D. Tech. Education / The HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the greatest humanitarian and development challenges ever faced by the global community. It is alarmingly estimated that by 2015 more than 30 per cent of all children younger than 15 years of age will have lost their mothers to HIV. This means that, by 2015, a total of 5.7 million children in South Africa will have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Research has shown that children orphaned by the pandemic - if not cared for - are likely to engage in alternative actions that pose a risk to themselves and society. This implies that it becomes critical to raise orphaned and vulnerable children well to ensure that we don't have a society filled with people who pose a danger to themselves and others. The study is based on systems theory which unravels the multilayers of the government system to bring to bear the challenges regarding care-giving and education experienced at the level of national, provincial and local government. The purpose of the study was to investigate the care-giving process and education of orphaned and vulnerable children.

South Africa as a developing country experienced high levels of poverty and unemployment. These levels emanate from skills gap and low literacy rate in the townships populated by low income households. To an extent some households lacked access to participate in the economic sector, resulting from fragmented policies and apartheid regime. The lack of participation among the households placed pressure on government. These problems forced the state to provide social protection (grants). Such allowances are expensive especially where there are fewer opportunities for employment activities. The promotion of entrepreneurship and small business remains an important priority of the government of South Africa. The South African government is acknowledged for its commitments to ensure that small businesses progressively contribute to growth and performance of the South African economy. Globally, numerous policy legislative frameworks have been developed to support the SMMEs. This study aimed to discover the support given to the SMMEs by the South African government. In particular, the study is situated within the SMMEs in the SDM. The hypothesis for this study is premised on the fact that SMME`s can contribute immensely to job creation. The outcomes of this argument relies on the provisions based on a conducive environment which can enable the SMME`s to thrive. This statement was validated by means of literature review, interviews and site visits. This study found that the SMMEs are indeed the cornerstone of job creation and for sustainable livelihoods. LED programmes can create more jobs through the SMME sector. Literature worldwide confirms that the SMMEs are vital in creating employment opportunities. This research also confirmed that this is possible only if the environment in which SMMEs operate in is favourable for the SMMEs to prosper. In this regard many policy documents were developed to emphasize the stance of government to develop, grow and capacitate SMMEs in South Africa. It is indeed true that the LED can be used to grow and capacitate SMMEs in South Africa. Despite the progress being made on the development of the SMMEs, few issues need to be taken care off. The municipality indicated that there are no monitoring procedures in place which make it difficult to measure the infectiveness of their interventions and they further pointed out that they are working on the matter. The measurement of these milestones is not properly recorded to inform future generations. It is suggested that more research should be emphasised on the SMME sector, especially being the mandate of the municipality. / Thesis (M. Development and Management (Public Management and Government))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

South Africa as a developing country experienced high levels of poverty and unemployment. These levels emanate from skills gap and low literacy rate in the townships populated by low income households. To an extent some households lacked access to participate in the economic sector, resulting from fragmented policies and apartheid regime. The lack of participation among the households placed pressure on government. These problems forced the state to provide social protection (grants). Such allowances are expensive especially where there are fewer opportunities for employment activities. The promotion of entrepreneurship and small business remains an important priority of the government of South Africa. The South African government is acknowledged for its commitments to ensure that small businesses progressively contribute to growth and performance of the South African economy. Globally, numerous policy legislative frameworks have been developed to support the SMMEs. This study aimed to discover the support given to the SMMEs by the South African government. In particular, the study is situated within the SMMEs in the SDM. The hypothesis for this study is premised on the fact that SMME`s can contribute immensely to job creation. The outcomes of this argument relies on the provisions based on a conducive environment which can enable the SMME`s to thrive. This statement was validated by means of literature review, interviews and site visits. This study found that the SMMEs are indeed the cornerstone of job creation and for sustainable livelihoods. LED programmes can create more jobs through the SMME sector. Literature worldwide confirms that the SMMEs are vital in creating employment opportunities. This research also confirmed that this is possible only if the environment in which SMMEs operate in is favourable for the SMMEs to prosper. In this regard many policy documents were developed to emphasize the stance of government to develop, grow and capacitate SMMEs in South Africa. It is indeed true that the LED can be used to grow and capacitate SMMEs in South Africa. Despite the progress being made on the development of the SMMEs, few issues need to be taken care off. The municipality indicated that there are no monitoring procedures in place which make it difficult to measure the infectiveness of their interventions and they further pointed out that they are working on the matter. The measurement of these milestones is not properly recorded to inform future generations. It is suggested that more research should be emphasised on the SMME sector, especially being the mandate of the municipality. / Thesis (M. Development and Management (Public Management and Government))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

