According to comparable statistics, South Africa has one of the highest per capita prison populations in the world. Improvement of the capacity of the Department of Correctional Services to provide prisoners with effective development opportunities is identified as a key objective. This implicate that development needs of prisoners, governmental directives on development as well as the availability of resources must be the guiding principles. Policy-makers in South Africa during the apartheid years associated themselves with the values and norms of the Western world, resulting in the prison system to predominantly operate from a First World perspective. Realities of the so-called “Third World”, from which the majority of the prisoners originated, were seemingly ignored. Indications are that theoretical models for the development of South African prisoners were repeatedly based on a Euro-centric approach that proved itself ineffective to offer need based development opportunities, or to be applied within the realities of available resources. It appears that the real obstacle that prevented the availing of applicable development opportunities to the broad prison population was not insufficient resources, but the lack of an applicable paradigm for the planning and rendering of such programmes. It should be recognized that the development programmes (mostly based on a therapeutic approach) had generally failed to address the need directed development of South African prisoners, and that a radical re-direction towards a paradigm that can generate need based and accessible development opportunities for the broad prisoners population, mostly from poverty stricken circumstances, is indicated. Poverty is seen as the single greatest burden of South Africa's people and is believed to be a precursor to becoming a criminal. It also seems that the majority of South African prisoners are from previously disadvantaged population groups, where poverty was a daily reality. Contributing to poverty alleviation by creating opportunities for the empowerment of those prisoners who are not able to provide independently in their own basic needs, and to provide them with opportunities to compensate for inadequate development opportunities due to poverty or other aggravating circumstances, are some of the challenges that face the Department of Correctional Services. Community development offers applicable parameters to meet the development needs of South African prisoners, in line with governmental directives and international trends in development. It can contribute to the government's aim to eradicate poverty and inequality by generating opportunities for the actualisation of the potential of prisoners and also include them as participants in their own development. Programme delivery can be re-directed from a therapeutic (Eurocentric) to a developmental approach to provide development opportunities applicable to the specific needs of the prisoners. As community development is not the domain of a single profession both professional and custodial personnel can become development facilitators. The task of the psychosocial personnel needs to be expanded beyond the therapeutic model to a social development model to be able to facilitate the development of the broad prison population within the realities of available resources. The acceptance of community development as model for the development of South African prisoners will position the Department of Correctional Services in line with government's directives on development. It will promote cost effective service delivery as simple solutions can be put into practice at low cost rather than expensive and sophisticated ideas. Equity will be promoted, as development programmes according to the community development model will focus on poverty alleviation elimination of inequality. Ultimately it can be expected that the development of the inherent potential of South African prisoners will contribute to combat crime, and to the reconstruction of the Country. / Prof. Hennie Swanepoel

Magister Artium - MA / This thesis explored the empowerment needs of volunteer members of Women for Peace at the Nobantu Centre, Mfuleni in the Western Cape. The volunteer members, the majority of whom are women, come from a previously disadvantaged background created by the Apartheid system used in South Africa from 1948-1994. Apartheid driven education purposefully taught an inferior form of education to the black masses. This case study investigated the needs of the volunteer members, the impact that the four empowerment programmes had on the volunteer members and their future needs after being empowered. / South Africa

Please read the abstract (Summary) in the section, 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

Being part of the semi-arid, southern Kalahari, the Mier area has a complex and sensitive ecosystem, with a low carrying capacity. Factors, such as population growth, uneconomical farm units and restricted communal areas, have resulted in serious degradation of the natural resource base. Due to their strong agricultural history, the Mier community is generally still perceived as being agriculturally inclined, which easily leads to an overall main objective, namely "to stabilising the Mier community in their agricultural environment". Development and assistance initiatives mostly focus on the natural resource base. The majority of the Mier community, however, has undergone an evolutionary process which has changed their attitudes to agriculture. In order to determine the current role of agriculture, this study aims to identify the livelihood strategies of the Mier community in the dynamic sphere of conditions and trends, livelihood resources as well as institutional and organisational structures. The main socio-economic results are as follows: (a) forty-two percent of the total economically active age (EAA) group is unemployed, with the highest rate under EAA persons younger than 30, i.e. 58%; (b) households diversify in one or more of the following livelihood sustaining activities: (i) casual labour (49%), (ii) government allowances (50%), (iii) livestock agriculture (46%), (iv) permanent work (28%), (v) migrancy (33%), (vi) fruit/vegetable/pasture production for own consumption (28%), (vii) support through private transfers (21%), and (viii) small scale trading activities (11%); (c) households perceive the following as their most important livelihood strategies: government allowances for 43% of all households, permanent work for 21 %, casual labour for 16% and livestock for only 10% of all households. The following results from this study indicate that the role of agriculture is declining. (a) Fifty-four percent of the community do not own livestock. (b) Only 39% of people who are not full time involved in agriculture, are very interested in farming, 19% are fairly interested and 42% are not interested. Only 4% of the grade 10-12 pupils are very interested, 42% fairly interested and 54% not interested in agriculture. (c) None of the communal farmers regard their livestock as their main livelihood strategy. For them, livestock mainly playa supplementary role, supplying milk and sometimes meat. (d) For every 55 persons who perceive a lack of land as the major problem of the Mier area, 100 persons believe that it is rather a lack of employment opportunities. It is concluded that the image of the Mier community as being a farming community should change to a community looking urgently for alternative livelihood opportunities. Support through agricultural assistance would only benefit a limited part of the community and it would exclude many of the poorest households. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar ( Plant Production))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Housing Partnerships (HPs) are collaborative arrangements that assist communities in the delivery of affordable housing by combining the strengths of the public and private sectors. They emerged in several states, counties, and cities in the eighties as innovative solutions to the challenges in affordable housing resulting from changing dynamics of delivery and production. My study examines HPs with particular emphasis upon the identification of those factors associated with the successful performance of their mission of affordable housing. I will use the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework in this study. The identification of performance factors facilitates a better understanding of how HPs can be successful in achieving their mission. The identification of performance factors is significant in the context of the current economic environment because HPs can be viewed as innovative institutional mechanisms in the provision of affordable housing. The present study uses a mixed methods research approach, drawing on data from the IRS Form 990 tax returns, a survey of the chief executives of HPs, and other secondary sources. The data analysis is framed according to the four perspectives of BSC: the financial, customer, internal business, and learning and growth. Financially, revenue diversification affects the financial health of HPs and overall performance. Although HPs depend on private and government funding, they also depend on service fees to carry out their mission. From a customer perspective, the HPs mainly serve low and moderate income households, although some serve specific groups such as seniors, homeless, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. From an internal business perspective, HPs’ programs are oriented toward affordable housing needs, undertaking not only traditional activities such as construction, loan provision, etc., but also advocacy and educational programs. From an employee and learning growth perspective, the HPs are small in staff size, but undertake a range of activities with the help of volunteers. Every part of the HP is developed to maximize resources, knowledge, and skills in order to assist communities in the delivery of affordable housing and related needs. Overall, housing partnerships have played a key role in affordable housing despite the housing market downturn since 2006. Their expenses on affordable housing activities increased despite the decrease in their revenues.

