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The contamination of paper products by various chemicals has been reported on a global level, but to date, no published research has investigated pharmaceutical contamination of paper-based products. In this study, pharmaceutical analysis was conducted on 42 samples collected from various points of the recycled paper value chain in Cape Town, South Africa, which included the various grades that may be included in the manufacturing of recycled paperboard. The analysis was achieved by ultrasonic-assisted extraction of paper samples before detection by UHPLC-Q Orbitrap. Quantification limits ranged from 1.15 pg/g for ketoprofen to 46.07 pg/g for methocarbamol. Pharmaceuticals identified in newspaper samples were dexamethasone, ketoprofen, and 17β-estradiol. The latter was also detected in paper shopping bags (up to 697.49 ng/g), infant bathtub packaging (280.62 ng/g), battery packaging (137.43 ng/g), and an egg carton (170.47 ng/g). Carbamazepine was also prominent with its concentration reaching 13.02 ng/g in a vegetable box. Suspect screening tentatively identified 14 additional pharmaceuticals in paper samples, with minocycline, prazepam, and anabolic steroids appearing more prominently. This pioneering study indicated that unintentional pharmaceutical exposure had expanded beyond environmental media to consumer products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nondumiso Mofokeng reports funding was provided by Mpact Operations Pty (Ltd). All other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Using a qualitative historical research approach, this paper examines the contextual influences, including the formulation motive and their possible impact on policy implementation, of the South African (SA) e-Education White Paper 7 (WP7). A critical discourse analysis (CDA) was conducted on the policy and data was collected through semi-structured interviews (SSI) with purposefully selected participants. Findings of the study reveal tacit contradictions and tensions depicting a policy in contradiction with itself, carrying the hallmark of a symbolic policy. That is, a policy characterised by lack of direction, contradictions in its motive of formulation, no dedicated resources for its implementation, distorted communication resulting from the validity tests, and lack of "material consequences" (Rivzi and Lingard, 2009, p.8). The circumstantial context (socioeconomic and political) of its formulation, dictated to by the prescripts of the negotiated political settlement (NPS), that ushered in the new democratic South Africa (SA), is found to have taken precedence. It further overshadowed critical analysis on the educational needs, which would have informed a better strategic integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in education. The circumstantial context resulted in a lack of a common goal between policy actors and interest groups. This, to the extent that the former thought of capitalising on the donations of the latter for their own political interests, while the latter saw in the formulation of such policy a way of imposing Government spending in favour of their businesses. These circumstances may have contributed to the policy's failure to reach its set textual objectives and goal by 2013.

Schools in the rural context of Limpopo Province, South Africa have a plethora of challenges, which have a negative impact on learner achievement. This paper argues that for schools to triumph over the obstacles, effective school leaders are necessary. Such leaders must define and communicate a clear vision and mission and work with stakeholders to achieve them. With these assumptions, this paper explores how members of the school management team (SMT) of a rural school in the Limpopo Province define and communicate their school's vision and mission. Through the qualitative research method underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, a case research design was adopted and a single high school sampled to participate. Data were generated from semi-structured interviews with seven SMT members, a focus-group discussion with six teachers, and an observation of the research site. The findings revealed that most participants could not articulate the school's vision and mission. In addition, stakeholders were not involved in the processes of defining the vision and mission and communication methods in this regard were also ineffective. Lastly, the SMT viewed the vision and mission as fixed and did not review them. Based on these findings, I conclude that SMT members must understand that the vision and mission could serve more than a visual purpose when designed as guiding principles to direct smaller objectives within the organisation.

Background: South Africa is reporting higher rates of adolescent pregnancy as compared to other countries. There are different types of interventions that are in place to address teenage pregnancy. However, these interventions were developed using top-down strategy without the inclusion of different stakeholders and adolescents which makes it hard to implement those interventions particularly in countries like South Africa. Hence, this study aimed to develop strategies to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province of South Africa., Methods: The research design of this study will be Co-operative Inquiry.The study will take place in Vhembe District in Limpopo province of South Africa through collaborating with a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO). The study population will be the teenagers and all the different stakeholders caring for teenagers in their areas of specialization. Purposive sampling will be used to sample the targeted participants of the study. The data collection method will be done in phases and focus group discussions will be used to collect data. Content analysis will be used to analyse data., Discussion: This study will add to the body of knowledge regarding the strategies that maybe used to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The purpose of this position paper by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFPs) is to inform decision making on human resources for health policy in South Africa and the placement of family physicians (FPs) in the district health system. National policies have been marred by misunderstanding of the roles and contribution of FPs; and there is unhelpful variability in how FPs are positioned in the health services between provinces. In the private sector, medical aid schemes have discriminated against FPs by failing to remunerate them as specialists and to recognise their scope of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is rapidly obliterating its cultural resources and indigenous values. Particularly, this is the case in rural South Africa where manifestations of socio-economic declensions are evident. However, a number of the policies that are meant to enhance rural development lack a cohesive strategy that is based on culture-based theoretical frameworks. The paper argues that the conspicuous disregard to address rural development and its concomitant socio-economic challenges in