Resources In South Africa Research Articles

Social Justice Coalition & 2 others v Minister of Police and 4 others: Right to City as a Mitigating Concept to Harms on Public Safety

The South African constitution in section 9(3) prohibits unfair discrimination against anyone. This paper aims to unpack a judgement handed down by the Constitutional Court of South Africa on 19 July 2022 relating to the unfair allocation of policing resources in South Africa, thus resulting in unfair discrimination. The case discussed is the case of Social Justice Coalition and 2 others v Minister of Police and 4 others. Systematic discrimination has seen less allocation of police resources amongst poorer communities such as Khayelitsha in Cape Town. The paper further aims to see how local government can play a meaningful role in promoting public safety in its law and policy, thus promoting the ‘right to city’ and adhering to United Nations normative approaches on Urban crime and safety. This may mitigate systematic discrimination that historically disadvantaged areas have in policing resources across South Africa. Generally, South Africa is ranked one of the most violent societies. Murder, robbery, rape, femicide, and domestic violence occur at alarming levels. Cities such as Cape Town rank amongst the twenty most violent cities in the world, with the likes of some Latin and Central American cities, which are countries that are not in any form of civil war or civil unrest. It is a general norm that some areas have developed a reputation of being high risk to public safety because of various violent crimes such as gun shooting, stabbing, and rape. Certain areas in metropolitan cities, such as Khayelitsha Cape Town, are known to have high unreported incidents of violent crimes. It is worth pointing out that the application brought before the courts focuses on the lack of policing resources in Cape Town. This judgement also fits into the reality of the situation across South African townships under-resourced with policing resources to deal with violent crime and other crime. The paper will be structured in a way that first gives a background of the case, secondly a critical analysis of the case through the concept of ‘right to city’ and thirdly, submissions and a conclusion.

Potential of Wheat Straw for Biogas Production by Anaerobic Digestion in South Africa: A Review

Wheat straw (WS) is a promising substrate for biogas production by anaerobic digestion (AD) due to its high carbohydrate content. An estimated 0.603 million t yr−1 of WS are generated from wheat production systems in South Africa. This is equivalent to an energy potential of 11 PJ. Despite this, WS is still undervalued as a bioenergy resource in South Africa due to its structural complexity and low nitrogen content. WS disposal methods, such as use in livestock bedding, burning and burying into the soil, inter alia, are not sustainable and may contribute to global warming and climate change. The commercialization of the AD of WS needs to be further developed and promoted. Pre-treatment (i.e., physical, chemical, biological and hybrid methods) and anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) are novel strategies that can support the conversion of WS into biogas and other value-added products. Current and future research should focus on optimizing pre-treatment and AcoD conditions towards industrialization of WS into valuable products. This paper focuses on the potential use of WS for biogas production in South Africa. The aim is to create information that will promote research and development, and encourage policy makers and stakeholders to participate and invest in WS biogas technology. Were WS biogas technology fully adopted, we believe that it would alleviate energy insecurity and environmental degradation, and sustain the livelihoods of citizens in South Africa.

Comparing the effectiveness of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in South Africa: An application of Keynes' Macroeconomic Theory

This study applies Keynesian macroeconomic theory in the ARDL model to compare the growth effects of the US's AGOA and China's FOCAC multilateral trading systems in South Africa from the first quarter of 2001 to the fourth quarter of 2022. The study uses South Africa's net exports with the corresponding partner as a proxy for each multilateral trading system. This quantification stems from the fact that South Africa's trade with the US and China has significantly improved since the establishment of AGOA and FOCAC in 2000. Our findings show that none of the multilateral trading systems contribute significantly to South Africa's economic growth. Rather, they appear to be used as strategic initiatives to gain access to mineral resources and facilitate the movement of mining machinery and other inputs into South Africa. To some extent, they are used as market-seeking initiatives, particularly FOCAC. It is worth noting, however, that the mineral resource preferences of these systems vary: while China prioritizes mineral products, the US prioritizes precious metals. This suggests that China and the US scramble for natural resources in South Africa, and possibly Africa in general, is complementary rather than competitive.

The effect of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic and lockdown on non-Covid ICU admissions: Experience from a South African tertiary hospital.

