Most developing countries are faced with high levels of unemployment, poverty, underemployment and inadequate infrastructure. The causes of poverty and unemployment in South Africa are manifold and complex. South Africa is one of the developmental states which gained its independence in 1994. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty, unskilled workforce, inequality and low quality service delivery in South Africa (SA). Communities across provinces are unhappy about the above mentioned issues and have, over the years, expressed their dissatisfaction through picketing, demonstrations and strikes. SA, as a developmental state, has to balance economic growth and social development. Post 1994, the African National Congress (ANC)-led government promised to address the triple challenges facing the SA economy, namely poverty, unemployment and inequality. The study pursues to identify and describe factors that necessitated the EPWP in SA. It further investigates the performance of provinces during the implementation of the EPWP inorder to understand the current implementation approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to obtain data. Published figures from the Department of Public Works (DPW) reports and on the websites of relevant organisations were analysed. The objective was to identify small-medium-micro enterprises (SMMEs) that were created, trainings supported, and work opportunities (WOs) as well as full time equivalents (FTEs) that were created. A questionnaire was disseminated to three officials per four sectors, totaling (twelve) across four provinces namely Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West. The officials were from the EPWP implementing bodies and coordinating departments. The questionnaire sought information on how EPWP projects were implemented and reported in the two phases. The implementing bodies were expected to specify their roles, targets and work opportunities that they hoped to create. The correct sampling method and size were chosen based on the approved research proposal and its intention. Challenges experienced by the coordinating bodies, implementing bodies and data managers during the implementation of the EPWP were tabulated. Recommendations and remedial actions to identified challenges were also highlighted. This study proposes interventions with regard to the coordination of the EPWP, training, improved monitoring of projects, political buy-in and allocation of budget that will improve the daily wage rate. / Public Administration / D. Admin. (Public Administration)

The purpose of the research is to assess how the Port Elizabeth Land and Community Restoration project has been perceived by the beneficiaries with regard to spatial transformation.The study is about land restitution programme in Port Elizabeth; with specific emphasis on those land claims which were lodged through a community based organization called Port Elizabeth Land and Community Restoration Association (PELCRA) for the restitution of Fairview, South End, Salisbury Park and Korsten. Such land claims were subsequently part of the PELCRA project for the restitution of Fairview. The study looks specifically at claimants who were dispossessed of their land rights as a result of the implementation of Group Areas Act in the 1960s. The claimants were forcefully removed from Fairview, Korsten, South End and Salisbury Park to their respective race group areas, such as Bloemendal for coloureds, Malabar for Indians and Kwa-Zakhele for Africans.However, before the general objectives of the study could be discussed, it is important to provide a brief historical context that brought about racial segregation in the South African urban setting, and how the post-apartheid government sought to re-integrate, restructure the towns and cities, as well as healing the boundaries set by racial zoning through land reform. This will then followed by the discussion on how the various communities of Port Elizabeth responded to the introduction of the Land Restitution Act 22 of 1994. The post-apartheid government in South Africa faces serious challenges in undoing the legacy of apartheid. One such product of apartheid system is the ‘apartheid city’. It stands out as an extreme example of social engineering. According to Freund (2001, 537) urban segregation was pervasive across the colonial world, some other cities in colonial and even post-colonial Africa were subject to massive forced removals or urbanisation that were comparable to South Africa under the apartheid regime. Urban segregation is therefore not unique to South Africa. It has to be said though that the South African apartheid city was distinctive in a number of ways.