the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture, and Heritage, 2017, by the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), now (DSAC); poses a great threat to sustainable rural development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to bring to light the present civil and criminal asset forfeiture procedures within the South African context and to make suggestions for reform thereof. While there exists and is a need for constant change and reform of the law to ensure that it remains transparent, up-to-date and applicable to all means through which economic crime can be committed, South Africa lacks the necessary resources and attitudes to accomplish this essential goal. Design/methodology/approach: The approach used in this paper is purely qualitative using journal articles, textbooks, reports, periodicals, speeches and legislation as its basis. It is through a consolidation of this literature that this paper was formed. Findings: While South Africa's present system of asset forfeiture is producing some impressive results, the process still has vast room for improvement. There are key areas which this paper outlines for reform. However, the probability of improvement is relatively low owing to the levels of corruption, illicit activities and attitudes of mistrust within the South African society at large. Originality/value: The concept of asset forfeiture is not new to any international jurisdiction, let alone South Africa itself. However, this paper aims to give insight into the specific South African experience of this procedure and how it can possibly be improved within the specific context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many South African municipalities suffer servicedelivery problems that can usually be ascribed to inadequate management, skills, and budgets. The reasons for these, in turn, invariably include weak economic base, unwise spending of available funds, and difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled staff. The White Paper on Local Government of 1998, to which Valli Moosa, the then Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development, referred as "almost [being] regarded as a 'mini- Constitution' for local government", together with the Municipal Demarcation Act of the same year, spelled out the framework in terms of which the local government system would be transformed. Municipalities, covering the entire country "wall-towall", were thereafter established and powers and functions were assigned to them. After more than two decades, there can no longer be any doubt that many municipalities are, to a significant extent, failing in their primary duty of delivering services. The author sought to investigate to what extent this failing is due to flaws in the 'mini-Constitution'. By examining aspects of the performance of municipalities, the article assesses key assumptions made by the drafters of the White Paper in respect of a number of key attributes for service delivery. These attributes include sufficient skills and funding, prudent budgeting and effective spending, good leadership, adequate systems and data, stability of the senior leadership, and the presence of trust and credibility. The article finds that many of the assumptions were flawed, with severe consequences for service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rapid reviews have emerged as an approach to provide contextualized evidence in a timely and efficient manner. Three rapid review centers were established in Ethiopia, Lebanon, and South Africa through the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization, to stimulate demand, engage policymakers, and produce rapid reviews to support health policy and systems decision-making. This study aimed to assess the experiences of researchers and policymakers engaged in producing and using rapid reviews for health systems strengthening and decisions towards universal health coverage (UHC)., Methods: Using a case study approach with qualitative research methods, experienced researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with respondents from each center (n = 16). The topics covered included the process and experience of establishing the centers, stimulating demand for rapid reviews, collaborating between researchers and policymakers, and disseminating and using rapid reviews for health policies and interventions and the potential for sustaining and institutionalizing the services. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis., Results: Major themes interacted and contributed to shape the experiences of stakeholders of the rapid review centers, including the following: organizational structural arrangements of the centers, management of their processes as input factors, and the rapid reviews as the immediate policy-relevant outputs. The engagement process and the rapid review products contributed to a final theme of impact of the rapid review centers in relation to the uptake of evidence for policy and systems decision-making., Conclusions: The experiences of policymakers and researchers of the rapid review centers determined the uptake of evidence. The findings of this study can inform policymakers, health system managers, and researchers on best practices for demanding, developing and using rapid reviews to support decision- and policymaking, and implementing the universal healthcare coverage agenda., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background:  Basic palliative care teaching should be included in training curricula for health care providers (HCPs) at all levels of the health service to ensure that the goal set by the South African (SA) National Policy Framework and Strategy for Palliative Care, to have an adequate number of appropriately trained HCPs in South Africa, is achieved. Furthermore, palliative learning objectives for nurses and doctors should be standardised. Many SA medical schools have integrated elements of Palliative Medicine (PM) teaching into undergraduate medical training programmes for doctors; however, the degree of integration varies widely, and consensus and standardisation of the content, structure and delivery of such PM training programmes are not yet a reality., Aim:  This joint position paper aims to describe the current state of undergraduate medical PM teaching in South Africa and define the PM competencies required for an SA generalist doctor., Setting:  Palliative Medicine programme leads and teachers from eight medical schools in South Africa., Methods:  A survey exploring the structure, organisation and content of the respective medical undergraduate PM programmes was distributed to PM programme leads and teachers., Results:  Responses were received from seven medical schools. Through a process of iterative review, competencies were defined and further grouped according to suitability for the pre-clinical and clinical components of the curriculum., Conclusion:  Through mapping out these competencies in a spiralled medical curriculum, the authors hope to provide guidance to medical curriculum designers to effectively integrate PM teaching and learning into current curricula in line with the goals of the SA National Policy Framework and Strategy on Palliative Care (NPFSPC).

