Browsing by Subject "state"

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    A developmental state': the challenge ahead
    (2011) Various speakers
    Lecture series co-ordinated by Alec Erwin, Honorary Professor of Economics, University of the Western Cape Considerable economic and other challenges face contemporary states around the world.This is even more the case for Africa, where the developmental issues are massive. This course will examine the implications of a commitment to a ‘developmental state’ for South Africa and Africa, and assess key contemporary challenges. This podcast series can be enjoyed by anyone interested in economics in African contexts. It is also a credible resource for students writing on this topic.
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    Infant wellbeing and monitoring: An observation of the Road to Health Booklet in Masiphumelele
    (2019) Ngcowa, Sonwabiso; Ross, Fiona
    The South African government monitors and tracks the health of newborns and the growth of children. The Department of Health (DoH) does this monitoring using the Road to Health Booklet (RtHB). In this dissertation I analyse the use of the booklet in the township of Masiphumelele in Cape Town. The state produced booklet is intended for the child and mother as a patient-held medical health record. Liaw (1993) defines a patient-held record as notes or space provided on a document for the recording of follow up appointments for further investigation by medical doctors. The RtHB is used to record the child’s development, immunisations and HIV related information from birth to the age of twelve years. The dissertation results from ethnographic research with eight black Xhosa1 mothers and caregivers with children under the age of five years old. Mosley, and Chen, (1984), argue that in developing countries where standard child healthcare has been made available, children should survive the first five years of life. In my research, during the period of six weeks between July, August and September 2017, I followed the booklet in to Masiphumelele. From my observation and semi-structured interviews, looking at the state’s role of ‘pastoral’ care, child wellbeing and living in a township, and recording, under the theme of child wellbeing, certain concepts emerged. These concepts were state power, mothering, caring for children, responsibilisation, gender, kinship, fatherhood, child wellbeing knowledge production, social networking. In this dissertation I use ethnographic findings, accompanied by my own personal narratives. I argue that tracking child wellbeing through this booklet, the state exercises what Foucault (1982) referred to as ‘pastoral power’ in ensuring the wellbeing of the populations.
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    Internet of Things in organisations: artefactual characteristics that influence adoption
    (2025) Tshilenge, Henry Busaka; Brown, Irwin
    Background: The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained significant attention from businesses and academia. IoT promises are ambitious: creating, collecting, and sharing information independently of time, place, and motion. Things are rendered autonomous, able to identify themselves, network with other objects, and analyse the data they produce. IoT systems are used in some organisations to improve efficiency and facilitate trade in commodities and services. These systems help prevent errors, monitor operations, track assets, deter theft, and integrate complex systems through real-time data collection and analysis. Problem Statement: IoT promises many benefits, which are already tangible in the agriculture, logistics, retail, and supply chain sectors. However, some organisations still adopt IoT hesitantly, while others still hold a conservative stance. Little is known about its adoption in organisations based on its artefactual characteristics. Purpose: This study explores the artefactual characteristics of the Internet of Things that lead to its adoption and implementation in organisations. The focus is on the impact of identified IoT characteristics on its adoption as reflected by the continuance intention. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative survey strategy and collected data via the Academic Prolific Online Panel1, with a sample of 293 participants from South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Findings: The results indicate that IoT characteristics closely aligned with business needs, such as relative advantage (profitability), Compatibility (alignment with values), seamless integration, and self-adaptation (intelligent, efficient operation and future growth), significantly influence IoT adoption as reflected by the continuance intention in organisations. The study went beyond the traditional Technology-Organisational-Environment (TOE) framework technology characteristics adapted from the Diffusion of Innovation framework, such as relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility. In addition, the findings revealed that integration and self-adaptation (i.e., intelligence) significantly influence technology adoption, as reflected by continuance intention. The research contributes to the knowledge of IoT. The study recommends that future research look further into the technocentric characteristics such as connectivity, security and interoperability, which were unexpectedly found not to influence adoption as reflected by the continuance intention.
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    Selective Suppression: Relations between Civil Society Organizations and the State in Zimbabwe
    (2021) Mpani, Nyasha Mcbride; de Wet, Jacques
    This study assessed whether civil society organizations in Zimbabwe that have previously been suppressed by the state, currently experience any change in their relations with the state under the Mnangagwa Presidency. I adopted a case study approach to comparatively assess the experiences of two civil society organizations relations with the state over a two- year period. The two case studies are of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ). Selected media sources, including the organizations' social media (i.e., Facebook, websites, and Twitter) and non-state news media, were used to obtain mainly qualitative data and basic numerical information. Gramsci's theory of hegemony and Foucault's concept of ‘panoptic surveillance' informed my analytical framework. The findings show that state suppression is at the core of the relations between state and civil society organizations that are critical of the state in Zimbabwe. The recurring forms of suppression include arrests, detention, assaults, abduction, torture, raids, theft, surveillance, judicial harassment, cyber-attacks/smear campaigns, travel bans, salary cessation and abuse. The findings suggest that ongoing state suppression is worse than during the latter part of Mugabe's Presidency. Selective suppression of targeted civil society organizations that are critical of the state also reflects diminishing democracy in Zimbabwe. This appears to be a general pattern in the region and one possible reason why bodies such as African Union and the Southern African Development Community are reluctant to discipline member states, including Zimbabwe, for human rights violations or state repression of critics.
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    'We want the bread, not the crumbs': Challenging traditional authority in the platinum belt
    (Academy of Science of South Africa, 2014) Matlala, Boitumelo
    Members of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela traditional community have attempted to hold their traditional leader to account for decisions affecting the community. This article describes the interactions between some community members, traditional leaders, the state and courts, as members of the community have sought to challenge unilateral action by the traditional leader with regard to how community assets and revenue are managed and accounted for. The article examines the various actions groups and individuals have resorted to in an effort to confront traditional leadership and appeal to politicians, officials and the North West provincial government.