Gauteng Province Of South Africa Research Articles

Detection and characterisation of microplastics in tap water from Gauteng, South Africa

This study reports the presence, concentration, and characteristics of microplastics (MPs) in tap water in three suburbs in Gauteng Province in South Africa. Physical characterisation was conducted using stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy following staining of MPs with the Rose Bengal dye. The concentrations of MPs in all samples ranged from 4.7 to 31 particles/L, with a mean of 14 ± 5.6 particles/L. Small-sized (<1 mm) and fibrous-shaped MPs were most abundant in all samples. Fibers accounted for 83.1% of MPs in samples from all the three areas, followed by fragments (12.4%), pellets/beads (3.1%), and films (1.5%), with a minor variation in the distribution of shapes and sizes in samples from each area. Raman microspectroscopy was used for chemical analysis, and five polymers were identified, namely: high-density polyethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, poly(hexamethylene terephtalamide), and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid). C.I Pigment Red 1, C.I. Solvent Yellow 4, Potassium indigotetrasulphonate, and C.I Pigment Black 7 were the colourants detected. These colourants are carcinogenic and mutagenic and are potentially toxic to humans. The prevalence of MPs in tap water implies their inadequate removal during water treatment. For instance, the presence of poly(AM-co-AA) suggests that drinking water treatment plants may be a potential source of MPs in tap water. Other polymers, e.g., high-density polyethylene may be released from pipes during the transportation of drinking water. The estimated daily consumption of MPs from tap water was 1.2, 0.71, and 0.50 particles/kg.day for children, men, and women, respectively. The findings of this study provide evidence of the presence of MPs in drinking water in South Africa, thus giving some insights into the performance of treatment plants in removing these contaminants and a benchmark for the formulation of standard limits for the amount of MPs in drinking water.

Absence of Tuberculosis-Causing Mycobacteria from Slaughtered Livestock Tissues and Environmental Samples, Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) is a group of bacteria responsible for causing tuberculosis in animals and humans. In South Africa (S.A), slaughterhouses are registered by the government and closely inspected and audited for hygienic slaughter practices. Meat inspection to detect lesions has been used for passive surveillance, monitoring, and diagnosis of the disease status. Information on the current status of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in livestock in the country is limited. Hence, we investigated the occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. in the tissues of slaughtered livestock and environmental samples in abattoirs in Gauteng province of South Africa (S.A). The cross-sectional study employing random sampling from cattle, pigs, and sheep (with the collection of liver, lung, spleen, and different lymph nodes) irrespective of lesions was carried out in 19 red meat abattoirs. Five hundred animals were sampled, comprising cattle (n = 369), pigs (n = 90), and sheep (n = 41). Additionally, 19 environmental samples were collected from feedlots, or where animals drink water while awaiting slaughter, to identify mycobacterial species using culture, acid-fast bacteria staining, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were used to detect statistically significant differences in the frequency of detection of Mycobacterium spp. according to the variables investigated (types of tissues, livestock, abattoirs, etc.). The PCR assays detected no MTBC complex species DNA in the bacterial isolates from cattle (n = 32). Sequence analysis (16S rDNA) of the isolates from eight cattle confirmed only two species, namely Mycobacterium colombiense (99.81% identity) and Mycobacterium simiae (99.42% identity). The remaining isolates were identified as members of the Actinomadura species. From the environmental samples, bacterial isolation was made from three samples, and two could only be identified up to the genus level (Mycobacterium species) while the remaining isolate was identified as Mycobacterium senuense (99.22% identity). The study revealed the absence of bovine tuberculosis-causing pathogens in red meat abattoirs of the Gauteng province. Although non-tuberculous Mycobacteria have been implicated as potentially causing tuberculosis-like diseases in livestock, their occurrence in the current study was found to be low, but the potential to cause disease cannot be ignored.

