MRDV / Institute for Rural Development

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))

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is experiencing a number of challenges, which have led to developmental backlogs, housing shortages and growing informal areas. At the same time, the country is also experiencing sustainability problems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and resource shortages. Strategies to address these challenges do not always provide adequate space for participatory structures as suggested by Local Agenda 21. Social sustainability (the ability of communities to collaborate in order to promote sustainability) is a fundamental component of sustainable development. An essential ingredient of social sustainability is to maintain and develop the stock of social capital (social bonds, relationships of trust, and connectedness in groups and networks). The existence of conflict and distrust in communities therefore makes cooperation for development and sustainability very difficult. The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate a specific case study, namely the Witsand Integrated Energy Environment Empowerment Cost Optimisation (iEEECO) Human Settlement Project, situated near Atlantis within the City of Cape Town, with regard to lessons about the process towards sustainable human settlements and sustainability. This case study was chosen because it is a so-called People’s Housing Project that has also been developed as an ecological sustainable project. The study specifically aimed to establish whether and how participation was implemented as part of this project and how effective this had been in promoting social sustainability, since it had also been a conflict-ridden project. The case study methodology was used where interviews, direct observation and focus groups sessions were conducted. Finally, the study reports on the findings and formulates recommendations based on the case study on some of the ways to improve sustainability. The process of learning about this community was like unpeeling an onion, that started with the impression of a successful sustainable human settlement, but ended up with the knowledge that it is a project, which despite more than usual efforts made to implement sustainability principles and participation, remains conflict ridden and fragmented. The community is presently represented by two community organisations (of which one does not support sustainability principles). It also seems as if few community members felt that they had really been involved in the participation process, with many relegated to make up numbers in meetings, with no real involvement in the process. The level of illiteracy within the community is high and rumours abound, which at one stage led to houses of community leaders, as well as field workers employed by the municipality to monitor extension of shacks, being stoned and burnt. Municipal policies to use local people as gate-keepers to keep informal areas from growing are contributing to these problems. Changes in housing policies regarding contributory payments are also adding to conflict within the community, which adds fuel to rumours of corruption. In the context of a shortage of space where people can legally build their own shacks, a shortage of public facilities like schools and clinics, as well as employment opportunities, this project cannot yet be regarded as an integrated sustainable human settlement.The lessons that this case study teaches us is about the path towards sustainability, is that it is a complex process, which requires a bigger focus on social sustainability and on conflict transformation. Social sustainability requires more and better participation and transparency in policy-making, as well as changes in policies to promote more fairness, justice, and the building of social capital. Co-production, where state and citizens work together to provide basic services, has much to offer as a method of participation, especially if initiated and run by grassroots organisations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika beleef 'n aantal uitdagings, wat gelei het tot ontwikkelingsagterstande, behuisingstekorte en groeiende informele gebiede. Terselfdertyd ondervind die land ook volhoubaarheidsprobleme, soos klimaatverandering, die verlies aan biodiversiteit en hulpbron-tekorte. Strategieë om hierdie uitdagings aan te spreek, laat nie altyd voldoende ruimte vir deelnemende strukture soos voorgestel deur Plaaslike Agenda 21 nie. Sosiale volhoubaarheid (die vermoeë van gemeenskappe om saam te werk ten einde volhoubaarheid te bevorder) is 'n fundamentele komponent van volhoubare ontwikkeling. 