Government In South Africa Research Articles

Modelling the impact of vaccination on COVID-19 in African countries.

The rapid development of vaccines to combat the spread of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a great scientific achievement. Before the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, most studies capitalized on the available data that did not include pharmaceutical measures. Such studies focused on the impact of non-pharmaceutical measures such as social distancing, sanitation, use of face masks, and lockdowns to study the spread of COVID-19. In this study, we used the SIDARTHE-V model, an extension of the SIDARTHE model, which includes vaccination rollouts. We studied the impact of vaccination on the severity of the virus, specifically focusing on death rates, in African countries. The SIRDATHE-V model parameters were extracted by simultaneously fitting the COVID-19 cumulative data of deaths, recoveries, active cases, and full vaccinations reported by the governments of Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia. Using South Africa as a case study, our analysis showed that the cumulative death rates declined drastically with the increased extent of vaccination drives. Whilst the infection rates sometimes increased with the arrival of new coronavirus variants, the death rates did not increase as they did before vaccination.

Advancing gender equality through context-sensitive work-family support for breastfeeding: lessons from a participatory intervention in South Africa

ABSTRACT The return to work is a key reason for breastfeeding cessation worldwide. Where workplace breastfeeding support is available, it is shaped by universal policies that overlook local realities and needs. Our collaborative research, involving an academic team and government partners, sought context-specific solutions for supporting breastfeeding in a provincial government in South Africa. Using a participatory approach, we conducted qualitative interviews with 12 government-employed mothers and senior managers. We identified three key challenges to workplace breastfeeding support: (1) Lack of awareness and communicating of reliable information on maternity and breastfeeding rights, (2) Workplace cultures pressurising mothers into silence, secrecy, and supra-performance that perpetuate breastfeeding as ‘taboo’ at work, and (3) Inadequate context-sensitive and practicable interventions for supporting maternity and breastfeeding at work. Based on these findings, we co-created tailored, practical interventions with the interviewees and refined them iteratively to enhance support for workplace breastfeeding. This research informed updates to a provincial government department policy document on workplace breastfeeding support, moving beyond national legislation to create a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Our study highlights the value of participatory approaches for the development of context-sensitive solutions for workplace breastfeeding support with implications for organizations, social policy, and future research.

Municipal Performance and the Utilisation of the King IV Governance Report in South African Municipalities

Since 1994, South Africa has made progress in consolidating its democracy. However, in post-apartheid constitutional democracy, there has been growing concern about the government’s incapacity to render public services to its constituencies. In 2002, the King II report on corporate governance in South Africa was issued with the intention of “promoting the highest standards of corporate governance in South Africa.” The characteristics of corporate governance in the report included transparency, discipline, accountability, independence, fairness, responsibility, and social responsibility while the King IV report was underpinned by 17 principles. Based on these King codes and concerns, the study intends to examine whether the King IV report governance outcomes of 2016 can be used for the benefit of South African municipalities. To realise this objective, the study employed a qualitative research approach in the form of document reviews. Theoretically, the study is underpinned by the elements of the King IV report. The reason for adopting the King IV report is because it is the first code that is outcomes-based and allows the municipalities to see benefits if implemented accurately. The study reveals that there is persistent poor service delivery caused by unethical practices and poor governance in South African municipalities. The study proposes that South African municipalities should embrace the corporate governance principles outlined in the King IV report to mitigate risks such as corruption through the implementation of effective control measures, reduce political interference by ensuring the presence of balanced check mechanisms, and uphold legitimacy by adhering to government policies and laws.

Sand mining governance in post-apartheid South Africa: Interlegalities of resource extraction on the Wild Coast

This viewpoint explores the challenge of the intersection of demand for sand, concerns over its exploitation and its governance in South Africa. Mainly drawing on secondary literature review and direct observations, we highlight the irony of the concern about the environmental cost of sand mining, in the midst of poor sand mining governance. The viewpoint argues that the problem in the Wild Coast is the multiple jurisdictions of sand mining governance, ranging from national, provincial and local government legislation, policies and practices, that combine and create confusion. We call for stronger governance locally, and at other scales, including opening up legal mining opportunities, especially in light of current unauthorized sand mining taking place.

