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An appraisal of the South African government macroeconomic policies and strategies (1994-2012)

  • Authors: Zuma, Siziwe Monica
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Fiscal policy--South Africa Macroeconomics Monetary policy--South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Public Administration
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17360 , vital:40959
  • Description: This study sought to do an overview and the role of Public Administration both as an academic discipline and as a discipline in practice. It sought to do a literature analysis of the macroeconomic policies and strategies that the democratic from 1994- 2012 particularly with regards to lowering unemployment and meeting public needs. The literature review on the Freedom Charter and the South African democratic government’s macroeconomic policies namely the RDP, GEAR, ASGISA, New Growth Plan, and the National Development Plan were studied in great detail in this study. Public Finance in terms of the tax revenues collected and public debt servicing costs have contributed to the capacity of the SA government to meet its public needs and social needs including poverty eradication. It identified that the NDP because of its longer term plan approach its goals could be realizable. It identified that the South African democratic government macroeconomic policy has been consistent since 1994 that of belt tightening or fiscal policy that is tight on fiscal spending and monetary policy also has remained the same although different names have been used over the period 1994-2012. The South African democratic government since 1994 has been pursuing austere fiscal policy. This is because it inherited a government that had high public debt and therefore had to prioritise of servicing that debt. That meant that there has been less funds available to spend on public needs as the aspirations of the people when they drafted and adopted in a congress of the ANC the freedom charter in 1955. The South African democratic government through its macroeconomic policy has created a number of positive changes in the country economically and socially that have benefited a lot of the previously marginalized people of South Africa however the macroeconomic objectives of reducing unemployment, growing the economy, increasing exports and lowering inflation still remain a huge challenge in this country. This study concludes that in order to increase revenues to meet public needs government needs to look at increasing its revenue base rather than borrowing the money as that will create the same challenge that it is currently facing hence it adopted the austere fiscal policy.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An appraisal of the South African Government Macroeconomic Policies and Strategies (1994-2012)

  • Authors: Zuma, Siziwe Monica
  • Date: 2013
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: vital:11687 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013582
  • Description: This study sought to do an overview and the role of Public Administration both as an academic discipline and as a discipline in practice. It sought to do a literature analysis of the macroeconomic policies and strategies that the democratic from 1994- 2012 particularly with regards to lowering unemployment and meeting public needs. The literature review on the Freedom Charter and the South African democratic government’s macroeconomic policies namely the RDP, GEAR, ASGISA, New Growth Plan, and the National Development Plan were studied in great detail in this study. Public Finance in terms of the tax revenues collected and public debt servicing costs have contributed to the capacity of the SA government to meet its public needs and social needs including poverty eradication. It identified that the NDP because of its longer term plan approach its goals could be realizable. It identified that the South African democratic government macroeconomic policy has been consistent since 1994 that of belt tightening or fiscal policy that is tight on fiscal spending and monetary policy also has remained the same although different names have been used over the period 1994-2012. The South African democratic government since 1994 has been pursuing austere fiscal policy. This is because it inherited a government that had high public debt and therefore had to prioritise of servicing that debt. That meant that there has been less funds available to spend on public needs as the aspirations of the people when they drafted and adopted in a congress of the ANC the freedom charter in 1955. The South African democratic government through its macroeconomic policy has created a number of positive changes in the country economically and socially that have benefited a lot of the previously marginalized people of South Africa however the macroeconomic objectives of reducing unemployment, growing the economy, increasing exports and lowering inflation still remain a huge challenge in this country. This study concludes that in order to increase revenues to meet public needs government needs to look at increasing its revenue base rather than borrowing the money as that will create the same challenge that it is currently facing hence it adopted the austere fiscal policy.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of change readiness prior to significant organisational change

