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Mafic-ultramafic plutonic intrusions form an early phase in the emplacement of the predominantly granitic Vioolsdrif Suite, which together with its extrusive carapace, the Orange River Group, form the Richtersveld Magmatic Arc, a Palaeoproterozoic crustal segment formed between 1910 and 1865 Ma. Their lithologic character and distinctive dark weathering features in the mountain desert landscape of the Richtersveld, neighbouring regions of the Northern Cape Province and southern Namibia, make them a separate mappable unit in what is a predominantly granitic terrain. The name of the subsuite is taken from a spectacular twin peak massif near Goodhouse (Vuurdoodberg), while the type locality is one of the best preserved central-type intrusive bodies at Swartkop, situated 2 km off the N7 highway about 20 km south of the border town of Vioolsdrif, where the rock types present include gabbro, metagabbro, quartz-metagabbro, peridotite and troctolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic artefacts from the terraces along the lower Vaal River have been identified since the early 20th century. Pniel 6, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, is one such archaeological site known to have revealed both lithics and faunal remains in previous excavations. We re-investigated Pniel 6 with high-resolution modern fieldwork techniques. Our objectives are to reassess the lithic assemblages at the site and to give a precise stratigraphic description of the sedimentary deposits, enabling us to assess the integrity of the archaeological assemblage. We present a report from three seasons (2017-2019) of archaeological fieldwork at Pniel 6 in four new excavation areas. Our results show technological affinities to other transitional Early/ Middle Pleistocene sites in the region, but Pniel 6 stands out as a lithic assemblage predominantly made from hornfels. Blades and points from prepared cores are frequent, while large cutting tools are absent. The most coherent assemblage, from Area 3, was likely formed through localised alluvial deposition with subsequent colluvial aggregation. The site expands our understanding of the ESA--MSA transition in the interior of southern Africa. It highlights how hominins applied common methods of stone tool production using distinctly different raw materials with varying properties, even within relatively small regional distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 75 000 ha, hyper-arid area of Riemvasmaak represents one of the first land restitution cases in post-apartheid South Africa. People who were forcibly removed in 1974 were resettled in 1995. We describe the impact that people and domestic livestock have had on the vegetation of Riemvasmaak since resettlement. Matched photographs and botanical surveys undertaken at 10-year intervals (1995, 2005 and 2015) were used to estimate the percentage cover of herbaceous (primarily grasses) and woody vegetation of the major land forms (slopes, plains, ephemeral streams). The results of a linear mixed-effects model suggest that herbaceous vegetation decreased significantly from 1995 to 2005 (p < 0.001) and increased significantly from 2005 to 2015 (p < 0.001), whereas woody cover did not change significantly over the study period. Linear regressions of size class and density of individuals for Vachellia erioloba indicate little recruitment over the period 1995–2015, compared with the period before the initial survey in 1995. Precipitation, as well as the density of grazers and browsers, driven by the socioeconomic and cultural changes occurring in Riemvasmaak since 1995, has influenced the change in vegetation cover and the recruitment of V. erioloba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fractured groundwater aquifers, predominantly found in South Africa, show varying groundwater chemical characteristics in various locations. The hydrochemistry of groundwater is affected by the weathering of rock formations in contact and anthropogenic activities. Determination of groundwater chemistry is important for aquifer protection and overall groundwater management. A hydrochemical analysis is a useful tool for identification of water types, chemical composition, its suitability for specified purposes, and an important requirement for water use licensing applications. The hydrochemical data of groundwater from 79 boreholes near Leliefontein, Kamiesberg local municipality of South Africa, were analysed, using integrated statistical, geostatistics and spatial interpolation methods. The result shows Na+ and Cl− to be the abundant cation and anion. The mean concentration of Na at Leliefontein was 267.39 mg/l, and that of Cl was 574.81 mg/l. The ionic concentrations in groundwater was in sequence of Cl− > Na+ > HCO3 - > SO4 2- > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > NO3 - > Si > K+ > F- . The analysis indicated that the cation exchanges in groundwater are influenced by limited silicate weathering, with calcite and dolomite dissolution. Geostatistical and spatial analysis interpolation for the major cation (Na) and major anion (Cl), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Water Quality Index (WQI) was performed using Inverse Distance Weighing method. The hydrochemical data for the Leliefontein groundwater were analysed to classify water for domestic use (drinking) and agriculture (irrigation) purposes, based on the recommended guidelines of the South African National Standard (SANS). The study area was characterised by high salinity of three water types, viz, Na-Cl seawater type, Ca-Cl reverse ion-exchange water type, and Na-HCO3 base ion-exchange water types. About 70–80% of the boreholes in Leliefontein met the requirement for irrigation application for Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and salinity hazard analysis, while the groundwater generally required further treatment before domestic use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Plant communities will change along environmental gradients, even in "azonal" vegetation such as wetlands. It is hypothesized that functional community composition of wetland vegetation changes along a natural gradient from dry low‐lying areas to wet high‐lying areas. We wanted to know how the functional groups that make up wetland plant communities change along such aridity and altitudinal gradients. Location: Highveld area of Central South Africa, covering four provinces of the country: Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Mpumalanga. Methods: The community composition of 201 vegetation plots was obtained from a compilation of South African wetland vegetation types of the study area. Functional traits were collected for the dominant plant species and community‐weighted means of plant functional traits were calculated for wetland vegetation plots. Redundancy analysis was performed to plot these against environmental and climatic gradients. Results: The ordination results showed that the community‐weighted plant functional traits were correlated with environmental and climatic variables. For example, specific correlations reveal that