scholarly journals Distribution of invasive alien Tithonia (Asteraceae) species in eastern and southern Africa and the socio-ecological impacts of T. diversifolia in Zambia

Bothalia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne B.R. Witt ◽  
Ross T. Shackleton ◽  
Tim Beale ◽  
Winnie Nunda ◽  
Brian W. Van Wilgen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Tithonia Diversifolia ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

Background: Many alien plant species, such as Tithonia diversifolia, T. rotundifolia and T. tubaeformis, have been introduced to areas outside of their natural distribution range to provide benefits, but have subsequently become invasive, threatening biodiversity and agricultural productivity.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the current distribution and dates of introduction of invasive Tithonia species in eastern and southern Africa and to document the effects of T. diversifolia on rural livelihoods in Zambia.Method: Roadside surveys, and other sources of information, were used to determine the distribution of invasive Tithonia species in eastern and southern Africa. Household interviews were conducted to gauge perceptions and understand the impacts of T. diversifolia on local livelihoods in Zambia’s Copperbelt province.Results: Tithonia diversifolia is widespread in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi and parts of Zambia but less so in Zimbabwe. Tithonia rotundifolia was comparatively uncommon in eastern Africa but common in some southern African countries, while T. tubaeformis was invasive in Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia and possibly also Zimbabwe. According to the majority of respondents in Zambia, T. diversifolia has negative impacts on native vegetation, mobility or access, water availability, crop yields and animal health.Conclusion: Invasive Tithonia species are widespread and spreading throughout much of Africa. Livelihood and biodiversity costs have not been considered by those actively promoting the use and further dissemination of T. diversifolia. We therefore recommend that detailed cost–benefit studies should be undertaken to support informed decisions on the future management of these species.

scholarly journals Ending AIDS: trends in the incidence of HIV in eastern and southern Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian G. Williams ◽  
Reuben Granich
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Control Threshold ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Control And Management

AbstractWhile great progress has been made in the control and management of the HIV epidemic there is still much to be done. Using trends in the rate of new HIV infections in eastern and southern Africa we assess the current state of the epidemic and evaluate the future prospects for controlling it. If we let an incidence of 1 per 1,000 people represent a control threshold then this has been reached, or will probably be reached by 2020, in eastern Africa and is reachable by 2020 in those southern African countries that do not have particularly strong social and economic ties to South Africa if they continue to scale up their treatment programmes. In South Africa and its immediate neighbours Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland, the prospects are less certain. These countries are unlikely to reach the control threshold by 2020 but with sufficient political will and commitment to ‘treatment for all’ could do so by 2030.There are two important caveats. First, reaching the control threshold still leaves 35 thousand new infections a year. As the lessons of polio remind us, finding the last few, hard to reach cases will demand more focussed strategies. Second, ending AIDS will not end HIV and about 35 million people will have to be kept on ART for the next 30 to 40 years unless and until a cure is discovered. Even if we assume a modest cost of, say, US$100 per person per year for ART treatment and support, this corresponds to a continuing financial commitment of US$3.5 Bn per year although this is substantially less than the approximately US$ 40 Bn per year currently committed to HIV and AIDS.

scholarly journals Distribution of Mimosa diplotricha in eastern and southern Africa and its socioecological impacts in northern Malawi

Bothalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (Volume 50 No. 1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Witt ◽  
Lilian Chimphepo ◽  
Tim Beale ◽  
Winnie Nunda
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Current Distribution ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

Background: Mimosa diplotricha is an emerging or established weed in many parts of the world, including many countries in Africa, where it is impacting on biodiversity, crop and pasture production, and driving socio-ecological change. Objectives: To establish the current distribution of M. diplotricha in eastern and southern Africa and its impacts on livelihoods in northern Malawi. Methods: Records on current distribution were collected from roadside surveys, literature reviews and herbarium data. Household surveys were conducted in the Karonga District, Malawi, to understand its impacts on local livelihoods. Results: Mimosa diplotricha is abundant in western Ethiopia, southern Tanzania, and northern and southeastern Malawi with isolated populations in western Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and on the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. Most respondents said that M. diplotricha invasions were reducing the amount of grass and shrubs in rangelands, with over half saying it reduced crop yields. This invasive plant is also reducing the availability of medicinal plants and other natural resources. Conclusions: Mimosa diplotricha has the potential to significantly expand its range in eastern Africa, and parts of southern Africa, and as such there is an urgent need to develop and implement an integrated management strategy, including biological control, to reduce the negative effects of this invasive plant on local livelihoods.

