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COVID-19 has been observed as the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), which has naturally advanced education five/ten years ahead of digitalisation. The COVID-19 revolution has obliged everyone to be a student needing to be educated about national lockdowns, personal hygiene practices, digital technologies, and vaccines. This study intended to explore lessons learned by higher education institution (HEI) students in Eswatini, Lesotho, the Republic of South Africa, and Zimbabwe during the COVID-19/5IR which helped them to complete their PhD studies. Using purposive with convenience sampling, this study selected twenty most accessible PhD students. The pragmatic paradigm, participatory action research (PAR), and natural identity were used to frame this study in order to guide reflective activities, Zoom focus-group discussions, and semi-structured interview data-generation methods. Findings indicated that students achieved good education on personal hygiene practices and digital technologies that assisted them to effectively deal/continue with their studies. However, education on vaccines remained a major concern because participants believed that the world was treating symptoms of COVID-19 by vaccinating humans more than dealing with the source/s of the virus before it affected humans. Consequently, this study recommends a good education that balances personal, societal, and professional needs to understand natural identities.

The role of strategic leadership in ensuring organisational survival and success has attracted much attention among researchers worldwide. However, more research needs to be conducted on the practice of university strategic leadership in Zimbabwe, especially in times of environmental turbulence. This conceptual paper examines extant literature on strategic leadership to propose a situated strategic leadership framework for research and practice in universities in Zimbabwe. A background literature review on models and frameworks of strategic leadership was conducted in several peer-reviewed journals to identify the dimensions and significance of the higher education institutions (HEIs) in Zimbabwe. The findings show that university strategic leadership requires individual and organisational capabilities, collective sense-making processes, and inclusive envisioning of the future in turbulent times. Three competencies of leading self as a university strategic leader involve strategic thinking, building personal social capital, and ethical competence. Additionally, five organisational-level capabilities include (1) setting and pursuing direction, (2) leading to drive strategy and results, (3) agility in leading strategic change, (4) building and using human capital, (5) and promoting an entrepreneurial and resilient culture. Based on the above components, an integrative framework of strategic leadership is proposed, which hinges on a holistic and systemic balance of the needs of multiple stakeholders, collective sense-making and inclusive envisioning of the future of a university. The paper concludes that university strategic leadership in turbulent times is complex and multi-dimensional and integrates individual and organisational capabilities and processes to reshape Direction, Alignment and Commitment (DAC).

Retracted Paper The need to train learners to think critically has been stressed and it has become a key concern among scholars in recent years. Although there is strong evidence demonstrating the benefits of critical thinking as well as proposals for its integration in schools, scholars are still looking for evidence demonstrating how teachers instill critical thinking in the classroom and the obstacles they face. Furthering this argument necessitated lecturers’ feedback on the obstacles to teaching critical thinking in the classroom. Data was collected from academics at a South African university of technology using interpretative phenomenological analysis approaches. The lecturers identified several obstacles that inhibited them from inculcating critical thinking in the classroom. The first one is time, according to the lecturers there is not enough time to inculcate critical thinking since the average lesson last for fifty minutes. The second is the large population of students. The third is the learners themselves who according to the lecturers are indifferent, unwilling to engage. Finally, the educational system according to the lecturers is based on rote learning and memorisation at all levels, which hinders creative, unique, and logical thinking. The findings of this study could have significant consequences for the auditing profession, as teachers are frequently pushed to come up with new approaches to help students improve their critical thinking abilities.

