International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science

Cybercrime is touted as any harmful behaviour that is in some way related to a computer but does not have a specific legal reference. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore cybersecurity as a response to combating cybercrime, focusing on demystifying the prevailing threats, while offering recommendations to the African regions. Moreover, this qualitative study employed a non-empirical research design: Systematic review methodology to analyse grey literature and primary research studies peer-reviewed and published, restricted from 2010-2022, not following yearly sequential consideration. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) were employed to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings of this study based on reviewed conventional and seminal literature studies on this subject. The main findings of this study rest on a lack of a common universal definition of cybercrime, this has an impact on its prevention and ignores enormous economic value associated with the commission of this crime across the world, African regions included. It was also observed that this criminal act is presently committed with internet usage, consisting of copyright infringements, computer-related fraud, child or adult pornography, and network security violations, amongst others. Equally, addressing this scourge in African regions requires advanced skills and knowledge; exceeding the average computer and internet user.  It is also critical to recognise the importance of implementing efficient cybersecurity methods, as policing this crime remains an important component of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA), and more innovative strategies are required and a globally coordinated response to this problem is urgently sought.

A little over two years ago, from the 9th to the 18th of July 2021, South Africa experienced one of the worst incidents of civil unrest since the beginning of its democratic dispensation. Although the main catalyst for this unrest was not directly issues of service delivery or public participation, many observers, experts or not could not help but see the connection to issues of poverty, unemployment and overall lack of service delivery. Public participation has long been established as a vital tool in the hands of the government for efficient service delivery & development. The Newcastle Local Municipality (NLM) as an institution in South Africa, is governed by numerous public participation legislation which essentially states it must always consult & involve all its citizens on all issues that affect the community at large. Despite its adherence to these stipulations, this brief study, through a qualitative inquiry making use of an interview schedule, finds that NLM practices a type of participation strategy known as “Degrees of tokenism” where the result is the appeasement and placation of the masses as opposed to true participation that gives the masses real power. The results indicated that the officials entrusted with ensuring the implementation of the public participation mandate faced numerous challenges that rendered their stellar efforts inefficient. Issues such as a lack of understanding of the fundamental importance of good governance and public participation led to a shortage of resources and increased apathy toward municipal affairs. In investigating the nature of the public participation framework in NLM the researcher aimed at providing more insight into the complex issues at play responsible for the largely concerning state of local government in South Africa, thus possibly providing solutions in the process.

This article intends to uncover the ongoing challenges that South African municipalities are confronted with in realizing SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and also explore common good governance principles for sustainable development. To realize SDG 6, good governance principles should be promoted and pragmatically implemented. This is a conceptual article which assesses secondary data covering SDG 6 challenges and good governance principles. Existing literature was systematically reviewed from Google Scholar, online newsletters, and other databases from May–July 2022. Secondary data was analyzed using a Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) approach. The theoretical findings of this article show that there is growing concern about attaining SDG 6 due to the bad or weak governance practices in SA. In SA, progress on good governance has been encouraging, but challenges remain. Thus, this article recommends good and inclusive governance because, without it, SA will not achieve its socio-economic goals, like SDG 6. If SA is to achieve its development goals, it must establish mechanisms that promote constitutionalism, accountability, democracy, and good governance. Weak governance, which is characterized by corruption, bribery, mismanagement, and lack of public involvement, transparency, and accountability, should be addressed. SA should have sound governance that is responsive to community needs and fights toward the achievement of the localized SDGs.

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 extent of women's representation and visibility in local government planning in South Africa has been significantly constrained. Over the years, the recurring phenomenon of insufficient participation and representation in local governance has become a prevalent issue within the country. The inclusion and participation of women in the decision-making process of local government should not be driven solely by the necessity to comply with legislative and policy frameworks and not by just a mere representation in terms of reflecting on the number of participants. Incorporating diverse individuals and groups is crucial in guaranteeing that progress within communities is accomplished acceptably.  The act of prioritizing men's interests or political opportunism over women's interests in local government planning lacks justification.  This study elucidates diverse factors that underlie the insufficient involvement and representation of women in local government planning. These variables encompass the prevalence of custom, culture, and tradition; socialisation, attitudes, and stereotypes; violence against women in politics; the media; finances and resources; structural deficiencies; patriarchy; and education. The research relied on existing scholarly works and documented accounts to investigate the causative elements and explicate their effect on the developmental condition. The article posits that addressing these factors requires a comprehensive approach that includes a multifaceted approach and a dosage of sustained efforts to ensure that there is gender balance and fair representation of women in local government planning. The study contributes to a better understanding of the participation and representation of women in the context of local government planning. It provides insights into strategies for creating more inclusive opportunities for women to express their views and exercise influence in local decision-making procedures.

