One of the factors that contribute towards slow rural development is the presence of the digital divide. An area where the digital divide is still prevalent is the administration of justice within traditional contexts. One of the areas affected by this problem is the Dwesa rural community, situated on the Wild Coast of the former homeland of Transkei, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. To address this problem for the Dwesa community, a research project on developing and implementing an e-Judiciary service was undertaken. The primary objective of this project was to develop a web application to support traditional justice administration in the Dwesa community. Due to the lack of a proper legal environment in this community, the e-Judiciary service acts as a portal for safe-keeping of judicial information. Such a system also serves as a platform for the administration of minor offences that are solved by the traditional courts. Furthermore, it provides a better working environment for traditional judicial leaders and eliminates the difficulty of accessing legal information by the rest of the community. Through the availability and use of the service, community members are provided with understanding and knowledge about judiciary operations and services in their community.

This study focused on community participation in relation to policy formulation in Lesotho. It paid particular attention to whether the Lesotho community participated in the formulation of the Lesotho Land Bill 2009. Literature related to the concept of participatory development, community participation and policy formulation was reviewed. From the literature, it was clear that the attainment of effective community participation in policy formulation is not something that can take place overnight and this makes community participation a crucial aspect of any development project. The study used the qualitative approach to provide more information and detailed examination of community participation in the formulation of the Lesotho Land Bill 2009. This approach adopted the case study design. The data was collected using focus groups, interview schedule and document analysis. The study found that the government did not consult widely on the Bill before it was enacted into an Act of parliament. Therefore, it recommends that the government of Lesotho should involve all relevant stakeholders to participate in policy formulation. This will help to establish a link between the government and civil society stakeholders at local levels, for participatory policy-making to be effective.

The introduction of Web Services as a platform upon which applications can communicate has contributed a great deal towards the expansion of World Wide Web technologies. The Internet and computing technologies have been some of the factors that have contributed to the socio-economic improvement of urban and industrial areas. This research focuses on the application of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services technologies in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) contexts. SOA is a style used to design distributed systems, and Web Services are some of the common realizations of the SOA. Web Services allow the exchange of data between two or more machines in a simple and standardized manner over the network. This has resulted in the augmentation of ways in which individuals in a society and in the world communicate. This research aims to develop a SOA-based system with services that are implemented as Web Services. The system is intended to support communication activities of Dwesa community members. The communication methods identified as the most commonly used in the Dwesa community are Short Message Services (SMSs) and voice calls. In this research we have identified further methods (i.e. Multimedia Message Service, Electronic mail and Instant Messaging) to augment communication activities in Dwesa. The developed system, therefore, exposes SMS Web Service, MMS Web Service, Email Web Service and IM Web Service that are consumed in machine-to-machine, machine-to-person and person-to-person types of communication. We have also implemented a one-stop communication shop, through a web portal which provides interfaces to the different communication modules. Elaborate functional and usability testing have also been undertaken to establish the viability and end-user acceptance of the system respectively. This research has provided the initial validation of the effectiveness of the SOA-based system in ICT4D contexts

The introduction of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for rural development in rural marginalized societies is vastly growing. However, the success of developing and deploying ICT related services is still in question as influential factors such as adaptability, scalability, sustainability, and usability have great effect on the rate of growth of ICTs in rural environments. The problem is that these ICT services should be maintained and sustained by the targeted communities. The main cause for rural marginalization is the fact that some communities situated in rural settings are educationally challenged and computer illiterate or semiliterate in comparison with urban communities. An ICT for development (ICT4D) intervention in the form of an e-Commerce platform that targets the social and economic growth of rural marginalized communities has been developed and field tested at Dwesa, a rural community located on the Wild Coast of the former homeland of Transkei in the Eastern Cape Province. The e-Commerce platform is known as “buy at Dwesa” and can be visited at this URL, http://www.dwesa.com. The aim of the e-Commerce platform is to motivate small entrepreneurs in rural areas to market their products and themselves to the global market as they lack the skills and resources for marketing their art and crafts. Virtual stores are created for a small group of entrepreneurs who will maintain and sustain the stores on their own. These entrepreneurs are often elderly women with limited education and little to no computer literacy - meaning that sustaining the stores may prove difficult for them. In this research we discuss the re-design and re-development of the virtual shop-owner interfaces of the e-Commerce platform to make them more culturally and linguistically localized. The virtual shops allow shop-owners to upload their artifacts to advertise and sell on the customer’s end of the e-Commerce platform. For multilingual and multicultural communities, adoption of the software interfaces to the user’s cultural and linguistic needs and modes of expression is important as failure to do so may reduce the level of benefits of e-Commerce initiatives.

