Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Public Administration)

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The paradox of decentralization in Namibia
(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Riruako, Hoze; Mphaisha, J.J; School of Government; Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
It was the purpose of this study to demonstrate that the government of Namibia has been seeking to adopt structures and procedures that will contribute to the realization of general national development. Decentralization in any country takes place in a political context and its implementation assumes some political significance, as it is not merely a matter of centralization or decentralization of government functions and procedures, but both centralization and decentralization tendencies exist and reinforce each other in practice. This study argues that the dynamic features of decentralization and its implementation in Namibia have been shaped by central government's view, through the ministry of regional and local government and housing, of the concept decentralization. The objectives of this study were to provide a critical understanding of the theoretical foundation of the concept decentralization.
Governance and financial sustainability of NGO's in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2008) Hendrickse, Rozenda Frandeline; de Coning, Christo; School of Government; Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
This study focused on governance and financial sustainability of NGO's in South Africa. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate existing governance and financial arrangements of NGO's, CBO's and CSO's with the view to developing alternative approaches to governance and financial arrangements with specific reference to lessons of experiences for South African NGO's. The secondary objectives of the study were to firstly develop a historical perspective on trends and tendencies of NGO funding in South Africa.
A bioinformatics approach to the study of the transcriptional regulation of AMPA glutamate receptors (GRIAs) and genes whose expression are co-regulated with GRIAs
(2009) Chong, Allen K.S.; Bajic, Vladimir
It was postulated that each gene has three main sets of transcriptional elements: one which is gene-specific, one which is family-specific, and a third which is tissue-specific.The starting hypothesis for this project had been: “Each family of genes has a distinct set of transcriptional elements that is unique onto this family”. The primary aim of this project was therefore the identification of the family-specific set of transcriptional elements within the AMPA receptor gene family. The question then is how does one measure or identify this uniqueness within the promoters of this family of genes. The answer seemed to lie in making an assessment of the promoters of this family of genes against a background of a comprehensive set of promoter sequences and in the process,to try to find the transcriptional elements that were present in the AMPA receptor gene promoters but were not so common in the general population of gene promoters.To achieve the primary aim of this project, it was essential that a comprehensive dataset of promoter sequences was available. There are ample data freely available through the web. However, it is often not available in a form that we might want it in. Another problem that one constantly encounters is the lack of general consensus among the research community in agreeing on a standard annotation. For example, a gene can sometimes be given 2 or 3 different names by different laboratories which have successfully cloned the same gene. This, in turn, hinders the data collection process. At the start of this project, there was an existing curated database of experimentally-verified eukaryotic promoter sequences called the Eukaryotic Promoter Database (EPD) and a software called Promoter Extraction from GenBank (PEG) which, as its name implies, extracts promoter sequences available through GenBank (Cavin Périer et al., 1998;Zhang & Zhang, 2001; Praz et al., 2002; Schmid et al., 2004). However, limitations existed in both these resources. For EPD, the number of curated promoter sequences available was low and also, the length of these promoter sequences was short. For PEG,the main limitation was that the extraction from GenBank would result in extraction of sequences of variable lengths.Therefore, the 5’-end Information Extraction (FIE)system was developed for the expressed purpose of collecting promoter sequences without the limitations of PEG. This software relies on the alignment of multiple mRNA/cDNA sequences that are representative of a gene on the human genomic sequence to determine the transcription start site (TSS) of the gene and thus, with this information, extract the promoter sequence for the gene from the available human genomic sequence. This was the first promoter extraction software to work on this principle (Chong et al., 2002). This method was later supported by experimental work carried out by Coleman and colleagues (2002). Using the FIE2 software (Chong et al.,2003), some 10,000-odd human promoter sequences was extracted, starting at 1500bp uptream and ending at 1000bp downstream of the 5’-most TSS.Following the collection of the human promoter sequences, the approach developed by Bajic et al. (2004) was applied to study the promoters of the AMPA receptor genes. This approach relies on both the MATCH program to map putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) to the promoter sequences and a software developed by Bajic etal. (2004) that calculates to the density for each TFBS or composite element. Having calculated the densities for the TFBSs and composite elements for both the target promoters (in this case, the AMPA receptor gene promoters) and the background promoters (the 10,000-odd human promoters), the software then calculates the degree of over-representation of each TFBS and composite element in the target promoters(measured against the background promoters) and then ranks the “singles”, “pairs” and “triplets” in the order of their degree of over-representation. Using this method, I identified the top 3 ranked “single”, “pair” and “triplet” transcriptional elements found commonly within the AMPA receptor promoters. In