The government of South Africa in the White Paper on Tourism recognises the importance of attracting foreign investment in order to achieve the growth and development objectives of the tourism sector. Foreign investment will increase competition and improve standards as well as create employment and facilitate economic growth. The government should establish a climate of political stability, economic growth and profitability, and provide transparent, stable and consistent policies to attract foreign investment. Crime in South Africa is high and widely believed to restrain investment. The South African White Paper on Tourism has categorically and succinctly stipulated policy guidelines to ensure that tourists are maximally safe and secure. The traditional response to rising crime has been to devote more resources to law enforcement and to introduce tougher penalties in the hope of deterring offenders from committing further crimes. For the purpose of the study, the hypothesis was formulated that the safety and security policy for sustainable development does not necessarily provide a solution to crime and further proactive measures need to be implemented to promote tourism in Sedibeng District Municipality. This study will focus on; strategies for preventing crime in the Sedibeng District Municipality. It is recognised that such policies may need to go beyond the traditional concerns of the criminal justice system (i.e. police, the courts and prisons) if crime prevention is to be addressed in a comprehensive way. Combating crime has been tackled in various ways throughout the world, with some strategies being more successful than others. With the process of formulating a National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) high on South Africa's agenda, the wealth of international experience in crime prevention cannot be ignored. Research, monitoring and objective evaluation of crime policies and programmes, aimed at ensuring that limited financial resources are used most effectively, is a significant contribution which criminologists can make to the policy-making process. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM), according to its Integrated Development Planning Report 2009, is a Category C municipality established in the Gauteng Province. It is the only area of the Gauteng Province that is situated on the banks of Vaal River and Vaal Dam, covering the area formally known as the Vaal Triangle including of Nigel and Heidelberg. It includes the towns of Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Meyerton, and Heidelberg as well as the historic townships of Evaton, Sebokeng, Bophelong, Sharpville, and Ratanda, which have a rich political history and heritage. The SDM covers the entire southern area of Gauteng Province, extending along 120 km axis from East to West. The total geographical area of the municipality is 4630 square kilometers and the numbers of households living are 241223. In order to serve the communities, the municipality needs technologically advanced systems to deliver services efficiently. The study therefore focused on the implementation of e-administration for enhanced service delivery at SDM. The review of Sedibeng District Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2009 regarding service delivery does not indicate any statement recorded regarding e-government as the tool to help speedup service. According to SDM IDP, 2009 the Sedibeng District Municipality has other ICT initiatives such as the implementation of the CCTV in Vanderbijlpark CBD. While Sedibeng District Municipality Website 2009 states that the e-government will be implemented, even the Sedibeng District Municipality‘s website has outdated information. Other pages are still on development viz. visitors, business and residents. There is not much information on the clusters regarding their plans‖. In order to improve the challenge, the study hypothesized that ―lack of effective implementation of e-administration may lead to inefficient service delivery at Sedibeng District Municipality. The findings from the literature review and the empirical research support the central statement. Findings indicate that the SDM is aware regarding the significance of e-administration. The employees at the SDM are therefore receiving training from external service providers to enhance their expertise in the field of e-administration. The SDM needs to be aware and empower community members to understand the utility of e-administration for fast and convenient delivery of services. The SDM needs to invest in human resources to advance the service delivery through appointment of skilled and expert personnel. The adequate implementation of e-administration at the SDM level and the appropriate e-participation by the community members are the foundation blocks of improved and enhanced service delivery. The study recommends that SDM needs to appoint personnel advanced in technology; organize training sessions to enhance technological skills of existing employees on continuous basis; organize public participation forums for community members regarding the significance and utility of e-administration for improved service delivery; organize training sessions for community members to empower them with the technological means of participation; improve its website for the community members to log-in their requests; establish one-stop centres for the community members to utilize the e-administration. This is an imperative step as not all community members have access to computers and internet at home; deploy facilitators to train community members regarding the procedures of e-administration in their local language(s); and to improve on e-infrastructure in the form of establishment of kiosks in rural areas. This will assist geographically scattered community members to approach the municipal officials with ease The study recommends to further explore the concept of e-administration to combat bureaucracy and enhance transparency in the government processes in general and at the grass-roots level in particular. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

The government of South Africa in the White Paper on Tourism recognises the importance of attracting foreign investment in order to achieve the growth and development objectives of the tourism sector. Foreign investment will increase competition and improve standards as well as create employment and facilitate economic growth. The government should establish a climate of political stability, economic growth and profitability, and provide transparent, stable and consistent policies to attract foreign investment. Crime in South Africa is high and widely believed to restrain investment. The South African White Paper on Tourism has categorically and succinctly stipulated policy guidelines to ensure that tourists are maximally safe and secure. The traditional response to rising crime has been to devote more resources to law enforcement and to introduce tougher penalties in the hope of deterring offenders from committing further crimes. For the purpose of the study, the hypothesis was formulated that the safety and security policy for sustainable development does not necessarily provide a solution to crime and further proactive measures need to be implemented to promote tourism in Sedibeng District Municipality. This study will focus on; strategies for preventing crime in the Sedibeng District Municipality. It is recognised that such policies may need to go beyond the traditional concerns of the criminal justice system (i.e. police, the courts and prisons) if crime prevention is to be addressed in a comprehensive way. Combating crime has been tackled in various ways throughout the world, with some strategies being more successful than others. With the process of formulating a National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) high on South Africa's agenda, the wealth of international experience in crime prevention cannot be ignored. Research, monitoring and objective evaluation of crime policies and programmes, aimed at ensuring that limited financial resources are used most effectively, is a significant contribution which criminologists can make to the policy-making process. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM), according to its Integrated Development Planning Report 2009, is a Category C municipality established in the Gauteng Province. It is the only area of the Gauteng Province that is situated on the banks of Vaal River and Vaal Dam, covering the area formally known as the Vaal Triangle including of Nigel and Heidelberg. It includes the towns of Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Meyerton, and Heidelberg as well as the historic townships of Evaton, Sebokeng, Bophelong, Sharpville, and Ratanda, which have a rich political history and heritage. The SDM covers the entire southern area of Gauteng Province, extending along 120 km axis from East to West. The total geographical area of the municipality is 4630 square kilometers and the numbers of households living are 241223. In order to serve the communities, the municipality needs technologically advanced systems to deliver services efficiently. The study therefore focused on the implementation of e-administration for enhanced service delivery at SDM. The review of Sedibeng District Municipality Integrated Development Plan 2009 regarding service delivery does not indicate any statement recorded regarding e-government as the tool to help speedup service. According to SDM IDP, 2009 the Sedibeng District Municipality has other ICT initiatives such as the implementation of the CCTV in Vanderbijlpark CBD. While Sedibeng District Municipality Website 2009 states that the e-government will be implemented, even the Sedibeng District Municipality‘s website has outdated information. Other pages are still on development viz. visitors, business and residents. There is not much information on the clusters regarding their plans‖. In order to improve the challenge, the study hypothesized that ―lack of effective implementation of e-administration may lead to inefficient service delivery at Sedibeng District Municipality. The findings from the literature review and the empirical research support the central statement. Findings indicate that the SDM is aware regarding the significance of e-administration. The employees at the SDM are therefore receiving training from external service providers to enhance their expertise in the field of e-administration. The SDM needs to be aware and empower community members to understand the utility of e-administration for fast and convenient delivery of services. The SDM needs to invest in human resources to advance the service delivery through appointment of skilled and expert personnel. The adequate implementation of e-administration at the SDM level and the appropriate e-participation by the community members are the foundation blocks of improved and enhanced service delivery. The study recommends that SDM needs to appoint personnel advanced in technology; organize training sessions to enhance technological skills of existing employees on continuous basis; organize public participation forums for community members regarding the significance and utility of e-administration for improved service delivery; organize training sessions for community members to empower them with the technological means of participation; improve its website for the community members to log-in their requests; establish one-stop centres for the community members to utilize the e-administration. This is an imperative step as not all community members have access to computers and internet at home; deploy facilitators to train community members regarding the procedures of e-administration in their local language(s); and to improve on e-infrastructure in the form of establishment of kiosks in rural areas. This will assist geographically scattered community members to approach the municipal officials with ease The study recommends to further explore the concept of e-administration to combat bureaucracy and enhance transparency in the government processes in general and at the grass-roots level in particular. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

