Nelson Mandela Research Articles

Survival rate of diabetic-related lower extremity amputees in hospitals in the Eastern Cape

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health concern that has greatly affected South Africa. The gap in the current management of DM has resulted in complications such as lower extremity amputations (LEAs) and death. Eastern Cape province reflects this struggle, with disparities in access to healthcare and poor health outcomes. Understanding survival rates and associated factors between the urban Livingstone Hospital and the rural Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital can improve health interventions and outcomes.Objectives: This study compared the survival rate of patients in urban areas and those in rural areas.Method: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in an urban and a rural hospital by reviewing existing medical records of diabetic patients who underwent an LEA between 2016 and 2019.Results: The retrospective cohort study examined 439 diabetic-related LEA cases. This study found that residing in rural areas significantly decreased the risk of mortality by 62% compared with living in the urban areas. Factors such as haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other comorbidities and level of amputation significantly influenced survival probabilities.Conclusion: Survival analysis indicated a significant difference in the 3-year survival probabilities of the two groups, favouring rural residency (p = 0.001). The biggest cause for concern between the two regions was uncontrolled blood glucose levels as this resulted in high mortality rates.Contribution: Insights from this study have shown that introducing podiatry and orthotics at primary healthcare (PHC) could improve foot care and reduce diabetic-related LEAs and mortality.

Named after Nelson: Tracing the threads of graphic heritage in Gauteng, South Africa

Places named after prominent figures like Nelson Mandela symbolise their legacies and shared values, offering an opportunity to learn about their lives and impact on society. In this article, we explore the concept of "graphic heritage" - a term that extends beyond physical markers to include theoretical understandings that enhance our knowledge of and experience with these places. Employing a "constructionist" perspective, we view the meanings associated with these places as constructed through individual interpretations. Working alongside the Nelson Mandela Foundation, our research focuses on six locations named after Nelson Mandela in Gauteng, South Africa. These sites are part of the Nelson Mandela Foundation's mission to promote a just society by preserving Mandela's legacy and fostering dialogue on social issues. Using photographic documentation inspired by Zeisel's "Design by Inquiry" framework, we examine the dynamic interplay between graphic heritage, toponymy (the study of place names), and topophilia (the emotional bond between people and places). The narrative weaves through the historical contexts and temporal dimensions of these places, enriching our understanding of Mandela's extensive influence. It identifies thematic threads that link graphic heritage with place names and emotional connections to places, concluding that an in-depth study of graphic heritage illuminates what is present and absent, revealing the profound layers of storytelling in design.

Integrated development plan strategies for service delivery in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality

Background: Following the end of apartheid in 1994, the democratic government recognised the importance of local government as a key vehicle for service delivery.Aim: This article examined the effectiveness of the integrated development plan (IDP) strategies of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM) as a public service delivery tool.Setting: In South Africa, poor service delivery has remained a challenge. This has been attributed to the challenge of transparency and accountability. Thus, the lack of access to basic needs is more profound at the local government level. While urban centres have access to certain basic facilities, rural communities such as Walmer and Motherwell townships remain underdeveloped.Methods: The study used a qualitative research design for data collection and analysis. Thirty participants were purposively selected among municipal officials, ward councillors and community members for semi-structured interviews. Thematic data analysis was used for the analysis of data.Results: Despite the IDP’s well-structured strategic framework, various challenges, such as insufficient community participation, inadequate resource allocation and a lack of essential planning skills among officials hindered its effective implementation.Conclusion: The study concluded that for the IDP to achieve its aims, its implementation should be evidence-based and responsive to community needs. Effective service delivery requires a fundamental transformation in municipal leadership and public participation.Contribution: The article presents the challenge of public service delivery within the context of the IDP strategies in a specific municipality. It serves as a signpost for understanding the implementation of the IDP as a public service delivery strategy.