root/shoot biomass ratio, leaf nitrogen and specific leaf area are associated with high temperature and evaporation, conditions that prevail in the driest end of the gradient. On the opposite end, wetland vegetation in mesic areas has adaptations for fast growth and high productivity, as it is composed of tall plants with wide stems and deep roots. A hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) resulted in nine plant functional groups, with different representation along the aridity gradient in the Highveld Plateau of South Africa. Conclusions: Wetlands in dry areas have plant functional groups different from those in mesic areas. Changes in community composition show how wetlands are responding to climatic variability and environmental change. Thus, the study of changes in plant functional groups can be useful for detecting the impacts of climate change on wetland vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades ago I argued for the limited analytic purchase of the term "art." I was then primarily concerned with the relatively recent invention of the present day category; the lack of local and archaeological specificity when "art" was discussed in broad classificatory lumps; and the minimal reflection on the geopolitical ground of archaeological practice. While I continue to find little analytic value in the term "art" when used to describe a broad range of prehistoric materials, I offer a defense of its transactional nature. I embrace the term "art" to show some of the classificatory work the term has done and the potential it may have if decoupled from certainty. I will show that the category "prehistoric art" has been historically controlled through networks of materials, archives, and scholars. As a contrasting point of reference, the concept of a boundary object, a productive term in science studies, might allow for a far greater flexibility and inclusion of different communities to participate in the conversation about "art." To illustrate my point, I discuss technologies and temporalities of art at Wildebeest Kuil, Northern Cape, South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary !Xun artists of South Africa's Northern Cape Province have produced art that has been described as nostalgic and primitive. Yet the content of these artworks highlights astute political commentary, asserting belonging and immediacy in a political milieu where historically Bushman groups have been ostracized and delegitimized. The !Xun artist Flai Shipipa has created art that is a hybrid spiritual expression with inferences to Bushman cosmology and Christianity. Through this religio-political imagery Shipipa's canvases are a tangible cultural record of assertions of identity, authenticity, belonging, faith, ambiguity and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study reported on here was to investigate the implementation of the no-fee schools policy in quintile 1 schools in the Frances Baard district of the Northern Cape province. The South African schooling system categorises schools into quintile 1 to 5 schools, and, since 2006, disadvantaged learners in quintiles 1 to 3 have been exempted from paying fees. This study explored the perceptions of school principals regarding the implementation of the no-fee policy in the South African context, by applying a capability approach, which offers a novel perspective. In the study we used a descriptive design located within the qualitative tradition. Nine principals from quintile 1 schools were purposively selected as participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and a thematic framework was used for analysis. The findings indicate that the no-fee schools policy is only implemented partially by stakeholders (principals and school governing bodies). Furthermore, it was found that there is a lack of knowledge about the content of the policy which consequently inhibits effective implementation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Department of Education monitors the implementation of the no-fee policy more closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial farm workers in South Africa endured centuries of exploitation and abuse until the 1990s, when progressive legislation was promulgated that confers rights to workers aimed at improving their living and working conditions, including through a sector-specific statutory minimum wage. However, violations of labour rights are widespread in the agriculture sector, and farm workers are arguably more vulnerable than before as they face ongoing evictions, casualisation and exploitation. This research study, conducted among women farm workers in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, documents labour rights violations in the areas of wages and contracts and occupational health and safety. Apart from farmers themselves, government is responsible for failing to enforce compliance with pro-worker legislation, while trade unions have failed to represent farm workers and hold farmers and government to account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canteen Kopje has long been known for its alluvial diamond-bearing gravel deposits, and historically these have featured frequently in archaeological literature over the last century. Studies have shown the site preserves a stratified gravel sequence with assemblages of Fauresmith mixed into the upper gravels, Victoria West Acheulean (1.2 ± 0.07 Ma) and two Early Acheulean assemblages (1.51 ± 0.8 Ma and > 1.51 Ma). Although previous geomorphological studies provide an understanding of site formation, most recently describing the gravels as a splay deposit at the terminal point of a palaeo-channel, or loop, there have been debates regarding their origin and whether they represent colluvial and/or alluvial deposition. This palaeo-channel facilitated the interaction between two nearby koppies and the palaeo-Vaal River, which subsequently influenced the nature, composition and character of the gravel deposits found across the site. Yet no study has investigated the visibly dipping surface of the gravels, nor sought to explain gravel fabric patterns that are preserved in exposed sequences. Through recording fabric data, this study confirms that the gravels retain an easterly dip direction, which provides strong evidence for the east-to-west flow of water from the upstream direction of the palaeo-channel. These findings challenge earlier models suggesting the upper gravels at Canteen Kopje are colluvial, and have implications for understanding the preserved Earlier Stone Age assemblages. This research also provides a better understanding of geomorphological processes involved in site formation and investigates the overall role that colluvial processes have played at Canteen Kopje. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long-held, and unchallenged, view that KhoeSan beliefs and cosmologies had died out or been replaced by the end of the 19th century. This has prompted the empirically unproven assumption that there is little or no connection between 19th century rock art and KhoeSan beliefs. Here, we discuss rock engravings depicting women in houses, found on Grootfontein farmin the Northern Cape province, to argue that this is not the case. These images are discussed with reference to KhoeSan ethnographic evidence relating to girls' puberty rites during which the seclusion of the 'hokmeisie' is a core theme. We elaborate this idea through comparison with 19th century painted images from the Cederberg. We suggest that there is an active reimagining of the hokmeisie tradition which used the 19th century material world as a setting, but was largely aspirational given the intensifying social and economic marginalisation of KhoeSan descendents at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to showcase an ancient (Late Palaeozoic) striated surface in South Africa, and discuss its interpretation in the context of a soft-bedded ice sheet during the retreat phase. The quality of glacial geomorphic evidence, preserved in semiarid terrains of Africa, is extremely high, and allows special insight into aspects of an ancient glaciation that has gone to completion. The Dwyka Formation evidences multiple cycles of glacial advance and retreat which include a thick succession of diamictites and heterolithic strata. Painstaking work in the 1970s and 1980s produced regional palaeogeographic reconstructions, among which complex ice flows were identified. Trunk glaciers and / or ice streams appeared on a variety of palaeogeographic maps, many of which highlighted highly complex flow structures within the ice sheet. Nowhere are complex ice flow directions more apparent that in the Northern Cape Province, which exposes an outstanding soft-sediment striated surface at Oorlogskloof. Using a combination of field observations, aerial photograph interpretations, and new digital elevation models collected from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), we map the macrostructure of the surface. The inventory of structures, which include grain flow lobes at the flanks of flutes, suggests that the surface was largely generated at the ice-sediment interface, with local evidence for internal deformation and shearing of the sediment pile. Most importantly, the aerial images reveal two features that reveal a composite history to this pavement. Firstly, flutes and grooves to have high length to width ratios, potentially implying rapid ice flow. Secondly, the UAV images reveal a discontinuous network of bulbous ridges which traverse, fold and distort the striations and flutes. The latter features are interpreted to result from bulldozing beneath a floating ice mass. Collectively, therefore, the assemblage of structures may record two distinct phases in the he construction of this spectacular pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress since 2007 with the commercial implementation of the sterile insect technique (SIT) for Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in citrus orchards in South Africa is discussed. To enable expansion of the SIT programme, rearing equipment was developed and adapted where necessary. Production monitoring systems for traceability, cold chain management and quality management of reared insects were developed and constantly improved. The initial 3300-ha SIT-treated area in the Citrusdal region was increased to 4800 ha by incorporating parts of the Olifants River Valley and sterile insect releases were also introduced into 6500 and 2200 ha of the Sundays River and Gamtoos River Valleys (Eastern Cape Province), respectively. There was a progressive, seasonal improvement in wild T. leucotreta suppression following routine releases of sterile moths in all areas treated, resulting in reduced crop losses and fewer rejections for T. leucotreta in export fruit. The SIT for T. leucotreta was also expanded to the Hex River Valley (Western Cape Province) and the Lower Orange River area (Northern Cape Province) in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wealth of information on the extent and severity of global climate change has been produced through research over the past few decades. Global trends of the climate should be observable at a regional and local level, yet certain areas remain under-represented in both national and international research. This study presents an investigation into the microclimatic trends of the semi-arid/arid environment of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Long-term (1982–2016) historical daily meteorological data were analyzed using the RClimDex software package as well as other multi-temporal regression analyses. Results indicate an overall warming of the study sites, with rates of change varying between 1 and 4 °C century−1. The overall increase in annual average air temperature observed at the three sites is linked to daytime warming trends. Total annual rainfall, as well as atmospheric water vapor, was found to be decreasing at significant rates across the sites, with serious implications for livestock agriculture in the region. Model outputs of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), 0–100-mm soil water and the reflection coefficient, indicate that observed changes in the microclimate are not a consequence of terrestrial factors. The results of the study indicate that the microclimate of the dryland Northern Cape environment is changing but at rates that are different to global and continental estimates. The study highlights the need for local climate change investigations, and also identifies limitations in using only ground-based datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kheis Province is situated between the Namaqua-Natal Province and the western margin of the Kaapvaal Craton in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It has been described as a thin-skinned fold and thrust belt formed between 1800 and 1700 Ma. The lithostratigraphic subdivision of the rock units comprising the Kheis Province has been a source of much controversy. From detailed study of aerial photography and satellite imagery, as well as fieldbased studies, the outcrop patterns in the Kheis Province and Kaaien Terrane were reinterpreted and a new stratigraphic subdivision is outlined here. It is proposed that the structural Kaaien Terrane and Kheis Province should be combined into the Kheis Terrane and that the rocks occurring in the Kheis Terrane should be grouped together to form the new Keis supergroup, with the basal metaconglomerate of the Mapedi/Gamagara Formation recognised as the regional unconformity between the Keis supergroup and the underlying rocks of the Transvaal Supergroup in the Griqualand West area. The Keis supergroup is subdivided from the base upwards into the Elim-, Olifantshoek-, Groblershoop- and Wilgenhoutsdrif groups. The basal Elim group is composed of the Mapedi/Gamagara- and Lucknow formations. It is overlain with a regional erosional unconformity by the Olifantshoek group, which is made up of the Neylan-, Hartley-, Volop- and Top Dog formations. The Olifantshoek group is conformably overlain by the Groblershoop group which is comprised of three upward coarsening successions: • the Faanshoek- and Faansgeluk formations, • the Maraisdraai- and Vuilnek formations and • the Opwag- and Skurweberg formations. The Groblershoop