This study aimed at establishing the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational-stress in Sedibeng West District primary schools in the Gauteng province. The investigation was conducted using a quantitative research approach. The changes in South African schools’ curriculum which did not have a life span of ten years post-apartheid; the rate of absenteeism pointed out by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshega. She believed that these may be caused by serious illness; therefore it impressed the idea of investigating the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational stress. The study looks at the following two research questions:  What are the causes of teacher-occupational-stress?  What role can the school management teams play in managing teacher-occupational-stress? A questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection from primary schools in Sedibeng West district 8 in the Gauteng province. The researcher’s sample size was 32 (n=32). Findings were that the school management teams are playing their roles and supporting teachers. However, teachers find their teaching job to be stressful. The study found significant factors causing teacher-occupational-stress. One of the factors is failure by the school management team to acknowledge teachers hard work. Recommendations are outlined at the end of this study indicating how the Department of Basic Education can intervene and what the school management teams can do to manage teacher occupational stress. / Educational Management and Leadership

This study aimed at establishing the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational-stress in Sedibeng West District primary schools in the Gauteng province. The investigation was conducted using a quantitative research approach. The changes in South African schools’ curriculum which did not have a life span of ten years post-apartheid; the rate of absenteeism pointed out by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshega. She believed that these may be caused by serious illness; therefore it impressed the idea of investigating the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational stress. The study looks at the following two research questions:  What are the causes of teacher-occupational-stress?  What role can the school management teams play in managing teacher-occupational-stress? A questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection from primary schools in Sedibeng West district 8 in the Gauteng province. The researcher’s sample size was 32 (n=32). Findings were that the school management teams are playing their roles and supporting teachers. However, teachers find their teaching job to be stressful. The study found significant factors causing teacher-occupational-stress. One of the factors is failure by the school management team to acknowledge teachers hard work. Recommendations are outlined at the end of this study indicating how the Department of Basic Education can intervene and what the school management teams can do to manage teacher occupational stress. / Educational Leadership and Management

Local Authorities have a duty to promote the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their communities. The study deals with the promotion of community involvement and other stakeholders by municipality in ensuring the tourism sustainability. The objectives of this research are to explain the theoretical analysis of the concepts: tourism and poverty alleviation; mechanisms and procedures to be used to encourage community participation in making tourism economically viable around Sedibeng District Municipality; results in economic benefits to business and host community and management of available resources and procedures. A random sample of thirty participants took part in the study. A questionnaire was used as research instrument for data gathering from the participants. Literature study was utilized to support the empirical research and to check implementation of legislation and regulations, regarding tourism management. It was discovered that municipalities may not be so capable of effectively addressing the role that tourism can play in poverty alleviation. As such, it is recommended that local government's existing mechanisms, resources and systems to manage tourism be reviewed to help promote a sustainable training programme. / MA, Public Management and Administration, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011