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Since the ending of apartheid, the state, political parties, civil society and ordinary people in South Africa have attempted to deal with the traumatic legacies of the past to engender a common sense of nationhood. This paper examines this process of dealing with the past through the theoretical lens of post-colonialism, focusing, in particular, on attempts to establish historical truth and collective memory for black women, who have often been most marginalised by colonialism and apartheid and excluded from dominant accounts of history. It argues that if black women are denied a presence and agency in the construction of collective memory, their belonging and citizenship is consequently mediated in the process of nation building. It considers how exclusionary and discriminating patterns are reproduced through attempts to construct national memory-archives, focusing on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). It then explores the measures being taken to create a more inclusive process of restoring collective memory. In particular, it discusses the importance and possibilities of creating a postcolonial archive, where the voices and texts of historically marginalised people can be incorporated into national projects of remembering and notions of belonging. The paper focuses specifically on recent attempts to archive black women's pictorial and written testimony in a memory cloths programme. It concludes that representations of the past by women are a valuable tool in tracing the ways in which the legacy of their belonging and social standing shapes their contemporary citizenship. The radical potential of postcolonial archives lies in the fact that they can work against more sanitised representations of contemporary South Africa and towards the requirements for social justice (especially for black women) that are embodied within, but were arguably not met by, the TRC and broader nation building processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Railways played a crucial role in building the modern South African nation during the early decades of the Twentieth Century. After 1910, the SAR&H became not only the white state's primary means of building the economic independence of the newly-formed Union, but also its sole agency for promoting tourism, settlement and investment. The many thousands of images of the South African landscape it commissioned and distributed at home and abroad in various formats and contexts were a key to this promotion. The synergistic relationship that developed between this photographic array and the transformation of the lived space by the SAR&H's lines and services helped construct an imaginary geography of emergent nationhood. This paper explores how this joint social spatialisation by travel and landscape representation underscored the discourse of a modern, non-partisan white national identity during these politically-formative years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the symposium on historical geographies of modern southern Africa held at University of Sussex, Great Britain in April 2002. Analysis of developments in tradition of historical geographies; Effect of structuralist Marxist history on historical geography.

Teachers in South Africa are under great pressure from the state to improve their qualifications, one of the state`s strategies for improving education standards The pressure u felt more acutely by black teachers who were previously allowed to teach with lower qualifications than their white counterparts In-service teachers, irrespective of their age or length of experience, are required to obtain the school leavers' certificate post hoc to earn a salary commensurate with their duties Their duties are heavy the pupil-teacher ratio is about 451, and teachers teach between 42 and 50 periods a week, without many basic facilities Consequently, many teachers are neglecting their pupils to concentrate on their studies The call for qualifications can be viewed as a component of the South African state`a reform initiative, and, as such, is yet another cosmetic amelioration of black people`s status because it does not address their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an interdisciplinary conference organised by the Kent Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in April 2004. The title of the conference, Connecting Cultures attracted an extraordinarily diverse range of papers covering subjects from Caribbean narratives to translating India, to representing terrorism, and included papers on British Asian cinema and television, narrative and memory in South Africa, post-apartheid prose writing and culture contact in Border Zones. The paper of Terence Ranger, a speaker at the conference, considers a mode of translation as he explores the dynamics of the postcolonial interactions that exist in the system of Zimbabwe asylum appeals. He assesses the usefulness of examining asylum narratives both with the grain and against the grain to debate issues surrounding postcolonial assumptions both in Zimbabwe and in Britain. The papers that follow expand on various themes of the conference, commencing with a group of papers that discuss narrative and memory in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

This paper investigates the impact of fiscal consolidation in different states on domestic government debt in South Africa. The government budget constraint theoretical framework and Markov-switching dynamic regression (MSDR) from 1979 to 2022. The contribution of this paper is to examine fiscal consolidation on domestic government debt in different states using measures of fiscal consolidation that account for time-varying elasticity in the cyclical adjusted primary balance (CAPB). The U-shape is found which indicates that fiscal consolidation is effective in reducing domestic government debt at a low level. However, as domestic government debt reaches a high-level fiscal consolidation becomes detrimental and further increase domestic government. Given the result, it recommended that South Africa use less fiscal consolidation in the effort to reduce domestic government debt. Fiscal authorities need to use government expenditure in the productive sector of the economy that will bring about an increase in revenue rather than an increase in the tax rate as advocated in the fiscal consolidation policy. Moreover, develop a tax system that generates optimal tax revenue with adjustment of the tax rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the threshold impact of government debt on economic growth in the presence of fiscal consolidation in South Africa from 1979 to 2022. The autoregressive threshold regime (TAR) model and two-stage least squares (2SLS) are used. The contribution of the paper is on the estimation of the threshold of government debt using the first difference, dummy variables, and the TAR in the presence of fiscal consolidation in South Africa. The TAR provides evidence with the consideration of fiscal consolidation, there is evidence of the U-shape impact of domestic government debt on gross domestic product per person. At a high threshold, there is evidence of an S-shape impact on gross domestic product per person when there is a range threshold. Overall high domestic government debt harms gross product per person and results in fiscal consolidation not being able to stimulate gross domestic product per person. It is recommended for fiscal authorities to not use fiscal consolidation when the domestic government debt is above 60% in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Path-breaking transformative change is needed