Across the globe, airports are regarded as essential infrastructure needing protection. One of the major goals of an airport, as encouraged by the regulatory bodies and evoked through public expectation, is safety. However, a public environment, such as an airport, is vulnerable to crime. The Oliver Reginald Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) is Africa’s biggest and busiest airport, servicing approximately 19 million passengers annually. Moreover, tourism is a key component of a healthy economy. Therefore, safety and security are significant for sustainable tourism in South Africa. Thus, this paper used a quantitative inquiry to determine security professionals’ perceptions of crime at ORTIA. A non-experimental and randomized cross-sectional research design was used. Through random sampling, a total of 100 participants contributed to the study and yielded a representative percentage of 36%. Data were collected through online self-administered questionnaires from security personnel employed at ORTIA and analysed through descriptive analysis. The findings revealed that the most problematic crimes taking place at ORTIA were reported to be theft, mishandled baggage, automated teller machine (ATM) crimes, burglary, robbery, illegal immigrants and smuggling of drugs. Furthermore, most participants had witnessed a crime taking place at the airport. As informed by the participants, sustainable solutions are proposed in terms of crime prevention and intervention.

South African cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies appear to be in a state of flux. According to the Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, the incidence of these crimes has steadily decreased due to rapid response by the police in arresting more than 200 suspects between June and November 2018. Given the rhizomatic, eclectic nature of this crime type – and possible mechanical linkages and/or linear causality within the genesis of the crime – it is debatable whether arrests and incarceration offer a long-term solution. CIT robbers interviewed for this study reported that they were career criminals, less likely to be rehabilitated and that incarceration was only an interruption to their career. These findings were backed by life-course theories. This article contends that if the South African Criminal Justice System wants to curb CIT robberies, an investigation into proactive methods for combating the crime should be developed and risk reduction strategies crafted. After investigating possible causes of CIT robberies, this research made recommendations based on holistic measures involving the public, family, and various government and non-governmental departments. The research was conducted for a Master of Arts degree in Criminology. A mixed-method approach was followed and 40 incarcerated offenders who committed robbery with aggravating circumstances participated in the study.

The paper explores governmental perceptions and reactions to “social questions” in British colonial Africa, c. 1880-1950. By comparing three different political entities, Egypt, South Africa and Uganda, we find that authorities across cases have been acutely aware of potentially destabilising social change. Some social problems actually resulted from colonial projects themselves, giving rise to rather contradictory interpretations and policies. However, the intensity of political reactions to social questions varied widely, ranging from a largely passive approach in Egypt to the introduction of modern welfare in South Africa. We argue that perceptions and responses to social dislocation had a long-term impact on patterns of state formation and social policy development.

In the great majority of cases, the proper exercise of investigative or prosecutorial discretion presents little challenge and evokes little controversy. In a very small number of “high-profile” cases, however, such discretionary decisions become highly controversial and the subject of intense political, public, and media debate. It is such relatively rare cases that are the focus of this article. In such cases, two critical questions are typically at the forefront of debate: What does “the public interest” in such cases require? And who should have the final say as to what the public interest in such cases requires? The first of these questions typically reveals disagreements as to how the various commonly accepted “public interest” considerations should be applied to the case at hand; the second goes to the heart of the concept of “independence,” alleged to be a fundamental and constitutionally essential attribute of police and prosecutors in making such decisions. This article is concerned less with the details of discretionary decisions themselves than with the “political economy” of prosecutorial discretion, with particular reference to controversial high-profile cases that raise significant “public interest” considerations. Specifically, the article considers who currently does, and should, have the ultimate authority to exercise prosecutorial discretion in such cases, and why, and what such arrangements imply for the prevailing concept of prosecutorial “independence.” The author draws on four recent high-profile cases in the United Kingdom and in South Africa to illustrate the different ways in which these issues have arisen and the controversies that have developed out of attempts to resolve them.

Contrary to what prevails in the context of the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights, constitutional judges in India and South Africa have clearly recognized the justiciability and enforceability of social and economic rights. To explain this normative phenomenon, the author advance a hypothesis according to which the socio-economic conditions and the level of development of a country and the ideological context in which constitutional standards were adopted and are interpreted constitute factors that inevitably influence the courts and the conception judges have of human beings. The author therefore bring to light the formal conception of the person that Canadian judges promote by over-valuing individual autonomy in the interpretation of sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and note that in countries marked by extreme poverty, the case law on socio-economic rights is more vibrant, since the Indian and South African supreme courts recognize human beings in all their dimensions.

