College of Humanities

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Understanding real estate development for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Policy in South Africa: A case study of the eThekwini Metropolitan area and the KwaDukuza municipal area.
(2009) Parthab, Kiran.
This study explores the policy implications of Real estate Investment Trusts on urban restructuring and attempts to uncover if monitoring and evaluating mechanisms are needed. This issue is relevant to South Africa for competing globally and domestically for real estate investment. Furthermore it is relevant to South Africa given the potential impact of unregulated property development and the implications for the poor. The study also investigates the implications of REIT investing over all types of property types and implications for spatial policy proposals
Provoking the Rocks: A Study of Reality and Meaning on the Zambian Copperbelt.
(University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007) Parsons, Elizabeth C.
Even though the West, or Global North, initiates extensive development policymaking and project activity on the African continent, this study argues that one source of major frustration between different parties entrusted to do the work arises from cognitive differences in their worldviews. These differences affect people's actions and have theological ramifications involving how we all understand meaning and reality. The study employs a case method analyzed through the lens of Alfred Schutz's sociology of knowledge theories and augmented by insights from African scholars to look at basic perceptual differences between Zambians and expatriates working on the Copperbelt Province's mines. After exploring how participants in the study interpreted various experiences, this study concludes that Zambians and expatriates were essentially living in "parallel universes" of meaning regardless of their apparently shared activities and objectives. The study further argues that viewpoints expressed by Zambian participants can be extrapolated into powerful lessons for members of civil society who are concerned about international development and the environment. Such teaching elements could especially help reshape how Americans and other Westerners understand ourselves in relation to physical creation and the cosmos as well as to those from radically different cultures. Lessons learned from the Zambian perspective could also help reinvigorate Western theological thinking, providing much needed critiques of discourses that currently dominate international development policymaking and planning and that determine value principally according to economic strategies and fulfillment of efficient, measurable objectives.
On the syntax of derived nominals in English and Greek.
(2009) Papadakis, Dimitrios.; Zeller, Jochen Klaus.
This study exammes different approaches to analysing the syntactic derivation of nouns from verbs within the theoretical framework of Principles and Parameters (PP phrases by presenting a contrastive study of English and Greek derived nominal expressions. The thesis discusses the well-known distinction between result nominals and process nominals, and it demonstrates that, in contrast to result nominals, process nominals license argument structure obligatorily and can be modified by aspectual adverbials. It is shown that the role of functional categories is crucial for an explanation of the differences between these two noun classes of derived nominals. In particular, it is suggested, following a proposal by Alexiadou (2001), that the verbal functional categories vP and AspectP are projected with process nominals, but not with result nominals. This analysis also accounts for the derivation of Greek nouns from ergative/unaccusative verbs, but it also explains the projection of the patient/theme as the internal argument of a result nominal and the aspectual modification of passive nominals.
Examining the social, religious and cultural discources on "maleness" and its possible influence on domestic violence in South Africa : a critique of some expressions of evangelical theology.
(2009) Owino, Kennedy Onyango.; Phiri, Isabel Apawo.
My journey in writing this dissertation has been both intellectually and emotionally challenging keeping in mind firstly that I am a male scholar (an “outsider”) responding to issues related to maleness, the abuse and oppression of women. Secondly, that I have a personal “sacred story” of the effects of abuse and violence in the home where I grew up; and thirdly, that am strongly a conservative evangelical by faith. However, these three aspects interplay in contributing to my motivation of seeking for a mended world especially for professing Christian women within the evangelical context. The focus of this study is: Examining the social, religious and cultural discourses on “maleness” and its possible influence on domestic violence in South Africa: A critique of some expressions of evangelical theology. The study argues that the predominant social, religious and cultural discourses portray some expressions of evangelical theology. It maintains that our distorted perceptions of God (how we have imagined God as “male”)—hence maleness, has influenced male paradigm of domination among partners. As a result, this has possibly influenced and contributed to domestic violence (DV), abuse and oppression of women within some evangelical context in South Africa. Hence, the prevalence of abuse and oppression of women in the evangelical context, the battle for the humanity and dignity of women as human beings created in God’s image and that female and male are equal in God are motivations that made me pursue this study. Having evaluated the theology and the inherited evangelical traditions, it becomes certain that transformative praxis that counteracts abusive and oppressive ideologies against women among evangelicals is imperative. To achieve this, the study has used an already published case study on interviews conducted among Christian women in the Full Gospel Church (FGC) in Phoenix, Durban. This has been used to facilitate theological observations. In seeking to answer its research question the dissertation examines and critiques the predominant discourses portrayed as some expressions of evangelical theology in chapters four, five and six as analysed from the said case study. The study achieves this purpose by engaging a theological reflection as its methodology through applying a “feminist theology of praxis” as its theoretical framework. Hence, the study proposes alternative evangelical theological discourses and resources for transformative praxis as its focus. The findings are tentative and require future empirical research. Arguing that “Theological statements contain as much truth as they deliver practically in transforming reality” (Sölle quoted in Ackermann 1996:42), the dissertation concludes with addressing the implications of this study by proposing practical ways for transforming men, aiming at deconstructing abusive and oppressive male paradigms.
