Browsing by Type "Thesis"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 2061
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    A bibliometric analysis of research at the University of Namibia
    (Stellenbosch University, 2023) Katukula, Kelvin Mubiana
    Bibliometric analyses of journals and research institutions have been carried out in several studies and countries. These studies mainly use mainstream bibliographic databases (Scopus and Web of Science [WoS]) as the primary sources for their bibliometric analysis. However, such studies are yet to be conducted for Namibian journals, research institutions, and Namibia as a country. Much more, bibliometric analyses and mapping to examine the research output of a research institution in Namibia are yet to take place. In addition, no existing bibliometric studies in Africa have combined data from Scopus, WoS, and Institutional Library Repositories. This thesis addresses these limitations within a study on research output, specifically, the evaluation of the University of Namibia. In order to achieve this aim, this thesis conducted a bibliometric analysis of the University of Namibia (UNAM)’s research output for the duration of (2010 to 2019). The investigation included various research aspects such as the volume of research output, authorship patterns, and whether the publication outlets are national or international. In doing so, the study developed the first comprehensive database of UNAM’s research output from 2010-2019 and the first such knowledge database in Namibia. Data for the bibliometric analysis were obtained from three bibliographic databases: UNAM-IR, Scopus, and WoS. UNAM-IR was added to reflect the value of using institutional research databases as additional bibliometric data sources. Patterns of research production and research collaboration of UNAM staff members were profiled. This enabled the identification of the collaboration patterns of UNAM staff members as depicted in the publications. The author-level analysis compared the percentages of articles with research collaboration and the authors involved in research and publication. The study’s results can potentially enrich further bibliometric studies on research evaluation for other research institutions in general and in Namibia particularly. They equally have the potential to further the national bibliometric studies for Namibia as a whole. The developed comprehensive database of UNAM’s research output can also be used as a background for developing a national knowledge database. However, the study’s most significant contribution is integrating two mainstream bibliographic databases (Scopus and WoS) with the UNAM IR to create a new database of Namibian-authored articles. Fittingly, recommendations with a view of further study and research policy generally and specifically for UNAM have been made
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    A blockchain-based land titles registry in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Paavo, Johannes Pandeni; Puente, Rodriguez Rafael
    Land administration systems in many countries are vulnerable and lack transparency, which leads to fraud, delays, and significant costs, especially in developing countries like Namibia. This study aims to address these issues by proposing a blockchain-based land titles registry to preserve land rights in Namibia, drawing inspiration from successful implementations of countries such as Sweden. The study employs a quantitative methodology, using synthetic data to simulate real-world land transactions and scenarios, resulting in a controlled experimental environment. The research findings reveal significant dissatisfaction among Namibians with the existing land administration system as a result of various challenges encountered during land registration. The study proposes a hybrid blockchain network as a promising solution, balancing flexibility, transparency, and privacy, with the potential to reduce bureaucratic delays and improve accessibility for all stakeholders. This network's cryptographic foundation ensures data integrity and increases transparency in land transactions, which may influence land rights protection and stimulate economic growth. Despite its potential, the literature review identifies several challenges, such as contract legality, co-ownership management, and legal framework alignment, that must be addressed before widespread blockchain implementation can occur. This study however lays the groundwork for future investigations into infrastructure scalability, legal framework integration, infrastructure challenges, user adoption strategies, and interoperability issues. These critical areas of research will help understand blockchain's transformative potential for revolutionizing land administration systems
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    A cadaveric and magnetic resonance imaging study of the anatomical variations of levator scapulae
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Iita, Ester Ndagwedha; Wessels, Quenton
    Levator scapulae muscle (LSM) is a deep muscle found in the posterior triangle of the neck. It is reported to be a lead cause of neck and shoulder pain and discomfort in patients. The muscle anatomically presents with an average of four muscle slips, originating from the transverse processes of the first four cervical vertebrae (C1-C4) and inserts onto the superomedial border of the scapula. The main function of the levator scapulae muscle is to elevate the scapula. This study aimed to determine the morphometric variation in levator scapulae muscle and its related neurovasculature via cadaveric and MRI studies. There were 20 available cadavers, and their posterior and anterior neck triangles were dissected to expose the levator scapulae and its neurovasculature. The MRI study used randomly selected axial scans (n = 167) to identify accessory attachments of the levator scapulae muscle. The study observed the levator scapulae muscle with two to six muscle slips, with four muscle slips dominating. The average proximal distance was 53.46 ± 13.22 mm, distal distance was 60.63 ± 10.78 mm, anterior distance was 87.10 ± 9.27 mm and posterior distance was 158.08 ± 15.94 mm. The cadaveric study observed the accessory muscle slip attachments to the middle scalene, the first two ribs. The MRI study observed accessory attachments to the serratus posterior superior, serratus anterior, trapezius, rhomboid minor, and splenius cervicis. The levator scapulae muscle was supplied by the dorsal scapular, transverse cervical ascending cervical arteries, and innervated by up to six nerve branches, stemming from C2, C3/C4, and C5 nerve roots. Clinically, the current study is important to medical students, anatomists, radiologists, and physicians, as it confirmed the available data and provided additional knowledge about the levator scapulae muscle and its related neurovasculature, hence voiding misinterpretation of possible muscle anatomy, inaccurate diagnoses and prevent injuries to neurovasculature during surgical procedures. Further research on the levator scapulae muscle is crucial to provide adequate information regarding the levator scapulae muscle variations
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    A comparative analysis of customer expectations and service quality of retail banking in Namibia: A case study of commercial banks in Windhoek
    (University of Namibia, 2020) Herunga, Benestus; Akpo, Simon
