UWCScholar

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Recent Submissions

Five shaky pillars – a criticism of the reasoning on which the stay at South Point properties v Mqulwana (SCA) decision rests
(North-West Unversity, 2025) Fick, Sarah
In July 2023 in the case of Stay at South Point Properties (Pty) Ltd v Mqulwana the Supreme Court of Appeal (the SCA) found that student accommodation does not constitute a "home" in terms of section 26(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (hereafter the Constitution). Section 26(3) of the Constitution provides that "[n]o one may be evicted from their home … without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances." The students' "residence" was not their "home". This meant that they could not rely on the protection provided by section 26(3) of the Constitution or the legislation giving effect to this right, the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 (hereafter PIE). This note identifies five shaky pillars that the decision rests on and argues that these pillars may be too weak to uphold the judgment. Importantly, the note does not aim to determine whether a residence should in fact be considered a home. Rather the note intends to highlight the problems with the reasoning of the court in coming to its conclusion.
The multi-wavelength tully-fisher relation in the TNG50 cosmological simulation
(EDP Sciences, 2025) Kunene Sabelo.; Leeuw, Lerothodi L.; Baes, Maarten
Context. The Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) is one of the most important and widely used empirical correlations in extragalactic astronomy. Apart from its importance as a secondary distance indicator, the TFR relation serves as a test for galaxy evolution models, because it connects the baryonic and dark matter components of galaxies. Aims. We aimed at simulating the multi-wavelength TFR relation from UV to mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths for the TNG50 cosmological simulation at z = 0, and at comparing the results with observational TFR studies. Our goal was to compare the wavelength dependence of the slope and scatter with the observed values, and to search for secondary parameters that reduce the scatter in the TFR. Methods. We selected a large sample of simulated late-type, disc-dominated galaxies from the TNG50 simulation. For each galaxy, we used the SKIRT radiative transfer code to generate realistic synthetic global fluxes in 12 UV to MIR broadbands and synthetic integrated HI line profiles. We used bivariate linear regression to determine the TFR in each band, and we searched for a second TFR parameter by correlating the residuals with different physical parameters. Results. Our TNG50 TFR reproduces the characteristic behaviour of the observed TFR in many studies: the TFR becomes steeper and tighter as we move from UV/optical to infrared wavelengths. The slope changes from-7.46 ± 0.14 mag dex-1 in the NUV band to-9.66 ± 0.09 mag dex-1 in the IRAC [4.5] band. Quantitatively, our slopes are well within the spread of different observational results. The u-r colour or the sSFR can significantly reduce the scatter in the UV and optical bands. Using u-r colour as second parameter, the modified TFR has a roughly constant intrinsic tightness of over the entire UV to MIR range. Conclusions. The combination of the TNG50 cosmological simulation and the SKIRT radiative transfer postprocessing is capable of broadly reproducing the multi-wavelength TFR. A better matched sample selection, the use of different characteristic velocity scales, and more advanced internal dust attenuation correction are steps towards a more stringent comparison of the simulated and observed multi-wavelength TFR
Identity, and emergent counter-narratives Of teachers of afrikaans
(University of the Western Cape, 2025) Lu-ann Millicent Kearns
The historical relationship between the Afrikaans language, race and teacher identity is representative of language inequalities which are deeply embedded through language ideology. Language serves as a powerful instrument of inclusion and exclusion but also has the potential to create different ways of ‘being’. In this research, identity, specifically teacher identity, is framed within the ideological margins of language. Language ideology therefore facilitates an in-depth analysis of race, language and identity.
Assessment of the maize Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) using drone-acquired data across different phenological stages
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Kapari, Mpho; Sibanda, Mbulis; Magidi, James
The temperature-based crop water stress index (CWSI) is the most robust metric among precise techniques that assess the severity of crop water stress, particularly in susceptible crops like maize. This study used a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to remotely collect data, to use in combination with the random forest regression algorithm to detect the maize CWSI in smallholder croplands. This study sought to predict a foliar temperature-derived maize CWSI as a proxy for crop water stress using UAV-acquired spectral variables together with random forest regression throughout the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. The CWSI was derived after computing the non-water-stress baseline (NWSB) and non-transpiration baseline (NTB) using the field-measured canopy temperature, air temperature, and humidity data during the vegetative growth stages (V5, V10, and V14) and the reproductive growth stage (R1 stage). The results showed that the CWSI (CWSI < 0.3) could be estimated to an R2 of 0.86, RMSE of 0.12, and MAE of 0.10 for the 5th vegetative stage; an R2 of 0.85, RMSE of 0.03, and MAE of 0.02 for the 10th vegetative stage; an R2 of 0.85, RMSE of 0.05, and MAE of 0.04 for the 14th vegetative stage; and an R2 of 0.82, RMSE of 0.09, and MAE of 0.08 for the 1st reproductive stage. The Red, RedEdge, NIR, and TIR UAV-bands and their associated indices (CCCI, MTCI, GNDVI, NDRE, Red, TIR) were the most influential variables across all the growth stages. The vegetative V10 stage exhibited the most optimal prediction accuracies (RMSE = 0.03, MAE = 0.02), with the Red band being the most influential predictor variable. Unmanned aerial vehicles are essential for collecting data on the small and fragmented croplands predominant in southern Africa. The procedure facilitates determining crop water stress at different phenological stages to develop timeous response interventions, acting as an early warning system for crops.
Simple, rapid, scalable confined synthesis of ultrafine Pt nanoclusters for fuel cells
(Elsevier B.V., 2026) Chidziva, Stanford; Bai, Yiming; Sang, Chengcheng
Small-sized nanoclusters exhibit catalytic activity in electrochemical reactions distinct from the bulk-like properties of nanoparticles 2 nm or larger, yet their surfactant-free synthesis remains a formidable challenge. A scalable microchannel-confined synthesis method enables rapid, controlled formation of 1.12 nm Pt nanoclusters without additional surfactants. Kinetic control achieves a nucleation and growth time of approximately 18.6 s, with heat transfer simulations confirming uniform temperature attainment within 0.5 s. Half-cell and single-cell tests, corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, demonstrate exceptional performance of these Pt nanoclusters in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), achieving a mass activity 1.9 times that of commercial samples and a rated power density of 1.55 W cm−2. This method can employ multiple capillaries assembled into a capillary bundle to enable parallel experiments, highlighting its scalability and potential to advance hydrogen-electricity conversion technologies.