The study investigates the extent of distributional impacts of labour-intensive
road projects using a geographical approach. The aim is to evaluate
infrastructural effectiveness. The central premise is that the interface between
road investment and economic development has broad implications that are
beyond transportation’s basic purpose of providing access and mobility.
Communities are motivated by the outcomes and impacts of road
infrastructure development in improving the productiveness of the economy,
in line with socio-economic development and other multiplying effects.
The objective was to describe the nature and delivery mechanisms of labourintensive
road projects, evaluate the impact thereof on the project participants
and their communities and explore the constraints and challenges
experienced by these initiatives. The impact of the Gundo Lashu programme
was measured, based on an assessment of programme outputs, outcomes
and impacts, to determine whether the project had the desired effects on
individual participants and their households. A matched control case study
design, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was
adopted.
The study found that the Gundo Lashu programme had achieved the
expected outputs in terms of the total number of jobs created, total road
length constructed and maintained. However, the communities’ socioeconomic
outcomes and the impacts of the programme on poverty and
sustainable livelihoods were mixed. These conclusions re-affirm the notion
that the development of rural road infrastructure alone by labour-intensive
construction methods, is not sufficient in tackling poverty. While government is
focusing on addressing unemployment and skills development through labourintensive
road construction programmes, there is a need to ensure proper
integration of government services to make a significant impact. Huge
deficiencies exist in the inter-linkages between the programme planning
process and the municipal planning system and that there are a number of
management and planning, structural and functional, human resources and
funding barriers to proper planning, implementation and monitoring of projects
within the Gundo Lashu programme. Various challenges and barriers
emanates from lack of coordination, political interferences and lack of
strategic direction. Key recommendations include comprehensive road
planning, better project targeting mechanisms, development of guidelines for
future maintenance, skills training and capacity development, and resultsbased
monitoring. / Geography / D. Phil. (Geography)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/3265 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Musekene, Eric Nndavheleseni |
| Contributors | Harmse, Aletta Catharina |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (xiv, 254 leaves) |
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