The horn of Africa and international terrorism : the predisposing operational environment of Somalia.
(2008) Osondu, Chukudwi Solomon.; Okeke-Uzodike, Nwabufo Ikechukwu.
A fundamental driving factor to contemporary international terrorism is the role of religion. Since the 1980s, there have been not only a rise in the number of Islamist terrorist incidents but also of a more globalized and intense dimension. The casualties have risen to unprecedented levels. Africa, and the Horn of Africa, in particular, has experienced its fair share of terrorist activities. For instance, in December 1980 terrorists sympathetic to the PLO bombed the Norfolk Hotel, owned by an Israeli, in Nairobi, Kenya, killing sixteen people and injuring over a hundred. The 7 August 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were more deadly: 240 Kenyans, 11 Tanzanians and 12 Americans died, with over 5,000 Kenyans and 86 Tanzanians injured. There was yet another terrorist attack on another Israeli-owned hotel in Mombassa and an attempt on a passenger plane on the runway at the Mombassa International Airport, Kenya. Both incidents happened in November 2002. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the 1998 and 2002 attacks. With rising terrorism in the Horn of Africa and the reality of the Somali state failure, there is a growing concern that the Somali environment is supporting terrorist activities in the region. The activities of the al-Itihad al-Islamiya (AIAI) and later the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), the Somali Islamist fundamentalist organizations, with their feared international connections and the security implications, are of concern not only to the region but also to global security monitors. There is not much debate regarding the level of collapse of the Somali state and the possible security implications of the territory as a congenial terrorist safe haven. Most experts have presented Somalia as a clear example of a completely failed state. Rotberg (2002:131) describes Somalia as “the model of a collapsed state: a geographical expression only, with borders but with no effective way to exert authority within those borders". Jhazbhay (2003: 77) quoted Ali Mazrui as saying that "the situation in Somalia now is a culture of rules without rulers, a stateless society‟. Menkhaus (2003: 27) has singled out protracted and complete state collapse, protracted armed conflict and lawlessness as aptly representing the Somali situation. “Somalia‟s inability to pull together even the most minimalist fig-leaf of a central administration over the course of twelve years places the country in a class by itself.
School leadership: principals’ experiences of change and reward.
(2009) Omar, Shabier.; Samuel, Michael Anthony.
This study explores principals’ experiences of school leadership. Through synthesis of varying definitions of leadership, the conceptualisation of the three foci of leadership namely, “person, practice and context” offers an initial organisational framework for this study. The democratic South Africa provides the context of change which is operationalised around issues of the pass rate, desegregation and democratic school governance. The existing landscape of leadership theory is then grafted with the South African context of change to set up the theoretical framing of this study. This study is positioned differently from dominant leadership studies in that the leader (principal) is fore-grounded rather than the “practice” of leadership. An interpretive paradigm is invoked to facilitate the acknowledgement, activation and inter-woveness of the researcher’s dual positioning as researcher and as school principal. This ambivalent positioning creates a methodological paradox that simultaneously privileges and imprisons the production of knowledge. Coherent with the methodological choice of narrative methodologies, an award winning literary play “Copenhagen” is used as a creative representational device. This play highlights issues of “personal, political, moral and scientific” challenges which become key pivotal points with which to connect all the chapters of this study. Six principals of previously disadvantaged schools, facing similar challenges of leadership participate in this study. Narrative methodologies guides both the data production and data analysis strategies. It also intentionally focuses on “personal, political and moral” challenges. Lengthy interviews produce richly detailed co-constructed mindscapes of leadership. The voices of principals and their stories are represented as individualised “reconstructed career narratives”. These provide complex, themed and descriptive understandings of leadership at the first level. At the second level, the researcher’s voice becomes dominant while meshing together data, theory and first level analysis to provide cross-case analysis providing deeper insights into experiences of school leadership. These insights challenge the dominant theoretical landscape of leadership. The main finding of this study suggests that principals “personal” experiences re-define relationships between key components of the context of change and in this way determine understandings of leadership. Principals consider the pass rate to be most important at a systemic level. However, their “personal/biographic” experiences with regard to “validation” and “professional experience” mediate that consideration and influence particular understandings of leadership. Similarly, principals’ “personal” experiences together with institutional histories play a significant role in understanding leadership in relation to issues of desegregation (geography). Principals’ “personal” experiences also determine how democratic school governance is understood with regard to accountability, consultation and agenda constructions. Finally, leadership is understood to be intricately linked to the concept of reward. The “scientific” construct of a Trefoil knot is used to develop an explanatory model and posit the basis of a “Relational Reward Theory” of understanding leadership. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of pushing back contextual, methodological and theoretical boundaries in understanding school leadership.
A Comparative Study of Social Housing Developments: Greenfield Developments and Converted/Refurbished Buildings.
(2009) Ogunsanya, Lawrence Babatunde.; Adebayo, Pauline Wambui.
Social Housing is a new form of housing delivery in South Africa that has fast gained recognition in the housing sector in the last ten years, because it has proven to be a viable option in solving the housing shortage. It is an affordable option because the government provides funding through subsidies and profit is not earned from the rents paid. Social housing can be in the form of houses, block of flats or townhouses located in Greenfield developments, infill areas or in inner city blocks that are purchased or renovated. The buildings are managed by social housing institutions through public and private funding. This dissertation evaluated and compared two types of social housing schemes, namely, Greenfield developments and refurbished/converted buildings in terms of their affordability, management and the quality of the built environment. The evaluation was done by analyzing their similarities and differences, to reveal which typology delivers a better quality living environment. It also investigated the type of social housing development most suitable for the South African environment and meets the objectives and principles of social housing. The study analysed four existing social housing developments, three in Durban and one in Pietermaritzburg, two were refurbished buildings, and the other two, Greenfield developments. Information was collected by conducting household surveys, interviews and discussions with the residents and management of the housing schemes. The case studies revealed interesting contrasts as well as some important similarities among the social housing schemes. The main findings showed both typologies were functional in providing affordable housing though Greenfield developments proved to be a better alternative in terms of effective management, tenant participation and better built environments. The study proposes recommendations to improve social housing delivery in South Africa such as making social housing affordable, strategies for affordable security and safety systems; energy efficient designs and considerations for persons with special needs.
Ecotourism development with special reference to Etsheni living heritage site.
(2010) Nzama, Mlungisi Wiseman.; Zungu, Phyllis Jane Nonhlanhla.
This dissertation looks at how ecotourism can help develop the Etsheni Living Heritage site. There are many ways that can be used to develop a place but this work specifically uses ecotourism as a vehicle for developing this area. Because of the natural resources that are found at Etsheni this research also looks at how these resources can be preserved and sustained in a positive way. The community itself is confronted with many challenges with regard to the development of their place. This study focuses on the theory that can be used in order to ensure that the local community benefits from their living heritage site.
Traditional southern African dress and architecture : towards the design of the Durban Institute of Fashion.
(2008) Nxumalo, Kwenzekile.
Traditional African dress is a wide subject area. This study focuses on the influences of art forms such as fashion design on contemporary architectural design. There is past historic influence that can be identified in creating an identity for contemporary clothing and architectural design. Studying South African traditional clothing and architecture will inform the design for the Durban Institute of Fashion. The historic focus on dress has been limited to that of traditional South African origins and evolutions. This study will seek to identify the traditional aesthetics that were used in the history of dress and architecture whose details will be studied to explore the identity that the aesthetics present. The South African cultures studied include the Zulu, Tswana, Ndebele, Swazi, South Sotho, Xhosa and Cape Dutch. African traditional architecture is the main focus of this project. This study will seek to determine the relevance of African methods for a new architectural approach in South African architecture. The study of traditional building decorations will show how the aesthetics are transferred to architecture to express identity. To support this, a study of building technology and culture has been included. A review of contemporary architecture in South Africa studies and observes how the inclusion of tradition African architecture and decoration can address current issues. The link between studying clothing fashion and this architectural project will be achieved by addressing traditional dress, contemporary fashion designs and African identity. This will include an understanding of traditional African influences on dress from historic times to the present day. The cross-cultural influence focuses only on the western immigrants’ influence. The aim of this document is to obtain from the above an informed approach to the design expressing African identity for the Durban Institute of Fashion.
