South African Case Research Articles

Analysis of the 2017 Knysna fires disaster with emphasis on fire spread, home losses and the influence of vegetation and weather conditions: A South African case study

Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires are becoming more common globally. However, most research has been focused on developed regions such as North America and Australia, exposing a lack of geographical diversity in the field. This paper presents an analysis of South Africa's largest WUI fire disaster, in terms of the number of structures lost and the economic losses, the 2017 Knysna fires. The data used in this report is based on aerial reconnaissance conducted immediately after the event, a geo-located database identifying homes that were destroyed, satellite imagery and site visits. The analysis includes the fire spread mechanisms, firebreak efficiency, the influence of roof and wall types, vegetation, and weather conditions. The Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) values on the day of ignition were unprecedented in the 1979–2021 period, the culmination of a clear multi-decadal trend towards greater fire weather risk. Due to the combination of severe medium-term drought and extreme fire weather conditions homes up to 1 km inside the WUI were destroyed. The high wind speeds allowed the fire to cross natural and artificial barriers such as rivers and highways, allowing the ignition of several secondary fires due to ember attacks. Construction materials and fire exposure, which is influenced by the presence of vegetation, affected home survivability. Combustible materials (thatch and timber) typically made homes more susceptible to fire damage. It was found that in the areas where more structures were affected the vegetation were dense, highly flammable stands of alien invasive vegetation.

Chinese herbal medicine treatment in five mild COVID-19 cases: South African case studies

In December 2019, the initial reports of a novel coronavirus epidemic emerged in China. Despite South Africa demonstrating determined political efforts to handle the outbreak within its borders, there is currently no established effective treatment for mild cases. The sharing of clinical experiences could prove beneficial in managing emerging infectious diseases. Given the successful management of COVID-19 in China, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) might present a potential solution for mild cases in South Africa, potentially lowering the likelihood of mild cases progressing to severe stages and expediting the recovery process. Data were retrieved from an identified clinic in South Africa between 12 June 2020 to 26 June 2020. All cases were consulted under the regulation of telehealth and telemedicine by using online video consultation. It can be inferred that TCM is efficacious in hastening the recovery process and diminishing the instances of mild cases progressing to severe stages. The utilisation of Chinese herbal medicine proves applicable in treating mild cases of COVID-19, irrespective of variations in geography, climate, and racial factors. This study was constrained in its examination of patients from a single clinic, lacking a comparative aspect. It is advisable that future studies be conducted in more extensive settings to provide a broader perspective.

COVID-19 pandemic-induced organisational cultural shifts and employee information security compliance behaviour: a South African case study

PurposeThe purpose of this preliminary empirical research study is to understand how environmental disruption such as brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic induces shifts in organisational culture, information security culture and subsequently employee information security compliance behaviour.Design/methodology/approachA single-organisation case study was used to develop understanding from direct experiences of organisational life. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a sequential mixed methods approach, with the qualitative phase following the quantitative to achieve complementarity and completeness in analysis. For the quantitative phase, 48 useful responses were received after a questionnaire was sent to all 150–200 employees. For the qualitative phase, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. Statistical software was used to analyse the quantitative data and NVivo software was used to analyse the qualitative data.FindingsThe pandemic-induced environmental disruption manifested as a sudden shift to work-from-home for employees, and relatedly an increase in cybercrime. The organisational response to this gave rise to shifts in both organisational and information security culture towards greater control (rule and goal orientations) and greater flexibility (support and innovation orientations), most significantly with information security culture flexibility. The net effect was an increase in employee information security compliance.Originality/valueThe vast literature on organisational culture and information security culture was drawn on to theoretically anchor and develop parsimonious measures of information security culture. Environmental disruptions such as those caused by the pandemic are unpredictable and their effects uncertain, hence, the study provides insight into the consequences of such disruption on information security in organisations.

Teachers’ Experiences on Stress during COVID-19: A South African Case Study

COVID-19 posed an obstacle to many teachers as they tried to master online teaching. This study sought to investigate teachers stress experiences in primary schools in South Africa during COVID-19. The study adopted the interpretivism paradigm in which thematically analysed data was collected through interviews. Fifteen (15) participants were selected purposely from primary schools of Chris Hani East District in South Africa for the interview. In the study, teachers attributed their stress to the lack of protective resources, lack of proper plans for remote teaching, and lack of skills. Students were not co-operating with the teachers during online lessons. The study recommends that the necessary protective resources be provided by the Department of Education to protect teachers from being infected with Covid-19 and provide teaching assistants so that teachers can find it easier to teach with less burden. Schools must be equipped with digital technology and train teachers on how to use digital technology to ease the burden on them. It is important for teachers and motivational speakers to meet with students to raise students’ interest and curiosity about learning and in the same vein boosting the students’self-confidence. Keywords: anxiety, burnout, COVID-19, frustration, pressures, stress, and workload

‘Put South Africans First’: Making Sense of an Emerging South African Xenophobic (Online) Community

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, a shift has taken place in the organisation of xenophobia as xenophobic activism has adapted to the pandemic and increasingly moved ‘online’. While a large scholarship on the various aspects of ‘offline’ xenophobia in contemporary South Africa has been produced, the recent intensification of online xenophobic activism during the pandemic remains an under-researched topic. The present study sets out to challenge this lack of attention given to online xenophobia in South Africa by conducting a 15-month digital ethnography of an emerging South African xenophobic (online) community, the so-called ‘Put South Africans First’ movement. Aiming to understand the narrative construction of social reality in this group, data gained from the Put South Africans First Facebook page were triangulated with interviews conducted with the leadership of the Put South Africans First movement. Two narratives that are constitutive for this group will be analysed: the story of the ‘harmfulness of Pan-Africanism’ and the conspiracy of a ‘modern-day slavery’. Drawing on a perspective that emphasises the entanglement between the emotional, the narrative and the digital in contemporary forms of xenophobia, the article exposes the working of these two key narratives. The narrative of the ‘harmfulness of Pan-Africanism’ draws on the recycling of colonial stereotypes, the affect of disgust, and on the technique of reappropriating and weaponising history. In contrast, the narrative of ‘modern-day slavery’ is fuelled by a belief in replacement conspiracies and a dystopic longing into the future, where future generations of South African children have become enslaved by ‘foreigners’. The article concludes by pointing out some of the specifics of the South African case in relation to xenophobic mobilisations in other parts of the world.

Science as an Object of Faith and Distrust: The Phenomenon of Denialism

The author analyzes the phenomenon of denialism (denial of scientific consensus out of the normative boundaries of scientific discussion). The intellectual origins (including connection with P. Feyerabend’s post-positivism), sociocultural characteristics and political aspects of this phenomenon are discussed. The author defends the thesis that denialism is associated with scientism – non-reflexive trust in science, which is used for unscrupulous manipulations for the purpose of political influence. As an example, she considers the South African expert case related to HIV denial in the early 2000s. The author believes that denialism needs a comprehensive analysis that takes into account the interdependence of its intellectual and socio-political foundations.

Design optimisation of TPU modular footwear for sustainable fashion: a South African Fashion Week case study, 2023

The fashion industry is continuously evolving, and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) produced modular footwear is emerging as a trend for sustainability. This study aims to optimise the design of TPU modular fashion footwear for the South African fashion sector. The practice-based case study investigated the factors that influence the design and manufacturing of modular footwear using TPU, with a focus on enhancing sustainability. A design framework was developed using CAD software and evaluated the effectiveness of the optimised design in enhancing sustainability through a case study conducted at the SA Fashion Week in 2023. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed to collect and analyse data, contributing to the development of sustainable and fashionable modular footwear for the fashion industry. It further provides insights into the challenges associated with the design and manufacturing of TPU modular fashion footwear.

The issue of funding higher education: Global patterns compared to South African case

The issue of funding higher education: Global patterns compared to South African case

Coastal urban reliance on groundwater during drought cycles: Opportunities, threats and state of knowledge

