(APRM) Country Review Report
4 July 2007
President Thabo Mbeki met with his peers at the 7th Summit of the African
Peer Review Forum in Accra, Ghana this week to present South Africa's response
to the APR Panel's Country Review Report.
President Mbeki welcomed the Review Report and commended members of the
Panel for their hard work and dedication to the process. He noted that it is a
positive report that acknowledges the huge strides made by South Africa in
transforming the country into a vibrant democracy with one of the most
progressive Constitutions in the world.
The Review Report identified 18 South African best practices worthy of
emulation. They include Co-operative Governance, popular participatory
governance practices, Batho Pele, Multi-Purpose Community Centres, the highly
consultative Budget Formulation Process, achievements of the South African
Revenue Services, the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, the JSE and Triple
Bottom Line Reporting, the Mzansi Account for the un-banked, the Financial
Service Charter, the King Reports, self-reliance in development funding,
provision of basic needs and socio-economic rights and the successful promotion
of gender equality in the public sphere.
The President expressed South Africa's appreciation for the extensive
engagement with the Panel and its secretariat around the Programme of Action
(POA), which has incorporated most of the Report's key recommendations. Key
elements of the POA are briefly highlighted below.
The President stressed that South Africa and the Panel are of one mind on
the centrality of governance and the soundness of the democratic framework that
has been built over the last 13 years.
The African Peer Review Member States strongly endorsed the process that
South Africa undertook in completing the Country Self-Assessment Report. Member
States agreed that South Africa's process was inclusive, participatory and
innovative. For its part, the Panel commended South Africa for meeting the
tight timeframes required by the APRM guidelines in a participatory and
transparent manner.
The innovative approach included shortening the questionnaire and its
translation into all languages, inviting research institutions to participate
as partners, the validation process of the 2nd National Conference, involvement
of civil society through the SA Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOC)
chapter, the establishment of Provincial Governing Councils, the role of
Community Development Workers in enhancing popular participation in the APRM
process, the use of outside broadcasts, the APRM song and blitzes in taxi ranks
and major street corners to popularise the APRM process.
South Africa raised concerns around the panel's methodological approach.
President Mbeki emphasised that the concerns were raised in the spirit of peer
review and genuine debate and dialogue, but did not amount to a rejection of
the report. Indeed the concerns were raised in order to strengthen the process
as a genuine peer review exercise. The panel and the Heads of State and
Government concurred with South Africa's observations.
In the area of Democracy and Political Governance, the POA contains actions
to deal with amongst others: racism, sexism marginalisation, crime, lack of
awareness, poor access to information, impairing the full enjoyment of human
rights; the need for active engagement of all communities in the fight against
crime and violence, the need to fight corruption and build a national integrity
system. With respect to Economic Governance and management, the POA addresses
issues of: inadequate public consultation, education and feedback in policy
making; underdeveloped capacity and skills; blockages to service delivery; lack
of deeper economic integration within the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) and unemployment.
With respect to Corporate Governance, the POA contains actions to address
the following challenges: company legislation not being transformative and
requiring review; the underdevelopment of key institutions and certain social
groups; the failure by consumers and shareholders to assert their rights and
the need to develop strong corporate governance in civil society
organisations.
Finally, in the area of Socio-Economic Development, the POA addresses: the
need to build consensus amongst stakeholders on definitions and measurements of
poverty; the need for more effective land reform; strategies for ensuring
children's nutrition, health and development need improvement; challenges of
crime and violence particularly against women and children; the need to
strengthen the integrated and holistic approach to combating HIV and AIDS,
tuberculosis (TB) and malaria and other communicable diseases.
The President noted that certainly there have been lessons learned both for
South Africa and the APRM process itself. The South African experience, its
level of citizen engagement and the innovation introduced will all prove to be
invaluable to other countries seeking to embark on the APRM process. South
Africa is ready to share its experience and expertise when called upon in
strengthening and deepening peer review across the continent.
For more information, please contact:
Mukoni Ratshitanga
Cell: 082 300 3447
Issued by: The Presidency
4 July 2007
