A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Labour, Policy and Globalisation, 2017 / This research presents an investigation of the role played by private corporations in promoting gender equality, using the platinum mining sector in the Rustenburg area as a case study. In evaluating this role the research uses The Mining Charter, a piece of legislation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to assess the efforts that have been made by Anglo American and Impala Platinum mines. This qualitative study uses an abductive approach and a Marxist feminist theoretical perspective to establish what constitutes the problem of inequality. Relying on data collected through document analysis, which included a review of the Mining Charter, and various company annual reports, coupled with data collected from conducting interviews from September to December 2016, the research has found companies to look at the problem of gender equality from a ‘female employees statistics’ point of view. As such, the problem of equality has ignored the indirect negative impacts mining has on women in the communities in which the mining companies operate. This research understands equality as having two sides, “formal and informal” equality. While efforts by the government, and mining companies have tried to address the part of formal equality through increasing the numbers of females in mining, and improving the general conditions in which they operate, this research finds that there exists a form of “informal equality.” This informal inequality looks at the outcomes of the efforts in reality, and goes beyond the company into society. Mining companies have the ability to address this type of equality through CSR, but this research notes that CSR programs are often not viewed through a gender lens. The study therefore concludes that there is a disjuncture between the perceived results of efforts made by corporations on paper and the outcomes in reality. While corporations can contribute to promoting equality in the workplace, their understanding of equality is skewed and one sided therefore inequality continues to persist. Perhaps if companies use the strategy of gender mainstreaming to address the goal of equality, which involves taking into account the particular problems of women in all facets, then equality can be achieved. / XL2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public Policy) , April 2016 / Child labour is a social problem that affects several countries worldwide, and South Africa is not an exception. It is the result of adverse economic conditions in the country, where children feel they have to resort to finding employment in order to support their families. There is a general consensus that child labour in South Africa needs to be dealt with, and this is seen via the ratification of the two most important ILO conventions that speak to child labour. The ratification of these conventions led to the development of a child labour policy for South Africa; the Child Labour Programme of Action. However, despite the existence of this policy and its implementation, child labour continues. This report looked at how the child labour policy was implemented, and to verify if the continued occurrence of child labour was due to a disconnection between the policy as it is presented on paper, and those who are supposed to implement the policy on the ground. The report used qualitative methods, specifically documentary analysis and interviews. The documents that were analysed included the Child Labour Programme of Action, as well as its follow up documents. Meanwhile, government officials as well as members of civil society were the interview subjects. The main finding of the research is that the implementers of the policy do not have a full understanding of the policy and what it entails. And because of this they are unable to properly implement the policy to produce an effective solution against child labour. The report concludes with recommendations intended to help the government to get more out of the Child Labour Programme of Action. / MT2018

The inauguration of the Government of National Unity created the necessary conditions for us to start the challenging task of changing South African society for the better. This is what we had set ourselves to do during the years of struggle to rid our country of apartheid. Now South Africans can, under conditions of freedom, work together to make our country the land of our dreams. This means further enhancing the freedoms we now enjoy; improving the security of citizens at home, in the streets and at work; and raising the quality of life of all the people. Reconstruction and development means all these things: to change all aspects of our lives for the better. Among the urgent tasks the government has set itself is to work together with all citizens to improve the provision of education, health services, housing, water supply, land, electricity, refuse removal, roads and so on. This demands of government that we change the manner in which public funds have all along been used. Everything should be done to create conditions in which the economy can improve and provide more jobs. To realise all these objectives requires co-operation among us as hard-working and responsible citizens. Immediately the Government of National Unity was installed, we started the planning required to meet these goals. At the same time, we also launched Presidential Lead Projects aimed at improving the lives of especially the poor, women and children. But this was just the beginning. For, in the end, we should change the allocation of all public funds towards the new priorities. Government should involve the people more actively at all stages of reconstruction and development. We should operate in an open manner guided by the wisdom of the people themselves. From the projects started last year, many of these ideals have started to take shape. But we continue to learn many lessons. This booklet outlines the concrete steps that have been taken thus far, in the long journey towards a better life for all. As this account shows, this task is not an easy one. But, working together, in the spirit of Masakhane, South Africans are more than capable of realising the good things that our beautiful country can offer.

Thesis (MPA) --(University of Limpopo), 2007 / This study had two aims. Firstly, it investigated the existence of the Local Economic Development (LED) strategy, and secondly, the sustainability of such a strategy at the Thembisile municipality in Mpumalanga province. The rationale behind this study was to provide the municipality with possible mechanisms to improve the development and implementation of the LED policy. The concept of Local Economic Development has been studied and debated widely in South Africa. The importance of introducing policies that assist to stimulate economic activities at the local sphere of government has been acknowledged by a number of scholars. The LED policy in South Africa was developed as a way of creating a platform for municipalities to play a role in economy of the municipality and the country. This study focused on how the LED policy has been developed and implemented at the Thembisile municipality. In order to achieve this, various strategies were used to collect data. Firstly, policy documents such as the Mpumalanga Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and the Thembisile Municipality’s LED strategy were studied. Secondly, questionnaires were administered to participants. Interviews were also conducted with members of the LED Committee at the municipality and entrepreneurs. The study mainly used the Evaluation Research methods to analyze the various critical aspects of policy implementation. The results of the study show that there are possible improvements both in the development and implementation of the LED strategy at Thembisile municipality. It is also critical that the element of sustainability enterprises established should be prioritized. Finally, the study provides recommendations for improvement for the municipality.

No abstract available / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1974.

