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This book presents insights into the governance challenge associated with the management of the lockdown measures in relation to the welfare of citizens in selected African states. The intention of the project is to present a critical analysis of the effectiveness and the consequences of the measures adopted by the government of these African countries to contain further spread of the virus, within the context of existing governance challenges in the management of the public sector. This will expose the contradictions in the implementation of public policy and the actualization of its intendment for the promotion of good governance and the welfare of citizens. The benefit thereof is the feasibility of arousing further intellectual engagements on the need for effective management of public sector with strong infrastructural support for the good of all in Africa. Nirmala Dorasamy is an NRF rated Professor in the Department of Public Management and Economics at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Durban, South Africa.

The article aims to explore the attitudes of employees toward the Protected Disclosures Act (2000) in providing protection to whistleblowers in South Africa. It seeks to examine the extent to which employees are encouraged to blow the whistle at higher education institutions, despite legislation which protects disclosures made in good faith. The assessment is conducted in the light of empirical research conducted at a higher education institution, against literature gleaned on whistleblower legislation and its impact on good governance. The research was limited to the Durban University of Technology, a higher education institution (HEI) in South Africa and may not produce the same findings at other similar higher education institutions. A conceptual framework informed by legislation, policy and procedures and organizational culture was used to determine employee perceptions of whistleblower protection within higher education institutions. The research methodology focused on questionnaires administered to all employees. Despite the implementation of a whistleblowers line at the institution, employees are of the opinion that practices and procedures relating to whistleblowing have not encouraged whistleblowing or even decreased unethical conduct, In light of this research, recommendations are made to promote a culture of whistleblowing that broadly need to be supported and articulated throughout the institution.

Corporate social responsibility is being increasingly considered vital for organizational success and sustainable growth, especially in view of corporations operating in an environment with multiple stakeholder interests. Investment in CSR should not been seen as an expense, but rather the allocation of resources to strengthen relationships with stakeholders in an endeavour to reap the multifaceted benefits of such investments Financial institutions like banks need to be seen as leading organizations who engage in social activities that uplift society, the environment and economy. The article analyses significant areas of corporate social responsibility for banks which are integral for customers, government, suppliers, citizens, employees and global partners for enhancing the responsibility of banks to a diverse range of stakeholders who have an interest in the banks. This 'common good' reputation can provide several advantages to banks which further impacts on the performance of banks.

This article uses a nontraditional form to provide insight into the experiences of students and mentors during work integrated learning, through poetry pieces. Mentors play a pivotal role during the period of experiential learning, during which student exposure to the world of work has to be nurtured, thereby ensuring that the experience is mutually beneficial to both the student and the mentor. The author is one of the mentors for students engaged in work integrated learning for three months in their final year of study toward a national diploma in public management. Students and mentors reflect on their experiences through feedback reports, which constitute an important part of reviewing the work integrated learning experience. With these resources, the author explores the experiences of students and mentors through poetry. Such a qualitative approach provides valuable insight into their experiences, which underscores the impact of work integrated learning on student preparation for the world of work. Further, the poetry pieces are employed to highlight the roles and responsibilities of students and mentors in the work integrated learning relationship.

The article proposes to explore the importance of policy and procedure as an impetus for establishing a whistle blowing culture. It can be suggested that the institutionalization of a whistle blowing culture through established and practiced policies and procedures can lead to lower levels of perceived retaliation, which is frequently a deterrent in blowing the whistle. The quantitative research method was employed to determine the extent to which higher education institutions implement policies and procedures to institutionalize whistle blowing as an imperative for an ethical organizational culture, which encourages potential whistleblowers to report on wrongdoing. A conceptual framework informed by legislation, policy and procedures was used to determine employee perceptions relating to the role of whistle blowing policies and procedures within the Durban University of Technology as an impetus for establishing a whistle blowing culture. The investigation was based on empirical research conducted at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa and literature on whistle blowing. In the light of the research, recommendations are made relating to institutional whistle blowing policies and procedures. The empirical findings reveal that whistle blowing legislation is inadequate to encourage whistle blowing. The article provides a comprehensive framework for the institutionalization of whistle blowing within the organizational culture as an imperative to encourage disclosure of unethical practices.

