UWCScholar

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The perception of adolescents with cerebral palsy regarding physical activity
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Matshingwane, Katlego
There is a decline in physical activity in people with cerebral palsy (CP) and adolescence is noted to be the age group in which the decline begins. Owing to the detrimental consequences of this decline in physical activity, it is important to explore the perceptions of adolescents with CP regarding physical activity in their age group, which was the aim of this study. The objectives of the study were to explore the knowledge of physical activity in adolescents with CP, to explore their attitudes towards physical activity and to explore barriers to physical activity among adolescents with CP. The research study used a qualitative approach, with an exploratory design using focus group discussion as a tool. The study setting was the Adelaide Tambo School for the Physically Challenged in White City, Soweto, Johannesburg in South Africa. Purposeful sampling was used and the inclusion criteria were both males and females aged 10–19 years with CP only, low to mild speech impairment, no cognitive impairment, in grades 5–12 and with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) of 1–4. The exclusion criteria were learners younger than 10 and older than 19 years, learners with other conditions such as spina bifida and hydrocephalus, severe speech impairment, cognitive impairment and GMFCS of 5. The data were collected through focus group discussions that consisted of 10–12 learners per session undertaken after school for an hour within the school premises with a total of 34 learners. The data were then recorded and stored securely. The results were analysed using thematic analysis that consists of six stages, namely familiarisation with the data, generating initial codes, generating themes, reviewing potential themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report.
Deblending the MIGHTEE-COSMOS survey with XID+: the resolved radio source counts to S 1.4 ≈ 5μJy
(Oxford University Press, 2026) Malefahlo, Eliab; Jarvis, Matt J.; Santos, Mario G.; Whittam, Imogen H.
Deep radio continuum surveys provide fundamental constraints on galaxy evolution, but source confusion limits sensitivity to the faintest sources. We present a complete framework for producing high-fidelity deblended radio catalogues from the confused MIGHTEE maps using the probabilistic deblending framework XID+ and prior positions from deep multi-wavelength data in the COSMOS field. To assess performance, we construct MIGHTEE-like simulations based on the Tiered Radio Extragalactic Continuum Simulation radio source population, ensuring a realistic distribution of star-forming galaxies and active galactic nuclei for validation. Through these simulations, we show that prior catalogue purity is the dominant factor controlling deblending accuracy: a high-purity prior, containing only sources with a high likelihood of radio detection, recovers accurate flux densities and reproduces input source counts down to ~ 3σ (where σ = thermal noise). On the other hand, a complete prior overestimates the source counts due to spurious detections. Our optimal strategy combines the high-purity prior with a mask that removes sources detected above 50µy. Applied to the ~1.3 deg2 area of the MIGHTEE-COSMOS field defined by overlapping multi-wavelength data, this procedure yields a deblended catalogue of 89 562 sources. The derived 1.4 GHz source counts agree with independent P(D) analyses and indicate that we resolve the radio background to ~ 4.8 µJy. We also define a recommended high-fidelity sample of 20 757 sources, based on detection significance, flux density, and goodness-of-fit, which provides reliable flux densities for individual sources in the confusion-limited regime.
UNDER THE HANGING TREE
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Katjavivi, Perivi John
This thesis investigates how haunted colonial sites in central Namibia, most prominently the hanging tree at Otjinene and the battle landscape of Okandjira, function as lieux de mémoire, shaping collective memory, identity, and claims to justice in the present. Building on Pierre Nora’s theorization of memory-sites and Martha & Bruce Lincoln’s work on cultural transmission (with Fanon and Mbembe as additional anchors), the study reads these places as spaces of both primary and secondary hauntings: visceral encounters with spectral histories and their ritual, oral, and cinematic mediations. Ultimately, the Otjinene and Okandjira cases have the power to deepen our understanding of Herero historiography, showing how matrilineal descent, cattle practice, and ancestor veneration infuse colonial trauma with meaning and continuity. Methodologically, the project combines ethnography with creative practice: participatory filmmaking is used both as inquiry and as intervention. Through the Return to the Source Film Lab and the feature film Under the Hanging Tree (https://vimeo.com/681215845 password: UTHT1234), the research follows how communities reanimate suppressed histories, transforming sites of violence into living archives of remembrance, resistance, and repair. In doing so, the thesis contributes to debates on postcolonial memory, spectral justice, and the politics of form, demonstrating how story, song, and ceremony sustain Ovaherero futures from “Mukuru’s tree of life” to landscapes marked by martyrdom and rebellion.
