scholarly journals A first assessment of glyphosate, 2,4-D and Cry proteins in surface water of South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 115 (9/10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suranie Horn ◽  
Rialet Pieters ◽  
Thomas Bøhn
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
South African ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
The South ◽  
Cry Proteins ◽  
North West ◽  
European Guidelines

Agriculture plays a vital role in the South African economy, as well as in the production of maize for food. Genetically modified maize is transformed to encode for crystalline (Cry) proteins found in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and is referred to as Bt maize. Ingestion of specific Cry proteins causes the death of target insects that cause harm to maize plants. Bt crops, along with herbicides such as glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), are widely adopted as part of the South African farming regime that aims to increase crop yield and reduce costs of production. As chemical compounds used in agriculture often end up in water sources, their presence should be monitored. There are many such monitoring programmes worldwide, but not in South Africa. We screened surface water sources in a maize-dominated agricultural area in the North West Province in South Africa for the presence of Cry1Ab, glyphosate and 2,4-D using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Cry1Ab was not detected at any site; glyphosate was below the limit of detection at most of the sites but one sample had quantifiable traces of glyphosate; and 2,4-D was detected at all the sites. The concentrations of 2,4-D exceeded those for drinking water according to European guidelines, thus highlighting the need for regular monitoring of these compounds. Many people depend on untreated water resources, which may be contaminated by toxic agricultural chemicals. This report is the first on levels of these target compounds in South African water systems.

scholarly journals Influencing Factors of Maize Production in South Africa: The Case of Mpumalanga, Free State and North West Provinces

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-34
Author(s):  
Andisiwe Diko ◽  
Wang Jun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Maize Yield ◽  
Free State ◽  
The South ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
North West ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Multi Stage

Aims: Maize is of great significance in the national food security of South Africa. Maize production levels in South Africa continue to decline, further deteriorating the situation of increased food insecurity, unemployment and increased poverty levels in the face of increasing population. This paper investigated fundamental variables influencing maize yield in the South African major maize producing regions. Study Design: A multi-stage stratified sampling method was employed to select maize producing farmers in the major maize producing provinces, namely Mpumalanga, Free State and North West provinces of South Africa. Furthermore, three districts were selected from which maize farmers were then selected. Methodology: Using linear multiple regression for a sample of 202 maize farmers, maize yield as a dependent variable was regressed against land size, fertilizer usage, labour, herbicides and seeds as independent variables. The paper employed the Cobb-Douglas production function to estimate parameters. The data obtained from the field were subjected to analysis using inferential statistics using SPSS v20. Results: The study showed that fertilizer, labour, and herbicides used in the production of maize in the study area were positively and statistically significant at a 5% confidence interval (P<0.05) with elasticity coefficients of 0.55, 0.47 and 0.198 respectively. The independent variables computed in the model had positive elasticity coefficients indicating a direct positive relationship between the input variables and maize output. The study also revealed that farmers in the study area were applying fewer amounts of fertilizer than the recommended rates per hectare. Conclusion: The study recommends that the South African government should supply inputs to maize farmers at subsidized rates to promote correct application rates and attain higher yields.  The promotion of good quality extension services to foster good agricultural practices in the production of maize is also recommended.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Cumulative Surface Water Pollution on Selected Areas within the Consolidated Main Reef Area, Roodepoort, South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. ASWR.S12997
Author(s):  
D.N. Muruven ◽  
M. Tekere
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
South African ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
The South ◽  
Surface Water Pollution ◽  
Water Quality Guidelines ◽  
Quality Guidelines

Mining has long been at the center of the South African economy and has contributed to significant developments within the country. However, despite the large economic impact, surface water pollution due to mining is prevalent in most of the country's water catchments. Surface water in many areas of the central Roodepoort area in Johannesburg, South Africa, has also been impacted primarily by mining activities. The surface water quality for the Bosmontspruit, Russell's Stream, and the New Canada Dam was assessed in this study from October 2010 to March 2011. Physicochemical and biological characteristics of the water were determined for eight monitoring points, and the results obtained were compared with the in-stream water quality guidelines for the Klip River catchment and the South African Water Quality Guidelines. A trend noticed throughout the sampling period was the noncompliance to the set target water quality ranges (TWQRs) in the levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) and dissolved oxygen (DO). The results indicate that concentrations of iron, aluminum, nickel, manganese, and potassium were above the permissible limits across the Bosmontspruit and Russell's Stream. Excessive fecal coliforms and ammonium pollution were also detected in the Bosmontspruit. Additionally, during the monitoring period, it was noted that the water was being utilized for domestic purposes, and may pose health hazards due to poor water quality.

THE COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) IN SOUTH AFRICA

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 51-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCOIS RETIEF ◽  
BENNETT CHABALALA
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
Project Cost ◽  
North West ◽  
Northern Cape ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Cost

The wide adoption of EIA internationally is implicitly or explicitly based on the assumption that the benefits of EIA outweigh the costs. However, there has been surprisingly little empirical research conducted on the "cost" of EIA. The latter has been mostly because of the difficult methodological challenges it presents, which include the difficulties associated with clarifying terminology and disentangling what is meant by "cost". South Africa has been a leading developing country in terms of the introduction of EIA. However, almost a decade of mandatory EIA practice has raised serious questions about unjustified and unnecessary time delays and monetary costs and a desperate need for improved efficiency and effectiveness. In light of the latter the urgent need to gain a better understanding of the "cost" of EIA is evident. This paper presents preliminary results of an empirical study on the "direct EIA cost" in relation to "overall project cost" in South Africa. The data was obtained from a detailed survey of 148 EIAs conducted in the Free State, North West and the Northern Cape Provinces. The research suggests that the average direct cost of EIA within this region of South Africa is particularly low compared to international EIA systems. However, as a percentage of total project cost, EIA in South Africa compares with the higher spectrum of international practice. The latter suggests that within the South African context a large number of EIAs are being conducted for relatively small scale projects and that the main cost burden is placed on small and medium economic enterprise. In conclusion the overall profile of EIA cost in the South African context is described in relation to four broad project categories. To take the debate forward and to allow for regional comparative analysis, it is proposed that the research be expanded to include other provinces.

