PhD Graduation Booklet - 20 July 2021

Tuesday, 20 JULY 2021 09:30

Examinations and Graduation Office

2nd Floor, Room 2021, Solomon Mahlangu House Tel: 011 717 1280/1 www.wits.ac.za/graduations

A MESSAGE TO GRADUATES FROM THE CHANCELLOR

Congratulations to all the graduands! I know it takes hard work and focus to reach this point. I also know that you could not have achieved this on your own. So as I congratulate you, I also congratulate your parents and guardians for not only supporting you, but for creating an environment that allowed you to dream and achieve your dreams. Thank you to the lecturers who contributed to your success.

Well done.

May this be the beginning of a life of continuous learning, investing in yourself, and investing in the communities that nurtured you. Nurture the relationships that you’ve formed and those that you will form as you journey through life. Umuntu umuntu ngabantu. Life is about collaboration with others.

Dream big, act consistently with integrity, self-respect and respect for others, and the universe will conspire to make you achieve your dream. A positive attitude and hard work will bring you closer to your dream. Use others’ successes as your inspiration. Wits is full of those, from Nobel Prize Laureates to world leaders in different fields of society.

You have received a world class education. Use it to make a difference in other people’s lives. Especially those that are less fortunate than yourself. We are a country with many needs, identify a role you can play to make a positive difference; you owe it to this country and people that invested in you.

Find your Purpose and Live it. Help Africa Rise!

Dr Judy Dlamini Chancellor Wits University

There is no limit to what you can achieve, if you put your mind and your best effort into it!

A MESSAGE TO GRADUATES FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL

Dear Wits Graduate Congratulations on successfully completing your academic programme at Wits, the premier university in Africa.

You are now a member of an elite group of graduates of this august institution. Our more than 200 000 alumni are at the cutting edge of excellence, both locally and internationally in business, the public sector, the academy, and civil society.

Today, you become a member of that illustrious community.

Over the past 99 years, Wits has grown into one of the leading universities on the continent and a globally respected institution for its teaching and learning, knowledge creation and generation, and social impact. It has shaped the lives of many and changed society for good. You are now an integral part of this proud and enduring legacy.

Wits is renowned for its intellectual leadership and for nurturing critical thinkers, creative innovators, problem-posers and problem solvers. Your success has furthered our commitment to equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills and determination that you will need to find innovative and sustainable solutions to the pressing problems of the 21st Century.

As a Wits graduate, you had access to an exceptional educational experience. You have been exposed to a world-class academic and research programme and a vibrant community that makes you a true global citizen. You have been part of an institution that generates cutting-edge knowledge and innovation for South Africa and the world. It is now time for you to step into the world and use that experience, for good.

We know that you will enter the next stage of your journey with the determination to build a better society tomorrow. I want to encourage you to remain a part of the Wits family by participating in our alumni programme and by further advancing the reputation of your alma mater.

Best wishes for the next steps of your journey.

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi Vice-Chancellor and Principal Wits University

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF CONVOCATION There are a few defining moments in life – and it is without doubt that a PhD graduation is one of them!

As you leave this graduation hall, you leave with the prestigious honour of a grand title from one of the top universities on the African continent.

Today, you enter into a world of limitless possibilities, accessible only to a select group of people who have lived our University’s motto: “Scientia et Labore” (“through knowledge and work”).

May you meet all the challenges and opportunities that await with drive, pride, passion, innovation and positive-purpose.

While some of you are first time graduates of this university and others have already obtained degree’s from Wits – this PhD cohort are united forever in association with a special group of individuals: the Convocation of Wits University. Convocation represents all the degreed graduates of Wits and forms a vital link between the University and the global community in which it operates. Membership to Convocation is free and serves as an official channel, allowing you, the members, to convey to the University management your views about the University. This membership comes with several unique privileges, which include nominating the Chancellor of the University. The Convocation has two executive members on the Wits Council and maintains other regular contact with the University, especially with the Alumni Relations Office, in order to ensure the voice of the Convocation is represented within The University.

There are now over 200 000 Wits alumni worldwide. Proudly diverse as we are, our shared experiences and memories of studying at Wits make for a very strong network indeed. So, in addition to congratulating you on your graduation, let me also welcome you to your lifelong relationship with Wits.

The distinction of our university is important to the prestige of our collective qualifications.

We call upon you to nurture and enhance the value of the asset you have now acquired by promoting Wits’ image, preserving our values and contributing towards our ongoing development, ensuring that we grow in stature as a globally competitive, proudly South African institution of higher learning.

Please connect and engage with us via Wits’ multiple social media channels, or feel free to reach out to us via convocation@wits.ac.za I would like to extend a warm welcome to you – you are now a Witsie for life!

Stacey-Lee Bolon President of Convocation Wits University

Convocation is a statutory body that includes all graduates of the University. Convocation is the largest constituency of the University (since the founding of the University in 1922, graduates number over 200 000). Its statutory mandate is to “… discuss and state its opinion upon any matters relating to the University including matters referred to it by the Council” and allows for the views of graduates to be represented at the highest levels of governance of the University.

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ORDER OF PROCEDURE Tuesday, 20 JULY 2021 | 09:30 The audience will rise as the academic procession enters the hall and will remain standing until the Chancellor is in place The Chancellor will constitute the congregation The Chancellor will welcome the graduands and guests Address to the congregation Conferment of degrees The President of Convocation will address the graduates The Chancellor will dissolve the congregation The audience will stand while Ihele is played Members of the audience are requested to stand while the academic procession leaves the hall and not to leave the hall before the end of the ceremony.

IMPORTANT NOTICE In the event of load-shedding or power cuts, the Great Hall may become totally dark until the generator comes into operation.

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FACULTY OF COMMERCE, LAW AND MANAGEMENT DEAN: PROFESSOR I VALODIA BCom (Unisa) BCom Hons (Natal) MSc (Lancaster) DEcon (KwaZulu-Natal)

Doctor of Philosophy ADU, Frank Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Studies on domestic resource mobilization in Ghana This thesis examined the dynamics of domestic resource mobilization in Ghana. Four empirical essays revealed an elastic tax system; asymmetric impact of taxation on distribution; a low threshold between domestic debt and financial sector development. Reverse causality between revenue systems and good governance and related policies are addressed in the thesis.

Supervisor: Professor P Alagidede ASAMOAH, Michael Effah Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Essays on Private Capital Flows and Real sector growth in Africa The thesis explored four empirical themes on the interplay between private capital flows, financial development, institutions, and real sector growth in Africa. The results revealed the existence of thresholds in the capital flows-real sector relationship, as well as the impact of volatility on capital flows. Financial development and robust institutions matter for economic growth, while managed capital flows improves economic performance.

Supervisor: Professor P Alagidede AYISI-BOATENG, George Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Political regimes and economic development in Ghana’s Fourth Republic The thesis contributes to the role of political regimes in Ghana’s fourth republic (19932020) using the critical realist research framework. The study argues that although significant amount of sound policies have been written on paper, implementation challenges have been the Achilles’ heels of Ghana. In the economic sphere, the study identified a plethora of policy slippages in relation to job creation and entrepreneurial development and recommends policy options for improving the management of the economy.

Supervisor: Professor P Alagidede BORDISS, Bradley John Economics THESIS: Shaping monentary policy and development in South Africa: the role of Jack Holloway and Andries Bruwer, from 1914 to 1950 Between 1914 and 1950, the international gold standard and laissez-faire system broke down. This dissertation examines a South African debate which raged between two internationally trained economists, one trained in Britain and the other in the United 5

States. Jack Holloway defended the global gold standard. Andries Bruwer advocated leaving it, and proposed state-led national development. This thesis examines these developments in the history of economic thought and policy in the interwar period, mindful of how it relates to today’s debate between free trade inflation targeters and those in favour of national development.

Supervisor: Professor M Padayachee BYARUHANGA, Bonaventure Wits School of Governance THESIS: Examining the role of Corporate Governance in Microfinance Institution operations in Uganda: a case of the Bushenyi District Bonaventure Byaruhanga examines the role of corporate governance in Microfinance Institution (MFI) operations in Uganda. He identified that properly instituted governance structures, good governance practices; appropriate legislative and policy frameworks, are vital in MFI operations. This study in rural microfinance governance, significantly contributes to new knowledge in financial inclusion and contributes to literature on corporate governance by establishing the importance of control and governance mechanisms in MFIs. Supervisor: Professor T Mogale CHEN, Yu-Jen Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Uncovering Selected Antecedents of Collective Intelligence of Strategic Project Teams Leaders’ capability to harness small intelligent teams profoundly impact the competitiveness of their organisations. Owing to this reason, the study of collective intelligence has emerged as a notable interdisciplinary research agenda in recent years. This study assessed the collective intelligence of small teams with a total number of 406 participants. The findings suggested that three cognitive-behavioural clusters, viz. resource acquisition and utilisation, strategic thinking, and team members exchange directly impact the quality of the collective intelligence of small teams.

Supervisor: Professor B Urban CHUENE, Palesa Betty Information Systems THESIS: An integrated model for information technology servitization adoption in South African state-owned enterprises Information technology servitization is still in its infancy, especially in South African state-owned enterprises. The thesis explains the determinants which are significant in the adoption process. The study triangulated three theoretical lenses to inform the integrated model for the adoption of IT servitization in South African SOEs. Supervisor: Professor M Kekwaletswe DLADLA, Pholile

Economics THESIS: Sources of risk in insurance markets The study focuses on insurance risk management in select developed and emerging market economies, the impact of macroeconomic factors on insurance and bank risk and the linkages between banks and insurances. Insurance and banking contributed, on average 7% to global GDP in 2017 as such this study benefits policy-makers, regulators and the finance sector.

Supervisor: Professor L Mncube

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FEELA, Tshepo Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Determinants of successful coopetition between SMEs in SADC countries implications for strategy and firm performance The thesis explores the benefit of coopetition (competing and collaborating at the same time with other firms) amongst SMEs in the SADC region using principles of microeconomics. The results indicate that coopetition leads to better firm performance and innovation which are some of the key drivers in economic growth.

The aim is to provide SMEs with new strategies to strengthen their position in the market and compete on a global scale.

Supervisors: Dr T Mthanti and Professor K Ojah GAWAYA, Rose Wits School of Governance THESIS: Access to aid: case studies of women’s organizations in South Africa and Uganda This study explores five women’s organisations that are beneficiaries of aid in South Africa and Uganda. Women’s organisations largely remain on the margins of grantmaking, struggling to engage competitively in the fast-evolving donor environment.

Dr Gawaya critically evaluates both grant-makers and beneficiaries, the values embedded in aid structures and the power that influences access and the utilisation of aid. The work is original and based on her own experience and political contribution to women’s organisations in Ghana and the aid space.

Supervisor: Dr D Miller GWALA, Sizwe Wits School of Governance THESIS: A secure cyberspace as a strategic focus point in governing the internet ecosystem: the case of the South African public sector Cybersecurity has been identified by the Internet Governance Forum as a highly strategic focus area for its member-states. This research project explored and reported on the extent to which South Africa has been able to govern the Internet Ecosystem in line with global and regional guidelines. It focused on South African public-sector organisations. The study applied Social Network Theory and proposes a Cybersecurity Governance Framework to be followed by government when rolling out cybersecurity controls in line with international standards.

Supervisor: Dr A Van Nieuwkerk JARAVAZA, Divaries Cosmas Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Culture, Contraceptive Attitudes and Advertising Perceptions: the case of rural Zimbabwe Divaries Jaravaza’s thesis sought to advance marketing science through examining information processing, cultural and behavioral responses to reproductive health advertising by rural consumers. He established that resultant self-conservation and religiosity are positively related to rural women’s contraceptive attitudes. The study points to heterogeneity of subsistence women’s cognitive and effective perceptions of contraceptive poster advertisements in rural markets. This knowledge will aid in reshaping advertising research and practice and provides unique cues for poster ads targeting rural consumers in subsistence markets.

Supervisors: Dr F Saruchera and Professor S Burgess

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KIM, Young Jae

Law THESIS: At crossroads of international development law, international human rights law, and international investment law - reflection on the right to development in the exercise of expropriation This thesis considers the conceptual intersection between international investment law, human rights law and development law, provided by the right to sustainable development. Through a case study of expropriation of investment, it shows how the right to sustainable development provides an entry portal for human rights into international investment law.

Supervisor: Professor M Pieterse KUMAH, Seyram Pearl Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Cryptocurrencies and African Financial Markets: integration, risk analysis, and diversification This thesis investigates the nexus between cryptocurrencies and traditional asset classes in African financial markets. Four empirical essays reveal varying levels of integration between cryptocurrencies and African financial markets; no clear market leader or follower; time-varying transmission of volatility shocks; and opportunities for hedging. Bi-directional causality among cryptocurrencies and African financial assets, and related policies are addressed in the thesis.

