Browsing by Author "Khambule, Isaac Bheki."
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Item Assessing the effectiveness of public participation in improving the local community development prospects in Ndwedwe Local Municipality.(2022) Ngubane, Lucky S’bongiseni.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.Evidence suggests that public participation is among the most crucial factors in fostering both equitable and sustainable local economic development in the local government sphere. Public participation and its various mechanisms are a process of seeking and enhancing the engagement of those individuals and stakeholders potentially affected by or invested in a decision-making. Previous research has established that, in local government, the main purpose of public participation is to enhance transparency, encourage openness in government and build ownership of development decisions as well as programs and projects. Moreover, studies on local economic development in South Africa have shown the importance of public participation in enhancing and fostering local social and economic development. However, previous published have failed to expose how the implementation of certain public participation mechanism may have improved the livelihoods of local communities. This research examines the role of public participation mechanism in the context of local community development. Drawing on the case study of Ndwedwe Municipality, this study sought to assess the public participation mechanism and system implemented by the Ndwedwe municipality. It specifically evaluates the extent to which the current public participation mechanism and system are successful in fostering both economic and social development in Ndwedwe municipality. Data for this study were collected using semi-structured interviews. Ten (n=10) purposively sampled individuals were selected for the interviews. Data were presented and analysed using the thematic analysis approach. Findings show that the community is not fully involved in the issues that concerns them as development of their communities. This also means that there is limited public participation thereby making it less effective. It is highly recommended that the communication practices should be closely examined and appropriately adjusted to include different stakeholders. This means that there will be an introduction of new policies that emphasise the inclusion of all stakeholders previously excluded from decision-making.Item Assessing the prospects and challenges of the Dube Trade-Port (Durban) Aerotropolis.(2021) Ndlela, Ayanda Engel.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.Airports around the world are being expanded from transportation centers to economic hubs. This new development phenomenon is driven by what is increasingly known as aerotropolis or airport metropolis, a new type of urban airport-led development that functions as centres of economic activity for local and global markets. This is primarily because air travel has become the fastest and trendiest means of transportation and one of the main contributors to the globalization of cities through the brokerage role of airports. While this development phenomenon has mainly been studied through aerotropolis models in developed countries, there is a lack of studies on aerotropolis development in developing countries. Against the above background, this study is a developmental investigation into the prospects and challenges of the Dube Tradeport Aerotropolis project headed in conjunction with the KwaZuluNatal provincial government and other private-public partnerships at the King Shaka International Airport. Methodologically, the study used secondary qualitative data to unpack the prospects and challenges of an aerotropolis development in the context of a developing nation. The study finds that the Dube Tradeport Aerotropolis development has the prospects of improving the economy of KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in ensuring trickle-down benefits from the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality to neighbouring municipalities such as KwaDukuza and Ndwedwe. This is evident in the number of jobs created by this mega-project and the overall investment in new ventures in and around the airport through the Dube Tradeport Economic Zone. The study found that the Dube Tradeport Aerotropolis poses challenges to the poor by not prioritizing inclusiveness in the economy and wealth generated by this development. Job creation has been a by-product and the indirect inclusion of the poor in developing this Aerotropolis, as evident in the temporary jobs that phase one of this development has provided. The study recommends prioritizing decent, sustainable and full employment of the poor from the emerging aerotropolis city to help address the country’s high unemployment rate.Item Assessing the relationship between poverty, vulnerability and natural disasters on urban informal settlements of developing countries: a case study of Quarry Road West informal settlement, Durban.(2020) Mfingwana, Thantaswa Usisipho.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between poverty, vulnerability and natural disasters in Quarry Road West informal settlement in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The informal settlement is located in Newlands East, near the Palmiet River, which overflows and results in flooding conditions in the settlement. The people from the settlement already live under poor and vulnerable conditions as they experience problems such as poverty, unemployment and informal housing structures, which makes this settlement the ideal study area for the research. Objectives of the study include exploring and investigating the impacts that floods have in this area, how the eThekwini municipality tries to minimize the impacts floods in the area, and what are the problems that the municipality encounters in trying to minimize the impacts of floods in Quarry Road West settlement. Qualitative research methods and due to the Corona virus (COVID 19), secondary data analysis was used to collect and analyse the secondary data. The results indicated that there is a direct relationship between poverty, vulnerability and floods in Quarry Road West informal settlement. Floods in this area resulted in deaths, collapsing housing structures, loss of possessions and most importantly, loss of land. All his resulted in the people being trapped in a cycle of poverty and vulnerability that is almost impossible, as the people struggle to respond and recover to floods properly. As the floods keep striking, more people are getting affected, which means more people are struggling to recover from floods. The municipality tries to assist the community, however there are many challenges still being faced. This indicates that more efforts are required from the municipality in order to improve resilience in the area.Item Exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the informal economy in Durban, South Africa.(2023) Mhlangu, Thulile Sinethemba.