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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.)

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.

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

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 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]

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]

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]

Objective: To end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, despite the increasing poverty and inequalities, policies should be designed to deal with population heterogeneity and environmental changes. Bottom-up designs, such as the Agent-Based Model (ABM), can model these features, dealing with such complexity. HIV/AIDS has a complex dynamic of structural factors, risk behaviors, biomedical characteristics and interventions. All embedded in unequal, stigmatized and heterogeneous social structure. To understand how ABMs can model this complexity, we performed a scoping review of HIV applications, highlighting their potentialities. Methods: We searched on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus repositories following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Our inclusion criteria were HIV/AIDS studies with an ABM application. We identified the main articles using a local co-citation analysis and categorized the overall literature aims, (sub)populations, regions, and if the papers declared the use of ODD protocol and limitations. Results: We found 154 articles. We identified eleven main papers, and discussed them using the overall category results. Most studies model Transmission Dynamics (37/154), about Men who have sex with Men (MSM) (41/154), or individuals living in the US or South Africa (84/154). Recent studies applied ABM to model PrEP interventions (17/154) and Racial Disparities (12/154). Only six papers declared the use of ODD Protocol (6/154), and 34/154 didn't mention the study limitations. Conclusions: While ABM is among the most sophisticated techniques available to model HIV/AIDS complexity. Their applications are still restricted to some realities. However, researchers are challenged to think about social structure due model characteristics, the inclusion of these features is still restricted to case-specific. Data and computational power availability can enhance this feature providing insightful results. [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]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on office space in Johannesburg. This study further explores the role of changing work practices in the office sector in South Africa because of the pandemic and its impact on future office space use planning and management. Design/methodology/approach: To understand the footprints that the COVID-19 pandemic has left on the office space market in Johannesburg, this study uses semi-structured interviews, which were administered to corporate office users, and a thematic analysis was adopted to understand the views, perspectives and expectations of office users. Findings: The study showed that space users perceive COVID-19-induced remote working as having benefits, opportunities and challenges. A notable shift in office space utilization has emerged, with employees increasingly opting for roles that permit remote work. This newfound flexibility, accommodating both on-site and remote work, often makes working from home more appealing than traditional office environments that may no longer align with users' preferences for office spaces. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to Johannesburg, South Africa, and may not apply to other African markets. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted, and analysis and results were deduced; this may be considered a limitation of this study. Practical implications: The pandemic's impact has brought about irreversible changes, compelling policymakers and business leaders to strategize and prepare. This proactive stance aims to prevent avoidable challenges for employees and companies during future pandemics. A thoughtful approach to the post-pandemic world can usher positive changes in the office and property sector. This includes the coexistence of both remote work and on-site working models. Originality/value: This paper provides valuable insight into some of the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa that are essential for future office space use planning and management. The insights from this study extend the literature and provide novel knowledge based on an office sector in the "global south." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic can and should be understood as a form of creative destruction (Schumpeter's gale), at a hyper level owing to its biological/medical dimension. Therefore, the critical response to such a hyper force is to rethink how institutions administer Public Policy in South Africa (Path Dependency), most importantly economic development planning institutions and Covid-19 responses, in the form of 'The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan'. It's the contention of this paper that the reason why Covid-19 continues to impact the South African government's economic planning ethos is anchored in its developmental orientation, particularly how constitutional legalism has impaired economic development planning. This could impart be due to the unaddressed influences of the initial waves of Law and Development post-1994. The South African experience with the initial waves of Law and Development were muted owing to the problematic nature of the 1994 transition which sought peace at all costs without necessary addressing substantive economic development reform considerations. Therefore, using the policy experiences of Covid-19 and Lee's, General Theory of Law and Development, particularly the aspects of Development and State Capacity and Political Will, a revision of the South African Constitution will be called on, principally chapter's 2 and 6 (Bill of Rights) and (Province). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retirement planning is viewed as one of the cornerstones of long-term household financial security. The responsibility of retirement planning has now been shifted to the individual and is no longer the responsibility of the employer. This paper examines the link between financial literacy and retirement planning among informal sector traders in the Randburg area of Johannesburg, South Africa. A questionnaire approach was used to collect data from 269 randomly selected informal sector respondents. The data was analysed using ordinal regression. Robustness tests were executed using the Wald test. Findings reveal that financial literacy is linked to retirement planning, and especially with reference to informal sector workers. Additionally, education, income and the informal business sector were observed to have a positive and significant influence on retirement planning. The paper contributes to both theoretical and practical discourses on retirement planning for informal sector entrepreneurs which has not received much attention. These results are important for policy makers in retirement planning as well as curriculum development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proximity of local government to communities makes it the best instrument for ensuring social justice in the democratic era. Although social justice is desirable, there are various interpretations and understandings of the concept in South Africa because various actors, structures, and agencies have different perspectives. This paper explores the relationship between municipal service provision and social justice within the macroeconomic policy of neoliberalism in South Africa. Following the qualitative approach and using secondary sources, this paper argues that adopting neoliberalism in South Africa following the demise of apartheid has thwarted social justice. Further, it argues that the adoption and implementation of neoliberalism have resulted in perpetual relative deprivation based on race, leading to the formulation of new agencies that have utilised collective action against the local government. The adoption and implementation of neoliberalism constrained the financial resources available to the government, limiting the financial resources allocated to local government. Neoliberalism adversely affected the local government, which was operating in a financially constrained environment. This financially constrained environment perpetuated the legacy of relative deprivation inherited from the apartheid era, hence thwarting social justice. Furthermore, as time passed, the crisis of neoliberalism emerged, whereby neoliberalism proved ineffective, yet mainstream economists proposed neoliberalism, and more neoliberal practices have been adopted, thus cementing neoliberalism. This increase in neoliberal practices resulted in little prioritisation of social justice in local government, hence triggering rebellions usually directed at local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of xenophobic violence toward foreigners has hindered South Africa’s ambition to become a developmental state since 2007, when the concept of a “democratic developmental state” was first endorsed during the African National Congress (ANC) conference in Polokwane. This ambition has also been thwarted by the inability of the post-apartheid regime to provide adequate and sustainable services to the citizens. Xenophobia has disrupted economic growth and has contributed to poor service delivery in local municipalities, thus leading to social protests. The developmental state depends mainly on a solid balance of economic growth and human development. It also leans on the capacity of the state to establish policies that address poverty and promote the expansion of solid economic opportunities. In this endeavor, migrants increase economic growth and make it sustainable, increase productivity, and promote the labor market. They also promote the labor force and human capital, economic growth, and public finance, thus enabling the realization of a developmental state. However, xenophobia has limited migrants’ contributions to economic growth and social well-being in South Africa. It has destructive effects on South Africa’s economic structure and growth, thus affecting the delivery of adequate services that would enhance its ability to achieve a developmental state. The paper recommends that there is a need for South Africa to understand that xenophobia affects economic growth and the service delivery framework. To address the prevalence of xenophobia and achieve its ambition of a developmental state, South Africa needs to hasten its responses to curb xenophobia and integrate migrants into economic opportunities. The paper adopted a qualitative research methodology and conceptual and document analysis techniques to collect data that enabled the achievement of the above assertions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary thinking in scholarship observes that the framework of rural school teaching and leadership calls for customized attention owing to the contextual challenges that rural schools are faced with. This paper aimed to examine the use of school-based leadership to develop primary school teachers, in a selected rural context. Supported by the interpretive qualitative paradigm, data was generated through a focus group interview with seven teachers and an individual face-to-face interview with the school principal from one selected rural primary school. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that although the school principal used open and effective leadership strategies to develop teachers to improve teaching and learning conditions, teachers still needed structured professional development programmes to enhance their teaching and improve learner outcomes. In light of the findings, this paper recommends a combination of leadership strategies from the school principal that will enhance teaching and learning while providing structured professional development. The paper advocates for the dual use of school-based leadership by the school principal to improve teaching and learning and teacher professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has brought several natural disasters to South Africa in the form of floods, heat waves, and droughts. Neighbouring countries are also experiencing tropical cyclones, almost on a yearly basis. The insurance sector is faced with an increased level of climate change risk with individuals, corporates, and even the government approaching it for financial cover. However, with an increased level of competition in the insurance sector, (re)insurers must engage in massive product research and development. Therefore, this paper looks at the possibility of the insurance industry developing new products in the form of catastrophe resilience bonds (CAT R Bonds). A qualitative approach is used following content analysis of (re)insurers' product development policies, marketing documents, company reports, and risk management reports as well as the Conference of Parties 27 and 28 resolution papers. The findings reveal that (re)insurers' underwriting capacity, reinsurance protection, and innovative and creative product development increase because of CAT R Bonds. CAT R Bonds enhance the interaction between the capital market and money market, thereby giving speculative investors another investment option. Increased investment into new product development such as CAT R Bonds must continue in South Africa in pursuit of climate change resilience goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early twentieth century M.K. Gandhi articulated Satyagraha as a decentering quest for truth through everyday politics. Satyagraha privileged the "minor" or the marginalized over the dominant and everydayness and dwelling over history. In light of the contemporary criticisms of Gandhi, this paper examines Gandhian Satyagraha as a minor force that may hold him accountable for his entrenchment within dominant race and caste relations. The paper is divided into three sections devoted to "minor" matters of dwelling and ordinariness. I begin with an examination of Gandhi's politics through race and labor in South Africa, between 1896 and 1905. To understand Gandhi's racism in South Africa it is necessary to pay attention to his marginalization of social and legal narratives related to labor, agriculture, rent and places of habitation such as the hut. I then foreground Gandhi's marginalization of architecture in his discourses around Akash (the sky) and his body in 1932 and in 1942 during his incarcerations in Pune. Finally, I focus on the architecture of the huts built for him in Wardha in 1936–37 and the conflict that emerges between his conception of the social reproduction of labor as a minor voice within the self and his embrace of caste through varnashramadharma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is no longer a myth that climate change‐related disasters are on the rise globally, with severe and devastating consequences in developing countries, particularly in Sub‐Saharan Africa, where many of the world's poor people reside. Thus, the emphasis on adaptation to climate change is no longer a choice or a deferred problem into the future, but rather an urgent matter of concern which must be considered a policy priority. As a response to retrogressive climate change challenges on social‐economic development and environmental degradation, the government of South Africa has in the last two and half decades, embarked on the progressive formulation of different policy instruments and strategic frameworks to curb and minimize the impacts of climate change on all sub‐sectors of the economy. Although much remains to be achieved, some level of success has been realized, particularly in the space of policy formulation, albeit the poor record of implementation. Using research methods inspired by the tradition of qualitative research and an appraisal of existing literature, this paper discusses the complexities of climate change adaptation governance at a local government level in South Africa, focusing on the Eastern Cape Province. It is argued in the paper that one of the major challenges for climate change governance at local municipality levels in South Africa emanates from the gap between aspirations and actions across the entire national governance system. The absence of an integrated climate change governance system has posed significant systemic challenges, and these have tended to constrain decision‐making and implementation processes. These issues have been discussed within the broader discourse of the sustainable development goals, particularly goals number 13, 16 and 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to explore public reactions to non-normative expressions of masculinity within South African society. We argue that although society has become more accepting of such expressions, there still exists public criticism and heteronormative labelling of sexuality and gender. The case study of a local entertainment celebrity, Sivuyile Ngesi, is used to interrogate the illusion of the "real man" and the construction of heteronormative masculinities in the South African context. Ngesi's personal portrayal of his masculine identity is unconventional and provides an example of an atypical expression of a Black African heterosexual identity. In the paper we draw on a range of local media sources, as well as an in-depth interview with Ngesi himself, to discuss an idiosyncratic vision of an alternative Black African masculine identity and the realities and implications around it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I investigate the benefits and potential risks associated with utilizing participant observation to gain a deeper understanding of sexual identity. Specifically, my focus is on examining how