Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Development Studies)

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Do school food gardens contribute towards food and nutrition security for primary school aged children? A comparative case study of the benefits of and resources needed for school food gardens using selected schools in Cape Town, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Grace Nkomo
The aim of this thesis is to understand the contribution of school food gardens to the food and nutrition security of primary school aged children. This contribution has not always been clear, and this study gives a more in-depth understanding. With the foundation that food and nutrition security is a human right, a food justice approach is deployed and developed. This is relevant in a South African context with a particular history of racial injustice and dehumanisation. Using a case study, this comparative study found that school food gardens have the potential to add an additional layer of food and nutrition security to the diets of school children. In addition to this, school food gardens can improve the food literacy of children. This study found that when children spent time in food gardens, they often had positive relationships with vegetables, had improved knowledge of fresh produce and made improved dietary choices regarding vegetables. School food gardens can also contribute towards education and livelihood outcomes. The study also found that considerable resources are needed to implement school food gardens, both material and human. The availability of these resources and whether they are optimally utilised in gardens needs to be decided by those who are to benefit from the gardens. Decisions such as these reinforce the importance of agency as a crucial dimension of food and nutrition security. The significance of this study is that it contributes to the understanding that agency is an essential component of food and nutrition and must be considered as a crucial factor in any initiative that aims to address this issue with primary school aged children.
Participation as a developmental strategy: a critical appraisal of women’s access to participation and experiences in local government structures in the Mazowe rural district council in Zimbabwe.
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Mandioma, Shamiso; Karriem, Abdulrazak
Despite the adoption of participatory models which emphasize full and meaningful participation of vulnerable groups such as the youth, women and children, local governments are not immune to the high levels of inequality in various contexts across the globe. In Zimbabwe, scholarship on women’s participation in local governance has mostly focused on their numerical representation and participation in elections and politics. This research focused on women’s access to participation, quality of participation and their overall participation experiences in local government structures. More specifically, it (i) identified the various participatory structures at Ward and District level, (ii) examined the nature and extent of women’s participation in the identified structures, and (iii) investigated factors affecting women’s participation in the available structures. It argued that women’s participation in local government is key for an inclusive government system that seeks to address the interests and concerns of different groups of its population. The exclusion of women, who are more than half of the country’s population in decision-making structures, denies the country the opportunity to harness its entire population’s potential and capabilities. The research documented how women are participating and the quality of their participation in the identified participatory structures. Women’s overall participation experiences in the local government structures were examined which aided the research in determining the quality and extent of their participation. It also explored the positionality and lived experiences of the rural women which brought to attention the underlying factors that have contributed to the poor and low participation in the identified structures and processes. Furthermore, it provided explicit evidence on how and why women in rural areas such as Mazowe participate poorly and at low levels due to the deep seated socio-cultural complexities and patriarchal practises inherent in rural contexts. It documented the lived experiences of women who are ordinary residents, employees in the Mazowe Rural District Council (MRDC), members of institutionalised structures (Ward Development Committees and Rural District Development Committee) with the intention of highlighting how their class and status affects their participation, and how they navigate their different roles
An investigation into the attraction, retention, and engagement of women in higher educational institutions in selected universities in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Mukong, Claudia Kahking Tosam; Goldin, Jacqueline
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the attraction retention and engagement of female lecturers in two selected Universities in South Africa UWC and UCT. A qualitative research design was applied in order to achieve this aim. The data collection techniques that were utilised to collect information comprised interviews and document analysis. A total of thirty (30) participants were interviewed ranging from professors, associate professors, senior lecturers and lecturers selected from both universities across faculties and departments. Data was obtained and analysed through qualitative thematic content analysis. This study goes beyond the issue of women 's entry into higher institutions and raises questions such as: what happens to these women after they enter the system and or the institution? What are the chances for them staying on and progressing from one level to another? Effective implementation of the recruitment and selection practices is crucial in any organisation and or institution. Therefore, findings of this study indicate that flexibility in working hours, institutional history, teamwork are some of the factors that attract female lecturers to higher institutions. Also, a sense of belonging, support systems, working environment, being valued and recognised, opportunities to grow are factors that retain them and lastly, committee meetings, research, supervision, community engagement, teaching and learning, collaborative projects with other universities, active role in decision-making at departmental and faculty levels promotes their level of engagement and participation. The findings show the necessity of putting in place measures and mechanisms that would ensure effective recruitment policies and practices while taking into consideration gender equality and equity and also the dual responsibilities on the academic and domestic front that female lecturers face.
