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International agricultural trade is a pathway by which pests and diseases can be transported and introduced to new areas. We examined South Africa's import of kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) as a pathway for the introduction of mites in... more
International agricultural trade is a pathway by which pests and diseases can be transported and introduced to new areas. We examined South Africa's import of kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) as a pathway for the introduction of mites in the genus Brevipalpus (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). Kiwifruit is imported as fresh fruit and propagation material from various countries. This study aimed to analyse the risk posed by these mites associated with the importation of kiwifruit over a period of 11 years (2009–2019). The majority of mite interceptions were associated with fresh fruit (97 %) mainly from Italy. Five mite species were recorded: Brevipalpus obovatus, B. chilensis, B. hondurani, B. lewisi and a new, undescribed species in genus Brevipalpus. The majority of specimens intercepted belonged to the new species. Any species not present in South Africa, particularly this Brevipalpus sp. nov., may pose a potential threat to South Africa's agricultural and horticultural industries and environment as well as biodiversity. The introduction of these species is a major phytosanitary concern because these polyphagous Brevipalpus spp. could find favourable conditions for their survival, development, reproduction and dispersal since South Africa is a country of diverse environmental conditions and various host plants.
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Energy demand and consumption across the world are increasing, putting much pressure on current supply. The solar PV system has become one of the most promising renewable energy technologies. The p...
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Biomass energy accounts for more than 90% of the total rural energy supplies in developing countries. The combustion of domestic biofuels results in the emission of trace gases such as CO2, CO, NO and CH4 and aerosols. Such gases have a... more
Biomass energy accounts for more than 90% of the total rural energy supplies in developing countries. The combustion of domestic biofuels results in the emission of trace gases such as CO2, CO, NO and CH4 and aerosols. Such gases have a significant influence on climate and biogeochemical cycles. Trace gas emissions in this study were estimated based on the amount of domestic biofuel used by rural households across southern African countries. This study found that South Africa contributes the most trace gases to the regional budget (9.12 Tg C a−1 of CO2, 0.89 Tg C a−1 of CO, 10.77 Gg N a−1 of NO and 30.25 Gg C a−1 of CH4) and Botswana the least (0.25 Tg a−1 of CO2, 0.02 Tg a−1 of CO, 0.29 Gg a−1 of NO and 0.83 Gg a−1 of CH4). Fuelwood is the dominant fuel type used in all southern African countries and contributes to high emissions of trace gases. Annual CO2, CO, NO and CH4 emissions produced in Southern Africa are 23.0 Tg C, 2.2 Tg C, 29.4 Gg N and 81.4 Gg C, respectively.
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The democratic government of South Africa has inherited the worst racially skewed land distribution in the world. Whites owned 87% of the agricultural land, whilst blacks owned 13% of the agricultural land. The government of South Africa... more
The democratic government of South Africa has inherited the worst racially skewed land distribution in the world. Whites owned 87% of the agricultural land, whilst blacks owned 13% of the agricultural land. The government of South Africa has a challenging, but necessary responsibility of ensuring that land reform is speedily addressed so as to meet the socio-economic and developmental needs of all people, particularly in rural areas. This monograph brings together views and opinions on land reform challenges in South Africa. It highlights how the apartheid policies and systems have led to imbalance and racial allocation of land. It also brings facts on the urgent need for land reform, and challenges hampering progress on land reform. The monograph also demonstrates the links between land reform and rural development, and explores gender equity in the allocation of land. The idea of this monograph is to encourage all sectors to engage and debate about land reform challenges until com...
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We evaluated the phytosanitary risk associated with illegal importation of pest-infested plant commodities into South Africa. Samples were collected from different South African ports of entry over 8 years (2011 to 2019) and data were... more
We evaluated the phytosanitary risk associated with illegal importation of pest-infested plant commodities into South Africa. Samples were collected from different South African ports of entry over 8 years (2011 to 2019) and data were analysed descriptively using Statistical Software Package. Pests were frequently detected on commodity species such as Citrus (18.31%), Zea mays (13.22%), Phaseolus vulgaris (12.88%), Musa spp. (9.15%) and Fragaria ananassa (5.08%). The highest number of pests intercepted occurred on fresh fruits (44.06%), followed by grains (26.44%) and vegetables (14.23%). The most intercepted organisms were Callosobruchus rhodesianus (7.79%), Dysmicoccus brevipes (7.11%), Callosobruchus maculates (6.10%) and Phyllosticta citricarpa (4.74%). The majority of intercepted organisms were non-quarantine organisms (70.50%), followed by pests of unknown status (17.28%), quarantine pests (10.84%) and potential quarantine pests (1.35%). Phyllosticta citricarpa, Bactrocera dor...
