South African Policy Research Articles

Mental health implications of suicide rates in South Africa.

Mental health challenges are a severe issue that could lead to suicide if not properly addressed. South Africa has a significant burden of mental health issues, which contributes to the soaring rate of suicide. Adequate mental health-care provision could reduce the high suicide rate in South Africa. Since the apartheid regime, the country has made a series of efforts to improve mental health. This study aimed to review and examine available literature on mental health and suicide issues in South Africa and demonstrate the policy implications. This study adopted a narrative review approach. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scilit, Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar) were used to identify published articles in the English language with crucial search terms that included mental health, South African mental health policy, South Africa, suicide and policy. Literature suggests that at the provincial level, there are no adequate mental health policies, and the implementation of the country's mental health policy is faced with many challenges, such as a shortage of professionals and finances. The review also showed that task sharing and counselling have been pilot-tested and shown to be effective methods for the prevention of mental illness and promotion of positive mental health. This study concludes that the mental health treatment gap still exists in South Africa, and this needs to be tackled using effective, multi-level counselling interventions and policy initiatives. Adequate mental health-care provision and effective implementation of mental health policy could reduce the high rate of suicide in South Africa.

Teachers’ Experiences of Teaching the Financial Literacy Component to Enhance Learner Performance in Economic and Management Sciences

A few studies have been conducted to understand how secondary school teachers made sense of quality teaching and learning and assessment in general, and particularly in the financial literacy component of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), a subject outlined in the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). Learner performance in the financial literacy component of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) has been poor, hence the reason for exploring the experiences of teachers teaching the financial literacy component. The study adopted an exploratory case study design qualitative approach within an interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers, departmental heads and Subject Advisors considered experts in teaching, in addition to classroom observation. The collected data were analysed by means of thematic analysis. The study findings revealed that many factors influence the teaching of the financial literacy component of EMS. It was recommended if these factors were addressed it could enhance learner performance. In addition, the notional hours allocated to EMS should be increased and it is suggested that projects and case studies should be done away with as forms of assessment as they do not give a true reflection of learner performance. Learners should only be assessed with controlled tests and examinations so that a true picture of their performance could be determined, and proper intervention strategies mapped out.

Role of continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) on teachers’ and learners’ achievement in South Africa: A literature review

Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) refers to the ongoing learning and development of teachers throughout their careers. It involves a range of activities, programs, and initiatives designed to help teachers improve their knowledge, skills, and effectiveness in the classroom. CPTD programs can take many different forms, such as workshops, seminars, mentoring programs, online courses, and peer networks. This desktop review paper examines the role of CPTD on teachers' and learners’ achievement. The paper reviews among others the following; the nature and concept of CPTD, the importance of CPTD, South African teacher education policy framework and CPTD, the educational achievement and CPTD, school effectiveness and CPTD, learner and teacher learning and CPTD. The paper uses social learning theory as a theory that underpins the paper and makes some plausible recommendations.

Scientists have a powerful role in determining South African government health policy: Unpacking how and why different scientists may suggest very different policies

Scientists have a powerful role in determining South African government health policy: Unpacking how and why different scientists may suggest very different policies

Innovations in technology education toward technological literacy – A study of two high schools in South Africa

Over the past two decades, South Africa has emphasised the need for school learners to be technologically literate by the end of high school. Specifically, South Africa’s Department of Education (2007) and the Department of Basic Education (2019) stated that it was critical for high school learners to be technologically literate by the end of their schooling. The inclusion of Technology as a subject within the South African education policy framework was considered an important innovation, an attempt at making the curriculum compatible with the skills needed of a globalised economy (Ankiewicz, 2020). Given this context, the goal for teaching Technology as a school subject should enable both learners and teachers to acquire skills, values, knowledge, and attitudes to become critical and creative thinkers and developers. There is a need to continuously explore ways to promote the effective teaching and learning of Technology at high school level. This study explores the teachers’ adoption of ICT into the teaching of the school subject Technology in two Cape Town high schools. The theoretical framework drawn on in this study is the RAT model (Hughes et al., 2006), which helps in the understanding of an individual learners’ and teachers’ personal experiences of teaching, and understanding technology’s role in teaching, learning, and curricular practices. The study explores the presence or absence of ICT adoption and utilisation in the teaching of Technology, as well as techniques that were applied within pedagogical practices. The research design was a multiple case study at the two schools in the Province of the Western Cape. A qualitative approach was used to collect and analyse the data. Semi-structured interviews with both the Grade 9 learners and teachers were conducted. Focus group discussions were conducted with the learners at the selected high schools, herein referred to as School A and School B. Based on the findings, recommendations will be disseminated to the Department of Basic Education in raising the learners’ levels of technological literacy through innovative teaching and learning strategies.

