, ethnicity and class. The assessment and evaluation of risk to a range of hazards therefore becomes a necessity as it provides a sound basis for planning and for allocation of financial and other resources, as well as designing interventions and future mitigation activities. Valid and systematic information on disasters and their impacts has, however, not been widely available within local development programmes. More often, information pertaining to disaster risks is not available, and where it is, it is in fragmentary bits usually derived from different sources and stored in different formats. These data shortcomings have been to the obvious detriment of effective relief and mitigation, both at international, national and local municipal levels. Alexandra Township, located to the north of Johannesburg is facing a problem of a usable and comprehensive disaster data inventory. In this research report, an initial disaster inventory for Alexandra Township has been undertaken. Available data on disasters that have occurred in Alexandra Township for over the decade (1991-Aug 2005) are collected. These data are drawn from various sources including newspaper clippings, community- based records, data from the Red Cross, data from the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and others. The beginning of such an information gathering system is a basic requirement for a coherent disaster programme. While in no way as rigorous as the data capturing methods and systems as those adopted in LA RED, South America or in MANDISA (University of Cape Town), where the disaster capturing data systems are more advanced, this report begins to illustrate some of the preliminary results that can be used to begin to develop an effective data management system for Alexandra Township. Such data also should be able to determine the detection of trends, that can begin to inform a more systematic and rigorous identification of complex disaster risks in urban settings. Some of these preliminary trends are profiled in this report

Economic evaluation of bamboo cultivation and potential yield on rehabilitated mine sites

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017Abandoned mines in South Africa have created a series of environmental legacies around the mining community in the form of health hazard (air pollution), land degradation and illegal mining activities. The biggest mine environmental legacy that is being addressed today in South Africa is that of abandoned mines, particularly asbestos and the process of cleaning up asbestos mining dumps in South Africa as implemented by Mintek (state owned mineral processing and metallaurgical research instistute)on behalf of Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and this form the main basis of this research study. The history of abandoned mines, particularly asbestos mining, is that the mining peaked and took place during the time when there were no environmental regulations forcing mining companies to take control of their waste. The only legislation was the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act No.45 of 1965). The Mineral Act, which regulated most of the mining activity in South Africa was promulgated in 1991 and was enacted as Act No.50 in 1991. Apart from the environmental challenges, these mines are located in rural areas with high unemployment levels and poor infrastructure, and therefore all solutions would require these matter to be addressed as well. This study was based on a literature review involving bamboo as a potential vegetation cover to be grown on abandoned mineland both for rehabilitation and with intention to harvest it for energy use. This would hope to address some of the socioeconomic issues within the communities surrounding such abandoned asbestos mines. Penge area in the Limpopo Province is proposed as the site for a pilot study for such bamboo cultivation. Bamboos are a large group of rapidly growing woody grasses, mainly found in the IndoChina regions of the world that can be sustainably managed in short-cycle harvesting schemes. They offer many benefits like erosion control, architectural properties for rural construction activities and can be used as biomass feedstock for the bioenergy economy. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to grow bamboo in the Penge based on its physio-climatic conditions. The literature review proposes , Bambusa balcooa, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus strictus and Phyllostachys edulis as suitable bamboo species for the region. Based on rudimetary simple evaluation model the area will produce 14 tonnes/ha/year of biomass in the 5th year of harvesting, increasing to and stabilizing to 47 tonnes /ha/year in the 7th year and it has proven economically feasible to proudce energy from the amount of feedstock generated.XL201

Economic evaluation of bamboo cultivation and potential yield on rehabilitated mine sites

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science in Metallurgical Engineering to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017Abandoned mines in South Africa have created a series of environmental legacies around the mining community in the form of health hazard (air pollution), land degradation and illegal mining activities. The biggest mine environmental legacy that is being addressed today in South Africa is that of abandoned mines, particularly asbestos and the process of cleaning up asbestos mining dumps in South Africa as implemented by Mintek (state owned mineral processing and metallaurgical research instistute)on behalf of Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and this form the main basis of this research study. The history of abandoned mines, particularly asbestos mining, is that the mining peaked and took place during the time when there were no environmental regulations forcing mining companies to take control of their waste. The only legislation was the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act No.45 of 1965). The Mineral Act, which regulated most of the mining activity in South Africa was promulgated in 1991 and was enacted as Act No.50 in 1991. Apart from the environmental challenges, these mines are located in rural areas with high unemployment levels and poor infrastructure, and therefore all solutions would require these matter to be addressed as well. This study was based on a literature review involving bamboo as a potential vegetation cover to be grown on abandoned mineland both for rehabilitation and with intention to harvest it for energy use. This would hope to address some of the socioeconomic issues within the communities surrounding such abandoned asbestos mines. Penge area in the Limpopo Province is proposed as the site for a pilot study for such bamboo cultivation. Bamboos are a large group of rapidly growing woody grasses, mainly found in the IndoChina regions of the world that can be sustainably managed in short-cycle harvesting schemes. They offer many benefits like erosion control, architectural properties for rural construction activities and can be used as biomass feedstock for the bioenergy economy. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to grow bamboo in the Penge based on its physio-climatic conditions. The literature review proposes , Bambusa balcooa, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus strictus and Phyllostachys edulis as suitable bamboo species for the region. Based on rudimetary simple evaluation model the area will produce 14 tonnes/ha/year of biomass in the 5th year of harvesting, increasing to and stabilizing to 47 tonnes /ha/year in the 7th year and it has proven economically feasible to proudce energy from the amount of feedstock generated.XL201

