This research study examines the food security strategies adopted in the face of environmental degradation in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), South Africa. The NMBM is the only metropolitan municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. Over time, this area has experienced significant environmental degradation that has greatly affected food security. The municipality has responded by launching livelihood activities to promote food security and protect the environment. These include local food production projects and urban agricultural projects. This research study investigates whether or not the food security strategies adopted by the NMBM are sustainable and whether more needs to be done to enable the municipality to achieve its objectives. The study employed a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, using interviews and questionnaires as the main tools for data collection. A sample of 20 participants was selected from the NMBM. The participants included municipal workers, private consultants, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an engineering firm working in the field of environmental sustainability. Their inputs are analyzed and discussed in order to arrive at the findings. Critical amongst the findings is that the NMBM should improve education on environmental issues. This should be geared towards building resilience to climate change which is the greatest environmental threat to food security.

South Africa has a complex healthcare system. The provision and financing of health care in South Africa occur within two fundamentally different systems: the public healthcare sector and non-governmental not-for-profit organisations, on the one hand, and the private healthcare system, on the other hand. The socioeconomic status of an individual in South Africa is the primary determinant of the system through which he or she will receive access to healthcare. The healthcare services provided by the public and private sectors are perceived to be unequal. The introduction of healthcare reforms by the South African government through the National Health Insurance (NHI) aims to address these disparities. The primary objective of this study was to contribute to the successful implementation of the proposed South African NHI by identifying critical success factors that would impact such implementation. A sample of managerial representatives of the following healthcare institutions in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) was drawn: Large private hospitals groups; Eastern Cape Department of Health; Independent medical practitioners groups; South African Dental Association; Pharmacy Association of South Africa; Optometrist Association of South Africa. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed among these institutions and approximately 233 usable questionnaires were returned (response rate 93.2 percent). A literature review was conducted to identify the various viewpoints (critical success factors, as well as positive and negative perceptions) on NHIs in other countries, as well as the proposed one in South Africa. About 43 of such viewpoints were identified. The 233 respondents were surveyed on these 43 viewpoints. The empirical results revealed the following three critical success factors for the successful implementation of the South African NHI: The projected benefits for stakeholders, with specific reference to medical aid schemes; the projected benefits to the private healthcare sector in servicing the public sector; and strategic leadership. The empirical results also showed that the healthcare managers, who serve the poor versus the affluent geographical areas of the NMBM, differ with regard to their projected success of the NHI. Finally, the study highlighted these health managers’ general perceptions about the envisaged benefits and shortcomings of the NHI.

This study is an assessment of the effect of absenteeism on service delivery in the Eastern Cape Department of Health: Nelson Mandela Bay District Municipality. The work was a corollary of repetitive negative feedback from the press that the researcher was concerned and embarked to investigate possible causes of these allegations by the press. The Department of Health being a public entity has a responsibility to provide quality health services to the community. Government introduced a service delivery mechanism which is enshrined in the White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service in 1997, through the Batho Pele principles. The researcher argued that if the Batho Pele principles were practiced in the delivery of services the aforementioned repetitive feedback on health services would be minimal. Among a variety of possibilities that could cause the Batho Pele principles not to be practiced the researcher was interested to ascertain if absenteeism could be among them. The researcher asserted that, if human capital is the delivery tool of services, the absence of the human capital therefore posed a negative effect on the delivery of such services. Therefore an inverse relationship exists between absenteeism and service delivery. This relationship was affirmed by the responses of participants through the analysis of questionnaires on absenteeism and service delivery. Absenteeism is a management aspect that has a negative effect in both the financial and delivery aspect of the organisational performance. It is therefore the researchers’ sincere hope that the Department of Health will consider the deductions drawn from this study and recommendations thereof. The researcher further hopes that this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in relation to organisational behaviour and becomes employer ammunition for service delivery.

Literature indicates that the sustainability of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) is important as they provide pivotal services to the community. In this study, the researcher investigates common problems associated with strategy formulation and implementation in NPOs in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The researcher reports on the importance of strategy within all organisations and outlines a strategy process that can be used as a guide to measure strategic planning in NPOs. In pursuit of conducting qualitative research, a self-constructed questionnaire was used to perform telephonic interviews with managers of NPOs. The study yielded a low response rate, but based on the analysis of the data collected, findings indicate that the main problem is not with strategy formulation or implementation, but with the understanding of the concept of strategic planning. During the interview process, it became evident that there is a common misconception that the annual operations planning constitutes a strategic plan. A major limitation to this study was the absence of a benchmark against which to measure success. Unlike a for-profit organisation where success is measured by profit margins, NPOs have different priorities and therefore successful strategic planning differs from one organisation to another. A recommendation for managers at NPOs is that they start thinking strategically about their organisation, its planning, and methods for doing so (which is discussed in Chapter Five).

The Nelson Mandela Bay area will be used to investigate the ethical and moral considerations faced by the informal sector. It is generally believed that informal sector businesses are characterised by high levels of unethical behaviour. The informal economy in many developing and under developed countries is large in terms of contribution to GDP and number of participants. The informal economy is largely composed of very small businesses that are not registered. They are not operating from suitable premises but run from homes, street pavements and other informal arrangements. In developing countries, self-employment has a greater share of informal employment than wage employment. It represents 70 percent of informal employment in Sub-Saharan Africa (if South Africa is excluded, the share is 81 percent), 62 percent in North Africa, 60 percent in Latin America and 59 percent in Asia. Consequently, informal wage employment in the developing world constitutes 40 percent of the informal employment outside of agriculture (Becker, 2004). The informal economy is as high as 56 percent of GDP in countries such as Georgia, Zimbabwe and Bolivia, where as it represents about 8 to 12 percent of economic activity in advanced or developed economies (Becker, 2004). In South Africa, informal businesses provide a viable alternative for many who are unable to find jobs in the formal sector of the economy.

Income-generating projects represent one strategy adopted by the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development (DoSD) to alleviate poverty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an income-generating, or poverty alleviation, project funded by the DoSD in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A sample of ten respondents was drawn from the project. The sampling method of this study was purposive sampling. Data was gathered through semi-structured questionnaires. Related literature focusing on income-generating projects for poverty alleviation was reviewed. Various recommendations have been made, based on the findings of the study. The findings of the study indicated the need for regular visits from Department officials to conduct monitoring and evaluation. Project members also need training in financial management as they cannot manage their finances. The research findings indicated clearly that strategies used by the Department were not effective enough to achieve the desired goals of an income-generating project.

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of the housing backlog in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality from 2000 to 2014. Fifty participants which were two ward councilors and two PR councilors, four community development members, four ward committee members , twenty backyard dwellers from ward 17 and ward 18 and eighteen senior officials (project managers) from the Department of Human Settlement in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality were purposively sampled for the study. A qualitative design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data to enable the researcher to ask open ended questions and explore the participants’ perspectives about the causes of housing backlog. The study revealed that the factors which are playing a role in this regard include the role played by the Eastern Cape Province in housing, the large portion of land which is privately owned, beneficiary management by municipal officials and political interference on the waiting list Metropolitan subsequently, recommendations for further research were made.

The purpose of this study was to investigate community development through the ward committee structures in the Northern Areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Community development through the ward committees is the key principle in the democratisation process, as well as the promotion of good governance. Community development is an opportunity for both local government and the community to strengthen the democracy that is being enjoyed; and simultaneously to promote accountability. In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Systems, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), the role of local communities in the particular interests of their municipality must take place, among other things, by the ward councillor – as well as all other suitable procedures, mechanisms and processes set up by the municipality. Ward committees have the power to advise the ward councillor; and as municipal structures, they must ensure that there is always community participation in the sphere of local government. Community participation gives communities the opportunities to express their views, as well as giving them a sense of ownership. The objectives of the study were: - To determine the roles and responsibilities of the ward councillors in terms of the new developmental mandate (the need to encourage the involvement of communities and organisations in local government matters). - To investigate the relations between ward councillors and their ward committees, and between the offices of ward councillors and the general public. - To examine the extent to which ward councillors in the northern areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality understand the policy and administrative procedures and processes in the municipality, when addressing issues that affect the community. In order to achieve these objectives, it was necessary to review literature on community participation. An empirical search was conducted in wards 10 and 11 in the Northern Areas of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Recommendations were provided which could assist the municipality to effectively make use of the ward committees and the ward councillors. If implemented, these recommendations could also enhance community development through the ward committee structures. Thus, the relationship between the ward committees and the ward councillor should be harmonious; and subsequently, they should also strengthen trust between them. Then the flow of communication will improve.

