ABSTRACT
The province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa has recorded the highest number of hungry and malnourished children in comparison to other provinces (Cleary 2020). Children between the ages of one and five years living in this province, Gauteng and The Free State have the highest ratios of stunted growth in South Africa (Mabuza 2018). Current media reports demonstrate that Covid 19 exacerbated the circumstances regarding food and nutrition insecurity for many poor children in South Africa generally and in KwaZulu-Natal specifically. This chapter analyses two policies namely, The South African National Food and Security Policy and The Guidelines on the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) in KwaZulu-Natal which needs to be aligned. Global targets of nutrition (2025) should be aligned with the nation's urgent goals to address food insecurity and malnutrition after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. A brief overview of some of the national and provincial governmental food and nutrition initiatives are described and discussed to illustrate the challenges and shortcomings experienced before and after the pandemic. This data affirms the need for an urgent comprehensive approach inclusive of policy remediation, program and action plan initiatives and the development of liberal trade policies which can collectively effectively contribute towards the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition. A qualitative desktop review of these policies, scholarly and media publications and online resources such as websites and blogs provide the relevant data for this study. The findings of this study illustrate a need for immediate reassessment and modifications of these two policies to enhance its value after the Covid-19 pandemic. © Peter Lang GmbH.
ABSTRACT
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Durban's restaurant industry contributed substantially to South Africa’s tourism economy, by catering for the various eating preferences of domestic and international tourists. Journalists reported the negative impact lockdown measures have had on restaurants in South Africa. This micro qualitative study is located in an upper-class suburb (Umhlanga) which is renowned for their variety of restaurants and cuisines available. The analysis of 15 in-depth interviews illustrates the economic impact of the lockdown regulations on restaurant employers and employees from March 2020 to July 2021. Data revealed that lockdown regulations such as the alcohol bans and the social distancing protocols were deterring factors for citizens not to dine out. The national curfew legislation during this year was also influential, but when curfews were eradicated, restaurant patronage remained at a minimal. The temporary and intermittent closure of restaurants and the alteration of dinein meals being sold as takeaway meals negatively impacted the revenue and profits of these businesses. Therefore, even well-established local restaurants and international franchises experienced substantial financial losses which resulted in many job losses and permanent closures. This micro study compliments and contributes to other studies on restaurants in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa. © 2022 AJHTL /Author(s)
ABSTRACT
Parents of young children are often unaware of the general importance of play in children's development and their own roles in children's play. Lack of leisure, lack of space, the COVID-19 pandemic, Early Childhood Centre teacher communication and use of media and digital toys for children, have affected and reduced children's free play. Drawing on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development as an underpinning theoretical framework, this paper explores the contestations of play and learning using parents' voices. The study used open-ended qualitative questionnaires to extract parents' feedback on their understanding and practices of play with 3-4-year-old children. The researchers used convenient purposive sampling and selected 6 parents of young children from middle-income families in Pretoria, South Africa. In a time of schoolification of the early childhood years, the findings highlight that although parents believed that play was essential, they set up structured learning environments for their 3-4-year-old children at home. The study accentuated the importance of parent intervention programmes so that parents are aware of how to engage in play with their children appropriately, and what the appropriate adult roles for extending and enhancing play are.