addition, a conventional phylogenetic footprinting study was also carried out for the human, mouse and rat GRIA1 promoter to identify key transcriptional elements within this subunit’s promoter.While the approach developed by Bajic et al. (2004) identifies key family-specific transcriptional elements, the phylogenetic footprinting study helps identify key genespecific transcriptional elements. Thus, they complement one another.The approach developed by Bajic et al. (2004) yielded an interesting result. It was found that the combination of the top 3 ranked “single”, “pair” and “triplet” transcriptional elements found in the AMPA receptor promoters were also found in 47 other genes. It was postulated that these 47 genes might, in fact, be co-regulated / co-expressed with the GRIAs and thus, explaining the existence of a shared promoter profile with the GRIA promoters. In support of this hypothesis, supporting evidence was found in published literature that 7 of these 47 genes (VAMP4, Rab3B, FKBP8, 3-OST-3A, CLSTN3,SOCS1 and IκBβ) might indeed be involved in the expression and functioning of the AMPA receptors.
The lake Chilwa fishing household strategies in response to water level changes: migration, conflicts and co-management
(2009) Njaya, Friday Jack; Hara, Mafaniso; Wilson, Douglas C.
In this thesis, I examine household strategies in response to water level fluctuations of Lake Chilwa. I also analyse the frequency and patterns of migration of fishers, conflicts due to migration of fishers and comanagement. The following are the key results:First, the seasonal and periodic lake level changes affect livelihoods of the households. As a coping strategy, the households depend on fishing in pools of water located in influent rivers and hunt birds for income and food while others migrate to find work as casual labourers. When the lake rises during the rain season, inundated areas become suitable for production of maize and rice. However, when the floods recede in the dry season, farming of winter maize and vegetables is common.Second, migration of fishers is common around Lake Chilwa. The pattern of migration varies according to the season and gear type. The northern marshes and floodplain where fishers land the highest catches composed mainly of Barbus paludinosus, attract more fishers operating different fishing gear types. Conflicts emerge due to the Nkacha seine operations,which require removal of aquatic vegetation. The local fishers believe that the aquatic vegetation is a source of food for fish. The conflicts are in various forms including access to fishing grounds, authority to grant access to fishing areas and fish price competition between the local fishers and migrants.Third, the household strategies towards recovery of the fishery after recessions are inherent within the households’ traditional system.However, the introduction of co-management does not recognise key actors that include fishers and river-based fishing households that participated in the formulation of conservation strategies for remnant fish stocks in lagoon and rivers during the 1995 recession. Co-management is characterised by limited participation of the fishers especially those operating seines, district assemblies and non-governmental organisations. Similarly, there is low transparency especially with respect to how the key stakeholders, Department of Fisheries and traditional leaders, take decisions. In stark contrast, accountability among Beach Village Sub- Committees is growing; hence more fishing households now perceive these as representing the interests of Department of Fisheries.Based on the above results, a diversified occupational change involving fishing, farming and trading is necessary. The co-management arrangement should be adaptive with consideration of the traditional customs and values of the participating households. Since these households are dependent on the availability of fisheries, it is thus imperative to promote maximum resource exploitation in between recessions and encourage a complete stop to fishing during recessions.September 2009
"A molecular investigation of the prevalence of suspected periodontopathogens and their association with preterm birth"
(2010) Bayingana, Claude; Africa, Charlene
More than 20 million infants in the world (15.5 % of all births) are born with low birth weight. Ninety-five % of them are in developing countries. Oral colonization of Gramnegative anaerobes has been implicated as a risk factor for preterm delivery of low birth weight (PLBW) infants. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between periodontal pathogens and pre-term delivery of low birth weight (PLBW) infants. The study sample included 200 randomly selected women admitted to the department of obstetrics-gynecology of the teaching hospital of Butare in Rwanda. Mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire in order to identify factors which might pose a health risk to them and their infants. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected from each quadrant of the mother’s month (using paper points) within 24 hours of delivery. Ten ml of foetal cord serum samples were collected at delivery and 10 ml of maternal serum samples were collected within 48 of delivery. GCF was examined by PCR for the presence of 5 periodontopathogens and ELISA was used for the evaluation of cytokines (IL-6 and IL-10) and immunoglobulins (IgM, IgG) in foetal cord and maternal blood against the periodontopathogens. P. intermedia showed significant associations either on its own or in combinations with most indicators of periodontal disease used in this study, while Aa and members of the red complex were significantly associated with gum bleeding and reduced frequency of tooth brushing. A strong association between PLBW and maternal and foetal cord serum sample levels of IL-10 was observed. Also, a good association was observed between PLBW and FCB sample levels of IL-6. Significant associations were observed between PLBW and maternal IgG against the different peridontopathogens. The findings of this study may suggest that the levels of maternal IgG and foetal IgM against the different periodontopathogens are associated with dissemination of maternal periodontopathogens to the foetus thereby illiciting an inflammatory response which contributes to PLBW.
