Analysis Of South Africa Research Articles

An Analysis of South Africa's Constitutional and UNCRC-imposed Obligations to Achieve Children's Socio-economic Rights: A Critique

Children require specific protection due to their heightened vulnerability to human rights violations, which can be attributed to several factors such as economic adversity, racial tensions, and armed conflicts. The current situation in South Africa is characterised by a pressing and significant prevalence of severe poverty. The enduring effects of apartheid have contributed to a broad range of socioeconomic challenges inside our deeply divided country. Children are particularly impacted by these issues and experience immediate suffering as a result. In the Republic of South Africa, a significant proportion of the youth population experiences the distressing circumstance of living in poverty. It has been reported that a significant proportion, ranging from 60 to 75 percent, of the youth population in South Africa is experiencing impoverished living conditions. The prevalence of HIV infection and the consequential mortality rates due to AIDS among caretakers have a detrimental effect on the well-being of children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) encompasses social, economic, and cultural rights under its provisions. Following the ratification of the UNCRC in June 1995, South Africa is legally obligated to implement the articles pertaining to the rights of children. The formulation and structuring of socio-economic rights and corresponding duties towards children under the South African Constitution were significantly influenced by the UNCRC. The interests of children in South Africa are effectively safeguarded through the provisions enshrined in the Constitution and the duties outlined in the UNCRC. This study assesses the extent to which South Africa has adhered to its constitutional and UNCRC-mandated responsibilities and commitments in order to achieve the socioeconomic rights of children.

Bank identification and perceived bank brand personality: A gender comparison

Understanding how gender impacts millennial retail banking customers’ bank identification, as well as their perceptions of bank brand personalities, is important, given that retail banks need to effectively segment their markets and develop targeted marketing campaigns to engage and retain millennial customers. The paper aimed to investigate the differences between millennial male and female banking customers in terms of their identification with their retail bank and the brand personalities they associate with their bank. The research utilized a self-executed survey, collecting data from a sample comprising 116 males and 119 females for analysis in South Africa. Using a descriptive research design, the study employed several statistical methods, including independent samples t-tests and multiple linear regression analysis, to observe the potential differences between the genders in bank identity and perceived brand personality. The analysis of the survey data revealed significant differences between male and female participants. It was found that males identified less with their retail bank compared to females. In terms of brand personality, males associated more with the community-driven personality and less with the success, sophistication, and sincerity brand personalities. On the other hand, sophistication (β = 0.356; p = 0.003) and community-driven (β = 0.432; p = 0.002) brand personality influenced the males’ bank identification. None of the brand personalities significantly affected females’ bank identification.

Socio-Economic-Driven Disparities in Chronic Illness and Disability Among the South African Children: Exploring Variations Within the Urban and Rural Areas

ABSTRACT: Existing literature on health inequalities often overlooks the nuanced dynamics, particularly among vulnerable children with chronic diseases and disabilities and fails to consider regional disparities within countries like South Africa. This paper asserts the necessity for a more granular analysis in South Africa, recognizing the varied health outcomes for children across different economic segments and geographical settings. Specifically, the health trajectories for children differ markedly between rural formal areas, regions under traditional authorities, formal urban areas, and informal urban settlements. Addressing the generalizations common in prior research, this study takes a precise, regionally focused approach to socio-economic-driven disparities in chronic illness or disability. It distinguishes between rural formal areas, traditional authority areas, formal urban areas, and informal urban areas, unveiling the intricate layers of health disparities. Using data from the National Income Dynamics Study, concentration indices, and the Oaxaca-Blinder Decomposition method, the paper analyzed health inequality trends from 2008 to 2017. The results uncover significant inequalities, with alarming trends, particularly among children with chronic illnesses and disabilities in traditional authority regions and informal urban environments. The paper's evidence shows that rural formal areas have experienced a decline in health disparities as opposed to the deepening divide in traditional authority-led regions. The urban analysis reveals a split: while formal urban settings often favour the wealthier, informal urban areas indicate a shift towards lower socioeconomic brackets. The decomposition analysis highlights the evolving socioeconomic elements influencing each region over time. These insights emphasize the urgent necessity for geographically tailored policy interventions. By understanding the distinct socioeconomic landscapes across various regions, we can formulate policies that resonate with each area's specific realities and challenges. Such targeted strategies are essential in reducing health inequalities and enhancing the life quality of children with chronic health conditions and disabilities, playing a critical role in South Africa's journey toward comprehensive health equity.

