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An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including commercialisation of lobola or bride price, women living as forced migrants in Zimbabwe, and use of African proverbs to define relationships between men and women.

In antithesis to the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (socioeconomic inclusion for all) and a relatively progressive refugee policy framework (Refugee Act 130 of 1998), refugees in South Africa continue to face targeted exclusion and reduced living potentials. Impediments to refugee groups ability to 'thrive and not just survive' (as called for in the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees), are examined in this paper through a synopsis of the conditions surrounding their access to legal documents (a conduit to socioeconomic rights), their equitable participation/inclusion within the formal labour markets, financial sectors etc. In examining these issues, a case-study-based interpretive research design technique with eight FGD participants and two life history participants (drawn from Congolese refugees' residing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) was done. Several conceptual frameworks as well as a single principal theory (Murphy's theory of monopolization) were utilized so as to fully examine forced migrant groups socioeconomic participation/inclusion in South Africa. This articles findings revealed that primary cultural, as well as structural agentive processes of obstruction significantly inhibit refugee groups full socioeconomic participating in the life of their host communities. The said obstructions included but were not confined to: adverse forms of incorporation, opportunity hoarding, as well as the normative unobtainability of social, cultural, and symbolic forms of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines student mobility in South Africa via the narratives of three immigrant students who are registered for a post-graduate degree at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN). Their narratives highlight the complexities of assimilation and accommodation in the context of identity, belonging and citizenship. For many student immigrants, particularly from within Africa, South Africa is seen as the 'New York' of Africa, with good infrastructure, a highly developed educational system and enduring political stability. These 'pull' factors aided by 'push' factors in their home countries such as poverty, political violence, lack of basic amenities, has collectively led to an influx of cross border student mobility. This paper identifies and discusses the 'push' and 'pull' factors of cross-border student mobility and the challenges and constraints they experience at UKZN in the context of language barriers, academic facilities, identity, transient families and xenophobia. The findings of this paper concludes that student mobility at the University of Kwazulu-Natal share similar trajectorial paths in the context of decision-making and assimilation in the host country. The paper also argues that to some extent, higher education is used as a channel for emigration to South Africa. The narratives in this study provide an opportunity to document the lives of immigrant students from their own perspective, thereby providing some insight into the complexities of student mobility and its overall implications for South African tertiary institutions. Findings and conclusions from this paper will add to current debates on student mobility both within an African and international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particular communities and groups of people develop particular prevailing points of view, including how health and illness is understood. Our prevailing points of view, 'worldviews' or positioning, are a result of the 'dialogue' between us and our wider society (see Creswell 2009:8) and is a process of "active construction" (Fox 2001: 23). As such, we approach reality from our particular point of view which has been constructed and developed over time (see Rosaldo 2003: 583). Different societies have in turn, their specific practices and beliefs, as well as their approach to health and illness (see Naidu 2013: 257; Naidu 2014: 147; Vaughn, Jacquez, and Baker 2009: 65). As Whyte, van der Geest and Hordon (2002: 118) assert, many factors "influence people's response to ill-health, including entrenched beliefs". As such, the understanding and approach to illnesses vary from one society to another, one setting to another, and one belief system to another. This paper looked at what isiZulu-speaking nurses understand by illness and healing. It explored what sickness means to the Ama Zulu African nurses. In exploring this understanding of nurses, the paper explored the wider cultural belief system of the isiZulu-speaking nurses within which their understandings are deeply embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South African women are vulnerable to rape and other forms of brutality experienced at the hands of men, including their intimate partners. The culturally entrenched patriarchal system encourages the dominance of women by men and expresses the underlying tenor of sexual domination of women. So called 'traditional' forms of African masculinity in turn appear to disempower women and portray the African man as 'strong and aggressive.' The further socialization (normalization?) of various strands of hegemonic masculinity has been identified as the root of gender based violence. The izikhothani- ('township slang' for a man who is supposedly well groomed, and obsessive about fashion and styling his body) offer potentially an alternative construction of (heterosexual) masculinity. For the izikhothani, sex and sexuality play a huge role, especially when it comes to their sense of how they see themselves and how they wish to be seen (by women). However, in tandem with their keen fashion sense and body grooming is their claim that women should be respected and not abused. Given this claim by the izikhothani, this paper brings an empirical gaze to how izikhothani construct their masculinity as well as their perceptions on how women should be treated sexually. The paper asks whether this can be viewed as a potentially alternate and 'softer' kind of African masculinity. Findings reveal however, that rather than offer an alternate form of masculinity, the izikhothani further objectify women, whilst simultaneously chorusing their respect for the opposite sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on research among a group of 20 Indian national women, the so-called 'trailing wives' of professional and highly skilled NRI's (non-resident Indians) residing in Durban, KwaZulu Natal. Borrowing from Radhakrishnan's (2008) notion of 'global Indianness' and the role of diasporic women in embodying the cultural ideals of Indian family life, the study is grounded in a transnational and social networks approach (Wellman, 1984; Lauring and Selmar, 2010). Traditional literature on expatriate workers is preoccupied with the migrant's work experience and more specifically, tends to construct highly skilled migrants as individual economic actors, neglecting the family that accompanies them. However, more recent studies acknowledge the impact a 'trailing spouse' may contribute to the transnational experience (Lauring & Selmer, 2010; Gupta, Banerjee, & Gaur, 2012). Expatriate employees and their spouses can face multiple challenges in the relocation process, including a lack of support from employers, leaving family and friends behind, adapting to a host society, and the difficulty of raising children where traditional support structures do not exist. By casting an anthropological lens on the diverse forms and functions of social ties and networks the families of highly skilled migrants create, the embodied reality of migration is foregrounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the notion of skills transfer in South Africa and the influences that emanate from outside the country. It takes the position that while the concept is recent, skills transfers actually predate its introduction into academic discourse. This is because the skills that slaves and indentured labourers carried with them across continents were not ascribed with the recognition it deserved. The discussion here emphasizes that slavery and indentured labour were characteristically imbued with skills that were requisite to build the infrastructures for which colonial empires became so famous, but they were denied the recognition. Most often concepts such as "unskilled labour" serve as a justification for exploitative conditions under which workers are employed. But beyond the history of these issues is the transference of skills that are also not given due recognition if they are not classified as "certified expertise" through theoretical and sometimes practical training from recognized institutions. In recognizing this contemporary feature among migrants and the skills that they carry with them, this paper highlights the relevant legislative devices that are meant to guide recruitment in South Africa, and suggests that much can be learnt from the technical and entrepreneurial skills that foreigners carry with them into South Africa as instructive lessons for employment among the masses of the unemployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on research carried out into substance abuse in the predominantly Indian township of Chatsworth in KwaZulu Natal. The substances primarily abused until the 1980s were dagga and cane spirit, an extract of sugar cane. Post 1980 ushered in an era of experimentation with concoctions of older and new drugs, with highly addictive and destructive mixtures wreaking havoc in the lives of the younger generation in particular. This drug is known as "sugars". The paper attempts to bring out what observers saw on a regular basis through common association; how consumers went through the motions in acquiring their material, and the symbolism that contributes towards an identity build-up among consumers of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is part of an ongoing study of the youth in the township of Chatsworth in post apartheid South Africa. Fieldwork conducted over three different periods, 2007, 2010 and 2012 among predominantly Indian youth addicts, their caregivers and members of the Anti- Drug Forum and other community based organizations indicate a drug scourge that has debilitated youth, households and the wider community. This paper is divided into three parts. Three sections address the trajectories of the study of youth addicts and related household dynamics since 2007. The first section briefly highlights socio-economic developments in post-apartheid Chatsworth, the unease of being Indian within the larger national identity, the sugars trade and methodology. The second section elaborates the physical effects of sugars, the relationship between drugs and taxis, drugs and crime, the reconfiguration of township youth identity as well as domestic violence. The final part of the paper provides insight into the gendered experience of sugars addiction and fieldwork conducted between 2010 and 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a great deal of literature on crime and violence in post-apartheid South Africa. This paper examines the prevalence and impact of violence and