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Freedom corrupted? democratic legitimation in South Africa at democracy@30
No full textDemocratic legitimacy is a multifaceted concept, contested in its definition and conceptualization (Severs & Mattelaer 2014; Zelditch 2001). Often seen as born in the work of Max Weber (Beetham 1991; Smith 1970; Wiesner & Harfst 2022), legitimacy is the foundation on which authority to hold power is constructed. Political legitimacy establishes both a moral and legal right to rule or govern, ensuring public acceptance and support for a particular regime, whether democratic or authoritarian (Lyotard & Lindsay 1987). There is a deep appreciation that without legitimacy, governments, whether democratic or autocratic, risk losing their authority, leading to instability, resistance or rebellion. Political legitimacy, however, remains a highly contested notion conceptually. It is also challenging to empirically measure democratic legitimacy. Democratic legitimacy involves subjective perceptions of fairness, representation and trust, which vary across individuals and societies (Spencer 1970; Tyler 2006). Additionally, political systems often have complex and evolving structures, making it difficult to define clear benchmarks for legitimacy (Severs & Mattelaer 2014; Wiesner & Harfst 2022). Legitimacy inherently deals with the relationship between citizens and governments, or citizens and their rulers (Severs & Mattelaer 2014).
South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development: main trends in South Africa R&D 2022/2023: recovering from Covid-19
No full textThe COVID -19 pandemic triggered a sharp contraction in economic activity, with GDP declining by 6.4% in 2020/21. However, it also spurred the unprecedented mobilization of R&D resources, particularly in health innovation, digital infrastructure, and crisis-responsive technologies. Despite this, growth in overall gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) remained fragile, with a modest recovery to 2.1% in 2022/23,
closely mirroring GDP growth of 1.9%. This recovery, however, masks underlying vulnerabilities, as pre-pandemic structural challenges—such as stagnant private-sector R&D investment and reliance on volatile public funding—persist.
Is Zimbabwe’s education system disaster-ready? evaluating risk reduction strategies in Binga district schools
No full textBuilding on the 2006 Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School campaign by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction(ISDR),this study examines the role of formal education in enhancing hazard awareness and disaster preparedness among learners in Binga district, Zimbabwe a region that is highly exposed to recurring climate-induced hazards. Despite the implementation of various school-based DRR awareness and training initiatives , their efficacy remains largely unverified through empirical research. This study adopts a qualitative
research design, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to learners aged8–18 across 20 primary and secondary schools. Key indicators assessed include disaster knowledge, hazard education participation, preparedness levels, risk perception, and community engagement. A two-tier cluster sampling strategy stratifying Binga into northern and southern zones was employed to ensure geographical representation. Findings reveal that current DRR education initiatives are inadequate in cultivating comprehensive disaster resilience
among learners. The study calls for targeted programmatic improvements, including curriculum integration ,teacher capacity development, and stronger school-community DRR linkages.
‘The future we want': from Mpumalanga to the Western Cape
No full textThis chapter offers a forward-looking synthesis grounded in the theoretical framing of social reproduction, social exclusion and democratic consolidation outlined in the Introduction. Drawing from community narratives across rural villages, urban settlements, mining towns and former homelands, we reflect on what has been lost or gained and what still must be imagined and built.
Attracting and retaining talent: the policies of South African metros
No full textIn a knowledge-driven global economy, the ability of cities to attract and retain high-level skills is crucial for urban competitiveness. In response, many advanced cities have adopted proactive policies to attract globally mobile talent and support innovation ecosystems. This paper examines whether and how South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities incorporate talent attraction and retention into their Integrated Development Plans and related economic strategies. Using a multidisciplinary policy framework and content analysis of municipal documents, we find limited recognition of human capital as a development driver. This omission reflects deeper challenges within existing institutional and governance arrangements, including fragmented mandates, limited planning capacity, and competing developmental priorities. We argue that more deliberate and integrated skills strategies—aligned with inclusive growth objectives—can enhance municipal effectiveness and support resilient urban development.
Effect of lambing season, sex, parity, and litter size on growth performance in lambs: a review
No full textPoor pre-weaning and post-weaning mortality in lambs is common in communal sheep productions due to the use of extensive management practices. Communal sheep producers often lack the resources to address poor performance issues associated with extensive production systems. Non-genetic factors present a potential tool for communal farmers to identify animals prone to poor performance in advance. By using these factors as indicators, farmers can prioritize limited feed additives for lambs at higher risk of poor performance. Key non-genetic factors such as lambing season, sex, parity, and litter size can help identify lamb groups prone to mortality. However, these factors have contrasting effects on pre-weaning and post-weaning lamb performance. Therefore, there is a need to summarize the individual effects of non-genetic factors on lamb performance for the identification of their current trends. Thus, the objective of this review was to assess the effect of lambing season, sex, parity, and litter size mainly on birthweight (0 d BW), weaning weight (90 d BW), and post-weaning weight (180 d BW), as well as preweaning (0-90 d BW) and post-weaning (90-180 d BW) average daily gains (ADGs) in lambs.