Future pandemic planning involves analysing past experiences. We compared intensive care unit (ICU) admissions during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2020) with the preceding year. To assess the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic's effect on ICU admissions in a tertiary hospital, examining differences in patient characteristics, organ support requirements, reason for admission, mortality rates and length of ICU stay. This retrospective cohort study compared ICU patient data at a tertiary hospital during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (26 March 2020 to 20 September 2020) with the same period in 2019. Patient admissions (p=0.39) and severity of illness (p=0.27 adults; p=0.92 paediatrics) showed no differences across the study period. Similarly, no differences were observed for underlying chronic conditions between the two years. Adult trauma admissions significantly declined, specifically those related to road traffic accidents (RR 0.63). Admissions for acute infectious conditions, including respiratory infections, sepsis, urosepsis, septic arthritis and gastroenteritis significantly declined in both adults (RR 0.50) and paediatric admissions (RR 0.25). During the lockdown period, the length of stay (LOS) decreased for adults, but mortality rates remained unchanged across the study period. The paediatric mortality rate decreased during the lockdown period (p=0.004). There was no reduction in SARS-CoV-2-negative ICU admissions during the 2020 lockdown period compared with the preceding year, likely due to chronic resource limitations. We found a decrease in acute trauma and acute infectious illness admissions, while acute surgical emergency admissions increased. These findings suggest that lockdown orders may have affected admission patterns, aiding in future pandemic planning. The study highlights the chronic shortage of critical care resources in South Africa and aids with future pandemic preparedness and planning in a resource limited setting.

Investigating the Co-Management of Natural Resources: Lessons Learned from the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Co-managed protected areas globally provide economic and environmental benefits through an equal partnership with communities. However, the African context of natural resource co-management differs, necessitating further research. This paper examines if the co-management of iSimangaliso World Heritage Site’s natural resources in South Africa leads to sustainable use. Qualitative research was conducted via semi-structured interviews and random surveys were conducted with Khula Village residents. The results suggest partial success with challenges such as poaching, non-compliance, communication gaps and gender differentiation over land ownership. Some recommendations include transparency from the co-management committee with residents, education and empowerment programmes on co-management, and involvement of all residents, including non-landowners in co-management decisions for resource protection.

An investigation into the flexural properties of sawn timber and poles of South African grown Pinus maximinoi (H.E.Moore)

Pinus maximinoi is a species that can potentially be deployed commercially to provide structural timber and poles for the South African market. The objective of this study was to investigate the flexural properties of sawn timber and poles of P. maximinoi from young plantations of the Southern Cape. A total of 60 trees and 150 logs for the sawmill study were obtained from two research trials on the Longmore estate in the Humansdorp area (13.7 years old), and on the Kruisfontein estate close to Knysna (9.0 years old). Some 74 poles from the same compartments were removed and tested in bending. The P. maximinoi sawn timber had excellent bending properties, superior to sawn timber from other South African Pinus species, tested at similar radial positions in previous studies. Analysis of variation showed that site, log height and board radial position had a significant influence on the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of sawn timber. Multiple regression analysis showed that board MOE can be predicted using a model including tree taper, time-of-flight measured with Treesonic and wood density (model R 2 = 0.87). The P. maximinoi poles complied with the mean MOE national standard requirement SANS 457-2 of 9 000 MPa but not with the fifth percentile (bending strength) modulus of rupture (MOR) requirement of 34 MPa. This study and other research, however, showed that the national standard requirement for MOR of poles might be too high for current log resources in South Africa. The investigation into the bending and other properties of P. maximinoi sawn boards and poles showed extremely positive results. Based on this wood quality study of P. maximinoi, it is certainly a very promising species for deployment in the Southern Cape and potentially other regions in South Africa.

El Niño-Induced Drought Impacts on Reservoir Water Resources in South Africa

The ENSO phenomenon is associated with below average rainfall and influences the climate regime of southern Africa. With the advent of climate change, drought frequencies and magnitudes have worsened in the developing world and this in turn negatively impacts the natural environment and communities’ livelihoods. This study evaluated the relationship between El Niño-induced drought and reservoir water levels over the Albasini Dam Catchment (ADC) areas in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Standardised indices (i.e., SPI and SSI) were used to define drought events over the study area. Mann–Kendall and Sequential Mann–Kendall were used for trends analysis as well as correlation and wavelet coherence to evaluate the relationship between variables of interest. There exists a relationship between El Niño-induced drought event and reservoir water levels. This was shown by the correlation between drought indices and reservoir water levels with the coefficient of determination being stronger at the 12th timescale (i.e., 0.743 and 0.59) compared to the 6th timescale (i.e., 0.07 and 0.44) for both precipitation and streamflow indices, respectively. Wavelet analysis further showed that there existed a phased relationship between the two variables. Although there are other factors that may affect reservoir water resources, these study findings show that El Niño-induced drought also negatively affect water resources. Therefore, this study recommends the development of multidimensional and multiscale management strategies to minimise drought impacts and adaptation in the region.