Accounting for economic disparities in financing municipal infrastructure in South Africa: a case study using data from the Cape Winelands District Municipality
(University of Western Cape, 2011) Josie, Mervyn Jayaprakash; Bardill, John; Marysse, Stefaan
In this thesis I argue that by taking account of economic disparities and backlogs in intergovernmental infrastructure grants to municipalities in South Africa, government will effectively meet its constitutional obligation to equitably allocate infrastructure grants to local government according to the principles of parity, proportionality and priority (Young, 1994). Municipalities will thus be able to provide basic services to households in keeping with the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of South Africa (1996). Adapting the Petchey et al (2004) provincial capital expenditure grant model to the provision of municipal services using secondary data and information from local municipalities in the Cape Winelands District, I evaluate whether government’s existing municipal grants are allocated equitably and, whether they account for disparities that differentiate municipalities from each other. The findings from my analysis show that the current approach to financing municipal infrastructure does not sufficiently account for disparities and thus, undermines the requirement for equitability, adequacy and efficiency of intergovernmental allocations. Consequently, the right of citizens to basic municipal services is compromised and the macroeconomic structure is weakened. Furthermore the institutional arrangements for local government autonomy is undermined because municipalities cannot ensure stability, predictability, flexibility and economic efficiency of infrastructure budgets. As municipalities receive part of their finance from national government through infrastructure grants, I used data from five local municipalities to examine the extent to which there is equitability and efficiency in the way this finance is allocated. To this end I constructed and applied a composite disparity index for each municipality to my adapted municipal infrastructure grant model to analyze and observe the impact of economic disparities in grant allocations. The findings show that a grant model that accounts for economic disparities satisfies the constitutional, economic and institutional considerations that should inform municipal grant allocation decisions. I conclude the thesis by highlighting the limitations and possibilities of using a municipal infrastructure grant model that accounts for economic disparities and, I propose some recommendations for applying such a model in South Africa.
