Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research assignment is a detailed descriptive investigation of the lobbying role played by the Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) in the post-apartheid era in South Africa. The period under investigation is 1994-2001. The focus is on the DPSA as a lobbyist attempting to influence policy in favour of the disabled people in South Africa. In doing this, the study gives an overview of the three important concepts in this study, namely policy-making, disability and lobbying. The three concepts are analysed and looked at particularly from a South Africa perspective. The study utilises different methods of data collection. Disabled people have a history of being exposed to discrimination. After 1994 South Africa had a Constitution that outlawed such a practice against disabled people. South Africa in its democracy has new policies that are different from the ones that were governing the country during the apartheid era. The DPSA, as an umbrella body representing the disabled, now has to play a more effective role regarding the advocating for its members. Hence this study is conducted during the 1994-2001 period. The study mainly focuses on what and how the DPSA has tried to influence lobbying policy-making in favour of the disabled. The conclusion of the study is that the DPSA has achieved success directly and indirectly. The DPSA has managed to playa significant role in the improvement of the lives of disabled people in South Africa. However, it is recommended that the DPSA should make more efforts in addition to what has been done up to this far. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsopdrag is 'n gedetailleerde beskrywende studie van die rol wat die werwing van steun deur die Gestremde Mense van Suid Afrika (DPSA) in die postapartheid era 1994-2001 in Suid-Afrika speel. Die fokus is op die DPSA as 'n steunwerwer om die beleid te beïnvloed ten gunste van gestremde mense in Suid-Afrika. Deur dit te doen gee hierdie studie 'n oorsig van drie belangrike konsepte, naamlik beleidvorming, gestremdheid en steunwerwing. Hierdie drie konsepte is spesifiek vanuit 'n Suid-Afrikaanse perspektief ontleed. Die studie gebruik verskillende metodes om data te versamel. Gestremde mense het 'n geskiedenis van blootstelling aan diskriminasie. Na 1994 het Suid-Afrika 'n grondwet wat diskriminasie teen gestremde mense onwettig verklaar het. 'n Demokratiese Suid-Afrika het nuwe beleide wat verskillend is van dié wat die land tydens die apartheid era gehad het. Die DPSA, as 'n sambreelorganisasie, verteenwoordigend van gestremdes, moes nou 'n meer effektiewe rol speel in die verdediging van sy lede. Die studie fokus hoofsaaklik op die voordele wat die DPSA gekry het ten gunste van die gestremdes. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie is dat die DPSA direkte en indirekte suksesse behaal het. Die DPSA het dit reggekry om 'n belangrike rol te speel in die verbetering van die lewe van gestremdes in Suid-Afrika. Daar is nietemin voorgestel dat die DPSA meer pogings moet aanwend, addisioneel tot dit wat reeds gedoen is.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLIAH ABSTRACT: Several indispensable variables for effective community development include, among others: development skills, networking and partnership, and community participation in the development project life cycle. The study aimed to derive relevant lessons about these factors for Rwanda from the South African community development experience. A literature study was first undertaken on key concepts such as participation, rural community, development, and policy and practice. Literature on principles and policies guidelines for community development in both the South African and Rwandan contexts was also reviewed. Within the perspective of comparative analysis, the socio-political and historical backgrounds of both countries served as the basis of criteria for selecting four case studies. From South Africa, three case studies were selected from both the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. One postapartheid study was regarded as unsuccessful and one was successful. The third is a successful ongoing case that straddles the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. From Rwanda, a postgenocide ongoing case was selected on the grounds of its perceived success. A comparative analysis was undertaken of practical results and the South African experience provided actual relevance for Rwanda in specific ways. In complete contrast to the current view that community driven development depends on the political context, the study shows that it depends rather on a number of objective principles for active community participation. What is demonstrated is that community driven development cannot be adequately supported by the developer-centred, consultation, and blueprint approaches because they fail to inspire active community participation. Nor can community participation be seen merely as cheap labour or superficial involvement. Instead, it implies empowering the community with development skills that enable people to acquire more choices and gain control of their community life. To achieve such empowerment, the study stresses the need for a shift toward the bottom-up approach to the planning and implementing of rural-based development projects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie onmisbare veranderlikes vir doeltreffende gemeenskapsontwikkeling sluit, onder andere, die volgende m: ontwikkelingsvaardighede, netwerk en vennootskap, en gemeenskapsdeelname aan die lewensiklus van die ontwikkelingsprojek. Die studie het gepoog om relevante lesse omtrent hierdie faktore vir Rwanda af te lei uit Suid-Afrika se ondervinding ten opsigte van gemeenskapsontwikkeling. 'n Literatuurstudie oor sleutelbegrippe soos deelname, landelike gemeenskap, ontwikkeling en beleid en praktyk, is eers onderneem. Literatuur oor beginsels en beleidsriglyne vir gemeenskapsontwikkeling in sowel die Suid- Afrikaanse as Rwandese omgewings is ook bestudeer. Binne die perspektief van vergelykende analise, het die sosio-politiese en historiese agtergrond van albei lande gedien as die basis van die kriteria waarvolgens vier gevallestudies gekies is. Drie Suid-Afrikaanse gevallestudies is uit die apartheids- en die post-apartheidsera gekies. Een post-apartheidstudie is as onsuksesvol beskou en een as suksesvol. Die derde geval is 'n suksesvolle, voortgaande een uit die apartheidsera en daarna. Uit Rwanda is 'n voortgaande geval uit die era na die volksmoord op grond van sy sigbare sukses gekies. 'n Vergelykende analise van die praktiese resultate is onderneem, en die Suid-Afrikaanse ondervinding het op spesifieke maniere wesenlike toepassings vir Rwanda verskaf. In algehele teenstelling met die huidige opvatting dat gemeenskapsgedrewe ontwikkeling afhang van die politieke omgewing, wys hierdie studie dat dit eerder van 'n aantalobjektiewe beginsels vir aktiewe gemeenskapsdeelname afhang. Wat gedemonstreer word, is dat gemeenskapsgedrewe ontwikkeling nie voldoende deur ontwikkelaargesentreerde, konsultasie- en bloudrukbenaderings ondersteun kan word nie, aangesien hulle nie daarin slaag om aktiewe gemeenskapsdeelname te inspireer nie. Net so kan gemeenskapsdeelname nie bloot gesien word as goedkoop arbeid of oppervlakkige betrokkenheid nie. Dit impliseer eerder die bemagtiging van die gemeenskap met ontwikkelingsvaardighede wat mense in staat stelom meer keuses te bekom en om beheer oor hulle gemeenskapslewe te verkry. Die studie beklemtoon dat, ten einde hierdie bemagtiging te bereik, daar 'n skuif moet plaasvind na die benadering waar die gemeenskap betrokke is by die beplanning en implementering van landelikgebaseerde ontwikkelingsprojekte.

The study took place in the Department of Health. It involved four districts and the Head Office of the human resource planning component. Its purpose was to explore the extent to which the Employment Equity Act is implemented in respect of people with disabilities by the Department of Health, KwazuluNatal. The experiences and perceptions of employment equity officers and people with disabilities were explored. In addition the document on Gap Analysis on EEA was analyzed. Qualitative methodology guided the explorative descriptive nature of the research. The sample selected for the study aimed at balancing opinions on the subject under investigation. Data was collected through structured questionnaires, in depth interviews and content analysis of the departmental Gap Report on Employment Equity. The main findings revealed that there is a wide gap between the current status quo and achieving the desired objectives of the Act. There is also a lack of awareness among People with disabilities in understanding the legal rights in terms of the Act. This situation weakens stakeholder's participation in implementation of the Employment Equity Act NO.55 of 1998. The main recommendations related to the implementation of intensive training programmes, in order to assist stakeholders to participate effectively in Employment Equity Act programmes. A bottom up approach on implementation of the Employment Equity Act was recommended. This will help to ensure equal participation of and acceptance of the process by People with disabilities and employment equity officers. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

This is an in-depth case study of urban water services to poor households and their interactions with local state power in the community of Eastwood, Pietermaritzburg, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, for the period 2005-2007. It draws especially on the experiences of poor women, exploring the conceptions and implications of the movement of municipal services into the realm of welfare-based urban service concessions. It interrogates what value municipal services, framed in the language and form of welfare but within a commodification milieu and in the context of shifting citizen-state relations offer the state apparatus and how such free basic service offerings are experienced by poor households at the level of domestic, social and economic functioning. The study adopts a fluid mixed-methodological approach to optimise exploration and interpretation. It argues that the interface of state service delivery and citizens is fraught with contradictions: core to this is the nature of state ' help.' Free basic water encompassed in the social wage did not improve the lives of poor households; instead it eroded original water access. Free basic water stole women's time spent on domestic activities; compromised appropriate water requirements, exacerbated service affordability problems and negatively affected household functioning. Poor households experienced the government's policy of free basic services as containment and punishment for being poor. The Indigent Policy activated the state's surveillance, disciplinary and control apparatus. In the absence of effective national regulation over municipalities and with financial shortfalls, street-level bureaucrats manipulated social policies to further municipal cost recovery goals and subjugate poor households. Social control and cheap governance were in symmetry. Citizens, desperate for relief, approached the state. Poor households were pushed into downgraded service packages or mercilessly pursued by municipally outsourced private debt collectors and disconnection companies. Municipalities competing for investments brought about by favourable credit ratings abandoned the humanity of their citizens. Such re-prioritisation of values had profound implications for governance and public trust. Citizens were jettisoned to the outskirts of municipal governance, resulting in a distinct confusion and anger towards the local state - and with it, major uncertainties regarding future stability, redistribution and equity.