young, heterosexual, middle-class, cisgender individuals in South Africa perceive and understand their heterosexual identities, exploring how privilege and heteronormativity shape their experiences. In my ethnographic study, I employed various qualitative data collection methods, including participant observation, to analyze how normative practices were negotiated and sustained in contemporary South Africa. As a feminist researcher, I reflect on the epistemological and methodological choices I made in the study, with reflexivity and positionality playing crucial roles in data collection and analysis. Drawing on experiences in three distinct social spaces in Johannesburg—high-end nightclubs, Tupperware-style sex-toy parties, and traditional braais [barbecues]—I examine the advantages and challenges of participant observation. This paper contributes to the broader discussion on the method's use, highlighting its potential to offer a nuanced understanding of a normalized phenomenon while acknowledging associated risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe and reflect on the position of what are called second additional languages in the language teaching landscape of South African schools. This landscape is crowded, with different South African languages vying for attention. Amidst efforts to increase the number of learners who offer an African language as one of the subjects in the school exit examination, initiatives to introduce languages like Mandarin and Swahili put additional pressure on an already over-burdened system. The paper considers this crowded landscape and the implications for the teaching of German, French and Mandarin at secondary school level. These are only three of at least fifteen languages offered as second additional languages. This paper focuses on these three because they are most widely taught in mainstream schools. The policies and practices as well as the problems with teaching these languages are described, focusing on the types of learner who will choose these languages, the approach to teaching them and possible actions that could ensure the continued offering of second additional languages at primary and secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this commentary is to provide an overview of the rationale and objectives of the Researching the Obesogenic Food Environment (ROFE) project that was conducted in Ghana and South Africa. Design: Narration has been used to describe the main objectives, phases as well as the methods used for the conduct of this project. Setting: The project described in this commentary was conducted in Khayelitsha and Mount Frere in South Africa and Ahodwo and Ejuratia for Ghana. Participant: Participants of the study described here include households in South Africa and Ghana, stakeholders and policymakers, and various actors within the food chain in both countries. Results: The ROFE findings provide a good understanding of the extent of the impact of the food environment on consumption, characteristics of value chains of healthy and unhealthy foods, as well as the potential for improved governance and policy that is relevant to the region. The supplement provides the opportunity to share the extensive findings of the ROFE project. Nine papers that describe the process and findings of the three phases of the ROFE project have been presented. Some of the papers focus on phases of the ROFE, while others cut across different phases and explore the linkages between the phases. Briefly descriptions of key findings of some of the papers in the supplement are provided. Conclusion: Together, the findings of the ROFE study presented in this supplement have increased understanding of how communities in SA and Ghana interact with their food supplies and have led to identification of specific opportunities to improve food supply policies, in ways that create incentives for the production and consumption of healthy, relative to unhealthy foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment is a crucial component of the learning process, and with the advent of technology, innovative strategies such as e-assessment have emerged as alternatives to traditional paper-based assessments. While many countries have embraced e-assessment systems due to their numerous benefits, developing economies like South Africa have paid limited attention to the experiences and issues related to eassessments. This study aims to explore the experiences of South African students who have undergone e-assessments, focusing on the perceived benefits and drawbacks of transitioning from paper-based to online platform-based assessments. A focus group of students took part in the inquiry, with the data interpreted using literature and guided by constructivist educational theory. Findings revealed that students reported experiencing anxiety and concentration issues during e-assessments. However, there was also an appreciation for the value that e-assessments bring to higher education. This study highlights the need for further research to examine the factors that influence the implementation and effectiveness of e-assessments in the higher education sector. By understanding these factors, the educational institution can address challenges and optimize the benefits of e-assessments, enhancing the learning experience for students. Future studies should delve deeper into the specific aspects influencing e-assessments in higher education and provide insights for developing effective strategies and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Maternal and child health (MCH) remains a significant public health concern globally despite previous efforts made to improve MCH services. Initiatives such as antenatal care, postnatal care services exclusive breastfeeding, child vaccination and supplements have been rolled out to improve MCH outcomes. However, inadequate maternal healthcare, socioeconomic factors, obstetric haemorrhaging, complications of hypertension during pregnancy, lack of maternal information, poor