A conceptual framework for effective local integration of refugees in South Africa: case study of the Western Cape province
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Mpazayabo, Albert; Dinbabo, Mulugeta F.; Adeniyi, Daniel A.
Local integration is one of the three durable solutions to refugee situations, besides voluntary repatriation, and resettlement (into a third country of permanent residency), as advocated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Although South Africa’s refugee legislation is sustained by both International Law and the Constitution of the Republic, the country has been struggling to implement its refugee law successfully. Hence, the present study was intended to understand dynamics of local integration, as on the one hand, refugees endeavour to be incorporated into South African core institutions, in attempt to secure a place within South Africa as their host society, and on the other, as local South African citizens make efforts to accommodate refugees in their midst, within their communities, in the country in general, and in the Western Cape Province in particular.The study examines local integration of refugees (within local host communities)1, in urban settings, in South Africa, and by extension on the African continent. In attempt to capture and reflect daily lived experiences and realities on the ground in the real world of refugees in the Republic, the study expanded the four mainstreamed domains (legal, economic, social, and cultural) for local integration of immigrants, into ten domains for local integration of refugees in South Africa. Through snowball sampling, and self-administered questionnaires, the study surveyed a total sample of 1630 participants, of which 1432 were refugee respondents, 110 were common RSA citizen respondents from local host communities, while 4 respondents were representing non-government organisations (NGOs) working with refugees, then 72 respondents were office-bearers from different South African political organisations (of which Government Officials), and 12 respondents were from different South African media houses.
What does the digital revolution mean for poverty alleviation and inclusive growth in Africa? A case study of Ghana and South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Boakye, Alex; Dinbabo, Mulugeta F.; Jokonya, Osden
Background: The world is undergoing a disruptive change driven by fast pace of technological advancements that are combining our physical, digital, and biological spheres. Emerging technologies such in artificial intelligence (AI), big data, drones, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, and robotics are set to transform the very nature of future jobs, skills set and business process. Around the world, many governments, business owners and entrepreneurs are taking proactive measures to harness the potentials of this new revolution while putting pragmatic strategies in place to ameliorate its negative impact. Meanwhile in Sub-Saharan Africa, preparations to leverage the opportunities of today’s frontier technologies remains poor. In particular, there seems to be limited evidence on how African countries such as Ghana and South Africa can best maximise the potentials of an increasingly digitalised world economy and ensure that the digital transformation becomes inclusive. Against this backdrop, this study purported to use a comparative analysis approach to examine the readiness and capacity of Ghana and South Africa to embrace the digital economy and ensures inclusive digital transformation.
Socio-economic effects of the migration policy on foreigners in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Patience Anegub, Anjofui; Ogujiuba, Kanayo
South Africa amongst other African nations has since 1994 been one of the major migrant-receiving countries attracting people from other parts of the world. A majority of them coming from other African countries have stirred negative responses from both the government and the local communities straining relationships between foreigners and citizens. This study aims to assess the socio-economic effects of the migration policy on foreigners. The researcher used three different methodologies, desktop, qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyse data. Questionnaires were administered to 158 participants and 31 others were selected to participate in the one-on-one semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion. Findings from this study established that South Africa’s migration policy has been regressive further complicating the socio-economic integration of foreign nationals over the years. Additional findings show that xenophobia and the fear of xenophobia negatively affect migrants’ integration in South Africa forcing many to live in isolation and have weak relationships with nationals resulting in negative integration. Besides, the lack of proper documentation has prevented foreigners from accessing certain services and properly integrating into South African society. Findings from the ANOVA analysis found that there is a difference between groups in the way the SA immigration policy affects those with no formal education, secondary education, tertiary and vocational education. More findings established that xenophobia affects foreigners in the same way regardless of their income levels and employment status.
Strengthening the social contract between government and social grant recipients: a case study of the older person's grant and the child support grant in the Cape Winelands and Overberg districts
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Moses, Meshay Lee; Devereux, Stephen; Africa, Cherrel
Since the birth of democracy in 1994, the South African government has struggled to substantially address the social and economic inequality as well as widespread poverty produced by the apartheid system. Social assistance, particularly in the form of direct cash transfers, is one of the instruments used by the current government to alleviate poverty and economic vulnerability because it enables households to access cash or increase expenditure on material and non-material resources such as food, clothes, education, and health care. Social assistance is a powerful tool to build communities and strengthen their involvement in the overall democratic process. This gives effect to the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, which guarantees everyone in South Africa the right to access social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, appropriate social assistance. This right, together with the relevant legislation, places a responsibility on government to be accountable for the administration and delivery of social grants. This study investigates the experiences and perceptions of the recipients of the Older Person’s Grant (OPG) and the Child Support Grant (CSG) towards the social grant system in South Africa. It uses social contract theory as an analytical framework to explore whether the government is delivering on its constitutional obligation. The research focuses on the perspectives of recipients who are receiving the OPG and the CSG. The researcher undertook an in-depth study in the Cape Winelands and Overberg Districts in the Western Cape Province. This study adopted a qualitative methodological approach to investigate how grant recipients from different racial identities within the aforementioned districts understand the relationship between government and citizens in relation to social assistance. It also explores how the relationship between the government and social grant recipients can be sustained and strengthened in the future.
The potential for complementarity between formal and informal social protection programmes in Kenya: A case study
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Oware, Phoene Mesa; Zembe-Zondi, Yanga
Expanding social protection coverage is imperative in low-resource contexts such as Kenya where poverty is widespread. Alongside efforts to increase state capacity, alternative strategies for the expansion of social protection need to be explored. To this end, the potential of linking formal and informal social protection systems has been highlighted. Yet, research exploring this possibility is limited. Through the use of a single country case study, namely, Kenya’s old age grant, Inua Jamii Pension, this thesis explored interfaces between formal and informal social protection systems, to uncover the potential for establishing complementary linkages between them. A qualitative research design was adopted. Semi-structured in-depth individual interviews were conducted with grant beneficiaries from an urban study site - Kibera, and a rural study site - Malava. Four focus group discussions were conducted with beneficiaries. Ten key informants involved in formal and informal social protection systems were interviewed.
Child Protection Responses and Transformative Social Protection in Kenya and South Africa: Can social grants improve the wellbeing of children affected by violence and neglect?
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Nyamu, Irene Katunge; Conradie, Ina
This research critically explores how children from low income neighbourhoods in Kenya and South Africa experience formal child protection interventions couched within a child rights framework in response to violence and neglect. The study also considered the role that social assistance grants play in mediating children’s wellbeing outcomes as a means for addressing child maltreatment and vulnerabilities. The main thesis of the research is that despite a close link having been established between violence against children and poverty in the causation of complex vulnerabilities and ill-being for children in Africa, solutions addressing the twin challenges appear to be mutually exclusive. While social assistance grants in the form of cash transfers remain a popular strategy for alleviating short to medium-term poverty, their potential for addressing neglect and violence against children which is linked to poverty has remained fairly unexplored. To examine this question critically, the Wellbeing in Development framework by Gough, McGregor and Camfield (2007) was used. The framework dynamically conceptualises poverty as multi-dimensional, and wellbeing as both a process and an outcome through which individuals can self-evaluate what constitutes happiness and a good life in a given social and cultural context.
