South African Territory Research Articles

Scoping an integrated ecosystem assessment for South Africa

The need to move toward marine ecosystem-based management is globally recognized. Few countries effectively account for multiple interacting pressures in their marine assessments, planning and management. Many socio-economic sectors currently operate in South African waters and in most cases, their associated pressures are managed on a sector-by-sector basis and interacting pressures are seldom accounted for in assessments or decision-making. For ecosystem-based management to be effective, a science-based approach to prioritize sectors and pressures needing most urgent action, and to identify affected ecological components is needed. Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) has hence been put forward as a tool that can organize relevant information and provide context for cross-sectoral management decisions. Consisting of five main stages that form an iterative cycle, the first IEA stage involves scoping of top management priorities in a given area and can be done by way of risk assessment. Through the ODEMM (Options for Delivering Ecosystem-based Marine Management) approach, linkage chains (interactions) among sectors, pressures and affected ecological components for the entirety of the South African marine territory were identified. Subsequently, impact risk scores of each linkage chain were calculated based on the exposure and severity of impacts faced by ecological components from pressures that are associated with each sector. Fishing was the sector with the greatest connectivity (11.65% proportional connectance) in the framework and ranked highest in terms of impact risk (summed), followed by Shipping and Coastal infrastructure. Pressures with the most serious impacts on ecological components, as identified through summed impact risk scores, included Bycatch, Species extraction, and Incidental loss and the ecological components most affected were those primarily associated with Fishing and its associated pressures. These findings align with those of the recent South African National Biodiversity Assessment and corroborate views of local stakeholders. This study also identified key local knowledge gaps, including impacts of underwater noise, invasive species, and climate change, that must be better understood to improve assessment accuracy and guide management prioritization of pressures exerted by most impactful sectors.

Apartheid: Uma Contribuição da Geografia

Apresenta-se dados sul-africanos sobre população, língua, etnia, divisão religiosa, divisão política e economia seguidos de um histórico sobre o Apartheid. Em um terceiro momento, relaciona-se os itens supracitados com a segregação racial e conclui-se em favor da ideia de que tal política tinha como principal motivação o capital.

Seroprevalence of foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle herds raised in Maasai Mara ecosystem in Kenya

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) seroprevalence and identify risk factors of exposure among cattle herds raised in three zones with different types of land use and progressively distant from the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) boundary. We selected five villages purposively; two in zone 1 (area < 20 km from the MMNR), another two in zone 2 (area between 20−40 km away from the MMNR) and one in zone 3 (area >40 km away from the MMNR). A total of 1170 cattle sera were collected from 390 herds in all the zones and tested for antibodies against the non-structural proteins (NSPs) of FMD virus (FMDV) using two 3ABC-based Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ELISA kits. All sera samples were also screened for serotype-specific antibodies using Solid Phase Competitive ELISA (SPCE) kits (IZSLER, Italy). We targeted FMDV serotypes A, O, South African Territory [SAT] 1 and SAT 2, known to be endemic in East Africa including Kenya. Data on putative risk factors for FMD seropositivity in cattle were collected using a questionnaire. The overall apparent animal-level FMD seroprevalence based on the parallel comparison of the two anti-NSPs ELISA kits was 83.8 % (95 % CI; 81.8–85.9), and differed significantly across zones. Zone 1 had a higher seroprevalence than zones 2 and 3 (χ2 = 116.1, df = 2, p < 0.001). In decreasing order, the overall seroprevalences of FMDV serotypes A, SAT 2, O and SAT 1 were 26.3 % (95 % CI; 23.5–29.2), 21.4 % (95 % CI; 18.8–24.0), 21.2 % (95 % CI; 18.7–23.9) and 13.1 % (95 % CI; 11.1–15.3), respectively. The distribution of these serotypes differed significantly between zones (p < 0.05) except for SAT 2 serotype (χ2 = 0.90, df = 2, p = 0.639). Both serotypes A and O were more prevalent in zones 1 and 2 than zone 3 while serotype SAT 1, was higher in zone 3 compared to other zones. The results of multivariable analyses identified animal sex (i.e., female), raising of cattle in zones 1 and 2 (areas < 40 km away from the MMNR); mixing of cattle from multiple herds at watering points, and pastoral husbandry practices, as significant predictors of animal-level FMD seropositivity. This study established that FMD seroprevalence declined with distance from the MMNR.

