Search

This study assesses the impact of climate change on flood frequency across seven sites in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The calibrated Water Resources Simulation Model (WRSM)/Pitman hydrological model was run using precipitation inputs from two representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) using a combination of eight global circulatory models (GCM) for the two periods (2030–2060 and 2070–2100). GCMs were statistically downscaled using the delta change (DC), linear scaling (LS) and quantile delta mapping (QDM) approaches. Average daily discharge was estimated from each downscaled daily precipitation dataset using the Pitman/WRSM model with the Fuller and Sangal estimation methods used to calculate daily instantaneous peak flows. Flood frequency curves (FFC) were generated using the annual maximum series (AMS) for the GCM ensemble mean and individual GCMs for the return periods between 2 and 100 years. FFCs generated based on LS and QDM downscaling methods were aligned for the GCM ensemble mean in terms of the direction of FFCs. Further analysis was conducted using outputs based on the QDM approach, given its suitability in projecting peak flows. Under this method, both Fuller and Sangal FFCs exhibited a decreasing trend across the Jonkershoek and Little Berg River sites; however, estimated quantiles for low-probability events were higher under the Fuller method. This study noted the variation in FFCs from individual GCMs compared to the FFC representing the GCM ensemble mean. Further research on climate change flood frequency analysis (FFA) in South Africa should incorporate other advanced downscaling and instantaneous peak flow estimation (IPF) methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of unknown human remains is a significant and ongoing challenge in South Africa, worsened by the country's high murder rate. The rate of decomposition in South Africa is significantly influenced by vertebrate scavenging, which, if not considered, can impede the accurate estimation of the post-mortem interval. Scavenging patterns vary greatly depending on the environment and ecological region, and there is limited data for the Western Cape province. To address this gap, two clothed and uncaged pig carcasses weighing 60 kg each were placed in the field in July 2021 and January 2022, respectively. Motion-activated infrared-capable trail cameras were used to observe decomposition, scavenger species, and their activities. Additionally, a comparative sample of 16 unclothed carcasses deployed between 2014 and 2016 in the same habitat were analyzed to assess the impact of clothing and biomass load. The study found three main results: (1) Regardless of habitat or biomass load, it took significantly less time to reach decomposition milestones (25%, 50%, and 75%) during the summer season; (2) the presence of mongoose scavengers had a greater impact on the time required to reach milestones during winter compared to summer; and (3) single carcass deployments reached the milestones faster than multi-carcass deployments in both seasons. This research highlights the potential inaccuracy of current methods for estimating the post-mortem interval when scavenging activity is not considered or documented in the underlying experimental data, particularly for environments or ecological biomes where scavengers actively impact decomposition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We acknowledge the existing educational inequalities that South Africa faces as a result of differences in developmental and equal educational opportunities. The aim with this study was to investigate the role of non-cognitive learning performance variables that affect the learning performance and success of secondary-school learners. Data were collected from a sample of 395 Grade 9 learners. The proposed learning performance structural model was empirically evaluated by using various instruments and was analysed by means of structural equation modelling. The results indicate statistically significant positive relationships between learning performance and cognitive engagement, learning performance and grit, cognitive engagement and conscientiousness, grit and learning motivation, grit and cognitive engagement, learning motivation and parental quality, learning motivation and tenacity, learning motivation and cognitive engagement, and conscientiousness and resilience. Both tenacity and parental quality acted as moderators of the relationship between environmental unfavourableness and cognitive engagement. The selection of variables was more effective in explaining variance in cognitive engagement than in learning performance. The results of the study could be used to facilitate cognitive engagement as a pivotal variable in learning success among secondary-school learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this short paper the author examines the origin of the names Bakkeley Plaats and Vredendal, two adjacent farms in the Western Cape. He questions the validity of a former chief archivist's explanation of these farm names and uses archival sources, contemporary reports of early travellers and personal communications of old inhabitants to make his point.

Introduction: Over the past few years, the incidence of dermatophyte infections has increased at an alarming rate. The treatment for these infections is becoming more difficult especially because fungal pathogens have developed resistance to conventional treatments. The Cape Metropole region in South Africa has an abundance of plant species and is the residence of herbalists, called Cape bush doctors who use some of these diverse plants to treat various skin-related conditions. There are limited ethnobotanical studies that have been conducted on the medicinal plants they use to treat dermatophyte infections. Therefore, this study aimed to report on the knowledge and practices of Cape bush doctors concerning their use of medicinal plants for treating dermatophyte infections. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was performed using an interview-based questionnaire to investigate (1) the knowledge of bush doctors regarding skin infections, (2) the practices of bush doctors along with the medicinal plants used when treating fungal skin infections, and (3) selected plants identified with potential anti-fungal activity in vitro, were further explored to assess their application in the treatment of fungal infections by bush doctors. Results: Participants confirmed the use of the fifteen selected medicinal plants identified in the literature. Additionally, twenty other plant species were mentioned as having antifungal properties. Most plants reported belonged to the Xanthorrhoeaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Rutaceae families. Conclusion: This study shows that bush doctors use a vast array of plant species to treat dermatophyte conditions. This indicates the diversity of medicinal plant species used and that these doctors associated indigenous knowledge is of great value. Therapeutic uses of the documented plants provide data for further pharmacological studies.