Abstract Urbanisation and population growth are concentrated on the coast with approximately 40% of the human population living within 100 km of the ocean. The freshwater systems on which coastal urban areas rely are vulnerable to bidirectional pressures including coastal processes such as sea-level rise and coastal erosion coupled with land use changes and pollution occurring in inland catchment areas. These threats are likely to be amplified in the future under climate change conditions and more frequent and severe drought periods are expected to jeopardise already constrained water supply systems. Groundwater is used as a freshwater resource globally and is especially important as a conjunctive supply during drought periods due to perceived buffer capabilities. However, several threats impact coastal aquifers due to over-abstraction, such as salinisation, land subsidence and groundwater flooding and often these subterranean resources are “out of sight and out of mind” when it comes to management strategies. Here, we present an assessment of current issues and management options relevant to coastal aquifers using recent literature. These insights provide knowledge on global issues relevant to groundwater resources, especially regarding water use during droughts. This is exemplified using a South African case study of two metropolitan municipalities that have experienced or are experiencing severe multi-year droughts. Both municipalities have grappled with the depletion of surface water resources, which constitutes the bulk of the local water supply systems. Consequently, groundwater resources have been explored as an augmentation strategy. Although groundwater resources may be useful in alleviating drought effects, it is crucial that a local understanding of the aquifers is developed through baseline hydrological studies and long-term monitoring. Furthermore, unregistered groundwater use needs to be quantified. Finally, a holistic groundwater management view, and the communication thereof, is required to ensure the sustainable management of coastal aquifers.

University Students’ Experiences of the Teaching and Learning of an Acupuncture Programme: A South African Case Study

The quality of teaching and learning in educational programmes at higher education institutions (HEIs) cannot be overemphasised. This is of particular importance in skills programmes, such as acupuncture, because the teaching and learning of acupuncture at HEIs significantly influence students' competence in the world of work. Acupuncture is one of the most popular alternative treatments globally and contributes to improving public health. To provide quality acupuncture services to the public, HEIs must ensure that their students are competent in implementing the knowledge and skills gained in the programmes. The focus of this study is to explore students' experiences with the teaching and learning of the acupuncture programme at a South African HEI. A conceptual framework adapted from Shulman's (1986) Pedagogical Content Knowledge model and Mishra and Koehler's (2006) Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge model was utilised as a theoretical lens in this study. A descriptive qualitative single case study design was employed. The authors adopted a purposive sampling technique to recruit ten participants from the identified HEI. The findings of this study revealed that students' ambivalent experiences in the acupuncture programme. The findings will contribute to the improvement of quality teaching and learning of an acupuncture programme. This study concluded that diverse teaching and learning strategies should be implemented in the acupuncture programme, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freedom of religion and places of worship during Covid-19

With reference to places of worship, this article considers the justifiable extent to which freedom of religion may be limited within the context of a global pandemic. While the article focuses on the 2020 South African case of Muhammed Bin Hassam Mohamed v The President of the Republic of South Africa, it also draws on five USA cases for comparative purposes. The article demonstrates that the judiciary in both jurisdictions relied on the jurisprudence of their domestic freedom of religion clauses to determine the outcome of their cases. During the earlier stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, it appears that the South African and USA judiciaries were inclined to sacrifice freedom of religion in the interests of the greater good. However, this was achieved at the cost of applying their jurisprudence on freedom of religion incorrectly. By doing so, they unjustifiably treated religious activities more harshly than secular activities. The later three US cases illustrate that, even during a global pandemic that has killed millions of people worldwide, the judiciary remains under an obligation to ensure that freedom of religion is protected, especially when less restrictive means are available to do so.

The protection of whistleblowers in South African criminal cases

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the extent of protection available for whistleblowers in South African criminal cases.Design/methodology/approachThis paper first provides a brief background of crime in South Africa and argues that the concept of the whistleblower is just a buss word or collective noun. The methodology of this paper consists of a literature review of whistleblowers and relevant laws that can be used to protect whistleblowers in South African criminal cases.FindingsThis paper concludes that the existing law as primarily contained in the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 provides appropriate protection for whistleblowers in South African criminal cases.Research limitations/implicationsWhistleblowers provide information on criminal, civil and disciplinary wrongdoings. This study focuses on the protection of whistleblowers pursuant to mainly the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in the approach to the handling of whistleblowers in South African criminal cases. This is the first research done with the emphasis on the use of mainly the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 to protect whistleblowers in South African criminal cases. The contribution of the study is that, by using this approach, it can provide protection and save lives, and it may enhance the willingness of whistleblowers to blow the whistle, which will be beneficial to the community of South Africa as a whole.

A multiphased cultural and contextual adaptation of the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status tools for a low-income community: A South African case study.

