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Street as the place for conviviality?: Relationships between people, products, and place in Cape Town CBD
No full textThis ethnographic study explores the dynamics of encounter and interaction within a shared urban space, focusing on St. George's Mall in Cape Town Central Business District. This vibrant street, lined with stalls operated by migrants and a few South African traders, is a nexus of diverse flows—locals, migrants, and tourists—all circulating within a space of ‘multiple and unforeseen encounters'. Drawing insights primarily from street vendors, who have become ‘street-wise' through their long-term presence and interactions, the study examines how relationships are forged and negotiated within this fluid environment. These vendors form close-knit bonds with neighbouring vendors and those working around them, creating a “family” that transcends traditional boundaries of gender, religion, race, and nationality. This mutual support system, encompassing both business and personal life, is vital for their survival and success. However, this ‘family-like' relationship is not utopian. Tensions exist due to business competition and interpersonal conflicts, necessitating ongoing negotiation, sharing responsibilities, and respecting established norms. Despite these challenges, the vendors' interdependence fosters a sense of “being together” amidst difference and disagreement, highlighting the complexities of convivial urban relationships. The study also examines the constant circulation of people and goods that characterises St. George's Mall. This fluidity underscores the street's open-ended structure and intrinsic connections to the surrounding urban environment and transnational networks. The vendors, amidst this mobility, forge connections and develop a contingent sense of belonging to the space—a belonging that is fluid, pluralistic, and living with difference and tension. St. George's Mall thus emerges as a metaphor for open-ended belonging in the face of mobility and difference. It challenges the narratives of exclusion and xenophobia prevalent in South Africa, reimagining ‘others' as individuals with names and faces. By examining the encounters, mobility, and circulations on St. George's Mall, this study explores the extent to which this urban space fosters convivial relationships, offering a glimpse into the possibilities for ‘fulfilment-seeking incompleteness' in the city
A critical analysis of the doctrine of common purpose: special reference to South Africa, Zimbabwe, England and New South Wales
No full textThe aim of this paper is to examine the application of the doctrine of common purpose. The jurisdictions of South Africa, Zimbabwe, England and New South Wales have been chosen as points of reference, as the doctrine is still used by the prosecution in these jurisdictions in handling criminal matters where there is more than one defendant or accused person participating in the same unlawful enterprise. Most interesting is the fact that, these jurisdictions often refer to and rely on the decisions of each other, and sometimes even adopt the laws of the other jurisdiction to form part of the domestic law. This is apparent between South Africa and Zimbabwe; Zimbabwe and England; and England and New South Wales. Zimbabwe has shown a tendency to rely on South African law on common purpose as South Africa has managed to refine its laws on common purpose over the years. While South Africa would not hesitate to refer to Zimbabwean decisions as persuasive authority especially on the issue of dissociation, it is reluctant to refer directly to English law on dissociation. The irony however lies in the fact that, the Zimbabwean law on dissociation was in fact adopted from England without any changes at all and is in fact English law in all respects. This will become clear as one reads through this work. New South Wales law on. both common purpose and dissociation has been greatly influenced by English law, in fact, the law on dissociation is purely English law which was adopted. However, New South Wales stands out above the rest of the jurisdictions in so far as it distinguishes between "foundational crime" and "incidental crime" when dealing with offences perpetrated by parties to a common purpose. The whole legal scenario makes the examination of the application of the common purpose doctrine in the four jurisdictions not only interesting but exciting as well. It will be noted that in South Africa legal scholars have shown considerable zeal and interest in examining and dealing with issues pertaining to the application of the doctrine. Quite a number of articles by South African scholars are referred. to in this paper. Some of the articles were prompted by court decisions made in matters involving political unrest during the apartheid era, while others were written purely as a matter of scholarly academic interest. Unfortunately for Zimbabwe there are very, very few articles on the issue, and hence for the purpose of this paper there was heavy reliance on case law. As regards England and New South Wales, fairly recently published books were of invaluable assistance as they gave the most up to date information on how the doctrine of common purpose operates in England and in New South Wales. Case law was also heavily relied on. The paper not only relates how the doctrine has been perceived in each of the three jurisdictions but, there was also an attempt to display how the doctrine works, how issues of conduct and the mental element are dealt with,and finally any concerns which either the courts, the legal scholars or the writer find themselves confronted with
