Academic Wits Research Publications (Faculties submissions)

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A biostatistical support system in health sciences is this sustainable in a resourcerestricted environment
Libhaber, Elena ; Chirwa, Tobias ; Kramer, Beverley
Background: Training in biostatistics is important for strengthening capacity in health research. This is particularly true for Africa, where research output in the health sciences has been low. Training initiatives for the continent are therefore essential. The aim of the present study was to analyse the quality and financial sustainability of the expanded biostatistical support system at a South African health sciences institution between 2013 and 2017. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation of the initiatives created between the years 2013 and 2017 in the University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences Research Office was undertaken. An assessment of the one-on-one consultations carried out by postgraduate students and staff, financial costs of the support system and the number of postgraduate student graduations were analysed. Results: The number of statistical consultations increased over the period examined. The consultations were highly recommended by the postgraduate students and staff (consulters). A clear rise in the number of Masters and PhD student graduates and an increase in research units were observed from 2013 to 2017, although these cannot be solely associated with the biostatistical support system. The finances for maintaining the support system are cost effective as the number of graduates increases. The total cost to the Research Office is US$ 225 per graduate per annum. Conclusions: The expansion of the biostatistical support system has indirectly contributed to an increased number of graduates and research publication units in the institution. While the current finances support the system, any increases in enrolments or growth in diversification of biostatistical requirements may place a strain on the financial sustainability. This service is of value to developed and developing countries.
A long walk to freedom: the epidemiology of penetrating trauma in South Africa- analysis of 4 697 patients over a six year period at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
Bhana, Malini; Fru, Pascaline; Plani, Franco
Background: Despite the city of Johannesburg having one of the highest rates of crime in the world, no national databank for trauma exists. This study profiles the victims of penetrating trauma and identifies geographical areas in which it occurs, while describing the outcomes and patterns of injury. Methods: A retrospective study including penetrating trauma patients triaged as Priority 1, presenting at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital's (CHBAH) trauma department over a six-year period (2011-2016). Results: A total of 4 697 patients were included. The majority of victims were Black African males (92.1%) between the ages of 29-40 years, and stabbings were the most common mechanism of injury (71.8%), followed by gunshots. The commonest body area affected was the thorax, with a consequent haemothorax the most likely result. Weekends accounted for over 48% of all presentations - the last weekend of the month being the busiest. Region D was the area in Johannesburg with the highest trauma incidence (51.9%), with the oldest townships in Soweto found to be "hot spots". Conclusion: Penetrating trauma is inherently linked to alcohol abuse and interpersonal violence in South Africa,1 primarily affecting its young economic, working-class citizens. The data provided some insight into the burden, structure and challenges of our trauma system. These should be regarded as opportunities to implement change and improve our surveillance and prevention, beginning with a national trauma databank
A Wealth Tax for South Africa
(Southern Centre for Inquality Studies (SCIS), 2018-01) Terreblanche, Sampie
A Wealth Tax for South Africa
(Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), 2021-01) Chatterjee, Aroop; Czajka, Léo; Gethin, Amory
This paper considers the feasibility of implementing a progressive wealth tax to collect additional government revenue to both reinforce fiscal sustainability in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and reduce persistent extreme inequality in South Africa. Drawing on our new companion paper, we first identify the tax base and discuss the design of potential tax schedules. Testing alternative tax schedules, we estimate how much additional revenue could be collected from a progressive tax on the top 1% richest South Africans. Our results show that under conservative assumptions, a wealth tax could raise between 70 and 160 billion Rands—1.5% to 3.5% of the South African GDP.We discuss in turn how sensitive our estimates are to assumptions on (1) mismeasurement of wealth and (2) tax avoidance and evasion, based on the most recent tax policy literature. We examine technical issues related to the enforcement of the tax, and how third-party reporting and pre-filled declarations could be used to optimize measurement of taxable wealth and minimize evasion and avoidance opportunities. Finally, we explain how this new tax could interact with other capital related taxes already in place in South Africa, and discuss the potential impact on growth.
ABBV744 as a potential inhibitor of SARSCoV2 main protease enzyme against COVID19
(Nature Research) Zeynab Fakhar; Shama Khan; Afrah Alkhuriji; Suliman Y. AlOmar; Aijaz Ahmad
A new pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) has spread worldwide and become pandemic with thousands new deaths and infected cases globally. To address coronavirus disease (COVID‑19), currently no effective drug or vaccine is available. This necessity motivated us to explore potential lead compounds by considering drug repurposing approach targeting main protease (Mpro) enzyme of SARS‑CoV‑2. This enzyme considered to be an attractive drug target as it contributes significantly in mediating viral replication and transcription. Herein, comprehensive computational investigations were performed to identify potential inhibitors of SARS‑CoV‑2 Mpro enzyme. The structure‑based pharmacophore modeling was developed based on the co‑crystallized structure of the enzyme with its biological active inhibitor. The generated hypotheses were applied for virtual screening based PhaseScore. Docking based virtual screening workflow was used to generate hit compounds using HTVS, SP and XP based Glide GScore. The pharmacological and physicochemical properties of the selected lead compounds were characterized using ADMET. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the binding affinities of the considered lead compounds. Binding energies revealed that compound ABBV‑744 binds to the Mpro with strong affinity (ΔGbind −45.43 kcal/mol), and the complex is more stable in comparison with other protein–ligand complexes. Our study classified three best compounds which could be considered as promising inhibitors against main protease SARS‑CoV‑2 virus
Accurate hyperspectral imaging of mineralised outcrops: An example from lithium-bearing pegmatites at Uis, Namibia
(Elsevier Inc, 2021) Booysen, René; Nex, Paul A.M.; Lorenz, Sandra; Thiele, Samuel T.; Fuchsloch, Warrick C.; Marais, Timothy; Gloaguen, Richard
Efficient, socially acceptable and rapid methods of exploration are required to discover new deposits and enable the green energy transition. Sustainable exploration requires a combination of innovative thinking and new technologies. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a rapidly developing technology and allows for fast and systematic mineral mapping, facilitating exploration of the Earth’s surface at various scales on a variety of platforms. Newly available sensors allow data capture over a wide spectral range, and provide information about the abundance and spatial location of ore and pathfinder minerals in drill-core, hand samples and outcrops with mm to cm precision. Conversely, the complex geometries of the imaged surfaces affect the spectral quality and signal-to-noise ratio (SnR) of HSI data at these very narrow spatial samplings. Additionally, the complex mineral assemblages found in hydrothermally altered ore deposits can make interpretation of spectral results a challenge. In this contribution, we propose an innovative approach that integrates multiple sensors and scales of data acquisition to help disentangle complex mineralogy associated with lithium and tin mineralisation in the Uis pegmatite complex, Namibia. We train this method using hand samples and finally produce a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud for mapping lithium mineralisation in the open pit. We were able to identify and map lithium-bearing cookeite and montebrasite at outcrop scale. The accuracy of the approach was validated by drill-core data, XRD analysis and LIBS measurements. This approach facilitates efficient mapping of complex terrains, as well as important monitoring and optimisation of ore extraction. Our method can easily be adapted to other minerals relevant to the mining industry.
Achieving Equality for Women: The Limits of a Bill of Rights
(Centre for Applied Legal Studies, 1992-06) Albertyn, Cathi
Addressing artistic research at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Mauritius: challenges for a Small Island Developing State in Africa
(Arts Research Africa (ARA), 2020-07) Ramduth, Hans
Can small island contexts, through the extreme simplification of more complex processes that occur on the continents (e.g., ecocide), provide unique insights into binaries such as artist versus researcher, fiction versus non-fiction, and art-making versus writing?
Addressing Constraints to South Africa’s Agriculture Inclusiveness
(Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), 2021-09) Sihlobo, Wandile; Qobo, Mzukisi
South Africa’s agriculture remains dualistic, with large scale commercial farmers who are predominately white and small-scale and subsistence farmers that are mainly black. These disparities in fortunes result from the long history of segregation policies and apartheid. The efforts to build an inclusive agricultural sector through the upliftment of black farmers by the new democratic government since 1994 have failed. As such, black farmers in South Africa still constitute between 5 and 10 per cent of the overall commercial production. We explore the constraints to inclusive growth drive in the agricultural and agribusiness sector and offer recommendations for improvement. These include a need for increased efficiency at the local government for ensuring service delivery to farming towns, blended finance instruments for funding farmer development, and the prioritization of private-public-partnership approaches for farmer development and land reform projects. We frame the interventions for the post-COVID-19 dispensation, focusing on the potential role of agriculture in fostering inclusion and supporting rural economies and employment.