Culturally relevant developmental screening is one of the best ways to appropriately identify developmental delays and disabilities in children as early as possible across diverse cultural backgrounds. This study aimed to adapt the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) tools for a low-income community in South Africa by using a detailed multiphased cultural and contextual adaption process. A three-phase mixed-method design relying on triangulation of data was used. Data were collected at an immunization clinic in a low-income community in Mamelodi, South Africa. Phase 1 was a focus group discussion with 11 community participants. The topics explored the possible changes to the PEDS tools to make them more relevant to the community. Phase 1 informed Phase 2 where 12 early childhood development experts achieved consensus through a two-round survey on a modified Delphi method. In Phase 3, a draft of the PEDS tools-SA was presented to the authors of the PEDS tools for final approval. Of 55 questions that were adapted for the PEDS tools-SA, two original questions (3.6%), 14 questions from the expert suggestions (25.4%) and 39 from the community participant's suggestions (71%) were included. A final version of the PEDS tools-SA was created. This study used a systematic method to adapt the PEDS tools to create the culturally appropriate PEDS tool-SA for a low-income community in South Africa, informed by community stakeholders' views from the first step. This resulted in a high-quality adaptation process that is more likely to result in a tool that is more acceptable to caregivers from a low-income South African community.

Dissolved Gas Analysis and Application of Artificial Intelligence Technique for Fault Diagnosis in Power Transformers: A South African Case Study

In South Africa, the growing power demand, challenges of having idle infrastructure, and power delivery issues have become crucial problems. Reliability enhancement necessitates a life-cycle performance analysis of the electrical power transformers. To attain reliable operation and continuous electric power supply, methodical condition monitoring of the electrical power transformer is compulsory. Abrupt breakdown of the power transformer instigates grievous economic detriment in the context of the cost of the transformer and disturbance in the electrical energy supply. On the condition that the state of the transformer is appraised in advance, it can be superseded to reduced loading conditions as an alternative to unexpected failure. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) nowadays has become a customary method for diagnosing transformer faults. DGA provides the concentration level of various gases dissolved, and consequently, the nature of faults can be predicted subject to the concentration level of the gases. The prediction of fault class from DGA output has so far proven to be not holistically reliable when using conventional methods on account of the volatility of the DGA data in line with the rating and working conditions of the transformer. Several faults are unpredictable using the IEC gas ratio (IECGR) method, and an artificial neural network (ANN) has the hindrance of overfitting. Nonetheless, considering that transformer fault prediction is a classification problem, in this work, a unique classification algorithm is proposed. This applies a binary classification support vector machine (BCSVM). The classification precision is not reliant on the number of features of the input gases dataset. The results indicate that the proposed BCSVM furnishes improved results concerning IECGR and ANN methods traceable to its enhanced generalization capability and constructional risk-abatement principle.

A Spatial SEIR Model for COVID-19 in South Africa

The virus SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in numerous modelling approaches arising rapidly to understand the spread of the disease COVID-19 and to plan for future interventions. Herein, we present an SEIR model with a spatial spread component as well as four infectious compartments to account for the variety of symptom levels and transmission rate. The model takes into account the pattern of spatial vulnerability in South Africa through a vulnerability index that is based on socioeconomic and health susceptibility characteristics. Another spatially relevant factor in this context is level of mobility throughout. The thesis of this study is that without the contextual spatial spread modelling, the heterogeneity in COVID-19 prevalence in the South African setting would not be captured. The model is illustrated on South African COVID-19 case counts and hospitalisations.

Multi-objective optimization and multi-criteria decision making aided by numerical method: Framework and a case study of Malaysia and South Africa

This paper presents a new optimum design for an off-grid hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and battery storage system for power isolated dwellings in Malaysia and South Africa. Selecting a desirable design of the WT/PV/Battery system among a wide variety of configurations, particularly at a favorable level of reliability, lowering the total cost, and reducing the surplus energy, remains a challenging task. The procedure of this work is summarized as follows: First, the parameter of the three diode PV model is optimally extracted from datasheet information to forecast the output power of the Yingli PV module. Then, the upper and lower variables bounds of the WT/PV/Battery system are intuitively determined. Afterward, the numerical method is employed to identify every possible configurations inside the design space. The non-dominated multi-objective principle is then established to generate optimal sets of Pareto front solutions. Finally, an integration of the best worst method, technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, and group decision making technique are employed to weight the objectives with complete consistency ratios and rank the optimal designs based on practical judgments. The performance results showed that the optimal designs are comprised of 1 WTs, 105 PV modules (21 in series and 5 in parallel), and 69 storage batteries with zero loss of load probability (LLP), 60185.47 ($) of life cycle cost (LCC), and 13548017.77 KWh of excess energy for Malaysian scenario. While the optimum configuration of the South African case study consists of 16 WTs, 80 PV modules (20 in series and 4 in parallel), and 69 storage batteries with a favorable LLP values of 0.00068, 59180.15 ($) of LCC, and 19174160.54 ($) of excess energy, respectively. It can be concluded that the proposed methodology for finding appropriate size of the WT/PV/Battery system is capable of operating with extremely confident dependability while minimizing the overall cost of the system and minimizing the surplus energy.

