South
Africa's President
Cyril Ramaphosa
gave his
Opening of
Parliament Address
(OPA) last week to
announce the new
Government of
National Unity’s
plans, and to mark
the beginning of its
five-year
parliamentary
term.
The
key priorities and
policies of the new
administration were
outlined,
following
a week filled with
parliamentary committee
meetings focused on
briefings from the newly
elected ministers. And
now the hard work
begins.
To set up the new coalition
well, key areas of
governance need careful
examination and planning.
Good Governance Africa has
released a considered
outline of 10 key areas that
the GNU should prioritise,
laid out in an
easy-to-follow infographic
citing ‘problems’ and
‘recommendations’.
These key areas cover the
following: how to deepen
political accountability;
fostering greater public
engagement; navigating the
coalition era; building a
capable state; improving
local governance outcomes;
reconfiguring SEOs;
unlocking mining and
industrial potential;
positioning SA as a
responsible regional and
global actor; addressing
peace and security issues in
SADC; maintaining
credibility in a volatile
international environment;
setting an example on
climate change.
Our recommendations are
honed on the thoroughly
researched insights that GGA
as a thinktank has developed
a consensus around, and we
hope that they are given due
regard by the policymakers
gathered in Parliament this
week. Please click
here to see this
innovative document.
On
the
subject
of
democracy
and
its
importance
on
the
Continent
overall,
my
article
on
the
misplaced
allure
of
the
so-called
‘Rwanda
Model’
(awarding
merit
to
an
autocratic-style
government)
was
also
published
last
week. Contrary
to a
popular
view
that
African
countries
need
a
benevolent
dictator,
empirical
evidence
shows
that
markers
like
public
service
delivery
and
employment
are
stronger
in
more
democratic
countries
like
Kenya
and
Zambia
than
in
Rwanda.
Click
here
to
read
the
article.
