South Africa's social assistance intervention as a building block of a developmental state

This study explores the extent to which South Africa's social assistance programme can constitute a building block of a developmental state. Using a critical research approach and Taylor's conceptual framework (2002) that draws on Sen's understanding of development as freedom, I explore the impact of cash transfers on households, on access to socio-economic opportunities and to the overall development of local democracy. Sen's capability approach and theoretical analysis of development helps to link different dimensions of poverty with human and institutional capabilities. There are five research objectives: examining whether a cash transfer has a developmental impact on the people who receive it; establishing whether cash transfers improve opportunities for households to take part in socio-economic activities; investigating how cash transfers promote civic participation and local democracy; ascertaining ways in which cash transfers promote development; and ascertaining the extent to which a cash transfer could be a significant feature of a developmental state. The findings are in two parts. The first is a review of the relevant literature. Previous studies have found that social grants can lead to poverty reduction, help to send dependents to school and enable respondents to get loans to start their own businesses. The second part consists of new findings, based on interviews from a purposive sample of 160 men and women from Khayelitsha and Graafwater in the Western Cape who received a social grant. The respondents perceived the cash transfer as opening up socio-economic opportunities for them, such as skills training. Social grants also reportedly enabled women to break free of abusive relationships and function independently, which they described as restoring their human dignity and freedom. Further, 46% indicated that the social grant income assisted them to become active citizens. A minority of respondents, especially those with small businesses or employment, perceive the grants as a backup in case of business failure or retrenchment. My assumption of cash transfers having a developmental impact has been confirmed. In conclusion, the thesis expands the theoretical and policy understanding of social assistance beyond its impacts on income poverty and provides new insights on the multiple ways through which cash transfers enable poor household members to participate in enterprise development and in building local democracy. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered to government and stakeholders

A study of state-based social assistance provision and its influence on the developmental character of the South African State: the case of the child support grant

This thesis aims at examining the extent to which state-based social assistance provision, in the form of Child Support Grant (CSG), influences the character of a developmental state. Social assistance provision is understood to be part of a developmental state response to the needs of its citizens. I have argued in this thesis that CSG influences the characteristics of a developmental state in as far as it is available to all needy children who pass the means-test regardless of race. I hold the view that the developmental approach to social policy should be of great assistance in a country such as South Africa where there is mass poverty by meeting people's needs in a short to medium term but also enabling them to depend on themselves in a long term. The history of the policy context in South Africa and three approaches to social policy have been examined. These are residual, institutional and normative approaches. My emphasis has been on the approach that best suits the developmental state. I argue that the developmental state that applies a normative approach will address issues related to the eradication of poverty, poor economic opportunities as well as social deprivation and promotes self-reliance. South Africa's conceptualisation of social policy and social welfare is in keeping with a developmental state. The problem however, is the implementation of social policy and social welfare provision. In this thesis I have focused on four research questions and these are: • Can the CSG illustrate an appropriate social policy intervention of a developmental state in the context of mass poverty? • Is South Africa's conceptualisation of social policy and social welfare in keeping with a developmental state? • What impact does social assistance provision, in the form of a CSG, have on poor households? • Can such impact together with other policy interventions contribute to lifting people out of poverty and building their developmental capacity? I have used both qualitative and quantitative to examine these questions. My findings show that social assistance in the form of CSG is consistent with the developmental approach to social welfare

Ökologische und konventionelle Milchviehhaltung im Vergleich: Haltungsbedingungen, Tierwohlindikatoren und Leistung von Fleckvieh und Holstein Kühen

Diese Studie untersuchte den Einfluss des Betriebstyps (ökologisch vs. konventionell) und der Rasse (Fleckvieh vs. Holstein) auf die Haltungsbedingungen und das Management und Leistungs- und Tierwohlindikatoren anhand von Interviews und Betriebsmessungen. Ferner wurde die Wahrnehmung von Tierwohlindikatoren durch die Landwirte evaluiert. Kühe auf Biobetrieben hatten mehr Weideauslauf und waren weniger häufig enthornt als Kühe auf konventionellen Betrieben. Das Haltungssystem und die Rasse hatten einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Milchleistung. Obwohl kein signifikanter Einfluss des Betriebstyps und der Rasse auf Mastitis- und Lahmheitsindikatoren festgestellt wurden, zeigten die Ergebnisse einen geringeren Einsatz und niedrigere Kosten einer Antibiotikabehandlung gegen Mastitis auf Biobetrieben. Die Landwirte beider Betriebstypen bewerteten das Platzangebot pro Tier als wichtigsten Tierwohlindikator während die Milchleistung und die Körperkondition der Tiere als die am wenigsten geeigneten Tierwohlindikatoren angesehen wurden

Sustainable animal agriculture and crisis mitigation in livestock-dependent systems in southern Africa

These proceedings contain papers, abstracts and posters of the Regional Conference on Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Crisis Mitigation in Livestock-dependent Systems in Southern Africa that took place at Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 30th October to 1st November 2000. A keynote paper opens each theme and is followed by scientific contributions, short communications, and abstracts. Posters are published as short communications and/or abstracts. These proceedings are organised as follows: Session 1 Livestock Management and Improvement (16 papers) Session 2 Policy Analysis, Socio-economics and Sustainable Integrated Animal Health (4 papers) Session 3 Crisis Mitigation in Livestock-dependent Systems - Held as a mini workshop within the conference (2 papers) Session 4 Product Enhancement and Human Resources Development (4 papers) Session 5 Short Communications (4 papers) Session 6 Abstracts (10 abstracts

The contribution of the church to human development in Third World countries : a comparison of initiatives in South Africa and India.

Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002This research centres on the church's involvement in human development and poverty alleviation programmes. This thesis acknowledges that many Third World nations received political freedom from Western colonialists, but many of these countries failed to successfully exploit the political freedom to improve economic growth and human development. Poverty is therefore one of the major problems facing people in Third World countries

Entwicklung eines nachhaltigen Ziegenzuchtprogramms

Das Projekt “Entwicklung eines nachhaltigen Zuchtprogramms Ziegen für den ökologischen Landbau“(GoOrganic) befasste sich mit der Entwicklung von Strategien zum Aufbau und zur Umsetzung eines nachhaltigen, ressourceneffizienten und ökologischen Zuchtprogramms. Aufgrund ihrer relativ gesehen hohen Bedeutung im ökologischen Landbau sowie der bisher wenig entwickelten Zuchtstrukturen wurde die Milchziegenzüchtung als Modell gewählt. GoOrganic fußte auf drei Säulen: (Weiter-)Entwicklung der Leistungsprüfung und Zuchtwertschätzung, (Weiter-)Entwicklung von Datenmanagementsystemen und Aufbau eines Netzwerks von Akteur*innen der Ziegenzüchtung. Erstmals wurde im Rahmen des Projektes ein Zentraler Tiergesundheitsschlüssel für Ziegen entwickelt, der die Basis für ein EDV-gestütztes Gesundheits- und Robustheitsmonitoring bildet. Damit werden einerseits den Ziegenhaltenden wertvolle Daten für ihr Herdenmanagement dargestellt, zum anderen können die Daten zukünftig für eine Zuchtwertschätzung für direkte Gesundheitsmerkmale genutzt werden. Um die Nutzungsdauer und Lebensleistung von Milchziegen züchterisch bearbeiten zu können, wurde das Dauermelken, das in der Ziegenhaltung zunehmend praktiziert wird, genauer untersucht. Ein Prototyp einer Zuchtwertschätzung Nutzungsdauer unter Berücksichtigung des Dauermelkens wurde entwickelt. Ein nachhaltiges ökologisches Zuchtprogramm wird von den verschiedenen Akteur*innen der Ziegenzüchtung getragen. Dafür sind Weiterbildung und Beratung sowie gute Kommunikati- onsstrukturen aller Beteiligten notwendig. GoOrganic hat hier mit den Methoden der Züchte- rischen Standortbestimmung, den regionalen Zuchtarbeitskreisen und dem Online-Format „Stallgeflüster“Werkzeuge entwickelt, die ein solches Netzwerk unterstützen können

Phenotypic and genetic parameters for selected production and reproduction traits of Mpwapwa cattle in low-input production systems

The objective of this study was to assess the genetic improvement programme of the Mpwapwa dairy cattle breed over the past four decades, based on on-station selection and breeding. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for total lactation milk yield (LMY), 305-day lactation milk yield (305LMY), lactation length (LL), age at first calving (AFC), and calving interval (CI) were derived. The study used 1,003 lactation records from 385 cows and 78 sires collected from 1967 to 2012. Genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model procedure with ASReml software. The heritability for LMY and 305LMY were moderately high (0.33 ± 0.11–0.44 ± 0.04) and low for LL (0.13 ± 0.17.0). Repeatability for LMY and 305LMY was high (0.62 ± 0.04–0.70 ± 0.03) and moderate for LL (0.27 ± 0.06). The heritability for AFC (0.13 ± 0.11) and CI (0.10 ± 0.05) were low. The repeatability for CI was low (0.10 ± 0.05). Genetic correlation of 305LMY with LMY and CI were 0.87 ± 0.02 and -0.06 ± 0.009, respectively, while the corresponding phenotypic correlation estimates were 0.82 ± 0.01 and -0.01 ± 0.001. Variation among animal estimated breeding values (EBV) was significant, suggesting that selection to improve these traits is feasible. Thirty seven out of 78 sires had favourable EBV (0–900 kg) for milk yield, which suggests that selection for specific sires could result in increased LMY. Annual rates of sires EBV change for 305LMY, LL, CI, and AFC were -0.05, 0.15, and -0.14 days, respectively. All these traits showed that a decline in genetic progress for Mpwapwa dairy cattle in the on-station breeding programme.Keywords: Fertility, genetic correlation, genetic trend, milk yield, variance component