Magister Philosophiae - MPhil

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    Accessibility and use of prenatal facilities in the developing world by young mothers aged from fifteen to nineteen years old
    (2013) Kabongo, Muika; Stiegler, Nancy
    Background: Professional health assistance is a significant indicator in monitoring progress towards Millennium Development Goal five to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters and child mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. It is also significant that mothers deliver their babies in an appropriate setting, where life saving equipment and hygiene can also help reduce the risk of complications that may cause death or illness to mother and child. But in developing countries access to health services is still an issue. Objective: From a fundamental research view point, this study aims to investigate the determinants of place of delivery and professional health providers by analysing the factors that are likely to influence young mothers’ accessibility and use of prenatal facilities in the developing world. Specifically in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Guyana and Haiti. Methodology: Univariet and bivariet analysis were performed to determine a relation or association between dependent and independent variables. Using secondary data from Demographic and Health Survey secondary data requested from the DHS selected between 2005 and 2010, the analysis was performed by means of SPSS software. Bringing together the demographic variables and access and the use of health services related variables, the study captures the differences and similarities across these countries. Results: The study has identified the main factors influencing the use of professional health providers and health facilities according to the variables examined from the DHS. The finding showed the use health facilities for delivery, professional health providers were influenced by economic status of young mothers, level of education, place of residence, religion, marital status, in all six countries. Access to health facilities was much influence availability of transport, the presence of health providers at facilities and availability of drugs at facilities. Family members’ knowledge about the importance of delivering a baby at health facilities was found to be the strongest predictors of use of health facilities for delivery in all six countries. These findings suggest that these factors cited are associated with access and use of professional health providers and health facilities, and should be the target of interventions aimed to increase the use of prenatal facilities and professional health providers among young women in these countries in order to improve maternal and child health in accordance with Millennium Development Goals four and five.
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    Exploring plausible futures and its implications for the governance of local food systems using local actors’ expertise in the Witzenberg region.
    (University of Western Cape, 2020) Haywood, Ashley; Ile, Isioma; Losch, B
    Despite having a significant agri-food sector, South Africa is faced with strong food security issues related to high inequalities and the legacy of the apartheid regime. The South African food system finds itself at risk of alienating the majority of its citizens from realizing their right to access food granted by the South African Constitution (1996) Section 27(1)(b). Increasing poverty, unemployment and poor governance are making it harder for ordinary South African citizens to put safe and nutritious food on the table. Part of the food security issue in South Africa is that there is an inefficiency in public policies. It can be explained by the extreme segmentation of public action between departments and also by the limitations and ineffectiveness of decentralization resulting in little to no involvement from local governments. Like most socio-economic issues, the effects of food insecurity are first experienced on the ground at the local level where municipalities are at the forefront. The absence of effective policy around food security and food systems at the local level in South Africa leaves room for research on improved local food governance. Municipalities should be best suited to understand the consequences of food insecurity and could therefore use some of their constitutional mandate which provides some room for manoeuvre with regard to food issues. The aim of this study is to raise awareness of food security issues at the municipal level and to identify ways to facilitate engagement by municipalities. Its main objective was to adopt a foresight approach, using scenarios with local actors, and to understand how it can help improve the engagement of municipalities and citizens in the food security debate and take possible action. This research has made use of an existing collaboration between the Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) developed in the Western Cape. The collaboration focuses on the understanding of the food policy space in South Africa, the results of existing policies, and how the co-production of knowledge between stakeholders, notably at the local level, can contribute to policy improvement.
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    Exploring the current state of the City of Cape Town’s transport system and its spatial policies
    (University of the Western Cape, 2021) van Wyk, Leonore; Thompson, Lisa
    There are many reasons why Cape Town is the most congested city in South Africa besides there just being “too many cars on the roads”. This paper explores Cape Town’s transport system and spatial policies and how it impacts traffic congestion as traffic congestion serves as a primary indicator of poor spatial planning and development. A desktop study was conducted with secondary data being utilized. The City of Cape Town is aware of the issue of traffic congestion and the impact that it has on commuters, especially those with little financial means. There are numerous policies and frameworks in place to combat the issue of traffic congestion, but corruption and the politicization of spatial planning hinders the resolution of the problem.
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    Impacts of inconsistent water billing: Case study of Litha park, Khayelitsha, Cape Town from 2010 to 2018
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Sangqu, Zamile Zane; Makiva, Msuthukazi
    This study investigates the impacts of inconsistent water billing in Litha Park. The study highlights the challenges faced by the community in accessing water through automatic water billing meters that were introduced in the City of Cape Town to ensure that their water billing systems are correctly computed without any manual interventions. The research problem is that post-Apartheid the new South African government introduced the 1996 Constitution Act 108, which created the third tier of government, the local government or the municipality which is entrusted with a mandate to deliver basic municipal services like water, housing, electricity and waste management to all the residents.
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    Institutional challenges in integrated water resources management in Zimbabwe: a case study of the Pungwe sub-catchment area
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Tapela, Barbara Nompumelelo; Hara, Mafa; Swatuk, Larry
    Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is viewed by policy makers and practitioners as facilitating the achievement of a balance between water resources use and protection, and the resolution of water-related conflicts. The IWRM approach has found particular use in the new water policies of Southern African countries such as Zimbabwe, where water scarcity, after the land question, is perceived to be a major threat to political, economic, social, military and environmental security. Ultimately, IWRM is seen as providing a framework towards ensuring broader security at the local, national, regional and global levels. However, the pilot phase implementation of the new water policy in the various regional countries has revealed that although the legal and institutional frameworks have been put in place, the implementation of the IWRM approach has tended to be problematic (Latham, 2001; GTZ, 2000; Leestemaker, 2000; Savenige & van der Zaag, 2000; Sithole, 2000). This study adopts a case study approach and empirically examines the institutional challenges of implementing the IWRM approach in the post-pilot phase of Zimbabwe's new water policy. The focus is mainly on the institutional arrangements surrounding the Pungwe-Mutare Water Supply Project located within the Save Catchment Area in Eastern Zimbabwe. The major finding of the study is that, while there are some problems associated with the traditional management approach, there have also emerged new challenges to IWRM. These mainly relate to the transaction costs of the water sector reforms, institutional resilience, stakeholder participation, and the achievement of the desired outcomes. There have also been problems emanating from unexpected political developments at the local and national levels, particularly with regard to the government's "fast track" land resettlement programme. The study also raises some questions concerning the ideological bases of IWRM and the conceptualization of the institutional problem.
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    Institutional challenges in integrated water resources management in Zimbabwe: A case study of the Pungwe sub-catchment area
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Tapela, Barbara Nompumelelo; Hara, Mafa
    Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is viewed by policy makers and practitioners as facilitating the achievement of a balance between water resources use and protection, and the resolution of water-related conflicts. The IWRM approach has found particular use in the new water policies of Southern African countries such as Zimbabwe, where water scarcity, after the land question, is perceived to be a major threat to political, economic, social, military and environmental security. Ultimately, IWRM is seen as providing a framework towards ensuring broader security at the local, national, regional and global levels. However, the pilot phase implementation of the new water policy in the various regional countries has revealed that although the legal and institutional frameworks have been put in place, the implementation of the IWRM approach has tended to be problematic (Latham, 2001; GTZ, 2000; Leestemaker, 2000; Savenige & van der Zaag, 2000; Sithole, 2000). This study adopts a case study approach and empirically examines the institutional challenges of implementing the IWRM approach in the post-pilot phase of Zimbabwe's new water policy. The focus is mainly on the institutional arrangements surrounding the Pungwe-Mutare Water Supply Project located within the Save Catchment Area in Eastern Zimbabwe. The major finding of the study is that, while there are some problems associated with the traditional management approach, there have also emerged new challenges to IWRM. These mainly relate to the transaction costs of the water sector reforms, institutional resilience, stakeholder participation, and the achievement of the desired outcomes. There have also been problems emanating from unexpected political developments at the local and national levels, particularly with regard to the government's "fast track" land resettlement programme. The study also raises some questions concerning the ideological bases of IWRM and the conceptualization of the institutional problem.
