Papers by Ogochukwu I E Nzewi
This article is a presentation of research findings on the manifested strengths and weaknesses in... more This article is a presentation of research findings on the manifested strengths and weaknesses in organisational culture within the selected municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Diagnostic reports on local government such as the Auditor-General's reports and the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, have focused on broad assessments of financial management, leadership and governance. However, there is limited focus on institutional level mechanisms, in particular, examining embedded cultures unique in individual municipalities with their implications on performance. Literature shows that although organisational culture tends to be a taken-for-granted, a tactical way of thinking or acting, it is one of the most powerful and stable forces in organisations. The research used a tested model in organisational culture adapted to the South African municipal government context for measurement. The reliability co-efficient was at least 0.7 and considered to be reflective of adequate relia...
2018 IST-Africa Week Conference (IST-Africa), 2018
There have been advances in information systems software integrations made in the industrial sect... more There have been advances in information systems software integrations made in the industrial sector over the past few decades. The assumption is that these enterprise solutions developed for industry will offer improvements to the automation of the water management processes in the public sector at municipalities. Enterprise systems offer information that is accurate, consistent, timeous and complete. In reality, South African municipalities face numerous challenges associated with unintegrated systems, which result in inaccuracies in water resource management. Water billing is a critical aspect of water resource management for municipalities as it is a significant part of revenue collection. The mismanagement of metering and ineffective billing systems results in an average water wastage in South Africa of 37% annually. Subsequently, municipalities need to ensure that there is effective water billing, through the integration of information systems to mitigate this wastage. The purp...
This article attempts to answer a simple question: How do municipal employees rate their utilisat... more This article attempts to answer a simple question: How do municipal employees rate their utilisation of work procedures as a critical driver of operations and performance? This question is imperative for service delivery, given the perennial poor performance of local government in the Eastern Cape as reported by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). Noted root causes relevant for the research are weak municipal systems and processes, as well as a lack of appropriate controls towards compliance. So far as there is interest in how' an activity is done, there must be procedures to follow. As part of the throughput of an organisation's system, work procedures are critical to organisation operations and performance. Literature shows that from an operations and performance viewpoint, work procedures are critical in driving efficiency, compliance, introduction of new practices, quality and standards and organisational culture. This paper presents results from a survey of empl...
Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 2012
This article examines the dynamics between HIV/Aids gender policy strategies and the socio-politi... more This article examines the dynamics between HIV/Aids gender policy strategies and the socio-political demands on HIV/Aids interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender in HIV/Aids intervention seems inescapable. Nowhere else is this more marked than in the social dimensions of HIV/Aids prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. This has resulted in prevention strategies, which are encumbered by the reality of poverty, gender, access, power and the various debates on behavioural change. The social constructions of gender roles and power relations play a significant role in the region’s HIV /Aids dynamic. To this end, the mainstreaming of gender issues into national political, social and economic agenda and policies has been championed by international development and economic institutions. In developing HIV/Aids intervention policies, gender has also been mainstreamed, especially where epidemiological data show the disparity in infection rates between men and women, where women are seen as more ...
The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies, 2019
Journal of Asian and African Studies, 2013
This article examines non-legislative avenues for parliamentary influence and legitimacy in the P... more This article examines non-legislative avenues for parliamentary influence and legitimacy in the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). It argues for an incremental approach to increasing the powers of the PAP. To make this case, the paper first expounds on the composite nature of regional parliaments, showing the convergence of complex political and institutional issues that make Regional Parliamentary Assemblies unique parliamentary entities. Given the unsuccessful attempt by the PAP to increase its legislative powers through an amendment of its protocol, the aim is to make an alternative argument for legislative powers by locating the legal and institutional legitimacy and influence drivers for the PAP.
Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 2014
Accountability is the very essence of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 1... more Accountability is the very essence of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996). In this regard, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) as the supreme audit institution of the Republic of South Africa plays an important oversight role of promoting financial accountability in government. The purpose of this article is to examine the challenges facing the office of the Auditor-General in executing its oversight role of promoting financial accountability in the sphere of provincial government. Information and sources for this article was gathered through literature review. The article gives some background on the establishment and rationale of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI). It explores some policy framework that informs public finance management in the Republic of South Africa, establishing the role of the AGSA within this purview. Based on the data gathered through literature review, the key challenges facing the office of the Auditor-General are di...
