1,721,103 research outputs found
The potential of rural growth centers in fostering local economic development : case study of Makhado Biaba
Full text linkAbstract: A growth service center has the potential for further development. Consequently, such a center needs to be supported by both public and private sector investment because it provides goods and services to the people thus creating a balanced socio-economic development of an area. Governments have long been trying to promote the approach of rural growth center strategies in an attempt to attract investment and sustainable local economic development. There have been growth centers world over, and while some have been developing, others have not been performing well. Most centers designated for growth do not have the requisite potential or strong human resource base from which to ignite the processes of increasing action and subsequent growth. Limpopo and other rural provinces in South Africa have engaged in Rural growth centers and Local Economic Development initiatives for nearly a decade. Very few however have assessed the impact of Rural Growth Centers and Local Economic Development (LED) on improving the livelihoods of citizens. Consequently, this study examines the potential of Rural growth centers in fostering sustainable Local Economic Development in Makhado Biaba, and the extent to which it has contributed towards improving the livelihoods of communities. This work adopted a case study research design and a qualitative and quantitative research approach. Data were collected through Questionnaires (completed by households from Makhado Biaba, Tshirolwe and Tshituni, and business owners). Structured in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants from Makhado Local Municipality (town planners and LED officials). Data was also obtained from observations, map surveys and photographic surveys of the growth center. The results reveal that policy doesn’t automatically lead to successful implementation, but amended skills levels are needed, and funding shortages need to be resolved. Makhado Local Municipality furthermore does not have adequate economic strategies in place to address the issues of poverty and unemployment. The study concludes by recommending that rural municipalities (Makhado Local Municipality) have to generate their own policies and frameworks that are different from those used in metropolitan municipalities. That is because a single strategy does not work when it comes to creating and implementing growth centers. Lastly a conceptual growth center development framework is proposed for Makhado Biaba growth center.M.A. (Sustainable Urban Planning and Development
Unlocking ‘Kasi’ wealth : transformations through spatial planning and local economic development in Soshanguve
No full textAbstract : The buzz concept of inclusive economic growth has been receiving great emphasis in both academic and industry dialogues, thus placing the socio-economic transformation agenda in the spotlight not only in South African cities but also in cities across the African continent. Considering the urgent need to restructure the South African economy and the relevant institutions that support the economy as a whole, this study investigates the role of spatial planning and local economic development strategies in ‘kasi’ wealth transformation, using Soshanguve Township as the case study. Using the Social Capital and the Right to the City lenses, the paper assesses the perceptions of black business owners in Soshanguve on spatial planning. The transformation of small-scale informal and semi-formal businesses into successful enterprises that have a fair share in the national economic space is investigated through the perceptions of business owners. The study also interrogates the influence of the interplay among spatial, economic and social dynamics in socio-spatial and economic transformation. A qualitative research approach was applied where data were gathered from fifteen small scale and informal business owners in Soshanguve, using semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were also gathered from six key expert informants who are professionals who actively participate in spatial planning and local economic development of Soshanguve Township. A blend of content and thematic analyses was used to analyse the data, where categories were deciphered and used to create themes, and GIS maps were produced to help visualise the spatiality of the small businesses in Soshanguve. The study argues that despite the City of Tshwane having LED initiatives, the clear and explicit expression and relationship between strategic spatial planning and LED remains blurred. In order to achieve inclusive and transformative growth, LED should find clear and precise expression in strategic spatial planning and property management to support township entrepreneurs. Strategic spatial planning should be simplified in order to accommodate the informal economy and place emphasis on strong community relationship networks between local authorities and planning policies. It is recommended that economic transformation begins epistemologically and ideologically through the advancement of human development through sustainable planning practice. The study concludes that this can also be achieved through the development of stronger community networks that ensure township residents and business owners participate equally in the national economy and contribute to shaping its planning practice. From this perspective, the City of Tshwane has ground to cover in the coproduction of planning epistemologies and practice to create a platform for inclusive and transformative growth and social and economic justice.M.A. (Urban Studies
Women’s participation in development projects of Kliptown : effective or not?
