Public Policy

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An analysis of how socioeconomic issues affect the performance of learners in rural schools: a case study of Ga-Sekgopo high schools grade 8-10 learners.
(2020) Baloyi, Mapula Emily.; Dlamini, Siyabonga Innocent.
Rural Schools in South Africa are characterised by poor service delivery and low academic achievements. The learners in rural schools face several challenges that lower their chances of attaining academic excellence. Some of these issues include low socioeconomic status, inadequate service delivery which leads to a lack of basic infrastructure, such as classrooms, libraries, and other resources such as textbooks and computers, which would assist to advance learners. Despite the government’s efforts of implementing different policies in the Department of Education, rural schools continue to struggle because of their disadvantage of being in a remote rural area, were there is a lack of access of basic resources. This study reveals that most rural communities attempt to assist the learners in rural schools, some communities have engaged in protest action to remove educators which were not advancing the learners. In other instances, the communities donate funds to assist schools in meeting their needs. Although, the involvement of the local community is essential, the gap in schools remain, as the rural communities are also in a disadvantage situation and therefore their impact can be minimal. Also, the communication from the schools and the communities is not efficient, this depends on the School Governing Body structure, the leadership of the school and the overall involvement of parents. This study investigated how socio-economic issues affect the academic performance of rural learners, focusing on the schools in the Ga Sekgopo Village in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative research methodology to answer the research questions. In depth interviews were used to explore the views and the perspectives of the educators and the former learners of Ga Sekgopo.The sample consisted of one representative of the educators, the School Governing Body (SGB) from each of the five schools from Ga Sekgopo as well as 5 former learners who previously attended the High schools in Ga Sekgopo village were interviewed. The findings of this study revealed that external factors such as socioeconomic issues, a lack of infrastructure, poor participation of the parents in the learners schooling, HIV/AIDs infection and poor government service delivery and poor implementation of policies. All have a significant impact in affecting the teaching and learning process, in essence affecting the level of achievements produced by the learner. This study revealed that schools in rural areas are at a disadvantage as they experience different challenges such as, poor service delivery from the government, poor infrastructure, an issue with obtaining good educators and more. Learners in rural schools are affected by those challenges that are predominant in the schools, and also have to face the challenges that they have at home which may be associated with their socioeconomic status. Therefore, this study recommends a strategy or a model for rural schools, that will help in retaining Education graduates in rural school. Also for the government to prioritise service delivery in rural schools, and to formulate programs or workshops to train the educators on how to deal with learners from rural schools. Partnering with Non-Profit Organisations which are interested in developing learners academically, would be a viable solution to cover the gap that rural learners experience.
Analysis of the socio-political and economic dynamics of the language policy in South Africa: perspectives from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Mthombeni, Zama Mabel.; Ogunnubi, Olusola Rasheed.
The promotion of multilingual education can be regarded as a force that is driving change in teaching and learning in South Africa’s higher education institutions. This research situates itself amidst the increasing tensions about multilingual policy implementation in South African higher education institutions. South Africa’s democratic constitution has been revised, which directly compelled change in the education legislation, forcing many universities to undergo a process of altering their language policies. The South African government has, at least on paper, taken recognition of the unquestionable fact that African languages must be advanced as languages of learning and teaching in all educational institutions for the empowerment of the African people. Thus far, multilingual education is not mainstream in South African higher education institution and on the overall, little has changed in terms of language-in-education issues in the country. However, there have been some efforts in the higher educational sphere to develop indigenous African languages as languages of learning. The University of KwaZulu-Natal has implemented a bilingual language policy, which stipulates that isiZulu will be a compulsory subject for undergraduate’s students from 2014 onward. The issue remains controversial. From one perspective, indorsing the African languages in tertiary education supports what Alexander (2001) calls democratic responsibility of the post-apartheid university. From another perspective, this language policy is perceived as reverting to apartheid style Bantu Education practices and as fostering ethnic identities and tribalism rather than supporting a development of a broader and more inclusive South African identity. This research therefore is an analysis of the socio-economic and political implications of the University of KwaZulu-Natal bilingual language policy. In discussing the political implications, the study looks at the policy implementation process undertaken in determining the policy and at the positive and negative viewpoints arising regarding the language policy. To understand the social implications, the study looks at the impact of having a bilingual language policy and lastly, it discusses the economic implications of utilizing bilingual approach to education at the tertiary level.
An analysis of the South African State’s capacity to respond to human trafficking within Its borders.
(2023) Muthwa, Nkululeko.; Nadvi, Syeda Lubna Bano.