Political affiliation, collective agency and structural opportunities for lumley market women in Sierra Leone
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Bockarie, Abioseh Maddie; Conradie, Ina
This thesis examines the interaction between the political affiliations, collective agency and structural opportunities of market women in the Lumley Market, which is in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown (2019). Informal marketplaces in Sub - Saharan Africa are spaces of opportunities for market women. However, it is difficult for one trader to use her personal agency to translate the opportunities in the marketplace into achievements. There are numerous structural challenges, like poor market infrastructure, norms and traditional practices that make it difficult for her to reach out for these opportunities. So this study refers to the collective opportunities that are available to market women as “structural opportunities” (Conradie, 2013, p.29), because they are embedded in the structures of the marketplace. It is difficult to identify the opportunities that are available to the Lumley market women because opportunities are just potentials (Des Gasper, 2002). Therefore, the study examines the five achievements commonly identified by the Lumley Market Women Association (LMWA) in 2019 to indicate their opportunities. The first objective of this study is to describe these five achievements.
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).
The cost of gaps in existing food price-stabilizing market policies in urban areas for poor women and their families: the case of Addis Ababa
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Tefera, Tsega Girma; May, Julian D
Food inflation has been a challenge in Ethiopia since prices of staple foods started rising in 2005, particularly threatening the food security of relatively poor and marginalized groups, such as women. However, there is limited research on the actual impact of food price surges and government-responsive programs on poor women. This study investigates the effect of food inflation and its coping mechanisms vis-à-vis government response programs from the perspective of poor women through consciously adopting feminist economics as a theoretical and interpretive framework. This was accomplished by taking into consideration women’s gender-based privations and other facets of their identities and lived realities. It employed a qualitative methodology that is guided by feminist epistemological principles in its design including data collection and analysis techniques. It investigated and drew lessons from how poor women are impacted by and cope with food inflation in relation to the Public Distribution System (PDS) of basic goods in Addis Ababa, a government intervention program, using the case study approach. In-depth interviews (IDIs) and two rounds of focus group discussions, (FGDs) utilizing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools were carried out for women beneficiaries of the program, selected through the snowball sample technique, respectively. IDIs were also conducted for government and private implementing institutions of the intervention program.
Spaces of participation: A critical analysis of participation in housing projects in Whittlesea, Eastern Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Penxa, Lungile; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This study focused on people-centred housing development in a small town. Housing development projects have largely been implemented using top-down approaches. The literature suggests that ‘top-down’ housing development projects have failed because the views and concerns of beneficiaries were excluded. Due to the failures of the ‘top-down approach’, there is a need to include participatory approaches in housing development projects. People-centred development (PCD) allow beneficiaries to participate in all aspects of the project cycle.
The cost of gaps in existing food price-stabilizing market policies in urban areas for poor women and their families: The case of Addis Ababa
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) May, Julian
Food inflation has been a challenge in Ethiopia since prices of staple foods started rising in 2005, particularly threatening the food security of relatively poor and marginalized groups, such as women. However, there is limited research on the actual impact of food price surges and government-responsive programs on poor women. This study investigates the effect of food inflation and its coping mechanisms vis-à-vis government response programs from the perspective of poor women through consciously adopting feminist economics as a theoretical and interpretive framework. This was accomplished by taking into consideration women’s gender-based privations and other facets of their identities and lived realities.
Employer concerns with the quality of the skills and knowledge of recently employed graduates in South Africa: Description, analysis and implications for tertiary education, public policy and practice
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mobarak, Kaashiefa; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This qualitative study examined the nature and significance of current employer concerns with the quality of the skills and knowledge of their recently employed graduates. Employers require graduates who are able to perform the tasks expected of them in the workplace. However, the study found that most employed graduates in South Africa lack the ability to perform tasks due to universities struggling to suitably equip them for workplaces. The study focused on how graduates transfer their university acquired skills and knowledge to the workplace to establish whether employers considered graduates workplace ready.
