Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law
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Item The admission and enrolment of foreign legal practitioners in SACU countries as an international trade services issue(2022-11-10) Mambure, Yolanda Nyasha; Ndlovu, Lonias; Van Der Walt, TharienWhen WTO members make GATS commitments, it is imperative to do follow-up studies to establish how each member adheres to her international obligations and the laws they profess to uphold. To this end, the dissertation calibrated each SACU country's GATS commitments in the background of the laws underpinning those commitments as a way to see if they uphold international ratifications. Data were collected from information available in the public domain and published online. The study established that legal services are the most restricted in all SACU countries except Lesotho. For example, foreign legal practitioners are not admitted or enrolled in the Republic of South Africa and Namibia unless they become ordinary residents or citizens. In BOLESWA countries, namely Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, law graduates from sister universities are given preferential treatment. Graduates with qualifications from outside BOLESWA, irrespective of nationality, must sit for local Bar examinations and satisfy some local laws. For these reasons, the measures put in place are viewed as a wanton infringement of each respective country's constitution and the key tenets of GATS. Using Lesotho, one of the SACU members who has completely liberalised legal services, as a model, the study, through recommendations, demonstrates how these countries could best comply with the GATS to enhance regional integration, cooperation, and development.Item Agricultural technology's effect on entrepreneurship: a case study of the Mopani District Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa(2023-10-05) Mangena, Mokgadi Lucy; Nkondo, L. G.; Nemushungwa, A.Traditionally, agriculture was considered a low-tech industry with limited technical dynamics. As modernisation engulfed human kind, changes to the agricultural sector occurred, spearheaded by economic liberalisation. Economic liberalisation helped to reduce the sector’s protection. These changes brought new entrepreneurial players into the sector, in addition to innovation and portfolio entrepreneurship. Despite these positive changes, the agricultural sector faces entrepreneurship challenges. A lot of these situational challenges are widely publicised in literature but not much has been written about agricultural entrepreneurship. This study, therefore, brings a new dimension to the entrepreneurship field of research. That is, the need for a study about the agricultural technology’s effects on entrepreneurship is long overdue. Against this backdrop, this study investigated the agricultural technology’s effects on entrepreneurship in the Mopani District Municipality. The study adopted a qualitative approach with a sample of ten participants using purposive sampling. Interpretive paradigm was used to underpin the study. Data was collected through interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that agricultural technology provides unparalleled benefits to farmers despite negative consequences associated with its use. The study recommends that farmers should familiarise themselves with the new agricultural technology’s effects on their trade before embracing it. Policy makers are encouraged to formulate appropriate policies that would help to develop the farmers’ knowledge and skills about agricultural technology.Item Analysis of Financial Literacy amongst University of Students: A Case Study of the University of Venda(2018-05-18) Mudzanani, Ronewa Victor; Gyekye, A. B.; Dafuleya, G.This study assesses the level of financial literacy and its impact on financial decision making exercised by the tertiary students in South Africa, using the University of Venda (Univen) as a case study. The study does this in three steps. First, it provides the financial literacy levels of students at Univen assessed through an evaluation score that the sampled students responded to. Second, it analyses the relationship between the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of students and their financial literacy levels. Third, it assesses the possible effects of financial literacy on financial decision making among students using correlation and regression analysis. The study uses primary data gathered by the author from the University of Venda registered students in the form of questionnaires. A stratified random sampling method was used to identify the students to form the sample of the study, which is 373. Percent slightly above 50 per cent of these students were found to be financially literate and there were more female students who were financially literate compared to male counterparts. Using the odds ratios, the study compared the financial literacy levels of all schools to the school of Management Sciences, respectively. Only students in Environmental Sciences and Law have higher literacy levels, which are statistically significant, compared to the students in the school of Management Sciences. The results also show that the age and the parent’s educational background have a statistically significant relationship with the student being financial literate. Furthermore the results indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship on good financial decision making (that is, budgeting, savings and investments) and being financial literate, compared to being financial illiterate. This result is not true when borrowing is used as a measure of financial decision making.Item An analysis of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and entrepreneurship in South Africa: opportunities and challenges(2023-05-19) Ngomana, Tshembo; Nkondo, L. G.; Nemushungwa, A. I.Africa and the rest of the world have witnessed plethora of changes in the way we do things, by the introduction of the fourth industrial revolution. This is not just true for the way people live, for the fourth industrial