The role of local level governance and participation in managing climate disasters is gaining precedence in global and local (South African), discourse. In recent years, floods have caused major disasters in urban centres around the world. A lack of disaster preparedness in developing countries has resulted in much damage in urban environments. Such damage will have long-term repercussions for governance, communities and the natural environment. Heavy rainfall events are projected to become more intense and frequent due to climate change, and many recently affected areas may consequently face increased risk of flooding in future. A range of factors influences the ability to manage disasters through all phases of preparation, response and recovery at the local level. The objective of this research is to investigate the extent to which a range of factors interacts to either enhance or limit resilience to flood disasters at the local scale. This is explored through triangulating the results of three investigations into both physical and social factors of understanding and managing flood disasters. The case study of flooding in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) in South Africa, with specific focus on the Atlasville suburb, provides the basis of the research. The research uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine disaster management, which includes perceptions and non-technical information in addition to statistical analysis. Flooding in the EMM is used as a case study to investigate how a multiple-perspective understanding of rainfall and flood events can help communities and municipalities better plan for and manage disaster events. This research argues that in order to understand the nuances of flood disasters, a combination of different sets of knowledge is necessary, as each set of knowledge plays an important part to inform how flood risks can be managed.

MPH (Occupational Hygiene), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / The study of medical waste management practices in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality clinics in South Africa took place in the absence of the relevant parliamentary law governing such waste, but governed by the final published Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003. In accordance with the Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 303 of 2003, Medical Waste Management Practices are such that where medical waste is generated, it should be segregated at the point of generation, be properly containerised, labelled, stored, treated and finally be disposed of. The researcher studied 29 out of 112 clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality on whether medical waste management practices in these clinics comply with the Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003. The study also intended to help practising and managing nurses to reduce occupational health risks, while further increasing the safety of clinic service users from unforeseen infections by communicable diseases. Materials and methods The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive survey method wherein data acquisition was by means of interviewing clinic managers with regard to medical waste management iii practices in their clinics using a structured questionnaire; and by observations of medical waste management practices through a walkthrough survey checklist. The study sample composed of 30 clinics selected from a total of 112 clinics, where a total population of 7 maternity and 23 day clinics were included through random selection. A response rate of 29 out of 30 clinics selected was obtained. The interview questionnaire consisted of six dimensions of measurement of medical waste management practices, while the walkthrough survey checklist consisted of twenty six items measuring medical waste management practices. Both were developed in line with the stipulations of the Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003. A pilot study was conducted to further refine the contents of the above two measuring tools. The study setting comprised individual sections of each clinic such as primary health care, maternity, HIV/AIDS, mental health, antenatal care, family planning and the communicable diseases section, wherein a nurse is assigned per shift to examine patients and to administer injections and medicines. Observations were done on all medical waste management practices in the examination rooms of all sections of the clinics in order to carefully record both negative and positive practices. Such observations made followed the required medical waste management process as per the Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003. iv Results The operations of Ekurhuleni municipal clinics revealed a 67 percent (4 out of 6 required documentation) non-existence of the required documentations, predominantly in the areas of medical waste policy; written safe work procedures; a training programme; and conducting of risk assessments. Specifically, The majority (65.5%) of clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality have no medical waste management policy. The majority (69%) of clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality have no safe work procedures. The majority (93%) of clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality have no waste management training programme. The majority (69%) of clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality do not conduct risk assessment for their operations. Of the 26 medical waste management practices observed, positive medical waste management practices were observed in 46 percent of the observations compared to 50 percent of negative observations, made in operating conditions of clinics. Discussion The findings of the study revealed a high degree of non-compliance of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality with the Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations v 3003 of 2003 with regard to the required documents and the acceptable observed practices. Conclusions Medical waste management training in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality does not happen due to both the lack of policy documents and budgetary problems. Health care workers are exposed to both ergonomic and biological hazards due to a lack of proper medical waste storage, storage signage and incorrect handling of medical waste. No medical waste management audits and risk assessments are conducted in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality clinics. Non accountability over disposal of medical waste may promote illegal dumping of medical waste generated from Ekurhuleni municipal clinics. Recommendations Managers of clinics in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality need to be informed of the stipulations of Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003. Based on the developed policies, clinic managers need to develop medical waste management training programmes wherein the stipulations of Gauteng Health Care Waste Management Regulations 3003 of 2003 will be incorporated. Designated medical waste management storage facilities to be provided for all Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality clinics. vi Clinic management and appointed medical waste management officers to ensure that medical waste management audits and risk assessments are conducted and that corrective measures are implemented in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality clinics.

