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Occult-related crimes are crimes of a spiritual nature, in Africa, the study of these crimes could be approached from the field of African cosmology, which encompasses spirituality, culture, and nature. But these crimes also exist in a sociopolitical context, as well as an economic one. It is said that modern occult crimes have become entrepreneurial, this is what the Comaroffs (1999) call ‘modern occult economies.' The transition from traditional occult practices to modern practices can further be explored through a lens of, deeply rooted belief systems, being hijacked and manipulated by the opportunistic. This research explores not only traditional African occult crime, but also the Western branch practices and hybrid systems, and it touches on global occult crimes and ‘moral panics'. Occult crime is not labelled as such, but as general crimes, but the argument is for the typology of occult crime, for this has implications on police training and investigation, as well sentencing processes in courts. Modern-day panics are described as conspiracy theories, and in the 80s and 90s a significant example of this phenomenon was labelled the ‘Satanic Panic', and more recently, it could be argued in the theories of groups like QAnon. Further, the policing of the occult is engaged, specifically in South Africa, through exploring the challenges in the policing of occult crimes, by general police officers and South Africa's Occult Related Crime Unit (ORCU). Complexities in the South African criminal justice system and the occult, as with legislation and the judiciary, is an ongoing conversation between scholars, and one this research also touches on.

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Climatic hazards, such as flooding and drought, are expected to increase in frequency as a result of climate change. Growing evidence suggests that climate-induced water challenges will interact with health concerns, compounding pre-existing challenges for vulnerable populations in low-and middle-income contexts. Due to the novel nature of COVID-19, limited research has focused on the combined impact of the climate crisis and COVID-19 on human health, particularly in South Africa. Thus, there is an urgent need to enhance understanding of the adverse health impacts linked to climate-related water stressors. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study drew upon multiple datasets to explore water-related health risks prevalent during the Cape Town drought, and in the subsequent period up to and including the current COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources include qualitative stories from a community resilience project, video interviews from the drought response in Cape Town, quantitative COVID-19 water service delivery data from informal settlements, and a document analysis of the Cape Town Water Strategy. Data was analysed using inductive and deductive research approaches to piece together different perspectives on how the pandemic interacts with pre-existing hazards. The study uses the climate-water-health nexus framing to investigate some of the critical health risks present during and after the drought. The study also explores how the COVID-19 pandemic interacted with health and water issues, providing a snapshot of the lived experience of the urban poor during an emerging public health crisis. The study subsequently considers the implications for the Cape Town water sector in view of the drought and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Results from this study show that inadequate sanitation and exposure to wastewater are the most commonly cited health risks for low-income households in the study sites. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing water-associated health risks by indirectly widening health inequalities and increasing poverty levels. Moreover, compound risks have limited the ability of low-income households to cope with additional shocks and stressors. The findings of this study contribute to a critical research gap and expand the evidence base on the relationship between climate change, water, health, and compound risks in the South African context. The study calls for the adoption of a cross-sectoral, integrated approach to address health threats at the climate-water-health nexus.

Cape Town has recently undergone major policy and regulatory changes within its water management strategy in response to a three-year drought (2015-2018). Due to the vulnerability of humanity to climate change, its uncertainty, and the risks that it poses for securing a reliable source of water, it is important to fully understand the implications of Cape Town's responding water management changes, in understanding that similar events could occur again in the future. Situated within the field of political ecology, this research aims to determine how the evolution of water management in Cape Town in response to the drought will most likely impact the ideal of equitable water service provision throughout the city's post-crisis context. By utilizing a series of personally conducted semi-structured interviews and secondary official city documents, this research focuses on the tourism industry and the African Water Commons Collective (AWCC) as a lens to understand what motivated the CoCT's water-policy decision-making processes, how the economy and low-income communities were considered and treated in response to these decisions, how these have gone on to impact their respective experiences with water accessibility, and what this implies regarding their accessibility for the near future. The results reveal that a significant number of policy decisions were based on the emergence of a duality of crisis: (1) a drought that mandated reducing demand and augmenting supply and (2) a financial model in need of stabilizing in order for the department to be able to do so. The tourism industry and low-income communities indeed experienced the City's governance responses differently; their experiences each implying very different outlooks for their accessibility in the future. The tourism industry's position within the economy and local government has proven to make it better able to adapt and be resilient in the face of water shortages, painting a pretty picture for its future survival in the face of climate change. The strained relationship between low-income communities and local government, on the other hand, has proven to complicate the City's attempts to improve water and sanitation services in those areas. Without this communication, the City cannot expect to fully understand how the impacts of their decisions are influenced by the spatial and infrastructural contexts of low-income communities. For this reason, improvements in living conditions for those areas cannot be expected. Rather, it is important that the City recognizes the impacts its decisions have on accessibility for the poor, and why. Recognizing that similar events are increasingly likely in the future, at a global scale and with greater frequency, the ability of the Water and Sanitation Department (W&SD) to recognize, reflect and react to these conflicting objectives is crucial if equal water accessibility between citizen groupings is ever going to be met.

