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- ItemThe provision of water and sanitation in previously disadvantaged rural communities: a study of Uthungulu/King Cetshwayo district municipality(University of Zululand, 2019) Ncube, Elijah SiphosenkosiThe principal aim of the study was to evaluate the status of the provision of water and sanitation in previously disadvantaged rural communities. The study was conducted in uThungulu/King Cetshwayo District Municipality. It was chosen as one of those local municipalities that incorporated rural areas like iNkandla, uMthonjaneni, uMfolozi, uMlalazi and uMhlathuze; where rural dwellers were likely to have no access to essential services. The idea was to evaluate the extent to which these basic services have been delivered to communities that were previously ostracised by the apartheid government and also to determine the strategies and interventions uThungulu/King Cetshwayo District Municipality has for the future development of the rural areas. The human rightsbased approach (HRBA) was used with an aim of enhancing human well-being. The study also intended to investigate whether local governments were able or not to carryout their mandate succinctly as stipulated in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), section 87, (to provide basic services to communities). According to the researcher, the widespread of violent service delivery protests across the country (SA), where citizens complain about the poor delivery of essential services, were a sign that it was likely that communities were not afforded an opportunity to participate in the drawing of an integrated development plan(IDP). The quantitative research method was used in this study. The respondents were randomly chosen from uThungulu/King Cetshwayo District Municipality for the study. The questionnaires in a Likert scale; (a five-point scale) were used to solicit data for the study. The SPSS (Version 25) programme was used to process the results. From the findings of the study, it became evident that some parts of rural areas which were previously marginalised have been provided with both water and sanitation. However, residents in the peri-urban were still without piped water and flush/decent well ventilated toilets. The study also revealed that there was a lack of maintenance of the existing infrastructure within the local government. The study therefore, recommended that the policy-makers and politicians should explore the underlying relationship between the level of basic services provided and the violent service delivery protests taking place in municipalities. The provision of these essential services to rural communities would leave an indelible scratch in their minds, marking a realisation of a “Better life for all.”
- ItemEconomic development and women empowerment in Zamimpilo art and craft co-operative(University of Zululand, 2018) Mahlaba, Siphelele Nadia; Ige, K.DDevelopment agencies, non-government Organizations (NGOs) and government organizations around the world aim for the betterment of women in all spheres of their lives. Empowerment has been considered the main focal point towards the achievement of the wellbeing of women. The study was about cooperatives and women empowerment. It investigated the extent to which participation, empowerment, capacitation and benefits of membership contribute in enabling cooperatives to empower women. This study applied the Capability Approach (CA) in an attempt to understand the need and importance of capabilities to women in a cooperative. The quality of life of an individual is analysed in terms of the core concepts of functionings and capability, thus the CA focuses directly on the quality of life that individuals are actually able to achieve. The Capability Approach proposed that the most vital thing to deliberate when valuing well-being is what people are actually able to do. Capacitation to disadvantaged people is very important in that it ensures services and assistants directly meet their needs. Participatory planning can be regarded as an instrument for identifying the needs of all persons within a community, a way of constructing harmony, and means of empowering deprived or marginalised groups. Participatory development has created the need that there should be inclusion of everyone concerned in the decision making that enables the utilization of all ideas and experiences especially of the poor in rural communities and that they should have influence in the decision making process. The study hypothesized that the perceived level of participation; empowerment and capacitation will determine the benefit of membership in a cooperative. The survey was conducted using a Five-Level Likert scale to decipher respondents’ perceptions of level of participation, empowerment, capacitation, and perceived benefits. In the beginning of analysis, responses (N=110) were reduced using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to determine how questionnaire items contributed to variables under consideration, variables extracted were correlated and regressed. A linear regression analysis was used to describe how a benefit of membership mediates the relationship between participation, empowerment and capacitation. iii The results showed that members’ perceived levels of empowerment mediate their Perceived Benefits of membership (PERBEME). This shows how benefits of membership in a cooperative are determined and empowerment experienced. Cooperatives have a potential of empowering women and that is achieved through democratic operation, where members equally participate in the daily business. The findings showed a correlation between independent and dependent variables. The findings further demonstrated that capacitation, empowerment and participation, influence change on the benefits of membership in a co-operative.
- ItemSelf-Regulated learning and academic performance among pupils at Qhakaza High School in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province, South Africa.(University of Zululand, 2018) Ngcobo, SinethembaIn spite of numerous initiatives, resources and infrastructural provision, the continuous decline in Learners’ academic performance remains a global phenomenon that threatens economic development. Scholars have therefore been interested in unravelling factors that enhance or impede academic performance. Self-regulated learning (SRL) refers to a self-initiated and directed learning process; this agentic angle of the social cognitive theory introduces human agency as a solution to students declining academic performance. Self-regulated learning encompasses motivation, self-judgement, self-efficacy, cognition and assessment feedback. Current literature on self-regulated learning and academic performance is limited to subject specific investigations, which seek to determine suitable learning strategies for specific learning areas. The present study investigated the relationship between components of self-regulated learning and academic performance. The purpose of the study was to determine whether self-regulated learning could improve, the academic performance of high school students. Learners’ perceived levels of motivation, self-judgement, self-efficacy, cognition, assessment feedback and their self-reported academic performance were collated using a self-report questionnaire. Motivation, self-judgement, self-efficacy, cognition and assessment feedback are components of SRL. Each variable provides a skill or strategy that is linked to academic success. In a survey, (n=101), data was collected using the Likert scale type self-report questionnaires from grade 10 learners at Qhakaza High School, KwaDlangezwa, in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province of South Africa. In the first order of analysis, responses were reduced using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), to determine how questionnaire items contributed to the variables of interest. Furthermore, bivariate correlations and hierarchical stepwise linear regressions were carried out to establish simple relationships between the dependent and independent variables. The results showed that cognition and assessment feedback were the only two variables of self-regulated learning which were positively related to Learners’ academic performance. The result thus indicated, contrary to many past, studies that the perceived level of motivation, perceived level of self-judgement and perceived level of self-efficacy were statistically insignificant as predictors of Learners’ academic performance. The results of this study thus showed that cognition and assessment feedback are learning strategies that should be fostered towards improving Learners’ academic performance in high schools. Cognition and assessment feedback are two variables, which are mostly facilitated or provided by teachers. This implies that contrary to the propositions of the SRL’s agentic component, Learners’ responsibilities for their own learning outcomes may not be relevant in the sample of this study as none of the self-directed variables of perceived level of motivation, perceived level of self-judgement and perceived level of self-efficacy were correlated to academic performance. The main conclusion of the study was that not all components of self-regulated learning influence academic performance. It was therefore recommended that the teacher-learner approach should be revised to suit the contemporary classroom environments, since students still struggle with self-directed learning.
- ItemTransformation in the forestry sector and its implication for women in Zululand(University of Zululand, 2017) Cele, S.C.; Tshabalala, N.G; Ige, K.DIn post-Apartheid South Africa, transformation has afforded business opportunities for women to be involved as entrepreneurs. Stimulated by the forestry Charter, the forestry industry has been a major recipient of these entrepreneurs. While the Forestry Charter is succeeding in providing business opportunities for women, the work of sociologists, such as, Talcott Parsons, Marx and Engels and the Feminist perspective provide an understanding of the challenges faced by women in taking on social roles hitherto reserved for men in a patriarchal society. Feminist perspectives have shown how male dominance and the monopoly of the affairs of the state and the social division of labour relegated women to the households. This has often created obstacles for women in society. However, while modern social policies have begun to provide mechanisms of redress, the exclusion of women pervades. The exclusion of women from the forestry sector, which is regarded as an arena for men, mirrors other forms of marginalization and domination of women. This was the basis for the Beijing conference‘s recommendation for women‘s empowerment. While there have been many studies on social cultural inhibitions to women‘s empowerment as well as men‘s dominance, the present study uncovers implications for women with involvement in entrepreneurial pursuits in the forestry sector. The study proposed to uncover constructs that prevent women from taking full advantage of new opportunities legislated by transformation in South Africa. As South Africans, we need to be more educated in the meaning of transformation and understand the different types of transformation that are found. Transformation is a type of change presented in a certain form, nature or appearance. Change is more regarded as a gradual process. Industrial sociologists provide an in-depth explanation whereby they view and analyse transformation as first order change, ―conforming strategies‖, wherein the arrangement, including its organization, culture, defining values and sentiments, does not change. The process of change