South Africa Research Articles

An Investigation on Construction Project Development Planning Delays in South Africa

This article aims to determine the causes of the delays in South African construction project planning, discussing the centralised hierarchical planning system factors, multiple agencies/spheres of government regarding building-permit approval factors, and systems and spheres of government/multiple agencies for improving preconstruction project planning in South Africa. It also describes a one-stop centre as a framework for improving South African preconstruction planning. The nature of planning in South Africa is influenced by many legislative measures. The delays being experienced in the educational infrastructure project have attributed to the backlogs currently existing in the delivery of basic education infrastructure. This study was conducted using a quantitative research design technique to assess the secondary data findings through primary data gathered on about 106 construction industry operatives. The primary data collected from the 106 construction operatives focused on architects, engineers, surveyors, and contractors. The researchers conducted a pilot survey with experts/professionals before an industry-wide survey as a questionnaire pretest. The finalised questionnaire was used as a data-gathering technique in the quantitative study approach. A focus group discussion was held to validate the findings. The collected information was then subjected to quantitative analysis in SPSS Version: 29.0.2.0 to verify the veracity of the research. According to the findings, a one-stop centre would enhance systems and sectors of government/multiple agencies and prevent preconstruction project-planning delays in South Africa. A centralised hierarchical planning system is essential for reducing preconstruction-planning delays and multiple agencies/sectors of the government delaying building-permit approvals. The critical research contribution is in that expanding on what is already known about preconstruction project planning in South Africa, this study shows how crucial it is to identify and understand the factors that influence preconstruction project planning in that country. The limitation, however, is that, regarding South Africa, the available literature indicates that there is a problem with systems responsible for approving construction projects. In conclusion, by proposing a structure known as the one-stop centre (OSC) to address the issues that lead to delays in preconstruction project planning in South Africa, this study offers a significant contribution.

An empirical investigation of ethnic-cultural procedural fairness effects and their boundary conditions among three societal groups in South Africa

ABSTRACT Ethnic-cultural procedural fairness refers to the perception that societal actors use fair and unbiased procedures to make decisions vis-à-vis one’s ethnic-cultural group. Prior research using ethnic-cultural minority samples has convincingly shown that such perceptions are associated with a range of desirable outcomes. Yet, this body of evidence has so far limited its scope to European and North American samples. Moreover, more research is needed on the underlying psychological processes. Therefore, the central aim of the present study was to investigate ethnic-cultural procedural fairness effects among three societal groups in South Africa. In Study 1 (N = 326 black South Africans), we observed relationships between ethnic-cultural fairness perceptions and positive institutional and intergroup attitudes. Institutional and social trust respectively mediated these associations. Study 2 (N = 747) replicated these findings among white (n = 595), but not among coloured South Africans (n = 152). Notably, across both studies, we also obtained evidence for moderation. That is, procedural fairness effects on institutional attitudes were significantly smaller among socioeconomically burdened black participants, and procedural fairness effects on intergroup attitudes were fully curbed among white participants who reported high levels of perceived group discrimination. Taken together, our results call for enhanced attention to procedural fairness obstacles outside of typical WEIRD settings.

COVID-19 vaccine wastage in private and public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, COVID-19 vaccinations commenced in May 2021. This study investigated the extent and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine (C19V) wastage in KZN and strategies undertaken to mitigate loss. This two-phase multicenter study was conducted at private and public healthcare facilities from May 2021 to July 2022. KZN reported 2% Pfizer and 1% Janssen C19V wasted, mainly due to expiry. C19V waste-minimization strategies reported by 100% public and private sector vaccination leads included cold chain monitoring, designated trained staff and the use of stock-management systems. The WHO's risk-mitigation factors should be implemented continuously to minimize vaccine wastage.

Comparing regulatory guidance on risk minimization/mitigation and the Reporting recommendation Intended for pharmaceutical Risk Minimization Evaluation Studies checklist.

