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Developmental local government in a rural context : a case study of Jozini Municipality.Myeni, Sithembiso Lindelihle. January 2005 (has links)
South Africa is facing a backlog with regard to service delivery in rural areas. Therefore,
local government reform has been one of the pertinent issues which has occupied the political
landscape since the early 1990s. Key to this transitional period to democracy was a
realization that different communities have diverse experiences with traditional leadership
depending on their geographical location in South Africa. But to a large extent the changes
that took place in traditional leadership were imposed on the local structures by the national
government. Thus, most traditional leaders and their advisers found themselves implementing
policies which they did not necessarily support.
This study seeks to explore developmental local government in a rural context through the use
of the case study of 10zini Municipality. A key issue in this study is to look at the nature of
the relationship that exists between the modem and traditional structures and the impact
thereof on development.
This study draws from the development literature, lengthy discussions with different experts
in local government in conferences, seminars, and interviews with different stakeholders such
as traditional leaders, elected councillors, community members, and municipal officials
regarding the relationship between traditional leaders and elected councillors in the
implementation of developmental local government.
The findings of this study are revealing. After ten years of democracy in South Africa, there
is still no consensus among different stakeholders on the roles and functions traditional
leaders should play in mainstream politics in general, and in local government service
delivery in particular. The findings show that the majority of participants felt that there is a
need for traditional leaders and elected councillors to work together for the implementation of
developmental local government in rural local government. Officials find themselves in a
dilemma in rural local government as a result of what they perceive to be the silence of most
local government policies on the roles and functions of traditional leaders. Some local
government officials and councillors believe that the role of traditional leaders in local
government is important. In the Jozini municipality they work with traditional leaders
because of the mandate from the IFP political leadership but this does not mean that tensions
do not exist. There are institutional and political implications emanating from the findings as
analysis shows that there is a need for a closer look at the two-tier model that currently exists
in rural local government.
This study revealed that tensions exist between traditional leaders and elected councillors.
This study also demonstrates that a confluence of factors and tensions affect the nature of
relationship and the implementation of developmental local government starting from the
national government to the communities at local level. As reflected in the study, lack of cooperation
at each level has detrimental effects on the overall implementation of
developmental local government in the rural context. Therefore, it is clear that all
stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring that there is proper implementation of local
government policies in rural areas. However, the government must take a vanguard position
because it has got all the powers and resources as compared to other stakeholders. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005
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Training for bead crafters in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban : four case.Pillay, Kimendhri. January 2005 (has links)
No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005
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Social and economic impacts of community based tourism projects : a case study of the Mehloding Community Tourism Project.Valle, Juan Antonio Reina del. January 2005 (has links)
Tourism and its spin-offs have been acknowledged as possible means for
development. When the main target of this development is the local community,
solutions such as community based tourism projects have been implemented. This is the
case analysed in this study, The Mehloding Community Tourism, a community based
tourism project that is being developed in the Alfred Nzo district of the Eastern Cape
province in the Republic of South Africa.
Through the study of the existing literature, to establish a solid framework, and a
deep analysis of the project; using the project documentation, interviews with key
informants, and other information obtained in the field visits; it has been tried to reach a
better understanding of the scope of the main social and economic impacts of the
project, using as benchmark the original goals stated in the project documents.
The results show a well initiated project with some weaknesses in the area of
planning process, which are trying to be corrected at the moment. In the area of the
project operations the management seems to be quite positive but there are problems in
the participation and capacity of the trustees as well as a shortage of tourist. The core
section of the analysis, i.e., the social and economic impacts is on the whole positive,
with the social impacts appearing to be achieved in a higher degree than the economic
ones. Although considering the small scale of the project and the relatively early stage
of it, and despite of the general optimism of its members, the economic sustainability of
the project is still uncertain.
The study, with it scope and limitations, concludes that community based
tourism projects, if well planned and developed, could have positive impacts over the
local communities, in particular over those members directly involved, such is the case
of the Mehloding Community Tourism. However it has raised some questions about the
suitability of the initiative to achieve poverty alleviation in the area. It is suggested that,
other than solving the major problems of economic sustainability and Trust capacity, the
platform created at a human and institutional levels should be used for further
developmental initiatives of the area. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.
