Watching Zimbabwe - May/June 2010

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0200

The Zimbabwe GNU Watch provides an overview, month by month, of political developments under the terms set out in the Global Political Agreement (GPA). The sections profiled in monthly outputs may vary depending on events and issues raised in that particular report. Where possible, the relevant article as stipulated in the GPA has been provided. As this documentation began in April, there may at times be references to activities or events that took place in previous months.

Van Zyl Slabbert - in the news

Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, one of Idasa's founders, died on 14th May 2010. Idasa has compiled a series of tributes in recognition of the work of van Zyl Slabbert. His death was covered by newspapers across the globe. See some of the news and online articles by clicking on the link below....

Van Zyl Slabbert - Tributes

Sun, 30 May 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, one of Idasa's founders, died on 14th May 2010.

Legislation to Regulate Private Political Party Funding

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

See letter compiled by Judith February, the Programme Head of Idasa's Political Information and Monitoring Service PIMS regarding legislating Private Political Party Funding. Also see article published in the Cape Times, Monday 19th April 2010 for more information.The Hon Mr Max Sisulu MPSpeaker of the National AssemblyParliame...

Time to fulfil your pledges on openness about party funding

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

By: Caiphus KgosanaIdasa tells ANC "It is our view that debate should take place in Parliament in the context of a commitment to the early adoption of clear and comprehensive legislation on this matter,” she wrote. Idasa went to the high court in 2005 in an attempt to force political parties to reveal their private funders, but the court decided it was a matter that should be dealt with by Parliament. Please see full article below.See article ...

Call for proposals for the improvement of Idasa’s M&E and knowledge management systems

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

BackgroundIdasa through its Local Governance Unit (LGU) in the Political Governance Programme (PGP) is currently facilitating the implementation of two projects aimed at strengthening local governance in four countries in Southern Africa. The Capacity Development for Local Governance (CDLG) project is implemented in South Africa while the Local Governance Capacity Development Support Project (LGCDSP) is implemented in Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. W...

Pylons in party grid

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

from The Sowetan THE debate about whether the ANC investment arm, Chancellor House, should or should not sell its stake in Hitachi Power Africa provides the opportunity to review how political parties are funded in this country.Currently the funding mechanisms for political parties include private donations, the government – and through investment arms like Chancellor House.Idasa has previously called for political parties to disclose their priva...

Zimbabwe GNU Watch - March 2010

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:03:42 +0200

AU Charter newsletter March 2010

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:28:58 +0200

AU Charter newsletter March 2010 - This Newsletter will serve to keep each other and the general public informed about the projects and work done around the campaign to promote the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Idasa, ADF and the African Union CharterThe African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance was adopted by the African Union Commission in January 2007. Since then, 34 Member States have signed, but only three...

Rights and Sustainability - Sustainable Rights

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

CAMBRIDGE RESILIENCE FORUMPRESENTSSalil Tripathi and Richard Calland:'Rights and Sustainability - Sustainable Rights'DATE: Wednesday 28 April 2010 TIME: 17:30 VENUE: IDASA Bookshop, 6 Spin Street, Cape Town * COST: R230 (free for members) The University of Cambridge Programme for...

Banana leaves, fiery sambal and democracy in Indonesia

Fri, 9 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Idasa’s iLEDA visits Schools for Democracy in Indonesia On the first floor above a diner that offers local delicacies wrapped in banana leaves and fiery Sambal rice dishes, Sekolah Demokrasi Pangkep offers 35 people the chance to discuss democracy and what it means to them, every Sunday for 9 months. Two facilitators provide guidance to the mostly young women and men (women make up about a third of participants in KID’s democracy scho...

Burning a hole in the page - book launch

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Lobby Books launched "Burning Hole in the Page" on Thursday, 8th April 2010.About the bookIn these pages, readers will find intriguing anecdote and new information about writers to further whet their appetite for deeper exploration. This alphabetical guide offers a brief biography of each writer, a selected bibliography, a sample of their writing, and some comment on the writers and their work.Author/Compiler, Robin Malan has ...