  • Authors: Bedser, Mark Bernard
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Organization change -- South Africa -- Case studies Eskom (Firm) -- Management , ADKAR model
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:716 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001870
  • Description: This research paper is broken up into three sections, namely an evaluation report, a literature review and research methodology. The evaluation report section is the assessment of the current state of change readiness within the Eskom Contact Centre’s based upon what the literature on change readiness prescribes. The timing of the change readiness assessment is just prior to significant organisational change. The organisational change that was about to be initiated by the organisation was initiated from the boardroom of the most senior echelons of the organisation, and was directed in a top down approach, being a strategic organisational change. The change is deemed to be critical to the organisation being able to meet its long term strategic and sustainability objectives. A critical examination of the literature explored the meaning of change readiness, the importance of it and explained the consequences for organisations that commit to transformational agendas without being ready. Key concepts such as such resistance to change and organisational inertia are described and differentiated from change readiness. The ADKAR change model and its change readiness assessment instrument were used due to the organisations preference for the model. The ADKAR model formed the framework for the analyses of the data, the discussion of the results and the recommendations to the organisation. The research conducted was quantitative in nature; a questionnaire was distributed to the employees of the seven Eskom Contact centre sites around the country through an email. A slightly modified version of the ADKAR change readiness questionnaire was sent via email with an on-line questionnaire link on it; and questions on individual readiness for change were used to assess the level of readiness of the employees. Most of the descriptive and inferential statistics were analysed with the use of Excel (version, 2010), with Factor Analysis being done in research showed that: - The factors as proposed by the ADKAR change readiness assessment questionnaire (i.e. Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement) are not different enough to be considered as independent factors for this data set. Based on factor analysis, the factors were subsequently amended from five to three, namely Readiness, Opportunity Realisation and Uncertainty. - The Contact Centre employees were somewhat ready for change. - The Contact Centres needed to focus on all amended ADKAR factors in order to improve the readiness of the department. - The readiness levels in response to the roll out were more or less uniform. The study shows that given Eskom’s preference for the ADKAR model, future research within Eskom should therefore be conducted more circumspectly with respect to ascertaining the validity of the ADKAR factors. The study also makes mention that future work and/or research will need to be conducted, specifically on the readiness of the organisation itself, in order to improve the probability of transformational success. The ADKAR assessment is a people focused assessment and therefore focuses only on the readiness of the individual. Factors such as the adequacy of the current state of resources within the organisation, which incorporate aspects such as infrastructure, technology and staffing, will also need to be assessed to make a more holistic statement of change readiness. A concise review of the literature is incorporated into the Evaluation Report of Section 1 to underpin the study. In Section 2 a more extensive review of the literature is presented. Similarly, the design of the research is discussed in more detail in Section 3 to both describe and justify the appropriateness of the research methodology, and to give a detailed account of the way in which the research was carried out.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of energy use as a rural development strategy: the case of Chiwundura communal area, Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Mangizvo, Remigios Vurayayi
  • Date: 2013
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: vital:11444 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013595
  • Description: Households in Chiwundura Communal Area continue to depend on traditional biomass fuels, that is, fuelwood, agricultural residues and in some cases dung. This is despite the fact that grid electrification has been introduced in the communal area. A few households have been able to adopt the grid electrification whilst the rest remain rooted in the use of the inefficient and polluting traditional biomass. Some of those who have adopted the grid electricity only use it for lighting and entertainment whilst they continue to use fuelwood for cooking. A number of households that have connected to grid electricity have reverted to the use of the traditional biomass. This means that the generality of people in Chiwundura Communal Area continue to be subjected to energy poverty, which is a constrained access to modern energy services such as electricity. As a result these households will not be able to meet the millennium development goals among many other achievements. This state of affairs motivated the researcher to conduct this study. The study wanted to find out why the transition from traditional biomass energy forms to modern energy services was slow in Chiwundura Communal Area. The study also wanted to establish the factors that influenced household en ergy choices as well as establish the ways in which the traditional biomass energy forms had affected the livelihoods of households in the study area. In order to get information on the above mentioned questions, this study which was a case study of Chiwundura Communal Area utilised the triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative techniques. These methods were meant to complement each other and benefit from the strengths of each method. The study used questionnaires, interviews, observations, transect walks, focus group discussions and content analysis. The researcher spent up to three months in the study area so as to get first hand information on the issues under study. A total of 215 households and 106 school children were conveniently sampled to respond to the questionnaires whilst fifty household heads participated in the interviews. The study looked at three energy theories namely the energy ladder, the leapfrogging and the multiple fuels use models as well as consumption and decision making theories to open this discussion. The study made a number of critical findings. Firstly, there was very little transition as most households remained as users of biomass energy; hence they were at the lower rungs of the energy ladder. Those that had moved up the ladder tended to back switch to the use of fuelwood. This made them multiple fuel users. Generally fuelwood was the dominant source of energy as it was used mainly for cooking, space and water heating, space lighting and other domestic needs such as smoking meat. About 22% of all respondents were connected to the grid and used electricity mainly for lighting. Candles, paraffin, gensets and solar energy were part of the energy mix. It was established that income was the most important determinant in the energy choices made by the different households. Most of the households were peasant farmers who could not harvest excess crops for the market. A few households with members in paid employment or obtained remittances from relatives in South Africa or the Diaspora were able to get connected to the grid or could afford to purchase fuelwood from vendors. Households could not procure solar house systems as the start up costs were beyond their reach. Those who were able to acquire generators could not run them for many hours as they could not afford to refuel them regularly. Household characteristics such as age and education of household- head were also important factors. It was however established that cultural and traditional factors were as usual not given the attention they deserved yet they were very significant in determining the type of fuel a household chose. Food preparation and taste always played an important role in determining whether a household chose traditional fuels for certain cuisines. It was also realised that failure by numerous households in the study area to access modern energy sources meant that they could not attain the millennium development goals by 2015. They could not move out of abject poverty as they lacked irrigation schemes to assure them of food security. Universal access to education was affected by lack of light to use for studying and reading after hours. Adult education was also frustrated. The boy child was worst affected as he came to school late or at times missed school altogether collecting fuelwood for the household. In Chiwundura Communal Area men and boys were responsible for collecting fuelwood. This signified a shift in gender roles. Men and boys took it upon themselves to have these responsibilities as women and girls could not walk the long distances. The health of the household particularly women and children who spent several hours close to the fire was compromised as most huts were poorly ventilated. They therefore could not adequately deal with indoor air pollution challenges. Other MDGs were also likely not to be achieved by the families. The study also found out that men were not dictatorial in determining the fuel that a household used. Some form of democracy existed within homes and negotiations between husband and wife often took place away from the public domain. Oftentimes women often aped their colleagues who owned modern energy technologies within the villages; hence they pressurised their husbands to buy them SHSs and gensets. This was conspicuous consumption. The study established that there was need for modern energy in the study area. Grid electricity was not the panacea for this as it was beyond the reach of many. It was therefore important to look at renewable energy forms such as gel fuel, SHSs and biogas. It was also pertinent to educate and make households aware of dangers posed by indoor air pollution. The government and different stakeholders must give it equal importance and publicity as that given to HIV and AIDS as it kills several children annually. Housing interventions should be made so that households build huts with proper ventilation.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of factors affecting distribution models: an FMCG perspective

