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Browsing Social Policy by Author "Narsiah, Inbersagran."
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Item Exploring the role of sport in the prevention of crime and drug use among youth in KwaNdengezi Township, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.(2023) Mkhize, Edwin Bheki.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.This research explored the role of sport-based activities in the prevention of crime and drug use among youth between the ages of 14 and 24 years in KwaNdengezi Township, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. With crime and drug use increasingly seen as a social problem leaving victims in hospital or dead, and the suffering of residents in the area going relatively unnoticed, this research used a qualitative approach to interrogate the causes of crime and drug use and analyse their consequences on both the youth and community. Forty-two participants were interviewed, comprising 23 young females and 19 young males. The findings emanating from this research showed that unemployment, poverty, inequality, limited access to sport activities and facilities, peer pressure, depression and loneliness were all notable causes of crime and drug use in KwaNdengezi. Sport was found to be a transformative tool that can be used to create Positive Youth Development (PYD) and thus divert the youth from a predisposed life of crime and drug use. This is what happened in the Brazil Youth Football Development Academy which provided a safe space for youth to engage in harm reducing strategies in overcoming crime and drug use. At the broader level, the community in KwaNdengezi displayed a growing commitment to initiate sport-based tournaments which had positive effects on the young and old residents of KwaNdengezi. Hence, this study revealed that through the provisions of the South African constitution, the White Paper on Sports and Recreation, the Transformation Charter for South African Sport and the National Youth Policy (NYP) that the KwaNdengezi community can be empowered to participate in their development based on their commitment and capacities.Item Extending corporate social responsibility programmes in the food retail industry to social grant recipients.(2018) Pather, Chanchal.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.The study proposes a corporate social responsibility (CSR) model for willing, major local food retailers, in an attempt to supplement existing poverty alleviation initiatives in South Africa. The study is motivated by the fact that nearly a third of the population receives state social grants and that these grants are used to support family members in the context of multiple socio-economic challenges. The study focuses on a particular crisis — the lack of access to basic food commodities. A lack of food has far reaching consequences as it impacts overall health, psycho-social wellbeing, productivity levels and most of all, a person’s sense of dignity. The proposed CSR model serves to produce consumer pricing for some basic food commodities, set far below the national average for inflation, exclusively for social grant recipients. Reduced consumer pricing is envisaged through a subsidisation scheme that involves a partnership between participating retail chains and their customers. The CSR model also requires collaborations between participating retailers, their supporting industries, the State and well-established NGOs with an intimate knowledge of the needs of poor communities. The proposed CSR model is a culmination of research into four areas. Firstly, the study delineates the extent to which social grants address poverty and socio-economic inequality in South Africa. Secondly, to explore the relationship between poverty and the access to affordable basic foods, the study examines India’s Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) — a nationwide basic food distribution programme designed to respond mass poverty. Thirdly, the study attempts to determine the potential of CSR programmes in attenuating poverty levels. Finally, the study evaluates two specific CSR programmes, KFC’s Add Hope and the Woolworths Group’s MySchoolMyVillageMyPlanet, in order to establish the possibility of adapting aspects of these CSR programmes to suggest a new CSR model for major, local food retail chains. The study employs John Rawls’ theory of distributive justice which explores the idea of justice as fairness (Rawls, 1999). The theoretical choice is apt because Rawls uses basic theoretical elements to suggest that a just society can permit social and economic inequalities amongst primary social goods — such as wealth and income — provided that such inequalities produce maximum expected social benefits for the least advantaged. Upon researching the four areas of interest, the study finds firstly, that despite the efficacy of social grants in preventing people from falling into destitution, grant amounts alone are insufficient in producing the desired redistributive effects. Secondly, through the exploration of the TPDS, the study finds a positive correlation between access to subsidised basic foods and poverty reduction. However, the study also establishes that a system such as the TPDS cannot be transplanted in South Africa because of the severe constraints on the South African economy. Thirdly, the study finds theoretical evidence that supports the efficacy of strategic CSR in producing ‘shared value’/mutual benefit for corporates and society. Finally, evaluations of the Add Hope and the MySchoolMyVillageMyPlanet campaigns, highlight the possibility of adapting aspects of these programmes in order to suggest the study’s proposed CSR model which is aimed at creating ‘shared value’ for greater redistributive effects.Item The impact of the corporatization of housing rental stock on the living conditions of tenants in eThekwini Municipality : a case study of Flamingo Court, Umbilo, Durban.(2017) Mabaso, Nonhlanhla Patricia Zanele.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.South Africa is a developing country which has a segregated and apartheid past. In 1994, the new democratic government was established. The democratic governments’ constitution states that all South Africans should have a basic right of access to adequate housing. The government has a challenge to deliver housing especially to the disadvantaged groups -- Indians, Coloureds and Blacks. The housing in the urban areas has been for the elite group (whites) who were privileged with the majority being marginalised. The government sought to rectify this by implementing policies which would allow the under-privileged to have houses in the urban areas and also security of tenure. The eThekwini municipality has implemented various forms of housing delivery and this study focuses on the Discount Benefit Scheme which was replaced by the Enhanced Extended Discount Benefit Scheme. The scheme was anticipated to permit families that had been given state-funded and managed housing stock before 1994, the chance to take entitlement of the units in which they had lived (www.urbanlandmark.org.za/SERI). The researcher is interested in viewing this project as part of government trying to help the poor people by giving them full ownership of housing. This is part of a neoliberal policy agenda. Part of this agenda includes the corporatization of housing. This is a process of transforming state assets, government agencies, or municipal organizations into corporations. It is also linked with privatization which is referred to as the act of transferring ownership of a specified property or business operation from a government organization to a privately owned entity, as well as the transition of ownership from a publicly traded, or owned, company to a privately owned company. The study will attempt to examine the effects of corporatization on the living conditions of former tenants, and now owners of apartments in the previously council owned block of flats. The findings of the study indicate that corporatization of housing is not for the poor people and suggests that government needs to review DBS projects.Item Participation of women in municipal decision-making positions: a case study of the Mtubatuba Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province.