Unblocking the System to Strengthen Implementation of Early Childhood Development Policies and Practice in South Africa

Government sectors responsible for early childhood development (ECD) often have competing priorities and obligations which manifest through fragmentation, silo conflicts, and power dynamics, thus failing to implement ECD policies in South Africa effectively. This article aims to provide a framework for strengthening the implementation of ECD policies to enhance quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Using a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm, data was obtained through open-ended semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes. Key stakeholders, including ECD managers, practitioners, and education officials, were purposely sampled. The conceptual lens was used for exploring the current implementation of ECD policies at the systems level in the theoretical framework. The findings revealed communication and information blockages at the level of national, provincial, and district offices. As a result, ECD centers were left uninformed of the new policies and frameworks for implementation. A framework that stipulates standardized training for the Department of Education officials, support for ECD principals, managers, and practitioners, and open communication through bi-annual conferences and monthly community of practice (CoP) virtual meetings will ensure that policies are implemented and that quality ECD education is achievable in South Africa.

Development of collaboration guidelines for nursing education and related healthcare services.

A theory-practice gap in nursing education often occurs, and the staff from the nursing education institution and the associated healthcare services should find ways to improve their collaboration to reduce the gap during the training of nursing students. This study aimed to develop context-specific collaboration guidelines for a nursing education institution and associated healthcare services. Private hospital in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Guidelines were developed from the findings of an integrative literature review. Thereafter, it was contextualised in a qualitative study with focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 9 theoretical lecturers and 10 clinical facilitators. In the partnership between the nursing education institution and the associated healthcare services, bilateral communication, cooperation between the theoretical lecturers and the clinical facilitators in delivering evidence-based patient care, intensified innovation in teaching and learning practices and an environment conducive to theory-practice integration should be emphasised. A set of context-specific guidelines was developed to enable the theoretical lecturers and the clinical facilitators to collaborate in supporting nursing students to apply their theoretical knowledge in the development of clinical competencies. The guidelines can be adjusted to suit the context of other nursing education institutions and their associated healthcare services to improve collaboration between theoretical lecturers and clinical facilitators to the benefit students' skills development in theory-practice integration.

Substance use patterns in an adolescent psychiatric unit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Substance use among adolescents carries a significant public health and socioeconomic burden with potential long-term consequences for the adolescent substance user (SU). Adolescents with mental health challenges are vulnerable to substance use and substance use worsens outcomes in this population. This study aimed to describe the substance use patterns among inpatients admitted to a specialised tertiary adolescent inpatient unit in Johannesburg over a 4-year period. This study was conducted at the Tara H. Moross Centre (Tara Hospital), in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. This was a retrospective comparative record review of all patients admitted to the adolescent unit over the 4 years. A lifetime history of substance use was documented in 44.1% (n = 52) of the 118 patient's records included in the final analysis. Cannabis was the most frequently used substance (n = 36, 69.2%). There were significant differences between the SU and substance nonuser groups regarding family structure (p = 0.012), family history of substance abuse (p = 0.046) and conflict within the family (p < 0.001). The high prevalence of substance use in this sample demonstrates the dual burden of mental health disorders and substance use in an adolescent treatment programme in Johannesburg. Primary caregiver burden and relational difficulties within the family unit should be observed for planned multidisciplinary interventions. The findings of this review provide an update on the pattern and prevalence of substance use among this adolescent mental healthcare user group, highlighting potential therapeutic targets.

Integrated health system intervention aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk in women after gestational diabetes in South Africa (IINDIAGO): a randomised controlled trial protocol

IntroductionSouth Africa has a high prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM; 15%) and many of these women (48%) progress to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) within 5 years post partum....