Time to move away from the Malema monologue to dialogue on our future

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 08:56:49 +0200

By: Judith FebruaryA hip-hop star, allegedly high on cocaine ploughs into a group of schoolchildren in Soweto, killing 4 of them. The National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Menzi Simelane, admits to intervening in order to ensure that the singer gets bail. This is so despite the fact that the senior prosecutor assigned to the case, opposes bail. A senior political figure visits the singer in prison and provides him with a take-out meal.This story...

CapeCodes Day Conclave

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

CapeCodes invites you to its day conclave/pre-conclave which will be held on Saturday, 10th of April 2010 at 10:00 am till 5:00 pm.The Day Conclave is one of the Audio Drama events on our yearly calendar of presentations to the community. It takes place during the day; unlike the “Stay-Awake” Conclave, our 24-hour event which happens overnight at the end of the year.Participating groups perform in the morning and are constructively criticised by their peers. The ...

Zimbabwe's Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Legislation

Wed, 7 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Everything you ever wanted to know (and then some) about Zimbabwe's Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Legislation but (quite rightly) were to Afraid to Ask.By Derek Matyszak, Research and Advocacy Unit, ZimbabweThe Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment (General) Regulations, 2010, Gazetted on the 29th January, 2010, with an effective date of 1st March 20101, have generated heated debate. The proclaimed objective2 of ...

Accountability, Democracy and Parliament

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Idasa’s Political Monitoring and Information Service (PIMS) recently participated in a seminar in Parliament focused on exploring various methods of strengthening participatory democracy. The three-day seminar, hosted by the South African-European Union legislative sector, set out to deepen the relationship between South Africa’s Parliament and those of the EU’s member states, as well as foster the exchange of strategies on how legislatures can more effectively channel...

Civil Society Declaration handed to African Union

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Paul Graham of Idasa hands over the declaration by civil society organisations on the continent calling for ratification of the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance to HE Dolly Joiner, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs at a conference convened by the AU Commission to discuss plans for ratification.For more information regarding the African Charter on Democracy

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

The Audio Drama Unit of Media@IDASA will be holding its Annual Conclave. See details below.Visit the site: www.capecodes.co.za.The presentations begin at 13h30 on the 12th December with the kind of Marimba band you’ve never experienced before.Come out and support. Witness a truly democratic art formFREE ADMISSIONThe Novalis Ubunto Institute, Wynberg - 0...

Archbishop Tutu Awarded First Fetzer Prize for His Work to Advance Love, Forgiveness

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will be awarded the Fetzer Institute’s Prize for Love and Forgiveness this evening at “Beyond Reconciliation,” a conference on the campus of the University of Cape Town. Named a joint recipient with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, each winner receives a $100,000 monetary award to support his work and a handcrafted, inscribed journal. The Archbishop had planned to receive the award with His Holiness at the Vancouver Peace Summit in Canada on Sept...

Full circle: ANSA-Africa Newsletter

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

December 2009ANSA-Africa has compiled a newsletter which covers Access to information within Africa.Issues covered are: Access to information can fundamentally alter society's power relations; Which countries in Africa have Right to Know legislation?; Focus on Uganda as a case study; Civil society’s role in ensuring transparency in the extractive industriesDownload th...

Eskom - we need to have a public conversation

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

By Richard Calland and Gary Pienaar Discuss this on our blog here ...Picking holes in the governance of electricity supply, and energy policy more generally, is like shooting fish in a barrel. Whether it is the development and sequencing of key policy documents, the absence of proper stakeholder consultation, leadership failure, or the lack...

From our travellers laptop ... Poverty Undermines Democracy in Africa

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

- By Stefan Gilbert -About an hour after the plane was scheduled to depart, we were told that the flight to Sierra Leone would be delayed by six hours. This, I was told, would make for an interesting night. The trick with Sierra Leone is that you must cross the peninsula to get to the capital, Freetown. This must be done by boat, and a night crossing doesn’t rate highly on the “what you should do when you visit Sierra Leone” list. So, at about two o’c...

