scholarly journals The Covid-19 Pandemic and Religious Activities: A Case Study of Esikhaleni Settlement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Korsi Vorvornator ◽  
Joyce Mdiniso
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
High Infection ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Masses

The COVID-19 virus allegedly originated from Wuhan, China and spread globally including South Africa and forced the country into restricted lockdown. This study analyses COVID-19 and religious activities during lockdown among dwellers in the rural community of Esikhaleni in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province. A qualitative approach was employed including thirty participants who were selected through random sampling. Telephonic interviews were conducted with the respondents from 1st to 30th May, 2020. Durkhein’s ideas of functional religion in Sociology relating to the human race being together, sharing solace and love with the destitute were defied by COVID-19 protocols. These protocols of the state implemented social and physical distancing to be observed to curb a high infection rate (WHO, 2020). As a result social gatherings were halted, which posed severe challenges to religious bodies to meet, praise and worship as the normally do. Some religious bodies then, resorted to online approaches and used media platforms such as, Zoom, Skype, and even WhatsApp to deliver their services. Major events by some religious organisations including baptisms, crusading, evangelism, and Hajj pilgrimages by Muslim adherents were also postponed. The COVID-19 catastrophe befalling the destitute and needy in society forced religious bodies to extend their arms to those in dire need of help. Challenges during the use of online services included both leaders and congregants not having the requisite technical know-how to connect the programmes. There were also issues related to network connectivity, intermittent power interruption, and the inordinately high cost of data procurement in South Africa for especially the poor. Overall, despite COVID-19 protocols preventing social gatherings, religious bodies, developed other means to keep their spiritual tempo and ought to overcome a sense of hopelessness bestowed on congregants by the pandemic – but sadly this omitted the poor. It is recommended that, religious leaders must learn to use ICT effectively, because COVID-19 might be here for some length of time to come. Moreover, religious leaders must also strive to educate their congregants to observe COVID-19 protocols and seek to avoid a third imminent wave of the virus, instead of laying blame at the door steps of government. Religious orders need to urgently embrace technological solutions which is sadly not always possible due to limited resources. Getting the masses out of poverty through job creation would also go a long way to help when future pandemics arise, and they surely will.

Otta Seals and Gravseals as Low-Cost Surfacing Alternatives for Low-Volume Roads: Experiences in South Africa

2003 ◽  
Vol 1819 (1) ◽  
pp. 338-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Oloo ◽  
Rob Lindsay ◽  
Sam Mothilal
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Low Volume Roads ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Traffic Volumes ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
To Come

The geology of the northeastern part of the province of KwaZulu–Natal, South Africa, is predominantly alluvial with vast deposits of sands. Suitable gravel sources are hard to come by, which results in high graveling and regraveling costs brought about by long haul distances and accelerated gravel loss. Most gravel roads carry fewer than 500 vehicles per day of which less than 10% are heavy vehicles. The high cost of regraveling has led to consideration of upgrading such roads to surfaced standard, even though traffic volumes do not justify upgrading. Traditional chip seals are expensive and cannot be economically justified on roads that carry fewer than 500 vehicles per day. The KwaZulu–Natal Department of Transport is actively involved in efforts to identify cost-effective alternative surfacing products for low-volume roads. Field trials were conducted with Otta seals and Gravseals, which have been used successfully in other countries, as low-cost surfacing products for low-volume roads. The Otta seal is formed by placing graded aggregates on a relatively thick film of soft binder that, because of traffic and rolling, works its way through the aggregates. Gravseal consists of a special semipriming rubberized binder that is covered by a graded aggregate. Both Otta seals and Gravseals provide relatively flexible bituminous surfaces suitable for low-volume roads. Cost savings are derived mainly from the broad aggregate specifications, which allow for the use of marginal materials.

scholarly journals The reproductive success of black rhinoceroses in the Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoliswa N. Nhleko ◽  
Dan M. Parker ◽  
Dave J. Druce
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Black Rhinoceros ◽  
Ecological Carrying Capacity ◽  
Diceros Bicornis ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Southern Central ◽  
Target Period ◽  
The Mean

Black rhinoceroses (Diceros bicornis) are endangered and the southern-central sub-species (Diceros bicornis minor) is considered critically endangered. We assessed the reproductive lifehistories of black rhinoceroses in Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park (HiP), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to determine whether this historically important donor sub-population was meeting regional reproductive targets. Detailed life-history information for known individuals (n = 79–120) was used to investigate reproductive parameters between 1998 and 2013. Mean age at sexual maturity was 12 years, which exceeded a target period of 7 years and 5 months. The mean inter-calving interval was 3 years and 8 months – 8 months longer than the recommended 3 years. The poor population performance of the HiP black rhinoceroses could be a result of poor habitat quality, poor animal condition, females losing their first calves, predation of calves or a negative social effect of annual live-harvesting of the population. However, we believe that the estimated ecological carrying capacity of black rhinoceroses at HiP (a figure used to ascertain whether the population can be harvested at all) may be incorrect, leading to the poor reproductive performance. We recommend that the accuracy of the ecological carrying capacity estimate be assessed as a matter of urgency and that a moratorium be placed on the live-harvesting of individuals until the estimate has been refined.Conservation implications: Our results provide key data which can be used to refine black rhinoceros breeding targets in South Africa and the region more broadly

scholarly journals Embodying human rights in #FeesMustFall? Contributions from an indecent theology

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Grassow ◽  
Clint Le Bruyns
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Human Rights Abuses ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The University

This article focuses on the #FeesMustFall (FMF) movement and the question of a human rights culture. It provides evidence from the specific context of FMF at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, which exposes human rights abuses and violence to the dignity of protesting students. To advance a human rights culture within the higher education sector in the context of FMF, the article highlights the role of theology – ‘indecent theology’ (as espoused by Marcella Althaus-Reid) – in revealing the problem and promise of higher education institutions in the quest for a more liberating and responsible society. It is only through interrogating the narratives that sustain the current university structures – and continue to oppress the poor and the marginalised – that South Africa will be able to begin to construct a society that is respective of the rights of all.

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