After 17 years of democratic freedom, South Africa is faced with a variety of challenges. Such challenges include crime, which is driving South African professionals of all ethnic groups to emigrate, discourages foreign investments and hampers growth; the spread of HIV/AIDS and unemployment which is steadily increasing. The country also inherited vast inequalities in education, health and basic infrastructure such as access for safe water, sanitation and housing (Hoogeveen and Ozler 2006, p.2). According to the Education and Training Unit for Democracy and Development (ETU), South Africa has a small wealthy population and a medium sized middle income and poor populations. There is a big difference between the wealthy and the poor people and if one looks at it, it looks like we have two nations, developed and developing living side by side in one country. This report will look at the role of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in alleviating poverty in one of its critically distressed wards, the Walmer Township near the Port Elizabeth Airport. Even though welfare is national and provincial government’s role, municipalities are expected by the government to play a developmental role. The findings of this report revealed that the problem of poverty is still a challenge in the metro and a review of the current policies was advised and involving the people living in poverty in the processes.

The state has a task to find solutions to alleviate poverty and LED has been identified as part of the solution. The municipalities are mandated with Local Economic Development and that function has been located within an LED Unit. Based on the above-mentioned issues it was regarded as fitting to conduct a study that would identify challenges contributing to the effective functioning of LED units with specific reference to Lukhanji and Intsika Yethu Local Municipalities in the Chris Hani District. Furthermore, the study will attempt to suggest recommendations to address the shortcomings. The sampling method used for this study was purposive sampling. Data was gathered through structured questionnaires administered to 15 LED officials from the Chris Hani District Municipality and the Lukhanji and Intsika Yethu Local Municipalities. Relevant literature that focuses on Local Economic Development has been reviewed. Various recommendations have been made on the findings of the study. It has emerged during the study that the municipalities within the CHDM perceive their role as that of being Implementer of LED policy instead of playing an enabling role as outlined in the LED Legislative Framework. There is a political will to support LED implementation at local municipalities within the CHDM. In the implementation of LED the LED units within the CHDM are faced with the following challenges: - Insufficient cooperation among stakeholders - Inadequate resources - Political dimensions - Poor LED planning, and - Inadequate LED training.

This paper is set to evaluate the factors leading to prostitution and provide the understanding of the hardships that are experienced by prostitutes in their pursuit for income generation. However, this will be preceded by the background to the study. Secondly, this paper will lament or touch on the strategies employed by the Nelson Mandela Metro and other countries in an attempt to alleviate poverty. Thirdly, the views of academics and other experts in the fields of both the prostitution and poverty will be put into perspective. The relevant research methodology used to this study was found to be a descriptive study. The concluding remarks and recommendations on what is needed in order to improve the situation in the Nelson Mandela Metro are provided for the purpose of this study. Towards the end of this study, bibliography has been provided followed by the relevant annexures which will serve as evidence that inform this study.

Unemployment is a huge challenge for the South African government and it has been identified as an important variable in the fight against poverty and inequality in the country. The unemployment rate in the Eastern Cape Province is higher than the national unemployment rates in the country and the unemployment rate in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is higher than the provincial average. The purpose of this study is to uncover the barriers to employment in Nelson Mandela Bay. Chapter one presents the rationale and background to the study including the research aims, objectives and the scope of the research. Chapter two provides an extensive literature review about the major factors that influence unemployment rates, the government inititiatives that were deployed to reduce unemployment rates in the country and the impact of labour market inflexibility on employment outcomes. Chapter three provides the research methodology followed in this study and chapter four includes an analysis and discussions of the questionnaire data. Chapter five concludes the research report with recommendations for policymakers.

South Africa as integral part of the global village has been affected by the global economic meltdown that affected some parts of the globe. The Government has her other three monsters to deal with which exacerbated after the meltdown, inter alia; poverty, unemployment and inequality. The heat is felt most on unemployment and poverty. The masses on the ground are the greatest victims. Missionvale just like other small areas is not immune to the scourge caused by the crisis alluded to before. The ripple effect of the crisis is felt in classroom, when manifestations emerge in different forms, leaving victims by the way side. Poverty is rife in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as a consequence to that the title of the study on poverty alleviation came into being. South Africa as a country rich in natural and human resource experiences a high rate of unemployment and harbours the majority of people living in squalor and chronic poverty. Methodology approach to gather information for this study is through relevant literature consisting of books, legislation and interviews with knowledgeable individuals in the field. The study points out the major role the municipality in collaboration with other stakeholder, inter alia; social development, and other sister departments and NGO‟s can play towards poverty alleviation in Missionvale.