Supervisor: Dr J Mensah MABVIRAKARE, Antony Business Science THESIS: Bus service quality and its relationship with cross boarder passengers’ satisfaction and referral intention in Zimbabwe The study tested conceptual model of the mediating influence of cross boarder passengers’ satisfaction and continuance usage on the relationship between Bus Service Quality (BUSQUAL) and bus referral intention. The findings reveal that bus firms take for granted Non-Passenger Travelling Services (NTS) which generate more revenue if properly offered in a coordinated manner. The findings indicate that the provision of Bus Service Quality elements as expected by the passengers have a direct influence on passengers’ satisfaction, continuance usage intention, and bus referral intention.

Supervisors: Professor R Chinomona and Dr N Chiliya MANDEVERE, Melody Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: An analysis of the effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility in the mining sector: a comparative study of South Africa and Zimbabwe mining companies There is concern over the sustainability of CSR undertaken and the motives behind mining companies in Zimbabwe. This comparative study, utilised multiple case studies between Zimbabwe and South Africa’s mining sectors on the effectiveness of CSR. The findings indicated that legislation in South Africa, unlike Zimbabwe, encourages stakeholder inclusion leading to project sustainability and CSR effectiveness. The study addresses the need for an Africanised agenda, which prioritises legal issues, with social impact as the driving force.

Supervisor: Dr R Horne

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MNGUNI, Mphikeleli Matthew Wits School of Governance THESIS: Government’s Strategic Interventions to Optimise the Performance of Creative and Cultural Industries: a case study of SMMEs in Mpumalanga Province The cultural and creative sector is increasingly seen as a sector to help in reducing the high levels of unemployment, inequality, and poverty in South Africa. This study attempts to understand, through the artists’ perspectives, the government’s interventions to optimise the performance of the Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) within the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) in South Africa. The study explores service quality attributes, the artists’ satisfaction, and the performance of the creative SMMEs in Mpumalanga province.

Supervisors: Professor P Pillay and Dr M Muller MONDI, Lumkile Patriarch Economics THESIS: A long walk to a Just Energy Transition: the political economy of the restructuring of Eskom 1985 and beyond The thesis explores the development of the troubled South African state electrical parastatal, Eskom, and provides a window into understanding the policy trajectory and decision making of the South African government as it deals with the competing challenges of climate change, business interests and a rural black population long denied electricity due to the injustice of apartheid.

Supervisor: Professor M Padayachee MPHAHLELE, Matuku Wits School of Governance THESIS: Capacity development of service delivery structures and programmes in Bojanala Platinum District Municipality The candidate’s PhD thesis examines challenges related to the use of capacity development resources and programmes tied to service delivery, and ways in which they can be overcome. His study focuses on the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality (BPDM) in the North West Province - a Centre of the extractive economy with a highly heterogenous and mobile population and high levels of inequality. Findings suggest that socio-political resilience and administrative synergy are key enablers in the enhancement of service delivery.

Supervisor: Dr E McCandless MUREKACHIRO, Dennis Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Stock price prediction in Sub-Saharan Africa The objectives of this thesis are to predict the stock prices of 10 selected African countries and SP500 stock markets’ prices using deep learning prediction models (LSTM, RNN, GRU, BLSTM, BRNN, BGRU) and statistical GAM and to determine the factors that influence stock prices. Empirical results show evidence of return predictability of stock markets’ prices with DNN and GAM prediction models producing the highest prediction accuracy of +96%. Exchange rate has the most significant impact on stock price movements.

Supervisor: Professor T Mokoaleli-Mokoteli

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MUSENDAME, Thabiso Jeremiah Business Science THESIS: Management effects on company performance: a mixed methods study of the South African rubber industry With the general decline of South African manufacturing industry, the thesis sought to investigate the reliability and validity of a globally tested, ‘universal model’ of the effectiveness of management practice on company performance in the Rubber Industry. The thesis found that both universal management practices and context were crucial in performance maximization.

Supervisor: Professor D Coldwell NETSHITOMBONI, Nnzeni Economics THESIS: The industrial development corporation under apartheid: financing industrialisation in South Africa 1940-1990 For a thesis which shows that the Industrial Development Corporation played in integral part in financing the industrialisation of South Africa from 1940 to the mid-1970s in partnership with the state but strayed away from developmentalism to support security-inspired projects thereafter.

Supervisors: Professor W Freund and Dr N Pons-Vignon OLALEYE, Oluwole Wits School of Governance THESIS: The nexus between performance information use and service delivery in South African local municipalities This thesis examines the direct effects of performance information use on service delivery within South African municipalities. In this regard, the study investigates the extent to which this relationship is influenced by six different organisational properties: managerial quality, external actors, rational culture, developmental culture, hierarchical culture and group culture as constructs of organisation culture.

Supervisors: Professor P Pillay and Dr M Muller OMANE-ADJEPONG, Maurice Graduate School of Business Administration THESIS: Essays on Cryptocurrencies and Traditional Assets in Emerging Market Economies: Dynamic Modelling, Connectedness and Spillovers The essays allay the fears of investors and market participants, and reveals for the first time that the cryptocurrency market is less influenced by existing highly integrated instruments, and has little effect on emerging markets, and consequently poses, for now, a negligible danger. The insights gleaned open doors for policymakers to properly fine-tune their economies to maximise the upside potential presented by this asset class and minimise the downside risks, in the light of the role of cryptocurrencies so far.

Supervisor: Professor P Alagidede

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PATEL, Riyaaz Muhommed Business Science THESIS: Developing and testing a framework for digital channel adoption in emerging markets Applying qualitative and quantitative methods, this thesis provides a synthesis of theoretical perspectives to derive and test a model of digital adoption of mobile applications. The model is tested using samples from India and South Africa, providing insights relevant to emerging market contexts with digital markets of growing importance.

Supervisor: Professor C Callaghan SEBOPA, Caroline Boitumelo Business Science THESIS: Building brand commitment from the internal brand management and employee based brand equity factors Three models were integrated to examine the impact of Famous Brand’s internal brand management practices on brand commitment through employee satisfaction and Employee-Based Brand Equity (EBBE). Internal communication, role clarity, management support and rewards influenced employee satisfaction, which impacted brand citizenship behaviour, brand endorsements and brand allegiance.

These drove brand commitment.

Supervisor: Professor H Duh SEPURU, Thabo Dominicah

Wits School of Governance THESIS: Access to pro-poor Education benefits for urban parents in democratic South Africa This study explores why poverty impedes equitable access to relatively free public education in former whites-only suburban schools. In South Africa, poverty impedes equitable access to public education because the system is unable to maintain a heterogeneous class mix amongst residents. The study shows that the system differentiates residential areas and schooling on the basis of poverty and affluence, which in turn perpetuates poverty and inequality. Policy action should focus on how the quality of education in poor schools can be enhanced.

Supervisors: Dr A Mc Lennan and Professor P Pillay SIDDIQUI, Ammar Ahmed Marketing THESIS: Impact of firm-level characteristics and international marketing strategies on export performance of SME’s in South Africa The thesis identifies and examined the impact of key determinants on optimal and superior export performance of SMEs in South Africa. The findings indicate that optimal export performance was significantly driven by an organization’s characteristics, market competencies, environmental elements, financial and marketing strategies while superior export performance was induced by employees’ personality traits and managerial attributes.

Supervisors: Professor R Chinomona and Dr N Chiliya

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VINTI, Clive

Law THESIS: Hydrocolonisation in the Lesotho highlands water treaty: legitimate treaty or murky waters?

For a thesis which assesses whether the Treaty on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project complies with the key underlying transboundary water principles, with a specific focus on sustainable development, equitable and reasonable utilization and permanent sovereignty over natural resources, which address the anticipated conflict of uses.

Supervisor: Professor T Murombo WERBELOFF, Merle Wits School of Governance THESIS: The role of Statistical Numeracy in Computational Models of Risky Choice Numeracy is a strong predictor of general decision-making skill. However, the commonly used model assumes complete cognitive competence of the decision maker, and statistical numeracy is not considered directly in descriptive models of risky choice. These models are nevertheless used to assess individuals’ economic welfare.

This study proposes a numeracy-based modification to the models, citing the nudging and boosting policy initiatives of the behavioural economics literature as potential solutions to the presence of low numeracy and its effects on risky choice behaviour.

Supervisors: Dr M Muller and Professor P Pillay

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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DEAN: PROFESSOR IR JANDRELL BSc(Eng) GDE PhD (Witwatersrand) IntPE(SA) PrEng FSAAE FSAIEE SMIEEE Doctor of Philosophy BRADLEY, Ryan Anthony School of Civil and Environmental Engineering THESIS: Earth brick shell housing in South Africa: structural and performance considerations The thesis is a detailed and thorough study of masonry catenary domes and vaults. To optimize the design, numerous experiments were performed and theoretical concepts and techniques were developed in the fields of wind loading, thermal loading and numerical methods for pure compression structures. A greater understanding of durability, the optimization of forms and the development of design techniques to improve the performance of masonry shell structures were achieved.

Supervisor: Professor M Gohnert CARLSON, Craig Stuart School of Electrical and Information Engineering THESIS: The Sound of Ink Tattoos and the art of tattooage have been around for thousands of years.

Nevertheless, scientific studies on the physics of tattoo ink were lacking. This PhD research concentrated on understanding the interaction of tattoo ink with ultrasound.

It was found that black ink particles are hydrophobic and undergo transient nucleation.

They may be forced to grow explosively with the aide of an ultrasound pulse.

Furthermore, the inking of skin was found to result in unique artefacts on diagnostic ultrasound images. The findings from this study have applications in tattoo detection and modification, but also in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic agents and even in sharp cutting techniques.

Supervisor: Professor M Postema DE MELLO KOCH, Ellen School of Electrical and Information Engineering THESIS: A coarse graining perspective of deep learning The remarkable success of deep learning at numerous tasks in various applications is well appreciated in practice, but theoretical explanations for how deep learning works are in their infancy. The candidate established the link in a quantitative way of the renormalization group and deep learning. Such a link would give a possible starting point from which to develop a theoretical framework for deep learning by exploiting the rich theory of renormalization group.

Supervisor: Professor L Cheng

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ENWEREUZOH, Uzochukwu Onyinyechukwu School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: Algae Biomass cultivation in fish farm effluent for biodiesel production Nutrients in fish farm wastewater were exploited for the cultivation of low-cost microalgae biomass for biodiesel production as a substitute to expensive purchased fertilizer. Microalgae species in fish farm wastewater accumulated desirable compounds suitable for biodiesel production, eliminated the cost of fertilizer and also cleaned the fish farm wastewater.

Supervisors: Dr K Harding and Dr M Low KAMUDYARIWA, Xebiso Blessing School of Construction Economics and Management THESIS: Changing procurement culture to enable the successful adoption of collaborative practices in construction: a model for client change As procurement challenges continue to plague construction, the research focused on the role of clients in enacting change from the more traditional procurement common in industry to a collaborative culture of construction. Using the case study of Wits Campus Planning and Development, the research developed a model for clientinitiated change that can improve project outcomes.

Supervisor: Professor D Root MAPONGA, Oliver Josiah School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: A geometallugical characterisation of the Hwange coalfield: how does coal formation affect coal exploitation?

Coal is a heterogeneous substance whose qualities were controlled by conditions occurring during its origin in various wet and dry swamps and subsequent formation.

This thesis explored the conditions that gave rise to the coals found in Hwange coalfield, Zimbabwe and established the reasons for the different and highly specific geometallurgical and energy-related applications.

Supervisors: Dr S Bada, Dr N Wagner and Professor R Falcon MULAUDZI, Fulufhelo Marandela Lloyd School of Chemical and

Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: Mechanistic study of metal dusting corrosion for austenitic alloys in the petrochemical industry Metal dusting was studied in a custom-built rig comparing iron- and nickel-based alloys, to identify the most resistant alloy. Alloys with protective oxide scales lasted longer. Ni-based alloys suffered less, and the best alloy, 693, was used to successfully protect 304 stainless steels for longer times.

Supervisor: Professor L Cornish OBIKO, Japheth Oirere School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: Hot forming and welding simulation of 9-12% CrP92 creep resistant steel The behaviour of three P92 steels with different chromium, molybdenum and tungsten contents, all within the ASME specification were studied. Welding simulations of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) regions focussed on the intercritical and fine-grained regions near the parent metal. Two constitutive models were successfully applied to analyse the flow stress and were used to predict the materials flow stress behaviour during deformation.

Supervisors: Dr D Whitefield and Dr L Chown

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OZONOH, Maxwell School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: Co-gasification of coal and solid waste to Hydrogen enriched syngas in a fixed-bed gasifier In this study, blends of coal and solid waste were gasified to produce hydrogenenriched syngas. Tar from the co-gasification process was treated using biochar and nickel-biochar based catalysts. The performance efficiency of the gasifier was predicted employing Artificial Neural Networks, while the techno-economic analysis of the feedstock was carried out to evaluate profitability in the energy plant. Outcome of the study has been communicated to stakeholders and scientific community in the field via 5 journal articles and 3 peer-reviewed conference papers.

