Financing tools, firm life cycle and growth of small, medium and micro enterprises in selected sub-Sahara African economies
- Authors: Ngonisa, Phillip https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0145-9062
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Small business -- Finance , Small business -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21794 , vital:51754
- Description: Finance is of paramount importance for small, medium and micro enterprises’ (SMMEs) growth, without which many firms fail to move along their growth continuum. Against this background, the study sought to examine the growth effects of financing tools across the different phases of SMMEs' life cycle in Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) economies for the period spanning from 2003 to 2019. Firstly, due to the inherent heterogeneity nature of the SMMEs' financing landscapes across the world, the study starts by identifying the commonly used financing tools in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. These were found to be internal finance, bank debt, trade credit, non-bank finance and informal finance, with internal finance being the most prevalent financing tool. The second aspect of the study was to examine the growth effects of the identified financing tools on SMMEs' performance in Sub Sahara Africa. In achieving this objective, several panel estimation techniques were employed, which are the feasible generalised least squares (FGLS), cross-sectional dependence (SCC), random effects model (REM) and pooled ordinary least squares (POLS). The empirical results show that internal finance or savings, bank financing, trade credit, non-bank financing and informal financing are positive and statistically significant in explaining SMMEs growth in the region, with stronger evidence for a positive relationship between external finance (trade credit and bank finance) on SMMEs growth in Sub-Saharan African region. The third objective of the study was to investigate the growth effects of SMMEs’ financing tools across different phases of the firm life cycle. The same panel techniques as used in achieving the previous objective were utilized again. The empirical findings show that the growth effects of SMME financing tools evolve as SMMEs move along their growth continuum, and only bank finance proved to be a fundamental variable for SMMEs growth throughout the different phases of firm growth. Finally, motivated by SMMEs’ high dependence on internal finance or savings, the study explored the saving practices of SMMEs in Sub Saharan Africa using thematic analysis. The study findings show that SMMEs in Sub Sahara African economies systematically save through formal and informal financial systems. These findings are contrary to conventional wisdom, which suggests that SMMEs are a financial basket case. Basing on the study findings, policies aimed at reducing or lessening the burden of accessing finance are important to stimulate the growth of SMMEs. Most importantly, there is a need for lenders and sponsors to understand the firm life cycle-financing tool nexus to ensure SMMEs growth. Moreover, SMMEs in Sub Sahara African economies need to cultivate a spirit of thrift to minimize firm attrition rate, thereby promoting SMMEs' growth in the region. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
The role of funding composition on efficiency in public universities in South Africa
- Authors: Nkohla, Tumi Vuyolwethu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2426-9509
- Date: 2020-08
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- Finance
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20373 , vital:45659
- Description: Studies on the relationship between funding and efficiency of public universities in South Africa were triggered mainly by the decline of government spending on public universities while the enrolment of financially needy students is increasing. This increase is a product of government’s initiatives to redress the imbalances in access and success caused by the apartheid regime. However, the government seems to be grappling to strike a balance between its initiatives and funding. While the government’s HE transformation initiatives are appreciated, public universities are caught in a dilemma: their revenue is no longer sufficient for the operations given the increase in the number of unfunded and financially constrained students. It is with this background that the study evaluates the efficiency of public South African universities for the period 2009–2016 and how funding composition affects their efficiency. The study contributes to the existing literature in various ways First, a recent study on this subject matter found a decline in the average technical efficiency (TE) score of the South African public universities from 83percent in 2009 to 78percent in 2013. However, the study did not include non-academic staff among other input variables that are assumed to potentially influence performance outcomes of the universities. We therefore developed an argument that a biased conclusion on the subject matter is likely, if academic staff are assumed to dominate efficiency of public universities in South Africa while the efforts of non-academic staff are not considered. Using a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, the findings of this study revealed that over the study period the average TE of public universities in South Africa increased from 91percent to 95percent. These results suggest that academic and non-academic staff can be deemed as mutually inclusive variables and therefore neglecting either of them can lead to biased estimated average TE scores. The efficiency levels provided in this study can be used as performance benchmarks for identifying potential improvements required to reach a satisfactory level of efficiency. Second, the literature argues that different streams of revenue utilised for funding universities’ activities can provide alternative incentives which might have an impact on efficiency. However, none of the studies examined comparatively the impact of different revenue streams on the efficiency of the public universities in South Africa. Using a fixed-effects regression model, this study found that only traditional universities’ efficiency can be affected by student fees and private income, while government funding does not seem to bear a significant impact on the efficiency of all universities irrespective of their category. Precisely, student fees enhance the efficiency of traditional universities while private income is deleterious on the efficiency of the traditional universities. The study concluded that traditional universities use students’ fees efficiently to deliver quality academic services in a bid to safeguard their reputation and image while revenue from private funders is not efficiently utilised due to the principal-agent problem. In terms of state funding, it was concluded that government spending on public universities is yet to reach a minimum threshold level at which it can contribute significantly to the efficiency of the universities. Third, recent literature used Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) efficiency scores to determine the drivers of efficiency of public universities in South Africa. Although SFA can control for the stochastic error component in the econometric estimation, the model imposes several theoretical assumptions in the production function which may lead to biased estimations. As a result, several studies on efficiency analysis of Higher Education Institutions (HIEs) around the globe have reverted to using DEA. Using DEA efficiency scores and a Tobit model, this study found that that quality of staff, government funding, student fees, private income, and GDP per capita are positive factors of efficiency while the share of non-white to white staff was found as the determinant of inefficiency. It was concluded that adequate funding and proper management of income by the universities, economic growth and employment of highly educated academic staff can increase efficiency levels of public universities in South Africa, whereas an increase of non-white to white staff in South African public universities is a threat to the universities’ efficiency. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that a cost-sharing framework is inevitable in the South African higher education (HE) system, particularly now that the government is heavily burdened due to the prevailing economic turmoil in the country. As a results, private funders and parents and/guardians are encouraged to honour their portion of obligations with universities. Due to limited funding across all sources, efforts dedicated to strengthen managerial competencies of public universities in South Africa can eliminate the principle-agent problem and therefore promote managerial efficiency. The South African government is encouraged to support its transformation initiatives on HEIs with adequate funding, otherwise the initiatives need to be revisited and revised to suit the current economic environment. Revision of these initiatives may include adjustment of the education standards such that state funding can be allocated to deserving students in terms of both finances and students’ performance starting from matric. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-08
Re-thinking rural development through agriculture
- Authors: Matunhu, Jephias (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8415-5867)
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Rural development--South Africa--Eastern Cape , Agriculture--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24532 , vital:63067
- Description: This study addresses the problem of abject rural poverty in the post-apartheid South Africa with specific reference to the Amathole Rural District (ARD) in the Eastern Cape Province (the poorest province in the country). Abject poverty is conceptualized as inability to meet the basic human needs such as food, water, shelter and clothes. The study is premised in the revisionist trajectory of rural economic development, which regards agriculture as the ‘engine’ for rural development. The thesis addressed the following issues on rural poverty reduction in the ARD; the efficacy of rural agriculture in rural poverty reduction, value-adding to rural farm produce, support that is required and social factors that may affect the residents’ ability to fight poverty through agriculture? The thesis adopted the concurrent transformative mixed research methodology; and data were collected from a purposive sample of 138 respondents using unstructured interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. Data were collected with the help of research assistance. The study established that the ARD residents were keen to fight abject poverty through rural agriculture but were constrained by the lack of arable land, financial resources, technological support, corruption and HIV/AIDs. In view of the above findings, the thesis concluded that deep collaboration and participation of strategic partners such as government, the rural residents, NGOs and the business sector is essential in the implementation of pro-poor strategies in the ARD. The thesis also called for further research into the following areas that have a direct influence on the efficacy of rural agriculture on the ARD’s development; ICT and development, the rural residents’ attitude towards savings and on the political economy of cooperative ventures in rural agriculture. The thesis also encouraged further research to establish new linkages and roles of the following pertinent partners in ARD’s development; government, the rural residents, NGOs and the business sector. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2010
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
The implementation of national health strategy (2009-2013) in Vungu District clinics, Midlands Province in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mangwanya, M G https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0362-5546
- Date: 2019-08
- Subjects: Medical care -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/19914 , vital:44454
- Description: The practice of strategy implementation is key to the public sector in Zimbabwe because it helps the government to be up to speed in providing services to the public. This research focused on the National Health Strategy 2009-2013 and its impact on health service delivery in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The research was based on qualitative desk study design which made use of existing data and semi structured interviews to understand the effect of the National Health Strategy on health service delivery in Vungu Rural Districts Council Clinics. From the literature reviewed and the data collected, it can be noted that lack of resources has had a huge effect on the execution of the strategy. The findings from the study show that the National Health Strategy was a good initiative. However, it lacked financial resources which posed challenges to the health workers in Vungu Rural District Council Clinics. The health workers were not very familiar with the National Health Strategy and this had a negative impact on its execution because they cannot execute a strategy that they are not familiar with. The study highlighted the importance of resources for the execution of the National Health Strategy. The study therefore sought to find ways the Zimbabwean Health System may formulate the health strategy with the limited resources in order to achieve desired goals. The Health Workers echoed the same sentiments that they needed resources for the implementation of the strategy. It is hoped that the findings would provide guidelines for the formulation and implementation of future health strategies. Recommendations given would ensure that there is utilisation of available resources, which would help in the execution of other health strategies to ensure efficient and effective health care service delivery. The recommendations are also intended to enhance the performance of health workers. Though the study was limited to Vungu Rural District Council Clinics the findings and recommendations would provide guidelines for other rural clinics as they use the National Health Strategy. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2019
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019-08
Intergovermental policy integration and poverty eradication in a developmental state: the case of the PGDP and Amathole IDP in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Hofisi, Costa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2571-6991
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Poverty -- Government policy -- South Africa , Public administration -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25744 , vital:64475
- Description: The post-apartheid South African government inherited an economy characterised by a dichotomy between well developed and affluent whites and the underdeveloped and impoverished African blacks. This dichotomy was manifest in sharp divisions with regard to access to decent housing, health, education and transport just to mention a few, thus reflecting poverty, as a widespread phenomenon. Since 1994, the South African government has made major efforts aimed at addressing poverty, however, that poverty persists, despite the efforts, cannot be contested. One of the major challenges has been the disjuncture between policies at various spheres of government. This study examines the articulation between two spheres of government focusing on the Provincial Growth and Development Programme of the Eastern Cape and the integrated development plan of Amathole District Municipality. Currently not much research has been carried out in this area. This study illuminates various analytical and practical issues and hopefully provides a useful basis for improvement in the government’s declared commitment to poverty eradication. Triangulating qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, the study aimed to investigate the integration of the Provincial Growth and Development Program and the Integrated Development Plan and the contribution of these policy instruments towards poverty eradication in the Eastern Cape. A further aim was to analyse community participation in and knowledge of the PGDP and Amathole IDP and how they have been effective. This was an empirically grounded study, based on the use of a combination of data collection methods, analysis of primary and secondary sources of data including government documents, administering in-depth interviews to a range of informants within government, the community and a questionnaire survey of a sample drawn from members of the community in the Amatole District Municipality and, finally the use of Amatole district as a case study which was the major unit of analysis. The findings from the study revealed that there is a plethora of challenges confronting policy integration, often resulting in institutional paralysis and inertia. Such challenges vary from lack of capacity in local government, lack of political will, policy shifts, a plethora of legislation, competing if not conflicting priorities, nonattendance of Intergovernmental forums, lack of cooperation by sector departments, contradictions between legislation, policy inconsistencies, conceptual imprecision and conceptual blurring. Moreover, the neo-liberal ideology informing development planning not only in the province, but in South Africa as a whole as propagated by western main stream economists leaves benefits indeed merely ‘trickling down’ to the poor and not ‘pouring’, such that the transition in South Africa has been reduced to an ‘elite transition’. The research results confirm, as observed elsewhere, that experiences of several developing countries over the past decades do not appear to support the trickle down hypothesis. On the other hand, community participation is also stifled by lack of participatory spaces, poor participatory methodologies and structures which make participation difficult while the poor remain trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. Real participation goes beyond ‘passive development objects’ and ‘recipients of development’ to ensuring that people are empowered to become ‘masters of their own development’ within the context of a participatory democratic developmental state. There is need for not only a thorough examination of the political use of the ‘local’, the ‘poor’ but even the very conceptualisation of participation and its methodologies for effective community participation to be realised. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2009
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
The dynamics of household debt in South Africa
- Authors: Mabitle, Mope
- Date: 2021-07
- Subjects: Debt , Finance, Personal
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21781 , vital:51751
- Description: Household debt as a proportion of South African household disposable income remain alarmingly above 70 percent. Impliedly, the majority of households are spending the bulk of their income on servicing debt. This not only puts a strain on household welfare but also on economic growth as household spending is the major contributor to economic activity in the country. Based on this background, the study examines the dynamics of the South African household debt. The analysis was done both at the macro and individual/household level (micro). The macro-level data covered the period from 1994 to 2018 utilizing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model. The empirical results indicated that there is both a long-term and short-term relationship between the variables of interest. The results further show that the majority of low-income households in South Africa borrow more, as a way to smoothen their consumption. Interest rate as the official instrument to counter borrowing was found to have a positive relationship with household debt, indicating that households borrow to settle the existing debt as interest rates increases. The dummy variable used to capture the credit regulations enactment/amendments was found to be insignificant in the long run. This suggests that credit regulations implemented in South Africa have not reduced the propensity to borrow. At a micro level, the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) data was used. Five waves of data were collected on the same individuals every 2 years. Panel regressions were employed in the analysis and the empirical results revealed that employment and income at the micro-level are found to be strong determinants of household debt. The results further showed that being a male and a white individual was positively associated with the likelihood of taking up more debt in general. On the other hand, the results indicated that being a black African is associated with a high likelihood of using services from most of the informal non-banking institutions. The results also revealed that the greater the education level of the head of the household, the higher the probability of taking more debt. One of the telltale signs of over-indebtedness is the persistence of debt, households respond to increased debt and their inability to repay it by increasing their borrowing. The study also investigated the transmission matrices of households in and out of debt. The results indicate a higher transition frequency in and out of debt on informal loans from the non-banking sector that is normally accessed by the poorer households, this could indicate debt entrapment and the persistence of debt at lower-income levels. Based on empirical results, the study recommended policies that would support consumption without necessarily increasing the credit appetite of household debt. Additional recommendations are those that support selective lending and the strengthening of the risk management of lending institutions. Furthermore, to combat the rising levels of household debt, several measures are proposed in the study. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-07
An analysis of the internship programme in the Sarah Baartman Health District of the Eastern Cape: a model for effective implementation
- Authors: Feni, Monde Ludick
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Internship programs , Public service employment , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23359 , vital:57617
- Description: The study’s main purpose was to evaluate the processes for Internship Programme Implementation in the Sarah Baartman Health District of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, to determine a Model that can be postulated for improving the Internship Programme Implementation in the Sarah Baartman Health District, wide Public Service and Private Sector. An empirical Study reveals the process for the Internship Programme Implementation has been marred with a significant number of challenges. As part of the recommendations, it was highly stressed that the Sarah Baartman Health District must adopt and embrace the Internship Programme Implementation Model in Figure 6.1 to effectively implement the Internship Programme as a means to deal with the challenges. Data was collected by the investigator from four main groups within the Sarah Baartman Health District. These were Senior Managers, Corporate Services Managers, Mentors, current and past interns. All these groups were directly involved in the internships in the Sarah Baartman Health District Health Department. The investigator got accurate and verified reflections, experiences and understandings of four constructs surrounding the internship programme and they include recruitment and employment of Interns using Best Practices, Training and Development Programmes for Interns Training, Performance Management and Development System for Interns and Mentoring as a Tool to Transfer Knowledge, Skills, Competencies and Attitudes required to Perform Optimally. During interviews, the researcher requested permission from the participants to record their responses digitally. This was done to make sure that no data was lost during the writing of responses from the participants. The questionnaires that were distributed to the interns and mentors had closed-ended questions, but the validity of the questionnaire was ensured by having a space for comments under each question to allow participants to support their answers. An analysis of the questionnaire was done by employing Microsoft Excel and statistics that are descriptive and inferential. The study findings revealed that the recruitment and employment of interns using best practices had a mean score above the required mean of 3, meaning that it is applied acceptably. As much as the construct is acceptable and meets the standard, the item in the construct that pertained to security checks for interns was not done and this is a worrying factor, meaning that the recruitment and employment of interns might be at risk of bringing in interns into the programme who are risky for the organisation. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
Outcomes-based participatory gender planning and budgeting in South African local government context: a case of selected municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Sikhosana, Nqobile
- Date: 2022-07
- Subjects: Municipal budgets
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23381 , vital:57620