    The SERVQUAL instrument was developed in 1988 by Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry as a multi-item scale to assess customer perceptions of service quality in the service industry. Customers judge service quality as low or high depending on whether · the service performance meets their expectations or not. The main objectives of study are to evaluate the service quality dimensions with respect to perception and expectation of customers in retail banking sector at the Windhoek CBD , to ascertain the gap between perception and expectation and to Identify the impact of customer perception/expectation on Perceived service quality. A Purposive and convenience sampling methods were adopted by the researcher to select 200 bank customers for the study. The researcher applied Gap analysis to determine if there was significant difference between customers perception/expectation on perceived service quality. The results indicate the significant difference between all the dimensions in customer perceptions and expectations. Responsiveness, assurance and empathy showed an average negative difference of -0.3,-0.02 and -0.12 for the four banks which means customer expectations are higher than' perception in every dimension. Also, the Tangibility and Reliability showed a positive difference of 0.12 and 0.03. The fmdings seem to suggest that retail banks put attention to improve these dimension's performance and to achieve their _goals in these ,competitive business environment. The study was limited to customers from the four commercial banks in the Windhoek CBD, where the greater part of the research ·was undertaken. Other limitations are that the sample size of the current study. is 200. Out of ~56 targeted. sample size from qomputed statistical formula. Although this sample · size meets the minimum requirement, a bigger sample size should have given more accurate results that could be generalized to environments beyond the Windhoek CBD. Namibia. Again, the study covers only customers from Windhoek Namibia, yet the four banks operate in the retail banking industry country-wide. Hence, other customers of the four banks were excluded from this study
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    A comparative analysis of the effects of public tax education and tax amnesty on tax compliance in Windhoek
    (University of Namibia, 2020) Mwapopi-Hanghome, Elise; Mtigwe, Bruce
    This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effects of public tax education and tax amnesty on tax compliance. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) as the custodian of the management and administration of state funds grapples with a widening budget deficit which is becoming untenable. The Revenue department has accumulated massive tax debts spanning over many decades. This has been aggravated by the imposition of compound interest on outstanding amounts. In most cases, the amount owing now exceeds the capital amount. The causal-comparative research design was adopted in this study as it identifies differences between dependent variables and independent variables. Quantitative research methods with a self-administered questionnaire were used to collect data from taxpayers. A probability sampling frame was then used to ensure that every taxpayer had an equal chance ofbeing selected. Analysis ofVariance (ANOVA) was used to test the research hypothesis because it requires fewer measurements to discover significant effects. Furthermore, descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used in order to explain the effects of public tax education and tax amnesty on tax compliance among Windhoek CBD taxpayers. Based on the outcomes, it comes out clearly that the Inland Revenue Department had no educational programs in place to provide training, teaching, and education to taxpayers. All that they do currently is to remind taxpayers about their tax obligations and compliance while the public lack basic skills and knowledge regarding tax. Whilst it seems that the tax amnesty is aimed at increasing tax revenues in the State Budget, only a handful of taxpayers came forward to participate in the program and the Inland Revenue Department did not collect as much debt owed as expected. The Inland Revenue Department needs to do more to come up with educational strategies to educate tax-payers and ensure that tax-payers gain basic knowledge, especially on filling tax-return forms. They also need to educate taxpayers and create awareness on the importance of tax amnesty programs by ensuring that the public understands the benefits and consequences of the program. Both tax amnesty and tax education programs if well implemented could help to enhance the level of compliance which would help taxpayers to comply voluntarily through all possible ways
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    A comparative study of analgesic effect of caudal bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine versus bupivacaine alone for infraumbilical surgeries in children in Windhoek Central Hospital
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Amaambo, Niita Nelago Tangi; Roche, Tony
    Background: Paediatric pain is frequently underassessed and undertreated due to challenges in pain expression among children, which can result in its under recognition. Untreated pain can potentially lead to long-term consequences on children's emotional and psychological welfare. The use of caudal blocks has evolved to become the most common regional anaesthesia technique for providing intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in children undergoing infraumbilical surgeries. Existing literature has demonstrated that caudal administration with bupivacaine alone typically has a short duration of action, and its analgesic effect can be prolonged by incorporating adjuvants such as dexmedetomidine. The overall objective of this study is to compare the difference in the duration of analgesic effect between caudal bupivacaine alone and bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine by using first time request of ibuprofen syrup based on the modified Hannallah pain score of ≥ 4. Methodology: This was a prospective randomised double-blinded control study and data were collected over a period of five months. The study included children scheduled for elective infra-umbilical surgeries. A total of 50 children, aged 1 – 8 years were recruited and divided into two groups (A and B) of 25 children each. Group A received caudal block with 0.25% bupivacaine at a dose of 0.5 or 1 ml/kg. Group B received 0.25% bupivacaine caudal bupivacaine at a dose of 0.5 or 1 ml/kg with dexmedetomidine (1mcg/kg). Patients were monitored for 24 hours and data were collected using a research questionnaire designed for the study. The data were analysed using SPSS for Windows, version 26.0. (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: For Group A patients, the mean time to first request for rescue ibuprofen was 471±230 minutes. In contrast, Group B patients had a mean of 1339±210 minutes. These differences were statistically significant. Total consumption of ibuprofen syrup was 298.00±150.665 milligrams in Group A and 53.20±82.952 milligrams in Group B, the difference was statistically significant. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the incidence of pain scores, haemodynamic parameters and side effects. Conclusion: The addition of dexmedetomidine significantly extended the duration of analgesia provided by caudal bupivacaine in paediatric patients undergoing infraumbilical surgeries without an increase in the incidence of haemodynamic changes and side effects
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    A comparative study of the male and female discourses on adolescent pregnancy, sexuality and fertility in Groot Aub, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2020) April, Jermine Letitia; Edwards-Jauch Lucy
