Assessment of the Realization of the Fundamental Human Right to Water at the Umalalazi Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal

The aim of the study was to examine the municipal water resource governance and fundamental human rights to water in the UMlalazi Local Municipality of the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The study employed the post-positivist paradigm and closed ended questionnaires for collection of data. Stratified random sampling technique was used to sample 375 respondents, who were the households (head of households). Chi-square was used to determine relationships between the variables. The findings showed that most of the respondents strongly agreed that the 6kl of monthly water supply was not enough for meeting their domestic, consumptive, and hygiene needs. The municipality has a youthful population structure. Females were mostly affected by household water scarcity compared to their male counterparts. For the households, a day would be terribly difficult without this life-enabling commodity.

The Use of Signs and Symbols in Communication Amongst the Vhavenda

Signs and symbols are also known to be an integral part of secret language that is expected only to be understood by the speakers of that language. Signs and symbols have been used by different African communities to transfer meaning since time immemorial, and Vhavenda communities are not immune to such phenomena. This means that the meaning of a sign and/or symbol is not necessarily readily or easily apparent to a non-speaker of the language. Non-speakers may struggle to understand what is conveyed by the speaker. This chapter seeks to explore the characteristics, types of signs and symbols used by the Vhavenda communities to communicate meaning. Data will be collected from elderly members of the Vhavenda communities within Thulamela local municipality. Fifteen elders will be engaged through face-to-face interviews as well as focus group discussions for data collection purposes. Data for this book chapter will then be analysed thematically.

Water Scarcity and Household Food Security

The study employed the post-positivist epistemology to examine the impact of water scarcity to food security in three rural areas of Ulundi Local Municipality. A stratified random sampling technique was utilised to sample 400 respondents. Data was collected through self-designed questionnaires. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The findings showed a strong positive correlation between economic and social development, water access, and scarcity. There was also a positive relationship between water access and household food security. Water access also had a strong positive relationship with public health and development. The study concludes that water access influences food security, public health, human growth, and development. It is recommended that the municipality should improve water access in order to improve food security, public health, and development in the rural communities.

Equitable Access to Water at Alfred Duma Local Municipality

Water plays a central role in the life of society. However, factors such as population growth, pollution, and poor allocation and distribution mechanisms place severe pressures on adequate and equitable water supply. The aim of this chapter was to look into equitable water access in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality as well as the ecological governance framework that supports water access in local areas. The chapter also looked at the position of local municipality in water access and the impact of ecological scale on water provision. Many people are still unable to exercise their constitutional right to water in Alfred Duma Local Municipality, where most women feel disempowered, marginalized, and excluded from the process of making water access decisions. This brings challenges to disadvantaged and arginalized groups socially, economically, and environmentally where vulnerable and marginalised groups have no opportunity to equitably benefit from water access.

Business skills development for a successful fashion business in peri-urban communities, South Africa

Background: Entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds often possess low levels of education, limited qualifications and training. This also applies to survivalist fashion entrepreneurs in the Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM), Gauteng. Over a third of these entrepreneurs are not formally educated in business skills and may not possess the adequate knowledge to operate their fashion business successfully.Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate the uses and challenges pertaining to business skills amongst fashion entrepreneurs without formal, fashion-related education or training, in order to determine their business skills’ training needs.Setting: The sample population included 105 black, adult fashion entrepreneurs, operating micro, survivalist fashion enterprises within peri-urban, resource-poor communities in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) of the Sedibeng district. Data for this study were collected from the respondents whilst shopping at fabric and haberdashery stores or from their home-business environments.Methods: A quantitative study applying non-probability, purposive and snowball sampling was performed. Data were collected by means of interviewer-administered questionnaires by trained fieldworkers.Results: The results indicated that the respondents lacked skills in developing business plans and possessed only moderate skills in finance and marketing. The respondents indicated training needs for fashion business skills in all areas of investigation, including developing a business plan, conducting basic bookkeeping, determining correct product pricing, drafting quotations and invoices, developing a budget, conducting basic market research and advertising their products and services.Conclusion: Fashion business skill training programmes should be developed to target and train fashion entrepreneurs without formal fashion-related education or training, contributing to the long-term sustainability of local fashion businesses in South Africa (SA).

Performance Management and the Integrated Development Plan of the Msunduzi Municipality in South Africa

Poor local government performance has been detrimental to South Africa’s development. The study explores the challenge(s) the Msunduzi Local Municipality is facing in ensuring good performance necessary for achieving its planned development. The study argues that flaws in the management of performance lead to poor performance. This research was interpretivist, used a case-study strategy and adopted a qualitative design / approach. Secondary data in the form of municipal publications and primary data in the form of interview information was collected and analysed. The findings demonstrated that there is a lack of alignment between the planned development and the necessary performance to achieve it in the Msunduzi Local Municipality. The Key Performance Areas of top managers were not aligned to the Integrated Development Plan goals; Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were internally rather than externally focused; some of the KPIs were too vague to be measurable, and there was no agreement on the top five strategic objectives of the Municipality. This research investigation sought to contribute to the limited understanding of municipal performance and development policy alignment by improving municipal service delivery in developing countries. Lessons have been learnt on the need for policy alignment based on holistic thinking.

Ongoing climate crises and obstacles to adaptation: Observations from the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, South Africa

Adaptation is a key component for fostering resilience amongst farmers as they are exposed to the challenges caused by climate change. However, the implementation of adaptation strategies is not equal or easy for most farming communities and are influenced by a diverse range of socio-economic constraints. In this context, the study intended to explore the factors constraining the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies amongst commercial and subsistence farmers of the Local Municipality in the North West province, South Africa. An exploratory sequential mixed method design was used, allowing the utilisation of both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study. A total of 50 farmers (25 farmers from each group) were identified through purposive homogeneous sampling and were given a questionnaire consisting of semi-structured and structured questions. The study established that some of the most prominent factors constraining adaptation amongst farmers in the Local Municipality are related to their physical environment, lack of market access, financial constraints and limited access to established social networks (such as farmers associations). Identifying barriers to adaptation through area-specific research or studies, such as this particular study, is crucial for the development of holistic climate change adaptation strategies that will allow sustainability in diverse agricultural systems.

Spaces of learning – practising the SDGs through geographical fieldwork methods in a nature park

Purpose While the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and visions for sustainability education apply to many methods, they can be hard to put into practice. This study aims to concern an undergraduate geography course designed not only to teach geographical methods but also to engage with the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and apply them to various local urban sustainability issues in a real-world context. Design/methodology/approach By means of a mixed-method approach, the authors examine a fieldwork course that invites students into learning situations in which they combine critical thinking with entrepreneurial solutions to local sustainability challenges. The authors examine the learning material from the students’ cases and explore the geographical knowledge the students’ practise. Findings Fieldwork helps students contextualise the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and thereby apply them to analyses in a local context. Students learn first-hand how their planning proposals can be seen as counterproductive by some local stakeholders while remaining attractive to others. Originality/value Student tasks are developed in collaboration with a local municipality and students present their findings to local politicians and stakeholders. Presenting and localising the SDGs within a local community not only encourages students to undertake a local community analysis but also provides new perspectives to local stakeholders.