Traditionally the approach to nature conservation in South Africa was a colonialist one, which centred on the notion that the exclusion of rural people from protected areas would result in the best possible protection of fauna and flora and their habitats. This protectionist approach resulted in the creation of ad hoc wildlife sanctuaries, mostly national parks and game reserves which excluded local communities. The notion of a more inclusive approach to communities surrounding conservation areas is a hallmark of modern conservationist thinking and has gained much favour in recent times. The involvement of communities in biodiversity conservation initiatives is especially important when considered within the context of effective environmental governance (EG). This coupled with South Africa's anthropocentric approach to environmental governance serves to lay the theoretical foundation for the proper involvement of communities in the conservation of biodiversity. Central to the notion of sustainability, is the preservation of the integrity of ecosystems, while simultaneously acknowledging the integral part that humans play in these ecosystems. This notion of sustainability, coupled with the much–favoured bottom–up approach to conservation, highlights the importance of community involvement in the formation of biodiversity conservation areas. In order to ensure effective community involvement in biodiversity conservation initiatives, it is imperative that a coherent policy and legal framework exists so as to properly facilitate community involvement in biodiversity conservation initiatives and in so doing to properly implement such projects. It is against this background that this study seeks to explore and analyse the relevant and applicable regional, sub–regional and national legal frameworks applicable to community involvement with regard to biodiversity conservation. / Thesis (LL.M. (Environmental Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Traditionally the approach to nature conservation in South Africa was a colonialist one, which centred on the notion that the exclusion of rural people from protected areas would result in the best possible protection of fauna and flora and their habitats. This protectionist approach resulted in the creation of ad hoc wildlife sanctuaries, mostly national parks and game reserves which excluded local communities. The notion of a more inclusive approach to communities surrounding conservation areas is a hallmark of modern conservationist thinking and has gained much favour in recent times. The involvement of communities in biodiversity conservation initiatives is especially important when considered within the context of effective environmental governance (EG). This coupled with South Africa's anthropocentric approach to environmental governance serves to lay the theoretical foundation for the proper involvement of communities in the conservation of biodiversity. Central to the notion of sustainability, is the preservation of the integrity of ecosystems, while simultaneously acknowledging the integral part that humans play in these ecosystems. This notion of sustainability, coupled with the much–favoured bottom–up approach to conservation, highlights the importance of community involvement in the formation of biodiversity conservation areas. In order to ensure effective community involvement in biodiversity conservation initiatives, it is imperative that a coherent policy and legal framework exists so as to properly facilitate community involvement in biodiversity conservation initiatives and in so doing to properly implement such projects. It is against this background that this study seeks to explore and analyse the relevant and applicable regional, sub–regional and national legal frameworks applicable to community involvement with regard to biodiversity conservation. / Thesis (LL.M. (Environmental Law))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The North-West University (NWU) is an example of an organization that has a social responsibity towards the community and the environment within which it finds itself (Van Schalkwyk, 2013). One of the social responsibility programmes of the NWU-Pukke is known as the Students’ Rag Community Service (SRCS). The SRCS is a registered NPO (non-profit organization) which is run by the students of the NWU Potchefstroom Campus and which has been in existence since 1992 in its present form. In this study it is argued that the SRCS developmental projects could be offered in a more effective and sustainable manner by implementing the basic principles of the participatory approach, viz. Participation, dialogue, empowerment and cultural identity in order to support the local communities in their developmental processes. For the present study the focus was solely on one of the SRCS projects, the Pick a leader-leadership development project. This project has the aim of providing in the developmental needs of ten to fifteen Grade 11 learners in three schools in the North West Province (Potchefstrom and the surrounding communities in Ikageng). Thus project participants (learners) are instructed in basic skills about starting their own businesses (entrepreneurship); how to develop their leadership skills and to apply these skills, and how to be able to use basic life skills in their everyday lives. Various theoreticians have explained how NPO’s without participatory communication are seldom successful in terms of developmental initiatives. The learners can only develop if the relevant roleplayers of the project take ownership of the project by also being able to communicate in a participatory manner about their specific needs with both the NPO and the project volunteers. The NWU-Pukke volunteers, who manage this particular project, therefore have the responsibility to communicate in a participatory manner with the relevant learners, their teachers and then also the different principals to make the project succeed and to contribute to the realization of the developmental needs of the learners. The general research aim of the study had been to determine the nature of the communication among interest groups in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme of the SRCS. Qualitiative research methods, viz. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation, were used in this study for purposes of making making a thorough investigation into the nature of the communication among those involved in the Pick a leader leadership development programme. The purpose of this was to determine perspectives about the project held by the persons involved (but especially those of the learners) and to interpret these in line with the normative theoretical principles of the participatory approach to developmental communication. It was ultimately found that the communication in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme was mostly one-way. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The North-West University (NWU) is an example of an organization that has a social responsibity towards the community and the environment within which it finds itself (Van Schalkwyk, 2013). One of the social responsibility programmes of the NWU-Pukke is known as the Students’ Rag Community Service (SRCS). The SRCS is a registered NPO (non-profit organization) which is run by the students of the NWU Potchefstroom Campus and which has been in existence since 1992 in its present form. In this study it is argued that the SRCS developmental projects could be offered in a more effective and sustainable manner by implementing the basic principles of the participatory approach, viz. Participation, dialogue, empowerment and cultural identity in order to support the local communities in their developmental processes. For the present study the focus was solely on one of the SRCS projects, the Pick a leader-leadership development project. This project has the aim of providing in the developmental needs of ten to fifteen Grade 11 learners in three schools in the North West Province (Potchefstrom and the surrounding communities in Ikageng). Thus project participants (learners) are instructed in basic skills about starting their own businesses (entrepreneurship); how to develop their leadership skills and to apply these skills, and how to be able to use basic life skills in their everyday lives. Various theoreticians have explained how NPO’s without participatory communication are seldom successful in terms of developmental initiatives. The learners can only develop if the relevant roleplayers of the project take ownership of the project by also being able to communicate in a participatory manner about their specific needs with both the NPO and the project volunteers. The NWU-Pukke volunteers, who manage this particular project, therefore have the responsibility to communicate in a participatory manner with the relevant learners, their teachers and then also the different principals to make the project succeed and to contribute to the realization of the developmental needs of the learners. The general research aim of the study had been to determine the nature of the communication among interest groups in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme of the SRCS. Qualitiative research methods, viz. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation, were used in this study for purposes of making making a thorough investigation into the nature of the communication among those involved in the Pick a leader leadership development programme. The purpose of this was to determine perspectives about the project held by the persons involved (but especially those of the learners) and to interpret these in line with the normative theoretical principles of the participatory approach to developmental communication. It was ultimately found that the communication in the Pick a leader-leadership development programme was mostly one-way. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Southern Sotho / The purpose of this study was to develop a best practice corporate community involvement disclosures (CCID) framework for JSE-listed organisations in South Africa. An analysis of the literature underscored the need for quality CCID and revealed the paucity of research on this topic. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach employing three research stages. Firstly, an initial CCID framework was constructed on the basis of a content and document analysis of top-performing JSE-listed organisations. Secondly, 30 CCI experts refined and validated the CCID framework through semi-structured interviews. The developed CCID framework comprised 36 specific disclosure items in nine general disclosure categories. Thirdly, the CCID framework was applied to 116 corporate reports, including the integrated reports, sustainability reports and corporate webpages of 20 JSE-listed companies for the years 2015 to 2017. The findings indicated that the sample of JSE-listed organisations disclose some aspects of CCI in their corporate reports. However, there is no consistent reporting framework, and a number of CCID items were under-disclosed according to the CCI expert “best practice” to meet stakeholder expectations. In both the integrated and sustainability reports, general category 2, CCI strategy, and general category 4, CCI projects, were the best-performing categories. General category 8, Evidence of CCI, was one of the best-performing categories disclosed in the sustainability reports and on the corporate webpages. General category 5, Relevant regulatory measures, general category 6, CCI benefits/business value creation, and general category 7, Assurance of CCI reporting, contained no or limited CCID. The development of the CCID framework resonated with stakeholder theory, while the findings on the application of the CCID framework supported the theoretical perspectives of legitimacy theory. In addition to the identified legitimising drivers, the findings suggested that local tensions and expectations are impacting on CCID in South Africa. The findings of this study provide useful insights into CCID practices, guidelines and the quality of CCID. It is unique because it is the first of its kind to develop and apply a CCID framework in South Africa. The findings have a number of implications for stakeholders, corporate managers, regulators and policymakers in South Africa and internationally. / Die doel van hierdie studie was om ’n raamwerk van beste praktykte te ontwikkel vir korporatiewe gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid-openbaarmakings (KGBO) vir JSE-genoteerde organisasies in Suid-Afrika. ʼn Ontleding van die literatuur het die behoefte aan gehalte-KGBO beklemtoon en die gebrek aan navorsing oor hierdie onderwerp aan die lig gebring. Die studie het ’n gemengdemetode-benadering gevolg wat drie navorsingstadiums gebruik het. Eerstens is ʼn aanvanklike KGBO-raamwerk op die grondslag van ’n inhoud-en-dokument-ontleding van bes presterende JSE-genoteerde organisasies saamgestel. Tweedens het 30 KGB-kundiges die KGBO-raamwerk deur middel van halfgestruktureerde onderhoude verfyn en geldig verklaar. Die ontwikkelde KGBO-raamwerk het 36 spesifieke openbaarmaking-items in nege algemene openbaarmakingkategorieë bevat. Derdens is die KGBO-raamwerk toegepas op 116 korporatiewe verslae, insluitend die geïntegreerde verslae, volhoubaarheidsverslae en korporatiewe webbladsye van 20 JSE-genoteerde maatskappye vir die jare 2015 tot 2017. Die bevindings het aangetoon dat die monster van JSE-genoteerde organisasies enkele aspekte van KGBO in hul korporatiewe verslae openbaar het. Daar is egter