Priscilla Gutura

Three Decades of HIV/AIDS Pandemic: Challenges Faced by Orphans in Tembisa, South Africa

This paper was extracted from a broader study conducted on the effectiveness of social support mechanisms provided to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) orphans in Tembisa, Gauteng Province. Using a qualitative research design, an interview guide was designed for in‐depth interviews, which were conducted with 12 HIV‐ and AIDS‐affected and ‐infected orphans. In addition, a focus group discussion was run with 13 childrens caregivers and two social workers were interviewed as key informants. Nevertheless, this paper discusses the challenges faced by orphans of HIV and AIDS. Maslows hierarchy of needs was used as the theoretical framework of the study. The findings indicate that the death of a parent signifies the disruption of the basic pattern of a childs life living in the urban area where the role of extended families does not exist as compared to rural areas where a child belongs to the whole village. There are challenges that are impacting on the daily lives of the HIV/AIDS‐ affected and ‐infected orphans. Notably, the participants’ narratives suggested that there were challenges in terms of health, shelter, education and food. It is concluded therefore that the war against the impacts of HIV and AIDS is still far from being achieved.

‘Income for the Whole Family’: Exploring the Contribution of Social Grants to Rural Household Income in Ngqushwa Municipality, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper explores the contribution of social grants on the household income of beneficiaries staying in rural areas in South Africa. The study used a sample of 541 beneficiaries from Ngqushwa Municipality, who were either administered questionnaires, interviewed or participated in a focus group discussion. The findings reflect that the beneficiaries expected the grant to cover ‘all costs’, which is contrary to the grants’ purpose of contributing towards costs. Social grants were the only and main source of income for most households. Social grants were mainly the sole source of income for most households. With a culture of family ties and reciprocity among participants whereby they stayed in extended families and took care of each other, beneficiaries showed concern on the grants failing to provide enough income to live on, as the grants were too low and had not kept up with inflation. Therefore, the social grant beneficiaries had cultivated a culture of credits as they borrowed money, as the grants were insufficient to meet the basic needs. Nevertheless, survival without social grants seemed impossible for most beneficiaries, and hence they advocated for increase in the monetary value of social grants.

Women handling of domestic violence in rural township of Alice in South Africa

Abstract A quantitative survey was conducted in Eastern Cape in South Africa to explore the use and effectivenessof strategies used to address domestic violence. Fifty women who lived in Golf Course Community, in Alice townwere administered questionnaires. The findings of the study highlighted that the women were aware of severalstrategies used to address domestic violence which included women’s rights organizations, reporting perpetrators tothe police and use of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA). Even though reporting to the police was the most strategyused, it was proven to be less effective because the police lacked vigilance and therefore this led to domesticviolence cases to be left unreported. Additionally, it emerged that the strategies were to a greater extent lesseffective. Recommendations are proposed to find the best way of combating domestic violence.

“Bargaining with Children”: Unintended Consequences of Children’s Grants in Rural South Africa

Abstract The results of this paper were extracted from a study which used mixed methodology, to collect data from 541 social grant beneficiaries, from Ngqushwa Local Municipality. Most of the participants perceived that teenagers in their communities got pregnant so that they could receive the Child Support Grant. Interestingly, it was revealed that there were other women specifically not teenagers who were getting pregnant and having more children for them to access the grant. Further, even though the findings indicated that grandmothers were fostering out of love, most participants were fostering in their biological background for them to get the Foster Care Grant. In this regard it is concluded that with the high incidences of poverty coupled with HIV and AIDS, there will always be perverse incentives. This is because there are people who require support, however, the welfare system does not provide for the entire population.