Due to an increasing demand, companies have started producing recycled products. However, little is known about the specific purchase behavior. Hence, this study analyses the factors influencing purchase intention for recycled products including differences related to different types of products and between Germany and South Africa. A quantitative study in Germany (n = 603) and South Africa (n = 692). shows that purchase intention is significantly higher in South Africa. The influencing factors (individual, product, and context related constructs) are the same in both countries, but they differ regarding their strength. Thus, the factor "attitude/environmental concern" has the strongest influence in South Africa, while it is "value/accessibility" in Germany. Furthermore, purchase intention for mobile phones is generally smaller than for t‐shirts and toilet paper. Purchase intention for recycled t‐shirts is significantly higher in South Africa than in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epistemicide occurs when one knowledge is exalted at the expense of local or indigenous knowledge systems leading to the demise of such knowledge systems. In this article, I focus on how some conceptions and ways of incorporating indigenous knowledge systems seem to be entangled in the same misnomer to which they owe their existence (i.e. a mischaracterisation of indigenous knowledge systems leading to epistemicide in the school curriculum). Subsequently, I interrogate some examples from three curriculum statements of post-apartheid South African schools where there is a conspicuous attempt to include that which is presumed to be indigenous knowledge systems. I argue that such epistemologically unwarranted acts of integrating indigenous knowledge systems in the three post-apartheid curriculum statements unfortunately do not safeguard indigenous knowledge systems from epistemicide. In fact, the manner in which indigenous knowledge systems are integrated creates a false dichotomy and sense of identity. Bluntly put, the evident integration of indigenous knowledge systems as apparent theoretical knowledge fortifies epistemicide as opposed to alleviating it. Universally true knowledge about indigenous people and practices should therefore be included within the school curriculum to provide historical meaning to the content that is taught and instil a true sense of identity within the communities of indigenous people.

The purpose of this position paper by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFPs) is to inform decision making on human resources for health policy in South Africa and the placement of family physicians (FPs) in the district health system. National policies have been marred by misunderstanding of the roles and contribution of FPs; and there is unhelpful variability in how FPs are positioned in the health services between provinces. In the private sector, medical aid schemes have discriminated against FPs by failing to remunerate them as specialists and to recognise their scope of practice.

Municipal waste management is a major challenge for local governments in South Africa and Namibia, as in other developing countries. The circular economy concept in waste management is an alternative sustainable development framework that has the potential to combat resource depletion, pollution, and poverty while achieving the SDGs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current waste management systems in Langebaan and Swakopmund municipalities resulting from municipal policies, procedures, and practices in the context of a circular economy. A mixed method approach was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data through structured in-depth interviews, document analyses, and direct observation. The study found that the Langebaan and Swakopmund municipalities have not yet fully implemented the circular economy concept into their waste management systems. A mix of waste consisting of papers, plastics, cans, tyres, and organic products is dumped into landfills weekly at a rate of about 85%. The main challenges to implementing the circular economy concept include: lack of technical solutions, inadequate regulatory frameworks, insufficient financial resources, lack of private sector involvement, insufficient human resource capacity, and inadequate information and knowledge. A conceptual framework was therefore proposed to guide the municipalities of Langebaan and Swakopmund in implementing the circular economy concept in their waste management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, greater than 30% of waste is disposed of in some form of landfill, and it is estimated that annual waste-related emissions will increase by up to 76% by 2050. Emissions arising from fossil fuel-derived products and waste disposal in landfills have prompted the development of alternative technologies that utilize renewable resources. Biomass feedstock is being investigated globally to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. Globally, crop-based biomass and waste biomass are the major feedstocks for chemical production, and the market value of crop-based biomass is expected to increase at the fastest rate. South America, Europe, and North America are currently the global leaders in renewable or bio-based chemical production. In South Africa (SA), the country is still heavily reliant on landfilling as a waste solution. Wastes from agricultural production processes in SA are considered promising feedstocks for beneficiation opportunities to produce bio-based chemicals. The second-generation (2G) agricultural feedstocks that can be used in SA include fruit waste; sugarcane by-products and waste; forestry, timber, pulp, and paper waste; and invasive alien plants. Fermentation, or "green chemistry" technologies, can be used to convert various feedstocks into bio-based chemicals. Bio-based chemicals may be used as drop-in substitutes for existing petrochemical products, for use in end-user industries such as automotive and transportation, textiles, pharmaceuticals, consumer and home appliances, healthcare, and food and beverages. Bioethanol, specifically, can be used in transport fuel, as feedstock for power generation, as an energy source for fuel cells along with hydrogen, and as feedstock in the chemicals industry. Bio-butanol, an olefin derivative, can be used as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based butanol in all its applications. Different monomers of bio-based chemicals can be used to produce biopolymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), and polylactic acid (PLA), which are subsequently used to produce bioplastics. A total of 25 bio-based chemicals and the technology used to produce them are summarized in this paper. Overall, bioethanol remains