3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The relationship between government service provision and life satisfaction for South African individuals(2019-02-28) Groenewald, Jean-MarcThe present study contributes to the subjective well-being literature by looking at how the provisioning of government service affects subjective well-being in South Africa, how this differs by various groups, and whether the relationships have changed over time, specifically between 2009 and 2016. The study aims to provide an updated analysis of how subjective well-being and government service provision are linked within the current political climate for differing groups within the South African context. This paper utilises the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) data for both the 2009 and 2016. The SASAS survey is a nationally representative survey. The dependent variable (Y), life satisfaction, is derived from the question in the SASAS data set that is phrased as “Taking all things into consideration, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?”. Ordered probit regression modelling is used in the empirical analysis to explore the indicated research outcomes. The results suggest a decline in the effect that access to government services have on individuals’ life satisfaction in South Africa. In 2009, access to electricity and access to a flushed toilet were both positively and significantly related to SWB. However, in 2016, only access to piped drinking water was statistically significant with a positive effect. This effect was particularly large in 2016 for those living in formal areas and for women, suggesting that service delivery affects different groups’ SWB in different ways. The various control variables (unemployment, education, health, etc.) had the expected effects on SWB given evidence in the existing international and South African literature on this topic, providing some confidence in the specification and data reliability.Item Participation and the politics of mediation :the case of the Thembelihle Crisis Committee(2018) Lourenco, Marisa LaraThe government’s distaste for informality in the new South Africa despite the rights of public participation and the possibility of in situ upgrading enshrined in policy and legislated, has seen a severe disconnect emerge between the state and informal settlements. This can be observed in the Thembelihle informal settlement in Gauteng, which has seen residents mobilise to form the Thembelihle Crisis Committee to articulate their struggle and make their demands heard through numerous channels. Given the market principles guiding the public service sector through the adoption of New Public Management, it is worth a closer interrogation on how these misguide participatory processes in the South Africa, and how they can be understood and interrogated in the context of this grassroots organisation.Item Functions of a youth development centre to facilitate youth development: a case study of a centre in Johannesburg, South Africa(2019) Moroke, SimonYouth unemployment is a pressing socio-economic challenge facing South Africa in the post-democratic dispensation. Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, attracts many young people who are in search of economic opportunities and as result there is high concentration of unemployed youth in the city. Lack of skills, training, and education and work experience have been identified as contributing factors to youth unemployment. Over the years there have been numerous strategies developed to address the problem of youth unemployment. The Youth Development Centre model is one such strategy that was introduced by the Gauteng Department of Social Development in early 2000 to address this problem-situation, as such centres provide training and youth development programmes. A qualitative case study of a youth development centre based in Johannesburg was conducted to investigate the functioning of the centre regarding facilitating youth development. Purposive sampling was used to select ten participants from the centre. Data were gathered using one-on-one, semi-structured interviews. A semi-structured research guide was the research tool used to guide discussions. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data. The findings indicate that the youth development centre has a number of structures functioning very well in some areas and thereby facilitating youth development. However, challenges are also being experienced and these are having a negative impact on the functioning of the centre. Challenges faced included poor funding; training and skills development programmes provided by the centre are not being implemented effectively. The number of partnerships the centre is engaged in are also lacking. Recommendations made included the implementation of income generating projects and improved monitoring and evaluation frameworks.Item Impact of local economic development framework policy on entrepreneurship development and performance in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality(2019) Baduza, Unathi NkosanaThis study investigated the performance of the Local Economic Development Framework Policy with regard to the impact on Entrepreneurship development and performance in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. This study sought to understand and explore the effect of the Local Economic Development framework on entrepreneurial development and performance in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Local Economic Development (LED) has been identified in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality as one of the key developmental options available for the municipality. This paper used empirical research to conduct the investigation of the hypothesised relationship between two constructs, i.e. Local Economic Development Framework and Entrepreneurial Performance. An analysis by testing the hypotheses that predict the relationships of the variables was undertaken through various statistical models. The purpose of local economic development (LED) is to build the economic capacity of a local area to improve its economic future and the quality of life for all. It is a process by which public, business and non-governmental sector partners work collectively to create better conditions for economic growth to stimulate entrepreneurial drive and create employment generation. Strategically planned local economic development (LED) is increasingly used by communities to strengthen the local economic capacity of an area, improve the investment climate, and increase the productivity and competitiveness of local businesses, entrepreneurs and workers. The ability of communities to improve the quality of life, create new economic opportunities and fight poverty depends upon them being able to understand the processes of LED, and act strategically in the changing and increasingly competitive market economy. Municipal government has an essential role to play in creating a favourable environment for business development and success. By its nature, local economic development is a partnership between the business sector, community interests and municipal government. LED is usually strategically planned by local government in conjunction with public and private sector partners. Implementation is carried out by the public, private and