Between"culture" and "Cruelty"narratives of widows on land dispossession in Gqadu administrative area, Mbashe Municipality , Eastern Cape
- Authors: Baleka, Zola
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Widows -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Right of property -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5083 , vital:29057
- Description: This study highlights the cultural underpinnings of specific indulgences pertaining to land ownership with reference to widowhood in the rural Eastern Cape. The study does this by examining the narratives of widows about their experiences of land dispossession in Nqadu Administrative Area. Nqadu Administrative Area is a rural community in Mbhashe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study focuses on widows’ experiences relating to the cultural practices of the community regarding land ownership. A qualitative, case study design was adopted. To uncover the widows’ narratives, the study utilised in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, with a sample of 50 widows. Further empirical data were obtained from four members of the municipal Land Committees, two Ward Councillors, four Traditional Leaders and two officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, using in-depth and key informant interviews. The study found that widows were vulnerable to land ownership violations and dispossessions, and that these violations were perpetrated by community members, particularly relatives of deceased husbands. Low levels of education and fear of antagonising clan relatives played a vital role in preventing widows from fighting for their legal rights. The failure of widows to fight for their rights increased their chances of being heavily exposed to dispossession of their land rights. Cultural practices within the communities catalysed abusive practices against widows, particularly against those whose marriage was not ‘recognised’ due to various stated reasons. The study also revealed that widows who had married as second wives and those who did not bear children experienced egregious abuses. Another finding was that men from Nqadu Administrative Area were given priority during the allocation of land, based on cultural and traditional practices, and were given land of their own choice depending on availability. The study thus highlights the impact of cultural practices and the ways in which these became instruments of gender abuse, despite the existence of laws designed to prevent specific social cruelties.
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- Date Issued: 2016
The urban housing crisis in Zimbambwe :a case of city of Harare
- Authors: Mhakakora, Tafadza Clemence
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Housing -- Zimbabwe Housing development -- Zimbabwe Community development -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5148 , vital:29091
- Description: The issue of human settlements has recently gained much momentum particularly in cities across the world due to rapid rates of urbanization. The housing crisis is manifesting mostly in the cities of the developing countries; the urban poor population is left with no option, they are continuously living in substandard and unsustainable housing conditions due to the desperate housing need. There is a growing trend of migration into urban centers in the developing countries as well as natural population increase in the cities. The inevitable development is the rapid growth of urbanization. The theories on urbanization suggest that the responsible government and local council authorities must be prepared to address socio-economic issues such as the provision of formal housing, infrastructure development and employment creation. The governments in developing countries are struggling to balance economic development and the provision of social services. As a result, the human settlement sector is suffering lack of prioritization when it comes to budget and resource allocation. The resultant factors are the overcrowding of the urban population, high housing backlogs and dilapidation of infrastructure visible mostly in the major cities of the developing countries.
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- Date Issued: 2016
An Evaluation of the effectiveness of public libraries in providing information to school children :A Case study of the Queenstown public library , Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Ndlovu, Sheron
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Information services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Information resources -- South Africa --Eastern Cape Public libraries -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6528 , vital:30484
- Description: This study took the form of an evaluative study of the effectiveness of public libraries as a means of providing information to school children, and was conducted at the Queenstown Public Library in the province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The research endeavoured to evaluate the effectiveness of public libraries in the role which they play to provide information to school children, despite the widespread belief that the role of libraries is now being replaced by Information and Communication Technologies, or ICTs. This study is also significant for the factors which contribute towards school children being prevented from receiving the full range of benefits which libraries have to offer and the recommendations which it makes to improve the effectiveness of the role played by libraries in this respect. The study could also be of benefit to the staff of libraries, as it could serve to inform them with respect to what needs to be done in order to improve the ways in which libraries make information available to school children. In this respect the research could also provide valuable insights into the strategies which need to be developed and adopted in order to make public libraries more effective providers of various types and forms of information to school children. It is to be hoped that the study will also make a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge concerning public libraries as a means of providing information to school children. It is the fervent wish of this researcher to make a credible and articulate case for the great value which public libraries have for school children, despite the fact that general perceptions no longer accord libraries the value which they were once commonly held to possess.
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- Date Issued: 2016