The study presents a burden on theory and practice for discovering a reward criterion that achieves workspace morale in a hyperinflationary context. It aimed to determine the relationship between the individual components of rewards (extrinsic, intrinsic, and social) and workspace morale and the mediating role of employee engagement in a hyperinflationary context. The study applied a cross-sectional study. It employed a structured questionnaire as a study instrument. The target population for the study comprised 900 employees and managers of Bindura municipality in Zimbabwe. The study employed a sample of 269 employees and managers, and the methodology used was a case study. A total of 269 questionnaires were hand delivered after administering the ethical consent form. A total of 214 questionnaires were returned, and after preliminary review and cleaning, 17 questionnaires were found with missing values leaving 197 analyzable questionnaires thus, achieving a 73.2% response rate. The study used multiple regression analysis. The results reveal a significant direct effect of total reward, intrinsic reward, and social reward on workspace morale. The direct effect of extrinsic reward on workspace morale was statistically insignificant. It also reveals that the effects of total reward on workspace morale are mediated only partially by employee engagement. The study viewed employee engagement as a mediating force between rewards and workspace morale but did not examine the bond longitudinally. The study recommends exploring reward options, specifically supportive supervisory relations, work autonomy, role clarity, skill variety and regular feedback to improve workspace morale in hyperinflation. The results demonstrate the importance of practices that win employee hearts to enhance commitment instead of external motivation in an inflationary environment.

The Covid-19 pandemic, a catalyst in embracing the online mode of learning, is one of the key motivating factors for a paradigm shift in curriculum development due to the increased focus and reliance on technology. For the effective education of tertiary students globally, a revised curriculum development integrated with the Learning Management Systems and other eLearning platforms or tools that support asynchronous learning play a key role. This study seeks to determine the influence of user experience and user interface design of e-learning platforms on learning experience in higher education. A systematic review of studies regarding usability of e-learning platforms at tertiary institutions was conducted to determine the common issues and successes. A snapshot of research over the last five years was used in a systematic review to determine the influence of UX/UI on eLearning concerning higher education. Using the ERIC and Google scholar databases of journals, and specific criteria for selection of publications, 25 articles were examined in this study. Findings indicate that focused attention on interface design and user experience of eLearning systems for effective learning is crucial.

The purpose of this study is to explore the IDP process for improved public participation and thereafter assess the barriers to the design and implementation of the IDP. The IDP process was developed to improve strategic planning and ensure that no one is left behind at the grassroots. This was done by promoting public participation in municipal affairs. Many South African municipalities have been struggling to use the IDP process to improve public participation. A mixed-methods approach to investigate the participative IDP process and barriers, using the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) as a case study was adopted. The methodology included 400 respondents who were chosen through a probability sampling technique and probed to complete the online survey using a closed-ended questionnaire guide, and 10 respondents were also chosen through a non-probability sampling technique and were face-to-face interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The key results revealed that poor public participation exists in the study area due to a lack of encouragement from responsible authorities. Many barriers hinder the effective design and implementation of the participative IDP process, such as protests, working in silos, a lack of institutional resources to address the competing needs of communities, and a lack of transparency, accountability, and consultation. Lastly, the lack of oversight by the municipality in the adoption of e-participation has been discovered as a barrier to the design and implementation of participative IDP process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes by providing a few recommendations to enhance participative IDP process. The GTM should at all times uphold democratic principles by ensuring active and effective public participation, transparency, and accountability in municipal affairs. South African municipalities, especially GTM, should develop innovative institutional and organizational skills to make better use of their resources, solve socioeconomic barriers, and enhance service delivery.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of foreign portfolio investment on economic growth in Africa.  The motivation to explore the effects of portfolio investment and growth stemmed from the fact that Africa has recorded large capital inflows since the global financial crisis. These capital flows can have positive or negative consequences. The effects of foreign portfolio investment on the African economy is an area of interest because very little has been done on the subject area. The study used quarterly panel from 1995 to 2014. The study used only five African countries; South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius and Nigeria. These countries were chosen because they are in the top five of the African financial markets index. A GMM model was adopted to test the effects of portfolio flows on economic growth in the selected African states. Results showed that there is a weak relationship between portfolio investment and economic growth and that there is a positive relationship between INT and GDP. Results also show a positive relationship between EXCH and GDP in the long run.  A depreciation in the rand exchange rate is seen to be depressing economic growth. The study recommended that the Central Banks in African countries develop better strategies to enhance capital flows' benefits. This can be done by establishing and improving financial institutions which are still developing.

