Think Tanks and Democratisation in South Africa

As policy and research institutes, think tanks have advisory and monitoring mandates that could be channelled towards consolidating democracy. Yet, although South Africa has some well-established think tanks (WETT), their presence has not translated into enhancing race relations and living conditions. There is therefore the need to explore why these institutions have been unable to sufficiently influence policy and practice, mainly in the area of social cohesion and socio-economic welfare. It is against this backdrop that the paper looks at the evolving nature and works of two WETTs. The paper considers their capacities and challenges in strengthening race relations and social protection. Proposing a persuasive argument for the creation of an enabling environment, the paper draws from political theories in suggesting ways of enhancing a vibrant think thank sector in contemporary South Africa. &nbsp

The low-hanging fruit: Health, Rights, and the Commission

The year 2022 marked the 35th anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. As it is a custom in many communities, when one reaches this milestone, it is an opportune time to introspect and reflect on the successes and challenges encountered in one’s journey. It is this template that the paper adopts to measure the prospects and setbacks of the African Commission in the advancement of the right to health. The Article argues that while the body remains the poster child of the continent’s human rights architecture, its inability to clearly articulate how states ought to advance the right to health has downplayed its role in this agora. It is, thus, not ironic that whereas health right is guaranteed by the overarching regional human rights instrument, a disproportionate percentage of the continent’s population continues to bear the brunt of treatable diseases with insufficient state response. Consequently, the translation of the right to health from paper to practice remains a pipedream to many at the grassroots level. To that end, the Article observes that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights offers useful lessons that could give impetus to the African Commission in its aspiration towards advancing health right across the continent

Words that Wound: Rethinking Online Hate Speech in South Africa

Online violence and hate speech in cyberspace have become a major concern among previously disadvantaged groups and human rights activists in South Africa (Cuyler 2011; Ndou 2015). The remarkable expansion of the Internet as a platform for communication has been outdone by hate-based activity in cyberspace and extremist websites. The mobility and anonymity that the Internet provides has made expressions of hate and harassment easy on an abstract platform, which is often outside the remit of conventional security agencies (Lange 2007). By using technological, legal and political frameworks, this paper examines the conundrums involved in regulating hate speech on the Internet. It assesses the complexities inherent in South Africa’s bilateral and/or multilateral partnerships, and challenges of unilateral domestic content legislation to regulate cyberspace. Whereas the state seeks to find common ground upon which to harmonise its approach to regulation, the paper examines how technological innovations can limit the harm triggered by hate speech. The paper recommends that there is the need for a broader mobilisation of citizens in order to reduce the harm often triggered by hate speakers in South Africa

Learning foreign languages online: A case of Chinese language learners in Ghana in the era of COVID -19

E-learning has gained prominence in education institutions across the world. Teaching and learning of the Chinese language at the University of Ghana has been done online due to the university’s announcement to use e-learning to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The aim of this paper is to investigate the online experiences of students learning Chinese language at the University of Ghana in the era of COVID -19. A structured questionnaire was employed using a simple descriptive case study to obtain the research information. The study selected two hundred and fifty (250) Chinese language learners who responded to the research questionnaires. Findings showed that the majority of the students desired to have training in e-learning because they considered it very useful since it enabled them to learn at their own pace and convenience. Most students shared that they have adequate skills in computing. The study also established that e-learning has become a new way of teaching and the study recommends adaptability in studying Chinese language through the internet

Ghanaian Chinese Language Learners’ Perception of Chinese Characters

This paper investigated students’ perception of learning Chinese characters at the University of Ghana. The Chinese writing system is an exclusive indispensable script that forms part of the Chinese culture. However, the complexity, forms, strokes, pronunciation, radicals, and orthography structure of the characters makes it difficult for Ghanaian students to learn the Chinese language. A qualitative and quantitative design was used for the study. Of 338 students, 183 participated in the study from the first to the fourth year. Purposive sampling was used to select the students to respond to the questionnaire and share their opinions about the Chinese characters in interviews. The findings showed that (a) reading and writing of the Chinese characters were perceived to be more difficult than speaking. (b) the Chinese character radicals, forms, remembering of strokes, orders, numbers, and the orthography structure of the Chinese characters were a hurdle for Chinese language learners. Suggestions were made to urge students to cultivate the habit of consistently practicing the characters through collective participation and learning. The language learners need to do away with excuses, fear, and make-believe obstructions and spend more time in the learning process to enhance their skills in the Chinese writing system

Mobilising for the realisation of the right to food in South Africa

The realisation of the right to food in South Africa is characterised by some stark realities. While there is social security structure and large productive agriculture sector ensuring national food security, more than 14 million South Africans are chronically hungry. Given that access to food is an important legal and political issue in South Africa, it is important to understand the various factors, which enable or hinder the state‘s effort to eradicate chronic hunger. A major problem identified is the incoherence in government‘s policies, which on the one hand, supports the promotion of the right to food, yet, act to undermine it at the same time. This problem can be grouped under two headings. First, inadequate and fragmented food security polices, and poor implementation of these policies. Second, the exclusion of large sections of low-income groups from government‘s social protection programmes, which has negative implications for many women, men, and children who have an insufficient supply of calories. The impact of chronic hunger and malnutrition on these individuals include heightened vulnerability to illness, stunted growth among children, serious mental and physical effects among children, and in some cases death. This thesis explores the factors that explain the limited mobilisation around the realisation of the right to food in South Africa despite widespread chronic hunger. It considered various strategies to achieve a change in policy and legislation including lobbying and litigation. The thesis further explored why South Africa, which is riddled with numerous social protests rarely experiences food protests. Social protest, as used here, consists of struggles or resistance against government actions or inactions. The thesis identified various factors that have contributed to and acted as a hindrance against food protest in various jurisdictions and examined how these factors have prevented widespread food protest in South Africa.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2017.Centre for Human RightsDPhilUnrestricte