Investigating middle management roles in implementing the new curriculum at Grade 10-12 level : a case of two schools in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
(2008) Nxumalo, Velile Nicholas.; Hugo, Wayne.; Grant, Carolyn.
This research sought to investigate middle management‟s roles in implementing the new curriculum at grade 10 -12 levels; it involved a small qualitative study of two schools in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. At a policy level, the role of middle managers at school level in South Africa has changed. The transformation of the curriculum in South Africa placed a need in all spheres of the education system to be flexible and innovative in accepting change. In fact this need for change is mostly required by the middle management of the schools who bear the brunt of working with teachers and learners in implementing the new curriculum. Hence this qualitative study was undertaken to investigate their roles. In investigating the topic the following three questions were considered as of critical importance in understanding middle managers roles in the new curriculum. The first question explored middle managers‟ main roles in implementing the new curriculum. Secondly it explored how middle managers responded to the current reform process at the FET level, and lastly it investigated how middle managers intertwined assessment in implementing the new curriculum. The review of the literature focused on curriculum implementation internationally and locally and also explored the role of the middle managers as leaders and managers in the curriculum implementation process. The study took place in two rural schools and participants included four middle managers (three heads of department and one principal). Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. A selection of documents (planning and teaching documents) was also collected for analysis. In a nutshell analysis revealed that endeavours were made towards the planning process. There was a presence of the subject framework, work schedule and the lesson plan. This indicated that the initial process of designing the learning programmes was being done. However, data revealed that middle managers fulfilled a management rather than leadership function. Their roles consisted largely of curriculum implementation processes at the expense of curriculum innovation and change. Barriers included a lack of time for proper planning and innovation due to a full teaching load as well as a lack of training by the Department of Education in the area of curriculum development and innovation.
The role of the school management team in developing teacher leadership : the case of two public primary schools on the lower south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2008) Ntuzela, Mzayifani Aaron.; Grant, Carolyn.
The School Management Teams (SMTs) in South African schools hold formal positions of leadership within the school's organizational structure. Because of this, the SMTs carry the responsibility of ensuring that leadership is distributed to other colleagues irrespective of status or authority in the hierarchy. On the other hand, level one educators do not hold any formal leadership position, yet the Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) expects teachers to take on leadership roles, among others, that of a leader, manager and administrator. The aim of this study was to explore the roles of the SMTs in developing teacher leadership in their schools, and to examine how the SMTs and teachers understood and enabled teacher leadership. This study was conducted in two primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and was qualitative in nature. The study used different data collection techniques, that is, the semi-structured interviews with the SMT members at both schools and focus group interviews with all level one educators at both schools. The findings of this study indicated that it is true that the concept of teacher leadership is relatively new to the majority of researchers and educators in South Africa. The concept was also understood differently by different educators and the concept was associated in the first school with a discourse of delegated leadership as opposed to distributed leadership. In this school the SMT delegated unwanted duties to teachers, not with the aim of developing teachers as leaders, but with the intention of getting administrative assistance for technical and mundane tasks. Findings in the second school revealed that although the participants understood the concept in diverse ways, teacher leadership was indeed happening. In this school it was clear that although educators were not familiar with the concept, teacher leadership was happening within a context of dispersed distributive leadership. Using Grant's (2007) model of teacher leadership, in the first school in this study teacher leadership was restricted to Zone One where the teacher is only concerned with what is happening in his or her classroom. In the second school teacher leadership was understood to operate in Zone One, within the classroom but also operated within Zones Two, Three and Four as well. Policy silence on the roles of the SMTs in developing teachers as leaders was also evident from the responses of the SMT members at both schools. The issue of training of SMT members and teachers on the areas in which teachers want to become leaders and the lack of support programmes for teacher leadership was evident in this research study. Recommendations include the need to move away from the traditional way of thinking about leadership as a one-man task and realize that leadership should be distributed to other colleagues in order to develop them as leaders. By so doing, teachers in their schools can develop a sense of ownership since they will be working collegially and collaboratively towards whole school effectiveness and school improvement.
Evangelicals and ecumenism in South Africa 1960-1990 : opportunities and pitfalls.
(2007) Ntlha, Moses Kabelo Sethunya.