    This study offered unique insights into the gendered discourses and power relations that create sexual double standards between male and female adolescents. It focused on the mapping of male and female discourses on adolescent pregnancy, sexuality and fertility in Groot Aub, Namibia. The study used critical discourse analysis to compare the cultural values, norms, practices, and perceptions about adolescent sexuality, pregnancy and fertility between men and women. With the use of stratified purposive sampling technique, 41 participants were interviewed using semi-structured and key informant interviews. The findings showed the sexual double standards that were reinforced by patriarchal, traditional and religious discourses. Female sexuality was mostly shamed and it was blamed for teenage pregnancy. These discourses pathologised pregnant teenagers and constructed girls as being sexually promiscuous and damaged. In return, boys who impregnated girls were described as "the guy" or "the man", who acts out of his "natural desires" and who are easily bribed by older women into early sexual debuts. Thus, the lack of male responsibility for their sexuality and fertility was normalised. These discourses inform traditional practices which exasperate gender sexual inequalities and power imbalances between men and women. Furthermore, conservative traditional, cultural and religious discourses dominated adolescent fertility discourses in Groot Aub. These fertility discourses were found to be embedded in gender stereotypes and myths, hence, fostering cultural silence on male sexuality and fertility. The researcher recommends an all-inclusive approach that targets both adolescent girls and boys, as well as women and men in the community on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and teenage pregnancies to mitigate stigma, myths and stereotypes that are attached to adolescent SRH, and to transcend patriarchal and derogative cultural sexuality discourses
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    A comparison of spinal anaesthesia with and without transversus abdominis plane block in patients undergoing elective caesarean section at Windhoek Hospital Complex
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Kakololo, Tonata Si; Jenkins, Brian
    Background: Pain is a known outcome complication of surgery in the post-operative period, especially after Caesarean section. Lack of pain relief postoperatively also poses great risks for patients’ health. The combination of Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block with spinal anaesthesia is emerging as a superior approach for managing postoperative pain, particularly in abdominal surgeries. While spinal anaesthesia provides effective lower body analgesia, it can result in inadequate pain control and side effects like hypotension. TAP block enhances pain relief without the adverse effects associated with spinal anaesthesia. Overall, the integration of TAP block with spinal anaesthesia offers significant advantages in pain management strategies. Aim: The main objective of this study was to compare the benefit of adding transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block to spinal anaesthesia versus spinal anaesthesia alone in patients undergoing elective Caesarean section. Setting and Design: This was a randomised single-blinded control study conducted over a period of six months in the maternity theatres of Windhoek Central Hospital and Intermediate Hospital, Katutura. Methods and Materials: The effect size on pain scores was determined to be the magnitude of the difference between groups, according to a study by Cohen et al. A medium effect size of 0.5, an alpha error of 0.05, and a power of 80% were used to calculate the number of patients required in each group. The result was 64 patients per group. Assuming an average attrition rate of 11% quoted in a similar study, this suggested that 72 patients were required per group so that in total, the study sample size constituted 144 patients. Patients planned for elective caesarean section were randomly allocated to two groups, A and B. Group A received spinal anaesthesia only with 0.5% heavy bupivacaine 9 mg (1.8 ml) and fentanyl 15 mcg. Group B received spinal anaesthesia and TAP block using 40 ml plain bupivacaine 0.25%. (with the same drug doses as in Group A). The analgesic efficacy spinal anaesthesia alone and spinal anaesthesia combined with TAP block was compared over various time intervals (2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively) both at rest and movement. Statistical Analysis: Numbers with percentages were used to represent nominal variables, while continuous variables were summarized in terms of mean ± SD or median and interquartile range, as appropriate. A statistician examined the distribution of the data before iii using the Student's T-test to compare the results from the study groups. When appropriate, the Z score for a two-population proportion was applied. Statistical significance was defined as a P-value of less than 0.05. Results: At both rest and movement, spinal anaesthesia alone consistently showed higher pain scores compared to TAP block across all time intervals. Statistically significant differences were observed with p value of (p= <0.001), except for the 2-hour mark at rest where no significant difference of between the two groups was observed (p=0.97). Conclusion: This study highlights the effectiveness of TAP block as an adjunct to spinal anaesthesia in managing postoperative pain following Caesarean section. Patients who received both spinal anaesthesia and TAP block reported higher levels of satisfaction with their pain relief, compared to those who received spinal anaesthesia alone. These findings underscore the potential benefit of incorporating TAP block into multimodal analgesic approaches to enhance postoperative pain management and patient satisfaction
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    A critical evaluation of the efficacy of the willing-seller, willing-buyer concept in the Namibia’s land reform policy and legal framework
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Haimbili. Rebeka
    Namibia inherited a skewed land redistribution system in favour of a white minority, which necessitated the newly elected government to enact measures to redress this injustice. This study investigated the effectiveness of the willing seller, willing buyer principle and redistribution policies that were enacted to implement the land reform programme. The willing-seller, willing-buyer (WSWB) approach, together with the enacted legislative framework on land have failed dismally in ensuring the equitable distribution of land and in realising the transformative aims of the Constitution. The study analysed the legislative framework to deduce reasons why Namibia has failed to properly address the issue of landlessness 32 years after it attained independence. It also criticises the path of national reconciliation that the government adopted shortly after independence in that it deprived the country of an opportunity to holistically address the inequitable distribution of land. The study found that the major constraints to meaningful land reform are contained in the legislative framework on land, as well as the mixed economy order which undermine the government’s efforts to redistribute land. The study also found that Namibia’s land reform programme does not comply with widely accepted requirements of a successful land reform programme, such as rapidness in implementation, and consensus on the political legitimacy and appropriateness of the mode of land acquisition, which in this case, is the willing seller, willing-buyer policy. Drawing on the experiences of land reforms in South Africa and Zimbabwe this study also found that there is a need to rethink land reform in Namibia, by infusing restorative justice in the land debate, by combining it with other policies that can enhance productivity in agriculture, as well as by easing the burden on the state as the only party responsible for managing and implementing the process of land reform.