Supervisor: Professor M Daramola RAMPAI, Tokoloho

School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering THESIS: The investigation of the mechanical properties of MAX phase and cubic boron nitride ceramic composite made by spark plasma sintering The MAX phase alloys are unique carbide and nitride ternary ceramics materials. This work has proved that these materials can be manufactured using a combination of temperature and pressure lower than ever successfully attempted before. Their main advantages are that they are generally soft, machinable, heat-tolerant, strong and lightweight. These combined properties make these materials suitable for a wide array of applications.

Supervisor: Dr D Whitefield VAN DER GRIJP, Yelena Michailovna

School of Mining Engineering THESIS: Multi-point statistical simulation in modelling a structurally complex geological environment An innovative approach to geological modelling and stochastic estimation of a Mineral Resource in a structurally complex gold deposit is presented, using multiplepoint statistics. The developed framework contributes to the current trend towards machine learning in 3D geological modelling where minimal input from a geologist is required. It is confined to incorporating the existing structural understanding of the deposit and multivariate relationships into the model.

Supervisors: Dr D Rose and Prof R Minnitt YEN, Yu-Chieh School of Electrical and Information Engineering THESIS: Demand modelling of horizontal electric water heaters Unlike most countries, the general practice in South Africa is to install an electric water heater, commonly known as a “geyser”, in a horizontal rather than a vertical orientation. The thesis makes an important contribution to understanding the impact this has, particularly with respect to demand-side management, power utility planning and load forecasting, where the cumulative effects of a large fleet of electric water heaters can be significant.

Supervisors: Professor W Cronje and Professor K Nixon

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FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES DEAN: PROFESSOR SA MADHI MBBCh MMed PhD (Witwatersrand) FCPaeds(SA)

Doctor of Philosophy ADU-GYAMFI, Clement Chemical Pathology THESIS: Measurement on indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase activity, a potential biomarker for active tuberculosis disease in South Africa This thesis focused on improving the life of HIV-infected individuals through prompt and accurate Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. The study evaluated the activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) as a blood-based biomarker for active TB disease. IDO is a key immuno-modulatory enzyme which directs host immunity towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) tolerance. This work lays the foundations for development of a novel blood-based TB biomarker, urgently required for impacting the TB epidemic.

Supervisors: Dr J George, Dr M Suchard and Dr D Savulescu AGOSTI, Yasmeen Mele Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases THESIS: Measuring epidemiology and sero-correlates of protection against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) associated hospitalisation in HIV exposed and unexposed South African children The candidate studied hospitalizations due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) amongst Sowetan infants during their first year of life, including infants born to women living with HIV. She measured the incidence and clinical characteristics of RSV hospitalizations as well as the levels of protective RSV antibodies passed from mother to infant during pregnancy. Her hope is that these data will someday contribute to the development of RSV prevention measures such as a maternal RSV vaccine.

Supervisors: Professor S Madhi, Dr E Simoes and Dr B Cai ANIM-BOAMAH, Oboshie Nursing Education THESIS: Development of a framework for assessing clinical competence of nursing students in Ghana: a multimethod study The paucity of clinical competency assessment research in Sub-Saharan Africa has led to assessment systems that are not context specific. There is a need for a contextspecific clinical competency assessment framework to guide clinical competency assessment in the sub-region. A multimethod study was conducted to develop a framework to guide and standardize the assessment of clinical competency of nursing students in Ghana.

Supervisors: Dr C Christmals and Dr S Armstrong

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AYENI, Oluwatosin Adetayo Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: Multimorbidity and breast cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: profile and impact on stage at diagnosis and breast cancer treatment decisions This research investigated the prevalence and pattern of multimorbidity in women with breast cancer, its determinants and impact on stage at diagnosis and cancer treatment decisions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of multimorbidity among patients with breast cancer was high across different settings in SSA, mainly driven by socio-demographic factors, notably higher socio-economic status across different settings. Multimorbidity had a significant negative impact on first treatment received in those with early-stage disease.

Supervisors: Dr M Joffe and Professor S Norris BACCI, Nicholas Anatomical Sciences THESIS: Reliability of forensic facial identification from CCTV recordings with implications for admissibility to court Facial identification is understudied in forensic practice. This actualistic study tested the best practice method for forensic facial comparison, namely morphological analysis.

Analyses were conducted on the first large-scale, high-resolution, multimodal African face database of photographs and CCTV recordings developed for this project. The study validated the use of facial morphology in identification, via an extensive feature list, across different photographic, CCTV conditions and disguises, with medico-legal considerations.

Supervisors: Dr N Briers and Professor M Steyn DLAMINI, Siphiwe Ndumiso

Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: Non-communicable disease risk in Black South Africans: dissecting the role of glucocorticoids In this project, epidemiology and genetic data were analysed to identify novel associations between glucocorticoids and cardio-metabolic risk factors in Black South Africans. We observed both glucocorticoid- and sex-specific associations. The findings support the hypothesis that glucocorticoids play a role in the development of the metabolic syndrome.

Supervisors: Dr J Goedecke and Associate Professor Z Lombard EDGE, Amanda

Psychiatry THESIS: How women come to commit neonaticide: a constructivist grounded theory of criminal cases Maternal neonaticide, the act of a mother taking the life of her new-born within its first 24 hours of life, is a complex human phenomenon. This is the first study in South Africa to investigate the conceptual and emotional processes as well as actions that underpin the women’s neonaticidal and non-neonaticidal pregnancies, among women who commit the act. A constructivist grounded theory is provided that reveals the underpinning pathways towards neonaticide which can be used to inform prevention and rehabilitation efforts.

Supervisors: Professor U Subramaney and Dr D Hoffman

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GEARD, Amy Frances Haematology and Molecular Medicine THESIS: Gene therapy for visceral Gaucher disease Gaucher disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder that presents with both neurological and visceral disease manifestations. This research developed a novel AAV vector that demonstrated potential to treat both forms of disease pathology in a murine model of this disease. This research also successfully created a new model of severe type 1 disease, which will facilitate investigation of novel therapeutics for Gaucher disease in the future.

Supervisors: Professor P Arbuthnot, Professor S Waddington and Dr G Massaro HANRAHAN, Barbara Anne Nursing Education THESIS: A intervention programme to enhance respectful maternity care in labour by midwives in the public midwives’ obstetric units in a District in Gauteng Women are experiencing disrespect and abuse in facility-based childbirth in South Africa. Most women utilise the public sector maternity facilities, which include Midwives Obstetric Units - midwife-led primary health care facilities. A qualitative, multi-method design was applied. Postpartum women were interviewed about their childbirth experience. Midwives wrote naïve sketches and participated in nominal groups. A scoping review looking at respectful maternity care interventions in subSaharan Africa was undertaken, after which the results from all the data sets were triangulated. An intervention programme to nurture respectful maternity care in labour and birth by midwives was developed, using the ADDIE model.

Supervisor: Dr S Armstrong HODSON, Bryan

Physiology THESIS: Central Arterial Hemodynamics in the Normotensive Peripheral Blood Pressure Range This study provides an approach to identify individuals with normal blood pressure who are nevertheless at risk for blood pressure related cardiovascular events. It shows that even in individuals with normal blood pressure, aortic function changes with age and that these alterations in aortic function have a detrimental impact.

The candidate’s data, published in several high impact international journals suggests that the assessment of aortic function may identify those individuals with normal blood pressure values that are most at risk for cardiovascular events.

Supervisors: Professor A Woodiwiss and Professor G Norton HOOSEN, Yasar Pharmacy and Pharmacology THESIS: Antibody functionalized nanoliposomes to slow the progression of ovarian cancer This study focused on functionalized nanoliposomes to slow the progression of ovarian cancer. The nanosystem developed in the study successfully delivered two non-pharmacological molecules to reduce the virulent tumour-bearing burden and played a tumoricidal role by modulating the extracellular matrix formed from glycosaminoglycans overexpressed in ovarian cancer. The cationic nanoliposomal implant restricted the tumor growth, prolonged the survival times, and increased tumour inhibition rates with minimal off-target effects.

Supervisors: Associate Professor P Kumar, Professor Y Choonara and Dr C Penny

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HOPKINS, Kathryn Lee

Public Health THESIS: CURBING THE NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE EPIDEMIC: an evaluation of integrating rapid testing for NCD risk factors and navigated linkage to care into a standard HIV testing service platform for adults in Soweto, South Africa This study evaluated the quality and feasibility of, and patient satisfaction with integrating counsellor task-shifted rapid testing for non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors (obesity, hypertension, hyperglycaemia and hypercholesterolemia) into a HIV testing services clinic for adults in Soweto, South Africa. Proportions of both passively referred and actively navigated patients linked to care and initiated on treatment were investigated, as were patient self-reported barriers to accessing care and treatment. Prevalence patterns of NCD risk factors were reported by sex, age, HIV status, antiretroviral therapy use, and previously diagnosed and/or controlled disease.

Supervisors: Dr T Doherty and Professor G Gray KAGAHA, Alexander

Public Health THESIS: Policy and practice of abortion care in Eastern Uganda This study investigated operations of power in policymaking and abortion-care practice, using critical ethnography. He shows tactics of manoeuvre health workers used to evade state surveillance and stay unnoticed in the health system. Privileged epistemic and normalised concepts, ordering of keynote addresses, and ruling relationships which efface abortion care from national agenda. His thesis theorises risk as emergent from care conducts, and reproductive materialism- conceiving and relating to women in the image of the economy undermines dignity and increases vulnerability.

Supervisors: Professor L Manderson KAUNDA, Blessings Nyasilia Public Health THESIS: Sexual and reproductive health service use and resilience among adolescents attending hospital teen clubs in urban Blantyre, Malawi How Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) manage to maintain their health and wellbeing despite the blame and adversity associated with the condition is resilience.

There is little that is known about ALHIV service-usage and resilience in Malawi. Data were derived from the iterative mixed methods approach within an ART and teenclub clinic; from November 2018-June 2019. Multi-method, framework and thematic analysis helped to synthesize findings. Resilience lens and socio-ecological framework show the variations between resilience embedded within the individual, families, social, institutional and policy discourses and spaces for ALHIV health and well-being.

Supervisor: Professor L Manderson LIMANI, Shonisani Wendy Haematology and Molecular Medicine THESIS: Using adeno-associated viral vectors to model HBV subgenotype A1 replication in cell culture and in vivo Development of therapeutics tool against Hepatitis B virus requires small animal model to screen their efficacy. The researcher demonstrated the successful use of adeno-associated viral vectors to model HBV subgenotype A1 in cell culture and in vivo. The possibility of using the model to screen anti-HBV therapeutics was explored and proven successful, this can enhance development of innovative treatments of chronic HBV infection. The research was performed under the supervision of Dr Betty Maepa, Prof Abdullah Ely and Prof Patrick Arbuthnot.

Supervisors: Dr B Maepa, Associate Professor A Ely and Professor P Arbuthnot

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MAHUMANE, Gillian Dumsile Pharmacy and Pharmacology THESIS: Nano-reinforced hydro-filled 3D scaffold for neural tissue engineering This study explored the design and preparation of a novel neuro-mimetic 3D scaffold system in the form of a nano-reinforced hydro-filled cryogel for neural tissue regeneration, followed by in vivo analysis in a Sprague-Dawley rat traumatic brain injury model. The neuro-system contributes to furthering knowledge influencing neural tissue regeneration research globally. This work was completed at the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform.

Supervisors: Associate Professor P Kumar and Professor Y Choonara MALELE-KOLISA, Yolanda Public Health THESIS: Oral health related quality of life and oral health needs of HIV-infected adolescents in Johannesburg This study produced new knowledge on the burden of oral disease among adolescents living with HIV in Johannesburg. The adolescents’ oral-health-related quality of life were influenced by their oral disease burden, the perceptions, coping, social connections and structural environment. There is a need for targeted and collaborative adolescents’ oral-health programmes for unmet oral-health-needs.

Supervisors: Associate Professor J Igumbor and Associate Professor V Yengopal MANYEH, Alfred Kwesi Public Health THESIS: Towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana: refining the strategy through quality improvement This research implemented a three-phase context-specific evidence-based crosssectional quality improvement study towards the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana. The study used intervention mapping strategy, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle and RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework based on a mixed-methods approach to improve implementation of lymphatic filariasis mass drug administration in Northern Ghana.

Supervisors: Dr F Baiden, Associate Professor L Ibisomi and Professor T Chirwa MAUSER, Martin Ernst Surgery THESIS: The impact of penetrating abdominal trauma on gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the influence of HIV--infection.

In this research project it is observed that trauma induces an immune cell-driven impairment of the intestinal epithelium, as well as an increased apoptosis of lymphocytes in the LP which is associated with a worse clinical outcome. With regards to HIV-seropositive patients we discovered that the compromised GALT in HIV-seropositive patients may predispose these patients to postoperative septic complications. Antiretroviral therapy does not result in an adequate immune reconstitution in this tissue. Hence, safe surgery and vigilant postoperative care with early, aggressive diagnostic investigations and a low threshold for relook operations is of paramount importance for these patients.

Supervisors: Adjunct Professor F Plani, Associate Professor D Kruger and Dr S Pather

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MAYORA, Chrispus Public Health THESIS: Retail drug shops market in Uganda: Incentives, effect on health care system, and implications care system, and implications for child health.

This thesis studied the operations of the retail drug shops market in rural South-Western Uganda. The study found that: Drug shop practices were largely influenced by both market incentives and additional social considerations; Implementing integrated community case management (ICCM) at drug shops increased availability and affordability of recommended medicines for children at retail drug shops; and retail health markets constituted various actors whose interactions and practices influence service delivery not only in the retail health market but also the wider health care system.

Supervisors: Professor K Niangi-Bakwin, Dr E Ekirapa-Kiracho and Dr H Wamani MMOPI, Keneilwe Nkgola Physiology THESIS: Systemic blood flow in hypertension in a community of African ancestry This thesis provides the missing evidence to identify alterations in kidney function as a cause of primary hypertension in groups of African descent living in Africa. She shows that increases in blood flow (fluid retention) with age are characteristic of primary hypertension, hence supporting the hypothesis that groups originating from equatorial countries evolved to survive fluid loss by genetic changes in the kidneys Supervisors: Professor A Woodiwiss and Professor G Norton MNDLOVU, Hillary Pharmacy and Pharmacology THESIS: Tunable biomimetic hybrid scaffold for wound healing and skin regeneration This study explored the development of in situ-forming and self-assembling bioplatforms for wound healing and skin tissue regeneration. Novel approaches were designed and employed to fabricate tunable platform’s properties and evaluated in vivo in Sprague-Dawley rats. This work provides insights into developing cost-effective wound dressings that improve patient compliance.

Supervisors: Professor L Du Toit, Associate Professor P Kumar and Professor Y Choonara MOLETE, Mpho Primrose Public Health THESIS: School-based oral health programmes in the Tshwane District of Gauteng: scope, implementation and outcomes This study provided scholarly insights in identifying the disconnect between the development of school oral health policies and their actual implementation. Gaps causing the challenges were identified, and given the complex nature of school oral health interventions; an all-encompassing recommendation derived from the work included; the need for strengthening the role of multisectoral key stakeholders throughout the processes of planning and implementation.

Supervisors: Professor A Stewart and Associate Professor J Igumbor MORAR, Rajen Internal Medicine THESIS: Clinical and Immunophathogenetic Aspects of sarcoidosis The research reviewed the clinical features of sarcoidosis patients in Johannesburg.

Being a relatively uncommon condition, this added to the profile of patients from other studies conducted in South Africa. In addition, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class I along with Class II antigens in sarcoidosis patients were evaluated. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G subclass levels in newly diagnosed cases with sarcoidosis 21

were assessed. The serum expression of approximately 800 microribonucleic acid (miRNA) in sarcoidosis patients were compared with race-, age- as well as gendermatched healthy controls. Analysis of serum chitotriosidase activity in sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) patient cohort, both granulomatous diseases of differing aetiology, was undertaken and compared with controls.

Supervisor: Professor C Feldman MOSALO, Annah Nursing Education THESIS: Development and pilot testing of a support intervention for women treated for cervical cancer The study utilised a mixed method approach to develop a support programme for women receiving curative treatment for cervical cancer at an Academic Hospital.

The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 was an exploration of the support needs of women and the development of the programme whilst Phase 2 pilot-tested and evaluated the programme. The programme was effective in promoting women’s perception of being supported and they felt empowered in terms of knowledge about the disease and its treatment. They were confident that they would be able to tell others about their illness without being ashamed and encourage them to go for screening.

Supervisor: Professor J Maree MOTAU, Tshegofatso Harold Physiology THESIS: Arteriosclerotic aortic dysfunction in groups of African ancestry in Africa This thesis advances our understanding of arteriosclerosis as a cause of arterial disease.

He shows that in contrast to current dogma, arteriosclerosis is as strongly associated with arterial events over a younger as over an older adult age. However, these effects go undetected because the impact is on central arterial and not peripheral blood pressure. These results, published in several high impact international journals, highlight the need for intense blood pressure reduction in high-risk patients across the adult lifespan.

Supervisors: Professor A Woodiwiss and Professor G Norton MTINTSILANA, Asanda Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: Delineating the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged black South African women This thesis identified risk factors and putative biological mechanisms implicated in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged black South African women.

The main findings suggest that obesity, in particular central obesity, and changes in branched-chain amino acids, phospholipid and bile acid metabolism were key risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.

Supervisors: Dr J Goedecke and Associate Professor L Micklesfield MUHAMMAD, Nasiru

Physiology THESIS: The potential of zingerone administered orally to neonatal rats as protection against high-fructose diet-induced metabolic derangements Diets rich in sugar can cause metabolic diseases. However, interventions early in life can provide long-term health benefits. Excessive fructose consumption induced obesity, fatty liver and kidney disorders. Zingerone, extracted from ginger when administered to newborn rats provided long-term protection against the development of high22

fructose diet-induced metabolic disorders later in adult life. These health benefits of zingerone need to be investigated further as a strategy to reduce the burden of metabolic diseases on healthcare systems.

Supervisors: Dr B Lembede and Professor K Erlwanger NAIDOO, Vaneshveri

Physiotherapy THESIS: Addressing the Blind Spot Spot: the development of an assessment tool to evaluate a Physiotherapy Clinical Education Programme The Vaneshveri Naidoo Clinical Programme Evaluation Tool - VN-CPET, a validated and standardised Physiotherapy clinical education programme evaluation tool was developed - the first of its kind. This monitoring, evaluation, and quality assurance tool evaluates the effectiveness of a physiotherapy undergraduate clinical education programme by assessing Context, Input, Process and Product. It begets information enabling us to provide high quality clinical training for undergraduate students.

VN-CPET alludes to the local responsiveness and international competitiveness of undergraduate Physiotherapy Clinical Education Programmes.

Supervisors: Professor A Stewart and Professor M Maleka NDLOVU, Nomagugu

Physiology THESIS: Effects of dietary supplementation with Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces meal in broiler and egg laying quail (cotrnix coturnix japonica) Poultry farmers often incorporate synthetic growth promoters in the feed of birds.

However, there are welfare concerns for the birds and the residues may negatively impact human health. Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces were investigated as a natural plant derived alternative in quail feed. Hibiscus reduced the fat content and increased the protein content of quail meat. In layers, Hibiscus reduced egg production. Therefore, Hibiscus is a viable natural feed additive to improve quail meat quality, but it is unsuitable for use in laying quail.

Supervisors: Associate Professor E Chivandi and Professor K Erlwanger NDOMONDO-SIGONDA, Margareth Pharmacy and Pharmacology THESIS: Evaluation of Medicines regulatory interventions in the East African Community Region.

An evaluation of the impact of the Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (MRH) initiative in improving regulatory capacity in the East African Community (EAC) Partner States showed improved efficiency, transparency, and accountability of regulatory processes as well as shared knowledge, skills, and improved capacity amongst participating countries. Improvements in capturing regulatory information are needed for monitoring and evaluating performance to inform regulatory decisions and improve availability of safe, efficacious, and quality medicines to the region.

Supervisors: Dr J Miot and Professor S Naidoo OJIFINNI, Oludoyinmola Omobolade Public Health THESIS: Preconception care service in Nigeria: an exploration of its knowledge, perception, experiences, need and feasibility This study explored and documented existing preconception practices in Nigeria and assessed the need for as well as the feasibility of incorporating preconception care (PCC) services within the Nigerian reproductive health services. The study population

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included community women/men of reproductive age, community/religious leaders, maternal and neonatal/child healthcare specialists, nurses/midwives, and policy makers. Findings show opportunistic PCC services exist and indicate that policy backing, training of health workers and improved awareness at the community level are key for PCC service integration.

Supervisor: Associate Professor L Ibisomi POOPEDI, Machuene Ananias Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: Factors influencing the vitamin D status of adolescents in Johannesburg, and its effects on body composition.

The thesis focused on vitamin D status in children, its longitudinal tracking over a period of 10 years and association of 25(OH)D levels with body composition. Majority (74%) of children had “sufficient” vitamin D status, hence routine vitamin D supplementation was not warranted. No long-term association between values obtained in the early years of adolescence and those of the later years. 25(OH)D was significantly negatively associated with LDL-C, suggesting that vitamin D status might be associated positively with favourable lipid profiles in children and adolescents.

Supervisors: Emeritus Professor J Pettifor and Professor S Norris RAMPHALENG, Tshegofatso Kgomotso Anatomical Sciences THESIS: Variation of the African face: analysis of face masks using geometric morphometrics This study focused on the metric analysis of the face mask collection of African populations housed in the School of Anatomical Sciences at the University. The face masks were used to describe the facial morphology of local South Africans and regional populations within Africa. The findings of the study are useful in the identification of human remains of unknown origin at medico-legal laboratories.

Supervisors: Dr N Briers, Dr J Hemingway and Dr T Houlton ROBINSON, Chanel

Physiology THESIS: Adipokines as biomarkers of subclinical cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis This study evaluated the role of the adipokines nesfatin, visfatin and vaspin in the development of subclinical cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This thesis provides evidence that nesfatin, visfatin and vaspin are differentially related to various subclinical cardiovascular disease markers including atherosclerosis, arterial function and left ventricular diastolic function. These results support the use of adipokines for cardiovascular disease risk stratification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Supervisors: Associate Professor A Millen and Professor M Mer SACKS, David

Virology THESIS: Genetic basis for the breadth and potency of HIV-1 V2 specific antibodies The candidate identified key regions and mutations that confer breadth, potency and modulate effector function for an HIV-1 envelope-specific antibody lineage isolated from an African woman. This informs the design of an HIV vaccine that directs antibody affinity maturation and the formulation of functional monoclonal antibodies for passive immunisation.

Supervisors: Professor P Moore and Professor L Morris 24

SOEPNEL, Larske Marit Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: The development of children born to mothers with diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: growth, body composition, and cognitive and motor development The development of children born to mothers with diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: growth, body composition, and cognitive and motor development Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy is a growing global health concern. This thesis aimed to investigate its impact on childhood outcomes in urban South Africa. At birth, more severe hyperglycaemia, maternal BMI, and HIV-infection were associated with worse outcomes. At preschool age, the difference in adiposity between groups exposed and unexposed to maternal hyperglycaemia was largely explained by maternal BMI. Hyperglycaemia-exposed children showed poorer cognitive development. The impact of preconception and pregnancy on childhood health and development can guide future prevention efforts.

Supervisors: Professor S Norris and Associate Professor K Klipstein-Grobusch STANLEY, Christopher Chikhosi Public Health THESIS: Joint modelling of recurrent clinical malaria episodes and longitudinal parasitemia data This study has shown that there is limited optimal analysis of data from recurrent malaria. Use of sub-optimal methods often lead to biased estimates of disease burden and misinterpretation of results. To address this, the study used novel recurrent event joint models which resulted in improved precision of estimates of recurrent malaria and increased power to detect disease risk. Simulation results from using such models showed the potential for designing clinical trials with relatively lower sample sizes.

Supervisors: Professor Tobias Chirwa, Professor Lawrence Kazembe, Professor Miriam Laufer and Professor Mavuto Mukaka STREHLAU, Renate Paediatrics and Child Health THESIS: Neurodevelopmental intervention in Early-treated HIV-infected children HIV infection in the new-born can affect neurodevelopmental outcomes. This longitudinal follow-up study of birth-diagnosed children living with HIV (CLHIV) found that despite early diagnosis and treatment, CLHIV were still at risk of poor developmental outcomes that became more apparent with age. However, children who participated in the study’s home-based early childhood stimulation programme showed a trend towards higher scores on developmental assessment. The need for an early childhood developmental programme as part of a comprehensive health package for CLHIV was highlighted by this work.

Supervisor: Professor J Potterton SWIEGERS, Jordan Anatomical Sciences THESIS: The distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in primates This study examined the total number, density and distribution variances, and certain neurochemical identities of white matter interstitial cells in the brain of the lar gibbon, the common chimpanzee, the Mohol galago, the black-capped squirrel monkey, and the crested macaque. Her research provides further anatomical data for and insight into this understudied, and yet, clinically relevant population of cells in primates.

Supervisors: Dr B Maseko and Professor P Manger

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THATYANA, Maxwell Material Science THESIS: Novel BODIPY photosensitizers and corresponding nanoconjugates in an in Vitro Antimicrobial and Anticancer Study This study reported the synthesis of novel BODIPY photosensitizers and Platinum nanoconjugates for their potency towards cancer and microorganisms in a photodynamic therapy setup. The study investigated two of the newly discovered compounds for antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer efficacy. The results show that the novel drugs have the potential for application in clinical trials.

Supervisors: Professor M Patel and Dr S Moeno TSHABALALA, Vincent Abie Thabiso Anatomical Sciences THESIS: The effects of the co-administration of Antiretroviral drugs and/or Topiramate on the migration of neural crest cells and neurogenesis in avian brains This study investigated the mechanisms by which combination antiretroviral drugs cause specific congenital abnormalities in children born to mothers on antiretroviral therapy. In addition, the study sought to determine possible drug-drug interactions of Topiramate, (an antiepileptic drug) when co-administered with combination antiretroviral drugs. The findings show that both drugs inhibit the migration of neural crest cells. This thesis therefore provides additional foundational knowledge to be considered when prescribing antiretroviral drugs for pregnant women and when selecting antiepileptic drugs for HIV patients who experience seizures.