The study explores the relationship of the evangelical movement in South Africa with the ecumenical movement. The focus of the latter was taken as organizationally embodied in the South African Council of Churches. The time period 1960 - 1990 was chosen for the study as this was a period of great socio political upheaval and testing for the churches. This was also a period that marked both the escalation of the struggle against apartheid as well as the accentuation of the differences that churches had among themselves as they were confronted with the reality of apartheid. The author believes that the trying times in view, 1960 -1990; best clarify the lessons that could be learned by both evangelicals and ecumenicals. The trials of this period presented the churches of South Africa unique opportunities for growth in the midst of intense struggles. The study seeks to unpack theological lessons that would perhaps not be as easy to see at a different time, for example under conditions of peace and quiet.
Preservation of, and access to, legal deposit materials at the Msunduzi Library, Pietermaritzburg.
(2007) Nsibirwa, Zawedde Gulikomuseesa.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The study investigated preservation of, and access to, legal deposit materials at the Msunduzi Municipal Library. Constant access to legal deposit materials will depend on proper preservation methods from the time they are first produced. The focus was to identify how the different materials are preserved and stored, especially because every institution has unique needs, especially with regard to the climatic conditions of the area. The study also examined challenges faced by the depository, skills and knowledge of the depository staff about preventative preservation methods, resources for conservation and collection management strategies. The methods to help make materials accessible were established by examining the means and processes used. Methodological triangulation was used to look at the study in different ways and this included a questionnaire, interviews, observation and collection of graphic data. The units of analysis were the staff of the legal deposit department and the whole population was surveyed. In this study, quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed. The results of the self-administered question and observation schedule were analysed using SPSS. Data collected using the interview schedule was analysed qualitatively. The results of the study show that there are inadequate preservation activities and strategies for legal deposit materials at the Msunduzi Municipal Library. The legal deposit collection was at risk of being lost and inaccessible to present and future generations. This was mostly due to lack of preservation activities and strategies as a result of lack of knowledge in preservation, adequate funding, staff training, preservation policies, environmental control of stack rooms and the proper handling and storage of materials.
Dynamics of dissipative gravitational collapse.
(2008) Naidu, Nolene Ferrari.; Maharaj, Sunil Dutt.; Govender, Megandren.
In this study we generate the matching conditions for a spherically symmetric radiating star in the presence of shear. Two new exact solutions to the Einstein held equations are presented which model a relativistic radiating sphere. We examine the role of anisotropy in the thermal evolution of a radiating star undergoing continued dissipative gravitational collapse in the presence of shear. Our model was the first study to incorporate both shear and pressure anisotropy, and these results were published in 2006. The physical viability of a recently proposed model of a shear-free spherically symmetric star undergoing gravitational collapse without the formation of a horizon is investigated. These original results were published in 2007. The temperature profiles of both models are studied within the framework of extended irreversible thermodynamics.
Heads of departments' understandings of and their preparedness for their roles as curriculum managers : a case study of a rural primary school.
(2008) Mbhele, Sihle Daniel Mthokoziseni.; Govender, Magesvari.
This study investigates Heads of Department’s (HoDs’) understandings of their roles as curriculum managers and their level of preparedness for instructional support and supervision to educators in the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in schools. This is a qualitative case study focusing on one rural primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. There were nine participants comprising three HoDs and six randomly selected educators in the study. Data was collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, observation, and document analysis. The study examines HoDs’ understandings of their roles as curriculum managers and their perceptions about their levels of preparedness for curriculum management and supervision roles. In addition, an attempt is made to identify some of the professional development needs of HoDs in the context of OBE implementation in schools. The key findings that emerged from the research were that HoDs did not fully understand their curriculum management and supervision roles and were not adequately trained and prepared to fulfil their management and supervisory responsibilities. It was found that HoDs required professional development in the form of workshops, in-service training, networking or information sharing meetings and seminars to prepare them for their role as curriculum managers.
Adverse conditions in the Merebank area and possible urban design interventions.
(2008) Govender, Maveshnee.; Robinson, Peter Spencer.