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    A geochemical baseline study of giant kelp (macrocystis pyrifera) at the kelp blue farm to assess carbon sequestration potential
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Mutjida, Protasius Shikusho
    The raised levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the earth’s atmosphere have contributed to global climate change, which has adversely affected a wide range of individuals, communities, and organizations. One of the ways to mitigate climate change is to grow a huge amount of kelp forests that can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester it in the deep ocean. To grow these forests, the right biogeochemical conditions (temperature, nutrients, oxygen, salinity, pH, trace metals and ions) within the ocean is vital to assess the sequestration potential and the impacts on the ocean health. This study aimed at monitoring the biogeochemical changes at the proposed Kelp Blue farm and surrounding areas further away from the farm. This study also aims to create a baseline of the chemical composition of the farm and Lüderitz areas, which has not been done before. Using the results obtained from the study, the potential of the cultivated giant kelp to sequester CO2 will be evaluated. This study measured the geochemical parameters using both in-situ probes and laboratory analyses at 10 different locations in Lüderitz (both offshore and coastal): offshore (within the Kelp Blue Pilot project farm, upstream of the farm in the Dumfudgeon rocks, downstream of the farm at Boot Bay and further south of Lüderitz at the Halifax island) and the coastal areas which are adjacent to the offshore study areas including at coastal site of Guano Bay which is about 17 km and the coastal area of Grossebucht which is about 20 km south the town of Lüderitz as another control site. This study also collected sediment samples at these offshore sites including further north of Walvis Bay at the different latitudinal transects. The sediments were analysed for trace metals by using a portable XRF and for carbon content by LOI (Loss on Ignition) method. Another geochemical analysis done was the titrimetric method to CO2 determination of seawater by using NaOH as a titrant the end points were determined. The concentrations of nutrients (phosphates and nitrites) in seawater samples were determined by adding them to a 10 mL cuvette, which had been zeroed first. A specific nutrient reagent was then introduced, and using ii prescribed sample preparation techniques, a spectrophotometer was employed to measure the concentrations of the nutrients in µg/L and mg/L. The geochemical parameters changed in relation to the seasonality and geographical positioning. In a season when the upwelling system was strong, the concentration of nutrients, acidity and the value of the pH, salinity, other geochemical parameters increased more, compared to other seasons and the further southern sampling sites resembled to that of the Southern Benguela Upwelling System (SBUS). Higher concentrations of phosphates (614 µg/L) were found in areas close to the islands. This is due to the presence of guanos. These remarkable long duration geochemical measuring results shows that the cultivated kelp can co-exist with other natural existing kelp beds in this ecosystem, and they can thrive more predominantly in season of great influx of nutrients during the season of strong winds. With a dynamic Benguela upwelling eastern boundary, these kelp forests have an enormous potential to grow more and will function as carbon absorber and eventually sequester more carbon when cultivated at larger scale. To quantify the carbon sequestration potential of these giant kelps, there are other areas to be investigated such as developing a sediment carbon baseline using isotopic analyses, lipid biomarkers, identifying sediment hotspots where the kelp will be deposited, developing a carbon dioxide removal model and geochemical dispersion models. All these other areas will be developed from the baseline being developed by this study. This study recommends that a continuous and rigorous monitoring of the water and sediment geochemical changes be done as the kelp forest grows and as the scale of operation expands
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    A geochemical study of gallium, germanium and indium, in sulfide mineralisation of the Kombat, Tsumeb and Khusib springs deposits, Otavi Mountain Land, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Shalimba, Ester; Wanke, Ansgar
    Carbonate-hosted base metal deposits are known to contain significant contents of critical metals such as Ga, Ge, and In. These metals occur mainly as inclusions or incorporated within the crystal lattice of the main sulfide minerals while they form rarely discrete minerals. The aim of this Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) study is to determine the geochemical characteristics of the critical raw metals that are associated with the sulfide mineralisation of the base metal deposits of the Otavi Mountain Land, with the emphasis on the Tsumeb, Kombat and Khusib Springs deposits. Tsumeb mine is an over the decades exploited breccia-pipe like polymetallic deposit, hosted by Neoproterozoic dolomite and limestones in the Otavi Group of the Damara Orogenic Belt. Exploitation took place between 1897 and 1996, with a production of about 30 Mt of ore, yielding 1.7 Mt Cu, 2.8 Mt Pb, 0.9 Mt Zn, and 80 t Ge. Mineralisation at this deposit consists of tennantite and sphalerite as the most abundant ore minerals, associated with galena, pyrite, bornite, chalcocite, digenite, and minor enargite, renierite, germanite, chalcopyrite, and traces of various arsenates. Kombat deposit, which is a stratabound, syntectonic Cu-Pb (Ag) sulfide deposit, is hosted in the dolomite of the Hüttenberg Formation, Otavi Group. Mining of the Kombat deposit is currently ongoing, with a total endowment of approximately 13.6 Mt, of which 12 Mt has been exploited until 2008. The ore mineralisation of the Kombat deposit is quite variable comprising massive, disseminated, veinlet-controlled, and brecciated mineralisation styles with abundant bornite, chalcopyrite, galena, covellite, and chalcocite set into quartz-calcite gangue. Khusib Springs deposit is a high-grade Cu-Pb Zn deposit which is classified as a “Tsumeb-type deposit”, hosted by Neoproterozoic dolomite, limestone and phyllites of the Maieberg Formation, Otavi Group. The main aim of this study is to show the siting of the most