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This study examines the long-run relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and institutional quality within the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), focusing on Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia over the period 2002–2019. Drawing on institutional theories of FDI, the analysis employs governance indicators such as political stability, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and rule of law to assess their influence on investment dynamics. Using panel unit root and cointegration tests, the study confirms the existence of a stable long-term equilibrium among the variables. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) estimator is applied to quantify these relationships. Empirical results indicate that control of corruption, political stability, and regulatory quality exert significant positive effects on FDI inflows, even after accounting for macroeconomic controls. Conversely, government effectiveness and rule of law show no statistically significant impact in the presence of the macroeconomic control variables. These findings underscore the critical role of institutional quality in shaping the investment climate of AMU economies. Policy implications suggest that targeted reforms such as strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, enhancing political stability, and improving regulatory governance can bolster institutional credibility, mitigate investment risk, and attract sustainable FDI to the region.  

This study explored whether centralising human resource management (HRM) for SMS appointments can improve recruitment efficiency, enhance transparency, and curtail patronage, while examining the broader implications for public sector governance and service provision. A qualitative, secondary data-driven systematic review was conducted following an adapted PRISMA protocol, with 16 peer-reviewed and governmental documents (2014 – 2024) retained. Thematic analysis proceeded through open, axial and thematic coding, generating four overarching themes: (1) Control vs autonomy, (2) Equity vs effectiveness, (3) Political legitimacy vs technocratic efficiency, and (4) Hybrid governance potential. The findings revealed that three interrelated challenges dominate the current centralised model: (i) Bureaucratic delays and capacity constraints; (ii) Loss of departmental autonomy; (iii) Contextual insensitivity. Conversely, centralisation delivers standardisation, fairness, and merit-based safeguards, providing a transparent platform for oversight and reducing overt patronage. The study proposes a calibrated hybrid architecture. Implementing the hybrid model aligns with constitutional mandates for merit, equity and accountability, while preserving departmental flexibility essential for effective service delivery. It offers a pragmatic pathway to break the "politicised hiring" cycle, improve vacancy-to-fill rates, and restore public trust in senior appointments across the health, education, water, and fiscal management sectors. By synthesising institutional theoretical perspectives with empirical evidence from South Africa and comparative BRICS cases, this research advances understanding of how centralised HRM can be re-engineered to balance technocratic efficiency with contextual responsiveness. The proposed governance framework provides a replicable blueprint for public-sector reform in resource-constrained, highly politicised environments.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is recognised as a fundamental human right in South Africa.  The study explores the underlying reasons and motivations for service hesitancy among youth in Mutale Village, even when they are aware that those services are available.  This study analyses the knowledge, perceptions and experiences of young people in Mutale Village, Thulamela Municipality. Utilising a mixed-method approach, the study employed both snowball and purposive sampling to gather data from 126 participants via semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis while quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statics via SPSS version 19.0. key findings reveal young people encounter numerous challenges accessing SRH services due to minimal awareness of available options. Service use is significantly hampered by prevailing social norms, religious beliefs that view SRG as improper for youth, and misconceptions regarding contraceptives side effects (e.g. fear of infertility). Furthermore, the negative attitude of local healthcare workers was found to discourage young people from using the facilities. The concludes that social barriers and healthcare worker attitudes are major impediments to the utilisation of essential SRH services. The study recommends that clinics in rural areas should expand youth-friendly corners with trained staff who respect confidentiality and provide non-judgmental services. Regular refresher training for healthcare providers on adolescent SRH needs is essential