AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISMAPRM: EXPERIENCES

1
AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM(APRM) EXPERIENCES
PROCESSES IN THE FREE STATE PROVINCE OF SOUTH
AFRICA

• Dr. DOVHANA MAMPHISWANA
• CHIEF DIRECTOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND RESEARC
  DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER
• SMS CONFERENCE 29-31 AUGUST 2006

2
BACKGROUND TO THE APRM

• On 8 July 2002, the 38th Ordinary Session of the
  Organization of African Unity endorsed the MOU on
  the APRM.
• Guidelines governing the peer review process are
  contained in the Base Document of the APRM

3
MANDATE OF THE APRM

• To ensure that the policies and practices of the
  participating states conform to the agreed
  political, economic and corporate governance
  values, codes and standards contained in the
  declaration of democracy, political, economic and
  corporate governance

4
PURPOSE OF THE APRM

• To foster the adoption of policies, standards
  and practices that lead to political stability,
  high economic growth, sustainable development and
  accelerated sub-regional and continental economic
  integration through sharing experiences and
  reinforcement of successful and best practices.

5
The Objectives Section of the Constitutive Act
prescribes that the African Union and its member
states are legally obliged to

• Promote peace, security and stability on the
  continent
• Promote democratic principles and institutions,
  popular participation and good governance
• Promote and protect human and peoples rights
• Promote sustainable development at the economic,
  social and cultural levels
• Promote cooperation in all fields of human
  activity to raise the living standards of African
  people
• A

6

• Advance the development of the continent by
  promoting research in all fields
• Work with international partners in the
  eradication of preventable diseases and the
  promotion of good health on the continent
• B

7
PARTICIPATION IN THE APRM

• The APRM is open to 53 member states of the
  African Union. Presently more than 23 countries
  are already participating including Ghanda,
  Rwanda, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa.

8
KEY FOCUS AREAS OF THE APRM

• The review process focuses on measuring
  performance and progress in four areas
• Democracy and good political governance
• Economic governance and management
• Corporate governance
• Socio-economic development

9
APRM PROCESS IN SOUTH AFRICA

• The first Consultative Conference was held at
  Gallagher Estate, Midrand on 28 29 September
  2005.
• The State President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki inaugurated
  the APRM Governing Council under the leadership
  of Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Minister
  of Public Service and Administration.
• The APRM Governing Council consists of people
  from business, government, organised labour,
  civil society organisations, and youth, women and
  people with disabilities.

10
COMMITMENT BY PRESIDENT MBEKI TO THE APRM PROCESS

• The Peer Review Process enables each of our
  countries to assess the progress it is making
  towards the achievement of our shared goals.
• Consistent with our movements commitment to a
  people-driven process of progressive change, we
  fully support the approach of the APRM to involve
  the masses of the people in the peer review
  process

11
BENEFITS OF THE APRM PROCESS

• Help build institutions involved in the promotion
  of democracy
• Help improve the relationships between
  institutions involved in promoting democracy
• Help create a culture of participatory governance
• Create a favourable climate for trade
  investment to flourish.
• Help SAs efforts in terms of job creation and
  improved service delivery in areas such as
  health, education, housing other basic
  services.

12
APRM PROCESS IN THE FREE STATE PROVINCE

• The Free State, with a population of 2,6million
  people, is one of 9 provinces in South Africa
  situated in the centre of the country and
  bordering the Kingdom of Lesotho.
• On 29 November 2005, Premier F.B Marshoff
  inaugurated the Provincial Governing Council
  tasked with the responsibility of implementing
  the provincial APRM programme.
• The Provincial Governing Council is led by MEC
  Mokitlane with Mec Tsopo (MEC responsible for
  Education) as his deputy.

13
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE APRM PROCESS

• Public hearings and door-to-door engagements were
  held throughout the 5municipal districts of the
  Free State province.
• In total 10 362 questionnaires were completed by
  the community and translated, encoded
  computerized for comprehensive analysis by the
  University of the Free State.

14
RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS

• The province successfully achieved the following
  good governance practices
• Rights promoted and protected
• Women supported to fully participate in society
• Rights of the disabled are protected promoted
• Economic management
• Government finances managed
• Working with neighbouring states
• Vision of the country is shared
• Doing right things to end poverty
• Systems in place to ensure that people are
  involved in the development process

15
RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS(cont)

• The province failed through the following bad
  governance procedures
• Fighting or violence
• Promotion and protection of childrens rights
• Corruption in government
• Delivery of basic services

16
Overview of the People of the Free State

• Democracy Good Political Governance Mixed
  Feelings
• Economic Governance and Management Good
• Corporate Governance Bad
• Socio-Economic Development Good

17
CHALLENGES OF THE APRM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

• Lack of co-operation from ward committees and
  ward councilors
• Time-frame for community engagement was too short
• Process perceived as a political ploy to canvas
  votes
• APRM questionnaire difficult to understand
• Difficulty in reaching public hearings due to
  lack of transport
• Quality of responses compromised due to lack
  of time.

18

• NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION ON APRM
• The country self-assessment was handed to the
  State
• President and a Group of Eminent Persons in
  July
• A Group of Eminent Persons conducted engagement
  
• meetings with the stakeholder across the
  country
• In the Free State they met with the Premier and
  EXCO,
• Legislature and Community Groups
• The National Programme of Action was driven
  from the
• country self-assessment report

19
NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF ACTION/ CONTINUATION

• Provinces will customize their programme of
  action based on this programme of action.
• In the Free State we are still identifying gaps
  between the National Programme of Action and
  Provincial APRM Report.
• Identified gaps will be presented in the next PCC
• The progamme of action is line with the four
  thematic areas.

20
DECMOCRACY AND GOOD POLITICAL GOVERNANCE

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE
• Human rights awareness
• Access to justice
• Active Public Participation
• Rights-based awareness campaigns

21
DECMOCRACY AND GOOD POLITICAL GOVERNANCE/
CONTINUATION

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESS ARE
• Empowerment of vulnerable groups such as woman,
  children, the disabled, refuges
• Outreach and accessibility initiatives.
• Effectiveness of traditional courts
• Criminal review and reform

22
DECMOCRACY AND GOOD POLITICAL GOVERNANCE/CONTINUAT
ION

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE
• Creation and strengthening of social dialogue
  forums
• Community consultation forums such as Community
  Policing Forum
• Role of the Media led by the media itself

23
2. ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE
• Popular participation in policy formulation
• Skills and capacity development
• Blockages to service delivery and unemployment
• Project and financial management skills will be
  prioritised
• Legislatures and local councils will be trained
  in the application of legislative
• Corruption

24
3. SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESS ARE
• Poverty
• HIV and AIDS
• Access by all to basic rights and services
  especially children, women and people with
  disabilities
• Collaborative partnerships that fast-track
  quality service delivery
• Creating services delivery innovation hubs
  targeting vulnerable people and marginalized
  groups

25
4. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE
• Company legislation reform
• The effectiveness of key institutions
• Consumer rights and shareholder, and shareholder
  activism
• Scaling up of existing consumer education
  initiatives

26
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE/CONTINUATION

• MAJOR ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ARE
• Active participation in corporate governance by
  women and other marginalized groups
• Provision of education and information to current
  and potential shareholders
• Increasing the number of women in executive and
  other decision making positions

27
CONCLUSION

• This programme of action will be successful with
  the active participation of provincial
  departments, district and local municipalities.

28
THANK YOU