At the end of its three-day strategic planning workshop today, 17 May 2024, the South African African National Governing Council (NGC) for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) recommitted itself to strengthening its civil society base.

Led by the South African NGC Chairperson, Mr Thulani Tshefuta, representatives from a wide range of civil society organisations, from faith-based organisations to youth formations, received and engaged the inputs for enriching the NGC strategic planning process.

The APRM Continental Secretariate, the fraternal Namibian NGC, the United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and the Department of Public Service and Administration were among the organisations from which resource-speakers were drawn.

“One of the key pillars of building a capable state is building an active citizenry,” said NGC Chair, Mr Tshefuta, in reference to Priority 1 of the Medium-Term-Strategic Framework.

A Specialised Agency of the African Union (AU), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework for implementing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

In December 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa officially launched the South Africa APRM Second Generation Country Review Report as part of the 20th-anniversary celebration of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). As a civil society organ of the South African APRM processes, the NGC has played a critical role in monitoring the country’s performance in the following thematic areas:

  • Democratic and Political Governance.
  • Economic Management and Governance.
  • Corporate Governance.
  • Socio-economic Development.
  • State Resilience.

After the hand-over and launch of the South Africa APRM Second Generation Country Review Report, the NGC Strategic session focused on how the council will monitor and engage in the implementation of the report during the 2024/25 financial year and thus serve as the “eyes and ears of our communities”, as one delegate explained.

Out of a series of proposed activities, which include nine provincial roadshows and engagements on the SA Second Generation Country Review Report, one of the most immediate activities will be the NGC’s role as the civil society observer mission in the upcoming national and provincial elections, scheduled for 29 May 2024.