The dissertation looks at the South African State’s capacity to respond to human trafficking (also referred to Trafficking in Persons) within its borders. Human trafficking is a criminal activity which uses a human being as a commodity. The definition of the crime found in Article 3 of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children 2000 outlines the criminal activities which constitute human trafficking. They include domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced marriage etc. The need to pursue the study comes from the concerns of the country being among those where the phenomenon is prevalent. The research has 5 objectives that it intends to achieve: This is i) to establish the legal and policy tools which South Africa uses to deal with human trafficking; ii) look at how it handles different types of human trafficking; iii) the country's ability to respond to different kinds of human trafficking; iv) the social factors that contribute towards the prevalence of human trafficking: and v) how reported cases are handled. The study is a desktop research project which entails collecting secondary data to generate new findings. The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm. The paradigm holds a view that reality is socially constructed and therefore seeks to "understand the subject of world of human experience" (Guba & Lincoln 1989 cited by Kivunja & Kuyini 2017: 8). Data takes different form of dynamics as it reflects human behaviour (Schwartz-Sea & Yanow 2012).
Assessing the causes of youth unemployment in Durban townships: the case of Cato Manor.
(2018) Ntshiza, Sibusiso Blessing.; Cele, Nokuthula Peace.
This study has been conducted to examine the causes and the impact of youth unemployment in Durban townships in South Africa with a specific focus on Cato Manor Township. Through the use qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study aims to find out why youth unemployment persists to pose a challenge, especially in township areas despite the fact that the South African government has implemented a number of programmes, measures and strategies to address it. Data collection techniques such as personal interviews, focus group interviews and observation as well as questionnaires have been used to collect data from three group categories: unemployed young people without matriculation; unemployed young people with matriculation as well as unemployed young people with tertiary qualifications aged 18 to 34 years. This study has discovered that lack of relevant skills and qualifications; lack of relevant previous work experience; high rate of corruption, nepotism and connections in the labour market are some of the major factors that increase unemployment among the youth especially in townships. This makes it hard for the companies (private companies) and government to create more job opportunities. Findings reveal that youth unemployment is not just a threat on its own; it also has a bearing on other problems such as poverty, crime and drugs abuse. As most young people find it hard to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter and clothes due to unemployment, they end up committing crime in attempts to meet such needs. This study then calls for skills development in different categories in order to address the issue of youth unemployment in Durban townships. This will help in closing the gaps between the skills needed by the employers and the skills possessed by most young people. The companies (private companies) and the government must also ensure that only the qualified and deserving people are employed into job positions in order to avoid the cases of nepotism, favouritism and cronyism in the recruitment sphere. This can be achieved through ensuring that the employment procedures and processes are being monitored accordingly and transparently.
The assessment of policy regulating the welfare of women living with disability: the case study of Nkandla Municipality.
(2021) Ngcobo, Lindokuhle.; Gumede, Mabuyi.
People living with disabilities, particularly women, find themselves mainly ignored and neglected when it comes to policy inclusion and gender mainstreaming in public and private sectors and society in general. Through the efforts made by the national government of South Africa to advance the rights of women living with a disability, there has been a gap in the implementation of these policies at the local level. Hence, the challenges of women living with disabilities are more noticeable in rural areas than in urban areas. In rural areas, women living with disabilities deal with limited resources and services and attitudinal and environmental factors. These challenges limit their participation and inclusion in matters determining the welfare of their lives. In most rural areas of developing regions, women living with disabilities have a greater extent of limited agility, access to health, employment, formal education, awareness, and access to information about their rights. In developing regions, many communities discriminate, dehumanize, ridicule, and exclude women living with disabilities, due to pervasive societal practices and norms which perceive people living with disability negatively. Being a woman with a disability from a low-income family often fuels hate and various forms of discrimination towards that person. This qualitative study assesses policies guiding or regulating the welfare of rural women living with disabilities to enjoy their fundamental rights and freedom. This study is delimited to studying the women living with disabilities in Nkandla Local Municipality. Utilizing a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with state actors, special needs teachers, NPOs, and ordinary citizens of the Nkandla Local Municipality in disability welfare and policy assessment. Augmented by extensive literature and policy reviews, the research findings reveal that the majority of women living with a disability are not aware of their rights. The research is guided by the Feminist Disability Theory, policy implementation, and Stakeholder Theory. The interpretations of disability by the Feminist Disability Theory are beyond the impaired body parts of a person. Instead, it views disability as a broader attitudinal and environmental barrier that hinders women's functioning with impaired body parts. It is followed by policy implementation, which is immensely contextual. It determines upon economic, social, political, attitudinal, and organizational factors that impact how poorly and how good a program or policy has been implemented. Lastly, the theory that serves as the foundation of this study is the stakeholder theory that encourages effective, efficient, ethical, and practical ways to handle an organization in a multifaceted and explosive environment. The Stakeholder Theory responds to a need that emerges from PWD and their families and non-disabled people who have to interact with disabled individuals with special needs daily. Additionally, the study recommends that there should be a demonstration of political will by the government and must increase budgets for institutions that implement disability issues. The resourcing of these institutions allows them to execute their mandate effectively and ensures the progressive realization of women with disabilities rights. These efforts should include creating a vibrant disability fund to ensure reliable disbursements of grants to people with disabilities, including women with disabilities in rural areas.