Around the globe, towns and cities are growing rapidly in developing countries due to migration. The rate of urban growth outweighs job creation and the ability of most governments to provide basic services and infrastructure. The process of migration often precipitates into high levels of poverty and hunger, leading many urban dwellers to engage in agricultural activities to help themselves in satisfying their food need. The context of the research area is the NMBM townships where urban agriculture projects are taking place. There are three urban agriculture projects that were selected for this study and these are located in three different townships within the NMBM. Two of these projects are located in the Port Elizabeth area, which are the Emmanuel Haven Hydroponics Project, which is located in Motherwell Township, and the Walmer Hydroponics Co-operative that is in Walmer Township. The third project is located in the Uitenhage area near Kwa Nobuhle Township and that is the Tinarha Agriculture Tourism Initiative (TATI). The discussion in this research focuses on the NMBM poverty alleviation projects in the form of urban agriculture as a key driver of LED. The discussion also focuses on different factors that are required for urban agriculture projects to be effective and sustainable in the NMBM. Five project participants from each project responded to a structured questionnaire. Two municipal officials, the Agricultural Technician and the Urban Agriculture Director were interviewed and responded to a separate structured questionnaire. The third official, Assistant Director for Economic Development and Recreational Services was not interviewed but completed a questionnaire. The aim of the interviews was to determine the following from the project participants: (i) The impact of the projects in their livelihood; (ii) The role of the projects in creating employment; (iii) The views of the project participants regarding the sustainability of the projects. vi The aim of the interviews was to determine the following from the municipal managers: (i) The approach of the NMBM to urban agriculture initiatives as a LED strategy; (ii) The role of NMBM to ensure sustainability of the urban agriculture projects. The theoretical base that underpins this research hinges on four theoretical approaches: the basic needs approach, the people-centred development approach, the participation approach and the sustainable development approach. The research method that was chosen for this study is qualitative method included the following data collection instruments a literature review, a documentary analysis, a survey using questionnaires and interviews with project participants and municipal officials responsible for urban agriculture in the NMBM. The literature review formed the conceptual basis against which the information gained from documentary analysis, interviews and questionnaires were analysed. The projects that participated in the study were formed, amongst others, to alleviate poverty, thereby serving one of the basic needs which is food. Food is one of the basic needs in terms of Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs. The data collected in this study revealed that the three projects helped the project participants a great deal in meeting their basic needs, especially the food need. Therefore, there is a direct connection between the Basic Needs theory and the rationale behind the formation of these projects. In conclusion, the researcher has been able to draw a link between the theoretical underpinnings of the study and the practice as represented by experiences of the group sample. The researcher has also been able to demonstrate how the aims and the objectives of the study have been met.

The technical and vocational education and training, (TVET) sector has shown a rapid growth since 1998 in South Africa. This sector aimed to provide education and training to empower the youth of South Africa. Policies were established and put in place to manage students’ attendance, however, absenteeism seemed to be on the rise. This study aimed to explore factors influencing students’ absenteeism and recommend strategies to address the factors influencing students’ absenteeism at a TVET College in Nelson Mandela Bay District. In an attempt to address the aim of this study, a qualitative research approach was employed and a case study method was used. Data were collected by means of focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings of this study revealed that student absenteeism was caused by students’ factors, college-related factors and socio-economic factors. This study revealed that National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was the major contributing factor in students’ absenteeism due to delayed payments. With respect to the negative impacts of students’ absenteeism, the findings of the study further revealed that lecturers are experiencing hardships in completing the syllabi on schedule time. The result revealed that student attendance policy was ineffective to manage student attendance. This study recommended that the TVET college should exercise discipline to students and establish a disciplinary committee. This will ensure that the students adhere to the attendance policy and improve students’ attendance. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)