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South Africa experienced major outbreaks of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), causing direct damage by feeding on both vegetative and reproductive parts of host plant. The study was conducted to... more
South Africa experienced major outbreaks of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), causing direct damage by feeding on both vegetative and reproductive parts of host plant. The study was conducted to determine the level of impact of fall armyworm on small-scale maize famers after the outbreak of fall armyworm and their control strategies at Ga-Mashashane and Mankweng villages in the Limpopo province. Semi-structured questionnaire was designed to gather information on the damage caused by fall armyworm, economic impact on the local market and control measures on fall armyworm. Using a snowball sampling procedure, 63 small-scale maize farmers from the two villages of the Limpopo province, South Africa, were randomly selected for this study. The results showed that all participants could correctly identify the fall armyworm and reported it as the most important maize pest during 2016–2017 cropping season. The maize yield loss experienced by affecte...
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Colophospermum mopane, commonly known as mopane, is a dominant tree or shrub in the mopane woodland. It is widely distributed in the low-lying areas of southern Africa's savanna. Despite its wide distribution, ability to survive... more
Colophospermum mopane, commonly known as mopane, is a dominant tree or shrub in the mopane woodland. It is widely distributed in the low-lying areas of southern Africa's savanna. Despite its wide distribution, ability to survive water stress conditions, and value as a source of browse for herbivores, especially during the dry season, there is limited knowledge on mopane leaf production and phenology as well as its implications to browsers.
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This review paper advocate for women rights to land because land is central for effective implementation of rural development and land reform initiatives. This is critical because women constitute the majority of people in rural areas and... more
This review paper advocate for women rights to land because land is central for effective implementation of rural development and land reform initiatives. This is critical because women constitute the majority of people in rural areas and represent the highest number of people working on the land mainly for subsistence purposes. However, the rights of women to access and own land in most African countries is still not proportional to what men enjoy. Customary laws and cultural practices are used to systematically deny women rights to access and own land. Eliminating discrimination in land is essential in order to redress the impoverishment of millions of women in the African continent. This review paper therefore advocate for equal rights in the allocation of land. It also provides insights and discussion on gender-based land allocation.
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Colophospermum mopane, commonly known as mopane, provides essential browse to the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), especially during the dry season. This study uses analysis of rumen-contents to quantify the use of C. mopane and... more
Colophospermum mopane, commonly known as mopane, provides essential browse to the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), especially during the dry season. This study uses analysis of rumen-contents to quantify the use of C. mopane and other plants browsed by the greater kudu in the dry season. The study was conducted at the Sandown Game Farm, Musina Local Municipality, Limpopo Province of South Africa. Rumen samples were collected from three male and two female greater kudu culled in June 2014 and statistically analysed using t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means and Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis. Findings show that C. mopane contributed the most (47%) to the diet of the greater kudu during the dry season. Other important browse plants were Dichrostachys cineria (30%), Commiphora edulis (12%), Grewia bicolor (6%) and Combretum apiculatum (5%), with the contribution of T. prunioides and G. flava to the diet being insignificant. The plant parts mostly browsed were leaves, which contributed 75% to the diet. The remaining 25% of the diet consisted of pods and seeds. Gender differences in diet selection were observed. The diet of the female greater kudu consisted mainly of C. mopane (71%) and D. cineria (22%). The diets of the male greater kudu contained less C. mopane (33%), similar proportions of D. cineria (31%) and other browse species. Implications for the management and conservation of the greater kudu in the mopani veld are discussed.
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Energy utilisation in South Africa is by far characterised by high dependence on cheap and abundance available coal. Coal utilisation for energy production makes South Africa to be the largest emitter of CO2 in Africa. Renewable energy,... more
Energy utilisation in South Africa is by far characterised by high dependence on cheap and abundance available coal. Coal utilisation for energy production makes South Africa to be the largest emitter of CO2 in Africa. Renewable energy, such as solar energy technologies has the potential to reduce the emission of trace gases to the atmosphere. South Africa has the best solar resources in the world, average daily solar radiation varies between 4.5 and 7 KWh/m2. The country has the potential of generating up to 24 000 MW of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) by 2030. The unfortunate situation is that there are no Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plants in South Africa. Such gaps jeopardise efforts to reduce emission of trace gases to the atmosphere. The Conference of the Parties (COP17) need to address infrastructural, regulatory framework, skills and funding impediments on climate change mitigation efforts. This study seeks to establish the production, contribution and growth impediments of solar energy technologies in South Africa, mainly focusing on CSP and solar PV. We also critically review policy challenges with regard to solar energy production in South Africa. Our findings shows that the production of solar energy technologies is mainly hampered by weak institutional arrangement, strict regulatory framework, lack of skills, policy uncertainty and gaps as well as economic climate. Current contribution of solar energy technologies to energy security and climate mitigation effort is at this point negligible due to lack of CSP and PV plants. The distribution of solar energy across the country is spread in accordance with economic hub compared to solar energy potential. Areas around North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga have good solar potential but the application is very minimal.
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South Africa has scarce surface water and consequently groundwater is the only other means of meeting drinking water demand. It is estimated that approximately 15 million people in South Africa rely on groundwater for domestic purposes.... more
South Africa has scarce surface water and consequently groundwater is the only other means of meeting drinking water demand. It is estimated that approximately 15 million people in South Africa rely on groundwater for domestic purposes. However, groundwater often has some undesired solutes. The concentration of fluoride in drinking water is of concern because excessive fluoride can result in dental decay to users. This was the case in the majority of villagers using groundwater at Dididi village in the Thulamela Municipality in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The assessment of groundwater quality is therefore of critical importance in order to determine the fitness of water for domestic use. Groundwater samples were taken from Luwini spring in Dididi village, Limpopo Province. Sample results showed a mean fluoride concentration of 4.6 mg/l, which is significantly higher than the fluoride level of 0.75 mg/l recommended in South Africa and the 1.5 mg/l recommended by WHO for domestic water use. Defluoridation was attempted using wood ash, which is a naturally produced material following wood burning. pH adjusted and pH unadjusted experiments were undertaken to assess the effects of pH in defluoridation. The adjusted pH was 5.38, while the unadjusted pH was measured at 9.37. The experimental results showed a relative effect of adjusted pH versus unadjusted pH during fluoride removal. The wood ash treatment resulted in a significant drop in fluoride levels from 4.6 mg/l to 0.3 mg/l, which is well within acceptable standards. This shows that wood ash materials are capable of fluoride removal and further studies need to be done to assess the potential of other natural, viable and cost effective materials that can also be used in defluoridation.
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This paper provides the lessons learned from an attempt by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop a National Information Society Learnership in... more
This paper provides the lessons learned from an attempt by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop a National Information Society Learnership in Ecological Informatics (NISL: EI). Ten unemployed graduates were selected in 2004 to be part of two years NISL: EI learnership programme. The results show that the programme had succeeded in making candidates employable, with 90 percent of the learners working in different science and technology sectors, and two Honours degrees having been awarded. Challenges for higher level learnership development and implementation are identified and possible solutions are discussed.
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The Native Land Act of 1913 led to the eviction of many black South Africans from their productive land, leaving them landless in the country of their birth. The Promise of Land, with its 13 chapters by national and international... more
The Native Land Act of 1913 led to the eviction of many black South Africans from their productive land, leaving them landless in the country of their birth. The Promise of Land, with its 13 chapters by national and international scholars, comes at the right time, as South Africa is searching for solutions to correct the past racial allocation of land.
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Savannah is the most extensive biome supporting fires in Africa and thus contributes to the largest source of trace gas emissions. The relative proportion of trace gases emission varies in response to the ease in which biomass can burn,... more
Savannah is the most extensive biome supporting fires in Africa and thus contributes to the largest source of trace gas emissions. The relative proportion of trace gases emission varies in response to the ease in which biomass can burn, as determined by fuel moisture, size, type and load. As a result, this chapter determines the effects of fuel moisture, type, size and load on CO2, CO and NOx emissions during biomass burning in southern Africa’s savannah. Data used was obtained from the SAFARI 2000 collaborative research project on biomass burning emissions over southern Africa. The study covers southern African countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Namibia and Malawi. Results show that fuel moisture content is an essential factor that determines fuel burning behaviour and thus emissions of trace gases. Emissions of CO2, CO and NOx are high when fuel moisture content is smaller than 5%, and then decline with an increase in moisture above that level. Burning of bush fuels (larger t...