India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2018
Achievable and viable peace and security efforts in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) ... more Achievable and viable peace and security efforts in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have been limited by an over dependence on foreign and international peacekeeping. The aim of this article is to unpack financial imperatives and constraints towards funding the SADC standby force (SADCSF). Through this the article hopes to provide lessons towards a suitable and sustainable funding mechanism aimed at addressing the financial challenges confronting African standby forces in peace operations. In particular, this article focuses on the SADCSF since its establishment in 2007. This article uses information from existing statistical and research data to first, identify existing funding models in international (regional and continental) peace operation and stand-by forces across the globe. Second, using four critical analytical frames (financial viability, the nature of regionalism, fiscal sustainability and economic landscape), the article highlights various implications of a ...
This paper aims to demonstrate that service delivery protests in South Africa, may be viewed as c... more This paper aims to demonstrate that service delivery protests in South Africa, may be viewed as community reactions to municipal authority decision making processes instead of the outcomes of those decisions. Reasons for service delivery protests in literature range from unfulfilled government promises to the lack of inadequate services especially in poorly resources areas where there is deprivation and inequality. However evidence from research on service delivery protests in South Africa (which will be explored by this paper), also point to an often nominally highlighted, yet inadequately expounded reason: the lack of trust communities have in their local authorities to make community focused decisions. By exploring psycho-sociological dimensions of protest, the paper first presents a framework for understanding the relationship between the paper concepts, and explores theoretical foundations in Relative Deprivation Theory, Social Identity Theory and Group Value Model discourses. ...
There have been advances in information systems software integrations made in the industrial sect... more There have been advances in information systems software integrations made in the industrial sector over the past few decades. The assumption is that these enterprise solutions developed for industry will offer improvements to the automation of the water management processes in the public sector at municipalities. Enterprise systems offer information that is accurate, consistent, timeous and complete. In reality, South African municipalities face numerous challenges associated with unintegrated systems, which result in inaccuracies in water resource management. Water billing is a critical aspect of water resource management for municipalities as it is a significant part of revenue collection. The mismanagement of metering and ineffective billing systems results in an average water wastage in South Africa of 37% annually. Subsequently, municipalities need to ensure that there is effective water billing, through the integration of information systems to mitigate this wastage. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework, which municipalities can use to mitigate the challenges associated with integrating their water billing information systems. The research was conducted at the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, as a single case study, involving employees in the water billing division. Data was collected from a seven-person focus group and semi-structured interviews with two managers. The Nvivo software was used to organise the collected data. Finally, the data was analysed using the principles of thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the municipality has an unintegrated enterprise system where various disparate systems exist. The unintegrated system provides challenges in water billing systems. The challenges are identified and discussed and measures to mitigate them are presented as part of a systems integration framework. The proposed framework can be generalised to municipalities to mitigate similar challenges that they may face in integrating their water billing information systems.
Achievable and viable peace and security efforts in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) ... more Achievable and viable peace and security efforts in Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have been limited by an over dependence on foreign and international peacekeeping. The aim of this article is to unpack financial imperatives and constraints towards funding the SADC standby force (SADCSF). Through this the article hopes to provide lessons towards a suitable and sustainable funding mechanism aimed at addressing the financial challenges confronting African standby forces in peace operations. In particular, this article focuses on the SADCSF since its establishment in 2007. This article uses information from existing statistical and research data to first, identify existing funding models in international (regional and continental) peace operation and stand-by forces across the globe. Second, using four critical analytical frames (financial viability, the nature of regionalism, fiscal sustainability and economic landscape), the article highlights various implications of a lack of funding mechanism for regional peace and security in Africa. Third, the article shows that the following are critical to find a sustainable funding mechanism for the SADCSF: the financially demanding variable geometric nature of regional integration in Africa; the proliferation of security agencies; the complex nature of terrorism and interventions; the cost of skill acquisition and training of the multidisciplinary personnel; payment of wounded soldiers and contingents and member state tight budget. Based on international experiences and local realities expounded, this article suggests lessons towards building a suitable and sustainable funding mechanism for African peace and security in general, and regional standby forces in particular.