An Analysis of South Africa's Constitutional and UNCRC-imposed Obligations to achieve Children's Socio-economic Rights: A Critique

Children require specific protection due to their heightened vulnerability to human rights violations, which can be attributed to several factors such as economic adversity, racial tensions, and armed conflicts. The current situation in South Africa is characterised by a pressing and significant prevalence of severe poverty. The enduring effects of apartheid have contributed to a broad range of socioeconomic challenges inside our deeply divided country. Children are particularly impacted by these issues and experience immediate suffering as a result. In the Republic of South Africa, a significant proportion of the youth population experiences the distressing circumstance of living in poverty. It has been reported that a significant proportion, ranging from 60 to 75 percent, of the youth population in South Africa is experiencing impoverished living conditions. The prevalence of HIV infection and the consequential mortality rates due to AIDS among caretakers have a detrimental effect on the well-being of children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) encompasses social, economic, and cultural rights under its provisions. Following the ratification of the UNCRC in June 1995, South Africa is legally obligated to implement the articles pertaining to the rights of children. The formulation and structuring of socio-economic rights and corresponding duties towards children under the South African Constitution were significantly influenced by the UNCRC. The interests of children in South Africa are effectively safeguarded through the provisions enshrined in the Constitution and the duties outlined in the UNCRC. This study assesses the extent to which South Africa has adhered to its constitutional and UNCRC-mandated responsibilities and commitments in order to achieve the socioeconomic rights of children Keywords: UNCRC, socio-economic rights, children, obligations, Constitution

Gaps in the type 2 diabetes care cascade: a national perspective using South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) database

BackgroundResearch out of South Africa estimates the total unmet need for care for those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes) at 80%. We evaluated the care cascade using South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) database and assessed if HIV infection impacts progression through its stages.MethodsThe cohort includes patients from government facilities with their first glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) or plasma glucose (fasting (FPG); random (RPG)) measured between January 2012 to March 2015 in the NHLS. Lab-diagnosed diabetes was defined as HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, FPG ≥ 7.0mmol/l, or RPG ≥ 11.1mmol/l. Cascade stages post diagnosis were retention-in-care and glycaemic control (defined as an HbA1c < 7.0% or FPG < 8.0mmol/l or RPG < 10.0mmol/l) over 24-months. We estimated gaps at each stage nationally and by people living with HIV (PLWH) and without (PLWOH).ResultsOf the 373,889 patients tested for diabetes, 43.2% had an HbA1c or blood glucose measure indicating a diabetes diagnosis. Amongst those with lab-diagnosed diabetes, 30.9% were retained-in-care (based on diabetes labs) and 8.7% reached glycaemic control by 24-months. Prevalence of lab-diagnosed diabetes in PLWH was 28.6% versus 47.3% in PLWOH. Among those with lab-diagnosed diabetes, 34.3% of PLWH were retained-in-care versus 30.3% PLWOH. Among people retained-in-care, 33.8% of PLWH reached glycaemic control over 24-months versus 28.6% of PLWOH.ConclusionsIn our analysis of South Africa's NHLS database, we observed that 70% of patients diagnosed with diabetes did not maintain in consistent diabetes care, with fewer than 10% reaching glycemic control within 24 months. We noted a disparity in diabetes prevalence between PLWH and PLWOH, potentially linked to different screening methods. These differences underscore the intricacies in care but also emphasize how HIV care practices could guide better management of chronic diseases like diabetes. Our results underscore the imperative for specialized strategies to bolster diabetes care in South Africa.