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.The informal economy in South Africa is predominantly characterised by the presence of women and the working poor. The flexibility in entry and exit in the informal sector enables the marginalised and those with low skills to gain entry in this particular sector. Informality is quite prevalent in developing countries as the economies have less economic diversification. The high levels of unemployment in South Africa influence the growth of the informal sector as a method of livelihood. The informal economy has minimal protection, exposing those operating in the informal sector to social and economic shocks. The eThekwini region is noted as one of the busiest hubs in South Africa and has a strong presence of informal traders. It is impossible to ignore the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a huge instability in the daily lives of South Africans. Against this background, the aim of this study was to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on informal workers in the eThekwini Region. This study has also identified and explored the various livelihood and socio-economic challenges encountered by the informal workers in the region. Methodologically, the study utilised secondary data analysis as a data collection tool, informed by the mixed methods approach. The study’s data is based on a survey conducted with 150 informal workers in eThekwini on the impact of COVID-19 on their livelihoods. The key finding reveal that the Covid-19 brought upon great hardship and challenges in the informal businesses and the livelihoods dependent on the sector due to the closure of economic activities during the height of the pandemic. There was insufficient distribution of Covid-19 relief funds by the government and the local municipality towards informal workers in the midst of being barred from earning a living. Additionally, there is a huge gap for social security in the informal sector in the eThekwini region. While the resilient informal workers in eThekwini region have returned to trading (despite being unable to recover post-Covid income), most aspire for better protection in the midst of social and economic shocks.Item An investigation into the impact of rural-urban migration on local government service delivery: a case study of eThekwini municipality.(2022) Khumalo, Musawenkosi Welington.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.Historically, rural-urban migration has remained a common factor in developing countries. This predicament is motivated by a mass movement of people from their places of origin searching for better opportunities. Therefore, this leads to massive urbanization and overcrowding in the city. In South Africa, the city of Durban is classified as a Metropolitan area and attracts the majority of people from different regions across the country. Studies show that rural-urban migration patterns often impact the service delivery of the receiving urban regions. Against the above background, this study aimed to investigate the impact of rural-urban migration on local government service delivery through the case study of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. The researcher adopted the exploratory research approach and conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with six municipal officials from three eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality departments. The three departments interviewed are: electricity, human settlements and health. The results revealed that the in-migration in the city of Durban has some impact, particularly on service delivery. This causes a strain in the city municipality because of limited resources and high demands of basic services. Contrary to popular beliefs, some of the rural migration in eThekwini is caused by the failure to distribute resources in an inclusive manner that promotes rural areas within the eThekwini region. Although the study respondents revealed that the city municipality is doing its best to respond to high demands of services, the responses fail to meet the rate of rural-urban migration from a budgetary point. It is recommended that more resources be allocated to metropolitan municipalities to respond effectively to the needs of residents and migrants. Furthermore, the government should prioritize developing previously disadvantaged areas to avoid urbanization in cities.Item Local economic development as a social dialogue : a case of Enterprise iLembe.(2015) Khambule, Isaac Bheki.; Proches, Cecile Naomi Gerwel.In looking for a structure that would successfully foster a participatory approach to Local Economic Development (LED) matters and at the same time create institutions that are socio-economically sustainable, Local Economic Development Agencies (LEDAs) have been identified as mechanisms of economic cooperation between different stakeholders at the local level. This research identified Enterprise iLembe as the custodian of social dialogue in the iLembe District and as an institution that can drive the common developmental goals set out by the district municipality. This research studied the role of social dialogue in LED matters through the case study of Enterprise iLembe. Enterprise iLembe is a development agency of the iLembe District, which was tasked with driving economic growth and investment promotion. The aim of the research was to study the level of cooperation between Enterprise iLembe and its stakeholders (local and district municipalities, the chamber of commerce and the greater iLembe community) from a social dialogue perspective. The research also aimed to understand the role of social dialogue in LED matters and the potential barriers that inhibit social dialogue in the district. This qualitative study involved interviews with officials from Enterprise iLembe, the iLembe District municipality, the iLembe Chamber of Commerce and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). It was found that the chief problem causing the confusion and friction between the LEDA and the local municipal LED units is not only the uncertainty surrounding the roles and responsibilities as noted by previous literature and reports, but also the lack of consultation and information sharing between the LEDA and local municipal LED units; the LEDA was found to be trying to act as an autonomous body instead of embodying common developmental objectives and consulting with the parent municipalities. The key point here is that there is an undervaluing of local municipal input when implementing the common developmental objectives. The research recommends that Enterprise iLembe should engage in social dialogue (in its full sense) with local municipalities in order to have an effective social dialogue about the functions of both the agency and local municipalities. It is also recommended that the formalisation of forums in the informal economy be hastened in order to tap into the economic potential that the informal economy offers.Item Measuring South African social development: a case study of praxis in the Eastern Cape.(2021) Engelbrecht, Joshua Gideon.