Exceto onde especificado diferentemente, a matéria publicada neste periódico é licenciada sob forma de uma licença Creative Commons -Atribuição 4. Social justice in South Africa Justiça social na África do SulJayanathan Govender* Abstract: South Africa is the world's most unequal country. Poverty and inequality, exacerbated by unemployment are the country's foremost challenges. The present government has made significant progress regarding the provision of basic services and broadening the social wage. However, the unfortunate reality is that inequality grew since the advent of democracy over twenty years ago. This development runs contrary to the commitments of the South African Constitution and social policy provisions, thereby raising more serious questions of rights and social justice. The continuity, depth and breadth of inequality, including the extraordinary financial and social costs is linked to the legacy of apartheid. Inequality is structurally embedded spatially and economically. Crucially, inequality is also a function of access to opportunities and human development outcomes. The paper attempts a theoretical discussion of the relationship between inequality, poverty and unemployment, which requires greater input; identifies some barriers to transformation; and presents tentative approaches towards lowering inequality.Keywords: Social justice. Inequality. Unemployment. Development. Policy. Resumo:A África do Sul é o país mais desigual do mundo. A pobreza e a desigualdade, agravadas pelo desemprego, são os desafios mais importante do país. O atual governo tem feito progressos significativos em relação à prestação de serviços básicos e ampliação dos benefícios sociais. No entanto, a triste realidade é que a desigualdade cresceu desde o advento da democracia, mais de vinte anos atrás. Esta evolução é contrária aos compromissos da Constituição Sul-Africana e a provisão de políticas sociais, tornando assim mais graves as questões de direitos e justiça social. A continuidade, profundidade e amplitude da desigualdade, incluindo os custos financeiros e sociais extraordinárias, estão ligados ao legado do apartheid. A desigualdade é estruturalmente condicionada, espacial e economicamente. Fundamentalmente, a desigualdade é resultado do acesso diferencial à oportunidades e produtos do desenvolvimento humano. O artigo apresenta uma discussão teórica sobre a relação entre a desigualdade, a pobreza e o desemprego; identifica também algumas barreiras para mudanças; e apresenta abordagens experimentais de redução da desigualdade.Palavras-chave: Justiça Social. Desigualdade. Desemprego. Desenvolvimento. Política.
IntroductionEarly assessment of volume status is paramount in critically ill patients. Central venous pressure (CVP) measurement and ultrasound assessment of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are both used for volume assessment in the emergency centre. Recent data is conflicting over whether there is a correlation between CVP and ultrasound assessment of the IVC.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of an audit previously performed in the Emergency Unit of Ngwelezane Hospital in Kwazulu-Natal. The audit involved measuring inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVC-CI) within 5 min of CVP measurement. In this retrospective study, audit data were analysed to determine if an association exists.ResultsTwenty-four patients were included. The median age of participants was 36 (IQR 42) years (95% CI 33–56). The median time to ultrasound was 18.6 (52.5) h (95% CI 7.5–36.2). The mean CVP was 13.7 ± 7.7 cm H2O and mean IVC-CI was 39.4 ± 17.8%. Based on a Pearson correlation test, there was a weak negative correlation between CVP and IVC-CI, which was not statistically significant (r = −0.05, n = 24, p = 0.81, 95% CI −0.5 to 0.4) for all participants. However, among females there was a moderate negative correlation between CVP and IVC-CI, which was not statistically significant (r = −0.43, n = 7, p = 0.34, 95% CI −0.9 to 0.5), while among males there was a weak positive correlation, which was not statistically significant (r = 0.16, n = 17, p = 0.53, 95% CI −0.3 to 0.6).DiscussionThere is no significant correlation between CVP and IVC-CI. Further validation research is required to support our preliminary findings of no significant correlation between CVP measurement and ultrasound assessment of the IVC. CVP and IVC ultrasound should be used as clinical adjuncts, and not as stand-alone measures of volume assessment.
Participation in South Africa is encouraged and institutionalized in a variety of processes at different levels of government. The right of citizens and their representatives to exchange views and influence decision making at the local governance sphere such as the right to be included in decision making on the local budget, planning and development processes, and service delivery matters, is embodied in a wide range of national policies. However in reality, participation praxis appears to be theoretical, unclear, superficial and at times a tool to exercise political hegemony at the local level. This paper examines the level of people’s participation in the planning and development of low-income human settlements in three research localities in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It highlights, contrary to policy mandates to create real opportunities for participation by ordinary citizens, what one may term ‘rhetoric’ that best serves the hegemony of political actors.
Negotiations to restructure and transform local government in South Africa commenced in 1993. Key roleplayers and stakeholders in local government were instrumental in adopting a negotiated local government model comprising three distinct phases during the constitutional development process. The Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) facilitated the process for the introduction of transitional local and metropolitan councils which constituted the first phase. Local government elections were held for the first time in November 1995 and May/June 1996 in seven provinces (and thereafter Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) constituted the second phase. Three fundamental legislative enactments, i.e. Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 (Act 27 of 1998); Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) and the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), were critical to the final phase. Elections held in December 2000 marked the end of the transition period resulting in a reduction of municipalities from 843 to 283. There were two successful local government elections held thereafter on 26 March 2006 and more recently on 18 May 2011. Regular elections and the plethora of legislation introduced to consolidate the new dispensation have resulted in local democracy and decentralization being deeply rooted in the local governance system. The latter is an integral component of the local governance policy framework as the country has a diverse population of almost 50 million people. It is believed that a democratic and decentralised governance system will promote local development, address poverty reduction, facilitate civic engagement and ensure national integration. Local democracy, introduced seventeen years ago following the ushering in of the developmental state in 1994, has since been tried and tested. Despite ‘world class’ legislation and a ‘best practice’ local governance system, which has as its basis people centred development, engagement and decentralisation, several governance challenges has emerged. This includes inter alia, unfunded mandates; rampant corruption and nepotism;violent service delivery protests; capacity constraints; crime, lack of communication, transparency and accountability; limited civic engagement and a significant number of municipalities that are not financially viable. These issues will have to be addressed if Chapter 7 of the Constitution has to become more meaningful to the majority of the populace in terms of discharging its developmental mandate.
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