Thesis (MA (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa’s natural environment is internationally recognised for its biodiversity, and
therefore deep concern exists regarding the significant impact of invasive alien species (IAS)
on that biodiversity. To combat the spread of IAS in South Africa, the national Working for
Water (WfW) Programme was established in 1995. In addition to the clearing of IAS, the
programme has also been designed to provide employment and empowerment to the
marginalised sectors of South African society. With regard to the latter, WfW forms part of
South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), and can be defined as a
workfare programme, since it provides paid employment, rather than welfare payment.
Following a contractor development approach, it also intends to create independent
entrepreneurial contractors who, ideally, should ‘exit’ WfW, by being absorbed in the
broader labour market. However, anecdotal evidence indicates that, since the establishment of
WfW, many of its intended beneficiaries have become highly dependent on such
employment, and therefore do not wish to “exit” the programme. Also, mounting concern
regarding beneficiary dependence on Public Works Programmes in general, has spurred
numerous academic debates on welfare dependence, as well as attempts to explain variability
in dependence on government support. This thesis reports on a multi-site case study of
beneficiary dependence on four WfW projects, which was undertaken in four CapeNature
reserves in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Five broad research questions were
formulated, which relate to the extent of beneficiaries’ dependence on the projects concerned,
as well the sociological factors that may contribute to such a phenomenon. The data collected
for this study were analysed with reference to various theories of state dependence. The
beneficiaries were found to have become highly dependent, mostly in a financial sense, on
the WfW projects studied, but also in regard to expectations of remaining in the WfW
Programme in future. Such dependence is largely due to WfW having become engrained in
beneficiaries’ social structure to such an extent, that it affects both their choices and their
actions. Fearing a return to the conditions of farm labour, or the inability to escape the culture
of poverty and/or marginalisation they experienced before joining WfW, seems to have
resulted in the “unanticipated consequence” of workers being reluctant to exit from the
programme, on which they have become dependent for their income and social standing. In
the light of these findings, the thesis also briefly reflects upon South Africa’s EPWPs, with
the conclusion of the case study offering at least a partial solution to improving the WfW
Programme as an EPWP. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika se natuurlike omgewing word internasionaal erken vir sy biodiversiteit, en om
hierdie rede bestaan daar goot bekommernis oor die beduidende uitwerking van uitheemse
indringerspesies (UIS) op hierdie biodiversiteit. Om die verspreiding van UIS in Suid-Afrika
te bekamp, is die Nasionale Werk vir Water (WfW) Program in 1995 gestig. Benewens die
verwydering van UIS, is die program ook ingestel op werkverskaffing en bemagtiging van
die gemarginaliseerde sektore van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing. Met betrekking tot
laasgenoemde vorm WfW deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse Uitgebreide Openbare Werke
Program (UOWP), en kan gedefineër word as ‘n werkswelsynsprogram, met die klem op die
verskaffing van werk teen betaling, eerder as bloot net ’n welsynsbetaling. WfW volg ‘n
kontrakteur-ontwikkelingsbenadering, waarvolgens kontrakteurs ontwikkel word, wat, ideaal
gesien, die program as entrepreneurs kan verlaat en as sodanig in die breër arbeidsmark
geabsorbeer kan word. Nietemin, in die praktyk wil dit tans egter voorkom asof die
veronderstelde begunstigdes van WfW eerder hoogs afhanklik geraak het van die werk en dit
derhalwe nooit wil verlaat nie. Die stygende kommer rakende begunstigde afhanklikheid van
Openbare Werke Programme oor die algemeen, het reeds oorsprong verleen aan menige
akademiese debatte oor welsynsafhanklikheid, sowel as pogings om verskille in omvang van
afhanklikheid van regeringsondersteuning te verduidelik. Die tesis rapporteer oor ’n veelligging
gevallestudie oor begunstigde afhanklikheid van vier WfW-projekte, wat geleë is in
vier CapeNature reservate in die Wes-Kaapprovinsie van Suid-Afrika. Vyf breë
navorsingsvrae is ontwerp, wat verband hou met die omvang van afhanklikheid van hierdie
spesifieke projekte, sowel as die sosiologiese faktore wat tot die ontwikkeling van hierdie
verskynsel sou kon bydra. Data is ontleed met verwysing na verskeie teorieë van
staatsafhanklikheid. Daar is bevind dat begunstigdes hoogs afhanklik geraak het, hoofsaaklik
in ‘n finansiële sin, van die bestudeerde WfW-projekte, maar ook verwagtinge het om in die
toekoms deel te bly van die WfW-Program. Hierdie afhanklikheid spruit voort daaruit dat die
begunstigdes se sosiale struktuur tot so ‘n mate met WfW verweef geword het, dat dit ’n
uitwerking het op die werkers se keuses, asook hul optrede. ’n Vrees om terug te keer na die
omstandighede van plaaswerk, of die onvermoë om te ontvlug van die kultuur van armoede
en/of marginalisering wat hulle ervaar het voor deelname aan WfW, het skynbaar die
“onbedoelde gevolg” gehad dat werkers onwillig is om te tree uit die program waarvan hulle
afhanklik geraak het vir hul inkomste en sosiale stand. In die lig van hierdie bevindinge
reflekteer hierdie tesis ook kortliks oor Suid-Afrika se UOWP, met die gevolgtrekking van
die gevallestudie wat ten minste ‘n gedeeltelike oplossing bied ter verbetering van die WfWProgram,
as ’n UOWP.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5428 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Hough, Jan Anton |
| Contributors | Prozesky, H. E., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 151 p. : ill., maps |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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