Culture-Led Smart Villages: A Critical Cultural Policy Analysis in South Africa

South Africa is rapidly obliterating its cultural resources and indigenous values. Particularly, this is the case in rural South Africa where manifestations of socio-economic declensions are evident. However, a number of the policies that are meant to enhance rural development lack a cohesive strategy that is based on culture-based theoretical frameworks. The paper argues that the conspicuous disregard to address rural development and its concomitant socio-economic challenges in the Revised White Paper on Arts, Culture, and Heritage, 2017, by the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), now (DSAC); poses a great threat to sustainable rural development

Critiquing Ndlovu's (2014) theorisation of South Africa's ‘exceptionalism’ and ‘xenophobia’ in minister Fikile Mbalula’s speech: an essay

This paper uses desktop review to critique Ndlovu (2014)’s analysis of South Africa’s ‘exceptionalism’ and ‘xenophobia’ based on the articulations of the minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula at the Cape Town stadium in September 2014. Critical analysis underpinned on interpretivism was used to argue that Ndlovu chose an irrelevant case to frame his problem. This resulted in the biased analysis as published. Ndlovu (2014) is ignorant on the influence of sports rivalrism on human behaviour – especially as it has been historical between Nigeria and South Africa. Ndlovu’s (2014) description of Black South Africans affirms Euro-American hostility and attitude on Blackness which to this tradition denotes ‘danger’ – a sentiment sponsored by the swart gevaar philosophy of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The idea of the swart gevaar philosophy was to assassinate Blackness and Black people’s character. It is concluded that Ndlovu (2014) is pontifical – wanting to model immigrant nationals as victims of Black South Africans while positioning white and immigrant nationals as the civilised humans who happened to share social space with the barbarous Black South Africans. This is an antagonistic approach of wanting to solve what could be a real challenge in society however ending with the unintended consequence of broadening existing social polarisation.

An analysis of South Africa’s guidance on the income tax consequences of crypto assets

Background: A media statement issued by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in 2018 represents the primary guidance available to South African taxpayers on the income tax consequences of crypto asset transactions.Aim: This study assessed the adequacy of the guidelines available to South African taxpayers on the consequences of crypto asset transactions, and identified the income tax consequences for transactions not addressed in these guidelines.Setting: This study compared the scope and depth of the SARS guidelines to guidance issued in other jurisdictions. This distinguishes it from other studies focusing on the theoretical income tax consequences of crypto asset transactions.Method: The first phase of the study was an in-depth documental analysis to benchmark the SARS guidelines against the guidance of tax authorities in other jurisdictions. In the second phase of the study, a doctrinal legal research methodology was adopted to identify the income tax consequences of transactions not addressed by SARS, applying existing legislation and case law, and taking into account the guidance of the other selected tax authorities.Results: The study found that the SARS guidelines did not comprehensively address all the crypto asset transactions addressed by the other selected tax authorities.Conclusion: The study recommended that SARS provide comprehensive guidance to South African taxpayers on the income tax consequences of crypto asset transactions, the development of which would be supported by consequences identified in this study.Contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of, and development of taxpayer guidance to address the income tax consequences of crypto asset transactions in South Africa.

Analysis of South Africa`s Market Attractiveness Using the Global Competitiveness Index

Analysis of South Africa`s Market Attractiveness Using the Global Competitiveness Index

An Analysis of South Africa's Provision of Emergency Water Supply During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Accountability and Expiration

The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the widespread lack of access to adequate water and sanitation in South African informal settlements and rural areas. While the full complexities of the relationship between inequality, COVID-19 and water in South Africa are still unfolding, the importance of access to water emerged early on in the pandemic, and catalysed an emergency response from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). This article analyses the impact of the DWS' COVID-19 response in three ways. Firstly, the available data on the provision of tanks and tankers is examined to highlight the importance of a reliable monitoring system. Secondly, the dangers of prioritising short-term action at the expense of long-term sustainability are discussed with reference to the twin challenges of further reduced municipal revenue and redirected funds. Thirdly, the implications of a future cessation of emergency water supply is considered. This analysis provides evidence and perspectives to guide the post-COVID-19 transition from emergency to routine water services provision, and distils lessons which might be applied to the approaching challenge of water services provision in the context of climate change.

