International peacekeeping has gained a high profile in international relations and more so, in the post cold war era. The profound increase in the occurrence of civil wars globally and the consequent high demand for the UN to intervene has compelled the world body to delegate its peacekeeping powers to regional organisations. SADC is one of many regional organisations around the world which are faced with the challenge of developing peacekeeping capacities to resolve local conflicts. This thesis endeavours to investigate the prospects of peacekeeping in Southern Africa with specific reference to the involvement of South Africa as a regional power with the wherewithal to play a leadership role in this regard. This is done within the theoretical framework that is provided by the Realist school of thought in international relations. Furthermore, the concept of national interest as defined by Realism will be utilised to explain why countries in Southern Africa in general and South Africa in particular become involved in regional peacekeeping initiatives. The issue of whether the Republic should be involved and how much it should be involved has provoked an intense debate within the country. This debate will therefore be instructive in understanding the dynamics that influence the country's foreign policy behaviour towards the region in relation to playing a leadership role in regional peacekeeping initiatives. The central issue implicit in the debate is the fact that most of the SADC member states that are expected to contribute towards these initiatives have weak economies. This economic weakness in turn leads to the thorny issue of having to seek foreign assistance from western countries from which the region is trying to gain greater independence. This presents the region with a paradox because foreign assistance has serious implications for the SADC countries' sovereignty. It is in this context therefore, that this thesis examines economic development in individual SADC countries and in the region as a whole to establish whether they are in a position to develop a sustainable regional peacekeeping capacity. The contention of the thesis is that economic development is closely related to peacekeeping because without a sound economic base Southern Africa or any other region for that matter, will not be able to develop a viable peacekeeping capacity. On the other hand, keeping the peace in the region is itself important for economic development because it is only in a peaceful environment that economic development can take root.

M.A. / South Africa has an exceptionally high divorce rate. The stressful nature of parental separation and divorce results in higher susceptibility of children to psychological, social, academical and health problems. Parental ability to deal with the divorce transition largely influences the long term adjustment of children after divorce. An effective empirically researched based parentfocused educational programme which addresses the most essential divorce related issues and the effects thereof on children, can be of exceptional value. Supplying parents with sufficient knowledge and information regarding divorce as a process, as well as the way it effects children of different ages en developmental stages, will assist the parents in making better choices concerning the children. By educating parents about the effect of prolonged interparental conflict on children and by supplying them with constructive conflict management skills, the negative consequences of divorce on children may be minimised or even eliminated. In this study an educational programme (k.i.d.s.) was assessed by using a one group pretest- postest design. K.i.d.s. is a short, informative and user friendly educational programme. It comprises two, two hour sessions, scheduled two weeks apart. Statistical significance was achieved when pretest-posttest results were compared regarding knowledge on conflict and the divorce process. Participants also reported a significant decline regarding negative conflict behaviour. An overall high level of consumer satisfaction with the program was reported. Despite the small study sample, the positive results of this study proves the k.i.d.s. program to be a potential promising preventative and intervention method for use with divorcing parents. / Mrs. H.F. Ellis

Magister Philosophiae (Land and Agrarian Studies) - MPhil(LAS) / Agriculture and livestock production were the mainstay of the economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, including of Cameroon, in the 1970s. Things began to change with the discovery of petroleum products and natural minerals, and the push to industrialise. This led to a shift from agricultural production to other more 'beneficial' sectors. In the 1990s there was an 'imposed' liberalisation of the agricultural sector. This liberalisation was marked by a disengagement of most governments in developing countries from assisting agriculture. In Cameroon, disengagement was achieved by the promulgation of law No. 92/006 of 14th August 1992 and its decree of application No. 92/455/PM of 23rd November. This law encouraged the creation of common initiative groups which could independently pool their resources to increase agricultural production. Although there has been a shift to non-agricultural sectors in many sub-Saharan countries, on the whole, however, many rural areas in these nations have remained essentially agro-pastoral. nfortunately some rural areas, like Small Babanki in Cameroon, whose livelihoods are land-based are faced with soil erosion, population pressure and farmer/grazer conflicts which undermine the little economic gains made in these places. Rural-dwellers have resorted to several innovations to circumvent these constraints to agricultural production. / South Africa

