Webinar Exploring how the Lockdown Easing will Affect Businesses and Different Sectors
Mr Dion Chang.Click here for isiZulu version
Trend analyst and Flux Trends founder, Mr Dion Chang provided a glimpse into how the lockdown easing will affect different businesses and sectors in his presentation titled: The Great Staggering, at a webinar hosted by Professor Ana Martins, interim Dean and Head of the Graduate School of Business and Leadership, as part of its Webinar Series. This series of webinars aims to empower postgraduate students, alumni and business partners with information that will assist in navigating the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘The Great Staggering is what I’m calling the interim period from the time the pandemic hit to when we will get a vaccine, which is probably going to be next year. This trend briefing is on making a plan for life in limbo, but I mainly focus on innovation as I think this is the perfect time to really innovate,’ explained Chang.
Chang shared insights from research conducted by Flux Trends on life after COVID-19, part one. This included what happened before the pandemic struck and the trends that were affecting business before the pandemic.
‘I will start where we left 2019. We are all following what is happening in America and a nerve has been hit as we are coming from a very volatile 2019 and now live with the fear of the pandemic and the lockdown around the world,’ said Chang.
‘In January and February, the world was put on pause and with the easing of lockdown we are seeing a staggered approach in the reopening of businesses. The reality is that we are divided about which businesses can survive by moving online and how those that cannot, will survive and we are going to be seeing a lot of collateral damage,’ he added.
Chang also shared guidelines for businesses as best practice for their survival. He cited examples of ailing organisations such as Edcon and SAA and the devastating effect that the lockdown has had on lower income households and South Africa’s sluggish economy.
‘The key to innovation is businesses looking at new and agile business strategies and embracing a culture of innovation and not outsourcing. Leadership needs to create an enabling environment and encourage “a speak up culture” in their companies and continue to upskill their workforce. Every organisation should be thinking about how their brands will have more impact and brand value,’ said Chang.
“The Great Staggering” webinar can be viewed by clicking on this link.
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN HR Expert Appointed to International Editorial Review Board
Human Resources expert, Professor Shaun Ruggunan, to serve on the Editorial Review Board of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.Click here for isiZulu version
Human Resources (HR) expert, Professor Shaun Ruggunan, has been invited to serve on the Editorial Review Board of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal (EDI Journal). The EDI Journal is produced by Emerald Group Publishing and offers a platform for critical and rigorous exploration of equal opportunities concerns including gender, ethnicity, class, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, and other forms of inequalities in the context of society.
Ruggunan was nominated by Professor Christina Stamper from Western Michigan University, USA, based on his review experience and expertise in HR. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Organization – a SAGE journal as well as the Retail and Marketing Review. He previously served on the editorial boards of the South African Review of Sociology and Professions and Professionalization.
Ruggunan’s appointment is an indication that UKZN academics are highly sought after and respected internationally. His key responsibilities include safeguarding the review integrity of the journal, reviewing at least four papers a year, acting as an ambassador for the journal and increasing its global footprint.
Commenting on Ruggunan’s appointment, Professor Stephen Mutula, Dean and Head of the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance (SMIG), said: ‘The appointment of Professor Ruggunan is testament to the SMIG’s commitment to promoting research excellence and engagement in the global community of scholarship. The School is committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion as espoused in the goals of the journal. These principles are integral to good management scholarship and practice. It is laudable to see academics like Professor Ruggunan elevated to represent the School and the University on an international stage.’
Ruggunan looks forward to working with distinguished academics from all over the world and said: ‘As an HR academic from UKZN and South Africa, I bring a level of diversity and expertise that will strengthen the aims and scope of the journal to reach broader audiences.’ He added that the journal aspires to be more inclusive and one way of doing this is to increase both the geographic and intellectual diversity of its review board.
He is proud to be associated with a publication that resonates with his area of research interest, ‘The journal fits with my own philosophy that HR is about more than just the organisation one works in, but is also about the society in which the organisation exists.’
The EDI is a progressive publication that is on a growth trajectory, having more than doubled the number of submissions, and the acceptance rate has declined from 50% (2016) to 16% (2018). It has also commissioned a number of high profile Special Issues on matters impacting on organisational life, such as #BlackLivesMatter, Trump and EDI, Sexual Harassment and the #MeToo movements, and Anti-Racism and White Supremacy.
Words: Hazel Langa
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Microbiologist, Musician, Entrepreneur: No Limit to Final Year Student’s Dreams
Mr Lungelo Zuma, final-year BSc student in Microbiology and Genetics.Mr Lungelo Zuma, a final-year BSc student in Microbiology and Genetics, is making just some of his many dreams come true by cultivating a career as a musician, building an e-commerce site he believes could make life easier for students, and focusing on his studies with the aim of establishing a microbiology company.
Originally from Hammarsdale where he attended Phezulu High School, Zuma is the firstborn of four children. Losing his twin brother in infancy and his mother while in high school, while living in an unsafe area with two younger sisters looking up to him, fostered a strong sense of responsibility in the young dreamer. Given his curiosity about the world, particularly human anatomy and the pathogens affecting people, Zuma initially planned to pursue studies in medical sciences.