in human-environment relations to move towards more sustainable development trajectories at local, national and global scales. Crises may trigger transformative change and learning in the short and in the long term. However, in particular, a short-term response to crises may also be reactive, strengthening established unsustainable practices and further perpetuating vulnerability and inequality rather than supporting transformative change towards a more sustainable path. To understand the nature and response to a crisis in the context of sustainability transformations, this paper elaborates on the following aspects of a crisis: What are the characteristics of a crisis? What and who shapes the narrative(s) of a crisis? What and who shapes the nature of the response to a crisis? Do responses to crises trigger higher levels of learning? Conceptual synthesis is complemented with an exploratory comparative analysis of the Cape Town water crisis and of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. To this end the paper analyzes the interplay between mobilizing individual, collective and relational agency and navigating and transforming power relations to challenge and profit from already weakened unsustainable structures. This approach proves to be promising to understand the role of crises in catalysing and supporting transformative learning to eventually replace unsustainable structures. ● During and immediately after crises, it is important to identify opportunities for policy change to address persistent governance failures. ● To support transformative change towards sustainability, governments typically should adopt a network governance style and act more as a convenor for deliberative processes in the later phase of the response to a crisis. ● Formation of innovation platforms bringing together actors from different levels and different roles (e.g. pioneering innovators, investors, scientists, policymakers, regulators) could support the scaling up of local initiatives and innovative approaches that have been developed during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the impact of long-run government expenditure and economic growth in different states in South Africa. Economic growth has been below the policy target of 5% stipulated in the National Development Plan Vision 2030, while government expenditure growth has been volatile but increasing at a decreasing rate. The paper uses the Vector-error correction (VEC) and Markov-switching dynamic regression with the data from 1994 to 2021. The significance of the paper is that it assesses the short and long-run impacts of government expenditure on different states of economic growth in South Africa. It is found that more government expenditure in South Africa hasn't resulted in the nation's economy growing, which is at odds with the Keynesian viewpoint. In both lower economic states, government expenditure reduces economic growth by 0.009% and 0.30%. The economy is expected to stay for 1 year in state 1, while it is expected to stay for 13 years in state 2. Government expenditure shocks were found to be detrimental to economic growth. It is recommended that fiscal authorities increase government expenditure in the short run rather than in the long run and monitor government expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a feature-level fusion framework for detecting and mapping land degradation (LD) and enabling sustainable land management (SLM) in semi-arid areas using optical sensors and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data. The objectives of this review were to (i) determine the trends and geographical location of land degradation mapping publications, (ii) to identify and report current challenges pertaining to mapping LD using multiscale remote sensing data, (iii) to recommend a way forward for monitoring LD using multiscale remote sensing data. The study reviewed 78 peer-reviewed research articles published over the past 24 years (1998–2022). Image fusion has the potential to be more useful in various remote sensing applications than individual sensor image data, making it more informative and valuable in the interpretation process. In addition, this review discusses the importance of SAR and optical image fusion, pixel-level techniques, applications, and major classes of quality metrics for objectively assessing fusion performance. The literature review alluded that the SAR and optical image fusion in the detection and mapping of land degradation and enabling sustainable land management has not been fully explored. Advanced techniques such as the fusion of SAR and optical satellite imageries need to be incorporated for the detection and mapping of LD, as well as the promotion of SLM in halting LD in South African drylands and around the world. We conclude that there is scope for further research on the fusion of SAR and optical images, as new micro-wave and optical sensors with higher resolution are introduced on a regular basis. The results of this review contribute to a better understanding of the applications of SAR and optical image fusion in future research in the severely degraded drylands of southern Africa. The fusion of SAR and optical data still remains an open challenge. The future of different remote sensing applications lies in this kind of fusion. Land degradation is one of the greatest challenges amongst the environmental problems in South Africa, causing a reduction in the capacity of the land to perform ecosystem functions and services that support society and development. Yet, in South Africa, there are no studies that have widely investigated the potential for a fusion of SAR and optical data to detect and map land degradation and SLM practices. This paper established a baseline for understanding the application of a fusion of SAR and optical data as rapid tools for mapping, monitoring, and evaluating LD, as well as the impacts of SLM practices in South Africa's degraded drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burden of malnutrition experienced globally, coupled with the increasing rate of micronutrient deficiencies, compromises the health and well-being of women during their reproductive years. Obesity places young South African women at particular risk during pregnancy, and increases obesity risk for their offspring. To address these risks, the Bukhali trial is being implemented in Soweto, South Africa with 18–28-year-old women, as part of the Healthy Lifestyle Trajectory Initiative. A dietitian is part of the Bukhali intervention team (community health workers) to provide nutritional support for overweight/obese trial participants, making use of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Nutrition Checklist. This paper reflects on the experiences and lessons learned by the Bukhali dietitian, including the use of the FIGO Nutrition Checklist and Healthy Conversation Skills to facilitate conversations about making healthy dietary behaviour changes. Identified challenges that influence nutrition and behaviour are discussed, including lack of food affordability, cultural and social influences on healthy food choices, unsupportive environments and food insecurity. Strategies to optimise this nutritional support are also mentioned. The Bukhali trial is showing that introducing additional nutrition support by a dietitian for at-risk participants has the potential to encourage young women to prioritise nutrition and health, even in the midst of contextual challenges to both nutrition and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbourhoods affect people's livelihoods, and therefore drive and mediate intra-urban inequalities and transformations. While