scholarly journals Recognising indigenous vegetables as potential contributors to livelihoods development: a case of two district municipalities in northern KwaZulu-Natal

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Qinisani Qwabe ◽  
Elliot Zwane ◽  
Jan Swanepoel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Democratic Leadership ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Indigenous Vegetables ◽  
Household Heads

South Africa is a food sufficient country. Native South Africans, however, continue to suffer from food insecurity at a household level, even under contemporary democratic leadership. Influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study was conducted to determine the role of indigenous vegetables in rural livelihoods in the two selected district municipalities of northern KwaZulu-Natal, namely iLembe District Municipality (IDM) and the King Cetshwayo District Municipality (KCDM). A purposive sample which consisted of 130 participants (n=130) was drawn, and data were analysed descriptively using Microsoft Excel Software. Our findings point in the direction that indigenous vegetables have the potential to contribute to livelihoods development. It was also found that these vegetables can thrive under diverse climatic conditions, including both irrigated and rainfed areas. This is especially important in a country like South Africa which faces major challenges of water scarcity and household food insecurity. Most household heads in the study were unemployed and relied on government monetary incentives for survival. It is concluded that there is a need to include these indigenous crops as part of the main discussions in the food discourse and to recognise them as a tool to enhance livelihood development.

scholarly journals Do Smallholder Farmers Need Nutrition Education? A Case Study from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Sarahi Moralles ◽  
Abdukladir Egal ◽  
Wilna Oldewage-Theron
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Balanced Diet ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

South Africa (SA) is considered as the second largest economies in Africa with well-developed agricultural food production system. But food security is still a challenge at household level. Currently, in Africa, smallholder agriculture is recognized to contribute food security at household level. This study investigates the prevalence of food insecurity and nutritional knowledge of 78 local smallholder farmers in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. The results from this study indicated that nutrition knowledge was poor and food insecurity was prevalent at >40% at the household level. It is therefore recommended that future agricultural training should include nutrition education based on FBDG (Food Based Dietary Guidelines) in their respective programs so as to attain a balanced diet for healthy and productive smallholder farmer communities

scholarly journals Climate Change and Food Insecurity Dynamics in the Rural Limpopo Province of South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1(J)) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Household Heads

In the developing nations of the world, poor gross domestic product growth has shown serious vacuum to be filled in order to achieve the sustainable development goals. In that regard, this research article intends to contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nation’s goal by explaining the rural food insecurity in the light of climate change dynamic in some selected rural communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The data employed in the study were collected from 120 randomly selected rural household heads. Data were analysed with descriptive (frequency, mean etc.) and inferential statistics (Principal component Analysis (PCA), Tobit and Probit Regression) which were properly fitted (P<0.05) for the set research objectives. Descriptive results indicate that the average age of the respondents was 52 years with 60% of the household heads being married and a mean household size of 5.The study concluded that there is climate change effect and food insecurity in the study area and therefore recommended among others that the government of South Africa should endeavour to implement a more rural focused food securityclimate change policies in order to relieve the intensity of food insecurity situations among these disadvantaged rural dwellers of the province as well as to entrench a policy of long term development of agriculture. Finally, the study emphasized that the rural farming households should be enlightened through proper extension services to carry out climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in alleviating the food insecurity situation in the rural communities of the province. 

scholarly journals Maternal AIDS Orphans and the Burden of Parenting in Youth-headed Households; Implications for Food Security in Impoverished Areas of South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-151
Author(s):  
Ephodia Sebola ◽  
Busisiwe Ntuli ◽  
Sphiwe Madiba
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Psychosocial Wellbeing ◽  
Aids Orphans ◽  
Adequate Food ◽  
Household Heads

The increasing number of AIDS orphans has led to an increase in child and youth headed households. Adjusting to the parenting role with no support from their extended family is a source of distress for orphans heading households. This study explored the parenting experiences of orphaned youth heading households in resource constraints environments. Methods: The participants were purposely selected from Youth-Headed Households (YHHs) located in informal settlements in the City of Tshwane, South Africa. The data analysis was inductive and followed the thematic approach. Results: Thirteen females and five males aged between 15-24 years were interviewed. The phenomenon of YHHs occured in impoverished informal settlements partly due to orphans being forcefully removed from their parents’ homes after the death of their mothers. The household heads felt morally obliged to care for their siblings, experienced parenting as burdensome, and the role adjustment from being a child to a parent difficult and demanding. The inability to provide adequate food to feed their siblings was a source of emotional stress. In an attempt to fulfil their parenting roles, they dropped out of school to find employment. Conclusion: Although the child support and foster grant are widely recognised for improving children's access to food, education, and basic services in South Africa, the lack thereof contributed to the economic hardships and vulnerability to food insecurity and hunger among orphans in YHHs. There is a need for multi-sectoral interventions to address food insecurity and, in so doing, improve the psychosocial wellbeing of orphans in YHHs.

Food Security and Rural Livelihoods in the Doldrums: Exploring Alternatives for Sanyati through Sustainable Development Goals

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mitchell Mashizha ◽  
Munyaradzi Admire Dzvimbo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition

The topical issue of sustainable development has received significant attention from scholars, social commentators and decision-makers, yet it seems there is a gap with regard to the examination of alternatives and sustainable methods of combating food insecurity. This article makes a number of observations that point to a deepening food insecurity, and it makes recommendations to avert further catastrophes. Findings from the study indicate that the Sanyati district in Zimbabwe faces perennial food shortages and relies on government food handouts, drought relief and donor food aid. The study found that command agriculture (a government initiative) is perceived as a catalyst for ensuring food security and nutrition and enhancing self-sufficiency among smallholder farmers in rural communities. Knowledge of sustainable development goals can lead to an expanded understanding of food security in general and the manifestations of alternative rural livelihoods strategies in particular. In this article, we recommend the implementation of climate-smart agriculture at local and national levels to help farmers adapt to the changing climatic conditions. However, there is a need to make subsidised inputs available in time so as to increase household adaptive capacity and improve livelihoods.

scholarly journals Genetic characterisation of non-descript cattle populations in communal areas of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
M. D. Mamogobo ◽  
N. O. Mapholi ◽  
K. A. Nephawe ◽  
T. L. Nedambale ◽  
T. J. Mpofu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Indigenous Cattle ◽  
North West ◽  
Cattle Breeds ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Communal Areas

Context Indigenous cattle breeds represent an important genetic resource for livelihood of communal-area inhabitants. Indigenous breeds have the ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions, can adapt genetically to poor-quality forages and are resistant to parasites and diseases. These unique traits possessed by indigenous breeds are under threat because of unrestrained crossing with exotic commercial breeds, and this can lead to total loss of a breed. Aims The study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of South African non-descript communal beef cattle populations by using 25 microsatellite markers. Methods Unrelated and non-descript animals (n = 150) were sampled from communal areas from five (5) provinces of South Africa, namely, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu–Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West, with 30 samples per breed taken. Six (6) known cattle breeds (n = 180) were used as a reference population. This included Angus, Afrikaner, Bonsmara, Brahman, Drakensberger and the Nguni, with 30 samples per breed. Key results High level of genetic diversity was found across the five non-descript populations, with an average heterozygosity of 75%. The Limpopo population was found to be the most diverse population, with the highest average number of alleles (8.5) and heterozygosity (ranging between observed heterozygosity of 70% and expected heterozygosity of 79%). STRUCTURE software assigned populations (2 ≤ K ≤ 20), with the most probable cluster being at K = 7. The Eastern Cape, KwaZulu–Natal and Limpopo populations had genetic material similar to those possessed by the Nguni and Bonsmara reference populations. Conclusions Results from the study showed that most genetic differentiation occurred within populations rather than among populations, and this might be due to the fact that there is no selection for or against any specific production trait expressed in the populations. Implications The obtained information will serve as a baseline for the development and implementation of sound breeding programs that will assist in controlling the gene flow, so as to lower the possible genetic dilution of the currently available genetic material.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Food Insecurity Dynamics in the Rural Limpopo Province of South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Household Heads

In the developing nations of the world, poor gross domestic product growth has shown serious vacuum to be filled in order to achieve the sustainable development goals. In that regard, this research article intends to contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nation’s goal by explaining the rural food insecurity in the light of climate change dynamic in some selected rural communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The data employed in the study were collected from 120 randomly selected rural household heads. Data were analysed with descriptive (frequency, mean etc.) and inferential statistics (Principal component Analysis (PCA), Tobit and Probit Regression) which were properly fitted (P<0.05) for the set research objectives. Descriptive results indicate that the average age of the respondents was 52 years with 60% of the household heads being married and a mean household size of 5.The study concluded that there is climate change effect and food insecurity in the study area and therefore recommended among others that the government of South Africa should endeavour to implement a more rural focused food securityclimate change policies in order to relieve the intensity of food insecurity situations among these disadvantaged rural dwellers of the province as well as to entrench a policy of long term development of agriculture. Finally, the study emphasized that the rural farming households should be enlightened through proper extension services to carry out climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in alleviating the food insecurity situation in the rural communities of the province. 

Adverse Events Reporting System as Experienced by Critical-Care Nurses in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thusile Mabel Gqaleni ◽  
Busisiwe Rosemary Bhengu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Life Threatening

Critically ill patients admitted to critical-care units (CCUs) might have life-threatening or potentially life-threatening problems. Adverse events (AEs) occur frequently in CCUs, resulting in compromised quality of patient care. This study explores the experiences of critical-care nurses (CCNs) in relation to how the reported AEs were analysed and handled in CCUs. The study was conducted in the CCUs of five purposively selected hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A descriptive qualitative design was used to obtain data through in-depth interviews from a purposive sample of five unit managers working in the CCUs to provide a deeper meaning of their experiences. This study was a part of a bigger study using a mixed-methods approach. The recorded qualitative data were analysed using Tesch’s content analysis. The main categories of information that emerged during the data analysis were (i) the existence of an AE reporting system, (ii) the occurrence of AEs, (iii) the promotion of and barriers to AE reporting, and (iv) the handling of AEs. The findings demonstrated that there were major gaps that affected the maximum utilisation of the reporting system. In addition, even though the system existed in other institutions, it was not utilised at all, hence affecting quality patient care. The following are recommended: (1) a non-punitive and non-confrontational system should be promoted, and (2) an organisational culture should be encouraged where support structures are formed within institutions, which consist of a legal framework, patient and family involvement, effective AE feedback, and education and training of staff.

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