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    An interrogation of the adequacy of New Public Management in effective social service delivery Case of Mutare City Council, Zimbabwe
    (University of Western Cape, 2020) Fungurai, Phillip Nyasha; Okbandrias, Meron
    Local authorities, if well managed, are a key public sector institution indispensable for effective and efficient service delivery which in turn is critical towards meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local level. In public sector administration since the 1990s, the Bretton Woods Institutions and allies encourage developing countries to adopt New Public Management (NPM) to improve public sector performance, including more effective service delivery. This thesis interrogates the adequacy of New Public Management (NPM) in service delivery using the Mutare City Council in Zimbabwe as a case analysis. The thesis answers the fundamental question of why internationally recommended NPM falls short in promoting good governance and effective service delivery in Zimbabwe in general, and the city of Mutare in specific. At the heart of this thesis is the crisis of service delivery in Mutare, and the practical failure of NPM as an antidote, against the background of a complex socio-political context and economic depression. This thesis is informed by the theory of governance, as augmented – and also contradicted – by NPM as implemented by Mutare City Council. To gather empirical data, this research employed the qualitative research methodology. A qualitative methodology entailed in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The researcher interviewed the mayor and ten councilors from Mutare City Council, two community opinion leaders, two public administration scholars, and leaders of three residents’ associations and two other civil society groups. The researcher also used participant observation by attending one full council meeting and a council budget consultation meeting organised by Mutare City Council. In essence, it emerged consistently in this research that Mutare City Council is marred by institutional, administrative and operational challenges which impede implementation of NPM. Implementation failures include corruption and meagre political will. There were also problems, however, in applying NPM in the Zimbabwe context, which especially in Mutare led to policy inconsistencies. There was a lack of sufficient monetary and human resources due to the economic crisis plaguing the country, and the council’s institutional capacity shortfalls. There was also an intrinsic disharmony between NPM and local socio-political processes, including the political contestation between the opposition-led local council and the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu PF)-led central government. The result was a fractional, patchy, piecemeal roll-out of NPM. The net effect of NPM’s failure, exacerbated by a dire socio-political and economic crisis has been a municipal service-delivery crisis characterised by irregular refuse collection, poor housing, poor sewer reticulation, erratic health provision, poor roads, acute shortage of street lighting and local traffic lights, acute shortage of burial spaces, acute shortage of recreational spaces, and an informal traders’ crisis. This thesis concludes that implementation of NPM would have to result from much stronger political will, in order to achieve more effective service delivery in Zimbabwe at large and Mutare specifically. There is a need to stimulate political will towards improved implementation of NPM, in its holistic sense, and not as a piecemeal process. This should be accompanied by dislodging the petty version of party politics that have debilitated the running of Mutare City Council. There should be platforms for meaningful citizen engagement and participation in local governance processes. In addition, NPM should be buttressed with a comprehensive policy and legislative framework that adds to its authenticity and legitimacy. There should be adequate financing. All these could reinforce Mutare City Council’s holistic implementation of NPM reforms. Such measures will nurture and inculcate a culture of transparency, accountability, rule of law, and efficiency in service delivery as well as public administration and urban governance at large.
