Masters Degrees (Policy and Development Studies)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/14278

Browse

Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

An implementation analysis of the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 with specific focus on child justice courts in South Africa.
(2022) Chikukula, Hope Mhango.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
Children committing crime is a major issue throughout the world, as a result, societies came to agreement that children in conflict with the law must be respected in line with the signed treaties through formulating a child justice system that handles cases of child offenders. In South Africa, the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 was introduced to protect the rights of child offenders as stated in the Constitution. After examining the official figures from annual reports on the implementation of the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008, it indicated that from the total number of children arrested, some children did not go through the child justice courts. The study aimed at investigating the implementation of the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 to see whether child justice courts are operating in accordance with the Act and attempts to find out the roles and experiences of street-level bureaucrats and children in conflict with the law to uncover any other issues related to the implementation of the Act in the courts. Regarding research design, the study employed a qualitative secondary analysis of primary and secondary data, making it desktop research. The researcher collected and analyzed existing documents, legislations, previous research studies and reports involving issues around implementation of the Act and the use of child justice courts in South Africa as its case study. After analyzing the data given and linking up with the theories of the study, the research established that despite the existence of the Act, barriers related to the implementation of the Act included lack of capacity building, lack of commitment and lack of an integrated management system due the lack of co-operation between stakeholders. The findings revealed challenges faced by the implementers were lack of resources and working in a stress loaded working environment where the demand for services is high. The findings also revealed that the child offenders have access to legal representation but find challenges in getting to know information about their court trials, lengthy period of trial and detention in prison, and in receiving restorative programs. Due to the inadequate resources and structures available, there still need for adjustments to be made in the provision of child justice and this can work if the government adjusts its policies and putting more efficiency in implementing the Child Justice Act whereby child rights will be recognized and promoted.
An implementation analysis of the special covid-19 social relief of distress (SRD) grant in KwaZulu-Natal (2020-2022).
(2023) Nkabinde, Mthobisi Mduduzi.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
The implementation of policy or programme is a crucial step in public policymaking despite its complexity. Implementation can be regarded as policy in action or how policy is carried out. Moreover, the quality of its implementation determines the effectiveness and success of any policy. Essentially, there is a policy gap when policy expectations and perceived outcomes differ during the implementation process. The study, therefore, seeks to investigate the SRD programme implementation issues, including accessibility, the application process, payment processes, and the distributional impact faced by the Department of Social Development in delivering SRD grants in KwaZuluNatal. The study also focuses on beneficiaries’ experiences in accessing the relief fund and the experiences of implementing agents (Department of Social Development and SASSA) in delivering SRD grants in KwaZulu-Natal between May 2020-December 2022. A desktop qualitative approach to research is used to collect data in this study. Moreover, the study uses content analysis as a data collection method. The sample for this study is a selection of primary documents, including the Social Relief of Distress, Social Assistance Act (No 13 of 2004) and the South African Social Security Agency Act (No 9 of 2004). Moreover, secondary studies related to the topic and research questions will be selected, such as reports, online news articles, and academic journals. The study found that the emergence of the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in South Africa in 2019, its corresponding impacts simultaneously posed a global health and socio-economic crisis. To curb the spread of Covid-19, South Africa implemented a five-tier lockdown strategy, with level 5 being the most drastic in terms of restrictions. The Covid-19 crisis and regulations restricting social mobility and interaction have led most governments worldwide to expand their social protection systems to provide relief to vulnerable individuals and household members. Notably, digital technology has become integral to many social security systems worldwide. The implementation of the SRD grant in South Africa faced numerous challenges, resulting in some beneficiaries being excluded. Issues included a lack of digital access and literacy, inefficiencies in cash payments by the Post Office, and difficulties for rural and peri-urban residents. Government databases with outdated information also caused some applications to be rejected without a chance for appeal. Those receiving bank deposits experienced withdrawal vi | Page fees and inconsistent payment schedules. Additionally, poor service delivery, bribery, and corruption were reported at Post office branches where grants were collected. It was established that public policy programs fail if there is a lack of direction and unclear goals. A consequence of these limitations is that most adopted policies include vague language and ambiguous, contradictory, or unfeasible policy goals. Furthermore, the goals of the newly gazetted regulations of the SRD grant are unrealistic, as hundreds of thousands of people receiving the grant were disqualified. The evidence further suggests how SASSA failed to update its outdated, limited databases and inadequate verification systems leading to an influx of applications from public servants.