Spatial and temporal distribution of foot-and-mouth disease in four districts situated along the Uganda-Tanzania border: Implications for cross-border efforts in disease control.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the major trans-boundary animal diseases in East Africa causing economic loss to farmers and other stakeholders in the livestock industry. Foot-and-mouth disease occurs widely in both Uganda and Tanzania with annual outbreaks recorded. With the recent introduction of the Progressive Control Pathway for FMD control (PCP-FMD) in eastern Africa, knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of FMD at the border area between Uganda and Tanzania is helpful in framing engagement with the initial stages of the PCP. Retrospective data collected between 2011 and 2016 from four districts located along the border areas of Uganda and Tanzania, recorded 23 and 59 FMD outbreaks, respectively, for the entire study period. Analysis showed that 46% of the 82 recorded outbreaks occurred in 20% of sub-counties and wards immediately neighbouring the Uganda–Tanzania border and 69.5% of the outbreaks occurred during the dry months. While the serotypes of the FMD virus responsible for most outbreaks reported in this region were not known, previous research reported South African Territory (SAT) 1, SAT 2 and O to be the serotypes in circulation. The results from this study provide evidence of the endemic status of FMD on the Uganda–Tanzania border and emphasise that the border area should be given due consideration during FMD control drives and that cross-border coordination should be prioritised. With the limited data on circulating serotypes in this area, there is a need for more vigilance on FMD case detection, laboratory diagnostic confirmation and provision of more complete documentation of outbreaks. This work further recommends more studies on cross-border livestock movement coupled with phylogenetics in order to understand the spread of the FMD in the border area.

Prosecutor v. Al-Bashir: Decision Under Article 87(7) of the Rome Statute on the Non-Compliance by South Africa with the Request by the Court for the Arrest and Surrender of Omar Al-Bashir (Int'l Crim. Ct.)

The ICC considered two central questions: First, whether South Africa failed to comply with its obligations under the statute by not arresting and surrendering Al-Bashir to the Court while he was in South African territory despite having received a request from the ICC under Articles 87 and 89 of the Statute for his arrest and surrender. Second, whether a formal finding of noncompliance by South Africa in this respect and referral of the matter to the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute or to the United Nations Security Council are warranted.

'South Africa is Not an Accused'

There is a confrontation between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and state parties, and at this particular point in time, the Republic of South Africa, in connection with the arrest warrants issued by the Court for the President of Sudan in 2009 and 2010. Between 13 and 15 June 2015, President Omar al-Bashir was present on the territory of South Africa for purposes of attending the 25th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. Despite judgments from both the ICC upholding the obligation of South African authorities to arrest and surrender President Bashir and parallel domestic proceedings at the South African High Court in which authorities were ordered to prevent the departure of President Bashir from South African territory pending final judicial decision on whether the Government was required to execute the ICC arrest warrants, President Bashir nevertheless departed from the Waterkloof military air base on 15 June 2015, even as Government lawyers assured the High Court in a hearing on the same date that he was still in the country. Only after his plane had safely landed in Khartoum did the same lawyers then notify the High Court that he had left South Africa. This article will analyze this case in the following lines.

The Universal Jurisdiction of South African Criminal Courts and Immunities of Foreign State Officials

Under the "complementarity" regime of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the jurisdiction of the ICC is secondary to the jurisdiction of domestic courts. States Parties, not the ICC, have the primary responsibility of investigating and prosecuting international crimes. The ICC acts only when States are "unable" or "unwilling" to prosecute. As a State Party, in order to give effect to the complementarity principle, South Africa enacted the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002, which determines the modalities of prosecuting perpetrators of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in South African courts.&#x0D; The Implementation Act also provides that South African courts will have jurisdiction over these crimes not only when they are committed on the territory of South Africa but also when they are committed outside the Republic. By granting South African courts jurisdiction over a person who commits a crime outside the Republic when that person is later found on South African territory, without regard to that person's nationality or the nationality of the victims, the Implementation Act empowers South African courts with universal jurisdiction over international crimes.&#x0D; This paper seeks to determine whether and to what extent foreign State officials, such as foreign heads of State, heads of government and ministers of foreign affairs, can plead immunity when they are accused of international crimes before South African courts when exercising their universal jurisdiction in terms of the Implementation Act and in accordance with the complementarity regime of the Rome Statute. In other words, the article endeavours to determine whether international law rules regarding immunities of State officials may or may not limit the ability of South African courts to exercise universal jurisdiction over international crimes committed in foreign States.&#x0D;

Duty to Empire? South Africa's Invasion of German South West Africa, 1914-1918

Before war broke out in August 1914, the Union of South Africa had determined to include the German colony of South West Africa in the Union fold if ever an opportunity arose. So, when Britain went to war on 4 August 1914, the British War Cabinet request that South Africa put the German wireless stations in the South West African territory out of action was likely to be met with favourable response. It was, but not by all as this paper will set out.In 1914, South Africa as a country was only four years old and was still trying to heal the wounds caused by the Anglo-Boer or South African War of 1899-1902. The Union Defence Force (UDF) was even younger, having been approved in 1912. Where the Union had already had a number of years to develop, the UDF was in effect starting from zero.

Chinese arms destined for Zimbabwe over South African territory: The R2P norm and the role of civil society

This paper discusses the recent litigation initiated by civil society groups involving a Chinese vessel which attempted to discharge a consignment of arms in Durban destined for the government of Zimbabwe. The author considers the litigation as an example of the emerging norm of the 'responsibility to protect' which has recently been developed within the United Nations, and he argues that the decision by the South African government to grant a permit for the transport of the arms over South African territory for Zimbabwe offended against the responsibility to protect (R2P) norm.

