The study investigates the role of women in development which is a favourite topic of the researcher. It investigates some aspects of the process of development involving women. It is obvious that the research was provoked by the legal framework directed at the transformation agenda that represents the democratic process of the country. The role of women, in other sectors, who were excluded from issues of community management, politics and government of the country, became obvious for the researcher due to their strategic role in society which is being undermined. The above view poses the challenge of power-sharing with men. This constituted a huge challenge that emanated from a stereotypical perspective and the fear of the unknown. Considerable pieces of legislation, policies, convention resolutions, conferences and publications became catalysts to intervene in the traditional challenge based on the societal construction. This, to the researcher, presents a clear historical anomaly where government has to address all the streamlining and implementation of policies. There should be sustainability through an Integrated Development Plan. The aim of the historical background of women, as envisaged by the study, is to highlight a contextualised role of women in the development of the transformation process and investigate numerous reasons that impede participation and the readiness of government in addressing these issues. Some questions that the researcher had to as relate to; What the impediments causing non-participation of women are; What elements contribute to the participation of women; What government strategies have unlocked non-participation of women; Why women’s contribution is critical to development; What strategies are deployed by government for women’s involvement? What the socio-economic benefits of participation by women are. It is the researcher’s opinion that the municipality should be complimented on its endeavours. However, they need to establish a strategic programme for empowering women to participate in development as a human rights issue.

This research addressed the study of entry strategies by Chinese sports-shoe manufacturers into the South African sports-shoe market. The goal of this research is to investigate what are the appropriate entry strategies for Chinese sports-shoe companies to enter the South African sports-shoe market. A Chinese sports-shoe company, Li Ning Limited, was used as a case study to illustrate the methods to explore appropriate entry strategies. The research methodology included: {u10007A} A literature study to explore the popular entry strategies used to enter the South African and also global markets was conducted. In addition, the South African and Chinese market environments were investigated. {u10007A} An empirical study, a survey of sports-shoe customers and sports-shoe shops owners, was done in order to explore the advisable entry strategies for Chinese sports-shoe companies to enter the South African sports-shoe market. According to the literature study as well as the empirical study, the research explored some advisable entry strategies for Chinese sports-shoe companies into the South African domain.

The informal economy in South Africa and other parts of the continent is a safe haven for many who are unable to find jobs in the formal sector of the economy. In the case of South Africa, it is not only the nationals of the country who are striving to survive and generate their income from this sector. Since 1994, the country has experienced a huge influx of immigrants from other parts of the continent some escaping from dire living conditions in their home countries and looking for better life opportunities while many others were forced to migrate from their own countries as a result of political unrest and lack of stability and security. Among these later example is the Somali community who are the subject matter of this study. Many of these mainly African immigrants including Somalis got involved themselves in the informal sector of the South Africa. This has increased the competition in this sector and caused clashes between South Africans and immigrants who were also involved in the sector. This study examines the involvement of the Somali immigrants in South Africa’s informal sector. The study is exploratory in nature and tried to find the surrounding factors that impacted on the involvement of Somalis in the informal economy of Motherwell. The study has found that Somalis who arrived in Motherwell are generally young unmarried men who were attracted to the area mainly because there were affordable business opportunities in the township. Somalis financed their businesses through various resources including their savings from working while working inside and outside South Africa and from the contributions by their families and friends. Despite facing high levels of crime where many Somalis were killed and their property looted, they are still determined to stay in the township. This can be shown by their high level of savings and their intention to invest in the township. Although this research does not aim to be comparative in nature, personal and business characteristics of Somalis as well as South Africans who are also involved in the sector vii were compared. Because of this comparison, it has became clear that though price is an important factor in the business competition between the two groups, it is not the only factor, neither the most important, that creates friction and the shift of loyalty of customers from one side to another. Quality of service, the number of the people working in the business, responsibility towards the area the business serves, the strictness or the leniency towards customers who want to buy but are short of money and many other factors created a friendly atmosphere between the businesses run by the Somalis and their customers. The study showed that some of the Somali as well South African business owners were of this view. Although the vast majority of the Somalis have a minimum level of education, they still contribute positively to the economy of the township and the greater Nelson Mandela Bay. This is done through renting business premises, paying both direct and indirect taxes and taking the business services to remote areas of Motherwell. The study suggests that there is a need to sooth the relationship between the two groups particularly between Somalis and South Africans who are involved in grocery businesses through meetings, seminars, and other get-together activities. This can be done by South African Police Service, Somali Association of South Africa in Korsten, community elders from both sides and other concerned government institutions as well as the academic institutions particularly Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The business skills of both groups need to be uplifted in order to maximise their profitability and contribution to the people in the area.

