ABSTRACT Local government is the sphere closest to the people and is described as the most important sphere of government. The end of apartheid in the early 1990s has left South Africa with permanent social and economic legacy which is characterised by racial division and discrimination. Over the last decade all local government institutions in South Africa had been totally restructured and transformed into a single uniformed system of local governance in which all municipalities area given a new status, new powers and functions and a new constitutionally entrenched vision of achieving specific municipal objects and to be generally developmental in nature (Bekink, 2006). Most important shifts in direction for local government are enshrined in Chapter 7 of the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996), which provides the objectives of local government as being to provide a democratic and accountable government for local communities and to encourage the involvement of stakeholders, including the communities in the matters of local government. This marks the difference between the new form of local government and that of the past. The new local government has a dynamic developmental role to ensure maximum impact on poverty alleviation and to address socio-economic inequalities. Local government cannot achieve their new goals on their own. They need the support and assistance of the two higher spheres of government. This is because developmental local government requires a system of intergovernmental planning in the decision-making of local development. This entails mutual understanding with inclusive decision-making between government spheres, private sector and communities. This needs to take place within the framework of Integrated Development Planning. Therefore, stakeholder involvement in the IDP process is relevant. Over the past few years in the democratic South Africa, local government has seemed to reflect a system of government characterised by low levels of service delivery by local authorities, lack of transparency in decision making and inability to participate in municipal affairs. Various efforts have been made to bring about a system of co-operative governance to enhance intergovernmental planning, economic regeneration and social reconciliation in South Africa’s municipalities. In general, the results thus far have been somewhat mixed, but as case-study evidence (chapter 4) suggest, it is clear that some significant improvements have taken place in municipalities, particularly in terms of the implementation of the IDP. This study was undertaken in an effort to assess the extent to which intergovernmental planning plays a role in the IDP implementation of Makhado LM.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Botany)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / The aim of the study was to investigate medicinal plants used for the treatment of various ailments by the traditional healers and local people and to determine antifungal activities against animal fungal pathogens. Ethnobotanical survey was conducted to identify medicinal plants used by local people and traditional healers to treat various ailments in Makhado Local Municipality, Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on the local name of plants, plant parts used and the methods of preparation and administration by the traditional healers. In our findings, sixty-three medicinal plants belonging to thirty-three families were identified to be used for treatment of various diseases such as chest complaint, sexual transmitted infections, headache, swollen legs, hypertension, blood purification, asthma, and infertility. Specific parts of the plant used for medicinal purposes vary from species to species and from one traditional healer to another. The dominant families were Fabaceae, Celastraceae and Euphorbiaceae. Of the sixty-three plants species identified, trees were the most predominant plant form (53%), followed by shrubs (23%), herbs (14%), and climbers (10%). Root, fruit, bark, leaves, seeds and in some instances the whole plant are used for the preparation of medicine while decoction and infusion were the general methods of preparation. The mode of administration of medicine was mainly oral. The most frequently used plant species were Warbugia salutaris (Bertol.f.) Chiov, Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich) Hochst and Eleondron transvaalense (Burtt Davy) R.H. Archer. Eight plant species (Asparagus buchananii Bak., Albuca seineri (Engl. & K.Krause) J.C Manning & Goldblatt, Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels, Indigofera circinnata Benth, Maerua juncea Pax, Pentarrhinum insipidum E. Mey., Senna italica Mill. and Schinus molle L.) were selected based on the information given by the local people and the traditional healers for further phytochemical analysis and microbiological assays. Antifungal activities of the selected plant species were determined against three fungal pathogens namely, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Of the tested plant species, hexane leaf extracts of M. juncea, ethyl acetate leaf extracts of S. italica, A. buchananii and E. elephantina were the most active against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus v neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus with Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.02 mg/ml and 0.08 mg/ml. Bioautography assay was used to determine the number of active compounds in the plant extracts. No active compounds were observed in some plant extracts against the tested animal fungal pathogens indicating possible synergism. The most promising plant species were: A. buchananii, A. seineri and M. juncea, all had shown good activity with 4 compounds against A. fumigatus. Acetone and methanol extracts had the same active compounds visible on bioautograms. Most of the active compounds were observed in TLC chromatograms developed Benzene: ethanol: ammonia hydroxide (BEA) eluent solvent system. Based on excellent antifungal activity against the tested microorganisms, leaf extracts of A. buchananii, A. seineri M. juncea, P. insipidum and root extracts of I. circinnata were also tested for cytotoxicity against the Vero kidney cells. All plant extracts investigated were relatively not toxic against the cells with LC50 ranging between 0.131 mg/ml and  1 mg/ml. Water extracts of A. buchananii, A. seineri and M. juncea had LC50  1 mg/ml. The leaf aqueous extracts of P. insipidum were less toxic than root aqueous extracts of I. circinnata with LC50 of 0.65 mg/ml and 0.49 mg/ml against the Vero kidney cells respectively. The results indicate that the local people and traditional healers in Makhado Local Municipality use medicinal plants and their indigenous knowledge on the treatment of fungal infections and related ailments. / University of Limpopo and National Research Foundation (NRF)