Antireicheia verae sp. nov., A. geginati sp. nov. and A. ruthmuellerae sp. nov. from the Republic of South Africa (Western Cape Province) are described, illustrated including aedeagi and styli, and are compared with the most similar species. All South African taxa of this genus are included in a key. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study region: The Western Cape (WC), South Africa. Study focus: The WC has become increasingly dependent on groundwater in recent years due to repeated droughts. A framework to monitor the regional groundwater levels is urgently required to sustainably manage the WC’s water resources, since the region has inconsistent or unavailable monitoring data. Therefore, this study aims to understand how Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) data can be used to monitor groundwater storage variations (ΔGWS) in the WC. In-situ ΔGWS time-series from twelve aquifers in the WC were compared to GRACE and GLDAS data. New hydrological insights for the region: GRACE terrestrial water storage anomalies (ΔTWS) showed moderate positive correlation (r = 0.69) with in-situ ΔGWS from the Adelaide Subgroup Aquifer (ASA), an unconfined aquifer with large areal extent and large ΔGWS. The Table Mountain Group Upper Aquifer Unit (TMG UAU) and Cape Flats Aquifer (CFA) also showed significant positive correlations with GLDAS ΔGWS of 0.83 and 0.73, respectively. Our results suggest that ΔGWS in the ASA can be monitored using GRACE ΔTWS, while GLDAS ΔGWS data can be used to monitor ΔGWS in the unconfined TMG UAU and CFA. GRACE and GLDAS data may be suitable to monitor groundwater availability in other water- and data-scarce regions of Africa.

Background: The Western Cape province in South Africa has a high age-standardised mortality from cancer. Most literature reports significantly poorer access to healthcare, more advanced cancers and worse survival for rural and remote populations. This study investigates if significant disparities exist with regard to stage at presentation and overall survival of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) between geographical areas within the Western Cape province in South Africa. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients managed at the Combined ENT Head and Neck Oncology clinic at Groote Schuur from January 2010 to December 2014. Ethics approval was granted by the University of Cape Town Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC, 351-2017). Results: Although we observed no significant difference in TNM clinical stages or overall survival between metropolitan and remote patients, there were statistically and clinically significant differences in terms of both stages of HNC and overall survival between some individual metropolitan and remote areas. The remote area of Eden had a median overall survival of more than 6 months less than that of the Southern subdistrict of the City of Cape Town. Conclusion: Differences in HNC stages and overall survivals between some subdistricts of the City of Cape Town and remote areas are not only statistically significant but also clinically relevant. Contribution: This article highlights the need to improve on diagnostic and referral pathways for management of patients with HNC in the Western Cape.

The spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii is an important estuarine-dependent fishery species known to spawn along the east coast (KwaZulu-Natal Province) of South Africa. However, recent evidence suggests that this species also spawns along the southwest coast in the Western Cape Province (WC), which has necessitated the investigation of estuary–sea movements of adult P. commersonnii in the WC, and their link with spawning season and changing environmental conditions. Seasonal gonad maturation of adult P. commersonnii (n = 112) was investigated using histology and the gonadosomatic index. Seven adult P. commersonnii were acoustically tagged and monitored in the Breede Estuary (WC) between November 2016 and March 2020. Tagged individuals spent more time in the estuary (83.5%) than in the adjacent marine environment. Sea trips (n = 90) lasted on average 3.23 (SD 4.55) days (range 1–37 days), with most sea trips (82.6%) having a duration of less than 5 days. The majority of sea trips (>50%) occurred in austral summer, which coincided with the peak spawning season. Increases in estuary water temperatures in summer and river inflow in winter also influenced the presence of tagged fish in the sea. The high degree of residency of P. commersonnii in the Breede Estuary and short sea trips, along with increased frequency of reproductively ripe fish during summer months, supports the conclusion that regional spawning is occurring along the southwest coast. We suggest that management strategies should be put in place to protect the P. commersonnii population along the South African southwest coast, especially during summer, for the recovery of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is grappling with the maintenance of its assets and facilities due to financial constraints. Accordingly, this paper seeks to explore ways in which the management of military tourism assets and sites in the Western Cape Province of South Africa could be optimised to ensure their sustainability and contribute to the promotion of the local and regional economy. Focus group interviews were conducted with 25 key role players in the tourism industry, military experts, and academics. In addition, a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was completed by 223 conveniently selected tourists at various military tourism sites. From a pragmatic perspective, the findings of this research could elucidate the ways in which military tourism assets can be maintained in a sustainable manner. Additionally, the findings may have implications for the broader process of globalisation, highlighting the potential role that military tourism can play in shaping global economic relationships.

Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) is one of several freshwater fish species that have been translocated beyond its natural geographic range in South Africa. The present study investigated the parasitic communities of two translocated populations (one in the Riviersonderend River, Western Cape and the other from the Great Fish River, Eastern Cape) as well as its native source population from Gariep Dam, Free State. A total of nine, seven, and eight parasitic taxa were found to parasitise various organs of C. gariepinus from the three populations, respectively. The diversity and abundances of parasitic species in the two translocated populations were similar, but distinct community assemblages were observed. Parasite community composition from the Great Fish River was similar to that of the source population from Gariep Dam, whereas the parasitic community from C. gariepinus in the Riviersonderend River was distinct from that of Gariep Dam. This, together with the introduction history into the Western Cape, suggests that translocated C. gariepinus is sourced from various systems across South Africa, or that suitable intermediate hosts are present in the recipient ecosystems to sustain host-specific co-introduced parasitic taxa of C. gariepinus. In total, the resilience of 11 specialist parasite species of C. gariepinus is demonstrated in their persistence upon co-introduction into the two novel environments with their host, and support for the enemy release hypothesis is confirmed in the loss of known parasite taxa in translocated populations. The presence of the co-invasive fish lice Argulus japonicus Thiele, 1900 is reported from C. gariepinus in Gariep Dam and the Asian tapeworm Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (Yamaguti, 1934) was found from translocated C. gariepinus in the Riviersonderend River, Western Cape and lastly, a suspected case of parasite spillback from an unknown native host is reported.