While his applications for medical schools were not successful, Zuma was accepted for studies in Engineering in Gauteng and Microbiology and Genetics at UKZN. He elected to enrol for the latter in order to be close to his family and because it related to his interest in Anatomy. Beginning his academic career in UKZN’s BSc4 Augmented programme, he began student life travelling between Hammarsdale and the Pietermaritzburg campus daily before moving to Pietermaritzburg, and said that leaving home was a necessary learning experience, teaching him independence.
The 21-year-old grew up in a family with gifted singers and developed an interest in music, and in 2018 taught himself to play the guitar using online tutorials. In the same year he entered the UKZN’s Got Talent competition and finished in second place. Performing under the stage name of Moja Lungsta, Zuma has played at poetry readings, weddings, birthday celebrations and more, developing his skills and experience in the RnB, pop and Afro-pop genres.
As a teenager, Zuma also began mulling over potential solutions to the lack of delivery services he witnessed in his area. While a student, he conceived of an e-commerce site that offers delivery services for groceries and essentials and in 2018 successfully raised R15 000 after approaching investors, bringing two shareholders on board to his GrocerPTY.com site, which he registered as a business in late 2019.
Serving the Midlands area, the site allows customers to order from its own stocks with no delivery fee, or from established retailers via GrocerPTY for a fee. He offers special rates to students, and believes that this service could assist people as they return to campus after the lockdown and try to avoid busy public spaces.
Zuma recently hosted a virtual pre-launch for the site, and is rapidly adding products to the user-friendly interface. He employs two people to handle orders and deliveries, and works with a web developer who also studies at UKZN.
The entrepreneur dreams of expanding his business beyond KwaZulu-Natal, and hopes to one day use his academic training to open a microbiology company that will audit stores and businesses for hygiene, a need highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. He aims to create employment opportunities for graduates, and encourages other students to consider pursuing business, saying that academic training can be applied to a variety of areas.
Zuma said that meditating on what he wants to accomplish has been key to his success, and he has striven to achieve balance by being disciplined and by compartmentalising his life.
‘Muhammad Ali said that if you “add up all your traveling, all your sleeping, your school, your entertainment, you probably spent half your life doing nothing”,’ said Zuma, who believes in making the most of the time he has. ‘All of my dreams are Plan A, and I don’t limit myself to achieving in just one area.’
Words and photograph: Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .“The 4IR Super-Highway”: A Dangerously Technocratic Utopia
Professor Saleem Badat cautions against hyper advocacy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.By Professor Saleem Badat
The first three industrial revolutions have not created a just and humane world; why do we believe that the 4IR will do any better?
A recent article by Professor Tshilidzi Marwala on the “4IR super-highway” in the Daily Maverick of 28 May 2020 prompted recollection of one of the early 1990s policy debates on Higher Education. This had to do with Fordism and post-Fordism and their implications for the educational and social purposes and roles of the post-1994 Higher Education system and its universities.
Professor Bob Jessop notes that Fordism referred to the system of industrial mass production innovated by the car manufacturer Ford in the early 20th century. Fordism was more than just a certain way of producing goods; it was embedded in a capitalist economic and social order with a global reach and footprint. It shaped and reproduced capitalism in various ways, was accompanied by forms of regulation involving capitalists, businesses, workers, trade unions and the state, and affected consumption, education, media and politics.
Capitalism is a system that is beset by endemic crisis – recall the recent 2008 crisis – and Fordism was no different. From the 1970s, post-Fordism arose on the back of the Fordist accumulation and legitimacy crisis. This resulted in the “knowledge economy”, “network society”, and “informational capitalism”.
The new post-Fordism phase of capitalism during an epoch of globalisation has created a highly integrated and unequal global economy through deploying new information and communication technologies and taking advantage of the rapid increase in the speed of travel and data processing through advances in computer and other technologies.
Also critical has been harnessing science and technology to enhance production and distribute goods, often at great cost to the environment. The new “knowledge economy” has shaped jobs, livelihoods, institutions, society and people in profound ways.
The “knowledge economy” and globalisation have largely developed under the sway of the ideology of neo-liberalism – conservative orthodoxies that have created a fetish of privatisation and competition, and have sought to extend the market into every domain of social life and roll-back the state and social welfare policies.
The impact of post-Fordism on societies, manifest in the massive accumulation of wealth and power in the hands of a tiny minority and rampant inequality, is clear to see, as are the consequences for universities and Higher Education with their marketisation, corporatisation and privatisation of services and support.
When new modes of production arise, they do not always mean a total and sweeping displacement of previous ways of producing, consuming and living. They also affect different parts of the world, countries and people in different ways. In as much as there are changes, there are also continuities with previous ways of producing, consuming and living.
Water and steam were the power sources that from the 18th century fuelled the machines and factories of the first industrial revolution and took us from a largely rural agrarian, subsistence and handicraft economy to an increasingly urban one.
This gave way to the second industrial revolution from the late 19th century, driven by electricity, which stimulated industrialisation and mass production on a large scale. From about the 1950s, a third industrial revolution dawned, drawing on advances in science and technology and deploying information and communication technologies in production and various economic activities. Knowledge, in the words of Manuel Castells, became ‘the electricity of the new informational international economy.’
According to Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) draws on developments in such areas as artificial intelligence, robotics, genomics, computing, energy, materials science, nanotechnology and biotechnology. For Marwala it ‘blurs the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.’ As with previous revolutions, there are significant implications for how we live, produce, consume and relate to one another.