Management of information technology in academic information services

The dependency of academic information services on information technology is growing, particularly as information technology is the primary infrastructure of a digital library. This is compound by the fast changing/developing nature of information technology and the trend towards digitisation. The changing nature of information technology contributes to the need to manage it. The focus of this article is on the management of information technology with specific reference to the changing nature of this resource. To find a suitable model with which to manage information technology the management of change as well the management of technology was studied. In doing so 11 variables (which should be included in a management model) were distilled for literature. Directors of academic information services in the South African territory sector were approached to rank the variables. Of these 11 variables, the first six were identified as key criteria. When existing information technology models were evaluated, these key criteria were used as the most important measured of effectiveness. However, attempts to find suitable existing model that accommodates all six key criteria were unsuccessful. Ultimately, a new model was designed which could be implemented by academic information services (i.e. university libraries).

Maintenance of foot and mouth disease viruses in buffalo (Syncerus caffer Sparrman, 1779) in southern Africa.

Using age-related infection rates derived from serological data in available deterministic and specially developed stochastic simulation models, it has been possible to establish that the basic reproductive rates for South African Territory (SAT) type foot and mouth disease virus in buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are high. The models predict that there is a periodicity of infection within herds and possibly the population as a whole. Thus, buffalo herds are likely to be more infectious at some times than at others. However, because most infections in buffalo are inapparent, such episodes are difficult to identify. There is wide intratypic variation within the SAT type virus populations circulating in buffalo. This was determined by sequencing part of the 1 D gene of buffalo isolates and establishing antigenic profiles with neutralising monoclonal antibodies and conventional antisera.

Walvis Bay: South Africa, Namibia and the question of sovereignty

The newly independent state of Namibia is strategically and economically reliant on the deep-water port of Walvis Bay on its Atlantic coastline. But Walvis Bay is administered by Pretoria, which regards it as part of sovereign South African territory. The question of sovereignty is likely to be the subject of long dispute between the two countries. This article assesses the strategic importance of the Bay and surveys the legal arguments over its title.

Notes on Malawi‐Mozambique relations, 1961–1987

(1989). Notes on Malawi‐Mozambique relations, 1961–1987. Journal of Southern African Studies: Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 617-644.

Samora Machel's Plane was Sabotaged

AbstractOn October 19, 1986, a Tupolev 134A jet on a flight from Zimbabwe to the Mozambican capital Maputo crashed on South African territory, killing Mozambican President Samora Machel and many other passengers.Since then, some Western politicians and news media have been trying to discredit the USSR, arguing that the plane crashed because of inadequate equipment, incompetence of the Soviet crew, and sabotage at Maputo airport. In the following interview with Novosti Press Agency (APN), Ivan Vasin, USSR Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation, rejects these allegations, and charges that deliberate subversive actions downed the Tupolev 134A. The transcript was written by Viktor Mikhnovich.

DISPUTE OVER WALVIS BAY—ORIGINS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NAMIBIAN INDEPENDENCE

WALVIS BAY is the only developed deep-water port along Namibia's coastline. It will therefore be crucial for the country's future, as it may enable an independent state of Namibia to achierre structural independence from neighbouring countries. But the control of Walvis Bay, and more importantly its ownership, are the object of a political dispute between the Republic of South Africa and the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO). WhiLe the former claims that Walvis Bay is South African territory and administers it as a part of the Cape province, SWAPO and the United Nations consider Walvis Bay as an integral part of Namibia. Despite SWAPO's claim, the question of Walvis Bay has been excluded from the negotiations for Namibian independence. This implies the pos sibility that Walvis Bay may in time become a South African enclave within an independent Namibia. Pretoria would thus be able to maintain considerable economic and political leverage over Namibia. It could, therefore, restrict the country's options for structural independence from South Africa and retard the process of decolonization in Southern Africa. But in order to assess the present, and future, importance of Walvis Bay, attention has to be drawn to its history, as the origins of the present dispute are to be found in the late nineteenth century's European partition of Africa. Existing historiography does not satisfactorily answer what the economic, political and strategic importance of Walvis Bay was in the past. If mentioned at all, it is generally relegated to footnotes in historical accounts of Namibia as a German colony, and, subsequently, as a mandated territory of the League of Nations under South African control. An examination of the history of Walvis Bay thus fills an historiographical lacuna and, more importantly, helps to identify the central features of the present political dispute, as well as to assess its possible implications for the ftlture of Namibia. The main argument in this article is as follows: since the British annexation of Walvis Bay in 1878, the importance of the Bay was reflected less in its economic performance as a port per se than in its perceived economic potential and political significance as the only point of access from the sea to the interior. Prior to the First World War, as today, this asset was,