Geography

Permanent URI for this community

http://hdl.handle.net/11660/101

Browse

Browsing Geography by Author "Claassen, Johannes Hendrik Daniel"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    'n Geografiese ondersoek na die uitwerking van enkele ruimelike veranderlikes op die gang van nywerheidsvestiging in Qwaqwa
    (University of the Free State, 1987-11) Claassen, Johannes Hendrik Daniel; Senekal, W. F. S.; Enslin, A. G.
    Afrikaans: As aanloop tot die tema is die tydruimtelike evolusie van die Suid- Afrikaanse ekonomiese sisteem in breê trekke geskets. Daar Qwaqwa deel is van die breër Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomiese struktuur is die identifisering en omskrywing daarvan noodsaaklik en word die gebied ooreenkomstig bestaande inligting as 'n afwaartse oorgangsone geklassifiseer. Die mens se organisasie van ekonomiese ruimte vertoon duidelike fokusse van ruimtelike konsentrasie. Die Suid-Afrikaanse ruimtelike patroon is geen uitsondering nie en die voorkoms van 'n aantal kernstreke met hoë intensiteit daaromheen word aangetoon. Die bevolkingsbeleid van afsonderlike ontwikkeling het die destydse regering verpIig om onverwylde aandag aan die aangeleentheid te skenk en die uitkoms daarvan was 'n beleid van nywerheidsdesentralisasie. Enersyds was die doelwit van laasgnoemde beleid die skepping van nywerhede en gepaardgaande werkgeleenthede in minder ontwikkelde gebiede ten einde die ekonomiese basis van hierdie gebiede te versterk en die instroming van swarters na blanke-gebiede te beperk. Andersyds was die beleid ook gemik op die ewewigtige verbreiding van ekonomiese aktiwiteite oor 'n groter geografiese ruimte. Ten einde die aantrekkingskrag van hierdie gebiede te verhoog word desentralisasievoordele aan voornemende nyweraars beskikbaar gestel, maar die vraag ontstaan tot watter mate sodanige stimulering, met inagneming van die talle beperkings eie aan 'n buiterandstreek, suksesvol is. In Hoofstuk 2 (afdeling 2.7) word dit as hipotese gestel dat die vestiging en ontwikkeling van nywerhede in Qwaqwa benadeel word deur 'n kombinasie van enkele ongunstige vestigingsfaktore, waaronder: 1. gebrekkige infrastruktuur. 2. beperkte natuurlike hulpbronne. 3. ontoereikende lokale mark. 4. relatiewe geïsoleerdheid ten opsigte van metropolitaanse gebiede. Daarteenoor word dit ook gestel dat die volgende faktore 'n beduidende rol in die vestiging en groei van nywerhede in Qwaqwa vervul, naamlik: 1. sentrale ligging, veral met betrekking tot die PWV-gebied asook Durban en omgewing. 2. desentralisasievoordele en owerheidsbesluitneming. 3. die beskikbaarheid van arbeid en 'n stabiele arbeidsmag. In Hoofstuk 3 en 4 word ondersoek ingestel na die voordele en nadele verbonde aan 'n nywerheidspIasing in Qwaqwa en in Hoofstuk 5 word die resultate van die ondersoek saamgevat en word die volgende negatiewe vestigingsfaktore geïdentifiseer: Negatiewe vestigingsfaktore - enkele aspekte betreffende infrastruktuur - gebrek aan grondstowwe - relatiewe geïsoleerdheid - hoë vervoerkostes - ontoereikende behuising - tekort aan opgeleide ambagsmanne en tegnici - gebrekkige hulpdienste In dieselfde hoofstuk (5) word bovermelde negatiewe vestigingsfaktore met die gestelde hipoteseformulerings vergelyk en as volg geverifieer: 1. Enkele aspekte betreffende infrastruktuur blyk beslis 'n negatiewe uitwerking te hê op die vestiging en ontwikkeling van nywerhede in Qwaqwa en wel om die volgende redes: 1.1 die gebrek aan 'n direkte spoorverbinding met Phuthaditjhaba word deur 69,1 % van die nyweraars as 'n belangrike tekortkoming uitgesonder (tabel 3.14). 1.2 38,2 % van die nyweraars is van mening dat vervoergeriewe by fabrieksperseie ontoereikend is (tabel 3.15). 1.3 tekortkominge met betrekking tot sekuriteit, brandweerdienste, kantoorfasiliteite, eetplekke, klankdigtheid en die verhitting van fabrieksgeboue (tabelle 3.15 en 3.16). 1.4 'n gebrek aan die tydige beskikbaarheid van geskikte fabrieksgeboue word deur 49,1 % van die nyweraars aangemeld (afdeling 3.2.2.2). 