An assessment of students' attitudes and perceptions towards medical male circumcision on Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2015) Khawula, Wandile Rynie.; Okem, Andrew Emmanuel.
In recent years, the positive correlation between male circumcision (MC) and reduced risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been increasingly recognised. Although MC has been practiced for centuries in traditional settings in South Africa, it is fraught with challenges including loss of penis, sepsis and deaths resulting from botched circumcisions. In recognition of the challenges associated with traditional male circumcision (TMC) and the need to increase VMMC as an STI prevention strategy, the South African Department of Health is promoting VMMC which targets males aged 15 years and above. Since 2014, the Department has been implementing the (VMMC) programme in higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper investigates implementation of the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) campaign and programme on Howard College Campus, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. We implemented a mixed research method with 88 purposively selected students. The study found that the VMMC programme was highly inclusive of relevant stakeholders resulting in 88% reported awareness of the programme among study participants. The study participants reported that VMMC is safe and reliable (85%), reduces the risks of STIs (78.8%), provides positive health benefits (85%), is safer compared to traditional male circumcision (85%), enhance sexual satisfactions (27.5%), and gives a boy a status of being man (33.8%). Despite these positive perceptions, there is a potential for risk compensation given that 33.8% of participants reported that a condom use was not required after undergoing VMMC. The need to adhere to traditional practices was found as a key barrier to the adoption of VMMC. The findings of the study show high positive attitude towards VMMC which calls for a concerted effort in the implementation of VMMC campaigns in HEIs. In addition, there is a need to work closely with traditional health workers to increase health and safety of MC in tradition settings since this is the preferred option for some people. Lastly, VMMC programmes need to be cognisant of the potential of risk compensation associated with VMMC and communicate these to target audience.
Awareness and understanding of dementia among women in rural areas: HA-Sephapo, Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho.
(2020) Mokhosi, Mamatsie Margaret.; Nzuza, Nokwanda Yoliswa.
Dementia is increasingly becoming a health issue that must be prioritised in national policies. With the increased life expectancy in both developed and developing countries, there is a high percentage of demented patients as it is highly associated with ageing. However, the prevalence is higher in ethnic communities in developing countries, especially amongst elderly women. As a mental health illness, dementia is not only a public health problem but is also linked with social challenges: dementia patients are victimised and stigmatised because of the symptoms presented by dementia. The purpose of the research was to assess awareness and understanding of dementia amongst women in the community of Ha-Sephapo. It investigated measures taken by the Lesotho Ministry of Social Development in raising awareness and understanding of dementia as a whole, and explored the understanding of dementia among women of Ha-Sephapo. The research study employed both an evaluative and qualitative research design and gathered data using semi-structured interviews, with open-ended questions for the participants. From the findings of the study, it was discovered that the Ministry of Social Development is not doing much to raise awareness and understanding of dementia in rural areas and to keep older women safe. It was also revealed from the participants' narratives that little is known about dementia as a mental health condition, and that they have not linked the illness to normal ageing. This lack of knowledge puts women in danger as some of the symptoms are related to witchcraft, in the minds of the community. Therefore, the researcher recommends that more programmes should be developed, not just by the Ministry of Social Development but also by involved stakeholders, to raise awareness and understanding of dementia among women in rural areas. This will help combat the victimisation and stigmatisation of older women showing some symptoms of dementia.
Barriers contributing to the exclusion of eligible child support grant beneficiaries in Umzinto rural community of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2020) Nzuza, Khanyisile Peacefull.; Mkhize, Gabisile Promise.