Despite the decreasing contribution of agriculture to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa, agricultural activities are critical in the development of rural households. These activities are an important route through which these rural communities can reduce poverty. This is mainly because agriculture has been the main source of income and employment in rural areas in South Africa and other less developed countries (LDC). However, it has not generated sufficient income to sustain rural households. Rural areas are characterised by factors such as low socio-economic conditions, low standards of living, lack of access to markets and inadequate infrastructure that does not create an enabling environment for private sector involvement. The private sector is not actively involved or engaged in rural development. Rural development involves improvement in the economic security of people in rural areas. It is poor households that look for employment in agriculture. The poor are portrayed in terms of qualifications, employment, access to resources, basic health services, skills possessed, self- sustaining activities, and income and expenditure patterns. Many individuals in rural areas are pushed into non-agricultural activities due to lack of opportunities in agricultural activities. Lack of opportunities in agriculture can be caused by subsistence agriculture in small holdings of land and lack of appropriate skills sets for certain agricultural activities. Ultimately, it is poor individuals who increase their dependence on agriculture. The primary objective of this research was to obtain a better understanding of the contribution of agriculture in rural development in the Mbhashe Local Municipality (MLM). Furthermore, the necessary conditions required to sustain livelihoods in the rural areas were identified. This was mainly done in an attempt to improve the quality of life in the rural areas. The study was based on three objectives. The first objective was to identify the constraints to agricultural activities in the Mbashe Local Municipality; the second was to investigate the plight of rural people in the Mbhashe Local Municipality. Lastly, the third objective was to investigate the contribution of agriculture in rural development in the study area. The main finding with regards to the first objective is that facors such as lack of infrastructure, low socio-economic conditions, lack of appropriate skills and lack of opportunities in agriculture are some of the constraints to agricultural activities. Investments in basic infrastructure need to be significant so that funds can flow into the rural areas to be invested in livelihood activities in order to create more employment opportunities. With regard to the second objective, the main finding is that rural people need to be empowered through increased knowledge and skills. This involves improving literacy and skills training, because the outcome of this training is that they are able to stand on their own feet and provide for their families. The main finding with regard to the third objective is that rural areas, by nature, are not easy to service but have indigenous knowledge that can be used in agriculture. However, the government must support them with the necessary infrastructure. Agriculture has been a major source of income and employment in the Mbashe Municipality.

The objective of the study was to investigate learner drop-out and sustainable community development. The study was conducted in Kwazakhele Township in Nelson Mandela Bay. This study used qualitative research approach- interviews and structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the participants. The sample consisted of 40 respondents both Females and Males between the age 15 and 35 years. In Kwazakhele Township most of the youth are learner drop-outs who exited educational system before attaining National Certificate (Matric). This had an effect on the acquisition of skills for sustainable development. United Nations report on Sustainable Development requires members of the community to be able to handle matters concerning their own development. This means community members should possess skills that would enable them to cope with constant demands of development. In the same Kwazakhele Township the consequences of the learner drop-out phenomenon is that lot of girls get pregnant at an adolescence stage. In most cases the boys who impregnate these girls are not working, they themselves depend on their parents for living. Because of the poor socio-economic status and high rate of unemployment of households in the area, this result in a situation where both girl child and their babies depends on the old age social grant for basic needs such as food etc. These dropouts are political risks in a sense that they are sometimes being used in community protesting marches which are unnecessarily hindering community development projects aimed at enhancing and promoting general welfare including better life for all. So the study will investigate and examine effect of learner drop-out in the community and recommends on what to be done in order to address shortfalls and challenges faced by the Kwazakhele community members. This will enable local authorities to be proactive in establishing programs that brings directive and solutions to the existing problems.

The transition period post-apartheid in South Africa since 1994 brought a number of changes in policy making process and the initiated programs by the government in all level with the aim of addressing inequality and poverty reduction strategies. In South Africa prior 1994 division in terms of location access to resources and information was meant for the certain group and participation in the Community development matters. The aim of this research study is to seek and find out the impact of the government policy projects, programme (strategies) in the community to poverty reduction and try to identify the reasons for the failure of other project and to what extend is the capacity building in community members in terms of skill development before the implementation of projects for sustainability and viability of those projects. Also is to explore the community participation or involvement in policy making process such as the formulation of Integrated Development Plan .The study attempts to answer community involvement into their own development, their role and impact to fight poverty and other socio-economic challenges that are faced by the community. The research design for the study could be classified as the mixed design which will include qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sample of 30 participants will be drawn from the community unemployed respondents, project employees, those searching for employment, 5 municipality officials from Blue Crane Route, Ward Councillor and projects leaders. On my findings community participation on community development issues must be strengthen for the sake of development .The issue of centralisation of offices for availability of resources to same of the communities makes it difficult to access resources. Lack of skills and training acquired in the job market for artisans, technical and management skills.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / In South Africa, an estimated 15 million people - 38% of our population - do not have adequate sanitation. Every citizen has a constitutional right of access to basic services, which local government has the responsibility to provide. In reality such provision to people living in poverty is a daunting development challenge, exacerbated by growing unemployment and the spread of unplanned informal settlements. On the other hand, increased government investment in accelerating provision is a significant opportunity to link sanitation delivery to local economic development, as suggested in the recently revised Water Services Strategy document (DWAF, 2003). There is evidence that these two aspects of national policy can be brought together fruitfully. Community involvement, described as "a commitment to building on people's energy and creativity" (WSSCC, 2001) is consistently advocated by international, national and local government (DPLG, 2001) as essential to sanitation provision. There is broad agreement that a community-based approach is the cornerstone of sustainable service provision. This research focused on the context of urban poverty in informal settlements, taking community responses to sanitation delivery by local authorities into account. Prevailing approaches have had limited success in preventing health hazards, which relies on community-level actions to deal with poor use, inadequate maintenance and dysfunction of such sanitation services as are provided. Implicit in the principles underlying the involvement of communities are substantial community-based roles and functions that the research seeks to make explicit. Diverse local level capacities emerge as quite distinct opportunities for residents to become more actively involved in improving and sustaining their sanitation services.

Thesis (MTech (Design)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / The research was motivated by my lived experience in the Olifants River community of Namaqualand. In this community there are many diverse ethnic and social groupings with considerable potential to contribute to indigenous knowledge and creative practices. These groupings are, however, fragmented, with no platform for their varied and rich cultural assets to be displayed and acknowledged. In addition, the research was motivated by the call for a platform for the arts in the region. It is argued that visual art practice is an instrumental tool in the advancement of both creativity and social cohesion in this community. The research commenced with a pilot study, comprising workshops, which were run by art practitioners from various sectors in the region. Primary literature that influenced the emerging research design was that of Solomon (2007) as well as the holistic cultural viewpoints of Schafer (2014). The organic process of qualitative research methods as described by Ellingson (2009) was a natural personal directive. Body mapping was used during a preparatory phase that led to the creative exploration of community members’ own identity. Storytelling and dance were included in the design methodology since they enabled a psychosocial process of validating art practice as an economic asset within the community as well as enhancing social cohesion in the community. Crystallisation methods implemented in the process-driven body map workshops were held for grassroots -, town – and township sectors in the Olifants River valley. Each of the workshops comprised ten participants who were invited to participate in a subsequent do-designed collaborative event.

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The study investigates the effectiveness of quality assurance systems in the delivery of low-cost houses in Cape Town South Africa. As an endeavor to deliver adequate social housing in Cape Town‟s disadvantaged and underdeveloped communities, the study is aimed at ensuring that National Housing Code as set by Department of Human Settlement concerning the overall resultant quality of houses constructed is adhered to. There are several studies on resultant quality and quality assurance of low-cost houses (LCH) in the entire country, of which skill inadequacy has been highlighted as the major concern. This is because of the sluggish improvement in quality of the low-cost houses constructed. However, skill inadequacy of construction workers has been reported in developed and developing countries, and consequently poorly impacts on the delivery of low-cost house construction projects. The human resource (labour) is the significant tool to adequate use of materials and plant for the achievement of the project objectives. The study identified six objectives directed towards establishing an instrument that will ensure appropriate application of quality assurance systems in the delivery of low-cost house construction, hence improving the resultant quality of low-cost houses being constructed. The first objective identifies the existence, prevalence and depth of the poor resultant quality in low-cost housing areas; the second objective identifies the quality assurance systems in current use in construction of low-cost housing; the third objective evaluates the extent to which the existing quality assurance systems used assist in current low-cost housing construction; the fourth objective evaluates the effectiveness of quality assurance systems in current use; and fifth objective determines whether the poor resultant quality is the consequence of poor application of the system or the lack of knowledge from the professionals involved. Finally, the last objective is to establish the mechanism to ensure the effective use of quality assurance systems in the construction of low-cost houses. The research adopted a mixed methodological approach, with a use of quantitative questionnaires completed by beneficiaries and structured qualitative interviews conducted with the building inspectors, contractor and designer. The research questionnaires were designed to understand the perceptions of beneficiaries on the day to day structural performance of their houses. The structured interviews were designed to understand the knowledge of building inspectors, the contractor and the designer about the quality assurance systems and their applications in the delivery of low-cost houses, In the main study, one hundred (100) questionnaires were administered and hand- delivered to all three areas identified as Delft, Khayelitsha and Langa. Seventy three (73) questionnaires (73%) were duly completed, returned and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The key findings included the use of unskilled workmanship, limited knowledge of quality assurance systems by the building inspector, contractor and designer, and inappropriate procurement systems as well as benchmarking used. This thesis is both theoretical and practical research and is limited to books relevant to quality assurance and quality of low-cost houses and data retrieved from interviews and questionnaire surveys. The selection criteria for inspectors should incorporate skill in quality assurance. The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) criteria for appointment of contractors to carry on works should not be just a saying but also be put into practice. It should also at least refer to three previous completed projects to ensure the profile of the contractor is in accordance with the statutory requirements of NHBRC.