Innovative Design of a Sea Wave Energy Harnesser

The aim of this research is to design and develop a simple, light and cost-effective wave energy conversion device. The mass to power ratio is of importance to achieve high working efficiency. In addition proper control concept is proposed for various sea wave conditions to manage the system optimally. . their operation. This research addresses the above two problems by considering the system mechanical structure and schemes designed to achieve optimal control. Methods employed to achieve maximum power output are inevitably non-causal and require prediction of the shape of the incident waves. The potential wave resource in South Africa is enormous as there are over 2000 km of coastline with an annual wave height average of 2-3 m. One of the most efficient wave energy extractor is the hinged wave energy converter (HIWEC) whereby the wave force is applied to a responsive mechanism able to resist the working force of the waves. The hinged mechanism used in this project is of the power take-off (PTO) type. The PTO captures the wave energy and then between the wave’s time intervals transfers it to be converted and stored. Control of the response of the HIWEC can be achieved through active tuning of the PTO. As wave energy is intermittent, the supplied electrical power will show strong variations unless an energy storage system is available. The energy storage system consists of several series connected gas accumulators, placed in the hydraulic circuit to produce a smoothing effect.

Identifying untapped legal capacity to promote multi-level and cross-sectoral coordination of natural resource governance.

Natural resource governance in the face of climate change represents one of the seminal challenges of the Anthropocene. A number of innovative approaches have been developed in, among others, the fields of ecology, governance, and sustainability sciences for managing uncertainty and scarcity through a coordinated approach to natural resource governance. However, the absence of an enabling legal and regulatory framework has been identified in the literature as one of the primary barriers constraining the formal operationalization of these governance approaches. In this paper, we show how these approaches provide tools for analyzing procedural mandates across governmental levels and sectors in the natural resource governance space. We also find that there has been inadequate consideration of the potential in existing laws and regulations for cross-sectoral and multi-level coordination of natural resource governance. On this basis, we develop and apply a protocol that draws on the traditional legal method of doctrinal analysis to demonstrate how to identify existing, untapped legal capacity to promote coordinated governance of natural resources through an in-depth case study of water resources in South Africa. We then show how these untapped capacities within existing legal structures may be operationalized to improve natural resource governance. Further, this protocol is portable to other countries, provinces (states), and localities around the world.

Investigating the knowledge gap in research on climate and land use change impacts on water resources, with a focus on groundwater resources in South Africa: a bibliometric analysis

Climate and land use change (CLUC) impact studies on water and groundwater resources have evolved in recent years. To determine whether all research gaps have been or are being addressed through the current intellectual structure, a bibliometric analysis, as well as a record review, was enacted to determine the intellectual structure of CLUC impacts on water resources, with a particular focus on the implications for groundwater resources research in the Breede Gouritz Water Management Area (BGWMA) in South Africa. Methods applied included publication-related trends and science mapping. This study found that CLUC impact research being published has increased by 600% between 2014 and 2021, localised research is being done in 95 countries, and land use change (LUC), specifically urbanisation, is being considered more often as a variable. However, a few gaps in the research remain, including smaller spatiotemporal scales in more locations, a stronger focus on LUC in all its forms, LUC versus climate change (CC) impact studies, and multi-modal approaches to related research. CLUC impacts on water and groundwater resources research have made significant progress over the years, but more research is necessary to make this a robust area of research.

The Parole Officials’ Views Concerning the Parole System in Rehabilitating Offenders: Experiences from Brits Community Correction Centre in South Africa

Unless the views of parole officials are unpacked and understood with regard to rehabilitating offenders in correctional centres with limited resources in South Africa, there will be less effort devoted towards ensuring the effectiveness of the parole system. This paper captures the working experiences of the parole officials at Brits Community Corrections in South Africa with regard to the use of parole in the rehabilitation of offenders. Using a qualitative approach and an exploratory descriptive design, the study employed total population purposive sampling to ensure the inclusion of all parole officials in the study to provide their working experience. In-depth interviews that provided data saturation with four parole officials were analysed thematically, critically discussed and compared to existing literature. The major findings were that the challenges faced by parolees in the communities were the main problems preventing the successful implementation of parole services. This led to endemic frustrations among the parole officials in the execution of parole services in the Brits area. This paper recommends relevant holistic approaches as interventions to improve the parole systems in the area and improve the working experiences of parole officials.