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, social changes in South Africa have impacted on schools. In the past, parent involvement in the township schools was viewed as unimportant. However, with the change to a democratic South Africa, parents as critical stakeholders were put under tremendous pressure to get involved in the education of their children. The role that parents are expected to play in education has grown immensely and has been receiving greater interest. The South African Schools Act (Act no. 84 of 1996) makes provision for parents‟ participation in the activities of the schools. The underlying principle is to ensure that parents are actively involved in the governance and management of schools with a view to create a conducive environment for a better teaching and learning. According to Bloch (2009:22) the more parents are involved in their children‟s schooling the better their children‟s academic achievements, the more confident their attitudes to schooling and the lower the drop-out rate. However, the parents in the township schools in South Africa have dismally failed to live up to these expectations. Almost 80% of dysfunctional schools in South Africa are predominantly located in the townships (Smit & Oosthuizen, 2011:64). These schools are ineffective and inefficient; and lack of parental involvement has been cited as a key reason for the decline of academic achievement. Efforts to improve the culture of teaching and learning in these schools have failed. In this study, the extent to which parents in the township schools are involved in the education of their children is interrogated as the focus area. Similarly, the objective of this study is to investigate and evaluate the factors that influence or inhibit parents‟ participation in the education of their children in the township schools. The study confined itself to three secondary schools in Ekurhuleni North district and used both educators and parents as its sample. The sample was purposefully selected. A mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used for this study. The data presented in this study are mainly derived from the responses to the ninety questionnaires that were distributed to educators as well as the responses of the six parents from the interviews with them. In this study, the ethical considerations of the research as espoused by Merriam (1998:198) were adhered to. This study v stems from the necessity to contribute to the scholarly debate on the involvement of parents in education as it seeks to determine the factors which hamper parental involvement in the education process of the learners in the township schools; and to suggest possible solutions to eliminate them wherever feasible. The reluctance of parents to participate in the education of their children in the township schools remains a mystery which needs to be unravelled. This is the basic premise of this research. The researcher further hopes that when the Findings and the Recommendations of this study are completed, they will be able to add value to the education system in the township schools by conscientising parents about their full role in the governance of the schools as mandated by legislation. / Department of Educational Leadership and Management / M.Ed. (Education Management))

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, social changes in South Africa have impacted on schools. In the past, parent involvement in the township schools was viewed as unimportant. However, with the change to a democratic South Africa, parents as critical stakeholders were put under tremendous pressure to get involved in the education of their children. The role that parents are expected to play in education has grown immensely and has been receiving greater interest. The South African Schools Act (Act no. 84 of 1996) makes provision for parents‟ participation in the activities of the schools. The underlying principle is to ensure that parents are actively involved in the governance and management of schools with a view to create a conducive environment for a better teaching and learning. According to Bloch (2009:22) the more parents are involved in their children‟s schooling the better their children‟s academic achievements, the more confident their attitudes to schooling and the lower the drop-out rate. However, the parents in the township schools in South Africa have dismally failed to live up to these expectations. Almost 80% of dysfunctional schools in South Africa are predominantly located in the townships (Smit & Oosthuizen, 2011:64). These schools are ineffective and inefficient; and lack of parental involvement has been cited as a key reason for the decline of academic achievement. Efforts to improve the culture of teaching and learning in these schools have failed. In this study, the extent to which parents in the township schools are involved in the education of their children is interrogated as the focus area. Similarly, the objective of this study is to investigate and evaluate the factors that influence or inhibit parents‟ participation in the education of their children in the township schools. The study confined itself to three secondary schools in Ekurhuleni North district and used both educators and parents as its sample. The sample was purposefully selected. A mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative approaches was used for this study. The data presented in this study are mainly derived from the responses to the ninety questionnaires that were distributed to educators as well as the responses of the six parents from the interviews with them. In this study, the ethical considerations of the research as espoused by Merriam (1998:198) were adhered to. This study v stems from the necessity to contribute to the scholarly debate on the involvement of parents in education as it seeks to determine the factors which hamper parental involvement in the education process of the learners in the township schools; and to suggest possible solutions to eliminate them wherever feasible. The reluctance of parents to participate in the education of their children in the township schools remains a mystery which needs to be unravelled. This is the basic premise of this research. The researcher further hopes that when the Findings and the Recommendations of this study are completed, they will be able to add value to the education system in the township schools by conscientising parents about their full role in the governance of the schools as mandated by legislation. / Department of Educational Leadership and Management / M.Ed. (Education Management))