There is a growing concern from government, communities, civil society and mining companies on the sustained development of the impact of mining on communities and the benefits of mineral development. Communities are more vocal in expressing their expectations for benefits and on the other hand mines are concerned about profits and maintaining a social licence to operate. This study critically evaluates the impact mining has on socio-economic development in mining communities. The focus area of the study is the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The ‘impact’ refers to the mine’s contribution to infrastructure development and poverty reduction projects in areas where the mine is operating and sourcing labour from. Forecasts for better performance in the future will be assessed. Issues such as community consultation, identification of projects, development forums, the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and partnerships are addressed. The literature was reviewed from existing national and international research on the topic. The study starts from two assumptions. The first is that minerals are potentially a great resource of wealth for poor countries. The second assumption is that minerals have the potential to benefit the local population through the creation of indirect employment, skills transfer, enhancing the capacity of health and education services, improved infrastructure and small and medium business opportunities. Poverty levels are viewed on a national and international scale. The study reveals problems, with existing approaches, on mine community development. It concludes that the impact of mining on infrastructure development and poverty reduction projects can be huge, but only if a variety of demanding preconditions are met. The study concludes that the reality of mineral led development in mine communities has not lived up to a roaring promise.

The escalation of poverty simultaneously with the decline of small-scale agriculture in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape in particular, raises serious concerns within the government circles in South Africa and among researchers. Of the nine provinces of South Africa, the rate of poverty in the Eastern Cape is a pathetic one and is the largest contributor to poverty statistics in the whole of South Africa. Machete (2004) stresses that high levels of poverty are visible in the rural areas and the large proportions of the people who are poor in South Africa are found in the rural areas. It is widely accepted that small-scale agriculture plays a vital role in and contributes substantially to socio-economic life of people living in the rural areas and is one of the strategies most suited to combat poverty for the majority of the people in the rural areas. This study explored the challenges that limit the effective use of land for subsistence agriculture as a strategy for poverty alleviation at Mpongo and Twecwana villages in Tsholomnqa. The study adopted a qualitative approach in order to get in-depth understanding of the challenges as experienced by the participants. The sample comprised of fifteen (15) subsistence farmers and three (3) extension officers from the department of agriculture. The data was collected from the participants through the focus group technique with an interview schedule containing open ended questions. The findings of the study indicated that the communities lack capital such as money, machinery, labour and other resources needed to pursue agricultural livelihoods. The findings also showed that agricultural infrastructure such as dams, rivers, fencing have deteriorated. Machete (2004, p.8) concurring with Pote (2008) says “inadequate physical infrastructure in the rural areas, particular in the former homeland areas remains a major obstacle to smallholder agricultural growth in South Africa”. In the two villages the situation is worsened by a total lack of irrigation scheme development. These communities rely entirely on seasonal and natural rainfall for their crops to be cultivated and grown. It was also found that the introduction of state grants contributed for the rural communities to do way with their traditional socio-economic agricultural livelihoods. The end results were for food production from gardens and communal fields come to a total collapse in many communities in the rural areas. The findings also show that youth is less interested to participate and pursue agricultural based activities in the rural areas. Williams et al (2008) claim that young people are unwilling to pursue agricultural studies as career of choice because of negative image attached to it. Many youths regard agriculture as an activity which belongs to adult and ordinary people. Drought was also cited as the worst natural disaster that has threatened the already disadvantaged small scale agriculture in these rural areas. These deficiencies have rendered subsistence agricultural centred activities to a total collapse.

