West Of Johannesburg Research Articles

Life orientation teachers’ experiences of providing psychosocial support to high school learners in the Johannesburg West district

In this article we report on a study in which we explored life orientation (LO) teachers’ experiences in providing psychosocial support to high school learners in the Johannesburg West district. High school learners are in the adolescent developmental stage, which is marked by major shifts in physiology, cognition, and social interactions, rendering them vulnerable to psychosocial problems. To cope with these challenges, they need sufficient age-related guidance and support. However, there is a shortage of social workers, registered counsellors and psychologists who are trained to provide psychosocial support for these issues in South African educational settings. As a result, LO teachers are frequently left with the responsibility of providing these services. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted with 15 LO teachers from 11 schools (Quintiles 1 to 4) in the Johannesburg West district. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that LO teachers play a critical role in providing psychosocial support to learners. They are, however, exposed to stressful experiences, which make them vulnerable to vicarious trauma, implying that they require support. It is thus recommended that they be provided with opportunities for debriefing and counselling.

Intermediate Phase learner performance in English: A quantitative analysis

Background: According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS, 2006 with 87%, 2011 with 82%, 2016 with 78%, 2021 with 81%), an international reading comprehension assessment conducted at the Grade 4 level, South African learners perform very poorly in reading comprehension, even when reading in their African home languages.Objectives: To analyse learner performance in the Intermediate Phase (IP) focusing on English First Additional Language (EFAL) before and after the implementation of the Primary School Reading Improvement Programme (PSRIP) in Johannesburg West (JW) district. The study aims to analyse EFAL learning gains obtained during the pilot phase of the PSRIP in JW district.Method: Quantitative data (learner performance in EFAL) was collected from South Africa-School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS) in six schools in JW. Learner performance marks from Term 1 before PSRIP was implemented and from Term 4 after PSRIP implementation were analysed quantitatively using System Analysis Program Development (SAP) data and analytics solutions.Results: Learner performance analysis based on the DBE pass rates indicates positive outcomes, learner performance increased in 3 out of 6 schools; however, based on the PSRIP pass rates, only 2 out of 6 schools managed to get 90% of their learners obtaining at least 50% in EFAL after PSRIP was introduced.Conclusion: Implementation of PSRIP affected learner performance positively; however, more support is needed to meet the PSRIP targets.Contribution: Based on these findings, there is a need to further investigate how (if at all) the PSRIP strategies can be used in other languages that are taught at IP level. Study results will inform language in education policies. Furthermore, the Department of Basic Education’s reading campaigns may adopt the benefits of the PSRIP in improving literacy development in other South African languages including the indigenous languages.

A Consumer’s Perspective of the Clover Tropika Brand: Building Brand Extensions by Leveraging the Parent Brand’s Reputation

The primary objective of the study was to investigate how brand extensions can leverage on the parent brand image in order to achieve a positive brand extension perception. This was investigated in accordance with specific brand building constructs. The study focused on a consumers’ perspective of the Clover Tropika brand within emerging economic areas. The research was based on a quantitative approach which adopted convenience sampling at Mall intercepts. A total sample of 238 consumers responded to a self-administered questionnaire at Southgate and Maponya Mall which are located in the south west of Johannesburg. All respondents were above the age of 18 and consented to participate in the research by willingly placing their completed questionnaires in the box provided on the day. The data techniques used included Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) which had a core focus on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) which assisted in confirming the relationships proposed in the conceptual model. SEM also focused on path modelling to determine the causal relations. Nine out of the ten hypotheses proposed had a significant level of p<0.001 proving support for the proposed hypotheses. The research found that there is a significant relationship between brand awareness and brand attitudes, as this hypothesis had the highest path coefficient score. After the research was conducted. It was noted that high recall and recognition of the parent brand, accompanied by favorable attitudes, are key factors in leveraging on the parent brand image to build brand extensions. Moreover, brand extensions need to have high perceived fit in order to leverage extensively on the parent brand image.

