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Consequence management for minimising financial mismanagement in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
Shokane, Thabane (University of Pretoria, 2024-07)
The study aimed to assess whether consequence management concerning municipal financial management in the local sphere of government is adhered to. There are regulatory bodies, such as the Office of the Auditor-General, Financial DC Boards, Internal Audit, Audit Committees and Oversight Council Committees, which mandated both constitutionally as well as legislatively to ensure that public financial reports, which include recommendations are provided on the municipal performance. Despite the annual recommendations, most South African municipalities still fail to manage public monies properly, which result in a worrying increase in irregular, unauthorised, fruitless, and wasteful (IUFW) expenditure.The CJMM was used as a focus case study to observe the extent to which municipalities comply with consequence management. In doing so, the study utilised a qualitative research approach, that is, secondary data was gathered from, inter alia, municipal audit reports, financial statements, consolidated general reports and accredited journal articles. The adopted research methodology was utilised to analyse audit reports from 2018 - 2022 to provide a descriptive analysis of how the CJMM utilised its finances. The findings revealed an increase in financial mismanagement because of by non-compliance with legislation, lack of performance management, and poor governance and leadership. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) often highlights these factors as a problem for municipalities. The study also provides recommendations to retain these components to both control financial mismanagement and adhere to the principles of consequence management.
Include chiefs, increase legitimacy? Local perceptions of conservation management
Dahlberg, Moa; Matti, Simon; Ntuli, Herbert (Routledge, 2026)
This article diverges from the debate on whether incorporating local hereditary institutions, such as chiefs in Africa, enhances or diminishes regime legitimacy in areas of limited statehood. In many countries in the Global South, implementing decentralised governance systems in natural resource management has enhanced the power of chiefs. To advance our understanding of the associations between these hybrid governance systems and legitimacy, this article argues that we should broaden the concept of legitimacy and examine local citizens' perceptions and attitudes. Drawing on extensive fieldwork by the authors, including data collected through structured face-to-face surveys with over 1000 respondents residing in areas with local hereditary institutions in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, we provide a framework for understanding the forms of legitimacy associated with the inclusion of chiefs in the governance of conservation areas. The results indicate that perceived inclusion of chiefs is associated with a governance process that reflects the views and concerns of local communities, is inclusive, transparent, and fair, and also demonstrates the system’s ability to deliver local benefits. These findings make theoretical contributions to the literature on hybrid governance and provide valuable empirical insights for developing natural resource management systems in areas with weak state capacity.
Analyzing entrepreneurial identity and capabilities as determinants for business sustainability in the dance Industry
Bornman, Dawid Alwyn Jacobus; James, Augustina Geertruida (Routledge, 2026)
This study explores how entrepreneurial identity and capabilities contribute to the adoption of innovative business practices in the contemporary dance industry, which has faced challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative research interviews with fourteen dance professionals—company owners, studio owners, freelancers, and educators—provided insights into their entrepreneurial behaviors. The research identified five key themes: (1) entrepreneurial identity, (2) capabilities, (3) networks, (4) support structures, and (5) innovation. The pandemic forced dance businesses to find alternative revenue streams, which highlighted a lack of business skills and training as a shortcoming and the need for industry-specific entrepreneurial training programs. As academic research related to the dance industry as a creative business is almost nonexistent in a South African context, this study offers new insights into the industry and reveals that the pandemic pushed dance businesses to operate in new ways of doing business.
Bioactive metabolite profiling in mixed-species probiotic yogurt
Marole, Tlaleo Azael; Sibanda, Thulani; Buys, E.M. (Elna Maria) (Elsevier, 2026-04)
Yogurt consumption is a natural way of accessing bioactive metabolites such as peptides and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Proteolytic systems and metabolic pathways of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and probiotics, which differ among the species, influence bioactive metabolite profiles in yogurt. This study determined the bioactive peptide and SCFA profiles in mixed-species yogurt incorporating Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 11863, Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis ATCC 25527, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight MS and GC-MS, respectively. Significantly higher proteolytic activities were observed in yogurt incorporating either probiotic species of B. bifidum ATCC 11863 or L. rhamnosus GG. Yogurt incorporating B. bifidum ATCC 11863 contained more peptides with higher bioactivity. Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis ATCC 25527 significantly enhanced the SCFA content (acetic acid) in yogurt. Whereas L. rhamnosus GG increased the production of both bioactive peptides and SCFA in yogurt when incorporated as a monoculture or coculture with B. bifidum ATCC 11863 and B. animalis ssp. animalis ATCC 25527, respectively. Novel short peptides (<10 AA) derived from minor milk serum proteins with potential antimicrobial properties were identified in the different probiotic yogurts. This study provides insights into the bioactive metabolite profiles of yogurt incorporating probiotics, L. rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium spp., and their role in developing yogurt with enhanced therapeutic benefits.
Exploring performance engagement in online postgraduate learning : utilisation of digital activities
Van Wyk, Mari; Patrick, Sean Mark; Wolvaardt, Jacqueline Elizabeth (Liz) (Wiley, 2026-06)
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY : As fully online postgraduate programmes expand, questions remain regarding whether sufficient student engagement is achieved and how such sufficiency can be measured. This study examined the types and levels of engagement within a fully online postgraduate module and explored how engagement can be operationalised using learning management system (LMS) analytics. OBJECTIVE : To explore whether there is sufficient student engagement in an online module, and the types and levels of online engagement. METHODS : A quantitative single-case study analysed LMS trace data from 773 students. Data were analysed using the Online Engagement Framework and Moore's interaction typology. Engagement was operationalised using four behavioural indicators: submissions, interactions, time-on-platform and Grade Center access. Cluster analysis was applied to identify engagement profiles. RESULTS : Findings indicate high levels of social, cognitive, behavioural and collaborative engagement, with participation substantially exceeding minimum requirements. In contrast, structured opportunities for emotional engagement were absent. Frequent Grade Centre access (mean = 68 views per student) suggests a digitally observable form of performance engagement characterised by academic self-monitoring behaviour Cluster analysis revealed four distinct engagement profiles, highlighting heterogeneity in student interaction patterns. CONCLUSION : The findings suggest that high-density programmatic assessment is associated with sustained engagement behaviours in online contexts. This study contributes to the literature by proposing a trace-based operationalisation of performance engagement and offering a practical framework for examining engagement sufficiency in fully online programmes. KEY POINTS • What is already known about this topic ○ Student engagement predicts success in online learning. ○ Engagement is multidimensional (behavioural, cognitive, social, emotional). ○ LMS analytics are increasingly used to measure engagement. • What this paper adds ○ Demonstrates how engagement sufficiency can be operationalised using LMS trace data. ○ Introduces performance engagement as digitally observable academic self-monitoring behaviour ○ Identifies four distinct engagement profiles using clustering. • Implications for practice and/or policy ○ Assessment design strongly shapes engagement behaviour. ○ Time-on-platform alone is insufficient as an engagement indicator. ○ Emotional engagement requires intentional design in online programmes. ○ Multidimensional analytics dashboards may better support early identification of diverse engagement patterns.