3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The changing roles of the state and transnational corporations in the development of mining in Zambia : an evaluation of influences on the transition from state to private ownership of the mining sector(2011-12-13) Ahmed, RahimaThis dissertation principally analyses: (i) the privatisation of Zambia’s copper mines; (ii) the impact of state and private ownership and control of the mines on development; and (iii) the roles of mining TNCs in the Zambian economy. The research covers the period from independence in 1964 to 2006/7, but mainly focuses on the 1991 to 2006/7 period. The validity of several neo-classical theoretical views and counter-arguments pertaining to the social and economic benefits of privatisation and the private ownership and the activities of mining TNCs is tested in the mining sector study. The methodology is based on a case study comprising fieldwork and literature research, utilising a qualitative approach and an inductive method. The conclusions of the study could enhance knowledge from which other developing countries intent on privatising their SOEs could draw, as privatisation studies of sub-Saharan countries have mostly overlooked analyses of the social impact of the private ownership of enterprises. Key findings of the study are that the privatisation and private ownership of the mines by TNCs have failed to produce net positive socio-economic outcomes for Zambia. Furthermore, under private ownership of the mines, the political-economic benefits have shifted, mainly concentrating the surpluses from mining in favour of mining TNCs. The primary recommendations from the study are that certain measures, in particular a strong state capacity, are fundamental in enabling greater and more equitable redistribution of benefits for the country from privatisation, private ownership and the economic activities of mining TNCs.Item Examining the effectiveness of BEE implementation: a case study of Eskom restructuring 1995-2005(2008-06-09T06:38:32Z) Shangase, G. MabuthoBlack Economic Empowerment (BEE) has emerged as the premier policy instrument to redress the socio-economic inequalities created by the apartheid system in South Africa. BEE has evolved from a rudimentary concept that was casually coined outside government in the 1990s to being the policy instrument du jour of the post 1994 democratic dispensation. BEE has received critical attention culminating in its institutionalization through a BEE Council, an Act of Parliament, and a policy framework to facilitate its implementation. The institutionalization of this concept across government policy and practice settings, including, in particular, the government’s drive to restructure its enterprises, has accentuated BEE’s important role in the government’s reconstruction and development agenda. However, the evolution of BEE has not been a smooth journey. Its capacity and direction to respond to dire socio-economic demands has raised a deluge of questions and remarks, often negative, from many fronts. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the extent to which BEE produces the targeted results through its implementation via the restructuring of state owned enterprises (SOEs). What is also of significance is that the restructuring of SOEs and the implementation of BEE is occurring against a backdrop of a conspicuous neo-liberal drive. Whilst setting the scene with a theoretical background to the South African economy before and after 1994, the practical focus of this study is limited to the implementation of BEE using Eskom, an SOE, as a case study. Just as this study indicates a successful implementation of BEE through Eskom, questions remain as to how much widespread the benefits have been amongst the targeted previously marginalized black majority.