Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This aim of this research was to study and bring to the fore the way ELSEN schools are being governed in the Western Cape. The hope is for more research to be done in this area of public policy which could result in the improvement of school administration. The manner in which education is organised, governed and funded impacts directly on the process and outcomes of learning and teaching. However, good governance assumes that public service delivery is the implementation of public policies aimed at providing concrete services to the people. The underlying problem here is the fact that some schools seemed to be governed better than others, while the regulatory and funding policy is the same. The key questions that the researcher sought to answer in this research are the following: • Is the Section 21, South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) being properly implemented and does it enhance the governance of ELSEN schools? • Why is the governance of ELSEN schools better in some schools than in others if they are based on the same governance provisions and administered by the same department? • What should therefore be done to ensure effective and efficient school governance in all the ELSEN schools in the Western Cape? The methodology used was a comparative analysis through a sampling case study between Jan Kriel School, a fully developed and well-resourced school for epileptics and specific learning disabilities in Kuils River, and Thembalethu special school for the physically disabled, a disadvantaged poor school from Gugulethu. The research investigated how the school governing bodies (SGB) of these schools are structured, how they function in terms of the regulations provided in the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) as well as broadly the system of school governance of the ELSEN schools in the Western Cape. Appendix E shows a list of all the ELSEN schools in the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The two cases of governance at the Jan Kriel and Thembalethu schools have therefore been studied as a microcosm of the ELSEN schools in the entire Western Cape. The researcher wanted to compare and analyze how the well-resourced and advantaged ELSEN schools and the disadvantaged poor schools implement the provisions of the South African Schools Act relevant to ELSEN school governance in order to achieve better governance and good management. The crucial issues pertaining to the effective governance of ELSEN schools as proposed during the preliminary study established in the research and confirmed in the findings as the key variables that determine the level of school governance are the following: • Financial resources; • Trained SGB officials; • Proper planning and good administration; • Effective involvement of parents in particular and all the other stakeholders; • Discipline and a code of ethics. In the final analysis, some solutions with a view to solving this problem have been suggested by the researcher in the form of recommendations. However, as indicated in the conclusion, the final responsibility to expand the scope of these findings and to oversee the implementation of these recommendations rests with the WCED.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The objective of this study is to test out the possibility of a synthesis between sustainable development, more specifically corporate citizenship, and customer value, a major focus of business strategy, which if correctly achieved nurtures customer loyalty. This synthesis as defined in this thesis is product stewardship. Product stewardship is the design and promotion of products and services that aim to positively impact the environment and society through the creation, consumption and disposal of such a product or service. In an increasingly competitive global environment, crafting business strategy that successfully nurtures customer loyalty is a vital component of long term business success. The delivery of products and services that customers trust and that fully satisfy customer expectations is a prerequisite for loyalty. Intense competition however squeezes profit margins and floods the market with homogeneous products and services. Competition now becomes price centred which drives both a decrease in product quality and a quest for operational efficiencies in an attempt to reduce overheads. Further, capturing a share of the consumer’s wallet becomes more difficult for corporations, forcing a heavy reliance on the brand and company image. In such circumstances, the delivery of customer value that fully satisfies expectations is hard to achieve and business strategy, concerned primarily with the delivery of exceptional customer value, becomes a major focus for most corporations. However, as all corporations strive for a similar end goal, competitive differentiation becomes harder to achieve. Simultaneously, in the context of greater environmental and social consciousness, including the progression of sustainability science, corporations have the added challenge or obligation to adopt these emerging themes. Scrabbling with these new ideas, few corporations are having a real profound effect in curbing the pending ecosystem crisis. Corporate social responsibility, corporate social investment and corporate citizenship have tended to focus on the company and how it is perceived; a kind of self-centredness that explodes into the gross exaggerations communicated by the brand. Product stewardship, as defined in this thesis, shifts the focus away from THE COMPANY and its BRAND, to the product being designed, produced, communicated, consumed and then wasted. The values of a better world articulated by sustainable development and the aspiration to find a better business strategy are fused into a focus on the product. The company and its brand, therefore is constructed not by a promotion of itself as ‘good’ but rather by the virtues and benefits of the product communicated relationally which, in turn, indirectly builds the reputation of the producer. Loyalty therefore is no longer loyalty to the brand, but to an experience of the product. A number of corporations, both local and international, in South Africa are displaying behaviour characteristic of a product stewardship approach. These behaviours or claims are recorded in case studies on four such corporations, namely; Toyota, Sasol, Woolworths, and the South African Breweries Limited. Each case demonstrates how the application of product stewardship can and does reduce negative impacts on both the environment and society while simultaneously nurturing exceptional customer loyalty. A number of critical questions about the design and promotion of short term domestic insurance products are raised to demonstrate how the application of a product stewardship approach could unlock the potential to nurture superior customer loyalty for corporations in the South African short term domestic insurance industry, a service industry plagued by a declining industry image, low customer loyalty and intense competition. The application of a product stewardship approach to a service orientated industry is significant as services are seldom analysed for their effects on the environment and society, as promoted by sustainable development theory. Instead, in an attempt to display the values of a better world, service industries expend huge resources engaging in activities peripheral to their core businesses, while adjustments as highlighted by a product stewardship approach, to their core offerings, their services, could deliver meaningful change for the environment, society, the corporation and ultimately the customer. Based on the real possibility of a synthesis between sustainable development and customer value as highlighted in this thesis, a further more in-depth study is proposed to determine the direct business effects, quantified, of improved customer loyalty nurtured through the application of product stewardship.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Soon after independence in 1964 the Malawi government made an attempt to decentralise some of its activities through the creation of district development committees. However, in practice local-level institutions were not fully operational as the one-party system of government (led by the Malawi Congress Party) tended to manipulate the autonomy and operations of these institutions. Accordingly, there was no manifestation of local participation and representation. The period of one-party rule in Malawi came to an end in 1994 with the introduction of multi-party democracy. The new government revitalised the idea of decentralised governance by passing the Local Government Act of 1998, which saw the establishment of local assemblies. Thus officially Malawi has a very supportive system in relation to citizen participation and representation through decentralised local institutions. However, in practice, there is no clear evidence that this is actually being realised. Consequently, this study was undertaken to examine the role of party politics on local participation and representation. The study was conducted in three district local assemblies of Malawi ...

Thesis (MA (Public and Development Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Sexual orientation (discrimination) as a part of diversity management in organisations is a controversial issue and people in management positions are not always comfortable to address issues relating to gay employees. This is evident from the lack of adequate policies and processes that exist within public organs. Ignorance and prejudice, heterosexism and homophobia, religious and moral beliefs and stigmatisation contribute to why employees discriminate against their co-workers based on sexual orientation. The following measures can be taken by the organisation in combating this phenomenon: • Writing anti-discriminatory statements. • Re-evaluating the current state of the organisational culture and whether it is supportive of gay employees disclosing their sexual orientation at work. • Developing an employee assistance programme. The success of these measures will largely depend on the capacity of the Human Resource department in making the organisation more inclusive. Therefore, the Integrated Development Plan of Stellenbosch Municipality as its organisational strategy plays a vital role in this entire process, as it cannot be separated from the Human Resource management strategy of this organisation. These initiatives will only be effective and efficient if there is commitment from top management as well as the employees to ensure a safe work environment for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Cultural dynamics bring an added dimension to development projects. The Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) recognizes the need to engage with power relations at different levels between men and women, and that traditional beliefs and practices are important here. However, the most recent strategy of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) fails to address the impact of cultural dynamics on gender mainstreaming. This study was conducted to increase the understanding of how this might be dealt with. To yield personal information on how individuals are affected by traditional culture, narratology was used. Five women were engaged in three in-depth interviews of approximately two hours each. The purpose was to discuss their life stories and their involvement in the water projects, and then to integrate the life stories with the projects to highlight complexities around specific roles such as that of daughter, wife and development facilitator. The researcher therefore conducted the study from the point of view of the women, rather than from the traditional perspective of the development practitioner or government official. The empirical results were related to literature reviewed on topics such as complexity, feminism and sustainability. Thus, it was possible to highlight underlying complexities related to culture that might impact on gender mainstreaming in the following areas: (1) Women’s time and labour (2) Women’s power within African societies (3) The Butterfly effect in women’s lives (4) Fundamental human desires in women’s lives (5) Utilising social capital (6) The approach of funding and donor organizations (7) Society as a complex system (8) The effects of migration on women’s lives Some aspects highlighted by the study are the following. Development and funding organizations often use a one-size-fits-all individualistic approach whereas the societies they work in have a more collective mindset. Furthermore, women’s time and labour are exploited by the developmental organizations as rural women offer their services voluntarily. And in African society mothering boys is a source of power for women, which influences resource allocation. In terms of a recommended approach to addressing the impact of traditional culture on gender mainstreaming, it was found that a practitioner does not have to tackle traditional culture head-on by for instance proposing defiance against certain norms. Rather, the practitioner should obtain information about the wider system (the society, the prevailing culture and the project context) to provide insight into how women are affected and how the system might be manipulated to eventually bring about the desired changes for the specific context. The processes of change in culture and gender relations must be viewed as on-going and exact time-frames are usually not appropriate in measuring such. As the study emphasized the importance of both men and women working together on projects, a limitation of the current study is that it focused only on the stories of women. A follow-up study should include the views and stories of how gender mainstreaming and traditional culture impact on men.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the HIV/AIDS Programme is directly dependent on the support systems provided by nurses, NGOs, the community, institutional frameworks, and government funding and stress management institutions. The Home-based caregivers that work in the HIV/AIDS Programme are CHWs who need maximum support from the above- mentioned institutions. The community is also reeling with the aggravating consequences of HIV/AIDS. CHWs play a role in trying to take care of the HIV patients within the home environment. People are cared for by the people they associate with and people who live with them. In order for CHWs to maximise their contribution to the HIV/AIDS Programme, there should be commitment from all stakeholders involved in the programme. Forty-one people from formal and non-formal structures took part in the study. The formal structures refer to clinics and hospitals, whereas informal structures refer to Home-based care (HBC) groups, volunteers, NGOs and international donor agencies. The study was conducted over a period of eight weeks. The study was conducted at Cork, Calcutta and Mkhuhlu clinics, and Mkhuhlu Home-based care and on USAID field officers. The results of the study suggested that with support systems from the relevant institutions, CHWs are able to carry their community obligations in an effective and efficient manner. These findings have positive relationship implications towards the reduction of HIV infections in the community. Hospitals that are faced with overcrowding also benefit in a way, when terminally ill patients are cared for at HBC centres.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Conventional environmental education programmes appear to have limitations in precipitating the radical change needed to solve major environmental problems. In this study the potential of wilderness experience (WE) as a catalyst for developing ecoliteracy and consequent adoption of environmentally responsible behaviour (ERB), are discussed. Attitudinal changes and adoption of ERB by adult participants, following a weekend WE conducted in the Pilanesberg National Park, located in the North-West Province of South Africa, were probed through group and individual interviews over a period of time. Results indicate that WE may be a significant catalyst in developing ecoliteracy, while effects on adoption of ERB are diluted by several factors – both personal and structural (societal). The role of the wilderness guide in facilitating effective re-connection with nature, and stimulating the development and growth of ecoliteracy in individual participants in the WE, is highlighted. It is suggested that WE provides a substantive addition to the mechanisms available for experiential environmental education programmes, in that it accesses different ways of learning that focus on the emotional and spiritual elements of the human connection to nature.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / South Africa, as a young and emerging democracy, faces many challenges regarding the transformation of the socio-economic landscape of the South African society. The provision of better health care services and the overall development and empowerment of society are some of the many challenges government has to resolve. This research focuses specifically on service delivery in public hospitals with special emphasis on: 􀂙 An assessment of financial management outcomes within the context of the implementation of the Public Finance Management Act (Act 1 of 1999, as amended) [PFMA] in public hospitals; and 􀂙 An assessment of supply chain management (SCM) outcomes in relation to the achievement of empowerment and equity of disadvantaged communities within the context of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). The PFMA is the result of financial reform in South Africa. The PFMA emphasises effective, efficient, economic and transparent use of public funds. This research assessed the financial management at the Head Office of the Western Cape Health Department, as well as at Karl Bremer, Lentegeur and Swellendam Hospitals for the financial years 1998/99 to 2002/03. The Western Cape Tender Board ceased to exist in December 2003. The procurement and provisioning processes have now been decentralised to the various departments with effect 1 January 2004 and have become the responsibility of supply chain units within