the neighbourhood has long been recognized as an important unit of analysis, there is surprisingly little systematic research on different neighbourhood types, especially in the fastgrowing cities of the Global South. In this paper we employ k-means clustering, a common machinelearning algorithm, to develop a neighbourhood typology for South Africa's eight largest cities. Using census data, we identify and describe eight neighbourhood types, each with distinct demographic, socio-economic, structural and infrastructural characteristics. This is followed by a relational comparison of the neighbourhood types along key variables, where we demonstrate the persistent and multidimensional nature of residential inequalities. In addition to shedding new light on the internal structure of South African cities, the paper makes an important contribution by applying an inductive, data-driven approach to developing neighbourhood typologies that advances a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of cities in the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifies policy issues that tend to be neglected in the debate on the future of the educational system in the KwaNatal region of South Africa. Conflict of visions; Constitutional limitations on education; Regional rights; Structural inequality.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the driving elements of the South African financial sector. While South Africa's financial sector appears robust, there exists a dearth of empirical research investigating the determinants of its development. Thus, this work assesses how three critical factors: natural resource abundance (NR), IT infrastructure, and government expenditure levels affect financial development (FD) in South Africa using annual data from 1971 to 2020. Preliminary findings show that the series are integrated, and they are cointegrated. Results from regression analysis suggest that the abundance of NR does not significantly contribute to financial development in South Africa. Conversely, advanced IT infrastructure, larger government size, and openness to trade are associated with a more developed financial sector. The implications of these findings are essential for policymakers and stakeholders in understanding the factors that drive financial development in South Africa. The study recommends that, among others, innovative approaches are needed to channel gains from natural resources effectively into the financial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to address the relatively limited attention given to the examination of exchange rate misalignment uncertainty in the specific context of South Africa. By specifically focusing on exchange rate misalignment uncertainty, this study fills a crucial gap in the literature and gains a deeper understanding of the factors influencing economic growth in South Africa. While previous literature has provided valuable insights into the relationship between exchange rate uncertainty and economic growth, there is a dearth of studies focusing on the particular issue of exchange rate misalignment uncertainty in South Africa. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the effects of exchange rate misalignment uncertainty on short-term and long-term economic growth in South Africa. To achieve this objective, we employ the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and vector error correction (VEC) models. The analysis utilizes quarterly data spanning from the first quarter of 1960 to the third quarter of 2022. The findings of this study reveal a negative association between exchange rate uncertainty and short-term economic growth, while the long-term effects yield mixed results. Moreover, we observe that higher exchange rate misalignment is linked to positive implications for economic growth. These findings emphasize the significance of managing exchange rate volatility and reducing uncertainty to ensure economic stability and foster long-term growth. Considering these findings, policymakers should prioritize implementing strategies that promote a stable exchange rate and cultivate a favorable business environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Innovative interventions are needed to address the growing burden of breast cancer globally, especially among vulnerable patient populations. Given the success of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in addressing communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, this scoping review will investigate the roles and impacts of CHWs in breast cancer screening programs. This paper also seeks to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of these programs, with particular attention paid to differences between CHW-led interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs).Methods: A scoping review was performed using six databases with dates ranging from 1978 to 2019. Comprehensive definitions and search terms were established for 'Community Health Workers' and 'breast cancer screening', and studies were extracted using the World Bank definition of LMIC. Screening and data extraction were protocolized using multiple independent reviewers. Chi-square test of independence was used for statistical analysis of the incidence of themes in HICs and LMICs.Results: Of the 1,551 papers screened, 33 were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study locations included the United States (n=27), Bangladesh (n=1), Peru (n=1), Malawi (n=2), Rwanda (n=1), and South Africa (n=1). Three primary roles for CHWs in breast cancer screening were identified: education (n=30), direct assistance or performance of breast cancer screening (n=7), and navigational services (n=6). In these roles, CHWs improved rates of breast cancer screening (n=23) and overall community member knowledge (n=21). Two studies performed cost-analyses of CHW-led interventions.Conclusion: This review extends our understanding of CHW effectiveness to breast cancer screening. It illustrates how CHW involvement in screening programs can have a significant impact in LMICs and HICs, and highlights the three CHW roles of education, direct performance of screening, and navigational services that emerge as useful pillars around which governments and NGOs can design effective programs in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Drimolen Palaeocave site is situated within the UNESCO Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa World Heritage Area and has yielded numerous hominin fossils since its discovery in 1992. Most of these fossils are represented by isolated dental elements, which have been attributed to either of two distinct hominin genera, Paranthropus and Homo. This paper provides morphological descriptions for a further 19 specimens that have been recovered from the ∼2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry (DMQ) deposits since 2008. This paper also discusses the two primary hypotheses used to explain Paranthropus robustus variation: sexual dimorphism, and micro-evolution within a lineage. These 19 fossils are represented by 47 dental elements and expand the sample of DMQ early Homo from 13 to 15, and the sample of Paranthropus robustus from 69 to 84. The evidence presented in this paper was found to be inconsistent with the sexual dimorphism hypothesis. Some support was found for the micro-evolution hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the extent of "greenness" of South African REITs; and whether green investments have any significant effects on the REITs return performance at the aggregate level. It used publicly-accessible green buildings and financial data obtained from the Green Building Council of