http://hdl.handle.net/11090/629 2026-08-24T03:35:06Z 2026-08-24T03:35:06Z Koelble, Thomas http://hdl.handle.net/11090/667 2013-10-11T13:27:25Z 2005-05-01T00:00:00Z

Democracy, traditional leadership and the international economy in South Africa Koelble, Thomas The paper argues that in order to adequately analyse the development of postcolonial democracy – in this case South Africa – a theoretical model has to take into account the context within which that democratic experiment finds itself in. This context is shaped by the international political economy, the circulation of a democracy discourse at both the level of global and local political culture, and the history of state-formation. The paper explores what might explain the resurgence of purportedly ‘traditional’ modes of governance, symbolised by the ‘chief’ across several rural landscapes. It argues that the inability of the state to affect fundamental changes in the social, political and economic conditions of the rural hinterlands has created a situation in which local power holders are able to redefine traditional cultural values. In the process of doing so, these local power holders both shape and are shaped by a global discourse of what democracy might be and mean. The paper highlights the debate concerning notions of “African” forms of democracy, embodied most starkly by some of Nelson Mandela’s writings, which hold that village level deliberation and chieftaincy based upon community consensus may be more appropriate models of democracy than western versions based upon the notions of electoral contestation. This argument stands in sharp contrast to conventional approaches to democracy which would suggest that traditional leadership is an anachronism of lesser developed countries and stands in contrast to western democratic norms and values.

2005-05-01T00:00:00Z Porter, Stephen http://hdl.handle.net/11090/666 2013-10-11T13:23:27Z 2005-05-01T00:00:00Z

Enhancing rural road policy: The case for the incorporation of the capabilities approach into rural road appraisal in Africa Porter, Stephen Infrastructure provisions, especially rural roads, have been highlighted in a number of recent studies and reports as an enabling factor for Africa to achieve ‘development’. This paper reviews the current limits of rural road knowledge and appraisal procedures raising critical issues about what is actually known about the impact of rural roads and the extent to which current appraisal methods are able to fully contribute to this debate. An expanded methodology incorporating the capability approach is advocated to help overcome these issues. It is argued here that incorporation of the capability approach may help overcome certain frustrations in our ability to understand the manner in which rural roads impact upon the lives of people. The suggestion is made that the capability approach offers a different angle of analysis that could further contribute to critical questions surrounding the provision of roads, enhancing appraisal and helping to avoid the creation of further infrastructural ‘white elephants’ that have plagued Africa. Provision of rural roads is after all quite expensive and without a valid appraisal mechanism, money spent on some rural roads may more constructively be utilised elsewhere either on other roads, or on other sectors.

2005-05-01T00:00:00Z Case, Anne Menendez, Alicia Ardington, Cally http://hdl.handle.net/11090/665 2013-10-11T13:19:19Z 2005-05-01T00:00:00Z

Health seeking behaviour in northern KwaZulu-Natal Case, Anne; Menendez, Alicia; Ardington, Cally We examine patterns of health seeking behaviour prior to death among 1282 individuals who lived in the Umkhanyakude District of Northern KwaZulu- Natal. Information on the health care choices of these individuals, who died between January 2003 and July 2004, was gathered after their deaths from their primary care-givers. We examine choices made concerning public and private medicine, western and traditional medicine, and non-prescribed self-medication. We find that virtually all adults who were ill prior to death sought treatment from a Western medical provider, visiting either a public clinic or a private doctor. In this district, which is predominantly poor, ninety percent of adults who sought treatment from a public clinic also visited a private doctor. Fifty percent also sought treatment from a traditional healer, suggesting that traditional medicine is seen as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, Western care. Better educated people who were ill for less than a month before dying were significantly more likely to visit a private doctor, while those least well educated were more likely to visit a traditional healer. Controlling for length of illness, better educated and wealthier people sought care from a greater range of providers, and spent significantly more on their treatment.

2005-05-01T00:00:00Z Lam, David Leibbrandt, Murray Ranchhod, Vimal http://hdl.handle.net/11090/664 2013-10-11T12:58:25Z 2005-06-01T00:00:00Z

Labour force withdrawal of the elderly in South Africa Lam, David; Leibbrandt, Murray; Ranchhod, Vimal This paper analyses labour market behaviour of the elderly in South Africa, focusing on the Black/African population group. The analysis uses data from the 2001 census and 1996 census, the Labour Force Surveys for September 2000 and 2001, and the Income and Expenditure Survey for 2000. Findings show that participation rates fall fairly rapidly after age 45, with particularly sharp declines in both participation and work at the age of eligibility for the old-age pension. Measures of unused productive capacity demonstrate that South Africa’s age profile of labour force withdrawal compares favourably with some OECD countries. The hazard rate indicates that the age of pension eligibility is associated with increased rates of retirement. The paper also examines major determinants of elderly labour supply, including household structure and marital status, public and private pensions and schooling and, finally, calculates probit regressions to gain a clearer picture of the variables affecting the work activity of the elderly.

2005-06-01T00:00:00Z