The latest country-specific regulatory guidance for assessing effectiveness of risk minimization measures (RMM) strategies was identified across five continents-Africa (Egypt, South Africa), Asia (Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore), Europe (EU-27, United Kingdom), North America (Unites States, Canada) and South America (Brazil)-and compared to the Reporting recommendation Intended for pharmaceutical Risk Minimization Evaluation Studies (RIMES) checklist, developed to assess the quality of effectiveness evaluations and endorsed by the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP). RIMES checklist items address study hypothesis, participants, measures, statistical analysis and results. European Medical Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance only partially aligned with RIMES, primarily for measures and results. In the absence of country-specific guidance, most countries recommended following EMA or FDA guidelines; Japan and South Africa mentioned the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH E2E) guideline; Brazil and China had no guidance/recommendations. Worldwide, there was a lack of RMM-specific guidance and, when guidance existed, they were not harmonized, and alignment with the RIMES checklist was limited.

AIDS in Africa—Impact of Research

In this Viewpoint, 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award winners Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Salim S. Abdool Karim discuss their journey in AIDS research in South Africa and the local and global health impact of this research.

ABSTRACT MANUAL OF ANTI-ART DEFIES CRITICS

This article on ir-relevance of Art criticism and its perpetrators, the maligned re-viewers, explores how close Kurt Schwitter`s points of reference here are aligned to ANTOA, the New Theory of Art. Schwitters (pronounce Sh-wit-ash) as main exponent of Hannover`s circle of avantgarde artists in interregnum between World War I and II (ca 1920 to 1939), was an accomplished yet often misunderstood creator, busy in fields of painting, sculpting, graphic design and literature. Furthermore the link between Schwitter`s influential quote on the value of „Abstract Non-Art“ and 1950ies/60ies phenomena of theatrical performance are investigated. This as much as application of points 3 – old make new, 4 – abstraction, where does it come from and where does it lead to?and 5 – message and symbolism, in relation to ANTOA, come under the spotlight.I begin with an imaginary question from my series ROLE OF ARTIST IN SOCIETY, 24 INTERVIEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

‘A Fly in the Ointment’: Apartheid South Africa’s Transnational Nuclear Network during the Cold War, 1953–1976

ABSTRACT This article focuses on apartheid South Africa’s nuclear sector and the regime’s attempts to cooperate with overseas energy companies to provide financial investments and crucial technologies. It highlights the connectedness of the South Africans in the global nuclear marketplace and their ability to secure technical support from Western states during the Cold War between 1953 and 1976. The article analyses the parallel negotiations with French and German firms to engage with the regime in sharing of sensitive knowledge and bargaining lucrative contracts. Using newly discovered archival records it is shown that French-German competition was at a boiling point at least twice in the 1970s. Moreover, the regime in Pretoria managed to garner enough support in the nuclear field to further the growth of its domestic industry, ultimately being capable of enriching uranium and obtaining a turnkey nuclear power reactor. The white minority government in Pretoria however failed to position itself as an important uranium supplier on a global scale, because of sanctions targeting domestic racial apartheid policies and a more robust international non-proliferation regime towards the 1980s.

Humanizing urban planning: acknowledging the emotional and psychological dimensions of upgrading informal settlements

ABSTRACT The rapid proliferation of informal settlements in the twenty-first century has challenged the ways in which planners envision, design and think about urban development. While I acknowledge that planning in South Africa continues to be mainly practised by technocrats, I argue this is at the expense of considering the human factors involved. Using a case study, I attempt to demonstrate the specific ways in which the overemphasis on reaching upgrading targets within a specified time frame leaves little to no room for considerations of the psychological and emotional implications of upgrading for informal settlers. This article calls for a detailed consideration of the humanising implications for present and future planning. The case study explores, the nature of the role of planners in, and their collaboration with, the management of Thembalethu Phase 1 Upgrading of Informal Settlement Programme (UISP), between 2010 and 2014, in George municipality with a focus on the space, or lack thereof, of human considerations in this collaborative process.