It is heartening to learn from Marwala’s article that there are students that are engaging critically with the 4IR and asking deep and searching questions about its promise and limits. Interestingly, one student considers proponents of the 4IR discourse as “preaching” and comments that they are ‘talking about it as if it’s the magic wand that can solve every problem in the world.’ Another suggests ‘the whole thing is overhyped, guys.’
Marwala interprets this as “pessimism about the 4IR”. It is not clear to me why he does so. The students display the kind of critical questioning that our universities exist to cultivate and encourage. Given evangelical 4IR proselytising in some quarters, they are quite right to question whether 4IR will be a “magic wand” and to wonder whether it is “overhyped”.
Marwala says that there are “two camps”; ‘those who acknowledge the 4IR’ and ‘those who have dismissed the 4IR as a string of buzzwords whose currency remains largely unknown.’ Those who “Acknowledge the 4IR” know ‘that this is a fundamental paradigm shift and that we (are) on the cusp of seeing every facet of society change.’
The notion that there are “two camps” is much too simplistic. There are probably many. At least one of these camps, far from being intellectual or technological luddites, would wish to pose and engage on many questions about the seemingly glorious utopia that 4IR promises.
We must be cautious that hyper advocacy around 4IR and its supposed benefits does not lead to critical engagement being drowned out by a hackneyed and tired TINA – “there is no alternative”; “we have no choice” but to embrace the developments that are constitutive of 4IR.
With regard to “every facet of society (changing)” we must want to know whether this change will benefit the majority of humanity – women, the poor, workers, Black people, refugees – or the usual beneficiaries: the rich, the middle classes, Whites, men and city dwellers. The first three industrial revolutions did not create a just and humane world; why do we imagine and believe that the 4IR will do any better?
Turning to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marwala suggests that, ‘the dilemma of keeping economies functioning while curbing the spread of the virus has hastened the shift towards the 4IR.’ If, during this difficult and dangerous period, the “shift” has saved lives, made lives more secure, comfortable and productive, this should, of course, be welcomed.
But we must question whether the shift that he refers to positively should become the “new normal” post the pandemic and with what consequences. We should be very cautious of using the pandemic to initiate and institutionalise reorganisation, restructuring and changes that are desired by proponents of the 4IR without open debate about their desirability.
Marwala, however, goes further: 4IR ‘is poised to be vital to finding solutions to some of our most deep-rooted problems,’ of which “detractors” are seemingly unaware.
Far from being unaware, the camp that is neither intellectual nor technological luddites, is acutely mindful of the grave problems that confront the majorityof humanity – inequality, poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare and educational opportunities, lack of clean air, lack of clean and safe drinking water, insecurity, inadequate housing, insecure access to food, and lack of access to stable and renewable energy. Indeed, this camp includes many who have a history of working to eliminate such problems.
When Marwala enthusiastically exemplifies the numerous benefits that could arise in the wake of a 4IR, this camp will not disagree that 5G and other developments can potentiallyenrich people’s lives. But here is the rub: which people, disaggregated by “race”, class, gender, disability, age, geography and nationality?
This camp would also observe that, disconcertingly, humans do not feature in his discourse on the 4IR. It is all rather technocratic; about technology and the new world about to be created. But in whose name, at what possible cost and for whose benefit?
New developments in knowledge, science, technology and methods of economic production is the probable trajectory of the future. But how we engage with the 4IR, the decisions that we make as a country, the policies and strategies we adopt are all in the realm of political and social choices. Choices that citizens and societies must make in any democracy worthy of its name.
The late sociologist C Wright Mills reminds us that, ‘freedom is the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them – and then, the opportunity to choose. That is why freedom cannot exist without an enlarged role of human reason in human affairs.’
He adds that, ‘the future of human affairs is not merely some set of variables to be predicted. The future is what is to be decided – within the limits, to be sure, of historical possibility. But this possibility is not fixed. Beyond this, the problem of freedom is how decisions about the future of human affairs are to be made and who is to make them.’
In this context, the terms of reference of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution are a matter of great concern. They are entirely technical. The “integrated national strategy” that is to be developed is concerned entirely and narrowly with competitiveness, the economy and science, technology and innovation.
The 4IR is thus viewed as an entirely scientific and technological matter, not as a social or human one. There are no recognised humanities or social science scholars on the Presidential Commission, which is dominated by people from engineering, science and technology, and commerce.
The humanities and social sciences, at their best, ask awkward and critical questions about humans and human flourishing and about ideas on progress and development. Perhaps the Commission does not wish to be bogged down with such questions. But they must be brought to the fore and not effaced at the altar of a future designed by technocrats in which people feature as an addendum.
For all his emphasis on ‘science and technology’ in the ‘new economy,’ Castells also stresses the importance of ‘the humanities.’ The outstanding late scholar, Thandeka Mkandawire, urged that it was ‘vital that the social sciences and humanities are granted their rightful place if Africa’s development challenges are to be fully and properly addressed.’ He implored that the concern with ‘development’ should not ignore ‘other aspects of our people’s lives’ connected to ‘their spiritual concerns, their history, their sense of identity, (and) their intellectual and aesthetic aspirations.’
Saleem Badat is Research Professor in the College of Humanities at UKZN, former Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University and a past head of the advisory body to the Minister of Higher Education and Training.