- Description: This research is focused on the premise that engaging women and men in municipal budget preparation can be a precondition for achieving gender-sensitive service delivery outcomes. It follows, logically, that empowering citizens and granting them authority to control budget allocations has the potential to play a mediating role in transforming the financial management environment within the framework of local government in South Africa. Without representation of heterogeneous social classes, budget allocations in South Africa will continue to reflect the needs of those who hold the top echelons of municipal administrative machinery. Given the complexity of the flawed participatory structures and persistent gender inequality, the mixed methods approach was used as an investigative method to gain a deeper understanding of the participatory genderresponsive budgeting trend and its subsequent impact on service delivery outcomes in the Eastern Cape Province. The findings showed that men's participation and resource re-allocation elements had a significant effect on gender-responsive budgeting but women's participation and transparency had no significant impact. More so, findings also revealed that there is no difference in the manner in which the two municipalities have adopted the two concepts. The long-term results of male domination and the ignorance of transparency and women participation in budget formulation is the establishment of gender-blind budgets that fail to deliver gender-sensitive service delivery outcomes. Based on secondary data analysis, evidence showed that there is a lack of gender dimension in the municipal outcomes and this has contributed towards gender inequalities in terms of access to services. However, results indicated that the full involvement of women and giving then authority to have a voice in budgetary decisions, coupled with the transparent incorporation of gender priorities in the stages of the budget cycle can lead to the formulation to gender sensitive budgets. This knowledge allows the adoption of a participatory gender responsive model for local government. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-07
An examination of human resource management strategies and their contribution to effective local government systems in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mutongoreni, Noah Ariel https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6039-6241
- Date: 2015-01
- Subjects: Personnel management , Local government--Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24024 , vital:62299
- Description: The study sought to examine human resource management strategies and their contributions to effective local government systems in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. Local government in Zimbabwe, though being nearest to the people, is showing evidence of failure to discharge its mandate. Various factors have been used to explain the reasons behind local government‘s failures to provide services. None of these have touched on the role played by people management in ensuring local government performance. This was notwithstanding the fact that towards the last two decades of the twentieth century research emerged glorifying human resources as the source of organizational excellence. Consequently, being motivated by the fact that good people management strategies lead to excellent organizational performance, attention in this study focused on people management strategies in local government in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a mixed approach with a strong inclination towards qualitative methodology. The data was gleaned from documents from local authorities, interviews, focus group interviews and questionnaire surveys. The study focused on local authorities in Manicaland Province. The results of the study confirmed the existence of human resource management strategies in local authorities in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The human resource management strategies have however not resulted in excellent performance of local authorities. The reason behind this is attributable to severe resource constraints. Excellent people management strategies were found to be on paper as there were no resources to support them. The dearth of resources in local authorities was found to be attributed to the economic, political, legal and social factors engulfing the local government system in Zimbabwe. Consequently, local government in Zimbabwe remain stressed and in dire need of a ―Lazarus moment‖. There is an engineer with skills to construct dams to quench the thirst souls in the city but there are no resources to construct the dams. The fireman‘s truck rushes to quench a fire outbreak only to arrive at the scene with no water. In view of this, the study recommends that the review of the local government legal framework be speeded up and more autonomy be granted to local authorities. Such a review would have a bearing on the notion of decentralization, democratization and consequently economic development. In addition, government must seriously consider setting aside a portion of its budget towards support of local authorities. v Where democratic ethos exists, there is transparency, accountability, the rule of law and responsiveness. The human resource in local government would in turn promote democracy and excellence. Other strategies such as granting of garnishing powers to local authorities as well as giving their police arresting would further nourish their resource base. When this happen people management strategies would contribute to effective local government systems in Zimbabwe. Further studies on the contribution of human resource management strategies in effective local government systems after the complete overhaul of the current legislative regime would nonetheless be of interest to researchers. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015-01
Dynamics of agricultural micro, small and medium enterprise life-cycle financing and implications for sector development in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Kichini, Gilbert https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-1023
- Date: 2021-03
- Subjects: Agriculture--Economic aspects--Zimbabwe , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20296 , vital:45648
- Description: Small, micro and medium-scale enterprises (SMMEs) contribute significantly to economic growth, employment and boosting the livelihoods of the poor in Zimbabwe. In the context of the Fast-track Land Reform and Re-distribution programme, agricultural SMMEs are viewed as the main pillar that anchors the recovery of the agricultural sector. Despite the key role they play, these SMMEs operate in a financially constrained environment in which access to funding is limited. In such a context, the ability of the SMMEs to perform their role depends on the strategic use of limited funding. One way to achieve this is to ensure that the funding used at each of the life-cycle stages of the business is the most suitable in addressing the main threats to business success. Much has been studied about how the supply-side factors have constrained growth and development. However, very limited focus has been placed on how SMME owners use the limited funding secured to address the main operational problems faced. The funding behaviour of the owners has to support the supply-side initiatives if the SMMEs are to survive and fulfil their envisaged role in the economy. This study thus analyses the use of funding by the owners along the business life-cycle based on a six-stage life-cycle model. It further analyses the suitability of such funding given the unique operational needs and challenges per stage as well as best practices. The specific objectives of the study are to identify the level of knowledge that SMME owners have about the financing options available and which ones are mostly used, determine the use and suitability of life-cycle financing focusing on agricultural SMMEs and also determine the most suitable life-cycle funding in terms of best practices for sector development. A cross-sectional survey research design was used given the lack of accurate time-series data and it followed a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. The owners or managers of agricultural SMMEs and the institutions providing funding constituted the two populations studied. A multiple-stage sampling strategy was used to determine a final sample of 320 owners of agricultural SMMEs while purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of 12 main SMME financing institutions. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the owners while an administered semi- structured questionnaire was used for financing institutions. The unit of analysis was the funding used along the business life-cycle. Frequency, binary logistic regression, Chi-Square tests of association and Odds-ratio analysis were used for quantitative data analysis while Qualitative-failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (Q-FMECA) and thematic analysis were used to analyse qualitative data. Results show a persistent rather than transitory reliance on internal funding contrary to theoretical propositions on life-cycle financing. Overall, life-cycle funding used was not in line with best practices for funding SMMEs especially in financially constrained environments where funding should be effectively and efficiently used. The study adds to literature on agricultural SMMEs funding in financially constrained environments and makes offers some policy recommendations to improve financing for development of the key subsector. , Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-03
Effects of non-communicable diseases on labour market outcomes in South Africa
- Authors: Lawana, Nozuko https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0027-4725
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Labor economics , Environmental health
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20340 , vital:45656
- Description: South Africa has experienced a high and rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and lifestyle risk factors over the past decade. Health as a category of human capital is generally ex-pected to influence an individual’s labour supply and productivity. Despite the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, the high rate of economically inactive population and persistent wage inequalities in South Africa, there is limited empirical research on the effect of NCDs on labour force participation, employment status and wage differentials. Given this, the main object-ive of this study was to determine the effects of NCDs on three labour market outcomes: labour force participation, employment status and wage differentials in South Africa. This was divided into three major analytical objectives. Data used was extracted from the five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study, a nationally representative survey collected by the South African Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). Several econometric tests, including cross-sectional data analysis, panel data analysis and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods, were used in the study. The first analytical objective focused on estimating the effect of lifestyle risk factors on labour force participation through NCDs by gender. Endogenous multivariate probit models with a recur-sive simultaneous structure were employed as a method of analysis. The empirical findings suggested that NCDs and associated risk factors have detrimental effect on labour force participation. The analysis was further expanded to analyse the effect of gender differences, considering that the effect of NCDs may be gender-specific. The results revealed that the effect of stroke and heart diseases were significant only for men, while diabetes and high blood pressure were only significant for women. The results also emphasised the significant indirect influence of obesity, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption on labour force participation through NCDs, especially for men. The second analytical chapter focused on investigating the effect of NCDs on employment status – that is, those employed, unemployed and economically inactive in the population of South Africa by gender. The estimation technique known as generalised linear latent and mixed methods (GLLAMM) was employed to fit the multinomial logit model with correlated random intercept. The findings suggest that NCDs affect the economically inactive population significantly relative to those employed, and the magnitude is larger for women than for men. There was no significant difference found in the effect of NCDs on the unemployed relative to the employed segment of the population. In addition, the results revealed gender differences on the effect of NCDs on employment status and that stroke had a significant influence on the employment status of both sexes, while heart diseases had significant influence only in men, whereas diabetes had significant effects only in women. The last analytical chapter focuses on estimating the effect of NCDs on wage differentials in South Africa by gender. The recentred influence function regression model and Blinder-Oaxaca de-composition with RIF were used in the chapter. The empirical results revealed that the effect of NCDs on earnings differ by gender. It was found that women with NCDs earn less than those without NCDs, while men with NCDs were found to earn more than their counterparts without NCDs. The results further revealed that women with NCDs suffer from wage discrimination in South Africa. The policy implications of this study are gender-specific. The results highlight the necessity for undertaking a massive awareness campaign regarding the prevention and control of NCDs, espe-cially among women. This can be achieved through specific female health programmes, including maternal healthcare. The findings of the study imply largely that calls for gender-responsive health approaches which take into account gender-specific needs and priorities should be promoted, compared to a blanket approach. In addition, there is a need for the government to complement education policies to promote labour market outcomes. Policies aimed at increasing access to education should continue to improve access to higher education and so to enhance participation in the labour force and reduce wage gaps. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-12
A critical assessment of economic policies and their impact on entrepreneurship development in South Africa: a case of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town
- Authors: Oduwole, Olusola https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1563-7392
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Entrepreneurship , Economic policy , Economic development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26302 , vital:65236
- Description: The complexity of the South African society due to past systematic exclusion of some communities from economic activities resulted in the triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. Although various economic policies had been developed since the advent of the democratic dispensation in 1994, these policies focused on levelling the economic environment, poverty alleviation and massive social security system. However, despite all the interventions, South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world. This is profiled by the mushrooming of informal settlements around cities with job seekers and frequent protests by people who are impatient to experience improvement in their quality of life and who feel cheated out of their social contract. Advocacy from the governing party’s tripartite alliance towards a developmental state had placed more obligations on the government. This requires deliberate interventions through policies implementation to improve or at best alleviate the well-being of the citizenry. A survey conducted in the township of Khayelitsha to assess the impact of such economic policies on the development of entrepreneurship. Khayelitsha is one of South Africa’s largest townships, an informal settlement profiled by unemployment, poor infrastructure and unavailability of basic services. The study explored the entrepreneurial perception, start-up barriers, entrepreneurship climate, and general cultural factors relating to the environment of entrepreneurship development. The results reveal that despite the various economic policies, high level of unwillingness of citizens towards entrepreneurial activity and business venture is rife notwithstanding the high level of unemployment and poverty. The antidote to these challenges would be a rapid entrepreneurship drive among people most affected that would cause them to mind their own business” and become “masters of their own destinies. Given the complexity and massiveness of the challenges, the conclusion shows that a pragmatic solution is required. Therefore, the emancipation of entrepreneurship development in South Africa townships needs attention. The recommended solution is a pragmatic and innovative strategy based on the acronyms NEEDS HELP which stand for Neighbourhood Enhancement and Environmental Development Strategy and Holistic Entrepreneurial Lifestyle Programme. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
The influence of ethical leadership in the municipal administration: a case of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Authors: Singanto, Nkosiyabo King
- Date: 2022-05
- Subjects: Municipal government--South Africa--Leadership , Leadership
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23392 , vital:57633