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Public participation in tourism projects for sustainable development : the case of Malealea Lodge and Pony-trekking Centre, Lesotho.Makhele, Manapo Belina. January 2008 (has links)
The concept of public participation is one of the growing interests in development
discourse. It is considered to be one of the valuable principles of sustainable
development, because of its people-centred development approach world wide.
The study examines the level of public participation in the Malealea Lodge and Pony
Trekking Centre and whether the public participation procedures in the centre sustain
the livelihood strategies of the Malealea community. The investigation of the level of
participation is triggered by the notion that the centre presents itself as a "best
community involvement programme."
The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods. Interviews, observations
and documentation were used for data collection. The background to the study
presents levels of participation, the model for full public participation and techniques
for appropriate participation, according to Pearce et al. (1996). The findings within
this study show that from case studies and secondary data collected, one of the driving
factors in the failure of tourism projects is the implementation of policies which stick
to exploitative, outdated approaches to development. Some tourism development
projects are still practising pseudo or partial participation, whilst supposedly
practising full participation.
This study includes the analysis of responses regarding the level of participation and
perceptions of participation from both the community and lodge management. It
shows the shortfalls of full participation in the Malealea Lodge and Pony Trekking
Centre. The researcher concludes that the centre practices partial participation and
recommends, in this project and other similar projects, some potential solutions to
ensure full participation for sustainable community development. Some
recommendations are that: there should be community consultation at all levels of
development, employment contracts should be drawn on agreement of conditions of
work between lodge owners and community members, training and re-training of
different community groups, and local authorities should be capacitated with different
skills, mainly facilitation and management skills. The LTDC should also ensure
implementation of tourism policy. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008
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Taking heat out of the kitchen : a case study of domestic workers in Rooihuiskraal.Ngombane, Bulelwa. January 2008 (has links)
This study draws on insights from both sociology and history in order to
locate domestic. workers. It draws insight from historical processes, in the
wider social structure and in home, in both the political and domestic
economy. This constitutes the landscape in which domestic workers are
placed. But it would be a bleak painting if we confirm the study on only these
aspects. The most important aspect of this picture lies in the human figures
it depicts. Whatever colour and richness the study has comes largely from
the thoughts and experiences of individual domestic workers. Their
definitions of the situation, their perception of themselves and their
employers, their relationship with their employers and the way in which
these are negotiated, their hopes and fears, constitute a moving record of
human suffering, endurance and denial. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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Reproductive decision-making in the era of high levels of unwanted pregnancy and HIV/AIDS among young people : a case study of Nelson Mandela Drive Campus in the Eastern Cape.Kyabaishiki, Eunice. January 2008
Young people are faced with high levels of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy in South
Africa. In this context it is important to understand the reproductive decision-making
process with regard to these sexual risks. The study draws on in-depth interviews
conducted with 20 Black students aged 18 to 24 years at the Walter Sisulu University.
The study found that there was a high level of awareness of unwanted pregnancy and
HIV/AIDS. However, many young people engaged in risky sexual behaviours. Differing gender roles seemed to significantly promote risky sex and discouraged shared decision making.
The study suggests that men often dominated the decision-making process. In
addition, partner coercion was prevalent, and it negatively affected the health choices of
young people. Other factors that were barriers to adopting prevention strategies included
the negative attitudes of health providers and limited communication between parents and
children and also, between sexual partners. Young people were afraid to freely discuss
sexual issues and preferred actions to avoid antagonizing partners who might suspect
infidelity, lack of commitment and HIV infection. Some young people also expressed
concern that contraceptives were not safe. Young people emphasized the negative
repercussions of HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy and the importance of creating
greater awareness of the risks and adopting prevention strategies. However, the study
findings point to the need for health promotion interventions to go beyond risk awareness
and incorporate the cultural, social and economic contextual factors in which the
behaviour takes place. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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Study of school-level implementation of the South African school funding norms : perspectives of principals.Raab, Erin. January 2008 (has links)
The majority of South African learners attend public schools, all of which are encouraged to
supplement government funding with private funds - namely through fees charged of
learners' parents. A review of the literature suggests that school fees can impede the right to
education and the achievement of other national development goals by restricting access for
poor learners, or by diminishing the quality of education. While the issue of school fees has
been hotly debated in South Africa, there is little information about what is actually
happening in schools. This research, conducted in a peri-urban area outside of Durban,
KwaZulu-Natal, is designed to explore the perspectives and experiences of principals with
regards to the school fee policy. Eleven principals were interviewed: nine from relatively
poor schools and two from a wealthier area, and their experiences with regards to the
implementation of the school fee policy were compared and analysed.