  • Authors: Reshalin, Kumesh Sivaram Jay
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Business logistics , Delivery of goods , Shipment of goods
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8907 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021024
  • Description: The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry in South Africa is now more than ever, facing a new era with strong competition and a need for innovative and sustainable distribution strategies to remain competitive in the market. Organisations are continuously searching for ways to increase their competitiveness and sustainability as markets change and develop, so do the strategies used to enter them. Organisations must therefore be able to choose the most effective approach to enter markets in order to remain competitive. Recent approaches require organisations to identify innovative distribution methods to meet consumer needs due to a considerable increase in competition, which makes it very difficult for organisations to differentiate their products solely on the basis of cost or quality. The research problem addressed in this study comprised an assessment of factors affecting distribution models from an FMCG perspective. This necessitated a comprehensive literature review of the various definitions, trends impacting on distribution as well as investigating the status relating to distribution models. Strategies and attributes of successful distribution models were evaluated to determine an effective distribution model to assist the organisation in challenging competition. The researcher found that a significant number of authors have suggested the following key attributes for a successful distribution model, namely operational excellence, performance management, strategic partnership, technology drivers, and relationship marketing. An empirical study was conducted after the appropriate measuring instrument was developed. The purpose of the measuring instrument was to validate the literature findings, identify the rank importance of the identified attributes and to evaluate the extent to which these factors are provided for in the organisation, based on the points above. The present study assessed innovation at Coca-Cola Fortune (Pty) Ltd., a local FMCG firm in an effort to develop a distribution model that would be successful for the company. The study comprised a sample of 40 Official Coca-Cola Distributors which form part of the distribution model of Coca-Cola Fortune (Pty) Ltd. Questionnaires were sent to each of the 40 Official Coca-Cola Distributors and a response rate of 100 percent was obtained. The major findings indicated that the respondents agreed with the literature in respect of the important attributes of a successful distribution model. Overall the majority of the respondents identified the distribution model between Coca-Cola Fortune and the Official Coca-Cola Distributors as a successful distribution model. The literature findings together with the empirical study findings resulted in the development of a strategic model to maintain a successful and competitive distribution model. The current investigation highlighted the overall perception of Coca-Cola Fortune’s distribution model and the importance of having a successful model. To sustain this distribution model the organisation must maintain the key attributes of a successful distribution model as identified in the literature to ensure competitiveness, sustainability and meeting changing consumer demands.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of needle ice, snowfall and the zero-curtain effect and its relationship with soil frost dynamics on sub-Antartic Marion Island

  • Authors: Zilindile, Mphumzi Brooklyn
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Snow -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Ice -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Marion Island (Prince Edward Islands) -- Description and travel
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Geography)
  • Identifier: vital:11515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1006908 , Snow -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Ice -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Marion Island (Prince Edward Islands) -- Description and travel
  • Description: This study aims to uncover the synoptic weather circulation pattern which is associated with the occurrence of needle ice, snowfall and the zero-curtain effect. The method of study was done through an intensive ground climate measurement campaign from April 2008 to May 2009 with a temperature logger installed throughout the recording period. Results from data analyses indicate that the complex changes in climate parameters may lead to an equally complex response in terms of spatial soil frost dynamics and its direct and indirect effects on soil sediment displacement and ecosystem dynamics. Field evidence in the study suggests that on Marion Island needle ice developed in temperatures as high as -0.2 ºC in strong winds. This confirms that the wet environment of Marion Island, which is dominated by diurnal soil frost is fundamentally different from seasonal frost and permafrost environments. The scoria material is susceptible to needle ice growth and the compacted soil alters the micro-climatology of the affected area making it more susceptible to the formation of needle ice. Soil moisture for needle ice formation and growth is provided by the misty conditions associated with the advent of the cold front (pre-cyclonic). Furthermore, observations of needle ice on Marion show that needles are mostly clear with no sediment inclusion. This is indicative of needle ice formation that has not been interrupted by a shortage of moisture. The zero-curtain effect on Marion Island can occur either as a response to the thawing of the soil after the seasonal freeze. The synoptic assessment of snowfall on Marion Island indicates that; snowfall is associated with the passage of a cold front linked to a strong meridional system of low pressure just south of the island.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of opportunities for implementing lean management in the healthcare supply chain of selected clinics in the East London area

  • Authors: Beja, Fezekile Sydwell
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Lean manufacturing -- Management , Business logistics -- South Africa -- East London , Medical care -- South Africa -- East London
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8899 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020958
  • Description: When the current South African government came into power two decades ago they inherited a fragmented health care system whose main focus was on the tertiary care level. The strategy of the current government was to re-focus the whole health care system and prioritize primary health care system. That included setting up district health care systems and building primary health care centres in the areas within the communities in order to make health care accessible to everybody. Due to financial difficulties the majority of the people staying in these communities solely depend on these clinics as they cannot afford to buy health care services in the private sector. The study seeks to assess the current medication supply chain to these clinics with a view of coming up with recommendations that, when implemented, will ensure that the supply of medication by the clinics is able to meet the demands of their patients. Lean management is a system that was started in the manufacturing sector and because of its success there it was later adopted by the service industry. Lean is a system that seeks to eliminate all forms of waste and improve the quality of the service rendered to the satisfaction of the customer/patient. Literature review and discussion of lean implementation is discussed extensively. The findings of the study are presented, analyzed and discussed. In these findings it is noted that the system is functioning very well but there are challenges in these clinics that need to be addressed. Recommendations of how lean management can be implemented successfully to optimize the functioning of the current system are discusse The permission received from the Department of Health to conduct this study came with contractual obligations that the researcher promised to honour. One of those requirement stated clearly that the findings of the study should not be published anywhere without the permission of the Department (see addendums A & C). It is under that premise that the researcher wants to bring this to the attention of the relevant university departments, with the hope of ensuring that this contractual obligation is honoured.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of perceptions of lean opportunities in hospital management