- Description: The South Africa local government is confronted by ethical leadership challenges due to unethical practices by public functionaries and elected representatives in municipalities. The elected representatives are entrusted by legislation to take decisions and municipal officials are expected to implement the decisions taken by the municipal councilin an ethical manner, without fear, favour or prejudice on behalf of their communities. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon being studied. Data was collected using a structured Likert Scale interview questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. The theories of virtue, deontology and utilitarianism were selected in this study to try to understand the concept of ethics and its relevance to answering the research questions developed for this research.. Among the key findings were that the research has shown that unethical behaviour in municipalities has a direct influence on service delivery and the functioning of municipal administration. It also showed that, despite the plethora of legislation that governs the behaviour of municipal leaders, the municipalities continue to face unethical challenges of corruption, fraud and maladministration. The findings also pointed to a failure by those who are supposed to implement the code of conduct and hold the perpetrators of unethical deeds accountable. Poor consequence management has been seen, inter alia, to be at the heart of the problem. The research reveals a need for the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to explore the ways to enforce ethical leadership in the municipality. While the study is limited to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, the following are recommended to mitigate the scourge: provide ethics training for municipal officials and councillors; set minimum qualifications for councillors; and cautiously, extend the application of the findings and recommendations of this research to other municipalities in South Africa as the problem, whilst researched in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, is spread across all municipalities in South Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-05
The capacity of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in refuse management: a policy investigation
- Authors: Pafa, Zolekile Willie
- Date: 2012-01
- Subjects: Refuse and refuse disposal--Government policy , Municipal services--Management
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24969 , vital:63763
- Description: In this dissertation, a study is undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of the public participation in the policy process at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The study presents an overview of the legislative framework and the role the public can play in the policy process. This is followed by the theoretical framework of the municipal policy process. Based on the theoretical framework presented, an analysis is then made to prove whether the public do participate in the policy process in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. It is envisaged that this study will promote the involvement of the public in the policy process in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Secondly, the study presents an overview of the legislative framework and the role the public can play in the management of refuse. This is followed by the theoretical framework of refuse management as functional area. Based on the theoretical framework presented, an analysis is then made to prove whether the public is involved in the management of refuse at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. It is envisaged that this study will promote the active involvement of the public in refuse management in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Finally, the study ends by providing recommendations that will not only assist Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality alone, but the population and the government of the Republic of South Africa. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Human agency and development: re-politicizing human development
- Authors: Ncube, Moreblessings
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Political participation , Communities , Agent (Philosophy)
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26291 , vital:65235
- Description: This thesis presents a value-laden understanding of development that acknowledges that development is human centered. The study re-emphasizes that human development which has become a powerful element of current development discourse is not just a social, economic and technological challenge; it is also an institutional and political challenge. The study therefore analyzes the notion of human development with the intention of improving it by placing more emphasis on the aspect of politics and human agency (the ability to act and be an agent of one‘s life). Politics here is understood beyond its usual institutional focus or identification with government, politicians and parliaments to include a much wider and much more important and dynamic range of activities found in all human groups such as institutions and societies. The study then demonstrates that since development is a process, individuals need to work collectively towards a common good so as to realize their development potential. This means creating a confederation of development where governments, citizens and non-governmental organizations work in partnership guided by a culture of collectiveness (civic culture) in order to produce more empowered citizens. The major argument in this study is the concern for citizens to effectively participate in areas that affect and impact on their lives and consequently be in a position to hold accountable institutions that affect their decision making capabilities. Hence human agency in this study signifies and can be justified as an important aspect of the process of participation leading to empowerment. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2008
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Succession politics and state administration in Africa: the case of Zimbabwe.
- Authors: Chikerema, Arthur Fidelis
- Date: 2021-02
- Subjects: Africa--Politics and government , Public administration , state governments
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21355 , vital:48494
- Description: The research probes the impact of succession politics on state administration in Africa, Zimbabwe as a case study. Power transition in any political landscape promotes the regeneration and configuration of the political architecture and the functionality of the administrative apparatus of the state. Government performance may thus be viewed as a result of political processes and dynamics that influence governance in a polity. Political succession determines the composition of administrative organs of the state and many political leaders wish to work with administrative apparatus, which are compatible with their ideological orientation. Regular transfer of executive power is the major test of stability, legitimacy and maturity of a nation’s political system, but in Zimbabwe, political leaders have shown a consistent trajectory of violating or amending state and party constitutions to prolong their stay in power (Constitutional coup or a third term tragedy). This has been compelled by ruthless silencing of dissent by suffocating political activism culminating in strong personalities and weak institutions. Succession politics in Zimbabwe resembles executive dominance, egocentrism, excessive appointing powers which are compounded by lack of institutional framework for succession. This undermines the professional independence of the bureaucracy, which in turn inhibits the pursuit of sound governance. Therefore, passing the baton to the next leader has been a challenge; resulting in the personalization of, governments and political parties by leaders. While constitutions provide for elective congress for purposes of electing party leadership and/ or renewing their mandates, there is strong literature pointing to the capture of representative institutions such as Parliaments through strong normative values by leaders. This erodes the role of Parliaments or congresses as a democratic institution, as leaders have used it to “endorse” themselves. The research examines the influence of succession politics on state administration, especially on how the institution of the state and party politics in Zimbabwe conflate with the public administration system leading to state malfunction. This research adopts a qualitative research design that provides an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations on political succession and state administration in Zimbabwe. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, complemented by document review and analyzed through thematic content analysis. The study found out that, despite the existence of the legal frameworks that promote seamless power transition, political, societal and historical factors exacerbate Zimbabwe’s succession dilemma. Colonial legacy, societal laxity, the military factor, capture of state institutions by the political elite, lack of a retirement institutional mechanism, the principle of sovereignty and politicization of the succession process were found as the major hindrances to Zimbabwe’s succession trajectory. It recommends broad based and genuine civil service, electoral, security and political (politics with ethics and values) reforms to dismantle the current legacy imbedded in the political system. , Thesis (PhD) (Public Administration) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-02