Perceptions on “free” tertiary education and operational budgeting within a public university in South Africa

A series of strikes by public university students protesting the exorbitant cost of tertiary education across South Africa (SA) in 2015, set the stage for the government to be coerced into implementing a “free” tertiary education policy that it neither planned nor prepared for. This implies that any financing activated by the government in aid of the financial constraints in tertiary education had to be re-prioritised from other government programmes. The main objective of this study is to examine the perceptions of heads of departments and directors of directorates on “free” tertiary education in relation to operational budgeting within a public university in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study was conducted at one public university in Gauteng via Zoom under COVID-19 restrictions. The study embraced critical realism as its research paradigm as per a qualitative research approach, using semi-structured interviews to achieve the empirical objective of the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings of the study revealed that participants welcome ‘free’ tertiary education as a system, but are sceptical about its sustainability. The findings also specified that the implementation of ‘free’ tertiary education in a developing economy such as South Africa will have a range of negative effects and will increase the financial burden on taxpayers. The study concluded that ‘free’ tertiary education is likely to remain a burning issue in the educational sector in South Africa as a result of insufficient funding for the model.

The Language of Police Officers Matters: Factors Hampering Workplace English Writing Capability in the South African Police Services (SAPS)

This article reports on the findings of an exploratory-based study about variables hampering adequate Workplace English writing competency of police officers in the South African Police Services (SAPS). The main assumption in this article is that this poor English writing proficiency that is tailored for the workplace in the as a result of many intertwined and interrelated factors. A quanti-qualitative research approach was adopted. Data was harvested using a questionnaire and in-depth interviews from 203 research participants from various police stations in Gauteng Province of South Africa. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was used for analysis of qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). The investigation was underpinned by Work Integrated Learning (WIL), Genre and NA (Needs Analysis) theories. The investigation found that there is a deficiency of expertise as far as pedagogy is concerned among police trainers. Furthermore, the study revealed that the absence of tertiary qualifications contributes to the problem. Language teaching in the SAPS training colleges is found not to be given adequate emphasis. Lastly, the over-domination of physical training over academic teaching was also a challenge. This investigation underscores the crucial aspect of reflective research as a source of information.

Health services satisfaction and medical exclusion among migrant youths in Gauteng Province of South Africa: A cross-sectional analysis of the GCRO survey (2017-2018).

Medical xenophobia of migrant (either in-migrants or immigrants) youths is an ongoing problem in contemporary South African society. Medical mistreatment by healthcare workers and social phobia from migrant youths have been attributed to major obstacles to healthcare utilization as well as health services satisfaction. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors contributing to health services satisfaction and medical exclusion among migrant youths in Gauteng province in South Africa. The Round 5 Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) Quality of Life (QoL) survey was conducted in 2017‒2018, a nationally representative survey piloted every two years in South Africa, was utilized in this study. A 2-year cohort study of 24,889 respondents aged 18 to 29 and a baseline data consisted of 4,872 respondents, comprising non-migrants, in-migrants and immigrants, from where 2,162 in-migrants and immigrants were utilized as the sample size. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square analysis and logistic regression. A total of 2,162 migrants, comprising 35.4% in-migrants and 9.0% of immigrants, from the 4,872 respondents, were included in the analysis. The prevalence of medical exclusion of in-migrant and immigrant youths were 5.5% and 4.2%, and the majority of them reported the use of public health facilities (in-migrants ‒ 84.3% vs. immigrants ‒ 87.1%). At the bivariate level, demographic (age, sex, and population group), economic (employed and any income) and health-related (no medical aid and household member with mental health) factors were significantly associated with medical exclusion (ρ≤0.05). The adjusted odds ratio showed that only female gender (AOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.678, 1.705), no medical aid cover (AOR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.450, 3.362), and neither (AOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 0.606, 4.174) or dissatisfied (AOR: 4.29, 95% CI: 2.528, 7.270) were independent predictors of medical exclusion. Having no medical aid cover, being a female and dissatisfied, or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with health services significantly increased the odds of medical exclusion among migrant youths. To increase healthcare utilization and ensuring adequate medical care of migrant youths, opting for medical aid insurance without increasing costs should be guaranteed. Therefore, there should be no consequences for lack of residence status or correct documentation papers when accessing healthcare services among migrant youths in South Africa.