Chieftaincy and Kingship in Africa: How Lessons from the Government in South Africa Can Address Ghana’s Maladroitness in Inter-Ethnic Relations

Although the Authority of chiefs was undone by colonial rule in Ghana, traditional rulers have served as important adjuncts in the administration of post-colonial governments in Africa. This paper examines the evolution of chieftaincy, particularly as an agent of administration, with particular reference to the Ghanaian and South African experiences. Indeed, post-colonial Ghanaian and South African governments have all come to rely on traditional rulers to aid in development activities. Historical tensions related to chieftaincy conflicts in South Africa led to government intervention post-Apartheid to address colonial injustices. Ghana can learn from this approach to resolve disputes, especially among the Konkombas and Dagombas in its Northern Region. As such, the paper concludes that the administration of justice by the Government, coupled with positive institutional political interference, will bring trust and an end to the banner of traditional conflicts through resolution mechanisms.

Towards Sustainable Solutions to South Africa’s Energy Crisis: Lessons from South Korea for the Gas-to-Power Programme

This article discusses the Gas-to-Power programme in Korea as a case study for South Africa's attempts to develop Gas-to-Power alternative energy technology. A programme that the government believes could address the nation's present energy crisis. South Africa's government has made the development of clean and alternative energy sources a high priority in order to overcome the current energy crisis. This is due to the tremendous increase in global energy use, especially in emerging nations. This essay utilises a qualitative research methodology and secondary data as a result. The report stated that South Africa must take the following steps to bolster its efforts: implementing executable rules and regulations and developing a clear and legitimate demand for the LNG2P energy technology.

A systemic analysis of participatory land and water governance in the Tsitsa River Catchment, South Africa

AbstractEffective governance of complex social‐ecological systems requires diverse stakeholders to be engaged in meaningful participatory processes. Meaningful participation must be intelligible and significant to local actors and coherent within a broader, multilevel governance system. This study explores the complexities of participatory land and water governance in South Africa's Tsitsa River Catchment. Embedded within a transdisciplinary landscape restoration project (the Tsitsa Project), this study combines a diagram‐based analysis of local actor mental models with a narrative‐based analysis of participant observation data. Challenges, opportunities, and general principles are identified. Limited accessibility, resource constraints, and the legacy of centralised governance impede participation. The research identifies the critical role of local actors, particularly those with deep community ties, in driving inclusive processes. Building trust through face‐to‐face interactions and culturally appropriate communication strategies also emerged as vital elements for success. This research can inform participatory projects and interventions in rural and developing world contexts.

The Usability of e-Government as a Mechanism to Enhance Public Service Delivery in the South African Government

In the digital age, the electronic government has emerged as a transformative mechanism for ameliorating service delivery, promoting transparency, and promoting citizen participation. South Africa is rich in diversity and evolving in its socio-economic landscape, and it encounters unique difficulties in providing services to the society. The difficulties in service delivery are an important difficulty for the Government of South Africa because this problem spreads from local to national governments. Consequently, these often lead to countless issues, including protests concerning service delivery that usually result in property losses. Therefore, the introduction of e-government serves as a tool to foster efficient and effective service delivery. The purpose of this paper was to identify current barriers, successes, and areas for amelioration in the execution of digital government in South Africa. Therefore, the main focus was on the use of electronic government as a tool to ameliorate service delivery in South Africa. This paper identified the several current difficulties and successes of digital government practices across South Africa to seek preventive and corrective measures to ensure that the usage of e-government can be efficient and effective in delivering public services. The researcher employed a qualitative methodology and relied heavily on secondary data to generate a rich grasp and knowledge of the lessons learned from e-government practices in South Africa. The outcomes of this paper indicated that South Africa has made significant progress in implementing digital government initiatives. Although successful digital government initiatives are being implemented in South Africa, problems such as digital divisions, ICT personnel shortages, limited digital literacy, resistance to technological innovation and infrastructure limitations continue to exist. If these barriers and difficulties are not addressed adequately, the future of the South African digital government is at risk, and the implementation of electronic government initiatives to foster effective service delivery will be a mere dream.

