Search

Religion not only promotes tolerance among societies with different backgrounds, but also serves to enhance human society. In contrast, however, religion is seen to be the cause of conflict and division around the world. Hence, it is crucial that schools handle the teaching of religion with greater care. This paper aims to share schools' experiences of religion-in-education policy change in South Africa -- whether it unifies or divides them. It concludes that religion in education is neither a divider nor a unifier. Nonetheless, the approach that schools adopt toward the teaching of religion to learners remains a concern.

In this paper we analysed the use of WhatsApp among first-year students at the University of Technology in the context of South Africa. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari's Assemblage Theory, the study analysed postings on a WhatsApp group and secondary data using content analysis. The findings showed that first-year students used WhatsApp for communication, sharing content and information related to issues affecting their studies. Further, WhatsApp was useful in the process of becoming first-year students in the new educational environment and in the creation of knowledge from multiple sources that was not confined to the lectures and classroom experiences. This study offers insights that can be useful when developing strategies for integrating Mobile Instant Messaging platforms in the context of higher education.

This paper presents the results of a systematic review of literature, reported in research journals, on the experiences of higher educational institutions regarding teaching, learning, and assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Different studies related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted within the South African context, but there has not been a systematic review of these studies highlighting the lessons learned, how these lessons have affected education in higher education institutions (HEIs), and how these lessons can inform future planning. This study aims to summarise literature on teaching, learning and assessment in higher education institutions and to conceptualise possible guidelines for future planning. An analysis of 52 research articles revealed 7 implications for the lessons learnt from the pandemic for future teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) in South African HEIs (realisation of the affordances of technology for TLA, institutional changes related to online TLA during the pandemic, students' experiences related to TLA, lecturer's experiences related to TLA, the need for care, assessment related matters, approaches to teaching, learning and assessment) and several recommendations for how these lessons can be leveraged to help HEIs to prepare effectively for future catastrophic disruptions to education in South African HEIs. The discussion shows the digital divide that exists within the South African population and other contextual challenges faced by higher education institutions during the pandemic, and the different sacrifices by both institutions and students to survive the pandemic. Overall, the findings of this review provide valuable guidance for HEIs and stakeholders involved in TLA, offering insights on how to integrate the lessons learned from the pandemic into their future planning and strategies.

When geometry teaching lacks elements of flexibility, inclusivity and accessibility, it is often difficult for learners to follow and understand what they are being taught. In line with this, this paper reports on the application of universal design for instruction (UDI) to guide flexible and accessible teaching of geometry to maximise learning. UDI is an approach to teaching that uses a variety of flexible, inclusive and accessible teaching methods to remove barriers to learning, in order to give all learners equal opportunity to succeed. Eight grade 9 mathematics teachers in one of the largest secondary schools in the Motheo district in South Africa were purposively selected to participate in this qualitative case study that was underpinned by sensemaking theory as a lens. These teachers have previously undergone training on the application of UDI in teaching mathematics. Focus group discussions and lesson observations were used to generate data, whilst content analysis was used to analyse the generated data. The findings of the study revealed the positive effects of UDI in terms of guiding flexible, inclusive and accessible teaching of geometry to maximise learning. Thus, this study suggests implications for teaching geometry using UDI to maximise learning.

Inclusive education is a fundamental right of all students. Despite international policy initiatives, educational exclusion is pervasive, especially in the Global South, and disproportionately affects disabled students. Barriers to inclusive education have been itemised in the literature, but in this conceptual paper that offers a novel perspective on the topic, we argue for a complexity approach to understand its evolution. Using a qualitative deductive content analysis of South African laws, policies, reports and scholarly literature, we explore three path dependencies from colonial/apartheid times that lock the country into historical patterns of categorisation and segregated schooling. These operate alongside the emergence of new and inclusive practices by actors at a system-wide and local level, made possible by inputs into the policy ecology. South Africa represents a complex, contradictory educational environment that confounds the expectation of linear progression towards greater inclusivity. Instead of identifying barriers to inclusive education, we argue for a nuanced understanding of the imbrications of historical investments and drivers of inequality, with policy possibilities and the impetus for transformation among system actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of adequate services to citizens has been a major problem that has ignited social protests in South Africa’s local municipalities. The paper found that a lack of accountability, transparency, and public participation has impacted service delivery. It was found that services delivered to the citizens have failed to meet their expectations. This is because in situations where there is no accountability, transparency, or public participation, there is a lack of inclusivity, which in turn raises violent feelings that ignite social protests. The paper found that the use of Artificial Intelligence would promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity which are needed for delivering adequate services that meet people’s expectations. To achieve those assertions, the paper used secondary datacollected through a qualitative research methodology and analysed via document and content analysis. There is a need for South Africa’s local municipalities to adopt Artificial Intelligence technology in the service delivery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African rural communities depend more on subsistence farming as a primary strategy to improve their livelihood. This livelihood strategy has the potential to eliminate poverty and hunger by means of ensuring food security. This paper critically assessed the contribution of subsistence farming to the livelihood of rural communities in South Africa. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach was used as a primary theory to assess the extent to which subsistence farming contributes to the livelihood of rural communities. The paper relied more on secondary data to collect relevant information and textual analysis was used as a tool for analysing reviewed literature that is relevant to subsistence farming as a strategy to improve the livelihood of rural communities. Through the use of the Sustainable Livelihood Approach, this paper identified the struggling state of subsistence farming in rescuing South African rural communities from risks and trends created by the poverty cycle. This is because the majority of South Africans are currently suffering from hunger and food insecurity. While this livelihood strategy is unsustainable to cope with the conditions of climate change, while rural communities are also lacking access to credits, low level of education, and lack of knowledge about innovative productions that are required to increase the productivity of farms and also the shortage of labour skills that are required for the sustainability and succession of subsistence farming. The paper recommends that the local institutions of development should provide training programmes pertaining to the use of livelihood strategies to develop skills to the rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of