The realisation of the objectives of the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE) is influenced by the national education system and the environment it operates in. This thesis accordingly studies the SASCE within the organisational framework of the Department of National Education. It provides a comprehensive description of the factors that influence the achievement of the objectives of the SASCE in the FET band in the Motheo district of the Free State Province. South African national education policy provides for a single unified democratic system for the organisation, governance and funding of schools. The Department of National Education formulates policy and provinces are responsible for its implementation by means of district offices. In this respect the education system is regarded as an organisation consisting of different sub–organisations that must provide effective education in line with the educational needs of the country. A generic five–point model of effective organisational structure accordingly was applied to determine the factors impacting on the realisation of the objectives of SASCE. Data were gathered and analysed by means of personal observations, document analysis and semi–structured interviews with education officials, school principals and choir conductors. The challenges of the national education system with regard to appropriate facilities, equipment, funding, appropriately trained officials and educators, support staff and effective policy implementation are consistent with the challenges facing the Department of National Education’s enrichment programmes, of which the SASCE forms part. Findings and recommendations are offered for all research questions. A general recommendation pertains to a proposed restructuring of the provincial enrichment programmes sub–directorate in order to address some of its organisational shortcomings and also the challenges facing the SASCE. / Thesis (Ph.D (Music))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Estate planning is an important exercise aimed at increasing, preserving and protecting assets during a person's lifetime and providing for the disposition and continued utilisation of these assets after his death. The minimisation of estate duty, however, often dominates the motivation behind estate planning and many of the tools, structures and techniques used as part of the estate planning exercise are aimed at reducing or avoiding estate duty. One of these tools is the trust. In the 2010 Budget Review National Treasury suggested that taxes upon death should be reviewed. Such review may result in estate duty being abolished. Should this happen, the motivation behind many estate plans will dissipate and many estate plans that mainly focussed on estate duty will become ineffective. The question that comes to mind is whether trusts have a future as estate planning tools. Estate planning involves many different objectives and many of these objectives can be achieved through the use of trusts. Trusts have multiple benefits and only if a trust was set up solely to reduce or avoid estate duty, will such trust become superfluous. When looking at the use of trusts in countries that do not levy estate duty (such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand), it is clear that trusts remained useful and popular in these countries even after estate duty had been abolished. This is a strong indication that trusts have a future in South Africa and that the abolishment of estate duty will not affect the usefulness and popularity of trusts. / Thesis (M.Com. (South African and International Taxation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The realisation of the objectives of the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE) is influenced by the national education system and the environment it operates in. This thesis accordingly studies the SASCE within the organisational framework of the Department of National Education. It provides a comprehensive description of the factors that influence the achievement of the objectives of the SASCE in the FET band in the Motheo district of the Free State Province. South African national education policy provides for a single unified democratic system for the organisation, governance and funding of schools. The Department of National Education formulates policy and provinces are responsible for its implementation by means of district offices. In this respect the education system is regarded as an organisation consisting of different sub–organisations that must provide effective education in line with the educational needs of the country. A generic five–point model of effective organisational structure accordingly was applied to determine the factors impacting on the realisation of the objectives of SASCE. Data were gathered and analysed by means of personal observations, document analysis and semi–structured interviews with education officials, school principals and choir conductors. The challenges of the national education system with regard to appropriate facilities, equipment, funding, appropriately trained officials and educators, support staff and effective policy implementation are consistent with the challenges facing the Department of National Education’s enrichment programmes, of which the SASCE forms part. Findings and recommendations are offered for all research questions. A general recommendation pertains to a proposed restructuring of the provincial enrichment programmes sub–directorate in order to address some of its organisational shortcomings and also the challenges facing the SASCE. / Thesis (Ph.D (Music))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Estate planning is an important exercise aimed at increasing, preserving and protecting assets during a person's lifetime and providing for the disposition and continued utilisation of these assets after his death. The minimisation of estate duty, however, often dominates the motivation behind estate planning and many of the tools, structures and techniques used as part of the estate planning exercise are aimed at reducing or avoiding estate duty. One