non-governmental sectors according to their abilities and strengths.Item Public investment in the craft industry in South Africa: an exploration of the values of craft projects funded by the National Arts Council in Limpopo and Mpumalanga (2013-2014)(2018) Mopeli, PalesaLiterature and other studies (government reports and consultancy studies) have identified the craft industry as a driver of social opportunities and sustainable livelihoods in local communities, for creative and innovative skills and the preservation of unique cultures and the heritage of the country. This research is an evaluative study which seeks to provide a response to this by considering the extent to which the above is true. This is done in relation to a number of rural and township areas of the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces where interviews with National Arts Council of South Africa’s (NAC) beneficiary craft organisations were conducted. It seeks to investigate how the NAC craft funding of 2013 impacted on the value created by craft produced by beneficiaries of this funding. Furthermore, this research aims to assist the NAC in answering the question: what impact has NAC funding had on these craft organisations, and on the South African craft industry? It considers possible recommendations to re-focus the NAC’s craft funding policy in light of the findings of this researchItem Measuring the effect of regional integration on economic efficiency in the Southern African development community(2018) McGraw, Benjamin PatrickThis research report concerns the exploration of the efficiency effects of regional economic integration at the level of each member country. In specific, the question addressed is: does regional economic integration improve the economic efficiency of member countries? This broad question is narrowed down by focusing on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and by focusing on the integration index created recently by the three continental institutions of Africa: the AU, AfDB and UNECA. Efficiency will be measured using stochastic frontier, a parametric methodology that allows the estimation of a country’s production possibility frontier. Efficiency is thus estimated according to how close to its production possibility frontier an economy produces its output. The program used will be FRONTIER Version 4.1: http://www.uq.edu.au/economics/cepa/frontier.php.Item Factors influencing the implementation of local economic development policy in Gert Sibande district municipality, South Africa(2017) Mashinini, Ignatia NonhleThe assessment of factors that affect the implementation of Local Economic Development (LED) policy at local government level remains critical. Factors such as institutional arrangements and institutional capacity contribute largely to the outcomes of policy in the public sector. The purpose of this research was to establish the functional role of the institutional arrangements and institutional capacity that are in place for enhancing LED policy outcomes in Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga. In South Africa, similar to other democratic societies, the outcome level of performance of LED demonstrates government’s commitment to and ability in ensuring better living standards, including the education and health of the people. The objectives of the study were to investigate the effectiveness of the institutional arrangements and institutional capacity for implementation of LED policy outcomes. Secondly, the study aimed at establishing the nature of institutional and operational structures for LED. Lastly, the study examined the institutional capacity for LED implementation. The research involved undertaking a comprehensive literature review, and developing an appropriate theoretical framework. A desktop study was conducted to identify factors that affect the implementation of LED policy in the GSDM. They are two major theories, namely the reformist paradigm and the new institutionalism theory that underpin this research. A case study design was more ideal for this study because the it seeks to establish a holistic and in-depth investigation of the institutional arrangements and associated institutional capacity of the lead institution for LED in GSDM. The case study research design has provided an opportunity to establish a detailed understanding of the institutional arrangements which relate to institutional capability to implement and achieve the outcomes of LED policy. Data was collected using a semi structured interview guide amongst employees and political members of GSDM, and provincial and national representatives who are responsible for supporting municipalities on LED. A desktop analysis on documented performance reports was also undertaken as a secondary data source to triangulate primary data. Theories of local economic development such as the reformist paradigm or alternative developmental approaches to local economic development and new institutionalism were used to analyse the findings and map the analytical conclusions. One of the major findings of this study is that the current institutional arrangements for GSDM are weak; as a result, they do not fully support the implementation of the LED policy. The new institutionalism theory argues that public institutions should produce a conducive environment through creating policies and legislation that eliminate the barriers to growth Secondly, the research finds that the institutional capacity and capability to implement efficient and effective LED policy remains a challenge due to a number of factors, namely (a) a low skills base in the LED unit; (b) the high vacancy rate such that critical positions remain unfilled in the planning and economic development department; (c) inability and lack of capacity to manage LED structures and enhance involvement of partnerships in LED; (d) the majority of LED policy outputs since 2007 to 2012 were not achieved due to institutional capacity challenges, and (e) the funding model for municipalities remains a challenge. Thus, GSDM is characterised as a rural municipality with limited resources for economic growth and development as well as having serious capacity and development challenges. 6 These institutional capacity challenges have contributed to the high unemployment rate, widening inequalities, low levels of economic development, poor policy implementation, low performance at an institutional level and lack of compliance with legislation due to weak business systems. On the other hand, LED emphasizes strong reliance on local resources, leadership, and institutions to respond to local economic crises and opportunities. It has been argued that rural economies require more attention as the economic and social challenges tend to be more complicated compared to urban economies due to the low skills of the labour force. In addition, rural economies tend to rely more on primary economic sectors such as agriculture, and mining social transfers from government. One of the key recommendations made in this study is that the GSDM needs to ensure that the district LED development agency is established to facilitate, coordinate and implement LED policy initiatives. In addition, the LED development agency needs to be adequately capacitated with requisite skills in order to deal with institutional capacity challenges and also to ensure