Understanding the perceived psychosocial impact of father absence on adult women

Given South Africa’s social, historical, political, and economic landscape which has contributed towards a relatively high prevalence of father absence, particularly in Black families, and the risk of adverse implications for children’s psychosocial development, the issue of absent fathers is an important area for research. However, the differential impact of father absence on the girl child remains relatively under-researched. Hence, the study explored the perceived psychosocial impact of father absence during childhood and adolescence on adult women. A case study research design located within a qualitative research approach was employed and nine adult women aged 18 to 35 years were purposefully recruited from Grobler Park, Johannesburg West for participation in the study. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three participants were interviewed telephonically and seven face-to-face. The research was guided by Mkhize’s sociocultural psychological tradition and Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data. Among the key findings was that the women perceived the experience of father absence to have adversely affected their feelings of belonging and sense of identity, with some participants having suffered emotional and financial challenges. Participants acknowledged a lack of healthy relationships with other men associated with having grown up with an absent father. While most of the women adopted positive coping strategies, a small number resorted to negative coping. There was also recognition of the important roles that social fathers assume in child-rearing. These findings have important implications for promoting positive father-daughter relations.

Weathering the storm: Learning strategies that promote mathematical resilience

Most learner achievement studies tend to focus on identifying individual characteristics, ignoring the learning strategies that promote mathematical resilience. The focus of the study is on the assets embedded in an individual and their interplay with the environment. It is expected that resilience plays a deciding role in learners’ foreground with the potential to affect learner mathematics achievement in constrained environments positively. This study, framed within the socio-ecological perspective of resilience, explored how disadvantaged learners learn mathematics in a disadvantaged environment in the Further Education and Training band in South Africa. A total of nine (five boys and four girls) Grade 12 learners learning mathematics in disadvantaged environments from Johannesburg West and Johannesburg Central districts were purposively selected and one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with them. This thematic report pays attention to the qualitative phase of a broader study that employed a sequential exploratory design that draws from the work of Vygotsky, Carroll and Skovsmose. The framework focuses on the dynamic interactions between learners and the connection between the home and the school. Accordingly, the findings revealed two interrelated themes, namely foreground and growth strategies. These themes make apparent the connection between the context and the interpretation of the context by an individual as translated into decisional processes. Implications for teachers are discussed.

"I am 30 and I have nothing": the context of reception and the lived experiences of foreign migrants working as car guards in Johannesburg's West Rand.

South Africa is an important destination for immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Migration and its impact remain significant in South African society: demographically, politically, economically and socially. Many migrants are forced to take up informal income-generating activities such as day labouring and car guarding. This study investigated the lived experiences and context of reception of foreign migrant car guards using a survey instrument among formal car guards working in the parking lots of shopping centres in the western part of Johannesburg. Demographic data, employment history and objective and subjective indicators were used to assess their socio-economic and labour market outcomes. The subjective well-being of the migrant car guards was analysed using descriptive statistics and an ordered probit model. The study revealed the extent and depth of the vulnerabilities experienced by individuals subjected to working in the informal economy as well as being migrants. They have to tolerate sub-standard employment in the informal sector as there are no other viable options. At the same time, they must provide for dependants back home. The result is emotional stress and low levels of subjective well-being. Migrant car guards' unique labour market status and relationship with the shopping centres and car guard companies deserve urgent research attention.

Moving Monuments

The shifting relationship between physical monuments and the public memory that they seek to construct is explored through a photographic and textual examination of the social and political forces behind the construction and subsequent relocation of the Irish Brigade Monument in South Africa. Unveiled in 1975 in Johannesburg, the monument celebrated the memory of the Irish Brigade: “physical force” Irish nationalists who fought on the side of the Boers against the British in the South African War (1899–1902) in what has been celebrated as an early act of anti-imperialist solidarity. The design of the monument and its location on the west of Johannesburg represents a crisis in both the strategy of memorialization and a particular moment within Afrikaner nationalism. In 2001 part of the monument was unilaterally relocated to the white-separatist settlement of Orania by a grouping of white right-wingers in order to save it from demolition. Against the background of the 2015 #RhodesMustFall protests by black students in South Africa directed against the public symbols of previous regimes, this essay argues the Irish Brigade Memorial was the product of a strategic alignment between Irish settler nationalism and Afrikaner nationalism in response to the success of the international campaign to isolate the apartheid regime in the 1970s. The subsequent history of the monument, and its relocation to Orania in 2001, reflects the changing balance of forces within Afrikaner politics and the emergence of a modernist separatist tendency within that politics.

