Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the reasons for failure of community development programmes in
rural South Africa. It traces the origin of community development from the end of the
Second World War up to the present and states that South Africa has realised that
community development is an important tool to bring about a more equitable distribution
of wealth. It takes a look at the implementation strategies of development at a broad
level, the influence of international aid agencies and traces some of the reasons for the
high failure rate of projects.
There is a growing trend towards non-governmental organisations becoming more
and more involved in the development field. They have evolved from being small grass
roots organisations to large structures that provide a service to the community that neither
the government nor the private sector can. They plan, raise funds, facilitate, coordinate
and implement development projects and they have proved to be highly successful.
The focus of study is the need for, effect of and implementation of community
development activities in rural South Africa. It also states that development has shifted its
focus from purely economic considerations to a more people-centred approach where the
fundamental concern is people and their needs. This is a more humane way of looking at
development and the underlying thought in most development activity in South Africa
today is based on humaneness.
It is, however, found that many development initiatives are unsuccessful in
achieving its aims completely. It analyses theories on community development and finds
that contemporary theories have analysed the reasons for the high failure rate of
community development activities and that most theories have recommended
implementation strategies by placing people and their needs as priorities.
This paper argues that though the people centred approach is most appropriate,
certain crucial factors have been missing from these theories. The cause for concern is
that there is lack of planning for sustainability and planning for transfer of ownership of
projects in such a way that the people involved in the project have a stake in its success.
As a result there is lack of motivation on the part of project implementers to carry out
projects successfully which is leading to more and more failures of development projects.
A thorough study and analysis of certain community development projects
initiated at Welverdiend Village in South Africa has been carried out in this study. A
background study of the Village is carried out and it is found that the 'liJ.lage is similar in
structure to other similar villages. The analysis of projects draws one to the conclusion
that there are three crucial factors that improve chances of success of projects.
The paper concludes that the key to the success of community development
projects are the plans put in place for sustainability, transferring ownership of projects to
a group of people or to an individual and ensuring that project participants have a stake in
its success or stands to loose something if it fails. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die redes vir mislukking van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprogramme
in landelike Suid Afrika. Die oorsprong van gemeenskapsontwikkeling word
bespreek vanaf die einde van die Tweede Wereld Oorlog tot en met die hede, en beweer
dat Suid Afrika tot die besef gekom het dat gemeenskapsontwikkeling 'n belangrike
meganisme is om 'n meer billike verdeling van welstand te bewerkstellig. Die strategiese
uitvoering van ontwikkeling, die invloed van internasionale hulp agentskappe en
sommige redes vir die hoë voorval van mislukking van projekte word ondersoek.
Daar is 'n groeiende tendens van nie-regeringsorganisasies wat betrokke raak by
ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe. Hierdie organisasies (NGOs) het oor 'n kort tydperk ontwikkel
vanaf klein, 'grassroots' organisasies tot groot instansies wat massiewe hoeveelhede geld
bestuur en bestaan uit duisende lede. Hulle verskaf 'n diens aan die gemeenskap wat nie
ge-ewenaar kan word deur die regering of die privaatsektor nie. Hulle doen beplanning,
versamel fondse, fasiliteer, ko-ordineer en implementeer ontwikkelingsprojekte. As sulks
het NGOs hulself alreeds suksesvol bewys.
Die fokus van hierdie studie is die behoefte vir, effek van, en implementasie van
gemeenskapsontwikkelingsaktiwiteite in landelike Suid Afrika. Dit beweer ook dat die
fokus van ontwikkeling van suiwer ekonomiese oorwegings tot 'n meer mensgesentreerde
benadering verskuif het, waar mense en hul behoeftes as fundamenteel beskou word. Dit
is 'n meer mensliewende manier om ontwikkeling te beskou en die fundamentele gedagte
in meeste van die ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite in Suid Afrika is op hierdie beginsel gebaseer.
Daar is tog gevind dat vele ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe onsuksesvol is in die volkome
behaling van hul doelwitte. Die tesis ontleed teorieë van gemeenskapsontwikkeling en
vind dat hedendaagse teorieë die redes vir die hoë graad van mislukking van
gemeenskapsontwikkelingsaktiwiteite aanbeveel het dat mense en hulle behoeftes
strategiese prioriteit geniet met die implementering van hierdie aktiwiteite.
Hierdie tesis betoog dat alhoewel die mensgsentreerde benadering die mees toepaslike
benadering is, daar sekere beslissende faktore afwesig is in hierdie teorieë. Die rede vir
kommer is dat daar 'n gebrek aan beplanning wat betref die lewensvatbaarheid en
beplanning vir die oorhandiging van eiendomsreg van projekte in so 'n mate dat die
mense wat in die projek betrokke is, 'n eie belang in die sukses daarvan het. As gevolg
hiervan, is daar 'n gebrek aan motivering aan die kant van die implementeerders van die
projek om projekte suksesvol uit te voer, wat tot al hoe meer mislukkings van
ontwikkelingsprokekte lei.
'n Deeglike studie en ontleding van sekere gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprojekte wat in
Welverdiend Dorp in Suid Afrika ingewy is, is in hierdie studie uitgevoer. 'n
Agtergrondstudie van die dorp is uitgevoer en dit is gevind dat die dorp eenders is in
struktuur as ander soortgelyke dorpe. Die ontleding van projekte lei 'n mens tot die
gevolgtrekking dat daar drie kritieke faktore bestaan wat die kanse van sukses van
projekte verbeter.
Die sleutel tot die sukses van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprojekte is in die planne wat
lewensvatbaarheid verseker, en wel tot so 'n mate dat wanneer eiendomgsreg van
projekte aan 'n groep mense of individue oorgeplaas word, daardie deelnemers aan die
projek self ook 'n belang het in die sukses daarvan.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51656 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | George, Varkey |
| Contributors | Muller, H. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science . |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 105 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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