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The use of Colophospermum mopane wood was quantified from six villages in the northeast of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. One hundred and eighty individuals were interviewed from the selected villages. Three villages were located in... more
The use of Colophospermum mopane wood was quantified from six villages in the northeast of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. One hundred and eighty individuals were interviewed from the selected villages. Three villages were located in the depleted woodlands and the remaining three at abundant woodlands. Traditional governance structures within the selected villages and relevant conservation department officials were also interviewed. Colophospermum mopane is an essential source of fuelwood and provide poles used for construction of traditional structures. Each family uses 6.8 ± 0.1 kg of Colophospermum mopane fuelwood for cooking day -1 in the woodland depleted villages, while 8.2 ± 0.2 kg is used at the woodland abundant villages. Colophospermum mopane is preferred for construction
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The National Assembly and Legislatures in South Africa are constitutionally mandated to establish mechanisms for conducting oversight over the executives and holding them accountable for using public resources. As a result, the committees... more
The National Assembly and Legislatures in South Africa are constitutionally mandated to establish mechanisms for conducting oversight over the executives and holding them accountable for using public resources. As a result, the committees such as the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) were established by the National Assembly and Legislatures in order to conduct oversight in the public sector, including state-owned entities. These Committees play a critical role in ensuring that public funds are spent effectively, efficiently and economically for the benefit of the public. The effectiveness of the PACs is thus critical in ensuring that quality service is delivered to the public. However, the effectiveness of the PACs is hindered by various challenges requiring urgent interventions as proposed in this paper.
Public Accounts Committees (PACs) has significant role to play in enhancing oversight and accountability for the use of public funds. This paper discusses the role of PACs in promoting effective, efficient and economic (EEEs) use of... more
Public Accounts Committees (PACs) has significant role to play in enhancing oversight and accountability for the use of public funds. This paper discusses the role of PACs in promoting effective, efficient and economic (EEEs) use of public resources for the benefit of the public. It also provides the theoretical background, practical experiences and challenges faced by PACs in executing their mandate. The question addressed in this article is “whether PACs within the respective Legislatures are effective and efficient in performing their mandate as enshrined in the Constitution”. Based on empirical evidence of financial misconduct, fraudulent activities, and corruption cases in the public sector, it is argued that more still need to be done by the PACs in order to continuously improve its work. Institutions such as APAC, Auditor General, National Treasury and South Africa Legislative Sector need to continuously capacitate PACs Members and support staff on oversight and accountabilit...
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In celebration of the year 2011 as the International Year of Forests, we have reviewed various reports and scientific articles that demonstrate the significance of plantation forests to the livelihoods of society. We found that plantation... more
In celebration of the year 2011 as the International Year of Forests, we have reviewed various reports and scientific articles that demonstrate the significance of plantation forests to the livelihoods of society. We found that plantation forests play a significant role through creation of employment, contribution to food security and provide diverse free environmental services. The main objective of this review is to raise awareness about the value of forests, challenges in plantation forests and to share knowledge that could promote sustainable forest management for the benefit of current and future generations.
CarboAfrica also aims to provide analysis of CO2 fluxes from soil, fire, atmosphere and other ecological variables. This article report on the progress made on CO2 fluxes from soil at the Kruger National Pak. Soil respiration measurement... more
CarboAfrica also aims to provide analysis of CO2 fluxes from soil, fire, atmosphere and other ecological variables. This article report on the progress made on CO2 fluxes from soil at the Kruger National Pak. Soil respiration measurement is an ongoing activity undertaken by the Council for the Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) since 2000 at Skukuza, Kruger National Park.
The second CarboAfrica Field Training Workshop was held at Phalaborwa, on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park, South Africa, 10th - 15th March 2008. The workshop was organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research... more
The second CarboAfrica Field Training Workshop was held at Phalaborwa, on the outskirts of the Kruger National Park, South Africa, 10th - 15th March 2008. The workshop was organized by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Natural Resources and the Environment. The objective of the workshop was to expose trainees to a range of field-based methods relating to carbon cycle measurement. This relates to the CarboAfrica Workpackage 5, which focus on communication and capacity building, particularly to African institutions and stakeholders, and the dissemination of data and information.