Spatial dimensions of health inequities in a decentralised system: evidence from Ghana
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Jonah, Coretta Maame Panyin; May, Julian D
Decentralisation has been considered by many as one of the most important strategies in public sector reform in several of the developing countries. Both donors and governments have regarded decentralisation as a tool for national development through the realisation of the objectives of enhancing popular participation in development and the management of development at the regional or local level. Countries are expected to reap the benefits of decentralisation through improved service delivery, namely, through bringing service delivery closer to the consumers, improving the responsiveness of the central government to public demands and,thereby,reducing poverty and inequalities, improving the efficiency and quality of the public services and empowering lower levels of government to feel more involved and in control. However, decentralisation also has the potential to widen the gap in fiscal resources at the sub-national leveland this may, in turn, result in inequities in service delivery tocitizens of the same countryanddepending on where they live. Over the years Ghana has experimented with amix of decentralisation reforms with the current policy integrating elements of political, administrative and economic decentralisation. The current system of local government in Ghana is based on a decentralisation programme that was launched in 1988 with the introduction of district assemblies (DAs) by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government. Nevertheless, years after the launch of the decentralisation process there are still significant disparities and inequities between districts and regions in Ghana as regards health variables. This study set out to investigate the link between decentralisation and health inequities by exploring the spatial dimensions of health equities in Ghana. The thesis used a concurrent mixed method approach by combining a quantitative inequality indices analysis and a qualitative analysis of interviews with policy makers in both the health sector and the decentralised system. The analysis used household level data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2003 and 2008 to construct inequality curves and indices in order to illustrate the existing inequities across and within regions in Ghana after an increase in the intensity of decentralisation. The study then decomposed the indices to determine the extent to which these inequities were accounted for by variations both within the regions and between the regions. The thesis also used available data from the common fund records of district assemblies to assess the level of inequities in selected health resources across districts. The thesis then investigated the micro-foundations of health decentralisation using the qualitative and quantitative descriptive analyses. The analysis conducted revealed that inequities in maternal health utilisation decreased between 2003 and 2008‒the two data points used based on theresearch design. However,these inequities were attributed primarily to within region inequities as the level of between regions inequities was significantly lower for both the concentration index and the Theil’s index. However, although, at the regional level the general trend revealed that inequities had also decreasedbetween 2003 and 2008, some individual region s had recorded increases. The concentration index, which provided information on the gradient of the inequities, revealed that the health inequities in Ghana‒the total health inequities and also for both years between and within regions‒were pro rich. In the instances of the regional inequities these inequities generally manifested a pro rich nature, with the exception of the Upper East region which had showed pro poor inequities in 2008. The analysis of the district level inequities in selected health resources and as regards health facilities, doctors and nurses indicated that the distribution of these facilities favoured the richer districts as the inequities revealed a pro rich gradient. The inequities in the health facilities at the district level were highest in respect of the nurses, followed by doctors and health facilities with scores of 0.32, 0.29 and 0.084 respectively. The analysis of the qualitative data corroborated the results of the quantitative analysis as it emerged that policy makers at all levels believed that, over the years since the decentralisation, inequities had reduced, albeit marginally. The policy makers highlighted the high levels of the inequities in health resources,especially human resources,as a major area of concern. However, they also raised major concerns regarding inequities within regions, arguing that a number of factors, includingthe nature of the decentralisation regime in Ghana, the variations in the economic strength of districts and certain political factors,continued to cause inequities within the decentralised system. They argued that these factors impacted on the ability of both districts and regions to address inequities at a local level. In addition, they also pointed to the need to re-examine the definition of inequities in the Ghana health sector, inequities which result from focusing the attention on a number of regions and areas to the detriment of others.
Inclusive business models in South Africa's land reform: great expectations and ambiguous outcomes in the Moletele land claim, Limpopo
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Davis, Cindy; Cousins, Benjamin; Spierenburg, Marja
This dissertation focuses on strategic partnership initiatives or ‘inclusive business model’ arrangements initiated between land restitution beneficiaries and private sector interests. It explores to what extent the introduction of strategic partnerships since 2005 reflects a dominant underlying land reform policy narrative premised on the superiority of large-scale commercial farming that contradicts other policy statements emphasizing support for small-scale farming. The effects of a hegemonic notion of “viability” – framed in terms of the large-scale commercial farm model - on partnership initiatives in the large Moletele claim in the Hoedspruit area of Limpopo Province is the primary concern of the study. I adopt a political economy perspective to examine both processes and the range of outcomes of the commercial partnerships established on Moletele land. Informed by this perspective, I explore the strategies pursued by, and the alliances formed between differently positioned actors that are engaged in contestations and negotiations over access to resources within these partnerships, which I conceptualize as “arenas of struggle”. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed (mixed method approach), by means of a small sample of claimant households and in relation to joint ventures established between claimants and different private sector partners