A governance framework for blockchain technology in the South African insurance industry
Get PDFPurpose: The governance of blockchain technology is a topic of continuing study, and a multidisciplinary perspective on blockchain governance is essential for building a formal governance framework for this emerging technology. While the subject of blockchain governance is sometimes misunderstood, blockchain technology has gained growing interest from businesses and academics. Blockchain stakeholders cannot work or make rational decisions optimally without enough insight into the governance of blockchains. Its advancement and stabilization are of utmost importance for stakeholders that depend on blockchain. Where organizations and individual end-users must consider in their decision the element of regulation for the blockchain technology or network, regulators and developers still need to grasp it. The purpose of this study is to explore the understanding of blockchain governance by reporting on frameworks and themes that capture the main dimensions and layers of blockchain governance. The study proposes a governance framework that can assist strategic management within businesses to analyse the governance of the blockchain in a comprehensible manner in order to facilitate strategic decision-making in the insurance industries within South African organisations. Design/methodology/approach: This deductive qualitative research that is shaped by subjectivism ontology, interpretive epistemology, uses comprehensive literature review and deductive thematic analysis of eight semi-structured and focus group interviews for data collection, which then identifies the key dimensions and layers of blockchain governance, including technical, economic, social, and legal aspects of consideration. The deductive thematic analysis selected follows the seven steps of deductive qualitative research. Findings: The innovative blockchain governance framework consists of four perspectives, each tied to key themes from the collected data. The OSS Governance Phases focus on decision-making, community engagement, and conflict resolution. The OSS Life Cycle Stages emphasize onboarding, code contribution, and version control. The Blockchain Governance Framework Dimensions & Layers highlight on chain voting, off-chain communication, and incentive structures. Lastly, the TOE Framework Model addresses technological readiness, organizational roles, and regulatory compliance. These perspectives align with the study's findings, ensuring clarity and alignment with research objectives. xi P a g e Research limitations/implications: The paper contributes to blockchain governance theory. The innovative perspectives provide a synthesized conceptual framework for researchers to evaluate and understand blockchain governance development from multiple perspectives. Practical implications: The synthesized blockchain governance framework presents a road map for practitioners and business managers to follow in their blockchain projects. Originality/value: The research uses an innovative perspectives and other individual research methodologies to synthesize the existing research framework proposed. It is one of the first research papers in the information systems field to make use of deductive thematic analysis approach to consolidate the existing qualitative research and interviews to systematically propose a blockchain governance framework
From policy to practice: examining the impact and implementation of the rapid land release program in addressing South Africa's housing backlog
Get PDFThis dissertation critically examines the Rapid Land Release Program (“RLRP”) as a policy intervention designed to address South Africa's persistent housing backlog. The RLRP, rooted in the principles of incremental housing, aims to provide serviced land to beneficiaries for self-construction, reflecting a shift from traditional, fully built housing approaches. This study evaluates the program's implementation, its alignment with national housing objectives, and its capacity to address housing inequalities effectively. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study utilizes semi-structured interviews with policymakers, housing practitioners, and community leaders, complemented by document analysis of academic literature and relevant policy frameworks. The findings reveal both opportunities and challenges inherent in the RLRP. Key strengths include its potential to empower communities, reduce fiscal burdens, and promote sustainable housing delivery. However, the study identifies critical gaps in institutional capacity, policy clarity, and infrastructure delivery that hinder the program's success. The research highlights the need for strengthened intergovernmental coordination, enhanced community engagement, and robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to address these challenges. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of aligning the RLRP with broader housing policies to ensure it serves diverse population segments, including the very poor, who may be unable to benefit from incremental housing models. This dissertation contributes to the discourse on housing policy in South Africa by offering actionable recommendations to optimize the RLRP's implementation and align it with global best practices. The findings underscore the necessity for systemic reform and multi-stakeholder collaboration to realize the program's potential in addressing South Africa's complex housing needs
