The Speaker of South Africa’s Parliament Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula, has challenged Electoral Commissions in Southern African to reflect upon the changes, challenges, and progress of electoral democracy and governance in Southern African countries since the 1990s. Speaking at the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC), she said over the past three decades, SADC has witnessed significant epochs of transformation that have shaped political landscapes and systems of governance in various nations.
She said the birth of democracy in South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, and across several SADC countries marked a monumental shift from single-party dominance to the embrace of multi-party electoral democracies. Electoral Management Bodies emerged as stalwarts, entrusted with the monumental task of orchestrating free, fair, and transparent elections - a cornerstone of burgeoning democratic societies.
Through the formation of the ECF-SADC, experiences were exchanged, training programmes were offered, and collaborative efforts were made to fortify and deepen the roots of democracy in the SADC region. “Today we celebrate a quarter-century of the ECF's unwavering dedication, we stand at a crossroads. We face new challenges, chief among them being the imperative to safeguard against the erosion of electoral democracy - a plight witnessed in certain parts of West Africa”.
She said the ECF-SADC stands as strong watchdog to regional democracy, charged with the responsibility of devising strategies and programmes to actively shield electoral integrity and the gains made so far across the region.
The objectives of the Forum include among others to: encourage the establishment of independent and impartial Electoral Commissions in the region; encourage the development of electoral laws that adhere to regionally and internationally accepted principles of election management.
It also facilitates access to and sharing of experiences, expertise, research and technological information between and among Member Commissions. Among challenges, she cited the issue of political corruption, which has plagued several nations in the region. Corruption undermines the credibility of electoral processes, erodes public trust, and hampers socio-economic progress. “It is imperative that governments and civil society organisations work together to combat corruption through transparency, accountability, and the rule of law”, she appealed. Another challenge faced by Southern African countries is the consolidation of democratic institutions.
She said while many countries have established electoral frameworks, it is equally important to strengthen these institutions to ensure their independence, effectiveness, and resilience.
She stated that judicial systems, electoral commissions, and civil society organisations must be empowered to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and protect citizens' rights.
She said the birth of democracy in South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, and across several SADC countries marked a monumental shift from single-party dominance to the embrace of multi-party electoral democracies. Electoral Management Bodies emerged as stalwarts, entrusted with the monumental task of orchestrating free, fair, and transparent elections - a cornerstone of burgeoning democratic societies.
Through the formation of the ECF-SADC, experiences were exchanged, training programmes were offered, and collaborative efforts were made to fortify and deepen the roots of democracy in the SADC region. “Today we celebrate a quarter-century of the ECF's unwavering dedication, we stand at a crossroads. We face new challenges, chief among them being the imperative to safeguard against the erosion of electoral democracy - a plight witnessed in certain parts of West Africa”.
She said the ECF-SADC stands as strong watchdog to regional democracy, charged with the responsibility of devising strategies and programmes to actively shield electoral integrity and the gains made so far across the region.
The objectives of the Forum include among others to: encourage the establishment of independent and impartial Electoral Commissions in the region; encourage the development of electoral laws that adhere to regionally and internationally accepted principles of election management.
It also facilitates access to and sharing of experiences, expertise, research and technological information between and among Member Commissions. Among challenges, she cited the issue of political corruption, which has plagued several nations in the region. Corruption undermines the credibility of electoral processes, erodes public trust, and hampers socio-economic progress. “It is imperative that governments and civil society organisations work together to combat corruption through transparency, accountability, and the rule of law”, she appealed. Another challenge faced by Southern African countries is the consolidation of democratic institutions.
She said while many countries have established electoral frameworks, it is equally important to strengthen these institutions to ensure their independence, effectiveness, and resilience.
She stated that judicial systems, electoral commissions, and civil society organisations must be empowered to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and protect citizens' rights.