The findings suggest the implementation of the policy tends to be similar across schools of
similar financial standing, but that there are considerable differences between the experiences
of principals from poor and wealthy schools. The wealthier schools implemented the policy
'to-the-letter' and had hired staff and created systems to ensure all rules were properly
followed. All of the poorer schools found parts of the policy impossible to implement in
their schools and had adapted the policy in similar ways to better fit their situation. For
example, amongst other adaptations, they allowed parents to apply for an exemption by
simply discussing their circumstances with the principal, or obtaining an affidavit from the
police, instead of making everyone fill out an official application form.
Part of the problem is that the policy is based on assumptions which are not consistent with
the reality of the South African context in that there are many different 'realities' faced by
schools, yet there is only one rigid policy. Many schools find parts of the policy's processes
to be impractical or irrelevant at best, and actually decreasing the quality of education they
are able to provide at worst. Areas within which policy assumptions and reality did not
match include: the implications of the distribution of income in South Africa on school
financing; the power and access to information of parents and SGBs, and the ability or desire
of parents to pay fees and/or be involved in the oversight of their children's education; and,
the ability of provincial Departments of Education to properly support poor and/or Nonsection
21 schools. Additionally, Non-section 21 schools were found to be at an economic
disadvantage compared with Section 21 schools.
Another issue is that there are currently adverse incentives built into the policy. Amongst
other effects these incentives encourage principals to minimise the number of exemptions
approved, and for parents to either not pay at all, or to provide information to principals that
underestimates their annual income.
The significant contrasts in experiences between experiences of poor and wealthy schools
and the adverse incentives built into the policy suggest the right question to ask may not be
whether or not schools are implementing the policy correctly, but whether the policy is
correctly designed to achieve the goals of the South African education system within the
current context. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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The relationship between the participants of social movements and movement intellectuals : a case study on the Westcliff Flats Residents Association (WFRA)Ramjettan, Trivern Hunsraj. January 2008 (has links)
This thesis explores the relationship between the participants of a social
movement and movement intellectuals. A case-study focus on the WestcliffFlats
Residents Association (WFRA) was taken to provide a contextual and "holistic"
understanding thereof. At the centre of the study is an intellectual puzzle concerned with
investigating the dynamics and processes that constitute this relationship. The approach is
one of qualitative inquiry, relying on the perspectives of participants within the
movement to develop a grounded theory with respect to the primary intellectual puzzle
and research questions. In this way, the emergent conclusions are non-categorical and
provide an argued perspective on the interactive processes between movement
intellectuals and the WFRA. A typology ofpossible relationships between movement
intellectuals and social movements is developed and constitutes the primary findings of
the study. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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The impact of antiretroviral treatement scale-up on health systems in South Africa : a qualitative study.Gentile, Jaime. January 2008 (has links)
This study investigates the impact of the scale-up of antiretroviral treatment (ART) on the
health system in South Africa. It looks at the positive and negative effects of treatment
scale-up on human resources and staff morale, on HIV prevention programmes, and on
other health system programmes, looking specifically at the integration of programmes
and the use of infrastructure. There is much debate as to the place of treatment as a
response to the epidemic because it has been found to be less cost-effective than
prevention interventions. However this study argues that it is difficult to accurately
assess cost effectiveness because it does not take into account other ways in which
treatment may be effective, such as its impact on other aspects of health care, most
notably on staff morale and on prevention. Thus this study investigates the impact of
treatment intervention on the health system as a whole in order to determine the
effectiveness of treatment as a policy response.
This research uses data collected in 2006 at two sites in South Africa: the Ilembe district
in KwaZulu-Natal province and the Cape Winelands Region in the Western Cape
province. Twenty-one health care professionals were interviewed across the two sites in
order to determine their perspectives on the impacts of ART scale-up on these aspects of
the health care system. Interviews were conducted at hospitals, clinics and on hospice
where ART was being administered
ART scale-up, as predicted, was having a mixed impact on the health system as a whole.