Sound public policy and state action is imperative for South Africa to expand its economy to grow sustainably and competitively, raise skills levels and continue spending on crucial social and economic investment programmes, aimed at improving the standard of living of all citizens. The provision of revenue to fund such initiatives is largely dependent on an efficient tax revenue institution which can generate state revenue through taxation, while it does not raise the overall tax burden on income taxpayers. This article reviews the efficacy of personal income tax administrative reforms within the context of tax administration in South Africa, as a strategy to enhance tax revenue collection by South African Revenue Services (SARS). Legislative prescriptions and the policy mandate of SARS, which give effect to these reforms are also reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges impeding expected outcomes are highlighted. The article suggests that a critique of such challenges can promote effective and efficient personal income tax administration, which will ultimately benefit taxpayers and government in South Africa.

The fundamental purpose of government departments is to provide services to satisfy public needs. Public leaders have to take on organisational roles to decide how to best achieve the organisation's purpose of meeting human needs and enhancing human life. An ethical culture underpinning purpose-driven leadership is viewed as an effective approach that will promote the broader interests of society in respect of public service delivery. This article focuses on the possible contribution of a purpose-directed leadership approach within the South African public service toward enhancing ethical behaviour which can ultimately translate into improved public service delivery. Attention is devoted to the capacity of such an approach in creating a milieu of commitment toward service excellence, this article argues that unethical behaviour in the public service has impacted on the quality of service delivery in many government departments in South Africa. A review of reports by the Public Service Commission and the media suggest that quality public service delivery has been affected by the lack of an ethical culture within purpose directed leadership. Through a detailed review of literature and documents relating to poor public service delivery in South Africa, it has become imperative to explore the effect of ethical and purpose-directed leadership on public service delivery. This article further argues that through ethical and purpose driven leadership, the mission statement of the public service is not only communicated to all concerned, but it is also clarified and understood and becomes the driving force in delivering what is to be achieved, without compromising the quality of public services. Performance in support of the purpose can be the building blocks upon which an ethical culture is developed throughout all government departments. Public leaders must therefore use the organisational purpose as a frame of reference for the execution of all functions within the organisation so that public satisfaction can be best achieved, without compromising ethical behaviour. The public service needs to accord greater importance and focus to leadership based on purpose-driven activities to address some of the ethical issues affecting quality service delivery. Some of the ethical issues include conflict of interest, mismatch post appointments and lack of commitment to quality service delivery. By adhering to the purpose, the principles of public service delivery beyond personal aspirations and ambitions are prioritised. The study is contextualized through a general overview of the role of leadership, within an ethical and purpose-directed framework, in promoting quality services in the public sector.

The African economy has been impacted by the global crisis as it is integrated into the world economy. African governments have used their strengths, fiscal opportunities, financial regulatory frameworks and the resourcefulness of labour and institutions to address the challenges of the crisis. The aim of the article is to examine the challenges facing ethical leadership within the context of the global crisis and to question whether a mere response to the crisis without complementing it with a deliberate ethical focus is adequate for sustaining an effective and efficient public service. The approach that is followed is a critical qualitative assessment of the current literature on the topic. In addition to examining the effect of the crisis on the public sector and initiatives to control the impact of the global crisis on South Africa with a special focus, the article explores the extent to which the crisis will place greater strain on ethical leadership. Since South Africa ranks quite high on the global list of most corrupt nations in the world, the article argues that strategies in response to the crisis must be underpinned by more effective measures driving ethical leadership.

Role of SMEs Economic Development in Africa -- SMEs and Equality in Africa -- African women owned SMEs post COVID-19: towards a gender sensitive policy development strategy -- Fostering Global Competitiveness of SMEs in the supply chain post Covid- -- SMEs Finance: Challenges and Policy Options -- Payment of Taxes: Challenges and Options -- Global Supply Chain and SMEs -- Building Productive Capacities: The Role of Business Linkages -- Skills Training by SMEs: Global Experience and South Korean Consortium Approach -- Access to Markets and Internationalisation of SMEs -- SMEs and the African Continental Free Trade Area -- Fostering Business Ethics and Professionalism -- Enhancing quality and standards among SMEs.