A cloud-based knowledge management tool for small and medium microenterprises in the mining industry of the North West Province in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Ngezana, Odwa Patricia
The global mining industry is a profitable sector with a significant economic impact worldwide. However, the focus of most studies has been on socio-political, environmental factors, as well as the economic benefits of mines. Yet, to ensure their continuous operations, mines rely on essential services and products from ancillary businesses, such as Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises. These enterprises face significant knowledge management challenges that threaten their continuity, competitiveness, livelihoods, and service delivery. Cloud computing offers a powerful solution to enhance these knowledge management practices and improve overall competitiveness. To address this gap, this positivist quantitative study investigated the adoption and effective use of cloud-based knowledge management tools by these ancillary businesses, ultimately providing a practical model for successful implementation. A pre-tested online survey collected data from 120 owners and managers drawn from 476 registered businesses. Google Forms and Microsoft Excel was used for data analysis. The study was grounded in the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and Ba theory, which together provided a multidimensional lens for examining technological, organisational and environmental determinants of adoption. The findings reveal that while SMME owners and managers demonstrate strong willingness to adopt cloud-based knowledge management tools, successful implementation thereof is contingent upon technological readiness, cybersecurity awareness, digital literacy and leadership commitment. Organisational culture and top management attitudes emerged as critical preconditions for adoption. The study makes a significant theoretical contribution by extending and empirically validating the Technology Organisation Environment framework and Ba theory within a semi-rural resource-constrained mining industry context, an area largely overlooked in mainstream innovation and knowledge management research. The study further contributes empirical evidence demonstrating the predominance of informal and fragmented knowledge management practices in mining industry SMMEs. The study’s central contribution is the development of a contextually grounded implementation model for cloud-based knowledge management adoption, bridging theory and practices and offering guidance for digital transformation among SMMEs in similar industries. These contributions strengthen existing research on technology adoption and knowledge management in emerging and sector-specific contexts, while providing insights for SMMEs, policymakers, and stakeholders seeking to improve competitiveness and socioeconomic development through digital innovation.
Legal deposit of e-publications in South African legal deposit libraries
(University of the Western Cape, 2026) Chawuke, Tony Buwa
Legal deposit is a legislative obligation requiring producers of manuscripts to submit copies to designated libraries. Expanding this practice to include e-publications presents unique challenges and opportunities for collection, preservation, and access. This study examined the legal deposit of electronic publications in South Africa. Guided by four research objectives, the study evaluated the legislative framework, institutional infrastructure, potential barriers, and strategies for successful implementation. The study employed an interpretive, sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach. Data were collected from 18 participants representing the Legal Deposit Committee and sub-committees, the publishing industry, designated libraries, the National Library of South Africa, and the Department of Arts and Culture. Online questionnaires and unstructured interviews were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were processed using ATLAS.ti. Findings reveal that while the five South African legal deposit libraries possess the necessary ICT infrastructure, human resources, and budget to manage e-publications, legislative gaps remain. Specifically, the Legal Deposit Act 54 of 1997 and the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 require amendments to ensure the comprehensive preservation of South Africa’s electronic documentary heritage. Consequently, the study recommends legislative and policy updates to include electronic preservation and web harvesting, alongside increased advocacy and a usercentred approach. This research contributes to an under-researched topic, offering vital insights to assist Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals and policymakers in navigating this evolving practice.