Public Service and Administration Minister, Mr Senzo Mchunu, will tomorrow lead a two-day high level brainstorming session, to come up with creative innovations and solutions for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
Scheduled to take place at St George Hotel in Irene outside Pretoria, the high-level brainstorm session will be conducted as a first, but critical and broad strategic discussion, that ultimately informs the shape, structural and substantive aspects of the APRM process in South Africa.
Minister Mchunu said: “it is important that we really get our ducks in a row so that we can be able to provide leadership in such an important body for the continent.
“The APRM affords us as South Africa an opportunity to showcase our capability and affords the entire continent to project itself as a continent that is committed to good governance and ethical leadership.”
The high level brainstorming session is an opportunity to revisit and revitalise the APRM process in South Africa, which is one of the pioneers and founders of the APRM.
The triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment as well as various developments in the past several years, point to the need to renew efforts and increase focus on the governance challenges confronting the society.
As part of the renewal process, it is also critical for government to build a collective approach that strengthens broad ownership of national governance challenges and promotes co-creation of the solutions to the challenges.
The overall objective of the brainstorm is to provide a space for robust and constructive deliberations on South Africa’s APRM journey to date, challenges and achievements.
The gathering will also focus on innovative and practical approaches that can be applied to ensure that the processes, structural arrangements and approaches applied in the APRM processes are credible, sustainable and inclusive.
It is envisaged that the outcomes of this brainstorm will be recommendations that inform the critical governance areas/ themes that the review should consider; key processes related to the implementation of the 2nd generation review, the establishment and management of APRM governance structures; and the institutionalisation, sustainability and popularisation of the APRM.
However, the brainstorm session does not constitute the broad based consultative dialogue that will have to take place for the formal establishment of national and provincial governance structures.
It aims to provide an initial and high-level platform for strategic reflection, debate and the generation of concrete ideas that then inform and shape the processes that will follow.
Some of the panelists who are expected to provide insights, lessons learned and experiences from South Africa’s and other African countries include: former DPSA Minister, Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi who is now Vice Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Ms Sibongile Mkhabela, University of Stellenbosch and Thuma Foundation, Professor and Patron, Professor Thuli Madonsela, Chairperson of Corruption Watch SA and CEO of the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, Mr Mavuso Msimang and Executive Director and Board Vice-Chairperson of Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), Mr Joel Netshitenzhe.