Purpose: A review of the literature on service innovation revealed that several contributing factors may facilitate service innovation among frontline employees. The purpose of this article was to explore and empirically evaluate a theoretical model identifying the antecedents of frontline service innovation among frontline employees within an agricultural retail, trade and services organisation within the Western Cape. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative data gathering method was employed in the current study. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires were utilised to gather data from 150 frontline employees working within an agricultural, trade and services organisation within the Western Cape. Findings/results: The results confirmed that both Emotional Intelligence and Creative Self-Efficacy had a significant direct relationship with Frontline Service Innovation, and Creative Self-Efficacy mediated the relationship between Empowering Job Characteristics and Frontline Service Innovation. In addition, the relationships between Empowering Leadership and Innovative Organisational Climate, Empowering Job Characteristics and Creative Self-Efficacy, Empowering Job Characteristics and Psychological Ownership and Empowering Job Characteristics and Psychological Safety was established as being significant, while Innovative Organisational Climate significantly mediated the relationship between Empowering Leadership and Psychological Safety. Practical implications: These findings equip organisations with the knowledge to facilitate the development of frontline service innovation on multiple organisational levels and lead the way for future research on this topic. Originality/value: The current study contributed towards the conceptualisation of the construct of Frontline Service Innovation and towards the development of an instrument that measures this construct.

Copyright of Advances in Earth Science (1001-8166) is the property of Advances in Earth Science Editorial Office 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.)

Abstract Background Public health dashboards have been used in the past to communicate and guide local responses to outbreaks, epidemics, and a host of various health conditions. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, dashboards proliferated but the availability and quality differed across the world. This study aimed to evaluate the quality, access, and end-user experience of one such dashboard in the Western Cape province, South Africa. Methods We analysed retrospective aggregate data on viewership over time for the first year since launch of the dashboard (30 April 2020 – 29 April 2021) and conducted a cross-sectional survey targeting adult users of the dashboard at one year post the initial launch. The self-administered, anonymous questionnaire with a total of 13 questions was made available via an online digital survey tool for a 2-week period (6 May 2021 – 21 May 2021). Results After significant communication by senior provincial political leaders, adequate media coverage and two waves of COVID-19 the Western Cape public COVID-19 dashboard attracted a total of 2,248,456 views during its first year. The majority of these views came from Africa/South Africa with higher median daily views during COVID-19 wave periods. A total of 794 participants responded to the survey questionnaire. Reported devices used to access the dashboard differed statistically between occupational status groups with students tending toward using mobile devices whilst employed and retired participants tending toward using desktop computers/laptops. Frequency of use increases with increasing age with 65.1% of those > 70 years old viewing it daily. Overall, 76.4% of respondents reported that the dashboard influenced their personal planning and behaviour. High Likert score ratings were given for clarity, ease of use and overall end-user experience, with no differences seen across the various age groups surveyed. Conclusion The study demonstrated that both the availability of data and an understanding of end-user need is critical when developing and delivering public health tools that may ultimately garner public trust and influence individual behaviour.

Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) is one of several freshwater fish species that have been translocated beyond its natural geographic range in South Africa. The present study investigated the parasitic communities of two translocated populations (one in the Riviersonderend River, Western Cape and the other from the Great Fish River, Eastern Cape) as well as its native source population from Gariep Dam, Free State. A total of nine, seven, and eight parasitic taxa were found to parasitise various organs of C. gariepinus from the three populations, respectively. The diversity and abundances of parasitic species in the two translocated populations were similar, but distinct community assemblages were observed. Parasite community composition from the Great Fish River was similar to that of the source population from Gariep Dam, whereas the parasitic community from C. gariepinus in the Riviersonderend River was distinct from that of Gariep Dam. This, together with the introduction history into the Western Cape, suggests that translocated C. gariepinus is sourced from various systems across South Africa, or that suitable intermediate hosts are present in the recipient ecosystems to sustain host-specific co-introduced parasitic taxa of C. gariepinus. In total, the resilience of 11 specialist parasite species of C. gariepinus is demonstrated in their persistence upon co-introduction into the two novel environments with their host, and support for the enemy release hypothesis is confirmed in the loss of known parasite taxa in translocated populations. The presence of the co-invasive fish lice Argulus japonicus Thiele, 1900 is reported from C. gariepinus in Gariep Dam and the Asian tapeworm Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (Yamaguti, 1934) was found from translocated C. gariepinus in the Riviersonderend River, Western Cape and lastly, a suspected case of parasite spillback from an unknown native host is reported. [Display omitted] • Distinct parasitic communities were observed between native and translocated populations of C. gariepinus in South Africa. • Parasite community richness was not significantly different between native and translocated populations. • Similar infracommunity assemblages between Great Fish River and Gariep Dam, but unique parasite communities present. • Introduction history and distinct parasite community assemblages suggest multiple source populations for translocated populations in the Western Cape. • Presence of alien invasive parasite, the Asian tapeworm Schyzocotyle acheilognathi confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is grappling with the maintenance of its assets and facilities due to financial constraints. Accordingly, this paper seeks to explore ways in which the management of military tourism assets and sites in the Western Cape Province of South Africa could be optimised to ensure their sustainability and contribute to the promotion of the local and regional economy. Focus group interviews were conducted with 25 key role players in the tourism industry, military experts, and academics. In addition, a selfadministered semi-structured questionnaire was completed by 223 conveniently selected tourists at various military tourism sites. From a pragmatic perspective, the findings of this research could elucidate the ways in which military tourism assets can be maintained in a sustainable manner. Additionally, the findings may have implications for the broader process of globalisation, highlighting the potential role that military tourism can play in shaping global economic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Current work in the field point to the need to strengthen child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) globally, and especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Policy development, planning and service provision must be relevant to the needs of stakeholders at grassroots level, and should include their perspectives. This study set out to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of service providers, including their recommendations to strengthen CAMHS in South Africa. Methods Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured individual interviews (SSIIs), qualitative data were collected from 46 purposefully selected multidisciplinary health service providers across the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Audio-recorded data were entered into NVivo 11 (QSR), and thematic analysis was performed by two independent raters. Results Results highlighted a significant lack of CAMH resources, poor intersectoral collaboration, limited access to training, absence of consistency and uniformity in service delivery, weak support for staff, and high rates of negative attitudes of staff. External factors contributing to poor CAMHS identified by service providers included poor socioeconomic circumstances, high rates of HIV/AIDS, substance use and stigma. The eight recommendations to strengthen CAMHS included a need to (1) increase CAMH staffing, (2) provide dedicated CAMHS at secondary care and child-friendly infrastructure at primary care, (3) review current service focus on number of patients seen versus quality of care provided to children, (4) formalise intersectoral collaborations, (5) increase learning opportunities for trainees, (6) employ a lead professional for CAMHS in the province, (7) increase support for staff, and (8) acknowledge staff initiatives. Conclusions Findings underlined the need for quality improvement, standardisation and scale-up of mental health services for children and adolescents in South Africa. Whilst we used the Western Cape as a ‘case study’, we propose that our findings may also be relevant to other LMICs. We recommend that the perspectives of service users, including children and adolescents, be sought to inform service transformation.