group is in turn erosively overlain by the rocks of the Wilgenhoutsdrif Group, which include the basal erosive Groot Drink formation which is overlain by the Zonderhuis- and Leerkrans formations. The lithologies of the Keis supergroup are in faulted contact with the rocks of the younger Areachap Group of the ~1200 Ma Namaqua- Natal Metamorphic Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasive Prosopis spp. tree is one of the major causes of disturbance affecting the Orange River water management areas in the Northern Cape, South Africa. These disturbances affect natural capital, such as reducing the stream flow of the Orange River, causing a decline in biodiversity of the native Nama Karoo vegetation, consuming excessive water, and invading dryland areas. Therefore, we assessed the economic value of different land-use options following the control of Prosopis spp. to prevent re-invasion using a system dynamics model. This study yields positive cumulative NPVs of between ZAR28.3 million and ZAR98.3 billion when co-finance of between 20% and 100% is included to clear the Prosopis spp., combined with the productive land use of the cleared land by the private sector. This is in stark contrast to a negative NPV of -ZAR11.6 million when no alternative land-use activity is implemented on the cleared land. This study shows empirically that clearing Prosopis spp. and restoring the cleared land for agricultural land-use options is a costeffective strategy for controlling the invasive Prosopis spp. trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examinations are regarded as vital instruments not only to determine the progress and success of learners, but also the quality of an education system. Owing to these high stakes, South Africa places enormous emphasis on the National Senior Certificate examination. Although quality should be ensured by an effective, accurate and a high standard in the marking process, complaints suggest that there may be threats to the quality of marking and, by implication, to the education system itself. This exploratory study reports on the possible threats to a high standard of marking that emerged from data generated through semi-structured interviews with various role-players involved in the marking process. The findings suggest that the threats relate to the appointment of markers, the competency of the markers and an overall lack of confidence in the marking process. We conclude the article by proposing various recommendations to curb the identified threats to accurate marking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengthening current surveillance systems for syphilis is important to track and monitor disease burden. We used routinely collected laboratory information to generate surveillance estimates for syphilis trends among women of reproductive age (12-49 years) in the Northern Cape Province, a high syphilis burden region (2003 [8.6%] to 2011 [3.8%]) in South Africa. We extracted records meeting inclusion criteria from the National Health Laboratory Service electronic database for the period 2003-2012. A total of 286,024 women were included in the analysis. Syphilis seropositivity decreased between 2003 (5.7%) and 2012 (1.8%); p trend = 0.001, which was largely consistent with findings reported in the annual national syphilis and HIV survey from 2003 (8.6%) to 2011 (3.8%). Annually for the period from 2003 to 2012 there was an approximate 14% reduction in the prevalence ratio of syphilis seroprevalence (PR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.85-0.87, p < 0.001). Three of five districts had significant decreases in syphilis seropositivity over this period. There were also declines in prevalence ratios for syphilis seropositivity for the various age groups for the period. This study shows that the national laboratory database in South Africa can be used as a complimentary surveillance tool to describe and understand trends in syphilis seroprevalence in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Archaeological Review is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Archaeological Review is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article argues that empire should be understood not only as geography or network, but also as extractive, hierarchical and stratified relations of knowledge, where the modern museum emerged as one of its key institutions and primary sites. The focus of this examination of empire as epistemology is the process of the return of the remains of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar to South Africa for reburial in 2012, seen in relation to other return processes under way from South African museums to the Northern Cape and Namibia. These are analysed through a wider understanding of South Africa's multiple colonialisms, as colonised and coloniser, and in relation to the history of the Trans-/Garieb transfrontier region, which, by the early 20th century, had been marked by colonial violence and the dispersal of its people across colonial borders. The plunder of graves in this region conducted in the name of scientific collecting formed the basis of the South Africanisation of science, through which the flows of human remains and artefacts began to be directed to South African museums in the service of a special South African concentration on ‘living fossils’, as they competed with their European counterparts. Through an insatiable and competitive collecting history at this time, the remains of so-called primitive people and their artefacts and records ended up in museums and archives in Vienna. They also became the founding collections of at least two museums in South Africa, the newly formed McGregor Museum in Kimberley and the modernising South African Museum in Cape Town. This article tracks the experience, debates and challenges of the repatriation of the remains of the Pienaars as a process of ‘rehumanisation’, disinterred, transported and stored as artefacts, and returned as the remains of citizens and subjects of history. It asks what implications this repatriation holds for the future for the modern museum itself, marked as it has been by a ‘denial of coevalness’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article discusses the efficacy of grassroots comics as a practical and affordable method of realizing localized subject-generated development communication goals that focus explicitly on the interests and capacities of the subject community. The Khwe San, living in Platfontein in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, constitute the subject community. The study is informed by contemporary shifts in development theory, particularly that of participatory communication, which values individuals who live in a community as active participants in the research process. The use of grassroots comics is based on theoretical concepts in current literature regarding the field of development communication that are critical of older, top-down theories of development. My analysis and findings are presented in terms of possible implications that they might have for broader discussions regarding contemporary development theory or