The increase of motor vehicles, especially in cities, cause transport problems of traffic congestion, vehicle accidents, air pollution and a lack of public spaces. The increasing number of motor vehicles consumes huge amounts of finite petrol energy and emits large amounts of gases that are harmful to the atmosphere and the natural environment. Therefore, the current road transport network is not a sustainable form of public transport for the future. In order to seek a suitable transportation mode, the Infrastructure and Engineering Business Unit of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) did some feasibility studies about light rail transit (LRT) from 1984 to 1988. The NMBM-report (1988: 8) concluded that a LRT system would provide the most suitable and primary mode to serve Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). Although LRT was regarded as the most suitable primary mode of transport at that time (1988), further studies that were reported in 2006 recommended an alternative public transportation system. This research refers to these studies done for the NMB area and other studies and reports for other areas, but focus on the identification of the most suitable civil engineering components for a conceptual elevated light rail transit (ELRT) model. Electrical driven LRT systems have advantages over internal-combustion driven vehicles in terms of environmental protection. Traditional LRT systems are at ground level and are integrated with the existing road network. Some successful LRT systems indicate that the success of LRT systems is mainly dependent on integration with the existing road network. However, the integration of road transport systems with LRT systems cause increased congestion and accidents. An ELRT system can solve these problems. Bangkok has already built an ELRT system to solve its severe traffic congestion. 4 In order to develop a conceptual ELRT model, this research aimed to determine the most suitable civil engineering components for a conceptual ELRT model, including: (i) the most suitable type of bridge foundation; (ii) the most suitable type bridge girder; (iii) the most suitable type of sleeper; and (iv) whether the track should be a ballasted or non-ballasted type. The grounded theory approach was adopted to build up sets of data from which the most suitable components could be selected. In addition, design analyses were done of the various types of components to determine their suitability for a conceptual ELRT model. Experienced engineers and experts were also consulted to identify the most suitable components. After analyses and selection of the most suitable components, outstanding experts were approached to evaluate the components that showed up as the most suitable through the research. The research results indicated that bored and cast-in-place piles, a double-cell trapezoidal segmental box girder, and twin-block sleepers on a non-ballasted sleeper bed are the most suitable civil engineering components.

Construction management competencies are essential to realise sound practices among and to realise optimum performance by, inter alia, emerging civil engineering contractors. Such competencies enable a clear focus on the business of construction and the management of projects, with increased efficiency and reduced costs as a benefit. The objective of the MSc (Built Environment) treatise study were to determine the current practices and performance of emerging civil engineering construction contractors operating in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole. The descriptive method was adopted in the empirical study. The salient findings of the study are: most of the emerging civil engineering construction contracting organisations lack construction management competencies; construction resources are inappropriately managed leading to construction failures; most of the emerging civil engineering construction contracting organisations lack adequate supervision resulting to poor workmanship; there is a shortage of skilled labour amongst emerging civil engineering construction contractors; procurement processes are inappropriate leading to under capacitated emerging civil engineering construction contracting organisations being awarded contracts; most emerging civil engineering construction contracting organisations lack the requisite aptitude for construction; there is a lack of capacity at all management levels of emerging civil engineering construction organisations in managing the business of construction and that of projects; the nine functions of organisations are not comprehensively represented, and self-ratings indicate inadequacy relative to the management function of control, and relative to certain activities of the organising function. Conclusions include that emerging civil engineering construction contracting organisations need to be comprised of technical teams that possess adequate competencies and that use the construction technology to its full use enabling their organisations to stay abreast of their competitors. Recommendations that can contribute towards improving the status quo include: formal civil engineering and construction management education, resources must be present and training should be promoted throughout the industry at all levels of management to ensure proper supervision and correct use of adequately trained labour, skilled or semi-skilled, incapacitated emerging civil engineering construction contractors should be awarded contracts through appropriately and structured procurement procedures, adequate aptitude in construction should be promoted and enhanced in order to realise conceptualisation and visualisation capabilities, comply with legislation, maintain records and communicate using state of the art technology, optimally manage the finances, have the requisite resources and undertake the work efficiently, interact with the respective publics, and market the organisation to ensure sustainability thereof.