2. Die gebrek aan grondstowwe benadeel die vestiging en ontwikkeling van nywerhede en ondersteun die gestelde hipotese. 2.1 volgens aankoopwaarde voorsien Qwaqwa en die omliggende Oos- Vrystaat in slegs 9,3 % van die totale grondstofbehoeftes van nywerhede (tabel 3.19). 3. Relatiewe lang afstande en hoê vervoerkostes ondersteun die hipotese ten opsigte van relatiewe geïsoleerdheid met betrekking tot metropolitaanse gebiede. 3.1 alhoewel Qwaqwa sentraal geleë is tussen Durban en die PWV-gebied, bestempel 72,7 % van die nyweraars hul teenswoordige nywerheidsligging as redelik tot aansienlik geïsoleerd (tabel 3.28) . 3.2 as gevolg van bovermelde word hoë vervoerkoste as die belangrikste negatiewe bedryfsaspek uitgesonder (tabelle 3.30, 3. 36 en 3. 40) 4. Ontoereikende behuising is nie as 'n hipotese gestel nie, maar is tydens die ondersoek as 'n negatiewe vestigingsfaktor geïdentifiseer. Die tekort aan behuising is veral van toepassing op Indiër sakemanne en word as 'n ernstige knelpunt beleef (afdeling 3.2.1.2). 5. Alhoewel dit nie as 'n hipotese gestel is nie, word 'n tekort aan opgeleide ambagsmanne en tegnici asook gebrekkige hulpdienste as negatiewe vestigingsfatore geïdentifiseer. 5.1 52,7 % van die nyweraars ondervind ernstige tekorte aan personeel in die tegniese beroepskategorieë (tabel 3.6). 5.2 in terme van geldwaarde is 75,3 % van alle hulpdienste van gebiede buite Qwaqwa afkomstig (tabel 3.32). Benewens die vermelde negatiewe vestigingsfaktore word ook die volgende positiewe vestigingsfaktore in Hoofstuk 5 geïdentifiseer: Positiewe vestigingsfaktore - sentrale ligging - belowende plaaslike mark - aspekte betreffende arbeidsaangeleenthede - desentralisasievoordele Bostaande positief gerdentifiseerde vestigingsfaktore word met die gestelde hipoteses vergelyk en as volg geverifieer: 1. Die sentrale ligging van Qwaqwa met betrekking tot die PWV- en Durban-omgewing ondersteun die gestelde hipotese en vervul beduidende rol in die vestiging en ontwikkeling van nywerhede. 1.1 ten spyte van relatiewe gersoleerdheid (tabel 3.28) het 60 % van die nyweraars laat blyk dat hulle tevrede is met hul nywerheidsplasing en het die sentrale ligging van Qwaqwa met betrekking tot die res van Suid-Afrika as die vernaamste rede aangevoer (tabel 3.25). 1.2 sentrale ligging word as die vernaamste rede aangevoer waarom Qwaqwa bo ander nywerheidsontwikkelingspunte verkies word 29,1 % van die totale telling (tabel 3.38). 2. Die identifisering van 'n belowende plaaslike mark weerlê die gestelde hipotese en lewer 'n positiewe bydra tot die vestiging en ontwikkeling van nywerhede in Qwaqwa (tabelle 2.4, 3.26 en 3.37. 3. Die beskikbaarheid van arbeid en die teenwoordigheid van 'n stabiele arbeidsmag bevestig die gestelde hipotese. Die volgende aspekte het die plasingskeuse van nyweraars ten opsigte van vestiging in Qwaqwa gunstig bernvloed: 3.1 die aanwesigheid van 'n groot arbeidsbron (tabel 3.10). 3.2 positiewe arbeidsgesindhede (tabel 3.40). 4. Soos in die hipotese gestel lewer die beskikbaarheid van desentralisasie voordele 'n beduidende bydra tot nywerheidsvestiging in Qwaqwa. Die sterk trekkrag van desentralisasievoordele word duidelik weerspieël in tabelle 3.10, 3.38, 3.39 en 3.42. Subsidies op lone (tabel 3.33) word as die belangrikste desentralisasievoordeel geëdentifiseer. 4.1 60 % van die nyweraars wat hervestig het, het gunstige desentralisasie voordele as die vernaamste rede vir vestiging in Qwaqwa uitgesonder (tabel 3.42). Teen hierdie agtergrond en die aanbevelings vervat in Hoofstuk 5 word 'n ontwikkelingstrategie vir Qwaqwa daargestel. Laasgenoemde strategie word geformuleer met as agtergrond die gegewe realiteit van nywerheidsontwikkelingspunte asook die inherente beperkings daaraan verbonde en behels die volgende:
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Landbou-en landelike ontwikkeling in die QwaQwa-gebied: 'n geografiese ondersoek
    (University of the Free State, 2000-05) Claassen, Johannes Hendrik Daniel; De Villiers, G. du T.; Viljoen, M. F.
