In
2002, the African
Leadership Institute
(AFLI) launched the
SA2020 Scenarios
project, bringing
together a cohort of
visionary young
leaders tasked with
forecasting various
futures for South
Africa to guide
strategic
policymaking. This
initiative aimed not
just at predicting,
but actively
shaping, the future
amidst significant
societal challenges
of the
time.
Today, as we observe these
scenarios unfolding in real
life, their creators hold
key positions across various
sectors, influencing the
course of South Africa's
development. In response to
the upcoming 2024 elections,
Good Governance Africa (GGA)
has
initiated a series
of webinars focused
on revisiting these
scenarios. These discussions
deepen the understanding of
South Africa's developmental
journey since SA2020, with
outcomes designed
to inform future initiatives
and policy decisions for
inclusive growth.
As South Africa nears its
2024 elections, marking
thirty years of democracy,
GGA is committed to disseminating
insights that not
only reflect on the past but
also on its implications
for the future. This effort
is crucial as almost a third
of African nations,
including Botswana,
Mozambique, and Namibia,
prepare for elections this
year. The conduct and
credibility of these
elections will act as a
litmus test for the Southern
African Development
Community’s (SADC)
effectiveness in upholding
democratic practices.
Despite SADC’s efforts,
through initiatives like the
SADC Principles and
Guidelines Governing
Democratic Elections (2004),
challenges persist. Recent
elections, such as
Zimbabwe’s, highlight the
discrepancy between the
ideal of democratic
governance
and the complex political
realities on the ground.
Sikhululekile Mashingaidze’s
sobering
analysis emphasises
the limitations of SADC’s
role in these electoral
processes, noting the gap
between the organisation's
democratic mandates and its
practical
capabilities.