The Role of African Regional Human Rights Bodies in Addressing the Negative Impacts of Climate Change

Undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges humanity has got to contend with in recent times, is that of climate change. Climate change and environmental degradation pose great threats to the enjoyment of individual rights across the world. In its first ever resolution on climate change in 2008, the Human Rights Council affirmed that ‘’ “climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world and has implications for the full enjoyment of human rights” (UNHRC, Resolution 7/23 ‘Human Rights and Climate Change’, 28 March 2008, un Doc. A/hrc/res/7/23). Subsequently, the first report of the first Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment noted that “environmental degradation can and does adversely affect the enjoyment of a broad range of human rights, including rights to life, health, food and water’.’(UNHRC, ‘Report of the Independent Expert on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment’, Preliminary Report, John H. Knox, 2012, A/hrc/22/43, p. 12). It is now greatly agreed that climate change and environmental degradation can undermine the enjoyment of human rights. This ranges from the right to life, dignity, food non-discrimination and health. In the celebrated case of Urgendra case, the applicant brought an action against the government of Netherlands from failing to contain greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions, there-by failing to sufficiently avert dangerous climate change. The applicant thus claimed that the government has been in breach of duty of care towards present and future generations. The major issue for determination in this case was whether the government had a duty of care towards Urgendra to limit emissions on a higher scale than it was planning to do. This case is significant in the sense that it portrays the important role court and other human rights bodies can play in holding states accountable to address climate change. Against this backdrop, this panel, made up of distinguished experts from Africa, will examine the roles regional human rights bodies such as the Africa Commission, the African Expert Committee on the Rights of the Child and the African Court can play in in holding African governments accountable for human rights violations arising from climate change. The Panel is a joint initiative of the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, Free State Human Rights Centre and the Department of Law, University of Mauritius The panel explores how regional human rights bodies can contribute towards ameliorating the impact of climate change and advancing human rights in this regard. It will seek to draw lessons from other jurisdictions regarding the application of a rights-based approach to climate change

Human rights developments in the African Union during 2012 and 2013

Positive developments in 2012 and 2013 included an increased impetus by the African Commission to reach decisions on petitions submitted to it and measures, such as hearings, to promote the implementation of its decisions. Concerns include the lack of publication of numerous decisions on individual cases and the lack of referral of cases from the Commission to the African Court in 2013. Despite the lack of referrals, the African Court now has a substantial docket and can focus on judicial work rather than the promotional work it has been focusing on over the last few years. The African Union political bodies continue to provide inadequate support, in particular to ensure sufficient staffing of the Commission and ensuring peer pressure in relation to the implementation of findings of the monitoring bodies. Projects such as expanding the mandate of the African Court to become a regional alternative to the International Criminal Court should be shelved until such time that a clear commitment to the existing institutions becomes evident.http://www.jutalaw.co.za/catalogue/itemdisplay.jsp?item_id=3591am201

Application of Laboratory-Synthesized Ammonium Zeolite LTX as Soil Amendment Additive

The production of ammonium-exchanged zeolite X (NH4-LTX) and its soil amendment activity is presented. The ammonium-exchanged zeolite X was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, particle size analysis and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The addition of NH4-LTX increased the pH, total nitrogen, potassium, sodium content and water retention capacity of the soil. Consequently, the fresh weight, dry weights, plant heights, stem thickness, stem length, number of leaves, leaves areas was remarkably greater for both maize and okro planted in soils containing NH4-LTX compared to plants in soil without NH4-LTX

Adsorptive Removal of Iron and Manganese from Groundwater Samples in Ghana by Zeolite Y Synthesized from Bauxite and Kaolin

Ground water samples from residential homes in three Regions of Ghana: Central, Greater Accra and Ashanti, were analyzed for iron and manganese contamination. The samples were exposed to characterized zeolite Y by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy and thermos gravimetric-differential thermal analysis. Zeolite Y is able to remove 98% of iron and 97% of manganese within an hour. The adsorption of both iron and manganese follows the Freundlich model, whilst the kinetic studies show that pseudo-first order and intra particle and film diffusion models provided the best fit, suggesting the transport of the ions onto the zeolite Y surface and the subsequent diffusion into the zeolite Y framework. The adsorption at 0.2 mg L−1 Fe (0.2) is calculated to be 0.023 mg g−1 for the Freundlich adsorption model, whilst that of manganese at 0.05 mg L−1 Mn (0.05) is evaluated to be 0.015 mg g−1. The zeolite retains its adsorption properties when retrieved from the first exposure water sample, washed copiously with distilled water and added to fresh water samples. The results suggest that zeolite Y can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of iron and manganese from groundwater.Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) (Grant # 16-471 RG/PHYS/AF/AC_G), Grand Challenges Canada (Grant # RS-0148 -01) and National Environment Research Council (NERC) (Grant # NE/R009376/1). The authors are grateful to Royal Society, UK and Grand Challenges Canada for their financial support