This article contributes to a collection of especially commissioned papers to mark the 60th anniversary of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk. Reflecting the author’s personal views on the past, present and likely future trajectory of social development, he contends that there has been significant progress, but also severe setbacks that have fostered the currently pessimistic views of the field. Nevertheless, he contends that stubborn optimism is needed and that a commitment to change can mobilise support and result in renewal and significant social improvements. The recent 2025 World Summit on Social Development in Doha suggests that much is possible.
The Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, stipulates in Section 54 that individuals with knowledge of sexual offences committed against children must report this information to authorities (Republic of South Africa [RSA], 2007). As a result of limited corroborative evidence in many cases of child sexual violence (CSV), forensic social workers often conduct investigations and serve as expert witnesses in court. The court is the primary client of forensic social workers, who provide expert testimony, often presented in a report containing their findings. Such a report must be clear and useful for ruling in the child's best interest. However, concerns have been raised about the quality of these reports, which can impede judicial decision-making. This study explored the perspectives of presiding officers and state prosecutors regarding the quality of forensic social work (FSW) court reports, using a qualitative research approach with face-to-face, semi-structured interviews to gather data. The study found challenges such as the lack of standardised guidelines, varied understanding of FSW roles, and gaps between formal requirements and practical implementation. However, legal professionals still deemed these reports as crucial expert evidence in CSV cases. The study also found that collaboration between forensic social workers and legal professionals can be beneficial in FSW report writing.
Considering increasing policy and scholarly claims that social work operates at the frontline of climate change, disaster response and environmental justice, this paper critically examines whether such claims are supported by empirical evidence. It addresses the central question of whether social work demonstrates a transformative, evidence-based role in advancing environmental outcomes. Drawing on a critical review of the environmental social work literature, the paper identifies a significant imbalance between normative and conceptual scholarship and empirically grounded research. It argues that, although social work has been influenced by environmental movements and contributes to related areas such as community development, disaster response and advocacy, its overall impact remains limited and insufficiently substantiated. The paper concludes that social work is better understood as a profession indirectly engaged with environmental issues rather than a leading or transformative environmental actor, and it outlines the types of empirical evidence required to support stronger claims regarding its role.
The editorial in this extended issue of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk reflects on the ongoing transformation of social work education and practice in Africa towards more indigenised, Afrocentric and contextually relevant approaches. Particular attention is given to the role of the Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa (ASSWA) in promoting Afrocentric social work education through collaboration, resource development and regional co-operation. As part of the journal’s diamond jubilee, the editorial further explores the integration of developmental and strengths-orientated approaches, together with the incorporation of indigenous knowledge systems and culturally relevant pedagogies into social work curricula. Against this background, the editorial argues that social work education in Africa is progressively shaping a uniquely African approach that is culturally grounded, socially responsive and developmentally orientated.
This research note describes the processes undertaken in preparation for a bibliometric study of environmental social work and the decisions made in selecting the literature that is relevant to this domain of study. Given the conceptual breadth of the field, the first step involved the clarification of epistemic boundaries as a prerequisite for meaningful cumulative knowledge production in this area of research. The research note, therefore, outlines the search strategy, scope of interest, rigorous inclusion guidelines, consequent exclusions and the main conceptual categories in this broad, fragmented field of study.
