Integrated assessment of groundwater quality in the Grootfontein aquifer, North West Province, South Africa, using hydro-chemical GIS

The Free State (FS) and North West (NW) Provinces are often hard hit by droughts with impacts on water availability, farm production and livestock holdings. The South African government declared the two Provinces drought disaster areas in the 2015/2016 hydrological year. This is a major drawback, since both the Provinces play an important role to South African economy as they are a haven to agricultural production and have major water reservoirs in South Africa. This study was undertaken to investigate the historical evolution of drought within the FS and NW Provinces over the past 30 years. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) calculated based on monthly meteorological data from 14 weather/climate stations within the FS and NW Provinces were used to explore and characterize variation in drought intensity, duration, frequency and severity in FS and NW Provinces during 1985–2015. Results indicate that there exist localized positive and negative trends with spatial dependence across the selected stations. In particular, about 60% of the weather stations exhibiting a decreasing trend are located in FS Province, suggesting that FS has being experiencing increasing drought during the analyzed period compared to NW Province. Results from the analysis of drought evaluation indicators (DEIs) calculated from SPEI suggest that drought severity and frequency was more pronounced in FS while the intensity of the drought was more in NW Province during 1985–2015. In addition, based on SPEI calculations, moderate drought occurrences increased during 1985–1994 and 1995–2004 periods and decreased thereafter (2005–2015) in both Provinces. Drought classification based on parameters derived from SPEI produced similar results for mild drought occurrences during the same time scales.

Effect of harvesting site on mineral concentration of browse species found in semi-arid areas of South Africa

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are rarely used in wetland assessments due to their variation. However, in terms of biodiversity, these invertebrates form an important component of wetland fauna. Spatial and temporal variation of macroinvertebrate assemblages in endorheic depressions (locally referred to as pans ) in Mpumalanga and North West provinces were compared in wet and dry seasons in 2012 and 2013. A total of 29 taxa were identified from both provinces, with similarities in the structure of communities, with the exception of one or two species, in perennial endorheic depressions in both provinces. Macroinvertebrates sampled in Mpumalanga endorheic depressions were similar to those reported in previous studies completed in the area, and most macroinvertebrates sampled in Mpumalanga and North West were known to be commonly found in temporary habitats. Long-term studies are required to understand better the ecological functioning of the pans in the North West province.

Climate change has increased temperature, caused drought in places like North West Province, and reduced crop yield. This study investigated the climate change impact (rainfall) on maize yield (1987 -2017). The objectives were to determine the climate change impact on maize yield for Kwazulu-Natal, North West, and Free State Provinces of South Africa, assess the difference in climate change impact on maize yield between the three provinces. Rainfall and maize data were collected from WeatherSA and DAFF, respectively. A Pearson Correlation Analysis revealed a weak negative correlation between rainfall and maize for KwaZulu-Natal and Free State Provinces. However, for North West Province there was a weak positive correlation between maize yield and rainfall. Rainfall determines yield, if excessive, it becomes detrimental to crop yield. Climate change affected negatively on maize yield, rainfall above maize requirement was not beneficial to crop yield and drought reduced yield too. ANOVA results revealed that the group mean yield between the Provinces was different, with KwaZulu-Natal having the highest mean yield. The climate change impact on maize varied between provinces, KwaZulu-Natal Province was least affected, however, North West Province was the most negatively impacted with drought events leading to reduced maize yield.

BackgroundThe proposal by the South African Health Ministry to implement HIV testing and counselling (HTC) at schools in 2011 generated debates about the appropriateness of such testing. However, the debate has been between the Ministries of Education and Health, with little considerations of the students. The main aim of the study was to assess the students’ opinions and uptake of HIV testing and counselling in general, and the acceptability of the provision of HIV testing and counselling in schools. The study also determined the association between socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviour, and HIV testing behaviour of the students.MethodsA survey was conducted among grade 10–12 high school students in North West and Gauteng provinces, South Africa. Seventeen high schools (nine rural and eight urban) were randomly selected for the administration of a researcher-assisted, self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire.ResultsA total of 2970 students aged 14–27 years participated in the study; 1632 (55%) were girls, 1810 (61%) ever had sex, and 1271 (49.8%) had more than one sex partner. The mean age of first sexual activity was 15.6. Half (n = 1494, 50.1%) had been tested for HIV. Having multiple sexual partners, age, and gender were significantly associated with increased odds of having had a HIV test. Fear, being un-informed about HTC, and low HIV risk perceptions were the reasons for not getting tested. The acceptability of HTC at school was high (n = 2282, 76.9%) and 2129 (71.8%) were willing to be tested at school. Appropriateness, privacy, and secrecy were the main arguments for and against HTC at school. One-third (n = 860, 29%) had intentions to disclose their HIV status to students versus 1258 (42.5%) for teachers. Stigma, discrimination and secrecy were the primary reasons students did not intend to disclose.ConclusionsA high acceptability of HTC and willingness to be tested at school suggest that HIV prevention programs tailored to youth have a high potential of success given the readiness of students to uptake HTC. Bringing HIV testing to the school setting will increase the uptake of HTC among youth and contribute towards efforts to scale up HTC in South Africa.