  • Authors: Labuschagne, Gertruida
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Lean manufacturing -- Management , Hospitals -- Waste minimization , Hospitals -- Administration
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8777 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012958
  • Description: This is a quantitative study. The primary research objective is to investigate the importance of hospital management’s involvement when implementing lean elements in healthcare. In reality, incidents and quality problems are prime reasons why healthcare leaders are calling for redesign in healthcare delivery and systems. This paper presents a proposal for developing a lean culture in healthcare facilities equipped with managers who will be able to drive the implementation of lean elements from the top down, making use of multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, to deliver value-added services. This study ultimately endeavors to indicate the importance of management, multidisciplinary teams and physician involvement in implementing lean principles in healthcare successfully. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.” – Stephen Covey. The reasons why lean management is a particularly important strategy in healthcare currently, includes the following: •The need to reduce waste in healthcare cost; •The need to improve quality and on-time processes; •Fast-paced technological changes; •Ever-increasing patient expectations; and •The need to standardise processes and systems to get the high-quality results anticipated (Chalice, 2010).
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the attitudes influencing employees' intention to quit in two Port Elizabeth public sector hospitals

  • Authors: Odeyemi, Hannah Olubunmi
  • Subjects: Employees -- Attitudes , Employees -- Resignation -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Organizational commitment -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9433 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020432
  • Description: Research problem: The Port Elizabeth hospital complex is faced with many staff-related challenges including the difficulty of retaining staff. Factors such as salaries, work environment, work injury, work related stress, personal growth and development opportunities, advancement and promotion opportunities, relationships with supervisor(s), are among the issues that contribute and have been found to be some of the factors affecting employees’ perceptions and attitudes towards their work and ultimately to their intentions to stay or leave. Research objectives: To address the research problem, research objectives and questions were established. The main objective of the research was to investigate the perceptions and attitudes influencing the employees’ intention to quit their jobs within the hospital complex. The key perceptions and attitudes that were measured were; job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment. The secondary objective of the study was to determine, from a list of predetermined factors, which were related to job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment and the intention to quit. Research questions: Four research questions were established and these were: What are the employee perceptions and attitudes towards the organisation and their work in the organisation? In particular how satisfied are the employees with their jobs (job satisfaction), how committed are they to the organisation (organisational commitment), how do they perceive the support within the organisation (perceived organisational support) and do they intend to remain with the organisation (intention to quit measured as the intention to stay). What are the most important factors contributing to job satisfaction, perceived organisational support, organisational commitment and intention to quit? (Measured as the intention to stay). What is the relationship between the sub-groups, identified as gender, race, nationality, occupational level, age, hospital, and length of tenure and job satisfaction, perceived organisational support and organisational commitment? What is the relationship between the sub-groups, identified as gender, race, nationality, occupational level, age, hospital, and length of tenure and intention to quit (measured as the intention to stay)? Research design: The nature of this research was a descriptive study collecting quantitative data. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect information regarding employee perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of their working conditions, their perceptions and attitudes towards the organisation and their intention to remain with the organisation. Major findings: The result of the survey showed that organisational commitment and positive organizational support are practically significantly positively correlated with the intention to stay. However, it was discovered that job satisfaction was statistically significantly positively correlated to intention to stay. The nine factors that were measured were found to be antecedents for all the three constructs of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and perceived organizational support. However, the factors that were also correlated with the intention to stay were promotion opportunities, nature of the work, communication and leader-member exchange.
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An assessment of the impact of Local Economic Development in Mbhashe Local Municipality with special focus on agricultural projects

  • Authors: Mniki, Sicelo
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local finance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:9128 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018579
  • Description: The need to achieve developmental local government in South Africa has necessitated that the municipalities and other government departments pay more attention to the poor so that they can be helped to live more fruitful lives and become the instruments for the growth of local economy. This study seeks to assess the impact of Local Economic Development (LED) initiatives in Mbhashe Local Municipality with special focus on the Maize Production Project (MPP). The areas of Mbhashe municipality that were included in the study include Ndakeni village near Dutywa, Tswele-litye near Willowvale and Madwaleni near Elliotdale. The study followed both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches and the respondents were made up of a sample of MPP beneficiaries from the three areas mentioned above, Community Leaders and the Officials. The objectives of the study were to identify MPP objectives, to identify challenges in the implementation of the MPP, to assess the availability of remedial measures and lastly, to assess whether the community has benefited from the maize production project or not. Among others, the objectives of the MPP were to maximise maize production, to make profit, to create employment opportunities for the unemployed. Only 13 percent of the surveyed beneficiaries believe that their expectations of this initiative were fully met. The majority (two thirds) believe that their expectations were partly met, whilst one in five (20 percent) believe that their expectations were not met at all. The MPP implementation challenges included delays caused by the municipal procurement processes, unfavourable climate conditions, poor service delivery by the appointed service providers who provide tractors, shortage of funds and late start for ploughing. Even though the remedial measures seem to be in place, the implementation and the communication of the strategies remains a big challenge. Furthermore a proportion of the respondents were unhappy with the public participation process that preceded the implementation of the project.According to the findings, two thirds (67 percent) of the surveyed farmers believe that their communities have benefited from the MPP, although one third (33 percent) disagreed. The challenges of an insufficient budget, procurement delays and late commencement of ploughing need to be addressed if the maize production initiative is to yield the desired results.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the implementation of peer academic support programmes at higher education institutions in South Africa: a case study of one university

  • Authors: Tangwe, Magdaline Nji
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Peer teaching -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
  • Identifier: vital:16203 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016084 , Peer teaching -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa
  • Description: The purpose of the study was to assess the implementation of peer academic support programmes which are Language and Writing Advancement and Supplemental Instruction programmes in one University in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative approach that used face-to-face interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis to collect data. Purposive sampling was used to select those who participated in the study. The participants were two coordinators of the programmes, ten facilitators working in the programmes for in-depth interviews and ten students who have been receiving services from the programmes for two focus group discussions. The study revealed that there was a general trend whereby peer facilitators of the programmes were recruited and trained. However, it was found that some facilitators abandoned the position immediately after the training which made it difficult for coordinators and Human Resource Staff (HR) to start the process of recruitment and retraining. In this regard, Teaching and Learning Centre, (TLC) and HR simply appointed other untrained facilitators to replace those who had deserted the positions. Also, some facilitators were unable to attend some of the regular trainings because of clashes with their classes. All these have a negative impact on the implementation of the programmes. The results also reveal that some of the facilitators were frustrated with students’ poor attendance in the sessions, and even those who attended their sessions, did not participate much in the discussions. It was found that most lecturers and students did not know the differences between supplemental instruction (SI) and tutorials. Neither did lecturers encourage their students to seek help from the TLC services. Reviewing of assignments from different disciplines by TLC facilitators was another burning issue that came up. Some facilitators reviewed assignments from different disciplines, because the disciplines were not represented and this is because they want to claim for more hours, which affects the quality of the programmes. The findings also show that some students did not like to take their assignment to the TLC for review because facilitators make unnecessary and harsh comments. On the contrary, some students acknowledged that they were fine with the way facilitators review assignments because it involves one-on-one consultation, and they always pass the assignments reviewed by PASS facilitators. The study also revealed that the coordinators monitored and evaluated facilitators through observation and the checking of attendance registers. Coordinators ware also monitored by senior colleagues of the department such as the manager of the TLC. Furthermore TLC has instituted a mentorship programme whereby senior facilitators mentor newly recruited facilitators. However not every facilitator had a mentor. The study also exposed the fact that the TLC venue was usually closed during examination periods to allow facilitators to prepare for their examinations. The findings show that some departments were not represented by facilitators and to remedy this situation, it is recommended that all departments be represented and lecturers encourage the students to get help from TLC. Most facilitators were undergraduate students, but they needed to be replaced by post graduates who did not have course work that will clash with PASS activities. The strategies used by facilitators were fairly good but more should be done to encourage students to participate in sessions. Finally, the monitoring and support mechanisms put in place were very functional but the TLC should make sure every facilitator is being monitored especially concerning the review of assignments. The significance of the findings of this study cannot be overemphasised. The strengths and challenges regarding the implementation of these programmes at this particular university have been revealed. Through the recommendations, it is hoped that the institution and the TLC would effect some changes in the implementation of these peer academic support programmes in order to better serve the students so as to achieve satisfactory throughput and retention rates.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the Kenyan coastal artisanal fishery and implications for the introduction of fish aggregation devices

  • Authors: Mbaru, Emmanuel Kakunde
  • Date: 2013 , 2013-07-30
  • Subjects: Fisheries -- Kenya , Fishery management -- Kenya , Fish aggregation devices , Small-scale fisheries -- Kenya , Small-scale fisheries -- Economic aspects -- Kenya
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:5341 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006055 , Fisheries -- Kenya , Fishery management -- Kenya , Fish aggregation devices , Small-scale fisheries -- Kenya , Small-scale fisheries -- Economic aspects -- Kenya
  • Description: The marine fishery in Kenya is predominantly small-scale and artisanal with about 11,000 fishers intensely fishing near shore coastal reefs using minimally selective fishing gears. A large majority (88%) of fishers use outdated equipment such as basket traps, beach seines, hand lines (hook and lines), fence traps, gillnets, spearguns and cast nets. Handmade canoes propelled by paddles (kasia) or sail power are used to access offshore waters, while only a few fishers have motorized boats. Although fishers along this coast know and express the potential of offshore fishing, most of them are disempowered and unable to access any of the largely untapped offshore pelagic resources. Using a unique dataset from four distinct coastal areas: Funzi-Shirazi bay area, Diani-Chale area, Mombasa-Kilifi north coast area and the Malindi-Ungwana bay area, containing species level length frequency catch data from the multi-gear and multi-species fishery, abundance of specific species, gear use comparisons in various regions, catch per unit effort and total catch estimate over a nine year period (2001 – 2009) were evaluated. Despite high diversity in the fishery, five species (Lethrinus lentjan, Siganus sutor, Leptoscarus vaigiensis, Lethrinus harak and Parupeneus macronemus) represented over 75% of the catch. A total of 11 legitimate gears were observed in this coastal artisanal fishery with basket traps (42%) being the most popular. Fishers along the Mombasa-Kilifi area predominatly used beach seines while those in Diani-Chale, Malindi-Ungwana bay and Funzi-shirazi bay predominaltly used spearguns, gillnets and basket traps, respectively. Apart from gillnets, a general declining trend for most of the gear types was observed since 2004. Beach seines recorded the lowest (20.9±0.2 cm) mean length while gillnets recorded the highest (34.2±0.3 cm). The highest catch (~26,000 metric tons) came in 2001 and the lowest (~15,000 metric tons) in 2005. The highest number of fishers was observed in 2008 while 2009 recorded the highest (4.8±2.3) mean number of hours per outing. The mean annual CPUE per region ranged from (1.5 kg.fisher-1.hr-1) in Diani-Chale to (1.0 kg.fisher-1.hr-1) in Malindi-Ungwana bay. Making use of questionnaire data, the attitudes towards offshore fishing strategies, FADs in particular, were evaluated. Some communities (about 25% in every location) were not even aware of FAD fisheries. With the imminent introduction of a FAD fishery in Kenya, it was concluded that, for this fishery to realize its full potential, training on FAD fishing techniques has to be done. Finally, effective management is necessary if small-scale fisheries are to continue providing food security for many poor coastal communities. Gear-based management in Kenya, although under represented and under studied, has the potential to be adaptive, address multiple objectives, and be crafted to the socio-economic setting. Management effectiveness in near shore fisheries has generally been evaluated at the scale of the fish community. However, community level indicators can mask species-specific declines that provide significant portions of the fisheries yields and income. This thesis seeks to identify ways in which the Kenyan artisanal fishery can be sustained and managed from within coastal communities, giving them the resources and education to effectively improve their lives. The introduction of a offshore FAD fishery and hence access to offshore pelagic species provides an opportunity to not only alleviate pressure on coastal resources but also to empower coastal communities and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s national economy as a whole.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the level of performance management in Mnquma local municipality

  • Authors: Hermanus, Nosipo Albertina
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Performance -- Management , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Evaluation
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6509 , vital:21098
  • Description: Mnquma Local Municipality is located in the South Eastern part of the Eastern Cape Province. This category B municipality falls under the jurisdiction of the Amathole District Municipality (ADM) and comprises of an amalgamation of the former Butterworth, Ngqamakhwe and Centane TRC’s, Mnquma Municipality shares borders with three other local municipalities i.e. Mbhashe, Intsika Yethu and Great Kei Municipalities. In previous years this municipality was surrounded by violence, maladministration and mismanagement of funds. In 2009, Mnquma municipality received a disclaimer audit opinion. The bases for disclaimer are: - Consumer debtors who were disclosed at R13, 4 million on the face of the statement of financial positions and to the annual financial statements; and this amount did not agree with debtor’s age analysis; - Auditor-General was unable to confirm the exact amount of debtors removed from the accounting system; - Limitations placed on the scope of work and municipal records not permitting the application of alternative audit procedures; - Trade Creditors not supported by adequate documentation and supplier reconciliations did not have adequate alternative system of ensuring that all goods and services received prior to year-end, not paid but were accrued; and number of items that were recorded incorrectly. “The municipality adopted the PMS framework by March 2008. It was implemented and Councillors played a pivotal role in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of theIDP. Cluster meetings set and received performance reports on quarterly basis. Directorates produced monthly performance reports and submitted them to the Executive management and the Executive Mayor respectively. The PMS was cascaded down to lower levels. Managers reporting to Directors had signed Accountability Agreements, while employees below signed Performance promises. It should be stated that there were some challenges on the implementation process. The Framework was implemented for the first time and institution was in a learning curve”. (N. Pakade: 2009). The municipal manager agreed that the institution was in a learning curve even though he commended the good work of councillors, it is not all councillors who know exactly what they are supposed to be doing in monitoring the municipal performance management systems. This has been proved by areas which still do not have electricity, roads and some no running clean water. There were some improvements in 2010 Financial Statements because the municipality received an unqualified audit opinion, but the in- fighting amongst councilors still existing that affect municipal performance in regard to provide local communities with basic needs. The irregular expenditure continued to be incurred where two different security companies were appointed by Executive Mayor and Municipal Speaker to prevent each other in entering the municipal premises because of disagreements about the reappointment of the municipal manager. Mnquma municipality does not have an Executive Mayor due to councilors who fired the mayor. The Mnquma councilors’ in fighting affects local communities in a negative way that contributes to municipal bad performance.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the monitoring and evaluation function in the Eastern Cape office of the premier

  • Authors: Qinela, Loyisokazi
  • Date: 2013
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1071 , vital:26523
  • Description: This study responds to the need to understand the shifts in the national monitoring and evaluation policy context from output and compliance focus to outcomes and performance focus. The study also responds to need to understand how national policies are interpreted and implemented in the province through the Office of the Premier. The purpose of the study is to assess the monitoring and evaluation function in the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier. The following research questions will guide the study: a. What is the context, rationale, purpose and claims of the National M&E Policy? b. How does the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier implement the monitoring & evaluation function? c. How does the implementation of M&E by Office of the Premier resonate with intention of the National M&E policy & what are the gaps. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The use of interviews and questionnaires demonstrates the mix method approach. This approach was preferred since one part of the research analyses policy documents and the other one assesses implementation. The key findings of the research were: Although the context, rationale, purpose and claims of the National and Provincial M&E Policies are clearly articulated, there is no national legislation that gives the Office of the Premier power to enforce the implementation of the M&E policies. Both national and provincial M&E policies are not sensitive to the context of implementation. There is poor enabling environment in the Office of the Premier to implement M&E. There is a gap between planning and M&E functions in the Province the Premier’s Office, Provincial Treasury and Department of Local Government have not succeeded in coordination and the definition of roles and responsibilities for rolling out a Province wide M&E system. The M&E Policies do not address the problem of duplicate reporting in the Province. The M&E Provincial Framework has several limitations that will affect implementation. The National M&E policies are silent on the monitoring role of the legislative branch of government. There is no alignment between the development and monitoring of Service Delivery Improvement Plans with the rest of the implementation of M&E policies. Poor intergovernmental relations in the province make it difficult to fully implement M&E policies. . Programme Managers focus narrowly on day to day management functions with little or no focus on monitoring and evaluation. There was very poor usage for M&E evidence by the for decision making.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the nature and implementation of markerting strategies of selected Eastern Cape Non-Government Organisations

  • Authors: Madinda, Ncumisa
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Branding (Marketing) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic assistance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: vital:8849 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020114
  • Description: This dissertation is an assessment of the nature and implementation of marketing strategies of selected Eastern Cape non-government organisations. Poverty alleviation and service delivery remain the major focus of the South African government, after nineteen years of democracy (post-apartheid era). One of the civil societies that is key in working with the government in alleviating poverty and looking after the interests of the poor and marginalised individuals within the society is non-government organisations (NGOs). NGOs are organisations that are voluntary, independent, not-for-profit, and not self-serving in aims and related values. In August 1995, NGOs moved very quickly to establish the South African NGO Coalition (Sangoco). This was as a result of the Non-Profit Organisations Act 1997. Government reorganised the political environment for NGOs. They were provided with access to the fourth chamber of the National Economic Labour and Development Council, - the country's premier corporatist-style consensus-building agency, - on condition that such representation occurs through a single body. Sangoco now serves as a representative umbrella body for approximately 6,000 affiliated NGOs. Sangoco's primary role is that of advancing the interests of the poor. It is also concerned with developing an enabling environment for the NGO sector and providing an arena for mutual monitoring. Even though the Non-Profit Organisations Act opened the doors for NGOs to raise funds freely and also obtain allowances from the government, the bureaucratisation and commercialisation of NGOs made it almost impossible to access these funds, hence, most NGOs today are closing down. A literature review was conducted to determine what theory reveals about strategic marketing for profit organisations. Furthermore, how the marketing principles that are used in businesses can be implemented to ensure sustainability of non-profit organisations. The empirical study was conducted through questionnaires and interviews with the management of the NGOs. In Chapter 4 of this study findings are presented and in Chapter 5 recommendations are made. Further studies can be conducted to determine some of the areas that the NGOs can improve on, in order to run an effective and efficient non-profit organization.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the performannce management system within the Department of Education, Graaff-Reinet district

  • Authors: Ngemntu, Ellouise Marion
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Education -- South Africa -- Graaff-Reinet -- Evaluation , Local government -- South Africa -- Graaff-Reinet
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:8318 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020138
  • Description: The implementation of the performance management system is important in every work situation since it has an impact on achieving the organisational goals of excellence. Therefore the purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of the performance management system, with specific reference to employees attached to the Department of Education in the Graaff-Reinet District. In order to achieve the research objective set out in this study a literature study was done which explains the performance management system, the principles for effective performance management, and how the system should be implemented. Furthermore, an empirical survey was undertaken in the form of a self-administered questionnaire which was delivered by hand and collected upon completion. The empirical results indicate that the performance management system appears not to have achieved its intended objectives and that the implementation of the performance management system does not adequately address the needs of both the employer and employee within the Graaff-Reinet District. Recommendations in this regard were made based on the literature review and empirical results.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An Assessment of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999 (PFMA): a case study of the Eastern Cape Department of Education (2005-2012)

  • Authors: Bulelwa, Tunyiswa
  • Date: 2013
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: vital:11688 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1013586
  • Description: The Eastern Cape Department of Education consumes a huge chunk of the Eastern Cape provincial budget. Any transgression of the laws that govern how the public purse should be managed - whether overspending, under spending, irregular or wasteful expenditure - has far reaching consequences in terms of service delivery. The Eastern Cape is one of the poorest and most rural provinces in the country and by implication has huge service delivery backlogs .This has been confirmed by various stakeholders and role-players such as Chapter Nine institutions and non-governmental organisations. An observation by the Auditor-General and both the portfolio committees on Public Accounts and Education over the years is the lack of proper controls, especially in financial management. This study presents a case study of the Eastern Cape Department of Education in the financial years 2007-2012 to assess the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999 (PFMA). The main objective of this study is to assist the department by putting forward lasting scientific recommendations and solutions that could be integrated into the plans of this department.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of the supply chain management policy: the case of the King William's Town district municipality period 2009-2011

  • Authors: Mazibu, Vuyisile
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: vital:11675 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1007128 , Political participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Civil service -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Human services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic policy , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Social conditions , Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Economic conditions
  • Description: The intention of the study was to assess the supply chain management policy at the King William’s Town District Municipality. It became apparent from the Literature review that any municipality to play a meaningful role in ensuring that South Africa achieves the goal of becoming a developmental state, capable of confronting service delivery challenges, there needs to be a proper implementation of the supply management system policy. The study was also aimed at identifying the factors that support or hinder the implementation of the supply chain management within the King William’s Town District Municipality. In order to achieve this objective, interviews and self-administered questionnaires were conducted with various respondents in the municipality. The respondents insured the councillors from the five political parties comprising the municipality, municipal manager and section 57 managers, supply chain practitioners. It would therefore be critical important for the management of the King William’s Town District municipality to take into account the results of this study and its recommendations so as to ensure that there is a proper implementation of the supply chain management system within the municipality.
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assessment of urban residents' knowledge and appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees in two medium sized towns in South Africa

  • Authors: Chinyimba, Abby
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Trees in cities -- South Africa--Limpopo , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Ecology -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Human-plant relationships -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Plants and civilization -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Willingness to pay -- South Africa -- Limpopo , Limpopo (South Africa) -- Environmental conditions , Cultural importance , Cultural and regulating services , Intangible benefits , Urban systems
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: vital:4730 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001957
  • Description: In order to meet the different public needs and requirements of contemporary urban society, a better understanding of public perceptions, appreciation and knowledge of the assorted values derived from urban trees is beneficial for improved urban greening. Thus, this study carried out an assessment of urban residents’ knowledge and appreciation of the benefits of trees and the role they play in enhancing the quality of life in urban systems. The study primarily focused on the intangible benefits (also referred to as cultural and regulating services) of urban trees, because most research to date in South Africa on trees and the benefits derived from them is biased towards the provisioning services of trees in rural areas. The significance and contribution of the intangible benefits of trees in urban systems is often underestimated and not seriously taken into account by urban planners, policy makers and other key decision makers. The study was conducted in three different residential settlement types (formal townships, RDP settlements and informal settlements) in two towns in the Limpopo Province in South Africa, namely Bela-Bela and Tzaneen. Findings revealed that the intangible benefits of trees are seen to play a significant role in improving both residents’ quality of life and the environmental conditions in cities, including the preservation of biodiversity. Findings also showed that urban residents had strong spiritual connections with trees and placed considerable cultural and historical importance on specific tree species and individual trees. Urban residents in both towns had moderate knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees based on the knowledge score that was created for the purposes of this study. Fifty seven percent of the residents had ‘reasonable’ knowledge of some of the intangible benefits of trees, while 43% had low levels of knowledge. That said, the majority of residents demonstrated high appreciation (98%) of the intangible benefits of trees (especially social and cultural values), with few residents not recognising these, suggesting that knowledge does not necessarily lead to appreciation. Age and level of education were found to influence knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. A large proportion (86%) of residents who possessed tertiary level qualifications had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees as compared to residents with no formal education. Findings also revealed that younger respondents (60%) had more knowledge of the intangible benefits of trees. Factors that influenced appreciation of the intangible benefits of trees included links to crime, peoples’ value systems (their pro-environmental and altruistic values) and residential settlement type. Sixty five percent of residents in both towns felt that urban street trees and trees in public spaces attract criminals and promote crime, while 67% of RDP and 96% of informal township residents did not use or appreciate the social and recreational benefits of trees mainly because of the absence or long distances to public parks. A Willingness To Pay (WTP) survey revealed that a high proportion of residents in Bela-Bela (86%) were WTP a small annual fee in order to sustain greening initiatives in their communities compared to the residents in Tzaneen (53%). In terms of the planting and retention of trees, it was found that 300 households in both study towns had planted and retained a total of 1 615 trees in spite of the various factors that negatively influenced planting and retention of trees such as residency time and tenure security. The majority (66%) of informal township residents said tenure security was an important factor to consider when making tree planting decisions, while this was not an issue for formal township and RDP residents. Policy implications and recommendations are presented to help municipalities and urban planners improve and develop effective policies and programmes that will enable implementation of sustainable urban greening programmes
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  • Date Issued: 2013

An assesssment of skills development programmes for selected employees: the case of Amathole District Municipality

  • Authors: Gaqazele, Constance Yandisa
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Employees -- Training of -- South Africa -- Amathole District Municipality , Career development -- South Africa -- Amathole District Municipality , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Amathole District Municipality
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: vital:8349 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020827
  • Description: Municipalities play an important role in accelerating service delivery to all communities. This study is an assessment of skills development programmes for selected employees at the Amathole District Municipality (ADM). The ADM is known as a predominantly rural district. The study revealed that the municipality is faced with a lack of proper skills to accelerate service delivery. This has resulted in the institution neglecting to invest in the development of those competencies needed to function in a constantly changing educational, training and development environment. The success of any organisation depends on its human resources, who are the most important asset. Therefore effective and efficient human resources management and training and development management play a critical role in the well-being of employees. Human resources training and development policies, practices and activities guide the institution with implementation of services and should take on a more strategic role to achieve their objectives. The researcher employed the quantitative research methodology for purposes of the empirical survey and also reviewed official documents and reports. A suitably constructed questionnaire was developed and distributed to the selected sample group from the ADM. The researcher also consulted legislation, official documents, articles, journals, policy documents, reports and books in an effort to obtain as much relevant information as possible. Based on the information gathered from the respondents and literature review the researcher proposes certain recommendations in the final chapter of the treatise.
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  • Date Issued: 2013
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