3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item South Africa's policy on civilian participation in post conflict peace building: Burundi 2001-2008(2014-07-29) Mtshali, Nozizwe LuciaThe South African policy for peace missions is found in the 1999 “White Paper on South African Participation in International Peace Missions” of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation1. The White Paper adopts a comprehensive approach for the creation of peace in conflict and post conflict societies. The comprehensive approach includes the employment of military and civilian actors. Activities of these actors are determined by the nature of the peace mission which includes preventative diplomacy, peace making, peace building, peace enforcement, humanitarian assistance and humanitarian intervention. The policy further promotes the strategy of South African actors addressing the underlying causes of conflict instead of symptoms. The research seeks to investigate whether or not South African institutions implement the civilian peacebuilding aspect of the policy and adopts the use of the Burundi peace mission (2000-2008) as a case study. Qualitative research, which includes the use of document research and personal interviews, is the adopted research methodology. Through application of the variables of the 5-C protocol (coalitions and clients, commitment, capacity, context and content) the research established several implementation challenges. The research also utilised the 5-C protocol variables for recommendations on possible reforms.Item The evolution of broadband policy and regulation in South Africa(2014-03-18) Kekana, Arthur GladwellThe liberalization of the telecommunications sector in South Africa has brought about vast improvement in the take-up and use of mobile telephony, however the opposite can be said of broadband penetration. As recently as 2012, there has been some degree of stagnation in fixed telephony and broadband access. This research report explores the evolution of broadband policy and regulation over the past decade, 2003-2012. Several themes from international trends are used, as guidelines of what an integrated, efficient broadband policy should address what governance and policy leadership is necessary for driving broadband policy initiatives across all spheres of government. The study proposes a conceptual framework that informs the analysis in comparing and contrasting the national broadband policy and plans, as well as provincial and local government’s policies and plans against desirable characteristics, such coordinated planning and implementation of broadband across government. The research analyses the current state of the country’s national broadband policy and plans across the three spheres of government. The analysis considers the contextual differences between the trends studied and the local data collected in the formal research phase, for the benefit of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the South African broadband plans. The conclusion focuses on the incentive structure needed to extend the development of the broadband ecosystem in terms of infrastructure, services, applications and user involvement in the country.Item Radio frequency spectrum, the out of sight, out of mind national strategic resource(2014-03-07) Zimri, Peter JohnRadio frequency spectrum, a scarce national strategic asset, has not enjoyed the necessary attention and protection it deserves. Spectrum has been managed by the same approach over the last two decades and it is only recently that attention has been given to it due to the pressure of increased competition and technological advancements. The purpose of this study was to explore the policy and regulatory approaches to the management of radio frequency spectrum prevalent in South Africa today. Internationally there is a shift from the traditional command and control spectrum management approaches to more market-based mechanisms, such as auctions and spectrum trading. The South African approach has been marked by delays in the usage of spectrum as a result of the current institutional arrangements where there is an apparent overlap between the policy and regulatory function. The study concludes that the delays could be circumvented by separating the spectrum allocation and assignment into policy and regulatory functions respectively. Efficient spectrum management policy and regulation is important for the next stage of electronic communications revolution because of the advances in the technology such as broadband and agile radio.Item The role of the university in the field of nanotechnology : the case of the University of the Witwatersrand.(2008-12-19T07:00:27Z) Iyuke, Patience OdiriThis study examines the role of the university in the domain of nanotechnology research and training using the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) as a case study. It focused on the Faculties of Science and Engineering, given their involvement in the field. It is essentially a qualitative study based on documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with academic staff members. It shows how the University of Witwatersrand has responded to the South African National Nanotechnology Strategy set by the South African government to enhance the country’s global competitiveness and sustainable economic growth in strategic areas. The study reveals that Wits has selectively by firmly engaged in the domain of nanotechnology and has laid the foundations for a comprehensive programme in both research and training. However, its success in this direction will largely depend upon the ways it maximises the use of the increasing opportunities offered by globalization and it manages the constraints associated with it. By opportunities here I refer to the multiplicity of research sites outside the narrow academic domain and the increasing interest displayed by government, the private sector and relevant international agencies in the field. The constraints are connected to the fact that the field of nanotechnology remains incipient and suffers from the uncertainties surrounding a relatively young field of enquiry in universities in South Africa (financial shortages, lack of skills etc).Item Rethinking public participation at the local level: a comparative analysis of Elias Motswaledi and Steve Tshwete local municipalities(2008-08-28T11:09:03Z) Matladi, Sebote ThabithaThis study has assessed the role of public participation in effective and efficient local governance at two local municipalities of Elias Motswaledi and Steve Tshwete in South Africa. Public participation is a pillar of development and therefore important to assess the successes and failures thereof. Government invest huge resources to deliver public service to their citizens and it is through public participation that the beneficiaries of these services can be guaranteed public service’ quality and responsiveness. Interviews with key informants in local government and focus groups provided a better understanding of the situation in the two case study areas. Elias Motswaledi has provided a classical challenge of public participation with the reluctance of the community to participate in the development processes and also with projects that do not benefit the majority of the residents; whereas at Steve Tshwete the community is actively engaged in major decision making processes and have also assisted the council in delivering relevant projects and programmes that are responsive to the community needs. The study found that the government has to relook: 1. the relationship between ward committees and community development workers as this was found to be the major contributing factor to poor levels of public participation. 2. There is an urgent need for building capacity for both local communities and ward communities to enable them to effectively participate in developmental processes that affect them. The study also showed how poor public participation initiatives have negatively affected service delivery and development initiatives at local levels in South Africa. This comparative case study maybe useful in shedding some insight in addressing public participation in local government to overcome the relatively weak or low municipal capacity across South Africa.Item Early childhood care and development: The missing link, a challenge for Swaziland(2008-05-20T13:05:40Z) Ntuli, Zethu EugeniaThis study explored the current practices implemented by Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) caregivers / preschool teachers in Swaziland. It further investigated how the lack of an appropriate policy on Early Childhood Care and Development impacted on the delivery of services to the sector. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology, eliciting responses through semistructured interview schedules. In order to conduct a more in-depth analysis, eight interviews were held at various early childhood care and development sites. The criteria for selection depended on whether the participating caregiver had direct, hands-on experience of the day-to-day care and running of ECCD sites. They also had to be involved in a full-time preschool teaching programme and were purposively selected from the geographical location of Manzini, in Swaziland. The sites could be distinguished into three categories, namely: community (non-profit making), private and church or missionrun centres. The results showed that caregivers implemented diverse and uncoordinated practices and that there was no uniformity in terms of professional training, classroom practice and curriculum application. It was evident that the participants did not link the theory of their training to their practice, leaving gaps in the provision of services and educational programmes to the children. The study concluded that unless the government of Swaziland and the ECCD unit at the national level of Education made a concerted effort to formulate a national ECCD policy, Education for All would remain a pipedream. The study recommended that government should formulate national ECCD policy guidelines to encourage uniformity in practice and provision of ECCD sites. Not only should government accelerate the development of the guidelines but they should also support the caregivers by continuous professional development activities.