M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The purpose of the study was to develop a framework that could be used to assess e-health readiness for rural South Africa. Data for the study was collected from Moses Kotane Municipality in the North West Province of South Africa. One state hospital and ten clinics were used for data collection. From related literature, six constructs of; core readiness, structural readiness, engagement readiness, societal readiness, performance and effort expectance were used as pillars for e-health readiness assessment. The attributes that were identified in the literature were validated by healthcare administrators at the regional office of the Northwest province.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Education) -- Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / The purpose of the study was to determine whether rural farm educators are managing the Revised National Curriculum Statement as a new approach to teaching the curriculum of outcomes-based education. For this purpose, Witbank 3 rural farm primary schools were selected. The study followed a qualitative approach. Data were collected from three principals and three educators who were all teaching multi-graded (combined grades) classes. The study found that the educators and the principals were not coping with the demands of the curriculum, therefore learners did not benefit from their everyday learning. The educators felt that there is too much paperwork involved in managing the implementation of the curriculum. The lack of support from parents, subject advisors and the deputy chief education specialist (circuit manager) is detrimental to managing the implementation of Revised National Curriculum Statement. This has led to a serious communication breakdown among these stakeholders. The research revealed grey areas in the Revised National Curriculum Statement in its interpretation of learning. The policy states that every child has the potential to learn, but it fails to state the conditions that allow for effective learning to all the learners. The study also found that the training received at the workshops is suitable for urban schools. Educators struggle to apply the teaching and learning strategies at rural farm schools. Subsequently rural farm educators resort to using the old traditional (telling and recalling) method of teaching/learning.

At the dawn of democracy in South Africa, there were still an estimated 12 million people without adequate water supply services and nearly 21 million people without adequate sanitation services (Strategic Framework for Water Services, 2003). Since then South Africa has made great strides in reducing this gross inequality in water services provision. In response to this evident challenge, the South African Government has developed various key pieces of Local Government legislation which aim to address water services. To speed up water services provision, a number of service delivery strategies and agents were explored. The Mvula Trust is one such agent that was established in 1993 with the sole mandate of supporting the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to develop affordable and sustainable water services in both rural and peri-urban parts of South Africa. After the establishment of Local Government in year 2000, the Mvula Trust had to enter into a new contract with this tier of government for the continuation of their primary constitutional mandate for water services delivery. In order to respond to the new operational requirement put on it and to align itself with the Local Government mandate, Mvula Trust embarked on the process of crafting its new strategy that would strengthen its ability to support the water services delivery role of Local Government. Hence the main objective of this research study was to conduct a rigorous evaluation of Mvula's Strategic Business Plan (SBP) developed in 2003 by subjecting it to contemporary strategic planning processes. The study also looks at the extent to which the crafted five-year strategy has supported three northern KwaZulu-Natal District Municipalities of Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude and Zululand to deliver water services to their respective communities. A qualitative approach was employed to gather data about the situation under investigation. The first step was to gather secondary data from documents developed by both Mvula and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The second step entailed collecting data from officials of Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude and Zululand District Municipalities using the questionnaire. The total number of questionnaires administered for the purpose of this study was thirty (30). For data analysis, all twenty-five (25) returned questionnaires were captured and coded using the software called Microsoft Access and subsequently imported into an analytical tool called stata. The main results from literature review and analyses indicate that Mvula's crafted strategy is not providing the organization with the competitive edge since it was not developed in line with contemporary strategic planning processes. Secondly, the existing strategy is not delivering on services requirements of municipalities. The services articulated by municipalities are mainly Institutional and Social Development (ISD) and quality sanitation development, in which roles Mvula can serve as a Project Agent (PA) instead of an Implementing Agent (IA). Finally, Mvula has not succeeded in supporting the water services delivery role of Northern KwaZulu-Natal District Municipalities. These findings imply that Mvula should embark on a rigorous strategic review. It should develop both a vision statement and a new mission statement which will respectively serve as a roadmap of the organization's future as well as a description of the organization's present capabilities, customer focus, activities and business make-up. Mvula should broadly consult with existing and prospective clients to better understand their support services needs. It is recommended that Mvula define its specific niche within the water services sector. Thus, the resulting strategy should adequately support local government towards meeting the 2014 deadline set for the eradication of water services backlog in their jurisdictional areas. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Due to the great differences of opinion regarding the exact area covered by the Overberg, the following boundaries are stipulated for the purposes of this study: the Hottentots Holland Mountains form the boundary to the west, the Riviersonderend and Langeberg Mountains to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest and the Indian ocean to the southeast. In the east the area stretches up to the Duivenhoks River near Heidelberg. The history of education in South Africa is closely interwoven with the general history of the country. Education in rural areas had to contend with various inhibiting factors during the 18th and 19th centuries. Among these factors were the scarce population, large distances between main centres and a shortage of well-trained teachers. In spite of such limitations, education in farm schools blossomed after the initial period up to approximately 1940, after which time there was a steady decline in the numbers of these schools. The farm schools in the Overberg are not only important regarding the part they play in contributing to the formal education and upbringing of rural children, but also for the important contribution they make to cultural history. The child attending a farm school experiences certain aspects of culture such as folk tales, rhymes, songs, games and the close ties between culture and nature in a unique way, and this has an extremely important influence on the general development and education of these children. In the rural environment the parental horne and the church are two important allies of the farm school. Although there are currently (1999) no formal policies in place for the purposeful phasing out of farm schools, it is, however, a fact that they are forced to close their doors the one after the other. The importance of the cultural contribution these schools make to the upbringing of the child should be taken into consideration by the authorities before the decision is made to close them down. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar heers groot verskil van mening oor waar die grense van die Overberg lê en daarom word die gebied vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie soos volg afgebaken: die Hottentots- Hollandberge as die westelike grens, die Riviersonderend- en Langeberge as die noordelike grens, die Atlantiese oseaan as die suidewestelike en die Indiese oseaan as die suidoostelike grens. Aan die oostekant strek die gebied tot by die Duiwenhoksrivier naby Heidelberg. Die geskiedenis van die onderwys in Suid-Afrika is nou verweef met die algemene geskiedenis van die land. Onderwys op die platteland het in die 18de en 19de eeu met verskeie stremmende faktore te kampe gehad, byvoorbeeld die yl bevolking, groot afstande van die hoofsentra en 'n tekort aan goed opgeleide onderwysers. Ten spyte van dié beperkinge het onderwys in die plaasskole ná die vestigingsperiode 'n bloeitydperk beleef wat vanaf ongeveer 1940 gevolg is deur 'n afuame in die getal plaasskole. Die rol van die plaasskole in die Overberg is nie slegs belangrik as gevolg van hul bydrae tot die formele onderwys en opvoeding van die plattelander nie, maar ook vir die belangrike bydrae wat hulle lewer op die gebied van die kultuurgeskiedenis. Plaasskole is 'n goeie teelaarde vir die volkskultuur en die plaasskoolkind se belewing van sekere aspekte van die kultuur soos byvoorbeeld die volkswoordkuns, speletjies, en die noue band tussen bodem en kultuur, lewer 'n uiters waardevolle bydrae tot hulle algemene opvoeding en vorming. In die plattelandse milieu is die ouerhuis en die kerk besondere bondgenote van die plaasskool. Hoewel daar tans (1999) nie 'n formele beleid bestaan deur middel waarvan plaasskole doelbewus uitgefaseer word nie, gebeur dit wel in realiteit dat die een na die ander skool sy deure moet sluit. Die belang van die kulturele bydrae wat plaasskole maak tot die opvoeding en vorming van die kind, behoort in ag geneem te word voordat skole deur die owerheid gesluit word.

Community-based approaches are of fundamental importance in the development of rural water supply and sanitation. Three case studies demonstrate that, by means of negotiation, need assessment, community participation, community-based management and appropriate technology, a reasonable degree of success can be achieved in providing an adequate and safe drinking water supply to most unserved communities. The research also shows that necessary negotiations with the government are often more complex and time-consuming than those with the community itself. Either the weight of bureaucratic processes or the lack of capacity and willingness on the part of the government to implement small-scale water projects using community-based approaches, were the reasons for the complexity of negotiations in one case study. It was also found that self-initiated projects with strong back-up support from development agencies are more successful than are projects initiated from outside. It was also noticed that community-based management is feasible and that it can lead to sustainable development. / Sociology / M.A (Social Science)

The study examines land and agrarian reforms in democratic South Africa focusing on projects implemented under the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) since 2009. Focusing on Bushbuckridge municipal area, the study reviews wide ranging transformative efforts initiated to address agrarian sector inequalities and rural poverty. The review illustrates that modest achievements have been made in restructuring the apartheid political geography manifesting in high levels of asset poverty amongst rural populations and vulnerability to food insecurity. While several factors are explored to explain this, it is discernible that a disjuncture exists between the social justice imperatives and the neoliberal development ideology adopted since transition to democracy. Adopting the sustainable livelihoods approach, the study examines whether the CRDP is adequate to address the needs for land equity in redistribution and to improve rural livelihoods in Mpumalanga, with particular focus on Bushbuckridge municipal area. Furthermore, the study examines the extent to which the implementation of CRDP has met the objective of equitable land redistribution as specified in the policy and also explores the outcomes of implementation, whether necessary conditions to promote the small-scale agricultural sector have been created; for instance, investments in agricultural infrastructure, support services such as credit measures, inputs and capacity building programmes for subsistence sector farming. Through a qualitative inquiry challenges are identified regarding the achievement of equity in land distribution and sustainable livelihoods. The conclusive chapter argues for paradigm shifts in land acquisition, public engagement, gender equity, funding models for subsistence farming, intersectoral co-operation, funding of rural infrastructural projects particularly markets and agro-processing facilities.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / When South Africa’s first democratic government was elected in 1994, the newly elected government committed itself to reduce the housing shortage in South Africa. By July 2001, approximately 1. 43 million as opposed to 3 million houses, were completed. In order to reduce the South African housing backlog, the government has established a number of Social Housing Institutions (SHI), but its social housing provision has still not lived up to its promises. While supply of social housing increased between 1994 and early 1998, it decreased between 1999 and 2004, whilst demand for social housing, continues to rise. Since existing government strategies have failed to meet the ever increasing social housing demand, there is a need to investigate the strategic elements and the efficiency of South Africa’s social housing provision. This thesis, therefore, determines strategies that the government should employ in order to close the gap between the supply and demand of social housing in South Africa. The thesis presents a comparative case study of social housing strategies and programmes in four countries namely: Brazil, Malaysia, China and England. The research identifies preconditions for successful housing programmes and strategies and concludes with policy recommendations. It proposes that public participation should be encouraged by all municipalities within South Africa. The research methodology which was used in this study is qualitative, where structured interviews were held with community members as well as with members of the municipality. The study reveals that there is no community participation in the housing process of the Mbashe local municipality. The findings of the research show that the municipality cannot be held accountable for non-participation of the community, as some community members do not want to work and learn. However, it is argued that local processes will not be effective if communities are not involved in development, in general.

From introduction: This is a study of the physical landscape, climate, natural vegetation, historical geography and rural land use of the Bedford, Adelaide, Fort Beaufort, Stockenström and Victoria East magisterial districts. These five districts may be regarded as a natural region bounded by the crest of the Amatole-Winterberg range in the north and by the Great Fish River in the west. The southern boundary is a zone of semi-arid scrub bordering the Great Fish River valley. The Ciskei may be regarded as the eastern boundary of the region.