South Africa's (GBCSA) website and financial reports of 27 REITs that operate in South Africa, respectively. With only 11 REITs having green buildings in their portfolios, the results show phenomenal growth in the cumulative amount of green Gross Lettable Area (GLA) in under a decade -- from a paltry 38,133 square metres of GLA in 2013, to over two million square metres of GLA in 2021. From panel analyses, consistent regression results show that green variables were positive and statistically significant across most of the estimated models. The statistically significant results imply that increased investments in green infrastructures have positive effects on REITs' return performances. The study has implications for research and practice as far as the investments by REITs in green buildings in South Africa is concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdisciplinary research has gained traction globally for mapping pathways for sustainable urbanisation. The involvement of local communities is believed to central to knowledge co-production needed to address sustainability challenges. But working with local communities can be challenging. This paper is structured around the authors' personal reflections on undertaking transdisciplinary household energy conservation projects in Ghana and South Africa. The paper reflects on the assumptions and challenges of doing transdisciplinary research in urban Africa and suggests some guidelines for consideration when doing transdisciplinary projects. An inductive analysis of our reflections showed five key challenges: lack of integration, divergent problem identification, tensions in knowledge co-production, asymmetrical power relations, and distrust and managing expectations. We draw on our collective experiences to develop guidelines for conducting transdisciplinary research in urban Africa. These guidelines are not prescriptive but can be useful for a growing and broader audience interested in undertaking transdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many alien tree species were introduced into grassland ecosystems in South Africa by the commercial forestry industry for paper and timber for furniture. Over decades some of these introduced species escaped into neighbouring farms and community land. Adult trees from these alien species now provide other ecosystem services, notably fuelwood. Depending on the spatio-temporal context, many of these species can also negatively affect ecosystem services. We collected interview data from commercial and communal farmers in the upper Umzimvubu catchment in South Africa to compare farmers' knowledge and perceptions of invasive wattle species invasion and their associated ecosystem services and disservices. Fuelwood and fencing poles were the most common uses of wattle by commercial (83%; 67%) and communal (99%; 49%) farmers. On the other hand, the reduction of grass cover and loss of grazing land were the most commonly mentioned negative impacts of wattles by commercial (83%; 75%) and communal (92%; 80%) farmers. Although both groups recognise the importance of wattles in providing ecosystem services, most communal farmers perceived wattles to have more negative effects than benefits. The findings demonstrate that both farmer groups highly depend on ecosystem services and are affected by disservices of wattles. However, while large-scale commercial households favour the presence of wattles in the landscape, communal households prefer complete removal of the wattles from the landscape. This may be due to lack of locally available alternative options or inability to replace or purchase ecosystem services affected by wattles from other sources or markets like commercial farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explored how vulnerable, immunocompromised groups and caregivers of the elderly experienced and perceived the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely between the 5th andthe 18th of April 2020 in the three South African provinces hardest hit by Covid-19, namely Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. In total, 60 qualitative key informant interviews and one focus group discussion were conducted. Study participants expressed concerns for elderly people and people with underlying health conditions because of their increased vulnerability to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). People living with HIV expressed an increased fear of infection following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. The sidelining of healthcare services and stock-outs of medication proved to be an added concern in particular for vulnerable and immunocompromised groups. Overall, the data suggest that the fear of infection is ubiquitous for people who live in unstable environments such as overcrowded townships and informal settlements. Given the increased fears of infection brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of vulnerable communities and those caring for them becomes an added burden for people living in unstable environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are not a new concept and are being used in many countries to promote healthy eating and the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended FBDGs as an approach to prevent malnutrition and promote healthy dietary behaviours in populations, taking into consideration local conditions, traditional dietary practices and socioeconomic and cultural factors whilst at the same time using evidence-based scientific principles. South Africa (SA) currently has two sets of guidelines, namely the paediatric food-based dietary guidelines and the South African FBDGs for the population aged seven years and older. The recognition that elderly malnutrition remains a major public health concern in SA led to the formulation of a specific set of guidelines for this vulnerable population group based on existing nutrition-related health issues, local dietary habits and barriers to food intake experienced by those aged 60 and above. This introductory paper on the development of the elderly food-based dietary guidelines (EFBDGs) will be followed by six technical papers motivating why these guidelines are suited to address nutrition-related issues among the elderly in SA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. South Africa has an enabling legislative and policy framework that promotes the protection of adolescents and young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights. Much of the literature in this field has identified discriminatory and hostile attitudes from healthcare workers as a major underlying factor to negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes for this age cohort. Not as well understood is the role of structural violence although this type of violence, through its structures of injustice and inequalities, is closely associated with stigma and discrimination. Data and sources. To contribute to closing this research gap, this paper draws on the findings of a larger qualitative study, specifically focus group discussions with young people aged 15–24 years. Results. The consequences of these attitudes within the structural violence framework are illuminated as are recommendations for enhancing access to sexual and reproductive health and services by adolescents and young people. Discussion and conclusion. Key among the latter is that young people's sexual and reproductive health needs and wellbeing should be pursued through a multisectoral approach that encompasses stigma reduction interventions involving the young people, families, and communities collaborating with healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's 