crime at local level through a case study of two areas in Chatsworth, Westcliff and Bayview, where civic organizations have played an effective role in addressing local problems. They have mostly done so outside of official structures such as Community Policing Forums. The presence of strong individuals, mainly women, has helped the community cope with violence through forms of self-protection such as neighbourhood watches, vigilantism, and gated communities. On the negative side, these measures provide protection to limited segments of society; they may spawn new forms of violence that could undercut long-term violence prevention strategies; and it is also unreasonable to expect local communities with limited resources to fill the void created by state failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has a constitutional mandate to provide rehabilitation programs that address offenders' criminal conducts. The rehabilitation approach currently used to deliver this mandate is grounded on the needs-based model where dynamic factors associated with recidivism are systematically targeted in the treatment of offenders' criminal behaviors. In this research, a qualitative research methodology was employed, and a case study research design was utilized. Purposeful non-probability sampling was utilized to recruit participants. Thirty inmates and 20 correctional center officials who met the inclusion criteria for the study were selected to participate. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data during the empirical investigation. The findings of this study demonstrated that the DCS's mission is far from being accomplished due to its failure to implement rehabilitation programs. The research study, therefore, recommends that for the success of a rehabilitation approach in South Africa, a critical review of the strategy meant to achieve this goal is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the causes of youth mortality during traditional male circumcision practices by Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMPs) in South Africa. A case study approach was used. Six participants were drawn from an entire population of Traditional Medicine Practitioners and young men who have been circumcised by TMPs in less than three years. Data was collected using semi-structured open-ended interview questions to inquire about the rationale for using traditional male circumcision, how the circumcision procedures are carried out and what causes death among the young men (initiates). The findings revealed that traditional male circumcision is a cultural and religious practice of many South Africans. The circumcision process is done by the removal of the foreskin of the penis and this cause excessive bleeding, sometimes leading to death of some initiates. Other causes of death revealed by the study included unskilled TMPs, usage of unsterilized equipment leading to infections and ultimately death. Undisclosed isolated and remote venues where the circumcision practices are undertaken also emerged as a contributing factor to the death among initiates. The results led to the proposal of Traditional Male Circumcision ICT Framework (TMC-ICT Framework) to integrate the services rendered by TMPs during traditional male circumcision practices with services from healthcare professionals in government hospitals to reduce the mortality rate of young initiates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptions of crime is constructed on the basis of an individuals' personal estimation of the nature and incidence of crime in their environment; the perceived risk of becoming a victim of crime and on the basis of perceptions of significant others around them. The likelihood of a person becoming a victim of crime is strongly influenced by, among other things, gender, age, income, place of residence and race. Although the latest crime statistics in South Africa reveal that levels for certain categories of crime have decreased, rising levels of insecurity have become a key concern in society, posing a threat not only to social order and the economic well-being of the country, but also to the quality of life for people. Public perceptions about the risk of criminal victimization and the fear of crime are influential in shaping policy and the priorities of state expenditure on law and order initiatives. If public concern about crime is driven by an exaggerated assessment of the risks of victimization then strategies need to be put in place to address the situation. This paper explores attitudes and public perceptions of crime which were obtained from interview surveys conducted with the White populace in three different localities within the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, viz., Central Durban, the Natal Midlands (Dundee), and the North Coast (Empangeni). All three localities translate into urban, peri-urban and deep rural forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated how doctors in remote rural hospitals in South Africa use computer-mediated tool to communicate with experienced and specialist doctors for professional advice to improve on their clinical practices. A case study approach was used. Participants were purposively selected. Ten doctors were selected from ten hospitals in the North West Province. Data was collected using semi-structured open ended interview questions. The interviewees were asked to tell in their own words the average number of patients served per week, processes used in consultation with other doctors, communication practices using computer-mediated tool, transmission speed of the computer-mediated tool and satisfaction in using the computer-mediated communication tool. The findings