departments. BEE and the preferential procurement policy are government initiatives that had to be executed on SCM as platform. The three hospitals were also used to assess progress on the implementation of SCM, as well as the realisation of BEE objectives. Annual Reports, Audit Reports and Strategic Planning documentation were used to extract the relevant information necessary for the research. Interviews with nineteen (19) officials were conducted. Good progress has been made with the implementation of the PFMA. All those officials that were interviewed displayed sensitivity for the responsible management of public funds. A lack of internal control measures was identified in almost all audit reports. The absence of a risk management plan and a functional internal audit unit is hampering the realisation of the objectives of the PFMA. With health care service delivery and black economic empowerment being topical issues in SA, this research endeavours to make recommendations that could assist the Western Cape government with the realisation of the intended objectives of better health care services delivery by public hospitals, transformation of the economy, equity and empowerment of the disadvantaged through SCM processes and eventually to secure “a better life for all”.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Corporate Social Responsibility is a new agenda within the sustainable development debates. There have been several debates to question the role of business on the social and community linked issues such as HIV and AIDS which not only threatens their own survival but the very existence of the workforce and the communities. The debate also questions the role of the business on social accountability as to whether they should be held accountable and responsible for their actions to the employees and the wider society. In view of this debate the aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of Corporate Social Responsibility in management of HIV and AIDS at work place-a Case Study of Garment Industries in Thetsane, Maseru. Objective: To investigate the approaches used by Garment Industries in management of HIV and AIDS at workplace. Secondly, to investigate what contributes to the differences in the approaches between different garment industries, and finally to explore the factors, which motivated garment industries to adopt these approaches or programmes. This was a case study involving four garment industries that have work place programmes. Findings: Garment industries have limited resources to support HIV and Aids programmes at work place. Majority of the garment industries depend on support from the development agencies and the private Doctors, in the area of condom distribution, awareness, education and provision of medical care to their employees.

Thesis ((MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research deals with post-settlement support in Namibia‟s land reform process. Post-settlement support (PSS) is seen as vital and critical in all land and agrarian reform processes, as can be told from experiences worldwide. Its absence or presence can have a number of consequences or successes in the whole process. PSS can be viewed as the “after care” to be provided by government to new farmers after resettling them. It could be in the form of financial support, extension services and maintenance of infrastructure as well as training services for the farmers. The paper deals with the current status of post-settlement support in the country for land a reform beneficiary, who provides PSS, if it is provided and how it is done. It further looks at perceptions and practices about land reform, in some regions of the world as well as in Namibia. The methodology used was through extensive literature review of policy documents, interviews with different stakeholders and two case studies, looking at beneficiaries of the land reform, specifically the national land resettlement programme beneficiaries. The paper found that there is definitely a link between the poor productivity and lack of PSS in Namibia‟s land reform process. PSS is not consistent; it is selected or sometimes randomly carried out. Most of the PSS programmes currently provided is not initiated by government but by donor agencies and Non-governmental organisations. There is no coordination between the different stakeholders such as the line ministries. The paper illustrates that choosing the correct beneficiaries of the land reform process is vital in achieving sustainable, land use and management, as well as equitable land redistribution in an arid Namibia. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing handel oor ondersteuning wat hervestigde boere ontvang na vestiging. Die ondersteuning aan hervestigdes is krities en belangrik in alle fasette van grond en landbou hervormings prosesse. Die huidige wêreld verleen groot steun aan hierdie gevolgtrekking. Daarvoor hou die toepasing oftewel nie-toepasing van na-hervestigings ondersteuning groot risiko vir die sukses van die hele hervestigings proses. Hierdie tipe ondersteuning vir hervestigdes kan as 'n noodsaaklike na diens wat die staat kan lewer aan die nuwe grond eienaars. Sulke ondersteuning deur die staat kan verskeie vorms inneem. Dit kan geskied deur finansielle hulp oftewel landbou dienste wat ook die instandhouding van plaas infrastruktuur kan behels. In hierdie navorsing kyk ons na opvattings rakende hervestigings ondersteuining soos ervaar deur die hervestigdes. Die navorsing is gebaseer op literatuur van reg-oor die wereld aangaande hierdie vraag stuk. Ons het ook onderhoude gevoer met verskillende belanghebbendes met twee gevalle studies wat handel oor die ervarringe van hervestigdes. Die navorsing vind dat daar 'n definitiewe verband tussen swak produksie opbrengste en na-hervestiging ondersteuning is. Ons vind dat hierdie tipe ondersteuning ad hoc is met baie min koordinering deur die staat masjienery. Ons vind dat dit op die lange duur belangrik is om die regte mense te selekteer vir hervestiging programme, veral as in ag geneem word dat Namibie 'n taamlike droë land is.