De-agrarianisation, livelihoods diversification and social differentiation in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2014) Mtero, Farai; Cousins, Ben
This case study of three rural villages in Matatiele district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa examines the extent to which the diversification of rural livelihoods and processes of social differentiation are interconnected. The study combines intensive and extensive research methods to explore livelihoods diversification and social differentiation in the villages of Litichareng, Mutsini and Thaba Chicha. The intensive research consisted of 36 life history interviews, a wealth ranking exercise and a focus group discussion. The extensive research consisted of a survey of 124 households. The study makes use of political economy concepts of class, power and inequality and argues that these concepts enhance the heuristic value of livelihoods approaches which have often been critiqued for under-theorising power and politics. In the contemporary capitalist world, particularly in the global ‘South’, livelihoods have increasingly become diversified as rural households combine agricultural and non-agricultural sources of income for both survival and accumulation purposes, often straddling the rural-urban divide. In the ‘ de-agrarianisation’ thesis, livelihood diversification has been interpreted as entailing a shift from agrarian livelihood systems to non-agrarian modes of existence in the context of increased urbanisation and industrialisation. These kinds of large-scale processes have been unfolding in rural Matatiele, but this study argues that rural households combine both agricultural and non-agricultural sources of income and emphasises the continued importance of agricultural sources of income in rural livelihood systems. De-agrarianisation is cyclical and not unilinear, as some components of farming have remained important and resilient (homestead garden cultivation and livestock production) while other have declined (dry-land cropping in large arable fields).These shifts in agriculture occur against the background of state-sponsored, large-scale agricultural development schemes introduced to commercialise agriculture and reverse de-agrarianisation and fragmentation of rural livelihoods, but which have largely failed to do so. The challenge for scholars is how to characterise rural households, small-scale farmers, or ‘peasants’ in the light of highly diversified livelihood systems and their straddling of the rural and urban divide. This study uses a political economy approach and defines rural households that engage in small-scale agriculture as petty commodity producers in capitalism, combining class places of capital and labour and subject to social differentiation. The study argues that the highly diversified livelihood systems characteristic of rural households reflect a ‘crisis of social reproduction’ as rural households struggle to survive and accumulate. In this study it is argued that rural households are part of growing ‘classes of labour’ within contemporary capitalism.
The dynamics of urbanisation in Kampala, Uganda: Towards a possible alternative policy framework
(University of the Western Cape, 2015) Bidandi, Fred; Williams, J.J.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the dynamics explaining Kampala's urbanisation, with a view of analysing their implications for an alternative urban policy framework for this city. This study was motivated by the fact that information about these dynamics and their policy implications was scanty; yet its understanding in a comprehensive manner was necessary to develop a suitable urban policy for Kampala. Consequently, this study was set to meet four objectives, which focused on (1) analysing the informal dynamics explaining Kampala's urbanisation from 1990 to 2013 and their policy implications; (2) investigating the formal dynamics responsible for the urbanisation of Kampala City from 1990 to 2013 and their policy implications; (3) establishing residents' satisfaction dynamics defining Kampala City urban changes resulting from official dynamics undertaken from 1990 to 2013 and their policy implications; and (4) identifying the dynamics that needed to be integrated in a policy framework that can be used to effectively prevent or halt Kampala's unplanned urbanisation while promoting planned urbanisation. To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a mixed methods design. The sample constituted 24 purposively selected key informants and 720 city residents selected using multistage sampling. Data were collected using interviews, focus group discussions and questionnaires. Qualitative data were analysed using narrative and thematic techniques complimented by the descriptive method. This method was also used together with the factor analysis method to analyse quantitative data. Findings revealed that the informal dynamics that explained Kampala's unplanned urbanisation during the period 1990-2013 included unofficial administrative dynamics; unofficial political influence; political unrest caused by internal and regional civil wars; the city's attractiveness to jobseekers, job-makers and migrants from war-ravaged areas; and excessive rural poverty and underdevelopment. The formal dynamics which explained Kampala's urbanisation during the same period included official administrative dynamics, government political intervention, modernisation agenda implemented through government investment promotion programme, legal framework, and urban policy dynamics.
A critical analysis of monitoring and evaluation systems for small and medium enterprises: With specific reference to Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Ilori, Emmanuel Olatomide Idemudia; Ile, Isioma Uregu
The significance of small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMEs) development cannot be overemphasized because it plays a considerable role in a nation's economy particularly in developing countries. SMEs' contributions include job creation, expanding the means of sustainable livelihoods and ensuring impartial distribution of wealth amongst citizens. This study evaluates monitoring and evaluation systems, policy and programmes of the Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to develop and transform the informal sector of the economy. The main purpose of the establishment of SMEDAN is to facilitate the promotion and development of a structured and effective small and medium enterprises sector that will provide informal employment for unemployed, and enhance sustainable livelihood and economic development in Nigeria. Unemployment and increased poverty levels are key challenges to the government of Nigeria, which has resulted in socio-economic and political unrest across the nation. Against the background of high unemployment rate, especially amongst the youth and the deteriorating fortunes of small and medium businesses in Nigeria, questions can be asked in relation to current initiatives and policies to support SME sector.