visual methodologies with respect to participatory communication practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to debate on the evolving expressions of business responsibility in emerging market economies and developing economies by exploring and theorizing the ways in which the Fairtrade standard for supply chains is being re-worked and implemented in South Africa. To understand the changing ways in which the global Fairtrade standard is embedded in South Africa, the article argues for attention not only to recent strategic re-articulations of the standard through national-level initiatives, but also to the localized experiences of producer groups, including those in peripheral regions. This argument is supported by interview-based research revealing the challenges faced by a particular Fairtrade producer community - Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative (EAC) in the Northern Cape. A relational approach developed from economic geography shows how challenges concerning market access, land tenure and community empowerment for this producer emerge from a combination of global Fairtrade conventions, South Africa's dynamic national-institutional context and local politics of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ObjectiveTo assess serum retinol, liver intake patterns, breast-feeding history and anthropometric status in pre-school children of a low socio-economic community where liver is regularly consumed.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingNorthern Cape Province, South Africa.SubjectsChildren aged 1–6 years (n 243) who attended the local primary health-care facility and had not received a vitamin A supplement in the 6 months preceding the study. Non-pregnant female caregivers (n 225), below 50 years of age, were also assessed.ResultsDespite stunting, underweight and wasting being prevalent in 40·5 %, 23·1 % and 8·4 % of the children, only 5·8 % had serum retinol concentrations < 20 μg/dl, which is in sharp contrast to the national prevalence of 63·6 %. None of the caregivers were vitamin A deficient. Liver was eaten by 89·2 % of children, with 87 % of households eating liver at least once monthly and 30 % eating it at least once weekly; liver was introduced into the diet of the children at a median age of 18 months. Ninety-three per cent of the children were being breast-fed or had been breast-fed in the past; children were breast-fed to a median age of 18 months. A significant negative correlation was found between educational level of the caregiver and frequency of liver intake (r = −0·143, P=0·032). There was no correlation between serum retinol and indicators of anthropometric or socio-economic status.ConclusionsThe blanket approach in applying the national vitamin A supplementation programme may not be appropriate for all areas in the country, even though the community may be poor and undernourished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of loughlinite (Na-sepiolite) in two pans (Koi Pan and Brak Pan) of the Northern Cape Province is reported upon. The presence of loughlinite within the pan sediments was confirmed by means of X-ray Diffraction analysis, which showed distinct reflections at 12.7 to 12.8 Å, which collapsed to 12.3 Å following Mg-saturation. This is the fourth reported occurrence of loughlinite worldwide and the first from South Africa. Loughlinite occurs associated with the mineral analcime, which was also reported from all previously described occurrences of the former. It is also interesting to note that all known occurrences of loughlinite are from playa-lake settings. We propose that the mineral formed authigenically under the saline and alkaline conditions of the pan environment, as is also deemed to have happened by some scholars in the Killik area, Turkey. Loughlinitization of sepiolite from sepiolite-bearing Kalahari calcrete occurring within the study area appears unlikely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn- and Cu-rich massive sulfide ores of volcanogenic origin [volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits] occur as stratiform/stratabound lenses of variable size hosted by gneisses, amphibolites, and schists of the Areachap Group, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The Areachap Group represents the highly deformed and metamorphosed remnants of a Mesoproterozoic volcanic arc that was accreted onto the western margin of the Kaapvaal Craton during the ∼1.0–1.2 Ga Namaquan Orogeny. Sulfur isotope data (δ34S) are presented for 57 sulfide separates and one barite sample from five massive sulfide occurrences in the Areachap Group. Although sulfides from each site have distinct sulfur isotope values, all δ34S values fall within a very limited range (3.0‰ to 8.5‰). Barite has a δ34S value of 18.5‰, very different from that of associated sulfides. At one of the studied sites (Kantienpan), a distinct increase in δ34S of sulfides is observed from the massive sulfide lens into the disseminated sulfides associated with a distinct footwall alteration zone. Sulfide–sulfide and sulfide–barite mineral pairs which recrystallized together during amphibolite- and lower granulite facies metamorphism are not in isotopic equilibrium. Sulfur isotope characteristics of sulfides and sulfates of the Zn–Cu ores in the Areachap Group are, however, very similar to base metal sulfide accumulations associated with modern volcanic arcs and unsedimented mid-ocean ridges. It is thus concluded that profound recrystallization and textural reconstitution associated with high-grade regional metamorphism of the massive sulfide ores of the Areachap Group did not result in extensive sulfur isotopic homogenization. This is similar to observations in other metamorphosed VMS deposit districts and confirms that massive sulfide ores remain effectively a closed system for sulfur isotopes for both sulfides and sulfates during metamorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a study of land politics carried out from 2001 to 2005 in the two western provinces of South Africa, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape, a high degree of distrust was recorded between institutions in the provincial government. This article attempts to explain the distrust and how it affected the role of the land state in land reform in the two provinces. The analysis is developed from an institutional political science perspective. The findings are that the distrust does not threaten the democratic character of the new state but that it seriously hampers the efficiency of the government in land redistribution and the supply of infrastructure relevant to productive activities on newly settled land. The article describes how government focus on commercial farming affects the land state's relations to multiple livelihood communities on communal land and suggests that a post-liberation policy regression in the African National Congress explains part of the urban-commercial bias in land reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines contrasting discourses and interpretations of risk and harm. In the Northern Cape, South Africa, widespread asbestos pollution and the