UWCScholar

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 11

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Tamme's country: an intertextual reading of the !kun-Lloyd archive
(Univesity of the Western Cape, 2012) de Villiers, Jaline; Bank, Andrew
I was first introduced to the Bleek-Lloyd Collection at more or less the same time that the Voices from the Past: /Xam Bushmen and the Bleek and Lloyd Collection conference was taking place. However, I did not learn about the !kun individuals who had also been part of the Bleek and Lloyd "Bushmen project" at the time. Reading the literature produced on the !kun-Lloyd archive left me with the impression that these notebooks were less valuable than those produced by the earlier [xarn narrators, containing only fragmented information. Also that the paintings and drawings produced by the four !kun informants were the most interesting part of this archive. After studying the !kun-Lloyd archive I now know that this is most certainly not the case.
Assessing the process of participatory monitoring and evaluation: a case study of the Tada Shonga irrigation project, Nigeria
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Adeniyi, Daniel Adeoluwa; Dinbabo, Mulugeta
The importance of Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) lies in its ability to engage diverse stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of projects and programmes. PME is a procedure and activity whereby stakeholders share control over the content, process and results of the M&E activity. This study assessed the PME process of the Tada Shonga Irrigation Project, in Nigeria. In line with the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of participatory development and community-driven M&E respectively, the study analysed the project's PME process and its relationship with project outcomes. It also examined the difference that existed in the perception of the PME process and project outcomes among farmer groups. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research were used for the study and measurement of key variables was made. While the systematic random sampling technique was utilised to collect data for the quantitative research, purposive sampling was used to select respondents for semi-structured interviews in the qualitative research. A total of 110 questionnaires were administered, out of which 103 were returned, and 5 respondents interviewed for the study. Responses collected from questionnaires administered were subjected to statistical analysis and indexes were developed to measure the PME process and outcomes of the project. The study identified outcomes choosing for M&E, selection of M&E indicators and data collection for M&E as the PME activities that beneficiaries were mostly involved in while there was limited beneficiary involvement in initial designing of M&E, data analysis for M&E as well as decisions taken after M&E findings. Further analysis established a significant difference among the farmer groups, in their perceptions of their involvement in the PME process. However, there was no significant difference in the perceptions of the outcomes of the PME process and the project among the farmer groups.
Regulating the right to adequate food in Mexico: informant insights about the general law on adequate and sustainable food
(Kerman University of Medical Sciences, 2026) Moyo, Busiso; Anderson, Ashlyn; Núñez-González, Evelyn
Background: The right to adequate food (RtAF) is increasingly incorporated into domestic food and nutrition legal frameworks to inform policy-making. Mexico’s General Law on Adequate and Sustainable Food (LGAAS), enacted in April 2024, is the country’s first law to operationalize the RtAF, which has been recognized in Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution since 2011, within domestic food policy. We examined informant insights on the LGAAS, focusing on its policy formulation and informant perspectives on the RtAF in the law. Methods: We conducted a review of legislative documents and semi-structured key informant interviews. The document review covered the period from the law’s introduction to parliament (2020) to its approval (2024). Interviews (13) were conducted with informants from the Mexican government, academia, international development partners, and civil society involved in or influencing the formulation of the LGAAS. The health policy triangle framework informed the interview guide development, while both deductive and inductive thematic approaches guided the analysis. Results: Informants identified how the following key factors affected the formulation of the LGAAS: regional action influenced RtAF legislation, national intersectoral collaboration fostered accountability, coalition building sustained momentum, and an enabling policy environment supported prioritization of the LGAAS. Political contentions and perceived industry influence also impacted negotiations. Informants consistently framed the RtAF as a cross-cutting concept linked to food security and food sovereignty, but there were differing interpretations of the state’s role in the progressive realization of the RtAF to deliver food system transformation in Mexico. Conclusion: The LGAAS positions Mexico among a small number of countries adopting a rights-based framework to address food system reform. Its formulation highlights the role of several key factors in supporting the operationalization of the RtAF into an actionable framework law, though implementation is yet to occur.
Subcontracting and survival: challenges of small, medium and micro enterprises in Cape Town’s public infrastructure projects
(2026) Zanaye, Thobelani; Mazenda, Adrino; Huni, Chamunorwa
Tender subcontracting benefits Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) by providing access to markets, financial stability, technical capacity, mentorship, and growth opportunities, while also advancing government objectives of inclusive and sustainable economic development. The paper examined the challenges faced by subcontracted SMMEs involved in public infrastructure projects in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. A qualitative case study design was adopted. The data was collected through comprehensive, in-depth interviews with 10 infrastructure project managers and 36 SMME subcontractors. To ensure diverse representation, maximum variation purposive sampling was employed to select SMMEs with prior experience participating in projects within the infrastructure department. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings showed that the sustainability of SMMEs was undermined by weak governance structures and the absence of a formal policy framework regulating subcontracting agreements. Unfair subcontracting practices, financial mismanagement, extortion, and political interference further exacerbated these vulnerabilities. The City of Cape Town and other developing cities should be encouraged to implement clear and enforceable policies that enhance transparency, protect subcontractors, and strengthen skills development. Strengthened subcontracting frameworks can promote stable employment, encourage entrepreneurship, and support more equitable economic development within communities.
Invisible struggles: the reality of food insecurity among students at the University of the Western Cape
(Frontiers Media SA, 2026) Archer, Elizabeth
Food insecurity is a student-success, equity and well-being concern in South African higher education. At historically disadvantaged institutions, the issue is shaped by national patterns of inequality, the transition from school-based nutrition support to more fragmented post-school support, and the limits of using income or funding status alone as a proxy for basic needs. This study examines the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and explores demographic and socio-economic patterns associated with vulnerability. An anonymous online census survey was administered to registered UWC students between March and September 2023. The survey combined demographic questions with the eight-item Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Responses were analysed descriptively and through Rasch-based FIES procedures to examine prevalence, item severity, residual correlations and comparability with the global reference scale. Among 655 valid FIES cases, 66% of respondents were classified as experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity; 49% were classified as severely food insecure. The item hierarchy indicated a progression from anxiety about food access and limited dietary variety to skipped meals, hunger and going a whole day without eating. Descriptive subgroup patterns showed higher mean food insecurity scores among students with no formal income and those relying on government grants, and higher mean scores among African and Coloured students than among Indian and White students. Here, ‘Coloured’ is capitalised and used in its specific South African context to denote a recognised population group and social identity, not in the derogatory sense the word may carry elsewhere. Food insecurity at UWC is not a marginal welfare issue but a basic-needs constraint on learning and participation. Institutional responses should therefore connect food relief, financial aid advising, psychosocial support, data-informed referral systems, and sustainable campus food initiatives, while recognising the structural limits of what a single university can resolve on its own.