Posts

Fragile States Index 2019 – SA in the warning zone

By Kwazi Dlamini The 2019 Fragile States Index (FSI), researched and released by Fund for Peace, indicates those countries that are fragile, on the brink of collapse, or are vulnerable to collapse. Using 12 indicators, the index rates countries on a scale of 0 to 10 for each indicator, with 0 being the most stable Read more >

Tackle corruption by keeping communities in the picture

  By David Lewis Despite the perennial hype surrounding the budget, as long as we have a sane finance minister the “hard” content is inevitably pretty predictable. A good budget is generally a paragon of moderation. Unless it succumbs to special-interest pressure, it won’t slash and burn, and it won’t throw money from a helicopter. Read more >

Sona 2016: here’s what Zuma said

Read the full text of President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address, delivered in the National Assembly on 11 February 2016. The speaker of the National Assembly, The chairperson of the National Council of Provinces; Deputy speaker of the National Assembly and deputy chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, Former president Thabo Read more >

An action plan for more open government

In part two of our series on the Open Government Partnership (OGP), we take a closer look at South Africa’s action plans – that is, the efforts its government is making to improve openness and transparency. Part one gave an overview of OGP and South Africa’s role in it. The OGP was launched in 2011 Read more >

67 reasons to fight corruption

With the seventh international Mandela Day just past, it’s clear that July is observed by many people around the world as an opportunity to serve the people around them and do good in their communities for at least 67 minutes – one for each year Mandela devoted to public service. In this article, first published Read more >

Karoo town speaks out on corruption

By Jennifer Cohen In the small Karoo village of Prince Albert, sitting quietly at the foot of the Swartberg mountains, Every Voice Matters.   Or so residents have come to believe. After a dream convinced her, Hélène Smit, director of Depth Leadership Trust, decided to engage people living there, asking them, “If your voice could Read more >

Local govt going back to basics

The second presidential local government summit (PLGS) promised action in transforming the performance of municipalities from mediocre, in many cases, to excellent, and ensuring that efficient municipalities remain that way. Ministers, premiers, mayors, executive mayors, municipal managers, speakers, chief whips, technical officers, traditional leaders, and other senior local government officials convened in Midrand on 18 Read more >

Spotlight on the public service in September

September is Public Service Month in South Africa. This year’s month-long event takes place under the theme Reinventing the way Public Servants Work: Batho Pele "Putting People First". During this period South Africans are asked to reflect on the public service and its ability to deliver quality services that meet their expectations in the spirit Read more >