There were different kinds of imbalances that were created by the past regime in which race and colour were determining factors in terms of access to state welfare. The State Maintance Grant was one of the state welfare interventions where African women did not even know how or where to access the grant. When the Child Support Grant was introduced in 1998 it gave hope to the vulnerable section of the society, the children. The CSG is one of the poverty alleviation programs introduced by the government to target the poverty stricken children of South Africa. This is a means tested program which not all children are to benefit but a certain portion of the society. There are special conditions attached to the grant which require to be fulfilled. These conditions require the child to be fed, clothed, immunized, school needs be paid, and have proper accommodation. This study made use of the Mdantsane Township which is 25 km away from East London city centre as a case study to determine whether the CSG has managed to achieve its objective of relieving poverty among children, given the conditions of poverty and unemployment in Mdantsane. The findings of this study indicate that the people of Mdantsane are still in poverty and the most affected sections remain the children. The respondents indicate that the people are unemployed as a result the CSG seems to be the source of livelihood in these households leaving the children at a disadvantage as the grant is intended for x their own needs. Therefore there is a need to investigate whether the CSG has any impact on the lives of these children. Also since Eastern Cape is known to be one of the poorest provinces, it is important to investigate whether the CSG has become the source of livelihood in some households.

The study was premised on the truism that men have historically served in higher echelons of organizational management structures and women are under-represented. The principal objective was to explore the constraints faced by women in accessing higher leadership and senior management positions in public, private and non-governmental organisations in Zimbabwe. This study adopted the triangulation method, that is, qualitative and quantitative approaches. These mixed research methods, were upgraded by the feminist research methodologies, thereby making a contribution in the field of research. The study found out that the constraints that mostly hinder women from accessing leadership and senior management positions in public, private and NGOs were cultural practices, which represent levels of power and control that in turn hinder reforms; and women's socialisation into feminised roles. The study also found out that in most organisations, most females work under male leadership, and this traditional organisational culture, needs to be deconstructed and reversed in order to achieve gender equality. The study recommended for a human centric and integrated organizational management strategy for public, private and NGOs in Zimbabwe. The adoption of a human centric and integrated management approach should aim at gender equity and reduce women's under-representation. A human centred organizational culture has to be practiced, that would create organisational ethos that guide organizational management. An integrated organizational management approach should integrate all systems and processes into one complete framework, enabling people to work as a single unit, unified by organizational goals, shared vision and common values. The system should depend on a balanced mix of the masculine and feminine attributes. The approach should put its weight towards adoption of measures to attract, advance and empower women so as to benefit from their qualifications, experience and talent in a highly competitive environment.

The main focus of this thesis is the challenges that are facing social policy development and implementation in South Africa in relation to the enhancement of human capability. The study adopted a historical approach to assess the model of social policy in South Africa and identified that social relations of domination inherited from the apartheid era continuing to produce inequalities in opportunities. Social policy under the democratic government has not managed to address social inequalities and the main drivers of poverty in the form of income poverty, asset poverty and capability poverty which are the underlying factors reproducing deprivation and destitution of the majority of the population Although South Africa prides itself of a stable democracy, social inequalities continue to undermine the benefits of social citizenship because political participation in the midst of unequal access to economic and social resources undermine the value of citizenship. Also, inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth, and in the control of economic production undermine political equality which is an ethic upon which social rights are predicated. As a result, state interventions are lacking inherent potential to build human capability for people to live the life that they have reason to value. The paradox of social policy in South Africa is that the majority of those who are marginalised are those who were excluded by the apartheid regime even though state intervention is claimed to be targeting them. This points to the failure of incremental equalisation of opportunities within a context of stark social inequities. It is also an indication that the economic growth path delivered by the political transition is working to reinforce the inherited legacy of deprivation and it is avoiding questions related to the structural nature of poverty and inequalities. Therefore, a transformative social policy is an imperative for South Africa. Such a framework of social policy should be premised upon a notion of human security in order to built human capability. Human security focuses on the security of individuals and communities to strengthen human development. It emphasises on civil, political and socioeconomic rights for individual citizens to participate fully in the process of governance. Although this thesis is a case study of social policy in South Africa, it can be used to appreciate the role of social policy in other developing countries, particularly the impact of political decision making on social distribution. Poverty and social inequalities are growing problems in developing countries and so is the importance of putting these problems under the spotlight for political attention.