Idasa responds to Land Bank announcement

The Public Expenditure and Smallholder Agriculture Project in African democracy institute, Idasa, has welcomed the Land Bank’s commitment to spend 1 billion rands on emerging farmers in the next two years as a move to unlock the long-term potential growth of agriculture as one of the pillars of South Africa’s economic development. Please read attached press release for more information. Read more here.

Where to now for the youth who led South Sudan’s struggle?

The youth of South Sudan played a major role in the independence struggle, bringing new technology and modern ideas to rally support for succession. Yet these same young people now face huge difficulties that are obstructing their participation in constructing their new country – lack of education and job opportunities among them. Maddy Halyard, an intern with Idasa’s States in Transition Observatory, warns this could threaten peaceful and sustainable development. Read more here.

Keeping secrets is not the way to make friends

South Africa’s proposed Protection of Information Bill, now back with the adhoc parliamentary committee for redrafting, is chillingly similar to Zimbabwe’s Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, warns Maddy Halyard of Idasa’s States in Transition Observatory (SITO). It could turn everyday citizens who posses protected intelligence, even unknowingly, into common criminals, while exempting intelligence agencies such as the NIA and the police force from public scrutiny. Read more here and comment below.

What is happening to our country as we lose our leaders of old

Russel made some good points (read them below) when he paid tribute to Kader Asmal who died last week. Following Ma Sisulu’s death, and with the older generation of leadership passing on, South Africans are asking who is left as the guardian of the ANC heritage. Comment here and let’s get a blog discussion going.

Idasa questions judgement of Director of Public prosecution in arms deal

African democracy institute Idasa is questioning the judgement of former national director of public prosecutions, Menzi Simelane, who decided not to investigate Fana Hlongwane, an adviser to then defence minister Joe Modise, who we recently learned took a R24m payback  from a SAAB subsidiary Saab in its bid to supply Gripen fighter jets to SA.

In the light of the new information, Idasa adds its voice to the call growing in South Africa for the reopening of the arms deal investigation. Read the full article by Idasa’s Richard Calland and Judith February here.

Your vote is not for sale

Idasa’s Political Information and Monitoring Service Programme (PIMS) has been monitoring vote buying during the run-up to the local government elections and our network of monitors have observed numerous alarming incidents of vote buying in various forms. This has been a trend since the 2009 national elections. Read the full article here.

SITO’s first Election Watch for Zimbabwe

The Election Watch is based on the SADC principles and guidelines for conducting elections. It holds countries to the standards that they originated and agreed to abide by as members of the regional community.

It will be released on a monthly basis in order to track progress towards or divergence from the SADC standard. Read it here.

What is Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement?

If intended as a ceasefire agreement, Zimbabwe’s GPA has failed to deliver, but as a power-sharing mechanism it could well be guaranteed of success

For those who viewed the Global Political Agreement as amounting to a viable political agreement, the resurgence of serious political differences among the key protagonists is evidence of the failure of that document to deliver sustainable and sound solutions.  Read more here.

Idasa concerns over vote buying

Democracy institute Idasa has expressed concern over vote buying and the improper use of state resources to influence voters in the upcoming local government election.

Idasa’s monitoring has turned up a number of instances of interference and intimidation. Read more here.

Idasa challenges municipal election candidates to disclose their campaign funding

4 May 2011

For Immediate Release

Idasa challenges municipal election candidates to disclose their campaign funding South Africa will be holding countrywide municipal elections on Wednesday 18 May 2011. They will be held against a background of many years of mounting dissatisfaction with service delivery, manifested in increasingly widespread protests and rates boycotts.