The impact of expanded public works programme (EPWP) on food security in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Satumba, Takunda; Devereux, Stephen
This thesis aims to investigate the food security impact of public works programmes. Using the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) as a case study in South Africa, the design, implementation, and operation of public works are evaluated to determine how the programme contributes towards individual and household food security. A convenience sampling method was used to identify research participants from EPWP projects. In the study, a sample of 112 participants was interviewed to collect primary data from EPWP projects. To gather as much information as possible, the researcher captured data using a semi-structured questionnaire as well as open-ended interview questions from participants and other key informants. A mixed methods approach of analysis is used and the results are discussed using the theory of change of public works and food security via three impact channels: the wage vector, the skills vector, and the asset vector.
Exploring the determinants of conventional and participatory monitoring and evaluation: A case study of world vision Ethiopia (wve)
(University of the Western Cape, 2023) Mekonnen, Endale Sebsebe; Dinbabo, Mulugeta
For the success of development programs at any level, the process of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plays an indispensable role. Although it has been exercised for decades in different contexts, its multidisciplinary features and variegated applications made it a complex enterprise. The complexity is due to multidisciplinary nature, differing methodological, philosophical stance and theoretical assumptions The two approaches—conventional and participatory monitoring and evaluation—said to be diametrically opposite in their epistemological, methodological stance, and practices resulting in meeting different purposes. A great deal of study has been done in the area of identifying the weaknesses of both approaches, but there has been no study about the possibility of combining the determinants of these two approaches, to craft a better approach that responds to differing needs of stakeholders at different stages of the monitoring and evaluation process. This dissertation undertook to fill this gap.
The evolving role of social media in food remitting: Evidence from Zimbabwean Migrants in Cape Town, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Sithole, Sean Thulani; Dinbabo, Mulugeta
In the global South, food remittances play a significant role in the food and nutrition security of many households, especially low-income families. However, in the last two decades, debates and research on migration, remittances, and development have primarily focused on cash transfers. Non-cash remittances such as food transfers have received limited attention. The bias of being solely attentive to cash remittances is alarming. It conceals an in-depth and comprehensive grasp of food remittances' developmental and significant food security role in the global south. In addition, food remitting is a complex phenomenon that involves social networks, and emerging studies underscore how social media is transforming migrant networks. Yet, the connection between social media and migration outcomes such as remittances have been under-researched.
The effect of government facilitated ICT access interventions on the well-being of marginalised communities in the Overberg District, South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Kassongo, Rashidi François; Tucker, William D.
In recent years there has been a shift towards the assessment of the contribution of technology to citizens’ well-being rather than a focus on issues only related to the availability of ICT infrastructure. However, the mere change in evaluation foci does not mean that all is fine. The South African government considers Government Facilitated Access (GFA1) to computers and the internet as a critical tool for transforming the way it conducts its business with its citizenry. In so doing it seeks the improvement of socio-economic well-being of marginalised communities through improved service delivery.
Service delivery protests and the struggle for urban development in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, Cape Town
(University of the Western Cape, 2021) Chiwarawara, Kenny; Karriem, Abdulrazak
This study assesses the role of service delivery protests (SDPs) in promoting access to services such as water, electricity, and housing in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The study was conceptualised within the context of escalating frequency and scale of SDPs in South Africa. Although the first decade of democracy saw a decline in protests, some groups and movements protested. However, since 2005, when SDPs took national prominence, South Africa has experienced soaring levels of dramatic protests. This frequency of SDPs invites research. Why have SDPs (e.g., for housing, water, and electricity) increased despite the government promising a ‘Better life for all’ for nearly three decades, and how have they unfolded?

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