A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012 / Community development in rural areas is under stress due to numerous setbacks such as theft, neglect, and lack of skills from the community to support development initiatives. The municipality remains the only relevant government institution that could deal with this unsustainable nature of community development by establishing an effective partnership with rural communities. In principle partnerships offer many advantages including that of sustainability of community development infrastructures. This study demonstrates that municipality has a valuable role to play in dealing with sustainability of community development. The study emphasises that both the municipality officials and the community should acquire relevant skills that would promote sustainable community development. The study was descriptive, exploratory and qualitative in nature. A survey questionnaire containing both qualitative and quantitative questions was used to collect the data from the respondents. The findings in this study indicate that the rural communities in Mandeni municipality are not empowered by the partnership between them and the municipality. The municipality is also experiencing a shortage of personnel and appropriate specialists to facilitate mentorship programmes for the rural communities on sustainable community development. In the study respondents also indicated that a partnership is necessary to empower a rural community on sustainable community development provided the community and municipality officials are trained adequately. Partnerships will increasingly become a popular approach to government-community relations, from this perspective there is a hope for improved services for communities in rural areas.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: STUDY AIM The aim of the study is to explore the psychosocial characteristics of HIV positive clients who are yet to achieve viral load suppression after six months of commencing ARV at Sundumbili CHC in order to plan positive intervention strategies. RESEARCH DESIGN Non-experimental quantitative design was used in carrying out the study. The data was collected through retrieval of information from clinic records and completion of questionnaires to clients on ARV who met the inclusion criteria and consented to participating in the study. A total of 51 adults aged more than 18 years that were initiated in 2010/2011 and still access their treatment at Sundumbili CHC were enrolled into the study. They were selected through convenience sampling. FINDINGS Psychosocial challenges still exist among research participants whose viral load results were not suppressed after six months on ARV. This affected the adherence of some of them to their antiretroviral treatment. CONCLUSION Given the rural nature of Sundumbili and surroundings where the bulk of the patients reside, there are several psychosocial challenges affecting the patients. No known previous study has been undertaken to ascertain the psychosocial characteristics of this group of patients and the impact they may have on viral load suppression after six months of treatment. The study is therefore significant as the findings have provided more insight into the plight of the patients. It is envisaged that the recommendations from the study will assist the relevant management staff in the department in planning and subsequently implementing more positive intervention strategies. The strategies should be targeted at improving the quality of care of the HIV positive clients and attending to their psychosocial needs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: STUDIEDOELWIT Die doel van die studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die psigososiale kenmerke van MIV-positiewe kliënte wie se virustellings ná ses maande van antiretrovirale (ARV) behandeling by die gemeenskapsgesondheidsentrum op Sundumbili steeds nie onder beheer was nie, ten einde positiewe intervensiestrategieë te beplan. NAVORSINGSONTWERP ’n Nie-eksperimentele kwantitatiewe ontwerp is gebruik om die studie te onderneem. Die data is ingesamel deur die herwinning van inligting uit klinieklêers sowel as die afneem van vraelyste onder kliënte op ARV’s wat aan die insluitingsmaatstawwe voldoen en tot deelname aan die studie toegestem het. Altesaam 51 volwassenes bo die ouderdom van 18 wat in 2010/2011 met ARV behandeling begin het en dit steeds by Sundumbili-gemeenskapsgesondheidsentrum ontvang, is in die studie opgeneem. Dié groep is deur middel van geriefsteekproefneming gekies. BEVINDINGE Psigososiale uitdagings was steeds te bespeur by navorsingsdeelnemers wie se virustellings nog nie ná ses maande op ARV’s onder beheer was nie. Dit het sommige se behandelingsgetrouheid beïnvloed. GEVOLGTREKKING In die lig van die landelike aard van Sundumbili en omgewing, waar die meeste van die pasiënte woon, kom pasiënte voor verskeie psigososiale uitdagings te staan. Daar is klaarblyklik nog nooit vantevore ’n studie onderneem om die psigososiale kenmerke van hierdie groep pasiënte, en die moontlike impak daarvan op die onderdrukking van virustellings ná ses maande van behandeling, te bepaal nie. Hierdie studie is dus waardevol, aangesien die bevindinge groter insig in die lot van die pasiënte bied. Daar word beoog dat die aanbevelings uit die studie tersaaklike bestuurspersoneel in die Departement van Gesondheid sal help om meer positiewe intervensiestrategieë te beplan en gevolglik in werking te stel. Die strategieë behoort daarop afgestem te wees om die gehalte van sorglewering aan MIV-positiewe kliënte te verbeter en in hul psigososiale behoeftes te voorsien.