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In 1996, South Africa adopted the Growth, Employment, and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy. Twenty-seven years later, conclusive evidence suggests that GEAR was not a genuine strategy for growth, employment creation, and poverty reduction but a mere consolidation of neoliberalism in South Africa. This paper considers the key targets of GEAR and trend data from 1996 onward to explain the contributions and failures of GEAR in the development of South Africa. The paper is informed by secondary data, and desk-top research was conducted to elicit data. Drawing from the lenses of a people-centred development approach, this paper argues that future development policy formulation and implementation processes should be based on substantive participation. Despite the role of GEAR in reducing the national debt and stabilising the country’s inflation, its contribution to economic growth was insignificant and only benefited the few. In fact, GEAR contributed to social and economic problems, includingunemployment, poverty, poor education, health, and the welfare system in South Africa. This paper concludes that GEAR was simply a consolidation of neoliberalism, which benefited the few better-off minorities at the expense of the poor majority. Thus, this paper eventually draws key lessons and recommendations for future development policies in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of adequate services to citizens has been a major problem that has ignited social protests in South Africa’s local municipalities. The paper found that a lack of accountability, transparency, and public participation has impacted service delivery. It was found that services delivered to the citizens have failed to meet their expectations. This is because in situations where there is no accountability, transparency, or public participation, there is a lack of inclusivity, which in turn raises violent feelings that ignite social protests. The paper found that the use of Artificial Intelligence would promote transparency, accountability, and inclusivity which are needed for delivering adequate services that meet people’s expectations. To achieve those assertions, the paper used secondary datacollected through a qualitative research methodology and analysed via document and content analysis. There is a need for South Africa’s local municipalities to adopt Artificial Intelligence technology in the service delivery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of lockdown measures as a response to the spread of COVID-19 has increased the vulnerability of households to several human security issues. Using a desktop systematic review approach, the paper attempts an explanation of violence and unrest from the theoretical lens of the frustration-aggression theory. It discusses violence as a form of agency in South Africa and contextualises contemporary experiences in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and the July 2021 protest, as well as the implication of such violence for the South African socio-political and economic sphere going forward. The paper argues that while South African history is bedevilled by violence, the vulnerability of the people due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic provided a breeding ground for frustration and the eventual violent unrest in many parts of South Africa. Therefore, the extensive looting of malls, warehouses, and distributors that greeted the July 2021 protest was only a product of South Africa's historical inequality and worsening state of affairs. The paper concludes that the unrest was mainly triggered by structural and historical socio-economic configurations rooted in extreme poverty and wide economic inequality. That becomes apparent in unemployment, deprivations, physical hardships, a failing or collapsing state, and state institutions and services underlined by neo-patrimonial practices and political failures, thereby leading to violence as a response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I foreground the view that, as human agents initiating and participating in developmental projects that are both economically and educationally oriented, the possession of social consciousness of what development in society in the twenty-first century fully entails is an indispensable attribute. This paper, therefore, interrogates the narrower views of development, which tend to focus on identifying development with the growth of a gross national product with the rise in personal incomes, with industrialisation, or with technological advance (Sen, 1999:3). Thus, I argue that social consciousness on the part of human subjects, who are in turn agents of social developmental change, is critical since development ...requires partnerships within a framework of common values and goals (Badat, 2009:11). It is against this backdrop, therefore, that Coppedge’s (1999:465) averment to the effect that “development is more than just average wealth”. Arguably, it is rendered intelligible since “development is a process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy”, which ‘contrasts with the narrower views of development’ (Sen, 1999:3). Thus, societies that are bedevilled by social illsresulting from a lack of development must continue to ‘search for human agency and for the means through which inequality can be undone (Hammami, 2006). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the readiness of African Universities to employ virtual classrooms in order to achieve their throughput in students' course completion on record time. The paper is both conceptual and empirical in nature. Interviewing technique and documents review were employed to generate data pertaining to promoting teaching and learning that go beyond the on-campus routine of physical delivery of lectures to students. Research findings revealed that firstly, African universities were found to be under-resourced for virtual classrooms. Secondly, the bulk of the African Universities were not ready for the imposed virtual classrooms. Thirdly, the curricula rolled out at African Universities is not designed to suit the "new normal" of digital teaching and learning. Fourthly, there is a great mismatch of the curriculum roll out and the available facilities at African Universities. Lastly, there are technical limitations for students who are at a different digital literacy levels. The researcher recommends for the gradual approach of shifting from the contact kind of teaching and learning at universities to a digital one where virtual classrooms are the "new normal" for every African University, irrespective of its geographical location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Democracy is a system by which majority tend to have their way: the majority rules. South Africa is one country which has multiple parties that seek to be leaders of the nation. This multiparty state has seen many unrests previously and currently and many fueled by political intolerance and loss of African morals. The paper examines the impact of indigenous knowledge on political tolerance in a multi-party country like South Africa. It determines if any, local indigenous can enhance mutual political tolerance at the party level. Political intolerance in many instances is linked to cultural intolerance which in turn constrains the liberty of individual citizens. South Africa like many other countries in the world is faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and this has caused many to lose jobs and other sources of income to sustain their lives. The lack to maintain the lives has resulted in many resorting to looting and committing small crimes in order to feed and maintain their families. Furthermore, the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma fueled the political intolerance that has always been a problem in South Africa. This paper applies a qualitative document analysis (QDA) to track the trends in literature about IK and politics in South Africa. It finds that IK is inter, multi and transdisciplinary disciplines and knowledge applied to address the national ills of looting, protests and opportunistic crimes. It concludes that indigenous knowledge (IK) as a form of knowledge that resonates with many ethnic communities, has attracted the attention of many experts, academics and politicians and is viewed by many as a catalyst to liberate the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant literature has emphasised the significance of economic development at provincial and national levels in South Africa. However, there is less emphasis placed on economic development at the local level. Hence, this paper aims to fill the gap by discussing the Local Economic Development (LED) as a concept vis-à-vis its prospects and challenges. It relies heavily on secondary sources of data. This paper explicates the knowledge and understanding of integrated as well as coherent purpose of LED in the South African municipalities. On the one hand, it analyses the institutional need and relevance of LED with a view to understanding how LED has promoted and stimulated economic growth and development at the local level in South Africa. On the