Milk matters 4.0: bridging milk donor, staff and student needs towards a purposeful and maintainable system
Get PDFMilk Matters is a Cape Town based non-profit milk bank. Their primary role is to collect expressed breastmilk from donor mothers, pasteurize it and distribute it to recipient infants in need. This dissertation explores the design and deployment of a donor-facing mobile application and staff-facing web application developed with and for the non-profit organisation (NPO) over the course of postgraduate student projects from 2016 to 2023. A particular focus is on the effects that the communication and feedback provided by the application has on donors' motivation to donate breastmilk. The staff-facing web application allows staff to manage the dynamic content of the mobile application. Additionally, we ask questions about the challenges associated with university-NPO collaborations on mobile development and reflect on design for this context. Technical and procedural challenges faced when getting the mobile application into a deployable state were noted. A pilot study was performed with three donors, followed by a deployment evaluation phase with seven donors and two NPO staff. Qualitative evaluation was done through semi-structured interviews and quantitative data was collected through usage analytics. The mobile application has shown the ability to increase donors' motivation to donate through increased communication between the NPO and its donors and result in donors feeling more appreciated. This occurred through direct communication from within the Donor App, automatic in-app feedback and passive app content. The extent to which donors engage with the mobile application and benefit from it, depends on their personal reasoning for becoming a donor. Donors' usage of the application also results in operational benefits for the milk bank. Challenges encountered in the deployment and maintenance of university-led mobile application development for this low-resourced NPO, highlight the effort required to sustain mobile applications in the app stores. To reduce barriers to future project continuity, recommendations include a clear handover of access to all project related accounts to the project supervisor, secure online access to all project related information and planning for continued contact with outgoing students
Reforming the models of competition law and addressing intersectional discrimination in South Africa
Get PDFThe Competition Act of 1998 was enacted as a transformative measure to address our egregious history. This is evident in the inclusion of public interest objectives that sought to promote competition and economic change, particularly for the benefit of businesses owned and controlled by those previously marginalised. As a result, the 1998 Act departs from the mainstream of the Chicago and post-Chicago schools, which had achieved hegemonic status in competition/antitrust law when the Act was passed in 1998. The law diverged significantly from these schools due to general concerns about the concentration of the South African economy in the hands of a few whites and the barriers erected by apartheid that prevented the majority of the population from fairly participating in the economy on racial and gender grounds. Notwithstanding the ambitious goals of the 1998 Act and the expanded goals of the 2018 Amendment Act, the goal of reducing market concentration and increasing the participation of black South Africans has not been adequately addressed. This is partly due to the continued adherence to the general norm of consumer protection. Although one of the main goals of the Act is to promote more excellent ownership dispersion and to increase the ownership shares of historically disadvantaged persons, it continues to treat the category of historically disadvantaged persons without recourse to the nuances and consequences of intersectionality. Therefore, there is a need to explore the possibilities of transformative competition policy which considers intersectionality
An assessment of whether the critical minerals boom and green transition can be leveraged for Zambia's industrialisation and economic development: spotlight on the Copper Mining Sector
Get PDFThis study assesses whether Zambia can leverage the critical minerals boom and the global green transition to drive its industrialisation and economic development. As a major copper producer, Zambia holds strategic importance in supplying minerals essential for renewable technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels, and energy storage systems. However, the country's ability to capitalise on this demand hinges on strengthening productive linkages, integrating into regional and global value chains, and navigating geopolitical competition. The research examines historical policy shifts, the structural barriers that have limited Zambia's economic diversification, and the role of governance and industrial policy in unlocking value addition. The study evaluates Zambia's forward and backward linkages, identifying challenges such as weak local beneficiation, foreign dominance in mining procurement, and policy inconsistencies that constrain