Theses and Dissertations (Anthropology, Archaeology and Development Studies)

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Die herkoms en die sosiale, ekonomiese en opvoedkundige aspekte van die lewe van die Kleurlinge van Eersterust
Jacobs, Paul Petrus (University of Pretoria, 1968-06)
Adverse incorporation and social exclusion in Harare : an analysis of spatial design mobility and accessibility of low-income groups residing in Harare’s southern suburbs
Chikengezha, Tadiwa Webster (University of Pretoria, 2025-02)
This thesis critically examines the phenomena of adverse incorporation and social exclusion within the context of Harare, Zimbabwe, with a particular focus on the city's southern periphery(Southlea Park and Hopely). Adverse incorporation refers to the process by which individuals or groups are integrated into economic, social, or political systems in a manner that perpetuates their marginalisation, inequality, or exploitation. This concept, coupled with social exclusion—a multidimensional process that prevents individuals or groups from fully participating in the socioeconomic and political life of the city—provides a framework for analysing the living conditions of low-income residents in Harare's peri-urban areas. The research explores how these processes influence key aspects of urban life, particularly mobility, accessibility, and access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. Like many cities in postcolonial Africa, Harare is characterised by significant spatial and socio-economic disparities, a legacy of colonial urban planning that continues to shape the city's development. Despite the abolition of institutionalised racial segregation, the spatial design of Harare remains deeply influenced by its colonial past, manifesting in stark inequalities between the northern affluent areas and the southern low-income suburbs. Through an ethnographic case study approach, this research delves into residents' experiences in Harare’s southern periphery, exploring how historical and contemporary urban planning, socio-political dynamics, and economic structures contribute to their marginalisation. The study reveals that the southern suburbs, originally designed as dormitory towns, are characterised by poor infrastructure, inadequate public services, and limited economic opportunities. These areas have become hubs of poverty, where residents face significant challenges in accessing reliable transportation, quality healthcare, and education, all of which are crucial for improving their socio-economic status. The research findings highlight how marginalised communities experience economic and spatial exclusion in specific areas, leading to long commutes, high transportation costs, and limited access to the city's economic centres, perpetuating poverty and exacerbating social inequalities. The study recommends re-envisioning urban spaces in Harare to promote inclusivity and accessibility, addressing historical and structural inequalities in the city's southern suburbs. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and development practitioners working on urban development in post-colonial African towns.
Exploring the impact of the Liberia Land Rights Act of 2018 on the improvement of women’s land rights : case study in Grand Bassa County, Wee Statutory District.
Muapoh, Isaac (University of Pretoria, 2022-03-01)
ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of the 2018 Liberian Land Rights Act (LLRA OF 2018) on women's land rights and participation in land governance. Drawing on experiences from diverse stakeholders in Liberia, it investigates the historical challenges faced by women due to patriarchal traditions. The study explores how interventions by women's rights organizations have fostered participation but identifies a need for further action by the government and NGOs to ensure women's full decision-making power and equal land rights. Based on interviews with 43 research participants, and a review of the laws and existing literature the study reveals tradition, limited information, and inadequate education as barriers to effective implementation of the LLRA if 2018. These factors are compounded by a lack of dedicated funding for women's empowerment and limited resources for the roll out of the new legislation. To address these challenges, the study proposes key recommendations of comprehensive public education campaigns, strengthening the Land Authority, engaging traditional leaders, and establishing a financial empowerment fund for women. This research aims to inform Liberian policymakers and stakeholders, ultimately enabling women to unlock their economic potential and contribute to national development.
Farmer-livestock keepers land Use conflicts in the Kilombero Valley Floodplain, Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Said, Simwana King'oma (University of Pretoria, 2024)
Abstract Six decades of land reforms in Tanzania have reshaped the agricultural landscape, prominently featuring large-scale farms alongside traditional smallholder agriculture. Despite being seen as progressive, these reforms have created a dual legal system that complicates land rights in village lands, reflecting colonial legacies and development policies from other contexts. Smallholders, traditionally viewed as backward and undercapitalized, are in fact diverse, commercially oriented, and reliant on multiple income sources, especially in Kilombero district. This study critically analysed Tanzania’s rural development policies and land reforms from 1980 to 2022, focusing on the tensions arising from legal bifurcation between customary and statutory land systems amid increasing large-scale land acquisitions. Using an ethnographic, actor-cantered approach, the research highlighted how power dynamics and differing stakeholder interests shaped policy processes and outcomes, often marginalizing local communities and smallholders. Findings suggest that land-use conflicts are complex and driven by multiple factors, including policy weaknesses and socio-economic inequalities among smallholders. The study challenges dominant rural development narratives that assume smallholder homogeneity and expose the gap between policy assumptions and rural realities. By integrating empirical insights with political economy and legal pluralism frameworks, this research contributes to understanding the root causes of land conflicts in Tanzania and offers policy recommendations. It advocates for inclusive, context-sensitive land governance reforms that recognize smallholder diversity, strengthen customary rights, and ensure equitable access to land. Such reforms are essential for fostering sustainable rural development and reducing land-based conflicts.
