Walter Sisulu University
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Nobody can really afford legal services: the price of justice in Namibia
Get PDFNobody (except for the privileged few) can afford legal services in Namibia. In the light of this dawning awareness, how should the government and other stakeholders design the legal profession so that the greatest number of Namibians can access legal services and, ultimately, justice while preserving the profession's financial viability? The predominantly economic nature of this question means that its solutions lie less in the field of law than in the field of economics. Thus, this article adopts a methodology that reflects that insight.As a primary purpose, this article works towards solving the high cost of legal services in Namibia. It utilises a literature-review methodology that searches the scholarship on the legal profession for practical, down-to-earth solutions put forward in other countries to take the edge off the prohibitive cost of legal services. The article mainly finds that, if structured as a compulsory salary deduction, legal insurance promises the greatest positive impact on costs. And it concludes that the optimal solutions should consist of measures aimed at heightening competition in the legal profession and measures that broaden cost-sharing in providing legal assistance to the public. The article argues that competition can be effectively increased by lubricating the flow of information about prices and services, and by having more public entities bear the burden of expanding the system of legal assistance
Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations-Psychosis (NeuroGAPPsychosis): a case-control study protocol and GWAS in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda
Get PDFWeight change among women using intramuscular depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, a copper intrauterine device, or a levonorgestrel implant for contraception: Findings from a randomised, multicentre, open-label trial
Get PDFEpidemiology, risk factors and molecular analysis of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa:
Get PDFAbstract text. Background: The emergence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae is an important threat to global health. Reported outcomes of infections with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are poor. Commonly used antibiotics are generally inactive against CRE. Therefore, timely detection of CRE is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate the resistance genes responsible for CRE in Mthatha and to identify risk factors. Methods and materials: Study design – Prospective cohort study. Study period – 23 April to 27 September 2019. Setting – Eastern Cape province, SA. Study population – All adult and paediatric CRE patients. CRE case definition according to CDC 2018. ID and AST-bioMérieux Vitek 2 system. Detection of the blaOXA-48, blaKPC, blaNDM, and blaVIM by the RESIST-4 OKNV assay (Coris). Patients were interviewed to determine risk factors associated with CRE. Results: Forty-four non-duplicate CRE patients were identified during the study period from microbiology lab at NMAH. Enterobacteriaceae species: K. pneumoniae 22 (61.4%), E. cloacae 10 (22.7%), E. coli 2 (4.5%) and K. oxytoca, P. rettgeri and M. morganii 1 each (4.3%). Adult patient 29 (65.9%0 and paediatric 15 (34.1%). Race: all black patients except one white. CRE genes-blaOXA-48 22 (50%), blaNDM 8 (18.2%), two isolates (4.5%) with both blaOXA and blaNDM. We did not find any blaKPC and blaVIM in our setting and 12 (27.2%) isolates were negative for all OKNV. Outcomes: Demised 18 (40.9%), still admitted in the ward 1 (2.3%), discharged home on basis of clinical grounds 22 (50%) and 3 (6.8%) were transferred back to the district hospitals. HAI in 27 (61.4%) with VAP 8, HABSI 8, CAUTI 5, SSI 3 and CLABSI in 3. Risk factors for CRE acquisition were antibiotic exposure 25 (58.7%), ICU stay 7 (15.9%), received medical care in last 6 months 35 (79.6%) and none travelled outside RSA. HIV positive – 19 (43.2%). Conclusion: In out setting our CRE mortality rate is 40.9%, common CRE genotypes are blaOXA-48 and blaNDM. K. pneumoniae is the most common CRE-producing Enterobacteriaceae and antibiotic exposure is an important risk factor in Mthatha and surrounding areas
Knowledge Policing: Re-conceptualizing Ogun in Peter Omoko’s Battles of Pleasure and Roy-Omoni’s Morontonu
Get PDFThe relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa
Get PDFThe study empirically examined the relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa for the period 1980 to 2018. To achieve this objective, the study employed an autoregressive distributed lag bounds technique and Granger causality tests. Financial development, industrialisation, and urbanisation displayed a positive and significant relationship with energy consumption, both in the short run and long run. Economic growth was positive but not significant in the shortrun and long-run. Granger causality test results displayed a unidirectional causality running from financial development and industrialisation to energy consumption. This is in favour of an alternative hypothesis, meaning there is a relationship between financial development and energy consumption in South Africa. This study recommends policies that will allow financial development to stimulate clean energy consumption while considering increases in electricity consumption. The South African government must introduce new financial policies to enhance the process of capitalisation and produce sound energy infrastructure and introduce investments in renewable energy sources to safeguard against carbon emissions.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Economics and Financial Sciences, 202
Experiences of Homophobia by the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual Students in Selected Institutions of Higher Learning in OR Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province.
Get PDFSexuality remains one of the most misinterpreted and misunderstood social concepts. The societal norms have had a role to play. The identification and acceptance of heterosexuality as the only sexual practice has created some misconceptions. Furthermore, the role played by religion has a tremendous influence on how people views sexuality. However, the aim of the study is to investigate the experiences of the LGBTQIA society with special reference to students residing in the OR Tambo district municipality. Social Constructionism and Five Faces of Oppression are theories that underpinned this study. Furthermore, the nature of this research is descriptive and explorative and the methodology utilized in this study correlates to the mentioned research design. Therefore, qualitative research method was adopted in this study. A sample of 15 participants was utilized, and Non-probability sampling procedure was used through snowball sampling. An in-depth interview guide was used for data collection and thematic analysis approach was utilized for the analysis. Findings of the study suggests that there is rife homophobia in the IHL; the students subscribing to heteronormativity have been threatening those who were homosexuals and/or aligning with the LGBTQIA community with physical assault. It further found that they showed resilience and consistency when it came to academic performance. This, they attributed to their urge to “prove the naysers wrong” as they have been told that they will never make it in life because of their sexuality. The study recommends that the university should engage external stakeholders on the decriminalization of homosexuality and that the university should protect their students from all sort of harm.Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, 202
The stories African lawyers could tell when analysing legal issues: Lessons for social sciences teachers
Get PDFActivists and academics have clamoured for the decolonisation of knowledge, including law. But, unfortunately hardly anyone has put forth strategies for how faculties should decolonise the law. A number of jurists have underscored the necessity to draw on customary laws and traditional values. Still, the #RhodesMustFall movement has, for the most part, been loud on the outcomes, but quiet on the methodologies. Joining the conversation on the decolonisation of epistemologies, this article contributes to the ongoing efforts to sanitise the law by proposing to revive African oral storytelling cultures as a way to analyse the questions of law facing society. To live up to this task, this article adopts decolonial theory and, through stylised examples, illustrates how lawyers and social scientists in Africa can utilise storytelling to contextualise, (de)construct, and comprehend those questions. This article assumes that lawyers can use African storytelling alongside the prevailing doctrinal method. That method, relaying the coloniality of law and captured by the acronym IRAC (issue(s), rules, application, and conclusion), trains students to approach conflict in society through a highly abstract and decontextualised problem-solving model. Lately, some (Western) social scientists have (re)discovered the practicality of storytelling in presenting analysis and research. However, in African oral traditions, stories worked differently from the manner in which those scientists employ them. African storytelling played a leading role, not only in conveying collective wisdom and social memory from one generation to the next, but also as a medium through which communities transmit the values that hold them together. Contribution: This article adds to the scholarship on storytelling and narratology by showing how educators can utilise stories to analyse legal questions. That rich scholarship in the humanities and the social sciences has so far not taken seriously the possibility of using stories to analyse research problems. Instead, scholars focus on storytelling mainly as a way of presenting science, not as an analytical tool. This article bridges that gap and demonstrates the analytical value of storytelling. Keywords: decolonisation of knowledge; decolonial theory; storytelling; Africa; analysis; epistemology; legal education; oral tradition
A case for ethical frameworks to enhance mobile government implementation at South African municipalities
Get PDFInterest in mobile government (m-government) is growing globally. Mobile government refers to the use of wireless and mobile technologies to deliver services to citizens, businesses, employees and other government entities. Presently, technological advancements take place despite questions on whether the existing policy and regulatory frameworks are suitable to regulate the effects of m-government. With m-government, municipal operations take place in virtual spaces where the consequences of such operations are still largely unknown and the frameworks that are apt to minimise any long-term effects on society are yet to be defined. This conceptual article suggests that ethical frameworks should be encouraged as part of mobile government implementation in municipalities to encourage reflective municipal practices and to improve judgement and behaviour in m-government decision-making. It contributes to debates on approaches to comprehensively support and guide mobile government towards positive municipal service delivery outcomes. Keywords: m-government; ethics; ethical frameworks; municipal service delivery; e-government; mobile technolog
An Analysis of Employee Motivation in a Multinational Context in Sub Saharan Africa
Get PDFThis study assesses motivational preferences of employees in a multinational context in Sub Saharan Africa. Using the Grundfos group operating sites in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa as a case study, the study explores quantitative data on possible differences in employee motivational factors based on selected variables such as location, length of service and managerial status. Questionnaires were employed in collecting data from 131 participants from the three locations of Grundfos Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Results of the study reveal that the factor “equal treatment of employees” is considered most important among the respondents. It is also noted that there were no significant statistical differences among the participants based on the examined variables. Policy and practical implications of the findings of this study are discussed, particularly around the development and implementation of Human resources policies that address employee perceptions of equity. This study makes a contribution to existing literature on employee motivation in multinational settings. Keywords: Employee motivation, motivational factors, multinational context, Sub-Saharan Afric