M.A. / The success of participation in research for development depends upon its ability to change power relations in the development setting. The central problem adressed by this study is the question whether participatory methodologies are able to change power relations. A case study is made of the Tshikonelo irrigation scheme of the Agricultural Corporation of Venda, now called the Agricultural and Rural Development Corporation (Pty) Ltd. This case study identifies obstacles relevant to developmental interventions which cast a critical light upon the claims of participatory methodologies. The following methodologies are discussed: Action Research, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), and the Actor-oriented perspective on rural development. The origin of the methodologies that use participation in research is located in the use of social scientific knowledge for development. Consequently, the use of social scientific knowledge is fundamental to the realisation of Participatory Development. This relationship problematises the role of social scientific knowledge for the development process, as social scientific knowledge for development cannot be limited to the context of the development project, and its ability to critique development efforts should be primary. Action Research is relevant to intervention if collaboration with other similar projects is possible. The focal point of this methodology is the degree to which Apartheid and the accompanying strategy of "Separate Development" continues to affect the lives and activities of the farmers involved in the Tshikonelo project. In this respect, it can be used to disseminate alternative agricultural techniques. This approach is important as it can bring about changes in the agricultural establishment. PRA is a positive contribution to the field by virtue of the innovative way in which it approaches development problems. The efficacy of PRA, however, depends upon factors that are external to the project context, such as the receptivity of the agricultural and development establishment to the participation of small farmers in the research process. Problems with PRA are highlighted which run parallel to the problematics of the use of social scientific knowledge for the development process. The strength of the Actor-oriented perspective lies mainly in the possibility of exposing the hidden power relations and dynamics of the irrigation project. As such, it has a unique and important role to play vis-à-vis the other methodologies, with regard to intervention in this project. A debate is constructed between the methodologies in question, covering the following: The degree of homogeneity of target groups; the "vision" of what participatory development should be like; and the identity of the community that has to validate the knowledge under discussion. "Participation" as paradigm for development should be refined in terms of these issues if it is to address deeper methodological problems. It can be seen as a methodological innovation as the community that is responsible for the final validation of knowledge is strange compared to the scientific community. The strategy of participation in development promotes the interests of the participants in two ways. Within the arrangement of how research is done, it promotes the interests of the participants before those of the individual scientist, and it is capable of promoting the interests of marginalised groups in terms of the present political economy. Participatory development is strongly influenced by those participating in the development process and is by no means an easy solution providing a more justifiable establishment.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / The study focuses on implementation challenges of Local Economic Development (LED) programmes within Molemole Local Municipality in Limpopo Province. The specific focus areas of the study are Mogwadi and Matoks, where attention was given to Molemole Indigenous Food Processing Cooperative and Sekwena Arts and Craft Project. This study was undertaken as an attempt to investigate challenges pertaining to implementation of LED programmes within Molemole Local Municipality (MLM). Data was collected through questionnaires, documentary analysis of published municipal documents such as Annual Performance Plans, Annual Reports, IDP and LED Strategy of MLM covering the period of 2009/2010 to 2013/2014. Site visits to selected LED projects sites were also undertaken. The overall findings in this study indicate that there is generally a poor understanding of the LED concept in MLM. These findings further point out that there are a number of challenges hindering effective implementation of LED programmes that include inter alia lack of local government collaboration with the private sector and community sectors, lack of appropriate structures for the full implementation and success of LED initiatives, inadequate funding for LED programmes and capacity constraints emanating from a constrained education and ultimately skills void. In view of these findings, some of the recommendations include addressing skewed skills levels of LED staff across the municipality to achieve LED policy objectives, collaboration of Molemole Local Municipality with the private sector and community sectors in order for them to play a meaningful role in LED initiatives, a need for financial support to facilitate LED implementation within the municipality, and remedial action in respect of awareness, and publicity initiatives being stepped up to address the problem of general poor understanding of the LED concept in MLM.