of these tools is the trust. In the 2010 Budget Review National Treasury suggested that taxes upon death should be reviewed. Such review may result in estate duty being abolished. Should this happen, the motivation behind many estate plans will dissipate and many estate plans that mainly focussed on estate duty will become ineffective. The question that comes to mind is whether trusts have a future as estate planning tools. Estate planning involves many different objectives and many of these objectives can be achieved through the use of trusts. Trusts have multiple benefits and only if a trust was set up solely to reduce or avoid estate duty, will such trust become superfluous. When looking at the use of trusts in countries that do not levy estate duty (such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand), it is clear that trusts remained useful and popular in these countries even after estate duty had been abolished. This is a strong indication that trusts have a future in South Africa and that the abolishment of estate duty will not affect the usefulness and popularity of trusts. / Thesis (M.Com. (South African and International Taxation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Solvency II is the new European Union (EU) legislation which will replace the capital adequacy regime for the insurance industry. Considering that the banking sector has experienced a similar change through the different Basel Accords (Basel), there is an opportunity for the insurance industry before The results indicate similar distortions between developing countries while the major driver behind the cost of capital for developing countries is equity market volatility, and not credit risk as might have been expected. Finally, the fourth research problem relates to another objective of financial regulations: to reflect the risks that financial institutions face. The risk sensitivities of economic and regulatory capital for credit risk are investigated empirically using a dynamic optimisation model in one of the first studies of its kind. Results show that economic capital is a superior risk measure to regulatory capital from a systemic- and institution-specific risk perspective. This, along with calls to strengthen Pillar 2 disciplines following the financial crisis, leads to a suggestion that economic capital could be considered as a Pillar 1 capital requirement, replacing the current forms of Pillar 1 regulatory capital. the implementation of Solvency II to learn from the weaknesses and shortcomings in Basel to ensure that the design of Solvency II will, as far as possible, compensate for these. The financial crisis of 2007 to 2010 highlighted certain weaknesses and shortcomings of Basel and there is accordingly an opportunity for the insurance industry to learn from these deficiencies and to strengthen Solvency II to help prevent similar events in the insurance industry. This thesis investigates these weaknesses in Basel in an attempt to determine the extent to which these are inherently included in Solvency II. The first research problem of this thesis examines these weaknesses in Basel and relates them back to Solvency II to determine which, and to what extent, some of them may have been included in Solvency II. The second research problem leads from the first and critically explores an objective of financial regulations, namely to provide financial institutions with equal competitive conditions (the so-called ‘level playing field’) from a regulatory perspective. To achieve this objective, there is an implicit assumption that the cost of capital between countries is equal. Investigation into the cost of capital between both developed and developing countries using a modified weighted average cost of capital model indicates that the cost of capital between developed and developing countries differs and that regulations based on capital requirements tend to favour developed countries. This means that current financial regulations cannot achieve this objective as intended. The third research problem investigates the cost of capital between various developing countries to determine firstly whether similar competitive distortions exist among such countries, while secondly exploring the drivers behind the cost of capital in such countries through linear regression analyses. / PhD (Risk Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Solvency II is the new European Union (EU) legislation which will replace the capital adequacy regime for the insurance industry. Considering that the banking sector has experienced a similar change through the different Basel Accords (Basel), there is an opportunity for the insurance industry before The results indicate similar distortions between developing countries while the major driver behind the cost of capital for developing countries is equity market volatility, and not credit risk as might have been expected. Finally, the fourth research problem relates to another objective of financial regulations: to reflect the risks that financial institutions face. The risk sensitivities of economic and regulatory capital for credit risk are investigated empirically using a dynamic optimisation model in one of the first studies of its kind. Results show that economic capital is a superior risk measure to regulatory capital from a systemic- and institution-specific risk perspective. This, along with calls to strengthen Pillar 2 disciplines following the financial crisis, leads to a suggestion that economic capital could be considered as a Pillar 1 capital requirement, replacing the current forms of Pillar 1 regulatory capital. the implementation of Solvency II to learn from the weaknesses and shortcomings in Basel to ensure that the design of Solvency II will, as far as possible, compensate for these. The financial crisis of 2007 to 2010 highlighted certain weaknesses and shortcomings of Basel and there is accordingly an opportunity for the insurance industry to learn from these deficiencies and to strengthen Solvency II to help prevent similar events in the insurance industry. This thesis investigates these weaknesses in Basel in an attempt to determine the extent to which these are inherently included in Solvency II. The first research problem of this thesis examines these weaknesses in Basel and relates them back to Solvency II to determine which, and to what extent, some of them may have been included in Solvency II. The second research problem leads from the first and critically explores an objective of financial regulations, namely to provide financial institutions with equal competitive conditions (the so-called ‘level playing field’) from a regulatory perspective. To achieve this objective, there is an implicit assumption that the cost of capital between countries is equal. Investigation into the cost of capital between both developed and developing countries using a modified weighted average cost of capital model indicates that the cost of capital between developed and developing countries differs and that regulations based on capital requirements tend to favour developed countries. This means that current financial regulations cannot achieve this objective as intended. The third research problem investigates the cost of capital between various developing countries to determine firstly whether similar competitive distortions exist among such countries, while secondly exploring the drivers behind the cost of capital in such countries through linear regression analyses. / PhD (Risk Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die ondersoek was om 'n beplannings- en beheermodel te ontwikkel en beskikbaar te stel vir benutting deur welsynsorganisasies. Die ondersoek is onderneem binne die konteks van die ontwikkelingsnavorsings- en benuttingsparadigma. Die proses van die ontwikkelingsnavorsingsparadigma verloop volgens 'n analise-, ontwerp-, ontwikkelings-, evaluerings-, benuttings- en verspreidingsfase. Elke fase het ondersoeker in staat gestel om op sistematiese wyse te werk te gaan om 'n beplannings- en beheermodel te ontwerp en om gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings in die verband te maak. In die analisefase wat 'n teoretiese beskrywing van beplanning en beheer as bestuursfunksies behels het, was dit duidelik dat daar nie 'n beplannings- en beheermodel bestaan wat op welsynsorganisasies van toepassing gemaak kon word nie. Bestaande beplannings- en beheermodelle is ontleed en sleutelkonsepte is ge1dentif iseer met betrekking tot beplanning en beheer as bestuurfunksies. Aan die hand van die sleutelkonsepte is 'n empiriese ondersoek na die stand van beplanning en beheer by agt welsynsorganisasies gedoen. Agt kantoorhoofde, 16 supervisors en 32 maatskaplike werkers was met behulp van 'n onderhoudskedule by die navorsing betrek. Hierdie empiriese ondersoek en die literatuurstudie bet die ondersoeker in staat gestel om in die ontwerpfase 'n beplanningsen Leheermodel te ontwerp wat op welsynsorganisasies van toepassing gemaak kan word. 'n Beplannings- en beheermodel is iii ontwerp wat voorsiening maak vir die uitvoering van take op 'n strategiese-, bestuurs- en operasionele beplannings- en beheervlak. Die model maak voorsiening vir die betrokkenheid van al die personeellede van 'n organisasie in die beplannings- en beheerproses. Die model is vir 'n periode van agt maande by een welsynsorganisasie geYmplementeer en geevalueer. Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat die beplanning- en beheermodel wel deur welsynsorganisasies benut kan word. Die waarde van die model le daarin dat die gebruik daarvan 'n welsynsorganisasie in staat stel om sy eie strategiese, bestuurs- en operasionele beplannings en beheerplan te kan saamstel. Di t sal 'n welsynsorganisasie in staat stel om proaktief op interne sowel as eksterne omgewingsveranderings te reageer / Social Work / D. Phil. (Maatskaplike werk)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die ondersoek was om 'n beplannings- en beheermodel te ontwikkel en beskikbaar te stel vir benutting deur welsynsorganisasies. Die ondersoek is onderneem binne die konteks van die ontwikkelingsnavorsings- en benuttingsparadigma. Die proses van die ontwikkelingsnavorsingsparadigma verloop volgens 'n analise-, ontwerp-, ontwikkelings-, evaluerings-, benuttings- en verspreidingsfase. Elke fase het ondersoeker in staat gestel om op sistematiese wyse te werk te gaan om 'n beplannings- en beheermodel te ontwerp en om gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings in die verband te maak. In die analisefase wat 'n teoretiese beskrywing van beplanning en beheer as bestuursfunksies behels het, was dit duidelik dat daar nie 'n beplannings- en beheermodel bestaan wat op welsynsorganisasies van toepassing gemaak kon word nie. Bestaande beplannings- en beheermodelle is ontleed en sleutelkonsepte is ge1dentif iseer met betrekking tot beplanning en beheer as bestuurfunksies. Aan die hand van die sleutelkonsepte is 'n empiriese ondersoek na die stand van beplanning en beheer by agt welsynsorganisasies gedoen. Agt kantoorhoofde, 16 supervisors en 32 maatskaplike werkers was met behulp van 'n onderhoudskedule by die navorsing betrek. Hierdie empiriese ondersoek en die literatuurstudie bet die ondersoeker in staat gestel om in die ontwerpfase 'n beplanningsen Leheermodel te ontwerp wat op welsynsorganisasies van toepassing gemaak kan word. 'n Beplannings- en beheermodel is iii ontwerp wat voorsiening maak vir die uitvoering van take op 'n strategiese-, bestuurs- en operasionele beplannings- en beheervlak. Die model maak voorsiening vir die betrokkenheid van al die personeellede van 'n organisasie in die beplannings- en beheerproses. Die model is vir 'n periode van agt maande by een welsynsorganisasie geYmplementeer en geevalueer. Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat die beplanning- en beheermodel wel deur welsynsorganisasies benut kan word. Die waarde van die model le daarin dat die gebruik daarvan 'n welsynsorganisasie in staat stel om sy eie strategiese, bestuurs- en operasionele beplannings en beheerplan te kan saamstel. Di t sal 'n welsynsorganisasie in staat stel om proaktief op interne sowel as eksterne omgewingsveranderings te reageer / Social Work / D. Phil. (Maatskaplike werk)