Here we examine the tibial microstructure of modern and fossil angulate tortoises to assess the histology and growth from the late Miocene–early Pliocene, Pleistocene through to modern forms. The cross-sections of all the tibiae sampled revealed highly vascularized, uninterrupted, fibrolamellar bone tissue during early ontogeny, which suggests that early growth was fast. However, later in ontogeny, growth was slower, as indicated by the deposition of parallel-fibred bone tissue in the outer cortex, and even ceased periodically, as indicated by lines of arrested growth. Comparative analyses of the growth rates of the tortoises from different time periods showed that the tortoises from the late Miocene–early Pliocene Langebaanweg locality and from Diepkloof Rock Shelter had relatively slower growth rates under less optimal growth conditions. Additionally, these prehistoric specimens show extensive remodelling, and several generations of secondary osteons further suggest functional and/or metabolic stresses on the skeleton. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions suggest that it was mostly cooler and drier with seasonal fluctuations in late Miocene–early Pliocene, and it is likely that Chersina responded to these conditions by having a lower rate of growth as compared with their modern counterparts, which thrive in the current prevailing more favourable Mediterranean type of climate.

Background: Public health dashboards have been used in the past to communicate and guide local responses to outbreaks, epidemics, and a host of various health conditions. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, dashboards proliferated but the availability and quality differed across the world. This study aimed to evaluate the quality, access, and end-user experience of one such dashboard in the Western Cape province, South Africa. Methods: We analysed retrospective aggregate data on viewership over time for the first year since launch of the dashboard (30 April 2020 – 29 April 2021) and conducted a cross-sectional survey targeting adult users of the dashboard at one year post the initial launch. The self-administered, anonymous questionnaire with a total of 13 questions was made available via an online digital survey tool for a 2-week period (6 May 2021 – 21 May 2021). Results: After significant communication by senior provincial political leaders, adequate media coverage and two waves of COVID-19 the Western Cape public COVID-19 dashboard attracted a total of 2,248,456 views during its first year. The majority of these views came from Africa/South Africa with higher median daily views during COVID-19 wave periods. A total of 794 participants responded to the survey questionnaire. Reported devices used to access the dashboard differed statistically between occupational status groups with students tending toward using mobile devices whilst employed and retired participants tending toward using desktop computers/laptops. Frequency of use increases with increasing age with 65.1% of those > 70 years old viewing it daily. Overall, 76.4% of respondents reported that the dashboard influenced their personal planning and behaviour. High Likert score ratings were given for clarity, ease of use and overall end-user experience, with no differences seen across the various age groups surveyed. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that both the availability of data and an understanding of end-user need is critical when developing and delivering public health tools that may ultimately garner public trust and influence individual behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often argued that incarcerated men who stay connected with their families are less likely to reoffend. Despite the growing literature on non-residential fatherhood in South Africa, little research has been conducted on incarcerated men in South Africa. In this article, we draw on the expertise and perspectives of three research participants who used to work closely, as care professionals, with incarcerated men in the Western Cape. By drawing on Bronfenbrenner's human development theory, the journeys of incarcerated men as fathers are explored here. The diversity and the nature of offences are important when the links between fathers, their children and other family members are considered during their entry, stay and release from correctional facilities. The care professionals are all attuned to the agency of the individual men, the close ties some have with deviant communities, the complexities of family environments and the socioeconomic pressure under which many incarcerated fathers and their families live. The context of a society, with a violent past and present, is also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Even though child and adolescent mental health is a global health priority, services are very limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and therefore need comprehensive strengthening. This requires knowledge of the hardware elements of the system (human resources, financing, medicines, technology, organisational structure, service infrastructure, and information systems). This study sought to examine these elements of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) services and systems in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Methods The World Health Organization Assessment Instrument of Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) version 2.2 of 2005 was adapted to identify key variables of interest in CAMH. Data were collected for the calendar year 2016 and focused on the public health sector. We outlined findings based on best available data across the six domains of the WHO-AIMS. Results In domain 1, we found no provincial CAMH policy or implementation plans to support the national CAMH policy and were unable to identify a CAMH-specific budget. In domain 2, there was no dedicated provincial leadership structure for CAMH, and no dedicated or ‘child- and adolescent-friendly’ mental health services at primary or secondary care levels. At tertiary level, there were only three specialist CAMH teams. The majority of CAMH resources were based in the City of Cape Town, with limited resources in the rural districts. Essential medicines were available in all facilities, and the majority of children and adolescents had access to free services. In domain 3, data were limited about the extent of training offered to primary healthcare staff, and little or no psychosocial interventions were available in primary care. Domain 4 identified a small and variable CAMH workforce across all levels of care. In domain 5, few public health campaigns focused on CAMH, and little evidence of formal intersectoral collaboration on CAMH was identified. Domain 6 identified significant limitations in health information systems for CAMH, including lack of child- and adolescent-specific and disaggregated data to establish baselines for policy development, monitoring, evaluation and CAMH research. Conclusions This study identified significant structural weaknesses in CAMH and presents a clear call for action to strengthen services and systems in the province and in South Africa. it would be important to expand research also to include provider and user perspectives for service strengthening.