Effect of a cash transfer intervention on memory decline and dementia probability in older adults in rural South Africa

Effect of a cash transfer intervention on memory decline and dementia probability in older adults in rural South Africa

Total electricity generation dynamics analysis and renewable energy impacts in South Africa

AbstractThis research explores the dynamics of total electricity generation (TEG) in South Africa through an analysis of data from the International Energy Agency database from 1990 to 2020. A comprehensive examination of various energy sources, including coal, oil, biofuels, nuclear, hydro, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, and wind, is conducted to ascertain their respective contributions to TEG. Employing the R software environment, the study employs a methodical analytical framework encompassing meticulous data preparation, statistical analysis, and model formulation. The data preparation phase involves intricate processes such as structuring, cleansing, and visualization aimed at eliminating stochastic variables and outliers. Missing data are addressed through the application of the Piecewise Cubic Hermite Interpolating Polynomial method. Subsequent statistical analyses are informed by tests for normality and homogeneity of variance, revealing deviations from normality and disparate variances across energy source groups. Consequently, non‐parametric methodologies such as the Kruskal–Wallis test are adopted. Findings underscore the significant role of nuclear energy in TEG despite facing challenges. Model development entails the construction of multiple linear regression models with varying predictor sizes, with Model m06 emerging as the optimal choice, incorporating key predictors such as coal, nuclear, and solar PV. Rigorous diagnostic assessments confirm the robustness of Model m06 and its suitability for TEG prediction. Comparative analysis against actual data validates its superior performance, characterized by minimal errors and high predictive accuracy. The efficacy of Model m06 in capturing TEG dynamics underscores its utility for informing energy planning initiatives. Recommendations derived from the study advocate for prioritizing renewable energy integration, infrastructure investment, research endeavors, monitoring mechanisms, and public awareness campaigns to advance sustainable energy development goals in South Africa.

Implementing B-BBEE: Leader Experiences in the South African Banking Industry

Orientation: Large banking institutions in South Africa remain complex organisations facing a myriad of challenges as they navigate the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) and strive to remain relevant. A significant challenge relates to how these organisations can utilise Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) to create diverse and inclusive teams for organisational success and sustainability.Research purpose: To explore the experiences and sense-making processes of senior leaders tasked with the implementation of affirmative action as part of a B-BBEE strategy as they navigate this responsibility within a South African bank.Motivation for the study: To shine on the complex experiences of senior leaders tasked with implementing affirmative action within a B-BBEE strategy in a large financial institution.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative interpretivist case study was applied to explore senior leaders’ negotiation of their perceptions and experiences of leading the implementation of B-BBEE in a large bank. Ten semi-structured interviews were utilised as the main data generation tool.Main findings: Study reveals how senior leaders hold strong convictions about the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This included the continued necessity for legislation such as B-BBEE given South Africa’s racial history and existing personal biases that impact workplace diversity and inclusion. The study further reveals that senior leaders believe that B-BBEE is poorly implemented and attribute this to the tension leaders experience between diversity and performance, a lack of organisational policies and practices required to hold leaders accountable for B-BBEE implementation and leaders who lack the skills and expertise required to successfully create diverse and inclusive work environments.Practical/managerial implications: Positive contributions to diversity and inclusion policies and practices, leadership development and transformation of the banking organisations in South Africa and the industry at large.Contribution/value-add: Banking institutions as large market players can play a significant role in leading workplace transformation through improved implementation of diversity and inclusion legislation and principles within B-BBEE.

Exploring the Implementation of UNESCO's MAB Program in South Africa: A Case Study of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve.

The Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) responds to challenges of the Anthropocene through an explicit social-ecological approach. Implemented as a world network of biosphere reserves, MAB aims to increase [eco]system sustainability and resilience globally, via individual model sites for learning and sustainable development. This research provides an in-depth case study of MAB implementation in South Africa using the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve (CWBR), established in 2007 when a key MAB guiding policy, the Madrid Action Plan came into effect. The study utilized semi-structured in-depth interviews with strategic and operational management, and document analysis. The CWBR prioritizes their role as a landscape coordinator, a driver of socio-economic development and site in which humans derive benefits from healthy natural environments. The CWBR have adopted a non-profit organization cooperative governance model in support of this vision, fulfilling the socio-economic development function primarily through successful international partnerships. Challenges faced include a perceived lack of sufficient government support, limited stakeholder awareness and insufficient resources for project implementation. Over reliance on the pillar of their model, the chief executive officer in the current governance form, is an instrument in their effectiveness, yet carries significant risk. These are learnings useful for other biosphere reserves translating an international designation for a local context.