With the realization that there are still excluded child support grant income-eligible children in South Africa, the study investigated why eligible children are not accessing the child support grant in Umzinto. Objectives of the study were to investigate why eligible children are not accessing the child support grant in Umzinto, to find how eligible children are excluded from the children social grant provision, to find out how the excluded child’s guardians view social grant provision and the exclusion of their children, to examine if the excluded child’s guardians are aware of the child social grant policy and requirements and to examine if there are any government initiatives aimed at improving child support grant accessibility and delivery in South Africa. Grounded on the theory of legitimate expectations and Fineman's theory of vulnerability, qualitative methodology and a total sample size of 10 participants where eight were Umzinto community members and guardians of eligible social grant excluded children; and two were SASSA workers in Umzinto who are responsible for communicating and administering social grant application process was utilized. Snowball sampling and judgmental sampling methods were employed. This study utilized one on one in-depth interviews and observations as research techniques. Data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study found out that reasons for eligible children exclusion differ from applicant to applicant, and mainly based on the information each applicant presents to SASSA officials. This includes the presentation of wrong information, submission of fraudulent required documents, and failure to meet minimum requirements. Family politics, lack of proper education, communication and information about the child support grant are also some of the reasons this study concluded as the main reasons why some eligible children are excluded from receiving the social grant in Umzinto. The study recommends that to assist eligible excluded children to receive social grants, social workers must make constant follow-ups with the applicant families in communities; and SASSA to devise and implement more relevant community awareness to educate people about social grants. This would help reduce exclusions and travelling costs to recipients.
The challenges that come with the delay in collecting community garbage bags. The case study of Umlazi (Q-section).
(2019) Dlamini, Sanele Niceboy.; Zondi, Nompumelelo Bernadette.
The relevance of this study was embedded in knowing that the South African government through its local councilors exists to safeguard that residents within their demarcated wards live in a clean, healthy and hazard-free environment as supported by the South African Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) and the Municipality Systems Act (32 of 2000). Using theoretical standpoints of the Welfarist theory and the Modernisation theory as well as the qualitative research design as a principal method of data collection, this thesis examined the challenges that come with the delay in waste collection in Umlazi Township (Q-section) and the policy implications therein. The study reveals that the usage of open dumps is the most viable option of solid waste disposal in the study area. Open dumping will continue to be the most widely adopted technique of disposing waste by most towns in Durban due to the inadequate infrastructure which makes it difficult for the municipal truck to collect the solid waste. Secondly, the study reveals that unmaintained dump side encourage communicable diseases which detriments people’s health. The study reports that communicable diseases have conditioned some community members who are also breadwinners to have chronic diseases. This has cost them to lose jobs and deepens them into rife poverty that is confirmed in most people in South Africa. Children of this community are now deprived the right to play outside which benefits their physical growth as parents protect them from contaminated litter. The study concluded that this community is not liberated as it is still oppressed by an unaccountable local sphere of government which does not prioritize adequate sanitation for its people. The study recommends the establishment of a sanitation network or committee which will look at issues of sanitation as a service delivery concern. It contributes in sensitizing people that they must make use of public participation gatherings to discuss or express issues of sanitation in lieu of being passive beneficiaries. The study recommends a sectoral approach which should be steered by the Department of Health and the eThekwini Municipality through which the said population can be empowered in reducing, reusing as well as re-cycling their own litter for health and economic reasons. These findings can be utilised to broaden people’s comprehension of the significance and impact of effective solid waste management or lack thereof.
Community involvement in the implementation of the national policy on public-private partnership: a study of infrastructural development in Lagos State, Nigeria.
(2020) Ashade, Oladimeji Abiodun.; Mutereko, Sybert.
Undoubtedly, public-private partnership (PPP) has emerged as a policy tool for infrastructural financing, optimisation and maintenance through an appropriate policy framework. The policy framework of PPP is expected to promote collaborative governance through democratic values in the partnership agenda. These ideals have positively impacted on design and implementation of PPP policy in the developed nations. Ironically, a series of resentments, public outbursts, complaints and agitation that followed the implementation of the National Policy on PPP in Nigeria heightened the need for this study. These unwholesome developments usually arise from the host communities over claims to certain rights or due to their exclusion in certain critical decisions connected to the PPP projects implementation agenda. Using Lagos State, Nigeria as a case study, the researcher draws substantially from the themes of collaborative governance theories among others to examine how the National Policy on PPP in Nigeria aligns with the state’s policy to accommodate the host communities in the infrastructural policy implementation framework (PPP-IPIF). The multi-theoretical approach adopted is premised on the researchers’ pragmatic philosophical orientation to evaluate theories or beliefs in line with practical applications. Hence, data were sourced, presented and analysed using different statistical tools. Conclusions were drawn based on the combined strength of both qualitative and qualitative data using a triangulation/nested method. The major finding of the study suggests that the existing PPP implementation framework has not effectively incorporated the host communities by creating an institutionalised function for them. Therefore, their involvement or non-involvement in project implementation was left to the discretions of private project handlers. The study also established that, beyond compensation, the host communities desired to take an active part in the PPP policy implementation framework. Before this study, our knowledge of PPP infrastructural project governance was sketchy. It is against this background that this study employs the theoretical viewpoints of collaborative governance and participation theories, to advance the knowledge of host community stakeholding in PPP implementation. The study analyses the framework upon which the projects were established and the extent to which participatory values were institutionalised in the collaborative arrangement. The study concluded that PPP is a collaborative governance model whose implementation is still at the experimental stage in Nigeria; the researcher, therefore, develops a workable model as part of the recommendation based on the study’s experiential findings.