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management Science (Peacebuilding), Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Conflict amongst cooperative members in Vumengazi, KwaZulu-Natal, is a major cause of concern, growing to an extent that threatens their survival. Lack of management skills tends to create conflict in cooperatives: members vie for a management position in the business, however, they often have no clear commitment or understanding of the duties required in management positions, even enough to handle the day-to-day challenges. Some of the groups formed a cooperative not because they have a joint objective, but because they planned to use the cooperative as a platform to access available resources. In most cases, the groups who formed the basis for this study lacked cohesiveness and this led to internal conflicts and an inability to work together. In most of the cooperatives, there were no professional business plans and they lacked feasibility with identifiable and foreseeable market opportunities. There were no drafted documents constitutions to govern the directors. The researcher undertook this study to investigate the following: • What are the contributing factors to conflict within the cooperatives? • What is the role of the 2005 Co-operatives Act in resolving conflict within the cooperatives? • What are effective ways to resolve conflicts within the cooperatives? A case study design using qualitative methodology was used in this study. In-depth understanding was needed; qualitative methodology was appropriate for a study of this nature. A sample of four co-operatives out of 20 from Wards 84 and 100, eNgonyameni Tribal Area, Vumengazi, was selected to identify the nature, extent, causes and consequences of conflicts, to assess the effectiveness of existing provisions for conflict resolution and the way they are implemented, to plan and implement an intervention strategy aimed at resolving conflicts to provide a foundation to resolve future conflicts. I engaged five people in a participatory action research programme and a focus group to establish the findings. Findings include a low standard of education among members; some members are very old who do not respect the youth. Gossip among the members led to cooperative issues being discussed in the community, thereby exacerbating conflict. Some of the cooperative members have primary education and they are unable to read and write English, however, the Act is written in English. Members of the cooperatives do not deal with conflict nor resolve it; there is no plan in place for such resolution. Members therefore keep grudges and bring them to work and meetings. Mismanagement of funds was found to be problematic. Conflict occurred regularly, partially because of the inability to analyse conflict among members and inability to apply peaceful conflict resolution methods. Recommendations as a result of the study are that peace education, both formal and informal, must be a prerequisite for cooperatives, to help members deal with individual emotions and behaviours and to avoid more aggressive approaches in running a cooperative. Local Economic Development officials and Ward Councillors need to come closer to rural cooperatives because of their stated interest in alleviating poverty in the area through peaceful running of cooperatives. Conflict does not allow cooperatives to flourish. / M

Conflict is evident in many spheres of life, however this study concentrated more specifically on conflict relating to organisations. Organisational conflict is seen “as any social collectivity, organisations such as private sector companies, government departments, schools and universities, non-governmental organisations, and political parties all experience internal conflict in varying degrees” (Bradshaw, 2008: 22). Each individual coming into a workplace has created his or her own set of challenges especially in the brutal arena of business. Conflict has destructive and productive qualities that can diminish or elevate processes within an organization (Stone, 1999). If it is not harnessed properly or dealt with in the correct manner, it can damage the reputation of a business; resulting in its downfall and this in turn contaminates and affects peripheral businesses associated with the organisation downstream. This study explored the following key aspects: Background of organisational conflict and its management; Background of the organization; Whether these two areas mentioned above can work together to create a cost effective and efficient outcome when dealing with conflict. The research adopted a mixed method approach with predominant focus on qualitative research methodology. The main focus of this study was conflict management within organisations and to probe and determine whether companies see the need to employ the field of conflict management as a strategy in times of fluctuating dispositions. It is evident that the organisation may not be fully aware or make use of alternative conflict resolution strategies and that the main causes of conflict can be eliminated such as poor communication, ill-defined job descriptions and objectives and differing of opinions. The need to employ alternative methods of conflict management may be emphasised by looking at the costs that conflict produces and the use of limited vital resources and the loss of human capital.