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Humanities Curriculum Transformation Project Focuses on Continuous Assessment
Dr Upasana Singh, Professor Labby Ramrathan (top right) and Professor Anil Kanjee.Click here for isiZulu version
The College of Humanities Curriculum Transformation Project led by Professor Labby Ramrathan, recently hosted a continuous assessment workshop led by Professor Anil Kanjee (Tshwane University of Technology) and Dr Upasana Singh (UKZN).
The objective was to explain what the concept of continuous assessment means, why it is important, how it should be done and how it should be integrated into the Humanities curriculum. Assessment for learning was the sole focus of the workshop.
‘Identify crucial things that students need to learn and develop success criteria and performance evidence (or indicators) around these crucial things along the lecture progression to track and monitor student learning. The success criteria and performance evidence need to be established prior to the lecture,’ said Kanjee. ‘Provide constructive comments to assist learners to improve learning. Encourage learners to be learning resources for each other by creating group work and encourage peer assessment. Also, encourage students to self-assess.’
While the workshop was informative and necessary, one participant raised the concern that self-assessment would only be possible for mature students, to which Ramrathan replied, ‘Self-assessment can be done by mature students, and they can acquire maturity in their first-year if they are provided with the necessary guidance and support.’
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Macroeconomics Webinar Explores the Impacts of COVID-19 on Financial Markets
Presenters Ms Rethabile Nhlapho and Mr Devon Windvogel explored global macroeconomics and the COVID-19 pandemic.The implications of COVID-19 for global macroeconomics was the topic of discussion at the recent Zoom session hosted by the Macroeconomics Research Unit (MRU) which comprises of academics and postgraduate students whose mission is to advance and develop research in this field.
The virtual session saw presenters, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance academics Ms Rethabile Nhlapho and Mr Devon Windvogel share insights on how financial markets in the local and global economy have been affected by COVID-19.
Nhlapho said that it is alarming how the effects of the virus have shown themselves in the bond and commodities markets, which are always considered to be safe heavens.
‘During this time we have seen unprecedented shocks on equity bonds, foreign exchanges, and commodity markets, with brent crude markets being the most affected as a result of declining global demand. South Africa has also suffered a huge blow due to the downgrading of its sovereign rating to below investment grade which has put additional strain on domestic financial markets,’ explained Nhlapho.
Windvogel stressed that the lockdown has resulted in a supply shock that will destroy many enterprises and with them, jobs.
‘The problem is not COVID-19 itself but the lockdown’s impact on the financial sector. The lockdown is likely to deteriorate many industries and for most households it was the first experience of food shortages and hunger. The lack of trust in government might radicalise South African politics. Hence, the government should use this opportunity for rationalisation and give reasons for the policies that govern the country,’ he said.
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .PhD Focuses on Inquiry-Based-Science Teaching
Dr Khanyisile Brenda Nhlengethwa has graduated with a PhD in Science Education.Dr Khanyisile Brenda Nhlengethwa was awarded a PhD in Science Education for her thesis on Swaziland Pre-Service Teachers’ Understanding and Enactment of Inquiry-Based-Science Teaching (IBST): A Case of a University in Swaziland. The study was supervised by Professor Nadaraj Govender and Dr Doras Sibanda.
Given global interest in inquiry learning and the fact that this is an under-researched field in science education in African countries, the study was timely and relevant. Teachers’ understanding and enactment of IBST is important as it influences the kinds of activities learners are exposed to as well as the kinds of knowledge, skills and attitudes promoted amongst learners.
Within the Swaziland context, knowledge of preservice teachers’ understanding and enactment of the IBST classroom is vital to provide the continuous teacher professional development required to support the teaching and learning of Natural Sciences as well as to broaden learners’ access in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase.
The study involved 34 final-year preservice teachers and adopted a pragmatic paradigm and a mixed methods approach. Using Furtak’s Inquiry framework, the results showed that the participants’ understanding of cognitive and pedagogical content knowledge aspects shaped their enactment of IBST.
The examiners noted that, ‘the candidate has contributed to new knowledge production… [and made] a substantial contribution to a greater understanding of IBST … with implications for practice and policy both nationally and … internationally.’
Khanyisile said that, ‘Attaining this degree has been a long and difficult road in many ways. Studying while also working necessitated staying up late, spending less time with my family and friends and missing family and other social functions.’ She thanked her husband, who accompanied her on her seven-hour journeys from Swaziland to UKZN to meet with her supervisors, her family for their unwavering support and understanding, and her supervisors for their guidance and encouragement. She dedicated her accomplishment to God for the strength He gave her to persevere.
Words: Nadaraj Govender
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Light at the End of the Tunnel
Mr Ayanda Mbatha.By Ayanda Mbatha
The numerous formidable hurdles that threatened both my personal and academic life due to a lack of funding did not hinder me from maintaining good academic standing. I received no funding for 2019 despite countless applications for scholarships/financial aid. However, I remained focused and volunteered to mentor other students. At times, life was tough at residence due to the lack of funds, but my friends and family supported me. After a long, thorny journey, I completed my honours degree cum laude.