The Role of Communication in Nation-Building: A Theoretical Framework for South African National Unity

Communication plays a crucial role in the formation of a nation and its identity. It is apparent that the government of South Africa has previously started nation-building initiatives, but it is unclear how much the public is involved in the design and implementation of these campaigns. In this study, the contemporary literature on communication in the context of nation-building was critically engaged to clarify the role that communication plays in nation-building. The study concludes that the two-way symmetrical model is the best as it emphasises honest information exchanges between the public and the government through interactive communication. In order to effectively communicate with both internal and external target audiences and advance the agenda for nation-building, the South African government should employ communication techniques that will create and maintain enduring relationships with the public based on mutual trust by implementing participatory communication approaches to nation-building.

Enterprise risk management, corporate governance and insurers risk-taking behaviour in South Africa: evidence from a linear and threshold analysis

PurposeThis study examines the linear and non-linear effects of enterprise risk management (ERM) and corporate governance (CG) on insurers’ risk-taking behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed panel data of 63 insurers from South Africa over the period 2015 and 2019. The study used the generalised method of moments (GMM) to determine the direct relationship, while the dynamic panel threshold technique was utilised to discover whether there is non-linearity in the relationship and the threshold level at which ERM and CG stimulate insurance risk-taking.FindingsThe result from the GMM elicits a positive relationship between ERM and risk-taking, implying that insurers with a robust ERM system are more likely to pursue higher risks. The empirical evidence also suggests that board size and board independence improve insurers’ risk-taking. Contrarily, gender diversity shows an inverse relationship with risk-taking. The dynamic panel threshold regression confirms non-linearities between ERM, CG and risk-taking. The empirical evidence indicates a U-shaped relationship between ERM and risk-taking, implying that a robust ERM system increases insurers’ risk-taking and vice-versa. Further, board size and independence reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship, suggesting that larger boards and a higher proportion of independent directors exhibit lower risk-taking. However, gender diversity presents a negative relationship, demonstrating a strong impact at higher threshold levels. This tells that the presence of females on the board reduces insurers’ risk-taking preferences.Practical implicationsDue to the risk-bearing nature of the insurance business, it is required that they ensure a robust ERM system for prudent risk-taking decisions. This demands strict adherence to ERM principles and allocating sufficient resources for effective implementation. Also, there is a need for strong CG structures that pay more attention to diversity when selecting board members due to their influence in ensuring improved risk-taking choices.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the under-researched role of ERM and CG in insurers’ risk-taking behaviour. The study further extends the literature by providing evidence on the non-linearity and threshold levels at which ERM and CG influence insurers’ risk-taking choices. The findings are unique and contribute to the growing body of literature documenting the need for strong ERM and CG systems in insurance companies.

Financing Local Governments in South Africa

The intergovernmental fiscal architecture for local governments in South Africa is a product of the negotiations in the late 1990ties to end apartheid, a thorough consideration at the time of what funding system for local government would serve a democratic South Africa the best, and the many developments that the system has undergone since its inception around the turn of the century. The architecture reflects South Africa’s integrated system of multilevel government. The national government has a virtual monopoly on all taxes, and provinces almost rely almost entirely on transfers. Municipalities fund their budgets with own revenue, complemented by an equitable share of national revenue and conditional grants. This contribution sets out the considerations that influenced the system of financing local government, designed to usher in democracy at local level. It then examines the framework for own revenue generation by municipalities as well as the system for determining intergovernmental transfers. It considers practical challenges with the implementation of this framework, the extent to which the assumptions that underpin the architecture are still valid, and the system’s capacity to respond to changing circumstances.

An Analysis of the Role of the Public Protector in Fostering a Democratic System of Government in South Africa

An Analysis of the Role of the Public Protector in Fostering a Democratic System of Government in South Africa

Examining the Political Influences on School Governance in South Africa: A Case Study of the Zululand District

This research examines the impact of political party affiliations and interference on school management in the Zululand District of South Africa. Using an interpretive research approach and qualitative methods, including an extensive review of existing literature and data collection through interviews, the study conducts semi-structured interviews with 21 individuals from three public primary schools. It also explores the influence of political factors on School Governing Bodies (SGBs), including their involvement in party politics and the challenges they face in enhancing their capacities. The findings confirm significant political interference in school governance, particularly in rural areas where political affiliations influence decision-making. SGBs often align themselves with political parties, leading to governance inefficiencies and conflicts among parent governors. Through the lens of participatory democratic theory, the study reveals governance capture in rural schools, with discriminatory practices and corruption arising as consequences of political intervention. The recommendations call for empowering SGBs to navigate political pressures through policy reforms, ensuring autonomy for parent governors, and reassessing the permissible extent of political influence within the governance framework. Additionally, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is urged to address socioeconomic factors exacerbating corruption and to uphold integrity within school governance structures. By addressing the influence of politics and enhancing transparency, the DBE can cultivate a more equitable and effective educational environment for rural South African students.