2021 local government elections witnessed the lowest voter turnout since the advent of democracy. This reflects a longer trajectory of declining voter turnout. The primary objective of this paper was to discuss factors that contributed to the hesitancy of the electorate in participating in local government elections in South Africa particularly the rural perspective. The study employed qualitative approaches, designs and methods. It relied mostly on literature review and utilised document review of reports and plans in order to gather data. The findings highlight that this behaviour reflects how political parties treat the electorate once elected in municipal councils. Furthermore, elections no longer offer hope for the improvement of the lives of voters. The other factors contributing to low turnout at the polls include political, social, economic perceptions of the voters. This article recommends that multisectoral efforts be concerted to address the major challenge at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 local government elections (LGE) in the Republic of South Africa once again delivered hung metropolitan municipalities – a phenomenon that became common following the 2016 LGE results. The City of Cape Town is, however, a metropolitan municipality that has experienced coalition governance since the early 2000s, while the rest of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities were governed by the ruling African National Congress from 1994 to 2016. The 2021 LGE delivered coalition governments across the majority of metropolitan councils, namely: City of Tshwane (the capital), City of Johannesburg (Africa's economic hub), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, City of Ethekwini, and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. This paper provides a conceptualisation of 'coalition governance and politics', and key characteristics of this phenomenon in South Africa and globally. Conceptual and operational understandings of coalitions is crucial given their increasing prevalence in South Africa. Areas of cooperation, compromise, consensus and divergence among the prospective coalition partners in South Africa are also examined in the article (based on political party electoral performance trends, political ideology, policy preferences and leadership personalities and qualities). Such factors are important because they determine the likely feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of coalition governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is no longer debatable that the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 caused a resurgence in the role of the state and propelled the need for novel responses reinforced by the structural component of the state. The structural component of the state refers to the administrative power, resources and capacity of the state to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in the context of COVID-19. This paper explores the relationship between the central and local states in coordinating efforts to attenuate and respond to the pandemic, and the meaning of state-led responses for South Africa's developmental state ambition. The South African government demonstrated political willingness to utilize its structural component by distributing its administrative capacity, resources and power to all the spheres of government to fight the pandemic through its stimulus package. The country's pandemic responses reveal good implications for strengthening institutional arrangements and consolidating a well-coordinated and capable developmental state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes to examine the deployment of scientific discourse in the formation and contestation of dominant ideologies and policies in South Africa. Role of science in the making of national identities; Professionalization of scientific inquiry; Conflicts between metropolitan scientific ideas and local knowledge; Generation and dissemination of scientific ideas.

The 17th Sustainable Development Goal seeks to promote partnerships at various levels. To this end, COVID-19 vaccines development partnerships in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are inevitable in facilitating ethical access to affordable and safe vaccines the world over. With South Africa being part of the BRICS, its presence can assist in leveraging the partnership to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines developed by the BRICS are efficiently deployed in Africa. Through the tracking of announcements, documents and critical discourse analysis, and Geographical Information Systems, this paper investigates COVID-19 vaccines development collaboration in the BRICS and its implication for Africa. It emerges that there is an inherent discord in the BRICS, with bilateral arrangements both within and outside the forum being evident. This has resulted in advance breakthrough COVID-19 vaccines from China and Russia not widely tried across the BRICS. The paper notes that these developments weaken the global south and affect its potential to develop COVID 19 vaccines. The work recommends a reconsideration in terms of COVID-19 vaccines development and future proofing of collaboration within the BRICS and finding a way of having South Africa continue to lobby for affordable and accessible vaccines for Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the political and historical roots of collective action problems around community policing in Hout Bay, South Africa. Utilizing a social capital approach, it argues that party politics has exacerbated a racialized politics of public goods provision in the community, with implications for the local governance of security. Using original data from semi-structured interviews and secondary sources, the paper analyzes the community's environment of social capital, the influence of local and provincial party agendas on inter-group relations there, and its ultimate impact on community policing in Hout Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex workers in South Africa face various forms of structural and interpersonal violence, including police violence, exclusion from health services, and stigmatization and marginalization within their communities. In an attempt to counteract the harmful health effects of criminalization and exclusion, risk-reduction workshops are a key component of HIV prevention programs globally. This paper offers a critical investigation of Creative Space workshops – a South African model of risk-reduction workshops for sex workers – taking place in Soweto, Johannesburg. Drawing on Paulo Freire's work, the paper explores the potential of these workshops to contribute to the empowerment, health and well-being of sex workers. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to investigate the social and psychological effects of peer-led risk-reduction workshops for sex workers in Soweto, South Africa, with a particular focus on the ways in which they might contribute to community empowerment. Methods: This paper is based on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 32 sex workers conducted as part of a 20-month ethnographic study (December 2015 to July 2017). Data was analyzed combining inductive thematic analysis with a theoretical frame based on Freire's theory of community empowerment. Results: Peer-led risk-reduction workshops can serve as a 'safe space' for sex workers and distribute empowering forms of knowledge, particularly regarding health issues and rights. However, divisions between different groups of sex workers and between sex workers and non-sex workers counteract the potential benefits of the workshops. Conclusions: Peer-led sex worker programs are likely to be more empowering when they are committed to raising critical consciousness and creating solidarity, and embedded in community action, focusing on common issues such as institutionalized racism, livelihood insecurity, and lack of access to safe and secure housing. Such actions would have positive outcomes on health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The complexity and the impact of international migration on developing economies have grown to be a global phenomenon that cannot be ignored. Natural disasters, human-made disasters such as conflicts as well as political and economic instabilities in countries are at the centre of international migration. The receiving countries can have positive contributions from migration and face the glaring realities of providing social services to their citizenry and the migrants. South Africa is not an exception to this impasse. Among other challenges experienced by developing countries linked to international migration are overpopulation growth, rising unemployment and poverty levels, poor infrastructure and low lifestyle quality. Therefore, the purpose of this conceptual paper was to analyse the impact of international migration on developing economies with specific reference to South Africa. The study used secondary data comprising existing literature and legislative and policy documents related to international migration for both domestic and international migration. The information collected from the secondary data was analysed and used as the basis to give the view and the study in its conclusion. The study aimed at contributing to the body of knowledge and the shaping of policy perspectives for both policy makers and development actors in South Africa, and to broaden the understanding of how governments from both receiving and the sending countries deal with international migration. The study provided an important foundation upon which further large-scale research could be developed on international migration, especially on its impact on developing economies like South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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The #FMF protests at the University of Pretoria (UP) and universities across South Africa reflected a confrontation with power and an exhibition of distrust in democratic institutions. #Fallists consciously chose to challenge pre-determined notions of 'the right to education' and the pervasiveness of gatekeeping and access. These were questions intricately linked with their past. On all campuses, including UP, the #Fallists encountered many challenges. At UP, students who had affiliated themselves with the AfriForum Jeug student society contested very specifically the 'rights' that the #Fallists were demanding. This paper involves a modest attempt at formulating the possibilities that have been opened up by considering the #MustFall events in light of the responses by white Afrikaans speaking students. In this case study, one of the challenges faced by the #Fallists at UP was the opposition they encountered from AfriForum Jeug. How was this tug-o-war to be read and understood? The AfriForum case study is particularly relevant since it has been significantly argued that a dominant motivation and rationale for participation in the #MustFall protests included a pushback against persistent inequality and racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to establish challenges and benefits on formalisation in South Africa using a qualitative approach. To meet the objective, 15 interviews were carried out with owners of small businesses that had just formalized in Johannesburg and Pretoria. This study contributes to the existing knowledge on small business formalisation by bringing evidence from formalised businesses. The research does so through asking unique questions that cannot be answered quantitatively. Using themes for analysis, the study found conditional formalisation, high levels of bureaucracy, unsustainable fees, information asymmetry, credit or capital unavailability and corruption as key challenges being faced by emerging entrepreneurs. In addition, the study also identified increased chances to benefit from BEE, improved access to information to supply the public sector, improved chances of securing credit, increased credibility of the business and better access to markets as the benefits that entrepreneurs derive from formalisation. This study recommends that informal businesses be supported through skills training initiatives and expanded credit opportunities so that they can be of better size and capacity to formalise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates the causal relationship between energy prices and economic performance in South Africa by employing the auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test technique for the period 1994 to 2019. The empirical evidence that was reviewed used a different methodology and covered different periods, particularly in the South African context. While previous studies investigated energy prices by examining oil or electricity prices separately, this study combined these prices in the regression model. The ARDL model is capable of detecting hidden cointegration relationships and works even in series that are integrated of different orders. The study established a long-run relationship between the variables. The findings revealed that electricity prices have a significant negative impact on economic growth in the long and short run, while crude oil prices show a significant positive linkage with economic growth in the long and short run. The Granger causality analysis did not establish a causal relationship between energy prices and economic growth in South Africa. However, it pointed to unidirectional causality from both labour productivity and gross fixed capital formation to economic growth. It is thus recommended that the government should take steps to mitigate the effects of high electricity prices on economic growth in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Universal health coverage has gained significant momentum internationally as the policy solution to address healthcare system deficiencies and promote equitable distribution of quality healthcare. The South African government has adopted this option and developed policy papers for discussion on a National Health Insurance (NHI) system for South Africa. A large part of the policy has been focused on promoting functionality of the primary healthcare system (PHC); to promote an efficient referral pathway. This study sought to explore potential barriers perceived by policy developers that could hinder achieving the NHI goal. Furthermore, given that a large focus is centred on PHC re-engineering, it was imperative to understand participant's opinions and perspectives on the role of a pharmacist at this level. Methods: A qualitative research design was adopted in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten policy developers that were selected via a referral technique. These were audio recorded using a digital voice recorder on an online platform, transcribed verbatim and saved on Microsoft Word® documents. NVivo®, was utilized to facilitate the analysis of data. A thematic analytical approach was used to categorize codes into themes. Results: The findings revealed that participants were in agreement that healthcare system reform is crucial in promoting equitable distribution of healthcare services in South Africa. However, the reality of this is dependent on addressing key concerns perceived by participants that have been reported as three major themes: (1) the benefit of NHI implementation; (2) concerns about NHI implementation; (3) implications for pharmacy. Conclusions: South Africa is in the second phase of NHI implementation. This phase is focused on the development of sound NHI legislation and structures. This study identified a number of concerns regarding legislative anomalies and role-player involvement that could compromise the efficient implementation of NHI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary medicines (CMs) that are formulated to facilitate weight loss are a popular and widely available treatment option, particularly among women. There is limited research regarding their use in the South African context. The aim of this study was to gather information on the use and perceived effectiveness of CMs for weight loss among adult women. A quantitative, descriptive survey design was used. Johannesburg, South Africa. A purposive sample of women over the age of 18 years who had used CMs for weight loss within the past five years were recruited from health stores and a university campus healthcare centre. Data were obtained through a self-administered 29-item, paper-and-pen questionnaire. Responses were descriptively analysed using cross-tabulation, multiple response analysis and frequency tables. Data from 160 questionnaires were analysed and the results demonstrated that a wide variety of CM products are used for weight loss, with branded combination products, green tea, Garcinia cambogia and conjugated linoleic acid being the most popular. Most participants also adopted lifestyle interventions such as exercise and calorie restriction during their weight loss attempt. While minor side effects were experienced by over half of the participants, the majority were satisfied with their product choice as well as the amount of weight that they lost. Most participants perceived their CM weight loss product of choice to be effective. However, other concomitant weight-loss strategies that were employed may have been responsible for these results. Despite their popularity, there is only very limited research surrounding the safety and efficacy of these weight-loss products, with most studies being conducted on single constituents rather than whole formulations as sold on the market. Healthcare providers should encourage the disclosure of the use of CM weight-loss products to ensure safe and effective patient care and mitigate the potential risks associated with their inappropriate use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how HIV-positive abakhwetha (young male initiates) undergoing ulwaluko (traditional Xhosa initiation and circumcision) engage with HIV-related biomedical care and treatment. Health-focused life history narratives (n = 36), semi-structured interviews (n = 32) and analysis of health facility files (n = 41) with adolescent boys and young men (ages 13–24) living with HIV, and semi-structured interviews with traditional and biomedical health practitioners (n = 14) were conducted in 2017 and 2018. This research was part of the Mzantsi Wakho study, a longitudinal, mixed methods study of adolescents living with HIV (n = 1060). Findings demonstrate that ulwaluko rules of not engaging with biomedical care and treatment pose a challenge for initiates who are taking chronic medicine. Fears of inadvertent disclosure of their HIV-positive status collide with the pressure to successfully complete ulwaluko in order to be legitimised as men. In response to this dilemma, they engage a variety of strategies – including taking medicine in secret by hiding them, having a trusted person deliver them discretely, and stopping medicine-taking altogether. The three months following ulwaluko also pose a challenge in accessing biomedical treatment and care. In this time of high surveillance, amakrwala (new men) do not present at health facilities for fear of being thought to have had a botched circumcision or to have contravened 'manhood rules' and left ulwaluko before having healed properly. To get around this, those who continued taking medicine engaged caregiver pick-ups. Beyond suggesting that ulwaluko is a high-risk time for disengagement from biomedical treatment and care, this paper builds on a robust scholarship on the importance of locality and context in gender and health research. It documents the creativity, agency and resilience of initiates and their families as they subvert and re-signify health-related masculine norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the multiscale bidirectional volatility spillover effect between the national stocks and exchange rate markets in four African countries – Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco. Our computations involve the wavelet transformation of the empirical series, creation of the regime-dependant conditional volatilities via MS-GARCH model and measurement of the volatility spillover effect in the quantile regression framework. We find an evidence of the bidirectional volatility spillover effect, but the volatility impact from exchange rate market to stock market is stronger in all the African countries, except Nigeria. Regarding the direction from stocks to exchange rate, we report that volatility spillover effect is the strongest in South Africa, because Johannesburg stock exchange is the most developed and liquid market. As for the reverse direction, the spillover effect is recorded in longer time-horizons in the Egyptian and Moroccan cases, which indicates to flow-oriented model, while for South Africa, the effect is found in shorter time-horizons, which is in line with the portfolio-balance theory. In South Africa, investors should protect themselves against exchange rate risk in shorter time-horizons, in Morocco and Egypt in longer time-horizons, while in Nigeria, hedging against exchange rate is not needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early motherhood can negatively impact health, educational, and socio-economic outcomes for adolescent mothers and their children. Supporting adolescent mothers' educational attainment, and timely return to school, may be key to interrupting intergenerational cycles of adversity. Yet, there remains a paucity of evidence on the factors that are associated with mothers' postpartum return to school and the mediators of this process, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa where adolescent pregnancy rates remain high. This paper is based on interviews with 1,046 adolescent mothers from South Africa. Mothers who had returned to school after birth showed lower poverty, fewer repeated grades preceding the pregnancy, continued schooling during pregnancy, higher daycare/crèche use, more family childcare support, and lower engagement in exclusive breastfeeding within six months postpartum. Mediation analyses showed that lower poverty was directly associated with school return and via two indirect pathways: continued schooling during pregnancy and using daycare/crèche services. This study demonstrates that lacking childcare constitutes a major hurdle to mothers' school return which needs to be addressed in addition to socioeconomic and individual-level barriers. Policy makers and practitioners should consider supporting young mothers with combination interventions which include services supporting school retention during pregnancy and access to, and financial supplements for, daycare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the idiosyncratic evolution of `The Citizen' newspaper and the factors that allowed it to survive and flourish in the wake of the Info Scandal. Paper's functioning since the transition; Possible scenario for the paper's future in the new South Africa.