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Climate is changing, and this change poses threats to the agricultural sector. The impacts of climate are expected to become more extreme as the earth warms, and this change will affect climate suitability for different types of crops. The degree to which an increase in temperature patterns and rainfall variations will affect climate suitability for agricultural practices needs to be further understood. This can be achieved by performing a climate sensitivity analysis and contribute to informing adaptation policies and mitigation measures. This study aims to analyze the sensitivity of important crops in Zimbabwe, maize, and tobacco, in response to changes in temperature and rainfall patterns. This research paper used a sensitivity analysis of climate variables; rainfall, and temperature, using historical climate data derived from WorldClim for the period 1990-2018 to assess climate suitability. The historical climate data was used as the baseline to assess the sensitivity of maize and tobacco under a 2°C, 3°C, and 4°C temperature increase as well as a 5%, 15%, and 30% increase and decrease in annual average rainfall amount. The modified spatial climate data was computed in QGIS, and suitability was simulated using the Ecocrop model embedded in the DIVAGIS user platform. The results from this study indicated that in Zimbabwe, both crops are more sensitive to rainfall changes than to temperature changes (independently). A 5%, 15%, and 30% decline in the average rainfall will result in previously suitable areas becoming marginal, very marginal, and others unsuitable for both crops that are in agro-ecological regions I to III; i.e., provinces that include Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Harare, and Manicaland. When crops are subjected to combined changes (temperature and rainfall), both crops become more sensitive. When exposed to high temperatures and low rainfall together, for instance, provinces such as Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, and Harare which are known as historically suitable areas for maize cultivation, will become marginal or very marginal. This change in suitability could have consequences not only on food security but also on people's livelihood and understanding the crops' sensitivity to climate changes helps support the well-being progress of the country.

Upphovsrätten påverkas starkt av den tekniska utvecklingen. Svåra rättsliga ställningstaganden uppstår när musikaliska verk används i förhållande till ny teknik som blockkedjetekniken och non-fungible-tokens (NFT). Tillämpningen av tekniken  ger upphov till  frågor om vilka upphovsrättsliga utmaningar som uppstår. Det finns därför ett behov att utreda om det upphovsrättsliga skyddet för musikaliska verk  påverkas  i förhållande till blockkedjetekniken och NFT. Syftet med uppsatsen har varit att analysera vilka upphovsrättsliga effekter som kan komma att uppstå vid användningen av blockkedjetekniken och NFT för musikaliska verk.  De grundläggande förfoganderättigheterna som upphovsrätten  ger är att ingen annan än upphovspersonen får framställa exemplar av det skyddade verket och överföra verket till allmänheten. Det har därför varit av betydelse att analysera huruvida det uppstår exemplarframställning eller överföring till allmänheten när musikaliska verk  existerar  på blockkedjetekniken och myntas ut till NFT. Bedömningen av om blockkedjetekniken och NFT medför någon exemplarframställning är inte helt uppenbar. Det sagda beror på vilka omständigheter som är gällande i det enskilda fallet, som exempelvis om verket har laddads upp på en publik eller privat blockkedja och off- eller on-chain. / Copyright has and is still subject to influence from technology. One of the recent technologies that has received attention is the blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFT). This thesis analysis the blockchain technology and NFT in  relation to copyrighted works, such as musical work.  The  application of  blockchain technology  regarding  musical  works  raises questions about which challenges that arises for the protection of copyright. Therefore, there is a need to investigate whether the copyright protection for musical works is affected in relation to the usage of blockchain technology and NFT. The purpose of the essay has been to analyze which copyright challenges that may occur from the use of blockchain technology and NFT for musical works.  The copyright protection provides the fundamental exclusive rights  for authors to prohibit others to reproduce and communicate their works to the he public. Hence, the central focus of the thesis has been to analyze whether there are any form av reproduction or communication to the public of the protected works when musical works exists on the blockchain technology and when the works are being minted into NFT. If the blockchain technology and NFT causes re-production or communication to the public is not completely clear.  In conclusion, the thesis finds that circumstances of the individual case, such as if the work has been uploaded to a public or private blockchain or if the work is off- or on-chain, should be considered when assessing whether there has been a reproduction or a communication to the public.

Human-Elephant Conflict is a topic of conservation and socio-economic concern in light of its impacts on elephants and humans alike. The phenomenon has been occurring since the 19th century in Asia and Africa. Land use changes and human expansion into previous wildlife strongholds has exacerbated and increased Human-Elephant Conflict notwithstanding the impacts of an increase in the human population worldwide. Human-Elephant Conflict usually occurs in areas adjacent to protected areas with little know of the nature of Human-Elephant Conflict in areas which are not located near protected areas. Mmashoro Village and surrounding farms are an example of an area that is not located adjacent to a protected area but that is still exposed to Human-Elephant Conflict. The nature of Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding farms consists of damage to fences, JoJo tanks and private gardens. Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding areas has also been increasing over time. Human-Elephant Conflict in Mmashoro village and surrounding farms has varying (in degree and extent) impacts on the financial and emotional livelihoods of farm owners, farm workers, and local residents. This study found that the management strategies employed by the Government of Botswana to mitigate impacts of Human-Elephant Conflict were found to be inhibiting and restricting the livelihoods of all stakeholders. The interventions pursued by the government were, therefore, not enabling the present and future potential livelihoods of all stakeholders while also disadvantaging and prejudicing other stakeholders such as Local Residents and Farm Workers. The results of this study therefore indicate that Mmashoro village and surrounding farms present as an interesting case study as the site is not located next to protected areas as is the case with various conflict regions. As such, this study found that more nuanced and adapted management strategies were needed to ensure that government interventions were effective in areas such as Mmashoro Village and surrounding farms. Further studies are needed in sites which are not located next to protected areas but where Human-Elephant Conflict still occurs albeit haphazardly. Such studies will help to highlight the varied approaches often needed in the different geographical and social regions even though such approaches are often disregarded.

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