Thesis (M. A. (Social Work)) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Refer to the document

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2003 / Refer to document

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The study focused on the Local Economic Development (LED) challenges facing the local government in Limpopo Province. The specific study area was Motumo Trading Post located in Molemole Local Municipality. Molemole Local Municipality is one of the five municipalities in the Capricorn District Municipality. The study was qualitative in nature and included some elements of quantitative research in the form of numbers, graphs and tables and concentrated on the functionality of the Motumo Trading Post project. The respondents in this study were the community members of Matoks (known as Botlokwa in Sepedi), the Councillors of Molemole Municipality, managers of both Molemole local Municipality and Capricorn District Municipality, the traditional leaders and mayors of Molemole Local Municipality and Capricorn District Municipality. The study indicates that the local government, through municipalities is faced with challenges of bringing about economic growth to the poor people, especially in rural areas, through local economic development projects. The findings in this study indicate that Motumo Trading Post, which is a government initiative to improve the standard of living of Matoks community, has had no impact since its completion. The community of Matoks did not benefit from the project and the plans by the municipalities were not realised. The study also shows that not enough was done to involve the stakeholders in the planning and development of the project.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The intent of this research was to evaluate the participation in the IDP process by the people with disabilities at the Malemati Village in Limpopo Province: Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality. This intent has been achieved. The question under investigation was whether people with disabilities in Malemati Village Limpopo: Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality participate in the IDP process. The objective was thus to phantom this topic and come out with necessary findings and recommendation of the targeted population in the process under investigation had been provided. The study covered reading of both the primary and secondary sources, group focus interview of people with disabilities, interview of the assistant head men, ward committee member residing in Malemati, the mayor, the municipal manager and the IDP manager Data was collected in the manner as explained in the above paragraph following the quantitative approach. Necessary recommendations have been made in this regard.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

The ushering in of the new democratic government came with high expectations from all South Africans in terms of how development processes were to unfold. The previous system had made it virtually impossible for people on the ground to be informed of all developments within areas where they lived. This resulted in great suspicions on the part of communities as they only saw things just happening, in many instances such activities had no direct impact on their lives. The new government, as elected by the people, had to address this matter in order to ensure that all development processes had a meaning to the daily lives of ordinary South Africans. This assumes that for development to be meaningful, such development should be based on a realistic understanding of the needs of the people. Such needs can only be determined through a process of consultation, and in that process communication between government, other development agencies and communities is vital. Institutions of local government have been seen as critical pillars in the process of uplifting the standards of living of people in South Africa, and therefore this sphere of government is critical for government to be seen as making a positive contribution to people's daily livelihoods. The ability of this sphere of government to address the needs of local people is therefore dependent upon the extent to which communication with residents would be prioritised, and the level at which communities would be accorded an opportunity to make contributions to local development initiatives. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Since the transition to democracy, debates have revolved around the future role of civics in South Africa. Civics have been engaged in matters pertaining to protest against apartheid policies, which excluded black South Africans from decision-making processes. With apartheid dismantled, a need arose to redefine their roles. One view is that civics should remain mass-based and act as 'watchdogs', in order to ensure that local government becomes sufficiently democratic and sensitive to the needs of the community. The other view is that their role should shift from protest to development, with particular reference to housing, in order to help address the development needs of the community. If one supports the argument that civics should involve themselves directly in development, one needs to address some criticisms and doubts that have been raised. Some allege that civics cannot participate effectively in development because they do not represent the interests and concerns of the majority in the community. Their effectiveness in development is questioned on the basis that they do not have the capacity, given their lack of experience. Others, however, view civics as the appropriate vehicle to engage in effective development because, being in close contact with the community, they know best what the interests and priorities of the community are. Two casestudy areas, St Wendolins and Savannah Park, were selected to investigate the potential role of civics in development, with particular reference to housing delivery. This was done through interviews. The performance of civics in Independent Development Trust (IDT) projects in these areas was examined to assess their effectiveness as a basis for understanding their future role in housing development, particularly the consolidation process. The findings indicated that civics were not effective, largely because of internal and external factors. They do not have financial, administrative and technical skills essential for participating in effective housing development. Furthermore, they are not truly representative and do not have the resources to manage the process. On the other hand civics were constrained by the authorities and agencies who came with a predetermined package, which ignored effective participation and imposed development on them. As a reSUlt, civics were not empowered. and did not gain capacity because there was no effective transfer of skills. Notwithstanding these inadequacies, the study has argued for civic participation in housing development in the future because they are locally-based and are important organs of civil society which understands the aspirations and problems of their constituencies. This will be a move away from the 'top-down' approach which was employed by bureaucrats in the apartheid era. Civics need to play an effective role in development in order to complement the role of local government. To play this role, civics as well as the officials, need to change and adapt to the new participatory roles. Civics should be democratically elected, and should be engaged in all stages of development. They should undergo training which will enable them to acquire the necessary skills. Through participation in social compacts, civics can help promote housing development which corresponds to the needs and priorities of their constituencies. / Thesis (M.Sc.U.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1995.