A critical analysis of public policies guiding legal determents and business operations of formal and informal private funeral parlours: the case study of Umbilo funeral parlours.
(2020) Gumede, Ntokozo.; Zondi, Balungile Prudence.
The funeral parlour industry in Durban came under the media spotlight in 2017 and 2018 due to a demarcation war that emerged among Black, White and Indian funeral parlour owners within the eThekwini metropolitan area. This rift exposed policy cracks within the industry as it emerged that there were a number of funeral parlour regulations and policies that were not being adhered to. This inspired the researcher to probe the policy implementation and policy regulation irregularities within the funeral parlour industry, as well as the operational dynamics characterising this industry. This study focuses on the implementation of policies and regulations that are stipulated by policy custodians of funeral parlours which operate within the Umbilo area. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with four funeral parlours characterised as ‘formal’ and ‘informal’. The study draws on the perceptions of the service users in this industry to gain an understanding of the impact of policy implementation irregularities. This empirical research was conducted to elicit factual data on the policies and regulations that govern the funeral parlour industry. The policy implementation theory was used to analyse and interpret policy factors that led to the saga in the period from 2017 to 2018. Using a qualitative research approach, this study presents data that has not been considered when scrutinising the funeral parlour industry and unpacks some of the background operations that may be noticed following the death of a person. This study contributes to the body of literature on understanding the operations of the funeral parlour industry and how it is governed, particularly within the context of eThekwini Municipality. It also contributes essential information on how the public is affected by the policy structures and policy implementation irregularities within this industry. The study makes recommendations that are essential to ensuring policy implementation strategies that focus on the involvement of all stakeholders responsible for the implementation of policies within the funeral parlour industry under the jurisdiction of eThekwini Municipality.
Disaster management: a case study of the South African COVID-19 policy governance response.
(2023) Phoko, Aobakwe Lionel.; Mohamed Sayeed, Cheryl Natasha.
Recently the number of disasters has been increasing, with South Africa experiencing various kinds of disasters, such as floods, droughts, fires, landslides, and storms. Vulnerable communities are exposed to extreme property and income loss risks, death, disease, homelessness, displacement, misery for many people, and colossal material damage. To prevent and mitigate disasters, international and local communities must formulate disaster risk reduction policies to build sustainability and resilience. Governments and other relevant partners in the disaster management department must develop appropriate policies that effectively provide responsive measures for disaster mitigation, decreasing threats to the vulnerable. The most recent disaster is the COVID-19 pandemic which required disaster management initiatives to be used by the South African government. This study aims to understand the disaster management of the COVID-19 policy response within South Africa through the Disaster Management Act of 2002. The disaster management act was developed to provide measures and practices to prevent and mitigate the risk of occurrence and the disaster impact. The Act also establishes and facilitates disaster management in national, provincial, and municipal governments. The preliminary literature of the study outlined and discussed disaster management policies internationally, including United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in 2000 and the Third UN Global Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction: Sendai Framework 2015-2030. The literature shows South African legislation, like the White Paper on disaster management 1998 and Disaster Management Act 2002. The existence of disaster legislation in South Africa proved to be essential for the COVID-19 Policy response. This study adopted a qualitative case study approach as a research paradigm. It was conducted as a desktop study using secondary sources of information. Academic journals, government publications, and books were used to support the investigation. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyse data from the text thoroughly. A governance theory was used to investigate the practice of good governance, such as the rule of law, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and accountability during a disaster. Despite good governance challenges, the study concluded that governance was practiced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
E-government in Lesotho: a policy analysis of the government websites with reference to service delivery.
(2020) Matsieli, Molefi Lawrence.; Sooryamoorthy, Radhamany.
The upsurge in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in almost all facets of human endeavour has forced governments to think of innovative ways of serving and interacting with their citizens. E-government has been proposed and adopted by many governments around the world as an important system and a framework for transformation and reform. Properly designed and implemented e-government provides governments with effective tools to improve public sector efficiency, thereby enhancing access to quality services and strengthening relationships with citizens and other stakeholders. The primary aim of this study was to analyse the status of e-government in Lesotho and the context within which it is implemented. The purpose was to understand the progress of e-government implementation since the adoption of the ICT policy of 2005. In particular, a content analysis study was conducted to determine the current status of the websites of the ministries of the Government of Lesotho in relation to their level of maturity to deliver e-government services. The results were matched with the 2001 United Nations five-stage model of e-government assessment from simple to sophisticated features. The study also focused on exploring organisational perspectives in respect of issues affecting the implementation of e-government services in the country. This facilitated in identifying main factors important for egovernment success and failure in the Lesotho context. The study employed qualitative methods to provide a better understanding of the research issue and address the research questions. It triangulated data collection methods by observing and evaluating government websites and interviewing purposively sampled government officials. The findings revealed that Lesotho has not given due attention to the issue of e-government service delivery. This is evidenced by the fact that the websites of the ministries of the Government of Lesotho are either not fully developed or do not yet exist, which clearly impedes the government objective to reap and seize maximum benefits from the opportunities brought by ICTs. The results also revealed important factors affecting the adoption and implementation of egovernment in the Lesotho context. These issues, in which their presence encourages success and their absence encourages failure, include vision, policy and regulatory laws, political uncertainty, political will, leadership support and resource mobilisation, resistance to change, digital divide and policy monitoring and evaluation. Recommendations based on the findings of the study have been made to address the challenges encountered.
