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High school learners have various information needs crucial for the acquisition of knowledge and skills in preparing them for future academic progress. This study set out to investigate the role of Georgetown public library in meeting the academic information needs of high school learners. It established the nature of academic information sought by learners, ascertained the learners’ information- seeking behaviour and determined the ways Georgetown public library (in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) uses to meet the academic information needs of high school learners. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and the survey research design was used. Through a systematic sampling technique, the study randomly administered 291 questionnaires to high school learners in the Georgetown public library in the Edendale area. Data were analysed following a descriptive analysis method. The results of the study revealed that, among others, the nature of academic information needs of learners included information to perform various school projects; doing assignments; improving reading skills; obtaining information for tasks given by teachers; and gaining access to computers and space. Some learners were familiar with library operations and possessed limited skills; therefore, they sought information on their own. However, some sought assistance from and heavily relied on library staff for seeking information to satisfy their information uncertainty, and for help with computer usage. Books were the main resource of the library utilised by high school learners, although other resources such as encyclopaedias, magazines, newspapers, CDs, study guides, textbooks, and dictionaries were also used. The study concluded that most learners understood their information needs, although they used different ways to satisfy them. The availability of computers and assistance from the librarians were crucial for them to meet their academic information needs. The study recommends that Georgetown public library should be aware of the needs of Grade 10 high school learners and understand their information-seeking behaviour to assist with guidance, knowledge and computer skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this article is to investigate compliance with the IFRS disclosure requirements regarding goodwill impairment testing in the South African setting, using JSE-listed firms as a sample. The article considers the explanatory strategies used by management to provide reasons for goodwill impairment. Motivation: Goodwill and its impairment are continually debated in accounting because of the nature of this intangible asset, and changes in the accounting standards regarding disclosure of goodwill and goodwill impairment. Design/Methodology/Approach: Panel least squares regressions and a cluster analysis were used to analyse JSE-listed firms for the period from 2006 to 2017. Main findings: The findings show that firms with material goodwill balances and an independent audit committee are associated with higher compliance with goodwill impairment disclosure. Firms that provided an excuse for impairing goodwill without taking responsibility for that impairment tended to have higher compliance regarding goodwill impairment disclosure than firms that did not provide any reason for goodwill impairment at all. Practical implications/Managerial impact: Managers exhibiting compliance with goodwill impairment disclosure standards are inclined to furnish more comprehensive elucidation regarding the underlying reasons for the initiation of goodwill impairment. Investors, in turn, might find it useful to study and question the reasons provided as part of the goodwill impairment disclosure recognizing its potential significance in their decision-making processes. Novelty/Contribution: The findings of the study provide evidence that aids understanding of goodwill impairments and the compliance with its disclosures, thereby enhancing knowledge of the effectiveness of the implementation of IFRS 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to confirm an empirical link between financial openness, foreign trade and income growth in South Africa. Although domestic credits, trade and growth are cointegrated, the findings indicate that no such link can be observed between money supply and exports as exports are a result of foreign demand and hence subject to foreign monetary factors rather than domestic financial development. The results of causality analyses reveal that the export‐led and supply‐leading hypotheses are confirmed for South Africa. Money supply in South Africa is also output driven. Finally, the study shows that changes in domestic credits precede significant changes in trade and growth in South Africa. As a result, this study suggests that the creation of domestic credits is a significant force behind trade and aggregate income in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advances in climate change research contribute to improved forecasts of hydrological extremes with potentially severe impacts on human societies and natural landscapes. Rainfall erosivity density (RED), i.e. rainfall erosivity (MJ mm hm-2 h-1 yr-1) per rainfall unit (mm), is a measure of rainstorm aggressiveness and a proxy indicator of damaging hydrological events. Methods and findings: Here, using downscaled RED data from 3,625 raingauges worldwide and log-normal ordinary kriging with probability mapping, we identify damaging hydrological hazard-prone areas that exceed warning and alert thresholds (1.5 and 3.0 MJ hm-2 h-1, respectively). Applying exceedance probabilities in a geographical information system shows that, under current climate conditions, hazard-prone areas exceeding a 50% probability cover ~31% and ~19% of the world's land at warning and alert states, respectively. Conclusion: RED is identified as a key driver behind the spatial growth of environmental disruption worldwide (with tropical Latin America, South Africa, India and the Indian Archipelago most affected). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We compare DNA mixture analysis via DNAˑVIEW® Mixture Solution™ and the current combined probability of inclusion (CPI) method of the South African Police Service (SAPS). South Africa has a high incidence of property-related crimes and sexual offences and consequently a great deal of low-template (LT-DNA) forensic DNA mixture casework and a perpetual backlog. A range of casework and laboratory-prepared sexual assault mixtures with initial male DNA amounts varying from about 2 to 200 cells were analysed to evaluate the benefits of a continuous model program. Unfortunately CPI methods are nearly useless for LT-DNA cases because of dropout—common from a mixture contribution of fewer than 20 or 30 cells. We further argue that proposed CPI elaborations to circumvent dropout lack supporting research or even explanation. Mixture Solution models mixture data as continuous rather than binary, with a mathematically coherent ("probabilistic") model which incorporates dropout and other phenomena realistically. Much more information is thereby utilised resulting in applicability to more cases (7 or fewer contributor cells suffice), stronger evidence against a suspect who is a mixture contributor and stronger evidence to absolve a non-contributor. Mixture Solution incidentally provides information which, along with rfu data, allows estimating contributions in terms of number of cells, which is a useful perspective. The method of calculation is explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of the gender and ethnic composition of corporate boards (board of directors and audit committee) on stock liquidity in the context of South Africa. More specifically, we focus on the interaction effects of gender diversity and ethnic diversity on stock liquidity. Using a sample of listed South African firms for the period 2009–2013, we find that firms with more female or black directors on corporate boards are associated with a higher level of stock liquidity. However, the interaction effect indicates that the positive impact of ethnic diversity on stock liquidity is attenuated with the greater presence of gender diversity. These findings are explained through board effectiveness and corporate information flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate knowledge systems capture how collective learning takes place in climate governance. The pragmatic-constructivist concept advances Emanuel Adler's cognitive evolution approach. It shows how different types of knowledge, communities of practice, power and feedback-loops connect systematically and influence processes of change in domestic climate governance. This paper develops the concept and tests two hypotheses in an exploratory way for the case of South Africa, (1) on the existence and impact of the knowledge system and (2) on the relevance of the knowledge type ‘pragmatic knowledge’ for advancing climate governance. The study has a mixed-methods design, drawing on data from an expert survey and a series of semi-structured interviews. The results confirm the existence of a knowledge system in South Africa that revolves around a small number of communities of practice. It has begun to provide a dynamic order and advances learning and change, but as yet communities of practice lack power to widely institutionalize new knowledge and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article outlines South Africa's comparative industrial performance over approximately the last two decades. It then examines the policies effected by the Department of Trade and Industry since 1994 to promote the development of industry. The focus is on the sector-specific supports available to the auto and auto components and the clothing and textiles sectors. The final section locates these sector-specific support measures within a broader discussion of industrial policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the inefficiency of the education system in South Africa. Funds allocated to education; Evaluation of school system using pass rates; Function of education system; Education department responsible for colored and black education; Concept of principal-agent problem; Renumeration scheme based on the productivity of workers.

Presents a synthesis and adds a different dimension to the literature of industrial economics. Smith's (1776:456) analysis of industrial economics; Classical and neo-classical cases for and against industrial policy; International agreements which control government use of tariffs; Public choice and other revisionist approaches; Statements that public choice reinforces the wisdom of treading warily; Comparison between empirical evidence and policy statements.

