scholarly journals Barriers to Professional Recognition: Experiences of Zimbabwean Engineers in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Splagchna Ngoni Chikarara
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Accreditation Process ◽  
Professional Association ◽  
African Continent ◽  
Professional Engineer ◽  
Professional Recognition ◽  
Group Interviews

This paper discusses the challenges faced by Zimbabwean engineers as they strive for professional recognition in South Africa. A case study of Zimbabwean engineers is used as an example to explore how a South African professional association dealt with an inflow of migrant professionals from within the African continent. Data was collected through semi-structured individual and group interviews. The findings reveal that the process to become a licenced professional engineer was ambiguous, highly subjective, unnecessarily long, and complex. Furthermore, the Engineering Council of South Africa’s re-accreditation process under-valued their working experience and educational qualifications. Despite being employed in very senior positions for at least three years at the time of the interviews, the participants in this study were not registered as professional engineers. Thus, I argue that the Engineering Council of South Africa is mainly concerned with protecting the interests of the powerful elite in the profession.

scholarly journals The knowledge and perceptions of history students of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Oelofse ◽  
A Oosthuysen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Reconciliation Commission ◽  
Truth And Reconciliation ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The University

Using the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa (TRC) and the concept of reconciliation as a case study, the article attempts to assess the knowledge and understanding of the registered undergraduate history students at the University of the Free State’s main campus about the TRC and the concept and process of reconciliation in the country at large. The research will firstly assess whether the younger generation of students, specifically students taking history as a subject, have any knowledge of such a significant and contemporary event in South African historiography as the TRC process. Secondly, in relation to the aims and recommendations of the TRC and against the background of reconciliation efforts in the country, to perceive the views and thoughts of undergraduate history students on the progress in reconciliation endeavours in South Africa. As a result, a sample of 128 undergraduate history students was randomly selected to complete a quantitative questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of both closed and open-ended questions. Group interviews, as a qualitative research method, were added and used to conduct interviews with 16 undergraduate history students selected randomly and answers were recorded. Accordingly, an explanatory mixed- method research method approach was employed by implementing both the qualitative and quantitative method.

The Socio-Economic Challenges of South African Indigenous Musicians: A Case Study of Venda-Based Vho-Ntshengedzeni Mamphodo

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N G Mugovhani ◽  
Lebogang Lance Nawa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Arts Management ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Indigenous Music ◽  
Entire Country

This article discusses and raises awareness about the socio-economic plight of indigenous musicians in South Africa. Through a qualitative case study of the Venda musician, Vho-Talelani Andries Ntshengedzeni Mamphodo, dubbed the “Father of mbila music,” the article highlights the fact that the welfare of Black South African artists, particularly indigenous musicians in South Africa, is generally a precarious affair. Their popularity, at the height of their careers, sometimes masks shocking details of exploitation, neglect, and the poverty they are subjected to, which are exposed only after they have died. Empirical data identifies this as a symptom of, among other things, cultural policy and arts management deficiencies in the promotion of indigenous music. The article aims to find ways to redress this unfortunate situation, which is partially a product of general apathy and scant regard that these artists have perennially been subjected to, even by their own governments, as well as some members of their societies. All these factors mentioned are compounded by ignorance on the part of South African artists. Part of the objective of this study was to establish whether the exposition of the Vhavenda musicians is a typical example of all Black South African indigenous musicians and, if this is the case, whether the suggested ways to redress this unfortunate situation could contribute to or play a role in alleviating the plight of such artists in the entire country.

Opera and the South African Political

2019 ◽  
pp. 289-311
Author(s):  
Christopher Ballantine
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Singing Voice ◽  
The South ◽  
Sociopolitical Context ◽  
Creating Meaning ◽  
Empirical Means

Christopher Ballantine’s focus is on timbre, in particular the timbre of the singing voice, and how this combines with the imagination to create meaning. His investigation is largely philosophical; but the growth in popularity of opera in post-apartheid South Africa provides empirical means for Ballantine to indicate this powerful but analytically neglected way of creating meaning in the performance of music. His case study shows how timbre can produce musical experiences that have a particular, and often surprising, resonance. Through interviews with leading figures in South African opera, Ballantine demonstrates that timbre is a vital wellspring of imagined meaning; it should especially be seen thus if we seek to understand the singing voice in a sociopolitical context such as that of South Africa during and after apartheid.