This paper evaluates the impacts of self-efficacy, employee attitude towards organizational change, Leadership 4.0, and perceived organizational support (POS) on employee acceptance of the organizational change (EAOC) within businesses in the 4IR era. The study’s sample was taken from ten (10) businesses in the Lagos and Oyo States of Nigeria. This paper applied a cross-sectional survey method, and questionnaires were randomly disseminated. However, out of the 250 questionnaires distributed, 246 were recovered, suitable for use, and analyzed with the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 28). This paper showed that self-efficacy, attitudes towards organizational change, Leadership 4.0, and perceived organizational support significantly, jointly, and independently influence the sustainability of employee acceptance of organizational change within Nigeria’s work organizations in the 4IR era. Work organizations are urged to provide training and exposure to higher responsibilities via delegation of authority. This would help employees within Nigeria’s business organizations gain better self-competence and serve as proof of organizational support, leading to accepting change without much struggle. They should also ensure that employees know the need for these changes in the 4IR era. Further, the management needs to train and support employees in dealing with the challenges inspired by the 4IR. Besides, the management should adopt a leadership style, such as Leadership 4.0, for the conditions and contests from the 4IR

The teaching of Economic Management Sciences (EMS) in Senior Phase (SP) classrooms, particularly in Grade 7, still needs to be researched. This paper examines the pedagogical practices of Grade 7 EMS teachers when teaching financial literacy (FL). We employed a qualitative research case study. Two schools were purposively chosen in the Chris Hani District, serving as the case under exploration. A data set of six participants were observed and interviewed for six months. The main findings of the study indicated that (i) the teachers adopt pedagogical practices that are based on experience and subject area content knowledge,(ii) teachers with experience and subject content knowledge were found to deliver learner-centered, creative lessons while emerging teachers relied on the textbook and taught in teacher-centered ways, (iii) lack of training on the relatively new content of FL in EMS, lack of resources and complicated language of FL concepts resulted in teachers relying on standard pedagogical practices. The study proffers recommendations and interventions that teachers could use to better their skills of pedagogic practices. Amongst these are training EMS teachers by higher education institutions, workshops, and induction of newly hired EMS teachers.

This paper explores the relevance of the industry stakeholder in the production of skilled electrical installation and maintenance technical college (TC) graduates in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. One research question was set in the study: What is the relevance of stakeholder partnerships in the production of skilled Electrical Installation and Maintenance Trade (EIMT) Graduates? A qualitative exploratory case study involving a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach was used to purposively select ten participants. The data were generated through individual interviews and focus group discussions and were analysed thematically. Experiential learning theory was employed as a theoretical framework in the study. The study's findings revealed the emergence of the following themes: development of willingness to learn, exposure/development of new relevant trade-related skills, exposure/development of practical skills, challenges of the technical college programme, and innovative teaching. From these findings, the study concludes that the industry stakeholder is necessary for producing skilled EIMT graduates in line with the objectives of the TC programme in Nigeria. Thus, the study contributes to the body of existing knowledge on the Technical College programme and within the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on the relevance of industry stakeholder partnership in the production of skilled EIMT. Recommendations were also made based on the conclusion.

The Paris Agreement has highlighted the worldwide significance of adaptation. Many investors are considering the effects of climate change and resource scarcity when making decisions. Even while the whole amount of the environmental harm caused by climate change is yet unknown, recent scientific evidence is more frightening, and many governments are taking substantial measures to avert a calamity. The financial innovations and mechanisms created to ease the transition to a low-carbon economy will have far-reaching effects on markets, firms, intermediaries, and investors. Although economists have been working on the subject for decades, financial-economics professionals have only recently become interested in climate change. There has been a growing body of empirical and theoretical contributions in recent years that analyse the influence of climate risks on investment decisions for firms, financial intermediaries, and national governments, as well as the pricing and hedging of climate change risks. This study seeks to establish the role of multilateral climate change financing in the developing world vis-à-vis challenges and opportunities for Africa. Five determinants of the multilateral climate fund were established and they are namely; Reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions, Enabling Environments, Poverty and development linkages, Private investment and Public climate finance.

Domestic revenue mobilisation is fundamental if African countries are to fund investments in health, education, infrastructural development, economic growth, human capital development, security, and prosperity to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Some goals focus on eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, strengthening institutions, and providing decent work. This requires resources and investment, yet Sub-Saharan African countries continuously struggle to mobilise enough revenue to meet basic government objectives. Through a critical literature review, this paper focuses on sustainable tax revenue mobilisation in Sub-Saharan African Countries, discussing the challenges, opportunities, and prospects for possible amelioration of tax systems. Challenges identified to explain the ineffectiveness of revenue mobilisation in these countries include the presence of a significant informal sector, weak tax administration capacities, the growth in the digital economy, corruption, governance quality, and increased tax avoidance and evasion by multinational companies. Possible prospects include taxation of the digital economy, taxing the informal sector, the capacitation of tax authorities, and the broadening of tax bases.

Societal impact reflects the changes that transform the society which affect the well-being of individuals and their families. This study aimed to understand the perceived societal impact of the fourth industrial revolution in South Africa. The investigation used an exploratory mixed research method, with six experts in round table discussion (focus group) and a survey questionnaire with 1,1105 responses. The findings of the study confirm the existential relational proposition that the fourth industrial revolution has a societal impact in South Africa. It is influenced by socio-demographic (province, age) and socio-economic (education and employment) factors. The findings also revealed that the perceived highest impact of fourth industrial revolution’s will be on improved re-industrialisation (RII = 68.6 percent), increase in work mobility (RII = 68.1 percent) and improved service delivery (65.1 percent). Regarding benefits, if correctly leveraged, these new disruptive technologies create a significant opportunity to leapfrog the advancements made in the previous industrial revolutions and help develop society. However, this might widen socio-economic gaps further, especially if there is no action to change the status quo of the highly unequal society in South Africa.

Substance abuse and its associated disorders affect a whole spectrum of people. Substance users and individuals affected by substance abuse come from diverse backgrounds with varying beliefs and subscribe to various doctrines. This body of work explores the perspectives of a certain Black rural community in Limpopo Province, South Africa, about substance abuse and its treatment in their neighbourhood. Data was collected from purposively sampled community members aged between 18 and 35 years through a focus group discussion. The participation of the focus group members in the study was voluntary and consented to. The collected data was coded and thematically analysed. Community members ascribe the abuse of substances to different factors such as peer pressure, poverty, and idleness—the most prominent factor, as cited by participants, is witchcraft fueled by jealousy. The youth in the community feel like a failure to maintain sobriety by those admitted to treatment centers is not only due to structural challenges but can also be attributed to the spiritual realm. There is a need to consider service users’ backgrounds and beliefs in substance abuse treatment. The social work value of individualization should be duly applied when working with people who have substance abuse problems. There is also a need to obtain treatment workers’ perspectives about the integrated approach in treating substance use disorders.

Scholars contend that public administration, as a discipline, is still in its infancy and, more often than not, fumbles for its own identity.  It is generally regarded as an amalgamation of various disciplines. It is therefore no wonder that scholars in public administration, more often than not, fail to locate their empirical research, in sound theoretical frameworks for research in public administration, in general.  The core objective of the study was to determine whether Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduates, from a selected university of technology in South Africa, grounded their research in theoretical frameworks, rooted in the identified public administration domains.  Desktop research was employed where purposely selected MPA dissertations were scrutinised, using content analysis. MPA qualifications generally comprise a range of modules in conjunction with the production of a mini-thesis.  This has not been the case at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) since 2016.  MPA graduates are required to produce a full dissertation only.  The study intended to highlight the importance of conducting research that contributes to public administration theory development, especially at universities of technology. The study found that if CPUT wants to acquire a competitive edge in the international higher education landscape in general and in the field of public administration in particular, it must aspire to deliver MPA graduates who demonstrate the ability to grow the mass of theoretical knowledge in the discipline.  The study recommends that theoretical frameworks, in the study domains associated with research in public administration be taught explicitly in the form of seminars in the absence of teaching them in formal credit-bearing modules, which is the case at CPUT.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the adoption of online teaching and learning. Several studies show that both students and lecturers benefit from online teaching and learning in cases where contact learning cannot take place. However, other studies reveal that some students face challenges during online teaching and learning, requiring them to develop coping mechanisms. Thus, the objective of this study was aimed at accentuating the coping strategies of students for online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. A non-empirical research design was adopted for this study. Search engines such as ‘Google scholar were used to sample and review documents using keywords to source relevant data that is from 2002 to 2022. Data were analysed using inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). The study's findings show that access to online teaching and learning is challenging for some students. It was also revealed that some students cope with the challenges of online learning and teaching by employing positive strategies such as seeking support while some students employ harmful coping mechanisms such as using drugs and alcohol to cope with the challenges they face during online teaching and learning. The underlined conclusion suggests that online teaching and learning should be accessible and support systems for students should be available. Mobilisation of resources that will help all students to participate in online teaching and learning is needed.

