Musings on social cohesion in South Africa

[BOOK REVIEW]Ballantine, Christopher, Chapman, Michael, Erwin, Kira & Maré, Gerhard (eds) (2017) (2015) Living together, living apart: Social cohesion in a future South Africa. Pietermaritzburg: UKZN Press. ISBN 978-1-86914-332-9 pbk. Pages vii + 197 This slim volume offers a set of short essays on a range of topics, loosely bound together by the subtitle of the book – the question of social cohesion in South Africa. What does the phrase “social cohesion” mean, though? The editors ask this question at the outset, and conclude that it seems like a social goal that cannot be argued against (who would argue that “social cohesion” is a bad thing for a society to have?). For that reason, and because it appears to mean so much in governmental and intellectual circles in South Africa, the editors offer us the reflections of a diverse array of scholars and authors. Philosophy, Linguistics, Literature, Music, Legal Studies, Sociology, Developmental Studies, Genetics, Urban Geography, and Physics, are some of the home disciplines of the authors who apply themselves to the question(s) at hand

Summer Fling

Two estranged sisters, Liza and Nikki, travel to the seaside town of Hermanus. Liza hopes that a summer spent together will restore their once close relationship. Nikki is just looking for some fun. Then Liza disappears from the family holiday house. Messages left show that she's been abducted, kidnapped by someone who has no idea that Liza desperately needs her medication. In a country plagued by violence against women, Nikki, her parents, and the local police need to work together against the clock to save Liza. If only they could trust each other. Nikki is drawn deeper into a situation she cannot control or run away from as she tries to find her sister before it’s too late. Toxic family history emerges and tensions mount as the kidnappers demand a large ransom. Liza’s health is deteriorating fast and Nikki’s efforts to make amends are met with doubt and hostility. Will Nikki be able to help her sister before it’s too late

The role of values, norms and affect in relation to water-scarcity risk perceptions and water conservation behaviours in the Western Cape

The effects of accelerating climate change are already being felt globally. Sub-Saharan Africa is at high risk of extreme hydrological events, and increasingly severe and frequent droughts pose a threat to water security in the region. As the impacts of climate change are expected to increase, it is important to promote adaptation to drought events by studying the factors that can influence water saving behaviour. The present work studied how three categories of risk perception determinants namely values, social norms and affect, influenced water scarcity risk perceptions and water saving behaviour during the Western Cape drought of 2014-2017 in an urban population living in formal housing in the City of Cape Town. The outcomes of this study are two-fold. Firstly, this research provides evidence for the usefulness of a conceptual framework rooted in risk perceptions literature for understanding how affect, social norms and values fit together with risk perceptions to explain pro-environmental (water saving) behaviour. Secondly, the findings add to the literature on risk perception determinants, water scarcity risk perceptions, and water saving behaviour by showing that fear, self-transcending values, hedonism, and descriptive and prescriptive norms were important factors in shaping water scarcity risk perceptions and water conservation behaviour during the drought. In future drought contexts, the revised framework and the risk perception determinant findings could be drawn on to help understand how values, social norms and affect interact with water scarcity risk perceptions to influence water conservation behaviour

Taxpayer confidentiality versus access to information, freedom of expression, and the public interest in the tax affairs of a state president: Arena Holdings PTY LTD T/A Financial Mail & Another v South African Revenue Service & Others – “A giant leap for

It is trite that taxpayer information is confidential in South Africa, subject to a few narrow exceptions. In the judgments in Arena Holdings Pty Ltd t/a Financial Mail & Another v South African Revenue Service & Others (hereafter, the Arena cases), both the Gauteng Division, Pretoria and Constitutional Court considered the conflict between the taxpayer’s constitutional right to privacy and the media’s constitutional rights of access to information and freedom of expression after the press requested access to the tax records of a former president. In doing so, the courts were faced with many diverse contentions. This article analyses selected issues arising from these arguments in both courts, namely taxpayer confidentiality and the exceptions thereto, access to information and the extension of the public interest override, and the nature of the application and powers of the court in these unique circumstances. The analysis goes beyond the scope of the ratio decidendi of the respective courts and provides obiter comments on practical questions raised in the affidavits and heads of argument filed before both courts. It finds that there is no precise precedent in South African tax law jurisprudence that is directly applicable to this exact scenario and considers the proposed extension of existing legislation

Efficiency of Buccal DNA sampling device in the mortuary

Identification of forensic DNA samples by short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is currently an essential component of criminal investigations and can aid in linking perpetrators to crimes as well as identifying missing individuals or unidentified remains. In South Africa, recent amendments to legislation have allowed for the mandatory acquisition of reference DNA samples from certain offenders in order to populate the new National Forensic DNA Database. A novel method for the collection of buccal samples, the EasiCollect device, has been proposed to facilitate the collection of these DNA samples, replacing blood collecting devices as the standard method of DNA collection. Subsequently, this device has been introduced into South African state mortuaries to assist in the identification of deceased individuals. In order to ascertain if this device is suitable for use in the postmortem setting, an investigation was performed to compare the main methodology currently utilised within South African mortuaries, namely femoral blood transferred to ‘Fast Technology for Analysis of nucleic acids’ (FTA) cards, and buccal cells obtained using the EasiCollect device. DNA yields and STR genotyping results were compared between the two collection methods in thirty deceased individuals. Buccal samples provided a significantly greater DNA yield than blood samples, while no significant difference was observed between the qualities of the sample types as measured by the 260/280 nm ratio. Full STR profiles were obtained from all blood and buccal samples, with amplification efficiency showing limited DNA degradation and PCR inhibition in these samples, and only 3% of samples giving potentially disputable results. Numerous issues surrounding the collection of blood samples, however, indicated that this method is not optimal for use in the mortuary, with the EasiCollect device providing a more practical and robust method for the collection of DNA samples in the mortuar

Utilisation and usefulness of face composites in the South African Police Service - an evaluation study

The current study investigates the degree to which face composites are utilised as an investigative tool in the South African Police Service. The article provides an overview of the conditions under which composites are produced by eyewitnesses to a crime, and points out constraints in terms of their usefulness and applicability. Composites were found to be produced after a longer delay than is recommended, and predominantly in violent and menacing crimes. Conviction rates for composite-related crimes were very low. However, more insight into actual use and case characteristics is needed before concluding on the usefulness of composites as an investigative tool or evidence. Directions for further research in this area are explored