African Elite Perspectives: AU and NEPAD

A comparative study across seven African countries

The African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) represent the pinnacle of efforts by African leaders to point the continent in the direction of democracy and economic growth. From October to November 2002 the Centre for International and Comparative Politics (University of Stellenbosch), in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, conducted a groundbreaking survey of African elite perspectives on the AU and NEPAD. Seven African countries-namely South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe- were included in the survey.

Electoral Models for South Africa: Reflections and Options

Electoral Task Team Review Roundtable

Transitional provisions in South Africa's final constitution required that beyond the application of the proportionality system in the 1999 elections, an electoral system should be introduced through enactment of national legislation. An Electoral Task Team (ETT) was established with the aim to draft the necessary legislation for an electoral system for the country's next national and provincial elections. This publication includes the outcomes, findings and recommendations of the ETT Roundtable held in Cape Town in September 2002.

Land Reform: Issues and Challenges

A comparative overview of experiences in Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and Australia

"Land reform" has in recent years become a test case for democratic reforms and the pursuit of social justice in countries such as South Africa, Australia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Bertus de Villiers' comparative study aims to analyse the processes, draw comparisons between the respective experiences and identify possible lessons and pitfalls.

Defining new citizenship for South Africa & the fundamental values that will shape it

Johannesburg, 14 June 2001

Who and what is a citizen? What is citizenship? What are the values that should underpin and characterise a new citizenship for a country such as South Africa that is going through a process of comprehensive transformation? The Leadership Seminar conducted by St Augustine College of South Africa in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and held in Johannesburg on 14 June 2001, explored these fundamental issues and questions. The purpose of the seminar was to focus on the need to create an awareness in society of the social responsibility of its citizens and to encourage people to participate in community affairs.

Politics of Identity and Exclusion in Africa: From Violent Confrontation to Peaceful Cooperation

25–26 July 2001, Senate Hall, University of Pretoria

The theme of the conference and the papers delivered are highly relevant to the establishment of a deep and sustainable democracy, especially in a young democracy such as South Africa. South Africans experience post-colonial and post-apartheid transformation as part of their daily lives. Transformation explicitly linked to democracy should therefore reflect democratic values. What we need in South Africa is not formal democracy, but deep democracy – democracy that would preserve and protect human rights and humane democratic values in a dynamic and responsive way.

Strengthening the Moral Fabric of the South African Workplace: Strategies, Resources and Research

3–4 May 2001, Sanlam Auditorium, Conference Centre, University of Pretoria

The workshop Strengthening the Moral Fabric of the South African Workplace: Strategies, Resources and Research, on which this Seminar Report is based, was aimed at assessing how various sectors of society are coming to terms with moral problems in the workplace through the development of strategies and resources to deal with, among others, mismanagement, corruption in its various forms, work ethic and governance. The workshop was held on 3 and 4 May 2001 at the University of Pretoria.For your convenient download, please find below the report of the proceedings subdivided into pdf-files of the respective chapters.

Constitution and Law IV

Developments in the Contemporary Constitutional State

Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2–3 November 2000: “Development in the Contemporary Constitutional State” is a broad theme, though also focused within the ambit of legal scholarship and practice. The focus involves the two most topical issues in contemporary South Africa: the need for development and the development of constitutionalism.

Constitutional Right of Access to Information

The need for a conference dealing with access to information became evident following the promulgation of legislation regulating the constitutional right to access to information. The Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 were enacted to comply with constitutional obligations laid down in section 32(2) (access to information) and section 33(3) (just administrative action) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act 108 of 1996. The main purpose of these two statutes, which support and supplement each other, is to ensure the achievement of an open and democratic South Africa by promoting transparency, accountability, good governance and just administration on the part of government. The Promotion of Access to Information Act has gone a step further than the preceding Open Democracy Bill by extending the scope of the right to information held by private bodies – a fact which was debated and discussed at the conference.

Crime and Policing in Transitional Societies

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 30. August – 1. September 2000

While South Africa has faced high levels of crime in the first few years of the establishment of democracy, the country is by no means unique. A number of other societies that have also experienced transitions from authoritarian to democratic rule have undergone similar experiences. In almost all cases, such transitions have been accompanied by equally dramatic changes in economic and social circumstances, some of which have resulted in higher levels of crime.

Provincial Government in South Africa

Umtata, 16–18 August 2000

South Africa is characterised by significant territorially defined communal diversities of, for example, culture, language, ethnicity as well as economic disparities. Historically, pluralist societies such as the United States, Switzerland and India opted for such devolution of power to states, regions or provinces so as to bring about national unity. National unity and political stability were equally influential in persuading the ANC leadership to agree to decentralisation of power to the provinces. The conference aimed at stimulating debate on the role and future of the provincial governments in South Africa and at generating proposals for capacity building and/or alternatives to the present political dispensation. The papers were a blend of theoretical and practical contributions to the ongoing debate around ways of ensuring efficiency, democracy and more responsive governments in the provinces. The conference therefore provided a forum to take a fresh look at the Constitution and to find a new balance in intergovernmental relations.