Based on this achievement, I was awarded a scholarship and am now registered for a Master’s degree in Education. I was also identified as one of UKZN’s Most Inspiring Students. All these achievements prove that, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed, it is shining even brighter in my life right now. Words cannot express my gratitude to those who contributed to this achievement, including my lecturers, my supervisor, friends, family and church members.
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Human Resource Management Practice During COVID-19: A South African Perspective
From left: Professor Shaun Ruggunan, Dr Ashika Maharaj, Mr Jonathan Naicker and Mr Linden Singh.By Professor Shaun Ruggunan, Dr Ashika Maharaj, Mr Jonathan Naicker and Mr Linden Singh
The trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa has not followed the expected path predicted by experts such as the World Health Organization (WHO). It was thought that our population would be decimated on a scale never seen before, health systems would collapse completely, and the mortality rate would rival that of those in the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom. Many of these expectations were based on assumptions of how the virus would impact on a population that has high rates of HIV/AIDS and TB.
Prior to the pandemic, the Republic of South Africa was already dealing with a largely stagnant economy, an almost 30% official unemployment rate, high HIV and TB infection rates, national power cuts and economic downgrading by various international rating agencies. Ironically, the resilience developed in dealing with these significant issues by organisations and Human Resources (HR) professionals may have made responses to the pandemic more robust.
In many ways, the country’s response to the pandemic can be described as “the great adaptation” of South African HR to these changes. Our preliminary data indicate that while there is considerable anxiety about “unknowable unknowns”, there are also pockets of resilience and hope for new ways of practicing HR.
South African society suffers from notoriously high levels of inequality, even by global standards, as marked by the Gini index. Inequality manifests itself through skewed income distribution, unequal access to opportunities and regional and racialised disparities. COVID-19 has exacerbated these divisions and widened the chasm between the “haves” and “have nots”. The country’s healthcare system is a prime example. The public healthcare system, which is already under strain because of TB and HIV/AIDS, now faces the enormous burden of having to deal with COVID-19 and its exponential growth. Government’s quick and decisive action to institute a hard lockdown aimed to ensure that this fragile system did not crumble under the gargantuan strain of the pandemic.
However, this lockdown meant that businesses would close and people would have to remain at home. Most businesses allowed to operate under lockdown scrambled to adapt to new ways of working, that is remote work, and to implement the government’s stringent lockdown health and safety protocols. Arguably, COVID-19 compelled organisations to implement digitalisation and re-engineer work processes and protocols that were on the back burner. Rather than “new ways of working” being a futuristic concept, many businesses were now forced to “adapt, evolve or die”.
Firstly, given the strict social distancing and sanitisation protocols implemented by government’s lockdown policy, HR professionals have had to rethink and reimagine their workspaces. While many organisations that participated in our study have adopted remote working practices, others in the manufacturing sector have had to adopt shift work and short-time in order to continue their operations with reduced capabilities. They hope to return to normal operations once the pandemic is over.
Secondly, sectors such as finance, communication, and knowledge production have adopted remote working. Many of the participants who were interviewed spoke of these changes being considered as part of the new way of doing business, post COVID-19. Most call centre and sales agents are now working from home, and most businesses are reporting that productivity has not been compromised. Support from the IT division has been critical and of paramount importance not only in setting up home offices, but also by providing online technical support, in terms of learning how to use the myriad of communication tools available to keep in contact (Zoom, MS Teams, Skype). While connectivity has proven to be a challenge in some areas of South Africa, it has not significantly impacted on productivity, as these workers were allowed “special leave” or restricted access to the office. Our research has highlighted the inequality in South African society, where even though spotty connectivity may not be such an issue, the conditions under which work can take place at home have been. Many employees find themselves at home with spouses, children, elderly parents, etc, where a suitable workspace such as a study or even a table and chair is a challenge.
Thirdly, employee wellness is a crucial concern during this pandemic that has forced businesses to explore the humanitarian aspect of doing business. Putting employees first, while conducting a profitable business is now paramount. HR professionals have to create a new range of employee wellness programmes, such as mindfulness, meditation, stress management, crisis management, grief counselling, physical fitness programmes etc to help employees to effectively deal with current conditions, aggravated by social isolation. Increased communication from HR professionals, CEOs, managers and colleagues helps employees to keep in touch. HR professionals themselves have learnt how to cope with their stressors by engaging in activities such as baking, gardening, meditation and physical exercise.
Fourthly, the role of the state in providing a range of social benefits such as special COVID-19 unemployment insurance, and Temporary Employment Relief (TERS) for employers and employees mitigated largescale economic distress. Strong social partnerships amongst the state, organised labour and employers assisted this process. However, there have been challenges in accessing these funds, and some employers have become innovative by creating their own “hardship” funds. For example, executives have taken a 10-15% pay cut, created Special COVID-19 Leave and offered advances on commissions payable.
Fifthly, two types of flexibility emerged from the data. The one is flexibility of work design and practice that involves reorganising work and production physically, spatially and temporally. The other form of flexibility that emerged is the mental or cognitive flexibility of HR professionals that allowed them to reimagine ways of managing, working and viewing their own professional identities. The tempo of change was unprecedented and required situational responses in unchartered territory. Reimagining what it meant to be an HR professional from caring for others to self-care and new ways of organising work and production is a fundamental theme that participants reflected on.
