BACKGROUND: Leadership effectiveness is critical to organisational performance and survival. To be effective, organisational leaders must possess the right competencies. One vital leadership competency is strategic thinking, which is described as the ability to synthesise and utilise intuition and creativity in order for an organisation to achieve an integrated perspective. Strategic thinking remains a critical area for research, owing to lack of supporting empirical literature, and to theories that give little or no guidance to leaders AIM: The purpose of this study is to empirically test the relationship between strategic thinking competency and leadership effectiveness in Kenyan indigenous banks SETTING: The setting of the study is the indigenous banks in Kenya METHODS: The study was based on a positivist research paradigm which is quantitative in nature and utilised a survey method to collect data. Both probability and non-probability methods were used to determine the target population. The research instrument was a self-administered, closed-ended questionnaire. From a target population of 494 individuals, a total of 257 responses were received and analysed. The analysis was performed using structural equation modelling with confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha and goodness-of-fit indices being used for analysis and testing relationships RESULTS: The overall findings are that a positive relationship exists between strategic thinking and leadership effectiveness in indigenous banks in Kenya. The study further establishes positive relationships between the strategic thinking competency and its sub-constructs of general strategic thinking, intent-focused and hypothesis-driven, but a negative relationship with intelligent opportunism. A similar positive relationship exists between leadership effectiveness and its sub-constructs of influence, follower commitment and versatility CONCLUSION: This research has established that strategic thinking is an important determinant of leadership effectiveness for indigenous banks in Kenya, and therefore supports prevailing literature and theory indicating a positive relationship. The implication of the study is that bank management should strive to maintain strategic thinking competency for effective leadership, successful bank performance and stability

Lifestyle diseases such as obesity have been neglected in developing countries partly due to a more urgent focus on infectious diseases in these countries. The incidence of obesity is on the increase in developing countries, with a marked rise in childhood obesity. A health promotion activity employing service-learning principles required final year pharmacy students to prepare a pilot-tested computer-based quiz, using a pre- and post-intervention test design, along with other learning material, for participants at the 2007 Sasol National Festival of Science and Technology (SciFest). Interactive models, posters and information leaflets were used in explaining the prevention and control of obesity to learners. The results showed that the pre-existing knowledge of the participants was good. There was a further improvement after the educational intervention. Activities such as this are important in heightening awareness of obesity in learners as it is likely to reduce the incidence of obesity later in life. Furthermore, the activity also served to increase awareness of the role of pharmacists in the prevention of lifestyle diseases such as obesity.

Leefwysesiektes soos obesiteit word verwaarloos in ontwikkelende lande weens die fokus op aansteeklike siektes. Voorvalle van obesiteit het verdriedubbel in ontwikkelende lande, met 'n skerp styging in kinderobesiteit. Die huidige gesondheidsprogram bied 'n indiensopleidingskursus aan, waar finalejaar-aptekerstudente 'n loodsprogram aanbied met behulp van 'n rekenaar vasvraprogram waar 'n voor- en na-toets saam met ander leermateriaal gebruik word vir bywoners van die 2007 Sasol Nasionale Wetenskapfees. Interaktiewe modelle, plakkate en inligtingspamflette is as hulpmiddels gebruik om die voorkoming en beheer van obesiteit aan leerders te illustreer. Die resultate het gewys dat die kennis van die deelnemers goed was. Dit het ná opvoedkundige raadgewing verder verbeter. Projekte soos hierdie is belangrik om leerders van obesiteit bewus te maak, aangesien dit baie moontlik die voorkoms van obesiteit later in deelnemers se lewens kan verminder. Die projek poog verder om bewustheid oor die rol wat aptekers in die voorkoming van leefwysesiektes soos obesiteit kan speel, te verhoog.

Populações africanas de abelhas comuns classificadas como Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier foram analisadas morfometricamente usando-se técnicas estatísticas multivariadas. A população consistia de aproximadamente 15.000 abelhas operárias provenientes de 825 colônias individuais de 193 localidades do leste da África, estendendo-se da África do Sul até a Etiópia. A análise de fatores estabeleceu um agrupamento primário designado A. m. scutellata. A formação de agrupamento morfológico e a inclusividade (classificação correta) são altamente sensíveis aos intervalos de distância da amostragem. Dentro da região de A. m. scutellata há abelhas maiores associadas às altas altitudes montanhosas, que são tradicionalmente classificadas como A. m. monticola Smith, mas é evidente que estas abelhas não formam um grupo uniforme. As características de variação das medidas morfométricas mostram domínios de populações locais significantemente diferentes. Estas populações altamente variáveis ocorrem em sua maioria em margens de transição de zonas climáticas e de vegetação, e algumas vezes com alterações mais localizadas de temperatura. Agora também é evidente que as A. m. scutellata introduzidas há aproximadamente 50 anos na região neotropical constituíam uma amostra particularmente homogênea que exibia todos os caracteres esperados em uma população com efeito fundador ou "gargalo".

The honeybee populations of Africa classified as Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier were analysed morphometrically using multivariate statistical techniques. The collection consisted of nearly 15,000 worker honeybees from 825 individual colonies at 193 localities in east Africa, extending from South Africa to Ethiopia. Factor analysis established one primary cluster, designated as A. m. scutellata. Morphocluster formation and inclusivity (correct classification) are highly sensitive to sampling distance intervals. Within the A. m. scutellata region are larger bees associated with high altitudes of mountain systems which are traditionally classified as A. m. monticola Smith, but it is evident that these bees do not form a uniform group. Variance characteristics of the morphometric measurements show domains of significantly different local populations. These high variance populations mostly occur at transitional edges of major climatic and vegetational zones, and sometimes with more localised discontinuities in temperature. It is also now evident that those A. m. scutellata introduced nearly fifty years ago into the Neotropics were a particularly homogenous sample, which exhibited all the traits expected in a founder effect or bottleneck population.