important minor and trace elements in the diverse sulfide mineral phases and to highlight the relationships between common trace elements and critical metals within the sulfide mineral phases. Various analytical techniques, including laser ablation inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (LA-ICP MS), electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), were employed to study the bulk ii geochemistry and the siting of the trace elements, for the sole purpose of answering the above-mentioned objectives. Additionally, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) technique was utilized with the aim of evaluating the possible usability of a low-cost analytical technique in exploration for base and critical elements in carbonate-hosted sulfide mineralisations. The Kombat mineralization comprises three mineral assemblages (1) bornite-chalcopyrite-covellite, (2) bornite-galena-chalcocite, and (3) bornite-chalcopyrite, set into dolomite-quartz-calcite gangue, with chalcopyrite identified as the main carrier of Ga, Ge, and In in this deposit. The profound micro-analysis of Tsumeb ore revealed the presence of both Ga and Ge, associated with trace elements (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, In, Ni, Pb, Sb, Zn), in the different sulfides. The most significant carriers of Ge are renierite (av. 8.21 wt.%) and enargite (0.78 wt.%), while Ga is mainly incorporated into renierite (av. 0.12 wt.%) and sphalerite (av. 0.11 wt%). Trace element abundance in sphalerite is characterized by elevated Cd, Ge, and Ga, suggestive of low formation temperatures, which corroborates with earlier research on the formation of Tsumeb ore. Reconnaissance Zn isotope data (-0.19 to 0.14‰) delineate Tsumeb ore as typical Zn-rich massive sulfide ore, with Zn isotope values overlapping with those of the Irish MVT deposits (-0.17 to 1.33‰), while Cu isotopes are comparable to isotopic data of hypogene mineralisation. In Khusib Springs ore, tennantite (Fe, Zn, Ag, Sb) and chalcopyrite (Cu, Pb, Ag) are the most important carriers of trace elements while all other sulfides are characterized by a surprisingly low trace element content. In contrast, Khusib Springs massive ore reveals a wealth of Ag-bearing minerals of the pearceite-polybasite mineral group. Modern portable tools are successfully applied for the analyses of selected elements in various fields. Portable XRF can be used as well for the analyses of selected elements (Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn) in Kombat-type ore, while these instruments fail for the analyses of elements like Ag, Sr, and, in particular, for the analyses of the target elements Ga, Ge, and In. Therefore, this study gives a detailed overview about the relationship between critical elements Ga, Ge, and In and associated elements in sulfide ores in the carbonate-hosted base metal deposits of the Otavi Mountain Land, while showing at the same time the limitations when access to modern analytical technologies is limited
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    A human rights analysis of housing informality in Namibia: Challenges, ambitions, and misses
    (Maastricht University, 2023) Nakutta, John Boniface; Coomans, Fons
    This thesis set out to assess the legislative, administrative, and financial measures taken by the Namibian Government to address the proliferation of informal settlements in the country as per the dictates of international human rights law. It did this by applying the OPERA framework of triangulation of outcomes, policy efforts and resource allocation in the context of the right to adequate housing. The triangulation depicts tales of nonrecognition, deprivation, dereliction of duties, deterioration, a lack of urgency, and a serious accountability gap. In other words, a total disconnect between the policy efforts and resource allocation and spending patterns to deal with the scourge of housing informality in the country. The thesis flag these as the main attributors for the scope and severity the living conditions in informal settlements and/or the endemic housing poverty in the country. Addressing the scourge of housing informality in Namibia will require unprecedented political leadership, dedicated and vastly increased resources, and closing the accountability gap
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    A new model to measure the effects of price to book ratio and interest rate on share price volatility of financial institutions in emerging markets
    (University of Namibia, 2019) Lopez, Yansy Caridad Odio; Kruger, Jan Walters
    The development of studies in the field of trading activities in emerging markets are taking relevance in the last time (Leite, Klotzle, Pinto & Ferreira da Silva, 2018). This study attempts to be part of existing literature on the topic of trading opportunities in developing nations. The present research objective was to design a new model to measure the effects of price to book ratio as a fmancial indicator related to bank share prices and interest rates on share price volatility of fmancial institutions in emerging economies. The data analysis method used in this academic work was regression analysis. This was done by developing multiple regression models in Microsoft Excel to fmd relationships between variables of the study. The model includes three variables: one dependent variable (share price volatility) and two independent variables (price to book ratio and interest rates). Secondary sources such as journal articles and the publicly available online database for the Central Bank of Brazil were used to collect information. The model designed was implemented to test its validity in the Central Bank of Brazil for the period December 2016 to September 2018. The researcher found no relationship between price to book ratio and interest rates and share price changes in the Central Bank of Brazil from December 2016 to September 2018. The researcher interpreted this to mean that changes in the price of shares of the Central Bank of Brazil were not predicted by price to book ratio and yields in the period from December 2016 up to September 2018. It is considered that fmancial institutions must have instruments to measure and control financial and macroeconomic indicators in the banking sector, such as share prices and yields indicators, to contribute to increase fmancial growth by making informed decisions. This is an academic professional tool to be used by researchers, students, fmancial managers, investors, policymakers and shareholders as a source of literature for studies. This research has contributed to existing literature on trading activities in emerging countries, and how to study fmancial and macroeconomic variables that can influence stock price direction in developing nations, such as price to book ratio and yields
