A long-awaited report on good governance in South Africa identifies crime, graft and xenophobia as potential pitfalls for the continent’s biggest economy, according to a leaked copy obtained by Reuters.
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report, which will be presented to heads of state at an African Union summit in Ethiopia on Sunday, places official corruption among South Africa’s biggest problems.
South Africans ”are opposed to this creeping corruption and feel betrayed, regarding corruption as a negation of democratic gains after a long period of struggle,” the report said, noting there was special concern over the provision of social services such as housing.
It called on the government to ”deal systematically, deliberately and effectively with the lingering vestiges of racism” and to ”come up with better-informed measures to combat the growing problem of xenophobia”.
While acknowledging that South Africa’s political system allows for free and fair elections, it urged the country ”to find creative ways of making MPs more accountable to the electorate and less to the party hierarchy”.
The African peer review is part of the continent’s economic rescue plan, the New Partnerships for Africa’s Development (Nepad), which seeks to promote democracy and good governance in Africa to attract foreign investments needed to reduce poverty.
South Africa is only the fourth African country to undergo the review, after Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda.
The country review was prepared by a team of Nepad ”Eminent Persons” and followed a self-assessment report submitted by South Africa after wide-ranging consultations involving civic groups, businesses and other sectors.
The reviewers also did their independent checks and consultations on the ground.
‘Weak’ response
Unofficial publication of the report has triggered critical comments from analysts who say the government’s plan of action in response to the review ignores some key issues.
”It did not deal with crucial national issues like crime, corruption, rampant conflict of interest [in government] and significant weaknesses in the national political system,” said Ross Herbert of the South African Institute of International Affairs.
”If a country can choose not to deal with its major problems, then what’s the point of APRM,” said Herbert, leader of a research team focused on the APRM process.
The ruling African National Congress has swept every election since apartheid ended in 1994 but appears increasingly tainted by corruption scandals around its senior members.
The South African National NGO Coalition echoed these concerns, listing unemployment, HIV/Aids, poverty and corruption among issues it felt were not addressed by the government.
”Public submissions were very clear that these are major national concerns,” said the coalition’s executive director, Zanele Twala, in a letter sent to APRM leaders in November.
Twala was on the government’s APRM governing council, which had oversight of the process.
The government rejected accusations that it ”evaporated” robust issues from its plan of action after the draft passed through a Public Validation meeting.
”The draft report had to be edited and finalised,” the Public Service and Administration Ministry, which drove the process, said in a statement to Reuters.
It said APRM was not a review of the performance of the government, which was just a ”stakeholder” in the process.
Algeria and Nigeria will face APRM review next. — Reuters