US-Africa policy

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0200

Witney Schneidman -- one of Idasa's U.S. Board members -- gave the inaugural Senator Ted Kennedy Memorial Lecture at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The lecture series was established by the U.S. Embassy in South Africa to honor Senator Kennedy's legacy. Dr. Schneidman's remarks, entitled "New Beginnings, Enduring Challenges: American Foreign Policy to Africa from Kennedy to Obama,"...

Roundtable on the inclusive government of Zimbabwe

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:33:55 +0200

Amanzi Lodge, 30th September, 2009Summary of DiscussionThe meeting was convened with a view to obtaining an informed and nuanced view, from theperspective of key stakeholders, of Zimbabwe's Inclusive Government (IG). While various largegatherings of human rights NGO's have met to consider issues relevant to the IG, it was the feeling of the conveners that these meetings have been unwieldy and that opinions expressed at these meetings often have been tempered ...

Democracy in Action - November / December 2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0200

Read the latest Idasa newsletter here.On 1st December, we commemorate world AIDS day - read below about Idasa's recent launch of an African media and HIV/AIDS initiative. Other issues profiled this month include the importance of giving voice to small scale farmers in policy development; traditional leadership in Africa; childre...

Zimbabwe News flashes for November 2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0200

These news flashes aim to shed light and provide analysis on current issues in Zimbabwe, by considering the situation, actors, and dynamics in that country. If you would like to subscribe to daily updates, please contact Emily.Zim News Flash 30 November 2009 Tsvangirai Says SADC Deadline for Zimbabwe Will Be Met

National Treasury’s Fourth Quarter Local Government Budget Statement

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0200

The fourth quarter local government budget statement, which covers revenues and expenditure for the 12 months of the 2008/09 financial year, as well as information on the spending of local government conditional grants, was released on 28 August by the National Treasury. The statement reflects combined municipal financial performance information for the fourth quarter of the 2008/09 financial year, which ended 30 June, for all of the 283 municipalities.

Swaziland News flashes for August 2009

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0200

SITO now offers a twice weekly Swaziland News Flash. If you would like to register for this service, please contact Emily.Swazi News flash 28 August 2009Idasa Publication; The Role of Traditional Leaders in a Post-Tinkhundla Swaziland The majority of Africa...

The Role of Traditional Leaders in a Post-Tinkhundla Swaziland

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0200

By: Xolani SimelaneThe majority of African countries are predominantly rural and the authority of modern government often does not extend to these rural areas. As a result, traditional authorities can become critical in organizing the people at a local level where government does not reach. Traditional authorities have always been a feature of African societies and their involvement in governance issues has been recognized, especially during the colonial era. They ha...

Idasa book sales

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:41:35 +0200

Our latest book sales report is out, and in the July-Dec period in 2008 Idasa sold a total of 865 of our titles. Idasa books are sold abroad through African Books Collective, an agency based in Oxford; in South Africa through a book-selling company called Blue Weaver, and through our own online book store. Go to Idasa's online Lobby Book Store....

Leadership Training in Burundi and South Africa

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:20:29 +0200

Idasa’s CCEP and iLEDA programmes worked together on a three-month citizen leadership training programme in Burundi. Part of the initiative was to promote the Idasa campaign to win support and endorsement for the AU’s African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. iLEDA is also holding workshops in communities in Mpumulanga and Limpopo to introduce the Swedish study circle method, which is based on Swedish folk schools and is an innovative, informal community education mo...

Building Citizen Leadership in Zambia and Malawi

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:15:58 +0200

Idasa’s iLEDA programme is working on Citizen Leadership for Democratic Development in Zambia and Malawi. The project aims to build democratic leadership capacity in communities while addressing development more broadly, by highlighting the role of citizens in public work as well as the anchoring role of locally owned initiatives in the civic life of communities. The Programme offers courses to citizen leaders and community development leaders, as well as elected officials, government w...

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