Kwesbare groepe in die informele ekonomie: ʼn Gevallestudie van motorwagte in Johannesburg se Wesrand

Suid-Afrika se hoë vlakke van motorverwante misdaad en hoë werkloosheid het oor die laaste 25 jaar aanleiding gegee tot die ontwikkeling van ʼn kenmerkende Suid-Afrikaanse praktyk waar mense teen ʼn fooitjie na voertuie by winkelsentrums se parkeerterreine omsien. Mense wat óf hul werk verloor het óf nie ander werk ooit kon kry nie, werk as motorwagte in Suid-Afrika. Hier geniet hulle bitter min, indien enige, van die beskerming wat die arbeidsbedeling aan formele werkers bied. Hulle is dus inderdaad ʼn uiters kwesbare groep in die informele sektor. Hierdie artikel is gegrond op ʼn opname onder 110 motorwagte in Roodepoort en Crown Mines in 2017 met die doel om die sosio-ekonomiese kwesbaarheid van motorwagte te ondersoek. Motorwagte is kwesbaar op beide sosiale- en ekonomiese vlakke. Motorwagte verdien ʼn lae inkomste en moet terselfdertyd ʼn aansienlike gedeelte van hul inkomste aan inkopiesentrums of motorwag-agentskappe betaal. Die gemiddelde motorwag in die opname verdien tussen R7.31 en R21.94 per uur. Die gemiddelde fooi per uur is bereken as R12.60 ten tye van die opname. Die huidige minimum loon per uur in Suid-Afrika is R20. Dit beteken dat die gemiddelde motorwag gemiddeld minder per uur verdien as die wettige minimum loon in die land. As daar in gedagte gehou word dat die bogenoemde syfers boonop bruto bedrae verteenwoordig (die motorwagte moet nog uit hierdie inkomste hul daaglikse fooi aan die motorwagorganisasie of winkelsentrum betaal), is die ekonomiese kwesbaarheid van motorwagte baie duidelik. Hierdie kwesbaarheid word vererger deur die onsekerheid ten opsigte van toekomstige inkomste. Hul werkomstandighede stel hulle bloot aan verskeie gesondheidsrisiko's en hulle is daagliks uitgelewer aan die elemente soos erge hitte en koue. As hulle nie werk nie (as gevolg van byvoorbeeld siekte), verdien hulle geen inkomste nie. Die rol van motorwagagentskappe en die groeiende aantal immigrante in die bedryf is belangrike areas vir toekomstige navorsing.

Arsenic concentration in groundwater: Archetypal study from South Africa

South Africa does not have significant surface water resources, which is often easily affected by unpredictable and rapidly changing climatic variables, due to its location in the arid and semi-arid climatic setting. In large part of the country, groundwater from weathered and fractured crystalline rocks plays pivotal role in sustaining the livelihood, often it contains toxic metals released from the host rocks. The host rocks that are responsible for arsenic release in groundwater are primarily enriched due to metamorphism and igneous processes that resulted in the enrichment of economic minerals. Preliminary assessment indicates that the main arsenic containing minerals are arsenopyrite (FeAsS), arsenical oxide, sulpharsenide, arsenopyritical reefs, leucopyrite, löllingite (FeAs2) and scorodite (FeAsO4·2H2O). Owing to the release of arsenic from highly mineralized rocks that constitute the aquifers, arsenic concentration in the groundwater reaches up to 253 μg/L (Namaqualand), 6150 μg/L (west of Johannesburg), about 500 μg/L in the Karoo aquifers, considerably higher than the WHO guideline value of 10 μg/L. Acid mine drainage from coal and gold mining is also found to be an important source of arsenic and other toxic metals in groundwater.

Collaboration between school management teams and governing bodies in effectively managing public primary school finances

The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 requires school governing bodies (SGBs) to take responsibility for the management of school finances. However, research in this field of study revealed that many SGB members lack the necessary knowledge and financial skills to effectively and efficiently manage schools’ finances. This has resulted in more financial responsibilities assigned to principals, who in turn solicit the assistance of other members of school management teams (SMTs), which include heads of departments (HoDs) and deputy principals. Given that principals and SGBs grapple with the demands of managing financial resources effectively, this study explores the necessity for SMTs to collaborate with principals and SGBs. Qualitative research was used to determine the factors that drive or hinder authentic collaboration among SMT members and SGB governors in the Gauteng West and Johannesburg West education districts. This research followed an interpretivist approach, focusing on the descriptive, contextual and exploratory nature of the inquiry. Findings revealed that collaboration between members of the SGBs and SMTs on school finances are usually non-existent. It is recommended that more structures and opportunities should be created to enable effective communication and teamwork among various role-players. Cultivating and sustaining collaborative relationships between members of SGBs and SMTs will certainly contribute to effective financial management. Keywords: budgeting; collaboration; financial management; professional management; school management teams; teamwork