An Analysis of South Africa's Provision of Emergency Water Supply During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Accountability and Expiration

The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the widespread lack of access to adequate water and sanitation in South African informal settlements and rural areas. While the full complexities of the relationship between inequality, COVID-19 and water in South Africa are still unfolding, the importance of access to water emerged early on in the pandemic, and catalysed an emergency response from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). This article analyses the impact of the DWS' COVID-19 response in three ways. Firstly, the available data on the provision of tanks and tankers is examined to highlight the importance of a reliable monitoring system. Secondly, the dangers of prioritising short-term action at the expense of long-term sustainability are discussed with reference to the twin challenges of further reduced municipal revenue and redirected funds. Thirdly, the implications of a future cessation of emergency water supply is considered. This analysis provides evidence and perspectives to guide the post-COVID-19 transition from emergency to routine water services provision, and distils lessons which might be applied to the approaching challenge of water services provision in the context of climate change.

Methods for early characterisation of the severity and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants: a population-based time series analysis in South Africa

BackgroundAssessment of disease severity associated with a novel pathogen or variant provides crucial information needed by public health agencies and governments to develop appropriate responses. The SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant of concern (VOC) spread rapidly through populations worldwide before robust epidemiological and laboratory data were available to investigate its relative severity. Here we develop a set of methods that make use of non-linked, aggregate data to promptly estimate the severity of a novel variant, compare its characteristics with those of previous VOCs, and inform data-driven public health responses.MethodsUsing daily population-level surveillance data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa (March 2, 2020, to Jan 28, 2022), we determined lag intervals most consistent with time from case ascertainment to hospital admission and within-hospital death through optimisation of the distance correlation coefficient in a time series analysis. We then used these intervals to estimate and compare age-stratified case-hospitalisation and case-fatality ratios across the four epidemic waves that South Africa has faced, each dominated by a different variant.FindingsA total of 3 569 621 cases, 494 186 hospitalisations, and 99 954 deaths attributable to COVID-19 were included in the analyses. We found that lag intervals and disease severity were dependent on age and variant. At an aggregate level, fluctuations in cases were generally followed by a similar trend in hospitalisations within 7 days and deaths within 15 days. We noted a marked reduction in disease severity throughout the omicron period relative to previous waves (age-standardised case-fatality ratios were consistently reduced by >50%), most substantial for age strata with individuals 50 years or older.InterpretationThis population-level time series analysis method, which calculates an optimal lag interval that is then used to inform the numerator of severity metrics including the case-hospitalisation and case-fatality ratio, provides useful and timely estimates of the relative effects of novel SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, especially for application in settings where resources are limited.FundingNational Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa, South African National Government.

Exploiting COVID-19 related traffic changes to evaluate flow dependency of an FCD-defined congestion measure

Traffic congestion poses a significant problem in urban areas globally, and yet no measure of congestion is universally applied. Various studies have evaluated congestion measures, however, none have identified and demonstrated a best-practice congestion metric that can compare congestion between road segments, networks, and city zones. Furthermore, no studies have proven the link between a congestion metric and traffic flow, despite suggestion by Lomax et al. in their seminal 1997 Quantifying Congestion report that an appropriate congestion metric should vary predictably according to flow. This paper aims to address these gaps in traffic congestion literature. Various congestion measures are evaluated according to standard criteria. Although this process has been followed before, this paper adds a unique criterion that requires congestion to be quantifiable from commercial floating car data (FCD), due to its extensive availability and relative affordability. The most appropriate congestion measure is evaluated to be the speed reduction index (SRI). The application of the SRI to describe spatiotemporal congestion patterns and flow dependency is then demonstrated in a case-study analysis in South Africa. This analysis exploited traffic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (particularly, the stepwise increase from severely reduced traffic flows as lockdown levels eased), to evaluate SRI. The wide range of flows enabled an unprecedented regression analysis comparing congestion level and flow. The results of the regression analysis are highly significant (p < 0.001) indicating that SRI-based congestion measurement tracks flow variation. This study further identified that unidirectional congestion, quantified by the SRI, is impacted by high bi-directional flow along arterials. These findings confirm the appropriateness of the SRI quantified from commercial FCD to measure congestion.

CONSTITUTIONALISM AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES: COVID-19 REGULATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SLIPPERY SLOPE

This article provides a theoretical and factual-legal analysis of South Africa’s response to the COVID-19. The state of disaster and its related COVID-19 regulations are interrogated from a constitutional and human rights perspective. It is conceded that public health emergencies call for a limitation of certain rights to control or curb the spread of the pandemic. However, the measures adopted by the South African government were in some respects disproportional and violated the constitutional and human rights principles. This article carefully examines the South African approach in instances where the constitutional and human rights of its people were brought into contention. For purposes of clarity, the focus is on documented accounts of the violations of fundamental human rights during the declaration and the operation of Lockdown Regulations in terms of the Disaster Management Act 2002.

Courting emissions: climate adjudication and South Africa\u2019s youth

BackgroundThe urgency to pursue sustainable consumption or use energy in a manner that does not negatively impact the environment has become an important theme in recent times. As a major fluctuation in the atmosphere, climate change will be one of the major challenges faced by youth. As a result, there have been a growing number of young South Africans advocating for environmental justice. Surprisingly, their effort has not yielded the expected result as the country continues to emit a high amount of greenhouse gases. The notion of youth may be construed as those between the ages of 15 and 24. The age bracket suggests that the adult lives of this population will be shaped by environmental crises such as famines, vector-borne diseases, and hikes in commodity prices which may impinge on their basic rights to life, health, and property. This development triggers an ancient discourse, what role can youth play towards decarbonization? In other words, which effective avenue could be used by young people for capping emissions?MethodsAn analysis of South Africa’s energy policy documents relevant to sustainability was conducted through the application of desktop research. We use (inter)national instruments and jurisprudence to understand how a state structure, like the judiciary, could nudge the executive to cap rising green gas emissions. South Africa is used as a case study because of its over-reliance on coal for electricity, and how young people could use the existing legal framework to cap rising emissions. Drawing from existing literature, the paper interrogates the lack of activism around climate litigation and under what conditions this pattern could be reversed in South Africa.ResultsThe paper found that while litigation has an important role to play in mitigating climate change, it ought to be complemented with other forms of advocacy.ConclusionsThe study concludes that given the government’s perceived slow steps towards shifting from coal to renewables, youth (who will bear the brunt of high emissions) ought to use both courtrooms and advocacy to trigger political action.

Lifelong learning as cruel optimism: Considering the discourses of lifelong learning and techno-solutionism in South African education.

This article seeks to examine how two discourses –of lifelong learning and techno-solutionism – tangle with each other in South African education policy imaginaries, particularly the latter discourse as a response to an (arguably manufactured) frame of “crisis”. The author suggests that the discourse of lifelong learning constructs a relation of what Lauren Berlant terms “cruel optimism” for the marginalised majority of South Africans, sustaining a fantasy of liberatory education despite empirical evidence to the contrary. First, the prevalence of this discourse in key policy texts (predominantly education policy white papers) is examined, along with how both instrumentalist and humanist framings of lifelong learning promote and sustain this relation in spite of the ordinariness of the “attrition of the subject” (in Berlant’s terms) as a defining experience of everyday life. Next, the ubiquitous frame of crisis in education analysis in South Africa is considered, along with techno-solutionism (a term coined by Evgeny Morozov in 2013) as a popular response amongst the dominant middle-class minority. The article suggests that cruel optimism is sustained for this middle-class group through techno-solutionist education utopias, as what Berlant terms a “redefinitional strategy” for manufacturing ahistorical moments of agency in the face of persistent structural issues centuries in the making. The lens of cruel optimism is thus offered as a mechanism for denaturalising the political work of both discourses, a necessary (albeit insufficient) move towards better grasping the nature of South African education concerns, as well as theories of change that might offer genuinely emancipatory learning for all.

