<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- generator="FeedCreator 1.7.3" -->
<?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.w3.org/2000/08/w3c-synd/style.css" type="text/css"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd">
    <channel>
        <title>Polity.org.za | The Conversation</title>
        <description><![CDATA[The Conversation is a network of not-for-profit media outlets that publish news stories written by academics and researchers.]]></description>
        <link>https://www.polity.org.za/page/the-conversation</link>
        <lastBuildDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:53:47 +0200</lastBuildDate>
        <generator>FeedCreator 1.7.3</generator>
        <item>
            <title>South Africans and migrants: study tracks the barriers to being good neighbours</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/south-africans-and-migrants-study-tracks-the-barriers-to-being-good-neighbours-2026-09-25</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africa has made strides in integrating immigrants into local communities. The country is home to an estimated 2.4-million to 3.1-million foreign-born residents. This represents roughly 4% to 5.1% of the total population.  Acceptance of immigrants as neighbours in the neighbourhoods where they live and work is, however, not a given. Suspicion and tensions between locals and immigrants remain common. Evidence of this was the sharp surge in xenophobic violence and anti-immigrant protests in mid-2026.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:23:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730968</a_id>
        <updated>1790324743</updated>
        <published>1790324580</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301911_resized_policerefugeesimmigrantsxenophobia30102019reuters1022.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Street names carry stories with them. What they tell us about Gauteng in South Africa</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/street-names-carry-stories-with-them-what-they-tell-us-about-gauteng-in-south-africa-2026-09-25</link>
            <description><![CDATA[As a design researcher working in urban graphic heritage, I explore how everyday graphic objects communicate in public spaces. I have started to think of the city as a kind of living, dispersed archive. It is not an archive that replaces formal institutions, but one that exists alongside them.  In a recent mapping project that I led for the Gauteng City-Region Observatory in South Africa, almost 44 000 street names were analysed across Gauteng, the country’s economic heartland.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:18:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730967</a_id>
        <updated>1790324607</updated>
        <published>1790324280</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301908_resized_johannesburg1022reuters.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>South Africa’s minibus taxi industry has lessons for policymakers on how informal systems work</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/south-africas-minibus-taxi-industry-has-lessons-for-policymakers-on-how-informal-systems-work-2026-09-25</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Two recent books draw on more than a decade of research into South Africa’s minibus taxi industry. A Fork in the Road? The Formalisation of South Africa’s Minibus Taxi Industry and Blood on the Tar, Hope on the Horizon: South Africa’s Minibus Taxi Industry in Global Perspective examine formalisation, labour precarity, regulation, governance, violence, mobility and social justice. Siyabulela Christopher Fobosi sets out why the two books raise a question: whose knowledge counts when attempting to understand and transform African institutions?  Why do labels matter? South Africa’s minibus taxi industry is often described through terms such as “informal”, “unregulated”, “illegal” or “difficult to govern”. These descriptions capture some realities. The industry has serious problems, like working conditions, exploitation, violence and conflict.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:16:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730966</a_id>
        <updated>1790324299</updated>
        <published>1790324160</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301905_resized_2020taxifleet1022copy.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Young South Africans move for work and opportunity. What happens to their health when they do?</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/young-south-africans-move-for-work-and-opportunity-what-happens-to-their-health-when-they-do-2026-09-22</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Moving between rural homes, towns and cities is a normal part of life for many South Africans. Young adults often move in search of work or education, sometimes settling elsewhere for long periods and sometimes moving repeatedly between rural homes and urban destinations. These patterns of temporary and circular migration are particularly prevalent in South Africa. They have deep roots in the country’s labour system and apartheid spatial planning.  But changing the place where someone lives can also change the conditions that shape their health: whether they have a job, what they eat, the environment they live in and the healthcare they can access. Despite high levels of internal mobility in South Africa, we still know relatively little about what happens to people’s health when they move and spend more time in urban areas.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:42:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730754</a_id>
        <updated>1790070286</updated>
        <published>1790070120</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001301287_resized_theconversationlogo.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>AI has arrived in South Africa’s boardrooms – but company law hasn’t caught up</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/ai-has-arrived-in-south-africas-boardrooms-but-company-law-hasnt-caught-up-2026-09-17</link>
            <description><![CDATA[AI is beginning to influence how boards of directors make decisions in South African companies. Directors use it to do things like assess financial information, predict market trends or identify potential risks before making strategic decisions.  But there is a problem. South African company law does not regulate its use by boards. This matters in relation to the rules governing directors’ duties and responsibilities.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:38:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730380</a_id>