HiveLaw: Propelling the Nelson Mandela University Law Clinic into the Future: A Consideration of Technology's Integral Role in Modern Legal Service Delivery and the Consequences for Legal Education

HiveLaw: Propelling the Nelson Mandela University Law Clinic into the Future: A Consideration of Technology's Integral Role in Modern Legal Service Delivery and the Consequences for Legal Education

The factors influencing waste management for economic development—the perspective of Nelson Mandela bay municipality residents

The rapid increase in volume and variety of solid waste as a result of continuous economic growth, urbanization, and industrialization has become an intractable problem for the public and private sectors, making it difficult to ensure effective and sustainable waste management. The study sought to understand the perspective of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal residents on their perceived influence of municipal waste management on economic development. The study used a quantitative techniques approach, with a structured questionnaire. Data was collected from 255 respondents. The quantitative question aimed to determine if the influence was positive or negative, and the Likert scale question had a scale of 1 to 5. This research identified various types of waste, assessed challenges, and evaluated waste's potential for resource creation. The study concluded that municipal waste includes organic, paper, plastic, metal, glass, food, garden, hazardous, construction, demolition, and non-recyclable waste. Environmental pollution is a major challenge, and 26 factors positively influence waste to wealth. Waste to wealth can be achieved through social behavior, education/knowledge, MSWM governance, and economic feasibility for MSWM. The research also highlighted the importance of land attributes, budget allocation, trained personnel, and government regulations. The framework proposed aims to minimize urban poverty while preserving the environment and supporting the present urban economy. Urban communities can utilize solid waste management as a mechanism to foster economic development. The fundamental question is whether stakeholders will continue to ignore waste's potential demands and benefits for urban economic growth.

The Long Decline of South Africa's ANC

ABSTRACT: Three decades after the African National Congress (ANC) won 62.7 percent of the vote that propelled Nelson Mandela into the presidency in 1994, the ANC's vote share plummeted to 40.2 percent of the national vote in South Africa's 2024 general election (down from 57.5 percent five years previously,= and well below the 50 percent predicted by preelection polls). Against thirty years of pessimistic academic literature predicting the opposite, the ANC accepted electoral defeat. But this left the ANC in a strategic quandary. Had it reached the upper 40 percent range, easy coalitions with small parties would have passed the 50 percent threshold. But with only 40 percent, the party reached back into the early years of democracy and formed a government of national unity—a multiparty coalition that left the ANC's most significant political opponents out in the cold. ANC (and national) president Cyril Ramaphosa has sidelined Africanist parties and created a coalition with decidedly centrist parties. The "broad church" which has bedeviled the ANC is at an end. Multiparty coalition government has arrived in South Africa, but questions remain: Can ANC electoral decline be arrested by this sharp move towards the center? And what, if any, substantive role is there for the ANC in the future if not?

Characterization of population connectivity for enhanced cross-border surveillance of yellow fever at Mutukula and Namanga borders in Tanzania

IntroductionYellow fever (YF) remains a public health threat in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America with an estimated 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths annually. Although the World Health Organization considers Tanzania as low risk for YF because no YF cases have been reported, the country remains at alert to importation of the virus due to ecological factors and high connectivity to high-risk YF areas in other countries. PurposeThis study aimed to identify points of interest with connectivity to high-risk YF areas to guide preparedness efforts in Tanzania. MethodsUsing the Population Connectivity Across Borders toolkit, the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences) in collaboration with the Tanzania Ministry of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented 12 focus group discussions with participatory mapping in two high-risk borders of Mutukula and Namanga. ResultsParticipants identified 147 and 90 points of interest with connectivity to YF risk areas in Kenya and Uganda, respectively. The identified locations are important for trade, fishing, pastoralism, tourism, health-seeking, agriculture, mining, religious activities, education, and cross-border marriages. ConclusionThe Tanzania Ministry of Health used the results to update cross-border surveillance and risk communication strategies and vaccination guidelines to prevent the importation of YF into Tanzania.

Corporations and cities under distress: Organised business and ‘emergency’ governance in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa

Corporations and cities under distress: Organised business and ‘emergency’ governance in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa

Role of Language in the Mandela Strategy

The peaceful and non-violent transformation of an officially racist and discriminatory minority-governed society into a non-racist inclusive democracy is one of the remarkable events of the 20th century. A fundamental part of this transformation was Nelson Mandela’s strategy. This article will assess the role of language in the Mandela strategy.

Prisoner's Rights in Somalia Law and International Law: Comparative Analysis

The article, titled "Comparative Analysis of Prisoners' Rights in Somali Law and International Law," seeks to investigate the compatibility of Somalia's domestic legislation with prevailing global standards, treaties, and principles relating to the rights of prisoners. The research methodology utilized in this study is qualitative, with a specific focus on document analysis, the researcher considers this method is regarded more reliable than alternative methods due to its precise interpretation of legal content. Existing literature on Somalia's prison facilities reveals substandard living conditions that do not meet international benchmarks, encompassing issues such as inadequate food and water quality, poor sanitation, legal system uncertainties, and insufficient mechanisms for monitoring prison conditions; therefore, this study will address the gap in comparing prisoner rights at the national and international levels where such a comparison is currently lacking. Since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, numerous conventions aimed at protecting human rights, including those of prisoners, have been established at the international level. These include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1966, the Convention against Torture in 1987, the Kampala Declaration in 1996, and the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015. These conventions emphasize that prisoners possess inherent human dignity, deserve better living conditions, and have the right to education and employment. International mechanisms are in place to safeguard prisoners' rights, a commitment mirrored in Somalia's national laws. However, unlike international law, Somalia's national legislation does not strongly emphasize the prohibition of torture and the use of solitary confinement as a last resort for disciplinary measures.

