Transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) are considered the latest evolution of a more holistic approach to transnational environmental management that brings together conservation and development agendas. As part of bio political governance, TFCAs are ecologically, economically and politically motivated. Using a discourse analytical perspective of claims advanced for TFCAs in Southern Africa, this study explores how Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA has been motivated. The study questions the interests of Botswana government participation in the KAZA TFCA and examines the effects of the KAZA TFCA on local communities. This study employs a qualitative approach employing triangulation methods of data collection. KAZA is one of the largest and most ambitious transboundary initiative in the world that stretches across the political borders of five sovereign states. KAZA acknowledges that nature knows no boundaries hence conservation corridors should traverse political boundaries and borders of the state. Against this backdrop, the rationale for KAZA is to provide the large herds of elephants (approximately 120,000) in Botswana with access to large area of grazing land. The study demonstrates how the burgeoning elephant population is inextricably linked with border policing, tourism and conservation. KAZA considers participation and local community involvement in planning and decision making as legitimate for sustainable natural resource management. However, the current realities exist in contrast to these considerations. The study reveals that there is a disparity between theory and practice as KAZA is yet to deliver its promises to the local communities. The thesis asserts that it is critical to view KAZA as a complex, evolving and long-term initiative that will be interesting to follow in the future.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-97). / Medical pluralism and the co-existence of a variety of different medical systems within a chosen context are common features in southern Africa as in the rest of the developing world. How do the different systems or practices interact? How does the dual systems of healing impact on the HIV and AIDS national mitigation programmes. The study assumes that the existence of different kinds of medical practices in the same community over a long period of time is an indication of the reality of medical pluralism in Swaziland. It questions its conflicting impact on the public health messages for managing the epidemic. The existence of different healers e.g. faith healers, medical doctors and traditional healers and herbalists is a significant aspect of health seeking behaviours among the larger population in Swaziland (only 22% of Swaziland is urbanized). The people‟s attitude towards and reception of the states public health policies and public health messages are heavily interpreted along and in view of the highly respected traditional medical health care systems. This phenomena also covers the people‟s spiritual and emotional health care systems and points of references and health seeking behaviours. The study also reflects upon the bias by a number of postcolonial writing towards traditional healing driven by colonialists‟ impressions and local rulers left in charge thereafter. The study also refers to the bias of a number of African leaders and governments who readily give support to bio-medical doctors and are not equally supportive to the structures that support traditional healing and yet a bigger size of the population is mostly reliant upon traditional medical care. In southern Africa self-medication is documented as an integral part of the health care system. This research project reflects extensively on the attitude of traditional and developing communities towards ARVs, ART and biomedical interventions at a time of HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. The study concludes that there are no cultural barriers for the traditional healers to collaborate with the bio-medicine practitioners; however there seems to be a lot of „public health‟ constraints for the medical doctor to working collaboratively with the traditional healer. Is this a one sided conflict, tension, bias?

This research assesses the scope of stakeholder engagement and its effectiveness in the development and implementation of an Environmental Management Plan at project level. The theoretical basis of this research is the methodological premise that stakeholder engagement encourages quality environmental decisions and further promotes acceptable interventions for environmental management purposes towards sustainable development. A case study of the Berg Water Project is used to explore this premise through an evaluation of the scope and effectiveness of engagement of stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of the construction environmental management plan, to satisfy conditions of authorization. Focus is placed on the scope of stakeholders and their issues, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the engagement process in considering the issues during decision-making processes. The scope focuses on who was involved, the context in which they were involved, and the extent to which they were involved. An engagement framework is used to assess the effectiveness of the engagement process, including project institutions for stakeholder engagement, levels and methods of engagement applied, and their contribution to an effective Environmental Impact Assessment process with regard to its review areas of procedural, substantive and transactive effectiveness. The assessment seeks insights on how issues and concerns relating to activities of engagement were dealt with, and the extent to which issues raised through engagement contributed into project decisions. Evaluation of activities applies a stakeholder mapping and analysis concept found in stakeholder engagement literature in order to establish the suitability of level of engagement and methods of engagement. Logistical support for the engagement process is also assessed to establish how the support, or lack thereof, affected engagement effectiveness. An assessment is made of project documents within formation on stakeholders engaged during the environmental impact assessment process leading to the production of the construction environmental management plan, and information obtained from 45 interviewees from stakeholders who were engaged. The engagement process is accepted to be significantly inclusive as it covered a wide spectrum of stakeholders and gave them an opportunity to voice their concerns, and the outcomes indicated that the engagement process was adequate. Some notable weaknesses of the engagement process included failure to establish clear roles and responsibilities of the environmental monitoring committee-the entity which represented the interested and affected parties, failure to establish explicit engagement targets, and failure to identify potential trade-offs of environmental, economic and social expectations of stakeholders. By and large the effectiveness of engagement during the project was found to rest on commitment by project authorities to prioritize economic benefits for the local community, and the communication of relevant messages to stakeholders. Important lessons can be derived from this research towards improving the theory and practice of Environmental Impact Assessment. Firstly, explicit legal and funding requirements for stakeholder engagement are important prerequisites which should be imposed on project implementers regarding how they conduct the engagement process. Secondly, the presence, composition and functioning of a formal entity which represents the interests of identified interested and affected parties can broaden the range of issues that can inform project decisions. This entity should have clear roles which satisfy engagement objectives through scheduled activities which receive adequate logistical support. Thirdly, a communication approach should be devised to enable communication of relevant messages and ensure feedback mechanisms which inform and can improve the process. Lastly monitoring and auditing during the engagement process should have been done to assess satisfaction of substantive outcomes of engagement and environmental impact assessment beyond mere process compliance.

Fisheries are complex socio-ecological systems consisting of both human and ecological components. Managing fishery resources has almost always focused on ecological concerns without due consideration being given to the human dimensions. However, increasingly more scholars are recognising the need to integrate the human dimensions of fisheries management with the ecological concerns. Managing a fishery solely on the basis of ecological information will result in the management strategies being unsuccessful. Understanding the human dimensions is important as it provides insights into who participates in the fisheries industry, and what the behavioural patterns and motivations of the fishers are. This study focused on understanding the human dimensions of fishing at Zeekoevlei, focusing on who the fishers are and why they engage in fishing. It also addressed the source of conflicts at Zeekoevlei. The management of Zeekoevlei and fishing activities is also considered. A mixed methods approach, using a case study design, was adopted. The sample included fourteen fishers and six individuals involved on various levels of management of Zeekoevlei. Data-collection methods included the use of a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. On the basis of this study, the demographics show that two types of fishers were found at Zeekoevlei – recreational and small scale. These fisher groups display contrasting socio-demographic profiles; however, a correlation between socio-demographics and motivations was observed. Recreational fishers appear to be white, educated males who are employed and engage in fishing for a sense of achievement, which is underpinned by the size of the fish. Small-scale fishers, on the other hand, are unemployed coloured males, with low levels of education and to this group of fishers the Zeekoevlei fishery system has an important function as it is used to diversify livelihoods. As with many fisheries, conflicts are prevalent at Zeekoevlei. These conflicts arise between fishers because Zeekoevlei has limited demarcated fishing spots and fishers display ownership over these spots; to exacerbate this situation, Zeekoevlei is located in an open reserve, which makes it easier for fishers to enter the reserve illegally. The management of the vlei appears to be based on recreational considerations with unclear measures to accommodate small-scale fisheries.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-124). / Government and other NGOs want private sector companies to assist in countering the effects of HIV/AIDS by introducing interventions which follow generic outlined developed by the State and other institutions. The programmes are mainly aimed at the Human Rights of those who are HIV+, and do not have a commercial element. The assumption is that these programmes provide a cost benefit which outweighs the costs of a programme.

In recent years, Correctional Centre violence has been much debated. Although the literature on violence is well developed, little is known about the nature and extent of violence in South African Correctional Centres, despite widespread concern and speculation. Furthermore, it is unclear whether this particular context of violence is due to the often hostile environment of Correctional Centres, or due to violent nature of inmates held in custody. This research study aims to investigate Correctional Centre violence in a South African Correctional Centre, looking specifically at offender-on-offender assaults that occurred in Pollsmoor Medium B Correctional Centre, by looking at assault incident reports and investigations. Discourse and thematic analysis was applied to single out the nature and contexts of the assaults reported. It was found that the assaults usually took place in certain spaces and times, but also that perpetrators and victims of violence often shared various commonalities. Additionally, certain units seemed more prone to violence than others, related to the finding that there were definite indications of spaces controlled by inmates and spaces controlled by correctional Officers. The study concludes that violence in South African Correctional Centres cannot be seen isolated from the offender, the outside world and their backgrounds.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-81). / Despite exceptionally high HIV prevalence rates, South Africa experiences prohibitively low levels of HIV testing. Considered to be a key element in the prevention of HIV transmission and a necessary gateway for providing care and treatment for those who are infected, widespread ignorance of HIV status has become a mounting concern in countries with high prevalence rates. Strategies for increasing testing rates have most commonly focused on testing and treatment services, such as the availability and accessibility of clinics offering voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), the number of trained nurses and health practitioners able to administer HIV tests, the possibility of instituting routine HIV testing to increase coverage, and the provision of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in the event of a positive diagnosis. These efforts seek to either increase access to testing through infrastructural improvements or encourage testing by highlighting its function as a gateway to accessing medical services to manage HIV infection and future transmission. In a departure from these strategies, this thesis considers the physical, social, and psychological ramifications of living with HIV - and not simply issues of access, treatment, and prevention - in order to understand HIV testing practices. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 young adults (6 mole and 9 female) living in Cape Town, South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews collected information about: 1) knowledge and sources of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, as well as how this knowledge changes over time; 2) beliefs and attitudes towards HIV and HIV testing, including corresponding health-seeking behaviours; 3) personal stories about HIV testing, including reasons for and reactions to testing; and 4) possible strategies to encourage HIV testing in the future. Study participants identified three broad threats that were perceived to be experienced by HIV positive people and explained how the HIV test served to either mitigate or expose an individual to these threats. Physical threats posed by HIV, such as opportunistic infections or death, encouraged HIV testing as it was only through testing that these potential threats could be mitigated. Conversely, an HIV test exposed an individual to social and psychological threats. The social threats of living with HIV included exclusion, rejection by family and friends, and social shame. Psychological threats included mental destruction, depression, and stress, among others. Where social and psychological threats were perceived to be strong, testing was actively avoided. The findings of this study are that the decision to voluntarily test for HIV can be explained through a balance of the physical, social, and psychological threats that may be managed or catalysed through an HIV test. When study participants perceived physical threats to outweigh perceived social and psychological threats of living with HIV, they were biased towards testing. When they viewed social and psychological threats to outweigh physical threats, they were biased against testing. This focus on the perceived threats of living with HIV highlights the need to have a comprehensive approach to AIDS and HIV, rather than merely focusing on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of symptoms; enhanced infrastructural resources and the opportunity for mitigation of the physical threats alone do not encourage HIV testing.

In a cyborg society where people exist both organically and via technology, sexual expression and interaction via technology has become 'normal'. The controversy surrounding sexting stems from contemporary literature and media portraying it as coercive, harmful and unacceptable, with particular reference to young females. Qualitative data on this phenomenon is extremely limited and biased, potentially resulting in unjust limitations and restrictions. This study investigates Millennial sexting behaviour by considering general and gendered perceptions of sexting to better understand the phenomenon; its risks, benefits, and the practice itself. An exploratory mixed methods study amongst university students (N = 579) revealed expected and unexpected findings. Respondents acknowledged sexting's risks, while the benefits of and motivations for sexting were emphasised with little evidence of negative pressure. It is argued that the benefits of sexting greatly outweigh the potential risks, but moreover, that sexting is a primarily feminist practice that holds much promise. The need for sextual education and awareness of sext-consent is examined, as theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Evaluating the success of the growing number of climate adaptation initiatives is challenging. Assessment of adaptive capacity has been used to focus, prioritise and track the progress of adaptation interventions as well as to identify key barriers to and opportunities for implementing adaptation. Many adaptive capacity assessments have relied on secondary data and expert judgement. Given the call in climate change research and practice for bottom-up approaches that value communities' insight, it is clear that more participatory approaches for the assessment of adaptive capacity need to be developed. This research aims to address this gap by developing an adaptive capacity index that adopts a mixed methods approach and prioritises input from local stakeholders. Many adaptive capacity assessments have focussed on rural areas where livelihoods are directly exposed to climate variability. There is growing recognition that increasing numbers of people are settling in urban areas and many of these livelihoods are often at the margin. This thesis focuses on urban livelihoods where a more holistic understanding of adaptive capacity is required which recognises that a community's capacity to adjust to climatic stressors is interlinked to its capacity to adjust to environmental, social, economic and political challenges. An adaptive capacity index is developed in this thesis that includes and characterises the more subjective determinants of adaptive capacity, rather than giving precedence to material resources as the key determinant of a community's adaptive capacity. To achieve this richer understanding, the index is informed by a framework that incorporates aspects of individuals' agency and social cohesion. Using a case study of four towns in the Bergrivier Municipality, South Africa, this research develops an index of adaptive capacity that is holistic, collaborative and interdisciplinary. The scores generated by the index are analysed using statistical and regression analyses that are contextualised by stakeholders' inputs to explore the variation in adaptive capacity across socially differentiated groups. Key insights from these analyses relate to the variation in adaptive capacity between the four towns and differences in the adaptive capacity of males and females. Interestingly, the analyses revealed the absence of a positive correlation between schooling level and both adaptive capacity and wellbeing variables which could be attributed to limited economic opportunities in the area, particularly for high-skilled workers. The analyses also highlighted the need to support initiatives that strengthen the social cohesion within the community to improve the inclusion of marginal demographic groups. The thesis reflects on the participatory and collaborative research process, finding that combining quantitative and qualitative data through an interdisciplinary process has the potential to provide an index that is more reflective of subjective capacity. This more holistic understanding of adaptive capacity can align with the field of wellbeing, to offer valuable insight into building adaptive capacity for urban livelihoods that is grounded in both academic and applied fields.

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