other hand, it identifies the contribution of LED to municipal system, and reflects on the challenges facing LED in SA. This paper concludes by providing consistent recommendations on measures addressing LED challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought myriad challenges to South African public schools based in rural areas. The recurring concern is that those challenges might negatively impact the performance and progress of learners in rural areas. This should be understood within the context that most schools in rural areas are characterised by a lack of resources, such as modern technological resources. This paper aimed to find ways to enhance teaching practices during and after the COVID-19 crisis in a rural context. The objectives of the paper were to discover the impact of COVID-19 on learning and teaching practices and recommend ways to enhance such practices during and after the pandemic. Weiner's Attribution Theory of motivation and emotion was used to identify and address the underlying factors that may contribute to a learner's academic success and how they act or behave in certain ways towards the teaching practices. Methodologically, the study adopted a qualitative approach, and the purposive sampling technique was employed to draw data from participants through interviews and observations. The collected data was analyzed through thematic content analysis. The study found that psychosocial factors such as lack of positive mindset towards the curriculum, lack of motivation, family challenges, environmental challenges, and anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and phobias caused by covid 19 pandemic, affect the cognition of learners and hinder the learning process. Therefore, it is recommended that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) consider implementing some psychological assessment programmes as a way to prepare learners and teachers for learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present time of technological development, entrepreneurship is becoming more advanced and innovative. Unlike in antiquity, indigenous entrepreneurship did not gain much prominence in terms of technology in rural areas. The purpose of this paper was to understand and analyse the relevance of indigenous entrepreneurship in the 4IR era. The paper argues that indigenous entrepreneurship has been muted and dysfunctional in most of the rural communities due to a lack of technological integration in their businesses. This is a conceptual paper that adopts a literature-based methodology to analyse the relevance of indigenous entrepreneurship in the epoch of the 4IR. This paper revealed that indigenous entrepreneurship is slowly losing its relevance in rural areas and is not profitable in the current state of technological development. It indicated that the indigenous entrepreneurs in rural areas are not acquainted with the current use of technology or how to capitalise on technology to keep their entrepreneurial activities productive. Hence, it recommended that indigenous entrepreneurs must be compatible and use the current technology to stay in the market in the long run and be more profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had devastating effects globally. No one was spared including the homeless people who had no permanent housing or shelter but had to observe various restriction interventions introduced by the government to curb the spread of the virus. Methodologically, this paper used literature review research approach by sourcing relevant scholarly works in the subject area; reviewed and applied them to showcase and address the plight of the homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The overall objective was to establish whether the homeless were offered adequate assistance or not, considering that the pandemic outbreak exacerbated their vulnerability. The paper found that it is the responsibility of the government, especially the local government, to provide protection for this group but did not meet expectations. Hence, the homeless were negatively affected by the virus due to insufficient care. The paper also found that various local governments in South Africa deployed and utilised anti-homeless by-laws to criminalise homelessness and even deprived some of the homeless the right to shelter by either evicting them where they sought refuge or on the land where they built shacks. The paper found that the court was the last hope of this vulnerable group that used judicial pronouncements to protect them from being left destitute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to examine the key reasons behind the recent violent community protests in South Africa. It analyses the challenges the political elites would have to navigate in order to address the concerns of the people and the impact such protests would have on peace, stability, and governance on the African continent. Suffice it to note that political and community-based protests have been a common occurrence in South Africa since the advent of democracy in the country in 1994. Though the nomenclature and manifestation of such protests have been a subject of great debate, their frequent reoccurrence is a cause for concern for many in South Africa and, to a greater extent, the continent. The magnitude and scale of the July 2021 protests in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, precipitated by the incarceration of the former president Jacob Zuma, raises key fundamental concerns. First was the spontaneity in the manner in which the riots were undertaken; second was the scale and magnitude of destruction the two provinces experienced. This calls into question whether the protests were planned or genuine concerns arising from the incarceration of a political leader? While the incarceration of the former president was the trigger, there is evidence that the protests were inspired by unmet promises and the limited capacity of the country to deliver on people's hopes and aspirations. However, Hough (2008), Tsheola (2012), and Nyamnjoh (2018) have argued that the root causes of violent protests in post-apartheid South Africa are not so much the unmet promises to address poverty and unemployment but rather people's experiences of inequality and relative deprivation. In other words, people are dissatisfied when they compare their own quality of life and their economic and social opportunities with those of better-off communities and households. Fundamentally, therefore, one of the reasons the country has experienced violent protests is not necessarily the fact that the people are poor, but rather that protesters consider themselves poor visà-vis better-off communities. Evidently, the paper attempts to clarify some of the key issues political elites need to look out for as they put in place measures to avoid the re-occurrence of such protests and provides challenges the country would have to overcome in order to address people's grievances. Fundamentally, what lessons can the African continent learn from these protests? What measures should the African Union, together with its member states, adopt in order to ensure that people's genuine grievances are addressed in a timely and expeditious manner. The paper concludes by suggesting that a careful reassessment of local governance structures in South Africa would have to be contemplated with an emphasis on accountability and strict measures to sanction recalcitrant councilors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing amount of academic research has focused its attention on the debate around the viability and potential mutual benefits emanating from rural-urban linkages through cultural planning in the development of smart cities. This paper interrogates the linkages and cultural planning in the proposed smart city in Lanseria, north of Johannesburg, in South Africa. The main research questions for the paper are: (1) How did the Greater Lanseria Master Plan (GLMP) in South Africa fail to integrate culture into its planning? (2) How did communities participate in the development of the plan (3) How are smart village and smart city linkages demonstrated in the GMLP? Lastly, (4) What are the benefits of the integration of cultural planning with community participation in the proposed smart village and smart city linkages? A synthetic literature-based critical analysis of planning documents was conducted to critique, reflect, and evaluate the plan. Findings indicate that cultural planning and community development approaches are missing from the master plan. The paper recommends that cultural planning and co-creation community development approaches should influence the smart village-smart city linkages at the very inception of the GMLP in order to obtain sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports one of the findings of a study that was conducted to determine strategies that can be used to promote the use of indigenous African languages as languages of teaching and learning in South African schools. The problem that I sought to address was the lack of or insufficient use of indigenous African languages for teaching and learning in the South African education system, despite these languages being