risk of contracting asbestos-related disease (ARDs) gives rise to medical, scientific discourses about the probability of technical risks which coexist with local cultural perceptions of danger and exposure. In subjecting the concept of 'risk' to a social science perspective, the article reveals the multi-layered complexity of how scientists (and associated bureaucracy) and communities differently construct realities around asbestos pollution and its dangers, yet with both failing to identify the 'really serious' dangers, but nonetheless helping to make everyday life possible. Drawing on a knowledge-as-action approach, this article suggests that local cultural understandings and scientific approaches of asbestos issues interweave and support each other at times, but can also present contradictory and divergent interpretations of danger. The article further argues that understanding scientific knowledge is linked to activities and is skill-based. As demonstrated in the case of asbestos pollution and related diseases, when agencies and local communities take concerted action, a broadened understanding of risk is established which draws on both scientific understandings and community perspectives of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrographic and geochemical features of a suite of eclogite xenoliths from the Rietfontein kimberlite that erupted through probable Proterozoic crust west of the Kaapvaal Craton in the far Northern Cape region of South Africa, are described. Group II eclogites dominate the suite both texturally and chemically, but can be subdivided into bimineralic, opx-bearing and kyanite-bearing groups. Temperature estimates from different geothermometers range from 700 to 1,000°C, indicating derivation from relatively shallow mantle depths. Orthopyroxene-bearing eclogites are inferred to originate from depths of 85 to 115 km and lie close to the average cratonic thermal profile for southern Africa. These uppermost mantle temperatures during the late Cretaceous provide evidence for equilibration of the off-craton lithosphere to craton-like thermal conditions following Namaqua-Natal orogenesis. The kyanite eclogites are distinct from the remaining eclogites in terms of both major and trace element compositions and their lesser degree of alteration. Garnets are richer in Ca, and are Cr-depleted relative to garnets from the bimineralic and opx-bearing eclogites, which tend to be more magnesian. Clinopyroxenes from the kyanite eclogites are more sodic, with higher Al2O3 and lower MgO contents than the bimineralic and opx-bearing eclogites. LREE-depletion, positive Sr and Eu anomalies, and the Al-rich, Si-poor bulk composition suggest a plagioclase-rich, probably troctolitic protolith for the kyanite eclogites. In contrast, the major and trace element bulk compositions of the high-MgO bimineralic and orthopyroxene-bearing eclogites are consistent with gabbroic or pyroxenitic precursors, or high-pressure cumulates, rather than mafic to ultramafic lavas. δ18O values for garnets do not deviate significantly from typical mantle values. The observations reported do not discriminate unambiguously between continental and oceanic origins for the various eclogite components in the mantle lithosphere of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi-monthly counts of waterbirds were made between March and September 2003 at an ephemeral pan in the Northern Cape Province following the first substantial inundation since 1988. Bi-annual counts between 1991 and 2003 indicated that the pan infrequently supported waterbirds, with waterfowl and small waders generally being the dominant species. During the bi- monthly counts, a total of 50 waterbird species was recorded, with the most dominant species, both in terms of numbers and duration of presence, being Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (max. 378), Cape Shoveller Anas smithii (max. 260) and South African Shelduck Tadorna cana (max. 200). Most other waterfowl and wader species were regular but in lower numbers. Species groups that occurred in limited numbers or for short periods include primarily herons, grebes, flamingos, ibises and storks. Species abundance and richness reached a peak one month after the pan was inundated, followed by a gradual decline over the ensuing two months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness regarding implementation and impact of a take-home nutrition supplementation programme, the Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) Scheme, that targets malnourished pre-school children and pregnant and lactating women in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Methodology: In assessing implementation of the PEM Scheme, a cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken over a 6-month period in the six regions of the Northern Cape Province. Interviews were conducted with programme managers and health personnel at clinics who were responsible for implementing the PEM Scheme. In assessing the impact of the PEM Scheme on growth, a retrospective review was done of the clinic records (including anthropometric data) of children enrolled in the PEM Scheme over a 1-year period. Results: About 76% of the budget allocated to the PEM Scheme had been utilised over the 1-year period. The budget for the following financial year was based solely on food supplements purchased in the previous year. Coverage of malnourished pre-school children and eligible pregnant and lactating women for enrolment was estimated to be 50% and 60%, respectively. Eighty-five per cent of health facilities in the province participated in the PEM Scheme. Some of the main problems identified included: lack of training, inappropriate targeting of certain groups, incorrect application especially of discharge criteria for pregnant and lactating women, inadequate assessment for nutrition-related disease, inadequate nutrition counselling and no standardised monitoring. Of the 319 children enrolled over a year, the mean age was 16.2 (standard deviation 16.2) months, 41% had been low-birth-weight and 18% had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Ten per cent of the children with a weight-for-age Z-score of <-2 moved into the normal Z-score range after being on the PEM Scheme for a mean duration of 8 months. There was an overall improvement in the weight-for-age Z-scores of 25% of the sample, with a significant difference between the mean weight-for-age Z-scores at enrolment and follow-up (t=4.8, P<0.001). This was mainly related to significant improvement in the mean weight-for-age Z-scores of children <2 years. Conclusions: Numerous problems with the PEM Scheme have been identified which could have limited its impact. Recommendations are proposed for improving the effectiveness and impact of the PEM Scheme in the province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Palaeo-Proterozoic Transvaal Supergroup in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa is host to the largest known resources of high-grade hematite ore on the Southern African continent. These ores are currently being exploited at Sishen and Beeshoek. Hematite occurrences on the Sishen South exploration project (some 65 km south of Sishen mine) are, at present, the focus of an intensive investigation. At both the Sishen and Sishen South deposits, mineralisation is found within lithologies belonging to the Transvaal and Oliphantshoek Supergroups. The Transvaal Supergroup comprises a basal, carbonate platform sequence (the Campbell Rand Subgroup) overlain by thick units of banded iron formation belonging to the Asbestos Hills Subgroup. The Asbestos Hills Subgroup is unconformably overlain by sedimentary rocks of the Gamagara Subgroup. The latter Subgroup has been correlated with the lowermost unit of the Oliphantshoek Supergroup. The Sishen and Sishen South deposits are located close to the western margin of the Kaapvaal craton and have been subjected to intensive, structural deformation. Both localities have undergone folding, faulting and thrusting. Early regional tectonism (2400-1700 Ma) played a critical role in the genesis and preservation of the ores from younger erosive events. At both deposits, four similar iron ore occurrences have been recognised. The ores have developed in specific depositional environments and hence display unique physical, chemical and metallurgical properties. First, the bulk of the high-grade hematite comprises laminated and massive ores, which are found in the upper parts of the Asbestos Hills Subgroup. The laminated and massive ores are best developed in basinal and pseudo-graben structures. Second, Collapse breccia ores of medium- and lower-grade are preserved within deep palaeosinkholes. The sinkholes have developed within the dolomites of the Campbellrand Subgroup. Finally, Lower-grade conglomeratic and gritty ores constitute the remainder of the deposits. These ores are found in the overlying clastic succession of conglomerates, shales and quartzites belonging to the Gamagara Subgroup. Although there are many stratigraphic and lithological similarities between the Sishen and Sishen South deposits, there are also important differences,which will impact on the profitable exploitation of the ores. The most striking contrast between the deposits is their size and geometry. Sishen mine is a single pit operation with an opencast mineable reserve of 895 Mt. The Sishen orebody is thicker, more continuous and significantly larger than the Sishen South deposit. The Sishen South deposit has a potential opencast reserve of 228 Mt. It comprises a number of small and narrow, isolated orebodies, spread over an area of ~64 km2. There is a significant difference in grade between the deposits. On average, the orebodies of the Sishen South deposit have a higher iron content (+0·25%Fe), less potassium (-0·090%K[sub 2]O) and less phosphorus (-0·019 %P). The Sishen South deposit has less interbedded shale in the laminated and massive ores. The footwall of these high-grade ores is a light-density,intrusive sill, compared to banded iron-formation at Sishen. With a proposed heavy-medium separation plant at Sishen South, the impact of dilution on product grades is expected to be less than that currently experienced at Sishen. There is evidence at both localities to supportdifferent ore-forming processes.Most researchers are of the opinion that the laminated and massive ores are the product of supergene enrichment of primary banded iron-formations belonging to the Asbestos Hills Subgroup. Processes of laterisation and even basinal dewatering have been proposed to explain this supergene enrichment process. The exact mechanisms and events which led to the upgrading of the main ore horizon are, however,yet to be clarified. After the enrichment of the primary iron-formations (~2200 Ma), the massive and laminated ores were folded into basinal and dome structures. Karstification took place in the vicinity of the Maramane anticline, which led to the development of sinkholes within which subsidence and collapse took place. These structures facilitated the later upgrading and preservation of the breccia ores. Some 400 Ma later,the laminated and massive ores were subjected to rapid mechanical erosion. Conglomeratic and gritty ores were deposited in extensive, alluvial fan systems at the base of the Gamagara Subgroup. These lithologies heralded the change to an oxidising palaeo-environment and the appearance of the first red-bed sequence in the region. The Sishen and Sishen South deposits developed in the same palaeo-environment and were subjected to similar tectonic deformation. There are, however, a number of differences between the deposits, which will impact on the proposed exploitation of the Sishen South orebodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To find the risk of developing mesothelioma in a cohort born in 1916-36 in Prieska, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.Methods: A birth cohort mortality study was carried out in a small town in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, with a history of crocidolite asbestos mining and milling. The cohort comprised all white births registered in the magisterial district of Prieska from 1916 to 1936, inclusive (2390). Causes of death due to mesothelioma and other cancers as recorded on medical certificates of cause of death were investigated. Person-years analysis was used to calculate mortalities due to mesothelioma, other respiratory cancers, and other non-respiratory cancers. Proportional cancer mortalities were also calculated for mesothelioma and other specific neoplasms.Results: The follow up rate for the cohort was 74.3% in 1995, and 683 traced members (38.6%) had died. Cause of death was unknown for 6.4% of deaths. There were 118 cases of cancer, 28 of them from mesothelioma, giving a cause specific mortality for mesothelioma of 277 (170-384) per 10(6) person-years. The rates for men and women were 366 and 172 per 10(6) person-years, respectively. The mortality for lung cancer (29 deaths) was 287 (135-436) per 10(6) person-years, and that for other non-respiratory cancers (60 deaths) was 593 (442-745). Two cases of laryngeal and four of colon cancer were observed. All cancer mortality, mesothelioma, and lung cancer proportional cancer mortality ratios were increased.Conclusion: The mortality for mesothelioma in men was twice that in women, probably because men were more likely to have had both occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos. Nevertheless, the mortality in women was still high and is probably indicative of the environmental exposure as white women were rarely employed in the asbestos industry in the Prieska area. Due to the long latency from first exposure to diagnosis of the neoplasm, the cause specific mortality in this cohort could be expected to increase rapidly over the next 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the Echidnophaga suricatta (Pulicidae), a species of flea collected from the meerkat in Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Description of Echidnophaga suricatta; Key to the known species of Echidnophaga; Discussion.