Effect of breed, sex and age on body and Internal organ weight of chickens for food security in resource poor communities of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
No full textThe study aimed to compare the effect of sex, breed and age on the body weight and internal organ weights of chickens reared in resource-poor communities. A total of 120 chickens were used, comprising of three breeds namely broilers (n=40), Potchefstroom Koekoek (n=40) and a nondescriptive breed (n=40). Each breed was divided into 20 females and 20 males, subsequently categorized by age, resulting in 10 growers and 10 mature chickens for each breed. The results showed that grower and mature broilers had a heaviest ( body weight compared to Potchefstroom Koekoek and non-descriptive breed (. Breed significantly influenced body weight (p0.05). Liver weight was higher in females than males and liver weight was not affected by sex. A linear relationship (p<0.05) existed between body weight and breed, sex and age. A negative coefficient was recorded between body weight and breed but sex and age showed a positive coefficient for body weight of chickens. Age had the strongest relationship on chicken?s body weight and liver weight compared to breed and sex. The proportion of variance in the dependent variables (body weight, liver weight, gizzard weight, heart weight, intestine weight and intestine length) was predicted from the independent variables (breed, sex and age). A (64%) variance in body weight can be expected from breed, sex and age, and there was a (64%) association between body weight and breed, sex and age. The study concludes that breed and age affect the body weight and internal organ weight of chickens but not sex. The study recommends more research and focus on chickens in resource-poor communities irrespective of breed sex and age while focusing on their quantity of meat and internal organs for their potential contribution to food security.
Socially inclusive infrastructure for disaster risk reduction in urban planning: insights from the SADC region
Get PDFThe accelerating pace of urbanization in the 21st century has intensified the need for inclusive and resilient infrastructure development, particularly in the face of rising socio-economic inequalities and escalating
disaster risks. This study explores the integration of social equity dimensions and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) principles within urban planning frameworks as a pathway toward sustainable and resilient urban futures. A qualitative research design was adopted, drawing on a triangulated methodology that includes document analysis, an extensive literature review, and selected case studies on urban planning practices. These methods were employed to interrogate current urban development paradigms and assess the
extent to which equity and resilience are operationalized in planning processes. Results: Findings indicate that, despite growing theoretical advancements in equitable and risk-sensitive urban development, significant systemic challenges remain. These include limited community participation in planning processes, persistent institutional silos, and resource constraints that hinder transformative action. The analysis further reveals that current urban governance mechanisms often lack the capacity to meaningfully integrate long-term resilience and equity considered In n response to these challenges, the study recommends a paradigm shift in urban planning towards the adoption of future-oriented and participatory approaches. Key policy recommendations include: (1) embedding equity focused DRR strategies within urban development policies; (2) fostering multistakeholder
collaboration to bridge institutional divides; and (3) mainstreaming anticipatory and inclusive planning models in urban governance systems. Such integrative approaches are essential for aligning infrastructure development with the broader goals of social justice, environmental sustainability, and urban resilience.
Performance of CAD4TB artificial intelligence technology in TB screening programmes
Get PDFThere is growing evidence of the performance accuracy and potential impact of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) products in TB-burdened settings. It remains unclear, however, which factors of populations and settings can affect CAD performance. We aimed to investigate the parameters affecting the performance accuracy of the two latest versions of CAD4TB in TB screening programmes in South Africa and Lesotho. We included participants recruited for the Lesotho National Prevalence Survey and the TB TRIAGE + ACCURACY studies, who underwent digital chest radiography and microbiological reference testing for TB. In total, 6,524 chest images were included in the analysis: 288 cases and 6,236 controls. CAD4TB versions 6 and 7 interpreted the X-ray images, and the performance of both versions was investigated. Threshold analyses were performed, as well as subgroup analyses, including age, X-ray hardware and HIV status. CAD4TB v7 showed overall improved performance accuracy compared to v6 (p < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.833 (95 % CI 0.808–0.859) for v6 and 0.865 (95 % CI 0.842–0.889) for v7. At 90 % sensitivity, v7 showed a higher specificity of 65 % compared to the 54 % achieved by v6. Both versions showed lower performance in the older age group (≥60 years) and individuals with a previous history of TB. The threshold required to achieve the same sensitivity or specificity varies notably across the two versions. CAD4TB performed well as a TB screening tool; however, factors such as software version, age, TB history and X-ray hardware should be considered in threshold determination and performance evaluation.