Small hotels and responsible tourism practice: Hoteliers’ perspectives

Responsible tourism is embraced globally as one of the vectors to achieving the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this article attempts to establish the understanding of responsible tourism among owners of small budget hotels in the Johannesburg West Rand Region, South Africa. The conclusion it reaches is that a general appreciation of responsible tourism does not translate into being responsible in daily operations. The paper proposes a ‘Best Responsible Tourism Model’, which identifies four ways that small hotels can be encouraged by the public sector to participate in responsible tourism, including education, economic motivation, marketing motivation and building social networks. Combined, these feed into the Theory of Planned Behaviour variations, normative beliefs, behavioural beliefs and control beliefs, which will determine the behaviour and perceptions of hoteliers on Responsible Tourism Practice. Participatory democracy should be adopted by hoteliers and other key responsible tourism actors to augment understanding and practice of responsible tourism in small hotels.

Effectiveness of Feedback and How It Contributes to Improved Instruction and Learner Performance: A Case Study of Newly Qualified Mathematics Educators in Johannesburg West Schools in Gauteng Province

Effectiveness of Feedback and How It Contributes to Improved Instruction and Learner Performance: A Case Study of Newly Qualified Mathematics Educators in Johannesburg West Schools in Gauteng Province

Receptor modelling and risk assessment of volatile organic compounds measured at a regional background site in South Africa

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have significant impacts on climate and human health. Certain VOCs are proven to be carcinogenic and toxic, which can affect human health directly and indirectly. In order to develop climate change reduction strategies and to assess the impacts of VOCs on human health, it is crucial to determine the sources of VOCs, which can be emitted from biogenic and anthropogenic sources. The aim of this study was to perform source apportionment using positive matrix factorisation (PMF) analysis on VOC data collected at a regional background location affected by the major sources in the interior of South Africa, which include the western- and eastern Bushveld Igneous Complex, the Johannesburg-Pretoria metropolitan conurbation, the Vaal Triangle, the Mpumalanga Highveld and also a region of anti-cyclonic recirculation of air mass over the interior of South Africa. In addition, a risk assessment study was also performed in view of the major source regions affecting Welgegund in order to quantify the impacts of anthropogenic VOCs measured at Welgegund on human health. Measurements were conducted at the Welgegund measurement station located on a commercial farm approximately 100 km west of Johannesburg for a period of more than two years. PMF analysis revealed ten meaningful factor solutions, of which five factors were associated with biogenic emissions and five with anthropogenic sources. Three of the biogenic factors were characterised by a specific biogenic species, i.e. isoprene, limonene and 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO), while the other two biogenic factors comprised mixtures of biogenic species with different tracer species. The temporal factor contribution for the isoprene, limonene and MBO factors correlated relatively well with the seasonal wet pattern. One anthropogenic factor was associated with emissions from a densely populated anthropogenic source region to the east of Welgegund with a large number of industrial activities, while another anthropogenic factor could be related to coal combustion. An anthropogenic factor was also identified that reflected the influence of solvents on atmospheric VOC concentrations, while two anthropogenic factors were determined that indicated the influence of farming activities in close proximity to Welgegund. A lifetime cancer risk- (LCR) and non-cancer hazard ratio (HR) assessment study conducted for VOCs measured at Welgegund in relation to three source regions indicated that the non-cancerous influence of VOCs measured in the source regions is significantly lower compared to the cancerous influence of these species on human health, which raises concern. However, LCR values were within an acceptable range. Factor analysis performed in this paper also identified sources that could be targeted to minimise VOC-related LCRs and HRs e.g. benzene-related cancers can be reduced by targeting incomplete combustion sources and coal combustion.

Visitors’ views of human origins after visiting the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site

The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, west of Johannesburg, was designated in 1999 because of its importance as a locality where numerous hominid fossils have been discovered since the 1930s. In this article, responses to questions from a survey of more than 800 adult visitors to the Cradle of Humankind visitor centres are analysed, covering their understanding of the concept of the ‘cradle’ and their views on human evolution. Findings indicated that 63% of the respondents conceptualised the cradle as the origin or birthplace of humankind, and a similar proportion thought that nowhere else could be called the Cradle of Humankind (77% of people of South African nationality thought this). Nearly 60% of respondents accepted that humans evolved from an ape-like ancestor, while 25% disagreed. South Africans were less likely to accept human evolution than their international counterparts. The great majority of participants who accepted human evolution based their agreement on various forms of evidence and their knowledge of evolution. A religious foundation was used for their rationale by 60% of those who rejected evolution, with 33% citing evidence for their rejection. The implications of the findings are discussed in the light of public awareness and human origins.