Civil society and social grants: a case study of civil society organisations and the child support grant during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa.
(2023) Mchunu, Nicollette Sindiswa.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
The COVID-19 lockdown regulations promulgated by the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (No.57 of 2002) Amendment of Regulations issued in terms of Section 27 (2) has led to a dramatic loss of income and presents an extraordinary challenge to the livelihoods of the vulnerable. The level 5 lockdown was implemented to prevent the virus from spreading through the regulations, which included the closure of businesses and schools, restrictions on travel and transportation, and orders to remain at home, causing overwhelming economic and social disruptions mostly affecting children and caregivers as beneficiaries of the Child Support Grant (CSG). The study seeks to explore the impact of the COVID-19 level 5 lockdown regulations on CSG beneficiaries and the role played by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the CSG during the lockdown. The study adopted an interpretative approach whilst using a qualitative methodology to explore the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown regulations on CSG beneficiaries, and the role played by CSOs in the CSG programme. The study is a desktop research; therefore, non-probability purposive sampling and theoretical sampling for documents was used to select relevant primary and secondary studies with sufficient data to address the research questions. The study uses a qualitative content analysis data collection method to collect data from books, journals, government legislation, newspaper articles, reports from government departments and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), and relevant websites to provide in-depth descriptions of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on CSG beneficiaries and CSOs' advocacy role in the CSG programme. Therefore, qualitative content analysis is used to analyze and organise data extracted from primary and secondary sources into themes related to the conceptual framework and the research questions of this study. The implementation of the CSG programme, as the focus of the study, was analyzed within the conceptual framework of public policy implementation which comprises numerous actors’ involvement. Additionally, the study uses the conceptual framework of civil society, which involves policy advocacy to understand the involvement of CSOs, the advocacy role and strategies of CSOs in the CSG. The findings of this study portray that CSOs influence the implementation of the CSG programme, and play both advocacy and watchdog roles. Furthermore, invented spaces of participation through virtual platforms such as media campaigns, evidence-based research, online petitions, lobbying through litigation, and submissions were utilised by CSOs to pressure the government to top up the CSG and for the public to contribute to the design of the social assistance policy response during level 5 lockdown. The CSOs proposed the CSG top-up of R500 per recipient. However, government implemented the CSG top-up or R500 per caregiver from June to October. Whilst CSOs contributed to the social assistance policy response during lockdown, they experienced challenges such as lack of advocacy capacity, lack of public awareness of online petitions, the digital divide, and lack of data and lack of communication between respective stakeholders and the public in executing advocacy activities.
A civil society organisation's engagement in collective action to access basic services: the case of the electricity action group in Pietermaritzburg (EAG).