Globally, alcohol use is an important public health concern which often contributes to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV/F), Femicide and Gender Based Violence (GBV). Interfacing of alcohol use and intimate partner violence in under-resourced and rural areas has received little empirical attention and interventions for enlightening the crisis of IPV and related social ills. This paper explored the nexus between alcohol use and intimate partner violence in under-resourced and rural areas. The study employed a qualitative, exploratory multiple case study design. Purposive, snowballing and convenience sampling techniques were employed. The study was cleared ethically by the registered body at the university. Data was analysed thematically. This study found that the majority of the cases showed a linkage between intimate partner violence and substance abuse incidents. It can be concluded that the availability and affordability of alcohol play a role in IPV. Awareness campaigns about the linkage between substance abuse and IPV should be implemented.

This paper is an overview of workers’ rights in Zimbabwe focusing on the abuse, exploitation of workers and the brutal attitudes displayed toward mine workers and trade unions officials by mining companies and government authorities. Zimbabwe’s mining sector plays a major role in Zimbabwe’s export economy. However, Zimbabwe’s mining sector, like many other mining sectors in the developing world, has workers’ right issues. Considerable attention has been given to the labour legislation by the government of Zimbabwe but there are still serious violations of workers’ rights in Zimbabwe. Mining firms involved in extracting the mineral wealth of the country are benefiting at the expense of workers. They are operating with little regard for the well-being of its employees. In light of this, the present study highlights and synthesizes workers’ rights issues in the Zimbabwe mining sector. The study also offers practical recommendations that could address the problems that mining workers are currently facing in Zimbabwe

This article explored police methods and challenges in the identification of human trafficking activities by the South African Police Service (SAPS). A qualitative research method was employed in this study that used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Participants were sourced from three key stakeholder groups: (1) the SAPS (Headquarters), (2) Sunnyside Community Service Centre, and (3) Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) officials with expertise related to human trafficking. This sample comprised 15 participants and a purposive sampling procedure was adopted. The study found that there are various methods of identifying human trafficking identified by the SAPS in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM). Furthermore, the findings highlighted that human trafficking has a national dimension despite that trafficking could occur within the same province or policing area. However, it remains a concern that policing methods to reduce the scourge are not effectively implemented hence an increased rate of human trafficking not only in the CTMM policing area but in many parts of South Africa. It was also found that in the process of identifying human trafficking activities, the SAPS is often faced with various challenges that may be linked to ineffective implementation of methods of identifying human trafficking activities

It is inevitable and regrettable that inmates continue to commit crimes while serving their sentences. This is rather bizarre because prisons are naturally confined spaces that leave one with little or no liberty to do what one would normally do outside of prison, let alone committing crime.  This raises questions concerning the pragmatic position of scientific theories that are not only formulated to explain, predict, and understand phenomena but are also seen as a bedrock of scientific research. It would not be far-fetched to expect any research paper to include a section on a theoretical framework that is essentially a representation of some level of the application of particular scholarly theories. However,  not much has been documented about the usefulness of scientific theories that normally form part of research papers. This analytic paper evaluated the usefulness of scholarly theories in the criminal justice system field, specifically punishment theories, by reflecting on the crimes committed by inmates while serving their time. This study found that retribution, deterrence, and incapacitation are not useful theories in terms of theoretical scope. The incapacitation theory is not useful in terms of heuristic value, and deterrence, and rehabilitation are not useful in terms of validity.