Unisa Press Journals (University of South Africa)
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When Service Delivery Runs Dry: Gift of the Givers and Water Provision in the Makana Municipality
No full textNon-governmental organisations (NGOs) can play a role in public service delivery in contexts where the state is unable to provide services reliably. This article details an attempt by an NGO to deliver services in collaboration with local government: the case of the NGO Gift of the Givers and its role in water provision during the 2019 water crisis in the Makana Municipality, South Africa. We highlight some problems that arose with this partnership, leading us to suggest caution regarding the possibility of NGOs effectively providing water-related services. We conclude that NGOs may be well suited to providing short-term relief but are less well-equipped for the provision of longer-term water services. We also highlight some of the ways in which politics and public relations concerns can interfere with NGOs’ ability to deliver services like water. Finally, the article underlines the importance of clarity and transparency in collaborations between NGOs and the state
Perceptions Regarding the Use of Digital Records in Zimbabwe’s Public Sector
No full textThe adoption of digital records management in Zimbabwe’s public sector is critical for promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. However, its success hinges on the perceptions and attitudes of government employees who interact with these systems. This study aimed to explore how government workers perceive digital records and to propose strategies that enhance their use and acceptance. Guided by the technology acceptance model (TAM), which focuses on perceived usefulness and ease of use, the research adopted a qualitative approach using a multiple case study design. Data were collected through interviews and observation across 16 ministries, involving 26 purposively selected participants from records and ICT departments. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the findings. The results revealed that although employees acknowledged the advantages of digital records, they harboured significant concerns about their trustworthiness. Key issues included fears about data security, privacy risks, high implementation and maintenance costs, power outages, and doubts over legal compliance. The absence of an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) in most departments also contributed to scepticism because digital records created outside such systems were viewed as untrustworthy. Many departments thus retained a hybrid system of both paper and digital records owing to low confidence in digital-only solutions. The study concludes that negative perceptions driven by technological, legal, and infrastructural challenges undermine the full adoption of digital records. It recommends the implementation of EDRMS, investment in ICT training for records professionals, and change management initiatives to support the shift from paper-based to digital records systems
Impact of Tuberculosis Prevention Therapy Policies on Quality of Life Among Patients in Surakarta, Indonesia
No full textTuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This article aims to examine the impact of TB prevention therapy policies on social support, medication adherence, personal stigma, and quality of life among TB patients in Surakarta, Indonesia. This is a quasi-experimental study using a pretest–posttest design involving 88 TB patients who visited the primary health centre in Mojosongo Village, Surakarta, Indonesia, from March to October 2023. This study employed a purposive sampling approach, specifically targeting TB patients attending primary health centres. Participants completed the Tuberculosis-Related Stigma Scale, Morisky Medication Adherence Questionnaire, Family Support Questionnaire, and World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF (WHOQOL–BREF) questionnaire before and after the intervention. The study design included one-group pretest–posttest. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0, applying independent samples t-test for mean comparisons and Pearson correlation coefficient to examine relationships between scale scores. The results showed a significant average difference between pretest and posttest scores on stigma, social support, medication adherence, and quality of life (QOL) for the experimental group (p = 0.0001), as well as stigma for the control group (p = 0.0001). There were also significant mean differences between the experimental group and the control group on stigma, medication adherence, and QOL (p = 0.0001). In addition, Pearson correlation showed a significant relationship between TB prevention therapy policies on stigma, medication adherence, and QOL (p = 0.0001). The findings of this study show that TB preventive therapy policies have a positive effect on social support, medication adherence, personal stigma, and quality of life for TB patients
Management of Salbutamol Therapy in a Patient with Bronchial Asthma and a History of Hypertension: A Case Report
No full textAsthma is an acute or chronic disease characterised by coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Hypertension is defined as an increase in systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg and an increase in diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg. Meanwhile, salbutamol is a selective beta-2 adrenergic agonist used for acute bronchospasm caused by asthma that may be related to the patient’s hypertension issues. This case report describes the management of salbutamol therapy in a 57-year-old female with bronchial asthma and a history of hypertension. Salbutamol is a selective beta-2 adrenergic agonist that, when inhaled, stimulates beta-2 receptors in the smooth muscles of the airways. This action causes the muscles to relax, reducing airway constriction and improving airflow. While salbutamol is not typically contraindicated in hypertensive patients, its use can lead to transient increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, especially if administered in higher doses or through certain routes (like nebulisation). Strategies to minimise increases in blood pressure include monitoring vital signs, adjusting doses, providing patient education, timing medication appropriately, considering alternative treatments, and collaborating with healthcare teams. While salbutamol is essential in asthma management, it requires careful monitoring in patients with hypertension to prevent side effects such as elevated blood pressure. Ongoing education and monitoring by healthcare providers are crucial to ensuring the safety and effectiveness of treatment in patients with hypertension
Women’s Stories on the “Working of Talents” as Agents of Economic Transformation in South Africa
No full textIn South Africa, the Forward in Faith International Ministries (FIFIM) is well known for educating its members on how to use their hands to raise their standard of living through the “working of talents.” Based on the “Matarenda Model of Entrepreneurship” described by Anderson (2018) and sometimes referred to as the “School of Talents” according to Guti (2015), this investigation uses qualitative analysis to gather information through secondary sources and oral history interviews. The study employs purposive sampling to identify participants and examine the importance of the “working of talents” in church and society through women’s experiences. It concludes that women can improve their living standards by utilising their abilities. The study strongly recommends that women in talent work should not limit themselves to achieving church goals only. They should continue to work diligently and utilise their gifts to recognise and seize opportunities that come their way, thus empowering themselves to achieve tremendous success. This study emphasises the crucial role of women in supporting churches and society in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5 and 8, which aim to alleviate poverty, empower women, and motivate them to continue their work
Ubuntu as a Departure Point for Social Work Education in African Universities
No full textUbuntu reflects the African view of the world and being human. Social work is one of several professions that recognise the significance of Ubuntu principles of justice, communality, reciprocity, responsibility and relations. However, there is limited inclusion of Ubuntu in the social work curriculum in Africa. This is critical, as the principles of Ubuntu cannot guide prospective social workers in Africa if they are not integrated into the curriculum of students. The research aimed to explore stakeholders’ experiences in including the Ubuntu principle in the social work curriculum at selected African universities. The empirical research sampled 36 social work educators and students (12 educators and 24 students) from two African countries, Nigeria and South Africa. Data was collected from the participants using interviews, and the data was coded with NVivo 12 and analysed thematically. The findings highlight the centrality of Ubuntu in social work education to ensure a better future where communities assist each other and nature is respected and preserved for future generations. We concluded that Ubuntu must be intentionally integrated into the social work curriculum to empower African social workers with cultural and context relevant knowledge and practices, ensuring that interventions are deeply rooted in the lived realities of African communities
The Psychological Perspective of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) Among Women in Kenya
No full textDespite two decades of legal prohibition, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) remains entrenched in several Kenyan highland counties and is increasingly recognised as a public mental health issue, not merely a surgical event. Lived experience interviews with 39 adult women in Tharaka-Nithi County (2020) documented the practice’s psychological sequelae. Inductive coding isolated four intersecting impact areas: (1) traumatic recall, reported by 33 participants as flashbacks, nightmares, or sensory intrusions tied to the cutting event; (2) depressive withdrawal, described by 31 as chronic sadness, reduced self-worth, and social disengagement; (3) persistent anxiety, with 29 expressing anticipatory fear around childbirth, medical examinations, or community scrutiny; and (4) stigma-driven social limitation, where 28 cited diminished mobility, economic loss, or reluctance to seek care following disclosure. Only five women regarded the ritual as culturally affirming; most narrated ongoing tension between public belonging and private distress. Three service priorities emerged: (a) embed a brief trauma screen and referral protocol into all reproductive health visits; (b) equip sub-county facilities with trained female psychological counsellors able to coordinate counselling across departments; and (c) centre prevention messaging in survivor-led chama [a Swahili word, meaning society or organisation] forums and elder declarations, rather than relying on abstract clinical warnings. Women’s testimonies advance psychological understanding of FGM/C and offer practical, rights-based entry points for service design in Kenya and comparable high-prevalence settings
Copyright and Transformation in the Age of Constitutional Democracy
No full textSouth African copyright law has been the subject of sustained controversy and contestation in recent years, primarily as a result of protracted and ongoing legislative reform efforts as well as a high-profile constitutional challenge to the regulating statute. Despite being front and centre in the public’s attention, meaningful progress towards aligning copyright law with constitutional imperatives remains limited. This article traces the (lack of) advancement across the three branches of government—legislative, executive and judicial—and examines the likely causes behind each. It concludes that the dominant legal culture bears as much responsibility as foreign trade pressures and divisive stakeholder engagements in Parliament. It argues that the judiciary, in particular, holds significant but underused potential to drive the constitutional transformation of the country’s copyright law
“Lyric is my medium, not chronicle”: Temporality and Narrative in J.M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country
No full textIn J.M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country, Magda’s contention that “[l]yric is my medium, not chronicle” reflects a recurring theme in the novel—the mutability of time. Magda’s time-orientation in the novel is unconventional: She makes a sharp distinction between the chronological time of her father (which travels along “arrow-straight paths”) and her own, “mythical” time. Her narrative does not follow a linear track—forward movement is instead often disrupted by “speculative” histories, digressions, repetition, and reversals. I would like to propose in this article that Magda’s resistance to the discourses of patriarchy and colonialism is framed primarily through her temporal reconstructions, and that her lyrical mode of narration reconceives temporality in both the novel’s narrative organisation and its thematic concerns
“Are You Really Gay Prof?”: The Transgressive Self as a Pedagogical Tool
No full textNotwithstanding progressive constitutional protections, LGBTQ+ identities persist in being marginalised and stigmatised within numerous South African educational contexts. This occurs particularly in teacher education programmes where heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions frequently remain unchallenged. In this article, I examine the potentialities and constraints of transgressive embodiment as a pedagogical instrument for disrupting these oppressive norms and cultivating more inclusive learning environments. Drawing on theoretical insights from queer theory, critical pedagogy and postcolonial studies, I present my experiences of teaching while being visibly and unapologetically queer. These narratives are analysed through a critical, intersectional framework that considers the ways in which gender, sexuality, race and other axes of identity and power shape the pedagogical encounter. My experiences indicate that transgressive embodiment can serve as a potent tool for challenging heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions in the classroom, thereby creating space for alternative ways of knowing and being. By situating these experiences within global discourses on queer pedagogy, this article contributes to international conversations about the transformative potential of embodied resistance in diverse educational contexts. These experiences also underscore the risks and limitations of this approach. These include the emotional and professional toll of hypervisibility, the potential for student resistance and misunderstanding, and the necessity for institutional and systemic change alongside individual acts of resistance. Autoethnographic reflections such as these can contribute to a more nuanced and situated understanding of the complexities of queer pedagogies, while also indicating potential avenues for further research and praxis