Tlokwe Local Municipality Research Articles

Challenges Facing the Effective Functioning of Ward Committees as a Mechanism to Promote Local Democracy in the Former Tlokwe Local Municipality (TLM)

This article investigates the challenges facing the effective functioning of ward committees as a mechanism to promote local democracy in the former Tlokwe Local Municipality’s (TLM) area of jurisdiction. Ward committees in South Africa (SA) were specifically established to strengthen the participation of communities in local governance. A qualitative research design was used to collect and analyse data for purposes of achieving the objectives of this study. This involved a literature review designed to contextualise effective ward committee functioning in a developing South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were held with senior officials from TLM. Officials were selected based upon their expert knowledge with regard to the facilitation of public participation and for being responsible for effective ward committee functioning within TLM. Focus group interviews were also held with at least four ward committees operating within the boundaries of the municipality. The purpose of using focus group interviews in this study was to identify specific operational challenges as experienced by the ward committees, including how these challenges affected the fulfilment of their responsibilities. Significant findings include that communication was a critical aspect to address challenges, and that a lack of resources was hampering ward committees in functioning more effectively in the area.

Self-Reported Physical Activity is Not a Valid Method for Measuring Physical Activity in 15-Year-Old South African Boys and Girls.

Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of chronic lifestyle-related diseases. The development of valid instruments for the assessment of physical activity remains a challenge in field studies. The purpose of the present study was therefore to determine the level of agreement between physical activity objectively measured by the ActiHeart® (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd, Cambridge, UK) device and subjectively reported physical activity by means of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) among adolescents attending schools in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa. A cross-sectional study design was used with a total of 63 boys and 45 girls aged 15 years who took part in the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PHALS). Stature and weight were measured according to standard International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocols. Objective physical activity (PA) was measured by a combined heart rate and accelerometer device (ActiHeart®) for seven consecutive days. Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed. Subjective physical activity was assessed with the self-reported IPAQ-SF. Objective PA indicated that 93% of the participants were inactive and only 6% were highly active. The IPAQ-SF showed that 24% were inactive, with 57% active. A non-significant correlation (r = 0.11; p = 0.29) between the ActiHeart® measure of activity energy expenditure (AEE) and total physical activity (IPAQ-SF) was observed. The Bland–Altman plot showed no agreement between the two measurement instruments and also a variation in the level of equivalence. When Cohen’s kappa (κ) was run to determine the agreement between the two measurement instruments for estimated physical activity, a poor agreement (κ = 0.011, p < 0.005) between the two was found. The poor level of agreement between the objective measure of physical activity (ActiHeart®) and the IPAQ-SF questionnaire should be interpreted cautiously. Future physical activity research using a combination of subjective and objective assessment methods in a large-scale cohort in adolescents is recommended.

Planning and Executing Scenario Based Simulation Exercises: Methodological Lessons

AbstractThe South African disaster management legislation advocates the importance of implementing pro-active disaster risk reduction strategies that will ensure a safe and sustainable society. One key strategic activity identified is the use of simulation exercises to improve overall societal readiness and inter-agency coordination in case of major incidents or disasters. However, very little is currently understood or planned especially at South African local government level, on what simulation exercises entail and the methodology behind their implementation. This paper aims at conveying some crucial methodological inputs that disaster risk managers or emergency response agencies should consider when planning, designing and implementing simulation exercises by analysing a hazardous chemical spillage simulation in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, North-West Province, South Africa. The research found that in the South African context attention needs to be paid to methodological issues such as scenario development, role-player selection, fidelity during simulation delivery, data collection and participant (de)briefing.

Communicating for organisational legitimacy: The case of the Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association

The Potchefstroom Fire Protection Association (FPA) has an important role in preventing and managing veld fires in the Tlokwe Local Municipality's rural environment. The FPA works closely with several governmental stakeholders, but these stakeholders do not view the FPA as having high levels of organisational legitimacy. A lack of organisational legitimacy hinders the FPA in obtaining its organisational goals.Theoretically, a NPO's role is dependent on its values, as embodied in its vision, mission and goals statement. Managing communication strategically to build strong relationships with key governmental stakeholders should assist NPOs to obtain and maintain organisational legitimacy. The purpose of the research was to determine by means of semi-structured interviews the perceptions of the FPA and its key governmental stakeholders on the role of the FPA as well as the quality of its stakeholder relationships, and the effect of these perceptions on the FPA's perceived organisational legitimacy.The study confirmed the theoretical relationship between organisational legitimacy, strategic communication and relationship management and a clear, value-based role. It was recommended that NPOs should strive to establish two-way communication with key governmental stakeholders to enhance mutual understanding of as well as mutual control during veld fires.