While, many communities around South Africa have been affected by apartheid planning, some were left worse off than others. Apartheid planning followed a distinct socio-political and economic programme, as well as a particular development approach. Such an approach placed little emphasis on man and the environment (Iyer, 1995). One of the primary principles of the apartheid policy was to racially segregate population groups. In most cases, it created built environments or living spaces that were unsupportive of resident communities. Iyer (1995) suggests that the South African city is not only a result of apartheid policy, but also a product of a modernist development mentality, and reflects the importation of associated planning models and ideals. Modernist planning is premised on technocratic and utilitarian ideals. According to Iyer (1995: 19), such models, which are “based on efficiency, the motor vehicle, engineering and maintenance standards, spatial segregation of land uses, rigid zoning, and so on, have produced environments that lack human quality, expression and identity” (Iyer 1995: 19). The built environment is expected to “provide its users with an essentially democratic setting, enriching their opportunities by maximising the degree of choice available to them” (Bentley & Alcock, 1985: 9). In other words, the built environment needs to be a living space that is responsive to the community it serves. A responsive environment is an environment that allows people to enrich their lives. It creates positive and livable living spaces. Urban design is an approach to design that seeks to establish responsive environments. Urban design interventions may be used to improve the many adverse conditions created by apartheid policy and the modernist way of thinking. The study area in this research, Merebank, is situated approximately 15 kilometres south of the city of Durban and is one of the oldest Indian residential areas in KwaZulu-Natal.See Map 1. Merebank is one of the suburbs particularly affected by the laws of apartheid and modernist planning. It is a highly controversial area having many urban design faults. The aim of this dissertation is to analyse the study area, examining the planning and design problems that negatively affect the area, and to explore possible design interventions that can be used to counteract or improve these conditions.
Where the streets have no names : factors predicting the provision of counselling and social work services for child rape survivors in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2009) Naidoo, Kerisha.; Collings, Steven John.
Despite high prevalence rates for rape in South Africa, little focus has been placed on the rape of children, and even less on the secondary victimization of child rape survivors. Such secondary victimization may manifest in two forms, namely, negative attitudes and behaviours and the non-provision of essential services. This study aimed to explore secondary victimization in child rape as a result of the non-provision of counselling and social work services, to a sample of 200 child rape survivors, who presented for medico-legal assessment at a state hospital in the North Durban area (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa). Data analysis revealed that only 48.5% of the sample did in fact receive such services. In the majority of cases (20%), services were only provided between 2-7 days after the child had presented for medical evaluation. In addition, the study found that in most cases, service provision was limited to a single intake interview. Service provision was found to be less likely in cases where respondents resided in homesteads (informal or ‘traditional’ housing) that had no street address, or where the child presented at the study hospital outside of normal working hours. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for secondary victimization and secondary prevention programming.
Orphaned and vulnerable children : a development challenge to the Christian community of Pietermaritzburg.
(2007) Naidoo, Mirolyn Eunice.; Haddad, Beverley Gail.
The Christian community and local government in Pietermaritzburg is confronted with a crisis of orphan and vulnerable children (OVC). Orphan numbers are expected to peak between 2006 and 2010. No amount of external policies and legislations can adequately deal with both the outward needs and the internal trauma that orphan and vulnerable children experience. However, this study argues that the Christian community is well placed to meet the holistic needs of OVC. By engaging David Korten's Four Generational Framework, the Christian community is challenged to move beyond meeting the visible short term needs of OVC and to become more involved in policy and decision making bodies. Further, through the endeavors of voluntary organizations represented by Fourth Generation development strategies, People's Movements could be mobilized to enhance the strategies of government and other organizations involved in the OVC crisis. Human nature includes issues of human dignity, existential worth, civil responsibility, social equity, political liberty and individual destiny. Understanding one's origin, as expressed in the Bible in terms of humans being created in the image of God (Imago Dei), guides the Christian community first in developing an understanding of themselves and second, on how to function in practical ways toward those that are hurting and are in sorrow. In this study reference is made to OVC who find themselves in this situation because of circumstances that are beyond their control. The crisis of parentlessness leaves children unprotected and vulnerable and thereby sets the stage for hopelessness and despair. God's Imago Dei is the genetical establishment of the individual's person and anthropological construction. The nature and mission of the Christian community is central to its understanding of and response to human need. The Christian community as custodian of the revelations of God reflects the image of Christ as the image of God. This places compliancy demands on the Christian community to represent God's image and transact God's affairs on the earth. Theological reflections on God's mission to the Christian community are explored with the aim of inspiring the Christian community and local government to work together in combating the OVC crisis. Studies seem to indicate that local government is prepared to partner with the Christian community in its attempts to deal with the crisis of OVC in an effective and sustainable manner.