    English: The contribution of agricultural to rural development is widely accepted by developmental specialists. In South Africa, an estimated 16 million people are living in poverty, with its incidence highest in rural areas. The Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs (South Africa, 1998) is of the opinion that agriculture can play an important role in the development of rural areas through the establishment of small and medium scale emerging farmers, and through the creation of opportunities to rai se their production. In this way, it is thought, the creation of additional employment opportunities and the improvement 10 household food security will follow. Under the previous government black farmers were denied the right to own and farm land in so-called white areas. In accordance with its policy of separate development, agricultural development amongst black people was limited to what was known as "black homelands". In line with this policy, 114 black farmers were. settled on farms in Qwaqwa beginning in 1989. Agriqwa, a non-profit government corporation, was founded with the task of establishing these emerging, or beginner farmers. Official information sources (South Africa, 1998) also refer to emerging farmers as small or medium scale farmers with limited access to land and capital. This same source states that these farmers have received inadequate research and extension support from the previous government. The main aim of the proj ect in Qwaqwa was the establishment of an economically viable agricultural sector, with a core of prosperous emerging farmers. It was also envisaged that this would create several entrepreneurial possibilities with job opportunities in an agricultural related sector. After the election of a new, democratic government in 1994, official policies regarding the previous homelands changed dramatically. Agriqwa was dissolved and replaced with Agri-Eco, a private company under the direct supervision of the then Minister of Agriculture of the Free State. The enormous financial burden brought about by the Reconstruction and Development Programme of the newly elected government, inevitably led to a si gni ficant reduction in state subsidies. It was not long befo re the restructuring and rationalisation of Agri-Eco meant the end of financial and agricultural assistance to the emerging farmers in Qwaqwa. The premise was that emerging farmers should compete independently In a free market environment. With this step, emerging farmers were suddenly exposed to a competitive free market environment of which they had little, or no experience. This transformation, the loss of expert managerial support, plus the downgrading and suspension of other well-proven support systems, resulted In these farmers expcrrcncmg serious managerial problems. The aim of this study is to identify and evaluate the problems experienced by emerging farmers in order to formulate workable solutions and strategies for future development projects in the field of agriculture. A brief synopsis of the chapters in the study is as follows: • The problem formulation and aim of the study are set out in Chapter 1. • Chapter 2 is concerned with an historical perspective of sustainable agricultural development. • Chapter 3 provides a geographical and agricultural overview of the study area. • Chapters 4, 5 and 6 investigate the management profiles of emerging farmers with a specific focus on: >- the educational and personal profiles of emerging farmers, their perceptions of human resources and the management thereof (Chapter 4); ~ perceptions among emergmg farmers regarding natural resources as well as the management and utilisation thereof (Chapter 5); ~ administrative and financial matters (Chapter 6). • Chapter 7 focuses on the evaluation of research data, the testing of the hypothesis and the formulation of a specific development strategy for emerging farmers in Qwaqwa. With regard to human resources, the study has established that the unacceptable conduct and poor quality of work rendered by farm workers negatively effect labour relations between farmers and workers. The study also identifies the low educational level of farm labourers, poor working conditions and insufficient training as primary factors contributing to labour problems. On the positive side, the study identifies several aspects in employment that are to the advantage of the industry and that should be kept. These refer to food and residence security, a reliable cash income and grazing rights. The study identifies a singular ignorance among emergmg farmers with regard to the utilisation of natural resources. This includes the use of alternative production methods, which are inexpensive, and which, in turn, originate on the farm, and have a minor negative impact on the natural environment. Within an environmental and sustainable perspective, this study makes certain recommendations concerning the introduction of alternative farming methods. The study also finds that a number of farmers are experiencing serious financial problems. The refusal of commercial banks and agricultural cooperatives to grant production loans for planting purposes, underlines the extent of the financial difficulties experienced by emerging farmers in the area. This has also pushed a number of crop farmers into financial crisis. Against this background it is recommended that farming units with a combination of farming activities should be included lil future development proj ects. Value adding activities seem to be a popular and profitable practice among emerging farmers. They seem to be an asset. The optimal use of existing infrastructure, labour, by-products and waste products from farming activities, are some of the important considerations in favour of value adding activities. The study reveals that emerging farmers, despite certain drawbacks pertaining to training and education, possess the will and the ingenuity to make a success of agriculture in the area. The study further finds that the success of present and future projects will be largely determined by basic support structures in training and agricultural extension work, from government and developmental agencies.