constitutionally recognised as official languages in the country since 1994. The study was conducted against the background of existing research both locally and internationally, which highlights the negative effects of offering education in a language that is not the learner's first language or mother tongue. It was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the nine provinces of the Republic of South Africa, in which isiZulu is the predominant indigenous African language. Participants included a random sample of educators from primary schools and high schools, a random sample of language and education specialists in institutions of higher learning found in the province, as well as a random sample of learners in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. Questionnaires, an observation schedule, and focus group interviews were used to collect data for the study. As part of the literature review, language policies formulated after the adoption of the new constitution in 1994, in particular the Language-in-Education Policy (LiEP) of 1997, were reviewed to determine their contribution to the language provision dilemmas suffered by indigenous African languages in teaching and learning. This paper reports on one of the effects that language provisions made in the LiEP seem to have had, which manifests as a lack of competence in both the language of teaching and learning and in the home (native) language among most black learners, a condition that has been termed "semilingualism" by some scholars. The implications of this phenomenon for language in teaching and learning are also highlighted. The paper concludes by making suggestions for a need to revise the LiEP to help overcome this emergent problem and improve the use of indigenous African languages in teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented rate of urbanisation has changed the South African urban landscape. The densification of the population in cities has resulted in high consumption of electricity, waste production, a reduction of greenery, and traffic congestion, all of which contribute to climate change. South Africa promulgated legislations and acts such as the Spatial Planning and Land-Use Management Act (SPLUMA), the National Urban Development Framework (NUDF), and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to guide climate change adaptation and mitigation aspirations. These frameworks and plans are important for the management of urbanisation, which potentially contributes to climate change. Complexity theory is a lens for reviewing complex systems like urbanisation and cities. Complexity theory gives a thorough account of cities, urbanisation, and urban planning. The method that was adopted for the paper is a mixed-method approach. The data were collected by interviewing and administering questionnaires to municipal officials and residents of four urban areas (Legae la Batho, Emdo Park, Serala View, and Flora Park). Results show that the local municipality continues to be plagued with a lack of qualified personnel to implement policies that affect programme implementation, such as energy mix. Additionally, the City of Polokwane has been experiencing a reduction of green spaces, which has a negative impact on the climate change aspiration. The paper concludes that there are still challenges to a fully capacitated workforce within the Polokwane Local Municipality. The inability to implement policies has deleterious effects on climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a discourse analysis of the perspectives of the Democratic Alliance, African National Congress, and the Economic Freedom Fighters on the role of the church and clergypersons in the political process. The paper also analyses the role of Christian political parties in the democratic dispensation. Our analyses cover 1994 to 2022. The aim of the article is to provide an analysis of the pastor-politician and the role of the church in politics. The article brings clarity, in part, by assessing the church and clergypersons as role players in the South African political setup. There seems to be a knowledge gap in political science and related social sciences regarding the role of pastor-politicians and the church in politics. Using a qualitative method of desktop reviews of relevant topical issues relating to the subject, the article intends to contribute to body of knowledge pertaining to the church as an institution in the political context. Our central thesis is: South Africa is a maturing secular state and clarity is required on the position of the church in the architecture of democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak on the tourism sector has caused significant disruption to the global economy. The number of international tourist arrivals deteriorated by 80% between March and December 2020. The tourism industry is the main focal source of employment, foreign exchange earnings and government revenue for many developed and developing countries. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted tourism entrepreneurship causing a plunge in tourism income and global gross domestic product (GDP). South Africa was one of the most infected countries in the world. This caused countries such as Japan, United Kingdom, European Union, the United States of America, France, Germany, Canada and Netherlands to halt flights to South Africa. This paper aimed to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on tourism entrepreneurs globally. This was imperative to assess as tourism is one of the major industries that has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis and government regulations, and the tourism sector accounts for 80% of the global economy. A secondary data method was used to analyse the effect of the Covid-19 crisis on the tourism industry. This limited the researcher due to the unavailability of essential data for further statistical analysis. The main findings of the study suggested that the Covid-19 pandemic instigated a significant decline in the global GDP, transportation industry and hospitality industry. These findings will further assist when facing challenges in the tourism sector and providing strategies for future recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total quality management (TQM) can serve as a management tool for an organisation that seeks to improve its service delivery to clients. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether TQM can be employed as a management tool to improve service delivery to land claimants since client satisfaction is a goal for every organisation, in particular a public sector organisation that renders services to its community. For instance, an organisation can improve its service delivery to claimants through the use of TQM principles such as customer focus, service quality, customer satisfaction, effective communication, and organisational culture in its operational activities. A non-probability purposive sampling method for the quantitative method was used, and data was collected from land claimants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 152 land claimants in Mahikeng (North West Province), South Africa. The main findings revealed that land claimants were dissatisfied with the level of service rendered by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD), as a result of ineffective communication on the process that should be followed to submit claims. The implications of the findings indicate that the successful implementation of TQM in an organisation requires management as well as employees to have the appropriate knowledge and skills to usher in organisational change and improve service delivery to land claimants. TQM principles symbolises the belief that the management process must focus on integrating customer-driven quality throughout an organisation, as it is considered a powerful tool for creating a quality culture since it focuses on leadership, communications, training of employees, customers, and continuous improvements of operating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper was to assess the phenomena of homelessness and inadequate housing in South Africa and Australia. The paper used a review of literature method. Findings show poor quality building materials, many people in need of housing, long waiting lists and slow delivery, and the challenges governments face in implementing and managing housing programmes effectively and efficiently are among the problems associated with the provision of adequate housing, according to the. All these factors have significantly contributed to both the proliferation of informal settlements and ever-increasing numbers of homeless population. Evidently, the successful implementation of housing programmes is hampered by a lack of political will and insufficient commitment on the part of governments to fulfil their obligations with respect to ensuring that all citizens have access to decent and adequate housing. There is a need for shifts in policy towards a more holistic approach that also includes measures to promote empowerment through selfemployment and other income-related provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the productive work of