In 1994, racial domination in the form of apartheid ended in South Africa and the first postapartheid government was elected through a non-racial and democratic franchise. The new government inherited an entrenched system of racial inequality as well as widespread poverty amongst the formerly oppressed population, and it sought to address these challenges through policies of redistribution based on a new progressive constitution which emphasised the realisation of socio-economic rights. At the same time, and despite its redistributive measures, the post-apartheid government has pursued a macro-economic strategy with pronounced neoliberal dimensions. One of its critical redistributive measures focuses on social assistance to poor blacks, and this has entailed the construction and expansion of a massive social grant system including the child support grant which is received by millions of black South Africans on a monthly basis. The objective of this thesis is to examine and understand the livelihoods of child support grant recipients (or caregivers) in the context of conditions of extreme vulnerability marked by poverty. It does so by focusing on the small town of Riebeek East located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Though undoubtedly child support grant caregivers are victims of poverty, the thesis demonstrates that they are not without agency. They exist in structural conditions of vulnerability and poverty, but they nevertheless seek to manoeuvre and negotiate their way in and through their conditions of existence. This does not necessarily alleviate their poverty in any significant manner but it does show evidence of reflexivity, decision-making and responsibility in the pursuit of livelihood practices and outcomes. In making this argument, I draw upon the mega-theory of Margaret Archer (specifically, her morphogenetic approach) and the more middle-level perspective of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. Beyond contributing to the prevailing academic literature on the child support grant in South Africa, this thesis also hopefully makes a small contribution to controversies about structure and agency within sociology.

Text in English with summaries in English and Afrikaans / Bibliography: leaves 89-108 / Democracy in South Africa came at a price. The apartheid era did not accommodate or incorporate democratic and constitutional principles. The year 1996 saw a democratic Constitution being adopted, having been certified by the Constitutional Court. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution guarantees the rights and freedoms of all South Africans. The apartheid era ensured that the rights which are enjoyed today were reserved for only a portion of the South African population. This study emphasises the importance of the Constitution and the role and responsibility of every citizen to defend it. In defending the Constitution, the rights and freedoms of all South Africans are defended. The Bill of Rights promotes social development for all South Africans, as opposed to disparate social development under the divisive apartheid era. The Constitution is a powerful enabler for democracy and social cohesion and unity. This study depended on secondary sources which are vital to keeping historical facts alive and truthful. Desktop research is qualitative and, while less expensive, produces acceptable results and findings. / Demokrasie in Suid-Afrika het met 'n prys gekom. Die apartheidsera het nie demokratiese en grondwetlike beginsels geakkommodeer of opgeneem nie. In 1996 word 'n demokratiese Grondwet aanvaar, wat deur die Grondwet Hof gesertifiseer was. Die Handves van Menseregte in die Grondwet waarborg die regte en vryhede van alle Suid-Afrikaners. Die apartheidsera het verseker dat die regte wat vandag geniet word, slegs vir 'n gedeelte van die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking gereserveer is. Hierdie studie beklemtoon die belangrikheid van die Grondwet en die rol en verantwoordelikheid van elke burger om dit te verdedig. Deur die Grondwet te verdedig word die regte en vryhede van alle Suid-Afrikaners verdedig. Die Handves van Menseregte bevorder sosiale ontwikkeling vir alle Suid-Afrikaners, in teenstelling met uiteenlopende sosiale ontwikkeling onder die verdelende apartheidsera. Die Grondwet is 'n kragtige instaatsteller vir demokrasie, sosiale samehorigheid en eenheid. Hierdie studie was afhanklik van sekondêre bronne wat noodsaaklik is om historiese feite lewendig en waaragtig te hou. Desktop-navorsing (boek) is kwalitatief en hoewel dit goedkoper is, lewer dit aanvaarbare resultate en bevindings op. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

In their article ―Naturing the Nation: Aliens, the Apocalypse and the Post Colonial State (2001) Jean and John Comaroff look at ―the contemporary predicament of South Africa through the prism of environmental catastrophe. Through it they reveal the context in which alien plants have become an urgent affair of the state. Following their lead, I show how alien plants (particularly Australian wattle) continue to provide grounds for new social and political aspirations in South Africa, though in a different setting. With reference to a group of private landowners on the fringe of a World Heritage Site -- the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa -- I show how an increasingly apocalyptic and xenophobic environmental agenda has influenced local activists seeking to address social and ecological issues in tandem with alien-eradication. These local activists adhere to a particular brand of environmentalism which Milton (1993) argues can be considered a social, cultural and religious phenomenon. The subjects of my main empirical investigation offer practical ways of achieving a transformational end through a new ritual activity in relation to a spread and exchange of environmental ideas and practices on a world-wide scale. On the ground this group practices ecosocietal restoration through which they aspire to mend the bond between people and the land in a spiritual and moral sense, bolstering intrinsic incentives for environmental stewardship and achieving ―cultural reconciliation in an attempt to reimagine what South Africa could be.

