South African ship register promotion strategy

Papers presented virtually at the 41st International Southern African Transport Conference on 10-13 July 2023.The history of the South African maritime sector mirrors the history and evolution of South Africa, pre and post the 1994 political transition of the country. Due to heavy economic sanctions and the looming 1994 (and beyond) era, most of the ships were de-registered and placed on foreign registries. South Africa significantly depends on international trade for its transport needs, and around 2008, foreign vessels almost solely provided this service as only one (1) convention vessel remained on the SA Register - down from fifty-two (52) in the 1970s. About 98% of South Africa’s imports and exports are carried by merchant ships owned and operated by foreign companies and flagged in foreign jurisdictions. South Africa’s status as a maritime state has, regrettably, weakened over the last 20 years, resulting in the merchant shipping register being diminished and a market perception developing that the SA flag is uncompetitive. This was largely caused by an “unattractive” flag as the country fell behind in keeping up with international developments in this regard. This diminished fleet on the SA ship register also created a problem for the country of being unable to provide berths for the South African cadets. The aim of the South African ship register promotion plan is to assist South African flag to grow the fleet and this will assist South Africa to reclaim its rightful status as a maritime nation. A larger fleet under the South African registry will empower the country’s positioning in the global value chain and can create significant economic spin-offs through repatriated wages and the development of domestic industries. The presentation will covers the incentives of the South African ship register

Integration of the Demographic Dividend into Government Plans: A Case of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa

The Population reference Bureau policy brief, (Gribble and Bremmer, 2012):1) described the demographic dividendas “…the accelerated economic growth that may result from a decline in a country’s mortality and fertility and thesubsequent change in the age structure of the population. With fewer births each year, a country’s young dependentpopulation grows smaller in relation to the working-age population. With fewer people to support, a country has awindow of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social and economic policies developed and investments made”. Several South Africa based studies have explored age structure and the prospects of a demographic dividend. These studies range from those that explore timing of the dividend to those that investigate readiness to harness the dividend. Three aspects of the demographic dividend are investigated by this research. Firstly, the paper will explorethe age structure of KwaZulu-Natal population to ascertain the timing of the age-structure (youth bulge) that is a pre-requisite for the dividend. Secondly, demographic, health and education characteristics that are knows to affect the achievement of the dividend will be examined. Lastly, the extent of integration of the demographic dividend into Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in the province will be explored

Tackling child poverty in South Africa: Implications of ubuntu for the system of social grants

In the South African context both liberal and – in the form of the southern African idea of ubuntu – more communitarian and relational discourses of citizenship can be seen. The policy framework to tackle child policy, however, is dominated by the framework of liberal citizenship, most clearly through the Bill of and the various social grants. Using analyses from an original microsimulation model developed by one of the authors the paper shows however how a neglect of children’s relationships and inter-connectedness with their adult parents/carers in the current liberal citizenship inspired policy approach limits the effectiveness of this child poverty strategy. The empirical analyses demonstrate how a greater recognition in policy of the relational principles of ubuntu through more fully addressing the needs of children’s parents/carers via the creation of a comprehensive social security grant for working age adults is needed to effectively reduce child poverty as well as working age poverty

The cosmopolitan approach, a way to bind heritage values?

International audienceFor the last two decades, the management framework for heritage shifted from one centred on the conservation of sites and monuments (a preservationist approach) to the management of the values underpinning heritage significance (Sullivan 1997; Truscott and Young 2000; de la Torre 2002; Demas 2002; Mason 2002; Mason and Avrami 2002; de la Torre et al. 2005). Linked to the publication of the Burra Charter in 1979, heritage management processes around the world now typically involve the identification of these five types of heritage value at each site and planning around how to sustain and enhance each of these sets of values (e.g. Deacon 2006; Smith 2006a; Seif 2009; Gόmez Robles 2010). Whilst values-based heritage management is now nearly universal, aspects of its implementation have been challenged (e.g. Poulios 2010; Araoz 2011). We seek to take this challenge further by focusing on the “Preservation/Heritage Values/Management” triptych with the aim of proposing a new methodology for addressing the values attributed to cultural heritage sites. Combining multidisciplinary and cosmopolitan methods, we propose to move beyond the analysis of the processes of hybridization between attributed heritage values (Duval et al. 2018) and therefore seek to propose a new manner of addressing issues linked to heritage values-based approach. Our proposal is based on our researches done in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains (South African section), where rock art shelters cross a suite of social, aesthetic, economic and research dimensions. Their preservation therefore requires a holistic approach amenable to considering the full complexity of their uses and meaning. Through a thematic analysis of the data collected in this area from 2009 to 2017, six cross-cultural interest points have been identified and are discussed. Building upon the history of values-based heritage management, we argue that our results are transferable and useful to draw up heritage management plans

The relationship between alcohol and drug use and sexual behaviour amongst prison inmates in developing countries; the case South Africa

To examine a possible link between substance use and risky sexual behaviour, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 357 inmates across four south african prisons involved in a pre-release intervention programme for parolees. About 93% of the participants reported using alcohol and 52% used marijuana prior to imprisonment, while 56% reported previous occurrence of sexually transmitted infections (stis). Logistic regression analyses explored the impact of substance use on intention to reduce risky sexual behaviour. Age and inconsistent use of condoms were positively associated with having an sti prior to incarceration, while reported alcohol and marijuana intake had no effect. Never using condoms before was highly associated with lower intention to engage in preventive behaviours upon release. It can be concluded that inmates demonstrate high levels of substance use and engagement in risky sexual behaviours. Targeted pre-release substance abuse interventions are essential to reduce the burden of disease amongst offenders

Risk communication and community engagement – unlocking the key to South Africa’s response to SARS-CoV-2

Background. COVID-19 has changed the way that governments communicate and engage with citizens. In emergencies, effective communication must be immediate, grounded in science, transparent, easy to understand and in language-appropriate messaging delivered through multiple and varied platforms. For the South African (SA) COVID-19 response, the intent was to design an agile, locally relevant Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) strategy as the pandemic was unfolding and to constantly evaluate its implementation. Early involvement of communities in the formulation and direction of a risk communication plan is essential to its success. Objective. To outline the significance of the RCCE’s robust communication strategy during the COVID-19 response and the lessons learnt in executing the strategy. Methods. This is a qualitative review of documents and reports generated and utilised by the RCCE Technical Working Group (TWG) and reflects the lessons learnt from discussions and multiple engagements at district, provincial and national levels. The review incorporates lessons learnt from international practice, resource documents from the World Health Organization (WHO), RCCE readiness and response to coronavirus disease, feedback from the Behavioural Science Ministerial Advisory Committee, input from the call centre, website and various established social media platforms. Results. Communication and building trust with multiple stakeholders begin before an outbreak and is a prerequisite to facilitate the timeous flow of information, particularly in the context of a rapidly evolving outbreak of a new disease, where the scientific community does not immediately have all the answers. Initial COVID-19 messages were therefore filled with challenges that ranged from the lack of scientific and epidemiological information to rumours, conspiracy theories and misinformation. The findings validate that empowering communities to act, strengthening public trust and community participation using multiple channels as well as timely responses to rumours and misinformation are important drivers of COVID-19 communication efforts in SA. Communication efforts must be accelerated to translate science into locally relevant languages and the impact of interventions must be measured to appropriately direct limited resources. Conclusion. The risk communication strategy incorporated several key lessons that could be used to improve communication and inform future emergency response communication that is immediate, science-based, transparent, inclusive and encourages community participation