This research investigated the impact of decentralisation on participatory development in the Nsanje District of Malawi from 2009 to 2014. Existing challenges in realising effective participation were identified by acquiring information from documents at three spheres of government, namely local, district and national. The literature explains decentralisation and local government; the theories of state-local relations; the nature, types and determinants of participation; the legislative framework of local government; and decentralisation reforms being implemented in Malawi. A descriptive approach was used in the study, with the emphasis on collecting data from primary sources such as minutes, reports, newspapers, and secondary sources such as the District Council and local government department records, books, academic journals, completed and unpublished post-graduate research theses, and legislation. From the acquired information, a number of recommendations are made to deal with various challenges faced to achieve effective participatory development in the District.

This research report aims to explore the potential of an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach in Leliefontein. Through the ABCD process, an inventory of the individual capacities of a sample group will be undertaken, as well as an inventory of the significant local associations, organisations and institutions, as well as their capacities. The objective will be to use the asset-mapping process to challenge negative community self-perceptions, enabling them to build new, positive images that empower and release latent potential. The information gathered will also be made available to the individuals, organisations, associations and institutions within the community, along with some ideas on how mutually beneficial partnerships can be developed. The key objective will be to assist the community of Leliefontein, to no longer regard themselves from a deficit mindset, but positively, as a community with tremendous resources, assets and relationships that can be harnessed for 4 community economic development. Asset-mapping can then be used by local organisations to build new relationships within the community, as well as relationships that harness resources outside of the immediate community.

This treatise investigates the role of Community DevelopmentWorkers, with reference to the Bitou Municipality. The treatise comprises five chapters. The concept of Community Development Programme is fairly new in South Africa; therefore, further research is needed on the subject. A literature review was done to establish the concept and the background of the CDWP. A questionnaire was developed in order to obtain primary data from a selected sample group. The data obtained from the questionnaire was statistically analysed and interpreted. The core findings from the analysed questionnaire indicated the following: (a) CDWs clearly understand their role and responsibility, but there is a need for roles and functions to be clearly defined, with detailed terms of reference, to ensure a common understanding with other stakeholders, e.g. Ward Committees, Councillors, Non-governmental organisations, Communitybased organisations, and members of the community. (b) living conditions in the wards improved following the introduction of the CDWP. (c) there is a good relationship between CDWs, Ward Committees and Ward Councillors, but there is also a perception that Ward Committees and Community Development Workers constantly clash or compete in the wards in which they serve. (d) CDWs should not be affiliated to the ruling or any political party. (e) CDWs are confused regarding who is responsible for their remuneration (the Municipality or the Provincial Department of Local Government).

This study focuses on the lives of people living in a social housing estate which was a joint venture between the Housing Association of South Africa (HASA), a Netherlands based foundation and the Buffalo City Municipality. This type of social housing estate is a relatively new concept in post-apartheid South Africa and a first for the City of East London. Apartheid spawned the separation of different groups of people into racial enclaves. It also created barriers between races, advantaged certain races over others and created fear, hatred and general distrust among different racial groups in South Africa. The dislocation of apartheid was accompanied by rapid urbanization and ‘reconstruction’ of infrastructure and inter-racial relationships. The opening up of the country’s borders in compliance with Globalisation made South Africa a melting pot to people of different cultures. South African cities became fragmented and fear and strangeness was everywhere. Housing or the lack of it has been a constant problem that the new post apartheid government has grappled with. The solution of building RDP housing estates has not solved this burgeoning problem. But even more importantly it has failed to reorganize urban life in South Africa. In approaching this study I look at how these new social housing estates have reorganized urban life. I explore the concepts of community, home, generation, gender, material culture and ‘new’ urbanization to provide a framework for my study. This study is a qualitative study based in the city of East London in the Eastern Cape. It is a community study which attempts to go inside the home to unlock some of the intricacies of urban life. Ethnography is the research key used to unlock these intricacies.In conclusion, this study attempts to examine a non-western narrative of community life. Are these housing estates a solution to South Africa’s housing problem? Do they conform only to western narratives of urban life? What kind of citizens do these housing estates produce? These are some of the questions that this study hopes to answer.

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