Using information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development at centres in rural communities

Literature on the use of information and communication technologies(leTs) for developmental purposes at community centres refers to thesecentres in various ways, e.g. as telecentres, telecottages, communityteleservice centres, telecommuting centres, and community technologycentres. This article starts by examining this range of centres, and bydescribing the activities that typically occur at such centres throughoutthe world. An attempt is made to develop a typology of such centres.Of particular interest are community telecentres where leTs are used topromote development in rural areas. This is followed by a list of lessonslearned regarding using leTs effectively for development purposes atrural telecentres. These lessons are illustrated through specific SouthAfrican case studies involving leT usage at rural telecentres.

Transforming the master of public administration education for a changing world of work: A personal account of a South African case

Public administration managers are confronted with new and highly complex challenges emerging at a rapid rate. This situation requires a reimagining of public administration education to prepare public administration managers to capably deal with these challenges. While the Master of Public Administration (MPA) is globally used as vehicle for preparing public administration managers for performing their functions, the question posed is: How can MPA programmes be transformed to prepare students for dealing with emerging complex challenges in the changing world of work? This article provides a personal exploratory account of the transformation of teaching and learning of a South African MPA case. The research design was not selected for generalising findings to the universe of MPA offerings, but for obtaining case-specific information and insights. The study draws from insider’s memory work supported by a variety of textual data such as notes, reports, official documents, curriculum documentation and the content of the 2020 online module sites. The article proposes a transformed curriculum to provide for the learning of public administration capabilities appropriate for dealing with emerging challenges. It subsequently reports on the curriculum transformation project of the selected case by reflecting on some philosophical assumptions and assumptions on how people learn and explaining the use of the inquiry-driven learning strategy to facilitate the learning of appropriate capabilities for dealing with public administration challenges. This article contributes to the existing literature on the role of the MPA in the mid-career education of public administration managers by suggesting the learning of public administration capabilities through an inquiry-driven learning strategy.

Strategies to promote the acceptance of sandbag building technology for sustainable and affordable housing delivery: the South African case

PurposeSandbag building technologies (SBTs) have been offered as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative building technology (ABT) capable of accelerating house construction in South Africa, but its acceptance remains low. However, knowledge about how to effectively improve SBT social acceptance is limited. This study aims to develop and prioritise SBT social acceptability strategies towards providing a comprehensive framework for the successful deployment and widespread adoption of sandbag technology.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative research strategy that included a literature review and a structured questionnaire survey of 228 ABT professionals and stakeholders in the South African housing industry. The study statistically analysed 13 strategies for the social acceptance of SBT.FindingsThe analysis showed that the top three strategies include the availability of sandbag demonstration projects in all provinces, the approval of a sandbag building code and the availability of standard design methods for earthbags. A factor analysis clustered the 13 strategies into Stakeholders integration and policy formation, Effective education and knowledge sharing and Grassroots advocacy and incentives.Practical implicationsThe current study’s findings provide a broad framework for the effective implementation and wide acceptance of sandbag technology in housing projects. It offered certain best practices that policymakers and practitioners might use to promote ABT and SBT societal acceptability.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study represents the first and only attempt to investigate the viewpoints of experts and housing market stakeholders in South Africa regarding sandbag technology social acceptance strategies and contributes to the social acceptance body of knowledge in ABT and SBT.

Association between regular physical activity and the protective effect of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in a South African case–control study

BackgroundBoth vaccination and physical activity have been shown to independently decrease the likelihood of severe COVID-19 infection.ObjectiveTo assess the association between regular physical activity and vaccination against COVID-19 among healthcare...