Education policy reforms and the quality of rural education in South Africa : perceptions of Ndwedwe communities.
(2017) Khuluse, Nompumelelo.; Vilakazi, Fikile Mabel.
The year 2016 marks 40 years since the June 16, 1976 student uprising where school children from Soweto marched against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. The police responded by firing the protesting students with teargas. This resulted in widespread protests across the country where students revolted against the government up until the following year. During that time there were 19 education departments serving different populations. After a protracted struggle, the Government of National Unity under the leadership of the African National Congress came into power in 1994. This saw the passing of the new constitution which included education in the bill of rights under section 29. This dissertation focused on determining how far the country has gone in improving the education of previously disadvantaged sectors of the population since 1994. The study was premised on that opening the doors of education to all would be the first step in leveling the playing field, given the institutionalized inequality in the education system under the previous dispensation. The main objective was to determine the extent to which rural schools are in a position to provide quality education. Specifically the study sought people’s perceptions about the quality of education in rural areas including policy and experiential factors that facilitate or inhibit the provision of quality education in rural areas. A qualitative research approach was adopted using a case study of Ndwedwe Education Circuit and thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The results show that most rural schools lack basic infrastructure such as running water; electricity; proper ablution facilities; computers; and libraries. Students are strongly aggrieved by shortage of teachers which leads to teachers teaching subjects they are not qualified for. Furthermore students in rural schools are demotivated and they don’t seem to have big aspirations for the future. These were identified as some of the factors that inhibit the provision of quality education. The dissertation concluded that the quality of education remains poor in most schools in rural areas. As a result these schools qualify as small and non-viable schools which have been conceded by the department of education as a category of schools that are unable to provide quality education in South Africa. The recommendation is that small and non-viable schools in rural areas be merged to create mega schools which could be better resourced and able to retain teachers and enhance performance.
The effectiveness of the Occupational Health and Safety principle in relation to women workers at the Lesotho Precious Garment factory.
(2018) Chesetsi, Lisemelo Lydia.; Nzuza, Nokwanda Yoliswa.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the occupational health and safety principles at the Lesotho Precious Garments factory. The study investigated the perceptions and the experiences of Basotho women working at the Lesotho Precious Garments factory. The study employed an evaluative, qualitative research design. Major findings were gathered through the use of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with women working at the Lesotho Precious Garments factory, and the officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Department of Health and Environment. Findings from this study revealed that some of the common hazards that workers are exposed to include: physical, ergonomic, psycho-social and mechanical hazards. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there is no national policy regarding occupational health and safety in the textile industries of Lesotho. It became evident from the narratives of the participants that the absence of a national health and safety policy in Lesotho has trivialised safety issues within the industry. Consequently this has increased the rate of occupational hazards in textile industries. The study therefore recommends that there is a need for a comprehensive national policy to oversee the activities of factory owners in complying with international labour standards.
The effects of tertiary students' financial problems on academic performance: the case of Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training in Bloemfontein.
(2016) Mofoka, Khabane Grace.; Marschall, Sabine.; Olatokun, Wole Michael.