Cet article analyse l'impact d'une augmentation des dépenses publiques en éducation sur la performance du système éducatif sud africain et ses conséquences sur le marché du travail en utilisant un Modèle d'Equilibre Général Calculable (MEGC) en dynamique séquentielle. Le système éducatif sud africain porte les stigmates de l'Apartheid et une intervention publique plus accentuée est l'un des moyens envisagés pour corriger les inégalités héritées de l'ancien régime politique. Nos résultats montrent une amélioration des performances des étudiants et des effets positifs à court terme sur l'économie. A long terme, la population sud africaine, et en particulier les African, devient plus qualifiée, mais l'économie ne créant pas suffisamment d'emplois, une partie de ces nouveaux qualifiés se retrouve au chômage.

Introduction. This protocol describes a method for obtaining well-established banana plants in the field, both for open-air and greenhouse cultivation, from hardened tissue culture nursery plants. The principle, starting material and time required are presented. Materials and methods. This part describes the process of land preparation, both in the case of planting and replanting, including preplant fertilizer requirements and irrigation recommendations, and the main horticultural practices appropriate both for planting out in the field and for the first months after planting. Special attention is given to correct irrigation, a key issue in the establishment process. Possible problem areas for troubleshooting are listed. Results. At the end of the process, vigorous plants with uniform growth and high yield potential are planted out and become optimally established in the commercial field.

Introduction. This protocol can be used as a guide for people who wish to construct their own nursery. It describes the methods for receiving, transplanting, managing and hardening young banana tissue culture plants after the weaning stage. The principle, key advantages, starting plant material and time required are presented. Materials and methods. This part describes the nursery construction, the nursery media, fertiliser and bags, the handling and transplanting of weaned plants into bags (3 steps), and the management schedule for hardening nursery plants (8 steps). Possible troubleshooting is listed. Results. All the characteristics of nursery-hardened plants in bags, ready for transplanting to the field, are formulated.

Introduction. Green mould, Penicillium digitatum (Pers.: Fr.) Sacc., causes economically important postharvest disease in citrus. Materials and methods. Ethiopian plant extracts of Acacia seyal (Del. Var. Seyal) and Withania somnifera (L.) Dual were used to test the control of green mould in wound-inoculated fruit, stored for 21 d at 7 °C and at > 85% RH. The chemical compositions of the two extracts were determined using high-performance chromatography. Thereafter, freshly harvested (naturally infected) fruit were subjected to different postharvest treatments and stored for 50 d to investigate the effects of the two plant extracts on fruit quality parameters. Treatments included (pre-wax + leaf extracts), (wax + leaf extracts incorporated into wax, Citrosol A®), (leaf extract alone), (fruit washed in chlorinated water at 5.25%), (untreated fruit) and (commercially treated fruit). Results. Extracts of A. seyal and W. somnifera reduced the incidence of green mould by 56.1% and 50%, respectively, in wound-inoculated fruit. A. seyal extract contained a high concentration of gallic acid (60.3 mg·mL–1) whilst W. somnifera contained low concentrations of caffeic acid (8.7 mg·mL–1), salicylic acid (6.3 mg·mL–1) and 3,4 dihydroxy benzoic acid (3.8 mg·mL–1). Green mould was absent in naturally infected fruit subjected to (pre-wax + leaf extracts), (wax mixed with leaf extracts) and (leaf extracts) treatments. (Pre-wax + leaf extracts) and (wax mixed with leaf extract) treatments significantly reduced weight loss; retained firmness and colour; and they maintained eating qualities and a maturity index (SSC/TA) similar to commercial treatment. Conclusion. Both extracts of A. seyal and W. somnifera showed potential to be used as an alternative in combined applications with wax application under low temperature storage to replace synthetic fungicides, to ultimately control green mould and retain overall fruit quality.

Introduction. The protocol describes a method for promoting the acclimatization and protection of rooted in vitro banana plants between rooting in the laboratory and their establishment in a nursery. The principle, key advantages, starting plant material and time required are presented. Materials and methods. This part describes the weaning house installation, the weaning medium used to transplant the vitroplants, the two steps for acclimatizing the plantlets: receipt of rooted laboratory plants in flasks and planting, and factors affecting the growth of the plantlets in weaning conditions (light, misting system, temperature, humidity, wind, pest control and nutrition). Possible problems for troubleshooting are listed. Results. Under normal conditions, new roots appear 4–5 days after the start of weaning, and new leaves start to grow within 8–10 days. At the end of the weaning phase, young plants are healthy, well developed and they can be established in a nursery.