The Relevance of the Gospel in Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Dialogue with Albert Nolan

Albert Nolan’s book, God in South Africa: The Challenge of the Gospel (first published in 1988), provides insights for both academic and general reading, making it an interesting book to read. Almost three decades have lapsed since the book was first published. Numerous Bible reading establishments (including theological institutions, seminaries and Bible colleges) have emerged, and new theological approaches to expounding biblical themes are coming to the fore. Post-apartheid South Africa has undergone various transformative phases, which the book did not address. A democratic dispensation was obtained in 1994, with Nelson Mandela becoming the first president to be elected by the majority of South African citizens. Post-apartheid South African societies have had high expectations at the dawn of this new dispensation. These expectations emerged from two fronts: (1) The praxis of justice and delivery of services by the ruling party and (2) the role of the Church and the function of the Gospel in developing and transforming societies. This study aimed to elucidate Albert Nolan’s book in detail and blend its contents with the lived realities obtained in the new dispensation in South Africa. The focus of the investigation was to set an agenda for the Church and the teaching of the Gospel to realign towards addressing socioeconomic particularities affecting the majority of South Africans daily. The study utilised Secondary Data Analysis (SDA) as a methodological approach.

The Public Understanding of Analytical Psychology.

In 1960, Jung lamented psychology's limited impact on global fate. Although Fordham tried to reassure him that Jungians were promoting his work, Jung was looking from the other end of the telescope, seeing the need to rescue humanity from its one-sidedness that would ultimately lead to nuclear conflict. Astronomical evidence, such as the Fermi paradox, echoes Jung's concerns about likely self-destruction. Rather than promoting Jungian ideas to interested groups, the imperative lies in identifying crucial messages for global survival and engaging the public in them. Science provides some useful lessons because its concerted efforts over centuries led to the gradual integration of scientific thinking into the public psyche. These lessons suggest that, to cross the border from the Jungian to wider public domain, compromises are necessary, such as simplifying messages and making engagement enchanting and practical. Analytical psychology's task goes beyond one individual, group, or even generation, and a debate is needed to begin to form a consensus on the way ahead. Some initial suggestions are made for adopting terminology the public can relate to, focusing on the transcendent function as the main vehicle to overcome one-sidedness and conflict, and using figures like Nelson Mandela to demonstrate practical application.

Mapping illegal dumping in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro: A study using image interpretation

Illegal dumping is challenging for municipalities to keep track of and clean. There is limited research on the quantity of illegal dumpsites within cities. Through a manual image interpretation technique, this study used aerial imagery to quantify all illegal dumpsites within Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, South Africa. All illegal dumps were marked out in 2015 and 2021 aeroplane aerial imagery at 50 cm and 25 cm GSD, respectively. The total coverage of land surveyed was 1331 km2, with an urban area of 308 km2. The number of illegal dumpsites increased from 4969 to 7800 (57% increase) between 2015 and 2021. The study also showed the quantity of waste within dumps increased, dumps were spatially clustered and close to urban areas and roads. The technique presented can easily be replicated in other cities to track and monitor illegal dumping.

