Thesis (MTech (Public Relations Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / This research analysed the use of interpretation services to address the communication challenges faced by Congolese asylum seekers at the refugee reception office in Cape Town. It examined the language challenges of Congolese asylum seekers, the role of the interpreters in addressing these challenges and the perceptions of refugees and home affairs officials about the quality of services provided by interpreters. It also discussed the implications for the outcome of Congolese applications for asylum. This project was framed around Bell and Reiss’s theories of translation and the general communication model. Community interpreting and interpreting studies complimented these theories because all of them focus on the intricacies of interpreting messages and the implications for meaning making, especially in the case of oral accounts. The research design was a case study and its unit of analysis was a company called Zeenab, Remy, Gerald, and Buba (ZRGB) Interpretation, Translation and Social Services, which has for years been the main provider of interpretation services to the department of home affairs in Cape Town. Since this project was a case study, it adopted a qualitative approach and used qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, focus group discussions and document analysis to collect data from respondents. These methods were suitable for this project because they provided unrestricted space for Congolese refugees and home affairs officials to express their views about the interpretation services and the implications thereof. All interviews took place in Cape Town between June and July 2016. The duration of interviews ranged from 25-65 minutes and the total number of respondents was 18. The researcher used a thematic analysis approach to organise, analyse and interpret the data collected from participants. This process involved coding, defining and naming and penetrating themes, searching for multiple meanings embedded in the data. After interpreting the data, this research revealed firstly that the main challenge of Congolese asylum seekers was to communicate their experiences consistently and accurately in English language. Secondly, asylum seekers blamed the rejection of their applications for asylum on the poor quality of interpretation services provided by ZRGB. Thirdly, asylum seekers had different impressions of the role of interpreters in the refugee determination process. In terms of scholarly contributions, this study hopes to shed light on the communication challenges that francophone asylum seekers and refugees face during the application and interviewing process. In addition, it can contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the politics of asylum and the acquisition of refugee identity in post-apartheid South Africa.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims to explore the existing knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among Congolese refugees living in Cape Town in order to create awareness and suggest possible measures to avert the spread of the pandemic among them. The target population are Congolese refugees living in Cape Town, with a refugee or an asylum seeker status. Due to the total population and difficulties in contacting them, the participants (50) were randomly selected among traders and hair dressers. The study used a quantitative research design. The Desk Top Market train station in Cape Town is an open market place where most Congolese traders sell their goods to the public. The data were collected at this market area in Cape Town using a questionnaire. To avoid any possible discrimination or stigmatisation resulting from being identified as a refugee in the study, the Congolese were contacted from the market place without screening them on the basis of their status. The participants were, however, required to tick their status in a box provided on the questionnaire. Furthermore, strict confidentiality was maintained to avoid the possible stigmatisation arising from the Congolese traders’ refugee status. According to the findings Congolese refugees have knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the route of transmission. The majority knows how to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS but it seems this protection discontinue shortly after a quick trust between them and their partners. It is may be because most refugees are in need of financial protection on their arrival so they do not have any other choice than to let it go. During the process of data collection there was an opportunity to discuss with some of them protection and most of them stated that condom use is not safe as condoms breaks often. Many Congolese do not believe in male circumcision for the reduction of risk because 100% of them are circumcised and some still have contracted HIV/AIDS. Some of Congolese does believe HIV can be cured because they have seen people who were cured through prayers. The findings also indicate the level of awareness is very low in this community because they still believe they can just by looking at other individuals they can detect if someone is HIV positive or not. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie was daarop toegespits om die bestaande kennis, houdings en praktyke met betrekking tot MIV/vigs onder Kongolese vlugtelinge in Kaapstad te ondersoek ten einde bewustheid te wek en moontlike maatreëls voor te stel om te keer dat die pandemie onder hulle versprei. Die teikenpopulasie was Kongolese wat in Kaapstad woon en oor vlugteling- of asielsoekerstatus beskik. Weens die groot omvang van die ondersoekpopulasie en uitdagings om met hulle in verbinding te tree, het die navorser lukraak vyftig (50) deelnemers uit die geledere van handelaars en haarkappers gekies. Die data is met behulp van ’n vraelys by die Desk Top-mark op Kaapstad-stasie ingesamel. Die studie het van ’n kwantitatiewe navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak. Die Desk Top-mark by Kaapstad-stasie is ’n buitelugmark waar die meeste Kongolese handelaars hul goedere aan die publiek verkoop. Om te voorkom dat enigeen wat in die studie as ’n vlugteling geïdentifiseer word enige moontlike diskriminasie of stigma ervaar, het die navorser voor die voet onderhoude met Kongolese by die mark gevoer sonder om hulle na hul verblyfstatus uit te vra. Die deelnemers moes egter hul status op die vraelys aandui deur die toepaslike blokkie te merk. Voorts is streng vertroulikheid gehandhaaf om enige moontlike stigma vanweë die respondente se vlugtelingstatus te voorkom. Die bevindinge toon dat Kongolese vlugtelinge wél oor ’n mate van kennis van MIV/vigs en die verspreiding daarvan beskik. Die meeste respondente weet hoe om hulself teen MIV/vigs te beskerm, hoewel daardie beskerming oënskynlik gestaak word kort nadat hulle ’n vertrouensverhouding met hul bedmaats ontwikkel. Dít kan daaraan toegeskryf word dat die meeste vlugtelinge met hul aankoms in die land finansiële beskerming nodig het en dus nie anders kan as om veilige sekspraktyke te laat vaar indien hul bedmaats daarop aandring nie. Gedurende die proses van data-insameling was daar geleentheid vir gesprek met die respondente, waaruit geblyk het dat kondoomgebruik na hulle mening nie juis veilig is nie, aangesien kondome dikwels breek. Min Kongolese glo dat manlike besnydenis die gevaar van MIV/vigs verminder, aangesien hulle almal besny is, maar sommige steeds MIV/vigs opdoen. Sommige glo dat MIV/vigs genees kan word, omdat hulle getuies was van hoe mense deur gebed gesond geword het. Die bevindinge dui ook op ’n baie lae bewustheidsvlak in hierdie gemeenskap: Baie glo steeds dat ’n mens met die blote oog kan bepaal of iemand MIV-positief is of nie.