        <updated>1789637992</updated>
        <published>1789637880</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001300224_resized_theconversationlogo.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Sacred springs of South Africa: pure waters or polluted? We found tiny bits of plastic in the ...</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/sacred-springs-of-south-africa-pure-waters-or-polluted-we-found-tiny-bits-of-plastic-in-the-samples-we-tested-2026-09-17</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Across South Africa, natural springs are more than sources of freshwater. Some are places of healing, spiritual cleansing and rituals, where communities collect water and maintain longstanding cultural connections with the environment. For example, during cleansing rituals, people bathe in or collect spring water as a way of seeking spiritual renewal, healing and protection. These are known as sacred springs.  We are a team of environmental scientists and freshwater biologists interested in water quality, freshwater biodiversity and disturbances.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:36:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730379</a_id>
        <updated>1789637879</updated>
        <published>1789637760</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001300221_resized_theconversationlogo.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Have South Africans always been hostile to migrants? Historians map a chequered history</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/have-south-africans-always-been-hostile-to-migrants-historians-map-a-chequered-history-2026-09-16</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Anti-immigrant violence began to sweep across South Africa once again in March 2026. Over the following months an estimated 56 000 Malawians and 115 000 Zimbabweans were forced to flee their homes. At least 11 foreign nationals were killed.  It took the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa some months to condemn the violence.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:10:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730320</a_id>
        <updated>1789564431</updated>
        <published>1789564200</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001300033_resized_antiimmigrantmarchprotestjune30protest30062026reuters10221.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>Social workers who protect children in South Africa carry a burden of trauma – better ...</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/social-workers-who-protect-children-in-south-africa-carry-a-burden-of-trauma-better-preparation-could-help-2026-09-16</link>
            <description><![CDATA[When a child is raped, abandoned or removed from a violent home in South Africa, a child protection social worker is assigned to the wellbeing of that child. They listen to the details, assess the danger, make urgent decisions. Once the child has been placed somewhere safe, the social worker moves on to the next case.  I am a social work researcher and educator, and have worked in the field of trauma for more than three decades. Protecting children has been at the centre of that work. Over time a question has kept surfacing: who protects the people doing the protecting?]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:08:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730319</a_id>
        <updated>1789564224</updated>
        <published>1789564080</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001300030_resized_childrenafricakidsyouth1022reuters.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>African Union peacekeeping is growing as UN missions decline: research finds a mixed record of ...</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/african-union-peacekeeping-is-growing-as-un-missions-decline-research-finds-a-mixed-record-of-success-2026-09-15</link>
            <description><![CDATA[When violent conflict erupts in Africa, attention often turns to the United Nations, major powers, or external donors. Yet over the past two decades, the African Union (AU) has become one of the continent’s most important peace and security actors.  From Burundi and Sudan to Somalia, Mali and the Central African Republic, the AU and regional African organisations have deployed peace operations, mediated conflicts, monitored elections and supported political transitions.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:40:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730150</a_id>
        <updated>1789461720</updated>
        <published>1789461600</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001299430_resized_theconversationlogo.jpeg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title>South Africa has good water laws but bad services. What’s stopping fair access</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/south-africa-has-good-water-laws-but-bad-services-whats-stopping-fair-access-2026-09-14</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Water affects almost every part of daily life: drinking, sanitation, food production, health, jobs and the natural environment. Yet in South Africa, three-million people don’t have clean running water, and 14-million have no flushing toilets.  Climate change and recurring droughts make the problem worse. However, water shortages are not simply about how much water is available. They also depend on how water is managed, maintained and shared.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>The Conversation</category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730078</a_id>
        <updated>1789380813</updated>
        <published>1789380660</published>
        <expires>99999999999</expires>
        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
        <has_video>0</has_video>
        <has_audio>0</has_audio>
        <image_url>https://cisp.cachefly.net/assets/articles/images/resized/0001299130_resized_watersupplywatercrisisjojoprimrose310221115duane.jpg</image_url>
        <image_title></image_title>
        <image_width>511</image_width>
        <image_height>287</image_height>
        </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
