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This qualitative study examines the psychosocial barriers that prevent female students from reporting sexual victimisation at selected rural and urban universities in South Africa, as well as other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This study aimed to examine the psychological effects and social repercussions experienced by students, including instances of sexual abuse. This study is grounded in the Lifestyle Exposure Theory by Hindelang et al. (1978) and Fattah’s (1991) Differential Risk Model. It employed semi-structured In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with twenty-nine (29) First Responders, specifically selected from the Gender Desk, Student Governance, Health and Wellness, residence administrators, academic staff, safety and security, legal, psychology, and social work domains. These participants were chosen to provide insights on the subject matter. The findings indicate that fear of retaliation, stigmatisation, institutional distrust, and emotional trauma together perpetuate a culture of silence. The research emphasises that these barriers intensify psychological distress and social isolation in victims, thereby contributing to underreporting. The findings underscore the insufficient response to the necessity for a multi-institutional strategy to: 1) Implement trauma-informed awareness campaigns aimed at destigmatization, 2) Enhance structural support systems to bolster accountability, and 3) Ensure comprehensive staff training to eradicate biases in case management. By prioritising the welfare of survivors and confronting the societal acceptability of sexual violence, universities can mitigate the psychosocial effects of victimisation. This paper proposes the development of policies that rectify the gaps between institutional commitments and the real experiences of students, with the goal of establishing active prevention and survivor-centered justice as standard practices on campus.

The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how financialization of the economy has created structural inequalities in South Africa; and to further demonstrate the pertinence of rural development in alleviating the structural repercussions of the finance dominated regime. Financialization of the South African economy relates to the supremacy of speculative reforms, finance and shareholder-oriented motives in the oversight of the economy. The paper exhibits the failures of the dominance of financial and profit-making efforts in South Africa. The paper uses desktop analysis and literature survey to theoretically explore the opportunity space of rural development as a response to the effects of financialization of the South African economy. The paper finds that financialization of the South African economy polarizes and spatialises income distribution for the benefit of the elite minority in the urban financial and corporate space while the rural poor are getting poorer. It further finds that government planning and policy making efforts do not respond directly to the causes of inequality which were framed by the exclusionary economic planning. Moreover, local policy making has left a lacuna in as far as rural community based financial reconstruction and rehabilitation is concerned; instead, development policies seem to give reverence to the accentuation of exclusionary planning for the elite minority. The paper posits that the opportunity space for rural development should be exploited and given concerted efforts to remedy the impact of financialisaton and exclusionary colonial planning. Lastly, community-based cooperatives should be prioritised as appropriate institutional role players in facilitating the process of inclusive and redistributive rural development in South Africa.

Domestic violence is a deeply troubling and pervasive problem that affects individuals and families across the globe. Law enforcement agencies play a pivotal role in responding to domestic violence incidents, tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of those involved. This study aimed to investigate the situational factors that shape police officers’ decision-making processes when responding to domestic violence cases. The study used a qualitative approach and an exploratory case study design. Five police officers dealing with domestic violence matters were sampled through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from police officers. In adherence to national COVID-19 regulations, data were gathered through individual telephone interviews until saturation was reached. The data collected were analysed thematically. The findings revealed how organisational procedures, the type of abuse reported, the availability of witnesses, the behaviour of the perpetrator, and the victim’s statement influence police responses to domestic violence. In conclusion, this study has shed light on the multifaceted factors that significantly influence police officers’ decision-making processes when dealing with domestic violence incidents and their subsequent approaches to reported cases. Understanding these factors is crucial for enhancing law enforcement strategies, training, and policies to better serve and protect victims in such cases.