This thesis begins with the assumption that the theory of academic dependency provides an adequate framework within which the relationship between social science communities in the North and South can be understood. Present problems of social scientists in the South have very often been attributed to this dependence and it has been concluded that academic dependence has resulted in an uncritical and imitative approach to ideas and concepts from the West (Alatas, 2000). This dependence has also resulted in the general regression among social scientists based in the South and in a marginalisation of their works within the social science community no matter how significant and original they may be. The problematic invisibility of the works of prominent South African scholars is a dimension of a wider crisis of academic dependence, if unchecked this current trend will also reinforce academic dependence. From the nature of the problems generated by academic dependence, it is obvious that there is a need for an intellectual emancipation movement. This movement may take different forms that may range from but are not limited to a commitment to endogeneity which involves among other things, knowledge production that takes South African local conditions seriously enough to be the basis for the development of distinct conceptual ideas and theories. This requires transcending the tendency to use ‘the local’ primarily as a tool for data collection and theoretical framing done from the global north. Secondly, there is a need to take the local, indigenous, ontological narratives seriously enough to serve as source codes for works of distinct epistemological value and exemplary ideas within the global project of knowledge production. Endogeneity in the context of African knowledge production should also involve an intellectual standpoint derived from a rootedness in the African conditions; a centring of African ontological discourses and experiences as the basis of intellectual work (Adesina, 2008: 135). In this study, it is suggested that the recommendations highlighted above can only succeed if scholars make an effort to actually engage with locally produced knowledge. There is therefore a need to make greater efforts to know each other’s work on Africa. This demand is not to appease individual egos but it is essential for progress in scientific work. African communities will benefit from drawing with greater catholicity from the well–spring of knowledge about Africa generated by Africans. In the South African context, transcending academic dependence in the new generation of young academics requires engagement with the work of our local scholars who have devoted their lives to knowledge production. This thesis explores the scholarship of Professor Bernard Magubane by engaging with his works on race, class and inequality by locating his works within the wider debates on race, class and inequality in South Africa. The specific contributions of Professor Magubane to the enterprise of knowledge production are identified and discussed in relation to his critique of Western social science in its application to Africa. The making of Professor Magubane’s life, his career, scholarship and biography details are analysed with the intention of showing their influence on Magubane as a Scholar. The examination of Professor Magubane’s intellectual and biographical accounts help to explain the details, contexts and implications of his theoretical paradigm shifts. This helps prove that Professor Magubane’s experiences and theoretical positions were socially and historically constituted. The research from which this thesis derives is part of an NRF-funded project, on Endogeneity and Modern Sociology in South Africa, under the direction of Professor Jimi Adesina.