Sixthly, trust emerged as a critical component in remote work. For some organisations, new technologies were able to monitor and control employees’ work remotely, for example, by logging the amount of time spent online, keystrokes and other metrics. For others, trust was established simply if employees met outcomes and deadlines and the process followed to get there was not significant. Performance management systems are one area that will have to be overhauled post COVID-19.
What is clear is that there is no homogenous change in HR functions or roles as a consequence of the pandemic. Rather, it is sector and role specific. The most profound changes will be around organisational agility and resilience. Conventional organisational change models do not resonate or apply given the rapidity of the change that HR management has experienced in the past few months. As we enter the Anthropocene age and the world becomes increasingly susceptible to changes wrought by climate change, significant and rapid adaptations will be become the norm.
Professor Shaun Ruggunan is an Associate Professor of Human Resources Management in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance, UKZN.
Dr Ashika Maharaj is a senior lecturer in the Disciplines of Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations, School of Management, Information Technology and Governance, UKZN.
Mr Jonathan Naicker and Mr Linden Singh are honours students in the Disciplines of Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations, School of Management, Information Technology and Governance, UKZN.
Photographs: Supplied
author : .author email : .Saving Livelihoods while Saving Lives: Insights from the SARChI Seminar Series on Rural Livelihoods in the Shadow of COVID-19
Professor Betty Mubangizi has penned an opinion piece on insights gleaned from a Zoom series on the impact of the pandemic on rural community members.By Professor Betty Mubangizi
As the COVID-19 pandemic and government’s response to it continue to evolve, there are stories of both excellence and failure in terms of how South Africans’ livelihood resources and activities have been affected. Rural livelihoods, in particular, have always been fragile, marked by challenges associated with colonialism and apartheid, poor infrastructure, poorly resourced municipalities and the adverse effects of climate change.
Acutely aware of these challenges, the National Research Foundation/ South African Research Chairs Initiative (NRF/SARChI) Chair in Sustainable Local (Rural) Livelihoods organised a series of Zoom seminars to explore with rural community members, civil society and local government officials how to conserve livelihoods while ensuring the safety of community members during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The seminars focused on rural based local municipalities with most insights drawn from practitioners in Matatiele and Mbizana local municipalities in the Eastern Cape, where the Chair has been active in research and community support activities.
Hosted by myself as Chair between April and May 2020, panellists included Ms Sissie Matela and Ms Nicky McLead of Environmental and Rural Solutions (ERS); Mr Rekgotsofetse Mohlauli, a Matatiele youth; Amohelang Sibi of the Sibi Royal Household; Mr Momelezi Mbedla, the Mayor of Matatiele Local Municipality; Mr Mzobanzi Sineke, a UKZN PhD candidate and former head of Risk Services at Umzimvubu Municipality; Mr Mkhuseli Qumba, a master’s student and Councillor in Mbizana Local Municipality; and Mr Luvuyo Mahlaka, the Municipal Manager of Mbizana Local Municipality. Academics and non-academics from South Africa and several other African countries also participated.
The panellists were of the view that conversations should be framed in terms of building rural livelihoods rather than restoring livelihoods, because rural livelihoods were never in an ideal state prior to COVID-19. Among the challenges highlighted were severe food insecurity and scarcity of livestock feed due to drought and the lockdown regulations affecting the main livelihood activities in the area, which are tied to land and agriculture. Poor human capital development and a lack of higher institutions of learning in the Matatiele area to offer degree programmes relevant to local livelihoods or which encourage young people to protect local resources and maximise them for sustainable livelihoods, are also major challenges.
Rural communities are further exploited by urban and industrial areas which treat them as dumping sites for environmentally unfriendly waste. They experience persistent urban migration that reduces human resources, weak civil society structures, and local governments that were not equipped or prepared to respond to the pandemic, resulting in sporadic assistance and deepening social and economic inequalities.
The seminars also revealed that local wisdom and indigenous knowledge have been generally overlooked in policymaking and implementation, and traditional authorities were not involved in lockdown regulations or given resources to support communities during the lockdown. Misinformation, slow and generally poor communication channels on how to access relief funds and food parcels as well as stigmatisation and violence towards those branded as infected, are among the challenges that rural populations are currently struggling with. Others include a lack of water resources considering the safety requirements to frequently wash hands, lack of transportation and access to markets for locally produced goods, and the heavy-handedness of law enforcement personnel who assume that rural people understand the lockdown regulations.
However, the seminars also highlighted pockets of excellence. For example, collaboration and mutual support thrived among civil society organisations, religious groups, local businesses, local authorities and within communities. Considerable efforts were made by municipal authorities to deliver basic services such as water to some rural communities during the lockdown; traditional authorities have been assisting with funerals and issuing of permits; local radio stations and loud hailing are being utilised by local municipalities to ensure that relevant information reaches a wider rural population; and communities harness effective strategies drawn from their experiences of past challenges to support themselves during the pandemic. Furthermore, some level of local economic rebirth has been observed as people are increasingly thinking and acting local – including the emerging economic value, in the Mbizana area, of the herb umhlonyane (Artemisa afra) due to its suggested effectiveness as a cure for COVID-19.
The panellists and participants also offered several recommendations to build sustainable rural livelihoods and resilience now and beyond the pandemic. Capacity building through youth programmes in local resource utilisation was one proposal – ‘there is a need to reeducate ourselves to harness these resources that are here and stop promoting western ideals of what education and resourcefulness is,’ says Matela. Young people who have education opportunities should also be encouraged to pursue fields that will equip them to return and utilise rich locally available resources to build their communities.
Panelists argued that adopting a bottom-up approach which integrates traditional leadership in policy processes will produce more locally relevant solutions that take into account indigenous knowledge systems and resources. They also encouraged the buying of locally produced goods; more collaboration across public, civic and private sectors and entities; dissemination of information that is more attuned to the rural population and in languages they understand; further exploration of traditional means of communication and fostering community rangeland stewardship, among other things.
I am grateful to all the panelists and participants. I also acknowledge the contribution of my Postdoctoral Fellows, Drs Leonard Chitongo and Sokfa John, with whom I will continue to seek ways to engage rural communities, local authorities and the broader society on how to save livelihoods while saving lives. By bringing rural-based practitioners, councillors, local authorities and the academic community together the Chair is creating a platform to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Professor Betty C Mubangizi is the NRF/SARChI Chair for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance at UKZN.
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .Digitalised Ways of Doctoral Studies in COVID-19 Times: International Perspectives
From left: Professors Michael Anthony Samuel, Hyleen Mariaye, Paul Webb, and John Chang’ach and Ms Malve Von Moellendorff. The College of Humanities recently hosted a public webinar series on the topic of Digitalised Ways of Doctoral Studies in COVID-19 Times: International Perspectives.
It featured academics Professors Michael Anthony Samuel (UKZN), Hyleen Mariaye (Mauritius Institute of Education), Paul Webb (Nelson Mandela University) and John Chang’ach (Moi University) and was chaired by Ms Malve Von Moellendorff (East and South African-German Centre of Excellence for Educational Research Methodologies and Management – CERM ESA).
Webb focused on the unfolding of the DIGIFACE project that aims to develop a continental platform of online support for building capacities and collaboration with 11 Centres of Excellence across African Higher Education Institutions. The project was launched in early March 2020 in Port Elizabeth, involving project leaders from Niger, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Mali, Namibia, Germany and South Africa. The reflection foregrounded the adjusted planned intervention in the alternative modes of operationalising this project’s agenda spanning continental African Higher Education Institutions and their partners in Germany.
Project leader at the headquarters at Moi University, Chang’ach discussed the adjusted agenda of the work of CERM ESA and how COVID-19 affects delivery of its projects. In March, collaborations began towards establishing an MOU with UKZN’s School of Education and Moi University.
‘CERM ESA has over the past few years been involved in co-ordinating the capacity building for lecturers and supervisors (CABLES) programme related to activating postgraduate masters and doctoral studies. Students are registered across participating institutions within the African continent and in Germany,’ said Chang’ach. ‘The project has also activated site-based responses through workshops and seminars on teacher professional development, and the creation of national structures to cohere the agenda of building responsiveness to curriculum policy reform. It offered week-long research schools with registered students in its collaborative ventures across East Africa, West Africa, southern Africa and Germany.’
Mariaye reflected on managing the delivery of two doctoral education programmes between her own institution (the Mauritius Institute of Education) and their partners: University of Brighton-UK (a “northern partner”) and UKZN–SA (a “southern partner”). Whilst different in the types of doctoral programmes offered, and the contextual variants of the institutional partner contexts, her presentation reflected on how Mauritius as a small island developing state (SIDS) has had to deal constitutively with matters of geographic isolation (“lockdown”) and re-connectivities across international terrains.
‘The projects have yielded a repertoire of “remote teaching and learning pedagogies” since inception around 2012. The use of technological platforms in Mauritius already has an extensive roll-out in primary and secondary schools. Rolling out postgraduate education programmes through digital means brings into sharper relief the affordances that were latent in the previous programme designs and delivery. The so-called marginalised become new centres of expertise. The COVID-19 context allows for greater connectivities and shared responsibilities of doctoral cohort seminars and supervision,’ she said.
Samuel reflected on the setting up of the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (foregrounding modules on the “Higher Education system” and “the designing of curricula”) at the critical turning point of the lockdown period in March 2020. His presentation focused on ‘the need to deal with allaying fears of the students (in this case, university lecturers involved in a university staff development programme) whilst acclimatising them to be future agents of the new delivery models of online platforms of Higher Education pedagogy. The medium and the message of the modules coincided.’
The presentation also focused on the choice of online pedagogies to engage the launch in March 2020 of a Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association in South Africa (HELTASA) doctoral education national project. Both postgraduate projects involved students across a range of institutions nationally who reported positively on the “new normal modes” of delivery.
Words: Melissa Mungroo
Photograph: Supplied
author : .author email : .UKZN Enactus President Leads by Example
Bachelor of Commerce in IT and Supply Chain Management graduate, Mr Muhle Ndwalane.‘I chose this degree because it presented a great blend between technology and the world of business and both are of interest to me. I knew it would enable me to thrive in the Tech business world.’
So said Enactus Executive President and recipient of UKZN’s Top 40 Students Inspiring Greatness Award in 2018 and 2019, Mr Muhle Ndwalane who received his Bachelor of Commerce in Information Systems and Technology and Supply Chain Management at UKZN’s virtual Graduation.
