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Since its inception in 1974, the South African family planning programme has been widely believed to be linked with white fears of growing black numbers. The programme has been repeatedly attacked by detractors as a programme of social and political control. Yet, in spite of the hostile environment, black women's use of services has steadily increased. Using historical and anthropological evidence, this paper delineates the links between the social and political context of racial domination and individual fertility behaviour. It is argued that the quantitative success of the family planning programme is rooted in social and economic shifts conditioning reproductive authority and fertility decision-making. State policies of racial segregation and influx control, ethnic 'homeland' politics, and labour migration of men transformed opportunities and constraints for black women and men, and altered local and household expectations of childbearing. Women came to manage their own fertility as they increasingly found themselves in precarious social and economic circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate data and apartheid policies have meant that, until recently, most demographers have not had the opportunity to investigate the level of, and trend in, the fertility of South African women. The 1996 South Africa Census and the 1998 Demographic and Health Survey provide the first widely available and nationally representative demographic data on South Africa since 1970. Using these data, this paper describes the South African fertility decline from 1955 to 1996. Having identified and adjusted for several errors in the 1996 Census data, the paper argues that total fertility at that time was 3.2 children per woman nationally, and 3.5 children per woman for African South Africans. These levels are lower than in any other sub-Saharan African country. We show also that fertility in South Africa has been falling since the 1960s. Thus, fertility transition predates the establishment of a family planning programme in the country in 1974. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an attempt to elucidate the character and mechanics of population growth among a group that can be loosely equated with the Whites or Afrikaners in the Cape Colony in the eighteenth century. Essentially it is an overview, because many of the details, which are needed for a full demographic analysis, are lacking. Nevertheless, it is hoped that it may be interesting to demographers, for the purposes of comparison, especially since many of the features of the South African population have close parallels in other settler situations, such as French Canada and New England. It is also hoped that this paper will form the beginning of the establishment of the social history of early South Africa on a basis, which the concerns of previous historians have not given it. After an evaluation of the reliability of these sources, it proceeds to give estimates of the gross population growth rate, of the importance of immigration, of the sex ratio and of such aspects of nuptiality and fertility as can be ascertained in the absence of systematic information on the dates of death of individuals. Finally, it attempts to show the effect of the demographic structure on the social development of the colony.

Background: There is a lack of reliable data in developing countries to inform policy and optimise resource allocation. Health and socio-demographic surveillance sites (HDSS) have the potential to address this gap. Mortality levels and trends have previously been documented in rural South Africa. However, complex space--time clustering of mortality, determinants, and their impact has not been fully examined. Objectives: To integrate advanced methods enhance the understanding of the dynamics of mortality in space--time, to identify mortality risk factors and population attributable impact, to relate disparities in risk factor distributions to spatial mortality risk, and thus, to improve policy planning and resource allocation. Methods: Agincourt HDSS supplied data for the period 1992--2008. Advanced spatial techniques were used to identify significant age-specific mortality 'hotspots' in space--time. Multivariable Bayesian models were used to assess the effects of the most significant covariates on mortality. Disparities in risk factor profiles in identified hotspots were assessed. Results: Increasing HIV-related mortality and a subsequent decrease possibly attributable to antiretroviral therapy introduction are evident in this rural population. Distinct space--time clustering and variation (even in a small geographic area) of mortality were observed. Several known and novel risk factors were identified, and population impact was quantified. Significant differences in the risk factor profiles of the identified 'hotspots' included ethnicity; maternal, partner, and household deaths; household head demographics; migrancy; education; and poverty. Conclusions: A complex interaction of highly attributable multilevel factors continues to demonstrate differential space--time influences on mortality risk (especially for HIV). High-risk households and villages displayed differential risk factor profiles. This integrated approach could prove valuable to decision makers. Tailored interventions for specific child and adult high-risk mortality areas are needed, such as preventing vertical transmission, ensuring maternal survival, and improving water and sanitation infrastructure. This framework can be applied in other settings within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is widely accepted that assessing the impact of heat on populations is an important aspect of climate change research. However, this raises questions about how best to measure people's exposure to heat under everyday living conditions in more detail than is possible by relying on nearby sources of meteorological data. Objective: This study aimed to investigate practical and viable approaches to measuring air temperature and humidity within a population, making comparisons with contemporaneous external data sources. This was done in a rural South African population during the subtropical summer season. Results: Air temperature and humidity were measured indoors and outdoors at three locations over 10 days and the datalogger technology proved reliable and easy to use. There was little variation in measurements over distances of 10 km. Conclusions: Small battery-powered automatic dataloggers proved to be a feasible option for collecting weather data among a rural South African population. These data were consistent with external sources but offered more local detail. Detailed local contemporary data may also allow post hoc modelling of previously unmeasured local weather data in conjunction with global gridded climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores on the implementation of political reform in South Africa. Since 1948, it has been ruled by the Afrikaner National Party, an all-white parliament, but in 1997, the government announced that it was considering a new constitution that would include other races. Thus, it allowed eighty-five Coloureds in the House of Representatives and forty-five Indians in the House of Delegates where each group has limited powers while the House of Assembly has 178 white members. However, its black people who make up the 73.8% of its total population have not been included in the constitutional plans. It inferred that the scenario has prompted the arose of opposition forces because it promised no fundamental change to the country's racist legislation.