Communication management during the veld fires of 23 August 2011 in the Tlokwe Local Municipality: A cautionary tale

Background: A veld fire disaster in the Tlokwe Local Municipality on 23 August 2011, resulted in an estimated monetary loss of over R43 million. The veld fire disaster was characterised by a lack of strategic management and a subsequent lack of planned, coordinated communication between all role players involved. The lack of strategic communication management indirectly contributed to the losses suffered during the disaster, and afterwards relationships between many role players were strained. Objectives and method: The objectives for the qualitative research project were to determine the different role players’ perception of communication management during the veld fires of 23 August 2011, and in what way relationships between role players were affected by the lack of communication management during the veld fire disaster. Data were gathered by means of semi-structured interviews with the relevant role players.Results and conclusion: Most of the role players were convinced that communication was not managed effectively on 23 August 2011. It resulted in, most especially, a loss of trust and perceived lack of commitment between some of the role players. It is recommended that emergency services and other role players receive more training (also focusing on communication management), participate in simulations and incorporate a communication and relationship management approach to disaster risk management.

Relationships between physical activity with BMI and percentage body fat among girls by locality in Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa: The PAHL-Study

Background: The prevalence of overweight has tripled in the past decades coinciding with steep decline in physical activity levels, especially in girls. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate the relationships between physical activity with BMI and percentage body fat among girls by locality in Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa.

Body composition and television viewing among high school adolescents in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa: The PAHL-Study

Body composition and television viewing among high school adolescents in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa: The PAHL-Study

The relationship of body composition with physical fitness in the 14 years adolescents residing within the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa: The PAHL-Study

Background: Little is known about the relationship of body composition with physical fitness in the 14 years high school adolescents residing within the Tlokwe Local Municipality of South Africa. The objectives of this study are therefore in twofold: to determine the prevalence of underweight, normal weight and overweight among adolescents aged 14 years old in the Tlokwe Local Municipality of North West province of South Africa, and to assess the association between physical fitness and body composition separately for boys and girls adjusted for race and locality.

The relationship between body composition and physical fitness in 14 year old adolescents residing within the Tlokwe local municipality, South Africa: The PAHL study

BackgroundLittle is known about the relationship between body composition and physical fitness in 14 year-old high school adolescents of South Africa. Baseline data from a longitudinal study on physical activity and health (PAHLS) may provide valuable information for future studies, hence to inform public health policy makers. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of underweight, normal weight and overweight among adolescents aged 14 years in the Tlokwe Local Municipality of the North West Province of South Africa, and to assess the association between physical fitness and body composition separately for boys and girls, adjusted for race and locality.MethodsBody weight, height and triceps, and subscapular skinfolds of 256 adolescents (100 boys and 156 girls) aged 14 years were measured, and percentage body fat and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. BMI was used to determine underweight, normal weight and overweight based on the standard criterion. Physical fitness was assessed by standing broad jump, bent arm hang and sit-ups according to the EUROFIT fitness standard procedures. Multinomial logistic regression analyses stratified for gender and adjusted for race (black or white), and the locality (urban or township) of the schools were used to analyze the data.ResultsIn the total group 35.9% were underweight and 13.7% overweight. Boys were more underweight (44%) than girls (30.7%). The prevalence of overweight was 8% in boys and 17.3% in girls. BMI was strongly (p = 0.01) related with percentage body fat. Strong and significant positive associations between physical fitness and BMI for the underweight girls with high physical fitness scores (OR, 10.69 [95%CI: 2.81-40.73], and overweight girls with high physical fitness scores (OR, 0.11 [95%CI: 0.03-0.50]) were found. Non-significant weaker positive relationship between physical fitness and BMI for the underweight boys with high physical fitness scores (OR, 1.80 [95%CI: 0.63-5.09]), and the overweight boys with high physical fitness scores (OR, 0.18 [95%CI: 0.02-1.78]) were found.ConclusionBoth underweight and overweight among boys and girls in Tlokwe Local Municipality exist, and their effects on physical fitness performances were also noticed. As such, strategic physical activity, interventions or follow-up studies recognizing this relationship particularly in the overweight adolescents are needed. In addition, authorities in health and education departments dealing with adolescents should make use of this evidence base information in policies development.