Population growth at the household level increases pressure on water and land resources. This study examined the impact of household population growth on water and land resource depletion in Limpopo Province of South Africa, using a desktop research approach with secondary data from academic journals, government reports, and relevant policy documents. The findings show that as household population size increases, the demand for water and land also rises, leading to overuse, environmental degradation, soil erosion, pollution, and reduced availability of these resources. The study also found that low use of family planning and contraceptives contributes to faster household growth and unsustainable resource use, threatening ecosystem services and food security. Using the lens of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory, the study highlighted that improving access to family planning and reproductive health education could help manage household population growth and reduce pressure on natural resources. The study concluded that household population growth negatively affected water and land resources in Limpopo Province and recommended promoting family planning programs, sustainable development practices, effective resource management, and stronger local government involvement in planning and policy implementation to ensure environmental sustainability.

This article explores the portrayal of corruption and moral decay in selected Xitsonga protest poetry, focusing on Ngobeni K.J.'s "Xana i vuphorisa ke?"  and Khosa M.A.'s "Hi lo yini hina?". The study investigates how figurative language, particularly proverbs, metaphors, and rhetorical devices, functions not only as a literary technique but also as a social critique drawing on the context theory of meaning, which emphasizes how linguistic expressions derive their meaning from sociocultural and historical contexts in which they are used, the analysis demonstrates how the poets encode complex critiques of institutional decay into culturally resonant language. The study employs a qualitative research design using content analysis to identify and interpret themes of corruption in policing and religion. The findings reveal that both ports present corruption not simply as an act of individual moral failure but as a systemic issue rooted in nepotism, bribery, and spiritual manipulation. Ultimately, the article argues that protest poetry in indigenous languages serves as a powerful tool for moral reflection and civic engagement in contemporary South African society. 

Gender-based violence (GBV) is widely recognised as a serious human rights issue; however, the experiences of male victims remain largely overlooked and underreported. This study explores the silent and often ignored reality of GBV against men within the Polokwane Municipality of Limpopo Province, South Africa. While dominant narratives frequently position GBV as violence perpetrated by men against women, this research sheds light on the growing, yet muted, phenomenon of male victimisation. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered from ten purposively selected participants through semi-structured interviews, including an in-depth session with a key informant. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. The study reveals that male victims frequently suffer psychological abuse, emotional neglect, and social isolation. Deeply entrenched gender norms, societal expectations of masculinity, and fear of stigma significantly hinder men from seeking help. Furthermore, a lack of targeted support services and a predominant focus of existing GBV frameworks on women and children leaves male survivors marginalised. This research emphasises the need for inclusive and gender-sensitive interventions, including awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes and the development of support systems responsive to male experiences. By highlighting these gaps, the study contributes to a broader and more equitable understanding of GBV, advocating for policies that support all survivors, regardless of gender.

South Africa’s economy is heavily reliant on coal-fired power, which contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; hence, it embraced the Just Energy Transition (JET) to realise a low-carbon economy. This ignited the emergence of competing discourses constituted of proponents of coal and advocates of renewable energy. Transforming a deeply entrenched coal-dependent energy system to renewables is not a straightforward endeavour. Thus, the JET in South Africa faces several obstacles, including political interference, financial constraints, high costs of renewables, and resistance from labour unions, among others. Coal proponents are resisting the JET under contestations that phasing coal out presents various socio-economic implications towards coal-dependent industries, communities, livelihoods and jobs, especially in provinces such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo. While renewable energy proponents are driven by the ambition to reduce GHG emissions, responding to climate change, with the promise of green industries and jobs. Through a systematic literature review, the paper examines competing discourses of the JET in the pursuit of harmonising them. The paper argues that it is important for South Africa to transition, however, not with precipitous haste. The paper recommends that the JET needs to be well-sequenced and judicious to foster energy diversification and readiness, rather than rapidly abandoning coal. This narrows the gap between the two competing discourses, protects energy security and socio-economic stability. The recommendations put forth include policy coherence, multilevel coordination, investments in storage systems, and means such as re-skilling labourers from the coal industry into the renewable energy sector to realise a genuinely just transition. 

The online media coverage often serves as the primary source of information for the public regarding their everyday lives, correctional centres included, even though these institutions are isolated from the general public. Nevertheless, the individual’s perceptions are largely influenced by online media portrayals of correctional centres. Using the non-empirical research design: Systematic review, with the objective of t exploring the portrayal of South African female prison (correctional centre) life through the use of ‘News24 and YouTube online media platforms,’ aided by ‘eNews Channel Africa (eNCA), Newzroom Afrika, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News and Crime Watch.’ This study employed qualitative research approach. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was adopted to analyse the purposively selected studies, supported by the inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) to identify, code, and interpret recurring study themes and patterns from this subject. The study findings indicate that the online media platforms construct a dualistic image of female prison (correctional centre) life, often oscillating between depictions of brutality and too lenient, resulting in mixed perceptions which may complicates the public's understanding of female incarceration. It is recommended that the online media organisations should strengthen ethical standards relating to the coverage of correctional centres and inmates, including avoiding dehumanising descriptions that can stigmatise incarcerated women and deter reintegration.