M.Cur. (Nursing Management) / Transformational leadership involves the creation of a motivating climate that enhances growth, development, commitment, goal achievement and enjoyment which encourages behaviour based on a set of shared values (Price, 2006:124). In this study transformational leadership referred to concepts of motivation, and change management with regard to the implementation of the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in a PRe setting. During support visits in Ekurhuleni Health District, the researcher observed a lack of transformational leadership among facility managers in Primary Health Care Clinics to transform the Cervical Cancer Screening Program in line with relevant health care legislation. It was apparent that the problems in implementing the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme were related to poor motivation and lack of implementation of change management principles in the PHC clinics. From the problem statement the following research questions emerged: To what extent is the facility manager perceived as a transformational leader to implement the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in a PHC clinic? Which actions should the facility manager take to implement the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in PHe? From the findings guidelines for the facility managers were described to enable them to implement a Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in a Primary Health Care clinic within legal requirements...

The research project aimed at understanding how culture and history shape the role of governance in public schools. It has highlighted the role that parents can and should play in school governance, as supporters, as governors, as co-teachers, as informed consumers and as partners. All these roles are within the legislative framework of the South African School Act 84 of 1996 (SASA). However, this study suggests that much of the literature has not looked at specific ways in which parents participate that are influenced by their interests, values, cultural background and beliefs. One of the major insights in the study is the cultural understanding of the role of school governance, which translates into a very different conception of justice and how it is articulated in the role of governing in conflict management. This study has shown that through the particular cultural practices that privilege restorative justice over retributive justice, traditional conceptions can be a strong force for conflict management and stability at schools. More specifically, this study has shown how governors can consciously use the framework legislation, i.e. the SASA, to reinforce particular social or cultural identifies.

The main aim of the study was to explore the resident's perception of urban integration or integration of the settlement with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) in terms of the economic, spatial, political, environmental and social aspects.In order to accomplish this aim, data were gathered from a sample of twelve Dukhatole informal settlement residents in the EMM. A research questionnaire was used as the main instrument of data collection. Collected data were analysed qualitatively using both coding and thematic formats.The findings of the study demonstrated that Dukathole informal settlement is spatially, economically, and socially integrated with the EMM. More importantly it is the physical location of the community that has ensured the the Dukathole informal settlement is economically and socially integrated with the EMM city. These results led to the conclusion that the proposed government processes to relocate Dukathole informal settlement to distant areas will disintegrate or exclude this community from the EMM city. It was also discovered that the majority of the respondents are unemployed and involved in the informal sector of the economy with less income. This automatically excludes them from the formal housing processes as they could not afford. Based on the foregoing finding it was concluded that formal rental accommodation does not and will not cater for the urban poor.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the role played by treatment supporters in promoting patients’ treatment outcomes in six TB clinics of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng. A descriptive research design was used to study TB patients who were registered in the clinics in April and May 2006. Interviews were conducted on 216 new adult patients six months after their registration at clinics, all 30 treatment supporters of those who had supporters and the staff responsible for TB at the six clinics at which the patients were registered. The patients were grouped into those who had supporters 53% (n=115) and those who did not 47% (n=101). Patients’ response rate was 97%. Treatment outcomes were compared between these two groups. Results showed that significantly more supported patients achieved successful outcomes than patients who did not have supporters. The results did not change when transfers and deaths were excluded from the measurement. Successful treatment outcomes were significantly associated with treatment supporters having fewer than 10 patients, patients living with someone, patients of age 40 or more years, male patients, those whose highest education levels were tertiary and secondary. Patients and clinic staff said that supporters were useful in checking on patients’ treatment, giving medicine, counselling and advising patients on medication and in practical help. Conclusion: Treatment supporters had a significant role in promoting patients’ treatment outcomes. It is recommended that TB treatment programme staff should consider using treatment supporters in their programmes.

