Human Nutrition

Permanent URI for this community

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100754

Browse

Browsing Human Nutrition by Subject "Activists, Human rights -- Masiphumelele (Cape Town, South Africa)"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An assessment and analysis of duty- bearers realising the right to food among children under the age of 18 years in Masiphumelele, Cape Town
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-03) Vincent, Susan Melanie; Koornhof, Hilletjie Elizabeth; Matji, J. N.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Global Health. Human Nutrition.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, guarantees the right to food for all. Aligned with this commitment, policies and programmes have been developed by various government and non-governmental sectors. However, despite these interventions, malnutrition and food insecurity remain major problems in South Africa, in particular, for children. For the development of effective interventions to improve the right to food of children as right-holders, it is important and valuable to prioritise the identification of those who have either obligations or responsibilities as duty-bearers to the rights-holders. Objectives: This study aimed to identify relevant duty bearers and determine what and how goods and services relating to specified food security determinants were being provided to children in the local community of Masiphumelele, and how these duty-bearers perceived their role in this context. It also aimed to determine whether collaboration existed between various duty-bearers. Furthermore, the perceived constraints to collaboration by the duty-bearers were explored to obtain information for planning future interventions. Method: A cross-sectional, qualitative study was performed on duty-bearers providing goods and services to children under the age of 18 years in Masiphumelele, a township in the Southern Peninsula of the Western Cape. Goods and services were identified according to food-security determinants. In-depth interviews by way of a semi-structured discussion were conducted with 27 purposively selected duty-bearers in order to explore the types of goods and services provided and how they were being provided. Willingness to collaborate amongst duty-bearers was also explored. Results: Six types of duty-bearers were identified namely 1) the state, 2) non-government organisations, 3) faith-based organisations, 4) welfare organisations, 5) individuals and 6) the private sector. Goods and services provided included: a) assistance in the transfer of public-assisted programmes, b) assistance in food supply, or c) assistance in private food transfer. Goods and services provided were mostly by way of the provision of food: 1) at a cost, 2) at no cost, 3) at a supported cost, 4) on credit, 5) through school feeding, or 6) by aiding the provision of food at no cost. All but one duty-bearer expressed willingness to collaborate. Perceived concerns and constraints to collaboration and issues faced in the context of delivery were numerous and varied. Conclusion: While the state is obligated to fulfil the right to food, opportunities exist for all duty-bearers to build the normative content of the right to food into the daily realisation of this right amongst the children in Masiphumelele. This can be done through focused attention on the availability, accessibility, sustainability, stability and adequacy in the goods or services provided. Parents are to equally recognise their responsibilities, and opportunities exist for the initiation of community-based intervention using the human rights-based approach to development for participation and encouragement.