revealed that an average of 15 consultations per doctor to a specialist doctor per week was done through face to face or through telephone conversation instead of using a computer-mediated tool. Participants cited reasons for not using computer-mediated tool for communication due to slow transmission speed of the Internet and regular down turn of the Internet connectivity, constant electricity power outages and lack of e-health application software to support real time computer-mediated communication. The results led to the recommendation of a hybrid cloud computing architecture for improving communication between doctors in hospitals. Although this study had a limited number of participants, the findings were unexpected, and therefore, of interest to doctors who intend using computer-mediated tool to improve the performance of their clinical duties. It is also of interest to those who intend to implement e-health initiatives in rural hospitals in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-apartheid period has witnessed a mushrooming of activity by civic organizations in South Africa. This paper focuses on a group of women in Westcliff, Chatsworth, who have been persevering against difficult odds over the past two decades. Most lost their formal jobs in the Clothing and Textile sectors during the 1990s and have been surviving through a series of low paying casual jobs and state welfare assistance. They formed the Westcliff Flats Residents Association (WFRA) to take up issues such as evictions for non-payment of rent and poor service delivery. The WRFA allowed members to mobilize their individual grievances into a collective one and initially direct this against the local state. The growth of such organizations can be seen as affirmation of a growing sense of citizenship. Members have developed a clear sense of the injustices perpetrated by the state, of their rights as citizens, of the possibilities of engaging in this kind of political space in addition to pursuing constitutional litigation, and of the potential of working with fellow citizens in pursuit of common ends. Notwithstanding this, the lives of few women have improved materially and attempts to forge alliances with other organizations with similar grievances met with limited success. A decade ago there was great optimism that social movements, through a combination of petitions, protest, and litigation, will bring about real changes to the status quo. While this may be up for debate, the WFRA, does, however, play a vital role in the lives of women in the community by providing information, emotional succor, advice, work, and even financial support at times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of two informal settlements in Crossmoor, Chatsworth, on perceptions in Chatsworth about the post-apartheid era are profound. Not only was this the first time Indians and Africans had attempted to forge a settlement and eke out an existence together in this way, it also make strikingly clear that the widening gap of poverty in South Africa was effecting more and more people and Indians, who are often portrayed as successful traders, find themselves in this mix. Given the situation of South Africa, the lack of political will of the ruling elite, the continuing commodification and privatization of housing, soaring unemployment, and the necessity to live close to the city, and land invasions such as described in this paper, are bound to continue. Those who are forced to actively take whatever they can get, wherever they can get it, will increase, as too will the violence of the state's repression of these kinds of actions. More and more there will be people who try to build a decent life on their own, who have given up on government as the only force that can do that for them. The jury is out on whether these kinds of reclamations will grow into a larger political force across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deepening levels of poverty in Zimbabwe have resulted in high numbers of Zimbabwean women migrating to South Africa in the hopes of securing better wages and job security. Most of these migrants end up working in the informal sector with limited income, high levels of insecurity, and a lack of protection against gender-based violence and xenophobia. Regardless of the adversities that these women encounter, they often display resilience and adaptability. Based on semi-structured interviews with 22 Zimbabwean migrant women, this article documents how these migrant women navigated some of the vulnerabilities and challenges they encountered. Instead of always being constrained by different structures of violence, this article unpacks the women's strategies to ensure their survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lion conservation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and Trade Records Analyses of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) are considered key United Nations (UN) institutions for "sciencebased decisions" on global policy formulation for conservation and combating wildlife crime. CITES, but probably also TRAFFIC and IUCN, still adheres to and operates in the paradigm of the "sustainable use" of animals, based on the long leading philosophical Cartesian paradigm in academia that premises that humans and animals differ in kind, and that animals do not "feel" and have the neurological capacities to think like us. But this Cartesian worldview can no longer withstand the latest scientific evidence, developments, and new insights that show how people and animals only differ in degree and not in kind. The concept of "sustainable use" of wildlife, including lions, therefore needs to be rethought in the