South Africa’s Haymarket: the Knights of Labor and political violence in the United States and South Africa, 1886–1892

Abstract This article compares and connects two episodes of political violence in the late nineteenth century: the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886 and the bombing of the offices of the De Beers Company, chaired by Cecil Rhodes, at Kimberley on the South African diamond fields in 1891. These episodes were connected by the existence in both countries of an American and then global movement, the Knights of Labor/Labour. The Knights’ American history was shaped by Haymarket. Their South African history was radically altered by the De Beers explosion, which both the Knights and their enemies interpreted through the prism of Haymarket. They drew lessons from it that determined their own conduct and may have contributed to the demise of the South African Knights less than two years later. This article charts those connections and the context to the De Beers explosion, the trial that followed, and the lessons that South African Knights drew from the experiences of their American brothers and sisters.

Evaluation of Drug and Herbal Medicinal Promotions on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to World Health Organization Ethical Criteria and South African Health Products Regulatory Authority Guidelines in South Africa: Cross-Sectional Content Analysis.

Consideration of ethics in the promotion of medications is essential to safeguard the health of consumers, particularly during health crises. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) have established stringent standards to ensure the integrity of pharmaceutical promotions and safeguard public health, including advertisements on the internet and social media platforms. However, the dynamic nature of online advertising poses challenges for monitoring and enforcing ethical standards. The study aimed (1) to examine the COVID-19 drug and medicinal promotions across online platforms and social media from 2020 to 2022 in South Africa and (2) to ensure that drug promotions adhere to ethical guidelines outlined by the WHO and SAPHRA. A cross-sectional content analysis was conducted to assess drug and medicinal advertisements across various internet and social media platforms. A systematic approach was used to identify and analyze promotional content, focusing on adherence to ethical guidelines outlined by WHO and SAPHRA. Data were collected and analyzed to determine the extent of compliance and identify any potential violations or areas for improvement. A total of 14 online drug advertisements were included in this analysis. Our findings show that most of the drugs advertised did not meet the regulations and guidelines provided by WHO and SAHPRA. There were omissions about active ingredients, proprietary names, adverse drug responses, precautions, and overdosage and adverse drug reactions. Traditional medicines were not fully consistent with the approved WHO ethical criteria data sheet. Our analysis highlights the critical importance of ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines in drug promotions on the internet and social media platforms. There is a need for continued vigilance and enforcement efforts to uphold ethical standards and protect the health of the public. Ongoing monitoring and collaboration between national drug regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and online platforms will be essential for promoting responsible advertising. In addition, safety monitoring and pharmacovigilance systems for herbal medicinal products are yet to be established.

The Role of the U.S. Dollar in Global Trade Finance: A Study of Its Dominance and Future Prospects