Impact of industrial development and machinery and transport equipment on natural resources in South Africa

Recent years have seen increasing attention paid to the industrial processing of natural resources as a possible strategy for industrial development in developing countries that export primary products. The paper examines the effects of industrial development, machinery, and transport equipment on natural resources in South Africa from 1972 to 2020, considering the role of population and economic growth. We apply advanced economic modeling for long-run estimates. The relationship between industrial development and economic growth is significant at a 1% significance level. Population growth and machine and transport equipment are significant at 1% and 5%. Industrial development and economic growth are positively associated with natural resources, while population growth and machinery and transport equipment are negatively associated. The growth of industry led to the development of more industrial land. Industrialization became a part of farming. The South African government should step up existing policies to further decoupling of material resources and economic growth. Measures to consider include integrating life-cycle-oriented approaches, introducing resource fees, charging for environmental damage, or extending legal minimum warranty periods to support longer product lifespans. Identifying new business models focusing on resource efficiency of production processes could result in more value created by the private sector.

The resilience of learners with specific learning disability in unequally resourced learners with special education needs schools in diverse contexts.

Despite the inequality of resources in South Africa, learners in less-resourced schools and contexts can be resilient in the face of adversities. This study sought to investigate the impact of unequal resources in diverse contexts and schools on the resilience of learners with specific learning disability (SLD) in learners with special education needs (LSEN) schools in South Africa. A quantitative explanatory design was adopted and respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A sample of 217 learners with SLDs across four LSEN schools located in diverse contexts in the Gauteng province, was selected. Data were collected using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28). The SPSS software was used to analyse the data and one-way analysis of variance was used as a statistical technique. The results showed that resilience scores did not yield a significant statistical difference among learners from unequally resourced schools (p = 0.300 > 0.05) and diverse contexts (p = 0.173 > 0.05). These results suggest that resilience was the same across unequally resourced schools and diverse contexts; thus, all learners are capable of resilience regardless of these contexts. Resilience of learners with SLD was not necessarily associated with the accessibility of resources in their contexts but with their agency in identifying them and using them meaningfully to combat their learning disabilities. The study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on the resilience of learners with SLD in unequally resourced contexts and LSEN schools.

A Phenominological Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing the Migration of South African Anaesthetists

The anaesthetic workforce is a scarce resource in South Africa (SA), and the media frequently reports that anaesthetists are leaving the country in search of better opportunities in well-resourced countries. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the migration intentions of South African anaesthetists. This study utilised a qualitative methodology in the form of virtual interviews. A total of 23 interviews were conducted on purposefully selected participants using a snowball approach. The interviews were transcribed and coded into emerging themes using MAXQDA version 2022. Thematic content analysis was subsequently performed. The study found that all SA-based participants were considering emigrating, while those who had already emigrated had no plans to return to SA in the near future. Push factors prompted the consideration of emigration, and these were related to unsatisfactory living and working conditions in South Africa, such as a high level of crime and corruption, and the country's overall poor resources and infrastructure. Destination countries were chosen based on their pull factors such as better working conditions and opportunities for professional growth. These pull factors frequently outweighed South Africa's push factors and are therefore critical in the decision to emigrate. The main recommendations from the participants include facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors, expanding the available sub-specialties in SA, and recognising fellowships in South African hospitals. The study participants were of the view that South African anaesthesiologists would be motivated to stay by a combination of patriotism and hope for the future. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations: The Anaesthetic workforce in South Africa is at critical risk and is unlikely to stabilise soon. Concerted efforts should be made by all concerned to explore ways of retaining the staff, considering the recommendations of the participants. Relevant key stakeholders in training and regulation of anaesthetics practice such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa, South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa should collaborate and prioritise mechanisms of monitoring emigration and intervening on modifiable professional and socio-political factors.