Adjudicating affirmative action within a normative framework of substantive equality and the Employment Equity Act – an opportunity missed?
(Juta and Co, 2015) Albertyn, Catherine
The development of a constitutionally informed legal standard to test employment equity plans and affirmative action measures will always be troubled in a country that has seen racial classification serve as the basis for oppression and subordination, and now seeks to use it in achieving a ‘non-racial’ democracy. Contestation over how to secure redress, restitution and substantive equality are inevitable. The Barnard judgment demonstrates a common commitment to restitution and transformation, and, indeed, a common outcome. However, between that commitment and the outcome lie important differences in philosophical and legal approaches to equality, to s 9 of the Constitution and s 6 of the Act (and the relationship between them), to the standard of justification for positive measures and to the need for courts to engage substantively with crucial issues in our democracy. In this case-note, after setting out the case history and judgments in some detail, I explore the contrasting ideas of equality that underpin the different approaches to positive measures and discuss which is best suited to our constitutional project. I then suggest how this normative framework can inform the adjudication of employment equity plans and affirmative action measures under the Employment Equity Act. No single judgment in Barnard achieves this.
The administration of justice
(Juta, 2003) Klaaren, Jonathan; Marcus, Gilbert; Davis, Dennis
Overview and analysis of the year's legal developments in the field of administration of justice. Includes references to legislation, cases and journal articles.
The administration of justice
(Juta, 2002) Klaaren, Jonathan; Marcus, Gilbert; Davis, Dennis
The Immorality Amendment Act 2 criminalized prostitution in 1998. It did so by the insertion of s 20(1)(aA) into the principal Act, which it renamed the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957.
Africanity and Orality in the Films/Videos of Women Filmmakers of the African Diaspora
(Deep Focus: A Film Quarterly, 1998) Ebrahim, Haseenah
In this essay, I consider the role of African cultural heritage and of oral tradition in selected films/videos by women filmmakers of the African Diaspora. for practical purposes, I limit the scope of my analysis to the works of a handful of filmmakers in the United States and the Caribbean: Julie Dash (USA), Euzhan Palcy (Martinique/France), Zeinabu irene Davis (USA), and Gloria Rolando (Cuba).
Africa’s agency in the competing narratives of external partners in Africa’s digital market A comparison of Japan and China
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Kinnes, Shaun; Rubidge, Laura
According to United Nations reports, Africa’s economic growth potential is among the highest in the world. It is thus unsurprising that many global powers have turned their attention to the continent, often motivated by the opportunity to help Africa ‘leapfrog’ infrastructure challenges through funding the innovative application of information and communication technologies (ICTs). As the global competition for Africa’s economic growth and, more specifically, Africa’s digital sector heats up, understanding Africa’s interests and agency within these negotiations becomes increasingly pertinent. This article explores some of the competing narratives provided by external states that seek a stake in the development of Africa’s profitable digital market. The article employs Lesley Masters’ (2021) digital diplomacy lens defined as ‘a means of navigating the evolving international digital governance regime and negotiating a more even playing field to address the inequalities in the international structure’. The article compares and contrasts the narratives that are framed by two ‘competitors’, namely China and Japan. These two states are expected to become significant players in the development of Africa’s digital market; China has become one of the most important funders in ICT networks in the global South and Japan’s recent pledge of $30 billion in aid to Africa includes the digital technology sector.
Afrocuban religions in Sara Gomez's one way or another and Gloria Ronaldo's Oggun
(The Western Journal of Black Studies, 1998) Ebrahim, Haseenah
This paper explores the depiction of Afrocuban religions in two films - Sara Gomez's One way or another(1974/1977) and Gloria Rolando's Oggun: Forever present(1991).A (Western) feminist's analysis of Gomez's One way or another characterizes Abakua and Santeria as "voodoo" - not only collapsing three different Afro-Carribean religious traditions, but also reflecting Marxistbiases that exclude (ironically) a recognition that Gomez's depictions of Abakua and Santeria reflect a gendered perspective.Rolando's Oggun reflects a recent trend in Cuban cinema to celebrate Afrocuban religious practices.Oggun's stunning visuals, compelling song and dance sequences, and fascinating mythology provoke a desire to understand the role and impact of this remarkable religious tradition in Cuban society.