Racism Learnt and Unlearnt

For centuries, Africans migrated to India in different phases resulting in a significant presence of the African diaspora in this country. The term “African diaspora” gained currency only in the mid-nineteenth century in connection with the study of the people of African origin dispersed all over the world. But in countries like India, the African presence dates as far back as the period of the Indian Ocean slave trade. Historically, India and Africa have shared cordial political and economic relations. Their shared history of anti-colonial struggle, the mutual reverence for political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, and India’s support for postapartheid South Africa might indicate the peaceful coexistence of Indians and Africans in present-day India. But the on the ground reality hits differently, as depicted in “The Shade of You” by Anushree Majumdar, published in Eleven Ways to Love: Essays by Penguin India. Majumdar thinks herself a modern and enlightened woman until she gets into a relationship with Bryan Ochieng, a Kenyan studying in Delhi. As she gradually explores her relationship with Bryan, she comes to know about different aspects of racism that the African diaspora faces in Delhi in a more intimate way. Getting mocked and ridiculed for dating a black man in the public space makes her critique the racist attitude of her fellow Delhiites. She realizes that Indians have deeply internalized the colonial legacy of racism and colorism. She understands that, since our very childhood, we embrace a culture informed by racist ideology unconsciously. Indians are satisfied with the tokenist acceptance of black culture by celebrating black footballers and pop artists, but they would never let African diasporic people come closer as family and friends. This mindset has sufficiently exoticized and otherized Africans in India. Her proximity to Bryan reveals to her how ignorant she has been about Bryan’s culture despite her love of selective parts of Kenyan culture. The presence of Bryan and his Kenyan friends in her life offers her moments of self-reflexivity. She comes to question how much she has been able to unlearn her racial prejudices, and the answer forces her to confront an aspect of her race–intolerant subjectivity so far buried under her conscious race-sensitive self. Her self-realization makes her feel uncomfortable and apologetic. She feels that the self-realization that has dawned upon her is not enough to help her in the unlearning process overnight. She fails to maintain a long-term relationship with Bryan given their seemingly unbridgeable cultural gap at that point in time. But Bryan’s entry into her life marks the beginning of her anti-racism journey in the true sense of the term and it continues. Years later, she finds that she has become a better version of herself who is no longer troubled by the hidden guilt and shame associated with her relationship with an African.

John Forbes (1799–1823) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, in 1822 and 1823: his plant collections and collecting localities

John Forbes (1799–1823) briefly visited South Africa’s present-day Eastern Cape province on three occasions, once in the spring of 1822 and twice in 1823, in autumn and in mid-winter, respectively. An analysis is presented of his collecting activities after he disembarked in what is now Nelson Mandela Bay. During these three visits, Forbes spent a total of ten days in the vicinity of Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) and Uitenhage (now Kariega). During this time he made 119 plant collections. Forty-nine of these have been located, two further collections cited in the literature have not been located; the collections are mostly unnumbered and labelled with scant information. The whereabouts of the majority of the collections remain unknown and the information available is that given by Forbes in his fieldbooks. His collections from the Eastern Cape include 12 type specimens. By comparing the Forbes specimens with his fieldnotes, the collecting number, date, and locality are confirmed or posited here for 23 collections. The present-day occurrence in Gqeberha of the taxa Forbes collected in 1822 and 1823 is given.

Practices in the Field of Disciplinary Liability of Convicts While Serving a Sentence of Imprisonment: Analysis of International Experience

The article examines the issue of international experience of disciplinary liability of persons sentenced to imprisonment on the example of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), the European Prison Rules and other international acts, and also examines the experience of individual countries. The purpose of the study is to identify the main standards and "good practices" of applying disciplinary sanctions to persons sentenced to imprisonment. The relevance of the study is stipulated by the need to implement international standards in the penitentiary system of Azerbaijan, taking into account the latest monitoring data on the practice of applying disciplinary sanctions to prisoners. The study was carried out within the framework of comparative penology using the methodology of an integrated interdisciplinary approach to the issue under study. Based on the results of the study, the author identified the main prohibited practices: corporal punishment, placement in an unlit cell, deprivation or restriction of food and drink, forced labour, collective punishment of prisoners, any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and permitted practices: warnings, reprimands, telephone access, prohibition of short-term visits, prohibition of shopping, prohibition of receiving parcels and correspondence, solitary confinement or solitary confinement as a last resort. The author also emphasises the rights of prisoners to information on the rules of conduct in the penitentiary institution, to participate in a disciplinary hearing and to appeal against a decision to impose a disciplinary sanction, which constitutes the scientific novelty of the study and areas for further research.

