Thesis (M.Dev.(Planning and Development)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Mpumalanga Province has witnessed service delivery unrest and protests that destroyed the public infrastructure. There is thus an immediate need to conduct the study - to contribute to the body of knowledge, and to assist the concerned city under review. The service delivery challenges in the municipality are just a drop in the ocean, among the major problems in the sphere of the local government. Communities expect service delivery from their municipalities. Mpumalanga Province has witnessed unrest and protests, due to poor service delivery. The City of Mbombela is no exception. This study aims to examine the lack of service delivery to develop the communities in the Mbombela municipality due to shortage of capacity. The study assesses the strategies used in capacity building to improve service delivery. A qualitative research method is used to collect data. A sample of 15 respondents were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The finding shows that the Mbombela Municipality has been playing a vital role in the provision of basic services to the local communities. However, the municipality faces several challenges related to service delivery, especially insufficient funds, corruption and political interference. The finding also highlights that the municipality lacks proper capacity building strategies for enhancing service delivery. The study recommends that mitigation measures could address these capacity-building challenges. These include enhancing recruitment, spending money wisely, avoiding politics and implementing strategies. Key words: Capacity building, service delivery, Mbombela Local Municipality

A large portion of the population of South Africa is made up of people who, due to poverty, disability, old age and/or lack of education, rely solely on social assistance provided by the government for their survival. The issue of the welfare state in terms of responding to these issues has been subject to increasingly heated debates especially with regard to long-term socio-economic improvements, moral obligations and economic sustainability. This dissertation generally explores the status of social welfare in South Africa, and more specifically, South Africa’s socio-economic status as a welfare state against the backdrop of selected philosophical arguments used to justify and criticize existing social welfare laws in South Africa, whilst keeping South Africa’s unique history in mind. Although South Africa already has a detailed set of social welfare laws and policies, the social and economic needs of the country are ever evolving and therefore it is important that these laws and policies be constantly re-evaluated in order to ensure that they are effective in addressing and meeting the changing socio-economic and other demands. / Jurisprudence / LL. M. (Jurisprudence)

Local Economic Development has in recent years, gained wide spread acceptance, as a locality-based response to economic challenges. It is now firmly on the agenda of many national and local government and key international agencies. Adopting a desk study approach, reviewing extensive literature on LED, the study sought to establish the impact of LED strategy employed by Buffalo City Municipality, and assess the extent to which it has alleviated poverty. The study shows that the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) LED strategy has limited impact on poverty alleviation due to a myriad of factors, which reinforce and interact with each other thereby limiting development and trapping residents in poverty. The thesis argues that there is significant room for a paradigm shift from predominantly pro-growth to pro-poor LED, and the need to adopt a comprehensive LED strategy that seeks to include of both pro-growth and pro-poor strategies. Both cannot operate without the other in the bid to promote development in Buffalo City, mainly with Agriculture, Tourism, and SMME having significant potential to bring about local economic development. Moreover, the promotion of Private-Public Partnerships play an integral role in the socio-economic development of Buffalo City, and more so the participation of local people is even more fundamental, which will give them the opportunity to take charge of their own development. Therefore, the study suggests a new LED agenda, which is pro-poor, holistic, and moves away from ‘piecemeal’ project based LED activities, and adopts comprehensive economic programmes so that LED has significant impact on poverty alleviation.

The purpose of the study was to locate the informal hiring sites for day labourers in Tshwane, to determine the approximate number of day labourers, to describe the nature of socio-economic activities taking place at the sites, and to make recommendations to address needs that have been identified. The research approach and methodology was exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and qualitative. In terms of the findings, 80 informal hiring sites were identified in Tshwane with approximately 3032 day labourers standing at the sites. Case studies were done on three sites and it was found that they were hazardous and lacked basic facilities such as shelter and toilets. Employer-employee interactions were also found to be haphazard and sometimes manipulative and exploitative. It is recommended that intervention programmes should be implemented which could include the provision of basic facilities, skills development, job search assistance and access to comprehensive social services. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science - Mental Health)

The purpose of the study was to locate the informal hiring sites for day labourers in Tshwane, to determine the approximate number of day labourers, to describe the nature of socio-economic activities taking place at the sites, and to make recommendations to address needs that have been identified. The research approach and methodology was exploratory, descriptive, quantitative and qualitative. In terms of the findings, 80 informal hiring sites were identified in Tshwane with approximately 3032 day labourers standing at the sites. Case studies were done on three sites and it was found that they were hazardous and lacked basic facilities such as shelter and toilets. Employer-employee interactions were also found to be haphazard and sometimes manipulative and exploitative. It is recommended that intervention programmes should be implemented which could include the provision of basic facilities, skills development, job search assistance and access to comprehensive social services. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Science - Mental Health)