Full text linkAbstract: In 1955 much of South Africa was highly racialised and segregated, making it difficult for non-racial organisations to gather and deliberate on matters pertaining to the liberation of all. However, one township on the outskirts of Soweto existed outside of apartheid segregation laws, Kliptown. As a racial and ethnic melting pot of Johannesburg, it became the obvious site for the Congress of the People as it set out to adopt the Freedom Charter. Owing to the township's significance to the country's liberation struggle, it attracted much redevelopment investments at the dawn of democracy. This was done through the Greater Kliptown Development Project and other such initiatives. In keeping with the 'people shall govern' principle, these projects were participatory development endeavours. The local authority proposed measures to ensure the community's engagement through formations such as the Greater Kliptown Development Forum (GKDF) and other citizen groupings. While the community itself has proven to prefer other forms of participation such as civic protests, they nonetheless joined the GKDF in hopes of shaping the development of their area. However, despite the local authority's efforts, studies have shown that the community of Kliptown in general has largely been excluded from participating in its development. While these studies have uncovered the (in)effectiveness of Kliptown’s participatory development projects, they have not done much to examine specifically the participation of women in them. Hence, on the backdrop of African feminism and Gender and Development, as well as participatory development, this study sought to contribute to the closing of this research gap. The research was undertaken using qualitative research approaches. Data collection tools used were unstructured focus groups, semi-structured interviews including participatory and non-participatory observations. An experiential, bottom-up approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse gathered data. Two major themes were born from this thematic analysis process with five subthemes emerging from each of the two. The first theme and subthemes revealed the women’s perspectives of their living conditions in Kliptown, their discontent with the water and sanitation infrastructure, their struggle with food and housing insecurity and how the illegal power connections are impacting their lives. In the second theme the women explore their perspectives on participatory development in the township. Thus, revealing their experiences with Kliptown’s popular participatory activities, motives for engaging in these activities, opinions about community participatory and leadership structures as well as interesting narratives on radical participatory activities. These findings were presented and evaluated through the lenses of participatory development and African feminism to pose further research and policy recommendations in line with the theory of method and more specifically, critical realism.M.A. (Urban Studies
Re-thinking housing infrastructure development approaches : lessons from Zimbabwe
Full text linkGlobally, housing provision has always been a mammoth task for all spheres governments; whether national, provincial or local as they struggle to meet the ever soaring demand. The situation has however been grimmer in African, Asian and South American continents that lack mostly financial resources and advanced low cost technologies. The majority of the urban poor have perpetually been excluded from most land and housing projects, that religiously follow the traditional planning-servicing-building-occupation (PSBO) frameworks. Most often than not, rigidities in housing development sequences condemn and compel the urban poor to rely on the occupation-building-planning-servicing (OBPS) frameworks that give informal settlements as outcomes. This paper discusses an innovative and less costly housing development framework, the planning-occupation-building-servicing (POBS) sequence that was adopted by the Zimbabwean government in almost all the urban centres of the country in 2005, just after Operation Murambatsvina. The data were gathered through interviews with key informants and housing plots allottees. Observations and photographic surveys of the housing structures and community infrastructure services that have so far been developed incrementally were also conducted. The findings revealed that the allocating unserviced but formally planned and surveyed housing sites to the urban poor considerably improves targeting of the urban poor and makes housing more affordable. Such schemes not only contribute to housing supply by providing orderly and standard houses but also assist in eliminating or massively reducing down-raiding of aided self-help housing schemes by the middle and high income people. The paper concludes by observing the critical need for governments of developing countries to innovatively solve housing problems of the urban poor by adjusting the currently rigid housing infrastructure provision sequences and to make them affordable and flexible
Re-thinking housing infrastructure development approaches: lessons from Zimbabwe
