UJ Press Journals
Not a member yet
2155 research outputs found
Sort by
The South Africa-Sweden University Forum (SASUF): An Exploration of Knowledge Diplomacy Within South Africa-Sweden Relations
Get PDFScience diplomacy has been an endeavoured area of cooperation between Sweden and South Africa despite Sweden’s reluctanceto practice science diplomacy. However, the introduction of the South Africa-Sweden University Forum (SASUF) in 2017 remains an underexplored phenomenon of knowledge diplomacy. Using Knight’s five characteristics of knowledge diplomacy (focus on higher education, research, and innovation; diversity of actors and partners; recognition of different needs and the collective use of resources; reciprocity; and the building and strengthening of relations between states), this paper argues that SASUF is an essential frontier for knowledge diplomacy in the context of South Africa-Sweden relations. The employment of Knight’s framework finds that SASUF can indeed be classified as an example of knowledge diplomacy. In conclusion, a new research agenda on knowledge diplomacy within the context of South Africa-Sweden relations is proposed
Mutual Aid and Informal Finance: The Persistence of Stokvels
Get PDFThis paper focuses on stokvels in contemporary South Africa. It examines the resilience and persistence of mutual aid in a modern setting. It seeks to build a qualitative model to understand the persistence and adaptation of the stokvels in a modern society wherebanking institutions coexist with informal credit practices. The concept of cooperation is key to the analysis. We argue that stokvels continue to persist in modern society, despite the rise of banking institutions, because of their cooperative nature
South Africa-Nordic Relations: Exploring the Prospects for a Strategic Partnership
Get PDFSince the democratisation of South Africa in the mid-90s, South Africa and the Nordic countries have cooperated multilaterally as well as in bilateral settings in areas such as education and research, business and trade, and peace and security. By exploring the research question ‘What are the prospects for a strategic partnership between South Africa and the Nordic region?’, this article provides insights into the nature of South Africa-Nordic contemporary relations and advances our theoretical understanding of what factors influence the formation of strategic partnerships. The analysis is informed by Thomas Wilkins’ strategic partnership model, which sets forth that the formation of strategic partnerships hinges on three core factors: environmental uncertainty, strategic fit, and a system principle. It is argued herein that a fourth factor, international and domestic political context, also plays a role in the formation phase of a strategic partnership; an argument which is supported empirically by the South Africa-Nordic case. Data for the analysis is mainly collected from South African and Nordic government documents, while occasionally also drawing upon party documents, academic publications, and news articles. The paper concludes that the plurality of common national interests and shared values make fertile ground for a comprehensive and mutually beneficial strategic partnership between South Africa and the Nordics. Nevertheless, current political contextual factors diminish the likelihood that such a strategic partnership will emerge in the immediate future
Domestic Workers in South Africa: Inclusion Under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
Get PDFAfter decades of deliberate exclusion from labour laws and social protection in South Africa, domestic workers have slowly been able to taste the fruits of years of laborious fights for recognition, inclusion, and dignity. On 19 November 2020, the Constitutional Court ordered the inclusion of domestic workers in the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA). This marked another victory for domestic workers. Textual inclusion is a relatively easier feat compared to the real challenge of implementation to give effect to such inclusion. The monitoring of implementation and progress of domestic workers who have benefitted from this inclusion has been relatively underexplored. This study explores the progress made in the development of social protection followingthe recent inclusion of domestic workers in COIDA, together with the implementation of this law. The article uses desktop research to investigate barriers to the development and implementation of social protection in the domestic work sector. The article highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, clear policies from the Department of Labour, and the provision of constructive support for employers in the domestic work sector to facilitate compliance with COIDA
Wayward Feeling: Audio-Visual Culture and Aesthetic Activism in Post-Rainbow South Africa: Leila Hall, Assistant Editor of The Thinker, in conversation with Prof. Helene Strauss
No full textThank you for taking the time to talk to us about your book, Wayward Feeling: Audio-Visual Culture and Aesthetic Activism in Post-Rainbow South Africa. The book has just been awarded the University of the Free State Book Prize for Distinguished Scholarship for 2022. Congratulations on the award! Before we delve into a discussion of the book, could you tell us something about yourself, your background, and the work that you do
Multivariate analysis of water quality of "omi-omo" stream Ikole Ekiti, Nigeria.
