## 4 Discussion  
There are various approaches that deal with the subject of slope failure, meaning that comparative studies are insufficiently documented. However, an overlap of information in as far as model applications are concerned has been documented. Likewise, several studies on the subject of rainfall influence and slope geometry on slope failure, respectively, concur with the findings of this paper. Articles published by [12; 36] highlight that dry slopes are less prone to failure compared to wet slopes in as far as water presence is concerned. Such findings concur with the results of FLACSlope reported under Section 3.3. There are fewer reports which amalgamate various influential factors and numerical simulations to assess landslide susceptibility. Nevertheless, the influence and impact of slope geometry has been widely studied across various slope terrains. It is thoroughly documented that slopes with sleep margins (slope angles) are prone to failure, especially if other influential factors (internal, external, and environmental) are involved [36]. Simply put, influential factors work together to reduce the mechanical integrity of the material on an inclined plane, resulting in failure. In comparison with studies from other parts of the Limpopo province, a study by [37; 38; 39; 40] investigated a back-analysis of an ancient rockslide using DIPS and ROCPlane models. The lithology of the study in comparison comprised jointed sandstone that is characterised as partially metamorphosed in certain locations. Indeed, this study, in comparison exhibited a setting like the R37 road in the selected parts. In both the studies, rock mass properties and geometry features such as jointing, dip, and strike were priorised for kinematic analysis using a DIPS model, similar to studies such as [41; 42]. Results in both investigations in as far as kinematic analysis is concerned concerned on how strata discontinuities and orientation affect slope stability, and with regard to the empirical observations. Ref. [37]'s results indicate that the prominent failure mode in the area is planar failure, which is a sliding movement along a single discontinuity plane in strata that dip towards the slope face. Indeed, such planar failure occurrence is also noted across the R37 slopes. Nonetheless, it is crucial to highlight that the use of the toppling-sliding chart is useful in identifying the simultaneous toppling and failure mode, which is not easy to observe, and which DIPS is unable to predict. ROCPlane was utilised to further characterised the envisaged planar failure; likewise, in the R37, FLACSlope was used to incorporate water and structural elements (geological structures and strata information) to calculate the FoS. The findings in both studies are closely associated and could be used to identify failure modes and link the modes to structural impact. In another study by [12], which investigated the influence of rainfall intensity on the stability of unsaturated slopes using a FLACSlope (Finite Difference Method), the results were in concurrence with the findings of this paper. The authors' findings show that the FoS that were obtained for wet and dry slope conditions indicate similar findings to those highlighted in the study. An increase in the volume of water which was simulated to  
Figure 17: Summary of the FoS vs. an increase in water table. reflect wet conditions (saturated slope) indicated a drastic decrease in shear strength and resistance and FoS, which implies a higher failure susceptibility. Although these findings are similar, the study, in comparison, did not consider the presence of geological attributes such as dolerite dyke intrusion, since the investigation was on unconsolidated material. Furthermore, one can also argue that the presence of geological structures contributes largely to the FoS of the slopes simulated. In simple terms, the geological structures and their orientation weaken the rock-mass; as such, the stability of the slope becomes unstable.