scholarly journals An assessment of support provided to smallholder farmers: A case study of the Vhembe District, South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1077-1085
Author(s):  
Khazamula Chauke Phineas ◽  
Dennis Nekhavhambe Thizwilondi ◽  
Kudakwashe Pfumayaramba Tichaona
2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 825 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Stroebel ◽  
F. J. C. Swanepoel ◽  
N. D. Nthakheni ◽  
A. E. Nesamvuni ◽  
G. Taylor

A survey of livestock production systems was conducted in the Vhembe District, located between 22°85′ latitude and 30°71′ longitude in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The objective of the study was to investigate the benefits obtained from, and key functions of, cattle production, as well as related breeding objectives in smallholder livestock production in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Data were collected by means of a general survey questionnaire and a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) exercise. The results indicate that almost 60% of farmers own < 10 cattle. Female animals constituted the largest component of the herd (55.02%). Although the bull : cow ratio was extremely high (1 : 3.7), the calving rate was low at 35.60%, with an extremely high herd mortality of 15.70% and a low off-take of 8.70%. In a pairwise ranking, the benefits obtained from cattle by smallholder livestock farmers are as follows: selling and meat consumption (4), wealth, status and savings (3), socio-cultural activities (2) and draught power (1). The ‘cattle complex’, where cattle are kept for prestige and status, is still appropriate, but cattle also make significant contributions in respect to selling and meat consumption, and arable inputs such as draft and fertiliser. It is concluded that benefits obtained from cattle form the basis of decision-making by smallholder cattle owners with respect to livestock production.


Heliyon ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e06207
Author(s):  
Joshua N. Edokpayi ◽  
John O. Odiyo ◽  
Oluwaseun E. Popoola ◽  
Titus A.M. Msagati

Author(s):  
J. Mawere ◽  
P. E. Matshidze ◽  
S. L. Kugara ◽  
T. S. Madzivhandila

European colonialism and apartheid in South Africa included the alienation of land just as the restructuring of customary tenure. The reconstructed customary tenure vested title to land in the colonial and apartheid state in this way, merging sovereignty and property. The merger encouraged authoritative control of rural society. Customary tenure was argued to be communal and excluded individual rights. Regardless of the official rendition, customary tenure was dynamic, recognized individual use rights and “facilitated accumulation and differentiation.” In the present-day, customary tenure is perceived as unregulated capital, holding back the ability of the poor people to prosper. Thus, the relevance and place of customary tenure is in dispute. This article aims to examine the efficacy for preserving customary tenure, using Vhembe district as a case study. The article uses the exploratory qualitative approach to collect data.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 62-71
Author(s):  
Azwihangwisi E. Nesamvuni ◽  
Khathutshelo A. Tshikolomo ◽  
Ndivhudzannyi S. Mpandeli ◽  
Lindelani Makhuvha

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Wendy Wadzanayi Tsoriyo ◽  
◽  
Emaculate Ingwani ◽  
James Chakwizira ◽  
Peter Bikam ◽  
...  

Safe and secure street spaces for pedestrians translate to spatially just urban environments. This study examined pedestrians’ safety and security elements on street spaces in three selected Small Rural Towns (SRTs) in South Africa and assessed the users’ physical perceptions of street safety and security in SRTs and their implications on spatial (in)justice. Forty-three street spaces from three SRTs in South Africa were purposively sampled and assessed in this study. The study adopted a mixed-method approach and a street safety spatial (in)justice case study survey design. Data were collected through key informant interviews, a questionnaire survey and observations. The distribution of safety and security elements across the studied 43 street spaces reflect the existence of justices and injustices concurrently. Users’ theoretical perception of the meaning of street safety differs significantly from their actual experiences. The study recommends that the design and management of streets be informed by users’ vision of street safety and security and innovative project financing strategies by local municipalities to ensure spatial justice on street spaces.


Politeia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mavhungu Elias Musitha ◽  
Mavhungu Abel Mafukata

This study investigated the impact of perceptions of ethnicity and tribalism on public administration in South Africa with reference to the protests of Vuwani communities in 2016 against their area being re-demarcated to fall under the LIM 345 municipality (later named the Collins Chabane Local Municipality) dominated by Xitsonga speakers. The study adopted qualitative and exploration designs and used a literature review and key informant interviews in order to obtain secondary and primary data respectively. This study revealed that Vuwani communities feared domination by the Xitsonga-speaking majority in the proposed new municipality. The council of the proposed new municipality consisted of 72 councillors, 74 per cent of which were Xitsonga-speaking councillors and a mere 26 per cent were Tshivenda-speaking councillors. It also found that perceptions of ethnicity and tribalism in Vuwani had rendered public administration ineffective, thus bringing service delivery to a halt for several months. The study recommended that policy-makers should abolish majority representation based solely on regionalism and should seek to forge national unity. It concluded that the establishment of public institutions based on ethnic homogeneity had the potential of bringing about peace and stability in areas characterised by ethnic disparities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 683-698
Author(s):  
Zongho Kom ◽  
Nthaduleni S. Nethengwe ◽  
Sylvester Mpandeli ◽  
Hector Chikoore

In South Africa, the smallholding-farming system is a dominant economic activity in rural communities. This study examines smallholder-farmers’ perceptions in regards to climate changes, in comparison with evidence from meteorological data from 1980–2015, across Vhembe District; data from a questionnaire and recorded meteorological were used. The results reveal that, farmers’ perceptions of climatic conditions are consistent with meteorological details on climatic change. In other words, the study, showed that, farmers’ perceptions using climate indicators, mirror meteorological data. It was concluded that it is imperative for farmers to understand issues such as, temperature and rainfall patterns in order to identify adaptive strategies to the negative impacts of climate.


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