malus and clawback provisions has increased in recent years due to the demand for tighter controls on incentive-based compensation. The alignment between executive pay and individual performance creates a culture of responsible decision-making and accountability within an organisation. This paper seeks to evaluate the current state of governance legislation on the clawback of remuneration in the South African context. A systematic literature review was conducted to provide descriptive insight on the technical and procedural approach applied to the clawback of remuneration. These findings were then compared to other countries so that similarities, differences, and areas of further research could be identified. Through detailed content analysis, it was found that the South African governance regime lags behind its international counterparts regarding remuneration clawback. Due to the absence of relevant statutory guidelines, discretion is frequently applied, leading to inconsistent treatment of clawback amongst listed companies. The use of clawback as a risk-mitigation mechanism is also relatively new in South Africa and comparative studies provide useful insight on the technicalities and administration processes applied abroad. The lessons learnt and strategies applied internationally serve as a benchmark for the development of clawback legislation in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa in the 21st century has experienced a limping economy characterised by poor governance, corruption, massive unemployment, high cost of living and unhealthy competition to access limited economic resources for both locals and the millions of foreign nationals. During the period between 2008 and 2015, the country has experienced xenophobic attacks and perpetual factional fights between the locals and the foreign nationals. The country's government linked the events to criminality and a 'third force' when dealing and disseminating information to the media. The xenophobic attacks have in most cases occurred before or during election periods with politicians and print media reporters opting for the populist and rhetoric route of characterising foreigners as a scapegoat to challenges facing the local population which is central to social ills and economic hardships. In the last decade, the country's print media have been filled with stories that were anti-immigration and xenophobic which have resulted in the exacerbation of attacks by Black South Africans against immigrants of African origin. This paper draws viewpoints from government agencies and media reporters on how the print media narrated the xenophobic attacks of 2015 in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destinations have faced boycotts for engaging in behaviour perceived by people to be unacceptable. People observe boycotts as a means to construct an ethical life through their travel purchase decisions. Despite the impacts of boycotts, few studies have been undertaken to understand destination boycotts, particularly the people who participate in boycotts. Framed in ecofeminist theory, this paper presents an analysis of Twitter users who have participated in destination boycott calls focused on China, South Africa, and Spain related to concerns about the welfare of animals. The profiles of 3493 Twitter users who participated in tourism boycott calls were analysed using content analysis. Twitter users' profile descriptors align with the characteristics personified in ecofeminist philosophy. Thus, the findings suggest that ecofeminism can be a useful lens through which to understand activism triggered by values embodied in feminism striving towards justice in a tourism context. The findings indicate that the ecofeminist framework is applicable both as a theoretical and practical lens that aids understanding of the kinship between humans, animals, and the environment. The philosophy inherent in ecofeminism provides a strong argument that it is a political enterprise that seeks to empower human and non-human animals to address and change unacceptable practices/policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, tabloid newspapers are routinely surrounded by a moral and cultural panic. They are criticised for lowering standards of journalism and privileging sensation above substance, diverting readers from serious news to entertainment, or foregoing ethical principles. However, scholarship about tabloids have also highlighted the ways in which these papers are frequently better attuned to their readers' everyday lived experience. In South Africa, tabloid newspapers have also received much criticism in the past for their perceived superficial treatment of important news. This article examines South African tabloid newspapers' coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic, focussing specifically on a case study of the national newspaper the Daily Sun. The national Daily Sun newspaper boasts the country's largest circulation figures. Through a quantitative content analysis of 1050 online news stories in the Daily Sun, we found that unlike mainstream front-page news reporting which was largely episodic, negative and alarmist, the majority of Daily Sun coverage was thematic and neutral. Daily Sun news coverage countered Covid-19 related misinformation and provided contextual coverage, with a large focus on the social impacts of Covid-19. The analysis concludes that despite the popular discourse of the reporting, Daily Sun reporting on Covid-19 provided readers with access to information and a focus on the micro aspects of the pandemic versus broader political issues and the views of political or scientific elites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earlier paper focused on how born-free learners constitute, negotiate and represent their identities after almost two and half decades of democracy in South Africa. Utilising the theoretical framework of subjective realities of educational change, in this article I set out to explore what implications teachers' beliefs hold for born-free learners, and how teachers' beliefs can be changed or adapted to initiate appropriate educational change. The focus of this article is on the beliefs of teachers and how the change thereof can contribute to educational change, based on how learners perceive their identities. The epistemological lens of social constructivism and the research strategy of narrative inquiry was used. Fifty-eight born-free learners across 6 research sites participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews and field notes comprised the data capture, which were analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. Findings reveal that shifting and diverse selfidentifications of born-free learners hold fundamental and crucial implications that reside at the heart of educational change, namely a change in teachers' beliefs and in teachers' practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the prevalence of paediatric dysphagia increases, the need for long‐term non‐oral feeding has also increased. Despite these developments, little is known about caregiver experiences of transitioning a child onto long‐term non‐oral feeds, and the factors which influence the process of decision‐making and the provision of consent to do so. This paper aims to explore these factors. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nine participants recruited from the multidisciplinary out‐patient non‐oral feeding clinic at a hospital. Interviews explored caregiver experiences of decision‐making and the process of providing consent when transitioning their child to non‐oral feeds, as well as the support structures available to the caregivers. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, then analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2013) and content analysis (Neuendorf, 2016). Results: Challenges to care and quality of life, access to information and culturally relevant counselling, and the involvement of family members and significant others emerged as prominent themes. Findings suggest that quality of life was the most common motivating factor for transitioning a child to non‐oral feeding methods. Several participants suggested that support and information sharing via digital platforms were both useful and effective. Implications: The findings highlight caregivers' needs for improved access to information and social support. The findings hold implications for training of healthcare providers working in similar contexts and for models of service delivery which ensure that family‐centred intervention can be delivered in culturally and contextually relevant ways. With widespread access to smartphones, counselling should include digital messaging as a way of providing support and information sharing. Future research should focus on the complexities of counselling and the process of informed consent in settings impacted by diverse cultural, contextual and linguistic barriers, as well as the potential value of mobile health (mhealth) in ensuring improved health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Media is a crucial factor in shaping public opinion and setting policy agendas. There is limited research on the role of media in health policy processes in low- and middle-income countries. This study profiles South Africa as a case example, currently in the process of implementing a major health policy reform, National Health Insurance (NHI). Methods: A descriptive, mixed methods study was conducted in five sequential phases. Evidence was gathered through a scoping review of secondary literature; discourse analysis of global policy documents on universal health coverage and South African NHI policy documents; and a content and discourse analysis of South African print and online media texts focused on NHI. Representations within media were analysed and dominant discourses that might influence the policy process were identified. Results: Discourses of 'health as a global public good' and 'neoliberalism' were identified in global and national policy documents. Similar neoliberal discourse was identified within SA media. Unique discourses were identified within SA media relating to biopolitics and corruption. Media representations revealed political and ideological contestation which was not as present in the global and national policy documents. Media representations did not mirror the lived reality of most of the South African population. The discourses identified influence the policy process and hinder public participation in these processes. They reinforce social hierarchy and power structures in South Africa, and might reinforce current inequalities in the health system, with negative repercussions for access to health care. Conclusions: There is a need to understand mainstream media as part of a people-centred health system, particularly in the context of universal health coverage reforms such as NHI. Harmful media representations should be counter-acted. This requires the formation of collaborative and sustainable networks of policy actors to develop strategies on how to leverage media within health policy to support policy processes, build public trust and social cohesion, and ultimately decrease inequalities and increase access to health care. Research should be undertaken to explore media in other diverse formats and languages, and in other contexts, particularly low- and middle-income countries, to further understand media's role in health policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mainstream approach of regional integration impact assessments is mainly limited to assessing cross-border development projects/programmes. There is still a lack of critical assessment of how stakeholders at different institutional levels conceptualise the border. Local (municipal) strategic plans provide a reflection of the spatial imaginaries of stakeholders, perception planners, institutional power structures, and, to some extent meaning of the border to the local people. Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in South Africa were adopted as an important development planning strategy in the post-apartheid era. IDPs of 49 borderland municipalities were systematically reviewed using the Key-Word-in-Context (KWIC) content analysis technique of the keyword 'border' to determine the importance of state borders in light of regional integration. Border security and management is one of the most common themes associated with the border. This suggested that borders were mainly perceived as threats and barely considered as a potential resource for cross-border cooperation or integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper sought to examine institutional commitment to community engagement (CE) in South African public university libraries. The research approach adopted was qualitative using three methods, interviews with Library Heads (LHs), focus groups discussions with Librarians and content analysis of the libraries' strategic plans. Data were collected, analysed and interpreted thematically using ATLAS.ti and according to the objectives of the study. Findings revealed that most libraries in South Africa reflect CE in their strategic objectives. However, having CE in the strategies objectives does not often translate to its funding and assessment by the universities. This points to a dissonance between policy and implementation. The study recommends that South African academic libraries should strive to utilise more quantitative and qualitative methods to assess their CE initiatives. Similar to other main functions of universities, such as teaching, learning and research; government should consider introducing a competitive funding model for the CE mandate to stimulate practical, academic and research interest in this niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the researchers investigated the records management system used by the eNews Channel Africa archivists in South Africa to manage their records. The main purpose of this article was to ascertain whether eNCA archivists find their records management system user-friendly and if there was a need to improve it. This article focused on eNCA archivists in South Africa who are based in Johannesburg and Cape Town because they are the only ones who use the records management system at the eNCA. This article was guided by two theories: the records life cycle and the records continuum theories. This article adopted the positivism paradigm and the quantitative approach. The data were collected using questionnaires from all eNCA archivists. Purposive sampling was employed in sampling the targeted population for this article and the survey research method in research design was adopted. Quantitative content analysis was done using Microsoft Excel. This article revealed that the eNCA archives used records management systems to manage their records, since it was found that 2 (22%) respondents used Dalet Galaxy as their records management system and 7 (78%) used Dalet Plus Client. Furthermore, this article found that all 9 (100%) respondents mentioned audio-visual records as the type of records that were managed by the eNCA archive. Lastly, it was ascertained that only 1 (11%) respondent found their records management system to be not user-friendly, while 8 (89%) respondents found it user-friendly. This article recommends that institutions and organisations managing records should have records management systems to manage their records. It is also recommended by this article that the records management system suppliers should design systems that are user-friendly and provide refresher training to its clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are ongoing debates and controversies about whether genderqueer individuals have specific sexual-reproductive healthcare services and needs (SRHSNs). This study intended to identify and explore queer-specific SRHSNs among healthcare providers (HCPs) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. This was an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, and this article focuses on the qualitative findings of that investigation. Thirty-three HCPs were purposively sampled, and semi-structured one-on-one interviews were used to collect data between September and November 2023. The data were analyzed using thematic content analysis (TCA). The results of this study revealed nine main themes: a crucial need for inclusive healthcare facilities; a need for psychological, counseling, and therapeutic support in sexual and reproductive healthcare; access to sexual-reproductive education and integrating support; suggested reproductive health services for queer sexual wellness; improved accessibility and particular queer reproductive healthcare; optimizing services related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) access, and sexually transmitted illness (STI) treatment; genderqueer persons' parenthood aspirations and empowerment; the safe availability of intimacy tools; and navigation transitions. A holistic and inclusive healthcare approach that fits psychological support, comprehensive sexual-reproductive education, and specialized services to accommodate the unique needs of queer individuals should be implemented and made easily accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textbooks socialise and legitimise cultural norms, and therefore, learners' social worlds should find expression in their textbooks. In the study reported on here we examined how Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks reflected learner diversity in South African schools as manifested in their racial, gender, occupational, ability and geographical profiling in the textbooks. Content analysis was used to systematically identify instances of diversity representation in Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks. Quantitative content analysis accounted for the ubiquity of human characters' reflection in textbooks on the diversity variables in question. Qualitative analysis focused on the depiction of characters' gender roles. Quantitative data suggest that learners' social worlds were generally represented in the selected textbooks. However, males enjoyed greater visibility than females, and the visibility of disabled people was low. The 2 life skills and 1 English textbook portrayed both urban and rural settings. The qualitative analysis uncovered some gender stereotyping, where, for example, women were depicted in lower positions compared to men's high-paying vocations like judges, scientists, or doctors. Boys were depicted receiving prizes for their Matric achievements. Implications for publishers and writers commissioned to write textbooks include the need to consider representation of learner diversity in textbooks. The Department of Education should develop guidelines that promote such representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional medicine (TM) plays a key role in maintaining health in many societies. Given the requirement for TM disclosure, Allopathic Medicine Practitioners (AMPs) must encourage open communication with patients to persuade those who use TM to disclose. Addressing patient non-disclosure of TM requires this dialogue to be facilitated. We sought to understand and describe how South African AMPs facilitate disclosure of TM use during a consultation with patients who use both TM and allopathic medicine (AM) and how it influences the patients' willingness to disclose TM use. Methods: This qualitative exploratory descriptive study on AMPs at Gauteng district public hospitals in South Africa was conducted between 2021 and 2022. Non-probability purposive sampling was employed to select a sample of 14 AMPs. Individual participants were encouraged to share their unique experiences and interpretations of the phenomenon concerning TM use disclosure. The raw transcribed textual data were processed using ATLAS.ti, and inductive content analysis was undertaken following the coding of the content to identify categories. Results: The data revealed four major categories: 'providing a suitable atmosphere for disclosure,' 'encouraging patients to disclose TM usage to AMPs,' 'patient autonomy,' and 'AMP training'. During a consultation with patients who use both TM and AM, participants expressed their experiences and perceptions of TM nondisclosure. They also discussed several methods for encouraging patients to disclose their TM usage, particularly when TM is used concurrently with AM. Conclusion: This study expands on previously reported findings by describing how South African AMPs facilitate the disclosure of TM use during consultation. Many AMPs struggle to initiate TM conversations with their patients which results in non-disclosure. This study revealed that integrating TM into AM training programmes, promoting cross-practice, and creating a safe environment is necessary for the development and application of the most appropriate approaches that would assist in facilitating disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that complex substantive knowledge in South African school history textbooks may challenge learners who struggle with reading and comprehension. While debates continue about the balance of substantive and procedural knowledge, both fundamental elements of history knowledge (Lee, 2004), this study employs a qualitative analysis of the substantive content within a Bernsteinian framework. Seven purposively sampled history textbooks, covering grade 3 to grade 9, across the foundation, intermediate, and senior phases of the South African school curriculum are analysed using Maton's (2013) language descriptions of context and semantics as conceptual tools. Additionally, nominalisation techniques (Coffin, 2006) are used to examine language in the text. Findings indicate significant growth in substantive knowledge manifesting through time, space, context, and semantics.1 Substantive knowledge shifts from a rudimentary and contextualised nature to a more abstract and dense form, including domain-specific conceptual knowledge. Advancing grades produce decontextualised knowledge with heightened semantic density. Increased events under study accompany greater participant diversity. A History student working with these materials would need to be highly proficient in language skills and also capable of processing substantial volumes of abstract content knowledge. Alarming statistics from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Department of Basic Education, 2023) reveal that 81% of grade 4 learners struggle with comprehension in any language, ranking South Africa at the bottom of 57 countries. It is likely that learners would encounter difficulties with the substantive knowledge evident in these textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) can lead to delays and interruptions in the HIV continuum of care. This study explores reasons for TCAM use in people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Eswatini and compares interrupted care between different types of TCAM users. Data were collected using surveys in the MaxART study (a test-and-treat trial) between 2014 and 2017 to assess the exposure, namely visiting a TCAM provider. Additionally, visit dates were retrieved from clinic records to assess the outcome, interrupted care. Open-ended questions were analysed with qualitative content analysis (n = 602) and closed questions with bivariable and multivariable analysis (n = 202). Out of 202 participants, 145 (72%) never used TCAM, 40 (20%) ever used, and 17 (8%) is currently using TCAM (diviners, herbalists, and religious healers). No differences in interrupted care were found comparing never (reference category), past (Odds Ratio: 1.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.63–2.72), and current users (1.34, 0.47–3.77), while adjusting for gender, time since HIV diagnosis, and time on ART. Contextual factors affecting the choice for TCAM were the influence of family, advice from the health facility, and religious beliefs. Individual factors include trust in biomedical care, type of illness, no need for additional care, and practical reasons such as financial means. In conclusion, individual and contextual factors influence the choice for TCAM. Interrupted care does not differ between never, past, and current users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers' and policymakers' experiences of supporting children's well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22 countries – including Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Scotland, Sweden, Canada and the USA, in the last quarter of 2020. Design/methodology/approach: A smartphone survey delivered via a custom-built app containing mostly open-ended questions was used. Respondents were recruited via professional networks, newsletters and social media. Qualitative content analysis was used. Findings: The findings reveal numerous system-level challenges to supporting children's well-being, particularly virus containment measures, resource deficiencies and inadequate governance and stakeholder coordination. Those challenges compounded preexisting inequalities and poorly affected the quality, effectiveness and reach of services. As a result, children's rights to an adequate standard of living; protection from violence; education; play; and right to be heard were impinged upon. Concurrently, the findings illustrate a range of adaptive and innovative practices in humanitarian and subsistence support; child protection; capacity-building; advocacy; digitalisation; and psychosocial and educational support. Respondents identified several priority areas – increasing service capacity and equity; expanding technology use; mobilising cross-sectoral partnerships; involving children in decision-making; and ensuring more effective child protection mechanisms. Practical implications: This study seeks to inform resilience-enabling policies and practices that foster equity, child and community empowerment and organisational resilience and innovation, particularly in anticipation of future crises. Originality/value: Using a novel approach to gather in-the-moment insights remotely, this study offers a unique international and multi-sectoral