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Forced Relocations, Memory and Nostalgia amongst Indian South Africans in Post-Apartheid South Africa
No full textRelocations resulting from forced removals, during the implementation of the Group Areas Act (GAA) of 1950, have had profound implications on the ways in which South Africans see themselves today influencing both insular identities and broader notions of citizenship. This paper focuses specifically on Indian Municipal employees of the Durban Corporation (DC) who were removed from the Durban Municipal Magazine Barracks (henceforth Magazine Barracks) and resettled in Chatsworth, by examining the meaning of ‘Magazine Barracks’ on its former residents today, almost six decades after its destruction. Although the Magazine Barracks was established for the capitalist motives of the DC to house a cheap and manageable labour force, residents responded to circumstances imposed upon them by creating a unique lifestyle within the Magazine Barracks, which they revere today. They gave names to areas which comprised the Magazine Barracks and took advantage of their overcrowded living conditions to create notions of closeness through religious and cultural institutions, and produced a rich sporting and academic heritage. When the Magazine Barracks was destroyed by the GAA, residents similarly responded to structural forces imposed upon them in unique ways and examining this history provides valuable insight into how the past is negotiated in the present to shape identity
Structural Changes in the Participation of African Migrants in the Labour Force of South Africa (2001 –
Get PDFMigration is not a recent phenomenon; it is one of the three factors that contribute to the population changes. Cross-border migration between South Africa and its neighbouring countries started in the mid-19th century. The aim of this paper is to explore the structural changes in the participation of African migrants in the labour force of South Africa from 2001 to 2011. Furthermore, the specific objective is to demonstrate the structural changes between the two periods in the deployment of African immigrants in terms of occupation, employment sector, income groups just to name a few. 2001 and 2011 population census are used to evaluate the extent to which the situation has changed between the two periods. As far as African migration is concerned, to capture the structural changes during the ten-year period (2001 to 2011) this study focuses on variables such as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. To profile the structural changes in the participation of African migrants, this study makes use of the 2001 and 2011 national population census data. Furthermore, statistical packages are used to test the relationship between variables. Policy document about migration are also used to provide the legislated framework with regards to the involvement of foreign labour in the South African labour force. The geographical scope of the study is national meaning it covers all nine provinces of South Africa
The Significance of Green Space in the Living Environment: A Case Study of the Bekkersdal Community, Westonaria, South Africa
Get PDFThere is increasing evidence for a positive relation between the amount of green space in the living environment, people’s health and their well-being. The Bekkersdal Township was founded in 1945 as a mining community. As the mines in the area closed down, unemployment grew and a new informal township was established with the concomitant health, other socio-economic issues and a lack of green space in the immediate environment. This article addresses the following question: ‘Do green spaces matter in this specific socio-economic environment?’ The participants consisted of 520 residents of the informal settlement section of Bekkersdal who completed a questionnaire with the assistance of trained fieldworkers. The results revealed that although the residents generally have positive feelings concerning their natural environment, in particular with regard to the vegetable gardens and open areas, environmental risks, i.e. dust, noise, litter and polluted water sources affect them considerably. Vegetable gardens are popular as they also serve as a food source in this underprivileged environment. The participants also showed a great affinity for natural features i.e. trees and open areas. Research from similar surroundings suggested various positive effects thereof on the residents. This study suggests that Bekkersdal, although impoverished and plagued with many adversities, has the potential to add value to the living conditions of residents by exploring and cultivating the existing green spaces.This includes incentive-driven organised environmental activities and initiatives such as clean-up operations, recycling, communal food- and medicinal gardens, and training to establish and maintain such initiatives
Non-Financial Disclosures in the South African Mining Industry