Black women when they became entrepreneurs in the informal sector to create sustainable livelihoods for themselves under precarious conditions. The urban setting of South Africa is the site of the study. The economy of this African country provides little hope for the working class to survive, and Black women are at the bottom of every human development index in this context. However, these working-class Black women have decided not to take these characterisations about themselves lying down. They have risen up and decided to become street vendors to make ends meet. We also show that this form of entrepreneurship is not only survivalist, as some scholarship tends to postulate, but it is also sustainable and investment-savvy. Stokvels, in this case, are one of the investment arms that these Black women street vendors have created to grow their collective earnings. We utilise a Marxist-Feminist framework as our eyepiece to look through the study, and the critical narrative interpretation approach helps us to elucidate our data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) provides a normative framework for upholding the fundamental human rights of its citizens, day labourers represent one of the most disenfranchised and marginalised sectors of the South African economy and remain entirely at the mercy of prevailing market forces. This paper is based on a qualitative study that was conducted in the city of East London in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa to develop a comprehensive understanding of the precarious circumstances in which day labourers are obliged to eke out a meagre subsistence through short-term employment. A person-in-environment framework was used to evaluate the findings from a thematic analysis of the data that was obtained from individual interviews with eighteen day labourers who had no other forms of income. The findings were used to formulate recommendations for social work practice, specifically with respect to the role of social workers in the formulation and implementation of policies to include day labourers among the vulnerable segments of the population whose well-being the profession is dedicated to improving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to explore the factors leading to the disappearance of African indigenous knowledge of water conservation and management in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Throughout time, indigenous people developed methods of conserving and managing water to ensure that there is water availability. Although indigenous knowledge enabled communities to conserve and manage water for years, it faces challenges of disappearance in the modern society. Currently, little knowledge exists about African indigenous knowledge of water conservation and management. This study was grounded in the Sankofa paradigm. An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted. Data were collected, using one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The target participants were sampled, using non-probability sampling and purposive sampling. The study found that the factors contributing to the disappearance of African indigenous knowledge of water conservation and management include: lack of systematic documentation; colonisation; a dominance of the Christian religion; and families' loss of traditions and history. The paper recommended a systematic documentation of indigenous knowledge and acknowledgement and implementation of the African indigenous knowledge methods of water conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a widely used international environmental tool utilised to assess the possible and expected adverse impact that might occur as a result of a proposed developmental project. Consequently, environmental regulations have to be fully complied with, to ensure that the environment is duly protected irrespective of the potential benefit of any proposed project. Consequently, environmental degradation can be minimised or prevented outright. This paper accentuated that it is pertinent that those tasked with responsibility to conserve the environment do so and ensure that all impending developmental projects pass the litmus test of EIA. If, before or during the course of the assessment, there is the likelihood of environmental degradation, those who are responsible for conducting EIA should raise concerns and be pragmatic by coming up with alternative measures to prevent environmental degradation in the event such a development is given a go-ahead. At times, EIA is perceived as an obstacle to achieving development because of the length of the due process that must be followed and completed to the end, which often results in delays. However, it enables competent authorities to make informed decisions about giving proposed projects the go-ahead after such an assessment is conducted. The environmental impact assessment of any area earmarked for a developmental project continues up to the last stage, where Environmental Authorisation is determined, which leads to the issuance of approval or disapproval. Therefore, the paper sought to encourage the need to enforce the EIA processes as a prerequisite for developmental projects prior, during and after the projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon hence it requires a multipronged approach in terms of analysis and solutions. This paper investigated the drivers of multidimensional poverty among households in rural Limpopo province, South Africa. Primary data were collected from a random sample of 407 households in Sekhukhune and Capricorn District Municipality of rural Limpopo Province, South Africa. The sampling methods used included purposive and simple random sampling. While descriptive statistics was used to profile households' socioeconomic characteristics, the Alkire-Foster methodology was employed to analyse multidimensional poverty. The logistic regression model was also used to analyse the drivers of multidimensional poverty in the study area. The results of data analysis revealed that the incidence of multidimensional poverty was high among the households. The results also indicated that employment, sanitation type, type of fuel for heat and cooking, and years of schooling contributed to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in the study area. The results further revealed that the gender of the household head, years of schooling, association and cooperative membership, access to grants, and income influence the incidence of multidimensional poverty. The paper concluded that multidimensional poverty spread across both the income poor and non-income poor as the majority of them were deprived of sanitation, the type of fuel used for heating, and asset ownership. Improved sanitation system and electricity subsidies especially in the winter to access clean fuel for heat, could minimise multidimensional poverty in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spawned human rights challenges. This article recounted the experiences of the victims through anecdotal evidence and analysed them in the human rights context. The paper found that the victims of the disease are ostracised by their families and communities. The article also discussed the remedies available to the victims both by way of fundamental right enforcement and under general civil claims. The paper concluded that the exclusion of the victims from the benefits enjoyed by other members of the community on account of their health status amounts to discrimination which is prohibited under human rights precepts. Such conducts instil fear and anxiety and could deter the victims from voluntarily disclosing their health status, which would invariably aggravate the spread of the disease in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, following the dawn of democracy in South Africa, there has been a renewed thrust by civic organisations in matters of local-level service provision. The role of formal and informal organisations in highlighting inadequate provision of basic services by municipalities has attracted the attention of, first, the media, and now researchers and policymakers alike. The interest is mainly due to the abrupt and often violent nature of civic involvement in service delivery protests often directed at local municipalities in diverse and far-flung areas of the country. In this conceptual paper, a discussion of civic involvement in pre- and post-South Africa's democratic local government is advanced by exploring the historical development of civic organisations' role, notably how that role has been reconfigured since the dawn of South Africa's democracy. In the context of poorly resourced municipalities, a critique of collaborative ventures in developing and delivering essential water and sanitation services is provided while exploring the complexities of network governance arrangements and the opportunities they present for livelihoods. The paper then concludes by looking at prospects for the future and making recommendations on how poorly resourced municipalities could leverage civil society organisations' role through collaborative network governance for the greater good of promoting sustainable livelihoods in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local Action Groups (LAGs) are a promising development approach that has gained prominence across the world. They are underpinned by participation of all local actors (community-led rural development) as the main precondition for generating and sustaining economic development in rural regions. Despite this potential, there has been a dearth of scientific studies that have investigated the potential role of LAGs as a rural transformation approach in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Therefore, the current paper sought to identify existing local action groups and explore their role and potential to promote rural development. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was adopted to attain the study objective. Four hundred households were purposively drawn from two rural local municipalities, Amahlathi and Nyandeni, in the Eastern Cape Province. Survey questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides were used to collect data. Results showed that existing LAGs were mainly burial societies, cooperatives, farmers associations, women's organisations, and financial saving schemes. The main roles of these LAGs were to enhance food security, boost income generation, and foster social cohesion. However, despite their contribution, LAGs have not reached their full potential as a conduit for rural development owing to the limited involvement of relevant rural development stakeholders. Therefore, adequate targeted support is required from both the public and private sectors to unlock the potential of LAGs as a catalyst for rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graduate unemployment is one of the major socio-economic development problems in South Africa and many other developing countries. Previous research has described various factors causing graduate unemployment, one of which is a lack of relevant work experience. Internships are increasingly supported to address this problem. However, internships have been criticised for being exploitative, illegal, and unjust. This paper seeks to present a new perspective on internships. It seeks to examine the perspectives on the impact of stipend level on graduate intern work productivity. Thus, the objectives of this study are to: explore the impact of stipend level on the work productivity of graduate interns; explore the exploitative nature of internship as perceived by participants; and explore the concerns of graduate interns over compensation. This study is qualitative and exploratory in nature. Fifty semi-structured interviews were conducted with interns, mentors, and HR managers at eThekwini municipality, Durban, South Africa, to address these research objectives. Data from interviews was analysed through thematic analysis. The results indicate that there is a relationship between the level of stipend earned by interns and their work productivity. This study found that low pay is associated with low work productivity. Therefore, work compensation is the primary motivator of productivity, not only for full-time employees but also for graduate interns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social exclusion is a pervasive phenomenon in the lives of visually impaired individuals. This paper discusses the causes of exclusion as well as strategies for dealing with it. The qualitative in-depth interviewing design was used for the study. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were used in order to select the most relevant participants in the study. Thirty visually impaired individuals from Kwa-Nobuhle Township in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, together with twenty Community Development Workers from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), participated in the study, which took place from June to November 2020. The findings of the study revealed that the causes of exclusion were a lack of independence, a lack of adequate education and skills, a lack of reasonable accommodation, and a lack of community awareness. Potential empowerment strategies for minimising the exclusion of the visually impaired individuals were also presented. They included awareness campaigns, increasing platforms for information sharing, workshops and trainings, improved monitoring and evaluation, and the establishment of more rehabilitation centres for visually impaired individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale farming contributes to poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards in impoverished rural communities. However, in South Africa, the drought continues to threaten the operations, incomes, and livelihoods of small-scale farmers. Against this backdrop, this paper analyses small scale farmers' responses to the 2014-2016 droughts in Mfekayi, in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. The study adopted a mixed-method approach in the form of a convergent parallel design. The results indicated that there were various measures taken by small-scale farmers to respond to the drought. These actions include buying expensive supplements, crop variation, and the application of indigenous knowledge such as livestock movement. Moreover, the results stipulated that those participants suffered livestock deaths and crop failure as the major impacts of drought. In addition, there are challenges experienced by small-scale farmers in dealing with drought, such as further livestock deaths, drought recovery costs, and a lack of information. The study recommends that the government provides relief assistance and come up with policies that specifically address the concerns of small scale farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper seeks to create a theoretical link between land reform and development as a means to alleviate poverty in South Africa, particularly in rural areas. The then apartheid regime used unjust laws to violently dispossess the indigenous black South African landowners of their land and distributed the land to the whites who utilised them for different socio-economic purposes including farming. Methodologically this paper used a literature review (qualitative) research approach to assess the extent to which the redistributed land to the blacks have been put to use for productive purposes to alleviate poverty, create jobs and combat hunger in South Africa. The democratic dispensation which started in 1994-ushered in a black majority government, black South Africans are now clamouring for the return of all the land that was illegally acquired by the white South Africans during the apartheid regimes. To this end, previously dispossessed blacks were given back some of their lands for productive usage. Some of the findings include the following: various land reforms laws, policies, measures, strategies have dismally failed due to corruption, nepotism, charisma and patronage. In conclusion, the paper points out that land reforms were embarked upon to eradicate the land injustices and inequalities of apartheid and to alleviate poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) came into South African politics in 2013. Its inception came when most of the prominent leaders of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), including Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu and Sindiso Magaqa, were expelled and suspended from the mother body - ANC. The EFF's emergence was aligned with a robust Sankarist and Marxist perspective from ideology to their parliamentary uniform. Furthermore, it assumed a left-wing of the working-class approach to political, governance and human rights issues, which has conspicuously been missing in postapartheid South African politics. From the public to the private sector, the party has radically sent a strong message in an unpopular fashion against labour exploitation, poor working conditions, racism and poor governance, among other social issues. Therefore, the primary purpose of this paper was to critically debate the EFF's approach to upholding the government accountable to its constitutional and developmental mandate. The article adopted a secondary research approach whereby the available literature related to the topic was reviewed and analysed. The paper concluded by arguing that, despite being disruptive in their approach, the EFF has unquestionably transformed politics and significantly influenced the course of governance in South Africa. Furthermore, it has noticeably enhanced accountability from the national to the local sphere of government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study looked at the socioeconomic connections and determining elements that affect choices on whether to commercialise vegetable farming. The study was carried out at White River, Mpumalanga, South Africa, using 660 participants who were specifically chosen. The level of commercialisation was analysed by applying the household commercialisation index calculated as the ratio of value of marketed output to the value of vegetables produced. The factors affecting the marketing of vegetables in the region were then determined using descriptive statistics and logistics regression. The extent of vegetable commercialisation result indicated that spinach and cabbage was ranked 1st and 2nd respectively. Although the commercialisation index is not high, latent evidence exists showing that lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, and carrot are in high demand for consumption and intention to commercialise was indecisive. Applying the logit model, the significant variables influencing the commercialisation of vegetable production in the area were gender, level of education, marital status, household size, extension services, agricultural inputs, and storage facilities. The paper concludes that commercialising vegetable cultivation is a key step toward a broader economic reform and poverty reduction. To enhance vegetable cultivation in the area, farmers must be encouraged to transition to output that is market oriented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African street food industry is essential in elevating the socioeconomic standing of sellers. However, most studies on street food vending focused on perception, safety, consumption, and handling of street food. Therefore, it is necessary to fill this gap. The study explores street food vending contribution on poverty and unemployment in the Mahikeng Local Municipality. The study's goal was accomplished by using a mixed research methodology. A sample size of 401 respondents were selected for the study and data was obtained using structured, semi-structured and unstructured questionnaires. The study found that street food vending creates jobs not only for the people involved in the trade, but also for people who would otherwise be unemployed, for example, those who are retrenched. In addition, street food distribution has become a cornerstone for vendors to generate income to supplement family income that improved the standard of living of the vendors. Additionally, some vendors were able to acquire assets such as livestock and landed property from the profit made from the business, contributing to reducing poverty incidence among traders in the area. The paper concludes that street food vending has contributed in creating jobs thus, reducing poverty incidence. However, the street food industry continues to confront obstacles such as lack of cash and credit and location-based business restrictions. Therefore, in order for SFV to be effective, steps must be taken to minimise the difficulties affecting the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper postulates that a child is a human being whose rights are guaranteed under the law, and as such, the rights must be respected and promoted. Parents have moral and legal duties and obligations to provide their children with love and care, most importantly, to ensure their children's best interest. Under the law, the inherent rights of a child are not negotiable; hence they must be maintained by both parents depending on their financial circumstances. This responsibility needs to be discharged with love and care. However, it is unfortunate that some parents are not committed to discharging this responsibility without force; hence the Maintenance Act of 1998 was enacted to assist the system in managing and enforcing compliance by the parents toward their children. Consequently, the duty to support a child does not discriminate against an illegitimate child when maintenance issues are being processed. All children are eligible to be maintained regardless of their parent's marital status during birth. The courts must enforce compliance through maintenance orders to ensure that children are well taken care of until they are self-sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is a nation of diverse groups, each with its own characterised ethnicity, cultural heritage, language, history, and beliefs. The various public entities that make up the multicultural landscape of South Africa are marked by toponyms that allude to the above-mentioned characterising sociocultural aspects. Institutions of learning such as public schools are among the many entities which carry toponyms that are reflective of societal structures and shared community values. It is important to consider the historical background, and motivations behind the names of public schools in order to gain insight into the sociocultural factors and power relations at play. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to explore the significance of public school names and their meanings at Ga-Sekororo. The study was conducted using a qualitative research approach in the interpretive paradigm, with a case study as the research design. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were administered, with 12 participants that included 4 school principals, 4 community leaders, 2 regional circuit officials, and 2 of officials from the Departments of Education from Limpopo province, South Africa. The study's findings revealed that the significance of public school names at Ga-Sekororo is to commemorate persons from royalty and preserve their identity and history. In addition, the data suggest that public school names denote land custodianship to tribal authorities and that the schools named after geographical features are helpful in linking the schools with the environment they are found at. It is recommended that the names of public schools should be expanded to include not only names of members of the royal council, but also names of individuals who have made significant contributions to the community. Names of public schools should draw inspiration from a memorable event in the community regardless of whether persons associated with the event are royalty or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper studies the relationship between unemployment and migration in some parts of Southern African Development Communities. The majority of the population that migrates are unemployed and want to improve their living standards and that of their family members. Human mobility is then regarded as means of improving the allocation of human resources. There are several characteristics that may encourage human mobility in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) but unemployment seems to be topping the list. Unemployment is one of the Push factors of human mobility; consequently, it is crucial to understand the relationship between the two. They are attached and this is another reason the global village will continually experience cross border movements. Occasionally, immigrants leave their place of residents because of the high unemployment rate and lack of economic growth. Family members of the unemployed household heads are also likely to migrate in search of greener pastures and better their lives and that of their siblings and dependents. The economic disparities between countries have a very strong influence in cross border movements and the deepening and widening inequality in incomes and opportunities within nations. The other contributing aspect which add pressure for people to cross the border is the increase in the number of people enduring poverty and extreme hardship. Cross border movement is also shaped by the location of employment and other opportunities. Consequently, the paper is conceptual as it relied on available literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts the Afrocentric theory to explore the concept of State Capture, outline its events which proceeded the 2016 State Capture report, and analyse the socio-economic challenges it brought until recently when the Zondo Commission of Inquiry was established. The aim of this paper is to give a broader analysis of State Capture in South Africa and interlink it with corruption which together played a big role in Jacob Zuma (Former South African President) being unaccountable and not transparent at all times. This paper argues that Zuma and his entire administration were responsible for all the activities that led to State Capture and should find it within their means to take accountability and be transparent when they appear in the Zondo Commission. Preliminary findings revealed that indeed Zuma (individually) was never open and honest at the Zondo Commission in July 2019 but instead played hide and seek1 to avoid accounting for what transpired during his administration. A qualitative research approach was adopted to achieve the aim of this paper and recommendations are also tabled, particularly for all South Africans and the current African National Congress led government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African rural communities depend more on subsistence farming as a primary strategy to improve their livelihood. This livelihood strategy has the potential to eliminate poverty and hunger by means of ensuring food security. This paper critically assessed the contribution of subsistence farming to the livelihood of rural communities in South Africa. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach was used as a primary theory to assess the extent to which subsistence farming contributes to the livelihood of rural communities. The paper relied more on secondary data to collect relevant information and textual analysis was used as a tool for analysing reviewed literature that is relevant to subsistence farming as a strategy to improve the livelihood of rural communities. Through the use of the Sustainable Livelihood Approach, this paper identified the struggling state of subsistence farming in rescuing South African rural communities from risks and trends created by the poverty cycle. This is because the majority of South Africans are currently suffering from hunger and food insecurity. While this livelihood strategy is unsustainable to cope with the conditions of climate change, while rural communities are also lacking access to credits, low level of education, and lack of knowledge about innovative productions that are required to increase the productivity of farms and also the shortage of labour skills that are required for the sustainability and succession of subsistence farming. The paper recommends that the local institutions of development should provide training programmes pertaining to the use of livelihood strategies to develop skills to the rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interrogates gaps in the implementing community work programmes in South Africa using the case of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Community Work Programmes (CWP). The EPWP and CWPs were adopted by government as strategies aimed at uprooting poverty and unemployment in South Africa. The intention was to respond to high levels of poverty and structural unemployment compounded by gross inequity which renders South Africa the most unequal society in the world. South Africa is characterised by inequality, poverty and unemployment, and this has created an uneven allocation of resources to society at large. The interface of poverty, unemployment and inequality undermines South Africa's policies to become a developmental state. This paper argues that the legacy of apartheid and the adoption of neo-liberal policies in the post-apartheid era has not only contributed to socio-economic exclusion and marginalisation, but also relegate the poor and disadvantaged people into the deprivation trap. The paper evaluates the potential and challenges faced by EPWP, and the CWP to address the twin problems of poverty and unemployment in the country. Authors of this paper adopted a qualitative research approach to review literature from various sources such as books, articles from accredited journals and online credible publications. To respond to the aim, this paper argues that, although community-based work programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Work do not sustain employment opportunities in South Africa, they provide short-term safety nets for the unemployed, semi-skilled and unskilled citizens. Findings from this study revealed that community development work is not successful in achieving all the goals that are directly linked to poverty alleviation at programme level. Challenges found to be stifling the effective implementation of community work programmes included the implementation of the programmes at small scale, lack of active participation by unemployed and host communities, poor coordination and inadequate adequate infrastructure and resources to run the programmes effectively as we as well limited access to resources, assets and skills that can be jointly used to sustain the economy. The paper recommends the adoption of pluralistic approach in promoting active participation among community work programmes' stakeholders. This a literature review paper hence secondary sources of data were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing delivery in South Africa continues to dominate conversations on human rights and social development. Using a social development lens, this paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that aimed at exploring the housing experiences of social rental housing (SRH) beneficiaries and how this interlinked with human rights and social development in South Africa. Using the purposive sampling method, the study selected three social housing institutions (SHIs) in Gauteng and two in the Western Cape province. With each SHI, a focus group discussion was conducted with its tenants to establish if there are any linkages with human rights and social development. Participants shared positive sentiments relating to SRH. The authors of this article note that SRH is implemented from a rights-based perspective, in line with international law and the social development perspective. In concluding the article, the authors provide policy recommendations for government and civil society actors operating in the arena of SRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Local Action Group approach has gained recognition in South Africa in the last decade as a solution to rural development challenges. Although rural development has shown relative success in the Eastern Cape Province, poverty remains a major concern. Yet, the challenges hindering the success of these groups as a facilitator of rural development are not well documented. Thus, the goal of this study is to document the challenges facing Local Action Group initiatives in the small-scale agribusiness and non-farm enterprise sectors and provide context-based solutions. The paper took a mixed methods approach, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques to select 400 households. Questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides were concurrently utilised to collect data. The results show that financial inadequacy, lack of markets, lack of community cooperation, drought and lack of business management skills. Thus, there is need for upscaling stakeholder mobilisation and instilling a sense of project ownership and cooperation among community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significance of small retailers in South Africa, researchers mainly focus on documenting their failures, challenges and weaknesses while neglecting the success factors that enabled their existence dating back to the Apartheid periods when they were called "Spaza shops". This paper provides insight into the success factors of youth-owned spaza shops in the rural areas of South Africa. This provides information about the support required to further strengthen these businesses. A mixed study approach was followed to attain the study objectives. Snowball sampling was utilised to select 20 participants that provided qualitative data and 255 respondents that provided quantitative data. The thematic content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data, while the SPSS version 27 (Principal Component Analysis tool) was utilised for the quantitative data. Various themes emerged from the qualitative data which include business alliances, bulk buying, customer care, social networks, accessibility, and government support. These factors and more obtained from literature informed the questionnaire used to collect quantitative data. A fourfactor structure with a variance of 54.59% was obtained from Principal Component Analysis, with the main success factors being marketing ability (16.97%), good customer care (14.42%), small business knowledge (12.08%) and commitment (11.13%). Support must target further strengthening these attributes to enhance the success of spaza shops owned by youth in rural areas of Thulamela Municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial innovation is hypothesised to enhance equitable economic development. The paper aims to examine the relationship between financial innovation and income inequality in four upper-middle income countries, namely, South Africa, Brazil, China, and Turkey for the period 1986 to 2020. A longitudinal research design was used for this study. To control heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency, an Augmented Mean Group estimator was employed. The study found mixed results. Two measures of financial innovation (bank credit extended to the private sector and the ratio of broad money to narrow money) found evidence of a U-shaped pattern between financial innovation and income inequality, indicating that financial innovation helps reduce income inequality up to a certain point but would thereafter contribute to its further widening. However, when financial innovation is measured using ATMs, evidence of an inverse relation was found. The exacerbation of income inequality by the first two indicators has a detrimental effect on a country's societal welfare as the poorer members of the population are left behind in their development even when economic growth takes place. The observed upper-middle income countries and similar countries which are typified by relatively stable financial systems and high levels of income inequality must financially develop their systems under an inclusive framework to ensure growth and development benefit broader sections of the population. By leaving this unattended, financial innovation can be an enabler and instigator of income inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framed within the normative planning approach, this article argues that cultural planning is relevant to post-agricultural, cultural tourism and the needs of the people as it presents a viable framework for addressing the social, local economic development and physical problems, particularly of small towns and rural areas in South Africa. This article adopted storytelling as a valuable methodological approach; it is exploratory; hence the fulcrum of the argument is that a cultural planning approach should be integrated into the national Integrated Development Plan (IDP) guidelines and spatial planning practices in order to ensure that it informs the municipal Integrated Development Plans and tourism industry. The analysis was through a combination of storytelling and the available content stages. Hence, the paper proposes that cultural planning, as an innovative planning approach, is a timely idea in South Africa, as it will land potency to the bid to integrate Group Areas Act planning to urban and rural planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings show that prevention and treatment of drug addiction and related offences worldwide continue to fall short of the expected panacea for all social evils and intricacies. This is chiefly true of South Africa, where most of its young citizens are particularly vulnerable to drug use and face higher risks of associated health problems, such as mental disability, HIV/AIDS transmission, hepatitis C and other related infections. The gap is a major obstacle to achieving sustainable development goals and fulfilling the commitment of the international community to leave no nation behind. Traditionally, drug use policy has counted upon the criminal justice system and assumes that people who use drugs are the "societal enigma" that deserves retributive punishment or rehabilitation. Recent studies have debunked this misconception; hence, this study aims to re-assess community awareness and participation levels in the fight against the scourge of substance abuse. Using a constructivist research design, the paper demonstrates that community-based reduction programmes would produce more effective results than =primary prevention programmes' in reducing cigarette, alcohol, cocaine, cannabis and marijuana use among the baseline users in South Africa. The study recommends an urgent intervention programme to ensure a comprehensive national response to combating substance abuse and providing mechanisms aimed at reducing substance abuse through prevention strategies, early intervention, community participation, treatment and reintegration programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By mid-2020, South Africa had shredded 2.2 million jobs, and less than 40% of these had been recuperated by the end of the last quarter. Resultantly, COVID-19 has threatened people's aptitude to afford themselves and their families a passable standard of living, thus relying on social protection. In South Africa, social protection has been a topical theme in recent years, given that the existing approach has proved unsuccessful in convincingly reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment. Using a desktop review, this paper examined South Africa's social protection regime and its impact during COVID-19. It further explored the applicability of a Universal Basic Income and Job Guarantee in South Africa. The findings revealed that, while COVID-19 social security interventions may be considered sizeable, they have not been effective in offsetting the impact of poverty and unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the article provided policy intervention recommendations for social security post-COVID-19 in South Africa. Finally, as a caveat, given that the nature of the social policy discourse in South Africa is heavily shaped by political priorities and ideological preferences, whichever decision is adopted may likely depend on considerations of the abovementioned factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa is facing energy generation and supply challenges. Massive population growth and industrial expansion have exacerbated the situation. The rural communities whose hopes for grid connection are diminishing daily felt the effects of energy generation and supply. The solution to these energy challenges lies in adopting clean renewable energy sources such as rooftop solar home systems (SHS). Efforts to electrify rural households through SHS were initiated in South Africa during the turn of the century. However, little is known about its spread in other rural areas other than the piloted areas. Thus, this study reviews key weaknesses, achievements, and challenges of this programme. Based on a comprehensive review of journal articles and grey literature focusing on SHS, the study unpacked key successes, challenges and weaknesses of the SHS in South Africa. Finally, the paper recommends reviewing the SHS programme and intensifying solar energy awareness campaigns among other things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has had a wide range of industrial policy interventions with varied results. Many firms in the clothing and textile industry are closing down while many of those remaining continue to perform poorly in terms of production and employment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether clothing and textile firms in South Africa are globally competitive and make recommendations for industrial policy measures that will make the clothing and textile industry globally competitive. This qualitative study uses interviews as data collection tools with employers, employees, the Industrial Development Corporation as the implementing agency, the Textile Federation as an important stakeholder, government policy makers, and the workers' representative body, namely the South African Clothing and Textiles Workers' Union. This study found that the clothing and textile industry is not competitive because of relatively high wages and salaries, lack of up-to-date technology in the industry, and low productivity and pay ratio. The study is underpinned by multiple theories including absolute advantage, comparative advantage, the Heckscher-Ohlin theory, and Porter's Diamond Framework of Competitiveness in order to understand the complexity of the problem. These theories suggest that in order to achieve competitiveness, the price of production factors must be kept to a minimum. This study recommends three industrial policy measures: encouraging exports of manufactured goods; encouraging technology; and promoting education. Furthermore, this paper recommends the introduction of the Adopt-a-Cluster model through which government trains officials to implement industrial policies and actively participate in the activities of clusters, which, according to Industrial Policy documents, are not properly coordinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Democracy in the post-apartheid era South Africa has a culture of violent service delivery protests epitomized by the chanting of liberation songs. The usage of liberation songs during protests in South Africa's Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality is examined in this article (in the Eastern Cape Province). Protests have become a sign of discontent among people in the new South Africa's poor communities, and they are usually violent. The authors discuss the topic of violent protests as well as the study of isiXhosa liberation songs performed by protestors. The paper is qualitative in character, and it examines critically liberation anthems in service delivery protest actions using a narrative approach and a literature review assessment. Symbolic interactionism theory and psychoanalysis theory are used on a theoretical level. Political science, sociology, and development studies have not looked at the topic under question in this work. As a result, this research adds something new to multidisciplinary discussions about the relationship between struggle songs and violent service delivery protests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the socioeconomic and health security ramifications of the COVID-19 sickness since the beginning of the year 2020, the discovery of vaccinations has been a huge breakthrough. The international community and national governments' common commitment to preserve citizens' right to the greatest attainable health standards have fuelled the urgent need for vaccine development. Even though any COVID-19 vaccination should be seen as a global public good, the African continent has lagged in the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines. The human rights implications of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out on the African continent are examined in this research, which is based on secondary data sources and focuses on Zimbabwe and South Africa, two neighbouring Southern African countries. The research demonstrates that the African continent is confronted with a slew of concerns, including vaccine accessibility, price, and transparency. The paper also reveals a conflict that has arisen between governments' recommendations that everyone is vaccinated to protect all members of society and the freedom of some members of society to interpret the vaccine through the lens of their religious and cultural beliefs, including their freedom to express their beliefs and choose whether or not to be vaccinated. This circumstance is providing and will continue to pose a significant challenge for African governments in their efforts to implement mass immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]