An investigation of ward committees as a means for structured public participation: the case of the Knysna local municipality
- Authors: Ngqele, Sandile Wiseman
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Knysna -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa. -- Knysna -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8208 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1143 , Local government -- South Africa -- Knysna -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa. -- Knysna -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Description: This study investigated the effectiveness of Ward Committees in co-ordinating and facilitating authentic public participation processes at local government levels. This study focused specifically on the Knysna Local Municipality. Before 1994 the majority of South Africans had never had the vote, and therefore, had not had the opportunity of participating in South Africa’s governance and administration (Hilliard and Kemp, 1999:40). In this governance system, local government was the lowest tier of government in a strict hierarchical structure; and it had no constitutional standing of its own, but derived its powers from the two superior tiers of government, namely national and provincial. The local government elections of 5 December 2000 in South Africa provided municipalities with a historic opportunity to transform local government to meet the needs of the country for the next century. The local government transformation process (in tandem with the demarcation process that established the new municipal boundaries) introduced more developmental responsibilities to municipalities. In addition, this further implied that local government became an autonomous sphere of government with its own original powers and a broad developmental mandate. This had profound implications for local governance. An important element of the current local government system is the promotion of local democracy and participation in local governance. Public participation is an integral part of local democracy and is a legislative requirement for the local community to be drawn into the v municipal processes through inter alia: Integrated Development Planning (IDP), budgeting, performance management and Ward Committees. Although the ‘old’ South African local government system did not have an extensive history in ensuring a culture of actively engaging communities in developmental issues, the IDP under a Developmental Local Government (DLG) system now presents a framework through which such a culture can be established. The Ward Committees in particular, play a critical role in linking community needs with municipal planning processes. In South African local government the commitment to public participation is reflected in a host of laws and policy documents (namely the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 2000 (Act 32 of 2000), Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa , 1996). These laws and policies are intended to be realised through development initiatives that require formal participatory processes and institutions in local governance. Since 2001 Ward Committees have emerged as a key institutional mechanism intended to contribute towards bringing about people-centred, participatory and democratic local governance. The rationale for Ward Committees is to supplement the roles of the elected Ward Councillors by creating a link between communities and the political and administrative structures of municipalities. These Ward Committees have been established in the majority of wards in municipalities across the country in line with the vi requirements of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act,1998 (Act 117 of 1998) which stipulates that: Only metropolitan and local municipalities of certain types may have Ward Committees. The main objective of the study was to investigate the overall functioning of Ward Committees within the Knysna Local Municipality and to determine their impact on democratic local governance thus far. The study will carry out an investigation into the effectiveness of Ward Committees: whether they are useful conduits for public participation in local governance; whether they are inherently capable of playing the critical role expected of them; and whether they actually create opportunities for real power-sharing between the Knysna Local Municipality and its communities. The study’s main objective stated above was achieved by breaking it down into realisable objectives, namely: • A brief background of the Knysna Local Municipality, and in particular, an outline of its institutional arrangements and its Ward Committees in general. • An evaluation of the theoretical and legislative framework of public participation and the Ward Committee System in local government. • An analysis of the practical performance of Ward Committees in the Knysna Local Municipality and to provide a research report on the empirical findings. • Recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of Ward Committees at local government levels in general, and in particular, in the Knysna Local Municipality. The hypothetical position of this study was that the maximum utilisation of Ward Committees as a means for public participation processes at local government levels, specifically in the Knysna Local Municipality, could improve communication between local municipalities and the public. Furthermore, this would also contribute towards the speedy delivery of services to communities, as Ward Committees could serve as the Local Municipality’s strategic partners in Council’s projects. Ward Committees should therefore be utilised to enhance a constructive interaction between a municipality and its local community. This position was premised on the fact that authentic and empowering participation can be established at local government levels if Ward Committees act as a foundation for development and Ward Committee Members as development change agents in their respective wards
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- Date Issued: 2010
Spatially resolved opto-electric measurements of photovoltaic materials and devices
- Authors: Thantsha, Nicolas Matome
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Photovoltaic cells , Photovoltaic power systems , Photovoltaic power generation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10520 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1123 , Photovoltaic cells , Photovoltaic power systems , Photovoltaic power generation
- Description: The objective of this study is to characterize and analyse defects in solar cell devices. Materials used to fabricate solar cells are not defects free and therefore, there is a need to investigate defects in cells. To investigate this, a topographical technique was developed and employed which uses a non-destructive methodology to analyse solar cells. A system was built which uses a technique based on a laser beam induced current (LBIC). LBIC technique involves focusing light on to a surface of a solar cell device in order to create a photo-generated current that can be measured in the external circuit for analyses. The advantage of this technique is that it allows parameter extraction. Parameters that can be extracted include short-circuit current, carrier lifetime and also the external and internal quantum efficiency of a solar cell. In this thesis, LBIC measurements in the form of picture maps are used to indicate the distribution of the localized beam induced current within solar cells. Areas with low minority carrier lifetime in solar cells are made visible by LBIC mapping. Surface reflection intensity measurements of cells can also be mapped using the LBIC system developed in this study. The system is also capable of mapping photo-generated current of a cell below and above room temperature. This thesis also presents an assessment procedure capable of assessing the device and performance parameters with reference to I-V measurements. The dark and illuminated I-V characteristics of solar cells were investigated. The illuminated I-V characteristics of solar cells were obtained using a defocused laser beam. Dark I-V measurements were performed by applying voltage across the cell in the dark and measuring a current through it. The device parameters which describe the behaviour of I-V characteristic were extracted from the I-V data using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) method based on a one-and two-diode solar cell models. Solar cells of different technologies were analysed, namely, single-crystalline (c-Si) and multicrystalline (mc-Si) silicon, Edge-defined Film-fed Growth Si (EFG-Si) and Cu(In,Ga)(Se,S)2 (CIGSS) thin film based cells. The LBIC results illustrated the effect of surface reflection features and material defects in the solar cell investigated. IQE at a wavelength of 660 nm were measured on these cells and the results in general emphasised the importance of correcting optical losses, i.e. reflection loss, when characterizing different types of defects. The agreement between the IQE measurements and I-V characteristics of a cell showed that the differences in crystal grains influence the performance of a mc-Si cell. The temperature-dependence of I-V characteristics of a CIGSS solar cell was investigated. The results showed that, for this material, the photo response is reduced at elevated temperatures. In addition to LBIC using a laser beam, solar spectral radiation was employed to obtained device performance parameters. The results emphasised the effect of grain boundaries as a recombination centres for photo-generated hole-pairs. Lastly, mesa diode characterizations of solar cells were investigated. Mesa diodes are achieved by etching down a solar cell so that the plateau regions are formed. Mesa diodes expose the p-n junction, and therefore mesa diode analysis provides a better way of determining and revealing the fundamental current conduction mechanism at the junction. Mesa diodes avoid possible edge effects. This study showed that mesa diodes can be used to characterize spatial non-uniformities in solar cells. The results obtained in this study indicate that LBIC is a useful tool for defect characterization in solar cells. Also LBIC complements other characterization techniques such as I-V characterization.
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- Date Issued: 2010