Business response to COVID-19 impact: Effectiveness analysis in South Africa

Background: Following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many businesses have put out measures to counter the impact of the outbreak and its related reactions from economic actors (individuals, authorities and other businesses) on their business operations. However, nearly no empirical studies or reports have been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of those measures.Aim: This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of business response measures to COVID-19 impact on business outcome.Setting: This study focused on businesses that are value-added tax (VAT) registered.Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. The authors applied logistic regression technique to analyse the effectiveness of business response measures on business outcome.Results: The authors found evidence that business responses such as virtual connection, innovative e-commerce and increasing working hours are more effective business responses, whilst decreasing work hours, laying off workers temporarily and ordinary e-commerce are less effective measures against the impact of the outbreak. Furthermore, business characteristics such as industry type (e.g. ‘agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing’ and ‘electricity, gas and water supply’) are more resilient to COVID-19 shock, whilst pure export market and small businesses, secondary and tertiary, are significantly less resilient.Conclusions: Firstly, the study shows that some business responses are more effective in remediating the adverse impact of COVID-19 and therefore recommends policy intervention and industrial actions to promote them. Secondly, it is also recommended that financial bailout and/or Internet infrastructure and domestic support for small and export businesses could make them more resilient to the adverse impact of the outbreak.

Management of rifampicin-resistant TB: programme indicators and care cascade analysis in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Xpert® MTB/RIF was expected to revolutionise the management of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) by enabling rapid and decentralised diagnosis of rifampicin (RIF) resistance.METHODS: We performed a care cascade analysis for a cohort of RR-TB patients managed under programmatic conditions. Cumulative incidences of time to completion of the RR-TB care cascade steps were estimated, reasons for delay or attrition from the cascade investigated and WHO programme indicators for monitoring of RR-TB programmes calculated.RESULTS: Of 502 patients diagnosed with RR-TB using Xpert, 64% initiated multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) treatment immediately, 20% after some first-line treatment, 16% never initiated MDR-TB treatment, mainly because of death (44%) or loss to follow-up (26%) soon after diagnosis. A supplementary sputum sample was collected within 14 days of treatment in 58.8% of cases. Only 63% of RR-TB cases were assessed for isoniazid resistance, and only 65% of MDR-TB cases were evaluated for pre-XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant TB). Treatment was individualised in 57% of pre-XDR and 68% of XDR-TB patients. Only 8% completed the entire RR-TB care cascade as intended.CONCLUSION: Fidelity to the RR-TB algorithm was poor, with substantial losses at each step of the cascade, highlighting the fact that implementation of novel technologies needs to be accompanied by health system strengthening to maximise impact.

Policy implications of the World Bank utility staffing analysis in South Africa

In 2016, the World Bank released Working Paper No. 7788, “Financial Viability of Electricity Sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa: Quasi-Fiscal Deficits and Hidden Costs”. The paper concluded that virtually all Sub-Saharan electricity utilities were overstaffed and that Eskom in South Africa had the highest levels of overstaffing. This analysis reveals apparent problems in the Bank's overstaffing study and highlights the impact of the study on staffing decisions and electricity tariffs in South Africa due to perceptions of staffing inefficiency in Eskom's operations. The potential policy implications for utilities in developing countries are discussed.

Using Technology to TrackandTrace in the COVID-19 Era: An Analysis of South Africa’s Legal Framework

Using Technology to TrackandTrace in the COVID-19 Era: An Analysis of South Africa’s Legal Framework