Doing More With Less

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Jonathan Mukwevho ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe ◽  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Public Archives

Providing access and usage are the reason for existence of memory institutions such as archive repositories. Despite the importance of the visibility and accessibility of public archive repositories, various scholars concur that these repositories in eastern and southern Africa are not known and are accessed by few people. This chapter utilises the concept of soft power as a framework to examine the visibility and accessibility of public archives repositories in South Africa. A quantitative research approach utilising questionnaires, interviews, content analysis and the observation of landmarks were employed as data collection tools. The findings revealed that collaboration, especially with civil societies, is a key for successful public programming at the lowest cost. It concludes that the concept of soft power can provide deep insight and better understanding on how to develop inexpensive visibility programme, yet capable of attracting a large number of people in a sustainable manner.

Portugal’s Resistance to Decolonization and the “White Redoubt” (1950–1974)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Barroso
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Support ◽  
African Countries ◽  
International Pressure ◽  
War Effort ◽  
Southern Rhodesia ◽  
Overseas Territories

Portugal’s resistance to decolonization lasted from the mid-1950s until the fall of the regime in April 1974, and it helps to explain why Portugal fought thirteen years of war in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea. Contrary to other colonial powers, the Portuguese rulers were not willing to accept the winds of change nor to meet the demands for the self-determination of its overseas territories that had swept Africa and Asia from the early 1950s. Several factors can explain the inflexibility of Lisbon to accept them, ranging from the ideological nature of the New State; from the strategic context of the Cold War due to the importance of the Azores islands for the United States and NATO; or from Portugal’s alliance with Great Britain. When the war broke out in Angola, and the Indian Union seized the “Portuguese India” territories in 1961, prime-minister Salazar did not receive the political support he expected from Washington and London as traditional allies. In early 1962, Salazar decided to strengthen relations with South Africa and Rhodesia in an attempt to maintain white rule in its overseas territories amidst a drive for independence by African nationalists, so-called “white redoubt,” that was the terminology used by the Kennedy administration to refer to the set of African countries and territories dominated by white minority governments: Angola, Mozambique, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa. Strengthened ties would aid his strategy to keep the war effort in Africa by taking advantage of the importance of Angola and Mozambique to the security of South Africa. In 1964, Salazar encouraged Ian Smith to unilaterally declare independence from Great Britain to link Angola and Mozambique to the Southern Africa Security Complex led by South Africa, despite widespread criticism of the apartheid in the United Nations (UN). Concurrently, Lisbon tried to seduce Hastings Banda and Kenneth Kaunda in expelling the liberation movements from Malawi and Zambia in exchange for granting transit facilities to ease the international pressure with regards to its colonial policy. Following several years of military collaboration, in October 1970, Portugal, South Africa, and Rhodesia established a military alliance codenamed “Exercise ALCORA,” which aimed to coordinate the global efforts against the insurgency in Southern Africa. Portugal used the ALCORA to obtain substantial aid in the form of military equipment and financial support, which Portugal needed to keep the war effort in the three African territories. In early 1974, Caetano channeled the South African loan to prevent a significant setback in Guinea, because if it were lost, Mozambique and Angola would follow, and consequently the regime.

History of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology in Southern Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Gahwiler ◽  
Lee Hill ◽  
Valérie Grand’Maison
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Global Knowledge ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Private Funding ◽  
Performance Psychology ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
And Performance

Since the 1970s, significant growth globally has occurred in the related fields of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. In Southern Africa, however, this growth has occurred unevenly and, other than isolated pockets of interest, there has been little teaching, research, or practice. South Africa is an exception, however, even during the years of apartheid. A number of international sport psychology pioneers in fact visited South Africa during the 1970s on sponsored trips. Virtually all this activity took place in the economically advantaged sectors of the country, and it is only since the end of apartheid in 1994 that applied services have been extended to the economically disadvantaged areas through both government and private funding. The 2010s have also seen a growing awareness in other Southern African countries, which have begun sporadically using (mainly foreign-based) sport psychology consultants. Among these countries, Botswana is currently leading the way in developing locally based expertise. Throughout the Southern African region, sport, exercise, and performance psychology remain organizationally underdeveloped and unregulated. Local researchers and practitioners in the field face unique challenges, including a multicultural environment and a lack of resources. In working to overcome these challenges, however, they have the potential to significantly add value to the global knowledge base of sport, exercise, and performance psychology.

scholarly journals Mimosa pigra in eastern and southern Africa: Distribution and socio-ecological impacts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne B.R. Witt ◽  
Kelvin S. Floyd ◽  
Winnie Nunda ◽  
Tim Beale ◽  
Griffin Shanungu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Africa ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Mimosa Pigra ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