revolution has also impacted the manner in which businesses operate and perform. Its introduction presented changes, challenges and opportunities on the operations of small businesses; these have not been sufficiently tested in the body of knowledge. It is against this background that this study investigates the changes, challenges and opportunities brought by the 4IR on entrepreneurship with special focus on small businesses. The study was guided by the radical humanists‘ paradigm, the phenomenological design and the qualitative research method. Data was collected from 10 small business owners purposively sampled from Gauteng at the Ekurhuleni Local Municipality and Mpumalanga at Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. A structured interview guide was used to collect data through face-to-face interviews while an audio recorder and a notebook were used to capture the responses of the participants. The collected data was transcribed using Microsoft Word version 26 and analysed thematically. Results indicate the fourth industrial revolution applicable technologies, potential changes, challenges and opportunities facing small businesses and entrepreneurship. The value of this dissertation is that it is among the first studies contributing towards understanding of the changes, challenges and opportunities presented by the 4IR to small businesses and entrepreneurship in South Africa. The scope of the study was restricted to Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and Ekurhuleni Local Municipality; therefore, findings might not be generalisable to other areas in South Africa, to the rest of Africa or other developing countries/emerging economies. There is an opportunity to conduct similar study with other municipalities in other provinces in South Africa to gain different views. The researcher recommended that entrepreneurs should search for more information from relevant and reputable sources in order to avoid misinformation and misunderstandings as well as enrolling on 4IR education and skills programme and policymakers should implement necessary tech-related policies that will work towards providing adequate tech-support to small businesses.Item An analysis of States’ obligations towards climate displaced persons under the African Human Rights System(2022-07-15) Simango, Victor; Jegede, A. O.Climate change poses the most menacing threat to the environment today. The effects of climate change are experienced globally, and Africa in particular is one of the most vulnerable regions. One of the main consequences of changes in climate is the displacement of populations, mostly internally. Those who are forced to leave their places of residence due to the effects of climate change are often not specifically protected by both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the subsequent instruments such as the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. However, under the African Human Rights System (AHRS), the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) which entered force is novel in its provision in article 5(4) on the obligation of State Parties towards persons displaced by climate change. While it is clear under international human rights law that states have the obligation to respect, protect and fulfil rights, whether these obligations apply, and if so, what the nature of their application means for climate displaced persons under the African Human Rights System is not clear. The study interrogates the basis and how obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil rights apply to climate induced persons in Africa.Item An analysis of the impact of the right to equality on the South African customary law and legislation(2012-12-10) Rapudi, Jonathan; Choma, Hlako J.; Maluleke, Life R.Item Analysis of the role and effectiveness of the Public Protector in fighting corruption : a case study of Tshwane Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa(2015-01-14) Madzimure, Patronella Chiedza; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.Item The application of command responsibility in informal civilian relationships: for international crimes-lessons from the ICTR(2017-09-18) Mhuru, Tapiwa Agripa; Lansik, A.; Jegede, A. A.Since the birth of international criminal justice, the imposition of individual criminal responsibility has been expanded as evidenced by the instruments establishing the institutional mechanisms, at least, from Nuremberg to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The prescriptions of the imposition of criminal responsibility in international criminal law take cognizance of the fact that both top civilian and military personnel commit heinous crimes. However, until the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR), such prescriptions covering individuals who find themselves within informal civilian relationships had not earned much focus, be it at the identification of responsible individuals to their prosecution and conviction. Events in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide that led to the establishment of the ICTR revealed the involvement of this category of individuals. While their involvement took diverse forms, at different times, only some of them were identified and successfully prosecuted and convicted for the offences over which the ICTR has jurisdiction. This category of individuals (those falling under the rubric of informal civilian relationships) has not been addressed by scholarship on international crimes. This dissertation identifies such individuals, examines the allegations against them, the factual findings of the different Trial Chambers and develops a set of rules as well as lessons to be learnt from the trial and appellate proceedingsItem Application of Deep Neural Networks in Forecasting Foreign Currency Exchange rates(2022-07-15) Nemavhola, Andisani; Chibaya, Colin; Ochara, N. M.The global foreign currency exchange (Forex) market is regarded as one of the most important financial markets in the world, with daily transactions exceeding $4 trillion. In financial market research, forecasting currency rates is a