The main aim of this article is to assess Provincial intervention outcomes in Makana Local Munic... more The main aim of this article is to assess Provincial intervention outcomes in Makana Local Municipality, identify factors, which cause unsuccessful Provincial intervention, and lastly, measure the extent to which these factors played a role during intervention in Makana Local Municipality. Provincial interventions have been granted a legal and constitutional status by South African Constitution, Section 100 – 139 and 216. Therefore, Provincial interventions have been used to assist municipalities that are failing to achieve their constitutional mandate as a result of multiple issues, such as, financial instability, corruption, maladministration, poor leadership and management, and political tensions. Interventions by the Province are therefore meant to find long‐term solutions to the problems municipalities find themselves in. It is against this background that this article assess the outcomes of the Provincial intervention in Makana Local Municipality. The research utilized a qualitative approach in a form of documentary sources and open‐ended interviews with a range of actors in Makana Local Municipality. The study found that Provincial intervention in Makana has resulted to some extent successful outcomes; however, there are still areas needing further improvements in the municipality as evident by the current state of the municipality.
The key findings of the study include an increase of 8 million in Revenue Collection, the development of a clear, firm Creditor Payment Procedure, and the recruitment process to start filling up critical positions; further to this, Makana received a qualified audit opinion in 2015; in addition, the municipality is honoring the Creditors' debt repayment plans in accordance. This is the presentation of findings on the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana Municipality. The article concludes by providing lessons for both the Province and Local government for effective interventions.
Trends in the South African Auditor-General’s reports reveal the progressive culture of regulator... more Trends in the South African Auditor-General’s reports reveal the progressive culture of regulatory noncompliance in municipal audit outcomes. Although there are multiple factors which may result in noncompliance, studies have revealed a link between behavioural dispositions and compliance. This article presents a conceptual framework for a Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) based model, aimed at managing municipal audit compliance utilising work procedures. The article utilises study applications of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to identify significant behaviour motivators for possible consideration in designing municipal audit-related work procedures. The analysis applies context specific challenges in municipal compliance to develop a verifiable TPB model for audit compliance. The article extends knowledge in municipal audit processes and organisational development in general, by illustrating how work procedures can be utilised to grow compliance. This will contribute towards growing compliance assurance in municipal audits in South Africa.
This article is a presentation of research findings on the manifested strengths and weaknesses in... more This article is a presentation of research findings on the manifested strengths and weaknesses in organisational culture within the selected municipalities in the Eastern Cape. Diagnostic reports on local government such as the Auditor-General's reports and the Local Government Turnaround Strategy, have focused on broad assessments of financial management, leadership and governance. However, there is limited focus on institutional level mechanisms, in particular, examining embedded cultures unique in individual municipalities with their implications on performance. Literature shows that although organisational culture tends to be a taken-for-granted, a tactical way of thinking or acting, it is one of the most powerful and stable forces in organisations. The research used a tested model in organisational culture adapted to the South African municipal government context for measurement. The reliability co-efficient was at least 0.7 and considered to be reflective of adequate reliability. This article presents results from a survey sample of 767 employees from the five municipalities in the OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The survey tested four culture traits (mission, adaptability, consistency and involvement) and found areas of strengths, such as in the customer/client focus and strategic intent,that the municipalities can continue to build on. It, however, found areas of weakness to include lack of operational dynamics needed to drive strategic intent and the motivation for organisational learning and change. The article also presents possible management levers to drive change and performance based on the findings.
This article attempts to answer a simple question: How do municipal employees rate their utilisat... more This article attempts to answer a simple question: How do municipal employees rate their utilisation of work procedures as a critical driver of operations and performance? This question is imperative for service delivery, given the perennial poor performanceof local government in the Eastern Cape as reported by the Auditor-General of South
Africa (AGSA). Noted root causes relevant for the research are weak municipal systems and processes, as well as a lack of appropriate
controls towards compliance. So far as there is interest in `how' an activity is done, there must be procedures to follow.
As part of the throughput of an organisation's system, work procedures are critical to organisation operations and performance. Literature shows that from an operations and performance viewpoint, work procedures are critical in driving efficiency, compliance, introduction of new practices, quality and standards and organisational culture.This paper presents results from a surveyof employees from the six municipalities in OR the Tambo District in the Eastern Cape
province of South Africa. The survey tested respondents' attitudes and opinions on their use of work procedures in the five critical areas mentioned. Using descriptive statistics, the survey found that in contrast to the findings of the Auditor-General on the district's weak systems and operations, municipal employees rated themselves relatively high
in all aspects of work procedure use. The findings suggest weak work procedure design factors (e.g. strategic derivation, review
and communication), which may play a key role in employees' understanding and use of work procedures. Additionally, as discussed in the article, the findings may also point to underlying dynamics between leadership and employees that make it difficult to establish the `actual state' of the municipality and obtain `truth' from employees.
This, the article argues, has implications for transformative change in local government performance in South Africa.
