The aim of this thesis is to map the situation at the Prague City Hall between 1887 and 1893 during the governance of mayor Jindřich Šolc. The introduction deals with the development of the capital city of the Kingdom of Bohemia in the second half of the nineteenth century, and personal and public life of Jindřich Šolc. The thesis is based on materials of Prague City Archives and contemporary press reflecting actual events. It analysis the events of public interest and tries to describe the crucial problems and the greatest achievements of the local government of that time. It depicts the mayor's unusual start of his office, and on the example of two scandals it tries to show his complicated position. It monitors the implementation of particular municipal projects, shows the difficulties associated with the language issues and focuses on the relations between the Old Czechs' majority and the Young Czechs' opposition. It describes in detail the process of election battles that resulted into Jindřich Šolc leaving the local politics, followed by concluding of the town hall compromising agreement, ensuring the National Liberal Party (Young Czechs) stronger representation in the city council. Key words: Jindřich Šolc, Prague, local municipality, mayor, board of aldermen, city council, Prague City Hall,...

Although disaster risk reduction is still not considered a priority by many countries and organisations, there is significant progress made towards the reduction of disaster risk. The experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990–1999) prompted a major conceptual shift from disaster response to disaster reduction underscoring the crucial role of human action (UNISDR, 2001:03). This circumstance led to the adoption of an International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) in 1999 by the participants of the IDNDR Programme Forum. The adoption gave emphasis to the importance of a global strategy that encourages and facilitates concerted action to reduce risk and vulnerability to natural and related technological and environmental hazards. This research then focuses on the disaster risk reduction phenomenon and major or international initiatives and forums aimed at improving or raising the disaster risk reduction profile. It also focuses on disaster risk management in the South African context. In recent years, disaster risk reduction has grown in importance on the international agenda. This followed the prevalence of natural hazards such as floods, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, as well as epidemics, which have had an increasing impact on humans, due to population growth, urbanization, rising poverty and the onset of global environmental changes. Aspects of environmental change include climate change, land degradation and deforestation. Practitioners and researchers widely acknowledge that poor planning, poverty and a range of other underlying factors create conditions of vulnerability that result in insufficient capacity or measures to reduce hazards‘ potentially negative consequences (IISD/UN/ISDR, 2007:01). It is in this light that in 2005 many governments around the world committed themselves to take action to reduce disaster risk, and thereby adopted a guiding document to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards, called the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The HFA was adopted in January 2005 at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, in Kobe Hyogo, Japan by 168 States. The aim of the HFA is to assist the efforts of nations and communities to become more resilient to, and cope better, with the hazards that threaten their development gains with the overriding goal of achieving a substantial reduction in global disaster risk. It also emphasizes that disaster risk reduction is a central issue for development policies, in addition to being of interest to various science, humanitarian and environmental fields. To help attain the expected outcome, the HFA identified five specific priorities for action (PFAs) which are: (i) making disaster risk reduction a priority; (ii) improving risk information and early warning; (iii) building a culture of safety and resilience; (iv) reducing the risks in key sectors; and (v) strengthening preparedness for response. The Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR) which was launched in 2007 in Geneva, is a major international network of civil society organisations working to influence and implement disaster risk reduction policies and practice around the world. The major programme of the global network is to collect perspective for the local level as to how the HFA is progressing. The Views from the Frontline (VFL) is the first independent assessment project undertaken towards the implementation of the HFA at the local level and is led by the Global Network. The aim of this project is to measure the gap between policy formulation at international level with the realities of policy execution at local level and to deepen the communication and coordination between different stakeholders on disaster risk reduction by involving government organisation and communities at the local level. The VFL perspective is that nationally formulated policies are not generating widespread systematic changes in local practices. There is a concern that the current approach is top–down and engages minimally with affected communities and fails to address their needs and capacities (GNDR, 2008:01). The main objective of this research was to provide an overview of progress made in the implementation of the HFA at local level particularly in the Kabokweni Location. The approach adopted in this study is called 'the Views from the Frontline', and explores the extent of the actual progress made toward the implementation and impact of the HFA priorities at local level, namely the Kabokweni community in the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) situated in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. / Thesis (M. Development and management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This mini–dissertation addresses the management of the potable water supply in the Mkhwanazi Tribal Authority's area of jurisdiction. The main objectives of the study were to determine the organisational structures and public policies governing the potable water supply in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality with a view to establishing the factors that hinder the provision of potable water to some parts of the Mkhwanazi Tribal Area and also determine how the present potable water situation is perceived by the MTA residents. The Mkhwanazi Tribal Authority's area of jurisdiction is predominantly a residential area for the Zulu speaking people under the uMhlathuze Local Municipality's area of responsibility in the Province of KwaZulu–Natal. The organisational structures governing the potable water supply in the MTA identified in the study are the ULM comprising of the Municipal Council and the administrative; Integrated Development Plan; Water Services Provider; Water Committee; and the Mkhwanazi Tribal Council. The provision of potable water in the MTA is regulated through the UMhlathuze Water Services By–Laws which are based on the standards of basic water and sanitation in terms of the White Paper on Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) (SA, 1994:17). The study established that the challenges affecting the potable water supply are the lack of funds in the Municipality, rising water demand, human capacity and water loss. The MTA residents appreciate the current potable water supply by the ULM but have a negative attitude towards paying for water services because they consider water as a natural resource that must be freely supplied to them by the Government. Therefore, the study recommended that water awareness campaigns be conducted regularly amongst the MTA community to raise the importance of having potable water in the community. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Although disaster risk reduction is still not considered a priority by many countries and organisations, there is significant progress made towards the reduction of disaster risk. The experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990–1999) prompted a major conceptual shift from disaster response to disaster reduction underscoring the crucial role of human action (UNISDR, 2001:03). This circumstance led to the adoption of an International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) in 1999 by the participants of the IDNDR Programme Forum. The adoption gave emphasis to the importance of a global strategy that encourages and facilitates concerted action to reduce risk and vulnerability to natural and related technological and environmental hazards. This research then focuses on the disaster risk reduction phenomenon and major or international initiatives and forums aimed at improving or raising the disaster risk reduction profile. It also focuses on disaster risk management in the South African context. In recent years, disaster risk reduction has grown in importance on the international agenda. This followed the prevalence of natural hazards such as floods, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, as well as epidemics, which have had an increasing impact on humans, due to population growth, urbanization, rising poverty and the onset of global environmental changes. Aspects of environmental change include climate change, land degradation and deforestation. Practitioners and researchers widely acknowledge that poor planning, poverty and a range of other underlying factors create conditions of vulnerability that result in insufficient capacity or measures to reduce hazards‘ potentially negative consequences (IISD/UN/ISDR, 2007:01). It is in this light that in 2005 many governments around the world committed themselves to take action to reduce disaster risk, and thereby adopted a guiding document to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards, called the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The HFA was adopted in January 2005 at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, in Kobe Hyogo, Japan by 168 States. The aim of the HFA is to assist the efforts of nations and communities to become more resilient to, and cope better, with the hazards that threaten their development gains with the overriding goal of achieving a substantial reduction in global disaster risk. It also emphasizes that disaster risk reduction is a central issue for development policies, in addition to being of interest to various science, humanitarian and environmental fields. To help attain the expected outcome, the HFA identified five specific priorities for action (PFAs) which are: (i) making disaster risk reduction a priority; (ii) improving risk information and early warning; (iii) building a culture of safety and resilience; (iv) reducing the risks in key sectors; and (v) strengthening preparedness for response. The Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR) which was launched in 2007 in Geneva, is a major international network of civil society organisations working to influence and implement disaster risk reduction policies and practice around the world. The major programme of the global network is to collect perspective for the local level as to how the HFA is progressing. The Views from the Frontline (VFL) is the first independent assessment project undertaken towards the implementation of the HFA at the local level and is led by the Global Network. The aim of this project is to measure the gap between policy formulation at international level with the realities of policy execution at local level and to deepen the communication and coordination between different stakeholders on disaster risk reduction by involving government organisation and communities at the local level. The VFL perspective is that nationally formulated policies are not generating widespread systematic changes in local practices. There is a concern that the current approach is top–down and engages minimally with affected communities and fails to address their needs and capacities (GNDR, 2008:01). The main objective of this research was to provide an overview of progress made in the implementation of the HFA at local level particularly in the Kabokweni Location. The approach adopted in this study is called 'the Views from the Frontline', and explores the extent of the actual progress made toward the implementation and impact of the HFA priorities at local level, namely the Kabokweni community in the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) situated in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. / Thesis (M. Development and management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This