Space, infrastructure and budgets : a case of roads and stormwater maintenance in the City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa 2000-2020
Koopedi , Tsholofelo Joshua (University of Pretoria, 2025-07)
This thesis, Space, Infrastructure and Budgets: A Case of Roads and Stormwater Maintenance in the City of Ekurhuleni, South Africa 2000–2020 considers how repairs and maintenance of municipal infrastructures lie at the heart of developmental local government, in post-apartheid South Africa. The 1998 White Paper on Local Government provides the context and background which informs the thesis research. This white paper stated that apartheid had fundamentally damaged the spatial environment in local government, in particular the urban space. This damage resulted in spatial injustice, which was the thesis of the apartheid city. Urbanism in itself is a contested terrain, which sees an assemblage of “simultaneous forces, movements, agents and politics that co-produce the nature of contemporary urbanism … planning and implementing urban infrastructure is hence at the heart of power struggle in the city” (Nolte, 2016:445). This informs the central research question and problem statement that the thesis seeks to address in one of South Africa largest metropolitan municipalities. This thesis responds to the substantial arguments by Amina Nolte who argues that infrastructure makes space. Specifically, infrastructure does not merely appear in urban space, rather it is built and maintained through budgets. As Nolte (2016) argues that if, indeed, politics and the political are always inherent to infrastructure , my argument uses this as a point of departure. As a rationale for the thesis I argue that municipal infrastructures are a function of budgets and ultimately, these financial instruments make space. The thesis draws on substantial literature of infrastructure studies that infrastructure should be thought of as a political tool. Apartheid town planning has vulgarised the town planning lexicon, in particular with respect to the word ‘township’, in this thesis I take the simple perspective of the word in its planning connotation to be meaning a “an area of land divided into erven [which] may include public spaces and roads indicated as such on a general plan” (SPLUMA, 2013:11).The critique offered in this thesis is drawn from a qualitative approach to method. Data are collected from purposeful sampling which targeted all depot managers in roads and stormwater depots that service the townships in Ekurhuleni. The thesis links the spatial practice between colonial, apartheid, post-apartheid South Africa This linkage is important as it shows that spatial practice as offered by Lefebvre is space whereby “society as a whole continues in subjection to political practice – that is, to state power” (Lefebvre, 1991:8). Politics and the political are always inherent to infrastructure and that infrastructures are a function of budgets. the findings of this thesis are suggesting a triple nexus of sorts. In this thesis I argue that considered individually, questions of space, budgets and infrastructure cannot be considered as belonging to a single academic field, rather the relationship between them requires an interdisciplinary approach across academic fields such as geography, finance, economics, and engineering respectively. The positioning of this thesis contributes to the knowledge in urban studies specifically as it relates to municipal infrastructure’s role in undoing the legacy of apartheid and its negative impact on South African spatial design and urban fabric. Through the research for this PhD thesis, and as a reflection on my professional role as a senior official in the City of Ekurhuleni, I suggest that it is through a granular understanding of how operational budgets, such as repairs and maintenance budgets, can be used to promote of spatial justice in urban space.
Improving existing water supply systems to enhance water availability and accessibility in rural communities : a case of the Mankweng Cluster, Polokwane Municipality, South Africa
Rasakanya, Meisie Alphinah (University of Pretoria, 2025-05)
Water supply systems play a crucial role in distributing and providing water for domestic, irrigation and industrial use. Water supply systems have existed for centuries. Right from antiquity, ancient civilisations across the globe developed intricate water supply systems, such as aqueducts, qanats, canals, furrows and terraces for irrigation and drinking water supply. The beginning of the second half of the 19th century witnessed the introduction of centralised water supply systems, such as dams, taps, reservoirs, water treatment systems and pipelines. Many developing countries, including South Africa, are currently dependent on centralised systems for water provisioning; however, the limitations of these systems are becoming increasingly obvious. Many rural communities still lack access to safe drinking water, due to shortages associated with existing water supply systems. This is a prominent issue in the Mankweng Cluster of the Polokwane Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa, where the communities are experiencing water scarcity due to poor water supply systems. The communities primarily rely on dams, water treatment plants, household and communal taps, and boreholes, but these systems are not adequate to supply potable water to the communities. The Municipality’s water tankers are ineffective in mitigating water scarcity. These water tankers often do not arrive on time, if at all, and the water they provide is usually insufficient to meet the demand or address the population issues. Owing to these challenges, some community members resort to sourcing water from unprotected ponds and