industrial growth. Regional collaboration, particularly through Zambia's partnership with the DRC, is explored as a potential avenue for enhancing midstream processing and attracting investment into battery precursor production. Additionally, the geopolitical landscape—marked by competition between the United States, China, and emerging investors—is analysed in relation to Zambia's strategic positioning in the global copper supply chain. Using semi-structured interviews and document analysis, the study outlines actionable policy pathways for Zambia, including industrial strategy refinement, local content enforcement, and institutional reforms. It argues that with coherent policy implementation, infrastructure investment, and a balanced geopolitical approach, Zambia can transition from a raw material exporter to a key player in mineral-based industrialisation, securing long-term economic benefits from the green transition
ETD: South Africa s stunted developmentalism: challenges of ideology and practice in building a developmental state
No full textThis study examines the challenge of establishing a developmental state (DS) in South Africa by applying the paradigm of the developmental state. This is due to the governing ANC adopting DS as state policy in 2007, thus prompting investigation into its applicability to the South African environment. The study, therefore, links the DS model and its features to the four attributes identified in the ANC resolution on DS. It is a qualitative research study using interviews, archival research, review of secondary literature and various digital and social media sources as data. It suggests that although South Africa possesses the necessary attributes to establish a DS, its construction faces challenges. Among these are: a disparate and ineffective leadership in government and in the party embroiled in ideological contestations; a fragmented state lacking state-wide coordination, planning and implementation thus policy dissonance; lack of an economic elite bureaucracy coupled with weakness to deploy existing capacity and capability to areas of competencies; inability to harness society-wide consensus on developmentalism and the threat of corruption. The study's contribution is that it shows that there is awareness in the ANC of the gap between the party's ideological commitment and its practice of developmentalism. There is admission of the leadership and institutional weaknesses in the party which adversely impact the state, and the recognition that the ANC was not ready to govern despite the earlier rhetoric. Critically, there is recognition that the post-Polokwane environment collapsed earlier attempts made at creating institutional structures that are key to constructing DS. Therefore, the need to re-design the party. Second, strengthen institutional capacity and capability of the State. Third, develop symbiotic relations with, primarily, business, and social partners, to support the existing hegemonic developmental agenda
The role of the coach-athlete relationship during rehabilitation following severe knee injury in adolescent athletes
Get PDFBackground: Severe knee injury requires prolonged rehabilitation and absence from sport. Coaches are vital during rehabilitation, supporting athletes with psychological challenges associated with injury recovery. While athletes appreciate coaches' involvement during rehabilitation, their satisfaction with the support delivered is varied. The coach-athlete dyad is the most instrumental relationship in sport, whereby thoughts, feelings and actions are unified to achieve success and satisfaction. Although coach-athlete relationships have been explored, research on coach-athlete relationships during rehabilitation is scarce. Furthermore, influences amongst amateur coaches and adolescent athletes are unclear. Scoping review: To explore the coach's role during an athlete's rehabilitation from injury, a scoping review was conducted using EBSCOhost, PubMed and Scopus databases. A total of 2716 studies were excluded based on eligibility criteria during title, abstract and full-text screening. Twenty-seven articles were included for review. Factors that may influence the coach's role during rehabilitation included athlete's and coaches' age and gender; type of sport and level of competition; the athletes' role in the team; and injury severity and type. The coach's major role during rehabilitation was providing social support to injured athletes. The amount and availability of social support, as well as differing forms and their perceived prominence to athletes' wellbeing, are key features to consider. Social support provided by coaches to athletes undergoing rehabilitation aided in maintaining coachathlete relationships, and in preventing conflict between the two upon return to sport. Aim and objectives: We then conducted a qualitative study to explore the role of the coach-athlete relationship to determine its influences on rehabilitation following severe knee injury. The objectives were to explore the psychological influences of severe knee injury on rehabilitation in adolescent athletes and their coaches; to explore coaches' and athletes' perspectives and understanding of their respective roles during rehabilitation; and to describe factors that influence coach-athlete relationships during rehabilitation following severe knee injury. Methodology: Nine coach-athlete relationships were recruited via email from well-resourced