Latest Resources
Research: Availability and adoption of m-Government services in South Africa
Article / Working Paper, E-Governance, Academic/Think TankThe adoption and penetration of mobile phones has been on the rise in South Africa with the increased cellular network coverage being a key driver to this growth. It has also fast tracked its usability in a number of areas such as education, health and payments, yet its adoption for m-Government has not experienced the same level of growth. Although m-Government is a prospect for South Africa,...
Global survey on internet privacy and freedom of expression
Africa, Asia and the Pacific, E-Governance, Europe and CIS, Latin America and the Carribean, Report, Other UN AgencyThis publication seeks to identify the relationship between freedom of expression and Internet privacy, assessing where they support or compete with each other in different circumstances. The report maps out the issues in the current regulatory landscape of Internet privacy from the viewpoint of freedom of expression. It provides an overview of legal protection, self-regulatory guidelines,...
Dumping on women : gender and privatisation of waste management
Africa, Book, Governance and Gender, Public Administration, Academic/Think TankThis book is based on research conducted in the South African municipalities of Thabazimbi, Sol Plaatje and Johannesburg. The aim of the research was to find out how privatization of waste management services affected men and women differently and if privatization makes it harder for municipalities to promote equity between women and men. The Introduction explains the research and some of the key...
State of the Union: South Africa Report
Africa, Civil Society, Democracy, Human Rights, Report, Civil SocietyProduced by the State of the Union Project, this 2010 report is one of ten country studies that assess the performance of Member States against key governance, economic, social, civil and political policy standards, and rights instruments. Although, a historical approach has been used, the period under review is 2007-2009. The State of the Union project tracks and...
Internal Party Integrity Management in South Africa
Africa, Democracy, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyIt is the view of this report that, as the primary vehicle of democratic representation in South Africa, political parties should in their organisation, management and conduct aim to reflect inter alia the Constitutional values of transparency and accountability. It claims that South African political parties’ internal governance is virtually unregulated except in terms...
Governance assessments as a tool for enhancing social accountability (ppt)
Africa, Local Governance and Decentralization, Presentation, Civil SocietyPresentation delivered by Paul van Hoof, Senior advisor local governance, Idasa, to the workshop on Country-led Governance Assessments in Namibia, 2009.
Positioning civil society post-Polokwane: coming to terms with ANC political leadership changes
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Political Parties, Civil SocietyIn 2007 South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC) was overhauled in what was seen as a revolt against the leadership of former Party President Thabo Mbeki. The party’s elective national conference was held in Polokwane and led to significant changes in its top political leadership with Jacob Zuma replacing Thabo Mbeki as Party President...
The African Peer Review Mechanism: lessons from the pioneers
Africa, Book, Civil Society, Democracy, Human Rights, Public Administration, Academic/Think TankWithout doubt, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is one of the boldest ideas that African leaders have come up with in the recent past. It is potentially the most important reform ever to emerge from the continent and may mark the start of a new kind of African diplomacy. This book is therefore intended as a guide that would both analyse the internal dynamics of the APRM and offer...
Elections and accountability in South Africa
Africa, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAllowing citizens to decide whether or not to extend a government’s tenure through regular elections is the principal mechanism of political accountability. It compels politicians to be more responsive to the electorate’s needs. Citizens use their vote to choose better governments and to structure incentives for the incumbents that should induce them to behave while...
Assessing the role of councillors in service delivery at local government level in South Africa
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Democracy, Local Governance and Decentralization, Civil SocietyThis research report presents the findings of a study that explores the role of elected public representatives (local councillors) in service delivery. According to the Handbook for Municipal Councillors, the broad mandate of local government officials is to promote developmental local government and facilitate socio-economic development at the local municipal level. The study uses four...