1. Infrastructural Development Is Inhibiting Agricultural Development For Smallholder Farmers
Infrastructural development as a challenge for smallholder farmers is not only limited to on-farm infrastructure. Off-farm infrastructure such as roads serve as one barrier facing smallholder farmers in terms of distribution and market access, writes Agricultural Economist, Lunga Njara.
2. Could It Be True That The Advantages Of Marriage Are Disappearing?
There was a time when being married was an advantage. In fact, marriage was deemed to be so important that powerful elder men fighting for land and economic strength arranged marriages between their heterosexual children for the sake of furthering these means. Read more.
3. Almost Half Of South Africa's Children Are Growing Up Without Their Fathers -- And It's Having A Bad Impact
Fatherlessness serves as the start to a snowball effect that results in a generation of young adults who are 'social misfits'. Research has found that "boys growing up in absent father households are more likely to display hyper masculine behaviour, including different forms of aggression", getting involved in unhealthy relationships, crime and addiction, writes Rebone Masemola.
4. We Need To Do More To Debunk Myths About Rape
It is evident that rape needs to be debunked as there is a general lack of knowledge about it. Many people are unaware of what constitutes as rape and therefore have difficulty in "trying to make sense of it" says Kim Barker, who is currently studying her PhD in Psychology in Grahamstown, with her research focusing on recovery from sexual violence. Read more.
5. Racism Is A Cunning And Covert Monster -- As The St John's Scandal Shows
The recent racist scandal at prestigious private school, St. John's College, where a white teacher told black students that "the only reason they were getting good marks is because they sat next to white learners" among a long list of other racist slurs he uttered is just another glaring sign that racism continues to live and breathe –- as a cunning and covert monster, writes Zanta Nkumane.
6. Everything Must Change At St John's, Says Professor Sarah Nutgall
You have no anti-racism policy. No breakdown of what racism is, how a boy should proceed if he is a victim of racism or if he witnesses a racist incident -- where does he go, who does he report it to, and what action will be taken. Let's start work on drafting the beginning of a policy that we could take to parents and teachers, consulting carefully along the way. Read more.
7. Here's What We All Need To Know About Employment Contracts
The Labour Relations Act protects employees against unfair dismissal. However, our law makes allowance for a contract of employment coming to an end without it amounting to a dismissal. One example of such a situation would be where the contract of employment is entered into with the clear understanding that it would come to an end if certain conditions are not met. Read more.