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The community development workers’ programme (CDWP) is a strategic policy intervention by government to address challenges of service delivery to communities. The purpose of the CDWP is to facilitate the removal of obstacles in the course of providing services to communities. The CDWP is located in local government. Its purpose is often misunderstood by the stakeholders, because of the perception that the programme is meant to deliver services like provision of water, electricity and other social services. In essence, the CDWP is meant to facilitate communication between government and communities in order to ensure that services are delivered effectively and efficiently. Some of the challenges faced in the Makhado Local Municipality relate to the lack of infrastructure maintenance initiatives, including expansion plans that are well funded. Massive backlogs of infrastructure and services remain in the areas of water and sanitation, energy provision, housing, social security and others. If these problems relating to infrastructure and access to services are not adequately addressed, it will be impossible for the implementation of the CDWP to be successful. It is, therefore, critical that the government as a whole, and working with the private sector, should develop a comprehensive programme that mobilises society through both public and private initiatives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by community development workers (CDWs) in the implementation of the CDWP in Makhado Local Municipality. A qualitative research paradigm was adopted for the study. A literature review, focus groups and interviews were employed within the context of structured questions formulated in line with the framework of the study. The above were meant to facilitate a response to the research question of the study, which sought to find out what the challenges was faced by CDWs in the implementation of the CDWP in Makhado Local Municipality. One of the recommendations of the study is that the CDWP should be integrated with the Makhado Local Municipality plans and budget in order to ensure that it is sustainable and meets its stated objectives. Once this is achieved, it will be possible to confidently say that:  The introduction of CDWs is succeeding in addressing challenges of service delivery in the implementation of the CDWP  Challenges of CDWs in municipalities are being resolved through the effective implementation of the CDWP If the CDWP can be implemented fully in the Makhado Local Municipality, challenges of service delivery can be resolved over a reasonable period. It is, therefore, critical that the CDWP should remain an intergovernmental programme that fosters planning and partnership between the public, as beneficiary, and the government as service provider. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers Program (GOWP) is ‘n strategiese beleidsintervensie deur die regering om uitdagings met betrekking tot dienslewering aan gemeenskappe aan te spreek. Die doel van die GOWP is om hindernisse tot dienslewering aan gemeenskappe uit die weg te ruim, en die program is binne die plaaslike regering gesetel. Misverstand oor die doel daarvan kom dikwels onder belanghebbendes voor vanweë die veronderstelling dat die program bedoel is om dienste soos die voorsiening van water, elektrisiteit en ander maatskaplike dienste te lewer. In wese is die GOWP bedoel om kommunikasie tussen die regering en gemeenskappe te bewerkstellig om te verseker dat dienste doeltreffend en effektief gelewer word. Uitdagings vir die Plaaslike Munisipaliteit van Makhado staan in verband met die gebrek aan inisiatiewe om infrastruktuur in stand te hou, insluitend goed befondste uitbreidingsplanne. ’n Massiewe agterstand van infrastruktuur en dienste bestaan steeds op die gebied van water en sanitasie, kragvoorsiening, behuising en sosiale sekerheid. Indien hierdie probleem met betrekking tot infrastruktuur en toegang tot dienste nie voldoende aangespreek word nie, sal die implementering van die GOWP geen sukses behaal nie. Dit is dus van uiterste belang dat die regering, in geheel, en met die samewerking van die private sektor, ‘n omvattende program ontwikkel wat die gemeenskap deur middel van openbare en private inisiatiewe mobiliseer. Die doel van die huidige studie was om die uitdagings waarvoor gemeenskapswerkers met die implementering van die gemeenskaps- ontwikkelingswerkers program in die Plaaslike Munisipaliteit van Makhado te staan kom, te ondersoek. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsplan is vir die studie gebruik. ‘n Oorsig van die literatuur, fokusgroep en onderhoude is gebruik, met gestruktureerde vrae wat binne die raamwerk van die studie geformuleer is. Die vrae was bedoel om ‘n respons tot die navorsingsvraag oor die uitdagings wat deur die gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers met die implementering van die GOWP in Makhado ondervind word, te fasiliteer. Een van die aanbevelings van die studie is dat die GOWP by die planne en begroting van die Plaaslike Munisipaliteit van Makhado geïntegreer moet word om die onderhoubaarheid van die program te verseker en dat die gestelde doelwitte bereik word. Wanneer dit geskied, sal dit moontlik wees om te sê dat:  Die instelling van die gemeenskapsontwikkerlingswerkers behaal sukses ten opsigte van die uitdagings van dienslewering binne die Gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers program.  Die uitdagings aan gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers in die munisipaliteite word deur die effektiewe implementering van die GOWP oorkom. Indien die GOWP ten volle in die Makhado Munisipaliteit geïmplementeer kan word, kan die probleem rondom dienslewering binne ‘n redelike tydperk opgelos word. Dit is dus belangrik dat ‘n onderneming soos die program vir die gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers behoue bly as ‘n inter-regeringsprojek wat die vennootskap tussen mense en die regering ondersteun.