Prior to China's reform, the poverty count surpassed that of the whole African continent. However, within five years, the Chinese could reverse this narrative. Between 1980 and 2020, China lifted a staggering 800 million citizens out of poverty. By February 2021, the Chinese declared that the war on 'absolute poverty' had been won when measured using the standard equivalence of $2.30 a day per person. In consonance with the Chinese feat on poverty, the study examines the strategy adopted in defeating poverty and highlights fundamental lessons that rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa may embrace in achieving a similar feat. To achieve this aim, the study adopted a literature review alongside a desktop analysis in deducing critical lessons from the Chinese war on poverty that may apply to rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa. Hence, an extensive assemblage of earlier studies on Chinese poverty alleviation strategies was looked into systematically. The study highlights potential challenges the South African rural developmental stakeholders may face in an attempt to replicate the Chinese stratagem. The study thus concludes with practical steps rural developmental stakeholders in South Africa may adopt to create viable rural spaces devoid of egregious forms of poverty.

Separation of powers among the three branches of government, in most Constitutional democracies, is a design to avert the tyranny of a personalized rule. With specific roles, in relationships characterized by separated but shared powers, each branch of government is a watchdog against the other in case of any abuse. In the South African governing system, the Constitution guarantees functional power relationships among the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary branches of the government. Nevertheless, the dominant party system, in practice, has weakened the legislative oversight and accountability powers to tame the excesses of the executive, contrary to the intendments of the drafters of the Constitution. Judicial review of the various legislative and executive actions, however, has created precedents that seek to reassert legislative capacity to hold the executive accountable. At one time or the other, the judiciary had indicted the legislature and the executive of dereliction of duties. Using primary and secondary data from judicial pronouncements, constitutional provisions, and other public documents, with extant literature, respectively, this paper reviewed the environment that prompted the activist posture of the South African judiciary. An entrenched culture of party loyalty and the incapacity of the legislature to enforce accountability have bolstered the need for assertive judicial review in ensuring accountability. The failure of the legislature to exercise its oversight power has provided the platform for the judiciary to rise as a formidable accountability instrument. Judicial independence, guaranteed by The Constitution, would continue to sustain the tenets of South African representative democracy.

The Mgobodzi community of the Nkomazi Municipality is perceived as one of the most poverty-stricken and under-developed communities in South Africa. As an agendum to alleviating poverty, the government has employed a variety of developmental initiatives to accelerate development within this community. Despite the enormous investments and concentrated developmental interventions, little improvement has been noticed in regard to the state of poverty within this community as compared to the situation prior the kick-starting of these governmental interventions. In consonance, this study aims to propose an alternative developmental trajectory for this community through the 'Endogenous growth theory'. The novelty of this research lies in its plausibility and dependence on insights from experienced rural development stakeholders, alongside beneficiaries of this community. The study found that the current rural development trajectory lacks crucial insights into the fundamental demands of this deprived community. The time of realism has set in for stakeholders to make more proactive interventions in addressing the awful specter of under-development and poverty epitomised amongst this community. Such realism is advocated in this research through the 'conceptualisation of the endogenous growth theory'.

Poor service delivery has always been considered a legacy of the apartheid era. However, 25 years into democracy, many local municipalities are still battling with service delivery backlogs. These backlogs are often attributed to, for example, dysfunctional ward committees, corruption amongst councillors, exclusion of community members in the planning process, failure to prioritise community needs, and institutional capacity issues. These challenges have undermined municipalities' provision of quality service delivery and have precipitated service delivery protests. This article argues that community participation, which has been identified as a factor that can mitigate the aforementioned challenges, can be pivotal in the provision of effective and efficient services by municipalities. The relationship between community inclusion and service delivery outcomes is not simplistic, but depend upon a combination of proactive and highly skilled leaders and a cooperative and supportive populace. In this article, we identify the modes for successful participation and also the consequences of community exclusion through textual analysis of pertinent sources. We argue that such participation can only be successful and sustainable if it is reinforced by support from local government in the form of community training and capacity development workshops to exchange and instil new ideas as well as by resource allocation.