Access to antiretroviral treatment by children in KwaZulu-Natal Province : a qualitative exploratory study into factors influencing poor access.
(2009) Phili, Rogerio.; Meyer-Weitz, Anna.
South Africa and the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has one of the greatest HIV burdens in the world with an estimated 5.7 mHIion people living with HIV/AIDS. One of the interventions that the government introduced to address this situation was the provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART) to those individuals that are eligible for HIV treatment in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality. Despite widespread availability of ART in KZN, children do not access ART to the extent that adults do, and therefore continue to die because of HIV and AIDS. This qualitative study explored the psychosocial and health system factors that influence paediatric access to ART in KZN from parents and caregivers perspectives. The ecological theory and the social cognitive theory was used to formulate an interview schedule used in conducting the in-depth interviews with adults (parents or guardians) who were bringing their children for ARTservices and those attending these services themselves and not their children at Edendale and King Edward Hospitals in KZN. Purposive sampling was used to select clients for interviews and thematic was done in accordance with the aims and objectives of the study. A total of 42 participants were interviewed in this study. The low uptake of child ART was found to be influenced by several psychosocial and economic factors such as the poor knowledge about ART, stigma and disclosure associated with HIV, extent of support provided by parents/caregivers, parent's own ART was a determinant for bringing children for ART, use of traditional / alternative medicines, disintegrated families, especially the issue of multiple caregivers, complexity of paediatric ART, poor referrals of children from community institutions, unsatisfactory service at clinics, and some health policy and legislation with respect to health care for HIV-infected children that had an unintended effect of restricting child access to ART as well as poverty related Issues. Improving knowledge and self-efficacy related to ART, prevention of mother to child transmission ofHIV, re-training of health workers on child issues and addressing stigma and discrimination and other psychosocial and institutional problems and logistics could help to improve the low paediatric uptake of ART.
Determinants of contraceptive use and sexual activity amongst school-going adolescents in Lesotho.
(2009) Nkambule, Vuyelwa Mantombi.; Mturi, Akim Jasper.
This study investigated factors that have an influence on sexual activity and subsequent contraceptive use among school-going adolescent girls in Lesotho, focusing on the districts of Berea, Maseru and Mohale’s Hoek. The factors under investigation from a reproductive health survey included demographic variables (age, district, rural urban residence, class and religion), behavioural variables (drinking alcohol, boyfriend status), and attitude and knowledge variables (including attitude toward sex before marriage, contraceptive use before marriage, and communication with a boyfriend about sex). The methodology comprised a secondary analysis of the 1999 Adolescent Reproductive Health Survey of Lesotho. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to establish if significant relationships existed between sexual activity and contraceptive use and the independent factors. A limitation of the study is that the survey instrument contained a limited set of indicators. Thus a number of theories of sexual decisionmaking were excluded from the conceptual framework. Prevalence of sexual activity was lower than expected. This research confirmed that the likelihood of adolescents being sexually active increases with age. A somewhat surprising result was that Catholic adolescents were more likely to become sexually active than adolescents of other religions. Adolescents who live in rural areas, as well as those with a boyfriend were also found to be more likely to become sexually active. Contraceptive use was higher for this Lesotho sample than has been reported for research from other African countries. Nevertheless, the proportion of adolescents not using contraceptives is argued to be a matter of concern. Adolescents in the lowest school class were least likely to use contraceptives, which suggests a lack of control over decisionmaking in this group. Contraceptive use was found to be lower among adolescents who were coerced into their first sexual experience. Adolescents from Mohale’s Hoek, designated the least developed area for this research, were the least likely to use contraceptives. Those adolescents who reported having a boyfriend were more likely to use contraceptives, suggesting a regular partner allows the adolescent some control over decision-making. A positive view of use of contraceptives before marriage was associated with higher likelihood of use. Somewhat surprisingly, use of alcohol was associated with higher likelihood of contraceptive use. The findings suggest adolescent girls can be grouped into different risk categories. Some practice abstinence and some who are sexually active appear to have control over sexual decision-making, specifically in being able to negotiate use of contraceptives. However, there is a group which is sexually active but does not use contraception. This group has a higher rate of coercion as the reasons for sexual activity. The analysis suggests a multi-dimensional set of factors explain sexual activity and associated contraceptive use (or non-use) and that beliefs and attitudes do not always predict an expected behaviour. Interventions should target the most at-risk group and must take into account that belief and attitude does not necessarily predict behaviour.A

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