For the most part, the programmes were not having negative impacts on the rest of the
health system in the form of taking infrastructure, funding, or human resources from
other departments. The programmes, on separate budgets, were not directly taking
resources from other departments, although there were some instances of borrowing
space, staff, or equipment when necessary. The treatment programmes were reported to
be adding further strain to an already resource-limited health care system, which was
most notable in the issues of space and staff shortages. In addition, the treatment
programmes did not appear to be bringing in additional funding, staff development, or
infrastructure to benefit the health system as a whole.The major positive impact of the ART rollout on the health system was creating positive
staff morale and a sense of hope throughout the health system. The health system was
now able to address HIVIAIDS and was able to provide treatment whereas prior to rollout
there was little apart from palliative care that could be done for people living with
HIVIAIDS. In addition, treatment was adding to prevention efforts by raising awareness
in the community about HIV/AIDS and by increasing uptake of voluntary counseling and
testing.
There is a need to address the resource limitations in the health care system, most notably
human resource shortages. The success of treatment programmes was dependent on
having motivated and dedicated staff. It is necessary to further attract and retain health
care professionals to the field in order to ensure the sustainable success of ART rollout.
Funding also needs to be addressed to ensure that sustainable resources are available to
support the ever-growing needs of the treatment programmes. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
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Inflation in South Africa, 1921 to 2006 : history, measurement and credibility.Rossouw, Johannes Jacobus. January 2007 (has links)
This study reports the development and use of an original methodology to measure inflation
credibility, as well as the first results of such measurement in terms of an inflation credibility
barometer. The barometer is an instrument measuring the degree of acceptance of the accuracy
of historic inflation figures. Despite the lack of knowledge about inflation and the low inflation
credibility recorded by this first calculation of an inflation credibility barometer for South Africa,
valuable information about inflation is unveiled to the authorities. The research results serve as a
benchmark, but cannot be compared to earlier research, as this study represents the first
systematic measurement of inflation credibility in South Africa.
The barometer yields better results than the limited current international measurement of
perceptions of the accuracy of historic inflation figures. The barometer (i) reports the credibility
of inflation figures as a figure between zero and 100; (ii) will highlight changes in credibility
over time with repeated use; (iii) can be explained easily to the general public; (iv) provides for
international comparison between countries; and (v) can be used by all countries. The use of
inflation credibility barometers and changes in barometer readings over time can also serve as an
early warning system for changes in inflation perceptions that might feed through to inflation
expectations.
Sampling results used to calculate a South African inflation credibility barometer show little
public understanding of the rate of inflation. Owing to an increased focus on inflation figures in
countries using an inflation-targeting monetary policy, central banks entrusted with such a policy
should adopt a communication strategy highlighting the calculation and measurement of the rate
of inflation. This study shows that no generally accepted international benchmarks for successful
central-bank communication strategies have been developed, but the use of the methodology
developed in this study will assist in the assessment of the effectiveness of communication
strategies.
This study makes three further contributions of significance to available literature on inflation in
South Africa. The first is an analysis of price increases and inflation over a period of 85 years
(1921 to 2006) and a selected comparison of salaries and remuneration over a period of 78 years
(1929 to 2006). To this end data sets were developed for comparative purposes, thereby
distinguishing between perception and reality about the accuracy of inflation figures over time.
As this comparison has not been done before, a methodology was developed that can be used in
future research. Based on these comparisons an inflation accuracy indicator (JAI) is developed
for the first time. The research showed no systematic over or under-reporting of price increases,
therefore confirming the general accuracy of the consumer price index (CPI) over time. As with
the inflation credibility barometer, this methodology can be used internationally to confirm the
accuracy of countries' inflation figures over time. This methodology can also be used by
developing countries with capacity constraints in economic modelling and forecasting.
The second contribution to available literature is the first analysis of South Africa's experience
with inflation over a period of 85 years from the perspective of the central bank. This analysis
highlights not only the difficulties encountered by a central bank to contain inflation, but also
focuses the attention on the policy errors of the authorities in their quest to contain rising prices.
The third contribution is an analysis of international and domestic initiatives aimed at improving
the accuracy and measurement of inflation. The implications of these initiatives for developing
countries are considered in the interest of a level international playing field between developed
and developing countries. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.
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