Internationally there is an increasing focus on involving local communities in natural resource management and monitoring. Monitoring methods which are professionally driven appear to be inadequate to deal with the monitoring of natural resource use and biodiversity conservation, globally. This is especially evident in areas such as South African rural communal land. Two community based natural resource management (CBNRM) programmes in areas which are communally governed in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, namely Nqabara and Machubeni, were used as part of this research study. This thesis identified and tested potentially simple and cost effective monitoring methods related to the utilization of the local rangelands and indigenous forests. The criteria that were tested include 1) appropriateness and effectiveness in measuring change, and 2) contribution to building adaptive capacity among local land managers through learning. The criteria were assessed using a scoring system for each monitoring method in order to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses . This was done by using both quantitative and qualitative data. Contribution to building adaptive capacity was assessed by evaluating technical capacity gained, local ecological knowledge contributed and learning by participants. This was done using qualitative data. The results show that the monitoring methods had different strengths and weaknesses in relation to the criteria, making them more appropriate for different priorities such as effectively measuring change or building adaptive capacity. It is argued that an adaptive approach is a useful component in the participatory monitoring process. An adaptive framework was developed from lessons learnt in this study for collaborative monitoring. Challenges such as low literacy levels and adequate training still need to be addressed to strengthen efforts towards participatory monitoring. Factors such as incentives, conflict and local values may negatively affect the legitimacy and sustainability of participatory monitoring and therefore also need to be addressed.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Management Sciences: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / The study addressed four questions using secondary annual time series data: (1) How is event spend related to economic development? (2) How are the physical attributes of the region (natural capital) related to economic development?(3) How is social cohesion related to economic development? (4) How does human capital influence economic development? The study period starts in 1994 and ends in 2016, accordingly 100 data points were pulled from the time series. Error Correction Model and Ordinary Least Squares were used as analytical tools to test the regression model developed for the study. Economic development is the dependent variable and is represented by tourism employment data sourced from Statistics South Africa. The independent variables are event spend represented by expenditure figures for culture, sports and recreation published by Statistics SA; human capital was measured using gross educational ratio for secondary education accessed from the World Bank database; natural capital was measured using the gross domestic product attained from Statistics South Africa; and social cohesion was measured using social expenditure data acquired from the South African Reserve Bank. The theoretical framework that underpins the study is the geography political theory as espoused by different authors including Collier (2007) and Kollosov (2001). On the basis of this theoretical framework the study seeks to look at the effect of event spend, natural capital, human capital and social cohesion on economic development. The findings of the study show that there is no relationship between economic development, event spend and human capital. However a relationship was established between natural capital and social cohesion. The results of the study will inform policymakers in the allocation of budgets towards major events. It will also contribute to the equitable distribution of resources to promote social cohesion in communities. / M