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    Local perceptions of the fast track land reform programme (FTLRP) in Umguza resettlement scheme in Zimbabwe
    (2009) Zulu, Nqobile; Matose, Frank
    Fast track land reform in Zimbabwe has caused a raging debate drawing a lot of attention to the re-distribution programme. The invasion of commercial farms had a bearing on agricultural production, food security, security of tenure, rule of law and respect for property rights. This thesis examines the implications of such a frayed land reform resulting in strained donor and government relations. The crux of the argument is that land reform is harmful and damaging when the rule of law is flouted, directly impacting on social and power relations at grassroots level. These strained relations result from a lack of commitment by government, external donors and white commercial farmers to correct land injustices from the colonial period and ineffective agencies of restraint. This thesis will test these perceptions and views basing on the experiences of the grassroots people. It will also attempt to test whether the land question in Zimbabwe has finally been resolved or there are still aspects to it that need attention, since land reform is often viewed in moral and political terms. Was poverty alleviation prioritized in fast track land reform by giving land to the landless poor; to help redress population imbalances or meant to reward those who struggled for liberation? The thesis attempts to answer the question of ‘equity’ or restructuring of access over production and ownership of land. It then questions the equity trump card as touted by the government. Did the government commit another injustice while trying to redress past injustices by overlooking the rightful claimants in favour of entrenching state power? This thesis contributes to the raging debate on fast track land reform in Zimbabwe, using the case study of UMguza resettlement scheme.
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    A multilevel analysis of learner and school contextual factors associated with educational quality
    (2013) Winnaar, Lolita; Blignaut, Renette; Frempong, G.
    The South African schools act, (number 5, 1996), asserts that all learners have a right to access both basic and quality education without discrimination of any sort. Since the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals there has been a drive by the Department of Education to ensure that all learners have access to basic education by 2015. However what remains a challenge after almost 20 years of democracy is the poor quality of education and this is clear from the results of international assessment studies. Results from studies like the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and Southern and East Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality, show that South African children perform well below international averages. In this study learner Mathematics achievement scores taken from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2011 cycle will serve as a proxy for educational quality. Using multilevel analysis the current study aims to use a 2-level Hierarchical Linear Model to firstly; determine the learner and family background factors associated with education quality. Secondly; factors at the school level will be identified and proven to be associated with education quality. Variables selected for the study was based on Creamer’s theory of school effectiveness which looked at school, classroom level inputs as well as learner background variables to explain student level achievement. The results show that at the learner’s level the most significant factors were the age of the leaner, in the sense that grade age appropriate learners obtained higher scores than overage learners. Learner’s perception of mathematics is extremely important and has a positive effect on mathematics performance. In the current study mathematics perception refers to learners valuing and liking mathematics as well learner confidence in learning mathematics. Learners who said they were bullied as school generally scored lower than learners who were not bullied. At the school level the most significant factors were teacher working conditions, teachers’ specialisation in mathematics, school socio-economic status, and general infrastructure. Interesting to note at the school level is when socioeconomic status was included in the model as a single variable the score difference between low socio-economic status and high socio-economic status schools was almost 46 points. However when the factors mentioned above were added to the model the difference in scores dropped by almost half.
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    Participatory approach an opportunity or a hurdle to water reforms: " Experiences from save catchment council, Zimbabwe
    (University of the Western Cape, 2002) Dube, Dumisani Hendry; Swatuk, Larry. A; Hara, Mafaniso M
    For generations, participation has been a mainstay of academic writing and teaching. By the 1970's, the policy statements of the major international donors and implementing agencies all emphasize the importance of participation (Dudley, 1993). It is time to stop simply reiterating the cry for community participation and prolonged argument about definitions of participation - related concepts. That was yesterday's battle. Certainly, despite all the rhetoric, participation often does not happen.
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    Performance management in developmental local government: a search for an effective and workable approach
    (University of the Western Cape, 2003) Moodley, Nishendra; Tapscott, Chris; School of Government; Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
    No abstract available.
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    The use of South Africa's nature areas in the promotion of tourism and economic development
    (University of Western Cape, 2001) Pithers, Linda; Thompson, Lisa
    South Africa has developed an extensive network of parks, nature reserves and conservation areas, the stated purpose of which is to both promote and protect nature and, particularly in the case of state-owned resources, to harness the power of tourism in social and economic development. This study examines the impact on rural and urban communities of proclaimed 'nature areas' and related efforts by the state to grow the economic and developmental contribution of tourism in the regions concerned. Through interrogating this 'triangulation' of nature, tourism and local economic development the pattern of benefit distribution from the protection of nature areas is highlighted.