Globalisation has contributed to people migrating across national borders for different reasons, including economic hardships, political and social oppression, geographic and social factors (Triegaardt, 2009:1). Africans who seek refuge, asylum or an opportunity to improve their economic prospects and life within the borders of South Africa, face xenophobic attacks by black South African citizens, subjecting them to different forms and degrees of prejudice and discrimination (Adjai & Lazaridis, 2013:192). Rising inequality stifle economic growth, create poverty traps, wastes human potential and generate fertile ground for political and civil unrest, instability and heightened human insecurity (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UN DESA], 2013:22). The goal of the study was to explore the contribution of social workers in promoting socio-economic equalities for asylum seekers and refugees in Pretoria Central. The study utilised the qualitative research approach; it was exploratory and applied and made use of the instrumental case study design. The study adopted the non-probability sampling method, namely, purposive sampling to select eight social work participants from four Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) located in Pretoria Central. Data was collected by means of semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Findings show that the exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees starts with their struggle to secure documentation that give them access to jobs, education and other opportunities. Furthermore, in rendering services to asylum seekers and refugees, social workers mainly focus on material assistance, safe accommodation, statutory intervention and psycho-social support and lack a developmental approach with a focusing on integrated social and economic development. Findings also reveal that social workers collaborate with critical government departments and organisations, but not in a partnership that unites stakeholders to facilitate the promotion of socio-economic equalities for asylum seekers and refugees’ socio-economic rights. The study concludes that the focus on traditional remedial practice, poor networking, inadequate coordination of interventions between government and NGOs and lack of representation at the level of policy advocacy and policy making, contribute negatively to social workers’ efforts to promote socio-economic equalities for asylum seekers and refugees. The study recommends that social workers integrate a developmental approach in the provision of services, strengthen partnerships between governmental departments and NGOs and advocate for the socio-economic rights of asylum seekers and refugees. / Dissertation (MSW (Social Development and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW (Social Development and Policy) / Unrestricted

The focus of this study is an investigation of the language policy and language policy implementation in the Department of Correctional Services of South Africa. Language usage is a right of all the citizens of South Africa as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) which is the supreme law of the country. It is imperative that language policy makers in the Department of Correctional Services should adhere to the provisions of the constitution. It also aims at establishing whether the Department of Correctional Services’ policy is aligned to the national language policy framework as well as provincial language policy framework that provide for the use of the eleven (11) official languages in general and in particular. In this research study, background information serves to give an overview of how language policy of South Africa since 1994 has been perceived by various scholars and the historical overview of the language policies during the apartheid era. The African languages were given a low status as the language diversity of South Africa was not acknowledged by the government of that day. The evaluation of the contents of language policies that were used previously and currently in the Department of Correctional Services shed light to the issues of language attitude, language choice and language use in this department. During the apartheid era there were working languages set for prisoners as well as staff regarding communication either verbally or in writing in the Department of Correctional Services. The official languages were English and Afrikaans of which the latter was dominant. The question of whose language, for what purpose and how was it received was also investigated. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The focus of this study is an investigation of the language policy and language policy implementation in the Department of Correctional Services of South Africa. Language usage is a right of all the citizens of South Africa as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) which is the supreme law of the country. It is imperative that language policy makers in the Department of Correctional Services should adhere to the provisions of the constitution. It also aims at establishing whether the Department of Correctional Services’ policy is aligned to the national language policy framework as well as provincial language policy framework that provide for the use of the eleven (11) official languages in general and in particular. In this research study, background information serves to give an overview of how language policy of South Africa since 1994 has been perceived by various scholars and the historical overview of the language policies during the apartheid era. The African languages were given a low status as the language diversity of South Africa was not acknowledged by the government of that day. The evaluation of the contents of language policies that were used previously and currently in the Department of Correctional Services shed light to the issues of language attitude, language choice and language use in this department. During the apartheid era there were working languages set for prisoners as well as staff regarding communication either verbally or in writing in the Department of Correctional Services. The official languages were English and Afrikaans of which the latter was dominant. The question of whose language, for what purpose and how was it received was also investigated. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)