South Africa’s BRICS Challenges
Every BRICS country is in the alliance to hard-headedly advance its strategic economic, trade and geopolitical interests. South Africa will only benefit from its…
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.
Current Projects
Political Parties and Elections Support →
CSO Capacity Building for Credible Local Elections →
Malawi Parliamentary Support Program →
The Southern African Political Parties and Dialogue (SAPP&D) Programme →
Putting Women and Youth at the Center of Economic Governance →
Past Projects
The Civil Society Participation in Provincial Legislatures (CSPPL) Programme →
CAR elections
BBC World Service Weekend, on 2 January 2016, speaks with William Gumede, Chairperson of Democracy Works Foundation, and Karin von Hippel, Director-General of the…
Why South Africans suffer from institutional disaffection
A consideration of voter turnout compared to general protests by citizens suggests that South Africans are currently suffering from institutional disaffection rather than political…
November 26 State of Democracy Debate
Democracy Works Foundation held its second 2015 State of Democracy debate at Constitution Hill on 26 November. William Gumede, Executive Chairperson of Democracy Works…
How wealth is made in China
As China released its 13th five year plan last week, there are key ingredients of China’s model of development from which African countries can…
Backlash against student protests comes from unexpected quarters
Politics, we are told, makes for strange bedfellows. It is unlikely that Adam Habib, the vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand, and BDlive…
Rent-seeking is gobbling up our economy
When the politically connected keep gorging at the trough, bona fide black talent is kept back. South Africa is increasingly becoming a “rent-seeking” society…
Fixing local government depends on political will
Can South Africa’s ailing municipalities be overhauled, and if so, what should the key elements of a turnaround strategy be? Many of South Africa’s…
Could electoral reform set South Africa straight?
Imagine being a voter having all the relevant information at your disposal required to make an informed decision on candidates running for public office,…
Supporting Civil Society key to future
Many local civil society organisations are in deep crisis, with many unable to raise funds, others struggling to adjust to a rapidly changing society and…