light of this new paradigm. In South Africa, the "sustainable use" of lions includes the trade in lion's bones from captive lions, which was legalized in 2016. The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA) appealed against this legalized trade, based on rational arguments that fit CITES and its Cartesian approach to animals but also on the paradigm shift where humans and animals are no longer considered different in kind but only in degree. This paradigm shift has led to initiatives to try and suggest possible ways forward for a political order that matches this "new normal." Probably the most developed in this context is the concept of "zoopolis," which is explored in this article. The four "vulnerabilities" on which the concept is based were all found to be relevant to lion conservation and fighting wildlife crime in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the significant role played by community safety structures in Msinga Local Municipality. The motivation behind this study was based on safety within the selected community, considering the increase in violent crimes there. It is rooted in the National Developmental Plan (NDP) of attempting to build safer communities by 2030, by building community participation in community safety. In ensuring that the aim of this study was achieved, a mixed method research design was used, which assisted the researcher to focus on both contesting the existence of community safety structures and exploring their significance in Msinga Local Municipality. Overall, the finding of this study revealed that community safety structures play a vital role in preventing crime within Msinga Local Municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from Jahoda's deprivation theory, unemployed male youth are prone to psychological distress and as a result they resort to drugs and alcohol abuse as a way to cope with discrimination. Owing to gender norms, they are inclined to be sexually aggressive and very often engage in unprotected sex to cover their feelings of emotional insecurities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of unemployment on the sexual behaviour of Xhosa- speaking male youth, aged 19-35, from Quzini Location, Eastern Cape, South Africa. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was followed using focus group interviews. The purposively sampled fifteen unemployed males gave their informed consent to be interviewed. For trustworthiness of the study, the researcher met the Lincoln and Guba's principles, namely; credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability. The respondents mentioned that they were patriarchal, abusive and involved in criminal activities owing to depression and low- self-esteem. Based on the findings, the recommendations are that the government and private sectors should create jobs aimed at reducing unemployment for unemployed youth and psycho-educational programmes that will equip them in the areas of sexual values and attitudes, communication and decisionmaking skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1990's, in the context of the transition from an apartheid led regime to a non-racial democracy, there has been an influx of migrants into South Africa, particularly in view of its perceived business opportunities, and financial and relative political stability. Most migrants came from different regions of Africa and the Asia, while there are smaller numbers from North Africa and the Middle East. This article examines the arrival and settlement of Pakistanis in Verulam, a town on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The growing prominence of Pakistani controlled businesses in Verulam led to an interest in examining the reasons for them migrating to South Africa, in particular what factors led to their migration; how they identified South Africa as a potential place of destination; who they migrated with and how; the skills and social capital that they came with; the manner in which they integrated into the local community; how they have adapted and settled in their new setting, and the ways in which they maintain contact back home. This article is an exploratory study of the complexities of the migrant experience from the perspectives of individuals' themselves. It is based on a case study approach using qualitative, semi-structured interviews to acquire data. The five case studies illustrate that migrants, in general, leave their family for far off places under difficult circumstances with the expectation of and ambitions for a more prosperous life for both themselves and their families back in the villages of Pakistan. To achieve this they are compelled to work long hours, live under difficult conditions, visit home rarely, and put up with locals' xenophobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of mono- and polysubstance abuse were examined in a consecutive sample of 3,746 individuals presenting for treatment at two state supported drug treatment units located in the city of Durban, South Africa. Data for the study were obtained from the treatment units' case files for the 6-year period April 2006 to March 2012. An analysis of treatment-seekers demographic profiles indicated that the modal treatment-seeker was an employed, single, adult male from the Durban area, with there being no significant change in this profile over the 6-year period. There was however, a significant increase in admission numbers (19 percent) and a significant increase in the percentage of treatment-seekers who were polysubstance users (from 39 to 56 percent) across the 6-year period. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for practice and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]