rivers, which are often contaminated, thus posing a risk to human health. This study investigates the existing water supply systems and suggests how they can be improved to enhance water availability and accessibility in the Mankweng Cluster of the Polokwane Municipality. The study will hopefully contribute to the body of knowledge on the importance of enhancing the sustainable management of municipal water supply systems, which play a vital role in water availability and accessibility, thus addressing economic water scarcity in rural communities. This study employed a mixed-methods approach for the collection of empirical data, where questionnaires and interviews were conducted with the participants of the study. Data was collected from 200 households across seven wards, and key stakeholders, including municipal officiail and ward councillors, were interviewed. IBM SPSS and Excel spreadsheets were used to analyse quantitative questionnaire data using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and the Chi-Square test. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative interview data, for coding, creating themes, and continuously comparing new data with the existing codes and themes to refine the analysis. The result revealed that the existing challenges facing water supply systems in the Mankweng Cluster are the major cause of economic water scarcity. Existing water supply systems in the Mankweng Cluster suffer from ageing infrastructure, vandalism, illegal connections, leaks, poor maintenance, and the impact of load-shedding and population growth. As a result, the majority of households in the Mankweng Cluster spend weeks and months without access to water. This leads to societal unrest and strikes, further affecting service delivery, as the residents damage roads and other public infrastructure. The study recommends expanding and improving water supply systems to include marginalised areas, thereby enhancing water supply and eradicating water scarcity in Polokwane Municipality’s Mankweng Cluster. As part of the objectives, the study recommends the implementation of a Rotational-Monocrystalline Solar Panel System (RMSPS) to upgrade the existing boreholes, which are dependent on manual pumping, electricity, and diesel for groundwater supply. Furthermore, the study recommends that both the residents of the Mankweng Cluster and the Polokwane Municipality take part in investing in the sustainability and resilience of water supply systems. As a result, there should be improved public participation in water services to raise awareness of the importance of water supply systems to improve the community’s ownership to protect and manage the infrastructures that benefit the people. The Municipality, together with the ward councillors and other key stakeholders, are encouraged to work collectively, monitor, and respond effectively to reported faults and illegal connections. Ultimately, the implementation of these recommendations is essential to achieving a sustainable water supply system and advancing rural development in the Mankweng Cluster and similar underserved communities.
An archaeological investigation of Mahula Hill : a thirteenth century settlement in the southern Kruger National Park.
Lamula, Lupfuno Promise (University of Pretoria, 2024-08-31)
This study revisits the Early Iron Age (EIA) communities in the southern Kruger National Park, building upon Andre Meyer’s 1980s survey that identified 17 Skukuza (SK) sites but missed Mahula Hill. Discovered and excavated by Anton Pelser between 2016 and 2019, Mahula Hill's strategic location along trade routes linking to the Mozambique coastline makes it a key site for understanding regional interactions. This research focuses on the material culture from Mahula Hill, as well as from the SK 4, SK 9, and SK 11 sites. Key artefacts, including glass beads, ceramics, shell disc beads, bone tools, stone tools, and metal objects, were analysed to establish a chronological framework and to examine site-level activities, consumption patterns, and regional linkages. Faunal and botanical analyses further reveal the dietary practices of these communities. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of the Early Iron Age landscape of the southern Kruger National Park, offering new insights into the social and economic networks that shaped the region. The findings include three samples that provided uncalibrated dates of 590±50, 760±60, and 720±60, which, after calibration, correspond to AD 1294-1425, AD 1161-1389, and AD 1215-1397, as well as uncalibrated date of 703±25, calibrated to AD 1270-1384. These dates have assisted in establishing a chronological framework for Mahula Hill allowing for the further development of this study. Additionally,28 glass beads, ranging in diameter from 2mm to 4.5mm, with the most common being tube-shaped (42%), classified into six shapes, reflecting reheating processes with dominant colours of citron and green, futher providing a chronological context for the site. Pertaining consumption patterns the Mahula Hill assemblage includes a variety of taxa, open grassland grazers like zebra, forest dwellers like impala, and riverine species like fish and serrated hinged turtle. Large mammals like giraffe and smallest mammal like crab are also present. The zebra is the most common species, at 6.5%. Additionally seeds were analyzed, revealing taxa such as Sclerocarya Birrea endocarp's fragment, Sclerocarya Birrea operculum, and amorphous material of a Sclerocarya Birrea nut. All bones tools showed sustained forceful impact, indicating macrofracture. Diagnostic impact fractures included crushing, bending, and hunting fractures. There are 4140 stone artefacts identified, 99% quartz, and 0.1% polishing stones, excluding lower grinders.