universal health coverage and uptake of MCH services exacerbate maternal mortality and child mortality rates, especially in resource-constrained areas in many sub-Saharan African countries including South Africa. Objective: This study aimed to review mobile health (mHealth) interventions deployed to improve maternal and child health outcomes. Methods: The study adopted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses model to search and retrieve relevant literature from reputable, prominent electronic databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, etc.). A total of 26 papers were selected and analyzed. Results: The findings revealed several mHealth interventions such as MomConnect, Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, NurseConnect, ChildConnect, CommCare, Road to Health Application and Philani Mobile Video Intervention for Exclusive Breastfeeding have been utilized by healthcare workers and women to improve access to MCH services. However, inadequate digital infrastructure, digital divide, resistance to change, inadequate funding, language barriers, short message service and data costs, lack of digital skills and support, compatibility, scalability and interoperability issues, legislative and policy compliance, lack of mHealth awareness, data security and privacy concerns hinder uptake and utilisation of mHealth interventions. There is a need to scale up and sustain mHealth interventions and update existing regulatory framework, policies and strategies. Conclusion: mHealth interventions offer unprecedented opportunities to improve access to maternal information and substantially improve maternal and child health services. Stakeholder engagement and the development of sustainable funding strategies are important for successfully implementing and scaling mHealth projects while addressing existing and emerging key issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Truth and reconciliation commissions (TRCs) are understood to offer cheap justice, a justice not bound by the law. South African experience in the postapartheid era shows that they are significant tools for peacebuilding as well as statebuilding. The experience shows that the use of TRCs has created an authoritative record of what happened; enabled the victims to tell their stories without fear or embarrassment, and recommended legislative, structural and institutional reforms that avoided the repetition of past abuses. Successful peace and statebuilding are based on the above in order to achieve sustainable peace. TRCs promote rule of law, human rights protection, and ensure healing and freedom for all. However, the relapses of conflicts and political tensions, intercommunal hatred and divisions in African countries, create more questions than answers. These continuous issues show that TRCs have instead not resolved conflicts. The paper found that TRCs can only lead to successful peacebuilding and statebuilding if there is willingness on the side of the citizens as well as their political leaders. There is need to learn from the South African experience to ensure that TRCs lead to successful peacebuilding and statebuilding. The paper relied on historical research designed to study TRCs in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of nationalism as a rallying force for national consciousness and liberation in Africa is a long-standing prism. In South Africa, it is historically conceived as a mechanism for promoting the unity, right, and emancipation South Africans from colonialism and subsequently, the apartheid regime. Contrary to this positionality on nationalism, contemporary South Africa finds itself more divided along racial lines nearly three decades (28 years) after the end of the apartheid regime. This paper, using historical and descriptive analysis from qualitative data, assessed the perceptions and impact of nationalism in South Africa. It explored the changes in meaning of nationalism over time as well as the impact of such changes on post-apartheid struggles in South Africa's development. The findings of the paper showed that the continuous economic divide between the rich and poor as well as the incapacity of government to meet individual, household, and community needs and expectations has engineered over time, a lack of trust in government as saviour or mediator. There is also the rekindled mutual suspicion and hostility along racial line despite the projection of a =rainbow nation.' The paper concluded that an approach on constitutional patriotism, which encourages norm changes and loyalty shift from ethnic/national loyalty to national value and loyalty, would fit a multicultural setting as South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Hegemonic practices of memorialization rely on narratives of heroic, morally untainted resistance, which cast traitors as the aberrant "other." This paper draws on Simone de Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity and historical and sociological accounts of betrayal to trouble this binary and construct a framework for memorializing betrayal in its ambiguity—in relation to the everyday reality of tragic dilemmas that resisters face. I show how attentiveness to the ambiguity of betrayal can help rethink heroic resistance myths beyond the exclusionary logic pitting moral purity against the depravity of treason—and warn against the reproduction of systematic practices of othering in the new political order. The paper develops the political relevance of this theoretical exploration via the example of a South African novel, The Texture of Shadows, examining how its insights into the ambiguity of betrayal challenge the myths of heroic resistance in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) to address weaknesses in South Africa's Mathematics education, focusing on the use of concrete mathematical manipulatives for enhancing conceptual understanding in grade 12 learners. A Mathematical manipulative is defined as any material or object from the