This paper digs deep on what reason has led the U.S. dollar to be a dominant force for years mainly due to its stability, liquidity, and greater usage within international markets. It has made it the world's reserve currency did not just serve as an enabler for far-flung international trades and investments but also led to the establishment of the United States in terms of standing in economic and geopolitical standing. Historical factors concerning the dollar's increasing popularity over time are addressed in this paper-from the post- WWII establishment of the Bretton Woods system to the moments well after the death of the gold standard. It further explores shifting threats to the supremacy of the dollar and key drivers that might change the financial environment in the world. These are the economic ascension of emerging markets, particularly China, seeking to internationalize the yuan; extension of the BRICS bloc, composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and their joint thrust toward depolarization. Digital currencies and blockchain technology provide an emerging alternative that would allow countries to bypass traditional banking systems or lessen their dependency on the dollar when making cross-border transactions. The discussion explores how geopolitical stress - whether a trade war or the imposition of sanctions, as examples - may push the shift away from the dollar, based on a focus on increasing foreign reserves' diversity and insulation against the over-reach of the US. In addition, the paper went through how adjustments in global financial regulation, technological innovation, and central banks' policies may have an impact on the safe-haven status the dollar enjoys. Through a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods, this paper examines the continued relevance of the dollar at the international level in terms of trade and finance. Indeed, it envisions possible scenarios: the continued reign of the dollar, the emergence of rival currencies, and the new politics of global economic crises over currency dynamics. But if nothing else, it provides a more refined and multi- dimensional view of what is going on with the dollar today and what may go on in the future in an increasingly multipolar world economy. These insights will be critical when policymakers, financial institutions, and global businesses negotiate their way through uncertainty in changing currency landscapes. Keywords: U.S. dollar, global trade, finance reserve, currency economic, uncertainty emerging economies, digital currencies, geopolitical shifts currency competition.

Environmental DNA metabarcoding in the Cape Fold aquatic ecoregion: Opportunities and challenges for eDNA uptake in an endemism hotspot

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has the potential to significantly improve surveys of biodiversity in freshwater systems. However, this methodology is still infrequently used in global hotspots of endemic species, in part because of two major barriers to the success of eDNA metabarcoding: (1) insufficient regional taxonomic representation in public reference sequence databases; and (2) inconsistent species incidence and abundance estimates when compared to conventional surveys. We sampled eDNA and conducted visual surveys in the headwaters of two rivers in the Cape Fold aquatic ecoregion, South Africa. A reference sequence database was generated for the regional diversity of fishes to improve taxonomic classification of endemic species. We also compared the consistency of incidence data and relative abundance estimates of fishes from eDNA metabarcoding sequencing results and visual surveys (snorkel and underwater cameras) at each site sampled. Only 1% of eDNA metabarcoding reads could be classified to fish species without the supplementation of reference sequence databases for local endemic species. Once regional reference sequences were added, a total of nine species were detected and >99% reads classified. A strong positive relationship (Φ = 0.75) was observed between the patterns of detections using eDNA and visual approaches. However, eDNA metabarcoding detected more species than visual methods. In addition, the relative read frequency and abundance observed in visual surveys was significantly correlated (R2 = 0.85–0.88, p < 0.001) in the majority of the small pools surveyed. Incomplete public reference sequence databases hinder the use of eDNA metabarcoding in regions of high endemicity. Local reference sequence libraries can overcome these challenges. When appropriately implemented, eDNA metabarcoding shows promise, producing results consistent or better than the more frequently used and labour‐intensive visual surveys. Efficient survey methods like eDNA metabarcoding are urgently needed to improve aquatic monitoring efforts globally. Understanding how eDNA metabarcoding sequencing results relate to conventional survey methods is a key step in its implementation in ecoregions with high endemicity.

The Epistemic Codification of Satiric Indictment and the Decrying Gender Grotesque in Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s 491 Days and the Zimbabwean Maverick Movie Neria

Language, law, and literatures have at times discernibly and theatrically attempted the development of satire in academic discourses. They have raised a poignant question on the articulation of gender in society. Critical discourses have valorised the epistemic exegesis on how language is transfigured and re-interpreted to spur the dramaturgy and trajectory of gender through autobiography, biography, fiction, and movies. This article crystallises the societal perception of how satire has been used to ridicule and make distinctions by invoking scorn and pity on both men and women in society. The article probes the sensitivity of contemporary male obsessions with phallic power under an apartheid government. It dovetails through the existing epistemic configurations exhibited to recuperate women in revoking the phallocentric codifications in Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s epoch-making autobiography, 491 Days (1969). With the symbolic, ironic, iconic, and satiric prison number of “1322/69,” Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s anti-apartheid autobiography re-invokes the male imperative devices built up for years against vulnerable Black females and weak Black males in the apartheid South African regime. Similarly, the same epistemic vein and codification are obsessively projected by possessed and aggressive phallic patriarchs in the Zimbabwean film Neria (1992). The article relies on the theory of Nawal El Saadawi, which proposes confrontation on the questions of female polarisation, women’s objectification, and the quest for resistance against legally recognised social exegesis. This includes the application of coercive force and the rejection of satiric linguistic indictments against women and the weak as exemplified in the autobiographic and filmic works from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Two hundred years of indigenous literature in South Africa

