Assessing housing management in terms of development objectives

This article reports on a research project aimed at assessing whether a particular management process of housing delivery correlates with an improvement or reduction in the state of development of housing recipients. The construct ‘state of development’ refers to the extent to which recipients have the capacity and power to deal with the challenges of a dynamic environment and utilise its opportunities in a responsible and sustainable manner. ‘Housing management’ refers to the execution of management functions to process housing inputs into outputs. The authors explored the correlation between these two variables in a case study involving the Delft housing project in Cape Town. They measured indicators using questionnaires, an analysis of project data, and by observing and evaluating the environments of experimental group members. The results indicated that the extent of the appropriateness of housing management caused a corresponding change in the state of development of housing recipients.     

Co‐operatives and rural development

The role of co‐operatives in rural development depends largely on the aims of such development and on how co‐operatives are defined and structured. It is argued that successful co‐operatives at grassroots level need to be small‐scale, democratically organized by the people themselves, and aimed at providing for the benefit of as many households as possible. The objective of rural development should be to provide a livelihood for people through small‐scale production. The chances of success in this regard are slim given the constraints (such as land shortage) resulting from the policy of separate development.     

Structural change in the economy and energy needs: A South African perspective∗

The paper reviews economic structural changes and the resultant effect on the demand for energy. Seen globally, structural change is determined primarily by:

• shifts In the sectoral contributions

• technological development

• increase in the urban population

• redistribution of income.

The South African situation is analysed with respect to the following factors:

• changes In sectoral energy use as a result of the development of the economy away from an agrarian economy towards a more industrialised economy

• urbanisation and the changing energy consumption patterns especially with regard to increased food and water, housing, domestic energy, transport and waste disposal needs

• redistribution of income and projected future demand for energy.

The importance of structural change in planning for future energy needs is emphasised.     

Johannesburg’s implementation of the National Water Act, 1998 in Soweto,South Africa

ABSTRACT

The Guide to the National Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) regards the availability of water as a basic human right. However, local governments seem to struggle to pay for the water they provide to their residents as prescribed in the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act 108 of 1997). This study focused on the domestic provision and consumption of water in Soweto, one of the largest townships in the Johannesburg area of South Africa. Surveys were conducted with 372 respondents from three different socio-economic suburbs in Soweto with the aim to establish their water use perceptions and practices. Study results indicate implementation of the National Water Act is still being resisted by Sowetan households more than two decades after its adoption, due to the difference in expectations of the municipality and the residents regarding rights to water access and responsible usage.     

Informal settlement upgrading,assets and poverty alleviation: Evidence from longitudinal research in South Africa

This paper investigates the relationship between housing as an asset and the accumulation of other assets. Using data from a longitudinal research project stretching over nearly 25 years, we have found that besides actual income, there have also been improvements in self-perceived wealth ranking, asset holding, housing size, infrastructure access and human capital. Not all households have however benefited or been found to be better off. We have found that those households who had settled in Freedom Square after 1994 were indeed better off than the earlier settlers. Asset building is a slow process, one driven by stability (accessing urban land and secure tenure), finding an address, accessing education and finding work or remaining employed (though not necessarily in this particular sequence). Contrary to what the Department of Human Settlements suggests, we have found little evidence that informal settlement dwellers build assets by means of the secondary housing market.     

Financial impact of wheat quality standards on South African wheat producers: A dynamic linear programming (DLP) approach

The South African wheat industry has been under pressure in recent years from global economic instability and a fast-changing domestic policy environment. This has manifested itself in declining wheat production and profitability at the farm level. Wheat quality plays a key role in wheat buying decisions, with quality improvements correlating negatively with yield and, ultimately, productivity. Yet any new wheat cultivar released for commercial production must still meet the standards of the country’s wheat classification system, which has led to wheat sometimes being imported in the face of a domestic shortfall. This situation has inevitably led to tension within the industry and affected both performance and pricing. Using various data sources and a dynamic linear programming (DLP) approach, this paper takes an in-depth look at the link between wheat quality and yield, with a view to determining the impact of wheat quality standards (ceteris paribus) on the profitability of South African wheat producers. Results indicated that were these classification discrepancies removed, the country-wide effect on net farm income is estimated to range between ZAR606 million and ZAR920 million per annum.     

Preparing underprepared students for higher education and beyond: the development and implementation of an integrated project

A current problem faced in South Africa is that university graduates are weak and underprepared for the work environment. The purpose of this study was to assist students in bridging the aforementioned gap and to ease the transition from theory to practice. The aim of the study was to critically analyse the development and implementation of the integrated project. This study targeted first-year (Extended Curriculum Programme) students, who had been identified as being underprepared for higher education. The factors that initiated the design and development of the integrated project were the South African Qualifications Authority, Critical Cross Field Outcomes and the University of Technology's National Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting exit level outcome, which promote lifelong learning. The integrated project was an authentic assessment which required students to transfer their theoretical knowledge obtained in the classroom to assist small businesses within the community. Academics should be encouraged to use authentic problems in the designing of assessments which will promote student-centredness and lifelong learning. With the continuous engagement of an integrated project, these first-year underprepared students will be better equipped to adjust and excel in the work environment.     

Remaining at the margins: Case study of farmworkers in the North West Province,South Africa

This article explores living conditions, livelihoods and prospects of farmworkers with regard to land reform legislation. Research was conducted from 2004 to 2010 on four farms in the North West Province, interviewing farmworkers and farm owners. Representatives of the agricultural union Agri North West and land analysts were interviewed to obtain their perspective on farm labour. Despite protective legislation, farmworkers' living and working conditions have deteriorated. Farmworkers further lack alternative livelihood options, perpetuating their dependency on farm owners, who are the only ones providing services and some social security. Among the main barriers in the empowerment of farmworkers are limited insights regarding complex social relationships on farms, the challenge to address the specificity of power relations, and the marginalised position of farmworkers and their lack of agency in the broader political system. Both farmworkers and farm owners need support structures and strengthened institutional capacity to gradually change power dynamics.     

The role of secondary cities in managing urbanisation in South Africa

Following on from earlier work dealing with the role of metropolitan municipalities in managing urbanisation, this article assesses the role played by secondary cities in this regard. Although secondary cities have largely provided adequate infrastructure in line with the demands of population growth, three differences between metropolitan municipalities and secondary cities should be noted. First, on most indicators, secondary cities have more outliers than do metropolitan municipalities. Second, household incomes in secondary cities remain lower than those in metropolitan municipalities. Third, the ability of secondary cities to provide basic infrastructure does not differ much from that of metropolitan municipalities. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that, in terms of certain indicators, secondary cities have managed to deliver these faster than their metropolitan counterparts. We argue that the progress made in secondary cities during the period under consideration cannot be separated from the fact that the economic growth in more than 50% of secondary cities has been linked either to mining or to another dominant economic driver.