I have outlined some objections to soteriologies that presume that only some are given a chance of eternal life. Such soteriologies can include or exclude those mentally competent but lacking human evangelisation. Fundamental to evaluating soteriologies I have looked at both what sin is (being and doing) and what salvation consists in, as regards divine and human interaction. On the one side I have considered God's goodness - would such a being act unethically regarding man's eternity? On the other hand I have looked at whether, and if so in what way, man is required to respond - in what way or ways is chance (if at all) given. Finally I have considered views about those who die in infancy. Here I have tentatively suggested my own theory which seeks to presume that before death every human being may choose to accept of reject God, a choice integral (I suggest) to salvation. / Department of Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

M.Sc. (Psychology) / Increasing attention has over the past decade been directed at sexual abuse in the form of media exposure and the formation of specialised units for the protection of children's rights. In this manner the South African Police Service have, since the first Child Protection Unit was formed in 1986, established units country wide in an attempt to erradicate this phenomenon. An overwiew of the literature makes it apparent that there are lots of conflicting opinions pertaining to sexual molestation. Not only do researchers differ in their definitions of sexual molestation but also on the incidence, typology and ethiology thereof. Flowing from the diverse and far reaching consequences suffered by the victim coupled to the accompanied legal and ethical aspects, child molestation presents as an extremely complex phenomenon to fully address. The Child Protection Unit of the South African Police Service thus appears to be the most appropriate place for the handling of child molestation because of the law inforcement context thereof. The goal of the study was thus to identify the needs of this unit in an effort to help the unit achieve the highest possible standards of effectiveness. To realise this study a phenomenological investigative method was used in the form of a need assessment questionnaire which was sent to the Johannesburg and Pretoria units. Data was collected in the form of completed questionnaires and was evaluated and interpreted in a qualitative manner. Needs determined, amongst others, were for more extensive training in specialised areas as well as a need for the direct involvement of a social worker and a psychologist at the Child Protection Unit. The above mentioned needs in conjunction with other identified needs and criticism voiced by the respondents, formed the basis for the recommendations proposed at the end of this thesis.

The main aim of this study was to explore and describe the general and emotional development of a sample of South African children between the age of five and eight years in residential care. More specifically, the study aimed to explore and describe the general level of development of a sample of children in residential care; to explore and describe the development of a sample of children in residential care in six areas of development; and to describe the emotional wellbeing of children in residential care. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was applied as the participants were comprised of children between the ages of 5 and 8 years housed at the residential care facility. The sample consisted of 11 children. The multiple case study method was used to achieve the aim of the study, using both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data consisted of scores obtained from the administration of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales - Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). The qualitative data was obtained from the Human Figure Drawing (HFD), participants’ scholastic progress reports, case reports from the residential care facility and clinical observations during the assessment period. The data was analysed according to thematic analysis. The results highlighted the pervasiveness of delays in all domains of child development of children housed in residential care, specifically that of language, social and emotional development. An important finding of the study was that decrements in these domains of development underpinned delays in the other domains of development since they form the foundation of learning and relating to the world. The study served to emphasize the importance of consistent developmental assessment in order to ascertain whether these children present with developmental delays and, if so, to xv identify which areas of development are most affected. Information from the developmental assessments could assist in the early identification of developmental delays and allow for individually tailored interventions to overcome such delays.

There were different kinds of imbalances that were created by the past regime in which race and colour were determining factors in terms of access to state welfare. The State Maintance Grant was one of the state welfare interventions where African women did not even know how or where to access the grant. When the Child Support Grant was introduced in 1998 it gave hope to the vulnerable section of the society, the children. The CSG is one of the poverty alleviation programs introduced by the government to target the poverty stricken children of South Africa. This is a means tested program which not all children are to benefit but a certain portion of the society. There are special conditions attached to the grant which require to be fulfilled. These conditions require the child to be fed, clothed, immunized, school needs be paid, and have proper accommodation. This study made use of the Mdantsane Township which is 25 km away from East London city centre as a case study to determine whether the CSG has managed to achieve its objective of relieving poverty among children, given the conditions of poverty and unemployment in Mdantsane. The findings of this study indicate that the people of Mdantsane are still in poverty and the most affected sections remain the children. The respondents indicate that the people are unemployed as a result the CSG seems to be the source of livelihood in these households leaving the children at a disadvantage as the grant is intended for x their own needs. Therefore there is a need to investigate whether the CSG has any impact on the lives of these children. Also since Eastern Cape is known to be one of the poorest provinces, it is important to investigate whether the CSG has become the source of livelihood in some households.

M.A. (Sociology) / South Africa's child protection system is widely reported to be in disarray, delivering deficient and fragmented services, which facilitate the occurrence of 'secondary abuse, compounded by the lack of information on the prevailing scenario in the country. This research study formed part of a national development project, aimed at investigating and improving the delivery of integrated child protection services. The study focused on the current levels of service delivery and the need for services integration in a multi-disciplinary, intersectoral system. Employing a multi-methodology Intervention Research strategy, the conceptual framework for the investigation was based on an open systems perspective. The research findings, generated by a national situation analysis of provincial and sectoral service providers, confirmed the interrelated prevalence of both inefficient service delivery levels and the urgent need for the integration of services. The results facilitated the drafting of provincial strategies, aimed at the improvement of service delivery and the inductive construction of a generic provincial model, while a national conference of service providers generated a proposed national integration strategy, based on a process model. The research has not only contributed towards the integration of child protection services, but also to the current transformation of the child protection system in South Africa.

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The increasing number of children who have reentered foster care is a pervasive problem today. The present study examined the recovery of substance-dependent parents and the length of time between reunification and a maltreatment recurrence event.

The purpose of the study is to explore the difficulties and experiences that foster parents have in accessing services and what can be done to alleviate some of these obstacles.

Originally the aim of this study was the exploration of the current situation of the right to education for refugee children in Burundi and Rwanda being the two countries with the highest number of refugees in Africa. However because of lack of information about the refugee situation in Rwanda, this study is limited to analysis of the situation in Burundi. This study then analyses the state of implementation of the international and national legal instrument by the government of Burundi and suggest ways of implementing the existing international and national legal framework. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2007. / Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Ass. Prof. Frederick Juuko, of the Faculty of Law, Makerere University Kampala, Uganda / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM