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The mutual embodiment of landscape and livelihoods: an environmental history of NqabaraDe Klerk, Henning January 2007 (has links)
This thesis presents a history of the landscape of Nqabara, an administrative area in a rural and coastal area of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. In the process of investigating landscape history, the inquiry engages with a range of data sources from diverging discursive contexts, including data from ethnographic fieldwork, from the consultation of archival documents and historical reports as well as from comparative historic and ethnographic research, necessitating a critical consideration of the epistemological contexts of data production and the dialogue between researcher and data. Furthermore, in its aim to move beyond historical description towards explanation, the study interrogates the dualist ontological conceptualisations of nature and culture, society and ecology, object and meaning upon which are built three dominant conceptual frameworks concerned with human-environment relationships: social-ecological systems theory, transdisciplinary landscape studies and political ecology. Drawing primarily upon the works of James Gibson, Anthony Giddens and Tim Ingold, an ontological foundation is developed to guide the enquiry and move towards an alternative understanding of the relationship of people’s livelihoods with respect to the landscape in which it is lived, which I call here the praxisembodiment perspective. This ontology takes the situated patterns of action of a situated agent-in-its-environment as its point of departure and proceeds to develop a framework explaining how relations among the patterns of action of different agents-in-their-environment, emerge in structures that simultaneously enable and constrain future action. The foundation is thereby provided for a monist understanding of how landscape and social structure emerge simultaneously from the complex intersection of patterns of actions and interactions of agents in their environment. This framework calls for an understanding of time, space and scale, not as independent variables influencing process and action, but as emergent properties arising from the patterns of actions of situated agents. Finally the alternative ontology is applied to the history of landscape and livelihoods of people of Nqabara. It is concluded that an appropriate understanding and explanation of the critical transformations in the landscape as well as in social institutions, should be sought through analysis of the complex ways in which patterns of action of multiple spatial and temporal rhythms and between multiple agents in an environment, intersect and resonate.
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An assessment of the role of the procurement committee in the management of school funds with reference to selected schools in Libode DistrictMtshakaza, Lungile Eric January 2011 (has links)
The South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) stipulates that the State must fund all the public schools from the public revenue on an equitable basis. Each school should elect a School Governing Body (SGB) whose primary function is to manage school finances. The principal of the school, who is also a member of the SGB, is the accounting officer. The SGB has to elect the finance committee which should run the school’s finances and, in turn elects the procurement committee - a sub-committee of the finance committee. In terms of the South African Schools Act, (Act 84 of 1998, as amended) there are two categories of public schools which may be created in South Africa. One category is based on Section 20 of the South Africa Schools Act with stipulated functions applicable to all public schools, while the other category is based on Section 21 of the Act which includes added stipulated functions above those applicable to all public schools. The study investigated the factors affecting the performance of procurement committees in schools. Among others, the study found that more formal training on financial management was necessary in schools in order to empower the procurement committees. Inadequate support with regard to the availability of supporting documentation and logistics was also raised as a matter of concern.
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Realisation of the right of water of rural communities through affirmative action on water service delivery in South AfricaShikwambane, Pumzile 18 May 2017 (has links)
LLM / Department of Public Law / Historically, there were enormous differences and inequalities with regard to service delivery in South Africa. Traceable to the apartheid period, these inequalities included, inter alia, supply of inadequate and safe drinking water for black communities in particular those at rural areas. Yet, water is an essential necessity for human beings, regardless of race, disability and social status. As a legislative measure to redress the injustices of the apartheid regime, the right to have access to sufficient water is entrenched in Section 27(1) (b) of the South African Constitution of 1996. Also, several legal instruments such as the National Water Act of 1998 and the Water Service Act of 1997 were enacted to uphold the human right to water. The Constitution bestowed the responsibility of water supply and management to the national, provincial and the local government. Despite its inadequacy, the South African government is addressing the water needs of the most impoverished communities by guaranteeing each household a free minimum quantity of potable water of 25 litres per person per day or 6 kiloliters per household per month. Any person who needs more will come under privatisation model which key provisions on the existing law favors.
About 38.4% of the population of South Africa who reside in rural communities are poor and mostly affected by inadequate water service delivery in that they cannot afford payment for water in excess of the minimum for which no fees is charged. As a concept, affirmative action is generally used in the context of work places to ensure that qualified marginalized groups have equal opportunities to get a job, but it is not yet investigated in the context of water service delivery. This study assessed laws governing water service delivery and explored how affirmative action can be used as an instrument to ensure the delivery of potable water to rural population in South Africa.