Management of HIV/AIDS Programmes at the Workplace: A Case Study of Selected Organizations in Chris Hani District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract This study investigated the management of HIV /AIDS programmes at the workplace using four selected organizations in Chris Hani District, Eastern Cape Province (two public organizations and two private organizations). Using a quantitative survey, two hundred employees were administered semi-structured questionnaires. The major findings revealed that all the four organizations had HIV/AIDS programmes and policies for their employees. However, there were no budget allocations for these programmes; hence, they were not fully and effectively implemented. Managers were blamed for negligence towards management of HIV/AIDS programmes. The study recommends that managers should positively show commitment and management skills through allocating funds towards HIV/AIDS management programmes at their workplaces. Also, managers should hire quality service providers to implement an intensive destigmatisation process, which adequately addresses the fears of employees pertaining to HIV/AIDS related issues at the workplace. By adopting these measures, organizations will be able to achieve their strategic business objectives and reduce the negative impact of HIV/AIDS at their workplaces.

TWENTY YEARS OF DEMOCRACY: SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME REVISITED

The aim of this paper is to provide a reflective analysis, twenty years after democracy, of social assistance grants in accomplishing their primary objective of closing the poverty gap and inequality. Literature reviewed show that in the absence of any other safety net, access to social grants reduces destitution for many poor people and their households. However, various indicators confirm that even though poverty appears to have declined in the recent past, there are still millions of poor people who are exceedingly vulnerable and at risk. Unemployment levels have been fluctuating, but the trend has been upwards. Also, other researchers have argued that social grants are running the risk of being perceived as state hand-outs with over 16 million recipients benefiting. This paper therefore informs the policy makers of the expectations after 20 years of democracy and the reality 20 years after democracy.

Influence of Child Support Grants on Increased Birth Rate among Women of Childbearing Age in Alice Town, South Africa

Abstract This paper investigates the influence of the Child Support Grant (CSG) on increased birth rate among women of childbearing age. A qualitative research method was employed and data was collected from fifteen femaleparticipants aged between 16 and 40 years. The results of the study suggests that increased birth rate in Alice Townin the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was mainly caused by CSG in terms of its easy accessibility and thegovernment’s inability to control usage of the grant. Furthermore, it was revealed that young women refusedcontraceptives purposely to get pregnant in order to have access to the grant. Nevertheless, there were many otherfactors that emerged, which caused increased birth rate and these included lack of parental control, social exclusion,unemployment and poverty. Notably, the grant was not only benefiting the intended beneficiary only that is thechild, but also the family as a whole. It was suggested that the government should check and control grant abuse bymothers and also provide community based income generating programs that would reduce dependency on CSG asa means of income.

The Intended Outcomes of Social Grants in South Africa: A Case Study of Ngqushwa Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province

Abstract This paper emanated from a broader study conducted on the use of social grants in the Ngqwushwa Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The survey used a sample of 541 recipients who were either administered questionnaires, interviewed or participated in focus group discussions. The purpose of this report is to explore whether the intended outcomes of the social grants are being reached among the poor rural population. The findings of the survey have identified social grants as effectively targeted. It emerged that social grants improve both the welfare of recipients and their entire families. Furthermore, there is evidence of the investment in productive assets, both human and capital. The grant money is further utilized for education expenditure among children. The money is applied even to upgrade or build houses, and payment of water, electricity and other bills. Therefore, the grant money is used by recipients in a number of ways, some urban, some less so. The study confirms that the poor are well aware of their individual needs and some of the intended outcomes of the social grants are remarkable. Nevertheless, the idea of reduction of poverty through social grants still persists as questionable.

THE IMPACT OF THE CHILD SUPPORT GRANT ON PARTICI- PATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET IN RURAL EASTERN CAPE

South Africa suffers from high and rising poverty levels and extreme inequality. The social security system (mainly social grants) is the government’s chief initiative in tackling these problems. It aims to reduce poverty among groups not expected to participate fully in the labour market, thereby increasing investment in health, nutrition and education. The provision of social security has historically been seen as a core feature of the welfare system aimed at the prevention of poverty during the transition to a multiracial democracy in South Africa. Post-apartheid South Africa moved from residual and institutional models of welfare policy to developmental social welfare, focusing on needy people who have been excluded from mainstream welfare and social security systems. The focus of welfare was on moving people out of poverty, and not only on the construction of social security for prevention, social compensation and income distribution (Department of Social Development, 1997).