As far back as the 1860s, Tiyo Soga wrote about the need to collect and write stories about African pasts so that they could be deposited in newspaper archives, which could become a ‘big corn pit’ of knowledge for the nation. His biographer noted that he was sometimes up after midnight in a hut, ‘notebook in hand’, learning from ‘wrinkled countrymen of his own’ about the past. Izibongo zoogxa, a compilation of some of the writings of Samuel Edward Krune (S.E.K.) Mqhayi, one of the most important figures in the history of Xhosa literature, is part of the multigenerational harvest that Soga envisaged, and there are two special reasons to celebrate its publication.

Balancing policy objectives: Cambodia's COVID‐19 emergency cash assistance scheme for workers

AbstractWelfare programs in emerging economies are, in most cases, highly selective. This article illustrates this point by exploring Cambodia's emergency cash assistance scheme coverage for workers affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Drawing on policy analysis and interviews with government officials, industry representatives, and garment and tourism unions, it analyzes the level of benefit and efficacy of the initiative for different groups of workers. Based on this analysis, we find that garment factory and tourism workers received better support than workers in other sectors as a consequence of industry lobbying and strategic decision‐making on the part of the government designed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on those sectors. Our analysis also reveals, however, that the relatively informal nature of even formal‐sector workplaces in Cambodia meant that the scheme's impact was highly varied even among these targeted groups of workers. We conclude with a discussion of the findings' broader implications.Related ArticlesAsongu, Simplice, and Nicholas M. Odhiambo. 2023. “The Effect of Inequality on Poverty and Severity of Poverty in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Role of Financial Development Institutions.” Politics & Policy 51(5): 898–918. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12558.Lachapelle, Erick, Thomas Bergeron, Richard Nadeau, Jean‐François Daoust, Ruth Dassonneville, and Éric Bélanger. 2021. “Citizens' Willingness to Support New Taxes for COVID‐19 Measures and the Role of Trust.” Politics & Policy 49(3): 534–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12404.Onyango, Gedion, and Japheth Otieno Ondiek. 2022. “Open Innovation during the COVID‐19 Pandemic Policy Responses in South Africa and Kenya.” Politics & Policy 50(5): 1008–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12490.

Miscegenation Madness

Abstract In this article, I examine how the fear of miscegenation developed as a raison d’être for the construction and maintenance of apartheid. I argue that despite its efficacy at reproducing racial-caste formations, miscegenation taboo ultimately undermined its own hegemonic mythology by constructing contradictory erotic desires and subjectivities which could neither be governed nor contained. I consider how miscegenation fears and fantasies were debated in public discourse, enacted into law, institutionalized through draconian policing and punishment practices, culturally entrenched, yet negotiated and resisted through everyday intimacies. While crime statistics show that most incidences of interracial sex involved White men and women of color, the perceived threat to “White purity” was generally represented through images of White women—volks-mothers and daughters—in the Afrikaner nationalist iconography. White women’s wombs symbolized the future of “Whiteness.” This article offers a critique of the prevailing South African “exceptionalism” paradigm in apartheid studies. Detailed analyses of government commission reports (1939, 1984, 1985) and parliamentary debate records (1949) reveal considerable American influence on South Africa’s “petty apartheid” laws, and especially the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949) and Immorality Amendment Act (1950). While these “cornerstone” policies of apartheid developed from local socio-political conflicts and economic tensions, they were always entangled in global racial formations, rooted in trans-oceanic histories of slavery, dispossession, and segregation. This historical anthropological study of race/sex taboo builds on interdisciplinary literatures in colonial history, sociology, postcolonial studies, literary theory, art history, cultural studies, feminist theory, queer studies, and critical race theory.