the dominant sugar platform product globally. Drawing on global trends, the potential options for the South African market include bioethanol, n-butanol, acetic acid, and lactic acid. It is estimated that the conversion of 70% of the lignocellulosic biomass available in SA would meet 24% of the country's liquid fuel requirement as a bioethanol equivalent. The most feasible sources of lignocellulosic biomass or waste for beneficiation in SA are generated by the agricultural sector, including sugarcane by-products and waste. Taking into consideration the abundance of lignocellulosic biomass, adequate market segment sizes, and socio-economic factors, it is apparent that there are potential opportunities to investigate the co-production of bioethanol with lactic acid or other bio-based chemicals on an industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ropalidia amabala sp. nov. is described and compared to the known African species of this genus. In addition, the nest and nesting habits are described. This species demonstrates the nesting pattern previously recorded only in Madagascar, which includes nesting directly on a tree trunk and using lichen as the nest-building source material to blend in with the surrounding lichen patches. In contrast to the Malagasy species, which clean the nesting area of lichen, this new South African species constructs the nest in a clear area of the trunk between patches of lichen. This provides excellent visual concealment of the nest and suggests that visually driven predators are the primary selective factor. The morphology for both sexes of this species disagrees with known Malagasy species, suggesting that they are separate evolutionary lineages and hence that this nesting behaviour evolved independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The pervasive use of plastics, coupled with inadequate waste management systems in many countries, has led to widespread leakage of plastics into the environment. In South Africa, the predominant type of shopping bags are single-use plastic bags; but paper, biodegradable plastic and re-usable bags have emerged as alternatives. To compare these alternatives in terms of environmental impacts across the whole product life cycle, we carried out a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of 16 shopping bag types available in South Africa. Methods: The comparison includes single-use plastic, bioplastic and paper bags, as well as re-usable bags (typically made from plastic in South Africa). The functional unit was based on the estimated annual volume of groceries purchased per capita. An attributional LCA was carried out using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint(H) method, with 18 mid-point impact categories. In addition, given the lack of an impact category for plastic pollution in existing methods, we developed a mid-point indicator based on the persistence of plastics (and other materials) leaked to the environment (Persistence of leaked material, PersistenceLM). Specific attention was placed on modelling end-of-life and waste management in the South African context. Economic-based allocation at the point of substitution was used to apportion environmental impacts to virgin and recyclate material, and the production of recyclate was modelled using system expansion. Results and discussion: Re-usable bag types, specifically the 70 µm High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and non-woven Polyester bags, had the lowest environmental impacts for all indicators, except PersistenceLM. Paper and biodegradable plastic bags had a lower PersistenceLM impact as compared to the petro-based plastic bags, and therefore may be preferable in terms of avoiding plastics accumulating in the environment. The re-usable bags need to be used at least 3 to 10 times to offer lower environmental impacts than single-use ones. Among the single-use bags, biodegradable bags made from imported Polybutylene Adipate Terepthalate (PBAT) plus starch showed the lowest environmental impacts across all impact categories, including PersistenceLM, followed by the Paper bag. The single-use 24 µm HDPE bag (HDPE_24) with no recycled content had the highest overall environmental impacts, while increasing the recycled content reduced overall environmental impacts by up to 52%. Compared to other countries, the high environmental impacts of plastic bags in South Africa can largely be attributed to the coal-to-liquids process used for polymer production, which is intensive in terms of both energy and raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including South Africa, are currently experiencing multiple epidemics: HIV and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), leading to different patterns of multimorbidity (the occurrence of two or more chronic conditions) than experienced in high income settings. These adversely affect health outcomes, increase patients' perceived burden of treatment, and impact the workload of self-management. This paper outlines the methods used in a qualitative study exploring burden of treatment among people living with HIV/NCD multimorbidity in South Africa. Methods: We undertook a comparative qualitative study to examine the interaction between individuals' treatment burden (self-management workload) and their capacity to take on this workload, using the dual lenses of Burden of Treatment Theory (BoTT) and Cumulative Complexity Model (CuCoM) to aid conceptualisation of the data. We interviewed 30 people with multimorbidity and 16 carers in rural Eastern Cape and urban Cape Town between February-April 2021. Data was analysed through framework analysis. Findings: This paper discusses the methodological procedures considered when conducting qualitative research among people with multimorbidity in low-income settings in South Africa. We highlight the decisions made when developing the research design, recruiting participants, and selecting field-sites. We also explore data analysis processes and reflect on the positionality of the research project and researchers. Conclusion: This paper illustrates the decision-making processes conducting this qualitative research and may be helpful in informing future research aiming to qualitatively investigate treatment burden among patients in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public libraries are established to promote literacy, cultural heritage, and the dissemination of information. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, public libraries across the globe had to close their physical spaces and change their service models. This qualitative study investigated information provision by a public library in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, during the national public health restrictions to determine what means were applied to sustain service provision. The paper reports on ways used by the library to provide information to users at the time. Data were collected from the chief librarian and four librarians using face-to-face interviews and one focus group. The data were thematically analysed. Findings indicated that no services were offered to users during the time of the Covid-19 restrictions. The paper recommends the digital literacy training of users, the use of free databases, and the introduction of online library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ParlaMint project, a CLARIN flagship initiative, seeks to standardize the representation of parliamentary data across diverse languages and regions. Version 3.0 of ParlaMint encompasses corpora from 26 European countries and autonomous regions, available for download and search under the CC-BY license. These corpora adhere to a common XML encoding schema, ensuring interoperability. This study evaluates the feasibility of applying the ParlaMint schema to the proceedings of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Through the conversion of a randomly selected parliamentary session, we scrutinize how various elements are modelled, delineating the steps required to initiate a comprehensive encoding endeavour. The experiment starts with data retrieval by downloading Hansard records from the South African Parliament website. An English session was selected to streamline processing for non-South African researchers. The original format consisted of session headers, metadata, introductory messages, and debate records. Speeches were identified by uppercase headers and segmented into paragraphs. Transcript conversion entailed extracting data from the PDF, eliminating technical elements, and ensuring continuity of utterances. Speaker names and functionswere identified, and the sessionwas transformed into ParlaMint-compliant TEI XML format. Meta-comments, including applause, laughter, and interruptions, were categorized based on typical phrases. Quotations, marked with indentation in the original transcript, were manually encoded as TEI elements. Foreign-language fragments were treated as gaps, with English translations provided. Multiparagraph foreign utterances were encoded paragraph by paragraph. Speaker metadata was stored in separate XML files, listing organizations and individual speakers. Speaker names and roles were converted into XML IDs, and web pages were linked for additional information. Speaker type was designated based on metadata, distinguishing between chairs, guests, and regular speakers. The encoded session comprised 95 utterances, with varying distributions among speakers. The proposed conversion process serves as a starting point for the larger endeavour of encoding South African parliamentary data in the ParlaMint schema. While not exhaustive, this study lays the groundwork for expanding the ParlaMint dataset to include African parliamentary records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a qualitative historical research approach, this paper examines the contextual influences, including the formulation motive and their possible impact on policy implementation, of the South African (SA) e-Education White Paper 7 (WP7). A critical discourse analysis (CDA) was conducted on the policy and data was collected through semi-structured interviews (SSI) with purposefully selected participants. Findings of the study reveal tacit contradictions and tensions depicting a policy in contradiction with itself, carrying the hallmark of a symbolic policy. That is, a policy characterised by lack of direction, contradictions in its motive of formulation, no dedicated resources for its implementation, distorted communication resulting from the validity tests, and lack of "material consequences" (Rivzi and Lingard, 2009, p.8). The circumstantial context (socioeconomic and political) of its formulation, dictated to by the prescripts of the negotiated political settlement (NPS), that ushered in the new democratic South Africa (SA), is found to have taken precedence. It further overshadowed critical analysis on the educational needs, which would have informed a better strategic integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in education. The circumstantial context resulted in a lack of a common goal between policy actors and interest groups. This, to the extent that the former thought of capitalising on the donations of the latter for their own political interests, while the latter saw in the formulation of such policy a way of imposing Government spending in favour of their businesses. These circumstances may have contributed to the policy's failure to reach its set textual objectives and goal by 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities can play a key role in contributing to a sustainable future for our planet and its inhabitants. In times of constant changes, there is a growing urgency to reflect on the vision of universities as well as their respective practices and projects that can promote the creation of sustainable societies. As is evident in scholarly literature, there is a need to empower universities and enhance their ability to prepare individuals who can confront global sustainability challenges and pursue sustainable development. The United Nations' adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015 recognised that societal problems were territorially blind, meaning that no country has sufficient knowledge or research capacity to solve all challenges on its own. To that end, this qualitative, comparative research study represents the unified effort of two very different countries to explore the topic of education for sustainable development (SD) at universities. The study employed a document analysis of selected publicly funded universities in Canada and South Africa. Gathered documents are from the past seven years and include the universities' mission and vision statements, annual reports, and strategic plans. The three main questions addressed in this work are: (a) What is the status and role of higher education for SD in Canada and South Africa? (b) What areas of SD are on the agenda of universities under investigation in Canada and South Africa? (c) What are the main similarities and differences between the two contexts under investigation? Findings indicate that universities focus on several aspects of SD, namely sustainable education, sustainable relationships, and sustainable initiatives. The paper discusses these areas for each country in connection to their contextual setting. Although the study's findings cannot be generalised, they can be informative for other universities and contexts and thus contribute to the body of knowledge about education for SD in higher education.