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds experience difficulties when making a transition from their backgrounds into a challenging and diverse multi-cultural education institutions environment. Due to their disadvantaged backgrounds these students are faced with enormous financial challenges that have adverse impacts on their academic performance. They therefore need solid support structures to help them make adjustments to meet the demands of higher education. This study investigated financial problems faced by students at Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training and aims to come up with support interventions to enhance academic performance in order to positively contribute to the overall student experience and throughput rates. Using a qualitative approach in collecting data, the study tried to find out the experiences of students and effects of financial problems on academic performance. Social capital theory and social justice framework provided the theoretical underpinning for the study. Social capital theory helped the researcher to find out students’ experiences and how they cope. Social justice focuses on policy, national and institutional efforts in eliminating the identified financial problems faced by disadvantaged students at tertiary institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 10 students and the head of the department of business studies. A further sample of 36 purposively selected students was drawn for a questionnaire survey to triangulate findings from the personal interviews. Results of the study show that due to financial problems, the students encounter problems such as inability to cope with the high standards of studying as well as difficulty in paying fees and accessing basic needs. Data gathered from the interviews and surveys insinuates that financial problems have adverse effects on students’ academic performance, but contrary to the study’s assumptions, and review of secondary data, no correlation could be found between financial need and poor academic performance or outright failure. In conclusion, it is recommended that, more policy research is needed to come-up with alternative policy solutions and to make adjustments to existing measures intended to cater for the needs of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Evaluating the impact of Lima rural development foundation on the land reform policy in light of changing the livelihoods of previously disadvantaged people in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2021) Madonsela, Bulelani Simangaliso.; Rukema, Joseph Rudigi.; Tshishonga, Ndwakhulu Stephen.
The focus of this study was on land reform programs executed by LİMA Rural Development Foundation that specifically targeted agricultural activities and smallholder farmers in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal. The overarching aim of the study was to evaluate the extent to which LİMA used the land reform programme as a strategy to alleviate poverty, reduce unemployment, and upskill smallholder farmers in Hammarsdale for sustainable farming endeavours. The study adopted a qualitative research approach using in-depth interviews as the main data collection instrument. Eleven participants were interviewed. Nine participants were drawn from smallholder farmers as land recipients and two staff members were drawn from LİMA as representatives of the organisation responsible for the land reform program in the Hammarsdale area. The findings of this study revealed that LİMA, as a non-governmental organisation, had the skills and expertise to support land recipients and thus render them successful farmers. However, LİMA lacked vital resources and support from government to sustain their land reform programs in Hammarsdale. For these reasons, land recipients could not be given the necessary support and equipment to ensure their success and sustain their livelihoods. The inability of LİMA to sustain land reform programs in Hammarsdale due to a lack of infrastructure and financial support meant that some cooperatives and smallholder farmers failed to sustain the agricultural production initiatives that they had embarked on. The study argues that due to the small sizes of land redistributed and owned by current landowners, smallholder farmers are unable to grow sustainably or compete in larger agricultural markets. The study recommends that government and NGOs devise a more detailed and specific framework that will operationalise skills development, training, and financial support for new farmers, improve farming infrastructure, and procure machinery to enhance the existing skills of smallholder farmers so that they are enabled to farm sustainably. The study also proposes that government should facilitate the accessibility of smallholder and emerging farmers to larger commercial markets through the development of a detailed framework that will compel larger market agents and role-players to support these farmers. This study further recommends that relevant government officials should demonstrate the political will to sustain NGOs who have the expertise and skills to support emerging farmers and to assist them so that they may continue their support for a skilled and thriving smallholder farmer community in Hammarsdale.
Evaluating the role of business incubators in South Africa.
(2015) Khuzwayo, Sithabiso Siyabonga.; Johnson, Belinda.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of business incubators and business incubation programmes in South Africa. Worldwide, business incubation programmes are aimed at promoting economic development by supporting emerging entrepreneurs or start-up companies by cushioning them in their nascent phase of business development. South Africa only adopted business incubation as a strategy for promoting entrepreneurship and supporting SMMEs about two decades ago. This route was taken in order to build an inclusive economy whilst addressing a number of the country’s multifaceted challenges; therefore business incubation as a strategy had to yield rapid results. The study’s conceptual framework centred around how business incubators, through organisation and providing certain contingencies, cushioned SMMEs; and on how, through agglomeration, SMMEs were able to exploit the economies of scale and networking effects, as well as how they benefited from the positive externalities. The research methodologies adopted in this study comprise a multi-pronged approach made up of both secondary and primary research methods. The primary research methods include surveys, questionnaires and interviews with business incubation programmes based in KwaZulu-Natal. The study used small- micro- and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) or entrepreneurs as the unit of analysis, six were randomly selected from each of the fifteen business incubators in the province to take part in the survey questionnaire. The main findings of the study were firstly that South African entrepreneurs were faced with quite a number of challenges and these challenges were acting as a deterrence for a lot of people that wanted to consider entrepreneurship as a career path. Secondly, business incubators in South Africa were failing to fill in the gaps by mitigating against the challenges entrepreneurs faced. At best a number of these business incubators served duplicate roles as office parks with little value-added services. This study discovered that South Africa still needs to do a lot of groundwork if wanted to promote entrepreneurship and stimulate economic growth, but in the main, it was seemingly in the right direction policy-wise.
Evidence-based policy making as the alternative for effective water policy design and development: a case study of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
(2020) Xaba, Sibusiso Lungisani.; Mohamed-Sayeed, Cheryl Natasha.