Climate change-induced extreme weather events have been at their worst increase in the past decade (2010–2020) across Africa and globally. This has proved disruptive to global socio-economic activities. One of the challenges that has been faced in this regard is the increased coastal flooding of cities. This study examined the trends and impacts of coastal flooding in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Making use of archival climate data and primary data from key informants and field observations, it emerged that there is a statistically significant increase in the frequency of flooding and consequent human and economic losses from such in the coastal cities of the province. Flooding in urban areas of the Western Cape is a factor of human and natural factors ranging from extreme rainfall, usually caused by persistent cut off-lows, midlatitude cyclones, cold fronts and intense storms. Such floods become compounded by poor drainage caused by vegetative overgrowth on waterways and land pollution that can be traced to poor drainage maintenance. Clogging of waterways and drainage systems enhances the risk of flooding. Increased urbanisation, overpopulation in some areas and non-adherence to environmental laws results in both the affluent and poor settling on vulnerable ecosystems. These include coastal areas, estuaries, and waterways, and this worsens the risk of flooding. The study recommends a comprehensive approach to deal with factors that increase the risk of flooding as informed by the provisions of both the Sustainable Development Goals framework and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 in a bid to de-risking human settlement in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gated developments are a ubiquitous feature of the post-apartheid urban landscape. However, there is a dearth of research on gated developments in nonmetropolitan areas. A gated development security level index was created to assist in the investigation of the relationship between crime levels and differing levels of securedness of gated developments within small towns. The town of Ceres is case studied to explore the nexus of crime, violence, and fear as reasons why residents live in gated developments. The growth of gated developments in nonmetropolitan settlements could lead to the fragmentation of small-town built environments, mirroring larger urban places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017 the Swellendam Tourism Bureau’s board adopted a new marketing brand for the municipality under the banner Cape Trade Route. The brand was introduced without using any market intelligence to inform it. The Swellendam Municipality subsequently resolved that any new tourism strategy had to be informed by current market research, including media, trade and industry sentiments about the region. This paper reports on five sets of empirical evidence collected by various means to better understand Swellendam’s tourism brand and marketing strategies. They are (1) workshops with business and community roleplayers; (2) an online questionnaire survey conducted with tourist-aligned enterprises in the Swellendam municipal area; (3) a content analysis of traditional and social media relating to Swellendam; (4) a visitor interview survey; and (5) a snap review of sixteen tour operators’ opinions about Swellendam as a tourism region. The findings highlight the crucial role of sound market intelligence in creating tourism marketing strategies for municipalities. The reported findings and the recommendations made have subsequently informed the municipality’s spatial development framework and tourism strategy.

Background: Current work in the field point to the need to strengthen child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) globally, and especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Policy development, planning and service provision must be relevant to the needs of stakeholders at grassroots level, and should include their perspectives. This study set out to explore the perspectives and lived experiences of service providers, including their recommendations to strengthen CAMHS in South Africa. Methods: Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured individual interviews (SSIIs), qualitative data were collected from 46 purposefully selected multidisciplinary health service providers across the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Audio-recorded data were entered into NVivo 11 (QSR), and thematic analysis was performed by two independent raters. Results: Results highlighted a significant lack of CAMH resources, poor intersectoral collaboration, limited access to training, absence of consistency and uniformity in service delivery, weak support for staff, and high rates of negative attitudes of staff. External factors contributing to poor CAMHS identified by service providers included poor socioeconomic circumstances, high rates of HIV/AIDS, substance use and stigma. The eight recommendations to strengthen CAMHS included a need to (1) increase CAMH staffing, (2) provide dedicated CAMHS at secondary care and child-friendly infrastructure at primary care, (3) review current service focus on number of patients seen versus quality of care provided to children, (4) formalise intersectoral collaborations, (5) increase learning opportunities for trainees, (6) employ a lead professional for CAMHS in the province, (7) increase support for staff, and (8) acknowledge staff initiatives. Conclusions: Findings underlined the need for quality improvement, standardisation and scale-up of mental health services for children and adolescents in South Africa. Whilst we used the Western Cape as a 'case study', we propose that our findings may also be relevant to other LMICs. We recommend that the perspectives of service users, including children and adolescents, be sought to inform service transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Forensic anthropology is important for medico-legal death investigations. • Value and merit of interdisciplinary knowledge and a collaborative approach to forensic casework. • Need for national regulatory framework for the practice of forensic anthropology in South Africa. Forensic anthropology in South Africa is well developed in the higher education sector, with advanced training and research programmes. Despite this and decades of academic involvement in casework, forensic anthropology still lacks a defined framework and mandate at a governmental level. Therefore, the involvement of forensic anthropologists' expertise varies markedly between cases, provinces, and among various stakeholders within the country, to the detriment of dispensation of social and criminal justice. The lack of clearly defined guidelines for the rendering of the service was exemplified and demonstrated through a recent forensic case. Here, contextual information was absent, and the remains posed a challenge to analyse, ostensibly due to missing information. Numerous questions were raised during the analysis of the remains, and broader concerns about the investigative involvement of a forensic anthropologist within South African casework were brought to the fore. Through the analysis of this case, we describe the deductive processes that led to the formation of an opinion that the skeletal linear defects were the result of taphonomic changes. In addition, we highlight how these efforts where constrained and each step in the process unnecessarily hindered. Finally, we demonstrate the capacity and willingness of forensic anthropology practitioners to be involved, and how, without governmental support, it is a great potential lamentably untapped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between crime and tourism has not received much attention in the academic fraternity. Instead, extensive attention has been placed on the impact of tourism on economic growth, inequality, poverty and employment. To contribute to the scarce literature on crime-tourism, the researcher examined the impact of crime on tourists arrival in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. An Autoregressive Distributive Lag model was employed to examine whether crime reduces or increases the arrival of tourists in the Western Cape Province. The results show that robberies, car hijacking and unemployment minimizes the number of tourists in the province, while economic growth and prosecution per population increases the number of tourists in the province. The results further highlight that robberies, car hijacking and unemployment disequilibrium can be solved after 1 year 6 months, holding all other things constant. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government provide more employment opportunities to prevent crime in the province.