Peacekeeping operations were started by the United Nations following the collapse of the collective security system which was hinged on the cooperation of the major powers as proposed in the United Nations Charter. The United Nations Charter however does not give a definition of peacekeeping, making it difficult for nation states and various agencies to delineate the limits of Peacekeeping. However, the Charter provides a comprehensive number of platforms in which different kinds of threats pertaining to international peace and security may be dealt with. In the backdrop to this, peacekeeping endeavours have over the years come to be defined as Chapter six and a half, descending between Chapter six and Chapter seven of the United Nations Charter. The Charter reveals that the purpose of the United Nations is to maintain International Peace and Security (United Nations 1985:6). As a member of the International Community and its commitment to Peace and International Security, Botswana is obliged to take part in International interventions aimed at bringing peace, security and stability to Africa and the rest of the world. To this end the government of Botswana is always ready to release and deploy peacekeepers anywhere such calls are made by regional bodies such as the UN, AU or SADC. (Muyakwabo, 2013:2). The intervention of the BDF in the Somali civil war of 1992-1994 is a classic example of Botswana’s commitment to International Peace and Security. In response to the call by UN to assist Somalis, Botswana deployed a battalion sized BDF contingent of Peacekeepers to the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) to help bring peace and security to the nation of Somalia. (Bachelor, Kingman and Lamb 2000:21). This research study is an exploratory investigation into the experiences of the first Botswana Defence Force Peacekeepers who were deployed in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (UNOSOM) 1993-1995. Seventeen peacekeepers were interviewed who have participated in both UNOSOM I and UNOSOM II. A thematic analysis of the text was undertaken, in which themes emerged to document and highlight the difficulties that the peacekeepers experienced in Somalia. Narratives from the transcribed interviews were reviewed with the participants and logical analysis by the researcher provided further clarification of the data to understand the experiences of the peacekeepers. The peacekeepers’ descriptions of the situations they faced on the ground provided a new way into understanding the intricacies of traditional peacekeeping. Three fundamental themes emerged: the importance of peacekeeping education and training; the importance and need of logistical support, personal and contingent preparation; and the way forward in ensuring successful and effective peacekeeping by African armies.

This study was undertaken to describe how the community responded to the incorporation of the Merafong Municipality into the North West Province. The study examined the protracted conflict in Khutsong as well as why the strategies to end the conflict failed. The study was concerned about latent conflict; how differences are raised; dissatisfaction amongst members of the communities and that power asymmetry is the main driver of emotions leading to aggressive behaviour. Service delivery protests are characterised by violence in South Africa and more often communities turn violent in their engagement with their leaders or council officials. This is because it is believed that violence is the only language that authorities understand and they have nothing to lose as government property gets destroyed. Late invitations of third parties who have regulatory skills (negotiations, mediation, conciliation or judicial processes) when conflicts begin, lead to their escalation. A qualitative research method was chosen for this study. A qualitative case study better explained the phenomenon of interest. It allowed me to collect data from the respondents who were active members of the community through interviews. Twelve members of the community (from politicians, ordinary members, educators and the clergy) were part of the respondents. The report was of the respondents own personal experiences as active members of the community. Collected data from the transcripts was coded. Codes with similar meaning were put together in the same categories and the themes were formed from the categories. The qualitative content analysis method was used to analyse the data. From the analysis, it emerged that there was lack of communication and consultation from the side of the government before the implementation of the 16th Amendment Bill which was aimed at removing the cross border municipalities. The announcement was finally made of the incorporation of the Merafong Municipality into North West Province in 2005. The announcement was met with anger and frustration by the Khutsong Demarcation Forum and the community whose expectations were that the incorporation will not go ahead given the reasons they put forth when they met the government officials in the meetings after the demarcation board had proposed it. Violence was the only option for the community to show that their talks with government officials failed and that they are seriously opposed to the incorporation. That led to a protracted violence in Khutsong until 2009 when the Cross-Boundary Municipalities Laws Repeal and Related Matters Amendment Act of 2009 act was passed to reincorporate the Merafong Municipality back into Gauteng.

