Opportunities and challenges faced in promoting small holder farming as an element in rural economic development: the case of Buffalo City Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Siyabonga Makhathini
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Family farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural families -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Buffalo City (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)
- Identifier: vital:11203 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007534 , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Family farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural families -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Households -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Buffalo City (South Africa)
- Description: This study looked at the opportunities and challenges faced in promoting smallholder farming as an element in rural economic development. The main objective is to highlight the key factors affecting smallholder production; and how those factors affect smallholder farmers in rural areas of Buffalo City Municipality, and hence identify the ones likely to predict success for future use in intervention programs. The content and scope of this study is limited to the socio-economic constraints (economic activities, household assets e.g. natural assets, physical assets, financial assets etc.) faced by rural households and therefore prescribe the necessary interventions to enhance rural livelihoods. Data was collected through review of secondary sources, direct observation through field visits and interviews with households. Questionnaires were used as the main tool of inquiry to gather data from households in selected villages within Buffalo City Municipality. The collected survey data was coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 19.0. The study used Descriptive, Gini Coefficient and Binary Logistics model to analyze the collected survey data. For the descriptive model, the main pointers that were employed for this study were frequencies and mean values. The Gini Coefficient model was used to measure the contribution of different sources of income to overall inequality. The binary logistic regression model was used to uncover the correlates of the household income for different rural groups (famers and non-farmers). The results reveal that farm income has a strong association to overall household income per capita. Unearned income sources also have a substantial contribution to household income. Remittances and child grants were significant to non-farming household income per capita. Given the diminishing farm size of smallholder-led agriculture; these results suggest that a diversified household income portfolio is vital in addressing poverty in rural areas. Based on the results this study concluded that agricultural activities cannot solely enhance food security.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Evaluation of rural sanitation in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Marata, Mawethu Nicolas
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Sanitation, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sanitation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public utilities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Buffalo City (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Rural Development)
- Identifier: vital:11944 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005966 , Sanitation, Rural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sanitation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public utilities -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Buffalo City (South Africa)
- Description: This research paper is a qualitative evaluation of rural resident’s views in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality regarding the municipalities (BCM) performance in sanitation in rural areas. The study was conducted using interviews and some participant observation as a strategy for data collection. The data collected was analyzed using the basic needs theoretical framework. The study found that sanitation is the least talked about subject because of the stigma attached to it. The study found that Buffalo City Municipality initiatives in sanitation have little impact or has not yet transformed the lives of rural people. It has been found that the municipality is responding slowly in sanitation, and this situation impacts negatively on the lives of rural people as they are exposed to health hazards and diseases. The study questions the sustainability of toilets built in rural areas as many toilets have no roofs and door. It has been found that sanitation is still a challenge in the Buffalo City Municipality as some people still relieve themselves in the bushes. Some people even defecate into plastic bags and then throw the bags as far as they can. The study found that the environment is deeply affected by the lack of sanitation as both air and water are contaminated by waste disposal caused by poor sanitation. The general feeling of the residents of Buffalo City Municipality with regard to sanitation service delivery is that they were not happy at all. The residents are not happy with the state of sanitation services rendered by the municipality. The study calls upon the municipality to speedily address rural sanitation to avoid service delivery protest. The research calls upon organizations and companies to get sanitation issues as part of their function. The research made a number of recommendations in an effort to help municipalities accelerate the delivery of sanitation in rural areas. It is hoped that the recommendations would help the Buffalo City Municipality in ensuring that communities are equipped and empowered to meaningfully participate in making policies, regarding their development. The recommendations will contribute towards encouraging community participation in the decision making within their municipalities. It is the aim of the study for other municipalities to use Buffalo City Municipality example as a benchmark for best practices. In conclusion, the rural areas of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality need more serious commitment from the municipality regarding sanitation and other basic services.
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- Date Issued: 2012
An investigation of the role of selected ward committees in enhancing basic service delivery: the case of Buffalo City Municipality
- Authors: Jakatyana, Xolile Christopher
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8201 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1256 , Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City -- Citizen participation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This study investigated the role of selected ward committees 29 and 32 of Nompumelelo and Tsholomnqa respectively in the Buffalo City Municipality (BCM) in enhancing basic service delivery. In terms of the White Paper on Local Government (1998:4), developmental local government promotes a system that centres on working with local communities to find sustainable ways to meet their needs and improve the quality of their lives. The study on that basis examines the nature and extent to which wards 29 and 32 committees enhanced basic service delivery within BCM. The study is premised on the assumptions that: The involvement of party-elected Councillors in ward committees inhibits members of ward committees from playing an active role in their communities; Ward committees are not clearly communicating municipality programmes to their communities; BCM is biased in favour of urban wards in service delivery; If the committees of wards 29 and 32 were given more powers to play a much wider role in providing leadership and make decisions in their communities (being elevated from an advisory role to ward management structures), they would make an impact in enhancing basic service delivery; and, With additional decision-making powers ward committees could play a more effective role in local government matters. The perceived slow pace of service delivery by municipalities has resulted in growing impatience and dissatisfaction, in particular among poor communities. This has been demonstrated by the spontaneous protests and unrests directed at municipalities that have been taking place nationally since 2003. The uprisings explain two aspects, namely local government is considered by communities to be the delivery arm of government in South Africa and poor communities feel betrayed because their active participation in government-provided spaces for participation such as municipal elections, ward committees and IDPs did not yield the result of promised development (Theron, 2008:36). iv The study employed the qualitative research design using an interview survey as a method of data collection and the reviewing of existing study material and documents to test the validity of the afore-mentioned assumptions. Lastly, with the aim of assisting BCM in nurturing the potential of ward committees operating in its area of jurisdiction, the following recommendations based on the findings of the study are made: BCM considers subjecting ward committees to structured formal and accredited training; BCM delivers services in a legally compliant manner; BCM delegates sufficient powers to ward committees; Ward committees be trained together with officials that drive the CBP process when BCM starts implementing the process; and, BCM provides support to ward committees.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Is land tenure a significant variable for promoting agricultural productivity in rural villages?: the case study of Nonkcampa Village in the Buffalo City Municipality, Province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Gqokoma, Daniel Atwell
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3313 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003101 , Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The research explored the causal relationship between the communal land tenure and the stagnant agricultural productivity in rural villages. It is assumed that there is covariance between the communal land tenure and the stagnant agricultural productivity. The communal land tenure deprived the villagers of the land ownership rights to mortgage their landholdings to secure agricultural credit from financial institutions, or to advance them as own contributions to obtain Government-provided grants under the ILRAD. Under such circumstances, the villagers could not raise the level of agricultural productivity. The Permit to Occupy (PTO) certificates, issued to the landholders, provided for usufruct rights only i.e. right to occupy and use an allotment. The related research was conducted at Nonkcampa village. The metatheory, “Positivism” and the quantitative paradigm were applied to collate and analyse the data. The research findings confirmed the correlation between the land tenure and the agricultural productivity, as the respondents claimed not to have had any access to agricultural inputs. Hence, the agricultural productivity on the arable land had stagnated.
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- Date Issued: 2006