Implications of the South African National Drug Policy on prescribing patterns: a case study of the Limpopo province

BackgroundThe South African National Drug Policy (SA-NDP) was introduced to promote rational medicine use (RMU). This study evaluates the quality of prescribing in the public healthcare sector in South Africa's Limpopo province following the World Health Organization's (WHO) rational prescribing standards. In addition, the prescribing practices in South Africa were compared to other African countries.MethodsA prospective cross-sectional survey of patients' prescriptions was conducted in Limpopo, South Africa, from October to December 2018. Findings were compared with the WHO reference values (WHO-RV), and the International Network of Rational Use of Drugs (IRDP) tool was used to measure the degree of rational prescribing. The optimal IRDP value was defined as 1. Study findings were compared with results from a previous study conducted in Limpopo and studies from Ethiopia and Eritrea.ResultsSix hundred prescriptions were reviewed. The mean (SD) age was 43.9 ± 24.4 years (females = 56.5%). The average number of drugs prescribed (4.3, IRDP = 0.47) was higher than the WHO-RV (< 2). Generic prescribing (43%, IRDP = 0.43) and medicines prescribed from the essential medicines list (EML) (90%, IRDP = 0.90) were less than the WHO-RV (100%, respectively). Antibiotics (28%, IRDP = 1) and the number of injections prescribed (8%, IRDP = 1) were below the WHO-RV (< 30% and < 20%, respectively). The number of medicines prescribed was higher compared to previous years (4.3 vs. 3.4). Antibiotic prescribing declined (28% vs. 63.4%). Generic prescribing (43% vs. 41.7%) and medicines prescribed from the EML (90% vs. 93.1%) did not improve. A higher number of medicines were prescribed in this study compared to Ethiopia (1.7) and Eritrea (1.8), and a lower number of antibiotics were prescribed compared to Ethiopia (58.2%) and Eritrea (54.5%). Generic prescribing was low compared to Ethiopia (95.6%) and Eritrea (94.9%). All studies showed reduced injection prescribing (6.6–15.9%) and similar prescribing from the EML (90–95%).ConclusionsThere is an increased potential for drug-drug and adverse reactions with the increased number of prescribed medicines; however, the patient's clinical needs may warrant using multiple medicines. There is a need for generic prescribing to reduce medicine expenditure.

Unveiling the Green Impact: Exploring the Nexus Between Trade Openness and Environmental Quality in South Africa

In light of the escalating concerns about environmental sustainability and the profound impact of international trade on environmental outcomes, the study's focal point was to empirically investigate the relationship between trade openness and environmental quality in South Africa from 1994 to 2018. In order to achieve the goal, the research utilized the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds method and Granger causality test for analyzing data. The ARDL Bounds approach was chosen for its ability to examine both short-run and long-run relationships, while the Granger causality test provided insights into the direction of causality between the variables. This combination of robust econometric techniques enhances the reliability and depth of the study's findings, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between trade openness and environmental quality in the country. The analysis results revealed a significant and positive relationship between trade openness and carbon emissions in the short and long run. The Granger causality test also indicated a unidirectional causality from trade openness to environmental quality. These implications are paramount for the South African government's policy formulation. In order to tackle the environmental issues that come with open trade, the government must put in place trade agreements that will enhance its ability to address these concerns efficiently. One crucial step is reducing trade barriers on environmental goods, facilitating increased access to green technologies at lower costs. Moreover, the government should prioritize enacting and enforcing strict environmental laws to avoid the "pollution haven hypothesis," which often affects low-income countries.

Policy on trial: Participatory vs neo-liberal development

ABSTRACT This paper examines the conflict in South African government development policy and law between a people-centred participatory approach and a neoliberal growth-centred approach. In particular, we discuss how this conflict has played out in a series of related court cases from 2021 to 2022. Methodologically, the case study is based on three court judgments with individual fishers, community representatives, civil society organisations and legal entities connected to the Eastern Cape Wild Coast as plaintiffs. The defendants were the multinational company Shell and subsidiaries with two South African government ministers. Our analytical framework was informed by Jürgen Habermas’ ‘instrumental reasoning’ which was operationalised through Sherry Arnstein’s heuristic model of participation. Different interpretations and expectations of public participation found in government policy documents and law in South Africa are explored. The findings underscore the central importance of appropriate levels of inclusion in public participation, as protected by the South African Constitution, in the process of Exploration Right Applications by mining companies.