(2018) Manqele, Sipho Eric.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.Gender equality is intrinsically linked to sustainable development and is globally accepted as a necessary aspect of human rights. In the context of local government, gender equality is vital because women and men face different challenges (The Hague Academy for Local Governance, 2015). Women’s experiences in relation to full participation, representation and decent work opportunities are not the same as that of men in similar positions and, therefore,“equitable access to resources and basic services are necessary to obtain inclusive and gender-responsive governance” (ibid). Since 1994, South Africa has been a constitutional democracy based on progressive values that include freedom, human dignity, equality, non-racialism and non-sexism. However, this research indicates that patriarchy still remains deeply entrenched in local government decision-making processes. This research further revealed that at the Mtubatuba Local Municipality, although aspects of the leadership roles and functions of female and male councillors are the same, there is still an under-representation of women (27 males and 13 females). Additionally, there is a gender gap that exists in terms of council leadership and the portfolios that men and women hold on the council executive. A consideration of the qualitative evidence collected show notable differences in how female and male councillors perceive their leadership roles and styles, and the implications thereof for the substantive representation of women in local government. Furthermore, this study shows how more women in senior administrative leadership positions at the Mtubatuba Local Municipality translates into positive returns for the bottom line, increased financial viability, improved performance, better delivery of services, and better outcomes in general. Considerable evidence exists showing that having more women in municipalities and in the public administration improves service delivery for all (including men), and promotes better governance and inclusive development (Lateef, 2014). Recent research reveals that gender diversity in leadership has advantages for local government’s quality in delivery as well as integrity. The findings are in line with this. As Lateef (2014) explains, “Leveraging women’s talents and leadership, while harnessing the diversity of perspectives, will generate better and more inclusive outcomes and more equitable access to economic and social opportunities.” This research also shows that striving for gender equity in local government will support increased attention to gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in general.Item Public participation in local government: a case study of ward committees in uMhlathuze Municipality.(2020) Zulu, Kwandakwethu Kwanele.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.Apartheid prevented the participation of the majority of the population in South Africa in governance. In 1994, with the apartheid regime’s demise, South Africa entered into a democratic era. Ward committees were one of the structures that were introduced to enhance public participation at the local level of government. This study aimed to explore and understand the effectiveness of public participation through ward committees in local government in uMhlathuze Municipality. This study explored the challenges that ward committees experienced in effectively fulfilling their public participation duties, especially in policy-making and in the implementation of service delivery demands for their communities. This study aimed to unveil the views and insights of ward committees, community leaders and ward members on uMhlathuze municipality on the limitations that exist in the public participation procedures within their community. Using qualitative methods, the researcher gathered data through in-depth interviews with 22 participants drawn from ward committees, community members and municipal officials. This study used content and thematic analysis to analyse the data. The study in uMhlathuze Municipality indicated that ward committees are an essential structure which can improve public participation in local government. However, the study revealed that there are multiple disablements which contribute to the dysfunction of ward committees and a communication breakdown between the municipality and the community.Item The role of women in irrigation: a case study of the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kenya.(2020) Okumu, Mary Nyona.; Narsiah, Inbersagran.This thesis explores the role of women in irrigated agriculture in the Ahero Irrigation Scheme in Kisumu County in the Western region of Kenya. Irrigated agriculture is seen as one of the major means through which food security may be improved in Kenya. Women face various challenges when it comes to taking up agricultural activities: from insecure access to land, credit, agricultural inputs and lack of proper agricultural training. The aims of this study were to: examine women’s roles in irrigated agriculture in the Ahero Irrigation Scheme, ascertain the nature of the contribution that women have made in irrigated agriculture in Ahero Irrigation Scheme, identify and document the challenges that women face in irrigated agriculture in Ahero Irrigation Scheme. The theoretical framework used in the study is ‘eco-feminism’. Eco-feminism is derived from understanding women’s encounters with nature and their impact on the social system, economy, politics, culture and way of life generally. With this in mind, the study focused on six key themes: women and agriculture, women and land tenure systems, water and irrigation, financial resources and assets, technology education and agricultural politics. A qualitative research approach was used, involving sixty-six participants (both men and women) who were selected through purposive sampling from the Ahero Irrigation scheme. The study collected data through the use of questionnaires and interviews which were distributed within the twelve farming blocks located within the scheme. Sixty-one participants answered questionnaires and five participants took part in interviews. Data analysis (via Microsoft Excel) was conducted using theme-based groupings. The findings of this study acknowledge the important role that women play in irrigated agriculture with regards to rice farming, the challenges that women faced in irrigated agriculture with regards to land ownership, inheritance, financial assistance and agricultural training in Ahero Irrigation Scheme. The study concludes with the need to develop agricultural policies that have bottom-up approaches that meet the needs of farmers, regardless of gender. The development of better access to financial services, training and farm inputs can assist farmers within the scheme to improve the production of their crops. Lastly, there is the need to change social and cultural aspects that hinder women from inheriting land from their husbands due to land policies that have heavy cultural influences.