Purpose This research project was an attempt to determine situational aspects of HIV and AIDS among the designated farming communities in the Vhembe and Mopani districts of Limpopo Province. Questions arising from the pilot project were premised on the capacity of farmers in these areas to adequately address the daunting reality and prevalence of HIV and AIDS in their communities. Research Design and Methodology The research was designed to facilitate the integration of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sample of 228 respondents was involved in a triangulated participatory action research method. To the extent that the data collection techniques were triangulated in both nature and focus, HIV/AIDS-related data and information within the designated farming communities was attained with a maximum degree of validity. The data collection techniques used in this regard were: questionnaires, which were distributed to 228 respondents; participant observation; exploratory investigation; unstructured interviews; naturalistic observation; focus group interviews and discussion; and review of documents. The reviewed documents include (primary) sources on HIV/AIDS by the Department of Health and (secondary) sources of literature by various authors presenting a range of perspectives on HIV/AIDS in farming areas. Findings The results of the study revealed the absence of a coordinated policy on HIV/AIDS in particular, and health in general; and a vacuous prevalence of basic HIV/AIDS-related information. For instance, knowledge on condom usage as a prevention strategy was ostensibly scant. Currently, primary healthcare services in the area are not available. The sampled farm workers themselves unanimously corroborated that there was no HIV/AIDS policy on the SAFM farms. Conclusion Based on the main findings established above, it has become indispensable that comprehensive and multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS policy interventions be initiated by all the relevant stakeholders. Local and provincial healthcare authorities need to provide policy guidelines for the development of such policy, taking the particular needs and circumstances of farm workers. The pervasive degree of insufficient HIV/AIDS knowledge among this group necessitates that such a policy should integrate both a labour perspective and healthcare orientation, rather than perpetuating a separation of the two paradigms. This form of integration ensures that the observance of a human rights dimension becomes a sacrosanct component of the prevention of HIV/AIDS among farm workers, as well as their education concerning their healthcare-related rights as farm employees. Furthermore, the prevalence of a national HIV and AIDS policy is mainly aimed at facilitating broad guidelines, not addressing the specific contexts of every public, corporate and rural employment sector (DoH, 2007: 11-12; Muhlemann, et al., 1992: 479). In order that the education, prevention and treatment initiatives in the Vhembe and Mopani farming communities are achieved, the most important parameters of the policy should indicate: ,,X The systematic institutionalisation of local, provincial, and national HIV and AIDS programmes, notwithstanding the provision of healthcare facilities such as clinics; ,,X The promotion of basic healthcare education in general, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among farm workers in particular; ,,X The development of HIV/AIDS work place policy by SAFM as employer; ,,X The systematic involvement and formation of partnerships between policy makers, local and international funders, HIV/AIDS healthcare workers and practitioners, NGOs and SAFM. As a critical factor and unit of analysis in the study, SAFM is expected to fulfil a developmental function among its employees, their families, and the local communities. This function could be enhanced further with the collaboration between SAFM and other farmers in the distribution of basic information regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases at the workplace, as well as extensive healthcare education and training for their farming personnel. Trained personnel, especially managers, are a salient factor in the implementation of organisational health and safety requirements (DoH, 2007: 6, 8; Muhlemann, et al., 1992: 478-479). / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Social Work / D.Phil.(Social work)

Purpose This research project was an attempt to determine situational aspects of HIV and AIDS among the designated farming communities in the Vhembe and Mopani districts of Limpopo Province. Questions arising from the pilot project were premised on the capacity of farmers in these areas to adequately address the daunting reality and prevalence of HIV and AIDS in their communities. Research Design and Methodology The research was designed to facilitate the integration of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A sample of 228 respondents was involved in a triangulated participatory action research method. To the extent that the data collection techniques were triangulated in both nature and focus, HIV/AIDS-related data and information within the designated farming communities was attained with a maximum degree of validity. The data collection techniques used in this regard were: questionnaires, which were distributed to 228 respondents; participant observation; exploratory investigation; unstructured interviews; naturalistic observation; focus group interviews and discussion; and review of documents. The reviewed documents include (primary) sources on HIV/AIDS by the Department of Health and (secondary) sources of literature by various authors presenting a range of perspectives on HIV/AIDS in farming areas. Findings The results of the study revealed the absence of a coordinated policy on HIV/AIDS in particular, and health in general; and a vacuous prevalence of basic HIV/AIDS-related information. For instance, knowledge on condom usage as a prevention strategy was ostensibly scant. Currently, primary healthcare services in the area are not available. The sampled farm workers themselves unanimously corroborated that there was no HIV/AIDS policy on the SAFM farms. Conclusion Based on the main findings established above, it has become indispensable that comprehensive and multidisciplinary HIV/AIDS policy interventions be initiated by all the relevant stakeholders. Local and provincial healthcare authorities need to provide policy guidelines for the development of such policy, taking the particular needs and circumstances of farm workers. The pervasive degree of insufficient HIV/AIDS knowledge among this group necessitates that such a policy should integrate both a labour perspective and healthcare orientation, rather than perpetuating a separation of the two paradigms. This form of integration ensures that the observance of a human rights dimension becomes a sacrosanct component of the prevention of HIV/AIDS among farm workers, as well as their education concerning their healthcare-related rights as farm employees. Furthermore, the prevalence of a national HIV and AIDS policy is mainly aimed at facilitating broad guidelines, not addressing the specific contexts of every public, corporate and rural employment sector (DoH, 2007: 11-12; Muhlemann, et al., 1992: 479). In order that the education, prevention and treatment initiatives in the Vhembe and Mopani farming communities are achieved, the most important parameters of the policy should indicate: ,,X The systematic institutionalisation of local, provincial, and national HIV and AIDS programmes, notwithstanding the provision of healthcare facilities such as clinics; ,,X The promotion of basic healthcare education in general, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among farm workers in particular; ,,X The development of HIV/AIDS work place policy by SAFM as employer; ,,X The systematic involvement and formation of partnerships between policy makers, local and international funders, HIV/AIDS healthcare workers and practitioners, NGOs and SAFM. As a critical factor and unit of analysis in the study, SAFM is expected to fulfil a developmental function among its employees, their families, and the local communities. This function could be enhanced further with the collaboration between SAFM and other farmers in the distribution of basic information regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases at the workplace, as well as extensive healthcare education and training for their farming personnel. Trained personnel, especially managers, are a salient factor in the implementation of organisational health and safety requirements (DoH, 2007: 6, 8; Muhlemann, et al., 1992: 478-479). / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Social Work / D. Phil.(Social work)