Co-firing of high-ash discard coal and refuse-derived fuel - ash and gaseous emissions

This research focuses on the co-firing of discard coal with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to utilize this abundant resource in South Africa for energy generation and reduce the volume of waste disposed of at landfills. The potential of a coal with a high ash content (> 40%), which is a grade used in some power stations in South Africa, and its combustion compatibility with two different RDFs in terms of emission reductions has been established. Gaseous emissions and ash residues from the combustion and co-combustion of the coal, two different RDFs and coal/RDF blends of different proportion were analysed. One of the RDF samples contained mostly paper (PB) and the other mostly plastic (PL). Co-combustion ash from the discard coal and RDFs showed a decrease in chloride and alkali metal contents as the coal ratio in the blend increased. The slagging propensity of the co-fired blends was found to be very low, while the propensity for fouling decreased from high to medium for all the blends with < 75% RDF. Co-combustion of RDF with coal showed a decrease in SO2 emissions from 387 ppm (discard coal) to 50 ppm for the sample containing 25% coal discard plus 75% PL. A 15% PL to 85% coal blend also reduced NOx emissions from 145 ppm (100% PL) to 88 ppm. The lowest CO2 emission observed was 6000 ppm for the blend of 85% discard coal plus 15% PB. It was established that the most favourable fuel blend that can produce the lowest sulphur emissions if used for power generation is the 25% coal discard plus 75% PL sample.

PUNISHING PERLEMOEN* POACHING – DEVELOPMENTS BOTH RECENT AND POSSIBLY FUTURE?

The problems related to curbing the poaching of abalone are legion. First, abalone is an easily accessible target. Sedentary in nature, occurring in shallow subtidal kelp beds rarely deeper than ten metres, growing slowly (taking 8-9 years to reach minimum legal size) and non-cryptic in behaviour, abalone presents little difficulty for exploitation (Houthoofd “Towards Some Solutions Relating to the Conservation of Abalone” 1997 4 SAJELP 301; and Hauck “Regulating Marine Resources in South Africa: The Case of the Abalone Fishery” 1999 Acta Juridica 211 212). Secondly, the authorities have struggled in the face of the systematic depletion of the abalone stocks. Conservation operations such as Operation Neptune, aimed at combating the poaching, have been largely unsuccessful (see Botha “See Weer Stropers se Speelplek” 23 December 2004 Die Burger 13). This state of affairs is not entirely surprising, given the limited resources on the part of the State, further hampered by bribery of conservation officials, as opposed to the enormous financial muscle of the poaching syndicates, associated with the Chinese Triads (see Hauck 1999 Acta Juridica 219ff). With the price of dried abalone currently at $1 000/kg, and the demand showing no sign of diminishing, the problem appears intractable, if not insoluble, without some radical intervention (Botha 23 December 2004 Die Burger 13). It has been argued that had South Africa previously listed the abalone species with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), other countries would have assisted in monitoring the trade in abalone and enforcing the legality of shipments (Allen et al “A Review of Developments in Ocean and Coastal Law 2003” 2003 9 Ocean & Coastal Law Journal 139 161). As it is, the illegal poaching continues and the abalone population continues to decline at “an alarmingly rapid rate” (Allen et al 2003 9 Ocean & Coastal Law Journal 161). The way in which the crime has been dealt with in the courts has further complicated efforts to deal with poaching. Effective enforcement has been hampered on occasion by judicial perceptions that offences such as poaching are not serious (see Njobeni “Courts Score Low on Environmental Law” 7 September 2004 Business Day (http://www.bdfm.co.za/cgi-bin/pp/print.pl)). The aim of this note is to examine one aspect of judicialenforcement of this particular environmental offence, namely sentencing.

Small dams: determining the minimum waterbody surface area that can be successfully detected using Sentinel-1 SAR imagery

Water is a scarce resource in South Africa, and approximately 62% of the water used in South Africa is for irrigation. This water is stored in many small dams scattered across the country. If not managed correctly, they could have a negative effect on catchment areas and on the availability of water. As such, there is a need for a new monitoring and management system to be developed. This study determined the minimum surface area that would be required for a waterbody to be detected on Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar imagery. A Random Forest classifier was used to detect waterbodies on a Sentinel-1 image calculated from a time series of imagery taken over a period of three months. Steep incidence angles outperformed shallow incidence angles, with the classification having an overall accuracy of 80%. Detection rates were almost 90% for waterbodies of one hectare and greater, with no false positives, and a 10% false negative rate. These findings provide the foundation for developing a detection and monitoring system, which would allow for the better management of water resources in South Africa.