Get PDFThe multivariate Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assess the variations in the water quality of the "Omi Omo" Stream. This allowed for the identification of temporal and spatial variations in the water quality caused by contamination by analysing the similarities and differences between the sampling points. For three months, four sampling locations along the streamline provided data on the quality of the water. Temperature and other physicochemical parameters were used to analyse the samples. Turbidity, alkalinity, Electrical Conductivity (EC), hardness pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biological oxygen demand (BOD), heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Fe, Mn), sulphate, phosphate, nitrate and chloride were also determined. For the months under study, PCA helped identify and extract the factors causing variations in water quality. The important factors influencing the variation in water quality for the three months of study were turbidity, TDS, alkalinity, electrical conductivity, nitrate, calcium, and chloride. The comparison of the stream’s physicochemical parameters with the W.H.O standards shows an acceptable correlation except for the turbidity and the EC which for some period were higher than the acceptable level of the W.H.O standard. The study\u27s findings will assist pertinent authorities in determining how to improve the declining water quality caused by pollution from various human activities
Evaluating Prospective Energy Services Demand for Residential Solar Photovoltaic (RSPV) Generated Electricity in Lagos State, Nigeria
Get PDFRapid urbanisation is pulling demand for energy services and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) resulting in energy deficit, climate change and global warming. The ongoing energy crisis and degenerating climate condition demands urgent transformation of the energy system to renewable based from nonrenewable (fossil) based. To meet the growing demand for energy services and simultaneously mitigate the environmental impact of the energy sector, an accurate estimation of the demand for renewable generated electricity is vital to guide the policy makers in planning adequately for the adoption of renewable fuelled electricity generation technology in urban areas. This study evaluated the electricity demand for residential solar photovoltaic (RSPV) technology by potential household adopters of the technology in the metropolitan area of Lagos state, Nigeria. The study adopted quantitative research design with structured questionnaire to solicit information from the respondents. Three hundred and twenty-six (326) responses from the potential adopters were analysed with model for analysis of demand for energy (MADE II) and Pareto tool. The results show that the energy intensity for refrigeration services is 1.06 kWh/hh/day, entertainment services is 0.84 kWh/hh/day, computing services is 0.97 kWh/hh/day, space cooling services is 7.59 kWh/hh/day, ventilation services is 9.05 kWh/hh/day, lighting services is kWh/hh/day, cooking services 2.77 kWh/hh/day, process heating services is 6.43 kWh/hh/day and water pumping is 1.89 kWh/hh/day. The study concluded that the household energy services demand for electricity is 24.43 kWh/hh/day by the potential RSPV technology adopters and the total demand from the solar module panel of 31.59 kWh/hh/day with prospect for improvement on the energy intensity at the same output of energy services. Furtherance to this, the study recommends government intervention with formulation and implementation of dedicated policies on household appliances efficiency standard and also introduce financial schemes to support the replacement of inefficient household appliances with highly efficient ones. Further studies could include other non-common energy services that were not considered in this study. The study could also be conducted in other regions of Nigeria and also investigate the economic feasibility and behavioural acceptability of RSPV technology for effective planning of the national energy system transformation
Entangled lives, relational ontology and rock paintings: Elephant and human figures in the rock art of the Western Cape, South Africa
Get PDFFrom the form and composition of painted images of humans, elephants and ‘elephanthropes’ (elephant human therianthropes) from the northern Cederberg, we propose that elephants were considered as ‘other-than-human-persons’ by painters. This is supported by the role of elephants in San stories, the ethnography of relational ontologies among hunter-gatherer communities in southern Africa and beyond, and the selective choices of painters in constructing images. We argue that paintings and stories of deliberately associated elephant and human subjects from a range of San expressive contexts are evidence for this ontological position, derived from ecological entanglement in ‘real life’. Painters considered their and elephants’ lives to intersect at conceptual as well as ecological levels. From the contexts in expressive culture, elephants were viewed as intelligent and socially coherent beings, occasionally difficult neighbours, and sensitive affinal relatives, needing respect and careful treatment. Paintings of elephants reference these relationships
The fauna from Ratho Kroonkop, a rain-control site in the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFRain-control in the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area (SLCA) is one sphere in which hunter-gatherer and farmer interaction is archaeologically visible. One avenue of examining this interaction is through faunal analysis. This paper presents an updated taxa list for one of the identified rain-control sites in the SLCA – Ratho Kroonkop. By identifying the taxa accumulated at Ratho Kroonkop and contextualising them using radiocarbon dates and relevant ethnographies, we were able to determine that particular animals were significant to the people who utilised the location as a rain-control site. Additionally, we were able to establish that this significance continued from the K2 period (AD 1000-1220) to the historic period
From From ideology to inequality: Examining the socialist effect on South Africa\u27s pandemic politics
No full textThe BRICS grouping represents an inter-state association of five major emerging national economies whose political influence is mobilized to encourage economic development and inclusivity. However, without an internalized commitment to domestic socio-economic vulnerabilities, the platform lacks the legitimacy needed to compel buy-in from a larger audience. It is a fruitless endeavor to labor under the assumption that socio-economic inequality is abnormal. Even so, there is an amicable, yet unrealistic tendency to assume that all imbalances can and must be corrected by the government. Currently, the global health crisis spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic presents the opportune moment to examine the ideological impact of socialism on disparate social and economic policy outcomes. Because of the complexity of our social contexts, it remains necessary to consult and test the validity of ideological claims before establishing them as uncontested truth. This study makes the case that socio-economic inequality can be traced to policy issues where ideological assumptions have been esteemed over empirical evidence. Using a qualitative approach, the case of South Africa will be used to assess the relationship between ideology and socio-economic policymaking by examining the effect of social justice remedies as the answer to inequality. To change economic behavior and outcomes, one must endeavor to understand the dominant thinking and belief system as promulgated by far left ideologies such as socialism. The findings indicate the centrality of redistribution as the unanimous victor able to ensure roughly equal economic outcomes for all social groups. An assumption with disastrous and even counterproductive consequences. Since ideologies are largely closed systems of thought, they conceal socio-economic realities which can only be addressed when policy preferences are revisited and re-evaluated.