We must speak out to safeguard our democracy
As we inch closer to the end of the year, the ANC elective conference is preoccupying the mind of any conscientious observer of South…
Strengthening Institutions
Democracy Works Foundation seeks to strengthen democratic developmental states we focus on the following institutions:
- The Executive: enhancing capacity for effective democratic governance
- The Legislature: strengthening oversight capacity
- Civil Society: building capacity for service delivery support, oversight and its watch-dog function
- Political Parties: enhancing internal party democracy and democratic leadership for a New Politic
- Extra-parliamentary Institutions – also known as Chapter 9 institutions in South Africa: assisting their capacity to fulfill their respective mandates.
The Civil Society Participation in Provincial Legislatures (CSPPL) Programme →
The Southern African Political Parties and Dialogue (SAPP&D) Programme →
Civil Society needs to adapt in tough times
Civil society needs organisational agility, imaginative leadership and synergic partnerships in tough times. With South Africa assigned to junk status by two global credit…
Democracy Works Foundation Statement: Parliamentary vote on the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma
The long-anticipated motion on the vote of confidence in South African and ANC President Jacob Zuma has now finally come. The vote is unlike…
Legislature and Governance: Towards Presidential Centralism
What’s expected in a discussion document on legislature and governance for the upcoming African National Congress (ANC) policy conference is an identification of the…
Is a single human rights body in SA’s best interest?
Ten years ago, South Africa’s Parliament formed a committee to review the country’s ‘Chapter 9’ and associated institutions tasked with supporting democracy, human rights…
Reflections on a new activism to challenge a state comprador elite
The recognition of the need for a new activism was accompanied by a realisation that while it was necessary, it was not a sufficient…
Policy Brief 13: the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Role in Building Democracy
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum should be transformed into a fully-fledged and official regional parliament. This will foster democratisation in the…
South Africa’s complicated commitment to the ICC
South Africa’s relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is tenuous, complicated by the political landscape and economic challenges facing the Southern African nation. …
‘Ghost town’ awaits the presidential cavalcade
President Jacob Zuma will not only address a post-Sona rally but also meet with business leaders for lunch before his address. The lunch will…
Policy Brief 12: African Parliaments Need More Bite
African parliaments becoming more independent from presidents and executives is a prerequisite for improving the quality of democratic governance in Africa. This Policy Brief presents…