Thesis (M. Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The President of South Africa signed the National Minimum Wage Act, the amendment of both the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Labour Relations Act on Friday, 23 November 2018. These Acts, which were with effect from 1 January 2019, oblige all employers to pay at least the national minimum wage of R20.00/hr. and the agricultural sector has been given an exemption to pay 90% respectively of the national minimum wage (Truter, 2018). Employers in the farming sector are expected to pay at least R18.00 per hour to farm workers. However, farmers are different in terms of their characteristics and farming capacities, and they hold different perceptions towards the revised 2018 agricultural minimum wage. According to Sechaba (2017), it is believed that there will always be different views on what constitutes a decent and acceptable minimum wage. This study investigated the perception of both smallholder and commercial farmers towards the 2018 agricultural minimum wage in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality of the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study had three objectives; the first objective was to identify and describe the socio-economic characteristics of farmers, the second one was to assess the perception of farmers on the 2018 agricultural minimum wage and the third one was to analyse socio-economic factors influencing the perception of farmers towards agricultural minimum wage in Bushbuckridge Municipality. Purposive sampling was used to collect primary data from 160 smallholder and commercial farmers (Crop and Livestock) in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM). For empirical analysis the Multinomial Logistic Model was applied for data analysis based on information generated using the Likert scale and the two formulated assumptions; firstly, farmers do not have negative perceptions towards the 2018 agricultural minimum wage and lastly socioeconomic factors do not influence farmers’ perception towards the 2018 agricultural minimum wage. For empirical analysis, Multinomial logistic regression model was run on spss and the descriptive statistics was used to analyse the perception of famers based on the rank data from the Likert scale. Results from Multinomial regression analysis indicated that demographic factors such as number of hectares, household size, age, farming experience, marital status, and labour productivity were found to be significant vi (at 1, 5 and 10%) in distinguishing between pairs of groups and contribution, which they make to change the odds of being in one dependent variable group rather than the other. About 48.8% sampled farmers in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality showed negative perceptions towards the 2018 agricultural minimum wage and were not likely to comply with the 2018 agricultural minimum wage legislation in a sense that they had not been paying the prescribed agricultural minimum wage to farm workers. Those who had positive perceptions and were willing to comply were only 15.0% and those who were uncertain on whether to comply or not comply with the 2018 agricultural minimum wage were 36.2%. Therefore, it can be concluded from results that smallholder and commercial farmers perceive the agricultural minimum wage differently and with majority of them not willing to comply or pay the prescribed amount. Additionally, several factors influences the perception on whether farmers were likely to comply or not to comply by paying the prescribed minimum wage to farm workers, based on the 2018 agricultural minimum wage. Variables: number of hectares, household size, age, experience, marital status and minimum wage were found to be significant (at different significant levels 1, 5 and 10%) in determining whether farmers were more likely or less likely to comply and pay the 2018 agricultural minimum wage. These variables plays a key role in determining farmers’ decision to comply or not to comply with the 2018 agricultural minimum wage. However, gender, minimum wage for farmers, distance to market, access to mechanisation, co-operative membership, access to news, pensioner and educational status were found to be insignificant (at different significant levels 1%, 5% and 10%) at determining whether farmers were likely to comply or not comply with the 2018 agricultural minimum wage. Thus, it is recommended that farmers, regardless of their production scale should be consulted and given a fair platform to articulate their views during the process of policy formulation. Policy makers and government should refrain from using a blanket approach when formulating a policy and taking into consideration the issue of disparities in the agricultural sector, subsectors, regions and operational scale of farmers when discussing the agricultural minimum wage policy.