AI–Citizens’ relationship: Analysing Egypt and Mauritius national AI strategies
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Hendawy, Mennatullah; Ansari, Zahra
Recently, in the African context, there has been a great appetite for digitising services, more specifically infrastructure services, and using artificial intelligence (AI). To facilitate the development of AI, governments publish national AI strategies (NAS). In this context, governments across Africa started to issue national AI strategies to keep up with the advancements in AI (see Bareis and Katzenbach, 2022). So far, few African countries have published national AI strategies (Digiwatch, 2020; TRT Afrika, 2023). Mauritius and Egypt are the only African countries with a publicly available national strategy outlining vision and objectives (Onyango, 2022). There is an increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in infrastructures that support the many functions performed by society. For example, public transportation, (renewable) energy, education and workplaces have all included AI and smart technology in their infrastructure. Building on the need to ensure access to AI infrastructure as it continues to disrupt African cities, this paper uses the understandings from the analytical framework of infrastructure citizenship to analyse Egypt and Mauritius NASs in order to explore the following: How is the relationship between citizens and infrastructure (AI applications) portrayed in each strategy? and How are AI applications framed in both strategies to improve or hinder the relationship between citizens and infrastructure?
An all-oral 6-month regimen for multidrug resistant Tuberculosis: A multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial (the Next Study)
Esmail, Aliasgar ; Oelofse, Suzette ; Lombard, Carl ; Perumal, Rubeshan ; Variava, Ebrahim ; Martinson, Neil
Rationale: Improving treatment outcomes while reducing drug toxicity and shortening the treatment duration to 6 months remains an aspirational goal for the treatment of multi drug resistant /rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis(MDR/RR-TB). Objectives: To conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial in adults with MDR/RR-TB(i.e., without resistance to fluoroquinolones or aminoglycosides) . Methods: Participants were randomly assigned(1:1ratio)to a 6 month all-oral regimen that included levofloxacin, bed aquiline, and linezolid or the standard-of-care(SOC)>9-month World Health Organization(WHO)-approved injectable-based regimen. The primary endpoint was a favorable WHO-defined treatment outcome (which mandates that prespecified drugs substitution is counted as an unfavorable outcome)24 months after treatment initiation. The trial was stopped prematurely when bed aquiline-based therapy became the standard of care in South Africa. Measurements and Main Results: In total,93 of 111 randomized participants(44 in the comparator arm and 49 in the intervention alarm) were included in the modified intention-to-treatanalysis;51(55%)were HIV coinfected(medianCD4count,158cells/ml).Participants in the intervention arm were 2.2 times more likely to experience a favorable 24-month outcome than participants in the SOC arm(51%[25of49]vs. 22.7%[10of44];riskratio,2.2[1.2–4.1];P=0.006).Toxicity-related drug substitution occurred more frequently in the SOC arm(65.9%[29of44] vs.34.7%[17of49];P=0.001)],82.8%(24of29)owing to kanamycin (mainly hearing loss; replaced by bed aquiline) in the SOC arm, and 64.7% (11of17) owing to fluoroquinolones or aminoglycosides (mainly anemia) in the intervention alarm. Adverse event–related treatment discontinuation in the safety population was more common in the SOC arm(56.4%[31of55]vs.32.1%[17of 56];P=0.007).However, grade 3 adverse events were more common in the intervention alarm(55.4%[31of56]vs.32.7[18of55];P=0.022). Culture conversion was significantly better in the intervention arm (hazardratio,2.6[1.4–4.9];P=0.003)after censoring those with bed aquiline replacement in the SOC arm(and this pattern remained consistent after censoring for drug replacement in both arms ;P=0.01). Conclusions: Compared with traditional injectable-containing regimens, an all-oral 6-month levofloxacin, bed aquiline, and linezolid–containing MDR/RR-TB regimen was associated with a significantly improved 24-month WHO-defined treatment outcome (predominantly owing to toxicity-related drugs substitution).However, drug toxicity occurred frequently in both arms. These findings form strategies to develop future regimens for MDR/RR-TB. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02454205).