nie ’n konsekwente verslagdoeningsraamwerk nie, en volgens die KGB-bestepraktykkundige is ’n aantal KGBO-items onderverklaar om aan belanghebbers se verwagtinge te voldoen. In sowel die geïntegreerde as volhoubaarheidsverslae was die algemene kategorie 2, KGB-strategie, en algemene kategorie 4, KGB-projekte, die bes presterende kategorieë. Algemene kategorie 8, Bewys van KGB, was een van die bes presterende kategorieë wat in die volhoubaarheidsverslae en op die korporatiewe webbladsye openbaar gemaak is. Algemene kategorie 5, Relevante regulatiewe maatreëls, algemene kategorie 6, KGB-voordele/besigheidswaarde-skepping, en algemene kategorie 7, Gerusstelling van KGB-verslagdoening, het geen of beperkte KGBO bevat. Die ontwikkeling van die KGBO-raamwerk het by die belanghebberteorie aanklank gevind, terwyl die bevindings van die toepassing van die KGBO-raamwerk die teoretiese perspektiewe van die egtheidsteorie gesteun het. Benewens die geïdentifiseerde egtheidsaandrywers het die bevindings daarop gesinspeel dat plaaslike spanning en verwagtinge ’n uitwerking op KGBO in Suid-Afrika het. Die bevindings van hierdie studie verskaf nuttige insigte in KGBO-praktyke, -riglyne en die gehalte van KGBO. Dit is uniek omdat dit die eerste keer is dat ’n KGBO-raamwerk in Suid-Afrika ontwikkel en toegepas word. Die bevindings het ’n aantal implikasies vir belanghebbendes, korporatiewe bestuurders, reguleerders en beleidmakers in Suid-Afrika en internasionaal. / Morero wa thutelo ye e be e le go tšweletša tlhako ya maitokiši a kaonekaone a dikutollo tša seabe sa dikgwebo setšhabeng (CCID) ya mekgatlo ye e lego lenaneong la JSE ka Afrika Borwa. Tshekatsheko ya dingwalo e gatelela tlhokego ya CCID ye e nago le mohola gape e utollotše nyakišišo ye e sa lekanago ka ga hlogotaba ye. Thutelo e tšere mokgwatebelelo wa mekgwa ye e tswakantšwego ka go diriša magato a mararo a dinyakišišo. Sa mathomo, tlhako ya mathomo ya CCID e hlamilwe go ya ka tshekatsheko ya diteng le tokomane tša mekgatlo ye e lego lenaneong la JSE yeo e šomago gabotse. Sa bobedi, ditsebi tša CCI tše 30 di kaonafaditše le go laetša boleng bja tlhako ya CCID ka mokgwa wa dipotšišo tšeo di sa latelego lenaneo leo le itšeng. Tlhako ya CCID ye e tšweleditšwego pele e dirilwe ke dintlha tša kutollo tše itšeng tše 36 magorong a kakaretšo a kutollo a senyane. Sa boraro, tlhako ya CCID e phethagaditšwe go dipego tša kgwebo tše 116, go akaretšwa dipego tše di kopantšwego, dipego tšeo di fago tshedimošo ka ga boemo bja tšwelelo ya kgwebo le matlakala a wepo a dikhamphani tše 20 tšeo di lego lenaneong la JSE mengwageng ya 2015 go fihla 2017 Dikhwetšo di šupile gore sampolo ya mekgatlo yeo e lego lenaneong la JSE e utollotše dintlha tše dingwe tša CCI dipegong tša tšona tša kgwebo. Le ge go le bjalo, ga go tlhako ya go bega ye e sa fetogego, gomme dintlha tše mmalwa tša CCID di utollotšwe ka mo go sa lekanago go ya ka “maitokišo a makaonekaone” a ditsebi tša CCI go kgotsofatša ditetelo tša bakgahlegi. Ka go dipego tše kopantšwego le tšeo di fago tshedimošo ka ga maemo a tšwelelo ya kgwebo, legoro la 2 la kakaretšo, le legoro la 4 la kakaretšo, diprotšeke tša CCI, di bile magoro ao a šomilego gabotse. Legoro la 8 la kakaretšo, Evidence of CCI, e bile ye nngwe ya magoro ao a šomilego gabotse ao a utollotšwego ka go dipego tšeo di fago tshedimošo ka ga boemo bja tšwelelo ya kgwebo le go matlakala a wepo a kgwebo. Legoro la 5 la kakaretšo 5, Relevant regulatory measures, legoro la 6 la kakaretšo 6, CCI benefits/business value creation, le legoro la 7 la kakaretšo, Assurance of CCI reporting, di be di se na le goba le CCID ya bogolo bjo beetšwego mellwane. Tšwetšopele ya tlhako ya CCID e kwana le mekgwaboitshwaro bolaoding bja kgwebo, mola dikhwetšo go tirišo ya tlhako ya CCID e thekga tebelelo ya ditlhalošo tša diteori tša go dira go ya ka mekgwa ya boitshwaro ya setšhabeng. Go tlaleletša go ditlhohleletši tše di šupilwego tša go amogelwa ka semolao, dikhwetšo di šišintše gore dithulano le ditetelo tša selegae di na le khuetšo go CCID ka Afrika Borwa. Dikhwetšo tša thutelo ye di fa ditshedimošo tše di ka thušago tša ditlwaetšo tša CCID, mekgwatlhahli le mohola wa CCID. Ke ya moswananoši ka gobane ke ya mathomo ya mohuta wa yona go tšweletša le go diriša tlhako ya CCID ka Afrika Borwa. Dikhwetšo di na le ditlamorago tše mmalwa go batho bao ba nago le dikgahlego, balaodi ba dikgwebo, basepetši go ya ka molao le badiramelaotshepetšo ka Afrika Borwa le kemong ya boditšhabatšhaba. / Management Accounting / D. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)