‘I believe this qualification is worthwhile as the world is moving more into a digital era and technology is being integrated in almost every industry. With this qualification I am well equipped to offer solutions and turnaround strategies that will help improve businesses and people’s lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,’ he said.
Ndwalane said he will be forever grateful to UKZN for the opportunities it presented to him. In 2018, he represented the University at the Enactus World Cup 2018 in Silicon Valley, California, USA, which was his first international trip. In 2019 he attended the International Social Business Summer Programme (ISBSP) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
‘Balancing schoolwork and Enactus work took a lot of discipline, but it is possible and I don’t regret a moment. I have always advised my teammates to try to strike a balance even when things get hectic. So, with this qualification, I believe this is me leading by example.’
While his family did not get to see him graduate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he says they are very proud of all his achievements and are looking forward to attending his next graduation.
Ndwalane is currently registered for a Postgraduate Diploma in Local Economic Development. He also runs a Digital Agency called Asante Tech Solutions, and is a co-founder of a heath tech start-up, Clinaytics.
Words: Lungile Ngubelanga
Photograph: Andile Ndlovu
author : .author email : .Emeritus Physics Professor Named a Legend of South African Science
Emeritus Professor Manfred Hellberg.Click here for isiZulu version
Emeritus Professor Manfred Hellberg of the School of Chemistry and Physics has been profiled among 62 long-standing members of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in its Legends of South African Science II publication.
ASSAf commended the members featured, whose disciplinary diversity contributes to the strength of the academy, for their academic excellence and scholarship.
‘It is hoped that the legacy of these inspirational champions... will continue to inspire us all, and to grow the next generation of leaders in making science relevant to society,’ stated ASSAf.
Hellberg spent 38 years at the former University of Natal (UN), retiring in 2004. His family’s association with the University stretches back a century to when his father attended, and Hellberg said he thoroughly enjoyed his career and the opportunities that the University of Natal and UKZN provided over the years.
‘UKZN, with its forebears, has a proud history and I trust that our Institution will continue to flourish, despite some ups and downs along the way,’ he said.
Hellberg’s profile details how his natural curiosity about the world was directed towards theoretical physics by a teacher at his high school in Cape Town, while his father cultivated in him a love of research. He studied Mathematics and Physics at the University of Cape Town (UCT), aiming for an academic career and channelling his focus into plasma physics.
Hellberg received a scholarship to pursue his PhD at the University of Cambridge, where he shared an office with Stephen Hawking and made the most of the highly academic environment, attending several international conferences and cultivating a network that stood him in good stead throughout his career.
He joined the University of Natal in 1965, where he was active in numerous University committees, particularly in research, staff development, student development and academic support, and resource allocation, and participated in university leadership, including serving as Dean of Science and twice as Pro Vice-Chancellor. His collaborative, pioneering research has focused on waves in high-temperature ionised gases, or plasmas, yielding more than 100 international journal articles, including a number of highly-cited contributions.
‘I am particularly grateful to the many colleagues who made it possible for me take part in all aspects of academic life and who kept me on my toes,’ said Hellberg, singling out former Vice-Chancellor the late Professor Desmond Clarence, the late Professor Dave Walker, and Emeritus Professor Roger Raab.
‘Much of my career was also enabled by some excellent members of the support staff who were always ready to go the extra mile in the interests of the University and its academic aims, and I have also benefitted from interaction with a range of undergraduate and postgraduate students.’
Hellberg’s contributions have included serving as president of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP), campaigning for the preservation of laser facilities and expertise that led to the establishment of the National Laser Centre, leading an international panel to advise on the future of Physics in South Africa, and acting as adviser to then Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Naledi Pandor on strategies and policy to develop the field of Astronomy in South Africa.
Internationally, he has served on the Plasma Physics Commission of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, on the editorial board of the journal, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, and on the Editorial Advisory Panel for the Institute of Physics Plasma Physics book series.
Hellberg has served on advisory committees for several international conference series, and co-chaired the International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas in Durban in 2002. He was elected a Fellow of UN, now UKZN, the Royal Society of South Africa, and the UK Institute of Physics. He has been an ASSAf member since 2000 and has served on its council.
Hellberg is both a Fellow and an Honorary Member of the SAIP, and a recipient of its highest honour, the SAIP De Beers Gold Medal, awarded for his outstanding research career and his service to Physics in South Africa.
Following his retirement, he increased his research productivity with colleagues and students at UKZN and internationally, and his work continues to enjoy a high citation rate.
Also included in Legends of South African Science II are a number of UKZN alumni, and former and current staff members, including Walker; former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa; Scientific Advisor to the School of Clinical Medicine, Professor Miriam Adhikari; Honorary Associate Professor Arvinkumar Bhana of the Centre for Rural Health; Research Professor in Humanities, Professor Saleem Badat; alumnus and former staff member, Professor Diane Grayson; former Dean, Professor Raymond Haines; part-time lecturer in the Property Management and Quantity Surveying Programme, Mr Eugene Julies; alumnus and former Chair of Council, Dr Vincent Maphai; and former lecturer, Professor Peter Tyson.
The publication honours other alumni or luminaries who spent time at UKZN or its antecedent institutions, including the late Dr Neville Comins; founding Vice-Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology, Professor Dan Ncayiyana; former Vice-Chancellor of UCT Professor Mamphela Ramphele; and Professor Iqbal Parker.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Liz Clarke
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