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Access to info enhanced by AI and e-governance

Image: Unesco On 28 September the world marked the International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). This event, established in November 2015 through UN resolution (38 C/70) and first commemorated in 2016, aims to facilitate international discussions on policy and guidelines in this important area.  Access to information plays an important role in Read more >

Civil society’s fight for transparency is vital for democracy

Democracy: a system of government in which the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives;fair and equal treatment of everyone in an organisation, etc., and their right to take part in making decisions. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries Democracy, by its very definition, can only work if all people are able to participate in Read more >

South Africa second globally in 2021 Open Budget Index

South Africa has come second in budget transparency globally, with Georgia overtaking both South Africa and New Zealand to claim the first spot in the 2021 Open Budget Index (OBI), conducted among 120 countries by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) through an open budget survey. IBP is the world’s only independent, comparative measure of budget Read more >

Extended deadline for submissions on basic education laws amendment bill

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has extended the deadline for stakeholders and interested individuals to submit written comments on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill to 15 August 2022. Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee received several requests for an extension to the original deadline, which was Read more >

International Parly Day celebrates democratic gains and challenges

The International Day of Parliamentarism (IDP) is celebrated every year on 30 June, to commemorate the day in 1889 on which the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was founded – this is the global organisation of national parliaments, of which South Africa is a member. Currently the IPU comprises 178 national member parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary Read more >

Interviews begin for appointment of inspector-general of intelligence

Parliament has announced that next week, on 8 and 9 February 2022, its joint standing committee on intelligence (JSCI) will interview the 10 shortlisted candidates vying for the position of inspector-general of intelligence (IGI). Importantly, the media may attend the interviews at Parliament, and the public may follow them virtually through streaming on Parliament’s social Read more >

Civil society calls on the public to stand up and fight corruption

Defend our Democracy announces anti-corruption week for 3 to 10 December. By Masego MafataSource: GroundUp Civil society organisations are urging the public to participate in a United in Action Against Corruption week to run from 3 to 10 December. Announced at a press briefing in Johannesburg earlier in November and organised by the Defend our Democracy Read more >