(2015) Mbanjwa, Nokwanda.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
Basic services are defined in the Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) as services that include the provision of housing, education, health care, social welfare, transport, electricity and energy, water, sanitation, refuse and waste removal. Of these basic services, electricity and energy, water and sanitation, refuse and waste removal are considered to be the most critical in improving the lives of people. The South African national government has committed itself to providing a basic amount of free water, which is 6000L per household (Water Services Act, 108 of 1997), and electricity, which is 50kWh (Electricity Basic Services Support Tariff Policy Framework, 2003) to poor residents, as they are deemed essential basic needs (Dalton, 2000:48). This provision is facilitated by indigent policies which are adopted by each municipality. Each municipal indigent policy is case specific and is thus customised to the specific needs of the municipality concerned. In instances where municipalities do not adopt the Indigent Policy Framework or fail to implement it, indigent citizens have the right to demand the municipality to recognise theirs status as per the provisions of the National Indigent Policy Framework, 2006. This can be done through civil society organisations advocating for the rights of their members and/ those of citizens in general. In a democratic country, civil society may hold government accountable to the electorate, not only during election times, but at all times, thus ensuring that government fulfils its roles, including that of service provision. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the Electricity Action Group (EAG) and other civil society organisations engage the Msunduzi municipality through collective action to gain access to their constitutional right to free basic, affordable and adequate electricity. This study made use of an interpretative research methodology. The researcher collected primary data through semi-structured focus group discussions. Two focus group discussions were conducted with the members of the EAG. A total of 10 members participated in the focus group discussions. A non-probability sampling technique, convenience sampling, was used to identify respondents, because the group was only accessible when they met for their scheduled meetings. Secondary data consisted of data from minutes of meetings, organisational reports, letters, memorandums, media statements and newspaper articles. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. Thematic analysis was most ideal to this study because it emphasises key points through pinpointing and recording patterns from the data presented. This study used themes such as collective action rationale; aims and objectives of collective action; civil society partnerships; and collective action strategies, to examine the relationship between what must be done according to legislation and what indeed happens, in practice. The findings of the study showed that the EAG, in its engagement with the municipality, had employed various strategies of collective action which included writing letters to the municipality, making written submissions and oral presentations to the municipality, holding marches and pickets where memorandums were handed over and having sit-ins in municipal offices. These actions were informed by: 1) the municipality’s response or lack thereof to the demands of the EAG; 2) the number of people participating in the collective behaviour. The study revealed that the EAG had employed both destructive and non-destructive tactics of collective action in engaging the Msunduzi municipality. The study showed that, although the collective action strategies employed by the EAG did not always yield the desired results, it produced valuable unintended consequences such as to conscientise and educate its members on basic services and constitutional rights. Two important findings which played an important role in explaining the collective behaviour of the EAG were that, firstly, although there were policies in place for the provision of basic services and free basic service provision for the indigent, they have not been provided adequately due to non-implementation. Secondly, the study found that binding decisions taken by the municipality were documented but not implemented.
Delivery of social services through state owned enterprises : the case of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Pietermaritzburg.
(2016) Ngwenya, Thobeka Nomcebo.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
The apartheid regime influenced the high inequality levels, which perpetuated poverty rates particularly amongst black Africans. The democratic government thus inherited a society that consisted of majority of its Black citizens who were labelled as “poor”. It is within this context of discriminatory practices by social welfare services during the apartheid period, that the South African government committed itself to redressing issues of poverty, and restructuring the social security system to be inclusive. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and successes of implementation in the delivery of social services through state-owned enterprises, as a mechanism to deliver services in South Africa. It entails a case study of the South African Social Security Agency as an example of a state owned enterprises, delegated to deliver social services. The study focused on the SASSA office in Pietermaritzburg, which is situated within Mgungundlovu District, in KwaZulu Natal. This study, therefore, proved that SASSA in PMB as a state owned enterprise has successfully been able to deliver social services, effectively and efficiently. The delivery of social services through state owned enterprises has fundamentally improved as compared to before the inception of SASSA. However, it further uncovers that there are still various challenges in the delivery of social services that impede further progress. The challenge of incapacity in the administration of social grants was seen as one of the challenges. Secondly, the biometric system of payment opened up to other corruptive actions, such as illegal deductions of the social grant. This research study took a qualitative study approach by using in-depth structured interviews to collect primary data from respondents (SASSA, Black Sash, CINDI, PADCA, and Youth For Christ). The study also used primary data from official government documents; as well as secondary data. The sample consisted of a total of nine participants for the study, SASSA officials and members of NGO’s, namely Black Sash, PADCA, CINDI and Youth For Christ. Data was analysed using the thematic content analysis, using manual coding according to the themes. The research study used word for word transcription.
An implementation analysis of sectoral determination seven (SD7) of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of [1997] (BCEA): a case study of domestic workers in uMsunduzi Municipality.
(2017) Mabaso, Zamatungwa.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
This study examines the issues related to the implementation of Sectoral Determination 7 (SD7). The study investigates domestic workers’ experiences of their working conditions, in order to establish the extent to which SD7 is effective in affording them labour rights, and improving their working conditions. SD7 was promulgated in 2002 by the Minister of Labour in order to regulate domestic work in the country. The promulgation of SD7 came about as a result of the shortfalls of the existing legislation such as sections 23(1) and (2) of the Constitution and the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, as well as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 being insufficient to respond to the challenges of exploitation, oppression and abuse which shape the domestic worker sector, not only in South Africa, but globally. Over the years it became apparent that there needed to be an intervention to combat the oppression and exploitation faced by domestic workers globally. Hence, in 2011 the ILO ratified Convention No. 189 which set the international standards for the regulation of domestic work internationally. Further, Recommendation 201 was passed by the ILO which aims to stipulate the guidelines for the strengthening of policies on domestic work and national law. Despite national and international policies on the regulation of domestic work being passed, previous studies have shown that these policies have not resulted in the working conditions of domestic workers improving, and them being empowered with labour rights like their counterparts in other labour sectors. This study uses implementation theory, and the implementation of regulatory policy in particular, as well as power and street-level bureaucracy to analyze the implementation challenges of SD7 of the BCEA 75 of 1997. The study used qualitative data analysis and content thematic analysis to analyze the data. The main themes which emerged from the findings were: conceptualizations of SD7, access to provisions of SD7 and the challenges experienced with the implementation of SD7. The findings of the study supported the argument that domestic workers are unable to access these rights as a result of the power imbalance between them and their employers. Further, the study found that the policy design of SD7 does not take into consideration the intricacies of the domestic worker sector, therefore SD7, for the most part, has not improved the working conditions of domestic workers. Moreover, a poor monitoring system on the part of DoL does nothing to deter non-compliance by employers.
An implementation analysis of the Immigration Act 13 0F 2002 (Study permit): A case study of foreign African postgraduate PhD students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg campus.
(2019) Ntinzi, Lwazikazi.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
Post-apartheid South Africa has experienced a sharp increase in all categories of migration. South Africa has become the destination for migrants such as asylum seekers, traders, entrepreneur as well as students. Migrants moving from one country to the other to pursue a career have become a worldwide phenomenon. There has been an increase in the number of foreign (the term “international” is also used in the literature and in this study the terms are used interchangeably) students crossing borders to study in higher education institutions. Even though foreign students could choose the more developed countries to pursue their studies, developing countries such as India and South Africa are attracting these students. The majority of foreign students who choose South Africa as their destination country are usually students from neighboring African countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Congo, Kenya, Swaziland and Lesotho. There is also a small contingent from Europe and North America. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of foreign African postgraduate (PhD) students coming to study in South Africa particularly at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg (PMB) Campus. It also sought to analyse the policies which enable foreign students to study in South Africa, the challenges they face when applying for, and renewing, their study permits as well as the experiences of government and university administrators in administering foreign students’ applications. The study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the reasons for foreign African postgraduate (PhD) students coming to study in South Africa? 2. What are the application processes and policies for foreign African postgraduate students to study in South Africa? 3. What are the systems and structures at UKZN PMB for foreign African postgraduate students to facilitate their studies? 4. What are the challenges that UKZN PMB foreign African postgraduate students face in accessing study permits? 