Optimising supply chain effectiveness among state-owned enterprises in South Africa

Background: State-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in the economies of many developed and developing countries. However, most SOEs fail to provide efficient or effective public service delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate how SOEs in Gauteng province in South Africa can enhance supply chain effectiveness (SCE).Objectives: In the study, the relationships are investigated between total quality management (TQM), competitive advantage (CA), innovation (IN), SCE in the selected South African SOEs in Gauteng province.Method: A quantitative design was adopted in which a survey questionnaire was administered to 863 supply chain practitioners working in SOEs in South Africa Gauteng province. Data were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 27.0) and SMART PLS (version 3.0).Results: The results of the study showed that knowledge management and CA predict the establishment of SCE in SOEs in the Gauteng province. However, IN was not supported but is of significance towards achieving SCE in SOEs in the Gauteng province.Conclusion: The adoption of CA by SOEs over industry competitors is essential toward success.Contribution: The results of this study will contribute to the improvement of South Africa’s economy by enabling SOEs to establish a competitive edge in their respective industries.

Pedological factors as drivers of archaeal and fungal communities in maize rhizosphere: a shotgun metagenomic sequencing approach

South Africa is a semi-arid country in need of soil conservation methods for sustainable agroecosystem practices. Over time, researchers have worked extensively on the plant growth beneficial effects of fungi. However, archaeal groups in the soil and rhizosphere of different plants are under-studied. The impact of soil edaphic factors on the community structure of archaeal and fungal groups in the maize rhizosphere is the focus of this research. This will confirm the hypothesis that environmental factors have a significant impact on the plant–soil rhizobiome. To achieve this objective, a shotgun metagenomics approach was used to analyze maize rhizosphere and bulk soils collected from North West and Gauteng provinces of South Africa. Our findings revealed that both the maize rhizosphere and bulk soils have several archaeal and fungal phyla in common. Besides, Ascomycota (30‒51%), Thaumarchaeota (14‒26%), Euryarchaeota (19‒29%), and Crenarchaeota (8‒12%) have significantly dominated the maize rhizosphere and surrounding bulk soils. In comparison, genera such as Nitrosopumilus (Ls-18.32%, Lc-16.25%; Rs-15.45%, Rc-11.47%), Candidatus Nitrososphaera (Ls-15.29%, Lc-13.37%; Rs-10.53%, Rc-8.29%), Cenarchaeum (Ls-8.84%, Lc-8.16%; Rs-7.63%, Rc-5.38%), Chaetomium (Ls-25.15%, Lc-23.05%; Rs-14.83%, Rc-6.29%), and Neurospora (Ls-2.09%, Lc-1.95%; Rs-1.05%, Rc-0.99%) were significantly higher in maize rhizosphere soils compared to bulk soils (p < 0.05). Diversity indices showed that the archaeal and fungal composition were significantly different across samples with the presence of unclassified groups that could indicate the possibility of novel organisms in the sampling areas. The forward selection of soil edaphic factors predicted N–NH4, pH, and organic matter as the major contributing factors to the variation in the fungal and archaeal communities. To fully exploit the advantages possessed by these species, it is necessary to better understand the main environmental factors driving microbial assemblages of the soil microbiome. In addition, mapping out a culture-based method to unveil the unclassified groups could assist in the discovery of biotechnologically important archaeal and fungal groups for sustainable plant growth.

Key innovation abilities on capability and the performance of women entrepreneurs: the role of entrepreneurial education and proactive personality

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to ascertain the influence of innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed on the performance of women entrepreneurs in South African small and medium enterprises and their capacity for innovation. The study also examined how proactive personality and entrepreneurial education moderate the relationship between innovative capability and women entrepreneurs' performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quantitative research design and administered a questionnaire to collect data from participants. Since there was no sampling frame available, purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling technique, was used to select suitable respondents who were identified as entrepreneurial women. Data were collected from 304 women entrepreneurs in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data were analyzed using smart partial least squares.FindingsThe findings demonstrated that innovation conviction, innovation mindset and innovation creed have a positive impact on innovation capability. It was also discovered that innovation capability, proactive personality and entrepreneurial education all positively and significantly impact women entrepreneurs' performance. Furthermore, the results showed that entrepreneurial education and proactive personality had a positive and significant moderating effect on the nexus between innovation capability and the performance of women entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThis study will add to the body of knowledge on women's small business management and entrepreneurship in Africa, two topics that are typically ignored by academics in developing nations.

Prevalence of colistin resistance and antibacterial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli from chickens: An assessment of the impact of regulatory intervention in South Africa.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem largely due to the overuse of antimicrobials. In recognition of this, the World Health Assembly in 2015 agreed on a global action plan to tackle AMR. Following the global emergence of the mcr-1-associated colistin resistance gene in the livestock industry in 2016, several countries including South Africa restricted the veterinary use of colistin as the gene threatens the clinical utility of the drug. This study is a follow-up to the restriction in place in order to evaluate the impact of such policy adoption. To assess the prevalence of antibacterial resistance (ABR), and the mcr-1 colistin resistance gene in broiler chicken over a 2-year period, as a follow-up to the veterinary ban on colistin use in South Africa. A total of 520 swab samples were obtained during 2019 (March-April) and 2020 (February-March), from healthy broiler chicken carcasses (n=20) and chicken droppings in transport crates (n=20) at various poultry abattoirs (N=7) in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Escherichia coli organisms were isolated and subjected to a panel of 24 antibacterials using the MicroScan machine. Screening for mcr-1 colistin resistance gene was undertaken using PCR. Four hundred and thirty-eight (438) E. coli strains were recovered and none demonstrated phenotypic resistance towards colistin, amikacin, carbapenems, tigecycline and piperacillin/tazobactam. The mcr-1 gene was not detected in any of the isolates tested. Resistances to the aminoglycosides (0%-9.8%) and fluoroquinolones (0%-18.9%) were generally low. Resistances to ampicillin (32%-39.3%) and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (30.6%-3.6%) were fairly high. A significant (p<0.05) increase in cephalosporins and cephamycin resistance was noted in the year 2020 (February-March) when compared with the year 2019 (March-April). The absence of mcr-1 gene and colistin resistance suggests that mitigation strategies adopted were effective and clearly demonstrated the significance of regulatory interventions in reducing resistance to critical drugs. Despite the drawback in regulatory framework such as free farmers access to antimicrobials OTC and a dual registration system in place, there is a general decline in the prevalence of ABR when the present data are compared with the last national veterinary surveillance on AMR (SANVAD 2007). To further drive resistance down, mitigation strategies should focus on strengthening regulatory framework, the withdrawal of OTC dispensing of antimicrobials, capping volumes of antimicrobials, banning growth promoters and investing on routine surveillance/monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial consumption.

Evaluation of Indoor Radon Activity Concentrations and Controls in Dwellings Surrounding the Gold Mine Tailings in Gauteng Province of South Africa.

Radon in dwellings is recognized as the primary source of natural radiation exposure to members of the public. In the West Rand District and Soweto in the Gauteng Province (South Africa), indoor radon (222Rn) mapping was carried out to assess the exposure levels of radon in dwellings around gold and uranium mining tailings dams. This study was conducted predominately during warm and cold seasons, using the solid-state nuclear track detectors. In summer months, the indoor radon levels measured in all areas ranged from below the lower limit of detection to 71 Bq/m3, with a mean value of 29 Bq/m3, whereas in winter, the levels ranged between 11 and 124 Bq/m3, with a mean value of 46 Bq/m3. Higher indoor radon levels are found in colder months (winter season) than warmer months (summer season). However, no dwellings with indoor radon levels that exceed the WHO (2009) recommended reference level of 100 Bq/m3 were found, except for one that was constructed directly on soil mixed with tailings material. It is recommended that residents should keep their indoor radon levels low through continuous ventilation so as to minimize the buildup of radon and the likelihood of increased health hazards associated with radon exposure.