Introduction. Penicillium digitatum is a commercially important postharvest pathogen of citrus that is responsible for significant annual global losses. Strains of the fungus, which exhibit strong resistance to widely used synthetic fungicides, are of major concern to the industry. The aim of the study was to investigate the antifungal activities of polar extracts and compounds from Lippia species, indigenous to South Africa, against a Guazatine®-resistant strain of P. digitatum.Materials and methods. In vitro tests were done by incorporating the compounds and plant extracts into Malt Extract Agar at concentrations ranging from (0.2 to 1.0) mg·mL–1. An in vivo (curative) assay was conducted using the checkerboard technique on ‘Valencia’ oranges. Results and discussion. A strong correlation between the in vitro and in vivo results was observed. All the compounds and extracts were able to inhibit fungal growth at concentrations above 0.6 mg·mL–1. Verbascoside was the most active compound, while extracts of Lippia javanica and Lippia rehmannii caused significant inhibition of mycelial growth. The observed activity was largely ascribed to the presence of verbascoside in the plant extracts. Conclusion. Polar extracts of Lippia species have potential as environmentally friendly alternatives for the control of P. digitatum on citrus.

Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) was first recorded in South Africa in 1958 and became a major pest of maize and grain sorghum. It has invaded the main maize producing areas in the Highveld Region, gradually competitively displacing the indigenous Busseola fusca (Fuller). Between 1980 and 1993 two egg, seven larval and two pupal parasitoids were introduced for biological control of Ch. partellus. Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Braconidae), Paratheresia claripalpis van der Wulp (Tachinidae), Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) (Eulophidae) and Xanthopimpla stemmator Thunberg (Ichneumonidae) were released and recovered from the field. Recoveries were made up to a few weeks after releases but parasitoids failed to survive the winter and establish. The harsh winter conditions in the release sites, the long larval diapause period of Ch. partellus, lack of synchronisation between the development of the parasitoids and that of their host larvae, and absence of alternative host plants were identified as the main obstacles for the parasitoids establishment. It is concluded that the prospects of achieving any degree of biological control of stemborers in the Highveld Region with parasitoids from the tropics are poor. A parasitoid from a temperate zone of the USA, Macrocentrus grandii Goidanich (Braconidae), was introduced recently into South Africa and is currently reared on Ch. partellus in quarantine. Macrocentrus grandii stays dormant in its diapausing host, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), during winter to emerge in spring. Because of its ability to diapause in winter it is hoped that after releases, M. grandii will establish on Ch. partellus in the Highveld Region of South Africa.

The stemborers Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) are important pests of maize and sorghum in South Africa. A habitat management system for these pests is being developed in the Northern Province of South Africa. This management system is similar to the one used in eastern Africa, where host and non-host plants of stemborers are used to repel moths away from the main crop and attract them to highly attractive trap plants. To identify possible trap crops, a survey of wild host plants of stemborers was undertaken in the Northern Province of South Africa and several new host plants were recorded. As a possible trap crop for stemborers, various Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) varieties were evaluated for oviposition preference by Ch. partellus moths and subsequent larval survival on those varieties. Few larvae survived longer than 15 days after inoculation onto Napier grass plants. A survey was conducted of farming practices that would affect the adoption of habitat management strategies. The high usage of tractors for ploughing may have a negative effect on adoption of perennial intercrops in a habitat management system. The common practice of free grazing animals also reduced the fodder value and benefit of trap crops. The value of Napier grass does not only lie in its use as trap crop but also as a measure to limit soil erosion and as animal feed.

Two field experiments were conducted over two seasons to assess the effect of resistance levels of sorghum varieties on follow-up generations of Chilo partellus. Sorghum varieties, released by the Southern African Development Community/International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (SADC/ICRISAT) through the Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (SMIP) in the southern African region, were evaluated for their ability to provide for larvae to complete development in stalks and emerge as moths. Plants were naturally infested by C. partellus. The number of moth exit holes per stem was used to calculate survival of larvae to the adult stage. A moth production index was calculated to estimate the role of each sorghum variety in area-wide suppression of stemborer abundance. Between 97,500 and 213,125 moths per hectare emerged from the different sorghum varieties in trial 1 while between 0 and 77,500 emerged per hectare in trail 2. Resistant sorghum varieties may help suppress pest population build-up and be of considerable value in development of IPM systems for resource-poor farmers.