M.Ed. / Many countries all over the world are currently looking for better ways of educating their people and organising their education so that they can compete internationally. The rapid technological developments of the twentieth century have placed education systems under extreme pressure as they try to adapt and incorporate these changes in an effort to produce more creative, effective and adaptable people (Ramphele, 2000:3). The question that remains to be answered is how nations of the world can improve the effectiveness of their various schooling systems. Instructional technology can improve teaching by upgrading the quality of classroom instruction and raising the productivity of the individual teacher. A variety of educational materials and media can be introduced into the conventional classroom environment, including demonstration objects such as flip charts, pictures, photographs, booklets, as well as electronic systems such as films, video players and tapes, slides, transparencies, and audio cassettes, all with the intentions of improving teaching and learning (Val, Rust, & Dalin,1990:281-282). From the background and problem statement, it is imperative to indicate that the study aims: To investigate the extent to which rural further education and training institutions in the Hlanganani area of the Northern Province are equipped with resources and educational media. To investigate the use of educational media and other resources in the schools. The perceptions of educators in the use of media are also going to be interrogated. From the study, the relationships between experience, subject and media use are also going to be interrogated.

The supply of water to 'disadvantaged' areas of KwaZulu-Natal has in the past received low priority. Local government is now faced with supplying water to large, sometimes dispersed, rural populations. Groundwater has been utilised informally as a water supply for some years, but the impetus provided by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's White Paper has compelled those responsible for water supply to seriously consider groundwater as a sustainable option. The development potential or success of groundwater in its role as a reliable water supply is dependent on acceptance of the resource by the communities, appropriate level of service, yield sustainability and safe quality. Apart from the social aspects, the yield and groundwater quality characteristics of the aquifers under consideration must be used to determine the best hydrogeological features to target during exploration. A total of 993 borehole records, from a recent government drought relief programme, were used to compare the yield, water quality and best geophysical exploration and drilling techniques of the main hydrolithologies in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The results of comparative analysis shows that the competent rocks of the Natal Group and Natal Metamorphic Province and the karstic Uloa Formation of the Maputaland Group have the best overall potential for water supply. The unconsolidated sediments of the Maputaland Group also have good potential, but have some salinity problems. The Karoo Supergroup sediments and volcanics have moderate potential, with the argillaceous rocks having the worst potential of the Karoo rocks. The contacts between the Ecca Group shales and sandstone have the best potential of the Karoo Supergroup sedimentary hydrolithologies. Fractures clearly enhance the groundwater potential of most hydrolithologies, with fractured Dwyka Group tillites rated as having one of the best development potentials of all the hydrogeological targets in KwaZulu-Natal, despite the hydrolithology's poor water-bearing characteristics. Dolerite contacts with sedimentary rocks are commonly targeted features in groundwater development. However, the results from this research showed that, apart from the Natal Group's contact with dolerite, these targets have poor development potential. In general, contacts between different hydro lithologies. Health related quality was found to be adversely affected in argillaceous hydrolithologies, such as the majority of Karoo rocks which had high levels of sodium and chloride and Natal Metamorphic Province schists which had elevated sodium, chloride and fluoride. Crystalline and arenaceous hydrolithologies generally exhibited good quality groundwater. A comparison between the different geophysical methods for each target feature indicates that there are appropriate methods to use to detect anomalies related to water-bearing features. The large number of dry boreholes drilled in locations with recorded geophysical anomalies can be either a function of the water-bearing characteristics of the formation, human error or background noise. The cost of using the different geophysical methods vary considerably. The order of increasing cost is magnetics, VLF, EM-34, electrical resistivity profiling followed by vertical electrical sounding. Drilling has a large influence on the development potential of certain aquifers due to the high costs involved. Most of the secondary aquifers will require percussion drilling which is the cheapest method of drilling commonly used. Some very unstable formations within fractured or highly weathered rock may need ODEX drilling to enable drilling to advance. ODEX drilling in these conditions is very costly and can double the cost of drilling compared to air percussion. The unconsolidated sediments of the Maputaland Group can only be drilled by mud rotary or ODEX techniques. The relative costs of these two methods arer very similar with ODEX being slightly cheaper. Because of the high expense of drilling in the sands it is recommended that alternative sources, possibly from shallow hand-dug wells, be considered as appropriate methods of accessing groundwater. The aspects of groundwater yield and quality of aquifers, appropriate geophysical siting and drilling methods, together with social considerations will all contribute to the success of groundwater development in rural KwaZulu-Natal.