Get PDFThe purpose of this article is to analyse the nature and extent of non-financial disclosures in South African mining companies’ annual reports both pre- and post-King III to explore the impact that King III may have had on such disclosures. The research methodology adopted was a content analysis of annual reports prior to the issue of King III and then, in order to provide a second benchmarking period, more recent studies of mining companies’ annual reports after the issue of King III were accessed. These studies also used content analysis allowing for some degree of comparability. The study found that overall, the non-financial disclosures for all mining companies showed an increasing trend for the years leading up to the issue of King III. After the release of King III, the study found that although the extent of disclosures increased further, pointing to King III being the impetus for such an increase, there was still room for improvement in corporate governance disclosures especially with regards to forward looking disclosures and board of directors’ disclosures
Social Responsibility and Power II: J.T. van der Kemp’s Interventions for and on behalf of the Khoikhoi on the Eastern Cape Frontier (1801 – 1806)
Get PDFIn ‘Social Responsibility and Power I’, I have endeavoured to provide an argument for the social responsibility and power of J.T. van der Kemp (joined by James Read in 1801) as manifest in his interventions for and on behalf of the Khoi vis-à-vis the British and later Batavian colonial governments, as well as the frontier settler farmers on the Eastern Cape Frontier (1801 – 1806) (cf. Smit 2016a). His own ‘power’ became manifest in his interventions for and on behalf of the Khoi and his critique of both the colonial governments and the frontier settler farmers. To this we may add his assertion of the freedom of the landless Khoi, and his contention that they should receive a piece of land, to be allocated by government, for a mission station, where they would be subjected to education and be ‘civilized’. I have expounded what these devel-opments meant in terms of the ‘archive’ of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They included, amongst others, the further de-culturali-sation of the Khoi. In this article, I take the argument further by focusing on the ‘useful education’, ‘analytic education’, ‘institutionalisation’, the interaction with the colonial ‘government’ in these matters, and the ‘pacifica-tion’ of the Khoi by the mission as institution
The Church’s Social Responsibility in Zambia: The Catholic Response to the 2016 Prejudiced Attacks on ‘Others’
Get PDFIn April 2016, Rwandan refugees and other foreign nationals in Zambia sought refugee in a Catholic church after days of violence. They were targeted after claims associating them with a series of ritual killings. Residents from compounds were reported to have resorted to riots and violence in a quest to safeguard their lives. This paper investigated the Catholic Church’s response to these ‘xenophobic’ attacks in Zambia’s residential compounds to mirror the church’s role in social responsibility in contemporary times.The case study employed document review (media reports) and recorded interviews with Priests from St. Ignatius parish as the main data collection methods, which was thematically analysed. The paper advances that the Catholic Church, guided by its social teaching was not only a mirror of society, but also a place of refugee by hosting the refugees and condemning the violence in various compounds in Lusaka through pastoral letters and homilies
From VIH-TAVIE™ to TAVIE-WOMAN™: Development of a Web-Based Virtual Nursing Intervention to Meet the Specific Needs of Women Living With HIV
Get PDFThe web-based virtual nursing intervention VIH-TAVIE™ was designed to help people living with HIV (PLWH) adhere to their antiretroviral treatment (ART). The content of the intervention is generic and gender neutral. However, it is recognised that women living with HIV (WLWH) experience their condition in a unique way and face gender-specific challenges regarding ART intake. Consequently, it seemed appropriate to adapt VIH-TAVIE™ specifically for women. The purpose of this paper is to present the qualitative results of an evaluative study of VIH-TAVIE™ that describe the experience of six WLWH who received the web-based computer-delivered intervention and to present the content and specificities of an offshoot intervention under development, TAVIE-Woman™. The following themes emerged from the content analysis of interviews with the WLWH about : 1) presence of actual nurse on site to facilitate transition to virtual mode; 2) virtual nurse humanises experience of computer-delivered intervention; 3) learners’ appreciation of medium and content; and 4) perceived benefits following participation in the intervention. To adapt VIH-TAVIETM for women, discussions were also held with a healthcare team in a mother-child university hospital centre. The gender-specific content added to TAVIE-WomanTM included digital storytelling of HIV-positive women, various topics about changing ARV medication during pregnancy, neonatal ART prophylaxis, disclosure to children, adapting to life with HIV, selecting a birth-control method, and social support. Ultimately, the purpose of TAVIE-WomanTM is to support WLWH by offering them 24/7 access to tailored education and reliable quality information
Security System for Safe Transmission of Medical Images
Get PDFThis paper develops an optimised embedding of payload in medical images by using genetic optimisation. The goal is to preserve the region of interest from being distorted because of the watermark. By using this system there is no need to manually define the region of interest by experts as the system will apply the genetic optimisation to select the parts of image that can carry the watermark guaranteeing less distortion. The experimental results assure that genetic based optimisation is useful for performing steganography with less mean square error percentage
Audiology Measurement Using Telemedical Solution in Central Asia
Get PDFNowadays, the telemetry mediated systems tend to be an alternative to the standard measurement systems. With the decreasing cost of electronic devices, the use telemetry systems is becoming more and more common, as it allows to test remotely and to send the results to the specialised centres with experienced staff. Healthcare personnel involved with hearing services in less modern locations need consistent training, oversight and feedback by audiologists in order to provide quality services. The aim of the study is to present usage of telemedical tools for diagnosis between Poland and Kyrgyzstan. A hybrid synchronous and asynchronous model of testing is used in Kyrgyzstan. Before starting the remote Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing Kyrgyz technicians completed comprehensive training courses. They were instructed on the correct patient preparation for testing, abrasions of the skin, electrode sticking, clip attaching, and launching of the appropriate software. Support documentation was prepared; instructional materials including a brochure and instructional video. The equipment was sent to the centre in Kyrgyzstan. At the beginning of the project we made numerous mock examinations, after that we started the remote Kyrgyz-Polish testing. The whole process was performed with the use of the Team Viewer application (a proprietary computer software package for remote control, desktop sharing, online meetings, web conferencing and file transfer between computers). During the process, the testing room can be seen on the video and we can speak with the technician depending on our Russian speaking personnel. After the test, the results are collected and sent to a specialist in Poland to determine the result. The documents are then translated and sent to Kyrgyzstan. Up to 20 remote examinations can be performed weekly. This technology assists clinicians by making it easier for them to consult with other more experienced audiologists
Improving Healthcare in Remote Environments Via a New Integrated, Online Communication Platform
Get PDFInternational SOS delivers integrated medical solutions to remote and extreme remote onshore and offshore projects worldwide, using highly trained and experienced medics with a robust system of protocols, procedures and clear escalation criteria to our Topside support centres. To enable improved medical escalations from the remote sites, we have developed a customised, online communication tool called the Digital Topside Platform (DTP). The system was designed to allow simplified telemedical interaction, improved data security, and enable integrated patient care from initial presentation to return to work, with a focus on managing the case on-site, and patient confidentiality. The design process included a focus on user experience and workflow optimisation, and an iterative development methodology. The system includes multiple components including: management dashboards, interoperability with existing case management systems, messaging, video and file transfer features, and case data including medical and contextual information via a mix of auto-populated and manual entry data points. The solution was designed for non-urgent cases, which represents >80% of case escalation volume. Initial deployment of the solution to offshore oil rigs in West Africa and the Intl.SOS Johannesburg Response Centre has demonstrated four key improvements over baseline data. A preliminary analysis of our data shows that 70-80% of the case escalations use the system, demonstrating a high rate of user adoption. The improvements shown were: (1) reduced need for urgent medical evacuation for non-life threatening conditions; (2) increased adherence to evidence based guidelines via more efficient clinical governance processes; (3) faster escalation processes via profile management and system integration; and (4) early escalation of work related injury cases resulting in reduced time off work. Based on evidence to date, the system facilitates improved healthcare management for patients in the remote offshore environment. The system continues to be deployed to additional sites and regions globally, which will generate a statistically significant dataset for further evaluation