WIReDSpace

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Communities in WIReDSpace

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 20

Recent Submissions

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    Locality Shaping the Institution: Genesis Connection Youth Skills Multimedia, Riverlea, Johannesburg
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Pather, Jodie; Ntombela, Nontobeko; Khan, Sharlene
    Following the rich history that community art centres have had in South Africa, this research questions how locality may ideologically shape community-based arts institutions and have a bearing on how they operate and what they have access to. Specifically, this study looks at the community-based arts organisation, Genesis Connection Youth Skills Multimedia (Genesis), in Riverlea, Johannesburg. This research report is carried out to ascertain the extent to which Genesis and the work that they do is influenced by their home community of Riverlea, and how this locality may affect or determine their curriculum, programming, and access to funding. Through episodic interviews, I explore the significance of locality to community-based art centres as is experienced directly by facilitators of different initiatives. The first chapter in this report deals with an overview of scholarship on community art centres; defining and contextualising them, including a historical overview of community art centres that have existed in Johannesburg. Locality, as a concept and its associated literature as related to community art centres is discussed and incorporates perspectives from facilitators working in the field. The second chapter presents a historical overview of the area of Riverlea and builds on the description from Chris Van Wyk’s autobiographical work Shirley, Goodness and Mercy (2004), as a way of complementing, enriching and humanising the academic perspectives on the area of Riverlea. These upfront chapters provide the context for the birth of Genesis, and the terrain that it operates in. Lastly, the third chapter looks at the funding landscape that has sustained community-based arts in South Africa, with specific attention paid to government-funded community-based arts centres, alongside a discussion of how Genesis is funded. The purpose of this is to establish an understanding of the accessibility of funds for arts organisations, what their unique challenges may be, as well as to highlight the sustainability of government-funded organisations in comparison to that of self funded organisations, such as Genesis.
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    A study of the dopant effect in metal pyrophosphates and their potential for use in supercapacitors
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-09) van der Riet, Andrew; Forbes, Roy P.
    This dissertation focuses on the comprehensive characterization of two sample sets of LaxHf1-xP2O7, denoted as Group 1 and 2, synthesised through two variations of the sol-gel method, shedding light on their structural and functional characteristics. Employing a range of characterisation techniques such as Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), 31P Magic Angle Spinning Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (31P MAS ssNMR) spectroscopy, Pair Distribution Function (PDF), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA), and Potentiometric Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (PEIS), this study achieved a thorough understanding of the materials' composition, structure, and physical properties. The PXRD analysis suggested that the materials from Group 1 were amorphous, contrasting with the crystalline behaviour of Group 2's materials. A pre-existing structure model of HfP2O7 was fitted to Group 2's PXRD data using the Rietveld refinement method with satisfactory fits, confirming the composition and structure of the materials, as well as emphasizing their crystalline nature. The 31P MAS ssNMR analysis revealed distinct phosphorous signals for both groups, elucidating their differing phosphorous environments. PDF data provided insights into short-range order for Group 1 and refined structural models for Group 2, enabling qualitative comparisons between the two groups. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of pyrophosphate functional groups in both groups. TEM images substantiated the amorphous and crystalline nature of Group 1 and Group 2 materials, respectively, with dominant particle sizes in the 20-30 nm range. STA data highlighted excellent thermal stability in both groups, crucial for high temperature applications. PEIS data indicated enhanced ionic conductivity upon La3+ doping, albeit lacking a clear trend with varying dopant concentrations. Additionally, distinct synthetic procedures for Group 1 and Group 2 resulted in materials with different morphologies. Group 1's method led to amorphous materials, attributed to solvent elimination before calcination, while Group 2's approach yielded crystalline materials due to evaporation in air before calcination. These findings underscore the impact of subtle synthetic variations on material properties, emphasizing the need for precise control in synthesis parameters. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into LaxHf1-xP2O7 materials for energy applications, paving the way for further advancements in metal pyrophosphates and materials science as a whole.
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    Transitioning towards water-sensitive resilient cities in urban South Africa: a study of Gauteng, Johannesburg
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-11) Shoba, Nomfundo Amanda Thandeka; Thatcher, Andrew; Maree, Gillian; Sheridan, Craig
    This dissertation examines water resilience in Johannesburg, focusing on the city's transition toward water-sensitive practices amidst social inequities in water access. As climate change and rapid urbanization intensify water scarcity, the research explores the significance of adaptive strategies and community engagement in promoting water resilience. A mixed-methods approach is employed, integrating qualitative interviews and quantitative data analysis to assess the challenges and opportunities within urban water management. The findings highlight the interconnectedness of social dynamics and environmental practices, revealing how inequity exacerbates vulnerability in water access. Ultimately, this study contributes to the understanding of sustainable urban water governance in South Africa and offers recommendations for enhancing water resilience through participatory and inclusive frameworks, aiming to inform policymakers and stakeholders in their efforts to build resilient urban environments. By addressing immediate technical barriers alongside long-term social and governance transformations, Johannesburg can make meaningful strides toward becoming a water-sensitive, resilient city.
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    Leadership for the institutionalisation of climate change considerations in local government