The late Holocene was a period of cultural change along the west coast of South Africa, with widespread archaeological evidence for shifts in settlement patterns and economic activity. With these changes, we expect variability in the movement patterns of resident populations. In this proof-of-concept paper, we use lithic assemblages from Spring Cave near Verlorenvlei to evaluate changes in mobility during the late Holocene. These assemblages are dominated by bipolar-reduced quartz, which is notoriously difficult to assess using geometric approaches given high levels of fragmentation and variability in product dimensions. We use measures of curvature on cortical pieces to estimate original nodule size, and then use this to calculate the cortex ratio, a measure of mobility. Ratios indicate differences in mobility and place use through time that mirror earlier observations about shifts in land use. These observations warrant more extended analysis of other late Holocene contexts throughout the west coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Even though child and adolescent mental health is a global health priority, services are very limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and therefore need comprehensive strengthening. This requires knowledge of the hardware elements of the system (human resources, financing, medicines, technology, organisational structure, service infrastructure, and information systems). This study sought to examine these elements of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) services and systems in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Methods: The World Health Organization Assessment Instrument of Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) version 2.2 of 2005 was adapted to identify key variables of interest in CAMH. Data were collected for the calendar year 2016 and focused on the public health sector. We outlined findings based on best available data across the six domains of the WHO-AIMS. Results: In domain 1, we found no provincial CAMH policy or implementation plans to support the national CAMH policy and were unable to identify a CAMH-specific budget. In domain 2, there was no dedicated provincial leadership structure for CAMH, and no dedicated or ‘child- and adolescent-friendly’ mental health services at primary or secondary care levels. At tertiary level, there were only three specialist CAMH teams. The majority of CAMH resources were based in the City of Cape Town, with limited resources in the rural districts. Essential medicines were available in all facilities, and the majority of children and adolescents had access to free services. In domain 3, data were limited about the extent of training offered to primary healthcare staff, and little or no psychosocial interventions were available in primary care. Domain 4 identified a small and variable CAMH workforce across all levels of care. In domain 5, few public health campaigns focused on CAMH, and little evidence of formal intersectoral collaboration on CAMH was identified. Domain 6 identified significant limitations in health information systems for CAMH, including lack of child- and adolescent-specific and disaggregated data to establish baselines for policy development, monitoring, evaluation and CAMH research. Conclusions: This study identified significant structural weaknesses in CAMH and presents a clear call for action to strengthen services and systems in the province and in South Africa. it would be important to expand research also to include provider and user perspectives for service strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied in various disciplines, the concept of resilience has become a catchword in academic and policy discourse across the world. Despite the rapidly growing interest, there is a dearth of literature on resilience in the context of rural areas. To contribute towards extending the existing knowledge, this article analyses factors that influenced the low levels of incorporation of regional resilience in the plans (spatial development frameworks [SDFs]) that guide planning and development in a rural region of Central Karoo, South Africa. The study that the article draws upon revolved around qualitative interviews conducted with seven key informants who were knowledgeable about social, economic and environmental challenges as well as planning and development in the Central Karoo region. The semi-structured interviews were conducted through the online platform of Microsoft Teams. Against the background of low levels of incorporation of regional resilience in the plans that have a bearing on planning and development in the Central Karoo region, it was discovered that the lack of knowledge, financial and human resource constraints and a lack of synergy between different stakeholders were the main reasons for the inadequate incorporation of regional resilience in the subject SDFs. To improve this state of affairs, it is recommended that the stakeholders in the region be empowered on matters pertaining to regional resilience. In terms of empirical research, it is recommended that future studies go beyond the analysis of the content of plans in the manner of this article and analyse the actual regional resilience of rural areas.

