Graduation - 2025 - March (Open Access)

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    The history of the Moravian Brass Band Union of South Africa (BBSA) as told through the personal histories of members, and its contemporary role in the Moravian Church in South Africa (MCSA)
    (Stellenbosch University, 2025-03) Joorst, Rudolph Zacharias; Muller, Stephanus; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Music.
    This thesis explores the history and contemporary significance of the Moravian Brass Band Union of South Africa (BBSA) within the Moravian Church of South Africa (MCSA). Established in 1951, the BBSA has played a pivotal role in promoting brass band music as an integral part of worship and community life within the MCSA. The research traces the origins of the BBSA, with its roots in the missionary activities of the Moravian Church and the establishment of brass bands within the mission stations, particularly in Genadendal. The thesis investigates how the BBSA has contributed to the musical and spiritual development of the church, highlighting its enduring role in fostering community cohesion and religious engagement. Through a combination of historical research and ethnographic methods, including interviews with current and former BBSA members and church leaders, the thesis documents the personal narratives of individuals who have shaped the BBSA's history. These personal histories, combined with archival research, offer a rich account of how the BBSA has evolved over time and how it continues to impact the lives of its members and the broader church community. The research also examines the BBSA's role in promoting musical education and the development of professional musicians within the church, noting the contributions of key composers and arrangers who have influenced the BBSA's repertoire. Furthermore, the thesis explores the BBSA's role in contemporary worship and community building, analyzing its contribution to religious services and its ability to foster unity among church members. It discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by the BBSA in the modern context, including its efforts to maintain musical standards and adapt to changing social and cultural environments. In conclusion, this thesis provides a comprehensive account of the historical development, cultural significance, and contemporary role of the BBSA within the MCSA. By integrating personal narratives with historical documentation, it offers a nuanced understanding of the BBSA's enduring legacy as a central institution in the religious and musical life of the Moravian Church in South Africa.
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    Social Justice at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the Critical Role of the Commissioner
    (Stellenbosch University, 2025-03) Letlonkane, Katlego; Madonsela, Thuli; Broodryk, Theo; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Department of Mercantile Law
    This study provides exploratory insight into the social justice mandate of the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (“CCMA”) in the context of labour relations in South Africa. As a vehicle for the advancement of social justice through the efficient resolution of labour disputes, the CCMA is a compelling actor in the pursuit of social justice in South Africa’s labour environment. Social justice as a legislative and policy imperative requires an investment in understanding its conceptual ideals and demands in order to empower those acting in its pursuit with the knowledge they need to fulfil its demands. The CCMA’s most critical functionary, its commissioner, holds the key to unlocking labour justice for many members of the public. One wonders, given the criticality of advancing social justice in labour relations, whether social justice is appropriately understood in order to enable the kind of decision-making that efficiently and consistently addresses the workings of power and inequality as they manifest in employment relationships. This study’s main provocation is to transform the pursuit of social justice (in the South African labour context, at least) from an elusive endeavour to a more tangible, realistic one. It attempts to offer a way of thinking about and applying social justice in the practice of labour dispute resolution in South Africa and the CCMA context. It critically explores the interwoven mechanisms of power, prejudice, and injustice and how these mechanisms work to sustain unequal labour relations. The commissioner’s role is thus a critical one, that involves a deliberate pursuit to recognise, understand and interrupt these movements of power and mitigate the effect of inequality. Any movement towards social justice that does not pay close attention to this matrix of power and prejudice threatens to dilute the transformative potency of social justice. This study identifies and discusses the decisions of commissioners that fall short of the kind of conscientious decision-making required by a mandate of social justice. Discussions in this study also point out significant achievements in centralising social justice principles in decision-making processes at the CCMA, where arbitrators, in reducing injustice and advancing justice in labour relations, show a conscientious consideration and appreciation of historical contexts, power, privilege and disadvantage. Living up to the constitutional imperative to transform society in the way of equality, commissioners ought to develop their agency and be empowered by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, to disrupt inequality. This study contributes to the understanding and clarification of social justice and its implications for the South African labour environment. It also posits ubuntu as an important consideration in the balancing exercise required to achieve justice.
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    Physical Sciences teachers’ awareness of science anxiety among Physical Sciences learners
    (Stellenbosch University, 2025-03) Schreuder, Lana Hilda; Le Grange, L. L. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Department of Curriculum Studies.
    There is a growing emphasis on increasing the number of learners studying subjects in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With Physical Sciences being an optional subject in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, it is interesting to see that the number of learners choosing the subject in high school is not increasing rapidly. Academic anxiety has been identified as a contributing factor to the challenges arising in the teaching and learning of Physical Sciences. Teachers in the field experience learners showing signs of anxiety before or during an examination, or they start with a positive attitude towards Physical Sciences in Grade 10 but cease to display the necessary resilience to want to continue with the subject into Grade 11 or 12. Teachers are likely only to observe anxiety among learners while already employed full-time and working as teachers, and even then, often learners’ anxiety goes undetected as science teachers may not always recognise learners’ emotional turmoil. This study aimed to investigate Physical Sciences teachers’ perspectives on science anxiety among learners taking Physical Sciences as a subject. The literature review revealed numerous factors that contribute to learners’ anxiety, as well as possible reasons for learners experiencing anxiety. However, the literature fails to elaborate on teachers’ experiences and perspectives on learners’ anxiety. With this in mind, the focus of the study was to determine how aware Physical Sciences teachers are of learners’ anxiety, what they experience as the possible reasons behind it, and what they can do to support learners. A mixed-method approach was followed in this study. In Phase one of the study, quantitative data collection methods were used to measure learners’ anxiety towards Physical Sciences in general and a formal assessment in Physical Sciences. This was followed by a second qualitative phase, where the results from the quantitative approach were used to design interview questions for Physical Sciences teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to investigate teachers’ perspectives on learner anxiety and its possible reasons. The findings of this study show that learners do display signs of anxiety towards Physical Sciences as a subject, and more so when it comes to completing a formal assessment of the subject. Furthermore, it showed that teachers are indeed aware of learner anxiety in Physical Sciences, and they have extensive ideas about the reasons behind learners’ anxiety in the subject. Teachers also implement strategies in their classroom practice to support learners and to help reduce their anxiety towards the subject, but more can be done to create awareness about learner anxiety in Physical Sciences and to equip teachers with skills to implement support strategies in their daily practice. The findings highlight important implications for practice for teachers and the broader parent community, as the ultimate goal is to teach and support learners about reflecting on and dealing with their own anxiety to enhance their teaching and learning experiences.