No full textAbstract: Globally, housing provision has always been a mammoth task for all spheres governments; whether national, provincial or local as they struggle to meet the ever soaring demand. The situation has however been grimmer in African, Asian and South American continents that lack mostly financial resources and advanced low cost technologies. The majority of the urban poor have perpetually been excluded from most land and housing projects, that religiously follow the traditional planning-servicing-building-occupation (PSBO) frameworks. Most often than not, rigidities in housing development sequences condemn and compel the urban poor to rely on the occupation-building-planning-servicing (OBPS) frameworks that give informal settlements as outcomes. This paper discusses an innovative and less costly housing development framework, the planning-occupation-building-servicing (POBS) sequence that was adopted by the Zimbabwean government in almost all the urban centres of the country in 2005, just after Operation Murambatsvina. The data were gathered through interviews with key informants and housing plots allottees. Observations and photographic surveys of the housing structures and community infrastructure services that have so far been developed incrementally were also conducted. The findings revealed that the allocating unserviced but formally planned and surveyed housing sites to the urban poor considerably improves targeting of the urban poor and makes housing more affordable. Such schemes not only contribute to housing supply by providing orderly and standard houses but also assist in eliminating or massively reducing down-raiding of aided self-help housing schemes by the middle and high income people. The paper concludes by observing the critical need for governments of developing countries to innovatively solve housing problems of the urban poor by adjusting the currently rigid housing infrastructure provision sequences and to make them affordable and flexible
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Scaling-Up Sustainable Renewable Energy Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in the African Continent: Lessons from eThekwini, South Africa
Full text linkThe triple processes of urbanisation, industrialisation and globalisation are positively correlated with municipal solid waste generation and energy consumption in all the world urban centres. Heavy reliance on fossil fuels in most world cities has contributed not only to new challenges of global warming and climate change, but also to astronomic increases and volatility in the prices of energy sources. Africa has not been spared from the shortages of energy and climate change concerns as it has not only very low oil reserves but also depends heavily on finite and environmental unfriendly coal resources; thus making the need for innovations and rethinking in renewable energy generation more urgent than ever. It has repeatedly been observed that the African continent is endowed with several renewable energy sources that range from solar, hydro, municipal solid waste and wind. This article discusses the experiences of converting waste to energy in eThekwini municipality, one of the metropolitan cities of South Africa and also highlights prospects of implementing the same experiences in other African countries. The study unearthed cutting-edge innovations by the Department of Cleansing and Solid Waste of eThekwini municipality that adopted modern municipal solid waste management and treatment systems. For almost a decade now, the municipality has demonstrated to the wholly of the continent and the world at large that it is possible for African cities to achieve the twin objectives of generating clean renewable energy sources that contributes to economic development at the same time reducing urban social and environmental problems associated with improper disposal of waste, a common blot on the African city-landscape. It also reveals that there exist great opportunities to improve waste management, financial investments, technological take-up and skills sets to support the continent’s green energy revolution in the African Continent
The missing link in Hlalani Kuhle urban poor housing programme in Zimbabwe : interrogating supply and demand side instruments
Full text linkMeeting the demand for adequate housing by the urban poor in cities of the developing world remains a pipe dream. This is particularly so in the Southern African region that has relied on stringent supply side instruments that prescribe stringent statutory housing standards and unaffordable development prescriptions that exclude and discourage the majority of the urban poor to participate in the formal housing market and the housing delivery processes. It has repeatedly been proven that innovations that facilitate access to suitable and properly sited land and housing financial sources and economic opportunities for the urban poor have received minimal attention from governments. This paper evaluates the Zimbabwean government’s efforts to promote the provision of housing for the urban poor in the country’s cities through Operation Live well/Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing programme that was adopted in 2005. The paper acknowledges efforts by the Zimbabwean government to facilitate and substantially improve access to land for housing by allocating thousands of unserviced plots, a critical supply side instrument. It however highlights the missing link in the programme; that is the lack of facilitation for financial sources or access to income generating projects to beneficiaries of the plots, an essential demand side instrument that is vital for onsite infrastructure provision and plot development
Re-thinking housing infrastructure development approaches: lessons from Zimbabwe