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    A pragma-dialectical approach in television talk show argumentation: A case study of the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation’s one-on-one discourse
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Sibalatani, Cecilia Chuma; Sabao, Collen
    This study investigated the argumentative discourse of the Namibian Broadcast Corporation (NBC) One-on-One talk show interviews between the host and a guest. Although the interviews present different guests per sitting, the host is an NBC employee assigned to the interview segment and is couched within the theoretical explications of pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation (van Eemeren, 2017). The pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation is fundamentally a broad spectrum of the study of linguistics that has, through its development and growth, shifted its interest and focus from abstractions of formal logic to a more structured interest in pragmatics. This theory has since been more concerned with pragma-dialectics encompassing the rules of argumentation, strategic manoeuvring, and effectiveness through reasonableness. The discourse in argumentation varies in a range of how influential political figures represent or defend their points of view on the issue at hand. Specifically, the study represented a qualitative establishment of television show discourse, and it was primarily focused on investigating the patterns of pragma dialectics in which the host of the talk show and the guest strategically manoeuvred to resolve differences of opinion. In the same vein, the study investigated whether the resolution of the differences of opinion was achieved and how effectiveness and reasonableness played any role in the process of the arguers' attempt to defend their standpoint on issues under discussion. The data was collected from archived audio recordings transcribed into readable text files. The topics of the talk show discussions covered were on issues pertaining to Namibia’s social, economic and political spheres. The analysis employed the pragma-dialectical method to evaluate the data. The findings, on one part, demonstrated that three turn-taking strategies played a vital role in the argumentative discourse in the following ways: the arguers (especially the host) used the turn-holding strategy in order to maintain and prolong their window of talking. This was more prevalent in the repetitive use of "but", and "and". The arguers also used turn-claiming as a strategy by interjection and conjunctions such as “but!”, “really!’ and “Oh!” Turn-yielding strategy was also used but rarely. The arguers decided to give up their turn to talk when deemed necessary and when they seemed to have exhausted their stance in opinion. This benefitted the opponent ii in the argument by rendering them more time to express and defend their standpoint at certain issues. The findings further reflected that, through the constellation of argumentative moves displayed by the arguers, argumentative patterns were employed through their typology of standpoints, a difference of opinions, argumentative schemes and argumentative structure. It was also observed that the arguers strategically manoeuvred at every stage of the discussion to maintain their standpoint; in this regard, argumentative patterns came up as a result of strategic manoeuvring. By trying to observe the importance of being effective and reasonableness, the arguers still strategically manoeuvred. Although there are numerous pragma-dialectic studies on talk shows, the study concluded that there was a need for improvement in journalistic communication skills between One-on One talk show in terms of strategic manoeuvring and adhering to the rules that apply in every argumentation stage. It is recommended that further studies should be carried out directed towards communication skills in television shows, especially in situations where non-native English speakers struggle to express their opinions and fail effectively to defend their viewpoints due to language barriers and poor argumentation strategies
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    A retrospective evaluation of antimicrobial management among patients with sepsis in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Gaborone Private Hospital in Botswana
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Jolomba, Charles Waitse; Jonkman, Lauren
    Sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection, demands swift and precise antimicrobial intervention. Even though antimicrobial guidelines crafted in high-income countries are employed in low-income settings, these regions encounter unique challenges, including differences in pathogen ecology, high HIV co-infection rates, prevalent comorbidities, and frequent antimicrobial shortages. Such challenges can lead to deviations from standard guidelines, impacting sepsis management and potentially influencing mortality rates. This research adopted a quantitative cross-sectional approach aimed to scrutinize the appropriateness of antimicrobial treatment for sepsis and to determine the susceptibility patterns of prevalent pathogens among sepsis patients in an ICU at a private hospital in Gaborone. A time period prior to COVID-19 was selected to avoid the effects of the pandemic on prescribing. This study used a total population sample of 132, where all patients meeting the inclusion criteria in the selected data range were included. Results show central nervous system infections are the most prevalent infectious source, constituting 20.5% of cases. Notably, even though a substantial proportion of empirical antibiotic treatments are confined to standard guidelines, utilization of local guidelines was associated with an increased odds of death, which requires further study and evaluation. (OR 3.68, CI 1.28-10.6, p=0.012), The study underscores the importance of regularly updating guidelines to reflect current practices, ensuring optimized sepsis management
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    A statistical analysis of endogeneity and instrumental variables of education on income in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Nanyemba, Maria K.