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An Evaluation of Land Reform Implementation in the Vhembe District, South Africa ; A quest for Sustainable LivelihoodsRatombo, Mutshinyalo 05 1900 (has links)
PhDGEO / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / See the attached abstract below
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The use of Water Point Mapping (WPM) as a tool to assess improved water resources in rural communitiesTaonameso, Solomon 05 1900 (has links)
MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below
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An evaluation of urban household water demand and consumption in Vhembe District: a case study of Makhado Local Municipality, Limpopo, South AfricaRamulongo, Luvhimba 05 1900 (has links)
MENVM / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Science / See the attached abstract below
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An assessment of the impacts of land use changes on the Duthuni wetland stream using remote sensing, GIS and social surveying: a case study in Limpopo Province, South AfricaNephawe, Mbavhalelo 18 September 2017 (has links)
MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / This is a case study research that focuses on the assessment of the impacts of land use changes on the Duthuni wetland ecosystem in Limpopo Province using geospatial techniques and Social Survey. SPOT 4 satellite images which covered the time frame between 1999, 2005 to 2012, were used. The unit of analysis included different institutions such as the local municipality, farmers, the heads of the households and Chief of the Village. In this study, different methods of sampling were used in different context for selecting participants and for sample size determination. The different instruments for data collection included the questionnaires, interviews, focus group interviews and documents review. Socio-economic survey and review of documents were carried out to understand historical trends, collect ground truth and other secondary information required. Data collected from the survey were captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for Scientific Solutions (SPSS).
For quantitative analysis, Chi-Square and cross tabulation were employed in SPSS. Analysis of satellite imagery was accomplished through integrated use of ERDAS Imagine (version 2015) and ArcGIS (version 10.1) software package. The themes were identified and analysed using the content analysis based on the main research topics. The results show that the land use/ cover changes have occurred at an unprecedented rate over the years 1999 to 2012. From the year 1999 to the year 2012, the total land use/ cover conversions equal to 299.984 ha of land. The trend and spatial extent of land use/ cover changes had undergone considerable changes over the years in the study period. The major contributing factors included population increase, expansion of agriculture and lack of space to settle. The residential area was found to be the major factor contributing to land use change over the years with an increase of (102.87ha.). People residing in Duthuni village especially along the wetland ecosystem consist of the majority of female-headed households. There is no proper facilitation and mentoring in the village by the government in order to resolve social problems when it comes to land use change. Water pollution and soil erosion were found to be the major concern by wetland users such as farmers and residents. Lack of knowledge has also been identified as one of the driving factors of environmental impacts of land use change in the area. Food was the most resources with 41% which the community gets from the wetland.
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Intervention strategy for improving livelihoods of restituted farm beneficiaries in Waterberg District of Limpopo Province, South AfricaTjale, Malose Moses 17 May 2019 (has links)
PhDRDV / Institute for Rural Development / Land reform programmes have been implemented to address challenges of inequality in land
ownership and poverty in many countries worldwide. They provide the poor people with
important livelihood opportunities, such as livestock rearing, crop production and game farming
in many rural areas. The government of South Africa, through the Department of Rural
Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) allocated various farms through the restitution
programme to deal with unemployment, poverty, unsustainable livelihoods, shortage of skills
and inequality challenges. This study focused on the restituted farm beneficiaries in Waterberg
District. This was informed by the fact that since these farms were restituted, the majority of the
farm beneficiary’s livelihoods have not significantly changed.
A transformative sequential mixed method design was applied in this study in order to enable
beneficiaries define their own issues and seek solutions. This involved concurrent collection of
both quantitative and qualitative data; a stratified random sampling method was used to select
474 respondents. Qualitative data was collected using Interview guides, photo-voice and focus
group discussions mainly from key informants- traditional leaders and the Ward Councillors.
Two focus group discussion were held with the key informants and an observation was also
used to collect qualitative data from the farmers. The data were analysed using ATLAS. ti
version 7.5.7 and Thematic Content Analysis. The quantitative data was collected using a
survey questionnaire and the Geographical Information System (GIS) approach to provide
trends of the farm production. Remote sensing analysis was used to determine farm production
performance of these restituted farms while the Statistical Package for the Social Science
(SPSS version 25) was used for computing descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation.
The data indicated that farm production has declined since occupation of farms by the farm
beneficiaries from 1995 to 2015. The decline has negatively affected the livelihoods of farm
beneficiaries since more than half (61.6 %) indicated difficulties in effective operation of the farm
due to lack of markets. About 64% of the farm beneficiaries have not been trained in farming.
From 1995 to 2015, most of the restituted farms have lacked markets for their produce due to
poor production arising from lack of funds to manage the farms. This has impeded beneficiaries
from receiving any benefits, in terms of income or employment. Generally, the study concluded
that there were no changes in the socio-economic status of the farm beneficiaries in the
Waterberg District because most of the farms are not being utilised. The study recommends that
the sector Department and private organizations should work together in ways, such as
assisting the farm beneficiaries with capacity building, developing marketing strategy for the
farm produce, with funds and infrastructure to improve production.