Background: The prevalence of Information Asymmetry between real estate agents, sellers, and buyers in the South African real estate industry should be an issue of major concern. The purpose of the study: To systematically investigate how the dual mandate system and the ideological outlook of real estate agents in the South African real estate industry provide a fertile ground for exploiting the inherent information asymmetry in housing transactions to the detriment of optimal functioning of the industry. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis was conducted by use of the systematic literature review and used the Signaling and Agency theories as lenses. Findings: The study concludes that information asymmetry can be systematically applied via pricing, marketing practice, the handling of information, and the pooling of services for the benefit of real estate agents, to the detriment of both seller and buyer principals' interests. Recommendations/value: It is recommended that the South African real estate policymakers enact strategies to both verify the discussed manifestation and to identify other possible manifestations of information asymmetry with the view of mitigating the effects thereof. Managerial implications: The study outcomes suggest both policymakers and real estate agencies need to cooperatively implement practices that can bolster confidence in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current management of solid waste from pulp and paper activities represents an environmental and economic burden worldwide due to pollution emissions. This study investigates the potential of hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) treatment as a sustainable alternative for producing cleaner and energy-dense solid fuel from paper mill sludge. The effect of process parameters (temperature, reaction time and solid load) on hydrochar fuel formation from paper sludge was evaluated and, for the first time, the paper sludge-derived hydrochar was optimised to maximise the mass yield and calorific value using response surface methodology (RSM). The physicochemical characteristics, thermal fuel behaviour, energy recycling efficiency and electricity generation potential were assessed by proximate and ultimate analysis, thermogravimetry, bomb calorimeter, scanning electron microscopy and process energy assessment. Results showed that hydrochar fuel formation and properties were mainly influenced by the process temperature and residence time, and governed by dehydration and decarboxylation reactions which reduced the atomic H/C and O/C ratios by 35.5% and 64%, respectively. The produced hydrochars presented low sulphur, nitrogen and ash content with a maximum calorific value (HHV) of 22.9 MJ/kg, equivalent to the HHV of coal for commercial utility in South Africa. The HHV of the hydrochar corresponded to a 49.80% increase over the HHV of the initial feedstock. The optimum operating conditions were 231 ± 1 °C and 1.99 h for a hydrochar yield of 74.4% and calorific value of 18.5 MJ/kg. The energy assessment showed that up to 58.34% of the energy produced by hydrochar fuel combustion may be recycled as heat or power, while the remaining 41.66% of the combustion energy could be utilised to sustain the HTC treatment of paper sludge. The substantial water demand was concluded to be a drawback. Thus, water recirculation and the potential to catalyse the HTC reactions to increase overall process efficiency will constitute a future study to make the process more environmentally friendly for industrial-scale application. [Display omitted] • Dehydration and decarboxylation were predominant. • Optimum energy yield of 18.5 MJ/kg and 74.4% hydrochar was achieved under 231 ± 1 °C and 1.99 h. • Higher HTC reaction severity enhanced the physicochemical properties of the hydrochar. • Hydrochars produced have low nitrogen and sulphur (<1%) content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation in infants living with HIV before 12 weeks of age can reduce the risk of mortality by 75%. Point‐of‐care (POC) diagnostic testing is critical for prompt ART initiation; however, despite its availability, rates of ART initiation are still relatively low before 12 weeks of age. This systematic review describes the barriers to ART initiation in infants before 12 weeks of age, despite the availability of POC. Methods: This systematic review used a narrative synthesis methodology. We searched PubMed and Scopus using search strategies that combined terms of multiple variants of the keywords "early infant initiation on antiretroviral therapy," "barriers" and "sub‐Saharan Africa" (initial search 18th January 2023; final search 1st August 2023). We included qualitative, observational and mixed methods studies that reported the influences of early infant initiation on ART. We excluded studies that reported influences on other components of the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission cascade. Using a deductive approach guided by the updated Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research, we developed descriptive codes and themes around barriers to early infant initiation on ART. We then developed recommendations for interventions for the identified barriers using the action, actor, target and time framework from the codes. Results: Of the 266 abstracts reviewed, 52 full‐text papers were examined, of which 12 papers were included. South Africa had most papers from a single country (n = 3) and the most reported study design was retrospective (n = 6). Delays in ART initiation beyond 12 weeks in infants 0–12 months were primarily associated with health facility and maternal factors. The most prominent barriers identified were inadequate resources for POC testing (including human resources, laboratory facilities and patient follow‐up). Maternal‐related factors, such as limited male involvement and maternal perceptions of treatment and care, were also influential. Discussion: We identified structural barriers to ART initiation at the health system, social and cultural levels. Improvements in the timely allocation of resources for POC testing operations, coupled with interventions addressing social and behavioural barriers among both mothers and healthcare providers, hold a promise for enhancing timely ART initiation in infants. Conclusions: This paper identifies barriers and proposes strategies for timely ART initiation in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc have received the attention of the scholars in Media and Communication Studies, Political Science, Public Administration and other cognate academic disciplines. From the academic literature produced thus far, it is clear that social media is not uniformly understood even by those who research, write and publish from a common epistemic vintage point, which is largely dominated by Westernised consciousness. As such, this desktop paper employs Afrocentricity as an alternative and contextual lens to dissect Shepherd Mpofu’s recent Facebook roar. The latter is complimented by a few rants featured on other platforms including but not limited to WhatsApp and Twitter. The main argument of this paper is that due to their less regulated nature, Facebook and other social media platforms have become useful tools for nursing the tortured consciousness of Mpofu and et al whose egos have been injured by what appears to be an invalidation of their past intellectual contributions on Gukurahundi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcystins are produced by multifaceted organisms called cyanobacteria, which are integral to Africa's freshwater environments. The excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria caused by rising temperature and eutrophication leads to the production and release of copious amounts of microcystins, requiring critical management and control approaches to prevent the adverse environmental and public health problems associated with these bioactive metabolites. Despite hypotheses reported to explain the phylogeography and mechanisms responsible for cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic water bodies, many aspects are scarcely understood in Africa due to the paucity of investigations and lack of uniformity of experimental methods. Due to a lack of information and large-scale studies, cyanobacteria occurrence and genetic diversity are seldom reported in African aquatic ecosystems. This review covers the diversity and geographical distribution of potential microcystin-producing and non-microcystin-producing cyanobacterial taxa in Africa. Molecular analyses using housekeeping genes (e.g., 16S rRNA, ITS, rpoC1, etc.) revealed significant sequence divergence across several cyanobacterial strains from East, North, West, and South Africa, but the lack of uniformity in molecular markers employed made continent-wise phylogenetic comparisons impossible. Planktothrix agardhii, Microcystis aeruginosa, and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (presently known as Raphidiopsis raciborskii) were the most commonly reported genera. Potential microcystin (MCs)-producing cyanobacteria were detected using mcy genes, and several microcystin congeners were recorded. Studying cyanobacteria species from the African continent is urgent to effectively safeguard public and environmental health because more than 80% of the continent has no data on these important microorganisms and their bioactive secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PhD by publication, a route of attaining a 'doctorate', is growing in adoption, yet has not gained universal acceptance. Whilst doctoral students are expected to free range, be independent in their study, and contribute to knowledge, there is a tendency to be schooled or mainly assessed along the lines of positivism and interpretivism. This paper, in part the author's situational reflexivity and noting Liezel Frick's "PhD by publication – panacea or paralysis?", carried out a documentary analysis of academic regulations of 101 universities in the UK, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, and examined the literature for demi-regularities supporting or inhibiting critical realism in doctoral studies. It followed a (multimethod) plural approach. The examination revealed that critical realism is sparse in doctoral studies, and universities do not cohere in nomenclature and 'form' of PhD by publication. In filling the 'free range' gap, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on PhD by publication by introducing the IDADA ('identify', 'define', 'analyse', 'develop' and 'apply') methodological framework. The framework evolved from the demi-regularities understudied. IDADA is a practical solution-centric, methodological approach to PhD by publication. The paper calls on researchers and practitioners to be open to structured and 'alternate' approaches to research whilst ensuring ontological, epistemological, and axiomatic rigour. Researchers need not approach research religiously — as that of a particular paradigm sect; but rather embrace 'practical adequacy'. Doctoral students should be encouraged to produce research output with more significant impact through interrogation and unearthing phenomena rather than just "observing, outlining and discussing findings" or conforming to 'writing style'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African Basic Education System does little to provide skills, needed to survive outside the schooling system, for those who do not wish to pursue post-secondary school education. The education system produces secondary school graduates who are poised, as content carriers and an un-employable labour force. A research question grappled with in this paper is whether this secondary school curriculum design inherited from the colonial formal education system is beneficial for South African learners? The paper argues that the continuation of the provision of this curriculum is tantamount to contributing very little to the national educational strategic goals of creating a skilled workforce needed to run the South African economy. Additionally, this also contributes to the exacerbation of the unemployment in South Africa. From a decolonial point of view, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the basic education curriculum from the colonial period until the contemporary period and shows how it has contributed to huge numbers of jobseekers visa-versa employees and subservient of the curriculum design and schooling system. Methodologically, this paper is informed by a qualitative research approach in the form of document review. The research revealed four major important elements in decolonization of the school curriculum namely; history lesson, social justice and self-determination, formulation and execution of the protection of indigenous knowledge systems and promoting the significance of indigenous languages and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The call for the intellectualisation of African languages has become a topical agenda towards their use as languages of teaching and learning in institutions of higher learning in Africa. In their enunciation of language policies, South African universities are guided by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)'s Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions (LPFPHEI). The thrust of this paper is to interrogate how the language policy of one university in South Africa enables the intellectualisation of African languages. The study deploys Ruiz's notion of language as a resource to examine the potential embedded within the university's language policy to foster the intellectualisation of Sesotho and Setswana for use as LoTLs in a variety of disciplines. The university is one of the institutions of higher learning with the most recently revised language policy approved in 2022, hence its selection as the case study. The paper concludes that an enabling language policy that speaks to the linguistic realities, coupled with a variety of support structures within the university and also spelling out the implementation plan is what will result in the fruitful re-intellectualisation of African languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tests the predictions of various conflicting theories on international trade and development by examining the impact of exporting and importing on economic level and basic needs in two developing countries of two different developing regions of the world; one in Latin America & Caribbean, and one in Sub-Saharan Africa. The two countries are Brazil and South Africa, respectively. Using fifteen-year lagged data that spanned 1984-2019, the paper finds that exporting tends to have negative and significant impact on both economic level and social basic needs in these two countries. Importing, on the other hand, was found to have positive and significant impact on economic level, and social basic needs in both countries. Implications of these findings for public policy and international trade theory development are discussed, and directions for future research are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the effect of ESG ratings and its dimensions (environmental, social and governance) on the financial performance of JSE-listed firms included in FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs panel data covering 40 JSE-listed firms included in FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index between 2015 and 2019. The paper employs the two-stage least squares (2SLS) instrumental variable regression technique to estimate the effect of ESG ratings and its dimensions (environmental, social and governance) on both accounting- and market-based performance indicators. Findings: The results of the two-stage least squares instrumental estimation analysis reveal that investment in ESG initiatives improves both accounting- and market-based indicators of financial performance. Of the ESG pillars, the paper finds environmental initiatives improves firms' financial bottom line and market performance, while a firm's social and governance practices are observed to have no effect on a firm's accounting and market performance measures. Practical implications: The insights from this study proffers policy implications for firms' management, investors and regulatory authorities. Originality/value: As far as the authors are concerned, this paper presents the first empirical analysis on the contribution of ESG ratings on financial performance in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the growing literature on technological upgrading along global value chains, by focusing on the adoption of automation and digital technologies at different functional stages of the automotive value chain. It explores the constant tension that firms in emerging economies face between linking up to international trade and ensuring the upgrading of indigenous firms, which depends on the relationship between lead international firms' operations and capabilities at the local level. Drawing on extensive qualitative research in South Africa, including 39 interviews and observations at the shopfloor level, this paper examines the determinants for automation and digital technologies adoption. The finding extends existing knowledge of technological upgrading along global value chains, by examining both final assemblers and lower-tier suppliers. Four production specific drivers are identified: volume, quality, material-led adoption, and ergonomics. This paper suggests policymakers should consider sector heterogeneity and specific sector-technology combinations when designing policies to sustain digitalization and production upgrade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the 8th of May 2019, South African citizens in all nine provinces were granted with the opportunity to elect their preferred political party into power. Over million people exercised their right through a ballot voting system for political parties of their choice. However, not every citizen was satisfied with how the election process was coordinated and facilitated particularly in certain areas. This is triggered by the fact that rumors were circulating in various social media platforms imparting that some of the eligible voters were accused of multiple voting while some of the ballot papers were found outside certain voting stations. The paper requests the South African government to introduce an e‐voting system as a means to prevent the above‐mentioned challenges that are associated with the manual voting system. Consequently, using the diffusion of innovation theory, this paper argues that e‐voting system has several pros that may strengthen the credibility of elections by reducing the risk of double voting and spoilt ballot papers and it also acknowledge the 4IR as an advanced system to complement and be integrated into the e‐voting system to be more effective. The aim of this paper was achieved through the use of desktop content analysis approach to reflect on the pros and cons with specific focus to both e‐voting and manual system. The paper examined the pitfalls associated with the ballot voting system. In conclusion, some of the challenges that emerged in the 2019 general elections could be resolved through the adoption of e‐voting system in the long‐run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Strategies to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province: different stakeholder's perspectives, a co-operative inquiry qualitative protocol paper," published online, is presented.

Anton Lembede, who is regarded as a member of the "new Afrikans", propagated the political philosophy of Afrikanism that is premised on an exclusive idea of "Afrika for the Afrikans." On the other hand, A.P. Mda's idea of "broad nationalism" pursued an inclusive idea of Afrika. This paper seeks to foreground Lembede's exclusive idea of Afrika in contrast to Mda's idea of "broad nationalism" and inclusive idea of Afrika. We will rely on the historical and comparative method and the Afrikan-centred theoretical paradigm. There are several findings which this paper has deduced. The first one is that the political and intellectual relationship between Lembede and Mda has eventuated in the epochal emergence of the antagonism between two Afrikan political philosophies of national liberation in conquered Azania. These philosophies are Afrikanism and broad nationalism. The second one is that the intellectual legacy of Lembede is a marginalised study in South African scholarship especially on the figures of the Black Radical Tradition. The third one is that the broad nationalism of Mda was transformed into the Azanian political tradition by Robert Sobukwe and Steve Biko. The last one is that the triumph of Mda's idea of Afrika must triumph has contributed to the disastrous dominance of nonracialism in South Africa at the expense of the racial nationalism of Lembede. This nonracialism has taken the form of the Congress/Charterist nonracialism of the African National Congress and its Tripartite Alliance and the Azanian nonracialism of the Pan-Africanist Congress and the Black Consciousness Movement. The fundamental objective of this paper is a call for the replacement of these naïve and dangerous forms of nonracialism with the uncompromising racial nationalism of Lembede, so that Africa's cause can triumph as he envisioned it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific research on renewable energy in Africa, a rapidly growing field driven by the need for sustainable and accessible energy solutions. It highlights Africa's role as a hub for renewable energy innovation, with local researchers collaborating with global institutions to address the continent's unique energy challenges. This synergy is enhancing energy access in African communities and contributing to the global advancement of renewable technologies. The study meticulously examines 3,109 scientific publications from the Scopus database, spanning from 1979 to 2022. It analyzes the evolution, geographical distribution, and impact of these publications, with a focus on international collaborations and scientific output. Findings indicate that South Africa leads in productivity with 962 publications and hosts the top affiliating institutions in this domain. The study also reveals an exponential increase in renewable energy research, particularly from South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom, emphasizing the need for more collaborative efforts and knowledge exchange globally. This analysis provides critical insights into the current landscape of renewable energy research and pinpoints areas ripe for further exploration and development in this vital sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]