mini–dissertation addresses the management of the potable water supply in the Mkhwanazi Tribal Authority's area of jurisdiction. The main objectives of the study were to determine the organisational structures and public policies governing the potable water supply in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality with a view to establishing the factors that hinder the provision of potable water to some parts of the Mkhwanazi Tribal Area and also determine how the present potable water situation is perceived by the MTA residents. The Mkhwanazi Tribal Authority's area of jurisdiction is predominantly a residential area for the Zulu speaking people under the uMhlathuze Local Municipality's area of responsibility in the Province of KwaZulu–Natal. The organisational structures governing the potable water supply in the MTA identified in the study are the ULM comprising of the Municipal Council and the administrative; Integrated Development Plan; Water Services Provider; Water Committee; and the Mkhwanazi Tribal Council. The provision of potable water in the MTA is regulated through the UMhlathuze Water Services By–Laws which are based on the standards of basic water and sanitation in terms of the White Paper on Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) (SA, 1994:17). The study established that the challenges affecting the potable water supply are the lack of funds in the Municipality, rising water demand, human capacity and water loss. The MTA residents appreciate the current potable water supply by the ULM but have a negative attitude towards paying for water services because they consider water as a natural resource that must be freely supplied to them by the Government. Therefore, the study recommended that water awareness campaigns be conducted regularly amongst the MTA community to raise the importance of having potable water in the community. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

My interest in this research was to interview leaders and members of the three communities within the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality as well as officials of the Regional Land Claims Commission (RLCC). The purpose of the discussions was to find out how the communities involved Government when lodging land claims. The three communities are, Bakwena Ba- Kopa, Bakgaga Ba-Kopa and Masakaneng. The research yielded the following findings: 1. All the three communities followed the correct procedures regarding the relevant legislation and policies when they lodged their land claims. 2. Government played its role through the RLCC by assisting the communities in their endeavor to have their land restored. 3. In the interaction between Government and the communities challenges were encountered that at times led to the delay of the settlements. 4. When the communities keep patient during the land claim processes and Government officials are dedicated to assist the communities, the chance of positive outcomes is maximised. There is evidence that Government made progress to ensure that the affected communities have the dispossessed land restored. However, there is still a lot to be done in addressing the outstanding issues. To handle these matters, as indicated below, co-ordination and interaction between Government and the communities is crucial. One can point out these obstacles by focusing on the three affected communities respectively. Masakaneng: There is a need to tackle the challenge of the concerned group that led to the emergence of another committee in the process. This delays the formal negotiations with the municipality to help facilitate the delivery of the necessary services. Bakwena Ba-Kopa: The role-players missed the time-frames that were targeted for settlement. Government will have to speed up the matter and finalise the settlement, seeing that the beneficiaries have been waiting for many years. Bakgaga Ba-Kopa: Only portion one of RietKloof was restored to the community. The community is eagerly awaiting Government to help facilitate the restoration of the remaining portion. This community also needs to play its part in ensuring that the other sections of the land are restored. It is important that they go back to the drawing board as beneficiaries and tackle the prevailing differences so that they end up with a unanimous stand on this matter. To conclude: It is quite evident that the democratic government post-1994 is committed and prepared to restore the dignity of the black people who were forcibly removed from land they and their ancestors occupied. Government is assisting in this matter by providing all the necessary resources to ensure that land restoration is a success. For Government to succeed, the affected communities must also play their role within the parameters of the relevant legislation. This is what the land Acts expect of all the beneficiaries. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

MAdmin / Department of Public and Development Administration / See the attached abstract below

PhDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / Approximately, 780 million of people in the world lack access to safe water for domestic use. Out of these, 37 % are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the negative impact of climate variability and change, scarcity of water is likely to continue worsening. Although semi-arid areas experience water shortages, they receive limited amounts of rainfall. Rainwater might help alleviate temporal water shortages. However, rainwater is rarely harvested for use when most needed. The PhD in Rural Development thesis research was carried out in Mabayeni village, which falls under Ward 35 of Collins Chabane Local Municipality in Limpopo Province of South Africa. It was designed to develop a grassroots community-informed prototype for a technology that could be used to harvest rainwater for domestic use. A series of interrelated studies with the following specific objectives underpinned the research: (1) To determine the extent of water scarcity; (2) To identify strategies households used to cope with inadequate availability of water for domestic use; (3) To document the rainwater harvesting techniques rural households used; (4) To compare the features of rainwater harvesting technology that people of different age groups preferred; (5) To develop community-preferred prototypes of rainwater harvesting technology with the best