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In South Africa, acid mine drainage (AMD) is a perennial issue that may have a serious impact on sustainability of ecosystems and the quality of water in the country. AMD has resulted in controversial debates in this country where the ownership of mines has traditionally been characterized by policies of the apartheid era that downplayed community participation in environmental decision making. This case study therefore aimed to find out stakeholder perceptions of the history, management, and decision-making approaches on AMD in South Africa. The study also aimed to ascertain if adoption of the precautionary principle (PP) would have made a difference to the decisions that are known to have led to the problem of AMD in this country. The results indicated that AMD is not only an issue resulting from the lack of resources and skills in its management but mainly a public participation and decision-making issue. These results, therefore, have implications for the revision of decision-making approaches and the extent to which public participation grounded in the philosophy of the PP is facilitated in environmental decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe nature, methodology, importance and implications of an ethical analysis of value issues pertaining to public decision-making is not evident. In this paper I would like to address these issues by posing the following questions:Why is it important to focus on values in any process of public decision-making?What is the nature of an ethical analysis of the value issues involved?What is the basis, if any, for ethical analysis that moves beyond relativism and subjectivity?What difference can such an ethical analysis make to public decision-making?During the course of discussing these issues, the question “What is ethics?” will be addressed in passing, as well as the usual objections against ethics and the consideration of value issues in public decision-making, namely thatvalues cannot be analysed and discussed objectivelyvalues and ethics are relative to people and culturesvalue and ethical questions cannot be settled in a rational mannerethics cannot provide answersarguments about value and ethical issues move in circles, taking us nowherevalues and ethics are so intertwined with emotions and biases that one cannot take them seriously in any process of public decision-making.

Macadam principles in pavement engineering were applied in South Africa up to around 1960. Mechanization and increased production requirements led to a decline in the use of macadam layers. More recently interest in macadam pavements in South Africa was renewed because of the labor-friendly construction methods. Much of the experience that had been available was lost as people retired, and new techniques of construction gave a new perspective. There is thus a need to provide guidance to new entrants to the industry and capture the experience that was common knowledge several decades ago. The aim of this report is to present a guideline document for construction of appropriate and economic macadam pavements based on extensive South African research coupled with vast experience in the construction of these layers. Guidance on appropriate use of the different variants of macadam layers, the material properties, the structural design process and catalogue, functional design considerations, and construction practice is provided. It was found that under the current socioeconomic upliftment program macadam principles provide an appropriate and cost-effective solution to paving urban streets.