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OGP more of a necessity than ever in SA

By Anna-Sophie Hobi The Covid-19 pandemic is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis. Efforts to contain the virus and support those directly impacted are of utmost importance. Around the world, governments are taking unprecedented actions to limit the spread of the virus—adopting measures aimed at protecting the lives of their populations and the viability of Read more >

SA making progress on beneficial ownership, but CSOs left out

South Africa launched its latest Open Government Partnership (OGP) action plan, covering the period 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2018, on 6 May 2016. This was the country’s third national action plan since joining the OGP programme, which provides a platform for governments and civil society to work together to develop and implement ambitious Read more >

Open Government Week aims to curb distrust in govt

An open, transparent, accountable and ethical government is possible when citizens, civil society and governments come together. This week, 7 – 11 May, is Open Government Week (OGW), an occasion during which countries belonging to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) will focus on developing the culture and practice of transparency, participation and accountability both in Read more >

Access to information in Africa: highs and lows

In its 2017 State of Access to Information in Africa report, the Open Democracy Advice Centre (Odac) studies 12 African countries in terms of their access to information (ATI) laws and practices. The countries are Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Of the 12 countries under Read more >

Osisa report: efficacy of SADC’s anti-corruption bodies

Results of a study on anti-corruption bodies in the Southern African region were released in the region towards the end of July. Titled Effectiveness of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the report was commissioned by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa Read more >

Court to supervise Sassa grants payments

The Constitutional Court today handed down a unanimous, blistering judgment in the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) matter. Judge Johan Froneman ruled that the court will take over supervision of the implementation of the current and future grants process, indicating that the bench had no trust in social development minister Bathabile Dlamini. “This judgment Read more >

SA falling short on OGP commitments

The Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) second end-of-term report for South Africa shows that, while the country made a start on its stated commitments, it did not complete any of them. The progress report covers the period from 2013 to 2015, and was prepared by the independent reporting mechanism (IRM), an independent body which is overseen Read more >

SA must work to make govt more accountable

By Fola Adeleke First published on The Conversation The South African government completed its term as lead-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in December 2016. The partnership is an international initiative formed by eight countries in 2011 that has grown to 75 members. Its aim is to improve public sector governance and encourage civil Read more >

OGP marks 5 years, but faces coordination challenges

South Africa, with the other seven founding members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), this week celebrated the initiative’s fifth anniversary. The OGP was launched in 2011 to provide an international platform that enables domestic reformers to make their governments more open, accountable, responsive to citizens, and corruption-free. Since then, the OGP has grown from Read more >