potential to increase access to water for domestic use; and (6) To evaluate the community-preferred prototypes of rainwater harvesting technology. Partly, the study was conducted as a follow-up to a Master’s research study on climate change carried out in 2014 in Mabayeni village. In the 2014 study, it was revealed that water scarcity was a major result of climate change in the area. In addition, Mabayeni was perceived as the driest compared to other villages in the ward. The Cresswell (2013) explanatory sequential mixed method design guided the study. Multi-stage sampling was followed to select respondents. This entailed categorizing respondents first dividing them by age and gender. Respondents were placed in the following clusters: children (boys and girls), youth (male and female), adult (men and women), and the elderly. This was done in order to ensure that there was triangulation of data sources. Various participatory research techniques were used to collect qualitative data for the same reason. For objective 1, data collection techniques such as photo voice, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, participatory mapping, transect walks, storytelling and seasonal diagramming were used. Data were analysed through card sorting, Atlas.ti version 7.5.7-mediated thematic content analysis, map ranking, matrix scoring and conversation analysis. Data collection techniques employed for objective 2 were similar to those used in objective 1 with the exception of participatory mapping. Thematic content analysis in Atlas.ti, map ranking and matrix ranking were used to analyse data for this objective. Only focus group discussions, key informant interviews and transect walks were used to collect data for objective 3. Data analysis techniques used were similar to those used in the previous objective with the exception of map ranking. For objective 4, data were collected through focus group discussions and analysed using matrix ranking and Atlas.ti-aided thematic content analysis. In objective 5, development of artefacts was guided by prototyping and sketch modelling techniques. Techniques such as verbal protocol analysis, mathematical calculations and presentation and analysis were used to analyse data. A questionnaire with open and closed ended questions was also used to collect data for the last objective. Open-ended questions were analysed using thematic content analysis. In addition, the Kruskal Wallis test in SPSS version 25 determined first, the two prototypes (one for zinc and another for thatch roof) that were regarded as the best; and second, if prototype component ratings significantly differed (p <0.05) across prototypes. As a post hoc test, the Dunn’s test in R Statistical Software version 3.3.0 was used for pairwise comparisons. Data saturation determined the sample size. A total of 17 community engagement sessions were held to collect, analyse and validate findings with the grassroots community members in Mabayeni village. Water scarcity in Mabayeni village was reconfirmed to be seasonal. The dry season in each year was five months long. During this time, residents adopted random, risky and unhygienic coping strategies. Although rainwater was collected from rooftops, there was no formal technology used to gather and store large quantities for later use. This was attributed to lack of resources and knowledge on how to develop such technologies. The most commonly preferred features of rainwater harvesting technology across interest groups related to water quality, construction materials and security. All interest groups preferred a technology that harvested clean/potable water. Moreover, the elderly wanted a technology that would help them access the stored water easily. In total, 14 prototypes were developed. When all the interest groups evaluated the prototypes, the ones that boys and men developed were selected as the best for zinc and thatched roofbased technologies, respectively. Selection of a prototype that children produced as the best underlined that children were an important resource that communities should never marginalise. Nor should their ability to contribute useful ideas be underestimated when seeking solutions to local challenges. Active involvement of grassroots community members in the entire design process helped tailor specifications of the technology to user needs, thereby highlighting the importance of inclusive decision making in development practice. This was also important because it created ownership and increased chances of adopting the technology. Lastly, the current study reaffirmed the view that postgraduate degree research can be harnessed to coproduce solutions to community-identified challenges. / NRF

MPM / OR Institute for Governance and Policy Studies / The study was carried out at Thulamela Local Municipality within Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo Province in the Republic of South Africa. The study is about an investigation into the role of traditional leadership in community development: A case of Thulamela Local Municipality. In South Africa, municipalities, especially those which are found in rural areas, are faced with challenges that sometimes hamper development and thus service delivery to clients. These challenges are sometimes as a result of the way traditional leaders execute their role in service delivery in their areas. It is in this context that this study attempts to investigate the role of traditional leadership in community development and how this impacts on service delivery. Only quantitative method was used to collect data. Questionnaires were formulated and conducted to traditional leaders in Thulamela Local Municipality. Questionnaires were designed and administered to traditional leaders in Thulamela Local Municipality. The study seeks to investigate the role that traditional leaders play and how they can be capacitated to improve service delivery. The study seeks to find ways through which traditional leaders can be capacitated to perform their roles effectively in their communities. This study established clearly that traditional leaders play a role in maintaining law and order in their communities. It also became evident with this study that communication between traditional leaders and ward councillors leaves much to be desired. It revealed a trend that traditional leaders are needed, especially when communities embark on protests. / NRF