takes place within the boundaries of the system itself, and in terms of the basic principles and values of the system. The objective is to change behaviour within a prevailing system without affecting the culture, structure and defining values of the system. The study proposed to reveal how gender roles, inequalities and stereotypes affect the forestry industry in South Africa. Marx and Engels argued that gender inequality was used by the ruling class to help bind working class men to the capitalist social order. Utilizing a survey design, the present study investigated the effects of women‘s ‗coping abilities‘ (COPAB), ‗mastery of life‘ (MASTOL), their extent of ‗self-assurance‘, (SELASSU) and their levels of ‗perception of discrimination against women‘, (PERDIWOM) on their ‗Perception of empowerment and ability among women‘ (PERABIL). The survey conducted used a five-level Likert scale to determine hypothesised relationships between variables. In the first stage of analysis of the research results, responses (n = 68) were reduced using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to determine how questionnaire items contributed to variables under consideration. Subsequently, variables extracted were correlated. Bivariate correlation was used to test simple relationships between independent and dependent variables. The hypotheses that were formulated for statistical testing revealed that there is a correlation between women‘s levels of self-assurance, perception of discrimination against women (SELASSU) and extent of PERDIWOM. Further to that, the results showed that PERDIWOM and PERABIL are correlated insignificantly; the results also showed that there is a correlation between PERABIL and SELASSU. Many women entrepreneurs in developing countries face disproportionate obstacles in accessing and competing in markets. These include women‘s relative lack of mobility, capacity and technical skills in relation to men (World Bank, 2009). The prosperity and growth in the South African economy and forestry sector cannot be realized without the participation and empowerment of black women in the forestry sector. Gender inequality still dominates the sector. In light of the above findings, the study recommends that, the forestry business programme needs to be rearranged in its present state. The rekindling of the business incubators in the forestry sector will see growth and attract more women, escalate productivity and reduce unemployment
- ItemCooperatives and the empowerment of disabled people: the case of Zamani Disabled People’s Organization in Esikhawini, Kwa-Zulu Natal(University of Zululand, 2017) Guambe, J.; Ige, K.DThe study was about cooperatives and the empowerment of disabled people. It investigated the extent in which participation, capacitation and satisfaction with management contribute in enabling cooperatives to empower disabled people. The Capability Approach proposed that the most vital thing to deliberate when valuing well-being is what people are actually able to do. Capacitation to disadvantaged people is very important in that it ensures services and assistants directly meet their needs. Participatory planning can be regarded as an instrument for identifying the needs of all persons within a community, a way of constructing harmony, and means of empowering deprived or marginalised groups. Empowerment is a varied practices enabling people to maintain themselves by providing power that they might use in dealing with issues they declare important. Satisfaction with management is determined by the work environments that satisfy the social, economic and personal fundamentals of the individual. Benefit of membership is a combination of personal adaptive technologies and modifications in a workplace attitudes and configurations can enable even those who have very significant impairments to work effectively. The assimilation of Perceived Level of Empowerment (PERLEMP), Perceived Level of Participation (PERLEPAR), and Perceived Level of Capacitation (PERLECA) showed that Satisfaction with Management of a Cooperative (SAMACO) mediates on Perceived Benefits of Membership (PERBEME). Thus the study showed that benefit of membership in a cooperative is determined by participation, capacitation and satisfaction with management of a cooperative. The study hypothesised that perceived participation, capacitation, empowerment and satisfaction with management will determine the benefit of membership in a cooperative. Where disabled people seek empowerment they will join a cooperative. Where they seek their benefit in a cooperative, they will consider their level of participation, empowerment, capacitation and satisfaction with management will as well be considered. A survey was conducted using a Five-Level Likert scale to decipher respondents‟ perceptions of level of participation, empowerment, capacitation, satisfaction with management and perceived benefits. In the beginning of analysis, responses (N=28) were reduced using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to determine how questionnaire items contributed to variables under consideration. Afterwards, variables extracted were correlated and regressed. While bivariate correlation was used to test the simple relationship between variables. A linear regression analysis was used to describe how satisfaction with management mediates the relationship between participation, empowerment and capacitation. MANCOVA was used to test the mediation effects of independent variables PERLEPAR, PERLEMP and PERLECA. The results showed that PERLECA was the desired description for cooperatives for the empowerment of disabled people at Zamani Disabled People‟s Organization. On the basis of the results, cooperatives have a potential of empowering disabled people and that is achieved through democratic operation, where members equally participate in the daily business and inclusion in decision-making.