The aim of this article is to seek an understanding of why there seems to be policy reluctance in... more The aim of this article is to seek an understanding of why there seems to be policy reluctance in acknowledging the potential of practice and academic theology in governance and policy development in South Africa. This study examines these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The provocative thesis in this paper is that religion and theology belong in the public sphere. The approach in this paper is to use an informed knowledge of public policy and issues, to engage the implications of what is at stake, and subject this to sharp analytical evaluation and theological critique. Drawing from institutionalism and policy studies, the article examines the change potential of religion and theology within a constitutional democracy, the point of departure being the acknowledgement of a critical distinction between public policy discourse and public discourse. The article takes a premise that although it may have been best left alone by many social and political scientists, religion remains – despite the popularity of the secularism theorists – resilient as part of people's value systems and social identity.
This article examines the dynamics between HIV/Aids gender policy strategies and
the socio-politi... more This article examines the dynamics between HIV/Aids gender policy strategies and
the socio-political demands on HIV/Aids interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender
in HIV/Aids intervention seems inescapable. Nowhere else is this more marked than
in the social dimensions of HIV/Aids prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. This has
resulted in prevention strategies, which are encumbered by the reality of poverty,
gender, access, power and the various debates on behavioural change.
The social constructions of gender roles and power relations play a significant
role in the region’s HIV /Aids dynamic. To this end, the mainstreaming of gender
issues into national political, social and economic agenda and policies has been
championed by international development and economic institutions. In developing
HIV/Aids intervention policies, gender has also been mainstreamed, especially where
epidemiological data show the disparity in infection rates between men and women,
where women are seen as more susceptible to infection. The gendered approach to
HIV/Aids appears to typecast women as the vulnerable and suffering face of HIV/Aids,
while men, as ‘the other’, are generally regarded as the perpetuators and spreaders
of the virus. While there is no doubt that women’s vulnerability in this milieu has been
proven within known research evidence to exist, the neglect of institutional (social,
cultural and economic) and historical vulnerabilities of African men’s realities are
sometimes overlooked. Recently, greater focus has shifted to curbing infection rates
in men based on new scientific evidence that shows that risk of transmission in
circumcised men is reduced.
The article argues that such movement towards showing areas of men’s vulnerability
as a focus in HIV/Aids policy interventions may have the potential to shift the observed
burden that current HIV/Aids policy thrusts inadvertently place on African women.
The article will put forward an argument for ‘the vulnerable other’ in HIV/Aids policy
intervention, suggesting a new continental policy strategy that sees men going from
peripheral footnotes to the centre of HIV/Aids policy and intervention programmes.
This research examines public participation and democratisation in SADC by investigating SADC Nat... more This research examines public participation and democratisation in SADC by investigating SADC National
Committees (SNCs) as institutions that support regional participatory policy development. Since the 2001
amended SADC Treaty introduced SNCs, little research has been undertaken on the extent of SNC
functionality and operations. Existing studies on this subject have focused largely on capacity issues such
as the ability of the SADC secretariat to co-ordinate SNC activities in member states and the operational
dynamics of SADC national implementation institutions such as the SNCs1. This study looks at SNC functionality with particular focus on SNCs as platforms for participatory policy-making and implementation in SADC. The research is significant because, while existing reports and information on
SNCs have focused on the capacity and operational areas of SNC functions, this study explores the stakeholder participation requirement for SNCs as an essential component of a functional SNC. It explores
the perceptions of both government and civil society in this regard.
Research findings provide insights on the challenges in building functional and inclusive SNCs in SADC.
The findings are based on a scan of the literature and reports (on SNCs and SADC regional governance in
general), as well as the collection of primary material through in-depth interviews with key informants. A
limited number of countries are selected as case studies. The research findings provide useful insights for
comparative purposes on the successes and challenges facing SNCs in SADC. The findings should not be
generalised to SNCs in other SADC countries, which may operate under different political contexts and
organisational environments. Nevertheless they do provide valuable insights and suggestions on the
functional issues that may face SNCs in other countries (outside the scope of this research) and SNCs’ role
as participatory policy-making forums.
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Papers by Ogochukwu I E Nzewi
The key findings of the study include an increase of 8 million in Revenue Collection, the development of a clear, firm Creditor Payment Procedure, and the recruitment process to start filling up critical positions; further to this, Makana received a qualified audit opinion in 2015; in addition, the municipality is honoring the Creditors' debt repayment plans in accordance. This is the presentation of findings on the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana Municipality. The article concludes by providing lessons for both the Province and Local government for effective interventions.