This thesis is an investigation of the call centre labour process focusing on both the way work is organised and experienced by the operators and the management of employee relations inside a local government workplace – The City of Johannesburg (COJ) Call Centre. The City of Johannesburg is used to understand labour process dynamics in local government. Johannesburg was recently named the ‘World’s Second Most Inspiring City’ (by Global City Index, 2014) possessing economic and political influence within and around South Africa. Johannesburg is the economic hub of the country, contributing nine per cent to the South African GDP. But it needs to be emphasised that the focus of this thesis is on the labour process rather than the City of Johannesburg. The nature of work in the COJ local government call centre involves answering calls about water, electricity, refuse removal, accounts and other general municipal services. The government’s objective was to have a more customer centred service delivery plan in compliance with the Batho Pele (People first) framework (RSA, 1997, White Paper on Local Government). This resulted in a shift in the government ‘mantra’ and philosophy from viewing Johannesburg residents as customers rather than citizens. This shift from public administration to New Public Management (NPM) has meant the introduction of private sector business principles into public services. This seeks to improve organisational and individual performance to enhance service delivery within South African municipalities. This is also meant to promote responsive and performance management culture. The study uses Labour Process Theory set out in Labour and Monopoly Capital (LMC-1974) by Harry Braverman to argue for the need to contextualise the labour process debate within the socio-political understanding of work in South Africa. In developing the argument about the narrow analysis of public sector call centres based on economic lines I have reviewed literature on call centres which is influenced by Michel Foucault and Harry Braverman to understand the public sector call centre labour process. Inspired by Adesina (2002) and Mafeje (1981) this study uses a ‘complementarity’ approach to knowledge. This means the local context tends to complement the global trends though not without contradictions within the local context. The case study approach was used for in-depth analysis of the local context through different methods (semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations and survey questionnaires) to collect data from different stakeholders within the City of Johannesburg between 2010 and 2013. The concept of a ‘(dis)connecting city’ is fitting for the COJ as this city connects the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa to the world through its commerce and political influence. Based on the challenges experienced in this local government call centre I attempt to show the the politicised nature of the public sector call centre labour process. I use the differential power relations in the frontline between customer and Joburg connect workers to illustrate this point. The lack of emphasis on the politicised nature of public sector call centres within literature is informed by the de-contextualised nature of these call centres. In the end, I argue that public sector call centre labour process is multilayered, contradictory and complicated because of these workers’ role as citizens, customers, community members and service providers from a politicised community environment.