Lustre and shadows: unveiling the gaps in South African University plagiarism policies amidst the emergence of AI-generated content

AbstractIn recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key technology in the field of academic integrity. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the legal dimensions of plagiarism in the context of AI. In this study, a theoretical framework that combines the social construction of technology and the legal dimension of plagiarism was used to explore the current construction of plagiarism in South African university plagiarism policies. This study aims to highlight the inadequacy of current plagiarism policies, which primarily focus on the act of copying from others and emphasize the need for a broader perspective that addresses the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in academic integrity in the era of AI-generated content. The author used confirming sampling and data saturation was reached with a sample of ten university plagiarism policies. The findings revealed an inadequacy of the policies on the coverage of AI-generated content and therefore justifying the need to redefine plagiarism in the context of the artificial intelligence revolution. The author concludes by redefining plagiarism and justifying the utility of the recommended definition.

Theory of Change and Theory of Education: Pedagogic and Curriculum Defects in Early Grade Reading Interventions in South Africa

Much of the field of educational change has focused on better understanding the theory of change, that is, what knowledge is needed to make substantial educational change, particularly improvement to learning outcomes at scale. This article suggests that the South African early grade reading study community may have been looking in the wrong place. The search for the optimal theory of change or theory of action is obviously very important, but could it not be that a key part of the problem is defects in our theory of education? It is argued that there may be something educationally unsound in certain aspects of the official pedagogy and curriculum. As such, the South African education system is unlikely to make much progress towards the goal of getting children to read for meaning by the time they are 10 years old if these defects are not addressed. To illustrate this argument, the article points to data from two examples in South African education policies on pedagogy and curriculum: the first relates to the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) Foundation Phase document’s under-specification and weak guidance with reference to the teaching of phonics with linked decodable texts; the second concerns the CAPS document’s privileging of an unworkable reading teaching methodology called Group Guided Reading. The article concludes that to achieve real knowledge breakthroughs, university academics working alongside researchers in government need to develop rigorous research programmes aimed at improving foundational learning outcomes.

The Incorporation of the fpic Principle in South African Policy on Mining-Induced Displacements

Abstract The persistence of intense conflicts over land belonging to indigenous communities is a pressing issue in South Africa. This would resonate even more with the lived experiences of mine communities that are often having to grapple with the collateral socio-economic hardships and impoverishment effects. Matters can get even worse when the State has weak legal and institutional frameworks to regulate the use and possession of such highly contested lands. This paper explores the principle of free, prior and informed consent (fpic); its relevance and significance to South African extractive sector; its possible bottlenecks and implementation challenges; and suggestions for practical interventions and policy advances to facilitate its incorporation into law and policy. Displacement is the limited context within which this exploration is undertaken. The paper argues that the fpic – as an envisaged future for the country’s extractive policy – is more desirable than a mere duty to consult as currently framed in the empowering legislation namely, the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Act (mprda).

Digital transformation and post-Covid-19 education in South Africa: a review of literature

Little thought or speculation was given to the possibilities of digital transformation for basic education until the global Covid-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for digital transformation in education. Given the global trends toward digital transformation of teaching and learning, the South African basic education system has not been spared. While South African education policy was put in place to drive digital transformation, challenges persist in its implementation. The aim of this study was to examine the challenges facing the South African basic education system in digital transformation and assess the strategies that can be used to mitigate these challenges. Although South Africa is attempting to address existing inequalities and the digital divide stemming from apartheid policies, the inequalities of the post-apartheid era have continued and worsened during the pandemic, resulting in a multi-layered digital divide that hinders quality and inclusive education. We adopted a narrative literature review in this study, focusing on previous studies that focused on ICT adoption, digital transformation, and inequality challenges in the South African education system. The findings make apparent the impact of the digital divide and former policies in perpetuating educational inequality. From the literature, strategies to mitigate the challenges are highlighted, including consultations.

“An Exercise in the Art of the Possible”: Waging a Battle Against Apartheid in the South African Workplace

The Wiehahn Commission, a government body that proposed a multipronged 1979 South African labor reform, accelerated the corporate recognition of Black trade unions in apartheid era South Africa. Gradually implemented over the course of two years, the reforms complemented international workplace codes and the burgeoning reformist push for ethically sound business practices in the workplace. Although U.S. multinational firms in South Africa did not initially voice support for Black trade unions, in the aftermath of Soweto, many were faced with cascading internal and external pressures to negotiate with these emerging unions. By incorporating the Sullivan Principles, a U.S. code for ethical business conduct, into the broader scholarship on the South African trade union movement and the late apartheid era Wiehahn Commission reforms, this article examines how corporate reforms landed in South Africa, probing the business response to worker demands. South African workers were not merely passive recipients of workplace reform, but rather active participants, shaping the form and direction of U.S. and South African policy.