'n Noodsaaklike bestanddeel van sosiale volhoubaarheid is om die voorraad van sosiale kapitaal (sosiale gom, verhoudings van vertroue, en verbondenheid in groepe en netwerke) in stand te hou en te ontwikkel. Die bestaan van konflik en wantroue in gemeenskappe maak dus samewerking vir ontwikkeling en volhoubaarheid baie moeilik. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n spesifieke gevallestudie te ondersoek en te evalueer, naamlik die Witsand Geïntegreerde Energie en Omgewing Bemagtiging Koste Optimisering (iEEECO) Menslike Nedersetting Projek, naby Atlantis binne die Stad Kaapstad, met betrekking tot lesse oor die proses na volhoubare menslike nedersettings en volhoubaarheid. Hierdie gevallestudie is gekies omdat dit is 'n sogenaamde gemeenskapsbehuisingprojek (People's Housing Project) is, wat ook as 'n ekologiese volhoubare projek ontwikkel is. Die studie is spesifiek daarop gemik om vas te stel of en hoe deelname as deel van hierdie projek geïmplementeer is en hoe effektief dit was om sosiale volhoubaarheid te bevorder of nie, aangesien dit ook 'n konflik-geteisterde projek was. Die gevallestudie metodologie is gebruik, waar onderhoude, direkte waarneming en fokusgroep sessies onderneem is. Ten slotte doen die studie verslag oor die bevindings en formuleer aanbevelings oor hierdie gevalle studie ten opsigte van metodes hoe om deelname te verbeter om volhoubaarheid te bevorder. Die proses van leer oor hierdie gemeenskap was soos om 'n ui af te skil, wat begin het met die indruk van 'n suksesvolle volhoubare menslike nedersetting, maar geëindig het met die wete dat dit 'n projek is, wat ten spyte van meer as die gewone pogings om volhoubaarheidsbeginsels en deelname te implementeer, deur konflik en fragmentasie gepla is. Dit word verteenwoordig deur twee gemeenskapsorganisasies (waarvan een nie volhoubaarheid beginsels ondersteun nie). Dit blyk ook asof min gemeenskapslede regtig voel dat hulle in die deelname proses betrokke was, met baie wat voel dat hulle gerelegeer was tot getalle by vergaderings, sonder regtige betrokkenheid in die proses Die vlak van ongeletterdheid in die gemeenskap is hoog en gerugte doen die ronde, wat op een stadium gelei het tot die steniging en verbrand van huise van gemeenskap leiers, sowel as veldwerkers wat deur die munisipaliteit aangestel is om die uitbreiding van plakkershutte te monitor. Dit blyk dat die munisipale beleid om plaaslike mense te gebruik as poort-wagte om die groei van informele gebiede te keer, bydra tot hierdie probleme. Veranderinge in behuising beleid ten opsigte van bydraende betalings dra ook by tot konflik binne die gemeenskap, wat gerugte van korrupsie aanvuur. In die konteks van 'n tekort aan ruimte waar mense wettiglik hul eie informele huise kan bou, 'n tekort aan openbare fasiliteite soos skole en klinieke, asook werksgeleenthede, kan hierdie projek nog nie beskou word as 'n geïntegreerde volhoubare menslike nedersetting nie. Die lesse wat hierdie gevallestudie ons kan leer oor die roete na volhoubaarheid, is dat dit 'n komplekse proses is, wat 'n groter fokus op sosiale volhoubaarheid en konflik transformasie vereis. Sosiale volhoubaarheid vereis meer en beter deelname en deursigtigheid in die maak van beleid, sowel as veranderinge in beleide om meer regverdigheid en geregtigheid te bevorder, asook die uitbou van sosiale kapitaal. Ko-produksie, waar staat en burgers saam werk om basiese dienste te lewer, het baie om te bied as 'n metode van deelname, veral as dit geïnisieer en gelei word deur voetsoolvlak organisasies.