This thesis examines the processes of policymaking in South Africa, as expressed through the shifts in income maintenance policy. The thesis focuses on the processes leading to the establishment of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), as its case study. SASSA is the institutional framework for the delivery of social grants. Our intention is to test the efficacy of what we have called ‘state learning’ in the South African context. Therefore, the overall aim of the study is to assess the capacity of the ‘state to learn’ in the process of policymaking as expressed through the shifts in social grant administration and the institutional framework of social welfare in South Africa. The subsidiary goals of the research includes mapping changes in the system of social grants administration since 1994 in order to assess the sources of the shifts in its institutional framework; to assess processes and responses within the state that result in policy shifts and the extent to which these can be considered dimensions of state learning; to assess the power of ideas in the policymaking process and to assess the influence of non-state agencies/actors in policy contestation and learning processes. This is essential, because social policy, especially welfare policy research in post-apartheid South Africa, has focused on the economic value of policies and not the political processes in policymaking. For the framework of analysis the study draws on theories of learning, especially at the organizational or institutional level. We start from the perspective that policymaking and implementation cannot be reduced to a neatly ordered schema (Lamb: 1987:6). Further, that policy change and policymaking are “iterative, haphazard, and highly political processes, in which the apparently logical sequences of decision-making, may turn out to be the reverse” (Lamb, 1987:6). This is mainly because state building is a complex affair and a contested terrain; policy learning and making are neither benign nor do they involve the state working in isolation (Sabatier, 1998). To understand processes of policymaking in South Africa, we rely on content analysis of primary and secondary materials or documents and in-depth interviews with key informants involved in the policy process. The documentary sources include records of parliamentary debates, green and white papers on social welfare, ANC party documents, presidential task force reports, newspapers, magazines and court judgments. The study reveals that the establishment of SASSA lends itself to the idea of ‘state learning’. Learning is indicated in South Africa by the capacity and ability of the state to stimulate ideas, debate ideas to establish ideational matrixes as well as paradigms that have informed the development of policy, take ideas and implement them to try and solve mismatches between the intention of the state and the outcomes and the ability of the state to produce policy.

Community participation in urban renewal projects has become important in the South African government’s efforts to address past imbalances and improving the livelihoods of socially excluded and marginalised communities. In order for the Helenvale Urban Renewal Project to be successful and bring about sustainable change, it is vital that the community be allowed and encouraged to play an active role in consultation and participation initiatives. This study outlines the importance of community participation, the types, the incentives and disincentives as well as the possible barriers to effective community participation. Findings from the analysis of the collected data indicates that a community project can only be successful if the implementing agent employs democratic principles whereby all residents are given a voice and are allowed to participate in the decision-making and implementation process. This study explores the concept of community participation in the Helenvale Urban Renewal Projects with particular reference to the role played by the Mandela Bay Development Agency in promoting community participation in the Helenvale Urban Renewal Projects (HURP), in Port Elizabeth.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The present study is a comparative analysis of social work fieldwork supervision at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) and the University of Limpopo (UL) and has produced a list of implications for policy and practice guidelines. The study adopted a qualitative approach to scientific enquiry. It was exploratory and descriptive in nature. The population of the study consisted of final year student social workers and fieldwork coordinators from UNIVEN and UL. Data was collected by means of semi-structured and focus group interviews. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study’s results demonstrated that most students from both universities had outstanding relationships with their supervisors. The study also found that most students were supervised on an individual basis. Informal and ad hoc methods of supervision sessions were also preferred by supervisors, entailing that, as soon as a supervisor felt like saying something, they would just say it. If was found further that supervision methods lacked supervision structure, whereby it would have been planned and communicated in advance, so that students could contribute to the agenda, have a designated venue, and arrive prepared. Group supervision was found to be a rarely used method. The study also found that most students reported that the frequency of supervisions was once a week, while others felt that supervision occurred every day. Fieldwork supervisors continue to deliver the three major functions of supervision, which are administrative, educational, and supportive. The study found that students had little support from university fieldwork coordinators. The researcher established that field support visits by both universities were unsystematic. The researcher has also established that UL students