The notion of evidence-based decision-making has, over the years gained prominence, especially in the post millennium era. The evidence-based approach to decision-making seeks to ensure that implementation is successful. Too often decisions are taken and implemented, but the intended results are not met. Focusing on evidence when planning and implementing policy ensures that development initiatives directly address identified societal problem. Evidence is viewed as a tool to making informed rational decisions during policy development. Evidence-based policy making is about making policy decisions based on knowing with an estimated degree of certainty what works, at achieving which outcomes, for which groups of people, under what conditions, over what time span, and at what costs. Research has shown that South Africa does not have a standardised framework for developing and designing evidence-based policy. This study explores the extent to which evidence informs the public policy making process in the South African water and sanitation sector. Building from existing work on evidence-based policy making in South Africa, it poses the following questions: 1) what is the extent of evidence use in public policy making in the South African water and sanitation sector? 2) Is there a need to improve and what should the alternative look like within the context of the fourth industrial revolution. This study adopted a mixed methodology approach. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were critical and relevant in carrying out this study, with purposive non-probability sampling being the sampling approach adopted. The qualitative research method was used to answer questions about the complex nature of phenomenon, mainly with the purpose of describing and understanding key variables from the participant’s experiences, opinion, and point of view. A total of 13 semi-structured interviews, using a semi structured interview schedule, guided by open-ended questions, were conducted with selected interviewees. Respondents were selected based upon their policy responsibility in their respective institutions that are linked to water and sanitation policy process, which included; the National Department of Water and Sanitation, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water Research Commission and Pegasys Institute. The quantitative element of the study sought to obtain opinions from the managerial employees at eThekwini Municipality, who are responsible for ensuring effective translation of policy objectives into water and sanitation delivery, in terms of the Water Services Act, 108 of 1997. Here, 100 self-administered survey questionnaires were sent out to officials at task grade 14 to 18 from eThekwini Water and Sanitation Department and was met with a 72% response rate. Data from both interviews and survey was analysed and consolidated, using the pre-determined themes for effective interpretation. Analysis of the responses indicated that there is no common definition of what is regarded as evidence in the policy making process. In most cases, statistical information and other policy documents from government institutions are regarded as the only evidence that can be used to make policy decisions. There is no interaction with research institutions, outside of government, who are in possession of much valuable evidence for policy decision making in the water and sanitation sector. In this regard the study concluded that there is enough evidence (in numbers and variations) in the sector that remains unutilized to make policy decisions. The findings of this study showed that the engagement of implementing institutions, including local government (Water Services Authorities) in the formulation of policies, has been inadequate. This was revealed when respondents from eThekwini Municipality failed to demonstrate a clear understanding of policy making process in the Department of Water and Sanitation. There was clear consensus on the importance of evidence in decision making process, despite there being no policy making framework in the Department of Water and Sanitation to guide evidence integration in the policy development and design process. The findings further revealed that there is a large amount of evidence that is being collected and stored by various institutions, inside and outside government, that could be used for towards improved policy decision making. Additionally, the revealed that national government, through the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, have introduced capacity building initiatives amongst government departments on evidence-based approach policy making, and that the Department of Water and Sanitation is participating in these efforts. There is a need for continuous capacity building on evidence-based policy making in the Department of Water and Sanitation. This study concluded that limitations in evidence use in South African government, in general, ranges from consensus on evidence-based process, what constitutes evidence, selective use of evidence, political influence on evidence, the extent to which monitoring and evaluation can provide enough evidence, and the purpose of research, among others. The study made the following recommendations: There is a need for the Department of Water and Sanitation to understand its stakeholders in the water and sanitation value chain and capitalise on their role and contributions to make more informed decisions; Invest in strengthening partnerships at the policy development and design level to ensure seamless policy implementation; Build capacity in conjunction with its partners and stakeholders on evidence-based policy development, design and implementation; and, Water Services Authorities to appoint water and sanitation policy specialists to act as conduit between the WSA and the Department of Water and Sanitation on policy matters and serve on the DWS policy teams.
An exploration of students' perception of the implementation of language policy : a case study of the Cultural and Heritage Tourism Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College.
(2015) Khali, S'phelele.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.
People communicate ideas and information through language. Communication is very important for people to understand each other, and language plays an important role in disseminating information and cooperation between individuals. This study explored the perceptions of the first year students at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Howard College Campus regarding the implementation of Language Policy in the Cultural and Heritage Tourism (CHTM) program. This study employs Policy Implementation Theory. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were applied to explore the perceptions of students. It provides a descriptive analysis of the students’ perceptions of the implementation process used by the university. The findings revealed that the majority of students are dissatisfied with the language policy that is in place. Drawing from the findings, the inclusion of students and dissemination of information to students is recommended.

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