A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2015 / This study paper examined community development as a strategy to alleviate poverty in Nkandla by examining the community development programmes in place and their effectiveness in alleviating poverty. According to the 1996 population census, some 135 000 people live in the Nkandla District. Out of these, 57% are females and 61% of households are headed by women. Over 14% of the population is under the age of five, and 46% of the population is aged 14 years and under. An evaluative study was undertaken to research the effectiveness (which is the outcome, importance, meaning and efficiency), the relationship between the “input” and “output”, and the two considerations being utilised in poverty alleviation programmes, as part of community development strategy to alleviate poverty in the area. According to the Millennium Goals Report (2005:6), overcoming poverty and hunger is possible because the causes of poverty have been analyzed intensively by the World Bank and by other organisations but poverty still persists. The poverty programmes to determine the nature and the extent of poverty in Nkandla, the copying mechanisms of the locals, the eradication processes which are implemented, and the level of participation by community members, the effectiveness of community poverty in Nkandla were all evaluated in this study. The sample for this research consisted of 50 respondents who were either direct or indirect beneficiaries of community development programmes in the Nkandla Municipality. Data were gathered via face to face interviews and the semi- structured questionnaires were administered to respondents.

Food security exists when the issue of poverty is addressed. Simultaneous access to different forms of capital ensures sustainable livelihoods. On the other hand, food insecurity is interwoven in unemployment and illiteracy, especially amongst adult women. Food insecurity is also deeply rooted in the lack of access to food and non-availability. This compromises the livelihoods within communities The study is concerned with the current state of poverty that remains stagnant, bringing about food insecurity, despite the food security campaigns that have been launched in South Africa. The aim of the study is to establish whether the ‘One Home One Garden’ campaign is unique compared to other campaigns in trying to fight food insecurity. It further inquires about access to the resources necessary to make gardens a sustainable source of livelihood. In order to fulfil these inquiries, qualitative research was undertaken at Nkandla in a section called eQhudeni within two subsections, Nsingabantu and Mjonisini. This research was based on the examination of the impact of the ‘One Home One Garden’ campaign as a poverty alleviation strategy. The study found that poverty, which contributes to food insecurity, has not been addressed by the campaign. Households suffer from chronic food insecurity given the high levels of poverty in the area. ‘The One Home One Garden’ campaign is not sustainable because it does not address the holistic needs of gardening, such as access to organic seeds and water and furthermore it is in any case seasonal. Research obtained showed that people’s perceptions are that the seeds are genetically modified based on the appearance of the produce, and also that they do not reproduce. The study viewed home gardens as a tool capable of addressing food insecurities, but, highlighted that it does not fully address all aspects, rather it upholds that poverty needs to be tackled holistically. In addition, it emphasises that for people to have a sustainable livelihood there should be designated market places from which they can sell their produce. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Community Work) in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014 / The study focused on the implementation of a developmental approach to social welfare service delivery at Nkandla. It intended to establish whether or not existing service providers implement a developmental approach to community development initiatives with aim of developing and empowering individuals. It further looked at the extent to which local communities participate or do not participate in public affairs. The findings revealed that, the majority of people view the government departments’ system of governance as unresponsive to the societal needs. Lack of effective communication mechanisms between the officials and the communities appears to be the main factor. Communities are hardly consulted for planned initiatives as a result projects are just implemented not really looking at the felt needs. People at the grassroots level do not have knowledge on how government structures function. This makes it difficult for them to have meaningful and effective means of participation. All the undesirable effects outlined above, provide a sound and compelling basis for the strictly implementation of the developmental approach or the available policies for the benefit of the community at large. Lastly on the basis of this study, the critical recommendation was a need to change the mindset of government departments’ officials in order to involve communities more seriously.

Submitted to the Facu1ty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand, 1982. / Old age is a neglected area of anthropological research despite the widespread interest in the human life cycle that has characterized much work within the discipline.- With the notable exception of the early pioneering work of Simmons, the anthropological literature on old age in preliterate cultures is sparse, with little attention having been devoted either to the collection of ethnographic data or to the formulation of gerontological theory. As Clerk observes: 'If one is to judge from typical anthropological accounts, the span of years between the achievement of adult status and one's funerary rites is either an ethnographic vacuum or a vast monotonous plateau of invariable behavior. Maxwell & Silverman hold the same opinion: 'Anthropologists have not, on the whole, shown much interest in ageing. With few exceptions, ethnographic reports seem to mention the. aged only in passing, if at all, and then only in the context of quite general statements. One of the reasons to which they attribute this neglect is the distaste with which old age is viewed in our culture. The aged tend to suffer from physical or mental disabilities which are unpleasant to contemplate; death is imminent; and the role of the aged in culture is ostensibly less distinctive than that of younger men and women.