5. What are the experiences of UKZN administrators in dealing with foreign African postgraduate student applications? The study used a qualitative research approach, namely, a case study. In-depth interviews were used to collect primary data from key informants comprising two assistant directors from the Department of Home Affairs, two UKZN administrators (with one being from the International Office), and 14 foreign African postgraduate (PhD) students. The latter were interviewed via two focus groups, with seven students per group. The study used thematic analysis to analyse the data. The themes were derived from the literature review and theoretical framework and were as follows: Conceptions of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, policy implementation and programme delivery; managers and administrators’ experiences in relation to assisting foreign African postgraduate students; and, thirdly, the experiences of foreign African postgraduate students themselves. The study found that when the Department of Home Affairs implemented the above legislation it encountered various challenges including the submission of fraudulent documentation by foreign students. It also revealed that the street level bureaucrats, as policy actors, clearly understood the roles that they have to play in providing services to the beneficiaries of this legislation. Findings showed that foreign African students choose to study in South Africa as it is one of the countries closer to their country of origin and is well-known to have the best higher education institutions on the African continent. It was also found that foreign students are attracted by academic programmes available in South Africa which they do not have access to in their country of origin. This study revealed that most foreign African students experience numerous difficulties when applying for a study permit in their home country and also renewing them in South Africa. These challenges include standing for long hours in queues at the different embassies. Foreign African students also faced challenges of being denied a visa because they did not produce all the documents required as well as the experience of xenophobic attacks in the host country.
The limits and possibilities of monitoring and evaluation: a case study of the KwaZulu Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN CoGTA).
(2016) Nxumalo, Siyabonga I.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
As South Africa seeks to consolidate and deepen the country‟s democracy post-1994, subsequently it has had to focus on good governance to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in the conduct and operations of government. The country‟s development efforts towards improving accountability, transparency, efficiency as well as effectiveness of government in service delivery seeks to create and maintain high levels of performance in government departments. As a result monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has developed into a significant practice in guiding the transformation of the South African Public Service. M&E is the systematic assessment of the policy processes as well as the measurement of a policy‟s impact. It can be used to assess whether a policy or program achieves its objectives. M&E practice in South Africa is anchored towards developing an efficient Public Service that delivers on the objectives and mandate of the South African Government as enshrined in the country‟s post-1994 Constitution. In 2005, Cabinet approved a plan for the development of a Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation System (M&E), which was envisaged as a system in which each department would have a functional M&E system. In 2009 a Ministry of Performance M&E was created in the Presidency, and a Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in January 2010 was established. Subsequently, monitoring and evaluation has become a subject of interest in public policy implementation. This study seeks to understand the limits and possibilities of monitoring and evaluation using the KwaZulu Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN CoGTA) as a case study. It aims to ascertain how M&E as defined in the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and the literature is implemented, conceptualised and used. KZN CoGTA is a South African provincial government Department whose legislative mandate according to the South African Constitution is to provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent intergovernmental system for the Provincial government departments. Evidently, as a relatively new strategic and operational practice in the South African government, M&E exposes some of its own limits and possibilities. Ultimately, not all resources invested into M&E actually get implemented to strengthen transparency, accountability and improvement. The study adopted an interpretative approach whilst using a qualitative methodology to identify and capture meaning that informs the understanding and implementation of monitoring and evaluation, (M&E). Non-probability; purposive sampling was used to select elements for a specific purpose of their unique position and capabilities to provide information on practical and expert knowledge in M&E. Therefore, the data collection method includes interviews with relevant personnel in the M&E practice, as well as the documents about the implementation of monitoring and evaluation in KZN CoGTA, South Africa. The implementation of M&E which is the focus of the study was analysed within the theoretical framework of public policy implementation which involves monitoring and evaluation. The challenges encountered when implementing M&E within the various approaches such as the Results-Based Management are also analysed in order to understand the limits and possibilities of monitoring and evaluation. The results pointed to the importance of an improved and standardised M&E practice with enhanced and standardised coordination between different spheres of government in national, provincial and local government institutions, as responsible for monitoring the process of design, implementation and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the public service, aiming to improve the quality of its services.
Public participation in the formulation of public policy: the case of the Lesotho National Decentralisation Policy in Maseru district.
(2017) Khiba, Manukuebe Bernice.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
This study analyses public participation in the formulation of public policy. The concept public participation has gained great attention over the decades with development scholars emphasising that it is an inevitable need for democratic governance. Generally public participation can be taken to mean that the citizens directly or through the associations and organisations that represent them take part in the processes of decision making together with their government. It is attributed to building effective, efficient, responsive, transparent, and accountable governance. Public policy is defined as whatever pronouncement that government makes regarding a problem affecting the wider society. Public policy formulation refers to the process whereby different actors or role players come together to deliberate and exchange views on how a public problem can be addressed. These role players come from within and outside government. Actors from government have a legal mandate to formulate policy because of their legal duty to serve the public. Role players from outside government represent public interests; they bring diversity of expertise and experience to advise on possible alternative solutions to the prevailing problem. Theory of participatory democracy which supports the idea of public participation in governance issues, including policy formulation has been adopted for this study. The main emphasis of this theory is that the people should have a chance to decide on the issues that affect them. Policies affect the people hence they must participate in their formulation. Mechanisms and processes of public participation, advantages, challenges, and criticisms linked to public participation in the formulation of public policy were explored. Various legislation guiding public participation were outlined; from international agreements, African legislation, SADC legislation and domestic legislation from the country where the study took place. The study used a qualitative research approach gathering primary data using in depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data was analysed by identifying major themes; democracy and good governance, empowerment, ownership and support, policy relevance and responsiveness and the mechanisms for public participation. The findings of this study revealed that both the government officials and the public recognise the importance of public participation in policy formulation. However, there were shortcomings especially in the way that the public was engaged to participate. The mechanisms used to involve them did not offer them genuine chances to influence the policy decisions.
Public participation through ward committees: a case study of uMshwathi Municipality.
(2016) Mtshali, Nontobeko.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
During apartheid, South Africa was governed by laws which were based on the isolated development of individuals within the country. This meant that the national government was not responsible for the delivery of services and infrastructure to the black people of South Africa. Public participation was limited under the apartheid government. Most of the Blacks, Indian and Coloured people in South African had no political rights and were restricted from participating in the processes of government. The apartheid government wanted to steer the interactions between the state, the market and civil society to best suit the welfare of the white dominant society in South Africa. Due to international pressures and the rise of civil society in the late 20th century, the apartheid government was weakened. In an attempt to address the injustices caused by apartheid, the democratic government was oriented towards finding ways to incorporate the previously disadvantaged groups within society into the decision-making processes and public participation by establishing ward committees. The study on uMshwathi municipality reveals that ward committees are the essential lubricant for public participation but there are challenges that need attention. The study on uMshwathi shows that ward committees have potential to enhance responsiveness of local government. The aim of the study is to investigate the functioning of ward committees in the uMshwathi municipality. The study looks at the issues related to their functioning and to community participation within ward committees with reference to uMshwathi municipality. It explores the conceptualisations of public participation by uMshwathi municipality. It also analyses the organisational structures and institutional mechanisms used by municipalities to promote public participation through ward committees. The researcher collected primary data through focus group discussions and structured in-depth interviews. Three focus group discussions were conducted with the ward committee members of uMshwathi municipality. A total of 24 members participated in these. Four in-depth interviews were conducted: three interviews were conducted with the uMshwathi municipality councillors and one interview was conducted with the uMshwathi municipality official who is responsible for the public participation unit. Secondary data was gathered from published research studies on public participation and ward committees in South Africa. Key points were emphasised through identifying and recording patterns from the presented data. This study used themes such as the conceptualisations of public participation; democracy and participatory governance; challenges of ward committee members; and successes of ward committees.