Resistome, mobilome, virulome analysis and phylogenomics of Enterococcus faecalis isolated from raw muscle foods of beef origin in Gauteng, South Africa

Enterococcus faecalis is a ubiquitous bacterium found in various environments, including processed beef meat, and is known for its importance in both food safety and public health. This pivotal significance stems not solely from its virulence but also from its adeptness in eliciting multidrug-resistant infections in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the population structure, resistome, mobilome, and virulome of E. faecalis obtained from processed beef meat sources in South Africa. A total of eight genomes sequenced in this study were examined, alongside 78 publicly available, high-quality genomes of E. faecalis, with a comprehensive analysis conducted to identify antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants, virulence factors, and mobile genetic elements (MGE). Six distinct sequence types (STs) (ST79, ST860, ST40, ST238, ST21, and ST700) and 41 core virulence factors were found across all the genomes. The virulence factors included genes encoding adherence (ace, asa1, Ef0485, ebpA, ebpB, ebpC, srtC); exoenzyme (Ef3023, Ef0818, gelE, sprE); immunomodulation (cpsA, cpsB, cpsC, cpsD, cpsE, cpsF, cpsG, cpsH, cpsI, cpsK), and biofilm formation (bopD, fsrA, fsrB, fsrC). In addition, AMR genes were identified across all genomes, which include aminoglycoside resistance (ant(6)-Ia), trimethoprim resistance (dfrA), drug and biocide resistance (efrA and efrB), multidrug efflux pump (emeA), clindamycin quinupristin-dalfopristin, dalfopristin resistance (lsaA), and tetracycline resistance (tetM). The genomes of E. faecalis sequenced here contained a variety of MGEs, including Insertion Sequences (ISs), transposons, prophages, and plasmids, which may have facilitated genetic exchange within and between these species. The results highlight that beef meat products act as a reservoir for virulent E. faecalis strains possessing antibiotic-resistance traits. This study provides insight into the genomic characteristics, antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, and genetic mobile elements associated with eight E. faecalis isolates from processed beef meat in the Gauteng province of South Africa.

Disparity in organ distribution in Gauteng province in South Africa: Challenges and solutions.

Despite South Africa's rich heritage as pioneers in organ transplantation, access to organs remains a major issue in the Gauteng province. This is secondary to an array of socioeconomic and political factors that have implications for organ distribution. Our aim was to assess the contribution of the public sector to solid organ transplantation in Gauteng province and compare the distribution of solid organs between the recipient groups. This was a retrospective registry review of consented brain-dead donors from the public sector within Gauteng from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2021, coordinated at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, a tertiary academic hospital. Records of 49 deceased donors were analyzed. Mean donor age was 31.5 years with the age group 30-39 years constituting the majority of deceased donors at 15/49 (30.6%); 10/49 (16%) were from pediatric donors. There was a significant discrepancy in allocation between public and private sector in cardiac (p = .012) and liver allocation (p < .001) and adult and pediatric recipients for all solid organs (p < .001). There was a significant increase in the rate and number (p = .0026) of pediatric kidney transplants occurring after March 1, 2020, when there was a transition to a public sector-mandated kidney transplant waitlist. Current disparities in organ distribution have a significant impact on public sector recipients, especially pediatric patients. This is likely secondary to paucity of legislation and resource limitations which would benefit from improved governmental policies and explicit pediatric prioritization policies in transplant units.

IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS AMONG LEARNERS IN CLASSROOMS BY TEACHERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS SOUTH AFRICA

The study explored the identification of problematic behaviors of learners in the classroom by teachers in Midrand in the Gauteng province of South Africa. This study was informed by Bandura’s Social Cognitive theory. The multiple case study design was chosen for this study. The participants comprised fifteen teachers (15) who teach grade four in the three public primary schools in Midrand. This study employed semi-structured interviews for data collection. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the qualitative data.  The results of the study indicated that teachers identified the problem behaviors by observing learners in and out of class, observing disruptive behaviors, observing uncooperative learners, observing disobedience behaviors, and assessing learning difficulties. The study recommends that Life orientation teachers should teach learners to be aware of the practical skills that are required in times of crisis, when they are experiencing emotional stress, instead of acting out by displaying problem behavior.

