Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this dissertation is firstly to define and analyse the concept of minority rights and to place it in perspective in relation to surrounding concepts such as communalism, ethnicity, groups and individualism. This is done through a critical discussion of various theoretical perspectives relating to the subject matter. Comparisons are drawn between the policies of various plural societies aimed at accommodating their ethnic diversity, either constitutionally or through methods that lack legitimacy. This is followed by a discussion and evaluation of consociational democracy and federalism as possible solutions to the problems created by ethnicity and minorities in a plural society. Having made the hypothesis that democracy is best served in a multi-ethnic society by a system that emphasizes group rights in addition to individual rights and which accepts the notion of government through consensus, the emphasis then moves to the particular nature of the South African minority question. The policies of the various actors on the South African political scene towards minority rights are analysed critically. Attention is given to factors which may influence group formation in a system emphasizing voluntary association, such as race, ethnicity, class and ideology. There is also a discussion of the nature of the rights which minorities may claim and emphasis is placed on the requirement that minorities should be able to levy strategic influence without disrupting the society as a whole. Finally, this dissertation deals with the question of which constitutional alternatives offer the most promising solution to the problems caused by South Africa's cultural diversity. Although a political system emphasizing individual rights might come closest to the liberal ideal and may be suitable to an ethnically homogeneous country, the violent history of plural societies where group rights have been neglected, indicate the need for a pluralist solution in South Africa. While there is a strong tendency among Blacks to view the concept of minority rights as yet another Apartheid ploy to maintain White domination and privileges, the purpose of this paper has been to prove that minority rights is a universal concept and is not a creation of Apartheid, although the National Party has managed to almost irreversibly taint it. Yet, in a system of group formation through voluntary association, the concept of minority rights can serve as a powerful tool to help facilitate a negotiated settlement towards a predominantly Slack government based on consensus. A true power-sharing consensus-orientated constitution has been found in Lijphart's notion of a consociational democracy and the view is taken that the Natal-KwaZulu Indaba's constitutional proposals is an example of such a constitution.

The aim of the research was to clarify and explain the land tenure relations of a farming community called Melkkraal situated in the Northern Cape such that development assistance could be rendered to them by the Department of Land Affairs (DLA).The Melkkraal farm has been owned by various members of the Kotze family since 1834 and through the process of testate and intestate succession has passed from one generation to the next. At present the farm is owned by seven members of the Kotze family in a co-ownership. However, it is also a home to twenty-six households of which three have a legal title to the land as co-owners. The remaining households have occupied the land through a haphazard process of acquiring oral permission from some of the co-owners and non-owning residents, some for as long as sixty five years. This has led to a tenure conundrum because the way in which the Melkkraal farm is registered means that neither the twenty six families who use the land, nor the seven co-owners can access the DLA assistance or effectively assert authority to make development decisions. As a result, the community requested the Surplus Peoples Project and the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) to advise them on the steps they would need to gain access to the DLA assistance and to better manage the land. During January 2004, SPP and EMG undertook to investigate and report on the nature and content of the rights of the members of the community in relation to the rights of the co-owners so that the community could be assisted to formulate a strategy for the achievement of their developmental objectives. In February 2004, SPP conducted an extensive research study on how the community members hold, use and transact rights in land. While participatory action research was the overall research paradigm, the particular research technique used for the Melkkraal case study was participatory rural appraisal (PRA). PRA is an action research tool or technique that involves community members defining and working to solve local concerns. As a result of the use of PRA the following research phases were drafted: The first phase of the research entailed the collection and analysis of archival data to develop an understanding of the co-ownership and its co-owners and to develop a genealogy of the co-ownership. The second phase entailed conducting field work at Melkkraal in terms of interviewing the heads of each household as well as an interview with the land management committee. Phase three entailed a follow up visit to Melkkraal, a presentation of a progress report, a participatory mapping session and a focus group workshop on the various land uses at Melkkraal. The final phase of the research included another follow up visit to Melkkraal, the completion of the research analysis and the development of a final report that was presented to the community. The final presentation entailed a workshop explaining the land rights of the various households and a discussion of the way forward. The research findings revealed that very little difference exists between the non-owning residents and the co-owners in terms of how land is used and transacted. This was attributed to the evolution of the social land ethic such that one can speak of the Melkkraal farm as a common property regime. Therefore, in practice there is no difference between a non-owning resident and a co-owner. The findings also revealed that just cause can be shown to apply for a declaratory order to invoke the Interim Protection of Informal Rights Act 31 of 1996. A successful application will mean that the existing informal rights in land of the non-owning residents will be elevated to the status of real rights in property.

Bibliography: leaves 228-245.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-144). / This thesis examines Mangosuthu Buthelezi's emergence as a national leader during the Apartheid era in South Africa and his subsequent decline in status thus far in the country's democratic context. Much of the literature written on Buthelezi's ascent to power focuses on his engagement with the process of ethnic mobilization and on his dispensing of patronage to those who were residing in the homeland and KwaZulu. Whilst attention is given to Buthelezi's involvement with ethnic mobilization and with patronage, the focal point of this study is that of the plausibility of categorizing him as a charismatic leader.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references. / This study investigates public participation at local government level in South Africa, namely, the ward committee system. It will look at the extent to which ward committees, as instruments of public participation, can be said to empower citizen involvement in local government decision-making. Therefore the research question is what do the processes of public participation reveal about public empowerment at municipal government level? To realise the objectives of this study, Fung and Wrights Empowered Participatory Governance (EPG) model is applied to five ward committees in diverse-socio-economic areas in the southern suburbs in the city of Cape Town. It should be noted that EPG is a possible model that can be used to enhance participation and facilitate empowerment at municipal government level.

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Word processed copy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-103).

Includes bibliographical references.

Word processed copy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).