scholarly journals The SACC since 1994: Ecumenism in Democratic South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Michael Womack ◽  
Jerry Pillay
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
The State ◽  
The South ◽  
South African Council ◽  
Prophetic Voice ◽  
History Of ◽  
Three Stages

Prior to 1994, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) was a major role-player both globally and within South Africa, fulfilling a vital role in the struggle for justice in South Africa. Yet, since 1994 the SACC has all but disappeared from both the global as well as the popular South African ecumenical scene. The history of the SACC since 1994 is relatively unknown and sparsely documented. This article attempts to fill in some of that missing detail and to explore what has happened to the SACC since 1994. Working predominantly from news articles and documents from the SACC, the authors have endeavoured to piece together the state of the SACC since 1994. This article shows how the SACC emerged from the brink of closure and has once more started to function as a prophetic voice in South Africa. This movement from almost extinction to a rejuvenated function has been designated into three stages, namely survival, discernment and regeneration. However, the challenges are not over and this article concludes by highlighting two main challenges that the SACC is currently facing.

The first records of Polygala westii (Polygalaceae) for South Africa (North-West Province) and a key to the southern African Polygala species in the Section Tetrasepalae

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 202 (3) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Stoffel Petrus Bester ◽  
Jorge Paiva
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
First Record ◽  
The South ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
African Species ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
North West Province

The first record of Polygala westii (Polygalaceae) from the North-West Province (South Africa) is reported on here. The species is very rare and has previously only been collected in two separate gatherings. This species is characterised by having bracts and bracteoles caducous, the anterior sepals connate at least as much as half of their length and seeds pubescent and carunculate. It grows in a habitat that are severely impacted by agriculture and mining. A preliminary assessment of its conservation status is given. A key to the South African species in the subsection (Tetrasepalae) to which P. westii belong is provided. The aim of this paper is to highlight the species in order to stimulate the lookout for more material of this species.

Foreigners' Rights to Work and Fair Labour Practices in South Africa: A Review of the South African Labour Legislation and Jurisprudence

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Mangu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
South African ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
The South ◽  
Legislation And Jurisprudence ◽  
Foreign Nationals ◽  
Lay Persons ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Labour Legislation

After several decades of apartheid rule, which denied human rights to the majority of the population on the ground of race and came to be regarded as a crime against humanity, South Africa adopted its first democratic Constitution in the early 1990s. The 1996 Constitution, which succeeded the 1993 interim Constitution, is considered one of the most progressive in the world. In its founding provisions, it states that South Africa is a democratic state founded on human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The Constitution enshrines fundamental human rights in a justiciable Bill of Rights as a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, in the eyes of a number of politicians, officials and lay-persons, the rights in the Bill of Rights accrue to South African citizens only. Xenophobia, which has been rampant since the end of apartheid, seems to support the idea that foreigners should not enjoy these rights. Foreign nationals have often been accused of posing a threat to South African citizens with regard to employment opportunities. In light of the South African legislation and jurisprudence, this article affirms the position of the South African labour law that foreign nationals are indeed protected by the Constitution and entitled to rights in the Bill of Rights, including the rights to work and fair labour practices.

The Engagement of Beneficiaries in Farm Governance of Restituted Land through the Communal Property Association Model: The Ideal Versus the Reality of Beneficiary Farms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokoko Piet Sebola ◽  
Malemela Angelinah Mamabolo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Communal Property ◽  
Farm Ownership ◽  
Land Restitution ◽  
Communal Property Associations

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the engagement of farm beneficiaries in South Africa in the governance of restituted farms through communal property associations. The South African government has already spent millions of rands on land restitution to correct the imbalance of the past with regard to farm ownership by the African communities. Various methods of farm management to benefit the African society have been proposed, however, with little recorded success. This article argues that the South African post-apartheid government was so overwhelmed by political victory in 1994 that they introduced ambitious land reform policies that were based on ideal thinking rather than on a pragmatic approach to the South African situation. We used qualitative research methods to argue that the engagement of farm beneficiaries in farm management and governance through communal property associations is failing dismally. We conclude that a revisit of the communal property associations model is required in order to strengthen the position of beneficiaries and promote access to land by African communities for future benefit.

Exploring the South African Government Communication on Land Expropriation without Compensation

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungisani Moyo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Government ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Land Expropriation ◽  
African Government ◽  
Government Communication

ABSTRACT This paper used qualitative methodology to explore the South African government communication and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on food security using Alice town located in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa as its case study. This was done to allow the participants to give their perceptions on the role of government communication on land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. In this paper, a total population of 30 comprising of 26 small scale farmers in rural Alice and 4 employees from the Department of Agriculture (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa were interviewed to get their perception and views on government communications and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. The findings of this paper revealed that the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the South African economy hence there is a great need to speed up transformation in the sector.

Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Jared McDonald
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
The South ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Vice Chancellor ◽  
The University

Dr Jared McDonald, of the Department of History at the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, reviews As by fire: the end of the South African university, written by former UFS vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen.    How to cite this book review: MCDONALD, Jared. Book review: Jansen, J. 2017. As by Fire: The End of the South African University. Cape Town: Tafelberg.. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South, [S.l.], v. 1, n. 1, p. 117-119, Sep. 2017. Available at: <http://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=18>. Date accessed: 12 Sep. 2017.   This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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