A qualitative exploration of the drivers for the transfer of foster children in Gauteng, South Africa

BackgroundMany children in South Africa are orphaned or subjected to maltreatment, leaving them in need of care and protection. Foster care is one form of alternative care for such children. Retention of foster parents, or foster care placement stability, is one of the many challenges related to foster care, globally and in South Africa. This instability can have an adverse impact on children, and although some research speaks to the problem, the experiences of South African role players regarding this problem have not been documented, to date. To improve foster care retention in South Africa, local, contextualized studies exploring the drivers of foster care placement instability are required. AimThe aim of this qualitative study was thus to explore designated social workers' (DSWs) and foster parents' experiences about the reasons prompting foster care transfers. Participants and settingA purposively selected sample of ten foster parents and ten DSWs in the Gauteng province of South Africa took part in the study. MethodsA descriptive qualitative study was adopted as basis for this study, which entailed thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews. ResultsIt was found that children's behavioural problems, a shortage of resources, a lack of parenting skills, problematic relationships between foster parents and foster children, and previous traumatic events, led to most foster care transfers. A key finding from this study, which appears not to be evident in previous studies, centres on the critical role played by money, or rather its absence, in contributing to foster care placement instability. ConclusionsWhen considered in conjunction with findings emerging from previous studies, our findings underscore the importance of obtaining a contextualized understanding of local, cultural factors at play in foster care delivery. To improve foster care retention in South Africa, which is fraught with challenges not yet reported elsewhere, it is recommended that screening procedures for foster parents be revised, and that allocation of resources to DSWs be prioritized.

Detection of SPV2 and SPCSV and their possible influence on the yield in multiple virus infections

AbstractThe prevalence of Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2) and Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng provinces of South Africa was determined using serological and nucleic acid based methods. Cloning and sequencing part of the coat protein (CP) gene and the complete genome using next generation sequencing (NGS) were also conducted to characterize and determine the sequence variability in SPV2 isolates. Primers designed in the current study successfully detected and confirmed the prevalence of SPV2 in the three provinces surveyed. The pairwise comparison of the amino acid (aa) sequences encoding the CP gene region confirmed that isolates in this study are related to SPV2, sharing a 94% to 99% CP aa identity with those originally reported in South Africa. The East African (EA) strain of SPCSV was also detected in the three provinces surveyed. Phylogenetic analysis using part of the CP encoding nucleotide (nt) sequences showed that the South African isolates correspond to but are distinct from the other EA strains of SPCSV used as reference sequences. Assessment of varieties and breeding lines’ response to multiple infection of potyviruses identified variety NC1560, breeding lines 2002‐21‐1 and 2006‐5‐4 as promising for inclusion in future breeding programs as sources of parent material for virus tolerance.

Succession Planning: Perceptions of South African Family-Owned Small Enterprises

ABSTRACT This research investigated the perceptions of family-owned small enterprises on the reasons of the absence of written succession plans, and the implications of the proposed successful succession framework. Quantitative research was used, and the study is descriptive and explanatory in nature. Family-owned small enterprises based in the Gauteng province of South Africa were the population of this study. The unit of analysis was thus the owners/founders and managers of the enterprises. A total of 257 valid questionnaires were returned from the sampled 384 family-owned small businesses, yielding a response rate of 66%. The results showed that family-owned small enterprises appreciate the importance of succession planning, however, they do not regard it as an urgent undertaking. They believe that succession planning is only about successor selection. The results also divulged that the lack of written succession plans is influenced by several reasons, namely, the entrepreneur never thought of succession planning, family members are not interested in taking over the business, the business is still small, and the children are still young. In response to the findings, the research proposes a successful succession planning framework and its implications to assist small family-owned enterprises to plan for succession.