M.Cur. (Nursing Management) / Information technology is the management of a computer-based information system, particularly software applications and computer hardware, which are used to handle all aspects of information storage, retrieval, transmittal, protection, and processing information securely. The lack of reliable health information is one of the major obstacles to the effective planning of the health services in South Africa. The existing information systems are fragmented and incompatible; most systems are manually driven with minimal computerisation which results in inadequate analysis, interpretation and the use of data at PHC level. The use of computer information technology in the health facilities will improve service delivery; reduce the cost of providing health care; and enhance the management and control of service. Yet, it seems that nurses are insufficiently using computer information technology at the PHC clinics in the eastern part of Ekurhuleni. It has been observed that nurses do not use Computer Information Technology (CIT) to the benefit of the clients. It was unclear what the perceptions of PHC professional nurses about CIT were. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of primary health care nurses with regard to the use of Computer Information Technology (CIT) with the purpose of recommending the actions to be taken by the nurse manager about computer information technology. In this study a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive design was used in order to obtain factual reasoning and information from professional nurses working at five (5) primary health clinics in the eastern part of Ekurhuleni. The total sample of professional nurses was n = 150. The method of data collection was a self-administered and structured survey- questionnaire that took 30 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics were compiled by using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20 software program. Validity and reliability were ensured by the judgments of the researcher and experts about whether the research instrument had covered the comprehensive set of facets that encompassed the concepts (the use of information technology at primary health care clinics). It also included pre-testing of the instrument to establish the consistency with which participants understood, interpreted and responded to all the carefully formulated questions in the survey-questionnaire. Ethical principles and standards for nurse researchers were adhere to. The findings indicated that there were aspects that need to be addressed in respect of the use of information technology in primary health care clinics. Limitations of study and the recommendations for nursing practice, management and research were discussed. This study determined the perceptions of nurses with regard to the use of computer information technology at the PHC clinics that lead to recommendations on the actions to be taken by the nurse managers about the use of computer information technology at PHC clinics.

Applied research was utilised in order to identify the challenges experienced by employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality regarding preparation for retirement. The purpose of the study was to explore the challenges experienced by employees in the age bracket of 50 to 65 years. A quantitative approach was utilised. Probability sampling with a systematic sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample of 100 employees from the larger population of 4,453 employees. Survey research was undertaken in order to provide a numeric description of the opinions of employees of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, by using questionnaires as the data collection method. The cross-sectional survey design was most appropriate as it involves one contact with the respondent and is comparatively cheap to undertake and easy to analyse. Questionnaires were handdelivered to some respondents to fill in themselves and collected upon completion, whilst other respondents were assisted with the questionnaires by Wellness Champions. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences program (SPSS). The research demonstrated that the challenges faced by employees of EMM are financial, psychosocial and physical in nature. Surveyed employees indicated that they were not aware of any retirement preparatory programme offered by EMM and expressed a strong need for such a programme. One of the recommendations is the development of a retirement preparatory programme by EMM in order to mitigate some of the post-retirement difficulties that may be experienced by retirees. / Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted