The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (28 of 2002) (MPRDA) and the accompanied Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter aimed to rectify previous inequalities and disadvantages in the mining sector and specifically provide for the inclusion of women in core mining activities. According to the Act and the Charter, the mining industry was supposed to reach a quota of 10% women in core mining activities by 2009. The amendment of the Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining and Minerals Industry (launched in 2010) set further requirements in terms of employment equity targets; the Charter requires a 40% historically disadvantaged South African representation in core and critical skills by 2015. Although well intended, the establishment of gender equality in the male-dominant mining sector remains one of the biggest equity challenges in the country and numerous problems accompany the deployment of women in core mining activities. Against this background, the main objective of the study was to critically analyse gender issues in the mining sector and to subsequently develop a conceptual framework that will enable the mining sector to contribute to and ensure the sustainable employment of women in the mining sector. A literature review was done, firstly to provide an understanding of persistent inequalities in society and the workplace, and secondly to gain an in-depth understanding of the variables that have an impact on women in the world of work in general and in the mining sector specifically. An empirical study was conducted to determine and investigate relevant gender-related issues in the mining sector. Quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation) research paradigms were used. From the literature review as well as the empirical study, it is evident that the deployment of women in core positions is still accompanied by various challenges, not only for managers but also for male co-workers as well as the women themselves. Although the numbers of women in the South African mining industry have risen, there is still a long way to go to successfully and sustainably ensure women‟s participation in the industry. Through the literature study and the empirical research, it became clear that various factors need to be considered for the successful and sustainable deployment of women in the mining sector. The study concludes by making recommendations and offering a conceptual framework, with the main pillars being company policies, workplace opportunities, infrastructure facilities, physical ability, health and safety and workplace relations. This framework can be implemented and used by various stakeholders in the mining sector to contribute to the successful and sustainable deployment of women in the mining sector. / PhD (Sociology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (28 of 2002) (MPRDA) and the accompanied Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter aimed to rectify previous inequalities and disadvantages in the mining sector and specifically provide for the inclusion of women in core mining activities. According to the Act and the Charter, the mining industry was supposed to reach a quota of 10% women in core mining activities by 2009. The amendment of the Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining and Minerals Industry (launched in 2010) set further requirements in terms of employment equity targets; the Charter requires a 40% historically disadvantaged South African representation in core and critical skills by 2015. Although well intended, the establishment of gender equality in the male-dominant mining sector remains one of the biggest equity challenges in the country and numerous problems accompany the deployment of women in core mining activities. Against this background, the main objective of the study was to critically analyse gender issues in the mining sector and to subsequently develop a conceptual framework that will enable the mining sector to contribute to and ensure the sustainable employment of women in the mining sector. A literature review was done, firstly to provide an understanding of persistent inequalities in society and the workplace, and secondly to gain an in-depth understanding of the variables that have an impact on women in the world of work in general and in the mining sector specifically. An empirical study was conducted to determine and investigate relevant gender-related issues in the mining sector. Quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and direct observation) research paradigms were used. From the literature review as well as the empirical study, it is evident that the deployment of women in core positions is still accompanied by various challenges, not only for managers but also for male co-workers as well as the women themselves. Although the numbers of women in the South African mining industry have risen, there is still a long way to go to successfully and sustainably ensure women‟s participation in the industry. Through the literature study and the empirical research, it became clear that various factors need to be considered for the successful and sustainable deployment of women in the mining sector. The study concludes by making recommendations and offering a conceptual framework, with the main pillars being company policies, workplace opportunities, infrastructure facilities, physical ability, health and safety and workplace relations. This framework can be implemented and used by various stakeholders in the mining sector to contribute to the successful and sustainable deployment of women in the mining sector. / PhD (Sociology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In this dissertation a study was undertaken of the function of the public sector manager at the central level of government and of the role which the public manager plays in the human resources management. South Africa is a three-tier state, which consists of the central, provincial and local levels of government. The central government is the supreme body of government entrusted with the responsibility of making policies, rules and giving direction to the entire citizenry. The central government is manned by politicians from different political parties who have to decide on behalf of their electorates. It is a given fact and a reality that politicians alone cannot deliver the services to the communities. So public officials are appointed to implement the policies enacted by Parliament. Public managers have to interpret policies and give direction to the various structures of government. Among the activities of government, public managers have also to give direction as to the management of human resources in the public sector. This study investigated the function of the public manager at the central government with a reference to the management of human resources. This research was necessitated by the fact that since the new constitutional dispensation in South Africa, many changes have taken place most of which implied that the management of human resources in the public sector would have to reflect such changes. Public managers perform various functions, including generic administrative functions, auxiliary functions and functional activities. These functions are performed at senior management level. Furthermore, these functions performed by public managers will be viewed from the human resource management. Particular, attention is focused on the staffing in the public sector and how public managers can best perform their function in absorbing proper personnel in the public sector. AFRIKAANS : 'n Studie is onderneem om die funksie van die openbare sektor bestuurder op sentrale regeringsvlak te ondersoek asook die rol wat die openbare bestuurder speel in menslike hulpbronbestuur. Die verantwoordelikheid van die openbare sektor is om dienste te verskaf aan die landsburgers en om dit suksesvol te bereik meet die openbare sektor oor goed opgeleide personeel beskik. Ten einde personeel te kan bestuur behoort openbare bestuurders kennis te dra van die behoeftes, vrese en verwagtinge van die publiek. Een van die vernaamste funksies van die openbare bestuurder is om leiding te gee aan andere. Suid Afrika is 'n driedelige staat, wat bestaan uit die sentrale, provinsiale en plaaslike vlakke van regering. Die sentrale regering is die hoogste regeringsliggaam verantwoordelik vir beleidmaking, die daarsteling van reëls en om rigting te gee aan alle landsburgers. Die sentrale regering word gevorm deur politici van verskillende politieke partye wat namens hul ondersteuners besluite moet neem. Dit is 'n onomstootlike feit en werklikheid dat politici nie alleen die dienste aan die gemeenskap kan verskaf nie. Daarom word openbare amptenare aangestel om die beleid wat deur die Parlement aanvaar is, te implementeer. Openbare bestuurders moet beleid interpreteer en leiding gee binne die verskillende strukture van die regering. Die aktiwiteite van die regering bring mee dat openbare bestuurders leiding moet gee rakende die bestuur van menslike hulpbronne in die openbare sektor. Hierdie studie het die funksie van die openbare bestuurder in die sentrale regering ondersoek met verwysing na die bestuur van menslike hulpbronne. Die navorsing was genoodsaak deur die feit dat sedert die nuwe grondwetlike bedeling in Suid Afrika baie veranderinge plaasgevind het waarvan meeste impliseer dat die bestuur van menslike hulpbronne in die openbare sektor sodanige veranderinge sal reflekteer. Openbare bestuurders voer verskeie funksies uit insluitende generiese administratiewe funksies, hulpfunksies en funksionele aktiwiteite. Hierdie funksies word op senior bestuursvlak uitgevoer. Verder word hierdie funksies wat deur openbare bestuurders uitgevoer word beskou vanuit 'n menslike hulpbron oogpunt. Spesifieke aandag is gegee aan die personeel in die openbare sektor en hoe openbare bestuurders hulle funksies tot die beste van hul vermoë kan uitvoer deur bekwame personeel in diens te neem in die openbare sektor. Die studie toon aan dat daar tydens die transformasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse staatdiens politieke oorweging geskenk sal moet word aan die vervanging van wit persone met swartes, vrouens en gestremdes. In partypolitieke terme beteken dit geensins 'n balans tussen diegene wat die waardes van die ou orde aanhang en diegene wat die waardes van die nuwe orde bevorder nie. Die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 volg 'n humanistiese benadering, wat beteken dat die armes, werkloses, verwaarloosde en wanhopige mense gehelp moet word wat in sigself nie 'n partypolitieke kwessie is nie. Verder toon internasionale onderving dat die radikale transformasie van grondwette dikwels vrees, onsekerheid en paniek onder inwoners veroorsaak. Hierdie gevoelens word dikwels op verskillende wyses deur verskillende gemeenskappe tot uiting gebring. S.A. is daarom geen uitsondering nie. Die vermoë van die staatsdiens om dienste te lewer sal nie net afhang van die politieke leierskap en bestuursvaardighede van die politieke ampsbekleders nie, maar ook van die professionalisme van staatsamptenare. Copyright / Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / Unrestricted

The Mpumalanga Education Department has put in place various mechanisms aimed at promoting equity and equality between male and female educators and learners within the education system. Such initiatives were established from a position of strength that sociocultural stereotypes such as patriarchy, lack of access to resources and the sexual division of labour have been internalised and reinforced as acts of discrimination within the school system, community, home and workplace. Within the school system, gender stereotypes are used to determine and perpetuate the educational provisioning for learners as separate groups (boys - girls) through the school curriculum and the educators' classroom practices of "masculine" and "feminine" activities. Equally so, senior management positions are mostly occupied by males whilst females are relegated to lower positions of the management echelon. The focus of this study was to identify the root causes of inequalities in senior management positions between male and female managers. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) method using a case study and a literature review were used as data collection techniques. Affirmative Action policies and programmes are recommended as strategies for empowering women and girls with an aim of preparing them to be competent in the labour market. There are diverse interpretations of the affirmative action concept and different people attach different meanings to its definition. It (Affirmative Action) impacts differently on different groups under different conditions. The study also suggests that education, training and development (ETD) are dependent variables of affirmative action in the sense that they create an environment where individuals who were (under)privileged can learn to accept and understand one another as partners. AFRIKAANS : Die Mpumalanga Onderwysdepartement het verskeie meganismes daargestel om billikheid en gelykheid tussen manlike en vroulike opvoeders en leerders binne die onderwysstelsel te bevorder. Sodanige inisiatiewe is gevestig vanuit 'n aanname dat sosio-kulturele stereotipes soos patriargie, gebrek aan toegang tot hulpbronne en verdeling van werk op geslagsgrondslag gei'nternaliseer en versterk is as diskriminerende handelinge binne die skoolstelsel, gemeenskap, huis en werkplek. Binne die onderwysstelsel word geslagstereotipes gebruik om onderwysvoorsiening vir leerders as afsonderlike groepe (seuns dogters) te bepaal en te laat voortbestaan deur die skoolkurrikulum en die klaskamerpraktyk van die opvoeders wat "manlike" en "vroulike" aktiwiteite gebruik. Insgelyks word senior bestuursposisies gewoonlik deur mans beklee terwyl vroue gerelegeer word na laer posisies in die bestuurskader. Die doe I van hierdie studie was om die hoofoorsake van ongelykhede in senior bestuursposisies tussen manlike en vroulike bestuurders te identifiseer. Die PAR-metode wat van 'n gevallestudie gebruik maak en 'n literatuurstudie is aangewend as data-insamelingstegniek. Die beleid van regstellende aksie, asook programme met betrekking daarop, word aanbeveel as strategiee om vroue en dogters te bemagtig met die doel om hulle voor te berei om bevoeg te wees in die arbeidsmark. Daar is 'n verskeidenheid vertolkings van die begrip regstellende aksie en verskillende mense koppel verskillende betekenisse aan die definisie. Regstellende aksie het verskillende invloede op verskillende groepe onder verskillende omstandighede. Die studie dui ook aan dat Onderwys, Opleiding en Ontwikkeling (000) afhanklike veranderlikes van regstellende aksie is in die sin dat hulle 'n omgewing skep waar individue wat (minder)bevoorreg was kan leer om mekaar te aanvaar en te begryp as vennote. / Dissertation (MEd (Education Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted