The challenges of banks in financing SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Msimanga, Dumisile
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Small business -- Finance , Business enterprises -- Zimbabwe -- Harare -- Finance Credit -- Zimbabwe -- Harare Entrepreneurship -- Zimbabwe -- Harare
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14058 , vital:27412
- Description: This research is a diagnosis of the supply side of SME (small and medium enterprises) credit. Its objectives are to determine the current level of bank lending to SMEs to validate the financing gap, to explore the strategies and mechanisms employed by banks to provide tailor-made lending for SMEs and finally to conclude by identifying some of the key challenges the banks face in their quest to lend to SMEs. This, then, culminated in some recommendations for increasing bank funding to SMEs. This study employed a deductive qualitative research.. The research used a non-probability, purposive/judgmental sampling method to choose the heads of bank SME units to include in the research. There are twelve banks with dedicated SME units, out of a total of 18. The researcher carried out in-depth face to face interviews using semi-structured questions. The qualitative data was coded, deductively analysed and conclusions drawn and incorporated into a report. Banks’ most outstanding challenges in dealing with SMEs in terms of information asymmetry, an unsupportive business environment, poor quality of SME clients and inflexible regulatory requirements.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The changing fortunes of the organ: the viewpoints of church organists in the Anglican churches of Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Stone, Justin
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Organ (Musical instrument) -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Organists -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Church of England -- Organs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/23502 , vital:30569
- Description: This study investigates the changing role of the organ within the Anglican Church of Port Elizabeth. In this study, the term The Church of England is used to refer to both the Anglican Church in England and the Anglican Church (Church of the Province) of Southern Africa. The organ has over many centuries evolved and risen to a place of dominance within the church. Many factors such as political influence, the increase in technology and the use of the organ within the liturgy of the church have contributed to this situation. Equally evident in practices in modern churches and societies is the diminished role of the organ. Again, many factors such as a change in church liturgy, a lack of organists and a negative bias towards the organ have influenced the decrease in the popularity and use of the instrument. In order to prove the rise and fall of the organ a quantitative study in the form of a literature review was employed to trace the organ‟s claim to power as well as the status it gained and to outline the reasons for its decline in power. To investigate this phenomenon, research was conducted in nine selected Anglican churches in Port Elizabeth, that have pipe organs and which were established by the British settlers, along the traditional lines of Anglican churches. The results are discussed and the narratives of the respondents recorded. Findings from the study show that the organ has lost its authoritative voice in the church. The organ is no longer the preferred and only instrument utilized for music and accompaniment within the average Anglican parish service. An urgent and careful response is needed to promote the organ in church services and in the music life of society.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The Daily Dispatch's political coverage of the Eastern Cape Provincial government: 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013
- Authors: Ramncwana, Ayanda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Journalism -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Press -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19905 , vital:29004
- Description: The Daily Dispatch, a newspaper based in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, has a long history of political reporting. Arguably, it reached the zenith of its prominence during the era of political activism of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), under the leadership of Bantu Steve Biko, who was martyred by the apartheid government in 1977. Biko was at the time based in King William’s Town, in the Eastern Cape. The newspaper, at the time edited by Donald Woods, held the view that Biko was preaching a doctrine of hatred against White people, and Woods took it upon himself to challenge Biko. This saw Woods gaining a better understanding of the BCM and Biko, and hiring into the Daily Dispatch’s newsroom a number of pro-Black Consciousness journalists. The newspaper then proceeded to cover not only the BCM, but also other pro-democracy movements until the demise of apartheid and the emergence of the African National Congress-led government under the presidency of Nelson Mandela. With the emergence of the ANC-led government, there was an expectation that newspapers and journalists that had opposed apartheid and supported the liberation struggle would continue supporting the freedom fighters-turned-career-politicians. This was especially so because some pro-ANC politicians-turned-businessmen acquired a stake in media ownership. It is against this background that this study investigated the political coverage by the Daily Dispatch of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government during the period 1 January – 30 December 2013. Taking into cognisance the changing hands of the ownership of the Daily Dispatch, the Political Economy theory, which focuses on the link between ownership of the media and its role in society, was employed as a theoretical framework. The study utilised the qualitative research methodology, specifically interviews and content analysis, as research techniques (methods). The research found that despite the changes in the ownership of the Daily Dispatch, the newspaper provided independent political coverage of the ANC-led government in the Eastern Cape during the research period.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of a boarding school for displaced children near Graaff-Reinet
- Authors: Akom, Chelcie Jade
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: School buildings -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , School buildings -- Specifications -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Architecture -- Designs and plans Graaff-Reinet (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17888 , vital:28479
- Description: The treatise developed from a preoccupation with regards to the theories rooted around the human need for a sense of embeddedness in a specific place. This need lies deep within the human heart, as humans have a psychological and phenomenological need for a sense of comfort and security. The preoccupation lead to the notions pertaining to place to place making. The treatise acknowledges that certain places have the ability to evoke certain moods in human beings as a result of their extension and character, and when a place possesses a certain character it becomes meaningful to man. In order for man to fulfill his need to dwell amid the earth and sky, he has to orientate himself and identify with the natural place in which he is located.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of a brick factory at Swartkops, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Birkholtz, Matthew Carl
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Factories -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Architecture, Industrial -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Architecture, Modern -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17866 , vital:28462
- Description: This treatise is preoccupied with the nature of industrial architecture and its impact on the landscape. The study is informed by the need for an ecocentric approach to the nature of cradle-to-grave modes of production (McDonough 2002) from the 1900s that contaminate the environment with the waste produced and through the ways in which raw materials are obtained for production. The project developed out of an interest in the effects of industry on the landscape, with the researcher initially identifying a type of industry, the way its processes are managed, and its effects on the environment. Clay brick manufacturing has been a local tradition for many years. Brick is one of the oldest construction materials, but the ways in which bricks are manufactured can be improved, particularly in terms of energy efficiency and the environmental impact of mining. The selection of a suitable site involved a study of the city of Port Elizabeth to identify a site that has been contaminated through industrial processing within a threatened critical biodiversity area on the periphery of the city. The EP Brick site in the Swartkops area met all the criteria for a suitable site and programme that can be managed by a system of phased planning over a period governed by the availability of clay material for brick making. Moreover, a common problem with the nature of the industrial landscape is the mono-functionality of industrial buildings that outlive their design intention and become vacant eyesores on the landscape, inevitably decaying over time due to the undesirable and costly implementation of reuse strategies. By 2017, the EP Brick yard had entered its third generation of family ownership, according to co-owner Billy Martin (2017). In addition, because the brickyard site contained only 35 years’ worth of clay within its boundaries at this time, the limited availability of resources encourages a building that is flexible in nature to allow the transformation of its programme and function. Due to the destructive nature of clay mining and the adjacent industrial Enviroserv waste management dumpsite, the site provides the opportunity for a building that is adaptive for future reuse, specifically from an ecosystemic brick factory to a waste management facility, to extend its lifespan and begin remediation of the waste dump site. The building will be designed with a system of impermanent and permanent structures to allow it to be demountable. The permanent structure will be left on the landscape to be reused once the building transforms. The transformed building on the remediated site will be presented to the public to be used for recreation and for the purchasing of biogas and recycled products from waste. Furthermore, the new energy-efficient brick factory strives to create a harmonious working environment for its staff, making use of natural light and air to invite nature indoors. It uses renewable energy sources to minimize its impact by excluding fossil fuels and national power, which supports its function as part of the ecosystem to provide remediation of the fractured landscape damaged by mining and waste disposal on the adjacent site. Creating a new model for the industrial typology within the precinct will establish ecocentric regulations that redefine industrial production and waste management techniques to alleviate the pressure on threatened critical biodiversity areas. This will encourage the implementation of similar regulations in surrounding factories.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of a new muncipal council chamber in central Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Cizek, Judy Ann
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Municipal buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Architecture -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plan , Architecture -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39315 , vital:35078
- Description: The student protests in South Africa in 2015 and 2016 that called for ‘decolonisation’ sparked an interest in the contested heritage of a multi-cultural society. In the South African context, there are different experiences and perceptions of the past that have resulted in contested narratives that compete for dominance in the collective memory of society today. Colonialism and its ideologies have shaped the South African built environment, as well as the social construct. Colonialism may not still be an active agent today, but its legacy continues to filter into the lives of South Africans. Apartheid was an extreme extension of colonialist ideology. Since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy, the country has been in a state of post-regime hangover and faced with the task of building a new national identity. This treatise explores the notions of memory and identity to position the indigenous cultures of Southern Africa next to the dominance of colonial culture and to create a dialogue between the legacy of colonial built heritage and post-colonial national identity. Port Elizabeth is the ideal context in which to explore the realm of post-colonial identity in architecture, as it was the first major British settler town and formed the heart of British colonialism. The Old Post Office building complex in Port Elizabeth offers an opportunity for the explorations of postcolonial theory, as it is undoubtedly a colonial building and needs drastic intervention, which could allow more room for adaptation than a building that is in better condition. The building programme for the adaptive reuse of the Old Post Office building complex will be a new municipal council chamber and offices which will act as an extension to the Port Elizabeth city hall. The aim of this treatise is to design an appropriate architectural intervention for the Old Post Office building in Central Port Elizabeth. This architectural intervention must acknowledge and respect the colonial heritage but focus on being a post-colonial building of the future by becoming a useful and relevant place for the people of Central Port Elizabeth. This is achieved through understanding what it means to be postcolonial and what this means for architecture by understanding the spatial implications of colonial planning in Port Elizabeth, the spatial planning of indigenous South African statement patterns and the heritage laws and conservation principles. This will be done through literature reviews, spatial studies, interviews and precedent studies in order to find a strategy for designing a new municipal council chamber in for the Old Post Office building complex in Port Elizabeth.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of a new school of architecture for Nelson Mandela University: resurrecting the desolated architecture student
- Authors: Meyer, Mareli
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: College buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plan , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Buildings , Architecture -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39326 , vital:35082
- Description: The Nelson Mandela University (NMU) School of Architecture (SoA) has been operating on the top two floors of the Library building on the NMU South Campus for the past 40 years. Since 2005 Architectural technology and Interior Design have also been operating in the same space. It has become a concern that the space in which these three disciplines operate is not big enough for future growth. As a result, student intake is being capped and the plan to add an Urban and Regional Planning course cannot be executed because there is not enough space to expand. (Dark,2010) (Addendum A & B) This current situation has provided the foundations for the design of a new School of Architecture Building, which will provide adequate space for the future growth of the Department. Further investigation into the current facilities also raise issues of public integration, which becomes a driving idea behind the design of the new school. The research focuses on 1. A critique on architectural education and how spaces can be arranged and articulated to provide a vibrant studio based educational facility that is 2. Integrated into the public realm of a university campus. A Case Study on the existing School of architecture shows that the school has many good features that can be used to design the new school. It suggests that lecture halls can be used as a catalyst for public integration in architecture schools and the large flexible studio space that forms the heart of the school, creates a vibrant interactive learning space in which ideas and art is generated. A precedent study on existing architecture schools is used to establish what the nature of an architecture school is and how the architects have attempted to create well-functioning architecture schools. An Urban Master plan is presented to address the issue of dis-connectivity between the North and South campus of the university. The master plan proposes better connectivity between North and South Campus through a pedestrian boulevard that connects a new forecourt on North Campus to a forecourt on South Campus. The layout and zoning within the urban master plan suggests possible sites for the new structure, based on public activity and accessibility to address the issue of public integration. The SoA will form part of a new forecourt on North Campus which will be an agglomeration of building enclosing a public courtyard of which the Architecture department will form part in becoming the arts precinct on the University Campus. The space in which the current SoA is operating will be used for library facilities, this was the purpose of the space before it was allocated to the Architecture Department for “temporary use.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of a Shmashana for the Hindu community in the Baakens valley, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Bolton, Daniel
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Hindu temples -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , Hinduism -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth City planning -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17855 , vital:28461
- Description: This treatise explores the consolidation of the Hindu Community’s identity through the design of a Shmashana (Hindu cremation ground) which allows for the conservation and practice of one of their most important rituals, traditional funeral rites. The Hindu community was amongst the first settlers in Port Elizabeth and entrenched in the historical, culturally rich and diverse suburb of South End. South End was later destroyed by the apartheid government and the Hindu community, as well as other communities were forcefully removed from their homes in South End and relocated to other areas forming pockets of ghettos and a segregated city. The proposal to establish a Shmashana will enhance the Hindu community’s cultural identity and reconnect them to South End, as well as a step towards reconciliation for the injustices of apartheid. This study utilises a qualitative research framework using precedent studies and inductive reasoning to formulate a design approach to the Hindu culture and South End as a place and memory. This investigation reveals that for the creation of a Shmashana there are specific site criteria required combined with particular spatial and physical qualities in the location and the cultural and spiritual needs of the Hindu community. These aspects are examined through a phenomenological lens to create an environment which is meaningful to the community and the memory of the pre-apartheid South End district. The writings of Relph (1976), Shamai (2005), Norberg-Schulz (1985), Manzo (2003), Najafi and Shariff (2011) are used to understand a sense of place and how the architecture and users can relate to it. Peter Zumthor’s (2006) characteristics of an atmospheric environment are applied to create an experiential space while the writings of Thomas Barrie (1996) examine the experience of religious sacred space.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of an urban hydroponicum: an urban agriculture facility that remediates polluted storm water by utilizing biomimetic processes, that enables vast amounts of food to be grown
- Authors: Bagg, Timothy Kyle
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Architecture, Industrial -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Architecture -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- 21st century , Sustainable urban development , Sustainable buildings
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/38783 , vital:34965
- Description: This treatise is founded in a belief that urban ecosystems should not be separate from natural ones and seeks to find ways in which existing urban systems can be reintegrated. This reintegration will be two-fold, providing a remedy for ecologically destructive urban systems as well as providing an opportunity to develop a holistic and sustainable alternative to current practices that generate waste and pollution. The treatise will focus on the management of polluted storm water, specifically along the Walmer catchment area which flows east into Airport Valley and Shark River Valley, and ways in which horticulture building systems can be utilised to achieve remedial action naturally, producing vast amounts of nutritious food for the surrounding community in the process. Impetus for this topic grew out of a concern that the author has for the current state of sustainable practices within South Africa, specifically regarding the relationship between water and agriculture (food). 60 – 70% of South Africa’s water demand is agricultural, with poor water management infrastructure and the current drought severely affecting the agricultural output (food supply) of the country. The increased demand puts immense pressure on South African farmers who have dwindling arable land and less water with which to cultivate crops. South Africa’s population is two thirds urbanised, meaning that most of the population lives in urban centres around the country. This treatise proposes that water-wise urban agricultural systems could be utilised to further cement food and water security in an urban setting by supplementing the food supply chain with local, city-grown produce. The research conducted will generate an architectural and urban intervention that marries the natural with the built environment in a strategically and intentionally designed relationship that exploits synergies between these two environments.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The design of international convention centre in Swakopmund, Namibia
- Authors: Zwart, Hendrikus Johannes
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Convention facilities -- Namibia -- Swakopmund -- Designs and plans Exhibition buildings -- Namibia -- Swakopmund -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39348 , vital:35133
- Description: This treatise is a study that concerns itself with the exploration into an international convention and exhibition centre for Namibia and the appropriate architectural response in terms of its program and context. Typically convention centres tend to be large introverted buildings, lacking an engagement with its surroundings and a true sense of place. The study will aim to capture the unique essence, identity, and the spirit of place, which will be key to the development of the brief and expression of the building. The investigation and analysis will bring about a design proposal that aims to respond to the relevant issues and topic of the treatise in a meaningful, sensible, and appropriate architectural manner.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The development of a co-ordinated communication campaign to enhance participation in netball: applicable to schools in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Opperman, Ansu
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Sports -- Public relations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Communication in sports -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Mass media and sports -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth School sports -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Communication
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19828 , vital:28977
- Description: Public relations play an intricate role in communication development strategies within sport, especially netball. The objective of the research is to create a communication campaign incorporated in a public relations programme in aid of the development of netball in Port Elizabeth schools. The significance of the research is to create an understanding of the challenges faced by the learners to participate in netball and to develop the sport. The development of players at a young age is not up to standard when compared to countries where netball is already a professional sport. There is a lack of communication between the different stakeholders, namely the players, coaches and external publics. Qualitative research methods were implemented where primary and secondary data was used to conduct the research. Focus groups were utilised to gather primary data from netball players and coaches. These interviews proved that communication gaps do exist between the different stakeholders of school and netball. An introduction about netball will be discussed. Literature about public relations and communication will be presented. The research methodology will be presenting the research design and research methods used to conduct the research. Characteristics of the schools used in the interviews will be discussed. The research analysis, findings and discussions will present a guideline to be implemented by schools to enhance communication and therefore help develop netball. The research will then be concluded and summarised. Limitations to the study will be discussed as well as recommendations for further study on the topic. Communication plays an important role when trying to build mutual beneficial relationships between the various stakeholders. The results in this research bring to the conclusion that effective communication is needed to enhance and develop netball to ultimately become a professional sport.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The development of a translucent low fired porcelain casting slip using South African raw materials
- Authors: Ruiters, Mellaney Bualin
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Arts -- Research -- South Africa , Pottery -- Research -- South Africa , Ceramics -- Research -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20004 , vital:29026
- Description: The purpose of the research was to develop a translucent low fired porcelain casting slip using South African raw materials, due to the ever increasing electricity tariffs in South Africa as well as the physical deterioration put on the elements and brickwork in electric kilns when fired to traditional porcelain temperatures. Traditional porcelain bodies that can be purchased from South African suppliers are required to be fired to between 12000C and 13000C. The commercially prepared porcelains when tested produced white vitrified bodies but were lacking in translucency. Local ceramic artists are therefore compelled to import their porcelains from overseas suppliers if they require a white translucent porcelain but this is still requires a firing temperature well above 12000C. It has been shown that by using South African ceramic raw materials and adjusting a Parian ceramic formula using a selected frit; a low fired translucent porcelain can be made that matures below 12000C. The addition of paper fibres to the non-plastic porcelain was necessary to reduce the high shrinkage rate and prevented the clay from cracking and tearing in the firing process. With the further adjustments to the formula by the addition of calcium triphosphate true white translucent porcelain was produced. Without this last adjustment the porcelain would be an off-white colour due to the impurities found in the South African ceramic raw materials which are mainly contaminated with iron oxide. It was found that the following formula produced a white translucent porcelain which vitrified at 11900C and satisfies the original concept in the title stated above.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The disciplinarisation and professionalisation of development finance in South Africa
- Authors: Dobbin, Jeremy
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Finance -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa , Finance -- Developing countries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15270 , vital:28198
- Description: It has not been previously argued whether development finance can or should be regarded as a distinguishable academic discipline in its own right. The main objective of this study was to create an in-depth understanding of the current perceptions and misconceptions of development finance within the South African financial sector, which have not been formally captured or analysed previously. The research is important in determining the magnitude of contemporary interest in, and the emphasis of, development finance as a means of developing society. Furthermore, public perception influences the funding of future development finance research, the emerging theoretical framework and disciplinarity, access to education and training in the subject area, the level of student participation and enrolment in development finance courses and qualifications, as well as the supply of skilled practitioners. To accomplish the research objectives, an extensive literature review was conducted so as to provide a theoretical framework for the empirical study. Subsequently, self-administrable questionnaires were distributed to a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 319 individuals who have decision-making experience within the South African financial sector. Thirty-one respondents completed the questionnaire and the results were examined by means of non-probabilistic frequency distribution and qualitative analysis, where appropriate. Pervasive disagreement was found to exist among the respondents regarding a number of key issues, including the definition and characteristics of development finance, in addition to its pedagogy, professionalisation, and disciplinarity. A substantial majority of respondents agreed that there is a shortage of development finance experts in South Africa and that local universities should begin to offer students an undergraduate degree majoring in development finance specifically. It is recommended that in order for future development finance research, pedagogy, and practice to be more meaningful, greater conceptual clarity and more consistent usage of terminology and subject boundaries should be employed by stakeholders.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The effectiveness of Lesotho's industrial policy in poverty reduction
- Authors: Tlhatlosi, Lekupa Paul
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Poverty -- Lesotho Industrial policy -- Lesotho -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45475 , vital:38620
- Description: This study investigated and evaluated whether the Lesotho’s Industrial Policy had been effective in poverty reduction. The study focuses on the manufacturing sector in Lesotho to establish the effectiveness of the policy on workers in this sector. These people are often characterized by low education, lack of skills and poverty among other things. The study revealed that the current Industrial policy in Lesotho is no longer appropriate, relevant or responsive to the needs of Lesotho and Basotho people. It is not reducing or addressing the poverty situation but rather, it promotes and paves the way for activities that increase poverty in Lesotho. Poverty has remained the subject of intense debate to the extent that it has inhibited consistency in policies, resulting in less substantial success. Where there is a shared vision, views on the causes of poverty and conflicting goals and priorities often result in compromises and inconsistencies. Therefore, the link between policy and poverty reduction becomes important and influential since whichever strategy is applied and followed will have direct results and bearing on the policies. Lesotho is faced with serious challenges of unemployment, poverty, HIV/AIDS and other development deficiencies due to the increasing closure of mines in the Republic of South Africa, high retrenchment rates, declining prices of both gold and other commodities on the world market and the changing faces and demands of the world.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The implementation of the succession policy and staff retention strategy: Joe Gqabi District Municipality
- Authors: Ramarou, Moleboheng
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Employees Employee retention -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Personnel management -- South Africa -- Government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19894 , vital:29001
- Description: The aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation of the succession policy and staff retention strategy of the Joe Gqabi District Municipality (JGDM) in the Eastern Cape. Retention and succession are located within a broader understanding of administration and management, and specifically within the New Public Management theory. A qualitative research methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were primary means of data collection, supplemented by documentary analysis. A non-probability, stratified sample of 12 senior managers, middle managers, supervisors and professionals employed by the district municipality constituted the target group. The findings reveal that both the succession policy and the staff retention strategy were hampered by severe implementation weaknesses, resulting in failure to stem the high rate of turnover and vacancies at the municipality. The study recommends a series of measures to enhance future implementation success.These include, amongst others, implementation action plans with clear deliverables andtimeframes, monitoring and evaluation; employee participation; linking execution to individual performance; and proactively addressing issues of staff satisfaction.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The legitimacy of violence as a political act: an investigation of vandalism surrounding service delivery protests in South Africa
- Authors: Malalepe, Keagile
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Protest movements -- South Africa Municipal services -- South Africa , Vandalism -- South Africa Municipal government -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18113 , vital:28577
- Description: This study aimed at investigating the legitimacy of violence as political act, especially the issue of vandalism surrounding service delivery protests in South Africa. The investigation was conducted in a small township around Soweto called Kliptown as a case study. This study was necessitated by the increasing number of violent service delivery protests around all provinces in the country. The statement of the problem provided a foundation within which the aims of the study were explained. The importance of this research cannot be justified enough especially given the mounting daily protests witnessed over service delivery by different communities from different provinces around the country.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The nature and extent of conflict in the hospitality industry in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Kendrick, Hazel Sheila
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Conflict management -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Interpersonal conflict Teams in the workplace -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17668 , vital:28427
- Description: This study aims to understand frontline managers and how they manage conflict in their working environment. The purpose of the study is to determine which intervening methods are used by frontline managers towards conflict that match up with conflict management strategies. A qualitative research method was used in the study; the data collection was by means of interviews with frontline managers in hotels in Port Elizabeth. The objective of the study was to understand the possible causes of conflict as well as finding alternative solutions by conducting interviews with frontline managers. The study reveals that frontline managers do experience conflict between employees and customers.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The relationship between leadership resilience and self-renewal practices
- Authors: Venter, Celeste
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Leadership Success in business Organizational resilience
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14024 , vital:27395
- Description: Most organisations operate in a turbulent environment characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Disruptive and unpredictable forces of change are key features of this environment and sustainability of organisations has become fragile and unstable. Organisations that are able to grow and thrive within this environment have adaptive capabilities to learn (Ovans, 2005) and adjust faster with more confidence compared to their competitors. Leadership is a decisive influence in the creation of a competitive advantage within thriving organisations. Leaders absorb high levels of turmoil, unpredictability and uncertainty and need to respond to regular shocks and surprises in a productive manner so that the organisation can be responsive to threats and opportunities. The ability of leaders to offer this type of leadership is determined by their own levels of leadership resilience. Leadership resilience is a capability that can increase or diminish depending on the leader’s ability to learn and adapt following unexpected disruptive experiences, continued adverse conditions or while dealing with persistent pressure. Practices associated with self-renewal offer leaders, opportunities to develop disciplined intentional processes of change and adjustment. These are based on a state of awareness regarding one’s level of internal well-being, energy and balance, aimed at replenishing or strengthening resilient qualities and protective factors. Leadership development programmes can make a significant contribution to sustained leadership being effective, by developing personal strengths and strategies that can buttress tough resilience capabilities in leaders. The main research problem in this study was to explore the relationship between leadership resilience and self-renewal practices. To address the main and identified sub-problems, a literature study was conducted focusing on the main components of resilience with specific reference to resilience in leaders, while exploring self-renewal practices that can be used by leaders to improve their resilience. A web-based survey with a questionnaire was administered to a target group consisting of middle and senior managers who have participated in leadership development programmes at the Leadership Academy of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Business School. The survey was a self-reporting instrument that included the Leadership Resilience Profile developed by Dianne Reed and Jerry Patterson (2009) as well as a section focused on self-renewal practices that included physical, spiritual, cognitive and socio-emotional renewal practices. The results from the empirical study revealed that the levels of leadership resilience are related to the self-renewal practices of leaders. The study identified spiritual self-renewal as most significant to leadership resilience. Higher levels of resilience were demonstrated with regard to value-driven leadership, optimism, courageous decision-making and self-efficacy. Senior managers reported higher levels of self-efficacy as compared to their counterparts at middle level management. The study identified adaptability, perseverance and social support as resilience capabilities that leaders should grow. In general, lower scores were obtained for self-renewal practices than for resilience levels. Leadership development initiatives that integrate resilience capabilities and self-renewal practices will create an adaptive resource within organisations. Supporting the development and maintenance of strong leadership resilience capabilities will contribute to the development of adaptive organisations that are able to navigate turbulent conditions with confidence.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The role of councillors in service delivery: the case of the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality
- Authors: Hlalukana, Simthembile Divillius
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: City council members -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15082 , vital:28120
- Description: This study was conducted at Intsika Yethu Local Municipality of Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, in the Republic of South Africa. The study has as its main thrust: The role of councillors in service delivery: The case of the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality of Chris Hani District Municipality. This municipality consists of 21 wards and 21 ward councillors. The Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, states that the injustices of the past have to be addressed and those who suffered for justice and freedom in the country should be honoured. The results of the 1994 national and 1995 local government elections marked a political breakthrough in South African politics. The new democratic and social reconstruction agenda necessitated the transformation of the legislative framework in various areas. The legislative prescriptions that underpin the operations and activities of municipal councillors in delivering public services to citizens and in ensuring the effective and efficient implementation of government policies are therefore crucial. In this study, the role of ward councillors in service delivery was interrogated and investigated to establish whether the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality community in Tsomo and Cofimvaba has benefited in accessing basic services. Furthermore, the study seeks to find ways through which the relationship between community and ward councillors could be managed to harmonise the relationship between them in order to improve service delivery in Intsika Yethu Local Municipality. In this regard, a legislative framework regulates and guides municipal councillors in performing their developmental duties to achieve local government developmental outcomes.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The role of public participation in the integrated development planning process: Chris Hani District Municipality
- Authors: Dywili, Siyanda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Public administration -- Planning Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14983 , vital:28109
- Description: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, in Chapter 7, requires all municipalities to encourage members of the public to participate in the matters of local government. Public participation is the process by which public concerns, needs, and values are integrated into governmental and corporate decision making. The Integrated Development Plan is an example of local government instruments which seek public participation in order to address community needs through service delivery. Consequently, this study was to explore the role of public participation in the Integrated Development Planning process of the Chris Hani District Municipality. The main objectives of this study were to understand the IDP making process, establish the importance of public participation, understand the role played by the municipality to encourage public participation in the IDP processes, understand the influence of IDP in service delivery and to make recommendations based on the findings presented. To conduct this study, qualitative research methodology was employed. The population sample comprised of councillors and municipal officials. Structured interviews were conducted with the councillors, while semi-structured interviews were held with municipal officials. The findings of the study revealed that the Chris Hani District Municipality views public participation as an integral part of the IDP making process. Measures and strategies are taken by the municipality to enhance public involvement in all matters of the municipality, including the IDP process. To achieve this the municipality partners with a number of stakeholders such as the local municipalities, government departments and organised groups. However, this is not enough hence recommendations are presented to improve this situation. Recommendations proposed include introducing capacity building programmes for councillors, establishment of a public participation unit, availing budget for public participation and educating members of the public about public participation and the IDP process.
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- Date Issued: 2017