Wetland Resources in South Africa: Threats and Metadata Study

Wetlands are important ecosystems with physical and economic benefits. However, many reports confirm the drastic loss of wetlands due to urbanisation and anthropogenic activities in many parts of the world. This study focused on the present-day state of wetlands in the Republic of South Africa. A meta-analysis was performed to elucidate the distribution and level of protection of selected wetlands. The classification of existing wetlands and the threat against wetlands were reported. Wetlands in South Africa are grossly endangered by human pollution, developmental activities, and invasive plants. From data obtained, about 47.89% of reported wetlands have a low level of protection and are thus susceptible to threats. The South African Department of Environmental Affairs protects most of the wetlands (28.17%) in the country. Major weaknesses identified for wetland degradation are the ignorance of people about the benefits of wetlands and the weak implementation of frameworks and policies that currently exist. The impact of legislations and policies on the preservation of wetlands is presented as well as the need for community education on environmental degradation. Therefore, the current state of several wetlands calls for urgent attention, and there is need for a strengthening of existing laws and policies in order to prevent wetland damage and extinction.

The Water Footprint of Biodiesel Produced from Sunflower in South Africa

The use of feedstock crops for the production of biodiesel suggests that biodiesel production may have a major impact on the scarce freshwater resource in South Africa. This paper aimed to assess the green plus blue water footprints (WFgreen+blue) of biodiesel produced from sunflower in South Africa using the Global Water Footprint Standard approach. The green (WFgreen) and blue water footprint (WFblue) at the farm level were assessed for sunflower grown under the rain-fed and irrigation production system respectively. The results show that 2617 m3 and 2477 m3 are required to produce 1 ton of rain-fed and irrigated sunflower respectively. At the processing level, about 7.12 L of blue water is required to produce 1 L of biodiesel from sunflower. The WFblue at the processing stage of biodiesel produced from irrigated sunflower was 1.01 m3/GJ, compared to 1.15 m3 m3/GJ from rain-fed sunflower. The WFgreen+blue of biodiesel produced from irrigated and rainfed sunflower was 2477 and 2617 m3/ton, respectively. WFgreen was the largest, accounting for about 59% and 99% for biodiesel produced from irrigated and rain-fed sunflower, respectively. It was further found that water consumption at the farm level accounted for about 99% of the WFgreen+blue of biodiesel in both production systems. Management practices that improve water use efficiency at the farm level may help to lower the WFgreen+blue of biodiesel. Interestingly, the WFgreen+blue is lower for biodiesel produced from irrigated sunflower than for rainfed sunflower. The blue water scarcity assessment showed that blue water scarcity is low during the period when sunflower requires water. As such, purely from a water use perspective, irrigated sunflower production in the Orange Riet Irrigation Scheme may be considered sustainable.

Rule-Based Information Extraction from Free-Text Pathology Reports Reveals Trends in South African Female Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Ki67 Expression

Clinical information on molecular subtypes and the Ki67 index is critical for breast cancer (BC) prognosis and personalised treatment plan. Extracting such information into structured data is essential for research, auditing, and cancer incidence reporting and underpins the potential for automated decision support. Herewith, we developed a rule-based natural language processing algorithm that retrieved and extracted important BC parameters from free-text pathology reports towards exploring molecular subtypes and Ki67-proliferation trends. We considered malignant BC pathology reports with different free-text narrative attributes from the South African National Health Laboratory Service. The reports were preprocessed and parsed through the algorithm. Parameters extracted by the algorithm were validated against manually extracted parameters. For all parameters extracted, we obtained accurate annotations of 83-100%, 93-100%, 91-100%, and 92-100% precision, recall, F1-score, and kappa, respectively. There was a significant trend in the proportion of each molecular subtype by patient age, histologic type, grade, Ki67, and race. The findings also showed significant association in the Ki67 trend with hormone receptors, human epidermal growth factors, age, grade, and race. Our approach bridges the gap between data availability and actionable knowledge and provides a framework that could be adapted and reused in other cancers and beyond cancer studies. Information extracted from these reports showed interesting trends that may be exploited for BC screening and treatment resources in South Africa. Finally, this study strongly encourages the implementation of a synoptic style pathology report in South Africa.