A large fraction of South African consumers are highly leveraged, inadequately insured, and/or own little to no assets of value, which increases their exposure not only to idiosyncratic risk but also to severe indebtedness and/or default. This scenario can present negative ramifications that lead well beyond the confines of individual households.…

Language policy and Linguistic Landscapes (LL) are a highly contested area in South Africa. Due to Apartheid, the education system constitutes the core of such contestation. In Post-Apartheid South Africa the new Constitution of 1996, the South African Schools Act (SASA) and recent political initiatives such as the Use of Official Languages Act of…

Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery and is often collectively referred to as a human rights violation. However, human trafficking is more complex than this suggests as this article attempts to demonstrate. It begins by describing the landscape of international trends in human trafficking, with particular attention to child…

This article considers the socioeconomic changes that have impacted on the lives of poor children since the end of apartheid in South Africa. In particular, the article highlights the ways in which child labour legislation after 1994 has had the unintended consequence of deepening chronic hunger and childhood poverty on food-rich farms where…

Although there appears to be a broad recognition of the key role that Public Sector Information (PSI) can play in the development of societies, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of how PSI is actually being utilized and of its wider societal value, especially in developing countries. The overarching goal of this dissertation…

Apartheid was a system of government in South Africa, abolished in 1994, which systematically separated groups on the basis of race classification. The Apartheid system of racial segregation was made law in South Africa in 1948, when the country was officially divided into four racial groups, White, Black, Indian and Coloureds (or people of mixed…

The study's aim was to develop a multidimensional model for the assessment of child maltreatment prevention readiness in low- and middle-income countries. The model was developed based on a conceptual review of relevant existing models and approaches, an international expert consultation, and focus groups in six countries. The final model…

South Africa has alarmingly high crime rates and a significant proportion of offences are committed by juveniles. Recent legislation seeks to protect children by providing for their diversion out of the criminal justice system. The primary objective of this paper is to describe research undertaken to develop minimum standards for diversion…

In the face of growing international support for recognition of child-headed households, the author poses the following questions: What does the internationally recognised right to alternative care for children entail? Is the recognition of child-headed households as a form of alternative care in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child…

I explore the relationship between education policy and identity by looking at how the learning subject is constituted at national education policy level. The notion of the "ideal South African learning subject", which I suggest, foregrounds national education policy discourse, contradicts the reality of continued class, race, cultural…

Poverty is one of the major threats to the realization of children's rights worldwide and in South Africa. Currently, 66% of South African children live in severe poverty. This places all other rights at risk; the rights guaranteed by the South African Constitution and by the UN Convention. Poverty and inequality in South Africa continue to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on how two rural-based universities in South Africa can contribute towards sustainable development especially in their immediate rural communities. It addresses the following questions what conditions or policy frameworks exist that can engender a sustainable development trajectory? How can…

In South Africa today there is a complex structure of laws and regulations which impose a variety of restrictions on individual liberties including the freedom to publish and read literary material. The successive steps by which this state of affairs has been reached are briefly described. (NH)

The Local Government Training Act in South Africa sets policy for creation, development, and maintenance of suitable training for the diverse functions of local government. The past exclusion of blacks from government positions means that training of municipal workers is a critical need. (SK)

The increased use of computer-based and Internet-delivered testing has raised a number of ethical and legal issues. The International Test Commission's (this issue) Guidelines for Computer-Based and Internet-Delivered Testing represent the most recent attempt to provide test users, publishers, and developers with guidance regarding the appropriate…