An assessment of skills supply and demand for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and regional energy integration
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Centre for Researching Education & Labour (REAL); University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
The SADC region relies heavily on energy produced from coal and water and has grappled with an energy crisis over the years, seen through insufficient and inefficient energy supply. This crisis is mostly a result of a changing climate, including droughts, outdated infrastructure, and the depletion of natural resources. These natural resources include coal and gas, and their use for power generation further contributes to climate change, who’s impacts are being faced globally. There has therefore been a desire and a call to shift towards renewable energy (RE) in the SADC region, which has the resources and conditions to make this shift. This is driven by the SADC Protocol on Energy and the various national policies. The SADC Protocol on Energy (SADC 20) identifies a number of strategic plans over the last 10 years which build on previous policies. These include “the Regional Energy Access Strategy and Action Plan 2020 to 2030 (SADC, 2020), the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan 2016 to 2030 (SADC, 2016), the SADC Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme and the development of the Regional Gas Master Plan” (SADC, 1996). Implementation has occurred at different rates in the various member states, and the 2018 SADC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Report states that “Since 2015, SADC Member States have greatly increased their commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency, including important innovations to stimulate mini-grids and distributed renewable energy” (SADC, 2018). This is also the case in regional integration as per the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 (SADC 2020) and through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and its regional electricity plans, trading platforms, and policy and regulatory alignment initiatives (SAPP, 2017) together with the SADC Regional Electricity Regulatory Association (RERA, 2022). This transition to RE, however, needs to be just, thereby ensuring that the current workforce is protected and that the skills ecosystem is prepared not only to respond to current demands but those required to transition to a more just and resilient energy system.
Analysis of surgical mortalities using the fishbone model for quality improvement in surgical disciplines
Moeng, Maeyane S.; Luvhengo, Thifhelimbilu E.
Background: The healthcare industry is complex and prone to the occurrence of preventable patient safety incidents. Most serious patient safety events in surgery are preventable. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the rate of occurrence of preventable mortalities and to use the fishbone model to establish the main contributing factors. Methods: We reviewed the records of patients who died following admission to the surgical wards. Data regarding their demography, diagnosis, acuity, comorbidities, categorization of death and contributing factors were extracted from the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) database. Factors which contributed to preventable and potentially preventable mortalities were collated. The fishbone model was used for root cause analysis. The study received prior ethical clearance (M190122). Results: Records of 859 mortalities were found, of which 65.7% (564/859) were males. The median age of the patients who died was 49 years (IQR: 33–64 years). The median length of hospital stay before death was three days (IQR: 1–11 days). Twenty-four percent (24.1%) of the deaths were from gastrointestinal (GIT) emergencies, 18.4% followed head injury and 17.0% from GIT cancers. Overall, 5.4% of the mortalities were preventable, and 41.1% were considered potentially preventable. The error of judgment and training issues accounted for 46% of mortalities. Conclusion: Most surgical mortalities involve males, and around 46% are either potentially preventable or preventable. The majority of the mortality were associated with GIT emergencies, head injury and advanced malignancies of the GIT. The leading contributing factors to preventable and potentially preventable mortalities were the error of judgment, inadequate training and shortage of resources.
Analysis of urban sprawl dynamics using machine learning, CA-Markov chain, and the Shannon entropy model: a case study in Mbombela City, South Africa
(SpringerOpen, 2024) Mhangara, Paidamwoyo; Gidey, Eskinder; Rabia Manjoo
Over half of the world’s population resides in urban areas. We anticipate that this pattern will become more evident, notably in South Africa. Therefore, research on urban spirals, both past and projected, is necessary for efficient urban land use planning and management. This study aims to assess the spatio-temporal urban sprawl dynamics from 2003 to 2033 in Mbombela, South Africa. We employed robust approaches such as machine learning, the cellular automata-Markov chain, and the Shannon entropy model to look at how urban sprawl changes over time using both the Landsat 4–5 Thematic Mapper and the 8 Operational Land Imagers. We conducted this study to bridge the gaps in existing research, which primarily focuses on past and current urban growth trends rather than future trends. The findings indicated that the coverage of built-up areas and vegetation has expanded by 1.98 km2 and 13.23 km2 between the years 2003 and 2023. On the other hand, the amount of land continues to decrease by -12.56 km2 and − 2.65 km2 annually, respectively. We anticipate an increase in the built-up area and vegetation to a total of 7.60 km2 and 0.57 km2, respectively, by the year 2033. We anticipate a total annual decline of -7.78 km2 and − 0.39 km2 in water bodies and open land coverage, respectively. This work has the potential to assist planners and policymakers in improving sustainable urban land-use planning.

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