This study explored the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. Despite the significant role that secondary school accounting education is perceived to play in shaping the development of accounting professionals, few studies have focused on investigating the effect of human resources on accounting learners’ performance in secondary school. The study sought to understand the human resource factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. The study’s findings may assist the school management to improve human resource utilisation towards the achievement of a better accounting learners’ performance. To address the gap in the literature, a mixed method sequential explanatory study was conducted in North West districts with 183 School Management Teams and 61 educators. The sequential explanatory study aimed to explore the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of Grade 12 Accounting learners in secondary schools in the North West Province, South Africa. The findings from the quantitative phase showed that human resource factors such as pedagogical subject content knowledge and skills held by the educator are perceived to influence learner performance. In the second phase, the qualitative approach validated and explained the various human resource factors that influence accounting learners’ performance in North West secondary schools in South Africa. School management should ensure that they employ adequate accounting learners to teach accounting in schools. This is so because accounting requires a pedagogical content knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. In conclusion, it is recommended that schools interested in improving learner performance should identify and address context-specific perceived human resources factors that influence learner performance within their schools.This study explored the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. Despite the significant role that secondary school accounting education is perceived to play in shaping the development of accounting professionals, few studies have focused on investigating the effect of human resources on accounting learners’ performance in secondary school. The study sought to understand the human resource factors influencing the performance of accounting learners in North West secondary schools in South Africa. The study’s findings may assist the school management to improve human resource utilisation towards the achievement of a better accounting learners’ performance. To address the gap in the literature, a mixed method sequential explanatory study was conducted in North West districts with 183 School Management Teams and 61 educators. The sequential explanatory study aimed to explore the perceived human resources factors influencing the performance of Grade 12 Accounting learners in secondary schools in the North West Province, South Africa. The findings from the quantitative phase showed that human resource factors such as pedagogical subject content knowledge and skills held by the educator are perceived to influence learner performance. In the second phase, the qualitative approach validated and explained the various human resource factors that influence accounting learners’ performance in North West secondary schools in South Africa. School management should ensure that they employ adequate accounting learners to teach accounting in schools. This is so because accounting requires a pedagogical content knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. In conclusion, it is recommended that schools interested in improving learner performance should identify and address context-specific perceived human resources factors that influence learner performance within their schools.

Ixodid ticks were collected during the period September 1991 to August 1993 from cattle belonging to small-scale farmers utilising 4 communal grazing areas. Three of these were in North West Province and 1 in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Ten tick species were collected in North West Province and 7 in Mpumalanga. The adults of Amblyomma hebraeum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were most numerous in North West Province, while in Mpumalanga Boophilus decoloratus comprised more than 75% of the total population. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on all grazing areas, and heavy infestations of adults occurred during the period October to May on 1 of these. Few B. decoloratus were collected in North West Province, chiefly because the sampling method was inadequate, and most of these were present during early summer (October to December) and late summer and autumn (March to May). The initially low population of B. decoloratus in Mpumalanga increased substantially towards the conclusion of the survey, probably because of the cessation of dipping. Boophilus microplus was present in small numbers on 2 grazing areas in the North West Province. Adult Hyalomma marginatum rufipes reached peak numbers from December to February and Hyalomma truncatum from February to April in the North West Province. Only H. marginatum rufipes was collected in Mpumalanga. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was present on all the grazing areas, with most adults present from December to April. Most adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi were collected from September to April and Rhipicephalus simus was present during the period October-April.

The study seeks to explore factors that influence women's uptake of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) interventions in North West Province, South Africa. The design of the study was qualitative and data were collected through six focus group discussions with 50 stakeholders involved in PMTCT interventions in North West Province, South Africa. Data collected were analysed descriptively in themes using Tesch's open coding method (Creswell, 2003). The major findings were factors that contributed to a low testing rate among pregnant women, lack of or poor adherence to the feeding options chosen by the mother, and poor adherence to follow-up visits of babies born to HIV mothers in the North West Province. Finally, recommendations were formulated to increase the uptake of PMTCT by pregnant women in North West Province, South Africa.