need financial support in the form of a stipend to cater for costs related to their fieldwork placement, such as transport and food. Furthermore, the researcher found that students from both universities need regular contacts with the university-based supervisors/ coordinators. The study revealed the need to reinforce many critical aspects of fieldwork supervision. These include regular contact, field visits, ensuring formal supervision, ensuring formal orientation of students, and making sure that students are adequately exposed to social work practice. Despite the challenges they face, coordinators continued to play a critical role in ensuring that students were properly placed. Measures must be developed to ensure compliance with policy mandates. The study also found that UL did not have fieldwork practice policies, operating instead by using a manual for practical work dated 2012. Given the fact that the university was operating on a newly accredited BSW programme, this manual is outdated. There is a need to align it for fieldwork with the current BSW curriculum. In response to these findings and loopholes in fieldwork coordination and practice in general, the study recommends that UL develop policies related to fieldwork practice that will guide the department when planning fieldwork-related activities. Although UNIVEN has fieldwork practice and supervision policies in place, their practice lacks compliance with the policies, as reflected in the presentation of study findings in Chapter 10. In response to these inadequacies, the study recommends measures the university could use to ensure compliance. Finally, the study developed a social work fieldwork practice model. It is a six-phase model that includes analysis of historical and cultural dynamics for planning purposes, drafting a concept paper placement plan, broad consultation with the stakeholders, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and post-implementation consultation and termination. Key Words: Fieldwork supervision, fieldwork supervisor, fieldwork coordinator, social work, student social workers / University of Venda (UNIVEN)

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Like in many developing countries, youth development in South Africa is advancing towards becoming the central focus of government. The population figures illustrate a demographic dividend, or youth bulge as others would want to call it. A more pragmatic and aggressive approach to youth development for South Africa has never been more urgent than now. Municipalities by design are at the grassroots and the gateway for providing direct development interventions to the masses of the peoples of South Africa. Most of the municipalities in the country have started to take up this responsibility. There is, however, evidence that success in implementing youth development programmes is limited, owing mainly to the lack of performance management application at the local government level. This study is intended to explore a research problem defined as follows: “The absence of a tailor-made performance management for youth development leads to limited or no achievement of the set targets for youth development.” The study is started by exploring the literature on both the underlying areas of the study: youth development and performance management. Though youth development is a fairly new area, there has been progress in defining and conceptualizing both performance management and youth development in South Africa. Youth and youth development are defined respectively as young people between 14 and 35 years of age, and deliberate interventions to enable the youth to participate in the socio-economic wellbeing of the country and the world. Performance management is further defined as the process towards ensuring there is a concerted effort in the implementation of the predetermined plans. The researcher opted for the case study approach, using Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) as the case to explore the extent to which municipalities apply the prescripts and principles of performance management to the youth development programmes. The study sought to establish whether municipalities have performance management frameworks and systems, whether youth development matters are included and whether there are specific youth development performance measures in place. The literature shows that there is extensive work done on the area of performance management in local government in South Africa. The legislation compels all municipalities to have performance management systems and frameworks in place and adopted by the councils. The document review shows that in Nkangala District Municipality there is still a need to trickle down the application of the systems and framework. There is a need to ensure that youth development is included in the performance management process. Evidence from the study shows that there are still gaps to be addressed in as far as the district is concerned. Their application of the performance management framework and systems still needs to be cascaded to all staff members; the application must still be applied to youth development programme and youth development units. There is a need to align municipal planning with youth development. Youth participation still remains a challenge throughout the process of planning, implementation and reporting. Municipalities are suffering from attitudes that suggest that youths are simply recipients of hand-out products and services. Finally, the study suggest a Youth Development Performance Management Framework which will also integrate youth participation, monitoring and evaluation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos in baie ontwikkelende lande neig jeugontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika daarna om die sentrale fokus van die regering te word. Die bevolkingsyfers illustreer 'n demografiese dividend of jeug uitstulping (“youth bulge”), soos wat daarna verwys word. `n