Africa (AGSA). Noted root causes relevant for the research are weak municipal systems and processes, as well as a lack of appropriate
controls towards compliance. So far as there is interest in `how' an activity is done, there must be procedures to follow.
As part of the throughput of an organisation's system, work procedures are critical to organisation operations and performance. Literature shows that from an operations and performance viewpoint, work procedures are critical in driving efficiency, compliance, introduction of new practices, quality and standards and organisational culture.This paper presents results from a surveyof employees from the six municipalities in OR the Tambo District in the Eastern Cape
province of South Africa. The survey tested respondents' attitudes and opinions on their use of work procedures in the five critical areas mentioned. Using descriptive statistics, the survey found that in contrast to the findings of the Auditor-General on the district's weak systems and operations, municipal employees rated themselves relatively high
in all aspects of work procedure use. The findings suggest weak work procedure design factors (e.g. strategic derivation, review
and communication), which may play a key role in employees' understanding and use of work procedures. Additionally, as discussed in the article, the findings may also point to underlying dynamics between leadership and employees that make it difficult to establish the `actual state' of the municipality and obtain `truth' from employees.
This, the article argues, has implications for transformative change in local government performance in South Africa.
the socio-political demands on HIV/Aids interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender
in HIV/Aids intervention seems inescapable. Nowhere else is this more marked than
in the social dimensions of HIV/Aids prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. This has
resulted in prevention strategies, which are encumbered by the reality of poverty,
gender, access, power and the various debates on behavioural change.
The social constructions of gender roles and power relations play a significant
role in the region’s HIV /Aids dynamic. To this end, the mainstreaming of gender
issues into national political, social and economic agenda and policies has been
championed by international development and economic institutions. In developing
HIV/Aids intervention policies, gender has also been mainstreamed, especially where
epidemiological data show the disparity in infection rates between men and women,
where women are seen as more susceptible to infection. The gendered approach to
HIV/Aids appears to typecast women as the vulnerable and suffering face of HIV/Aids,
while men, as ‘the other’, are generally regarded as the perpetuators and spreaders
of the virus. While there is no doubt that women’s vulnerability in this milieu has been
proven within known research evidence to exist, the neglect of institutional (social,
cultural and economic) and historical vulnerabilities of African men’s realities are
sometimes overlooked. Recently, greater focus has shifted to curbing infection rates
in men based on new scientific evidence that shows that risk of transmission in
circumcised men is reduced.
The article argues that such movement towards showing areas of men’s vulnerability
as a focus in HIV/Aids policy interventions may have the potential to shift the observed
burden that current HIV/Aids policy thrusts inadvertently place on African women.
The article will put forward an argument for ‘the vulnerable other’ in HIV/Aids policy
intervention, suggesting a new continental policy strategy that sees men going from
peripheral footnotes to the centre of HIV/Aids policy and intervention programmes.
Committees (SNCs) as institutions that support regional participatory policy development. Since the 2001
amended SADC Treaty introduced SNCs, little research has been undertaken on the extent of SNC
functionality and operations. Existing studies on this subject have focused largely on capacity issues such
as the ability of the SADC secretariat to co-ordinate SNC activities in member states and the operational
dynamics of SADC national implementation institutions such as the SNCs1. This study looks at SNC functionality with particular focus on SNCs as platforms for participatory policy-making and implementation in SADC. The research is significant because, while existing reports and information on
SNCs have focused on the capacity and operational areas of SNC functions, this study explores the stakeholder participation requirement for SNCs as an essential component of a functional SNC. It explores
the perceptions of both government and civil society in this regard.
Research findings provide insights on the challenges in building functional and inclusive SNCs in SADC.
The findings are based on a scan of the literature and reports (on SNCs and SADC regional governance in
general), as well as the collection of primary material through in-depth interviews with key informants. A
limited number of countries are selected as case studies. The research findings provide useful insights for
comparative purposes on the successes and challenges facing SNCs in SADC. The findings should not be
generalised to SNCs in other SADC countries, which may operate under different political contexts and
organisational environments. Nevertheless they do provide valuable insights and suggestions on the
functional issues that may face SNCs in other countries (outside the scope of this research) and SNCs’ role
as participatory policy-making forums.