An Investigation on The Extent of Usage and Challenges Faced by Tourism SMEs Concerning E-Marketing: Empowering Co-creation of Value

Due to advancements in technology and digital connectivity, travel patterns have changed. Technological developments have increased the amount of information and inspiration available to consumers, and big data analytics allows for the creation of innovative insights. When it comes to implementing cutting-edge technologies, small businesses typically lag behind larger ones. In light of the above, this study aims to examine the extent of usage and challenges SMEs face concerning e-marketing. SMEs in the tourism sector have demonstrated that they are drivers of economic growth through the development of entrepreneurial skills and job creation. In this study, data was qualitatively collected from 14 SME service providers, through a purposive sampling method. The findings revealed that SMEs struggle with the adoption of e-marketing. Moreover, the findings revealed that SMEs are also faced with the challenge of easy access to funding, this was found to affect their flexibility towards digital transformation. Lastly, this study found that SMEs are faced with the challenge of lack of expertise to implement digital transformations. This study concludes that, although in South Africa government funding provided to SMEs through grants plays a critical role, it is still not enough. The government can further their SME development initiatives through public sector and private sector partnerships. By increasing SMEs access to funding, joint SME development programs offer a substantial chance to promote entrepreneurship in South Africa.

Analysis of the sustained poor audit outcomes in Mopani District Municipality

Background: Financial management and accuracy and consistency in reporting remain critical cogs of good governance in South Africa and beyond. The Auditor-General (AG) South Africa, being one of the constitutional instruments responsible for monitoring the consistent application of municipal finance frameworks, has revealed that despite sustained poor audit outcomes in municipal governments, there has been constant disregard for its positive proposals and recommendations for improvement.Aim: This study aimed to analyse factors contributing to sustained poor audit outcomes in Mopani District Municipality (MDM) based in Limpopo province.Methods: This study conducted a qualitative inquiry whereby data were collected from senior officials and documentary analysis of the Auditor-General’s statements was conducted to establish contributing factors to sustained poor audits in MDM.Results: The results revealed numerous factors, chief of which are ineffective political leadership, weak internal audit systems and silo mentalities in municipalities in the district, which affect the financial performance of the district municipality.Conclusion: Mopani District Municipality has not received a clean or improved audit opinion since 2016, and this has led to less commitment in taking collective action to address the Auditor-General’s concerns.Contribution: The study ends by recommending practical steps to improve audit outcomes and financial governance, which are to build a strong internal audit system and design a district calendar for financial reporting to help the district municipality make timeous submissions of credible financial information during an audit.

The effects of electricity load-shedding on the performance of small and medium enterprises in Pretoria, South Africa: A case study of Marabastad Business Community

South Africa has been experiencing electricity load shedding for over sixteen years and this has affected the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country, with devastating effects recorded in the post-Covid-19 era. SMEs are key drivers of the economy and their performance has a great influence on it, as they contribute 36% of gross domestic product (GDP). This case study of the problem used the qualitative research method, with data collected through interviews. This study established that, in the area studied, there is a decline in the performance of the entrepreneurs and working hours have been drastically reduced due to load-shedding. Proposals are made of measures that the SME implementers and the government of South Africa can take in order to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.

Interventions at the Local Spheres of Government in South Africa: An Assessment of Monitoring and Evaluation

The post-1994 landscape in South Africa presented millions of individuals—especially the majority Black population who had been subjected to many apartheid policies—with renewed hope for better and improved development opportunities. This stemmed from the fact that the first democratically elected administration of the African National Congress (ANC) promised immense socioeconomic change when they assumed office. These promises became evident from the many socioeconomic policies and Chapter 9 institutions that came to the fore over the last two decades, as well as the mapping of new legislation and policies for local government as enshrined in the Constitution of 1996. These actions were viewed to further the envisioned development trajectories of government, especially as the local government is the government closest to the people. However, post-1994, some municipalities in South Africa have endured massive challenges that have needed numerous involvements from the government through various interventions. This has been a continuous phenomenon, irrespective of the many policies at play to oversee the smooth operation of municipalities. This article delves into the failure of some municipalities in South Africa and interventions of local government in post-apartheid South Africa by scrutinising what drives this phenomenon. Furthermore, it dwells on the impact and challenges of effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) policies at the local government level.