Meer pragmatiese en aggresiewe benadering tot jeugontwikkeling was nog nooit meer dringend vir Suid-Afrika as juis tans nie. Munisipaliteite, deur ontwerp, is op voetsoolvlak en die poort vir die verskaffing van direkte ontwikkelingsingrypings vir die meerderheid van mense in Suid-Afrika. Meeste van die munisipaliteite in die land het begin om hierdie verantwoordelikheid op te neem. Daar is egter bewyse dat sukses in die implementering van jeugontwikkelingsprogramme beperk is, veral as gevolg van die gebrek aan die aanwending van prestasiebestuur op die vlak van plaaslike regering. Hierdie studie is bedoel om die navorsingsprobleem gedefinieer as: “die afwesigheid van 'n pasgemaakte prestasiebestuurstelsel vir jeugontwikkeling lei tot beperkte of gebrekkige bereiking van die gestelde teikens vir jeugontwikkeling” Te verken. Die studie begin deur die literatuur te ondersoek op beide die onderliggende gebiede van die studie, jeugontwikkeling en prestasiebestuur. Hoewel jeugontwikkeling `n redelik nuwe gebied is, is daar vordering in die definiëring en konseptualisering van beide prestasiebestuur en jeugontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika. Jeug en jeugontwikkeling word gedefinieer as jong mense tussen 14 en 35 jaar oud en doelbewuste intervensies om die jeug in staat te stel om deel te neem aan die sosio-ekonomiese welstand van die land en die wêreld. Prestasiebestuur word gedefinieer as die proses om te verseker dat daar `n gesamentlike poging is vir die implementering van die voorafbepaalde planne. Die navorser het besluit op `n gevallestudie benadering, deur gebruik te maak van die Nkangala Distriksmunisipaliteit (NDM) om die mate waarin munisipaliteite die voorskrifte en beginsels van prestasiebestuur op die jeugontwikkelingsprogramme toepas te verken. Die studie poog om vas te stel of munisipaliteite prestasiebestuursraamwerke en stelsels het, of jeugontwikkelingsaangeleenthede ingesluit is en of daar spesifieke jeugontwikkeling prestasiemaatreëls in plek is. Literatuur toon dat daar uitgebreide werk gedoen is op die gebied van prestasiebestuur in plaaslike regering in Suid-Afrika. Die wetgewing verplig alle munisipaliteite om prestasiebestuurstelsels en raamwerke in plek te hê en goedgekeur deur die rade. Die dokumentêre hersiening toon dat daar in die Nkangala Distriksmunisipaliteit steeds `n behoefte daaraan is om die toepassing van die stelsels en raamwerk te laat deursyfer. Daar is `n behoefte om te verseker dat jeugontwikkeling ingesluit word in die prestasiebestuursproses. Bewyse uit die studie toon dat daar steeds gapings is om aan te spreek met betrekking tot die distrik. Die aanwending van die prestasiebestuursraamwerk en stelsels moet nog afgewentel word na alle personeellede. Die aanwending moet nog van toepassing gemaak word op jeugontwikkeling en jeugontwikkelingseenhede. Daar is 'n behoefte om munisipale beplanning in lyn te bring met jeugontwikkeling. Jeug deelname dwarsdeur die proses van beplanning, implementering en rapportering bly steeds 'n uitdaging. Munisipaliteite ly onder gesindhede wat daarop dui dat die jeug eenvoudig ontvangers is van produkte en dienste. Die studie stel ten slotte `n jeugontwikkeling prestasiebestuursraamwerk voor wat ook jeug deelname, monitering en evaluering sal integreer.

Throughout South Africa’s post-Apartheid history, the ANC-led government has undertaken a distinct nation-building program in pursuit of “a truly united, democratic and prosperous South Africa” (ANC, 2007). This is reflected in a two-pronged approach, coupling political and socioeconomic transformation with the social-psychological aspect of forging a broad and inclusive national consciousness. The ANC’s “rainbow nation” approach embraces cultural diversity through what I shall call the practice of “interculturalism”. Interculturalism is a way of recognizing commonalities, reducing tensions and promoting the formation of social partnerships among different cultural groups. The ANC has also promoted a civic culture based on the principles of liberal democracy, non-racism, equality and the protection of individual rights. Interculturalism and civic nationalism are critically important factors to South African nation-building since together they foster a shared public culture and support meaningful participation in the creation of a truly just and democratic South Africa. Unfortunately, in many ways South African society remains deeply divided by race, ethnicity and economic inequality. This thesis analyses various theoretical approaches to national identity and nationbuilding with the aim of identifying several concepts which arguably throw light on the problems of South African nation-building and national identity formation. It is argued that interculturalism and civic nationalism are context appropriate approaches which have been adopted by the ANC to further an inclusive sense of shared public culture and promote participation in the creation of a shared public future. These approaches have led to the limited emergence of a broad South African national identity. However, South Africa’s commitment to socio-economic transformation has been less successful in generating widespread support for a broad national identity. While some of those previously disadvantaged under Apartheid have benefited from poverty alleviation schemes, service delivery initiatives and black economic empowerment programs, many continue to suffer from homelessness, unemployment and worsening economic conditions. Increasing economic marginalization has caused growing discontent among South Africa’s poor and constitutes the biggest threat to the formation of a cohesive national identity in South African society. Ultimately, it is argued that while interculturalism and civic nationalism have played an important role in fostering the growth of a broad national identity, true South African social cohesion will fail to emerge without a massive and sustained commitment to wide-ranging socio-economic transformation.