This study analyses the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy with respect to social development, and adult basic education and training (ABET). Since its adoption as official economic policy, replacing the RDP policy in June 1996, the GEAR strategy has been a subject of much debate, and blamed for all social and economic ills, including job losses and high unemployment, poverty, problems in the education, health and welfare system, as well as poor delivery of social services. Motivated by these debates, the author set out to investigate how GEAR provides / does not provide for social development and ABET, both areas of interest to the author. This study investigates this question based only on a review of literature. While the GEAR strategy makes policy proposals in various aspects of the economy, and sets an economic growth target of 6% per annum by the year 2000, and the creation of 400 000 jobs per annum during the same period (all of which were not met), evidence shows no policy provisions in the GEAR strategy with respect to social development, and ABET. In fact, ABET is not mentioned at all in the GEAR strategy. However, the GEAR strategy makes specific mention of the Human Resources Development Strategy, as a vehicle for addressing education and training problems, thereby improving the skills base of the country. The Human Resources Development Strategy and the National Skills Development Strategy sponsored by the DoE and DoL respectively, all seem to be sound policies. There is however growing evidence that South Africa has developed sound policies which it fails to implement because of lack of capacity and financial resources partly due to the government's acceptance of the neoliberal agenda. This appears to be particularly true with respect to social development and ABET targets in the Human Resources Development and the National Skills Development strategies. This study concludes that the GEAR strategy is based on neoliberal assumptions of stimulating foreign investment, export-led economic growth, global trade and global competition, underpinned by the conception that the state must play a minimal role in the economy and is therefore not appropriate for the social development challenges (especially illiteracy) facing South Africa. If progress is to be made in addressing these challenges in South Africa, an alternative to the GEAR strategy must be found . / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

The market value of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) companies listed on the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) has fallen to only 2% of the overall market capitalisation of the JSE. Many BEE companies have disappeared from the exchange and there have been many failures.<br /> <br /> In the context of the report of the BEE Commission (BEE Com), it is essential to understand why these failures have occurred and it is essential to research methods of structure, capitalisation and listings to ensure that ownership of the economy is fairly distributed in future as per the recommendations of the BEE Comm. The motivation for this research project is based on the fact that as a member of the Historically Disadvantaged Group in this country, and after having qualified in the Faculty of Law with a commercial background, I would like to attempt to make a meaningful contribution to the transformation that should take place to facilitate equality of ownership of the economy.<br /> <br /> The proposed research is critically important as the recommendations of the Commission have to be implemented as a matter of urgency, given the current slow growth rate of the economy and given the fact that as many more new enterprises could be listed on the JSE, it would provide further access to jobs, thereby positively impacting on the unemployment situation thereby contributing to poverty relief.

Economic stagnation in sub-Saharan Africa since 1970 is well documented. While the causes are varied, the paradigm of nationalistic state-led economic development has changed. Economic development occurs in a global marketplace. Manufacturing has shifted from developed to less developed countries, an opportunity that was seized in Asia and Latin America. South Africa’s labour, unskilled and costly by world standards, is at a disadvantage as an agile and competitive world market seeks skilled labour at the lowest cost. South Africa’s Gear economic policy suggests that 300 000 new jobs need to be created annually until 2004 in order to reduce unemployment. Small, medium and microenterprise growth is central to meeting this target. Numerous government structures to assist small enterprises have been created. Few, however, assist small business with the demands of the marketplace. Most focus on generic skills training and questionable small business finance. This thesis suggests that interfirm linkages between large and small enterprises is one strategy that can assist the growth of small business, create employment and, increase labour skills. International experience shows that generic training is less effective in promoting small business than linking business training to actual market-demands. Interfirm linkages, most often through subcontracting, is a strategy used successfully in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil. Such linkages are usually government supported and provide incentives for both large and small businesses to work together productively. Three South African interfirm linkage case studies are critiqued. Case study findings indicate that interfirm linkages expose emerging businesses to market conditions, and can provide access to process technology training, low cost raw materials, creative finance, and new markets. Small business ‘learns by doing’ and also ‘learns while earning’. The state has a role in the development of a vibrant small, medium and microenterprise sector in South Africa. Current support strategies are largely unrelated to market conditions. Interfirm linkages are an approach that applies market forces in the development of small business. Government policy would be wisely directed to support such business interactions.

Despite according high priority to regional economic integration and being clustered by regional economic schemes, Africa’s regional economic integration record is not inspiring. With the transformation of the OAU to the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa`s Development (NEPAD) was adopted as the development program of the continent to drive the impetus of economic integration through trade. At the time NEPAD was adopted, regional integration schemes in Africa were facing problems of low intra-regional trade levels despite trade being identified as the engine of activity and economic growth for regional economic integration. The study was centered on Southern Africa with precise attention on SADC. Even though trade is accepted as a vital engine of economic growth and development, this is not the case with SADC. The study was looking at the contribution of NEPAD in intra-regional trade in Africa with special focus on SADC. This was prompted by the fact that regional integration is business as usual within the sub region while problems that have been confronting regional schemes are continuing unabated after the adoption of NEPAD. The study used the historical approach because it provides the study with an advantage of accessing existing literature with regards to what is really stalling intra-regional trade in SADC. The study findings noted that NEPAD has not fully addressed the problems of intra-regional trade within SADC and the continent at large. The study lastly concludes by giving a way forward for NEPAD to respond to the specific needs of SADC for the promotion of intra-regional and equitable trade.

My Government’s commitment to create a people-centred society of liberty binds us to the pursuit of the goals of freedom from want, freedom from hunger, freedom from deprivation, freedom from ignorance, freedom from suppression and freedom from fear. These freedoms are fundamental to the guarantee of human dignity. They will therefore constitute part of the centrepiece of what this Government will seek to achieve, the focal point on which our attention will be continuously focused. The things we have said constitute the true meaning, the justification and the purpose of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, without which it would lose all legitimacy.