Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of the North, 2001 / Refer to document

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2005 / Refer to the abstract

Thesis (M. Dev.)-- University of Limpopo, 2011. / Sustainability of poverty relief projects: an evaluative case study of Madumeleng community bread making project in Greater Letaba Municipality in Limpopo Province This mini-dissertation was conducted on a community poverty alleviation project that was implemented by government through the Department of Social Development at Madumeleng village. Madumeleng is a village in Bolobedu(Modjadji) under the Greater Letaba Municipality in Mopani District. The Greater Letaba Municipality is one of the rural municipalities in the district of Mopani. The project was identified by the community members as a flagship towards addressing poverty within the village and eventually in the municipal area. The project was initiated by a group of women who started as volunteers. Their objective was to make the project big and viable within the society. The women had wishes also that the project should eventually create more jobs for the community members and thereby contribute in alleviating poverty and unemployment. The above resonates well with the objective of government and in particular the Department of Social Development in funding these projects. The study was ignited by the fact that after all the efforts by government to provide funding and ensure that the project members are capacitated, still the project collapsed. The project could not last longer than it was expected and this was the main reason for the study. The study should contribute in surmounting some factors which might have contributed into the collapse of the project. Government should also be able to draw lessons from the study to improve on the approach when they fund future projects.

Thesis (M.Phil. (Environmental Law and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2009 / In recent years, a lot has been said about global warming and climate change. Governments and Institutions have been congregating more frequently all over the world. The subject of global warming and climate change is believed to be a ticking time bomb, which can have catastrophic effects on the existence of the human race and other living organisms. This led me to think and ponder about all our coastal towns in South Africa. What would happen if the melting of the glaciers continues and the sea levels rise by over two meters? This surely is a recipe for disaster and hence a look at the Western Cape Province was really necessary to find out on the province and the country‟s preparedness. Climate change has been scientifically proven to be occurring and is being aggravated by industrialisation1. With South Africa being the 19th Green House Gas (GHG) emitter in the world, the government should definitely take action by either mitigating or adapting to these effects.2 Rightly so, something is being done not only at national level, but at a regional and international level. A number of treaties, conventions and protocols to do with climate change and its related effects have been passed and ratified by most countries. The most notable international protocol is the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change‟s (UNFCCC) Kyoto protocol. At a regional level, New Partnership for Africa‟s Development (NEPAD) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), have come in support of environmental initiatives like the Atmospheric Pollution Information Network for Africa (APINA). The Western Cape Province, in line with most of these agreements and national strategies, have come up with their own polices in trying to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change.

Thesis (LLM. (Development and Management Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This mini-dissertation discusses South African social security and retirement reforms that will be used as guidelines towards promulgation of the new Pension Funds Act which will incorporate both private and public pensions. These proposals have been highlighted in the Retirement Reform Discussion Paper issued by National Treasury in 2004 and the Social Security and Retirement Reform paper, issued by both National Treasury and Department of Social Development, 2007. Further, the recent discussion papers entitled ‘Strengthening Retirement Savings and a Safer Financial Sector to Serve South Africa Better’ published in 2011 and 2012 respectively have strengthened social security and retirement reforms debate in South Africa. This mini-dissertation will incorporate both social security and retirement reforms.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / The aim of the study was to determine whether Members of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature misrepresented members of the public in the policy and decision making process. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act, No. 213 of 2008, when passed in Parliament, might have had good intensions, but has instead led to unintended consequences. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this study. Questionnaires were used to collect the primary data from MPLs, staff of the Limpopo Legislature and members of the public in districts of the Province while the secondary data was collected from online databases and through literature reviews. A random sampling method was used to collect primary data for this research by using various data collection methods such as questionnaires, face to face and telephone interviews. The collected data was captured in Ms Excel 2007, and then analysed and presented using graphs and tables. Results of this study indicate that the majority of people in Limpopo were not in favour of the bill in question. This was evident in the video recording that was taken at the public hearing held in the Vhembe District where the emotions and expressions including the language used by members of the public was witnessed. The Committee Report that was tabled in the House by the Chairperson of the Committee stated that all districts in the Province were not in favour of the bill. It also became evident that indeed MPLs did not debate the report in the House and also did not consider inputs of the masses made during public hearings before a provincial mandate was given to Permanent delegates at the National Council of Province (NCOP) to vote in favour of the bill. It can thus be concluded that MPLs can take a decision on a bill even if the masses are against it. This clearly indicates that the voices of the people are indeed heard since public hearings are conducted, but all is merely done to comply with the Constitutional mandate.