Rural development efforts in Third World countries often fail to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged members of society. The priviledged continue to get a disproportionate share of the fruits of development. This is so in spite of the fact that development thinking has changed from the days when the poor were expected to benefit from development through the "trickle down" effect. It is now widely recognised that development should be focused on people in their local communities (human development) and not on the economy per se. To achieve this type of development requires an appropriate strategy of development, and people's/community participation is such a strategy. People's participation in development takes place through community based organisations. The organisations faciiitate the development of the human potential of members. This study investigates the conditions under which rural community participation takes place in lesotho. The Thabana-Morena Integrated Rural Development Project is used as a case study. The first objective is to determine the appropriateness of the organisations through which community participation was promoted in the project. The second objective is to isolate the political and administrative factors which affected participation in the project. Thirdly, the study tries to identify factors at the village level which influenced participation in the project. Fourthly, the study evaluates the effectiveness of the project in experimenting with participatory approaches, given that development projects are basically mechanisms for testing the appropriateness of national policies before applying them on a wide scale. Finally, a set of principles is developed on the basis of which participatory development can be facilitated. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Administration)

Rural development efforts in Third World countries often fail to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged members of society. The priviledged continue to get a disproportionate share of the fruits of development. This is so in spite of the fact that development thinking has changed from the days when the poor were expected to benefit from development through the "trickle down" effect. It is now widely recognised that development should be focused on people in their local communities (human development) and not on the economy per se. To achieve this type of development requires an appropriate strategy of development, and people's/community participation is such a strategy. People's participation in development takes place through community based organisations. The organisations faciiitate the development of the human potential of members. This study investigates the conditions under which rural community participation takes place in lesotho. The Thabana-Morena Integrated Rural Development Project is used as a case study. The first objective is to determine the appropriateness of the organisations through which community participation was promoted in the project. The second objective is to isolate the political and administrative factors which affected participation in the project. Thirdly, the study tries to identify factors at the village level which influenced participation in the project. Fourthly, the study evaluates the effectiveness of the project in experimenting with participatory approaches, given that development projects are basically mechanisms for testing the appropriateness of national policies before applying them on a wide scale. Finally, a set of principles is developed on the basis of which participatory development can be facilitated. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Administration)

This thesis explores the contribution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in rural development processes. Within the framework of social capital theory, and in the context of the information society, the study examines how the collaborative and innovative model of ICT for Development (ICT4D) can enhance social networks and information channels in rural communities, thereby enabling the active participation of rural community members in their own development processes. The study examines networks and information channels both within the rural communities under investigation and between these communities and other sectors in the society. The thesis studies the case of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL), an ICT4D initiative in the Mbashe Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. During the investigation, four types of networks were identified: local organisations, social institutions, collective community projects and social ties. It was found that the Living Lab has so far influenced the creation of new forms of networks through the common spaces (computer labs) which have been made available by the Living Lab. The study further showed that the use of computers has enabled other community members to partake in the wider community of online/virtual social networks, allowing them to communicate and share information with those outside their own communities. The study also showed that the Living Lab has enabled the networking of these communities with other sectors such as academia. It was, however, found that so far the existence of the Living Lab has not influenced the already existing local networks in these communities. Also, the study showed that the relationship between these rural communities and their government and industry partners as stakeholders in the Living Lab is currently ineffective. Nevertheless, this situation has a potential to change in the future as there are ICT applications which have been developed through collaboration with rural community members, which will assist in enhancing communication between these rural communities and other stakeholders. The study finally revealed that social networks do contribute to the functioning of communities by providing both monetary and social support to community members, even though, in effect, the monetary benefits are somewhat limited by a number of factors. It is revealed that the engagement of ICT could go a long way in improving social and economic activities, governance and service delivery, as well as education in these communities.