real world that children can move around to show a mathematical concept. Kolb's Experiential Theory links learning style to academic achievement. Kolb's ELT involves four learning modes: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The use of manipulatives completes Kolb's learning cycle by providing a concrete experience, interaction and reflection with peers, abstract conceptualisation of triangles in the various planes and finally active experimentation. The study aims at improving the application of the sine rule, cosine rule, and area rule in solving 3-dimensional trigonometric problems. This qualitative study investigated the influence of mathematical models on teaching 3D trigonometric problems based on a sample of sixteen Grade 12 learners. Data was collected through observation, interviews, and written responses. The findings in this paper show that learners using manipulatives displayed heightened interests and improved understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 9th to 17th of July 2021 was marked by social unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The socio-political unrest was marked by protests, looting of shops and businesses, as well as the vandalism of public facilities and private properties. The unrest resulted in over 350 deaths as a result of the violent looting, killings, and destruction of property. The paper sought to place a focus on the socio-political unrest experienced in South Africa. The study was guided by the following question: Which dynamics have been at play in the 2021 sociopolitical unrest? The paper utilized secondary data such as research reports, books, journal articles, and the internet. Anchored on the FrustrationAggression theory, the paper identified socio-economic dynamics including poverty, unemployment, inequality, and poor service delivery as major contributors to the July social unrest. Furthermore, the paper identified the country's history of violence, tensions between racial groups, and the incarceration of former President Zuma coupled with the stringent lockdown regulations as dynamics that contributed to the July social unrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal settlement livelihoods in South Africa are characterized by a structural waiting for housing improvements. Participatory mapping and enumeration (PME) are a key tool for Capetonians NGOs to tackle urban injustice and improve livelihoods. Unfortunately, PME evaluation and empowerment dynamics are often linked and reduced to the PME final output (data, cartographic artefact, etc.). Based on an action-research PME project implemented by a Capetonian local NGO and by S section informal settlement's community (Khayelitsha), this paper explores PME as an empowering strategy for activating the waiting phase for housing. Drawing on postcolonial approach, this paper frames empowerment as "topological resonances" enabled during PME through the dual dynamics of "translation" and "connectedness." Translation and connectedness are applied to the case study of S Section and allow for the capture of interstitial yet critical empowerment dynamics that go beyond PME outcomes alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance and authenticity are two key concepts that run through the practice of urban heritage conservation. When combined, they form a powerful tool within a value-based system that ensures the preservation and continued use of historic places. Stellenbosch, being the second oldest town in South Africa, holds great importance as a historic town. However, several historic suburbs have experienced processes of redevelopment, studentification, and gentrification over the past decade, resulting in their deterioration. But what happens when the unique heritage character of a place is considered insignificant by developers, heritage practitioners, architects, and the local authority? This paper focuses on the Dennesig neighborhood in Stellenbosch, where the broader context of modest heritage significance has been neglected and erased from historical records due to poorly conceived planning, urban design, and mismanagement of heritage resources. The argument put forth in this paper is that in order to evaluate a specific case study site, one must consider the complexities of broader heritage and urban planning processes. This understanding is crucial to comprehend the factors that have shaped the current context and the eventual significance attributed to a particular place, setting, or townscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is inherently a violent country. From the service delivery protests, rise in murder rates, gender-based violence, and an increasingly violent higher education sector; South Africans are increasingly feeling vulnerable and despondent about the future. In this paper, I attempt to provide a conceptual understanding of violence in higher education. Through Gramsci's idea of the organic crisis, I propose two kinds of violence that need urgent attention if we are to realise higher education transformation and decolonisation. Firstly, I propose a focus on what I see as the deeply embedded and well-entrenched epistemic violence in higher education. This violence operates at the level of curricula and knowledge production, and occasions the need to displace the dominance of Eurocentric thought in curriculum design. Secondly, I propose a focus on social violence, which operates at the discursive level of the institutional culture. This relates to the growing frustrations, anguish, and depression among Black academics and Black students who continue to see, read and experience higher education in South Africa as inherently anti-Black, anti-women, and increasingly anti-poor. I end the paper with some concluding thoughts on the need to adopt a broader conception of violence, and the epistemic/ontological/methodological possibilities this gives us in transforming the higher education sector in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]