Applied in various disciplines, the concept of resilience has become a catchword in academic and policy discourse across the world. Despite the rapidly growing interest, there is a dearth of literature on resilience in the context of rural areas. To contribute towards extending the existing knowledge, this article analyses factors that influenced the low levels of incorporation of regional resilience in the plans (spatial development frameworks [SDFs]) that guide planning and development in a rural region of Central Karoo, South Africa. The study that the article draws upon revolved around qualitative interviews conducted with seven key informants who were knowledgeable about social, economic and environmental challenges as well as planning and development in the Central Karoo region. The semi-structured interviews were conducted through the online platform of Microsoft Teams. Against the background of low levels of incorporation of regional resilience in the plans that have a bearing on planning and development in the Central Karoo region, it was discovered that the lack of knowledge, financial and human resource constraints and a lack of synergy between different stakeholders were the main reasons for the inadequate incorporation of regional resilience in the subject SDFs. To improve this state of affairs, it is recommended that the stakeholders in the region be empowered on matters pertaining to regional resilience. In terms of empirical research, it is recommended that future studies go beyond the analysis of the content of plans in the manner of this article and analyse the actual regional resilience of rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We combine GPN theory with a water stewardship approach. • Export-oriented fruit producers in South Africa face a range of water risks. • To ensure their water security, they deploy different mitigating strategies. • These strategies depoliticise post-apartheid water allocation in South Africa. • This has negative impacts for water governance & actors beyond the fruit industry. This paper investigates the strategies export-oriented agricultural firms use to mitigate water risks. By doing so, we respond to a gap in Global Production Network (GPN) scholarship, whereby the relationships between economic production and the natural environment have received insufficient attention. We build on GPN 2.0′s formulation of environmental risk as a causal driver of firms' strategies, combining it with the concept of water stewardship. Empirical evidence is drawn from the export-oriented fruit industry in South Africa's Western Cape. We find that while current water risk mitigating strategies are successful in securing water for fruit producers, these also have negative impacts on the wider South African water governance regime by depoliticising water allocation. In post-apartheid South Africa, this is deeply problematic. Our findings emphasise the imperative for research to consider the wider socio-political and ecological context when evaluating firm strategies to mitigate water and other environmental risks in South Africa and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, peer education and school climate are important topics for educators. Peer education has been shown to improve young people’s decision-making and knowledge about healthy and prosocial behaviour, while a positive school climate contributes to positive learning outcomes in general. In this article we explore the role of school climate in enabling the success of peer education outcomes. We do so by considering 8 geographically and socially distinct schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa where the peer education programme, Listen Up, was implemented, and for which measures of peer education quality exist. We then report a qualitative assessment of each school’s climate characteristics (student-interpersonal relations, student-teacher relations, order and discipline, school leadership, and achievement motivation), conducted through a rapid ethnography drawing on work by Bronfenbrenner (1977) and Haynes, Emmons and Ben-Avie (1997). Finally, we conclude that school climate can enhance learning and positive peer education outcomes.

This article provides findings from a study, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, of microenterprises’ experiences and perceptions of use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for general business activities and for acquiring online government business support information. Using the capability approach (CA) theoretical framework, the study analysed data from interviews with microenterprise owners and digital government experts. The study found that the microenterprises were adept in their use of ICTs in their businesses, but that they encountered problems in using online government business support information services. These problems were found to be the result of deficiencies in the online services’ content, structure, design, navigation, mobile-friendliness, language usage and bureaucratic requirements.

Background: The Western Cape Provincial Government uses digital intermediaries to facilitate information sharing between individuals, communities and the government. Digital intermediaries are shared facilities where communities can visit and have access to information and communication technology (ICT) and the internet. Communities benefit economically, socially and politically by using free access to ICT and the internet from intermediaries’ facilities to share information with the government. There seem to be disparities between the roles of the different stakeholders in information sharing. These disparities often result in poor communication between the government and communities, and also poor government services delivery. Objectives: This research investigated how intermediaries can enhance information sharing between government and communities in the Western Cape Province. Method: This study adopted a qualitative research approach by using semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to collect qualitative data from 15 participants from different intermediaries’ staff in the Western Cape Province. A narrative analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Results: The study found that intermediaries intermediate between communities and the government by providing free access to ICTs, provide basic computer training and access to computing resources and serving as an information hub. The study also found that operating hours, lack of resources, skilled staff and communication challenges adversely affect information sharing. Conclusion: This study recommended that intermediaries are supported to increase the number of resources and facilities and the number and levels of training in the province to cater for more communities. This study further recommended an increase on operational hours, and communication channels between the government and intermediaries.