crucial problem. Forex is notorious for being very volatile and difficult to forecast. In this study, we investigated the use of deep learning approaches in forex forecasting and compared the success of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to the performance of AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Support vector regression (SVR) when predicting forex rates of US Dollar (USD) pair with South African Rand (ZAR) using daily timeframe data obtained from the Metatrader trading platform. The LSTM outperformed the SVR and ARIMA models according to MSE data. The LSTM is typically good for predicting USDZAR speeds, although being surpassed by the ARIMA model when the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) was assessed.Item An appraisal of the efficacy of selected macrotourism policies of South Africa(2009-09-08) Zembani, Pamela Edna; Steyn, p. e.See the attached abstract belowItem Assessing challenges in customer retention in the insurance industry : a case study of Old Mutual Thohoyandou(2015-09) Bologo, Takalani Mercedes; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.See the attached abstract belowItem Assessing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Local Economic Development (LED) initiatives in Thulamela Local Municipality(2023-10-05) Kone, Thapelo Sandra; Nkuna, Nghamula; Mathebula, N. E.In its Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the Thulamela Local Municipality stipulates that its core mandate is to provide a climate that will attract investment and reduce unemployment through the promotion of economic development. In line with the Municipality’s mandate, it has to be pointed out that the most pressing questions that remain are whether local municipalities have in place the plans to revive some defunct infrastructure projects and to make sure that the newly constructed projects are used for the maximum benefit of the local communities. This study assesses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Local Economic Development (LED) initiatives in Thulamela Local Municipality. Thulamela Local Municipality is classified as a Category B Municipality and for this study, indicators of economic growth were used as a measure. The variables that were considered are: Growth Rate of National Income Per Capita Income PCI, Per Capita Consumption PCC, Physical Quality Life Index PQLI, Human Development Index HDI, Industrial Progress and Capital Information. Health and Education were used to assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on LED initiatives in Thulamela Local Municipality. Purposive sampling, a type of non-probability sampling, was used in this study. Data was collected from the community members and traditional leaders in Budeli Mphireleni Village, SANCO members from Thohoyandou Block F, Traditional leaders from Thulamela Local Municipality, and the people working at Thulamela Local Municipality. A qualitative research methodology was used in this study was used where a desktop review was utilized for data gathering. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS Version 28 was used for analysing quantitative data and Atlas ti Version 22 was used for analysing qualitative data. The views gathered from participants in this study show that LED programs that were operational in Thulamela Local Municipality during the pandemic included fishing, mining, farming, and services provision. Findings in this study show that the outbreak of Covid-19 greatly affected LED objectives. Thulamela Local Municipality failed to achieve its intended purposes during the pandemic as some resources ended up being diverted to meet other life-saving immediate needs by the national government. Another significant finding from this study is that the municipality alone cannot create jobs or meaningful economic initiatives without partnering with external players and businesses. In proposing recommendations, the strategies that were formulated in this study were informed by v the participants' views. Some of the recommendations are that Thulamela Local Municipality has to strengthen its relationship with stakeholders such as communities and local businesses because it is through these partnerships that the lives of people can be changed. Further, it is recommended that the Municipality must ensure proper management of the projects in the area.Item An assessment of public participation as a tool in enhancing efficiency in local government: A case of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality(2022-11-10) Nkuna, Nyiko Eunice; Kone, Lufuno Reginald; Nkuna, NghamulaThis study uses the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality as a case study in assessing public participation as a tool for enhancing efficiency in local government. It moves from the premise that public participation in South Africa is a constitutional right that must be implemented by all government structures, including local government. Of the three spheres of government: national, provincial and local government, the study has chosen the local government sphere because it is the coalface of service delivery. With the challenges facing local government structures over the past years, public participation is seen as a tool that has a potential to enhance efficiency. Using qualitative method of research, the study sought to use structured questionnaires to gather data from the targeted municipality, community representatives and community development workers on the use of public participation to enhance efficiency in their municipality. The aim is to use the findings of this case study as a measure to understand the same concept in local government as a whole. Evidence provided in this study shows that there is still limited information accessible to the community members of Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality that would make them play a key role in demanding accountability and to have some degree of control within the municipality’s governance affairs because the municipality was put in place to serve the needs of the community. From the findings of this