Institute for Social Development (ISD)
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Item Purification and biophysical properties of tomato spotted wilt virus(University of the Western Cape, 1972) Joubert, J J; van Wechmar, Barbara; van Regenmortel, M.H.V.The virus etiology of tobacco wilt, a disease of tobacco known in South Africa since 1905, was determined. by Moore (1933). After establishing the relationship between this virus and its thrips vector, she realized that this virus was identical to or a strain of the Australian tomato spotted wilt virus described by Samuel, Ba1d. & Pittman, 1930. Although the virus nature of this disease had already been established in 1950, the first attempt to obtain purified virus preparations was only reported twenty years later (Black, Brakke & Vatter 1952) a detailed description of the purification method appeared in a second paper when the authors also reported some biophysical properties of the virus (Black et al.1961).Item African perspectives on the land question: The Native Laws Commission 1883(University of the Western Cape, 1995) Swartz, Moshe Edward; Legassick, MBoth Am-Xhosa and the European farmers, being pastoralists "the search for land and grass was (their) first principle", notes Walker (1928). When they met, they differed fundamentally on the "vital matter oflandholding" . So different were their perspectives, that Lekhehla (1955) suggested, as far as the treaties were concerned: "The Native Chiefs either did not understand the implications of the border treaties, or if they did, never intended to respect such treaties" (p.2 1). Hopper (1980) says the tension between the Europeans and the Africans on the land issue emanated from the fact that "Xhosa expansion" and "colonial expansion" processes were entirely different. While Am-Xhosa expanded in order to "preserve their political integrity" colonists were driven by an economic dynamic they expanded because land was necessary to accommodate growth (1980:261).Item From state maintenance grants 'to a new child support system: Building a policy for poverty alleviation with special reference to the financial, social, and developmental impacts.(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Haarmann, Dirk; Ie Roux, PState social security transfers for families existed in South Africa only in the form of state maintenance grants, which paid up to R700 to single parents. The system was not appropriate in the South African context, being racially biased and financially unsustainable. The Department of Welfare - following in principle the recommendations of the "Lund report" - introduced with effect from 1 April 1998 a child support grant which is payable to the primary care-givers of children, regardless of their family status. The level of benefit was set at RIOOper month per child for children up to the age of six (incl.). The Department declared that 48% or 3 million children should be targeted. At the same time, the SMGs are to be phased out over a three year period. This research was conducted between November 1995 and March 1998. The analysis of the different suggestions during the policy process and the final policy is based on two pillars: • A situation analysis of the living conditions of South Africa's children on the basis of a composite index. • An evaluation of policy scenarios on the basis of a microsimulation model. The index tries to give a complex picture of the living conditions of children by looking at the financial situation, housing, health, and employment opportunities of the households the children are living in. The analysis reveals that nearly 70% of South Africa's children up to the age of six (incl.) live below the poverty line as defined. A further analysis of the household structure indicates that poorer children are likely to live in larger households. The overall policy shift from a support of single parent families to children in poverty regardless of their family status is espoused. However, the microsimulation model which analyses the impact of different factors like the 'level of benefit', the 'age-cohort', the 'means-test', and the 'administrative requirements', reveals that there are still serious flaws in the current policy. Due to the fact that the means-test is based on the total household income, nearly 40% of the children living below the poverty line are excluded. In addition, the administration needs urgent attention as its capacity is the decisive factor in the success of the programme. The thesis calculates that in the next five years up to R2 billion less will be spent on poor children and the goal of reaching 3 million children will not be achieved, if the problems identified are not addressed. The thesis develops an alternative suggestion to the current policy. While microsimulation has become quite a standard procedure in the analysis of social policies in industrialised countries, there is so far no application in developing countries. It is hoped that by taking this policy analysis as a case-study, this thesis is a step towards the introduction of this method here. Microsimulation models provide important information to enhance the transparency and accountability of policy processes. In this case, civil society was able to challenge Government's decision on a very informed basis, to put pressure on decision makers successfully, and to make workable alternative suggestions. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that against Government's promise redistribution does not take place. Instead a shift towards a more neo-liberal approach in social policy is observed.Item The state and political struggle: strategies of repression and resistance in the greater Cape Town area from 1985 to 1989(University of Western Cape, 2000) Fullard, Madeleine; le Roux, PieterIn the period 1985 to 1989 both the state and the liberation movements sought to implement strategies of repression and resistance inside South Africa. These unfolded in the different regions of the country in unique ways. In the absence of detailed regional studies of the encounter between the two, this study examines the experience of Cape Town.Item Sustainability of the Zambian microfinance industry: A case study of credit management services(University of the Western Cape, 2002) Phiri, Veronica Nanyangwe; Le Roux, P.J.; Musona, D.This thesis is both a qualitative and quantitative study, investigating the sustainability of Credit Management Services Limited (CMS) within the broader context of the Zambian micro finance industry. Micro finance is regarded as one of the tools for poverty reduction. As such, making microfinance available to many poor people is the purpose of microJinance. Over the years it has become clear that microfinance institutions have to operate efficiently and be self-sustai nable in order to continue assisting the poor. However. in spite of the support and encouragement given for sustainability, evidence shows that there are few sustainable microfinanee institutions in the world. The various factors impacting upon sustainability therefore, need to be examined and means of enhancing sustainabi Ii ty mapped out. The study brought to the fo re the main viewpoints regarding sustainability and how they have been inl1uenced by experiences of MFls around the world. The framework for discussion and analysis of operational sustainability, financial sustainability and operational e ffi ciency is also set out. The study discusses the Zambian microfinance industry and shows how and why the industry has emerged and grown in the past decade. Some constraints are identified that need to be dealt with in order to enhance sustainability of the industry. The study of CMS reveals that the institution is not yet fi nancially sustainable, but that its effi ciency levels are steadily increasing as it has put in place mechanisms to recover costs, charge economic rates of interest and increase and maintain its client outreach. Indicators are that it is moving in the right direction with its cost recovery. increasing client outreach and utilization of loans for on-lending as opposed to subsidies. This study therefore draws on the general experiences of the Credit management Services in order to draw lessons for the Zambian industry. The study will argue the case that though sustainability is difiicult to achieve, there arc positive indicators in the Zambian industry that this is possible and that CMS could be considered as an example. This claim is verified against the experi ence on the ground of Credit Management Services. The study concludes that building a sustainable microfinance industry anywhere is not the easiest task. Sustainabi lity is possible but requires a lot of investment in capacity bui lding and del iberate steps for cost effi ciency, appropriate pricing poli cies and an increased client outreach. The Zambian situation characterised by even a younger industry. will require not only a concerted effort in capacity building, but much more, the need to counter constra ints in the external environment of Mrls. Recommendations lo stake holders inc lude the need to utilise cheaper local human resources and invest in strengthening local institutions owned by local communities, to enhance the sustainability or micro finance initiatives.Item The role of Ecotourism in the Reconstruction of postwar Rwanda.(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Mbayiha, Patrick Manzi; Kepe, ThembelaThe study examines the role of ecotourism in the reconstruction of post-war Rwanda. This is in the context of widespread poverty throughout Rwanda, and the government's efforts to improve the population's welfare, following years of civil war .. The study is based on secondary data review, including government's policies on poverty alleviation, literature on the role of ecotourism in development and a case study of a national park where ecotourism is seen as bringing in much needed revenue. The study concludes that ecotourism in Rwanda has potential to contribute to economic growth, and this is in part due to the country's unique flora and fauna. However, the study also points out that several challenges to this potential remain. These include the country's still shaky security and the widespread poverty itself.Item Tax assignment to local governments -The Case for Fiscal Decentralization in Peru(University of Western Cape, 2004) Hoyos, Andres Lopez; Janus, Hartmut; Le Roux, PieterA country's decentralization process can be one of the pillars of democratic participation, local and regional accountability, sub-national empowerment, and under certain conditions, economic growth. Fiscal decentralization, a sub-division of decentralization, plays an important role in defining the assignment of expenditure and of revenue sources to subnational levels of government. The proper assignment of revenue provides all the different governments of a country with the necessary financial resources to operate efficiently. In this mini-thesis, I analyze the assignment of taxes as revenue sources to local governments, giving special focus to the Peruvian case. It aims at proposing an optimal local taxation system for Peruvian local governments.Item The impact of strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia :-A case study of the USCc-Satunama project-(University of the Western Cape, 2004) Dewi, Catur Utami; le Roux, PieterIn this mini-thesis, I explore what impact a particular project in Indonesia on strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has on economic development. I argue, firstly that the project makes a positive contribution to development and secondly that an approach which combines training programs and technical assistance with credit makes a greater contribution than training programs and technical assistance alone. I use the view that SMEs are very important for development as the basis of my argumentation. In spite of this, there is a lack of support for SMEs from the Indonesian government. This gap of support for SMEs was and is partially filled by non governmental organizations (NGOs). The NGOs support SMEs in dealing with problems such as the lack of working capital as well as the lack of knowledge about production, marketing, and management. I focused my field study on the USC-Satunama project. USC-Satunama is a non-governmental organization which works (amongst other activities) to strengthen SMEs. Its activities include the provision of training programs and technical assistance to improve the human capital of the entrepreneurs as well as providing credit. Training programs and technical assistance are provided to all the beneficiaries of the project. However, not all beneficiaries are provided with a credit facility. Therefore, the respective impact of the two different types of support, (i)' a combination of training programs and technical assistance with credit and (ii) training programs and technical assistance alone, can be explored. I use the improved welfare of the entrepreneurs indicated by the increase of their profits as yardstick to ascertain the impact of the project on development. The result of the field study is: the approach of the USC-Satunama project, according to which a training program and technical assistance are combined with credit, indeed makes a significant and positive contribution to the welfare of the entrepreneurs and thus it contributes to the development of Indonesia.Item An investigation into farming enterprises under the land redistribution program in the Southern Cape(University of Western Cape, 2004) Okada, Masanori; Labiff, Edward; Catting, DavidIn 1994, the first democratically elected South African government promised to redistribute 30 % of white-owned farmland to the formerly disadvantaged people in order to rectify the racially-based unequal distribution of land and to improve their socioeconomic conditions. The ANC-led government opted to promote agriculture for achieving the latter aim since agriculture is generally seen to have a strong potential for poverty alleviation and economic development in the under-resourced areas.Item The production of oilseeds in Ethiopia: value chain analysis and the benefit that accrue to the primary producers(University of the Western Cape, 2005) Fanta, Elias Gebreselassie; Le Roux, Pieter; Birkendorf, Tobias; Institute for Social Development; Faculty of Economics and Management SciencesOilseed is the third most important export item in Ethiopian foreign trade. It has registered a high export growth rate over recent years both in terms of volume and value. Besides its growing share in export, it is widely used for the extraction of edible oil and oilcake that is supplied to the domestic market. Although farmers are the primary producers of oilseeds, they are not able to benefit from the growing market share of the product due to the fact that they find themselves at the end of an extended market chain. As a result they only receive a very small proportion of what the final buyers are paying for the oilseed products. In addition, there is not much experience on the part of the farmers to process oilseeds, change it to edible oil and oilcake and retain the value addition in the local economy. This thesis used the value chain approach to investigate the possibilities for the primary producers to increase their income share from the selling of their products either by directly selling to exporters or by processing oilseeds, producing edible oil and oilcake, and retaining the value addition in the local economy.Item Inflation in South Africa: 1921 to 2006. History, measurement and credibility(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Rossouw, Johannes Jacobus; Padayachee, VishnuThis study reports the development and use of an original methodology to measure inflation credibility, as well as the first results of such measurement in terms of an inflation credibility barometer. The barometer is an instrument measuring the degree of acceptance of the accuracy of historic inflation figures. Despite the lack of knowledge about inflation and the low inflation credibility recorded by this first calculation of an inflation credibility barometer for South Africa, valuable information about inflation is unveiled to the authorities. The research results serve as a benchmark, but cannot be compared to earlier research, as this study represents the first systematic measurement of inflation credibility in South Africa. The barometer yields better results than the limited current international measurement of perceptions of the accuracy of historic inflation figures. The barometer (i) reports the credibility of inflation figures as a figure between zero and 100; (ii) will highlight changes in credibility over time with repeated use; (iii) can be explained easily to the general public; (iv) provides for international comparison between countries; and (v) can be used by all countries. The use of inflation credibility barometers and changes in barometer readings over time can also serve as an early warning system for changes in inflation perceptions that might feed through to inflation expectations.Item The characteristics of an effective nonprofit organisation: A critical analysis(University of the Western Cape, 2007) Coetzee, Marcus; Le Roux, Pieter; School of Government; Faculty of Economics and Management SciencesThis thesis presents a model of the characteristics of an effective nonprofit organisation and a practical tool to evaluate the extent to which nonprofit organisations comply with these characteristics. As part of identifying the characteristics of effective nonprofit organisations, it was necessary to establish whether or not nonprofit organisations and businesses were distinct from one another, since this would determine whether research on the characteristics of effective businesses could be applied to nonprofit organisations. An exploration of the key similarities and defining differences between nonprofit organisations and businesses subsequently revealed a number of startling and unexpected insights.Item An investigation into how elderly persons perceive elder abuse.(University of the Western Cape, 2009) Splinter, Audrey Patricia; Traut, A.; Auld, A.; Dept. of Nursing; Faculty of Community and Health SciencesThe international concern about human rights, gender equality, domestic violence and the increase in the aging populations has brought elder abuse into the public focus. Elder abuse is a complex, multi-faceted health, social, criminal justice, international public health and human rights issue. The widely divergent and varying definitions is a controversial problem to understanding elder abuse. The elderly have been excluded from national gender-based programs on domestic violence and the abuse of women and children. In South Africa victims of elder abuse are often physically and or cognitively unable to speak for themselves which necessitates that the public be empowered and trained to become advocates for the aged. Lachs & Pillemer ( 2004 : 1265 ) states that "the physical and psychological impairement of elder persons could be predisposing factors for elder abuse ". Statistical evidence on the incidence and prevalence rates of elder abuse is lacking as elderly persons are reluctant to identify care givers for fear of abandonment, retaliation and being left destitute ( Lachs & Pillemer, 2004 : 1265 ). Despite the Bill of Rights as set out in the South African Constitution and the Older Persons Act, No. 13 of 2006 which was developed to deal with the empowerment and protection of elder persons and promote and maintain their status, rights, safety, security and well being the abuse of elder person continues to occur ( Older Persons Act, No. 13 of 2006 ). This qualitative research study is allied with the phenomenological approach in an attempt to understand elder person’s perception, viewpoints and perspectives from their lived experiences and personal lives. Three (3) focus group discussions and eighteen (18) one-on-one interviews were conducted with elder persons living in the suburbs of Cape Town. Data from participants were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim before an inductive analysis lead to the emergence of broad themes and patterns. The main findings of the research study concluded that elderly persons were informed but not empowered about financial, emotional and verbal abuse. The abuse of the elder person in old age homes also featured prominently. The findings of the research study can be used to provide education and empower elder persons and the general public on specific aspects related to elder abuse which are : Financial, Emotional, Verbal and the abuse by staff at old age homes. These findings could be utilized by health and social welfare advocates and organisations who offer community educational and development programs to advocate against elder abuse.Item The impact of tax policy on foreign investment flows to capital-scarce economies(2009) Massuanganhe, Egildo Gito Sabia; Stoltz, ElizabethDeveloping countries all over the world are competing for greater shares of foreign investment flows in a world where capital has become much more mobile. Also changes to tax policies have been implemented to make the domestic economies of host countries more attractive in the eyes of foreign investors.South Africa is an example of a capital-scarce country requiring much higher and more sustainable levels of foreign investment in order to reach the growth target as envisaged by AsgiSA. This problem is exacerbated by the current deficit on the current account of the balance of payments, together with the extremely low rate of national savings.Recent empirical findings indicate that various aspects of tax policy (nominal versus effective rates of company tax, tax incentives, accelerated depreciation allowances,etc) do affect investment decisions and that harmonisation of tax policies is important.It emphasises that tax policy is a very important aspect considered by multinational companies in their investment decisions. It therefore cannot be ignored by policy makers in capital-scarce countries.The study presents an economic appraisal of the South African situation in the context of important lessons which can be learnt from behavioural responses to international tax rules. It finds inter alia that along with other countries, such as Ireland and Singapore, South Africa implemented various changes, such as reducing the nominal and effective rates of company tax. Another example is the recent announcement of the phasing out of the secondary tax on companies. However, studies also indicate that, although not a first best solution, the use tax incentives is standard practice which cannot be ignored. Uncertainty regarding tax policy also seems to impact on the host country’s ability to attract foreign investment inflows and may even result in disinvestment. A case in point is the recent disinvestment from the South African mining sector.Item The impact of Namibia’s currency peg on its domestic inflation(2009) Sheefeni, Johannes Peyavali Sheefeni; Loots, LiebThis study analyses the impact of Namibia’s currency peg on its domestic inflation. This is because theoretical argument suggests that currency peg (fixed exchange rate) provides nominal anchor for domestic price level, in particular when the domestic currency is pegged to a stable foreign currency. Following the method of hypothesis testing, data on Namibia and South Africa are used in this regard. Three main findings emerged from this study. Firstly, it was shown that the two inflation rates are positively correlated.Secondly, the study shows that there is no statistical significance difference between the inflation rates of the two countries. This gives an indication that the currency peg served as a nominal anchor, because as the SA inflation rate came down, so did the Namibian inflation rate. Thirdly, the study also shows that the growth of money stock in Namibia does not deviate from the growth of money stock in SA. This gives an indication that the authorities have maintained the peg through control of monetary growth.Item Is a universal income grant an appropriate social policy to alleviate poverty in Rwanda?(2009) Haguma, John; Le Roux, PieterRwanda is characterised as a low-income country amongst the poorest on the African continent.Poverty in Rwanda has been persistent for a long period of time and it was made worse by the genocide that took place in 1994 and claimed over a million people. Although a variety of social policies, both home-grown and foreign, have been adopted since 1994 by the government of Rwanda to try and alleviate poverty, none has up to now succeeded to get rid of the povertyconflict trap, partly because they are all means tested. It should be noted here that Rwanda’s situation needs a universal approach in order to help ameliorate the current poverty level which is now at 60 percent, and the rising inequality. The researcher, when investigating a universal approach to use, suggested that a UIG could be the appropriate social policy option for Rwanda.Rwanda has set itself goals through its Vision 2020 and the EDPRS to have changed the country’s position by the year 2020 from being categorised as a low-income country into a middle-income country like South Africa. However, for this to be possible, economic growth must be robust. An annual growth rate of 7 percent needs to be maintained. It also means that the current per capita annual income of $290 needs to be increased to $900. The researcher concurs with these developmental goals but at the same time cautions policy makers that although growth is necessary, it should not crowd out redistributive justice.There seems to be a strong argument that development approaches which focus on income transfers are more prudent in attaining economic development and poverty reduction than those whose sole intention is to attain economic growth. Although policies that pursue economic growth usually lead to inequalities in the societies, governments should take it upon themselves to ensure that there are also counter measures that will reduce poverty at the same time.The researcher in this dissertation advocates for a universal income grant financed by an increase in indirect taxes supplemented by foreign aid as the best approach towards poverty alleviation in Rwanda. It must be noted that dependency on foreign aid is not sustainable in the long-term.There is a need to come up with measures of utilizing the already existing foreign aid in alleviating poverty and also to take care of future uncertainties when the foreign aid has been stopped.In order for Rwanda to break out of the poverty–conflict trap, it needs to adopt social policies that are geared towards alleviating poverty and assuring growth. A UIG was chosen as a social policy option that is capable of alleviating poverty.This research had three major aims. First of all it shows the possible impact of a universal income grant (UIG) in as far as the alleviation of poverty in Rwanda is concerned. Secondly it considers how a part of the existing foreign aid could be channelled into a UIG for all, with the funding effectively being recouped from those who do need support by an increase in the indirect taxes, e.g. in VAT. Thirdly develops a micro-simulation model which could show the impact of the combination of a UIG, partly being financed out of foreign aid and partly by the increases in indirect taxes, on poverty and income distribution in Rwanda. It is clear from the analysis that if the UIG is introduced in Rwanda it will have a multiplier effect when it develops social capital,stimulate aggregate spending, increase economic activity, bring investor confidence, promote economic growth and job creation and in the end alleviate poverty.Item Fiscal decentralization in Kenya: a case of the Constituency Development Fund in Nambale Constituency - its effectiveness and sustainability on education projects(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Wabwire, Phaustine; Penderis, Sharon; Institute for Social Development; Faculty of ArtsThis study aims to establish the effectiveness and sustainability of Kenya's Constituency Development Fund as a fiscal decentralized initiative aimed at poverty reduction. The study focuses on the contribution of CDF on education and how this has brought about changes related to increased access to education, better education facilities and improved performance. The study also seeks to highlight prime factors such as participation in decision making as necessary for the implementation of the CDF, while also highlighting those factors that hinder the effective and sustainable implementation of the program.Item The influence of laws, regulations and policies on the development of micro-small and medium enterprises :the case of the coastal region of the Benguela Province, Angola(University of the Western Cape, 2010) Hollige, Oliver; LeRoux; Bäcker, Gabriele; Institute for Social Development; Faculty of Economics and Management SciencesThe study was undertaken in the coastal area of the Benguela Province in Angola. The research question can be formulated as follows: How do laws, policies and regulations influence the development of MSMEs in the coastal area of the Benguela Province? The theory of transaction cost as developed by the new institutional economists will provide the framework for the study.Item Access to irrigation technology and technical efficiency: a comparison of households with and without access to irrigation technology, in ‘Gorogutu district’, Eastern Ethiopia(2012) Gebrekidan, Bisrat Haile; Oloyede, Olajide; Pretorius, Leon G.Despite its recent remarkable economic growth, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 80 percent of Ethiopians obtain their livelihood from traditional low-productivity agricultural activities. Due to lack of water storage facilities and the erratic nature of rainfalls, most farmers don’t have access to water to produce more than one crop per year and hence there are frequent crop failures due to droughts which have made the country one of the highest food insecure nations and receiver of food aid. It is evident that a comprehensive effort is required to increase crop and agricultural production through different intensification and productivity enhancement mechanisms and reduce rural household’s food insecurity and poverty. In line with this the Government of Ethiopia and different NGO’s have been promoting irrigation technology as a viable option in enhancing farm productivity and efficiency improvements.By integrating field observations, economic theory, and econometric analysis, this study assess the extent to which access to irrigation technology affects the level of technical efficiency in Gorogutu district of Eastern Ethiopia. The analysis is based on primary household-level data collected from 100 randomly selected households in 20010/11 cropping season. To analyze the effect of the technology on technical efficiency, three different Cobb-Douglas type of Stochastic Production Functions were estimated. More so, to explore different socio- economic and institutional determinants of technical efficiency in the study district, an inefficiency effect model was estimated using the one step procedure.The result from the estimated models has shown that farm households in the study area are not technically efficient and there is a chance to increase output by using the technology and mix of production input used by the best farm household (with 20 percent technical inefficiency). In addition, it also showed that households with access to irrigation technology are more technically efficient (84 percent technical efficiency) than those without access to the technology (77 percent technical efficiency). And household’s access to irrigation technology, access to extension service and distance travelled from farm plot to homestead are a significant determinant of technical efficiency in the study area.The study recommended, among other things, as a country that has a huge potential for irrigation development, utilization of this potential and providing irrigation technology to farm households will have a huge impact on the livelihoods of the majority of the poor. Evidently, efforts tailored towards this end would be very essential in militating against the high levels of poverty that is persistent in the communitiesItem Local solutions from local people : community participation in crime prevention in Khayelitsha(University of the Western Cape, 2012) Manaliyo, Jean-Claude; Nleya, NdodanaThe involvement of local communities in crime prevention programmes emerged as an alternative strategy for fighting and preventing crime after the failure of the criminal justice system to control and deter criminal activities effectively. Governments across the globe regard local communities as key actors in fighting and preventing crime. Community participation in crime prevention has become a key strategy to improve safety and security. The main aim of this study is to explore the extent to which residents of Khayelitsha contribute to the maintenance of security and order in their area; and to investigate the extent to which residents are empowered to solve crime problems on their own. The framework of this study is grounded on theories of crime namely: occupational choice, social learning, and social disorganisation; and concepts such as crime, crime prevention, and community participation. The literature review of this study focuses crime situation in South Africa with emphasis on crime trends, costs of crime, determinants of crime, and attempts made by the South African government to fight and prevent crime at national and local government levels. The study used key informant in-depth interviews with representatives of anti-crime community-based organisations in Site B and as well as ordinary residents of Site B. Data of this study is largely qualitative although it is supplemented with quantitative data relating to crime statistics which was collected as secondary data. In this study, both narratives and crime statistics reveal that robbery and theft-related crimes, drug abuse, and assaults are among the most predominant crimes. All informants perceived poverty and the use of drugs and alcohol as root causes of crime in Site B. The residents contribute in preventing and fighting crime in Site B by engaging in the following activities: patrolling streets as volunteers in Community Policing Forums (CPF); and providing crimerelated information to anti-crime organisations such as South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO), and Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF). The residents also get involved in crime prevention informally by exercising informal social sanctions. However, challenges such as ineffectiveness of the law enforcement and lack of financial support hinder the residents’ participation in crime prevention.