4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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    Rest in Peace: Encouraging empathy, compassion and interconnectedness through the design of a rehabilitation centre within Braamfontein Cemetery
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Damjanovic, Ana
    Within Johannesburg lies a dormant space, once a cemetery now forgotten – a relic of the past amidst the hustle and bustle of the city – the Braamfontein Cemetery. This thesis proposes a transformation, seeking to breathe life into this neglected space by integrating an animal rehabilitation centre and archive facility within its grounds, and tying it all together with public spaces and a large walkway. By merging the ideas of animal and ecological rehabilitation, urban revitalisation, and the fostering of connections between humans, nature and animals, this project aims to transform the Braamfontein Cemetery into a place of solace within the busy city. This centre would not only serve as a sanctuary for injured, abandoned and unwanted animals but also as a refuge for city dwellers seeking rest from the stressful and fast-paced living that comes with being in the city. The cemetery has a rich history that is seemingly forgotten by the people that reside so close to it. This thesis aims to use architectural solutions to resurface this history in order to foster a connection between the present lives of people using the space and the past lives of the people buried in it. Drawing inspiration from the ideologies of posthumanism, post-anthropocentrism, existentialism and memory, human-animal relationships and ecological restoration, this thesis explores the potential of reimagining forgotten, green urban spaces as vibrant ecosystems through the use of architecture. Ultimately, this thesis strives to not only revitalise a neglected space but to also cultivate a sense of interconnectedness among all living and non-living beings, fostering empathy, understanding, and reverence for the natural world and for the necropolis .
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    Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) and asbestos contamination of the environment: Implications for in-situ risk assessment and rehabilitation
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-01) Schapira, Jessica Shaye; Bolhar, Robert; Master, Sharad; Rumbold, Karl
    The risk associated with asbestos minerals is an enduring global concern, especially with regards to exposure at the sources. The risks connected to exposure in their natural contexts (i.e., derelict mine sites and naturally occurring asbestos) form the subject of this study. These sites are plentiful throughout Southern Africa (and Africa) and are considered as unconfined, thereby constituting large environmental and human health risks. Asbestos in these settings is not inherently hazardous unless dispersed from its sources into environmental systems, such as the atmosphere, where it may be inhaled. Compared to occupational asbestos exposure, environmental sources present unique challenges with respect to their potential risks. Literature focused on these sites is lacking and without extensive knowledge the risks remain greatly unknown, and thus asbestos site assessment frameworks are imperative. South Africa, with its geological richness, allows for all aspects of environmental asbestos to be studied in its natural context. In this research, mineral fibres from derelict asbestos mine sites were characterised mineralogically and geochemically to identify and assess their human health hazard potential, to define the degree of toxicity and to determine the potential negative environmental effects. High concentrations of heavy metals, including copper, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc detrimental to human health and environmental functioning were measured in these fibrous minerals using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) . The chemical stability of four asbestos minerals was studied using batch isothermal dissolution tests in acidic solutions and their stability determined as follows: chrysotile < crocidolite < amosite < anthophyllite. Significant inferences can be made regarding the persistence of asbestos particles in their natural environments from dissolution kinetics mechanisms. The mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiological characterisation of solid asbestos mine waste rock substrates indicate that their properties, such as low macro and micronutrients and lack of properties of true soils, strongly alkaline pH and low to zero microbial abundance and diversity present significant challenges to rehabilitation strategies. Such parameters are identified as important baseline conditions that need to be considered prior to rehabilitation implementation, if long-term, self-sustaining ecological restoration is to be achieved on these sites. Present bio-solutions to ensure asbestos mine land rehabilitation success are discussed and the potential of using available agronomic bio-fertilisers (microbial strain Pseudomonas fluorescens) is examined. The growth-based assays indicate that this micro-organism is suitable for an environmental biotechnology applied to ecosystem restoration of asbestos-mining lands. Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) occurrences are highly dependent upon the geological conditions, and understanding these in a large variety of settings may allow the development of predictive strategies necessary for in situ identification and hazard assessment required for health risk mitigation in the context of mining and other geologically disruptive activities. A variety of natural asbestos rock samples was examined, showing how geological databases relevant for predicting natural occurrences of asbestos provide baseline data required for mitigating asbestos exposure risks.
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    The effects of COVID-19 on paediatric therapeutic services at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) McGrath, Robyn Lesley; Slemming, Wiedaad
    Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected child health services worldwide, including in South Africa, where prioritisation of paediatric therapeutic services was lacking despite their vital role in health promotion and disease management. Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric therapeutic services at a tertiary level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, focusing on service outputs, challenges, and innovations during 2020 and 2021. Methods: This study used a concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach. Quantitative analysis of service output data was combined with qualitative analysis of healthcare worker interviews. Integration was facilitated through a convergent design joint display during interpretation. Results: In 2020, patient contact sessions significantly decreased, particularly during lockdown phases, leading to missed diagnoses and adverse patient outcomes. Ineffective hospital management contributed to a lack of communication and direction for managers and clinicians which was worsened by the absence of national guidelines. Persistent trends of low service utilisation during the pandemic drove healthcare worker innovation, forcing healthcare workers to adopt a systems approach to decision making. Innovations centred on inter-professional communication and coordination, service re-evaluation and restructuring, new service delivery models, technology use, patient education and prioritisation, and adapting the duration and frequency of care. Conclusion: Paediatric services healthcare workers responded innovatively to pandemic challenges, with some solutions improving long-term service delivery efficiency. Insights from this study can enhance health system preparedness and inform planning for paediatric therapeutic services in South Africa, especially in anticipation of future events and the National Health Insurance scheme
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    Institutional arrangements and rehabilitation of young offenders: a case study of the Leeuwkop correctional service facility.
    (2022) Macozoma, Mesuli
    The 1994 democratic transition in South Africa marked a break away from its repressive past, which included the creation of new institutions to exercise the rule of law in a democratic dispensation. Transforming the prison system to correctional services through policy, changed the outlook of the state in exercising punitive measures against those charged with breaking the rule of law. A key question that has emerged is the need to understand how the established correctional services system facilitates the rehabilitation of young offenders, who make the majority of people incarcerated in correctional facilities in South Africa today. The study employed a qualitative case study approach to establish interactions between institutionalised young offenders at Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility which serves as a medium for rehabilitation. The objective of the study was to determine whether the institutional arrangements at this facility support the institutionalisation of rehabilitation as articulated in the 2005 White Paper on Corrections. Primary data was gathered using semi-structured interviews from a sample of 16 participants, inclusive of three first-time offenders, three repeat offenders, and two former offenders from the Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility between the ages 21 – 35 years old. In addition, eight institutional actors associated with Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility were interviewed to understand their perspectives on the administrative processes involved in services offered by the facility. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data sets which generated four key themes around the issue of order and discipline, factors contributing to offending, rehabilitation of offenders in a correctional environment, and the allocation and expenditure of financial resources. Research findings indicate that a lack of transformation and misalignment of the current institutional arrangements is obscuring effective rehabilitation of young offenders at Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility. A significant finding that emerged was that the primary objective of the Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility is the incarceration of young offenders, and rehabilitation is a secondary function; hence the institutional and structural arrangements emphasize achieving the primary goal Conditions at Leeuwkop Correctional Service Facility, reveal that institutions established with contradicting mandates tend to systematically resist change. Arguably, the institution has struggled to transform its secondary role into an actionable goal that aligns with the policy framework, rendering this space a constitutive element in engendering a vicious cycle of violence among those who interact with the institution. The research concludes that more work is needed at both institutional and administrative level to foster a culture of rehabilitation within correctional service facilities.