that the partnership between stakeholders and civil society is strengthened in the implementation of LED. This will enhance local economic growth and development, create more job opportunities and result in efficient public involvement in the LED process. Secondly, the GSDM in partnership with stakeholders in the public sector, needs to develop short, medium and long-term strategies to address the low skills base, and the scarce and critical skills shortages in the district. Lastly, the research also recommends that GSDM needs to review the current organisational structure in order to improve the implementation of organisational policies, enhance service delivery and realise the developmental mandate of local municipalities as articulated in the constitution of the country. This research should be expanded to include the other district municipalities in the Mpumalanga province in order to get a broader picture of local government capability to implement public policy and assess factors that impede the implementation of LED policy. It is imperative to note that due to the short duration of this study and the unavailability of the employees of GSDM, national and provincial departments, and members of the LED forums, limited information was collected in this regard. Thus the findings of this study cannot be generalised due to its limited scope yet it hopefully provides a meaningful understanding of the capability of public institutions at the local level to implement public policies within the South African context.Item Government finance institute provision: impact of enterprise development on SMMEs growth and local economic development in Gauteng(2018) Molo, SiboPublic Enterprise Development has been applied by government to stimulate the growth of SMMEs, which are identified as a key to job creation and local economic development. This report examines the impact of public enterprise development through provision of funding by Gauteng Enterprise Development (GEP) to SMMEs in Gauteng. The research examines data on SMMEs that received Enterprise Development funding between the period of 1st April 2006 and 31st of March 2016 from GEP in the Gauteng province. The data was analysed from June 2016 with the focus on the growth in turnover and employment figures prior to and after the SMMEs participated in the GEP support program. This paper uses a quantitative research approach and positive paradigm is assumed. Also, a quasi-experimental research study is used similar to a prior study by Leeuw (2010), with a t-test to measure the growth. This implies that funding, as an aspect of public enterprise development, has a positive influence on the sales and employment growth of SMMEs which in turn has implied positive effect on local economic development (LED) in Gauteng. The results from this study showed that the number of employees increased by an average of 13 employees per company after the GEP intervention from the original average of 8 employees before the awarding of the loan. However, the data analysis of the t-test summary statistics provide sufficient evidence that Hypothesis 1: A positive direct correlation exists between finance provision and growth in employment of SMMEs, is not supported. The difference in the number of employees is not statistically significant since the p-value of the t-test (p-value = 0.095) is greater than 0.05. Thus, the null hypothesis is not rejected and it is concluded that there is no correlation between provision of finance and growth in employment of SMMEs. Hypothesis 2: A positive direct correlation exists between finance provision and growth in turnover of SMMEs, the cross tabulation showed that there was an increase in the turnover earned. It is thus, concluded that there is a positive direct correlation between the provision of finance and the growth in turnover of SMMEs.Item Sustainable and inclusive community heritage tourism in the Makgabeng- Blouberg Region, Limpopo Province, South Africa(2017) Radebe, Nondumiso BongekileAttaining socio- economic development is a priority that ranks high on the development plans of Governments in different parts of the world. In order to achieve this, the use of community based heritage resources as features in heritage tourism destinations has become common practice. Yet, the concept of development can be intimidating, particularly to communities in rural settings. Therefore, the introduction of development through the use of heritage resources that they are familiar with makes the process much more relatable. However, challenges come about when communities are unable to receive the anticipated benefits due to a lack of sustainability of some of these community based projects. Rich in cultural heritage resources, the MBCBHTP Located in the BLM of the CDM in the Limpopo Province is a project that seeks to bring about community development through the use of the regions heritage resources. It seeks to initiate a heritage tourism market and contribute to the conservation of the heritage resources that are under threat. The project also combats a number of social ills including unemployment, poverty and illiteracy amongst the communities of the MB region. Since its initiation in 2012, the project is well into its implementation phase. In an effort to combat some of the factors that lead to non-beneficial projects, a long term plan for the sustainability for the project is needed. Following a review of the project plans and objectives, engagement with project stakeholders and the local MB community; this study seeks to develop a unique sustainability model for the MBCBHTP. The model provides active strategies for working towards sustainability through an inclusive and collaborative effort that ensures that communities involved in the MBCBHTP receive continued benefits long after the project timeline lapses.Item The importance of participatory communication for the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) project in Alexander township in Gauteng, South Africa(2017) Bhengu, CharityThe research set out to investigate how the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) programme in South Africa facilitated stakeholder participation in its communication processes to improve the uptake of services in the context of national targets. Studies reviewed have highlighted challenges in the implementation of the participatory model to achieve communication goals. This qualitative study used document analysis, in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) for data collection. The research has revealed other limiting factors including unequal opportunities to influence decisions as a result of varying levels of authority and access to mediated public spheres. While those with power end up being further empowered through participatory approaches in terms of voice and visibility, the representation of the inputs of the lower level stakeholder group is limited to head count. A five-day visit to a VMMC clinic in Alexandra Township attributes marginalisation by exclusion from decision-making processes as one of the reasons for people’s inability to translate knowledge into the positive public response. The study was inconclusive about the influence of the model on the actual service uptake because the purpose was to provide a textual description of the participants’ experiences and not the impact.