The financial burden of polypharmacy in type 2 diabetic patients at Mankweng Hospital, Limpopo

Thesis ((M. A. (Pharm.)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019Introduction: Polypharmacy is highly prevalent within the population of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), with patients being prescribed with four or more medications with mainly preventative medications for cardiovascular complications. The increase in the prevalence of polypharmacy has a major impact on the drug expenditures. Meanwhile, the management of DM is expensive, and the cost affects individuals, families, society, health care providers, and national productivity. The largest component of financial cost is accounted for by medicines. Furthermore, with DM being the second cause of mortality rates in South Africa there is a need for cost of illness studies in order to develop intervention programs to ameliorate or prevent this lifestyle disease Objectives: To identify the medications the patient was taking that were considered as polypharmacy in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), to calculate and analyse the costs of the medications and to quantify the financial burden of polypharmacy in T2DM patients. Method: This research was a quantitative study, providing the numeric description of the economic cost of polypharmacy. The financial burden of polypharmacy was retrospectively measured using descriptive statistics. The study was conducted using T2DM patient files (n=115) from the outpatient section of the pharmacy as well as from the records department whereby all DM patients’ files were retrieved by aid of a DM register from outpatient department (OPD). The data sheet enabled recording of information that was divided into three sections namely the demographic information, the diagnosis profile, as well as the medications. The cost of drugs was retrieved from the pharmacy purchase invoices for the years 2016 and 2017 as well as Department of Health medicines registry for the retail prices. Data was analysed using statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 for descriptive analysis and Microsoft Excel TM was used for calculation and quantification of the financial burden. The independent t test was used in Microsoft ExcelTM for statistical significance of differences. Results: The distribution of the population by gender revealed that 68% of females were on polypharmacy as compared to 32% of males. The results also showed that majority of participants accounting 71% of the population were falling within the age xi group of 51-70 years, meanwhile the least number of participants accounting 1% of the population were between the age group of 30-40 years. The total cost of the treatment regimen for the two years of the study period was found to be R179303.50 in hospital (Mean=R35860.80, SD=R58945.15, n=115) and the possible cost of polypharmacy was found to be R1517379.00 in retail (Mean=R303475.76, SD=480115.84, n=115). The difference was statistically significant t (16) = 2.11, p=0.04 (1 tail) at 95% confidence interval. This means that the average cost per patient per year is R1558.18 and R129.93 per month in hospitals but R6597.30 per year and R549.78 per month in retail for the management of T2 DM patients who are on polypharmacy. These numbers are 4 times higher than patients who are on monotherapy. Conclusion: Polypharmacy imposes a high financial burden on the management of T2DM for the government and for patients in cases where medications like insulin which is the most costly component of five out of nine detected regimens are unavailable in hospitals and they therefore have to buy at retail pharmacies. The appreciation and understanding of these costs in real terms by health professionals and decision makers, can add value to processes of budget allocations to pharmaceutical services. Recommendations: Doctors and pharmacists should work together to optimize the quality of care for patients with T2DM but also consider the cost aspect when prescribing and dispensing treatment regimen for a patient. The patient’s prescriptions must be thoroughly reviewed and rationalised according to recent progress of the patient. Non-pharmacological management of T2DM is the mainstay of therapy and prevention so pharmacist and doctors needs to emphasize more on those rather than dispensing a lot of medications to patients that can manage to control their condition with no medications prescribed. Lastly, preventative programs for T2DM needs to be prioritized.CHIETA and HWSET

Comparative evaluation of three fundamentally different analytical methods antioxidant activity determination with reference to bush tea (anthrixia phylicoides)

Thesis (M.Sc. (Chemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016In this study, antioxidant activity methodologies were evaluated in terms of analytical performances. The total antioxidant activity from Athrixia phylicoides leaves (Bush tea) determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH•) method, cupric ion reducing power (CUPRAC) method and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Folin-Ciocalteu method was used to quantify total phenolic content (TPC) in Athrixia phylicoides leaves. The influence of chemical and physical parameters on the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity determination were investigated. Results from direct sample and crude sample were compared. Antioxidant activity and phenolic content from Athrixia phylicoides leaves were compared with those from commercialised green tea, black tea and rooibos tea using two chosen antioxidant capacity method with acceptable characteristics. Results from the evaluation of the methods demonstrated excellent recoveries (99 to 103%) consistently, good linearity within the calibration concentration range (R2 = 0.997) and repeatable low coefficient of variation < 5% were indicative of good precision except for CV method. The average total antioxidant activity of various extracts of Athrixia phylicoides leaves ranged from 0.039 to 0.122 mg/mL (EC50), 0.031 to 0.233 mg/mL (EC50) and 339 to 429 mV (anodic potential) for DPPH method, CUPRAC method and CV method, respectively. The total antioxidant activity values for each Athrixia phylicoides samples determined by CUPRAC method were higher than the values produced by DPPH and CV methods. The highest antioxidant activities in the DPPH and CUPRAC methods were found in water extracts (direct sample). However, concentrated samples for DPPH method and CV gave a different trend with the methanol extract (crude sample) displaying the highest antioxidant capacity. Increasing the infusion time only increased total antioxidant activity determined by CUPRAC method, whilst DPPH and CV methods had the highest antioxidant activity in the lowest infusion time (3 min). Even though the results are inconclusive with regard to the effect of solid to solvent ratio effect on the total antioxidant activity, 1:150 ratio and 1:100 ratio extracts for both CUPRAC and DPPH methods and for CV gave the highest antioxidant capacities, respectively. The total antioxidant activities in pure antioxidant standards and in the teas were ranked in the following order by both CUPRAC and DPPH methods: Quercetin > catechin > Trolox and Chinese green tea > Joko black tea > Athrixia phylicoides leaves > Laager rooibos tea, respectively. Comparative study showed the necessity of employing more than one method, as each method for the same sample yielded different results. CUPRAC and DPPH methods displayed higher sensitivity and repeatability as compared to the CV method with poor precision

Behavioural and chemical evidence for multiple colonisation of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, in the Western Cape, South Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Argentine ant, <it>Linepithema humile</it>, is a widespread invasive ant species that has successfully established in nearly all continents across the globe. Argentine ants are characterised by a social structure known as unicoloniality, where territorial boundaries between nests are absent and intraspecific aggression is rare. This is particularly pronounced in introduced populations and results in the formation of large and spatially expansive supercolonies. Although it is amongst the most well studied of invasive ants, very little work has been done on this ant in South Africa. In this first study, we investigate the population structure of Argentine ants in South Africa. We use behavioural (aggression tests) and chemical (CHC) approaches to investigate the population structure of Argentine ants within the Western Cape, identify the number of supercolonies and infer number of introductions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both the aggression assays and chemical data revealed that the Western Cape Argentine ant population can be divided into two behaviourally and chemically distinct supercolonies. Intraspecific aggression was evident between the two supercolonies of Argentine ants with ants able to discriminate among conspecific non-nestmates. This discrimination is linked to the divergence in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of ants originating from the two supercolonies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The presence of these two distinct supercolonies is suggestive of at least two independent introductions of this ant within the Western Cape. Moreover, the pattern of colonisation observed in this study, with the two colonies interspersed, is in agreement with global patterns of Argentine ant invasions. Our findings are of interest because recent studies show that Argentine ants from South Africa are different from those identified in other introduced ranges and therefore provide an opportunity to further understand factors that determine the distributional and spread patterns of Argentine ant supercolonies.</p

Medical pluralism amongst Makhanda traditional health practitioners: Exploring dispositions to COVID-19 vaccinations

‘Healers and healing’, ‘wellbeing and prevalence’, ‘medical systems and progression’. Every healing concept is tied to people’s perspectives, thoughts, beliefs, and backgrounds. Worldviews and world perspectives influence these throughout time and space. The progressive postulation between medical systems and the comprehensive relations between them is a narrative worth exploring through the distinct perspectives of Traditional Health Practitioners in Makhanda. This qualitative study sought to explore the dispositions of Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) towards COVID-19 vaccinations to understand the practice and acceptance of medical pluralism through a traditional lens. Through purposive and snowball sampling, 10 participants were recruited and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted as a tool for data collection. Thematic data analysis was conducted to analyse the data, and multiple codes that led to themes emerged. THPs exhibit multiple concepts tied to COVID-19 vaccination, representing the dynamic understanding of participating in biomedical approaches. THPs, in their decision to uptake the COVID-19 vaccination, are motivated by the severity of the disease and other compelling reasons, such as the obligations and regulations put in place to encourage vaccination uptake in achieving mass/herd immunity. THPs who, in their decision of not uptaking the COVID-19 vaccination, display mistrust, disregard for the COVID-19 vaccination in particular and the entrusted commitment to traditional medicine. In all the expressed dispositions, reliance on the understanding of COVID-19 and the dependence on lived experiences played an integral role in how THPs responded to COVID-19 vaccinations. Due to this understanding, the practice of medical pluralism amongst Makhanda THPs is understood through context-based concepts to explore the in-depth multifaceted positioning of medical pluralism.Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 202