Social workers' historical and contemporary understanding of the social development approach

Colonialism and apartheid influenced South African social welfare policies. After South Africa gained political freedom in 1994, democratic social welfare laws like the White Paper for Social Welfare were implemented (1997). Despite democratic social development initiatives, poverty, unemployment, and inequality marginalise most South Africans. Eurocentrism dominates social work practice and education with significant proposals for higher education decolonisation and indigenisation. Participatory action learning action research approach was used for this study (PALAR). PALAR uses critical, transformational, and democratic research methods to build a social work practice approach for African social systems in South Africa. For this research, an Afrocentric social work practice model was co-constructed for South Africa by black social workers who were purposefully and conveniently selected. The objective was to understand social workers' historical and present conceptualisations of the social development approach. Preliminary findings imply that social development does not address structural inequalities in South Africa, such as race and the land question. For example, after a decade of its adoption, the approach has not significantly addressed large-scale poverty and unemployment. Social development in practice is welfarist, disempowering, not community-based, and insensitive to African culture. Social development services are not adequately integrated. Social development in South Africa towards social welfare is a miscarriage; lacks relevance and appropriateness outside the Euro-North American axis and remains Eurocentric in all aspects. The social development approach does not represent the African values system and nor relatable to the African social systems. South African social work needs to be reimagined. Indigenous knowledge systems need to take precedence to realise relevance of social work practice approaches in South Africa. An Afrocentric turn to social work practice for South Africa's relevance is a viable answer. How to cite this article using ASWNet style Ntloko, N. A. J. (2023). Social workers' historical and contemporary understanding of the social development approach. People centred – The Journal of Development Administration (JDA), 8(2), 48. Social Work and Development Student Conference (SWDSC), 16 June 2023. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jda.v8i2.6 Conference Abstract Social Work and Development Student Conference (SWDSC) Held on 16 June 2023, Day of the African Child (DAC) Organised by Africa Social Work and Development Network (ASWDN) Conference Organising Committee: Danzel Rademan, University of the Free State, South Africa (Chairperson); Atuhairwe Collins, Student, Master of Social Work, Makerere University, Uganda (ViceChairperson); Never Winnie James Sebit, South Sudan; Bachelor in Social Work, RCSS, India (Secretary); Tatenda Sukulao, Bachelor of Social Work, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe (Vice-Secretary); Norman T. Manyika, Student, Bachelor of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe (Committee member) and Takudzwa Banda, Bachelor of Social Work, University of Zimbabwe (Committee member). Visit journal website: https://jda.africasocialwork.net

THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECT OF SOUTH AFRICAN HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY FRAMEWORKS THROUGH THE LENS OF MARGARET ARCHER’S SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS

After the end of the apartheid regime, the South African Government and other stakeholders have made several commitments to enhance and transform the nation's educational system, particularly higher education. To achieve this, the government implemented several educational reforms, passed legislation, and established policies. Despite some discussions and debates surrounding educational improvement, there is still a lack of comprehensive analysis that examines the specific contributions, challenges, and potential challenges of these policy frameworks in driving positive transformations. Accordingly, this research examines the transformative impact of South African Higher Education policy frameworks using Margaret Archer's morphogenetic theory as an analytical framework. The study conducts a desktop document analysis of published literature, including policy documents from the South African government, to explore the contributions and challenges of these policy frameworks. The analysis reveals a lack of significant changes in agency, social, and cultural structures, indicating the absence of morphogenesis processes. Furthermore, there is a lack of commitment from various agents to the policy objectives, particularly evident in weaknesses in fulfilling mandates and the resulting institutional instability due to student protests. The study highlights that the anticipated impact of policies, strategies, and financial resources may have fallen short of expectations regarding the transformation process. The findings contribute to understanding the limitations and effectiveness of South African Higher Education policy frameworks, offering insights into the complex dynamics between structure, culture, and agency. This research informs policymakers, educators, and stakeholders involved in higher education by providing recommendations to enhance the transformative potential of these policy frameworks. The research has broader implications for understanding educational improvement and policy frameworks in other contexts, as the insights gained from this study can be applicable and valuable to similar settings facing challenges in educational reforms..

