An assessment of financial accountability on social grants at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), 2011-2012

This research assesses the nature and extent of financial accountability on social grants at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). With respect to public funds, strategies and mechanisms, including the effectiveness of these strategies, were analysed to ensure whether SASSA was accountable to both the people and the government. Rabrenovic (2009:22) describes financial accountability as an obligation of the government to assure the citizens that money is spent in the best possible and most effective way. The government has to provide answers and justification for its action and regularly inform the public on how it spends the public funds. The extent to which the public-private partnership model adopted by SASSA for social grant management has enhanced financial accountability and yielded the desired outcome has also been tested. Some of the findings were that the problems facing SASSA were the financial constraints that entailed reduction in new programmes, halting infrastructures and the acquisition and filling only of funded posts from the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) and the high costs of administering social grants. This study used the qualitative research approach. The researcher used official document reviews because of the sensitivity of the research problem and opted for a desktop research. The documentary sources include SASSA’s annual reports for the period 2011/12. The recommendations were that people should be trained in financial and performance skills and in terms of accountability the accounting officers should account for lack of transgressions and poor performance

Discovering the barriers that stop children with disabilities from being children: the impact of lack of access to mobility devices - a human rights persective

In most research projects there is a tendency not to consult young disabled children about their priorities and experiences. Their needs and aspirations are pre-empted through service providers. Furthermore, there is little research about how resilient young disabled children are in dealing with or overcoming the barriers in their daily lives due to inadequate provision of mobility devices. Therefore, this study undertook to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of a sample of children with mobility impairments from disadvantaged backgrounds with regard to the impact of lack of access to mobility devices on their lives. From 1998-2000 in a qualitative study, a case study design was used as a method of inquiry to explore the experiences and perceptions of disabled children at a special school in a township in Cape Town in the Western Cape Province, South Africa with regard to the impact of inadequate provision of mobility devices on their lives. Analysis of the stories of disabled children revealed that without adequate mobility devices they were deprived of their right to development, education, play and social interaction as well as adequate health and rehabilitation services. The stories told by disabled children, their caregivers and therapists reflected the contradictory messages sent to disabled children about service delivery. Recommendations were related to the urgent need for transformation in the provision of mobility devices, based on the needs of disabled children

Exploring media influence on African female university student’s perceptions of themselves.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Young women are the most impressionable demographic globally. This group of individuals is still in development and on their way to becoming adults. Much of how they are developing relies on their relationship with the outside world, as well as how they perceive themselves. Media plays an enormous role in the life of this demographic as they are continuously learning. Significantly, media can be influential in determining how a young woman sees herself. This study aimed to determine how media influences young African female students’ perceptions of themselves. The research explored female students’ selfperceptions in relation to the media’s presentation of beauty. In this study, eight participants were chosen using the non-probability random sampling strategy. The participants were African female students from the Howard College campus, ranging between their first to fourth year of study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected by using semistructured interviews. The major findings of this study were that African female students were influenced by media’s standards of beauty and felt pressured to adopt the characteristics of that standard of beauty. The participants revealed that they perceived themselves as not meeting those standards of beauty and have experienced psychological problems due to a lack of inclusivity in beauty as represented by the media. Based on the study results, it is recommended that it may be useful to conduct a broad quantitative study to enable the generalization of results to a large population. Secondly, it might be interesting to explore the influence of the media on male university students and their self-perceptions thereof. Finally, the study results indicated a high use of social media as compared to the other withstanding media platforms (television, magazines, billboards, radio). Therefore, it is recommended to specifically explore the psychological implications of the excessive use of social media