No full textAbstract: Globally, housing provision has always been a mammoth task for all spheres governments; whether national, provincial or local as they struggle to meet the ever soaring demand. The situation has however been grimmer in African, Asian and South American continents that lack mostly financial resources and advanced low cost technologies. The majority of the urban poor have perpetually been excluded from most land and housing projects, that religiously follow the traditional planning-servicing-building-occupation (PSBO) frameworks. Most often than not, rigidities in housing development sequences condemn and compel the urban poor to rely on the occupation-building-planning-servicing (OBPS) frameworks that give informal settlements as outcomes. This paper discusses an innovative and less costly housing development framework, the planning-occupation-building-servicing (POBS) sequence that was adopted by the Zimbabwean government in almost all the urban centres of the country in 2005, just after Operation Murambatsvina. The data were gathered through interviews with key informants and housing plots allottees. Observations and photographic surveys of the housing structures and community infrastructure services that have so far been developed incrementally were also conducted. The findings revealed that the allocating unserviced but formally planned and surveyed housing sites to the urban poor considerably improves targeting of the urban poor and makes housing more affordable. Such schemes not only contribute to housing supply by providing orderly and standard houses but also assist in eliminating or massively reducing down-raiding of aided self-help housing schemes by the middle and high income people. The paper concludes by observing the critical need for governments of developing countries to innovatively solve housing problems of the urban poor by adjusting the currently rigid housing infrastructure provision sequences and to make them affordable and flexible
Scaling Up Sustainable Renewable Energy Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in the African Continent: Lessons from eThekwini, South Africa
No full textThe three processes of urbanization, industrialization and globalization are positively correlated with municipal solid waste generation and energy consumption in global urban centers. Heavy reliance on fossil fuels in most world cities has contributed not only to global warming and climate change, but also to astronomical increases and volatility in the prices of energy sources. Africa has suffered from energy shortages and climate change as well, for it depends on very limited oil reserves and on finite, toxic coal resources. Thus, the need for innovation in renewable energy generation is more urgent now than ever. Africa is home to many renewable energy sources, ranging from sun and water to municipal solid waste andwind. This article discusses the conversion of waste to energy in the eThekwini municipality, a South African metropolis, and describes prospects for implementing a similar model in other African countries. The study unearths cutting-edge work by the Department of Cleansing and Solid Waste of eThekwini municipality, which has adopted modern municipal solid waste management and treatment systems. For almost a decade now, the municipality has demonstrated the potential for African cities to achieve two primary objectives: first, to generate clean renewable energy sources that contribute to economic development, and second, to reduce urban social and environmental problems resulting from improper waste disposal. The municipality’s success also reveals tremendous opportunities to improve wastemanagement, financial investments, technological take-up, and skillsets to support the African green energy revolution
Unpacking the role of leadership and management styles in teaching and research output in South African higher education
Full text linkAbstract: Leading and managing institutions of higher learning the world over, has not only become a mammoth task, but also a very competitive and challenging exercise. The practice of ranking universities has given rise to huge investments in their core functions and activities. Teaching and learning has in most cases been regarded as the core strategic objective of higher educational institutions ahead of research and innovation; community engagement and leadership and administration. The role of leadership and management towards the success of other strategic objectives particularly teaching and research; has not been researched and documented exhaustively. This article discusses the impact of leadership and management styles on academic performance using the faculty of engineering and the built environment (FEBE) within the University of Johannesburg as the case study. The work used a qualitative research approach to collect data from university documents, online platforms and semistructured interviews. Content analysis was used to derive meaning from the data. Research findings revealed a neat blending of traditional leadership and management styles with innovative and transformative approaches to achieve outstanding outcomes in both teaching and research and innovation within the faculty. The article concludes by acknowledging the critical role of leadership and management in institutions of higher learning and ends by recommending the adoption of blended leadership styles that are more skewed towards transformative leadership styles
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