The importance of English communication skills in multilingual settings in Southern Africa

English Today ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Fandrych
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
The United States ◽  
Official Language ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Status ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
Language Issues

ABSTRACTAn account of the need for appropriate language skills in a developing multilingual context.Language issues in Southern Africa have always been marked by political struggle. In South Africa, these were sometimes violent, as with, for example, the 1976 Soweto uprisings, in which protests over the medium of education were prominent. One of the priorities of the first democratically elected government of 1994 was to democratise the situation by making eleven languages official, in contrast to the two prior to that, namely Afrikaans and English. In other Southern African countries, language issues have also been characterised by debates and struggles. A prime example is the decision by the Namibian government to make English the official language of the country, even though English had never even been a colonial language in Namibia. Another example is Lesotho, a former British protectorate, with two official languages, English and Sesotho. In the last two decades, there have been numerous debates about the status of English as a subject necessary for a pass in schools and as a prerequisite for admission to university. Kramsch's observation that ‘[l]inguistic wars are always also political and cultural wars’ captures the situation well. Language issues are still on many speakers' minds and influence their sense of self and identity. As Baugh observes, ‘[i]n societies like the United States and South Africa, where race and language development have strongly been influenced by racial strife, many students do not aspire to “talk like Whites”’.

Prospects for Africa's economies to end-2016

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Commodity Price ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Idiosyncratic Shocks ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

Subject Prospects for Africa's economies to end-2016. Significance The IMF's most recent forecast of 3% GDP growth for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in 2016 represents a significant cut from the 4.25% it expected in October 2015. This is a consequence of sharp slowdowns in the region's two largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, droughts in previously buoyant economies (notably in eastern and southern Africa), a variety of idiosyncratic shocks and a prolonged commodity price downturn.

scholarly journals Analysis of p67 allelic sequences reveals a subtype of allele type 1 unique to buffalo-derived Theileria parva parasites from southern Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubembe D. Mukolwe ◽  
David O. Odongo ◽  
Charles Byaruhanga ◽  
Louwtjie P. Snyman ◽  
Kgomotso P. Sibeko-Matjila
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
East Coast ◽  
East Coast Fever ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Allele Type

AbstractEast Coast fever (ECF) and Corridor disease (CD) caused by cattle- and buffalo-derived T. parva respectively are the most economically important tick-borne diseases of cattle in the affected African countries. The p67 gene has been evaluated as a recombinant subunit vaccine against East Coast fever (ECF), and for discrimination of T. parva parasites causing ECF and Corridor disease (CD). The p67 allele type 1 was first identified in cattle-derived T. parva parasites from east Africa, where parasites possessing this allele type have been associated with ECF. Subsequent characterization of buffalo-derived T. parva parasites from South Africa where ECF was eradicated, revealed the presence of a similar allele type, raising concerns as to whether or not allele type 1 from parasites from the two regions is identical. A 900 bp central fragment of the gene encoding p67 was PCR amplified from T. parva DNA extracted from blood collected from cattle and buffalo in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, followed by DNA sequence analysis. Four p67 allele types previously described were identified. A subtype of p67 allele type 1 was identified in parasites from clinical cases of CD and buffalo from southern Africa. Notably, p67 allele type 1 sequences from parasites associated with ECF in East Africa and CD in Kenya were identical. Analysis of two p67 B-cell epitopes (TpM12 and AR22.7) revealed amino acid substitutions in allele type 1 from buffalo-derived T. parva parasites from southern Africa. However, both epitopes were conserved in allele type 1 from cattle- and buffalo-derived T. parva parasites from East Africa. These findings reveal detection of a subtype of p67 allele type 1 associated with T. parva parasites transmissible from buffalo to cattle in southern Africa.

scholarly journals Notes on the taxonomy of Potamonautes obesus (A Milne-Edwards, 1868) and Potamonautes calcaratus (Gordon, 1929) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from eastern and southern Africa

Zootaxa ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 418 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
SADIE K. REED ◽  
NEIL CUMBERLIDGE
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Large Series ◽  
Type Material ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Freshwater Crab ◽  
East African ◽  
Related Taxon ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
De Man

The East African freshwater crab Potamonautes obesus (A Milne-Edwards, 1868) (family Potamonautidae) is redescribed from a large series of specimens from Tanzania and Somalia, and Potamon (Potamonautes) bottegoi de Man, 1898 is judged to be a junior objective synonym of P. obesus. The related taxon, Potamonautes calcaratus (Gordon, 1929) from Mozambique and South Africa, is recognised here as a valid species and is redescribed from type material. The distributions of P. obesus and P. calcaratus are described and discussed.

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