With respect to farm performance satisfaction, the majority (77.2 %) of the farm beneficiaries
were not satisfied with the restituted farms. Their benefits in terms of human development,
financial, social and physical capitals had not changed as the majority (83.3 %) said there are
no improvements in terms of salaries or wages. They claim that their livelihoods have remained
the same because the farms are not operational due to lack of basic farming skills and conflicts.
Agricultural Extension Advisors, Councillors, Traditional leaders and officials from DRDLR
confirmed that production levels have declined because the land was transferred to people with
no basic training in farming; most (54 %) of the respondents confirmed that the beneficiaries,
therefore utilise only a portion of the farms. It is imperative, thus, to ensure that production on
the restituted farms is enhanced to improve the areas, such as social, financial, human and
physical capital.
A three-pronged intervention strategy was, therefore, developed to help restituted farm
beneficiaries in Waterberg District to improve their livelihoods, emancipate themselves from
poverty and ultimately contribute to the National Development Plan of South Africa. The
developed strategy is anchored on three key factors: the need for thorough assessment by the
government on the farm beneficiary’s level of commitment to the farm prior to farm allocation
and funding, need to incorporate new experts in agricultural economics and agricultural
engineers into the restituted farms personnel and the need to decentralize the services of
mentors and agricultural extension advisors at District and local Municipalities. / NRF
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Water security in rural Limpopo in a changing climate: A study of the Greater-Giyani Local Municipality, South AfricaMmbadi, Elelwani January 2019 (has links)
MENVSC / Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences / Many rural communities of South Africa are living without adequate water supplies mainly due to
historical lack of infrastructure and effective water reticulation systems. Day to day challenges of
accessing water from distant boreholes and rivers are a reality particularly for women and children
in rural Limpopo. This study investigates the nature and extent of water supply problems and how
communities are living without adequate water in three rural communities of Greater-Giyani Local
Municipality in South Africa. The study area lies in a semi-arid region which regularly experiences
climate extremes such as droughts and floods which can reduce the ability of the municipality to
supply water. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, key informant interviews and
field observations while population, climate and hydrological data are also analyzed. A mixed
methods research design was employed using qualitative methods such as content analysis
whilst quantitative methods were dominated by time series analysis techniques and online
interactive climate platforms such as the Climate Engine. It was found that households, schools
and clinics in the study area rely mainly on boreholes for water supply but sometimes rivers supply
those living nearby. An incomplete and poor water reticulation system coupled with erratic and
shortening summer rainfall seasons are some of the major causes of water shortages in the study
area. In order to cope with inadequate water, community members and public institutions in the
study area have drilled boreholes and the sustainability of groundwater in the area is not well
established. During summer, most households and institutions practise rainwater harvesting while
a few resort to purchasing water from vendors. Despite these challenges which are not well
documented, it was concluded that most of the rural poor households and institutions in the study
area are well adapted to cope with water scarcity in the short term, while being vulnerable in the
long term due to population growth and climate change. The study recommends the need for
government and municipalities to invest in water reticulation systems in the long term whilst
providing water to affected rural communities through water tankers, drilling more boreholes and
maintenance of existing ones. Lessons learnt from this study may be useful to other municipalities
across South Africa that are grappling with challenges of water access and supply. / NRF
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The use of learner-centred approaches in teaching accounting to enhance learners’ performance at high schools (grades 10-12)Mazvaramhaka, Michael Pasipanodya 11 1900 (has links)
The goal of this research study was to understand the use of learner-centred
approaches in teaching Accounting to enhance performance of learners at high
schools (Grades 10-12). The teaching of Accounting in high schools is facing
challenges. The Department of Education, through many curriculum implementations
and revisions, have introduced a new approach to teaching as outlined in the
National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
(CAPS). This policy, as with previous ones, emphasises a change in teaching
pedagogy emphasising learner-centred approaches in contrast to the traditional
teacher-centred approaches which favour rote learning. The Department aims at
developing knowledge but links that with acquiring and developing the skills of
thinking critically and creatively, working as an individual or a member of a team,
organising and managing oneself responsibly and effectively, collecting, analysing,
organising and critically evaluating information, communicating effectively, using
science and technology effective (DBE, 2011:5) in order to be able to adapt to the
requirements of the commercial industries. It was found out that learner-centred
approaches can enhance the performance of learners in Accounting in high schools.
The researcher used a qualitative approach together with an interpretive perspective
to examine the themes. Four high schools, four Accounting teachers and four Heads
of Departments were selected from the Ximhungwe circuit in Bohlabela District in
Bushbuckridge. Data was collected through observations and interviews. Data were
analysed and findings presented. The findings reveal how the Economic and
Management Sciences curriculum has a negative effect on Accounting in the higher
grades of 10-12, by not developing a solid foundation for the subject. It also revealed
that school, parent and learner-based challenges also contribute to a poor
perception of Accounting and high failure rates. The research study revealed that
learner-centred approaches can improve teaching and learning of Accounting.
Recommendations were made in that respect. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)
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