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PhD on urban pacification, a pioneering contribution to town planning in South Africa

07 December 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Charl Devenish

Dr Michelle Goliath completed her PhD in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Free State (UFS) and received her qualification during the December graduations.

The PhD, which she began in 2018 under supervision of Prof Malene Campbell, is titled Urban Pacification Strategies and Solutions: Towards a Contested Space Theory of Artisanal Mining.

The focus of her thesis was on finding strategies to address informal mining in urban areas. “It considers the formalisation of informal miners, adapted land use management, risk management solutions, and action research to solve complex problems. In addition, it also looks at the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the challenge and proposes a unique practical methodology on how to solve similar complex problems and challenges that urban planners and policy makers face daily,” explains Dr Goliath.

A foundation for informed decision making

She is of the opinion that her research provides a foundation for informed decision making by town planners who seek to proactively address and mitigate challenges around artisanal mining.

Dr Goliath’s thesis introduces innovative strategies for managing land use specifically designed for the challenges of artisanal mining. She believes that recognising the importance of flexible and innovative land-use policies demonstrates a deep understanding of the spatial aspects involved in effectively accommodating and regulating artisanal mining activities. As reported by Dr Goliath, this customised approach ensures that the rules fit the unique characteristics of artisanal mining, promoting sustainable urban development.

Moreover, by integrating action research methodologies into the thesis, a dynamic and collaborative element is introduced into the decision-making process. She says that engaging in practical, on-the-ground research in collaboration with practitioners – in this instance a community of women artisanal miners in Kimberley – advocates for evidence-based decision making in urban planning. “This approach not only enriches the theoretical foundation of the thesis, but also ensures that the proposed solutions are rooted in the practical realities of the South African context,” she states.

Furthermore, the thesis offers both theoretical insights and practical policy recommendations, ensuring that its research findings extend beyond academia. These insights are directly applicable to the challenges confronted by town planners in South Africa and policy planners in other SADEC countries who are still navigating the policy process for similar challenges. “The incorporation of global trends in artisanal mining allows for a comparative approach, enhancing the relevance and transferability of the recommendations both locally and internationally,” remarks Dr Goliath.

The impact of empowerment

She says it is fulfilling to witness the transformative impact of empowerment. “Engaging with and supporting women in the artisanal mining sector has not only enhanced their economic opportunities but has also contributed to broader social and community development. It is the empowerment of these women, their resilience, and the tangible positive shifts in their lives that stand out as the most rewarding and impactful outcomes of my work in Kimberley.”

Besides the opportunity to help this group of women, she was also excited about the chance to contribute new knowledge and insights to the field. “The process of delving into unexplored aspects of artisanal mining in Kimberley, conducting thorough investigations, and analysing longitudinal data has been intellectually stimulating,” she states.

“The prospect of offering novel perspectives, innovative solutions, and evidence-based recommendations through my research is particularly thrilling. Witnessing the potential for this work to make a meaningful impact on policies, practices, and the lives of individuals involved in artisanal mining adds a sense of purpose and excitement to the research journey,” concludes Dr Goliath.

News Archive

Fight against Ebola virus requires more research

2014-10-22

Dr Abdon Atangana
Photo: Ifa Tshishonge

Dr Abdon Atangana, a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Groundwater Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), wrote an article related to the Ebola virus: Modelling the Ebola haemorrhagic fever with the beta-derivative: Deathly infection disease in West African countries.

“The filoviruses belong to a virus family named filoviridae. This virus can cause unembellished haemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman monkeys. In literature, only two members of this virus family have been mentioned, namely the Marburg virus and the Ebola virus. However, so far only five species of the Ebola virus have been identified, including: Ivory Coast, Sudan, Zaire, Reston and Bundibugyo.

“Among these families, the Ebola virus is the only member of the Zaire Ebola virus species and also the most dangerous, being responsible for the largest number of outbreaks.

“Ebola is an unusual, but fatal virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes the blood-clotting levels in cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.

Since all physical problems can be modelled via mathematical equation, Dr Atangana aimed in his research (the paper was published in BioMed Research International with impact factor 2.701) to analyse the spread of this deadly disease using mathematical equations. We shall propose a model underpinning the spread of this disease in a given Sub-Saharan African country,” he said.

The mathematical equations are used to predict the future behaviour of the disease, especially the spread of the disease among the targeted population. These mathematical equations are called differential equation and are only using the concept of rate of change over time.

However, there is several definitions for derivative, and the choice of the derivative used for such a model is very important, because the more accurate the model, the better results will be obtained. The classical derivative describes the change of rate, but it is an approximation of the real velocity of the object under study. The beta derivative is the modification of the classical derivative that takes into account the time scale and also has a new parameter that can be considered as the fractional order.

“I have used the beta derivative to model the spread of the fatal disease called Ebola, which has killed many people in the West African countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, since December 2013,” he said.

The constructed mathematical equations were called Atangana’s Beta Ebola System of Equations (ABESE). “We did the investigation of the stable endemic points and presented the Eigen-Values using the Jacobian method. The homotopy decomposition method was used to solve the resulted system of equations. The convergence of the method was presented and some numerical simulations were done for different values of beta.

“The simulations showed that our model is more realistic for all betas less than 0.5. The model revealed that, if there were no recovery precaution for a given population in a West African country, the entire population of that country would all die in a very short period of time, even if the total number of the infected population is very small. In simple terms, the prediction revealed a fast spread of the virus among the targeted population. These results can be used to educate and inform people about the rapid spread of the deadly disease,” he said.

The spread of Ebola among people only occurs through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person after symptoms have developed. Body fluid that may contain the Ebola virus includes saliva, mucus, vomit, faeces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine and semen. Entry points include the nose, mouth, eyes, open wounds, cuts and abrasions. Note should be taken that contact with objects contaminated by the virus, particularly needles and syringes, may also transmit the infection.

“Based on the predictions in this paper, we are calling on more research regarding this disease; in particular, we are calling on researchers to pay attention to finding an efficient cure or more effective prevention, to reduce the risk of contamination,” Dr Atangana said.

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