Optimal power dispatching for a grid-connected electric vehicle charging station microgrid with renewable energy, battery storage and peer-to-peer energy sharing

The paper proposes an optimization approach and a modeling framework for a PV-Grid-integrated electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) with battery storage and peer-to-peer vehicle charging strategies. The main objective of the paper is to optimize the system for reliability and profitability while minimizing operational costs. The model considers factors such as energy demand, grid stability, battery health, and charging costs to efficiently utilize resources. A notable aspect of the proposed model is the introduction of a peer-to-peer energy sharing mechanism. Prosumers are allowed to trade energy with each other, enabling efficient utilization of resources and fostering a collaborative energy ecosystem. The dynamic power demand and pricing environment facilitate fair and optimized energy exchanges. The paper outlines the development of a mathematical algorithm formulation for the proposed model and validates its effectiveness and performance using a real-world case study conducted at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. This comprehensive approach considers daily varying weather and load conditions, to ensure a realistic analysis of system performance and economic feasibility. The simulation results demonstrate significant energy demand cost savings, with a 38.14 % reduction considering time-of-use tariffs, and a 30.5 % reduction in maximum demand through optimal control and conducts a detailed techno-economic analysis over a 20-year period. The results indicate substantial reductions in grid costs and a break-even point within 8 years, highlighting the economic advantages of the optimization model. Furthermore, the results demonstrate significant cost savings, including energy demand cost savings and time-of-use savings.

Impact of an educational intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices in early childhood development centres in low-socio-economic areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

Good water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) enhance healthy living and safe environments for child development. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on WASH status, knowledge, attitudes and practices in early child development (ECD) centres in low socio-economic areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay in 2021. This quasi-experimental, one group, pre-post-test study elicited responses from 51 ECD practitioners (1 per ECD centre). Telephonic structured knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) questionnaires were used. KAP was good among participants. The educational intervention significantly improved mean knowledge (p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.58-1.11) attitudes (p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.39-0.67) and practices (p = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.20-0.74). WASH knowledge was significantly impacted by toilet facilities ventilation status (p = 0.083) while WASH attitudes scores were significantly impacted by ventilation where the potties are kept (p = 0.041). WASH practice scores were significantly impacted by across the bush/field (no facility) (p = 0.021) and plastic potties usage (p = 0.057). The educational intervention significantly improved WASH-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among ECD practitioners. WASH conditions in the ECD centres in the study area require additional interventions targeted to sustainable strategies to enhance behavioural modifications for acceptability and sustainability of intervention strategies.

The Mood Types Analysis in Script of Nelson Mandela’s Speech at the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid

Nelson Mandela's impactful speeches at the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid have drawn considerable attention due to his global influence and eloquence in English. This study examines the mood types present in Mandela's speeches, focusing on their role within the interpersonal metafunction. Utilising a qualitative descriptive method, the researcher analysed a speech delivered by Mandela, sourcing data from a public address archived on the American Rhetoric website. The analysis involved labelling clause elements, segmenting clauses into mood and residue, and classifying mood types. The findings revealed that the distribution of mood types in Mandela's speech was as follows: Declarative accounted for 62%, Imperative for 19%, and Interrogative for 19%. Results showed a predominance of Declarative mood, indicating Mandela's emphasis on providing information and asserting historical events. Imperative mood was utilised for calls to action, while Interrogative mood prompted audience engagement. This research sheds light on Mandela's rhetorical strategies and the significance of mood types in his speeches.

Nutritional qualities partially predict diet of amphipod grazers: implications for modern coastal biofilms in microbialite pools

Mobile metazoans in the Phanerozoic transformed shallow coastal habitats covered in biofilms into bioturbated mixed grounds. Benthic biofilms during this time rarely preserved into the fossil record as microbialites, and more specifically their layered form, stromatolites. Living microbialites are rare for this reason, in addition to other factors such as unfavourable modern geochemical conditions. Counterintuitively, macroinvertebrate grazers and laminated stromatolites coexist along the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline, South Africa. Here we aimed to determine if nutritional qualities of algae in these microbialite pools are linked to the diet of a dominant amphipod grazer, Melita zeylanica Stebbing, 1904. We assessed this in 3 microbialite pools using stable isotopes coupled to seasonal shifts in abundant food resources of microbialite biofilms and exposed (bleached and rimstone) or submerged (pool) macroalgae, Ulva spp. Amphipod diet was proportional to the quantity available (biomass) and nutritional properties of available algal food (energy, protein, total phosphorus and C:N ratios). Macroalgae in all states were the most nutritious, and the diet of M. zeylanica was dominated by submerged macroalgae. Although microbialite material had the worst nutritional profile, it was consumed in larger quantities compared to exposed bleached and rimstone macroalgae. Therefore, factors unrelated to nutritional profiles, such as predation, allelopathy or exposure risks, likely drive food choices. High levels of grazing on nutritious pool macroalgae likely releases most of the grazing pressure on the microbialite biofilm, therefore partially explaining why the microbialites can persist in this environment instead of being bioturbated through foraging.