South Africa is a developing country characterised by a high rate of unemployment. Unemployment is more prevalent among women and the youth, as they comprise a larger population in South Africa. This has created a higher demand for public services, burdening the government’s ability to provide services. Promotion and funding of community entrepreneurship can ensure that local communities are given the required skills and support to start their businesses to support their families while creating an impact in society. South Africa has many informal businesses in which community members operate, and street vendors are the noted portion that constitutes this informal trading in South Africa. This paper seeks to analyse how the government can implement local economic development (LED) initiatives in a way that promotes and encourages community entrepreneurship. The local government is a sphere closer to the people and is entrusted with implementing LED initiatives in South Africa. The local government has a vital role to play, but it has not done enough to enhance community entrepreneurship in local communities. Based on this premise, this paper will also analyse the key challenges the local government faces in ensuring that community entrepreneurship is encouraged and promoted. This paper is timely. Therefore, the country is currently faced with a higher unemployment rate, which is mostly prevalent among women and the youth, and effective LED initiatives can promote community entrepreneurship in local communities for the betterment of citizens’ lives.

There is a dichotomy between the conventional theoretical view, which postulates that increased quality of governance stimulates economic growth and advances private capital formation. This study investigates the impact of governance quality and government expenditure on economic growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The study applied the Pooled Mean Group and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) model. The annual panel covers the period 2002 – 2023, which comprises five selected countries from the SADC member states. The data set was obtained from the World Bank World Governance Indicators (WBWGI) databases. In the short run, economic growth was linked to government expenditure. In the long run, technical governance quality variables bring participants into action or service through control of corruption and the rule of law. The technical governance quality variables contribute to economic growth and are positive in the long run. At the same time, democratic governance quality variables influence economic growth negatively. However, it was highlighted that a permanent increase in country government expenditure could be experienced due to continuous randomness. The study revealed that weak governance and unstable government expenditure deteriorate economic growth complexity. Henceforth, this study has also enhanced the governance quality and government expenditure theories and empirical literature concerning economic growth by exposing that the governance quality of the selected SADC countries endures commotion. This study recommends that achieving selected SADC growth can be possible by balancing the technical governance quality variables and abating the democratic governance quality variables. Thus, the study contributes by outlining the golden thread that national and international policies should be prioritized in control of corruption and endorse governance effectiveness, regulatory quality, the rule of law, and managing expenditure within the threshold level.

The significance of efficient human resource management for organisational sustainability cannot be overstated. Essential to efficient management is the retention of skilled staff to enhance production, achieved through rewards and perks. This study investigated the impact of rewards and bonuses on the motivation of allied health professionals in a public hospital. The study aimed to evaluate the nature of rewards and benefits offered, as well as their perceived motivational impact. A quantitative cross-sectional study design was employed. The study sample, encompassing the complete target group, consisted of 91 individuals. Participants were provided with self-administered questions. The findings indicated that the chosen hospital offers rewards and advantages that comply with national standards. Furthermore, a beneficial impact of rewards and benefits on motivation was demonstrated. According to Herzberg's theory, the findings indicated that the participants considered both hygiene and motivational aspects significant for motivation. Participants expressed that the absence of what they deemed essential characteristics was demoralising. The report advocates for a unified approach to elucidating policies and procedures pertaining to benefits and rewards. This study's managerial consequences necessitate the implementation of policies that employees comprehend and appreciate. The research enhances understanding of employee motivation within a public sector hospital context, where personnel frequently migrate to metropolitan regions.

The capacity of authors to generate coherent articles largely relies on their proficient use of cohesive devices.  This chapter examines the utilisation of reiteration by Grade 12 English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners in the Malamulele South Circuit to attain cohesiveness in their written English essays.  Cohesion is an essential characteristic employed by educators when evaluating students' essays.  Thus, a deficiency in consistency in writing may result in diminished grades or outright failure.  The appropriate use of cohesive devices improves the logical progression and interrelation of phrases, paragraphs, and entire writings.  This study employed a qualitative research methodology, sampling fifteen essays from a designated school in the Malamulele South Circuit.  These essays have been assessed, reviewed, and finalised.  Document analysis functioned as the principal method for data collecting.  The results indicated that Grade 12 EFAL students in the Malamulele South Circuit employed many forms of reiteration, including repetition, synonyms, and antonyms, to construct cohesive writings.  Nevertheless, the study emphasised that these learners frequently generated repetitive and redundant sentences due to their propensity to excessively repeat words and phrases for emphasis.  Furthermore, they faced challenges in the proficient use of synonyms and antonyms.