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-08) Shah Naidoo, Nadia; Vogel, Coleen
    The climate crisis presents a unique and complex challenge for climate change leadership and governance and broader developmental challenges, particularly in cities (Meijerink & Stiller, 2013; Dewulf et al., 2015). With nation-states largely failing to meet the ambition required to avert the climate crisis, cities have emerged as climate leaders. The role of individual actors within city governments in driving such change is, however, not well understood. How are these leaders able to motivate climate change to be a key policy issue? What kind of leadership might be best suited to champion the institutional reforms needed to embed climate change considerations into city planning and decision-making effectively? How do the governance systems enable leaders, and what barriers do they encounter? With the recognition of the dualistic interaction between leaders and the formal government institution, the research seeks to uncover how leadership behaviours are shaped by formal governance and government institutions and the strategies leaders employ to influence the process of institutional change within the context of climate change response in South African cities. A deeper understanding of these interactions can support climate leadership development, strengthen climate governance, and help overcome the significant barriers to implementation that currently exist within cities (Parnell & Robinson, 2012). As cities are major contributors to climate change, highly exposed to its impacts, and have a proven track record of taking action, they serve as an interesting site of study to explore the leadership implications of climate change institutionalisation. To answer these questions, this study drew on leadership and institutional change theories and adopted a critical realist approach that sought to uncover deeper insights, with a particular focus on examining the structures and systems that shape the political and governance realities of South African cities. Fifteen semi-structured, theory-led interviews were conducted with government officials, practitioners, and researchers, all with direct experience working in or with city governments. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The research revealed that successful climate change governance required ‘champions’ that possess technical knowledge, multidisciplinary, interconnected thinking, and political astuteness. Technical expertise alone is, however, insufficient and leaders must navigate bureaucratic complexities, communicate effectively, and engage in broad, meaningful collaborations. The study emphasises the importance of leaders being able to position climate change as a developmental issue intertwined with socio-economic priorities rather than only engaged with as an environmental concern. The study sheds light on the complex and often fraught relationship between political leaders and technocrats. Given the organisational constraints inherent in local government, the default approach to institutional change is often incremental. A compelling finding from the study is that incremental approaches, if targeted strategically, can drive more transformative change, known as continuous transformation. To examine such dimensions the conceptual model used for the study, the Three Spheres of Transformation Model, proved useful in guiding the research and organising the findings but required adaptation to reflect the complexities of South African city governments. The model was redrawn to capture the intersectionality that emerged from the research findings. Building on these insights, the recommendations aim to support city officials, politicians, and climate change practitioners to drive continuous climate change transformation.
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    Assessing the role of DNA methylation in response of cassava to South African cassava mosaic virus
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-07) Seutane, Rorisang Praise; Rey, Chrissie; Meyer, Vanessa
    Manihot esculenta Crantz (cassava) is a root crop vegetatively propagated by stem cuttings and serves as a dietary staple for poverty alleviation in tropical America, Asia and Africa. The tuber crop feeds hundreds of millions worldwide and has been positioned as the third most staple carbohydrate source in Africa. As with all crops, cassava is faced with challenges such as the geminivirus South African cassava mosaic virus (SACMV) which leads to cassava mosaic disease (CMD) that results in substantial losses to production and consequently having a negative impact on the economy. Cassava landraces T200 and TME3 display susceptibility and tolerance to SACMV, respectively. Furthermore, TME3 displays a recovery phenotype. Plant hosts have developed strategies to defend themselves against invading geminiviruses by employing epigenetic modifications via DNA methylation. The first aim of this study was to compare the SACMV viral load and global methylation status of T200 and TME3 during symptomatic (32 dpi) and recovery (in TME3; 67 dpi) phases of SACMV infection using relative qPCR, ELISA and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS/MS), respectively. Infectivity results revealed that T200 plants had higher viral load than TME3 plants at 32 and 67 dpi. Global DNA methylation was higher in AGL1 control T200 plants at 32 and 67 dpi compared to TME3, suggesting that hypermethylation may be a hallmark of this landrace. This correlates with the global transcriptome results where a significantly higher number of genes are downregulated at 32 and 67 dpi in T200 compared to TME3. Global plant DNA methylation was significantly decreased in SACMV-inoculated T200 but marginally inTME3 at 32 and 67 dpi compared to AGL1-inoculated controls. This result suggests that SACMV targets/supresses methylation related genes/pathways to induce genes required for systemic spread and DNA replication. It is therefore concluded that hypomethylation is related to susceptibility. The second objective of the study was aimed at quantifying the expression levels of MET1, CMT3, AGO4, SAM and AGO5 in T200 and TME3 at 32 and 67 dpi. Relative qPCR revealed that SACMV infection led to decreased expression of MET1, CMT3, AGO4 and SAM in T200 and TME3 plants at 32 and 67 dpi compared to AGL-1, which correlated to hypomethylation observed in infected cassava. Interesting, the expression levels of AGO5 only increased at 67 dpi in TME3 plants at 67 dpi, suggesting a role in transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) known to be associated with recovery to geminiviruses in several plant hosts. In summary, our results demonstrate that SACMV causes a decrease in global DNA methylation in T200 and TME3 plants by decreasing MET1, CMT3, AGO4, and SAM expression leading to a decrease in de novo methylation. In conclusion, further analysis on the gene-specific methylation profile between T200 and TME3 landraces requires further study.