Reimagining Intersectionality and Social Exclusion in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khosi Kubeka ◽  
Sharmla Rama
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Social Division ◽  
Common Reference ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
African Context

Combining the theories of intersectionality and social exclusion holds the potential for structural and nuanced interpretations of the workings of power, taking systemic issues seriously but interpreting them though social relations that appear in local contexts. An intersectional analysis of social exclusion demonstrates to what extent multiple axes of social division—be they race, age, gender, class, disability or citizenship—intersect to result in unequal and disparate experiences for groups of youth spatially located in particular communities and neighborhoods. A common reference point is therefore power and how it manifests at the intersection of the local and global. A South African case study is used to explore the subjective measures and qualitative experiences of intersectionality and social exclusion further. The unique ways that language intersects with space, neighborhood, and race in the South African context, enables opportunities in education and the labor market, with profound implications for forms of social exclusion.

scholarly journals The imperative for commodity-based intermodal freight transport demand modelling: a South African case study

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Jan Hendrik Havenga ◽  
Zane P. Simpson ◽  
Anneke de Bod
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Freight Transport ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Market Segments ◽  
Demand Modelling ◽  
Intermodal Freight ◽  
Transport Demand Modelling

Container forecasting typically focuses on its intermodal nature, container sizes and port container terminals. This leads to a commodity-blind approach to container forecasting, where the twenty-foot-equivalent is the forecasting output. The standardized unit is also increasing into many non-standard forms, indicated by the three main container market segments. This research deconstructs these segments and provides methodological and actual commodity-based container forecasting results for South Africa where intermodal solutions are still in its infancy and investments need to be made based on accurate forecasting

Exploring Distributive Leadership in South African Public Primary Schools in the Soweto Region

2015 ◽  
pp. 283-304
Author(s):  
Raj Mestry ◽  
Suraiya R Naicker
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Distributive Leadership ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Leadership Framework ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Formal Leadership

The increasing expectations of the principalship and the intensification of the challenges facing schools today have resulted in the emergence of distributive forms of leadership in schools worldwide. These developments prompted research in schools in South Africa, more specifically in the Soweto region, to inquire if distributed leadership had manifested. Soweto is a township in the Gauteng province of South Africa that is associated with the historic struggle against the apartheid government (pre-1994). A qualitative approach executed by means of focus group interviews was employed at three schools to explore the views of teachers who did not hold formal leadership positions. It was found that distributive leadership had not transpired in the schools that are largely rooted in classical leadership practices. This chapter provides an account of the study while elucidating the concept of distributive leadership and examines the role of formal leaders within a distributive leadership framework.

scholarly journals Doctors’ Extended Shifts as Risk to Practitioner and Patient: South Africa as a Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5853
Author(s):  
Koot Kotze ◽  
Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen ◽  
Eldi van Loggerenberg ◽  
Farah Jawitz ◽  
Rodney Ehrlich
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Safe Working ◽  
Working Hour

Extended shifts are common in medical practice. This is when doctors are required to work continuously for more than 16 h, with little or no rest, often without a maximum limit. These shifts have been a part of medical practice for more than a century. Research on the impact of fatigue presents compelling evidence that extended shifts increase the risk of harm to patients and practitioners. However, where the number of doctors is limited and their workloads are not easily reduced, there are numerous barriers to reform. Some of these include a perceived lack of safer alternatives, concerns about continuity of care, trainee education, and doctors’ preferences. As such, working hour reorganisation has been contentious globally. South Africa, a middle-income country where extended shifts are unregulated for most doctors, offers a useful case study of reform efforts. The South African Safe Working Hours campaign has promoted working hour reorganization through multi-level advocacy efforts, although extended shifts remain common. We propose that extended shifts should be regarded as an occupational hazard under health and safety legislation. We suggest options for managing the risks of extended shifts by adapting the hierarchy of controls for occupational hazards. Despite the challenges reform pose, the practice of unregulated extended shifts should not continue.

Exploring Guanxi in a Cross-Cultural Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
_ _
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Employment Decisions ◽  
Employment Relationships

Abstract Using a case study of recently arrived Cantonese-speaking migrants, this article examines the role of guanxi in shaping Chinese newcomers’ economic activities and opportunities in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Cantonese-speaking migrants tend to be employed in restaurant and fahfee (gambling) sectors, which are partially inherited from the early generations of South African Chinese. Through narratives and stories, this article reveals that Cantonese newcomers often strengthen personal and employment relationships through the practice of guanxi, but that doing so can also constrain their employment decisions. Moreover, the ambiguous boundary between the act of bribery and the practice of guanxi may facilitate Chinese participation but can also result in the victimization of the newcomers.

scholarly journals A practical theological approach to the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa: Apostolic Faith Mission as a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mookgo S. Kgatle
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
National Development ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
African Government ◽  
Reconstruction Strategy ◽  
Apostolic Faith Mission ◽  
Growth Initiative ◽  
Practical Theological

This article demonstrates a practical theological approach to the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa by using Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) as a case study. It argues that while the Reconstruction Development Plan, the Growth Employment and Reconstruction strategy, Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, New Growth Path and the National Development Plan have achieved some level of economic growth, the majority of people in South Africa still live in poverty. To establish this argument, the article starts first by describing the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa. The different economic approaches to the challenge of poverty in post-1994 South Africa are also explained in detail. Lastly, the article elaborates on the ways in which the AFM through its local assemblies can alleviate poverty. The article concludes that the AFM is a collaborator to the post-1994 South African government.

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