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- ItemAn Appraisal of Gunther Wittenberg’s Theology of Hope in post-1994 South Africa(Unisa Press, 2022) Masoga, Mogomme ASouth Africa's reluctance to deploy religion in the public sphere can be understood in terms of the country's political and socioeconomic trajectories from the apartheid era. Theology has always featured in the struggle history of the majority of the Black population, but has been neglected by most historians and theologians in the face of crises facing the country today. This article examines Wittenberg's theocratisation of the "theology of hope" as a means of redressing this apparent neglect, highlighting the invaluable role of the church in the struggle against apartheid. During the early 1990s, Wittenberg' s ideas became a force to reckon with in challenging the negative impact of apartheid policies on Black people. I focus on Wittenberg because of his rich experience and knowledge of Lutheran theology. The main aim of this article, therefore, is to elaborate on the significance of the theology of hope in the context of a democratic South Africa amid unprecedented political and socioeconomic crises. I have adopted secondary data analysis and experientialism as research approaches for this paper.
- ItemPiperonylic acid alters growth, mineral content accumulation and reactive oxygen species-scavenging capacity in chia seedlings(AoB Plants, 2022-05-26) Nkomo, Mbukeni; Gokul, Arun; Ndimba, Roya; Badiwe, Mihlali; Keyster, Marshall; Klein, Ashwilp-Coumaric acid synthesis in plants involves the conversion of phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid via phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which is then hydroxylated at the para-position under the action of trans-cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase. Alternatively, some PAL enzymes accept tyrosine as an alternative substrate and convert tyrosine directly to p-coumaric acid without the intermediary of trans-cinnamic acid. In recent years, the contrasting roles of p-coumaric acid in regulating the growth and development of plants have been well-documented. To understand the contribution of trans-cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase activity in p-coumaric acid-mediated plant growth, mineral content accumulation and the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we investigated the effect of piperonylic acid (a trans-cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase inhibitor) on plant growth, essential macroelements, osmolyte content, ROS-induced oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities and phytohormone levels in chia seedlings. Piperonylic acid restricted chia seedling growth by reducing shoot length, fresh weight, leaf area measurements and p-coumaric acid content. Apart from sodium, piperonylic acid signifcantly reduced the accumulation of other essential macroelements (such as K, P, Ca and Mg) relative to the untreated control. Enhanced proline, superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents were observed. The inhibition of trans-cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase activity signifcantly increased the enzymatic activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase. In addition, piperonylic acid caused a reduction in indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid content. In conclusion, the reduction in chia seedling growth in response to piperonylic acid may be attributed to a reduction in p-coumaric acid content coupled with elevated ROS-induced oxidative damage, and restricted mineral and phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic) levels.
- ItemTeaching English home language to foundation phase learners from diverse backgrounds(AOSIS, 2022-01-01) Mtshali, Zanele; Mashiya, NontokozoBackground: Teaching English as home language (EHL) could be a complicated process in a country like South Africa, where there are eleven official languages operating in a multicultural society. This requires capacitating teachers with appropriate and relevant strategies to strengthen their teaching, especially in the foundation phase. Aim: This paper examines the appropriateness and relevance of the extant strategies for teaching EHL comprehension skills to foundation phase learners from diverse language backgrounds. Setting: This study was conducted in King Cetshwayo District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: This was a qualitative case study involving four purposively selected grade one teachers in one urban primary in South Africa. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, field observations and document analysis. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: The two main findings were that (a) the teaching of EHL comprehensions skills lacked the appropriate strategies, and (b) the teachers faced several challenges – including operating under an unclear policy framework, the paucity of strategies in phonological awareness, and the lack of appropriate reflection images to which the learners could be exposed to improve their skills. Conclusion: The study concludes that adequate and regular professional teacher development programmes and activities are needed to enable teachers to do their work more effectively. Contribution: By closely and systematically examining the strategies used by teachers who were non-native English speakers, to teach EHL to leaners who were also non-native English speakers, this study has made important contributions to both attendant theory and classroom practice.
- ItemData, information and knowledge for development in Africa: Proceedings of 20th annual conference of the Department of Information Studies held on18-20 September 2019 at the University of Zululand, South Africa.(University of Zululand, 2019) Ocholla, DN; Evans, NThe purpose of the conference is to explore and share current research results and experiences of data, information and knowledge in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The conference is divided into twenty three sessions that focus on the highlighted themes in the programme including: 157 papers consisting of 34 full papers (FP), 123 research in progress (RIP) papers, 10 posters, and one panel session. The conference is expecting 120 participants, largely postgraduate students and faculty/academics, from countries such as: Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Swaziland, Uganda, USA and Zimbabwe. In addition, 20 institutions, largely universities from Africa and particularly South Africa, are taking part in the 2019 conference. The conference theme, “Data, information and knowledge for development in Africa”, is unique because of the importance of digitization in our daily life and the value of e-things such e-learning, e-scholarship, e-science, e-resources, e-data, elibraries and e-resources among others, and resonates well with the 4IR paradigm. It is also unique because of the magnitude of the event that has attracted some of the prominent information, knowledge and library and information science scholars from Africa, and the USA. For example, the conference in our midst has attracted four Keynote speakers and eight Guest Speakers from Africa and USA; consists of nine plenary sessions and 14 parallel sessions; 81 participants from 20 universities/ Institutions and 11 countries.
- ItemRekindling enlightenment in the Humanities and Social Sciences in the 21st century: Proceedings of the 4th annual conference of the Faculty of Arts held on 22 - 23 September 2010, at the University of Zululand, South Africa.(University of Zululand, 2010) Ocholla, Dennis N.; Nzama, Thandi; ;The aim of the conference was to provide an interdisciplinary platform for sharing knowledge on research activities and related scholarly and academic work by staff and students in the humanities and social sciences. The conference objectives were to: Popularize research and dissemination of research results Provide a platform for networking among staff and students Promote and encourage constructive scholarly debate Enable free interaction and exchange of ideas Provide a forum where staff and students can showcase their research output and academic work Provide an interface and interactive environment for disseminating and filtering research outcome before publication in scholarly journals Enable the creation of a faculty research open access repository for interdisciplinary research output in humanities and social sciences Promote knowledge sharing and transfer through open discussions.