Human capital development is considered the primary source of knowledge and skills in the innovation process. Despite this, there is evidence of a lack of technical and managerial knowledge among emerging sugarcane farmers who are beneficiaries of South Africa's land reform programme, thus, limiting their full potential in terms of innovation and productivity which is detrimental to their competitiveness. This paper employs the Crépon, Duguet, and Mairesse (CDM) approach, correcting for endogeneity problems, to estimate the causal impact of on-the-job training expenditure, used as a proxy for human capital development, on innovation, and innovation on farm productivity. It is based on a case study of 35 emerging sugarcane farmers in the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, South Africa. The results from the CDM model confirm the causal relationships between human capital (on-the-job training) and the innovation behaviour of the farmers, which positively impact the farm's productivity. This result underscores the relevance of human capital development in boosting innovation and productivity in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite agriculture being the largest employer of young people, South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. The youth are increasingly disinterested in agriculture and often view it as a last resort in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. This paper explores strategies to change these negative perceptions and attract young people to agriculture. Drawing on twenty-two studies conducted over the past decade, national grade 12 statistics, University enrolments, yearbook reviews, and twenty job advertisements, I identify five key areas for intervention. First, the youth interested in agripreneurship need support to access financial and physical resources. They also need training offered jointly by tertiary institutions and the government. Second, agricultural education in primary and secondary schools will likely attract and retain youths to agriculture. Third, we need to reform the education system at all levels to ensure holistic student development opportunities, including the technical and soft skills required by agricultural sector employers. Fourth, our marketing strategies need reform; collaboration with the media is necessary to increase awareness and change youths' perceptions about agriculture and agricultural careers. Five, we need to strengthen the role of agricultural associations to bridge the gap between the agricultural sector and secondary and tertiary education institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In striving to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, governments have the opportunity to implement their climate and sustainability goals more coherently. Such coherence requires the coordination of interdependent policies across different policy fields, sectors and actors. This paper explores how governments design and implement synergic solutions to concomitantly achieve both international agendas. With the empirical cases of Germany and South Africa, we investigate two independent approaches to the synergic solution of a just energy transition, whereby countries aim to phase out coal as a means to tackle climate change while also ensuring that the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not hindered. Methodologically, we apply a deductive qualitative approach consisting of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis. To that end, we examine relevant policies and institutional arrangements by applying a combined conceptual framework of energy justice and just transition in both countries. We find major challenges in overcoming environmental, economic and social burdens of the coal phase-out, especially related to jobs and inequality (SDGs 8, 10) and the Water-Energy-Food-Land nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 15). Through the selection of Germany and South Africa, we illustrate how countries with different political, social and economic backgrounds strive to manage such a transition. Our developed framework and case-studies' findings point towards important considerations when designing just energy transition pathways, such as ensuring inclusiveness in decision-making, thoroughly assessing social, economic and environmental impacts, and adequately coordinating across different actors and the local, provincial and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is gripped by protests which have usually taken the form of service delivery protests that have become more manifest during election periods. However, each election cycle has different types of protests with varying degrees of intensity. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse the link between elections and service delivery protests in South Africa with a focus on the 2016 and 2021 local government elections in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. This qualitative study relies on relative deprivation theory to tease out socio-economic issues driving these protests and rational choice theory to explore the rationale behind the timing of protests. Findings are that, in both provinces, although protests were linked to poor service provision, other factors like intra-party tension were notable. This article recommends a re-visit of cadre deployment policy, because the lack of capacitated and skilled cadres has fuelled service delivery especially in local municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's 2021 municipal elections present something of a paradox. The results suggested a highly competitive environment, especially in the urban metropoles, with an unprecedented number of hung councils where no single party was able secure 51 percent. The larger parties suffered losses while smaller parties made gains, suggesting voters had abandoned old political homes for new ones. In contrast, while previous local elections enjoyed modest but steady increases in participation, the 2021 municipal elections also witnessed a sharp decline in voter turnout. Less than a third of eligible voters participated. This paper argues that these paradoxical features are likely to remain a feature of South African electoral politics in the medium-term. While many who participated were likely to be volatile voters, switching their votes to a party different from previous choices, their participation was insufficient to compensate for a higher numbers of abstentions, which are a result of growing political system disaffection with electoral actors. These disaffected citizens are positioned at the periphery of politics and will be difficult to entice back to the polls, leaving the competitive aspect of South Africa's elections reliant on a diminishing number of engaged and unpredictable voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]