South African social policy after Covid-19: New policy imperatives?

South African social policy after Covid-19: New policy imperatives?

Wild(e) on Stage: Manipulated Scripts and Suppressed Truths in Nadine Gordimer’s “The Amateurs”

"This paper deals with the topic of historical inheritance and literary discourse through a prismatic lens. It focuses on Nadine Gordimer, a well- known white South African writer of Anglo-Jewish and Eastern European origins, who always stood up against racism and the colonialist legacy which deviously paved the way for the apartheid system in her country. In particular, light is shed on “The Amateurs”, one of her earliest short stories and a piercing portrayal of South African segregation policies during the 1940s. At the same time, Gordimer engages here in a critical dialogue with the English fin de siècle and the comedy-of-manners genre by recollecting an episode from her youth, when she happened to play Gwendolen’s role in an amateur staging of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. As we shall see, “The Amateurs” is a semantically poignant story where the threads of European literary tradition, metatheatricality and personal memory are powerfully interwoven."

Impact of Land Ownership in Enhancing Agricultural Productivity in Rural Areas of Eastern Cape Province

Land is a principal and calamitous factor in agricultural production and the growth of livelihood prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Land ownership is an indispensable resource for agrarian efficiency in the pastoral regions of South Africa. It leads to sustainable and feasible farming. However, the mainstream rural dwellers struggle to access and obtain land ownership, thus leading to low agricultural productivity. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate the effect of land tenure in enhancing agrarian efficiency in rural areas of Eastern Cape Province. The study used a cross-sectional research approach and a multi-stage sampling procedure. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 250 smallholder farmers. The analysis tools used were descriptive statistics, Logit regression, and Propensity Score Matching. Farmers were landowners, with 70% and 60% having small-sized farms, which they utilise for agricultural production. About 17% of the farmers did not utilise the land they own because of a lack of funds, water availability and farming equipment. The farmers' age, gender, years spent in school, members of farm organisations, access to extension services, household income, and hired permanent labour were socio-economic and institutional factors influencing land ownership. PSM results revealed that fully owned small-sized farms achieved high agricultural production than rented large-sized farms. The study concludes that full land ownership impacts agricultural productivity more than rented land. Hence, productivity is high. Therefore, the study recommends that the South African government and land reform policy must fast-track land redistribution among rural dwellers and farmers to enhance agricultural productivity.

Sowing the seeds of change: Policy feedback and ratcheting up in South African energy policy

More ambitious and stringent policy intervention is required to accelerate the transition to renewable energy technologies. The ratcheting-up of policy ambition hinges on the political feasibility of policy change. Positive policy feedback can, in theory, enhance the political feasibility of ratcheting-up by creating pro-change constituencies and policy learning. To analyze the empirical mechanisms through which policy feedback operates, in this study, we analyze two energy policy instruments in South Africa. We examine how the Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Program (REIPPP), a renewable energy auction program for niche support, affected the re-design of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a central energy planning instrument. We use a qualitative case study approach, drawing on a large dataset of policy documents, public consultation responses and expert interviews. We show that REIPPP, through mechanisms of largely positive interpretive and resource feedback, has increased the political feasibility of more ambitious, pro-renewable energy planning in IRP. Our case thus demonstrates positive political feedback from the market creation to the central planning policy instrument. The findings suggest that the temporal sequencing of (re-designing) policy instruments can, under certain conditions, enable dynamic ratcheting up of energy policy mixes and thus sow the seeds for major policy change.

Using critical pedagogy in English education: Disjunctures between pre-service teachers' preparation and opportunities for implementation

In many universities offering qualifications in education, Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy features prominently in curricula for pre-service teachers of English. Student teachers are prepared with the knowledge and skills that enable them to use approaches from critical pedagogy to teach English effectively in their classrooms upon graduation. Critical pedagogy affords pre-service teachers of English training in teaching critical literacy, a pedagogy of self-empowerment, and tools for teaching critical thinking. However, student teachers may not easily exploit these affordances when they start to teach since many constraints in the school system may impede the effective implementation of critical pedagogy in the English classroom. These constraints include the inflexible Annual Teaching Plan, the practice of teaching for assessment, and contradictions in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). As a result, there is a disparity between the vision of teaching English in critical ways on the one hand and opportunities to realise this vision within the structures of South African policy on the other. In this article, we explore this disparity and its implications for learning to teach English within a critical pedagogy framework.