In 2017 the Swellendam Tourism Bureau's board adopted a new marketing brand for the municipality under the banner Cape Trade Route. The brand was introduced without using any market intelligence to inform it. The Swellendam Municipality subsequently resolved that any new tourism strategy had to be informed by current market research, including media, trade and industry sentiments about the region. This paper reports on five sets of empirical evidence collected by various means to better understand Swellendam's tourism brand and marketing strategies. They are (1) workshops with business and community roleplayers; (2) an online questionnaire survey conducted with tourist-aligned enterprises in the Swellendam municipal area; (3) a content analysis of traditional and social media relating to Swellendam; (4) a visitor interview survey; and (5) a snap review of sixteen tour operators' opinions about Swellendam as a tourism region. The findings highlight the crucial role of sound market intelligence in creating tourism marketing strategies for municipalities. The reported findings and the recommendations made have subsequently informed the municipality's spatial development framework and tourism strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urban growth due to unprecedented rural–urban migration is putting pressure on urban food systems. The general impression is that households engaged in urban agriculture experience improved nutritional status, higher health standards and provide towards income and employment. However, empirical research findings are limited and inconsistent. This study provides empirical knowledge on the urban agriculture–food security nexus. Data was gathered from a sample of 220 households comprising of those with small household (backyard) garden projects funded by the Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape, South Africa, and a control group. Propensity score matching was used to determine the contribution of urban agriculture to household food security. The findings indicated that households engaged in urban agriculture were benefiting from dietary diversity and the generation of income through the production of various food products. There was, however, no indication of a significant positive contribution of urban agriculture towards food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The novel coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a global public health crisis. Primary care (PC) nurses render first line care, or refer for more specialised services. Aim: To investigate the preparedness of PC nurses for COVID-19 in the Western Cape. Setting: The Western Cape province of South Africa. Methods: We administered an online survey, with closed and open-ended questions, to 83 Stellenbosch University postgraduate PC nursing students and alumni working in the Western Cape, between 03 July and 01 September 2020. Results: The results indicated that 43.3% of participants were confident about the infection, prevention, and control (IPC) training they received and 56.7% felt prepared to provide direct care to suspected cases of COVID-19. Primary care nurses were more comfortable to triage (78.3%) than to manage persons with COVID-19 (42.2%), indicating that they may not be functioning to the full capacity of their education and training. Adequate infrastructure was reported by less than a third of the participants (30.1%) and 59.1% reported that personal protective equipment (PPE) was always available. Primary care nurses needed support in coping with stress (57.8%) although few (14.5%) reported access to mental health services. Conclusion: Primary care nurses were not prepared optimally for the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges included adequate training, infrastructure, the availability of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing of health care workers and management support. Primary care nurses need comprehensive support to manage stress and anxiety.

Introduction: We describe the largest South African transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) outcome report of a single team in the Western Cape, over a 7-year period from 2009 - 2016. Methods: All patients who received TAVI at Mediclinic Vergelegen and Mediclinic Panorama were prospectively entered into a database. A total of 244 implants (61 CoreValve and 183 Edwards valves) were performed. Results: Patients were high risk with a mean STS score of 7.89 (standard deviation (SD) 5.7) and mean logistic EuroSCORE of 26.5 (SD 12.5). There was a trend toward lower risk over time. Procedures were initially performed mainly via a transapical approach, but this changed to mostly transfemoral with the introduction of smaller delivery systems. Procedural success rate was 91.8% for CoreValve and 88.5% for Edwards cases. Mean length of hospital stay following TAVI was 9 days initially, but this declined to 4 days for the latter part of our experience. One year mortality was 19% and one year stroke rate was 10%. Conclusion: Despite the limitations of a study of this nature, our group could document outcomes similar to international studies, with improvements over time and illustrating successful cooperation between different hospitals to expand exposure and experience in a resource-constrained environment.

This study used the South African Census 2011 data to examine the impact of interprovincial migration on the labor market outcomes in the Western Cape and Gauteng, the two most developed and popular inter-provincial migration destination provinces in South Africa. In both provinces, the residents were divided into four groups: permanent residents, intra-provincial migrants, long-term inter-provincial migrants and short-term inter-provincial migrants. The descriptive statistics indicated that both short- and long-term inter-provincial migrants into the two provinces were likely to be young people aged 15-34 years, unmarried African urban residents with 11-12 educational years on average, coming from households with three members. These interprovincial migrants enjoyed lower unemployment rates than the permanent residents, but the intra-provincial migrants remained the best-performing group with the lowest unemployment rate and highest share of employed persons involved in formal sector activities. The study also conducted a multivariate econometric analysis with probit regressions on labor force participation likelihood, and Heckprobit regressions on employment likelihood (conditional on labor force participation). After controlling for differences in other characteristics (or ceteris paribus), compared to the permanent residents, it was evident that both short- and long-term inter-provincial migrants into Western Cape and Gauteng were about 3% significantly more likely to be employed. After examining migrants from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape and migrants from Limpopo to Gauteng, the study found that both groups enjoyed a much higher labor force participation rate (above 70%) and lower unemployment rate (30%), compared to individuals who remained in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo (labor force participation rate: 45%; unemployment rate: 38%).

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are highly vocal, producing a wide repertoire of sounds often organised into song. Song is prolific at breeding sites but also documented along migration routes and at feeding sites, including along the west coast of South Africa (28°–34°S). Here we examine the occurrence of humpback whale song within False Bay, South Africa, using intermittent recording periods from moored hydrophones spanning September 2016 to January 2018. Recordings from four locations were scrutinised for humpback whale vocalisations using long-term spectral averages (LTSAs). In total, 7205 h were examined, with song identified in 3% (211 h) of recording hours. Song was exclusively documented in September and October 2016 and was more prevalent at the most westerly sites. Diel patterns of song presence were modelled, showing the likelihood of detection was higher in the early morning and late evening (GAM: p < 0.05). On 15 occasions, two or more singers were detected with temporally overlapping song components. These results indicate prevalent, albeit seasonal, song production by humpback whales off the coast of South Africa and highlight the utility of passive acoustic monitoring to indicate their presence, behaviour, and potential population linkages in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between crime and tourism has not received much attention in the academic fraternity. Instead, extensive attention has been placed on the impact of tourism on economic growth, inequality, poverty and employment. To contribute to the scarce literature on crime-tourism, the researcher examined the impact of crime on tourists arrival in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. An Autoregressive Distributive Lag model was employed to examine whether crime reduces or increases the arrival of tourists in the Western Cape Province. The results show that robberies, car hijacking and unemployment minimizes the number of tourists in the province, while economic growth and prosecution per population increases the number of tourists in the province. The results further highlight that robberies, car hijacking and unemployment disequilibrium can be solved after 1 year 6 months, holding all other things constant. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government provide more employment opportunities to prevent crime in the province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]