This research study has been conducted to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of out-of-school youth regarding their access to the youth services available to them. A qualitative approach is followed and an exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design is utilized. The sample of the study was procured by means of purposive sampling. Data were collected by means of focus group discussions which were conducted using a questioning guide. Data were analysed according to the steps for qualitative data analysis provided by Tesch in Creswell (1994). To ensure the trustworthiness of the research findings, Guba’s model in Krefting (1991) was employed. The research findings were verified against the existing body of knowledge in order to compare and contrast the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the process of data analysis. The main themes that emerged from the study are lack of knowledge regarding available services, Needs or desires of out-of-school youth, hindrances or obstacles to access available youth services, suggestions for services relevant to needs of out-of-school youth and suggestions to make out-of-school youth aware of available services.

Two developments that may impact house prices have dominated the residential property landscape in South Africa in recent years, namely government’s planned social housing developments and residential property value assessments carried out by local municipalities across South Africa for property tax purposes. Social housing developments are often plagued by “local opposition”, who argue that subsidised housing units may have a negative effect on adjacent non-subsidised residential housing. Negative preconceptions of social housing form the basis of this argument, which is commonly referred to as the “not-in-my-backyard” (NIMBY) syndrome. International studies conducted have, however, produced mixed results with some concluding that social housing developments lead to a reduction in nearby property prices, whilst others conclude that they lead to an improvement in surrounding property values. Currently, the state of the South African economy and demographics are limiting previously disadvantaged, poor peoples’ access to affordable and safe housing, and for this reason the basis of the NIMBY rationale deserves closer attention. In order to test the validity of the NIMBY rationale, this study examines, by means of the hedonic price method, the effect of an existing housing establishment catering for low-income earners (the Walmer/Gqebera Township) on adjacent property values in the suburb of Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape. The study concludes that the low-cost housing development exerts a negative impact on the property values of nearby houses - the average owner of a non-subsidised residential property in Walmer would be willing to pay between R38 033 and R46 898 to be situated 200 metres further away from the Walmer Township. This conclusion is subject to three qualifications. The first is that the Walmer Township is not a recognised social housing development but merely a proxy for one. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used in this study and only one social housing development was considered. The third qualification is that the study period is from 1995 to 2009, which necessitated the adjustment of market prices to constant 2009 rands. For this purpose, data from the Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage section of the ABSA house price indices were used. It was not possible to disaggregate the indices further to obtain a Walmer-specific index. It is possible that an imperfect correlation exists between the Walmer property trend and the metropolitan (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) trend used in this study. Based on the results of this doctoral investigation it is recommended that a monthly rebate on property rates of between R269.40 and R332.19 be implemented for affected Walmer residents. This amount could be sufficient to mitigate the capital loss associated with proximity to the Walmer Township. In terms of the management of social housing projects, it is strongly recommended that the following occur in order to alleviate the NIMBY syndrome: existing dwellings should be renovated, tenants should be monitored, dwellings should be appropriately designed and maintained, the composition of the host neighbourhood should be assessed and the image of social housing should be improved. With regard to the renovation of dwellings, social housing site preference should be given to existing structures in need of renovation, as positive externalities are associated with the renovation of such properties. The monitoring of tenants needs to take place in order to ensure that the financial and behavioural obligations of the tenants are met, and that informal “shack dwellings” do not materialise on site, and finally, that tenant default rates remain low. The appropriate management of these projects will also aid in combating the perception that social housing developments lead to private residential property devaluation. In respect of residential property value assessments, many homeowners have recently argued that there is very little equivalence between the municipality’s valuations and true market values. This study uses, inter alia, the hedonic price model to investigate the accuracy of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s 2007/2008 valuation roll. The investigation was limited to the valuation roll applicable to the Walmer neighbourhood. The study finds that there is, on average, a 13.89 percent difference between market prices and the 2007/2008 municipal assessed values. In addition, this study finds that an attributebased hedonic price model produces property price predictions that are more in line with true market values. This finding is subject to two qualifications. The first qualification is that only the Walmer neighbourhood’s assessed values were considered, thus limiting the findings. The second qualification is that a relatively small data set was used.