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    Exploring the Proteomic Landscape of Traumatic Brain Injury Models
    (Stellenbosch University, 2025-03) Vorster, Melissa Sona; Patterton, Hugh George; Tabb, David Lee; Loos, Ben; Eckert, Stephan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.
    Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a multifaceted condition characterized by primary and secondary injury mechanisms, leading to significant molecular and cellular disruptions. Understanding these processes at the proteomic level is critical for developing targeted therapeutic strategies. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses can provide insights into the broader landscape of TBI research, while experimental comparisons of TBI models can refine our understanding of their relevance to human pathology. Research Gap: Current models fail to capture the full complexity of human TBI, particularly the interplay between biochemical and biomechanical mechanisms. Comparative analyses of TBI models and integrative proteomic studies remain limited. Objective: This study aimed to integrate findings from a systematic review, conduct a meta-analysis of publicly available proteomic datasets, and evaluate two chemical TBI models, sodium dithionite (SDT) and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), to better understand TBI-associated proteomic changes. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis identified key proteins and pathways altered in TBI. Proteomic analyses of SDT and 2DG models were conducted to assess their ability to replicate TBI pathologies, including oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolic dysfunction. Comparative analyses explored shared and distinct molecular responses. Key Findings: The systematic review and meta-analysis identified critical proteins and pathways linked to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death. SDT induced oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, while 2DG disrupted metabolic pathways and caused energy depletion. Both models showed overlapping responses, such as inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, and distinct pathway activations. Limitations included the inability of chemical models to replicate biomechanical injury, the static nature of proteomic analyses, and incomplete metadata affecting reproducibility. Implications: By combining systematic review, meta-analysis, and experimental model comparison, this study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding TBI at the proteomic level. These findings highlight the strengths and limitations of current models and inform future research directions, including integrating mechanical and chemical models, employing longitudinal and multi-omics approaches, and improving metadata reporting and experimental validation. This approach will enhance the translational relevance of findings and support the development of targeted therapies and biomarkers to improve TBI management and outcomes.
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    Socially Inclusive Heritage Conservation Land-Use Management in Small Towns: A Case Study in the Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2025-03) Adendorff, Rudi; Geyer Jr, H. S.; Donaldson, S. E.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies.
    This study addresses the critical issue of heritage loss due to inadequate conservation measures and limited municipal resources in small rural towns. As local governments are struggling to provide social development and even basic services, heritage conservation is a low-priority objective and is often disregarded by inadequately resourced municipalities. The study therefore also addresses the challenge of socially inclusive approaches to heritage conservation that aim to preserve the cultural heritage of various social groups in previously disadvantaged communities. This dilemma requires that heritage conservation overcomes heritage dissonance by incorporating the varying perspectives and narratives of heritage. For this study a mixed-methods approach has been employed, by combining GIS data and aerial photographs to create an inventory of historical structures. This was accomplished in order to categorise the heritage grading, conservation worthiness and condition rating of structures in the study areas of De Rust, Dysselsdorp, De Hoop, and Armoed/Volmoed. These study areas are all situated within the Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality, Western Cape. Thereafter, key stakeholders within the local community were interviewed to acquire detailed information on the significance as well as on potential threats to these structures. Finally, the application of land-use policies was evaluated in order to determine their effectiveness in terms of internationally recognised heritage conservation guidelines. Key findings have revealed a variety of heritage conservation outcomes in the study areas. While the heritage conservation measures in De Rust and Volmoed were well developed and included a high percentage of buildings with impressive grading values under the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA), a large number of dwellings were graded as “Not Conservation Worthy” (NCW) as a result of considerable alterations and modifications. Issues such as drug-related crime, historical disassociation due to objections against colonial and apartheid-era heritage, conflicting socio-economic uses of structures, and the need for security-related alterations to the structures collide with heritage conservation efforts, resulting in the further deterioration of historical structures. Excessive heritage structure restoration costs also impose significant financial burdens upon impoverished homeowners, particularly in previously disadvantaged communities. Heritage conservation is often neglected by local municipalities, thus resulting in the deterioration of both tangible and intangible heritage assets. Nevertheless, many deteriorated heritage sites without conservation-worthy buildings such as Die Ou Lokasie and Dysselsdorp, hold particular sentimental value for the local Coloured community because of their historic relations to the sites. Subconscious biases in heritage conservation exists when intangible aspects of living heritage that are evident in practices, traditions, and community identity are neglected, leading to even further negligence of tangible heritage. In order to address heritage dissonance, contrasting perspectives of local history should be engaged to reassess the different meanings and significance of heritage. Finally, socially inclusive heritage conservation requires the implementation of targeted land-use management policies, such as Heritage Protection Overlay Zones (HPOZ) or heritage-sensitive zones, by proactively involving diverse communities and local heritage organisations in heritage conservation efforts.