    Education is a well-known driver of income and a causal factor for economic prosperity and social development in modern society. It provides one with capital such as qualification, knowledge and skillsets relevant to secure stable gainful employment, as well as increase one’s income, improve health conditions and general welfare. However, the measurement of the influence of education most often suffers from endogeneity suspicion due to the possible presence of a correlation between the education variable and the error term. This presents a critical issue when performing a cause-and-effect relationship analysis as neglecting endogeneity can lead to unreliable estimation results even when dealing with large samples because estimators of the model parameters will be inconsistent. To date, most studies that focuses on analysing the effect of education in Namibia have done so with other factors such as fertility and not income, while most of these studies used regression approaches such as the linear regression and logistic regression methods to perform their respective analyses. However, no study has simultaneously tried to account for the endogeneity of both education and income in Namibia. Thus, using the 2015/2016 Namibia Household Income and Expenditure Survey as well as accounting for the possible presence of endogeneity and for non-linear effects of continuous observed confounders, this study aimed at estimating the impact of education on income in Namibia, in addition to exploring different modelling strategies to capture the relationship between income and education, and other socio-economic and socio demographic factors. A total of 495,311 households containing 2,250,122 individuals aged 18 to 60 years who have been to school and have earned salary and/or wage as their source of income ii in the last 12 months of the survey period were considered in this study. Three different modelling strategies were carried out, namely: (i) Basic Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression without considering the clustering, stratification and weighting factors, (ii) Basic OLS regression considering the clustering, stratification and weighting factors, and (iii) Instrumental Variables & Two Stage Least Squares (IV-2SLS) regression, while the best fit modelling strategy to use for exploring the relationship between income and education, and other socio-economic and socio-demographic factors was determined using the Durbin and Wu-Hausman test of endogeneity. Results from this study showed that majority (82.1%) of the households in Namibia derived their source of income from salary and/or wage in 2015/2016. The IV-2SLS was identified as the best modelling strategy to use since the Durbin and Wu-Hausman test of endogeneity confirmed the presence of endogeneity (i.e, education must be endogenous), thus, making the OLS strategies unreliable to use. Furthermore, factors such as education, age, sex, marital status, type of work, employment period, total hours worked and transport mode to work had positive and significant influences on income, while factors such as region, dwelling unit type, main material for the wall, household size, and no contribution to investment had a negative and significant influences. However, the type of employer had a mixed effect on income. In addition, the IVs estimators revealed that the average rate of return of schooling was 13% which was higher compared to the OLS estimates of 5%. It is therefore recommended that the Namibian government and policy makers consider boosting more funding into education, especially in communities within the rural and underdeveloped regions still having traditional dwelling households whose structures are made of corrugated iron/zinc sticks, wooden poles, clay and/or cow dung. In addition, as part of their poverty alleviation strategies, the government should iii ensure the distribution of equitable resources, particularly the educational resources, to enhance the development of rural and underdeveloped regions so that they too can benefit from high-quality education opportunities in the country
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    A study of employees' perceptions of corporate social responsibility management in the Namibian banking industry
    (University of Namibia, 2016) Tjitamunisa, Salomo; Ali, Shameen
    This study investigated the employees' perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Management in the Namibian Banking Industry. This study addressed the following research questions: How do the Namibian banking industry employees perceive CSR and what is their perception of the role of CSR and commitment to community welfare and development? CSR refers to all of an organisations impact on society and the need to deal responsibly with the impacts on each group of stakeholders, shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees and the community. Secondary data has been obtained from existing available literature and primary data were collected from survey data. A quantitative (questionnaire) research design was used to collect different data about the employees and management's perceptions ofCSR. The study found that the employees' perceptions of corporate social responsibility in the Namibian banking industry are poor. Employees do not appear to understand corporate social responsibility and most employees have poor perceptions about CSR and therefore CSR is not well applied in the Namibian banking industry. On the basis of the results ofthis research, it can be concluded that most bankers understand CSR as donating or giving back to society and they fail to understand it as the sustainable usage of scarce resources for future generations. The study concluded that there is a need for top management to undertake the internal marketing of their CSR efforts and to educate middle and junior management and employees about CSR and its importance to the banking industry and for the future generations. Adequate training and employee education on CSR awareness should be implemented; the banks should incorporate CSR strategies into their overall operational and strategic plans of the bank
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    A study on the historical and contemporary significance of Omwele Gwoshipika among Aawambo communities
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Hangula, Ndamian N.; Akawa-Shikufa, Martha
    Omwele Gwoshipika is (or was) one of the celebrated objects of Aawambo material culture of the 19th to 20th century, and an object of historical status in the social and political structure of Aawambo communities. Omwele Gwoshipika excelled as a tool for the king to exercise political and social authorities in Aawambo subjects. The aftermath of Germany's colonial administration over Namibia from 1884 to 1915 has resulted in some of the Aawambo material culture being taken away to Germany. Omwele Gwoshipika was among the items taken away from the source communities to Germany in 1909 and kept in the Berlin Ethnographic Museum. The removal of Omwele Gwoshipika by the Germans as an instrument of authority in the royal delegation of power left a void in hierarchical representation of the king in the Aawambo kingdoms. This study attempts to establish the significance of Omwele Gwoshipika among the Aawambo communities, their views on its restitution to Namibia and it is design structure. The data of the study were collected using a qualitative research method, which incorporated focus group and semi-structured interview with groups and individual participants. The study found out that Omwele Gwoshipika has a very great historical significance in the world of kings1 . There is mixed feelings among Aawambo regarding the contemporary importance of Omwele Gwoshipika. The study established the excitement and joy among the Aawambo regarding the restitution of Omwele Gwoshipika and that the ancient design of Omwele Gwoshipika can be reinstated. Moreover, the study established mixed feeling whereby some Aawambo communities felt that the restitution of Omwele Gwoshipika is not valuable because the traditional and spiritual ways that used to keep Omwele Gwoshipika have been compromised. The study concluded that for Omwele Gwoshipika to be successfully re- integrated in use in Aawambo community with its original cultural characters, there are certain behavioural changes that Aawambo youth need to favour such as discipline, orderliness and adhering to the accepted standards of Aawambo cultural behavioural norms for the re-integration of Omwele Gwoshipika to be installed successfully among Aawambo communities’.