An exploration into the understanding of Leadership Ethos and Critical Success Factors in public management: The case of the Department of Trade and Industry, South Africa and the Ministry of National Economy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(University of the Western Cape, 2017) Ndalamba, Ken Kalala; Esau, Michelle Vera
This dissertation assumes an explorative and descriptive approach rather than a comparative approach. It aims at offering the concept of Leadership Ethos (LE) and its inherent Critical Success Factors (CSFs) as a paradigm in the quest to secure organisational efficiency and effectiveness in public management, with a particular focus on the public policy implementation process. It begins by presenting the background to the study, providing relevant information about the problem and the methodology followed. It then introduces the context of the problem of the study, sketching the context of civil service leadership before the advent of democracy in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and prior to independence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These two countries serve as the case study through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Ministry of Economy (ECONAT) respectively. This is followed by the presentation of the theoretical framework of the study, defined within the context of compliance-based and integrity-based approaches to leadership, resulting in discussions on leadership theories. This leads to an examination of public administration reforms (PARs) in the context of LE, illustrating how PARs have resulted in a change in organisational focus and culture of the public sector. The study examines relevant economic policies in the RSA and the DRC with a view to illustrate the effects of LE and its subsequent CSFs on performance in public management, in particular, with respect to the implementation of public policies. Data were then presented and analysed with the purpose of probing the understanding of LE and its inherent CSFs. It considers how LE enhances organisational efficiency, which in turn will enhance social transformation, by guaranteeing the successful implementation of economic policies. The study then presents a summary of the main findings in both case study research areas. In its conclusion, the study proposes recommendations towards a LE that contributes to more effective public policy implementation processes.
Administrative culture and the performance of accountability institutions in public organizations: An analysis of the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in Kenya
(University of the Western Cape, 2018) Onyango, Gideon; Tapscott, Christopher
The pursuit of bureaucratic accountability and regulatory controls through political-administrative reforms have become problematic in contemporary public management. Public sector corruption, in particular, is identified as one of key endemic problems associated with the administrative structures, norms and processes in many states across the world. This is despite implementation of otherwise apposite accountability or regulatory reforms in public administration. More especially, in emerging economies in the global South. Using an analytical framework derived from organization theory and neo-institutionalism, this thesis examines the implementation of anti-corruption strategies as key composite of accountability reforms in public administration in Kenya. The broad objective of the study was to assess the impact of administrative culture in the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in governmental institutions, with a particular focus on how political-administrative designs, environments and culture influence compliance systems, the reporting of organizational wrongdoing, and the normalization of corruption in both the public sector and outside it. It also sought to establish the extent to which the administrative culture in public administration can influence the work of accountability institutions and the way in which they implement of anti-corruption strategies. The investigation also looked at the effect of devolution reforms on accountability systems at the level of local government and the complexities in inter-governmental coordination and control to which this has given rise.
An assessment of social capital in rural Ethiopia: The case of Aresi and Menze
(University of Western Cape, 2021) Tamirat, Fikrewold Yeneneh; Thompson, Lisa
This dissertation explored the degree and distribution of social capital forms-social networks, volunteer associations, generalized trust, particularized trust and norms of reciprocity in rural Ethiopia. It aims to contribute to the academic understanding of social capital formation in Africa. Whereas the extent of literature focused on uncovering difference in the distribution of social capital at macro, meso and micro levels, this dissertation instead unpacks how political and economic conditions in rural Ethiopia shape the extent of the different forms of social capital at different levels.
An Assessment of Social Capital in Rural Ethiopia: The Case of Aresi and Menze
(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Thompson, Lisa; Tamirat, Fikrewold Yeneneh
This dissertation explored the degree and distribution of social capital forms-social networks, volunteer associations, generalized trust, particularized trust and norms of reciprocity in rural Ethiopia. It aims to contribute to the academic understanding of social capital formation in Africa. Whereas the extent of literature focused on uncovering difference in the distribution of social capital at macro, meso and micro levels, this dissertation instead unpacks how political and economic conditions in rural Ethiopia shape the extent of the different forms of social capital at different levels. Aresi and Menze are selected for the case-study based on their representation of rural Ethiopia's ecological, language, and ethnicity, historical and religious diversity. A household survey (n = 735) was conducted to uncover the distribution of social capital forms at the individual, regional and aggregate levels. Eight focus group discussions and ten key informant interviews were conducted to unpack why the different forms of social capital unfold the way they do. The qualitative interviews were also used for validating the result of the household survey by uncovering how institutional and structural factors reconstituted and redefined at the local level and translated into social capital formation. The empirical result revealed that social networks and norms of reciprocity are the most important social capital apects in the study areas. At the same time, trust relations and formal networks (volunteer organizations) are the least important aspects of social capital. However, over time, community-organization has become an alternative venue where community members relate and support each other. Thus, network-based and community-based social capital are the principal social capital forms in the study areas. This result is largely inconsistent with the previous studies that have been conducted in developed and democratic countries which have asserted generalized trust and impersonal civic organizations as the major forms of social capital, rather than localized and interpersonal forms of social capital. The fact that different forms of social capital are present in different contexts with different levels of importance shows that forms of social capital do not necessarily articulate together. Moreover, the variation in the relative importance of social capital forms shows that the production of social capital is shaped by the prevailing political and economic conditions. Thus, this dissertation makes the case that it is necessary to distinguish among the different forms of social capital both in theory and practice.
The social and political construction of policies on adolescent pregnancy and child marriage in Zambia (1964-2018)
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Zgambo, Timalizge; Ruiters, Gregory
This thesis explores the social and political construction of adolescent pregnancy and child marriage policy and practices in Zambia between the nation's birth in 1964 and 2018 using a social constructionist approach. This approach questions the many ways social problems are defined, labelled, framed and understood by different groups/actors. Using a multimodal research method, I combined archival materials, policy documents, parliamentary speeches, newspapers and interviews with non-state actors. The main findings show that firstly (in a broader context), Zambia is caught up in multiple spatio-temporalities: its colonial past, “Christian nation notion/ideology”, and neoliberal developmentalism.
Investigating participatory development in South Africa and Nigeria: A case study of Stellenbosch and Bwari municipalities
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Friday, Alaji; Thompson, Lisa
This qualitative case-study investigated the level of communities’ participation in developmental initiatives at the grassroots level in Stellenbosch and Bwari municipalities. This was carried out through the prism of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) using Kayamandi and Bwari communities in South Africa and Nigeria as case studies respectively. In this study, the participatory development approach was employed as the theoretical bedrock for this investigation. In choosing this approach, the genealogy of participatory development approach was examined in light of the failure of some of the earlier development theories such as the growth, modernization, and dependency theories.
A retrospective financial sustainability assessment of local municipalities in Overberg district (2009 - 2019)
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) O'neill, Dean; Davids, Gregory
The future existence of municipalities will be determined by their ability to remain financially sustainable in an increasingly constrained economic and politically volatile environment in their quest to provide and maintain quality and affordable services to all the residents within their jurisdiction. The State of Local Government Report (SLGR) as far back as 2009, states that financial management in municipalities is extremely challenging. It identifies poor governance, a weak skills base, inadequate provincial support, abuse of power, fraudulent activities, and weak revenue bases as well as the increasing reliance on government grants and poor debt collection as issues that negatively influence sustainable service delivery. The above statement remains true about sustainability within most municipalities currently in South Africa, taking the findings of the latest report on the State of Local Government Finances and Financial Management (SoLGF) into account. The main purpose of this study was to do a financial assessment with specific reference to the sustainability of the four local municipalities within the Overberg District Municipality (ODM), namely Cape Agulhas (CAM), Overstrand (OM), Swellendam, and Theewaterskloof (TWK) from 2012 to 2019. This was done by measuring the actual performance of these municipalities against the financial health measures identified by National Treasury (NT) for municipalities over the period under review. The results of this assessment together with that of the financial ratios used by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) and NT in their assessment of municipal finances allowed the researcher to reach a cognisant conclusion. The study was augmented with the analysis of the information gained from the interviews conducted with the political and administrative leadership of each municipality

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