This study assesses mainly the uncertainty of the mean annual runoff (MAR) for quaternary catchments (QCs) considered as metastable nonextensive systems (from Tsalllis entropy) in the Middle Vaal catchment. The study is applied to the surface water resources (WR) of the South Africa 1990 (WR90), 2005 (WR2005) and 2012 (WR2012) data sets. The q-information index (from the Tsalllis entropy) is used here as a deviation indicator for the spatial evolution of uncertainty for the different QCs, using the Shannon entropy as a baseline. It enables the determination of a (virtual) convergence point, zone of positive and negative uncertainty deviation, zone of null deviation and chaotic zone for each data set. Such a determination is not possible on the basis of the Shannon entropy alone as a measure for the MAR uncertainty of QCs, i.e., when they are viewed as extensive systems. Finally, the spatial distributions for the zones of the q-uncertainty deviation (gain or loss in information) of the MAR are derived and lead to iso q-uncertainty deviation maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite efforts to support breastfeeding for HIV‐positive mothers in South Africa, being HIV‐positive remains a barrier to initiating and sustaining breastfeeding. The aim was to explore decision‐making about infant feeding practices among HIV‐positive mothers in a rural and urban settings in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. HIV‐positive pregnant women were purposively sampled from one antenatal clinic in each setting. A qualitative longitudinal cohort design was employed, with monthly in‐depth interviews conducted over 6 months postdelivery. Data were analysed using framework analysis. We report findings from 11 HIV‐positive women within a larger cohort. Participants were aged between 15 and 41 years and were all on antiretroviral therapy. Before delivery, nine mothers intended to exclusively breastfeed (EBF) for 6 months, and two intended to exclusively formula feed (EFF). Three mothers successfully EBF for 6 months, whereas four had stopped breastfeeding, and two were mixed breastfeeding by 6 months. Mothers reported receiving strong advice from health workers (HWs) to EBF and made decisions based primarily on HWs advice, resisting contrary pressure from family or friends. The main motivation for EBF was to protect the child from HIV acquisition, but sometimes fear of mixed feeding led to mothers stopping breastfeeding entirely. Infant feeding messages from HWs advice were frequently inadequate and out of date, and failed to address mothers' challenges. Minimal support was provided for EFF. In conclusion, HWs play a pivotal role in providing infant feeding support to HIV infected mothers, but need regular updates to ensure if advice is correct and appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for accurate and actionable health information, uncertainty and the proliferation of misinformation have contributed to significant mistrust in public health messages, especially among marginalized communities. Community health organizations can play an important role in creating trust and providing targeted health information to vulnerable groups. This qualitative study, which is focused on community health organizations supporting vulnerable populations in South Africa and Zambia, finds that during the pandemic, community health organizations expanded their roles and leveraged their established access and trust to support the communities they serve with health education and services. However, the reliance on external support limits the organizations' ability to respond in an effective and efficient manner during health crises., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Info-gap decision theory facilitates decision making for problems in which uncertainty is large and probability distributions of uncertain variables are unknown. The info-gap framework allows the decision maker to maximize robustness to failure in the presence of uncertainty, where uncertainty is in the parameters of the model and failure is defined as the model output falling below some minimally acceptable performance threshold. Info-gap theory has found particular application to problems in conservation biology and ecological economics. In this study, we applied info-gap theory to an ecosystem services tradeoff case study in which a decision maker aiming to maximize ecosystem service investment returns must choose between two alternative land uses: native vegetation conservation or the establishment of an exotic timber plantation. The uncertain variables are the carbon price and the water price. With a "no-information" uncertainty model that assumes equal relative uncertainty across both variables, info-gap theory identifies a minimally acceptable reward threshold above which conservation is preferred, but below which plantation establishment is preferred. However, with an uncertainty model that allows the carbon price to be substantially more uncertain than the water price, conservation of native vegetation becomes an economically more robust investment option than establishing alien pine plantations. We explored the sensitivity of the results to the use of alternative uncertainty models, including asymmetric uncertainty in individual variables. We emphasize the general finding that the results of info-gap analyses can be sensitive to the choice of uncertainty model and that, therefore, future applications to ecological problems should be careful to incorporate all available qualitative and quantitative information relating to uncertainties or should at least justify the no-information uncertainty model.