perspective, particularly from low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: International guidelines for best practice indicate specialised treatment is required for Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). While occupational therapy intervention for functional limitations in this chronic condition is conditionally recommended, the extent to which this is provided in public specialist rheumatology clinics in South Africa is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine which needs related to outcomes for occupational performance or functional status, condition-related factors and health-related quality of life, reported by children and adolescents with JIA were addressed by current occupational therapy services. Methods: The study used two descriptive, quantitative studies with limited samples of 37 clients with JIA attending specialist rheumatology clinics and nine occupational therapists who currently provide intervention for clients with JIA. Results: Functional deficits reported by 30–63% of clients with JIA were increased symptoms of active disease and difficulties with school activities. Occupational therapy services addressed condition-related factors and participation in personal management but not many related to the social, educational and psychosocial needs of clients with JIA. Conclusion: Occupational therapy services followed international guidelines but based on the reductionist biomedical model approach used within specialist services in tertiary hospitals, which limit context-based therapy for children and adolescents with JIA in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study argues that Vision 2030 and social housing should consider the elements of the sociocultural dimension of urban design (SDUD) to alleviate urban poverty-induced feelings. By examining public spaces in the context of Vision 2030 and the implementation of social housing projects, this study aims to provide a theoretical framework that may assist city policymakers in rethinking the role of public spaces in alleviating poverty-related feelings. A review of the relevant literature explores the SDUD elements and builds an index to measure poverty through bibliometric and content analysis. This index was used to analyze the gaps in Vision 2030 in South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt, which we randomly chose. It focused on SDUD elements, social housing, and public spaces. We empirically examined the role of public spaces in alleviating poverty-related feelings using the SDUD index. We applied episodic narrative and interview-based storytelling techniques to a limited group of poor residents in the Al Asmarat Housing Project in Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt. This interview discusses the role of public spaces in reducing poverty-related feelings. The results focus on exploring the four SDUD elements of poverty and examining how public spaces alleviate poverty-induced feelings. Vision 2030 revolves around SDUD elements, social housing, and public spaces. Urban design policies can alleviate poverty in development projects for the poor. Integrating urban design policies into Vision 2030 makes city dwellers in developing countries feel less inferior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors of this study aim to test a possible turn toward relational, as opposed to agentic, management development program (MDP) content. Design/methodology/approach: The authors performed a content analysis of the literature and qualitative interviews of management coaches/consultants from South Africa and the USA. Findings: In both studies, the authors found more relational than agentic content comprising MDP content. Interviews revealed a predominance of relational strategies and that agentic and relational skills are often interwoven in development efforts. Practical implications: This work may guide management coaches and consultants to offer clients management development (MD) with a greater focus on relational skills. Originality/value: Future studies should build on our findings to explore whether leadership may now require more relational as opposed to agentic skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has been battling the scourge of the COVID-19 Pandemic which has negatively affected many individuals and families. The South African government imposed a national lockdown to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the lockdown also brought more challenges such as increased violence cases. Against this background, this study sought to analyse the COVID-19 lockdown and domestic violence in South Africa. A non-empirical research design was used where documents from search engines such as Google scholar, EBSCOhost and ProQuest were sampled and reviewed using keywords and phrases related to COVID-19, lockdown and domestic violence to filter relevant data, restricted to 2002-2022. The inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was used to analyze the collected data. Findings reveal that the South African Lockdown has contributed to the rise of domestic violence cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results further indicate that victims of domestic violence face psychosocial challenges due to domestic violence. Programs that are aimed at creating awareness and empowering victims of domestic violence are recommended by this study. It is further recommended that policies protecting citizens against domestic violence be reviewed and strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an official HIV infection rate of 18.5%, approximately one in five South Africans are HIV positive. Despite this prevalence, stigma and discrimination associated with being HIV positive is widespread. HIV-related stigma emanates from the fact that HIV is associated with risky behaviors such as drug use, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality and transactional sex. Participants were recruited through announcements in classrooms and during community meetings. Participants were selected if they knew someone who was discriminated against HIV as a result of being affected by HIV. The status of the participants was irrelevant. Seven focus group sessions were conducted with 62 participants. The results show that stigma is seen as a result of lack of HIV knowledge, with participants from rural areas showing more knowledge regarding HIV transmission and care as compared to urban participants. Most participants agreed that disclosure leads to more voluntary HIV testing, obtaining treatment and preventing further transmission of HIV. The results of this study provide indications that stigma can be mitigated by increasing knowledge of HIV prevention, targeted information campaigns in urban areas, and encouraging discussion about stigma and discrimination against the disease. Programmes should apply the Theory of Planned Behavior for the development of such interventions, take culture, creed, and other social affiliation into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-Based Experience (SBE) is integral to teacher training in South African universities. SBE in South African universities is organized in education schools and is mandatory for all students who pursue education. This study aimed to explore how student teachers from the Economic and Management Science (EMS) discipline perceive their SBE. This study aimed at the students’ experiences and their impact on their perception of the teaching profession and assessed the challenges that students encounter while in school. The study adopted a guided reflection theoretical framework to understand student teachers’ perceptions of the SBE. A qualitative approach was employed with a purposive sampling of 10 second-year EMS student teachers. Data was collected through individual interviews and analysed using Content Analysis (CA), and categorised using thematic analysis. The study's findings revealed that student teachers perceived SBE as impactful, providing an opportunity to gain school experience and put theory into practice in their teaching profession. Moreover, the findings revealed that student teachers experience challenges while on SBE, such as a lack of school resources, unpreparedness, and poor organizational skills. The study recommended that more support be provided for SBE student teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes are recognised as an effective intervention to prevent obesity. More countries are adopting SSB taxes, but the process of the adoption is politically complex. This study aimed to analyse how public participation processes influenced the South African tax. We conducted a content analysis of documents associated with the process of adopting the tax. Records were identified utilising the Parliamentary Monitoring Group database, including draft bills, meeting minutes and written submissions. The records were categorised and then inductively coded to identify themes and arguments. We identified six cross-cutting themes advanced by stakeholders: economic considerations, impact on the vulnerable, responsiveness of an SSB tax to the problem of obesity, appropriateness of an SSB tax in South Africa, procedural concerns, and structure of the tax. Stakeholder views and arguments about the tax diverged based on their vested interests. The primary policymaker was most responsive to arguments concerning the economic impact of a tax, procedural concerns and the structure of the tax, reducing the effective rate to address industry concerns. Both supportive and opposing stakeholders influenced the tax. Economic arguments had a significant impact. Arguments in South Africa broadly echoed arguments advanced in many other jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The anaesthetic workforce is a scarce resource in South Africa (SA), and the media frequently reports that anaesthetists are leaving the country in search of better opportunities in well-resourced countries. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the migration intentions of South African anaesthetists. Methods: This study utilised a qualitative methodology in the form of virtual interviews. A total of 23 interviews were conducted on purposefully selected participants using a snowball approach. The interviews were transcribed and coded into emerging themes using MAXQDA version 2022. Thematic content analysis was subsequently performed. Results: The study found that all SA-based participants were considering emigrating, while those who had already emigrated had no plans to return to SA in the near future. Push factors prompted the consideration of emigration, and these were related to unsatisfactory living and working conditions in South Africa, such as a high level of crime and corruption, and the country's overall poor resources and infrastructure. Destination countries were chosen based on their pull factors such as better working conditions and opportunities for professional growth. These pull factors frequently outweighed South Africa's push factors and are therefore critical in the decision to emigrate. The main recommendations from the participants include facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors, expanding the available sub-specialties in SA, and recognising fellowships in South African hospitals. The study participants were of the view that South African anaesthesiologists would be motivated to stay by a combination of patriotism and hope for the future. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations: The Anaesthetic workforce in South Africa is at critical risk and is unlikely to stabilise soon. Concerted efforts should be made by all concerned to explore ways of retaining the staff, considering the recommendations of the participants. Relevant key stakeholders in training and regulation of anaesthetics practice such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa, South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa should collaborate and prioritise mechanisms of monitoring emigration and intervening on modifiable professional and socio-political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal audit function is increasingly recognised as an important internal governance mechanism and consequently factors that contribute to its effectiveness are now an area of great interest to researchers and practitioners. This study draws on signalling theory to fill a gap in the internal audit effectiveness (IAE) literature by investigating which IAE signals are sent by large South African companies in their company reports. Using a self-developed IAE signalling frame, a content analysis was performed on the integrated reports and other annual reports of the top 100 listed companies in South Africa over a five-year period. Thereafter a multiple correspondence analysis was used to extract IAE signals. The results revealed that IAE disclosure patterns of South African listed companies follow the normative dictates of the King Code and the Companies Act. The study also discovered a low average IAE disclosure rate linked to non-mandatory disclosure requirements. Disclosing more detail on IAE represents a missed opportunity to signal superiority through voluntary communication of the IAE signals especially on internal aspects such as management support for internal audit recommendations and the continuous professional development of internal auditors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa faces a critical shortage of mental health service professionals and support for young people with common mental health disorders is inadequate. Social relationships that provide support to adolescents in South African communities are increasingly declining due to socio‐economic pressures. Developing ethical digital mental health innovations has potential to address provide services particularly in rural communities where mental health facilities are scarce. The active involvement of young people is critical to maximising uptake and reducing apathy on the use of digital innovations for mental health. Using the nominal group technique this study engaged young people in identifying stakeholders for setting up a community‐based mental health intervention in a rural community. Use of nominal group technique for stakeholder analysis proved to a useful tool for engaging young people. The stakeholder identification and analysis provided a base for inclusivity in developing digital innovations for mental health through identifying multi‐sector community stakeholders. It revealed that young people in the community have varying perceptions about the level of power and interest which their peers, family members, local leaders, health workers and social development organisations have in developing digital mental health interventions. This research contributes to our understanding of the ways in which to leverage young people's participation in project planning and decision‐making and building strong teams and alliances for developing digital innovations for mental health in marginalised rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments are continuously developing strategies for policy implementation toward water resource protection. However, little is known about the practical application of such plans to test their effectiveness in policy practice. This study focused on resource-directed measures (RDMs) in South Africa to assess progress made on policy implementation for water resource protection. The study included document surveys and content analysis of the publicly available reports and documents sourced from state departments and government websites. The findings of the study indicated that water resource-directed measures are used as policy implementation strategies for water resource protection in the country. Furthermore, the study revealed that significant progress has been made in this regard, when a multi-sectorial policy implementation practice approach through public-private partnerships ensured that 69% of the catchments have process-based RDM projects completed, while 18% are in progress, and only 13% are outstanding. In addition, it was found that water resource classes (WRC), numerical limits and ecological conditions for water resource reserve, and numerical limits and narrative statements for resource quality objectives (RQOs) are intermediate outputs originating from RDMs projects. The study recommends that outputs derived from process-based policy implementation plans must be applied at the water resource level and monitored to assess the effectiveness of policies for their effects on the status of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature describes different stances concerning the focus on how mathematics should be taught, with some preferring a conceptual knowledge approach and others a procedural knowledge approach. The current study investigated the relationship between students' conceptual and procedural knowledge in a calculus context. To better understand the relationship between students' conceptual and procedural knowledge, we conducted a content analysis of the solution approaches of three subject specialists, as well as student responses to two mathematical problems. The students (n =192) were enrolled for a first-year mathematics module which forms part of an extended engineering degree in South Africa. The solutions to the two problems were analysed based on the number and nature (conceptual or procedural) of experts' and students' steps to solve each problem. Each step in the solution was categorised based on the approaches used to solve the problem. The study found that solutions are not unique and could follow more than one approach. More importantly, the study found that the relationship between conceptual and procedural knowledge is complex and integrated as solutions require both procedural and conceptual knowledge. The findings reveal that calculus problems cannot be uniquely described as mainly conceptual or procedural. Both procedural and conceptual thinking is required to solve calculus problems and is often iterative. Student techniques to solve the calculus problems included algebraic, graphical and unexpected approaches. The analyses of student solutions suggest that lecturers and teachers should compare and discuss multiple solution strategies with their students to enhance mathematical proficiency and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers' ultimate goal is to deliver the highest possible level of population welfare. Economists investigate the effect of socio-economic dimensions on wellbeing using unidimensional measures of life satisfaction or happiness as proxies for welfare. However, social psychologists have shown that wellbeing is a much broader construct and that an intervention may have opposite effects on its components. Unidimensional measures may hide these patterns. Most literature focuses on high-income countries. The growing evidence from low- and middle-income countries also largely relies on standard unidimensional measures. This study tests the validity of this reliance by exploring the wellbeing construct of South African women, quantitatively analysing textual data from focus group discussions to investigate whether unidimensional measures are appropriate in this context. It provides evidence against the indiscriminate use of unidimensional wellbeing measures. Cluster and correspondence analysis of the transcripts show that relevant domains of women's wellbeing include relations with others, autonomy, and a perception of control over their environment (environmental mastery). Results also reveal that participants have a relational view of themselves, distinct from the individuated view predominant in the US and Europe and the collectivist view found in East Asia. Such relational self-perception modifies study participants' wellbeing construct in ways that are important for policy implementation and evaluation. For example, women's autonomy and environmental mastery rely on shared peer-identity to redefine rules and meet challenges. Wellbeing measures for policy evaluation would benefit from incorporating these insights to meaningfully measure progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3 on 'good health and wellbeing' in South Africa and other contexts that exhibit similar concepts of wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent and growing need to further advance the plastic waste management system globally and in South Africa, due to the increasing impact of plastic waste. This study focused on the adequacy of plastic policies to sustainably manage plastic waste. Policies need to address the plastic material supply systems and the options up the waste hierarchy for them to be effective and support material circularity. The study used qualitative content analysis to assess how the evolution of plastic policies for plastic waste management in South Africa aligned with national plastic material flows and promoted options higher up the waste hierarchy. This was benchmarked with Norway and Germany, which have some of the highest plastic recycling rates. The results showed that the evolution of existing plastic policies for South Africa addresses stages of production, trade and consumption, and recycling. There is no focus on waste generation, collection and sorting. None aligned with the waste hierarchy options of rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture and repurpose. This policy gap supports the need for broader national plastic policy frameworks that embed a policy drive in the value chain points and promote the priority higher value measures of the waste hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's move towards implementing National Health Insurance includes a commitment to establish a health technology assessment (HTA) body to inform health priority-setting decisions. This study sought to analyse health rights cases in South Africa to inform the identification of country-specific procedural values related to health priority-setting and their implementation in a South African HTA body. The focus on health rights cases is motivated in part by the fact that case law can be an important source of insight into the values of a particular country. This focus is further motivated by a desire to mitigate the potential tension between a rights-based approach to healthcare access and national efforts to set health priorities. A qualitative content analysis of eight South African court cases related to the right to health was conducted. Cases were identified through a LexisNexis search and supplemented with expert judgement. Procedural values identified from the health priority-setting literature, including those comprising Accountability for Reasonableness (A4R), structured the thematic analysis. The importance of transparency and revision-two elements of A4R-is evident in our findings, suggesting that the courts can help to enforce elements of A4R. Yet our findings also indicate that A4R is likely to be insufficient for ensuring that HTA in South Africa meets the procedural demands of a constitutional rights-based approach to healthcare access. Accordingly, we also suggest that a South African HTA body ought to consider more demanding considerations related to transparency and revisions as well as explicit considerations related to inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Work‐related transitions following serious hand injury can be complex for people with hand injuries and rehabilitation professionals supporting the return‐to‐work process. This study explored South African occupational therapy practice related to work transitions after a serious hand injury. Methods: In this collective case study, maximum variation sampling was used to select seven occupational therapists involved in facilitating work‐related transitions for people with serious hand injuries. Participants selected at least five cases that illustrated the breadth of their practice in terms of work transitions; these cases formed the focus of the semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Exemplar quotations were extracted to support emergent key themes. Results: There was one overarching theme—Ongoing appraisal of the fit between function and inherent work demands—which comprised three stages: (1) determining and facilitating readiness to work; (2) managing the risk and trauma of returning to work, and (3) implementing reasonable accommodation. The central theme comprised six strategies that were used to optimise the transition process and achieve the best possible outcome. Conclusion: The study highlighted the importance of work‐related transitions that are context‐driven, flexible, and involve multiple stakeholders. The occupational therapists demonstrated how they drew on their knowledge of local contexts to solve problems and generate effective individual strategies over the rehabilitation period. The findings may be applicable to other low‐ or middle‐income countries where the return‐to‐work process may not be as predictable as high‐income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim was to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of university student suicides in South Africa, using the World Health Organisation guidelines. Suicide among university students is a growing public health problem. The media has an important role to play in preventing student suicides by adhering to international best practice guidelines on ethical reporting of suicides. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducted a content analysis of print medium newspaper articles in the 13 most widely read English language South African newspapers from the period of January 2017 to January 2020. Findings: The initial search yielded a total of 28 news reports, of which 19 met this study's inclusion criteria and were analysed using content analysis. The quality of reporting showed both potentially harmful and helpful characteristics. Poor adherence to international reporting guidelines were found in the description of method and location of suicide, sensational headlines, publishing photos of the deceased, linking suicide to criminality, simplistic narration of the life events leading to the suicide and use of sensational and potentially triggering language. No reports adhered to all reporting guidelines. Findings suggests that there are widespread potentially unhelpful practices in the reporting of student suicides and a need for suicide prevention experts to work with journalists to promote critical reflexivity and ethical reasoning when writing about student suicides. Research limitations/implications: This study only included news reports published in English in the most widely read newspapers. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to systematically examine media reporting on suicide in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uptake of and adherence to HIV prevention products in South Africa has not achieved widespread success. This study aimed to develop a holistic understanding of the psychographics of adolescent girls and young women in South Africa, a primary audience for HIV prevention products, in order to inform market segmentation and marketing strategies. Extensive ethnographic analyses were complemented with a survey (n = 1,500) centered on personal care product journeys. Clustering and qualitative methods yielded six segments with measurable differences, and revealed common themes surrounding empowerment and self-determination, patriarchy, and misinformation risk. The findings enable targeted approaches for HIV prevention product campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite constitutional aspirations for good (impartial) governance since 1996, partisan governance nearly brought South Africa to the brink of economic, social, and political implosion. For the duration of his tenure (2009–2018), President Zuma spent public funds for private ends with impunity and enabled the creation of a shadow state, which effectively siphoned millions out of the public purse into private hands and hollowed out the country's state-owned enterprises. The question posed here is: How did the Zuma administration manage to 'capture the state' in a context where the 1996 Constitution enshrines impartial governance? Using the analytical framework of good governance, this article aims to understand the governance approach of the African National Congress (ANC) in terms of its overarching national plan, the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and its strategy of cadre deployment. Using document and conceptual content analysis of ANC policy documents it is noted that the ANC's governance approach is inherently partisan, with historical roots. In line with the Marxist tradition, governance based on partisanship was established together with the blurring of lines between party, government and state. This framework of partisanship, justified with the language of transformation, allowed for repurposing the state for private ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using textual analysis, this study compares and contrasts how newspapers from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa—countries at the centre of the September 2019 xenophobic attacks in South Africa—under different ownership patterns defined the problem of xenophobia, its causes and solutions. Understanding how xenophobia was framed is important, for it has implications on policy formulations in dealing with immigration. The study finds that although there were common frames across the newspapers, there were also significant differences between newspapers from sending and receiving countries. Privately controlled newspapers also framed the crisis differently as compared to government or publicly controlled newspapers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During food-borne disease outbreaks, people get most of their information about food safety and risk from the news media. Best practice in risk messaging requires the rapid sharing of information to minimise harm, while expressing empathy, accountability, and commitment. The journalistic processes through which news is shaped can prioritise information differently, potentially limiting informed decision-making. The South African listeriosis outbreak (2017–2018) was the biggest in global history and generated considerable media attention. Using 'social attenuation of risk theory' and 'gatekeeping theory', combined with 'crisis and emergency risk communication best practices' as guiding principles, in this study we aimed to analyse which components of risk message content and which news factors were prioritised by news media during the outbreak. Content analysis of 91 listeriosis-related newspaper articles revealed that the most common risk messaging practices included were information about 'what is known' and 'which foods to avoid'. News factor analysis indicated 'relevance' was omnipresent, and 'controversy' was the second most frequently encountered factor. Overall, our findings suggest that only some best practices featured in the risk message media content, while others were mostly absent. This should be considered when developing future risk communication strategies related to food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's vulnerability to climate-induced shocks hinges on a high dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods and a natural resource base aggravated by the acute inequalities that they experience due to patriarchal dominance. This article's purpose is to unpack the vulnerabilities and inequalities that rural women experience in the climate change terrain which necessitates the involvement of the social work profession. This study adopted a qualitative methodology guided by a multi-case study design. A sample of twenty-five participants, including community members and social workers, participated in the study. These participants were selected through simple purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. The thematic content analysis was followed to analyse the findings. The study established that rural women are impacted by various vulnerabilities and inequalities in the climate change discourse, which serve as barriers to their effective adaptation. The vulnerabilities and inequalities manifest through lack of land and property rights, discrimination from decision-making processes, poverty and lack of adequate knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Social work involvement to address these catastrophes is scant in the Vhembe district in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study recommends that all climate change interventions should put an end to inequalities women experience in order for them to be effective and social workers should be at the frontline of such initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented media coverage globally and in South Africa where, at the time of writing, over 20,000 people had died from the virus. This article explores how mainstream print media covered the COVID-19 pandemic during this time of crisis. The news media play a key role in keeping the public informed during such health crises and potentially shape citizens' perceptions of the pandemic. Drawing on a content analysis of 681 front-page news stories across eleven English-language publications, we found that nearly half of the stories used an alarmist narrative, more than half of the stories had a negative tone, and most publications reported in an episodic rather than thematic manner. Most of the stories focused on impacts of the pandemic and included high levels of sensationalism. In addition, despite the alarmist and negative nature of the reporting, most of the front-page reports did not provide information about ways to limit the spread of the virus or attempt to counter misinformation about the pandemic, raising key issues about the roles and responsibilities of the South African media during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study shows that South African newspaper coverage of COVID-19 was largely negative, possibly to attract audience attention and increase market share, but that this alarmist coverage left little possibility for citizens' individual agency and self-efficacy in navigating the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccine hesitancy is one of the 10 greatest threats to global health according to the World Health Organisation(2019). Increasing uncertainty around vaccines could disrupt efforts to minimise Covid-19 and future pandemics’ impacts. The South African Government (2021a) planned to have 67% of the population vaccinated by the end of 2021. According to the Department of Health (2022), 51% of the adult population in South Africa has been vaccinated as of 27 November 2022. This aligns with the increasing trend of vaccine hesitancy globally and in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]