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    A study on the medicinal potential of Artemisia afra, a traditionally used herb in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Farmer, Wennyth Luzaann; Bruwer, Iwanette
    The use of plants as medicines to relieve various symptoms, as well as to manage and cure ailments has been recorded since ancient times. Much interest in these ethnomedicinal plants stems from their long-standing use in traditional medicine. They are still regarded as making important contributions to health care even though great advances have been made in modern medicine. Traditionally, Artemisia afra (‘Wilde als’) is used to treat the common cold, flu and coughs, as well as nasal congestion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities in Namibia used ‘Wilde als’ as a treatment for the disease. Little is known about the efficacy and safety of ‘Wilde als’ found in Namibia. This study aimed to identify the bioactive classes of compounds for ‘Wilde als’; as well as to determine the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities and the cytotoxic properties of the plant. Extracts of ‘Wilde als’ were prepared by aqueous and organic extraction methods, using water and a mixture of methanol and dichloromethane (1:1 v/v). The phytochemical profile was determined using thin-layer chromatography. The total flavonoid content within the extracts was also determined. The albumin denaturation assay was used for determining the in vitro anti-inflammatory response of the extracts of ‘Wilde als’ using egg albumin derived from a fresh hen’s egg as the protein source. The DPPH antioxidant assay was used to determine the radical scavenging activity of the plant extracts using 2,2-diphenyl-1- picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate also known as DPPH, and the MTT cytotoxicity assay was used to determine the cellular reduction of the tetrazolium salt, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, also known as MTT. The Vero E6 cell line, a kidney epithelial cell line was used to determine cell proliferation and survival during the MTT assay. The in vitro antiviral effects of the plant extracts against a pseudovirus of SARS-CoV-2 were determined by calculating the reduction of the SAR-CoV-2 in ii the Vero E6 cells. The extracts of the ‘Wilde als’ possessed flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, steroids and terpenoids, with TFC with the highest at 19.89 % for the organic extracts of the twigs. The extracts of A. afra exhibited significant antioxidant activities ranging from 0.1029 to 9.4197 μg/ml with the highest activity observed for the aqueous extract of the leaves. The extracts of A. afra also exhibited significant anti- inflammatory activity. The highest anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extracts was observed for the organic extract from the combination of the leaves and twigs (87.5 % at 100 μg/ml). The plant extracts displayed antiviral potential against the beta-strain of the SARS-CoV 2 virus, with the organic extracts exhibiting higher inhibition of the viral load with EC50 values of 48.84 μg/ml (leaf extracts), 24.65 μg/ml (twig extracts) and 251.67 μg/ml (combination of the leaves and twigs extracts). The results of the MTT cytotoxicity assay indicated that the aqueous extracts showed little to no cytotoxicity; the organic extracts on the other hand showed high cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 134.12 μg/ml (leaves and twigs), followed by 151.53 μg/ml (twigs) and 182.31 μg/ml (leaves). The findings of this study suggest that ‘Wilde als’ has the potential to be used as an antiviral agent with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as the possible mechanisms of action, with low cytotoxic effects for the aqueous extracts. The organic extracts, however, were cytotoxic, but when used in the correct doses, they can have significant health benefits. This study also provides evidence that the use of ‘Wilde als’ an herbal remedy in the south of Namibia is rational and consistent with research from other regions of Africa
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    A stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo wedding songs in a book entitled Oshipapa Moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi
    (University of Namibia, 2024) Ndove, Nathan Eliab Ndinomholo; Mbenzi, Petrus A.
    The purpose of this study was to analyse the stylistic features that are employed in Oshiwambo wedding songs in Oshapapa moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi. The data was collected through a desktop research by analysing documented wedding songs in the aforementioned book. No participants were involved in the collection of data in this study. This study used a qualitative research approach that allowed the researcher to stylistically analyse Oshiwambo wedding songs. The study employed the theory of stylistic criticism as presented by Ngara (1985) and the meaning theory of Leech (1981) as the theoretical framework. The theory of stylistic criticism accounted for both linguistic and literary aspects of oral poetry. By employing this theory, the researcher analysed the stylistic features that are employed in Oshiwambo wedding songs in the book titled Oshapapa moonkuluhedhi by Petrus Mbenzi at the different levels of language. The theory of meaning deals with semantics as a branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words in language. The theory assisted the researcher to identify how meaning was conveyed in Oshiwambo wedding songs.The study revealed that the stylistic features are appropriate for the Ovawambo tribe as the stylistic features help Ovawambo to deliver the intended messages effectively. The study identified rhyme, dialects and onomatopoeia as stylistic devices under phonology. The study further revealed the lexical devices such as borrowing, repetition, anaphora and parallelism. Syntax is another language aspects which is discussed in this study; the identified devices that are discussed in this language aspect are: sentence length; types of sentences; questions as stylistic features; rhetorical question, hortative sentences and refrain. At semantic level, the study identified simile, metaphor, euphemism, anti-thesis and enjambment as the stylistic and linguistic features that were analysed in Oshiwambo wedding songs. This study contributes to the study of literature, specifically a stylistic analysis of Oshiwambo. The knowledge acquired through this study could be utilised by other scholars as literature in the same field of specialisation. This study, therefore, recommends that more research should be conducted on Oshiwambo wedding songs, particularly on their functions, performance and paralinguistic features