Two cross‐sectional studies determined the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. isolated from cattle farms in Mpumalanga and North West provinces in South Africa. A total of 100 isolates comprise 12 and 44 of L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp., respectively, from Mpumalanga province and 3 and 41 from North West province. The disc diffusion method was used to determine the isolates’ resistance to 16 antimicrobial agents. The studies also investigated the factors (district, farm type, and sample type) associated with AMR. All 100 isolates tested were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent. Among the isolates of L. monocytogenes from Mpumalanga province, the prevalence of resistance ranged from 41.7% (doxycycline) to 100% (cefotaxime, kanamycin, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid), compared to from 33.3% (kanamycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, nalidixic acid, and enrofloxacin) to 100% (streptomycin, nalidixic acid, and ampicillin) in the North West province. Across both provinces, the prevalence of resistance varied significantly for amoxicillin–clavulanate (p = 0.0110), kanamycin (p = 0.0286), and azithromycin (p = 0.0022). Among the Listeria spp., resistance ranged from 2.3% (cefotaxime) to 100% (nalidixic acid) in Mpumalanga province, compared to from 14.6% (sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim, SXT) to 100% (nalidixic acid) in North West. For L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. from both provinces, resistance to antimicrobial class was low for SXT (6.0%) and β‐lactams (9.7%) but comparatively high for lincosamides (50%) and fluoroquinolone (62.3%) (p < 0.00001). Of the three factors (district, farm type, and sample type) investigated for their association with the prevalence of resistance in L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. in both provinces, the district location of the farm was the only factor that statistically significantly (p = 0.0455) affected the prevalence of resistance in L. monocytogenes to ciprofloxacin in only Mpumalanga province. Notably, on a larger geographic scale, Mpumalanga and North West provinces showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in the prevalence of ampicillin resistance. The high prevalence of resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents across sources and the two provinces may pose therapeutic challenges for treating listeriosis on cattle farms.

Cities and towns in developing countries increasingly face the challenge of balancing urban conservation and development due to rapid urbanisation and development pressure. Modernism, that resulted in spatially fragmented towns and cities worldwide, together with urban development and urban conservation in South Africa regulated by separate legislation, place built environment heritage resources at risk of destruction because they are being treated as isolated objects, instead of an intrinsic part of the contemporary urban fabric. This paper is based on a research project conducted for the City of Matlosana in the North-West Province, South Africa that aimed to develop proposals to integrate urban conservation and urban development in Klerksdorp, the second oldest city in the old Transvaal Republic (today divided into the North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces). The process followed a qualitative participatory approach. Data was collected from archival records, a field survey and interviews with participants and other stakeholders. The findings revealed spatial fragmentation of built heritage distribution and non-alignment of planning and management processes with regard to urban conservation and development decision-making. A three-tier framework for integrating built heritage in urban development is proposed that consists of: (i) physical/spatial integration through physical planning and design, (ii) integration of urban conservation and urban development through local policy/legislation and (iii) procedural integration in terms of decision-making. A paradigm shift in urban conservation is suggested from preserving heritage resources as isolated objects towards a more proactive integration into the contemporary uses and future development of cities.

Land use practices face significant pressure due to increased demand and conflicting needs. Several factors contribute to this trend, such as the ever-increasing human population, the increased demand for food production, and the expansion of industrial and agricultural areas. This paper, focused on the cultivation patterns and investigating changes in land use of maize and soybean over time (i.e., both genetically modified and non-genetically modified) in two South African provinces. The objective was to determine whether there was a net increase or decrease in land cover age for these two crops between 2006 and 2017 in the selected study areas. Hence, the study utilized ArcGIS (10.8.1) software to quantify and map the land used for the cultivation of maize and soybean from 2006 to 2017 in Free State and North West provinces. The results show both provinces to have minimal expansion or change in cultivation areas for both maize and soybean between 2006 and 2017. We concluded that both maize and soybean cultivation areas in these provinces, did not expand beyond the current agricultural areas (space), and did not encroach onto new land areas. As a result, both maize and soybean do not currently pose a threat to the surrounding landscape (i.e., natural vegetation) and are not in direct competition with other neighboring land use practices. We recommend that data on the annual planting or cultivation area be consistently gathered, analyzed, and mapped to monitor any alterations that could influence the current findings. This will also assist with any land use planning and management practices.

Background. A formative assessment of the implementation of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) at school showed high acceptability and willingness to test among learners. However, the success of the proposed HTC depends on the support and acceptability of key stakeholders, including the parents. The aim of the study was to assess the opinions and acceptability of the implementation of HTC at school among parents of adolescents in high school. Methods. This was a cross-sectional household survey conducted with parents of adolescents attending high schools in educational districts in North West and Gauteng provinces, South Africa. Results. A total of 804 parents participated, and 548 (68.3%) were biological mothers, 85 (10.6%) were fathers, and the remaining were other relatives including grandmothers. Almost all (n = 742, 92.9%) parents were in support of implementation and provision of HTC at school, 701 (87.7%) would allow their children to be tested at school, 365 (46%) felt that parental consent was not needed to test at school, and 39.4% preferred to receive the HIV test results with their children. Conclusion. Parents accept the roll-out of an HTC program at school and have a role to play in supporting children who test positive for HIV.

Background: Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma endemic to regions of Africa. Cases are thought to be typically found in low-lying, humid regions where malaria is rife.Aims and Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics of BL, its incidence and relationship with malarial incidence in Northwest (NW) Province, Cameroon.Methods: Data on BL were collected from the three tertiary referral centres for BL treatment in NW Province, Cameroon. Data on malaria were collected from the Delegation of Public Health in Bamenda, NW Province. Data were collected between March and May 2010.Results: 471 cases of BL were identified. The St Jude’s stage of patients at presentation was as follows: stage I, 14·4% (43/299); stage II, 8·4% (25/299); stage III, 69·9% (209/299); stage IV, 7·4% (22/299). The incidences of BL per 100,000 children <15 years of age from 2005 to 2009 were as follows: 2005, 3·01 (29); 2006, 2·02 (20); 2007, 2·45 (25); 2008, 2·38 (25); 2009, 3·06 (33). The average incidence in NW Province was 2·58. In the Ndop plain, Ngo-Ketunjia, the incidences of BL were as follows: 2005, 10·3 (10); 2006, 3·00 (3); 2007, 1·95 (2); 2008, 2·84 (3); 2009, 4·60 (5). The average incidence was 4·54/100,000 children <15 years of age. Statistical analysis demonstrated a sinusoidal distribution of malaria cases throughout the year (P<0·00), with a peak incidence on 10 April. Conversely, no sinusoidal distribution of BL cases was demonstrated throughout the year (P = 0·09).Conclusion: No relationship was demonstrated between an acute malarial infection and BL. Significant clustering was found, with the low-lying Ndop plain of Ngo-Ketunjia having an incidence of BL nearly twice that elsewhere in the region. The study demonstrates that the incidence of BL in NW Province, Cameroon remains one of the highest documented in the world.

BackgroundDepression in adolescents is a multifactorial global public health concern, with devastating consequences on the sufferer. The prevalence of depression amongst this age group is on the rise, and thus there is the need for greater attention.AimTo explore and describe the perceptions of mental health nurses regarding the psychosocial management of depression in adolescents in North West province, South Africa.SettingThe study was conducted in two mental healthcare institutions and two mental healthcare units within two general hospitals in North West province, South Africa.MethodA qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was used in conducting this study. Data were collected through focus group discussions from four groups of mental health nurses from each of the mental healthcare institutions and mental healthcare units with 18 mental health nurses. Data were analysed using Tesch’s open coding method.ResultsTwo themes emerged from the study: comprehensive psychosocial management and involvement of different stakeholders.ConclusionThe findings revealed clear psychosocial management for depression in adolescents. Adopting the findings of this study could improve depressive symptoms and curtail the prevalence of depression amongst adolescents in the North West province, South Africa.

Yeasts form an important part of ecosystems. Yeast biodiversity in the North West Province, South Africa, remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity and characteristics of yeasts from water sources in the North West Province. Yeasts were isolated from four rivers and an inland lake. Various parameters were measured to determine the physico-chemical quality of the water. Isolation was done on yeast-malt-extract (YM) agar and identified using biological methods. Physico-chemical parameters were within a target water quality range for various water uses. Yeasts were detected at 22 of the 23 sampling sites. Levels ranged from 3 to 8,680 cfu/L and were broadly divided into pigmented and non-pigmented yeasts. Pigmented yeasts could potentially be an indication of pollution, while non-pigmented yeasts could potentially be pathogenic species. Levels of yeasts could be statistically associated with some physico-chemical parameters. A large percentage of isolated yeasts could grow at temperatures ranging from 4 to 40 °C. Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp., Rhodotorula spp. and Zygosaccharomyces spp. were identified. Our results provide preliminary information on the distribution and diversity of yeasts in water sources in the North West Province.