An analysis of ethics and governance practices in the public sector: United Nations and African Union perspectives
- Authors: Shindika, Emmanuel Selemani
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: United Nations , African Union , Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26164 , vital:64946
- Description: Recent studies highlight the importance of improving governance and ethics in public entities, especially in Africa. However, doing so requires an understanding on what forms governance and ethics in public institutions, particularly at a national level. Such considerations necessitates that some focus on continental and world institutions, such as, the African Union and the United Nations. These institutions have been in existence for a number of years with mandates of improving member states governance and ethics, as well as, service delivery to the public. As such, this research primarily focuses on understanding the roles played by the AU and the UN in shaping governance and ethics to member states, as well as, of its employees. The focus of this inquiry was to understand individual narratives about how working for public institutions on a daily to day basis influences governance and ethics understanding and application. Therefore, in order to properly analyse the narratives from respondents, the study applied an inductive and qualitative approach in order to explore how the AU and UN systems influence governance and ethics for member s states and employees. Data was collected through semi structured interviews with UN and AU officials, as well as public servants of member states for those organisations. The study made use of a thematic analyses method of interpreting data. A total of six major themes emerged, they are as follows: ethics a part in governance; effectiveness of AU and UN systems; disciplinary role; ethical guidelines and standards influence on public sector; member states adherence to the UN/AU ethical conduct; and implementation gaps in ethical guidelines within member states. Interviews were conducted in four countries namely; South Africa, Tanzania, Mauritius and Botswana. Findings from the study pointed that the AU and UN systems have loopholes in dealing with issues of governance and ethics. Moreover, member states respondents also pointed to the loopholes in those two organisations. The research suggests that member states should tighten their public entities ethical compliance assessments and follow suggestions from the UN and AU. Final recommendations and suggestions for further research are provided. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2015
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Pills, Politics and Partners: NGOs and the Management of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Eastern Cape, with special reference to the Lusikisiki Project, 2004-2014
- Authors: Govere, Fredrick Murambiwa
- Date: 2014-06
- Subjects: Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Management , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention , HIV-positive persons -- Services for -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25720 , vital:64473
- Description: South Africa is one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV prevalence rates remain stubbornly high.1 This trend is both concerning and difficult to explain given that South Africa is economically well-resourced with a better health care infrastructure relative to other African countries. The African National Congress identified the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a major public health threat to South Africa as early as the 1990s (Parikh and Whiteside, 2007; Gevisser, 2007). In response, international donors provided a substantial amount of financial resources to support improvements in South Africa’s health care infrastructure. The persistently high rates of HIV/AIDS in the population beg for answers to questions such as why South Africa’s political leadership has been unable to control the spread of the disease and what particular social, behavioural and economic factors have contributed to South Africa’s disproportionate share of the global HIV/AIDS burden. At this point in time, public health experts still have not been able to definitively isolate the factors that explain the severity of the HIV/AIDS disease burden within South Africa’s population. While international donor aid continues to play a central role in the social, economic and health betterment in developing nations, its political impact on local governance structures has been much debated.2 In particular, the roles played by non-government organisations (NGOs) in the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa have been found to be complex, controversial, and their lasting value contested. Specifically debated is the disproportionate global investment in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in South Africa and the ways in which it has shaped intervention strategies, public and private policy, and the governance roles assumed by various national and local governmental agencies. Despite the threat of diminished financial support from international donor agencies that has loomed heavily over recipient countries in recent years, a number of key international donors have actually scaled up their global response to HIV/AIDS, particularly in South Africa.3 These donor agencies include the U.S. government’s Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund, as well as non-profit humanitarian organisations such as Mèdecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF), commonly known as Doctors without Borders. This study aims to critically examine the prevailing intervention strategy used by these international donors to “push the pill;” that is, to push a public health agenda that holds antiretroviral (ARV) therapy as the preeminent solution to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the expense of other intervention strategies. While a biomedical approach remains the most compelling intervention strategy, the fight against HIV/AIDS needs to be more comprehensive in its scope taking into account local knowledge and culture. This study will discuss how political rhetoric delivered through the media and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems has been used to embed a biomedical pill agenda into the organizational culture and intervention strategies implemented by local community-based organizations. Through a process of strategic translation, HIV/AIDS has been portrayed as the number one health problem facing South Africa today; in fact, across all of Sub-Saharan Africa (World Health Organisation 2005a, 2005b). As such, the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has justified the focus on making ARV drugs available throughout Sub-Saharan Africa at the expense of other interventions that could aim more precisely at the key social and health problems faced by the South African population which compromise health and well-being. The question about whose interests are donors and donor-funded agencies representing, and what are the intended and unintended consequences that result from these interests is the subject of this study. The study will attempt to shed light on these questions through a critical examination of the widely publicized HIV/AIDS intervention programme, the Lusikisiki Project, located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. I have drawn extensively from the development discourse literature and such scholars as Ferguson, 1990; Escobar, 1994 and 1995; Rist, 1997; and Mosse, 2005, to provide theoretical grounding for answering the questions posed.4 The study will critically analyse the social and political factors that defined this reputedly successful HIV/AIDS intervention project. Further, the study wil elucidate other cultural and behavioural factors that shaped the initiative in its battle against HIV/AIDS. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014-06
A study of the implementation of public policy to increase participation in recreation sports in Lagos state: Nigeria
- Authors: Setonji, Noel Adeoye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2101-8037
- Date: 2013-04
- Subjects: Public administration
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/24035 , vital:62301
- Description: The study investigated the extent to which implementation of the current public policy had improved recreation sport services and participation in Lagos metropolis of Lagos State-Nigeria. The study was delimited to 14 out of 16 Local Governments in Lagos metropolis. The study participants were 650 (334 males and 316 females) selected from 14 Local Governments in Lagos metropolis. Stratified random sampling technique was applied to get the volunteered metropolitan Lagos Local Government staff participants used for the study. Mixed research approaches involving quantitative and qualitative data collection were employed to carry out the study. Pilot study was carried out and reliability of each instrument was established with Cronbach’s alpha and test-re-test after an interval of two weeks. The reliability coefficients based on Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation were PRSPIQ (0.89), PRSPIBQ (0.87), RSFQ (0.79), and EPIMCEQ (0.85). The quantitative data collected were entered into Microsoft Excel 2007 Software and later exported to SPSS 18.0 statistical package for data analysis. Simple frequencies of responses in % and factor analysis were used in analysing the data collected, while Chi-square test of goodness-of-fit was used to test all the four hypotheses. The interview data collected were analysed using inductive method. All the hypotheses were pitched at 0.05 confidence level. Results of the study revealed that: implementation of the current public policy had not significantly improved recreation sport services and participation in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 395000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05); Barriers had affected effective implementation of the current public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 38.6000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05); implementation of the current public policy had not improved recreation sport facilities and safe recreation environments in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 33.3000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05; implementation of the current public policy had not effectively enhanced management competencies of recreation sport officers in Lagos metropolis: x2 (4, N = 650) = 64.3000, p<.0001, was significant at p<0.05. The conclusions drawn from the findings of the study include: the current public policy had not significantly improved recreation sport services in Lagos metropolis. Specifically, the study found that: the current policy had not done enough to enhance increased participation in recreation sport activities in Lagos metropolis; barriers had affected effective implementation of the current public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis; the public policy had not done enough to improve recreation sport facilities and safe recreation environments in most parts of Lagos metropolis; and the current public policy had not effectively enhanced management competencies of public recreation sport officers in Lagos metropolis. The study findings had it too that to effectively implement public recreation sports policy in Lagos metropolis, stakeholders should be adequately involved in the implementation activities. Based on the study findings, the study among others recommends that the State Government should be: proactive to update the content of the current public policy on recreation sports as the needs of the users are increasingly changing over time; Government agents, private organizations, recreation sport professionals and community stakeholders should be actively involved in the implementation processes to forestall any barriers; more recreation facility pools in safe and conducive environments should be provided and assessable to increase participation in recreation sports by the people of Lagos metropolis; and the public policy should be effectively implemented to enhance management competencies of public recreation sport managers in Lagos metropolis. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2013
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013-04
Opportunities and challenges for socio-economic transformation in rural Zimbabwe
- Authors: Mutami, Cephas
- Date: 2014-10
- Subjects: Economic development--Social aspects , Rural development , Community development
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/26459 , vital:65338
- Description: The focus of the thesis is the impediments of rural development in Zimbabwe and how opportunities for socio-economic transformation can be enhanced in the current setting. The study embarks from a conceptualization of rural poverty in Zimbabwe using theoretical and empirical evidence. Poverty in rural Zimbabwe has a historical legacy of deprivation and dispossession and is concentrated in communal areas which have low resources bases with low agriculture potential due to low rainfall and poor soils. The myriad of challenges in rural Zimbabwe point to the incoherent of rural development polices which are distorting markets for inputs and produce. Thus the study sought to address the rural development policy bottlenecks and develop a policy agenda for development.Using mixed methods approach, the study considered household economic conditions, their production practices and their vulnerability contexts in three selected districts which represent communal, old resettlement and small scale A1 and A2 areas. The household data is blended with interview data of rural development practitioners in both private and public agencies to produce comprehensive information on the impact of rural development policies. Archival research method was also used to do content reviews on government policy papers and programs so as to provide a holistic approach to analysis. Naturally mixed methods produce large volumes of data which requires thorough analysis. This was only possible through the use of analytical computer software packages for qualitative and quantitative data such as Atlas Ti and Excel spreadsheet, respectively. The study revealed that rural households in Zimbabwe are farmers. The majority of these farmers are smallholders who are located in remote communal areas and resettlement areas. Communal farmers constitute the bulk of rural citizens and live on less than a dollar a day. They are engaged in mixed farming methods and other non-farm activities especially during off-agriculture season. Communal households basically produce staples, with a low percentage producing cotton and groundnuts. Production choices and methods are shaped by subsistence needs of households but more so by risks and vulnerability contexts which they operate in. Farmers in resettlement areas face a different set of opportunities and threats to their livelihoods as they are located in prime agricultural land. However they are still challenged with the rural development approaches of central government. On the policy front, there is no pronounced rural development policy in Zimbabwe. The current setting has numerous pronouncements and programs which all seek to alleviate underdevelopment in Zimbabwe. These programs are replicating each other in practice and in most cases benefit the political elites and large scale commercial farmers. The multiplicity of government institutions which deal with rural development results in incremental decisions and programs which further impoverishes rural households. The study posits a rural development policy framework which is based on a comprehensive policy agenda which takes into cognizance the production requirements of households. Such a policy needs to be inclusive to the rural households in terms of governance and programs. A rural development policy agenda and framework would require the harnessing of resources from both the government and private players in well-articulated market friendly approaches. This would stimulate high productivity, enhance off-farm activities, raise incomes and foremost create appropriate social protection programs. Thus the potential for sustained economic growth and development in Zimbabwe lies with smallholder agriculture based rural development framework which can impact on the 67% population who live and work in rural areas. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2014
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014-10