A comparative study of the performance of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) in Kenya and South Africa from mid-1990s to 2023
Selialia, Limpe Francis (University of Pretoria, 2025-02)
“Despite being active in the last 25 years, financial cooperatives serve only 29,500 members out of 40 million adults in South Africa – a number that has remained relatively flat (0.7% annual growth) over the past decade” (World Bank Group, 2021, p. 8). This study investigates factors that may have contributed to the poor performance of co-operative financial institutions (CFIs) and co-operative banks (CBs) in South Africa, with a focus on ‘exogenous factors’ – factors beyond the control of the CFIs and CBs. It takes a ‘big picture’ or ‘macro’ approach, and considers the following exogenous factors: the history of the country, the role played by government, political factors, existing institutions, and the laws and regulations governing the sector. A comparison is made with the performance of savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) in Kenya, with a view to investigating whether any lessons can be drawn from the success story of SACCOs in Kenya. SACCOs in Kenya are the best performing in Africa and compete globally. The research is intended to contribute to existing literature and knowledge on the CFI and CB sector in South Africa and contribute to debate and inform policy. The methodology used is autoethnography. It draws on multiple data sources, namely, a questionnaire, interviews, observations, focused discussions with selected stakeholders associated with CFIs and CBs, case studies, and desktop research. Results suggest that Kenya has the big-picture approach right, and it has addressed exogenous factors pertaining to co-operatives from the onset, resulting in a strong foundation being laid. The timing was opportune for Kenya, as many African countries were following African socialist political ideology, which was in support of co-operation and solidarity and therefore co-operatives. Government of Kenya also implemented deliberate policy interventions that supported co-operatives. It created favourable and conducive conditions for SACCOs and co-operatives, in general, to perform optimally and succeed. In South Africa, the democratic government adopted and implemented neoliberal macroeconomic policies after gaining power in 1994. Those policies were not in support of co-operatives. Government collaborated with owners of capital to raise much-needed funding in an attempt to address the imbalances of the past. Government of South Africa did not get the big picture right and did not address exogenous factors. Results suggest that exogenous factors may have contributed to the poor performance of the CFI and CB sector in South Africa, particularly the adoption of neoliberal economic policies. Other contributing factors include the inability of CFIs and CBs to compete with existing financial institutions, loopholes in the laws and regulations that govern co-operatives, and policy inconsistencies and contradictions, which may bring negative unintended consequences to the performance of CFIs and CBs. Many lessons can be drawn from the success story of SACCOs in Kenya. However, country-specific circumstances of South Africa should be considered in drawing those lessons.
Livelihoods changes and the emergent human economy of Mokhotlong District households
Lehema, Reitumetse Elizabeth (University of Pretoria, 2024-10)
Following the decline of the formal South African labour market, rural development policy in former migrant labour societies like Lesotho has placed rural transformation at the centre of the development agenda, portraying a picture of livelihood in crisis in terms of migrant labour shocks and agricultural marginality. The development community has therefore promoted agricultural development with the assumption that rural communities are relying on the productivity of the land they occupy. While the concerns are valid, they are recycling the outdated narrative of small rural farm households widely tailored for households that had access to arable land and overlook the environmental realities of the Highlands region that is characterised by land scarcity. This often ignores and underestimates the new trends in labour migration and livelihood activities, which are the basis of the human economy of the region. The study contended that the analysis of rural households' livelihoods should go further than the simplistic livelihood in crisis narrative and focus on their responses to the changes they are confronted with. Using an ethnographic case study approach of thirty rural households this thesis analyses the livelihood impacts, dynamics of production and livelihood responses to the changes in the socioeconomic and natural environment in Mokhotlong District in north-eastern Lesotho. This type of investigation underscores the unique situation of a former migrant labour society. Using the Bourdieu theory of practice and the human economy approach, the analysis adopts a broad understanding of the background of rural households’ livelihoods, their experiences, the challenges they face, and how they navigate them. The approach adopted for the analysis is grounded on rural household accounts including those of key informants to comprehend the livelihood dynamics fully. The analysis revealed that households responded to changes by diversifying their livelihoods and developing new trends in labour migration, which although different in form and structure, still mirrored the old system. The thesis, therefore, provides evidence in the contestation of the narrative of the end of a migrant labour economy by demonstrating that migrant labour has remained central to the human economy of the region. While the current livelihoods have their own vulnerabilities, the thesis stresses the significance of agency and navigation. By focusing on the new forms of livelihoods, and particularly the aspect of navigation, the thesis provides a different perspective to the literature but also argues for the understanding of livelihoods and situation of households within broader debates on former migrant labour societies, and the significance of migrant labour as an embedded culture that is hard to eliminate. The thesis, therefore, suggests that any attempt to understand rural households in Lesotho outside the migrant labour system misses a key facet in the country’s history and that any policy that ignores this undisputed reality, is tantamount to social engineering. The thesis therefore argues for rethinking questions of transformation in rural development policy that emphasises social reality and the importance of informing policy based on the realities of societies in which labour migration has been embedded in the culture of communities. The thesis therefore advocates for a new development narrative that focuses on building livelihoods that are relevant and reflect the realities of communities and, thus, form the very human economy.
Veganism,virtue, and vigils : human-animal interactions, vegan activism, and social meanings in a Johannesburg-based non-profit organisation
Pheiffer, Bronwyn Paige (University of Pretoria, 2024-11)
This dissertation centres on the South African chapter of an international vegan activism organisation that intends to “build a vegan world” by way of organising “vigils” outside slaughterhouses. At these vigils, activists bear witness to the animals destined for slaughter, in the hope that curious passersby might question their own relationship to animals-as-food. Drawing on field research – consisting of participant observation and interviews conducted over a period of 14 months – as well as textual analysis, I argue that this local iteration of vegan activism departs in important ways from the vision of its overarching international organisation. Through the life histories of the three key activists involved in these vigils, I explore how international animal rights activism is transposed in a South African context, and how this context may complicate the overarching organisation’s aspirations of creating a vegan world. Furthermore, I illustrate how these three individual vegan activists pursue divergent but often rhyming projects to live meaningful, good lives. Despite their differences, the activists are unified in their attempts to find meaning, community and care, and “the good” amidst the insecurities and precarity, insecurity, and ambiguities of life under late capitalism.