Supervisors: Professor A Ihunwo and Associate Professor E Mbajiorgu UWAMAHORO, Marie Claire Nursing Education THESIS: Development of an instrument to assess self-management barriers among patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in Rwanda: A mixed-method study The study established T2DM self-management barriers in Rwanda, low income, and low-middle income countries. The candidate developed an instrument to measure T2DM self-management barriers in Rwanda and potentially in other developing countries. Her work opens new ways in the management of T2DM and suggests the routine use of instrument to identify which barriers hinder self-management, for better support.

Supervisors: Associate Professor D Casteleijn and Dr N Nkosi-Mafutha VAN DORSTEN, Rebecca Toumi Virology THESIS: Exploring the potential of engineered antibodies to prevent HIV cell free and cell-cell transmission This study explored the potential of small antibody fragments against HIV. The candidate genetically engineered single chain variable fragments of broadly neutralizing antibodies and used a laboratory-based assay to show that they retained most of their anti-viral activity. Furthermore, when tested in combination they were able to block infection of almost all globally circulating HIV strains. Due to their smaller size, single chain variable fragments may be particularly useful in the clinical environment for HIV prevention and treatment.

Supervisors: Professor P Moore, Professor L Morris and Professor M Weinberg

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FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DEAN: PROFESSOR G STEVENS BA (Cape Town) BA Psych (Hons) MPsych (Western Cape) DLitt et Phil (Unisa) Doctor of Philosophy AINEAMANI, Benadette

Education THESIS: The role of the teacher in developing learners’ mathematics discourse and understanding The candidate studied the role of the teacher in developing learners’ mathematics discourse and understanding. The findings indicate the intricate role of the teacher, with multiple layers embedded in the teacher’s day-to-day tasks. The study contributes to knowledge by providing a framework to analyse a mathematics example set.

Supervisors: Professor A Essien and Professor J Adler ALEX-OJEI, Christiana Alake Demography and Population Studies THESIS: The Sociocultural influences on maternal healthcare utilisation among adolescent mothers in Nigeria: A Pooled Data Analysis The candidate examined the sociocultural factors that influence adolescent maternal healthcare utilisation in Nigeria, and found that social support, healthcare preferences and religious and cultural traditions were critical factors in adolescents’ maternal health care utilisation in Nigeria.

Supervisors: Dr C Odimegwu and Dr N De Wet BALLIAH, Dineshree Journalism and Media Studies THESIS: Going Online: an analysis of shifts in journalism practice in the Mail & Guardian’s history of digitisation This thesis explored the digital transition of the Mail & Guardian (M&G) newspaper using sociology of news production theories. The methods deployed are: thematic discourse analysis, ethnography and auto-ethnography. Among the conclusions reached are that the M&G has not fulfilled its desire to go digital-first and that journalism teaching could be proactive rather than merely reactive to industry.

Supervisors: Associate Professor G Daniels and Professor H Wasserman CARVER, Amanda Margaret Music THESIS: African Music, Knowledge, and Curriculum: Applying Bernsteinian and Legitimation Code Theory to South African music curricula The candidate critically examines the epistemologies of indigenous African music curricula.The thesis provides insight into what knowledge is legitimated in African music curricula and a new model for how indigenous African music can be conceptualized.

It will have significant impact as it sheds light on the recontextualisation of oral into formal knowledge.

Supervisor: Dr S Harrop-Allin

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CHADAMBUKA, Cyndirela Social Work THESIS: Narratives of women residing in a rural area on intimate partner violence: A case of Chimanimani District, Eastern Highlands (Zimbabwe) A thesis which shows how social norms influence the promotion, perpetration and prevention of intimate partner violence against women residing in rural areas in Zimbabwe and how these women are marginalised from service provision.

Supervisor: Dr R Warria DLAMINI, Siboniso Phathumuzi Education THESIS: Exploring the identities of progressed learners in four township schools: a phenomenological study The candidate’s thesis focused on progressed learners’ experiences in four township schools, and he found they experience forms of discrimination from fellow learners and educators. The candidate’s thesis is an original contribution to the field of inclusive education and his thesis is one of the few that looks at progressed learners.

Supervisor: Professor N Carrim ENGELBRECHT, Barend Jacobus Fine Art THESIS: SOUND ART: Space, Time & Johannesburg Engelbrecht explores the history of sound art from a number of angles, discussing the difficulty of defining this form of art, showing the technological and artistic developments that made sound art possible and demonstrating the potential of such art to create an awareness of urban surroundings, particularly in Johannesburg.

Supervisor: Professor G Olivier HART, Claire Psychology THESIS: Surfacing the sibling in Self Psychology: exploring the potential developmental functions of siblings This thesis explored the potential developmental functions of siblings. The candidate developed a self psychology model that focused on sibling dynamics that emerged in the early family milieu and then continued into adulthood. This model made a unique contribution to developmental psychology as a broad explanatory model, as well as to psychoanalytic psychotherapy as a focused explanatory model.

Supervisor: Associate Professor T Graham

HAYDEN, Miesha Bernadette History of Art THESIS: Radiant Hue: exploring the significance of the Black-White-Red triad in Southern African San Rock Art The candidate tackles the complex topic of colour in southern African San rock painting. She employs as a heuristic device a triad of black, white and red, an aesthetic structure observed in other artistic traditions in Africa. Through examples from across South Africa, she shows how colour is not an abstract attribute, but is analogical and implicated in a system of meaning within San society. Colour plays a fundamental role for balance, contrast, and transformation in the San creative process.

Supervisor: Dr J Wintjes

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HUNGWE, Ledwina Nyengeterai Education THESIS: Prospects of amalgamating Indigenous Knowledge strategies with biomedical strategies in the Guidance and Counselling curriculum for Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe: a focus on HIV/AIDS The candidate is a trained registered nurse by profession. Her thesis is transdisciplinary and integrates knowledge from three different fields into a coherent amalgamation of perceptions of sexuality in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The implications of her study merit consideration and relevance in multicultural communities.

Supervisors: Dr E Mushayikwa and Dr M Ndebele KAPLAN, Kenneth Dan Film and Television THESIS: Fractures: an inquiry into the figure of the medical doctor in films set in African conflict zones.

The candidate analyses two feature films representing the medical doctor in the African conflict zone, where humanitarian assistance is confronted by the breakdown of state authority and delivery, creating a complex set of issues which he traces through the cinematic imagination to their colonial moorings. His screenplay explores these difficulties with reference to the tensions between Western and African forms of healing.

Supervisor: Professor G Olivier KOCH, Renee Lesley Fine Art THESIS: Learning through art: Decision-making in a complex domain For a thesis which explores artists’ practice-based decision-making and offers ways that learners and teachers can work together to develop their capacity to work with the uncertainty of the creative process.

Supervisor: Associate Professor D Andrew LANGSFORD, Dale Heidi Education THESIS: ‘Those who can think, teach’: the pedagogical reasoning of pre-service teachers from different initial teacher education pathways This study analyses how differently qualified teachers respond to an observed lesson.

In doing so, participants reveal differences in the complexity, abstraction and latency in applying their teacher knowledge. The findings of the study are described as an “exceptional and important contribution” to the preparation of future teachers.

Supervisor: Professor L Rusznyak LEPERE, Refiloe Ayn Drama THESIS: Performing Invisible Labour A performance inquiry into the paradox of invisibility/visibility as experienced by domestic workers in South Africa A stunning corpus of creative work. In this doctorate, the candidate advances a case for a Black feminist aesthetic. She details her unique and innovative playmaking method - Story Circles - which centres on ethics of care. Using `performance as research’ she develops ideas around the embodied performances of affective labour, through the paradox of visibility and invisibility in the experiences of domestic workers in South Africa. Examiners commended the artistic excellence of the work confirming the power and possibilities of a Black feminist aesthetic.

Supervisor: Associate Professor S Ally

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LEVIN, Nobunye

Film and Television THESIS: Spillover: Feminist Love Praxis Spillover: Feminist Love Praxis is a dialogical interplay with a cine-poem film, Spillover (2020), where each is inspired by the fragment as a mode of enquiry. The film fragment is imagined as “enunciation” as cited by Mignolo in Gaztambide-Fernández (2014). The relational film and written world form sensuous spaces where different “enunciations” explore love and love relations as political possibilities and acts “to envision, theorize, and compel politics” (Abbas, 2017) towards love as a “practice of freedom” (hooks, 2006) and as a transformational space (Berlant, 2011) for feminist love praxis.

Supervisor: Professor J Mistry MAJOLA, Yanga Lusanda Praiseworth African Languages and Linguistics THESIS: Language, identity and culture: a study of language maintenance and shift among Amabhaca raised in Umzimkhulu, KwaZulu Natal This thesis employs communication accommodation theory in framing language attrition in UMzimkhulu area. It brings to the fore a plethora of issues surrounding the perceived identity of amaBhaca and social aspects relating to ‘mother-tongue’ languages spoken in South Africa in the new political dispensation.

Supervisor: Dr E Zungu MAKHECHANE, Mamohato Violet Education THESIS: Exploring the link through which PGCE student teachers’ topic specific PCK is transferred in planning, into enactment and into influencing learner outcomes The study explored the development of Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) in PGCE student teachers. TSPCK is considered the knowledge associated with expertise in teaching, but acquired with experience. The findings revealed a significant improvement in the cohort’s TSPCK and that it directly influenced the learner outcomes. This is commendable given that the PGCE programme is a short 1-year course by design.

Supervisor: Professor M Mavhunga MAZURU, Nancy Development Studies THESIS: Social vulnerability during disasters and its impact on community development: the case of the 2014 Tokwe-Mukosi dam floods in Masvingo, Zimbabwe The thesis examines the nexus between social vulnerability, disasters and community development with a particular focus on the 2014 Tokwe-Mukosi dam floods. It asserts that social vulnerability, particularly lack of political power, exposes marginalised and vulnerable communities to natural disasters and makes it difficult for them to recover from these kinds of calamities, while at the same time jeopardising community development.

Supervisor: Professor M Musemwa MINTY, Rehana

Education THESIS: The viability of teaching and learning mathematics using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Gauteng paperless classrooms The candidate presented a novel and important thesis on the viability of paperless mathematics classrooms in Gauteng. Based on a thorough qualitative study of the beliefs and practices of teachers regarding ICTs in the classroom, and of systemic

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inequalities that exist in education and society at large, the study suggests that policy makers tend to rush decisions without careful examination of all issues, and usually without including the perspectives of teachers to advocate an, one size fits all, approach to teaching and learning.

Supervisor: Dr I Moll MKAMA, Ildephonce

Education THESIS: An in-depth exploration of the first phase of Inclusive Deaf Education in Tanzania This qualitative study explores the first phase of inclusive education in Tanzania, focusing specifically on the impact of school culture on the education of Deaf learners.

The candidate has presented the key recommendations of his PhD to the Tanzanian Department of Education and has been tasked with leading Deaf Education in the country.

Supervisor: Professor C Storbeck MOODLEY, Meganathan

Education THESIS: Localising an online computer software to include Setswana, an indigenous African language, for the South African teacher The study has transdisciplinary orientation on the interplay between ICT, African Languages and Education. The study is guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the theory of colonial mentality in an effort to contextualize educational software with a dual English-Setswana interface in the most unequal society.

Supervisor: Dr R Dlamini MUDADIGWA, Sipiwe

Education THESIS: Exploring ethical leadership in schools: voices of teachers from four Gauteng East district.

The candidate explored ethical leadership in four Gauteng schools. While the findings suggest pedestrian knowledge of ethical leadership, they equally revealed failure of the school management teams to appreciate their agency role to curb ethical turpitudes in their schools. Schools have a responsibility to devise development programmes to address ethical lapses.

Supervisor: Dr S Mthiyane MWAURA, Job Muiruri

Media Studies THESIS: #DigitalActivism: a study of Socio-Political Movements in Kenya This dissertation comparative explores digital activism in Kenya and develops to a deeper understanding of the motivations and dynamics characterizing the use of digital media for political change. It combines different scholarly traditions in media studies, political science, and sociology to offer a theoretically rich and empirically grounded contribution to debates on the evolution of the media in Africa and their influence on politics.

Supervisor: Associate Professor I Gagliardone

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NEEL, Sheryl Anne

Psychology THESIS: Understanding the experience of shame in students within a South African university setting: A mixed methods psychosocial approach The candidate explored the experience of shame among students within a South African university setting. The findings are located within contemporary history and provide a compelling argument that shame is simultaneously contextually and subjectively (internally) triggered, experienced and negotiated. Her research makes both theoretical and practice/policy contributions that are overdue.

Supervisor: Associate Professor K Bain NICHOL, Vanessa History THESIS: Living in the Margins, Filling in the Gaps: the making of the Coloured Community of Durban. A Social and Political History The candidate has written an original thesis on the historical formation of coloured communities and identities in Durban during the segregation and apartheid eras.