This study sought to investigate the extent to which Ward Councillors executed their Constitutional and developmental mandate to enhance basic service delivery in relation to the National Urban Renewal Programme (NURP). For practical purposes, a case study approach was chosen, using Motherwell in Nelson Mandela Bay as the specific area of focus. Motherwell was declared by the national government as one of eight nodal zones for urban renewal in South Africa. The Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, states that the injustices of the past have to be addressed and those who suffered for justice and freedom in the country should be honoured. The results of the 1994 national and 1995 local government elections marked a political breakthrough in South African politics. The new democratic and social reconstruction agenda necessitated the transformation of the legislative framework in various areas. In this study, the role of Ward Councillors was interrogated and investigated to establish whether the Urban Renewal Programme had benefited the Motherwell community in Nelson Mandela Bay in accessing basic services. In this regard, a legislative framework regulates and guides municipal Councillors in performing their developmental duties to achieve local government developmental outcomes. The legislative prescriptions that underpin the operations and activities of municipal Councillors in delivering public services to citizens and in ensuring the effective and efficient implementation of government policies generally, and the Motherwell Urban Renewal Programme in particular, were examined and interrogated. An overview of the National Urban Renewal Programme was presented. The legislative framework underpinning the Urban Renewal Programme was also reviewed. The study concluded with a number of recommendations based on the findings of the literature, legislative reviews and an empirical survey.

Greater access to education for many South Africans is inextricably linked to the development of the country and its collective ability to deal with the many socio– economic challenges it presently faces. The availability of financial aid at Higher Education Institutions to support financially needy and academically deserving students as part of a comprehensive programme to address the need for skills development, socio–economic backlogs and imbalances that exist in the country is supported by various Government Departments, private donors and Higher Education Institutions. Financial Aid Offices responsible for the distribution of both public and private donor funding, face various challenges at South African universities in their endeavours to render quality service and prompt service delivery to their clients, the students who are the recipients of this funding. The present study attempts to identify the most important service quality dimensions relevant to effective and efficient service delivery in the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Furthermore, this study aims to assess the performance of the Financial Aid Office to provide possible recommendations with a view to improving service delivery at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Against this background, the primary objective of this study is to measure financial aid students’ perceptions of service quality with a Financial Aid Office at a Higher Education Institution and estimate the effect these perceptions have on service delivery. All bursary and loan awardees from 2008, that is, only students who were successful in their financial aid applications for 2008, were invited to collect and complete a questionnaire at the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. v The measuring instrument used was a self-administered, structured questionnaire divided into two sections. Section A measured service quality perceptions of the Financial Aid Office of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Section B measured personal data of the respondents. A total of 500 questionnaires was distributed of which 228 were returned, yielding a final sample of 204 that could be statistically analysed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the empirical results. Overall, the results show that respondents were, by and large, satisfied with the service rendered by the Financial Aid Office at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Thus, perceptions of the five service quality dimensions measured in this study were favourable, implying that respondents did not have any major problems with the present service offering of the Financial Aid Office. It is important to note that while these results indicate favourable perceptions of service quality of the Financial Aid office at one point in time, they will not necessarily be permanent. The Financial Aid Office must therefore ensure that it continues to build on this valuable strength. Specifically, the Financial Aid Office should continue delivering this level of quality of service and concentrate on improving the service quality of the items in the questionnaire with the lowest mean scores. Service quality is an important construct and needs to be assessed in Financial Aid Offices to ensure the desired outcome of producing more graduates, especially from financially needy and academically deserving backgrounds. Students, as customers, deserve the best service, as they would expect from any other service provider such as a bank or a supermarket. The strengths of this Financial Aid Office can serve to assist other universities in providing a positive student experience through the delivery of a quality service.

Income generating projects represent one strategy adopted by the Department of Social Development to alleviate poverty. The purpose of this study is to explore challenges of an income generating project funded by the Department of Social Development in Kwa-Nobuhle, Uitenhage of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa., A sample of thirty respondents was drawn from ten income generating projects funded by the Department of Social Development. The sampling method of this study was purposive sampling. Data was gathered through semi-structured questionnaires. Related literature has been reviewed that focuses on income generating projects for poverty alleviation. Various recommendations have been made on the findings of the study. The findings of the study indicated the need for regular visits from the officials of the Department, to conduct monitoring and evaluation. Project members also need training on financial management so they cannot mismanage their finances. The research findings indicated clearly that strategies that were used by the Department were not effective enough to achieve desired goals of poverty alleviation.