Thesis (LLM. (Development and Management Law)) University of Limpopo, 2013

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / Introduction: An observational study was undertaken to assess the level of compliance of school nutrition with standard hygiene requirements prescribed by Regulations R918 of 30 July 1999. Aim: To assess the level of compliance of Primary School Nutrition Programme with standard hygiene requirements prescribed by Regulations R918 of 30 July 1999 in Bushbuckridge area. Study: The study was conducted in primary schools located in Bushbuckridge sub-district with an estimated population of 611.048 and 212 primary schools. Method: Observational study was conducted in schools and information regarding food preparation area, food storage rooms, environmental hygiene, personal hygiene and food transportation was recorded. Sampling: A random sampling was conducted to select schools in each circuit. Thirty two percent was used to determine the sample size. Sixty eight primary schools of a population of 212 were select from the various circuits in Bushbuckridge sub-district. Data was gathered using observation method. An observation data gathering tool was developed to collect the data that was needed for the study. Results: The study revealed that 24.3% of the schools prepare their food in kitchens that meet the standards and the requirements prescribed by the health regulations. However, 75.7% of the schools prepare their food in structures that do not comply with the health regulations. The study on environmental hygiene revealed that 95.7% of the schools do not provide toiletries in their latrines most of which are not waterborne. The study further revealed that 87% of the schools do not provide soap for hand washing in their latrines. The study on personal hygiene revealed that 61.4% of the schools do not provide protective clothing to the food handlers who prepare food for learners. The study on food transportation revealed that 100% of the vehicles used to deliver food in schools do not comply with the standards and the hygiene requirements prescribed by the health regulations. Conclusion: It can thus be concluded that the level of compliance of the school nutrition programme to the standards and the requirements prescribed by Regulations R918 of 30 July 1999 is minimal. Measures of precautions to safeguard food contaminations that may result in outbreaks are not adequately followed. The level of environmental hygiene responsible for the spread of most of the diseases in children is poor. There is a high percentage of non-compliance to the standards and the requirements prescribed by Regulations R918 of 30 July 1999.

This study is concerned with corporate policy on IllV/AIDS. This was investigated by speaking to key-informants from fifteen enterprises in KwaZulu Natal. They were asked about their policies and programmes and what they had put in place to combat this epidemic. The rational choice model was used as a framework for analysis ofthe policies. This model is discussed in the first part ofthe study and was chosen as it seems to reflect the dominant policy outlook in South Africa and may shape the way that organisations .respond. The second part of the project is the report and discussion of the findings. It is a presentation ofthe responses given by the key informants regarding their perceptions and understanding of the problem of IllV/AIDS as well as the policies .of their companies regarding the same. Mostofthe companies in the study did not have policies specific to. IDV/AIDS. Some had general guidelines and treated HIV/AIDS as any major illness. There seemed to be denial, especially among the management, of the seriousness of the disease despite evidence ofits significant impact within the various organisations. There were few to no resources set aside formv/AIDS programmes and interventions and this seems important in defining the IllV/AIDS problem as one of the future rather than the present In the third part of this project, the theoretical framework and the findings were linked. There was an attempt to answer the question ofhow rational the policy process is within the companies in the study and .whether the responses of these organisations can be understood in the context ofthe rational choice model. It seems that this model does aid in understanding of the policy process when there is a realisation· that it interacts with other human mctors to create what we observe. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The clash between South Africa's dual need of a new political identity and economic viability reflects not only the difficulty in conducting a traditional foreign policy with a strong ideological overlay but also has spurred the debate over whether her foreign policy is to be conducted on the basis of expediency or principle. This study argues that although the shift to a post-apartheid society has created the context for South African foreign policy to be shaped by a new culture of human rights, it remains an interest-based pragmatic activity rather than an exercise in the projection of ethical values or ideological principles. It seems that the African National Congress (ANC)-led government has not yet resolved the basic contradictions that have bedevilled its international thinking since it came into power. Faced with this dilemma, South Africa is often reduced to straddling the fence by half-heartedly supporting principles on one occasion (as in its relationship with the Republic of China), and on another pursuing its economic interests (as her intention to sell arms to the People's Republic of China attests). The government's basic goal of developing fruitful political and economic linkages without sacrificing the principles which underpin wider policy has proved elusive. The central proposition of this study is that the defining parameters of South African foreign policy have remained largely indeterminate because of the realities of the conflicting interests posed by its domestic and external concerns. In essence, the inability to reconcile primary foreign policy goals (preservation of national economic interest) with new foreign policy aspirations (promotion of human rights and peace through the pursuit of justice and fair-play) reflects a tense ambivalence in the founding principles of post apartheid South African foreign policy. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.