Transfer Rates of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th for E. globulus, A. mearnsii, H. filipendula and Hazardous Effects of the Usage of Medicinal Plants From Around Gold Mine Dump Environs.

Medicinal plant consumption can be a source of human exposure to radioactive elements such as 238U and 232Th, which can lead to internal radiation doses. The uptake of 238U and 232Th from soils to the leaf samples of three different medicinal plant species (Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia mearnsii and Hyparrhenia filipendula) from the purlieu of the Princess gold mine dump, an abandoned contaminated tailings storage site (TSS), located at longitude 27°55′00″E and latitude 26°09′30″S in Davidsonville (Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, South Africa) was measured. This was done using ICP-MS spectrometry and substantial differences were observed in the soil-plant transfer factor (TF) values between these radionuclides. The plant species E. globulus exhibited the highest uptake of 238U, with an average TF of 3.97, while that of H. filipendula was 0.01 and the lowest TF of 0.15 × 10−2 was measured for A. mearnsii. However, in the case of 232Th, the highest average TF was observed for A. mearnsii (0.29), followed by E. globulus (0.10) and lowest was measured for H. filipendula (0.27 × 10−2). The ratio of TF average value i.e., 238U to 232Th in the soil-plant leaves was 38.05 for E. globulus, 0.01 for A. mearnsii and 4.38 for H. filipendula.

The impact of post gold mining on mercury pollution in the West Rand region, Gauteng, South Africa

The impact of historical use of mercury (Hg) for the extraction of gold was assessed in watersheds from an abandoned mine in Randfonetin, a town located at 45km west of Johannesburg (South Africa), which has a long history of gold mining, and its surroundings. The majority of analyzed waters at the site were acidic with pH ranging between 2.9 and 5.0. Elevated total Hg concentrations (HgTOT) were measured in waters (up to 223ngHgL−1; mean: 52ngHgL−1) as well as in surface sediments (up to 2580μgHgkg−1; mean: 970μgHgkg−1) from the old mine site. The Krugersdorp Game Reserve watersheds which are directly downstream from the mine drainage appear to become impacted by the pollution from historic gold mines. The high HgTOT measured in a borehole (223ngHgL−1) suggests a groundwater contamination in the area.Hg transported downstream from the mine site is also susceptible to methylation. Relatively high CH3Hg+ (MHg) values were measured in waters (up to 2ngMHgL−1) and surface sediments (up to 10μgMHgkg−1) with significant enrichment in bulk sediments. The methylation of Hg seems to be controlled by factors such as the inorganic Hg content, redox potential and the organic matter content.Sequential extraction procedures together with geochemical modeling have demonstrated the predominance of nonsoluble Hg species (91–95%) in studied soils and the existence of a number of Hg species in watersheds. Diverse mechanisms were proposed to explain both vertical and horizontal transport of Hg at the site.

Movements, protests and a massacre in South Africa

The Marikana Massacre of August 2012 exposed the most unstable configuration of forces in post-apartheid South Africa, forged through entrenched social and economic inequalities, ecological degradation, indebtedness and corruption. Dissent against prevailing power relations had arisen over many years, with impoverished communities registering thousands of ‘service delivery protests’, seemingly without either resolution or maturation into durable social movements. However, the critical missing linkages between trade unions and urban communities were finally found in Rustenberg, 100 km west of Johannesburg, in a strike which fused labour, social, gendered, environmental and other interests. In the months following the Marikana, it became apparent that some sought to weave a genuine national revolt of the sort witnessed in 2011 across North Africa. However, this challenge to the elite political economy faced extreme difficulties, with fragments of populist, post-nationalist and working-class politics remaining isolated from the largest trade union, Communist Party and nationalist forces within the working- and middle classes.

Membrane assisted passive sampler for triazine compounds in water bodies—Characterization of environmental conditions and field performance

In this work, a simple, inexpensive and very selective membrane assisted passive sampler (MAPS) that does not use organic solvents, based on a thin walled silicone hollow fibre membrane for extraction of ionizable organic compounds in water bodies is reported. The potential for passive sampling of basic compounds is demonstrated. By changing the acceptor solution from acidic to basic conditions, the MAPS can be successfully used to extract acidic organic compound. The influence of environmental factors such as temperature, sample matrix and hydrodynamics on enrichment factors and sampling rates have been investigated in order to calibrate the passive sampler for measurement of TWA concentration of triazines. The selectivity, extraction efficiency and enrichment factor of the developed sampler has been compared to the Chemcatcher passive sampler. It was found that the chemical uptake of basic triazine compounds into the passive sampler remained linear and integrative throughout the 7 days exposure periods. For atrazine, propazine, prometryne and terbutryne a large 3 days time lag was experienced. A plot of natural logarithms of the amount taken up by the sampler against exposure time gave linear relationship for these compounds. The sampling rates for individual triazine compounds increased with change of hydrodynamic conditions from static to turbulent. The presence of 20 mg L −1 humic substances in solution was found to have no significant effect on the concentration of compounds trapped in the acceptor solution. Once these compounds are trapped in the acceptor solution they do not diffuse back during the deployment period. A strong dependence of the sampling rates on the type of protective cover used was noted. Stainless steel protective cover was found to be the better than the iron mesh as it did not rust during deployment. The detection limits on HPLC with UV detection ranged from 0.50 to 4.50 μg L −1 for MAPS, 0.40 to 3.50 μg L −1 for Chemcatcher passive sampler and 0.35 to 4.50 μg L −1 for SPE with 7 days exposure of passive samplers. Preliminary field trial of the potential of the MAPS to monitor ionizable triazine compounds in Hartebeespoort dam found west of Johannesburg, South Africa was compared to Chemcatcher and SPE technique with C 18 sorbents for grab samples. No quantifiable amounts of triazine compounds were found in any of the deployed passive samplers in the preliminary field applications. Triazine compounds were also not detected in grab samples after SPE. However, data from laboratory studies support the feasibility of MAPS to measure the freely dissolved fraction of ionizable organic chemicals in water. The MAPS also exhibited slightly better selectivity towards matrix components found in natural water compared to SPE technique or Chemcatcher with C 18 disk as trapping media.

SUBSURFACE GAS GENERATION AT A LANDFILL IN JOHANNESBURG

Landfill gas (LFG) consisting of 50-60 % v/v CH4 contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions as well as to local air pollution and nuisance odours; in addition, the uncontrolled subsurface migration of LFG can pose an explosion hazard. LFG is explosive mostly due to its CH4 content. CH4 is explosive at concentrations of 5-15 % in air. Venting of the gas to the atmosphere prevents any explosion risk; however, the concern lies with the lateral migration of CH4 through soil and along cracks and its subsequent accumulation. This highlights the importance of subsurface LFG monitoring. In this study, subsurface LFG generation is measured at a solid waste disposal site situated approximately 20 km west of Johannesburg. The results of three first-order kinetic models (to estimate LFG generation) for the site are compared. The three models are LandGEM, GasSim and the IPCC model contained in the 2006 UNFCCC 2006 National Inventory Guidelines for waste. High LFG concentrations are recorded along the northern boundary of the site (exceeding 60% v/v). Modelled LFG generation simulations are slightly higher from LandGEM whilst the IPCC Waste Model predicts the lowest concentrations.

Threats and opportunities for post-closure development in dolomitic gold mining areas of the West Rand and Far West Rand (South Africa) – a hydraulic view Part 1: Mining legacy and future threats

For long periods in the history of South Africa gold mining formed the backbone of an otherwise agriculturally-dominated economy, initiating rapid urbanisation in often remote and underdeveloped farming areas. This paper explores examples from a mined-out goldfield west of Johannesburg (West Rand), where consequences of mine closure can currently be observed, as well as from an active goldfield on the Far West Rand. Both areas are linked by the Wonderfonteinspruit, a stream drawing much national and international media attention for its high levels of radioactive pollution. Dating back more than 120 years, the impacts of gold mining and later uranium mining on the natural environment are profound and complex, perhaps most affecting the rich groundwater resources found in the exceptionally well-karstified dolomite that underlies most of the catchment area. Mining-related impacts such as large-scale land degradation associated with dewatering of karstic aquifers and widespread pollution of surface water and groundwater systems are discussed. Based on this, potential threats and opportunities for post-mining scenarios are identified in a series of 3 papers. Part 1 of this series outlines impacts of mining, particularly on the natural water resources, and possible consequences associated with the future re-watering of currently de-watered dolomitic compartments. The need for a regionally-integrated approach to the closure of highly interconnected mines is stressed and timelines of the closure process estimated. In Part 2 the emphasis is on identifying possible opportunities for post-mining development centred mainly around the utilisation of exceptional karst features and associated water resources. Part 3 aims to quantify uncertainties associated with planning in miningdominated environments by comparing historical predictions with factual developments.Keywords: gold mining, West Rand, Far West Rand , dolomite, karst, dewatering, water pollution, tailings, uranium, mine closure, re-watering