The mine, the community, and the chief–mining governance and community representation in conditions of legal pluralism

The corporate oxymoron “mine-hosting communities” implies a mutually beneficial relationship between mining companies and surrounding communities. This belies that many communities resist mining activities and downplays the salience of representation and decision-making power in mine-affected communities. Much mining occurs on lands of traditional communities, where mining companies often treat chiefs as uncontested representatives with decision-making power regarding communal lands, ignoring customary law’s nested and layered nature. Anthropological studies show that positions of traditional authority are currently highly contested due to chiefs capturing the spoils of land commodification and extractive resources. Concentrating on South Africa, this article explores how increasing contestation of the representative power of traditional authorities – in communities, the legislature, and the courts – impacts mining governance and studies the emergence, functioning and downfall of an alternative form of representation of traditional communities. It demonstrates how the hybridity of representative structures and the interaction of statutory and customary laws and institutions result in a configuration of legal pluralism that enables actors to skirt obligations of both legal registers. With its analysis of mining governance in South Africa, this article underscores the importance of a critical understanding of the complex and constantly renegotiated configurations of legal and institutional pluralism.

Mind the gap: The fissure between aspirations and actions in climate change governance at a local government level: A study of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

AbstractIt is no longer a myth that climate change‐related disasters are on the rise globally, with severe and devastating consequences in developing countries, particularly in Sub‐Saharan Africa, where many of the world's poor people reside. Thus, the emphasis on adaptation to climate change is no longer a choice or a deferred problem into the future, but rather an urgent matter of concern which must be considered a policy priority. As a response to retrogressive climate change challenges on social‐economic development and environmental degradation, the government of South Africa has in the last two and half decades, embarked on the progressive formulation of different policy instruments and strategic frameworks to curb and minimize the impacts of climate change on all sub‐sectors of the economy. Although much remains to be achieved, some level of success has been realized, particularly in the space of policy formulation, albeit the poor record of implementation. Using research methods inspired by the tradition of qualitative research and an appraisal of existing literature, this paper discusses the complexities of climate change adaptation governance at a local government level in South Africa, focusing on the Eastern Cape Province. It is argued in the paper that one of the major challenges for climate change governance at local municipality levels in South Africa emanates from the gap between aspirations and actions across the entire national governance system. The absence of an integrated climate change governance system has posed significant systemic challenges, and these have tended to constrain decision‐making and implementation processes. These issues have been discussed within the broader discourse of the sustainable development goals, particularly goals number 13, 16 and 17.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Municipal Planning and Management: A Pathway to Improve South African Service Delivery

In the years after 1994, the democratic government of South Africa worked to transfer and extend basic service provision to practically all sections of the country. The delivery of public services continues to be an embarrassment to humanity and the developmental state. Without proper basic services such as water, sanitation, power, infrastructure, health facilities, and housing, a large section of South Africa’s people would continue to live and die. As a result, society remains disenfranchized and exposed to socioeconomic shocks, contributing to the economy's decline and destruction. To support successful service delivery, the integration of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a shift from human-led operations to computerized operations is now recognized and required in municipal planning and management. The central purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of applying GIS as a crucial planning tool infused within integrated development planning in municipal planning and management. The current state of service delivery in existing municipal planning and management procedures, as well as the factors that influence it and the effect it has on society, will be examined. This conceptual study employs secondary data and follows a certain methodology. Using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodology, secondary data were examined. The results demonstrate that political influence and manipulation, a lack of openness and accountability, insufficient citizen participation, a lack of personnel capability, and poor planning, monitoring, and evaluation contribute to poor public service delivery in South Africa. Furthermore, the findings indicate that GIS functions as a tool for visualization and collation of spatial information, map production, and data capturing and storage in local municipalities with the aim of enhancing public service delivery.