This study identified factors affecting livestock farmers' agricultural drought resilience to food insecurity in Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Data of 217 smallholder livestock farmers were used in a principal component analysis to estimate the agricultural drought resilience index. The structural equation approach was then applied to assess smallholder livestock farmers' resilience to food insecurity. The study found that most smallholder livestock farmers (81%) were not resilient to agricultural drought. Assets (β = 0.150), social safety nets (β = 0.001), and adaptive capacity (β = 0.171) indicators positively impacted households' resilience to food insecurity with 5% significance. Climate change indicators negatively impacted households' resilience to food insecurity. Two variables were included under climate change, focusing on drought, namely drought occurrence (β = −0.118) and drought intensity (β = −0.021), which had a negative impact on household resilience to food insecurity with 10% significance. The study suggests that smallholder livestock farmers need assistance from the government and various stakeholders to minimize vulnerability and boost their resilience to food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined rock holes encountered after geological mapping in the metamorphic basement of the Northern Cape Province in South Africa. Morphology of rock holes; Origin; Conclusion.

In 1920 a public alluvial diamond digging — Tlaping — was proclaimed on the Taung Native Reserve in the northern Cape. It was one of nearly two hundred public diggings proclaimed between 1908 and 1929, but it was unique in that it was the first within a Native Reserve. This essay analyses the Tlaping ‘experiment’ in terms of the class dynamics of rural accumulation in the volatile post-World War One period. It locates the forces pushing for this proclamation in the alluvial diamond industry and the rural people drawn to it, but also in the articulation of the Native Reserves with the emerging ideology and practice of segregation. An important facet of the politics of proclamation was the role played by the BaThlaping chiefs within the Taung Reserve. Their wider political agendas were played out through the racial and class dynamics of the alluvial industry. This led to alliances and conflicts between the chiefs and diggers which reflected the class interests of both. These were mediated by the changing character of the local and regional labour market as ‘foreign’ men and local women were drawn into common labour for white diggers. This resulting conflict led to a strong coalition based on common interests between the ‘official’ government chief and capitalist diggers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracts of Sutherlandia frutescens (cancer bush) exhibit considerable qualitative and quantitative chemical variability depending on their natural wild origins. The purpose of this study was thus to determine bioactivity of extracts from different regions using in vitro antioxidant and anti-cancer assays. Extracts of the species are complex and are predominantly composed of a species-specific set of triterpene saponins (cycloartanol glycosides), the sutherlandiosides, and flavonoids (quercetin and kaempferol glycosides), the sutherlandins. For the Folin-Ciocalteu phenolics test values of 93.311 to 125.330 mg GAE/g DE were obtained. The flavonoids ranged from 54.831 to 66.073 mg CE/g DE using the aluminum chloride assay. Extracts from different sites were also assayed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging method and ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP) methods. This was followed by an in vitro Cell Titer-Glo viability assay of various ecotypes using the DLD-1 colon cancer cell line. All test extracts displayed anti-oxidant activity through the DPPH• radical scavenging mechanism, with IC50 values ranging from 3.171 to 7.707 µg·mL−1. However, the degree of anti-oxidant effects differed on a chemotypic basis with coastal plants from Gansbaai and Pearly Beach (Western Cape) exhibiting superior activity whereas the Victoria West inland group from the Northern Cape, consistently showed the weakest anti-oxidant activity for both the DPPH• and FRAP methods. All extracts showed cytotoxicity on DLD-1 colon cancer cells at the test concentration of 200 µg·mL−1 but Sutherlandia plants from Colesburg (Northern Cape) exhibited the highest anti-cancer activity. These findings confirm that S. frutescens specimens display variability in their bioactive capacities based on their natural location, illustrating the importance of choosing relevant ecotypes for medicinal purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Postmasburg Manganese Field (PMF), Northern Cape Province, South Africa, once represented one of the largest sources of manganese ore worldwide. Two belts of manganese ore deposits have been distinguished in the PMF, namely the Western Belt of ferruginous manganese ores and the Eastern Belt of siliceous manganese ores. Prevailing models of ore formation in these two belts invoke karstification of manganese-rich dolomites and residual accumulation of manganese wad which later underwent diagenetic and low-grade metamorphic processes. For the most part, the role of hydrothermal processes and metasomatic alteration towards ore formation has not been adequately discussed. Here we report an abundance of common and some rare Al-, Na-, K- and Ba-bearing minerals, particularly aegirine, albite, microcline, banalsite, sérandite-pectolite, paragonite and natrolite in Mn ores of the PMF, indicative of hydrothermal influence. Enrichments in Na, K and/or Ba in the ores are generally on a percentage level for most samples analysed through bulk-rock techniques. The presence of As-rich tokyoite also suggests the presence of As and V in the hydrothermal fluid. The fluid was likely oxidized and alkaline in nature, akin to a mature basinal brine. Various replacement textures, particularly of Na- and K- rich minerals by Ba-bearing phases, suggest sequential deposition of gangue as well as ore-minerals from the hydrothermal fluid, with Ba phases being deposited at a later stage. The stratigraphic variability of the studied ores and their deviation from the strict classification of ferruginous and siliceous ores in the literature, suggests that a re-evaluation of genetic models is warranted. New Ar-Ar ages for K-feldspars suggest a late Neoproterozoic timing for hydrothermal activity. This corroborates previous geochronological evidence for regional hydrothermal activity that affected Mn ores at the PMF but also, possibly, the high-grade Mn ores of the Kalahari Manganese Field to the north. A revised, all-encompassing model for the development of the manganese deposits of the PMF is then proposed, whereby the source of metals is attributed to underlying carbonate rocks beyond the Reivilo Formation of the Campbellrand Subgroup. The main process by which metals are primarily accumulated is attributed to karstification of the dolomitic substrate. The overlying Asbestos Hills Subgroup banded iron formation (BIF) is suggested as a potential source of alkali metals, which also provides a mechanism for leaching of these BIFs to form high-grade residual iron ore deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]