The study attempts to provide an empirically analysis and assessment of the needs of the community of Ntambanana Municipality by focusing on development and underdevelopment issues. According to the findings of the study, lack of basic infrastructural service delivery including employment, sound economic activities, running water and sanitation, electricity, formal houses and the appalling road surface conditions are the issues besetting this municipality resulting to down trodden underdevelopment and adversity impacting negatively on the implementation of other broad based development projects. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

This study examines the challenges and opportunities that face the merging of Higher Education institutions with the focus on staff’s responses to the merger at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN). The focus of the study was based on staff’s attitudes and their varying experiences since the merging of former University of Durban Westville (UDW) and University of Natal (UN) forming the new institution of UKZN. It examines the barriers, challenges and opportunities of the Heads of School, Academic staff and Administrative staff in the Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences (HDSS) and the Faculty of Management Studies. The study also reviewed the international or rather global experiences of mergers of Higher Education Institutions and brought into perspective examples of mergers such as in the UK, Australia, United States, Netherlands and Norway. The study then shifted focus to a much more local level in terms of UKZN in assessing the ethos of governance in terms of dialogue and inclusivity and how they perceived the merger of the two former institutions. Since the study is a qualitative, judgmental sampling technique was utilized in this study since it allowed me the researcher to use my own discretion as to who is in the best position to be knowledgeable about the subject under investigation. Therefore a structured interview was employed in this study with a set of inter-related questions, asked in the same order to all participants of this study. Issues of governance, mismanagement of finances, degree scandals, demoralized staff, wage disputes and academic freedom are some of the negative aspects that are perceived to riddle the new institution. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

Through a case study of the Umdoni Local Municipality the study assessed the claims made in the Ugu District Municipality 2008 Report that eMalangeni and eMahlongwa communities have achieved 100 percent water provision. Furthermore, the study used the Rostowrian‟s four of the five-stage model of development to interrogate whether water service provision has improved the standard of living of the people in these two communities. The findings of this study reveal that there is a positive correlation between the installation of water standpipes and an improvement of the standard of living, though it is spread unevenly in these areas. The study concludes that government departments such as the Departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Agriculture and Rural Development and Land Reform should forge strong relationships aimed at assisting the UDM to achieve its prime objective of improving the quality of life of all who fall under its jurisdiction. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The study "Can recipients of the Child Social Grants in Banana City Informal Settlement generate an adequate standard of living from the Grant?" examines whether the child support grants is accessible and sufficient to generate the livelihoods of beneficiaries. The study evaluates the impact of the grant on low income households particularly beneficiaries in Banana City Informal Settlement. The challenges facing the recipients in accessing the grant are identified and recommendations advanced. The lack of proper Identity Documents was identified as the key challenge facing qualifying and intended beneficiaries of the Child Support Grant. The findings of the study reveal that there is a need for continuous synergy between various governmental departments in ensuring that the Millennium Goal of halving poverty by 2015 is achieved. The research draws from international practices of social welfare measures in countries such as Brazil, India and China. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The movement of people is not a new phenomenon; it has always been associated with economic growth as foreign nationalities play a significant role in the local economic development of the area of destination. The increase in foreign migration from Mozambique is a true reflection of the important role that foreigners play in the local economic development of Kwa-Ngwanase District Municipality, UMhabuyalingana. This study seeks to assess the role played by foreigners from Mozambique towards the local economic development of UMhlabuyalingana, which is situated in the northeastern corner of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In particular, the study investigates the attitude of the local people towards foreign nationals from Mozambique. The main hypothesis advanced in this study is the positive relationship extant between the influx of foreign nationals from Mozambique to Kwa-Ngwanase and the local economic development of the area. The empirical data for this study was generated through the use of questionnaires. The findings of this study reveal that the local people of UMhlabuyalingana believe that the South African government can rely on foreign nationals for economic growth and skills transfer in the LED projects. It was evident from the fieldwork conducted that the majority of the foreign nationals are not employed in the LED projects, but are instead are involved in trading/business ventures for themselves. The study further established that the foreigners spend their financial returns locally rather than at home/area of origin. Finally, the recommendations advanced by the study highlight that the local municipality should strive towards ensuring that foreign nationals are included in the local economic development of the Kwa-Ngwanase District Municipality. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

The study outlines the impact a community based tourism project has on poverty alleviation in Isithumba. Isithumba Adventure Tourism village is the case analysed in this study. This community based tourism project has been developed in KwaZuluNatal, a place called Isithumba found in KwaXimba Tribal Authority outside Durban. The rationale behind the study is to determine whether the Isithumba community based project had a positive impact, negative impact or no impact on the standards of living of the KwaXimba community. This has been achieved through the use of interviews conducted by the researcher in terms of which a survey questionnaire was used to obtain information from the respondents in one hundred households covered by the study. A supplementary questionnaire was also formulated to obtain background information from people who were employed in the project and other key informants. In this regard, the quantitative study was chosen to express in numerical values and to analyze what the studied community feels about the project and its impact on their lives. The study concluded that the project, which was perceived by the community to bring about positive economic, socio-cultural and environmental impact, has produced lower results than anticipated. Those who had been directly involved have witnessed positive impact in the form of job creation, entrepreneurial opportunities and skills development. However, the rest of the local community did not find the project beneficial to them. The researcher therefore concluded that community based tourism projects, if well managed and properly planned, could have positive impact on the local communities, but in this case, the impact was minimal. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.