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.In South Africa, present levels of poverty and inequality are intolerably high, and there is both an incontestable imperative to enact, and an expressed commitment by the state to facilitate, social development. There is, however, little evident evaluation of how effective this undertaking has been. The aim of this research is to quantify and assess the social development praxis - ideology, process, and practice combined - of the mandated government Department of Social Development. The enquiry investigates the case of the Eastern Cape province, exploiting the public availability of the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development’s Annual Reports. The research first determines the scope of the Eatern Cape Department of Social Development activity by the measure of financial resource allocation across the categorical channels of Department of Social Development activity for the financial years 2007/2008 to 2017/2018. This enables in the second instance, establishing the changes in targeted social development outcomes by measuring the change in provincial inverse, multidimensional poverty over the study period. This was achieved using the data generated by all five waves of the National Income Dynamics Survey, and by computing a novel Multidimensional Poverty Index for the Eastern Cape using the Alkire-Foster metho. Utilizing a fractional response probit model to determine an empirical association between the explanatory variable of changes in Eastern Cape Department of Social Development financial resource allocation, and the changes in the outcome variable of targeted social development outcomes represented by the regional Multidimensional Poverty Index, the study estimated an empirical - but negligible - association between Eastern Cape Department of Social Development spending and the regional Multidimensional Poverty Index. This infers a limited impacty of Eastern Cape Department of Social Development praxis on multidimensional poverty. The research concludes that there is an evident insufficiency in the scope of the mechanism of state-led social development interventions as practiced in the Eastern Cape province and that redress of long-term deprivations and inequity of access to vital social goods, such as quality education, employment stability, and appropriate healthcare, has been inadequate. While this case evidence is not necessarily generalisable to the country, it is recommended that further investigation iteratively evaluates the outcomes of social development praxis in the other provinces.Item The motives behind students pursuing postgraduate studies in the Humanities: a case study of the postgraduate students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.(2021) Mavundla, Noxolo Patience.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.Through the development process, higher education provides the necessary tools and skills for individuals to access employment opportunities and improve human development. Global statistical evidence shows that those with higher education qualifications are more likely to be employed than those with lower-level education or no education at all. This has subsequently led to the growth in the enrollment of postgraduate students as a permanent feature in institutions of higher education across the globe. South Africa is not an exception to this trend because its National Development Plan views education as an essential element to the country’s developmental needs and foundation to alleviate poverty, unemployment, and inequalities. With the increasing enrollment of students into postgraduate studies, it becomes crucial to understand the main drivers of this phenomenon. This study is geared towards exploring the motives connected to pursuing postgraduate studies in the South African context. The study was conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus in the School of Humanities). Methodologically, the study employed a qualitative approach that involved semi-structured interviews with ten participants that were selected within the institution. The study showed that many participants attach several motives to pursuing higher education, with the need to access further employment and financial opportunities to better their livelihoods being the main drivers. Other participants were found to be driven by the need for self-development, their role models, and the need to improve their communities. While there has been a rapid increase in postgraduate intake, the lack of funding for postgraduate studies was a leading barrier and contributed to excessive financial exclusion. The study recommends that the government finds other proactive measures of developing a funding model that is explicitly targeting postgraduate students.Item The prospectus and challenges of rural urban migration in South African cities: perceptions from integrated development plans.(2021) Ramuhulu, Thama Cindy.; Khambule, Isaac Bheki.Rural-urban migration is a global phenomenon which been constantly shaping economies and societies. Rural-urban migration has played an important role in many countries' urbanization processes and continues to be important. There are a number of reasons why this migration is mainly about seeking better sources of income. Similarly, rural-urban migration has a variety of implications. In South Africa, rural-urban migration has occurred since the early 1990s during the gold rush period and was deterred by apartheid policies such as the community areas act and influx control legislation that limited the movement of Black Africans. In post-apartheid South Africa, urban areas have seen increasing numbers of people moving to urban areas for work-related purposes, but ending up settling down. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand how receiving metropolitan areas interpret the rapid rural-urban migration occurring in South Africa. The study aimed to explore the prospects and challenges of rural-urban migration in South African cities based on the perceptions from Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) of metropolitan municipalities. As such, the study utilised secondary data from IDPs and supplemented by data from Statistics South Africa on population dynamics. The study finds that metropolitan IDPs are generally aware of the socio-economic benefits of ruralurban migration for migrants and receiving cities, mainly through attracting skilled workers and enriching diversity. The findings also reveal that metropolitan municipalities in South Africa are experiencing major housing blockage problems, lack of infrastructure, informal settlements and a lack of urban planning strategies due to the increase in rural-urban migration. This is largely because the population growth in cities is putting tremendous strain on the availability of utilities which places pressure on governments to identify alternatives and establish plans to tackle service delivery issues in communities. It is recommended that the government needs to proactively introduce spatial planning and land-use management strategies that promote the creation of inclusive cities that protect sustainable development.