Utilising the theoretical framework of creolisation and based on extensive life history interviews, the thesis explains how disparate groups were knitted together through state policies and lived experiences to produce a shared coloured identity on the margins of society. As the first major study of its kind, it sheds new light on the social and political history of Durban, and makes an important contribution to the scholarship on the question of the contested meanings of colouredness.

Supervisor: Professor M Nieftagodien NTULI, Nonhlanhla

Linguistics THESIS: An investigation of how multilingual learners process questions during evaluations The candidate investigated how multilingual learners aged between 10-15 process questions, focusing on how learners construct meaning and arrive at the answer. The study has shown how the quality of a response exposes several linguistic and cognitive factors, such as the extraction, interpretation and analysis of information, which eventually contribute to how a question is comprehended and eventually answered.

This knowledge will inform how the teaching of questions to school-going children is managed, formulated and applied for curriculum development.

Supervisor: Dr N Kunene OKOM, Emmanuel Otegwu

French THESIS: De la traduction à la médiation dans une classe de français langue étrangère en milieu plurilingue: le cas du Nigeria (From Translation to Mediation in a Foreign Language French Classroom in a Multilingual Nigeria) The candidate’s thesis focuses on the use of translation in French foreign language teaching, within the multilingual context of Nigeria. Through the term “mediation”, which is situated within in a socio-constructivist paradigm, he proposes an integrated method of pedagogical translation, through the development of communicative skills.

The corpus is based on interviews and classroom observations, which are analysed quantitatively.

Supervisor: Dr F Horne

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PASSMOOR, Ross Padraig Fine Art THESIS: Surrounding Pastness: Emergent questions from an expanded arts practice The candidate’s arts based PhD identifies six problem areas that emerge through his art practice. These problems loosely relate to; the practice research nexus, objects, archives, spaces, the suburb and the museum. It is through these emergent research questions that a seventh overarching problem emerges, which is the notion of pastness as an affect that is rooted in each of these areas in different ways. Pastness emerges through the candidate’s practice/research relationship and is ultimately surrounded by the emergent research questions.

Supervisor: Professor R Bester PETERSEN, Laetitia

Social Work THESIS: Social work in health care: a social development approach The implementation of the White Paper on Social Welfare required the social development approach to be implemented in all social welfare sectors in 1997. The mixed methods study explored, described and explained the experiences of social workers on implementing the social development approach to social work in the Gauteng Department of Health.

Supervisor: Associate Professor E Pretorius PRANGLEY, Anthony Ross General Sociology THESIS: Different Paths to the Same Place: Late Modern Narrative Identities in a South African Business School The dissertation discusses identity formation and transitions to adulthood in South Africa, in the context of political transformation under conditions of global late modernity. It focuses on how narratives shape personal and professional identities. It applies social theory to interpret intergenerational life-stories of adult learners enrolled in an MBA programme.

Supervisor: Associate Professor R Greenstein RAMSAMY, Katiana Sandra International Relations THESIS: Understanding and analyzing the mediation efforts of SADC during regional crises: the case of Madagascar The research examined the mediation by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the civil war in Madagascar from 2009 to 2013. Through a review of the theoretical literature and analysis of the key moments in the process, it shows how regional institutions can help their neighbours to resolve conflicts.

Supervisor: Professor G Khadiagala ROGERS, Shawn Catherine Psychology THESIS: The relationship between bi/multilingualism and cognitive functioning in South African grade 3 learners Framed by Threshold Theory and the Interdependence Hypothesis, this research showed a significant relationship between language proficiency and cognitive processing in grade 3 English additional language learners. The LoLT played a significant role in language proficiency in both English and learners’ HL Results align with current international research, minimizing the bilingual advantage, and emphasizing the significance of socio-economic status.

Supervisor: Professor H Jordaan 33

SAAYMAN, Bernadus Lambertus Psychology THESIS: Psychoanalytic psychotherapists’ experiences of working with psychotic patients This thesis explores the challenging process of working psychotherapeutically with psychotic patients, drawing on clinical cases and interviews with psychotherapists.

Such work, whilst arduous and often avoided, is also rewarding.

Supervisor: Associate Professor C Long SCHULTZ, Cecilia Political Studies THESIS: The governmentality of sovereign credit ratings: exploring the political economy of creditworthiness in South Africa This elegant thesis investigates the political economy of sovereign credit ratings. It examines the historical ambiguities, ideological contestations and geopolitical framework that informs the rating of government debt. It shows the continued relevance of this history for an understanding of power relations in the global economy by considering their entanglement in South Africa’s political economy.

Supervisor: Professor L Hamilton SCOTT, Megan Speech-Language Pathology THESIS: We are pretty sure we can never say never: exploring how risk and uncertainty communication impacts care in public genetic counselling consultations in South Africa This study explored risk and uncertainty communication in South African genetic counselling consultations. Findings show that risk communication is more complex than what is suggested in theory, with genetic specialists having to navigate several contextual tensions and uncertainties. Reconsideration of current taught communication approaches is needed to enhance patient care.

Supervisors: Associate Professor J Watermeyer and Dr T Wessels SESANTI, Simphiwe Olicius Philosophy THESIS: African Philosophy and the African Renaissance: a quest for a true humanity In his dissertation, the candidate develops an original view where African philosophy or indigenous African cultural notions of Ancestor-Reverence, family and consensus play some grounding role in African Renaissance and the ideology of Pan-Africanism.

Supervisor: Professor E Etieyibo SHONGWE, Zodwa Beatrice Education THESIS: A narrative inquiry of the journey and educational experiences of Deaf learners and their teachers at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland The candidate explored educational experiences of Deaf learners and their teachers at a High School for the Deaf in Swaziland. Her findings demonstrate Deaf students’ resilience in education, importance of training teachers in sign language and introducing sign language as a subject in schools for the Deaf in Swaziland.

Supervisors: Professor C Storbeck and Dr G McIlroy

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SIMANGO, John Khazamula Education THESIS: Teachers’ pedagogical approaches and learners’ engagement with English literacy texts in Secondary schools, Johannesburg West district The study by the candidate was a qualitative study conducted at three schools in Johannesburg to ascertain the pedagogical and assessment strategies used by teachers while teaching literature in Grade 12 English First Additional Language classrooms. The study found that while teachers believed in the value of teaching English literature, the reading aloud instructional strategy and lower-order questions they used in teaching and assessing English literary texts were ineffective and inadequate for the development of critical thinking in learners.

Supervisors: Dr E Botha and Dr N Nkealah SLATER, Beverly Psychology THESIS: Task engagement and flow in the operational safety of South African civil air traffic controllers The candidate’s thesis explored why most incidents occurred in the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of air traffic controller shifts. Examining a combination of five years’ worth of incident data and in-depth interviews with air traffic controllers, the candidate uncovered a host of psychological phenomena that might lead to incidents as well as psychological facilitators that support safe behaviour. Based on this data, the candidate designed and tested two interventions to help support safe and efficient performance of air traffic controllers as they assume their shift.

Supervisors: Professor A Thatcher and Dr H Dahlstrom TAKANE, Thulelah Blessing Education THESIS: Exploring mathematizing processes of South African Grade 2 learners for solving additive relation problems The candidate’s study involved an intervention aimed at improving Grade 2 isiZulu learners’ working with additive relations problems. Highly statistically significant gains in relation to a parallel control group were analysed as underpinned by changes in learner sense-making and work with models. The candidate’s handling of the literature was commended by the examiners.

Supervisor: Professor H Venkatakrishnan THEBELE, Winani Winnie Anthropology THESIS: The migrated museum: restitution or a shared heritage The thesis documents Botswana’s migrated museum, by which she means collections of ethnographic and related items held by institutions outside Botswana because of the legacies of imperial collecting. The candidate assesses proposals for the future management of such collections, in the context of anthropological work on trajectories of alienation and sharing.

Supervisor: Dr H White

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VANYORO, Kudakwashe Paul Migration and Displacement THESIS: ‘This Place Is A Bus Stop’: The temporalities of (im)mobile Zimbabwean migrants at the Zimbabwe - South Africa border The candidate’s work positions a small town on the Zimbabwe-South Africa border as a lens into politics at multiple scale. Through his theoretically provocative study of frustrated Zimbabwean migrants moving for better lives, the project speaks to the hazards of masculinity, nationalism, and the global humanitarian project.

Supervisor: Professor L Landau VOKWANA, Nonkanyiso Queen Education THESIS: The development of topic specific pedagogical content knowledge in out of field natural science teachers in a rural context This study investigated the development of unique teacher knowledge for teaching science called Topic Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TSPCK) in Natural Science teachers teaching out of their field of expertise in the rural Eastern Cape. The findings revealed a pathway for improving both their content knowledge and TSPCK. Supervisor/s: Prof M Rollnick and Mrs M Mavhunga WHEELER, Alexandra-Mary English THESIS: Postcolonial Animals: an exploration of Human -Animal Relationships in literature What is the position of animals in literature? Are they merely stage props, metaphors, cute pets, or threatening predators? This study is inspired by a deeply felt concern for the plight of animals. The candidate analyses a number of postcolonial texts by Coetzee, Atwood, Mda, Ozeki and Martel that question our relationship to animals.

Supervisor: Associate Professor G Gaylard

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FACULTY OF SCIENCE DEAN: PROFESSOR N CHETTY BSc Hons (Natal) MS PhD (Urbana-Champaign) MSAIP MASSAf Doctor of Philosophy ADOM, Richard Kwame Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Analysis of public policies and programmes to water security in post-apartheid South Africa The study investigated the effectiveness of South Africa’s water policies and programmes in sustainable socioeconomic transformation and development during the post-apartheid era. The findings suggest that although South Africa has established an institutional policy and strategic framework for water resource management, the implementation remains uncoordinated and in disarray. The study recommends an integrated approach to water resource management.

Supervisor: Professor D Simatele AHANONYE, Uchechi Agnes Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences THESIS: Teachers’ indigenous knowledge and the possibilities of integrating it with life sciences teaching and learning The candidate’s study revealed that most South African science teachers do not use the curriculum, hence, they are not aware of the mandate to integrate IK and westernize science. However, the curriculum did not provide teachers on how to integrate IK in their science classroom.

Supervisors: Dr F Otulaja, Dr I Risenga and Dr S Dukhan AJANI, Mistura Bolaji Physics THESIS: Identification and quantification of environmental radionuclides and the use of Monte Carlo codes for gamma-ray detector optimisation The study was to determine the radioactivity levels and elemental concentrations of soil samples collected in Chad was undertaken. The objective was to ascertain possible contribution to the enhancement of naturally occurring and/or man-made radionuclides, including toxic heavy metals in the area. Moreover, the HPGe gammaray counting system was efficiently calibrated using standard sources and verified by Monte Carlo simulations to correct for the summing effect.

Supervisors: Professor I Usman and Dr P Maleka AYAD MOHAMED ALI, Ahmed Physics THESIS: Phenomenological aspects of Axion-like particles in cosmology and astrophysics The candidate focuses on understanding the nature of dark matter by looking for very light candidates suchlike axions and axion-like particles. He studied the phenomenology of the interactions between these particles and photons to constrain some of their properties and use relative scenarios to explain a number of astrophysical phenomena.

Supervisor: Dr G Beck 37

BAHINI, Armand Physics THESIS: A survey of isoscalar monopole strengths and its fine structure on nuclei across the periodic table The candidate’s excellent and timely experimental high energy-resolution investigation of the giant monopole resonance in even-even nuclei across the periodic table were performed at the iThemba LABS Cape Town cyclotron using the world-class K600 magnetic spectrometer. The complex damping mechanisms of the resonances were elucidated in a comparison with state-of-the-art theoretical models, providing a major advance in the field of nuclear structure physics.

Supervisors: Professor I Usman, Dr R Neveling and Professor J Carter BLAIR, Amy Marshall Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: The complex socio-ecological system of the lowveld marula bioeconomy catchment Marula is an ecologically, culturally and economically valued tree species. By overlaying marula demographic data with social narratives, the candidate explored the sustainability of marula resource use practices in human-populated savannas in the South African lowveld. This interdisciplinary study highlights how inclusive management of natural resources can ensure key social-ecological systems remain sustainable.

Supervisors: Professor S Grab, Professor W Twine and Dr D Thompson BLANE, Ashleigh Anne Molecular and Cell Biology THESIS: The FOXP2-TBR1 interaction and its role in the regulation of DNA binding This study investigated the role that the interaction between two transcription factors involved in autism, FOXP2 and TBR1, had on each of their DNA binding propensities.

It was determined that the interaction between the two proteins influences the way these two proteins bind to DNA and hence regulate transcription which has implications for understanding the neuromolecular mechanism involved in autism.

Supervisor: Dr S Fanucchi COUZENS, Raymond Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Spatial Modelling, formation and transformation of the Oldowan lithic artefact assemblages from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa This study used precise GIS mapping and unique three-dimensional CT scanning of artefacts to examine the formation and transformation of deposits at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng. The candidate demonstrated that the 2.18-million-year-old Oldowan stone tools have not been significantly altered during deposition within their underground karst cave infill, nor during the re-working of some material into an underlying chamber.

Supervisors: Professor K Kuman and Professor D Stratford DE LEMOS, Hugo Jose Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences THESIS: A characterisation of the terrestrial phenology of Bushbuckridge, South Africa, using MISR-HR The candidate examined the response of the Lowveld’s terrestrial phenology to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events using remote sensing observations for the past two decades and established that biomass accumulated is controlled by the sequence, duration and relative strengths of the El Niño and La Niña events, but the

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severity of the impact is related to the physical properties of the site including the dominant soil texture and plant functional type.

Supervisors: Professor M Scholes and Professor M Verstraete DELSANTO, Silvia

Physics THESIS: Study of strangeness production in pp collisions at √s = 5.02 TeV at the LHC and the upgrade of the ALICE muon trigger for high luminosity This research looked into the correlation of strange particle production with the number of charged particle produced in high energy collisions at the CERN LHC using the ALICE detector. Strange particles are relevant because in high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions they can be used as signatures to observe the formation and characteristics of the primordial state of matter, the quark-gluon plasma, which prevailed in the early Universe shortly after the Big Bang.

Supervisor/s: Prof Z Vilakazi, Hon Associate Prof Z Buthelezi (University of the Witwatersrand) and Prof E Vercellin, Dr L Bianchi (University of Turin) ...

Joint degree between the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Turin FAERCH, Olga Maria Magdalena Molecular and Cell Biology THESIS: The Redox Regulation of CLIC1 and CLIC4 Protein-Protein Interactions The effects of redox regulation on CLIC1 dimerisation, as well as binding of the CLIC1 and CLIC4 nuclear localisation sequences (NLSs) to hImpα1ΔIBB, was assessed. CLIC1 dimerisation stabilises oxidation induced conformational changes, while weak binding of the redox exposed NLSs towards hImpα1ΔIBB likely indicates preferential binding to another hImpα isoform.

Supervisor: Professor HW Dirr GROENEWALD, David Patrick Geosciences THESIS: A litho- and biostratigraphic analysis of the Lower Beaufort Group in the distal sector of the Main Karoo Basin, South Africa - implications for the depositional history of the distal foredeep to back-bulge basin The Karoo is an international palaeontological icon. This ambitious multidisciplinary geological and palaeontological investigation of the Ecca and Beaufort groups in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces determined the fauna, flora and environment of the time. Refined stratigraphic correlation has greatly enhanced understanding of Karoo Basin development in a Gondwanan context 265 to 252 million years ago.

Supervisors: Professor BS Rubidge, Dr MO Day and Dr CR Penn-Clarke HARVEY, Pamela Joy Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Volcanic forcing: modelling impacts on Southern Hemisphere temperatures The candidate uses CMIP 5 climate model outputs to establish Southern Hemisphere temperature responses following major volcanic eruptions during the last 150 years, with particular focus on southern Africa. Findings show considerable sub-regional differences in climatic response, with significant cooling anomalies, especially during austral autumn.

Supervisor: Professor S Grab

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HENSHALL, Tiffany Fae Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Digging through Betterment: an archaeological investigation into nineteenth and twentieth century farming in rural south-eastern South Africa The candidate examined the macro spatial changes in settlement and farming as a result of Betterment Planning in Cata in the Eastern Cape, and the long-term impact that this had on the landscape. Her remote sensing analyses combined mapping, historical aerial imagery, and more recent satellite imagery with environmental data.

Supervisors: Professor MH Schoeman and Professor MD Simatele JOHNSON, Celeste Irene

Physics THESIS: A bilocal description of the conformal algebra at the critical point in 3 dimensions In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, and in particular the correspondence between O(N) vector models and Vasiliev’s higher spin theory, an explicit map between conformal field theory in d = 2 + 1 dimensions and the higher spin theory in AdS4 x S1 was established for the interacting case. Remarkably, the s = 0 state, corresponding to the Δ = 1 state in the Klebanov / Polyakov theory was precisely removed.

Supervisor: Professor J Rodrigues KRIEL, Christo Willem Mathematics THESIS: The mincut graph: intersection graph and graph operator A new graph, the mincut graph of G, with vertex set the minimum edge-cuts of G, is introduced. The candidate shows that every graph is a mincut graph. He characterises graphs that are fixed under the mincut operator, examine the properties of graphs that have a periodicity higher than one and show that no graph diverges under iteration of the operator.

Supervisor: Professor E Mphako-Banda KRUGER, Willem Abram Jacobus Geosciences THESIS: Massive magnetitite layers of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa: geology, geochemistry, and genesis The candidate studied the origin of magnetitite, an enigmatic rock type that occurs within the world’s largest layered intrusion: the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.

The findings provide new insights regarding the inner workings of Earth’s magma chambers, such as evidence for in situ crystallization, magmatic recharge, and magmatic karstification.

Supervisor: Professor R Latypov MABASO, Automan Sibusiso Mathematics THESIS: Solving some Diophantine equations involving Fibonacci numbers, Catalan numbers, Ramanujan function and factorials In this study, the candidate solved some Diophantine equations of the form (x)| |τ = y, where τ is a Ramanujan tau-function and x , y are integer variables restricted to values of factorials, Fibonacci numbers and Catalan numbers.

The candidate also showed that the only positive integer solution of the Diophantine equation Fn= ±τm1! ± τm2!,where Fn is the n-th Fibonacci number and m1≤m2, is (1, 1, 3).

Supervisor: Professor F Luca

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MAKANANISA, Takalani Daniel Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Veldfire response readiness of district disaster centres: a study of the Limpopo Province This study investigated and assessed the readiness of the Disaster Management Centres in responding to environmental disasters taking Veldfires as the main variable of analysis. The findings suggest that although South Africa has established good institutional frameworks and regulatory instruments, the lack of financial resources, poor technical know-how, lack of infrastructure, and the silo approach to disaster management continue to combine in negatively affecting the comprehensive coordination and interagency efforts in sustainably managing environmental disasters.

The findings of this research have been shared in one publication in an international and peer reviewed journal.

Supervisor: Professor D Simatele MAPONGA, Tsitsi Sithandiwe Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences THESIS: Mistletoes as drivers of plant community structure and resource heterogeneity in semi-arid savanna ecosystems, Zimbabwe The candidate’s thesis provides insights on how varying mistletoe-infection intensities on Vachellia karroo trees influence understory abiotic and biotic factors and species and functional diversity. This study contributes towards understanding how the reproduction and regeneration of V. karroo is impacted by varying mistletoe intensity, and how the presence of mistletoe-infected trees drives spatial patterns of woody plants in semi-arid savannas.

Supervisors: Prof ETF Witkowski and Professor HJT Ndagurwa MAROM, Ofir Efraim Computer Science THESIS: Leveraging prior knowledge for sample efficient reinforcement learning This thesis presents three novel frameworks to improve sample efficiency in Reinforcement Learning. The first is a policy invariant Bayesian reward shaping framework. The second is an object-oriented framework that allows for zero-shot transfer of dynamics models. The third is a framework for efficient learning of likelyadmissible heuristics for planning.

Supervisor: Professor B Rosman MASHINDI, Victor Chemistry THESIS: Hollow and hemispherical bowl-like hollow carbon spheres and their doped counterparts as supports for platinum for use in fuel cell oxygen reduction reactions The candidate designed fuel cell oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts based on Pt and hollow carbon spheres. Superior properties compared to the commercial benchmarks was observed indicating suitability for adoption in the quest for renewable energy systems that are based on abundant Pt and precious metal resources in South Africa.

Supervisors: Professor N Coville, Professor KI Ozoemena and Professor P Levecque MASINDI, Khuliso Geosciences THESIS: Water resources modelling in the Vaal River Basin: an integrated approach Using an integrated approach the research revealed an increasing trend in groundwater storage. The groundwater quality and availability were found to be

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more sensitive to human activities than natural factors. The research advances our understanding of groundwater dynamics, which is important in the sustainable development and management of groundwater resources.

Supervisor: Professor G Drennan MNGUNI, Nkosingiphile Ziqu Mathematics THESIS: Symmetry and conservation laws of recurrence equations and classes of timefractional equations The thesis focuses on the novel study of symmetry analysis on classes of time-fractional partial differential equations, where the time component is defined by RiemannLiouville derivative. The candidate extended the analyses to find exact solutions of recurrence equations with varying orders.

Supervisor: Dr M Folly-Gbetoula and Professor S Jamal MOSAI, Alseno Kagiso Chemistry THESIS: Development of functionalised zeolite and bentonite for the recovery of platinum group elements (PGEs) and rare earth elements (REEs) from aqueous systems impacted by mining activities The candidate studied the development of functionalised zeolite and bentonite for the recovery of precious elements from wastewaters. He found that natural adsorbents could recover rare earth elements successfully but, amine ligand-functionalised adsorbents were mandatory for platinum group elements. The research provides a solution for the sustainability of precious elements.

Supervisor: Professor H Tutu MOUANE, Othmane Physics THESIS: Physical properties of pulsed laser and CVD synthesized carbon nanospheres In the study, a new synthesis technique of carbon nanospheres which uses pulsed lasers was developed. The study included the investigation of the magnetic and electrical properties of carbon nanospheres synthesised by chemical vapour deposition.

Supervisor: Professor E Sideras-Haddad, Professor D Wamwangi and Professor A Forbes MUKONDA, Danny Mathematics THESIS: Bornological aspects of asymmetric structures The candidate studies bornologies and bourbaki-bounded sets on quasi-metric spaces.

It turns out that if a set is Bourbaki-bounded on the symmetrized quasipseudometric space, then it is also Bourbaki-bounded in the quasi-pseudometric space, but the converse need not to be true. In addition, he shows that every realvalued semiLipschitz in the small function on a quasi-metric space is bounded if and only if the quasi-metric is Bourbaki-bounded. Consequently, he uses semi-Lipschitz functions to characterize those bornologies on asymmetric normed spaces that can be realized as bornologies of Bourbaki-bounded sets.

Supervisor/s: Professor OO Otafudu and Dr WB Toko MUTANDA, Gideon Walter Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: From livelihoods to citizenship: the redistributive land reform in Zimbabwe African land reforms have been contentious internationally and nationally due to the narrow view of their developmental role as the achievement of economistic and 42

livelihood outcomes. There is need to broaden evaluation of African land reforms beyond these outcomes since the new notion of development now embeds the citizenship concept.

Supervisor: Dr A Wafer NCHABELENG, Mathibele Willy Computational and Applied Mathematics THESIS: Pre-existing fluid-driven fracture: mathematical models and solution The candidate’s thesis considers the propagation of a two-dimensional pre-existing fluid-driven fracture in a permeable medium. A model in which the leak-off function is unspecified was first derived. Similarity solutions when the leak off function is proportional to the fracture half-width and to the gradient of the fracture half width are obtained. A second model in which fluid leak-off is described by Darcy model is employed.

Supervisor: Dr AG Fareo NEVES, Candice Nikita Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences THESIS: Geographic variation in brain morphology and cognition in the genus Rhabdomys The candidate studied geographic variation in brain morphology and cognition in the rodent genus Rhabdomys. Using innovative tools, she showed that brain volume and behaviour are phylogenetically conserved and that sociality shapes brain-behaviour variation in the genus. In Rhabdomys, living in groups leads to bigger brains and enhanced cognition.

Supervisor: Professor N Pillay NGCEZU, Sonwabile Arthur

Physics THESIS: An investigation of nanodosimetric parameters for realistic geometries and a novel study of the track structure penumbra region An evaluation nanodosimetric parameters around proton tracks (radial and along the track). A detailed variation of the radial distribution of nanodosimetric parameters and mapping of the spread-out Bragg Peak along proton tracks, with the verification of the variable Radiobiological effectiveness with depth along a proton track.

Supervisors: Professor D van der Merwe, Dr H Rabus and Professor J Larkin PEME, Thabo

Chemistry THESIS: Design and synthesis of aldol addition catalytic peptides This study involved the design and synthesis of novel aldol addition reaction enzymemimicking catalytic peptides. These peptides are a new class of selective and nontoxic organocatalysts. Their successful design has provided new knowledge about the properties and activity of enzyme-like catalysts for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure products in organic chemistry.

Supervisors: Professor M Makatini and Professor D Brady RAMOLLO, Granny Kabelo Chemistry THESIS: Late transition metal Fischer carbene complexes of group 9 and 11: synthesis and application In this study, the methodology to synthesize new Fischer carbene complexes of the late transition metals was developed, to extend the scope of these compounds 43

beyond that of mere laboratory curiosities. Their practical application as molecular catalysts was demonstrated in the hydroformylation, transfer hydrogenation and intramolecular alkyne cyclisation processes.

Supervisors: Professor DI Bezuidenhout, Dr JL van Wyk and Dr I Kotze REID, Memory Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: The climate change-water-energy nexus and its impacts on urban livelihoods in Zimbabwe The study explored interlinkages between climate change, water and energy, and how it affects livelihoods of women in Zimbabwe’s urban informal sector. A climatewater-energy nexus was confirmed, impacting on energy security and livelihoods. The study recommends pro-poor policy approaches to build the adaptive capacity and resilience of vulnerable groups.

Supervisor: Professor MD Simatele SNOW, Larissa Marie Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Poisoned, Potent, Painted: arrows as an index of San personhood This thesis explores southern African Later Stone Age rock art and ontology, with particular focus on how material objects facilitated relations between the diverse beings that inhabit the San world. It makes a wider contribution towards understanding how personhood is constituted and dispersed through objects and the central role of things in enmeshing people with the vital elements of their environment.

Supervisor: Professor DG Pearce TAKALANA, Charles Mpho Physics THESIS: Analysis of differential observations of the cosmological radio background: studying the SZE-21cm The candidate’s work studied an analytical differential approach for observations to study the cosmological 21cm background signal from the Dark Ages (DA) and Epoch of Reionization (EoR) with the Sunyaev-Zel¿dovich Effect (SZE-21cm). The work produced the first simulated maps of the SZE-21cm and showed that the SZE-21cm can be extracted from future observations with low-frequency radio interferometers such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

Supervisors: Dr P Marchegiani and Professor N Komin VAN DER WALT, Adriaan Johannes

Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: An analysis of extreme temperature events in South Africa: 1960-2015 This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the incidence of Extreme Temperature Events in South Africa from 1960-2015. This includes the first statistical quantification of seasonal boundaries across the country as a function of temperature, and the application of the ET-SCI and the ETCCDI to identify extreme climate events.

Supervisors: Professor J Fitchett and Professor C Curtis

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VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, Danielle Chemistry THESIS: The synthesis and evaluation of bis-1,2,3-triazolylidene(carbazolide) gold complexes as anti-cancer agents In this thesis, the synthesis of new gold anticancer agents was investigated. A redoxstabilised AuIII pincer complex is reported with cytotoxicity that is likely underpinned by partial DNA intercalation, as supported by in silico studies. The structures of several multinuclear AgI complexes discovered enroute to the target AuIII complex are also presented.

Supervisors: Professor DI Bezuidenhout, Professor O Munro and Dr A Stander WRIGHT, Marc Alan Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies THESIS: Wind speed climatology in the northern, western and eastern Capes of South Africa: implications for wind power Wind force data across the Eastern, Northern, and Western Cape provinces of South Africa are assessed at a multi-decadal, annual, seasonal, monthly, and diurnal scale quantifying trends, profiles, and teleconnections to climate indices. The findings of the study have significant implication to developing and managing renewable sources of energy, such as from wind.

Supervisor: Professor S Grab

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GRADUATION AWARDS FACULTY OF SCIENCE Prizes to be presented at the Faculty’s prize giving ceremony Isaac Greenberg Award This award is made annually to a graduate in Botany for the purpose of carrying out research into some aspect of Plant Ecology.

Tsitsi Sithandiwe Maponga PhD Thesis in Computational and Applied Mathematics This prize of R3 000.00 is awarded for the best Computational and Applied Mathematics Doctor of Philosophy thesis.

Mathibele Willy Nchabeleng

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OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY Chancellor DR NJ DLAMINI MBChB (Natal) DBL (Unisa) MBA (Witwatersrand) IEC (USA) Vice-Chancellor and Principal RPROFESSOR Z VILAKAZI BSc (Manchester) MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf FAAS Chairman of Council MR I SHONGWE BA (Wesleyan) MPhil (Oxford) Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) PROFESSOR R OSMAN BA (Witwatersrand) HDipEd BEd (Unisa) MEd PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) PROFESSOR L MORRIS BSc (Hons) (Witwatersrand) DPhil (Oxford) FRSSA FAAS MASSAf Registrar MS CG CROSLEY BA HDipEd (Witwatersrand) BEd Hons (Unisa) MEd (Witwatersrand) Chief Operating Officer MR F SIBANYONI BSc(Eng) (Natal) MBA (Cape Town) PrEng SMICMEESA) Chief Financial Officer MR PC DESAI BCom (University of Durban, Westville) BCompt. (Hons) (Unisa) CA (SA) Dean of Student Affairs MR JAP SEPTEMBER BA MPhil (Cape Town) DEANS OF THE FACULTIES Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management PROFESSOR I VALODIA BCom (Unisa) BCom Hons (Natal) MSc (Lancaster) DEcon (KwaZulu-Natal) Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment PROFESSOR IR JANDRELL BSc(Eng) GDE PhD (Witwatersrand) IntPE(SA) PrEng FSAAE FSAIEE SMIEEE Faculty of Health Sciences PROFESSOR SA MADH MBBCh MMed PhD (Witwatersrand) FCPaeds(SA) Faculty of Humanities PROFESSOR G STEVENS BA (Cape Town) BA Psych (Hons) MPsych (Western Cape) DLitt et Phil (UNISA) Faculty of Science PROFESSOR N CHETTY BSc Hons (Natal) MS PhD (Urbana-Champaign) MSAIP MASSAf President of Convocation S BOLON BA Hons MA (Witwatersrand)

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IHELE THE PROCESSION

IHELE Words and music by S.B.P. Mnomiya Anhom Falalala Obani labo?

Baphi Ahhom?

Ngibona beza Beyikazela Bathwel ‘ongiyane Bavela kuphi na?

Obani labo?

Ongqondongqondo Osibakhulu Yibo labo hhom!

Yini na leyo?

Ihele Ihele lezingwazi zakithi Ahhom udwendwe Ahhom Udwendwe lwezingqwele zakithi Nant’ ihele Longqondongqondo Nant’ ihele Losibakhulu Udwendwe Udwendwe Iwezingqwele zakithi

THE PROCESSION Who are those?

Which, Falalala?

I see them coming Walking with swinging garments They are wearing head rings Where do they come from?

Who are those?

They are people with knowledge They are people in authority These are the ones What is that?

It is a procession A procession of our heroes It is a procession A procession of our champions Here is a procession Of people of knowledge Here is a procession Of people of knowledge A procession A procession of our heroes

Ihele is known as the ‘Black’ Gaudeamus Igitur. In song, the writer, Mnomiya uses very poetic language to describe a graduation ceremony. The soloist sings of the ‘strange’ procession of people in long robes and head gear. The choir responds by saying that these people are academics who read profound books of knowledge.

Mnomiya goes on to say that the graduates are an inspiration to all of us, and we will also graduate like them one day. The song goes on to wish the graduates well and it ends with a resounding “Halala” (well done!).

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GAUDEAMUS Gaudeamus igitur Juvenes dum sumus Post jucundum juventutem Post molestam senectutem Nos habebit humus.

Let us rejoice therefore While we are young.

After a pleasant youth After a troublesome old age The earth will have us.

Ubi sunt qui ante nos In mundo fuere?

Vadite ad superos Transite in inferos Hos si vis videre.

Where are they Who were in the world before us?

You may cross over to heaven You may go to hell If you wish to see them.

Vita nostra brevis est Brevi finietur.

Venit mors velociter Rapit nos atrociter Nemini parcetur.

Our life is brief It will be finished shortly.

Death comes quickly Atrociously, it snatches us away.

No one is spared.

Vivat academia Vivant professores Vivat membrum quodlibet Vivat membra quaelibet Semper sint in flore.

Long live the academy!

Long live the teachers!

Long live each male student!

Long live each female student!

May they always flourish!

Vivant omnes virgines Faciles, formosae.

Vivant et mulieres Tenerae amabiles Bonae laboriosae.

Long live all maidens Easy and beautiful!

Long live mature women also, Tender and loveable And full of good labor.

Vivant et republica et qui illam regit.

Vivat nostra civitas, Maecenatum caritas Quae nos hic protegit.

Long live the State And the One who rules it!

Long live our City And the charity of benefactors Which protects us here!

Pereat tristitia, Pereant osores.

Pereat diabolus, Quivis antiburschius Atque irrisores.

Let sadness perish!

Let haters perish!

Let the devil perish!

Let whoever is against our school Who laughs at it, perish!

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ACADEMIC DRESS The academic dress of this University is patterned on that of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, with modifications based on the model of the University of London and certain individual features, particularly in the costumes of office bearers and the hoods of degreesof bachelor and master.

Dress for Office Bearers • The Chancellor wears a scarlet silk gown with a broad facing of black velvet down each side, embroidered in gold and a black velvet cap with gold cord and tassels.

• The Vice-Chancellor and Principal wears a blue silk gown with a broad facing of gold silk down each side, embroidered in blue, the sleeves being lined with gold silk.

The cap is of the same design as that of the Chancellor.

• The Chairman of Council wears a black silk gown with a broad facing of red velvet down each side and around the neck, the sleeves being lined with gold silk. The cap is of the same design as that of the Chancellor.

• The academic dress of the Deputy Vice-Chancellors and the Executive Directors is the same as that of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, except that the colour of the facing and sleeves of the gown and of the cord and tassels of the cap is silver-grey.

• The gown of the President of Convocation is of blue silk, with a broad facing of gold silk down each side, the sleeves being lined with white silk. The cap is the same as that of the Chancellor, but with a blue cord and tassels.

• The Registrar wears a black silk gown with a broad facing of blue silk down each side, bordered with gold braid. The cap is the same as that of the President of Convocation.

• A member of Council wears a black silk gown with a broad facing of gold silk. The cap is the same as that of the Chancellor.

• The gown of the President of the Students’ Representative Council is black with a broad facing of blue satin.

Graduands’ Gowns • The gowns for all degrees of bachelor and master of the University are black, of the same pattern as the gown for a Master of Arts at the University of Oxford.

• The gown for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is scarlet, after the University of London pattern.

• The gown for a senior doctorate is the same as that for the PhD, but with a gold satin facing on each side of the gown and with the sleeve button and cord in gold.

The Academic Hood The academic hood is the principal feature of the costume for holders of our degrees of bachelor and master. The hood for the PhD is standard, regardless of the Faculty in which the degree was obtained. It is scarlet silk, lined with white silk.

Degree Colours The hoods reflect the colour or colours of a particular degree or associated degrees.

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THE UNIVERSITY MACE

Maces were originally weapons of defence, designed to break through armour. In medieval times, bishops carried a mace instead of a sword into battle to enable them to defend themselves in accordance with the canonical rule that forbade a priest to shed blood. In time, the mace has come to be regarded as a symbol of delegated authority vested in a person or an institution. At this University, it is a symbol of the authority vested in the Chancellor and a reminder of the mandate given by the legislature of this country to the University to grant degrees.

The University mace is the work of the Edinburgh designer, silversmith and engraver, William Kirk, who designed and made the mace of the University of Stirling and of other institutions. It is silver-and gold-plated, is 1070 millimetres long and 180 millimetres broad and weighs seven kilograms. The heraldic devices used in the decoration reflect the character of this University as an institution of learning, set in a mining centre within the Republic of South Africa.

The head of the mace with its spreading vertical blades is symbolic of the horns of a springbok. The central vertical spike is representative of a rock drill on the mine, and the amber stone set in the head is intended as a tribute to a past Chancellor through its association with his name, Bernstein, which in German means amber stone. The heavy quality of the head is consistent with the traditional concept of the mace as a weapon of defence. The collar repeats the shape of the head. It consists of eight cogs which symbolise the cog-wheel in the University coat of arms and represents mining and industry. The shaft is octagonal and divided into three sections. The coat of arms of the University is placed on the shaft under the collar. Below this the words Universitas Witwatersrandensis Johannesburgi: are inscribed, followed by the date in Roman numerals – MCMLXXVI (1977) – which signifies the year of the dedication of the mace.

The mace is a symbolic portrayal of this University, this city, the Witwatersrand and the Republic of South Africa. It is a constant reminder to members of Council and Senate to uphold at all times the rights, powers and privileges of the University and its governing bodies.

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EMERGENCY AND FIRE PLANS DURING GRADUATIONS 1. In the event of an emergency and/or fire: • The presiding official (Chancellor/Vice-Chancellor/Deputy Vice-Chancellor) will make an announcement requesting guests, graduands and staff to keep calm and remain seated • The Ushers will assist guests to proceed to the nearest Emergency exits in order to evacuate the Great Hall in an orderly fashion • Emergency exit signs are visible in red above all exit doors situated on your left and right hand sides, as well as the back of the Hall • The Ushers will assist the elderly and disabled guests out of the building • The academic procession on stage must exit through the back stage door • Once outside the Great Hall, all guests, graduands and staff must proceed to the main assembly point on the piazza.

2. In the event of a Bomb threat All bomb threats will be treated as real in order to protect lives and property and the premises will be evacuated immediately.

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NATIONAL ANTHEM

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo, Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela Thina lusapho lwayo.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa, South Afrika — South Afrika.

Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee, Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.

The Wits Choir The Wits Choir has been under the direction of conductor and trainer, Dalene Hoogenhout, since 1995. Their repertoire is colourful and vibrant. They perform regularly at graduations and important ceremonies. The Wits Choir has toured internationally as well as playing host to other choirs here. They are also active in the community, undertaking choral outreach programmes.