study, it is clear that for citizen participation to have a positive effect on decentralized service delivery, there are key factors that should be considered and institutionalized. Among the proposed recommendations from this study include the need for municipality and community engagement for service delivery. Communities cannot be in a position to meaningfully engage with the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality officials and public participation personnel without capacity building within the community first.Item An assessment of the effectiveness of personnel training and development: a case study of Vhembe District Municipality(2015-01-13) Netshitenzhe, Mashudu Reuben; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.Item An assessment of the effectiveness of the academic library online public access catalogue (OPAC) by students: a case of University of Venda Library(2015-01-13) Nemalili, Tshililo Violet; Khwashaba, M. P.; Mahole, E.Item An assessment of the factors driving consumer's propensity to purchase online(2021-03) Mujera, Tinashe; Kadyamatimba, A.; Zindiye, S.Despite the tremendous global development within the electronic-commerce (e-commerce) industry, marketers in emerging economies are still lagging in understanding the dynamic consumers’ online purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, the literature reporting on consumers’ online purchasing practices in an African set up remains largely inconsistent and fragmented as most previous studies are based on consumers in first world countries. To address this problem, by specifically targeting the South African market, the main aim of the study was to establish key factors driving consumers’ propensity to purchase online in order to device a model that guides online marketing strategy and future research. Guided by the quantitative research approach and a descriptive single cross-sectional design, data was collected from a sample of 350 participants drawn from Sandon City, located in the Gauteng Province using a self-administered questionnaire. With the aid of SPSS Version 26, the collected data were analysed through descriptive and multivariate statistical tests. Consumer innovativeness, perceived benefits, online shopping experience and perceived risk were found to be the major factors driving consumers’ propensity to purchase online. These factors were however found to vary according to demographic characteristics, particularly pertaining to consumers’ education and income level. Ultimately, the study findings led to the formulation of a model that can be recommended to marketers in guiding online shopping within the South African retail sector and regionally.Item An assessment of the potential for sustainable community tourism development in the villages affected by the Nandoni Dam(2014-01-10) Manavhela, Pfarelo; Spencer, J. P.; Nethengwe, T.Item An assessment of the potential of Hot Spring tourism in Limpopo Province(2017-09-18) Munzhelele, Tshilidzi Whitney; Gyekye, A. B.; Sumbana, F.Tourism is regarded as a modern day engine of growth globally. In light of this, the South African government aims to increase tourism’s contribution, both direct and indirectly to the economy. In 2012 tourism in South Africa contributed 7, 9% (R189.4 billion) to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it is estimated to increase to R499 billion by 2020 (South Africa National Department of Tourism). The purpose of the study was to assess the sustainability of hot spring tourism in Limpopo Province with regard to their competitiveness and potential to contribute to the economy of the country. The study employed a Delphi technique which is designed as group communication process which aims to achieve a convergence of opinion on a specific real world issues. The research developed a set of appropriate indicators that determines hot spring destination competitiveness. Data was collected through two sets of questionnaires administered and addressed to experts in the Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism; academic staff in the department of tourism at University of Venda and tourism managers and practitioners in the tourism hot spring sector. From the findings of the study, recommendations have been made to assist the Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism in designing strategies to make hot spring destinations competitive and sustainable as a tourism activity in Limpopo province.Item An assessment of the role of real exchange rate on economic growth in South Africa (1994-2015)(2017-02) Muzekenyi, Mike; Dafuleka, G.The choice of a weak or strong currency has been at the center of the debate in most developing economies as exchange rates play a vital role in a country’s level of economic growth. This growth is critical to many developing economies. The study assessed the role of real exchange rate on economic growth in South Africa from 1994, first quarter, to 2015, fourth quarter. The study used time-series data in which Augmented Dicky Fuller and Philip Perron tests for stationarity, cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approach for the long-run relationship were conducted. Impulse Response Function (IRF) and Variance Decomposition (VD) were also conducted to explain the response to shock amongst variables and how much of the forecasting error variance is explained by the exogenous shocks to other variables. VECM results showed a positive role exchange rates play on economic growth in South Africa. The study’s implication is that currency devaluation (exchange rates depreciation) can be effective in improving economic growth in the short-run. Nonetheless, a strong currency is good for economic growth in the long-run as it attracts foreign investments and a good instrument for controlling inflation. Thus, basing on the findings of the study, the floating exchange rate system adopted by South Africa in 2000 can be maintained.Item The available of support system for officials working in the HIV/AIDS clinics : a case study of Vhembe District(2015-07-17) Maladzhi, Nkhumeleni James; Khwashaba, M.P; Mahole, E.