Serious leisure practices and kin-making amongst trading card players in urban Gauteng, South Africa
Vahed, Qudisiyah (University of Pretoria, 2024-11)
This dissertation examines how adult trading card players in Gauteng form kinship and friendship ties with fellow urban residents through active participation in leisure activities hosted in privately owned trading card stores and organised globally by transnational corporations. Anthropologists have shown that formulations of kinship across the world are not confined to matters of blood, marriage or biology, and have documented a variety of kin-making practices that contribute to social reproduction. At the same time, recent contributions to the anthropology of leisure and popular culture encourage anthropologists not to view leisure as a passive act and not to think of consumers of leisure only as the ‘victims’ of corporations, but view leisure - even when organised privately and through corporations - as an expressive aspect of society which also contributes to social reproduction. Anthropologists also now argue that commodity exchange can achieve what earlier anthropologists ascribed exclusively to gift exchange, that is the formation of social ties. The literature also shows that social reproduction in urban contexts requires city residents and city dwellers to create new ways to make kin with strangers, and to turn strangers into friends. As such, this dissertation draws on empirical and ethnographic research conducted in Gauteng with adult players of trading card games to document how adults learn how to play trading card games, how players navigate and use the wider leisure scene including the two privately owned stores in which I conducted participant observation, how players create friend relationships through their participation in commoditised leisure.
An archaeobotanical study of multiple thirteenth century Mapungubwe era settlements in Limpopo, South Africa
Steyn, Bianca (University of Pretoria, 2024)
The Middle Iron Age (MIA), c, 900 to 1300 AD, is a period associated with agro-pastoralists, people who practiced agriculture and kept stock animals in north-east South Africa. Most of the studies on the MIA have been concerned with large sites in the Shashe Limpopo Confluence Area (SLCA) such as Mapungubwe. While an increasing number of studies are looking at MIA sites outside the SLCA, little is known about how agriculture was managed or which wild plants were exploited during the MIA. The limited research that has been undertaken on MIA agriculture has largely been focused on using macrobotanical material which is dependent on fire for preservation. It is unknown whether phytoliths were preserved at MIA sites (Biagetti 2020, pers. comm). As such, this dissertation examined three MIA sites Mutamba (MUT), Vryheid (MNR 04) and Frampton 1 (MNR 074) located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa in order to first, ascertain the presence of phytoliths at MIA sites, and second, to determine agricultural practices and third, to determine if there is any differences in wild taxa utilised. Analysis on phytolith material found that phytoliths were present at each of the three sites. Analysis of macrobotanical material found a wide variety of crop and wild taxa at the sites. It was theorized that two of the sites, Mutamba (MUT) and Vryheid (MNR 04) practiced floodplain and dryland agriculture while the Frampton 1 (MNR 074) was most likely a temporary stock post. A number of wild taxa was also identified at the sites. These taxa held multiple purposes (food, medicine etc.). Overall, there does not appear to be an overwhelming difference of wild taxa utilised at these three sites.
Good fences make new neighbours : a material ethnography of an Enclaved City in Boom
Kific, Armin (University of Pretoria, 2024-10)
Boomed suburbs, along with various other residential and non-residential enclaves, have increasingly characterised the South African urban socio-spatial order following the transition to democracy in 1994. Boomed suburbs, otherwise referred to as ‘enclosed neighbourhoods’ in the literature, are forms of ‘gated communities’ that constitute resident-driven initiatives to fortify and securitise already-existing suburbs with fences, booms, gates, surveillance technologies, and security guards. Unlike other gated communities, however, boomed suburbs are legally prohibited from denying access to any person seeking to access or move through them. The city of Pretoria-Tshwane hosts over 90 enclaves of this type, and continues to witness the growth of this figure with each passing year. Based on data made over a period of nine months, through participant observation with a range of actors involved in booming, interviews, walking the city, and an analysis of documents and visual material, this dissertation describes the diverse set of actors involved in the process of their development and maintenance and repair of boomed suburbs, including suburban residents; project managers; private security forces; municipal officials suburban vigilante groups; and criminals. The main field site was ‘Pretoria East,’ an area of the city concentrated with these enclaves, although this ethnographic research was also multi-sited and participants were drawn from different boomed suburbs and the city space located in between them. A key research participant in the study was an individual and project management company that sits at the heart of the booming enterprise in the city, an individual actor that has singularly shaped the security landscape of the capital city. The dissertation describes the actors involved in booming open suburbs, as well as the often long processes, diverse practices, labour, and costs involved in these enclosure projects. It demonstrates how these variously positioned actors get entangled across a complex, unpredictable, and experimental urban borderlands characterised by conditions of severe criminality and state abandonment, or hypogovernance. Moreover, arguing from the data made in this study, the dissertation suggests that amidst borderland relations between human actors and the technologies and infrastructures of enclavement, a new coproduced city is emerging, alongside technological and legislative innovations, knowledges and expertise, infrastructural hybrids, and redrawn understandings of citizenship and community.