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))

Institute for Rural Development / MRDV

MA (History) / Department of Development Studies / The research investigated the nexus between land reform and human security in Ratombo community. The central argument was that land reform should address human security and development of the community. The security-development nexus was applied to explicate the link between human security and human development. The human security concerns discussed in the research included food security, economic security, individual security, community security, and environmental security. These security matters were discussed within the backdrop of a myriad of challenges facing Ratombo Communal Property Association (CPA) regarding improving production at the farm. The problem under investigation was informed by the failure of the CPA to ensure food security and to create employment for the community members. Within that background, the study sought to explore the feelings of the farm workers, management and members of the CPA. Qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used to establish the attitudes and feelings of stakeholders on Ratombo CPA’s performance, regarding meeting human security concerns of the community. The outcome of the research was that, as land reforms have dominated the discourse of rural development, there is needed to closely link rural development to human security issues because development and well-being are inseparable to the human security of a community. / NRF

This research is an examination of the practical application of intergovernmental relations (IGR) and co-operative government at the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM)’s Department of Housing and Human Settlements. By use of questionnaire and direct interviews, the research extracted responses from methodically selected employees and officials at the Department of Housing and Human Settlements in the CTMM. Literature study was combined with document analysis and a part of participant observation to gather data and information that has been examined and analysed in the study that has established the need for training and skilling for officials and employees in financial and project management. The need for the rolling back of political interference, regular review of legislation to keep abreast with the changing environment and international standards and improved institutional communication are but some of the observations and arguments that the research has established from a careful reading of data gathered. The enabling policies, laws and regulations that are in place remain largely good on paper, but still limited in their practical application. It is argued in this research that housing and human settlements are a provision that is central in the democratic and development life of the Republic of South Africa, and that the provision of sustainable human settlements enriches the livelihoods of communities in so far as other services such as education, recreation, health care, electricity, economic opportunities, safety, transport and communication are also dependent on the availability of sustainable human settlements and the amenities that comes with it. It is the recommendation of the present research that if the policies, regulations, laws and goals that govern the IGR towards the delivery of sustainable human settlements are to achieve maximum fruition, there is a need for vigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that will ensure that budgets are efficiently used, that standing decisions are implemented and that partisan politics and corruption and opportunistic tendencies are eliminated as these hinder performance and delivery. / Public Administration / MPA

The premise of the research concerns negative spatial legacies and questions doubting the existence of the true post-apartheid city in South Africa. The study describes the socio-spatial structure of the functional urban core of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM). An empirical analysis, a unique segregation-desegregation classification, a relative socio-economic classification and three continuity-discontinuity hypotheses was used to compare past and present socio-spatial characteristics. Structural racial-residential segregation is evident along with high levels of socio-economic inequality. Spatial polarisation of societal attributes has created a clear north-west and south-east divide in the study area. The study area is described as one with a central-south citadel (inhabited by the wealthy) and a dynamic periphery (diverse but relatively deprived). Current socio-spatial characteristics can be attributed to strong spatial legacies, ineffective policy interventions and underlying socio-spatial influences that inhibit true inclusivity and equality in the study area. / Geography / M. Sc. (Geography)

This research is an examination of the practical application of intergovernmental relations (IGR) and co-operative government at the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM)’s Department of Housing and Human Settlements. By use of questionnaire and direct interviews, the research extracted responses from methodically selected employees and officials at the Department of Housing and Human Settlements in the CTMM. Literature study was combined with document analysis and a part of participant observation to gather data and information that has been examined and analysed in the study that has established the need for training and skilling for officials and employees in financial and project management. The need for the rolling back of political interference, regular review of legislation to keep abreast with the changing environment and international standards and improved institutional communication are but some of the observations and arguments that the research has established from a careful reading of data gathered. The enabling policies, laws and regulations that are in place remain largely good on paper, but still limited in their practical application. It is argued in this research that housing and human settlements are a provision that is central in the democratic and development life of the Republic of South Africa, and that the provision of sustainable human settlements enriches the livelihoods of communities in so far as other services such as education, recreation, health care, electricity, economic opportunities, safety, transport and communication are also dependent on the availability of sustainable human settlements and the amenities that comes with it. It is the recommendation of the present research that if the policies, regulations, laws and goals that govern the IGR towards the delivery of sustainable human settlements are to achieve maximum fruition, there is a need for vigorous monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that will ensure that budgets are efficiently used, that standing decisions are implemented and that partisan politics and corruption and opportunistic tendencies are eliminated as these hinder performance and delivery. / Public Administration and Management / MPA

The premise of the research concerns negative spatial legacies and questions doubting the existence of the true post-apartheid city in South Africa. The study describes the socio-spatial structure of the functional urban core of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM). An empirical analysis, a unique segregation-desegregation classification, a relative socio-economic classification and three continuity-discontinuity hypotheses was used to compare past and present socio-spatial characteristics. Structural racial-residential segregation is evident along with high levels of socio-economic inequality. Spatial polarisation of societal attributes has created a clear north-west and south-east divide in the study area. The study area is described as one with a central-south citadel (inhabited by the wealthy) and a dynamic periphery (diverse but relatively deprived). Current socio-spatial characteristics can be attributed to strong spatial legacies, ineffective policy interventions and underlying socio-spatial influences that inhibit true inclusivity and equality in the study area. / Geography / M. Sc. (Geography)