Traders and taximen in Qwaqwa : a study of class formation in a South African homeland

Bibliography: pages 229-245.This thesis is centred around the experiences of traders and taximen in Qwaqwa, the smallest of South Africa's 'homelands'. It aims to investigate the extent to which small-scale entrepreneurs of various kinds can be seen to be participating in processes of class formation within the homeland. The focus adopted directs attention away from the issue of poverty which has dominated rural research over the past decade. The thesis also seeks to contribute to existing studies of class formation in the homelands, which address the problem from the perspective of 'state' and 'capital'. This study seeks to broaden this focus through a historical analysis of social processes at the local-level. It argues that traders and taximen in Qwaqwa cannot simply be regarded as the recipients of state initiatives, but are agents in forging their own opportunities and relationships

Development Studies Working Paper, no. 69

East London is a minor coastal city with a fragile economy based largely on the food, motor and textile manufacturing sectors. Between 1945 and 1960 the economy of the city grew rapidly registering annual growth rates in excess of 10%. This growth was based on secondary industrialization in the manufacturing sector. However, since the inauguration of the homeland policy which wedged East London between two impoverished, self- governing homeland states, Transkei and Ciskei, the economy of the city has fared less well. Low annual growth rates were recorded throughout the 1970s and 1980s despite efforts by the Apartheid government to shore up the local economy by offering attractive industrial decentralization incentives in the region. The fragility of the city is not only based on its regional location, but on the absence of mineral and power sources and its distance from major metropolitan markets. Being situated in one of the poorest provinces in the country, East London's growth has always been limited by a weak local consumer market (Swilling 1987: 140). While the economic prospects for the city have recently improved with the dismantling of the homeland system and the centralization of the Eastern Cape's regional government in nearby capital of Bisho (30 minutes’ drive from East London), the city is still badly in need of major economic investment to cater for its rapidly growing population. During the past decade, there has been a massive transfer of population from rural to urban areas in the Eastern Cape generally. This occurred as a result of a softening of homeland borders in the mid-1980s, the removal of the influx control laws in 1986, as well as the deterioration of agricultural prospects in a region gripped by a crippling drought throughout the 1980s. These factors have ensured that East London became the tar-get of a sustained wave of rural-urban immigration. Dozens of new informal settlements have sprung up all over the city during the past five years, while the established townships within the city limits have become hopelessly overcrowded. The research for this project was conducted in East London's most congested township, Duncan Village. In 1995, it had a population of approximately 100 000 people. Between 1964 and 1979, Duncan Village was the target of massive forced removals.Digitised by Rhodes University Library on behalf of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER

Transpositions from Research into Policy and Practice: possibilities for foreign researchers

SUMMARY The stereotypical view of the relationship between researchers and policy makers is that there is a generation?wide gap which is hard to bridge. Perhaps the best remedy, for research on education in developing countries especially, is to bring the two together in one institution. The dangers — of bias or over?generalisation — are probably smaller than the difficulty of trying to improve communication otherwise. RESUMEN Transposiciones de la investigación en politica y práctica: posibilidades para los investigadores extranjeros La visión estereotipada de la relación entre investigadores y diseñadores de política, consiste en una amplia brecha generacional que es difícil de llenar. Quizás el mejor remedio, especialmente para la investigación educacional en los países en desarrollo, sea incorporar ambos a una sola institución. Los peligros de parcialidad o generalización excesiva, probablemente son menores que la dificultad de mejorar la comunicación por otros medios. SOMMAIRE Transposition en principes et de façon concrète de la recherche: possibilités pour les chercheurs étrangers L'idée stéréotypée de la relation entre les chercheurs et les personnes qui prennent les décisions est qu'il y a un fossé d'une génération qu'il est difficile de combler. Peur?être le meilleur remède, plus précisément pour la recherche sur l'éducation dans les pays en voie de développement, serait de les rapprocher dans une seule institution. Les dangers de partialité ou de généralisation à outrance sont probablement moins importants que la difficulté rencontrée pour essayer d'améliorer la communication dans le cas contraire

Brandt, Berg and Militarisation in Nigeria

SUMMARY Nigeria's increasing militarisation is partly a consequence of the government's programme for economic recovery. This programme, influenced by the World Bank model of structural adjustment, aims at ensuring the conditions for long?run capitalist development, by actively seeking the participation of foreign capital. To earn the confidence of foreign capital and control the social consequences of an austerity package an authoritarian government is required. SOMMAIRE Brandt, Berg et la militarisation au Nigéria La militarisation croissante du Nigéria est grandement due au programme gouvernemental pour le redressement économique. Ce programme, influencé par le modèle de la Banque Mondiale d'adjustement structurel, a pour but d'assurer les conditions de développement capitaliste à long terme, en recherchant activement la participation du capital étranger. Afin d'avoir la confiance du capital étranger et de contrôler les conséquences sociales d'un programme d'austérité, un gouvernement authoritaire est obligatoire. RESUMEN Brandt, Berg y la militarización en Nigeria La creciente militarización de Nigeria se debe, en parte, al programa de recuperación económica del gobierno. Este programa — influenciado por el modelo de ajuste estructural del Banco Mundial — tiene como objectivo asegurar condiciones de desarrollo capitalista de largo plazo, mediante una búsqueda activa de la participación del capital extranjero. Se requiere un gobierno autoritario para obtener la confianza del capital extranjero y el control de las consecuencias sociales de un plan de austeridad

Agroforestry role in snow distribution and management

Paper presented at the 12th North American Agroforesty Conference, which was held June 4-9, 2011 in Athens, Georgia.In Ashton, S. F., S.W. Workman, W.G. Hubbard and D.J. Moorhead, eds. Agroforestry: A Profitable Land Use. Proceedings, 12th North American Agroforestry Conference, Athens, GA, June 4-9, 2011.On the Canadian Prairies, snow is an important component of annual precipitation and an important source of water. But there is much annual variability in the amount and timing of snowfall and its fate. On the prairie landscape, much of the snow is moved by wind, resulting in large sublimation losses. Any obstacles or topographic changes that reduce wind flow cause snow deposition and reduce snow movement. Agroforestry configurations on the landscape reduce the fetch distance and therefore the amount of snow that is moved across the landscape and the amount of trapped snow is increased. By reducing snow movement, agroforestry systems have a major effect on the amount of moisture lost to sublimation. By trapping blowing snow, trees and shrubs on the landscape affect the distribution of the snow. Agroforestry is therefore an important landscape feature for snow management and planning of agroforestry measures should take into account its effects on snow hydrology. The effects of shelterbelts on snow quantity and distribution are shown over multiple years, including a number of locations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Site-specific snow was also used in the Prairie Blowing Snow Model, now a component of the Cold Regions Hydrological Model, to estimate the effects of agroforestry configurations on snow water conservation. By means of known information about snow occurrence and snow dynamics for the prairies, these effects are presented at a landscape level.John Kort (1), Gary Bank (2), John Pomeroy (3) and Xing Fang (4) ; 1 Senior Agroforestry Researcher, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agri-Environment Services Branch - Agroforestry Development Centre. 2. Agroforestry Specialist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Agri-Environment Services Branch Agroforestry Development Centre. 3. Canada Research Chair in Water Resource and Climate Change, Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan. 4. Centre for Hydrology, Department of Geography, University of Saskatchewan.Includes bibliographical references

The impact of multinational enterprises on public governance institutions in areas of limited statehood

We explore the interaction between MNEs and public governance institutions in regions of limited statehood by focusing on three areas of inquiry: firstly, the impact of MNEs in these environments; secondly, the mechanisms and levels through which MNEs engage with external governance processes; and lastly, the strategic motivation for the mode and level of engagement. We follow an applied qualitative research approach, drawing on the principles of case study design, through interviews with executives that were involved in setting up four MNEs in Afghanistan. The results reveal a relationship between the depth of country embeddedness and the level of engagement of MNEs with public institutions and this is related to issues around risk mitigation and time horizons. Deeper embeddedness in the local markets brings greater exposure to risk leading to more and wider engagement in governance processes and cross sector partnerships in order to influence these concerns. The research contributes to institutional theory and demonstrates the interplay between organizations and the institutional surroundings. MNEs in Afghanistan are deeply affected by institutional weakness which contribute towards greater uncertainty and impact their behavior, but MNEs also have a direct bearing on institutions. In fragile and conflict affected states MNEs can contribute towards peace- and institution-building and reinforce cycles of positive development, or they can further pathological behavior and contribute to conflict. MNEs are increasingly going to be expected to step into the gaps associated with institutional voids and this will require a different approach to doing business and their choice of approach will have a direct bearing on social outcomes in host countries. We reveal two models of MNE engagement in these areas of limited statehood, namely an embedded versus autonomous model and examine their implications