The global working environment has altered dramatically over the last decade, with the workforce now consisting of a diverse assortment of individuals. South Africa, in particular, has had to face major challenges as it adapts to the newly conceived "Rainbow Nation". It has also had to make amends for inequalities bred by the past discrimination and the segregation of Apartheid. Prior to this, businesses in general, were inward-looking in that they did not have to comply with or conform to the changing trends found in the international arena. Suddenly, issues such as Black Economic Empowerment, Affirmative Action, gender, age, faith and preferred sexual orientation have had to be accommodated as the new Employment Equity Act of 1998 was promulgated. Each individual coming into the workplace has his or her own cosmological, ontological and epistemological view, and although this facilitates a positive contribution by individuals with regard to varying ideas, skills, talents and expertise, more often than not, the reality is that the differences that exist within a staff complement often result in conflict. Furthermore, South Africa exhibits deep-rooted, social conflict as a result of the oppression of the apartheid years. Unemployment, poverty, poor education and service deliveries are far from being satisfactorily addressed. Therefore, it is assumed that unmet/frustrated basic human needs, as defined in Abraham Maslow‘s "Hierarchy of Needs", play a role in causing conflict both in the workplace and in society. It was felt that basic human needs, as articulated, had not been researched as a cause of workplace conflict and this research will explore the part that frustrated human needs may play in organisational conflict, alongside diversity conflicts.

Conflict is inevitable but sustainable development is achievable. An analysis of the mix between development and conflict in two communities revealed the imperatives needed to strike a balance between conflict and sustainable development. While conflicts over natural resources are neither a new phenomenon nor are they inevitable, it is the approaches adopted to manage them that generate interests and makes a difference between peace and violence. Thus, conflicts associated with wilderness or TFCA development initiatives such as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) have attracted significant interest from various stakeholders. While the GLTP is a flagship conservation initiative in Southern Africa designed to integrate different land uses for socio-economic development, it is littered with conflicts. Through documenting the experiences of two communities involved in development conflicts, a determination was sought to understand the efficacy of approaches used to manage the conflict. Using mainly questionnaires and personal interviews, perceptions and attitudes of key informants were solicited. Unresolved historical problems reincarnated to haunt current conservation projects as memories of unresolved past events reflected negatively on new related initiatives. Different approaches adopted in managing these conflicts resulted in significantly different outcomes. Local stakeholder involvements were inadequate, but were identified as pertinent to successful sustainable conservation and development. Unless local communities are assured of real benefits from new conservation initiatives it became evident that recurrent conflicts would be inevitable. The findings reveal that current conservation initiatives should be underpinned by emerging inclusivity theories in the conservation discourse. A broad range of stakeholders should embrace this new paradigm based on the philosophy that conservation efforts that exclude local communities are bound to be unsustainable. We found out that it is in the interests of all for policy makers to come up with policies that recognise the critical role local communities play, while subscribing to the regional and international standards for best practices in the conservation business.

Growing research in educational leadership and management shows that there are many factors that have an impact on the running of effective schools. Many people are now aware of the importance of the school management‟s role in guiding successful schools. This quantitative study was conducted in Gauteng where 100 school managers responded to a questionnaire which probed them about their conflict management and competence skills. The participants responded to a 40 item Likert scale instrument. Each of the items had five alternatives to choose from. The results demonstrate that many teachers were never trained in conflict management skills and that they also find it hard to resolve disputes in their schools. Furthermore, a majority of the participants attributed the dysfunctionality and lack of teacher commitment to the pervading unresolved conflicts in their schools. There was also consensus that intractable conflict adversely affects the culture of learning and teaching in schools. Among the recommendations highlighted at the end are to ensure that prospective school managers are empowered with conflict management skills before assuming their positions.