A national strategy towards cultivating a cybersecurity culture in South Africa

In modern society, cyberspace is interwoven into the daily lives of many. Cyberspace is increasingly redefining how people communicate as well as gain access to and share information. Technology has transformed the way the business world operates by introducing new ways of trading goods and services whilst bolstering traditional business methods. It has also altered the way nations govern. Thus individuals, organisations and nations are relying on this technology to perform significant functions. Alongside the positive innovations afforded by cyberspace, however, those who use it are exposed to a variety of risks. Cyberspace is beset by criminal activities such as cybercrime, fraud, identity theft to name but a few. Nonetheless, the negative impact of these cyber threats does not outweigh the advantages of cyberspace. In light of such threats, there is a call for all entities that reap the benefits of online services to institute cybersecurity. As such, cybersecurity is a necessity for individuals, organisations and nations alike. In practice, cybersecurity focuses on preventing and mitigating certain security risks that might compromise the security of relevant assets. For a long time, technology-centred measures have been deemed the most significant solution for mitigating such risks. However, after a legacy of unsuccessful technological efforts, it became clear that such solutions in isolation are insufficient to mitigate all cyber-related risks. This is mainly due to the role that humans play in the security process, that is, the human factor. In isolation, technology-centred measures tend to fail to counter the human factor because of the perception among many users that security measures are an obstacle and consequently a waste of time. This user perception can be credited to the perceived difficulty of the security measure, as well as apparent mistrust and misinterpretation of the measure. Hence, cybersecurity necessitates the development of a solution that encourages acceptable user behaviour in the reality of cyberspace. The cultivation of a cybersecurity culture is thus regarded as the best approach for addressing the human factors that weaken the cybersecurity chain. While the role of culture in pursuing cybersecurity is well appreciated, research focusing on defining and measuring cybersecurity culture is still in its infancy. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are no widely accepted key concepts that delimit a cybersecurity culture. However, the notion that such a culture is not well-delineated has not prevented national governments from pursuing a culture in which all citizens behave in a way that promotes cybersecurity. As a result, many countries now offer national cybersecurity campaigns to foster a culture of cybersecurity at a national level. South Africa is among the nations that have identified cultivating a culture of cybersecurity as a strategic priority. However, there is an apparent lack of a practical plan to cultivate such a cybersecurity culture in South Africa. Thus, this study sought firstly to confirm from the existing body of knowledge that cybersecurity culture is indeed ill-defined and, secondly, to delineate what constitutes a national cybersecurity culture. Finally, and primarily, it sought to devise a national strategy that would assist SA in fulfilling its objective of cultivating a culture of cybersecurity on a national level

A national strategy towards cultivating a cybersecurity culture in South Africa

In modern society, cyberspace is interwoven into the daily lives of many. Cyberspace is increasingly redefining how people communicate as well as gain access to and share information. Technology has transformed the way the business world operates by introducing new ways of trading goods and services whilst bolstering traditional business methods. It has also altered the way nations govern. Thus individuals, organisations and nations are relying on this technology to perform significant functions. Alongside the positive innovations afforded by cyberspace, however, those who use it are exposed to a variety of risks. Cyberspace is beset by criminal activities such as cybercrime, fraud, identity theft to name but a few. Nonetheless, the negative impact of these cyber threats does not outweigh the advantages of cyberspace. In light of such threats, there is a call for all entities that reap the benefits of online services to institute cybersecurity. As such, cybersecurity is a necessity for individuals, organisations and nations alike. In practice, cybersecurity focuses on preventing and mitigating certain security risks that might compromise the security of relevant assets. For a long time, technology-centred measures have been deemed the most significant solution for mitigating such risks. However, after a legacy of unsuccessful technological efforts, it became clear that such solutions in isolation are insufficient to mitigate all cyber-related risks. This is mainly due to the role that humans play in the security process, that is, the human factor. In isolation, technology-centred measures tend to fail to counter the human factor because of the perception among many users that security measures are an obstacle and consequently a waste of time. This user perception can be credited to the perceived difficulty of the security measure, as well as apparent mistrust and misinterpretation of the measure. Hence, cybersecurity necessitates the development of a solution that encourages acceptable user behaviour in the reality of cyberspace. The cultivation of a cybersecurity culture is thus regarded as the best approach for addressing the human factors that weaken the cybersecurity chain. While the role of culture in pursuing cybersecurity is well appreciated, research focusing on defining and measuring cybersecurity culture is still in its infancy. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are no widely accepted key concepts that delimit a cybersecurity culture. However, the notion that such a culture is not well-delineated has not prevented national governments from pursuing a culture in which all citizens behave in a way that promotes cybersecurity. As a result, many countries now offer national cybersecurity campaigns to foster a culture of cybersecurity at a national level. South Africa is among the nations that have identified cultivating a culture of cybersecurity as a strategic priority. However, there is an apparent lack of a practical plan to cultivate such a cybersecurity culture in South Africa. Thus, this study sought firstly to confirm from the existing body of knowledge that cybersecurity culture is indeed ill-defined and, secondly, to delineate what constitutes a national cybersecurity culture. Finally, and primarily, it sought to devise a national strategy that would assist SA in fulfilling its objective of cultivating a culture of cybersecurity on a national level

Corporate entrepreneurship strategies in the South African mining industry

Thesis (M.M. (Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2013.Purpose Volatility in the external environment increases the level of risk for organisations. Therefore organizations have to adapt to the environment by being entrepreneurial through adoption of entrepreneurship strategies. It is therefore the purpose of this study to determine the perceived value of entrepreneurial orientation and the type of corporate entrepreneurship strategies that are used in the mining industry when firms operate in volatile environments. Data collection For the purpose of this study online questionnaires were utilised. The questionnaires were emailed to the participants through the CEO of the company, the CEO then distributed via email to the targeted managers within the organisation. Response was minimal with only sixteen responses by mid February. The questionnaire was then sent to members of the Chamber of mines, to which there was no response. Questionnaires were then printed out and handed to respondents physically in order for them to fill out. In total 50 responses were obtained, of which three were incomplete. Key findings Key findings of the study are that junior mining firms are entrepreneurial and have a positive perception towards entrepreneurial orientation. Because these firms are entrepreneurial they differ from firms that are not entrepreneurially orientated by manifesting characteristics such as innovation, risk taking and proactiveness. Entrepreneurial orientation is used as a cushion against uncertainty in a volatile environment. Furthermore, entrepreneurially oriented firms also engage and utilize corporate entrepreneurship strategies such as corporate venturing and strategic entrepreneurship

Reimagining personal and collective experiences of disability in Africa

This paper explores understandings of disability in Africa through the personal and collective experiences of a group of postgraduate students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The students, as disabled people themselves or practitioners working in the field across Africa, were required to capture their understanding of disability on the continent in a poster, set as a summative assessment task. What emerges from the students’ posters provides valuable insights into the complex social, political and economic factors that influence and shape the experience of disability in Africa. The paper argues that these insights are especially important to existing conceptual thinking around disability and its importance to discussions on Africa and its development. It suggests that grappling more carefully with the experience of disability in Africa brings much needed voices from Africa and the global South into the field of Disability Studies and deepens these debates in valuable and necessary ways

The meaning of play for children and young people withphysical disabilities: A systematic thematic synthesis

Children and young people with physical disabilities are often reported to play less than their typically developing peers. Few studies explore the meaning of play from the child's perspective; this study carried out a thematic synthesis of the findings of qualitative studies about the meaning of play following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Methods: A search of CINAHL, AHMED, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and ERIC was undertaken between September 2015 and March 2016. Qualitative studies exploring the meaning of play from the perspective of 0‐ to 18‐year‐olds with physical disabilities impacting function were included. Quality appraisal and thematic synthesis were undertaken in order to develop analytical themes. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria in part addressing the meaning of play for children and young people with physical disabilities. Synthesis of the findings identified 5 analytical themes: Play can feel both positive and negative; play can draw attention towards or awayfrom my disability; play is a social interaction; I participate differently to my peers, and needing help feels normal. Conclusions: The themes highlight the potential for play experiences of individuals with physical disabilities being overlooked by parents and professionals; further research is needed to explore play experience from these individual's perspective

Social Behavior & Social Processes in Organizations: IPS 221

Social Behavior & Social Processes in Organizations: IPS 221, Degree examinations January 2011

Introduction to Psychology: IPS 111

Introduction to Psychology: IPS 111, HODs Special supplementary examination January 2012