The key findings of the study include an increase of 8 million in Revenue Collection, the development of a clear, firm Creditor Payment Procedure, and the recruitment process to start filling up critical positions; further to this, Makana received a qualified audit opinion in 2015; in addition, the municipality is honoring the Creditors' debt repayment plans in accordance. This is the presentation of findings on the outcomes of Provincial intervention in Makana Municipality. The article concludes by providing lessons for both the Province and Local government for effective interventions.
Africa (AGSA). Noted root causes relevant for the research are weak municipal systems and processes, as well as a lack of appropriate
controls towards compliance. So far as there is interest in `how' an activity is done, there must be procedures to follow.
As part of the throughput of an organisation's system, work procedures are critical to organisation operations and performance. Literature shows that from an operations and performance viewpoint, work procedures are critical in driving efficiency, compliance, introduction of new practices, quality and standards and organisational culture.This paper presents results from a surveyof employees from the six municipalities in OR the Tambo District in the Eastern Cape
province of South Africa. The survey tested respondents' attitudes and opinions on their use of work procedures in the five critical areas mentioned. Using descriptive statistics, the survey found that in contrast to the findings of the Auditor-General on the district's weak systems and operations, municipal employees rated themselves relatively high
in all aspects of work procedure use. The findings suggest weak work procedure design factors (e.g. strategic derivation, review
and communication), which may play a key role in employees' understanding and use of work procedures. Additionally, as discussed in the article, the findings may also point to underlying dynamics between leadership and employees that make it difficult to establish the `actual state' of the municipality and obtain `truth' from employees.
This, the article argues, has implications for transformative change in local government performance in South Africa.
the socio-political demands on HIV/Aids interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Gender
in HIV/Aids intervention seems inescapable. Nowhere else is this more marked than
in the social dimensions of HIV/Aids prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. This has
resulted in prevention strategies, which are encumbered by the reality of poverty,
gender, access, power and the various debates on behavioural change.
The social constructions of gender roles and power relations play a significant
role in the region’s HIV /Aids dynamic. To this end, the mainstreaming of gender
issues into national political, social and economic agenda and policies has been
championed by international development and economic institutions. In developing
HIV/Aids intervention policies, gender has also been mainstreamed, especially where
epidemiological data show the disparity in infection rates between men and women,
where women are seen as more susceptible to infection. The gendered approach to
HIV/Aids appears to typecast women as the vulnerable and suffering face of HIV/Aids,
while men, as ‘the other’, are generally regarded as the perpetuators and spreaders
of the virus. While there is no doubt that women’s vulnerability in this milieu has been
proven within known research evidence to exist, the neglect of institutional (social,
cultural and economic) and historical vulnerabilities of African men’s realities are
sometimes overlooked. Recently, greater focus has shifted to curbing infection rates
in men based on new scientific evidence that shows that risk of transmission in
circumcised men is reduced.
The article argues that such movement towards showing areas of men’s vulnerability
as a focus in HIV/Aids policy interventions may have the potential to shift the observed
burden that current HIV/Aids policy thrusts inadvertently place on African women.
The article will put forward an argument for ‘the vulnerable other’ in HIV/Aids policy
intervention, suggesting a new continental policy strategy that sees men going from
peripheral footnotes to the centre of HIV/Aids policy and intervention programmes.
Committees (SNCs) as institutions that support regional participatory policy development. Since the 2001
amended SADC Treaty introduced SNCs, little research has been undertaken on the extent of SNC
functionality and operations. Existing studies on this subject have focused largely on capacity issues such
as the ability of the SADC secretariat to co-ordinate SNC activities in member states and the operational
dynamics of SADC national implementation institutions such as the SNCs1. This study looks at SNC functionality with particular focus on SNCs as platforms for participatory policy-making and implementation in SADC. The research is significant because, while existing reports and information on
SNCs have focused on the capacity and operational areas of SNC functions, this study explores the stakeholder participation requirement for SNCs as an essential component of a functional SNC. It explores
the perceptions of both government and civil society in this regard.
Research findings provide insights on the challenges in building functional and inclusive SNCs in SADC.
The findings are based on a scan of the literature and reports (on SNCs and SADC regional governance in
general), as well as the collection of primary material through in-depth interviews with key informants. A
limited number of countries are selected as case studies. The research findings provide useful insights for
comparative purposes on the successes and challenges facing SNCs in SADC. The findings should not be
generalised to SNCs in other SADC countries, which may operate under different political contexts and
organisational environments. Nevertheless they do provide valuable insights and suggestions on the
functional issues that may face SNCs in other countries (outside the scope of this research) and SNCs’ role
as participatory policy-making forums.