The role of public participation in reviewing land redistribution policy in South Africa.
(2021) Zondi, Ntobeko Panuel.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
The post-apartheid South African democratic Constitution of 1996 provides for extensive participation of the public in the legislative and policy-making processes. Involving the citizens in policy decision-making processes deepens democracy, promotes active citizenship and good governance. During the apartheid regime, the then government passed racial, discriminatory legislation and gave supremacy to the white population. The Apartheid system of government formulated land legislations and policies which prohibited black people from owning land in areas occupied by the white community. After 1994, the ANC-led government adopted legislation and policies that were non-racial, non-sexist and non-discriminatory. Among them was the land policy with its objective to redistribute land equitably to all South Africans. However, even after over 25 years of democracy, land redistribution in South Africa has progressed slowly. In February 2018, parliament made a call to review section 25 of the Constitution on land redistribution to allow land expropriation without compensation in the interest of the public, where it called for extensive participation of the public. Therefore, this study examined the role of public participation in reviewing land redistribution policy in South Africa. This was a purely qualitative approach that utilized desktop research and thematic content analysis to analyze the data collected. This study finds that the parliament of South Africa used public hearings, written and oral submissions as mechanisms to engage the public on whether section 25 of the Constitution on land redistribution should be reviewed or not to allow for expropriation of land without compensation in the interests of the public. The study finds that parliament received more than 700 000 written submissions made by the public. One issue that this study investigated was that about 65% of written submissions are not supporting the changing of section 25 of the Constitution. In comparison, 34% agreed on the amendment of the constitution, 1% was undecided on whether section 25 of the Constitution should be reviewed or not. This study recommended that if the majority of the public is opposing review of section 25 of the Constitution on land redistribution to allow mechanisms to expropriate land without compensation in the interest of the public, then the parliament must investigate what exactly is the impediment to slow progress of land redistribution in South Africa. This study further recommends that parliament draft, amend, and pass the land expropriation and land redistribution bill. It also recommended a review of the white paper on land redistribution policy since it shows slow progress to date.
The implementation of tertiary education language policy: a case study of the language policy of the University of Kwazulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus.
(2023) Madondo, Samukelisiwe Hlengiwe.; Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday.
Indigenous African languages have been marginalized for many years, and as a way to redress language inequalities and imbalances, mother tongue language use has been introduced in institutions of higher learning in South Africa. The South African Constitution promotes the use of all twelve official South African languages and Chapter 1 Section 6 of the Constitution guides the language policy implementation. In this regard, South Africa is a multilingual country and all languages should have equal status. However, currently South African languages do not enjoy equal status with English. Universities have therefore introduced multilingual modes of instruction to improve teaching and learning, as well as throughput rates. This study aimed at understanding the attitudes and perceptions of the University of KwaZulu-Natal staff and students on the university’s language policy in relation to teaching and learning on the Pietermaritzburg campus and to analyze the implementation of the policy. The study used a qualitative research approach, which consisted of a case study. In-depth interviews were used to collect the primary data from the key informants who comprised of the director of the language board, the dean and head of the School of Arts, three lecturers teaching IsiZulu 101 non-mother tongue, five tutors of IsiZulu 101 non-mother tongue and fifteen students registered for IsiZulu 101 non-mother tongue. The students were divided into three focus groups, each consisting of five students. The study used thematic analysis to analyze the data. Initial findings from the study revealed that students felt that they do not need to study IsiZulu; instead, they mentioned that it should be a personal choice because most of them believe that they will not be using IsiZulu once they have completed their undergraduate degree as they are not all from the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It was also found that not all lecturers were receptive to the implementation of the policy within the university. However, the continuous work that is being done by the University Language and Planning Development Office shows that there are new developments and systems that are continuously being put into place to further improve the implementation of the language policy.

Browse

Browsing Masters Degrees (Policy and Development Studies) by Author "Manicom, Desiree Pushpeganday."