schools in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person and recorded via Zoom. Nvivo 12 was utilised to organise, store and analyse the data. An inductive approach to reflexive thematic analysis was employed. Results: The type, timing, amount and quality of social support provided by coaches influenced coachathlete relationships during rehabilitation. Athletes expressed a lack of coach support, while coaches were unsure of how much support to offer. Novice coaches and athletes had insufficient knowledge regarding injury rehabilitation and preserving coach-athlete relationships. Failure to maintain social inclusion in the team and absence of a person-centered approach affected coach-athlete relationship quality. Athletes' reliance on coach-athlete relationships during rehabilitation was impacted by their supportive families and physiotherapists. Ensuring regular communication was vital to uphold coachathlete relationships during rehabilitation. Yet, coaches prioritised the team and were uncertain of their commitment to injured athletes owing to lengthy injury timelines. Coach-athlete relationships were also affected by school's policies to safeguard adult-minor interactions. Part-time coaches had additional commitments which took preference above preserving coach-athlete relationships throughout rehabilitation. Conclusion: The coach-athlete relationship was used to facilitate athlete's psychological coping linked with severe knee injury and rehabilitation. Coaches provided injured athletes with social support, yet athletes' contentment with their coaches' contributions during rehabilitation was mixed. The coachathlete relationship may influence rehabilitation by improving experiences with injury recovery, enhancing wellbeing, and facilitating a smooth transition into return to sport. We recommend upskilling coaches and implementing a ‘team approach' during rehabilitation to enhance coachathlete relationships. Future research should consider diverse samples; follow-up interviews; validating instruments within rehabilitation contexts; and the impact of gender, socioeconomic status, resource access, and ethical dilemmas
Determinants of wellbeing in adolescents and young adults ? a systematic review and case study
No full textBackground: Adolescents and young people make up the greatest proportion of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Understanding and improving their wellbeing should be considered a priority as it is associated with improved individual and societal wellbeing. Subjective wellbeing and psychological wellbeing are the two widely researched conceptualisations of wellbeing. Research on their determinants in adolescent populations has been concentrated in the global north. Interventions designed for this context are not likely to work in SSA due to the unique challenges in SSA. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the determinants of subjective and psychological wellbeing in SSA and organise these factors according to Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological model. As of 2021, no systematic review had synthesised the literature on the determinants of wellbeing for adolescents and young people in SubSaharan Africa. Methods: This paper is a combination of a systematic review and a case study. The case study was included to triangulate the results of the systematic review in order to determine whether there are differences between the wellbeing of adolescents and young people in upper-middle-income countries and low to lower-middle-income countries in SSA. The review is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines. A systematic search of the following databases was conducted: EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, OpenGrey and National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The search strategy included terminology on subjective and psychological wellbeing that is commonly used in the literature. The search strategy was guided by the literature review. For the case study, wave 5 data from the National Income Dynamic Study, which is a nationally representative longitudinal study conducted in South Africa was used. We ran a Probit regression with wellbeing as the predictor variable. Results: In total, 7701 results were returned, and 19 articles were eligible to be included in this review. Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological model was used to classify and characterise the determinants of wellbeing for adolescents and young people identified in the systematic review and case study. The sample size for the case study was 6987, and age was restricted to 15 and 24. The mean age of this group was 19.31 (SD=2.84). 53% were females, and 49% resided in urban areas. 65% rated their wellbeing as average and above, and 17% were depressed, according to the CES-D-10 scale. Religion, intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations, household income and/or socio-economic status, trust in relatives and age were statistically significant (p<0.05) predictors of wellbeing among adolescents and young adults in SSA. Conclusion: This is the first study to systematically review and organise the determinants of wellbeing for adolescents and young adults in SSA. There is a need for multi-sectoral policies to aid in improving adolescent wellbeing. More research studies that use longitudinal data collected exclusively from adolescents and young people need to be conducted in SSA