Text in English with abstracts in English, isiZulu, and isiXhosa / South Africa’s education system is in crisis. Problems in education directly impact the country’s economy through its influence on skills development for employability. Young children trapped in an environment under serviced by educational resources and haracterised poor social cohesion cannot reach their full potential. This study, undergirded by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, sought to establish whether stateled early childhood development centres (ECDCs) in the Cape Flats can establish social cohesion and foster responsible citizenship and youth resilience. A qualitative study was conducted in selected ECDCs. Focus group interviews with caregivers of children from sampled centres and face-to-face interviews with the owners/managers of centres were augmented by an interview with an official from local government. The study concluded that the sampled ECDCs are merely coping, but restricted by various problems. They cannot function optimally as institutions for community development, although the community holds them in high esteem. Recommendations are made for improvements. / Uhlelo lwemfundo yaseNingizimu Afrika lunezingxaki. Izinkinga ezitholakala kwezemfundo zinomthelela othintana ngqo nezomnotho ngenxa yethonya ezinalo ekuthuthukisweni kwamakhono kuzokwenza abantu ukuba baqasheke. Izingane ezisezincane ezibiyelwe esibayeni esincishwa izimfanelo zezemfundo, ezingenakho nokubumbana okufanele komphakathi, ngeke zakufeza lokho ezinamandla okufinyelele kukho. Ucwaningo olususelwe esibonelweni sikaBronfenbrenner ngobudlelwane bomuntu nesizinda sakhe, lwaluhlose ukuthola ukuthi ngabe izikhungo eziholwa ngumbuso zokuthuthuka kwezingane ezincane (ama-ECDC) eCape Flats ziyakwazi yini ukugxilisa ukubumbana komphakathi, zikhulise kumuntu ukuba yisakhamuzi esiqotho nabasha abakwazi ukuqina bomelele. Kwenziwa ukuhlolisisa ezikhungweni zama-ECDC ezikhethiwe. Kwaba nokuxoxisana namaqembu aqokiwe abanakekeli bezingane zakulezo zikhungo ezikhethiwe, kwabuye kwaba nokuxoxa bukhoma nabanikazi/abaphathi bezikhungo, okwengezwa kukho nesikhulu esivela kuhulumeni wendawo. Lolu cwaningo lwafinyelela ekuthini izikhungo ezikhethiwe zama-ECDC zazipatanisa nje ngoba zazinqindwa yizinkinga ezahlukene, okusho ukuthi zazingakwazi ukusebenza ngokuphelele njengezikhungo zokuthuthukisa umphakathi, noma umphakathi wona wawuzibabaza kakhulu. Kukhona nezincomo ngokungase kwenziwe ukuze isimo sibe ngcono. / Isimo senkqubo yemfundo yoMzantsi Afrika simandundu. Iingxaki ezikhoyo kwezemfundo ziluchaphazela ngqo uqoqosho ngenxa yokuba zinefuthe kuphuhliso lwezakhono ezilungiselela ukuqesheka komntu. Abantwana abaselula abakwazi ukuphuhla ngokugqibeleleyo kuba bavaleleke kwimeko yemfundo eneenkonzo ezingekho mgangathweni nakwisimo esingazinzanga somphakathi. Esi sifundo sisekelwe kwinkqubo kaBronfenbrenner yolwalamano lwezinto eziphilayo nendalo, kwaye sizama ukuqonda ukuba ingaba ukusekwa kwamaziko ophuhliso lwabantwana abancinci (iiearly childhood development centres- ECDCs) eCape Flats kungadala uzinzo eluntwini, kukhuthaze ukuba ubani abe ngummi othatha uxanduva, ulutsha lungathabatheki lula kusini na. Uphando lomgangatho lwenziwe kumaziko iiECDCs ezikhethiweyo. Udliwano-ndlebe namaqela abantu abagcina abantwana kumaziko akhethiweyo kwanabaphathi baloo maziko luxhaswe ludliwano-ndlebe esiphathamandla sorhulumente wendawo. Esi sifundo sifikelele kwisigqibo esithi ezi ECDCs zikhethiweyo ziyazama kodwa zikhonkxwa ziingxaki ezahlukeneyo, nto leyo ithetha ukuthi azikwazi ukusetyenziswa ngokupheleleyo njengamaziko ophuhliso lomphakathi nangona umphakathi wona uzixabise kakhulu. Kunikwe iingcebiso zokuphucula imeko. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)