Informal urban settlements, adverse weather events and adaptation : responses to incidents of flash flooding by residents in Eerste Fabriek, Mamelodi
Mogotsi, Dineo A (University of Pretoria, 2024)
The adverse impacts of climate change, mainly droughts and floods that affect agriculture activities, are pushing rural households to migrate to urban areas. Through this rural push, people move to the city to search for work, better economic opportunities, and a higher standard of living to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change-linked weather events. In developing countries, the pace at which people move into urban areas is often faster than the development of formal urban settlements and related amenities. As a result, many who migrate to cities and towns end up living in informal settlements. Some of these informal settlements are built in vulnerable locations where the impacts of extreme climate change-linked weather events such as floods, drought, heatwaves, and severe fires, amongst others, are dire when they manifest. Against this background this study, examines the case of the case of Eerste Fabriek, an informal settlement in Mamelodi, Pretoria, in South Africa, seeking to analyse the community's vulnerability and adaptability to the adverse effects of climate change. This settlement has recently been adversely affected by a series of climate change incidents of flooding. The qualitative study gathered data through key informant interviews, household semi structured interviews, observation and the use of document review. The research found that many of the respondents perceived repeated cases of flooding in the area as a man-made phenomenon, discounting the contribution of climate change to the recent incidents of flooding. This indicates a lack of understanding of the drivers of climate change and its impacts. Noting the likelihood of increased climate change-related extreme weather events, the research recommends an increased intensity of educating people in this settlement and beyond on the drivers, impacts, evidence, and management of the climate change phenomenon.
COVID-19 and water delivery challenges in the rural society of Driekoppies in Mpumalanga
Seitshiro, Caroline Cassandra Kenalemang (University of Pretoria, 2024-11)
Rural areas face greater challenges regarding water supply and sanitation because of the settlements' predominately environmentally vulnerable locations, diverse cultural development models, precarious economic conditions, and associated difficulties with cost recovery. Dispersed settlements, an agro-based economy, and scarce water supplies frequently hamper infrastructure provision. This study aims to explore water delivery challenges in the rural society of Driekoppies during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping inform future water provision efforts during pandemics. Guided by an epistemological position, the study is designed as a single-site and an in-depth inquiry grounded on people's lived realities and experiences. The methodology adopted for the dissertation was a qualitative research approach. Data was collected from the Driekoppies community in Khomanzi District in Mpumalanga using interviews, observation, and secondary data. It used purposive sampling for the four key informants who participated in the study such as an official from the Department of Water Affairs, the head of water and sanitation, an official from the water demand section and the last official was from the water quality section, whilst twelve participants from the study area were used to collect data. Out of the twelve participants, four were male while eight were female. The study found that water shortages in Driekoppies are because of ‘construction mafias’, which are groups that disrupt water projects by demanding jobs or fees that delay progress and leave infrastructure incomplete. Additionally, water challenges in the community result from ageing water infrastructure and climate change phenomena causing frequent draughts. To address these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of South Africa came up with intervention strategies such as drilling boreholes and setting up water tanks that would be filled by water tankers for citizens to access water. However, some of the infrastructure that was set up was vandalised during the COVID-19 period. The research also found that households in Driekoppies view rainwater harvesting and providing informal settlements with water infrastructure as some of the sustainable solutions to the water challenges that they face. Churches, NGOs, and the private sector were some non-state actors who helped with water provision to the community of Driekoppies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study concludes that the water supply situation in Driekoppies is not just a concern, but a pressing issue that demands immediate attention. The current state of inadequate water supply for households in Driekoppies is far from ideal for curbing the devastating impact of COVID-19. The government of South Africa and its development partners should urgently work on a permanent solution to address the water challenges in the study area, as only a sustained effort can ensure a lasting impact. The study recommends that policymakers emphasise that municipalities form public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements which will help create synergy and share risks and rewards between the public and private sectors.
Assessing the sufficiency of corporate funding for undergraduate bursaries and their impacts on student access and success in South Africa perspectives and insights from past bursary recipients and corporate social investment (CSI) professionals in Gauteng Province
Maphosa, Alson (University of Pretoria, 2024-08)
In South Africa, where the high cost of tertiary education often exacerbates existing socio-economic inequalities, corporate bursaries have emerged as a crucial source of funding for disadvantaged students. However, the effectiveness and impact of these bursaries on student success remain under-researched. This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining the adequacy of corporate funding for undergraduate bursaries and its broader implications for student success in Gauteng. Grounded in the perspectives of social justice, human capital development, and social capital development, this research explores the impact of corporate bursaries on the academic success and well-being of undergraduate students at South African universities, with a focus on Gauteng. Recognising the potential of these bursaries to alleviate financial barriers and foster human capital, the study delves into the lived experiences of past recipients and insights from Corporate Social Investment (CSI) professionals to assess whether corporate funding is sufficient to support student success. Through in-depth interviews and meticulous document analysis, the study uncovers a complex landscape of experiences. While bursaries provide essential financial support, they often fall short of covering students’ full needs, leading to financial strain, compromised academic choices, and the adoption of both adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms to mitigate the adverse impacts of inadequate funding. Students may struggle to balance academic demands with the need to support families, work part-time jobs, or even engage in risky behaviour to make ends meet. The research further uncovered the nuanced impact of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies on corporate bursary programmes. While well-intentioned in their aim to redress historical inequalities, these policies appear to inadvertently create unintended consequences. The study reveals how the emphasis on B-BBEE points can sometimes lead to a focus on compliance rather than comprehensive student support. This results in the selection of bursary recipients based on demographic criteria, potentially overlooking deserving candidates and perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage. Additionally, the pressure to meet B-BBEE targets may lead corporations to offer bursaries that are insufficient to cover the full costs of education, leaving students with significant financial burdens. Ultimately, while B-BBEE aims to empower disadvantaged communities, the current implementation creates an environment where corporate bursaries fall short of their intended goals, hindering rather than facilitating the academic success and well-being of students. The findings challenge the prevailing assumption that corporate bursaries automatically translate into student success. Instead, they underscore the need for a more holistic approach that addresses the broader socio-economic challenges faced by students. This includes providing comprehensive financial support, fostering student autonomy and agency, and offering additional resources such as mental health support, career guidance, mentorship, and work experience. This study offers valuable insights for stakeholders in higher education by shedding light on the lived experiences of bursary recipients and the perspectives of Corporate Social Investment (CSI) professionals. It calls for a re-evaluation of corporate bursary programmes to ensure they adequately support students’ academic journeys and overall well-being. Moreover, it emphasises the importance of collaboration between universities, corporations, and policymakers to create a more equitable and effective funding system that truly empowers students and contributes to their long-term success.
Examining the contribution of livelihood strategies to household food security in rural Zimbabwe : the case of smallholder farmers in Muzarabani District
Maketho, Mike J (University of Pretoria, 2024-06)
Household food security is a serious and prevalent security issue, especially for poor households living in the dry areas of Muzarabani. Yet vulnerability assessments usually exclude a large portion of these dry areas which make up agro ecolological region IV and V. This explains partly why there is insufficient data on household food insecurity. It is within this context that the current study was designed to examine the impact of livelihood strategies on household food security situation in Muzarabani District. The study assessed how farm-based strategies and non-farm strategies affect household food security situation, drawing insights from the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) as the framework of analysis. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this study examined the contribution of on-farm and off-farm livelihood strategies to household food security by analysing how various livelihood strategies contribute to levels of household food security or the degree to which they heighten the risks to food insecurity. A randomly selected sample of 65 households in Kapembere and Muringazuva wards was used. Secondary data was collected from various data bases. Extended household visits, observation, transact walks, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect primary data. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Emerging from the study, livelihood strategies are intrinsically linked to how a household is able to cope with food security challenges brought about by natural and economic factors. The study further brought out how rural farm households make livelihood decisions, and how such decisions affect household food security. The study particularly analysed households’ livelihood choices, how much they contribute to household food security, and more importantly, the extent to which they contribute to the vulnerability of households to food insecurity. This study added knowledge on how livelihood pathways adopted by poor rural households either contribute to household food self-sufficiency or vulnerability to food insecurity. This was achieved through analyzing the way in which livelihood choices have resulted in susceptibility of households and danger to food insecurity using a qualitative approach. The results of the current study are important because of their possible influence in informing interventions, agenda setting, advocating for policies and programmes that improve household food security.
Reading for the road : routes through African literatures
Boyd, Michael John (University of Pretoria, 2024-08)
The central concern of this thesis is formal representations of the road in African literature. The thesis is cast within the field of infrastructuralism, a branch of literary study proposed by Michael Rubenstein, Bruce Robbins and Sophia Beal (2018), applying the new formalist theories of Caroline Levine (2015) while conducting an approach related to Isabel Hofmeyr, Sarah Nuttall and Charne Lavery’s theory of ‘Reading for Water’ (2022). These frame the road as both a material and conceptual construct. An exploration of the African road precedes a detailed unpacking of the materiality of the infrastructure. Subsequently, the road is traced through three African novels in investigations I have termed ‘intersections’, referring to the meeting point of roads as a departure for analysis. I focus on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Petals of Blood (1977), tracing the road through the newly independent Kenya. The promises of independence are aligned with the affordances of the material road as a measure of its fulfilment. In Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) I examine different experiences and directionality of the road, analysing this against the political conditions that led to the oppressive apartheid regime. The construction of the road is investigated in Ben Okri’s The Famished Road (1991). I study the road as a magical, shifting form, setting its construction alongside Nigeria’s independence. In these intersections, different theoretical approaches are used to analyse the material infrastructure as a method of surfacing discourse surrounding the social and political conditions presented in the literary space.
Memories in mortar, the language of bank buildings : a study of the Nedbank historical collective
Andreou, Alexander (University of Pretoria, 2024-06-06)
Memories in Mortar, The Language of Bank Buildings: A study of the Nedbank Historical Collective examines the question of ‘To what extent do corporate archives impact broader South African history and identity-making?’. For this, the archive and architecture of the Nedbank Historical Collective, housed in the Nedbank Heritage & Archival Repository, a merged assemblage of over 20 entities which were instituted from as early as 1831 have been examined in this thesis. This research has relied on the records and corporate archives of Nedbank Group Ltd, with the predominant use of photographs (supported by documents) to explore the concept of institutional identity. My entry point into the research was through an exploration of the records around bank buildings across southern Africa that were once associated with Nedbank or other institutions now contained in the collective. The many and varied buildings, when read together, reflected material acts of corporate identity making, and through these and other components of the collection, I have explored the bank’s identity as an institution. Through this reading of the archive, the research is concerned with how the various facets of the Nedbank Historical Collective form part of social and public histories in southern Africa.
Social change and community works in rural eMaxesibeni, Alfred Nzo district in the South Africa’s Eastern Cape
Pindo, Abongile (University of Pretoria, 2024-11)
Rural development in South Africa is lagging despite gaining independence and democracy in 1994. Eastern Cape province is one of the provinces where issues of service delivery, rural development, and corruption are prevalent. For example, the triple challenges such as poverty, unemployment and inequality are still prevalent, especially in rural areas; this is because before democracy, many rural areas were divided into Homelands, and this was because of the colonial laws of segregation that isolated rural communities from the economy of the country. The study focuses on social change and community work in Alfred Nzo District eMaxesibeni. the Alfred Nzo District is one of the most poverty-stricken and poorest rural areas in the Eastern Cape Province. There is a lack of scholarly research on the status of rural development policies and the impact of the development programmes introduced. This thesis research critically analyses the promised social change and the efficacy of the Community Work Programme (CWP) on rural livelihoods, with a particular focus on the agriculture sector, in terms of its contribution to tackling the issues of social change and rural development. The study sought to address how CWP homesteads and communal gardens contribute to social change in the Eastern Cape, eMaxesibeni under Alfred Nzo District, and what the successes and challenges of the CWP agriculture sector in bringing about social change and sustainable development. Previous rural and community development studies have explored and investigated rural development issues and how rural development programmes such as CWP and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) contribute to issues of unemployment and poverty. From the previous research, it is evident that these development programmes have provided an employment safety net and fought poverty as beneficiaries received stipends; however, there are limited skills development and training for permanent employment should participants want to exit the programmes. Some of the previous studies focused on quantitative data. They failed to engage with beneficiaries of the programmes through interviews where the researcher can gain in-depth information about the programme, and very limited studies have followed several methods of data sources and samples. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of social change projects, which are the CWP agriculture sector and the CWP homestead and communal food gardens contributing to addressing poverty and unemployment and achieving sustainable agriculture development in eMaxesibeni, Alfred Nzo district and to explore the service delivery and factors that hinder the successful implementation of development programmes in the Eastern Cape and develop strategies to achieve the promised social change through CWP gardens projects. The study is significant as the study fills the gap in previous research and also applies three qualitative methods when conducting the study, and also ensures that the beneficiaries, site supervisors and government officials involved in this CWP agriculture sector programme participate in this study. Growing up in the Alfred Nzo district, I witnessed its underdeveloped nature and migration issues due to a lack of opportunities and social change. This experience motivated me to pursue a development studies degree and this research. This background afforded me to critically explore the development programmes implemented for rural livelihood and their contribution. The study is underpinned by the work of the Social Change chair, Gary Minkley, who wrote about the development and social change state of the Eastern Cape and the livelihoods of rural areas. Kate Philip's (development strategist) CWP and rural development work were critical in shaping this study. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and methods, where a case study design was followed, and data was collected through semi-structured interviews, field observations and the retrieval of archives. I interviewed 02 government officials, 41 beneficiaries of CWP and Five site supervisors. Extensive analyses of government reports, newspaper articles and IDPs were retrieved from archives. Even though obtaining permission from several officials who are the community and programme gatekeepers was challenging, speaking the local language, isiXhosa, worked well for me as it fostered effective communication and established rapport between myself, the gatekeepers, and the participants. One of the main study findings is that the CWP agriculture sector has contributed significantly to fighting absolute poverty, which is perceived as dominant, and most beneficiaries have experienced it. The beneficiaries can now afford to send their children to school, feed their families and care for themselves through the stipend they get. However, the programme is not doing so well in terms of monitoring and evaluation, provision of the inputs, and protection of the beneficiaries, and there is a high level of corruption that is taking place; also, due to stipend issues, the fact that the programme has the minimal number of youth participation, and there are limited activities that are available to attract youth. There is a lack of upskilling of the beneficiaries and site supervisors, such as technical and generic skills, including plumbing, bricklaying, welding, gardening, electrical skills and many more. The findings imply that the policymakers, government officials and other stakeholders must amend or revise the CWP policy implementation to include skills development and training for youth and all beneficiaries to ensure their employability and to foster collaboration with public and private institutions for training provision and future employment. This research will significantly contribute to local and international development programmes that aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) One and Two. The study also addressed the literature gap regarding different programmes and agriculture initiatives and their success and failure in addressing rural poverty and development in rural areas such as the Alfred Nzo district.

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