To achieve its aims, the Southern Africa Trust pledges its commitment to a rights based approach that understands people’s relationship with the state to be based on citizen rights, as opposed to a system where the state is a patron and citizens are viewed as clients seeking ad hoc benefits.

The Southern Africa Trust respects the human dignity of all persons, irrespective of ethnic origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, HIV status, economic situation or standard of education. To this end, the Southern Africa Trust opposes all forms of discrimination based on the above, which includes racism, sexism, xenophobia as well as all forms of sexual harassment.

Given these common values which are based on the desire to advance and improve people’s lives, and combat poverty and inequality, the Southern Africa Trust commits itself to the following principles in carrying out its work:


Discipline
Corporate discipline is a commitment by the Southern Africa Trust’s senior management to adhere to behaviour that is universally recognised and accepted to be correct and proper.

This encompasses the Southern Africa Trust’s awareness of, and commitment to, the underlying principles of good governance, particularly at senior management level.


Transparency and Accountability
The principle of transparency and accountability will be applied to all the affairs and activities of the Southern Africa Trust, whether with government, civil society partners, donors, and/or other stakeholders.

The activities of the Southern Africa Trust will be open and accessible to scrutiny by its stakeholders, except for personal matters, legal matters and propriety information, as provided by law.

In the same way the Southern Africa Trust will hold individuals or groups in the organisation accountable for their decisions and actions. The Southern Africa Trust will have mechanisms in place that are effective to allow for accountability.


Independence
The Southern Africa Trust is a non-partisan organisation and will therefore not support any partisan political agenda.

In addition, the Southern Africa Trust will ensure that mechanisms are put in place that will minimise or avoid potential conflicts of interest that may exist.

The Southern Africa Trust will further ensure that decisions made, and internal processes established, should be objective and not allow for undue influences.


Responsibility
With regard to management, responsibility pertains to behaviour that allows for corrective action and for penalising mismanagement. The Southern Africa Trust management will, when necessary, put in place what it would take to set the organisation on the right path.

While the Southern Africa Trust board of trustees are accountable for the organisation, it will act responsively and with responsibility towards all stakeholders of the organisation as well.


Fairness
The Southern Africa Trust will ensure that the systems that exist within the organisation are balanced in taking account of all those that have an interest in the organisation and its future.

The Southern Africa Trust will acknowledge and respect the rights of various groups.


Regional Identity and Solidarity
The Southern Africa Trust will promote its regional identity and support regional interests that go beyond national interests.

To this end, the Southern Africa Trust will seek to instill a culture of dialogue, inclusion and sharing of resources, information, expertise and experience across the region and between countries in the region.

Given the extent of poverty and inequality in the region, the Southern Africa Trust will at all times ensure that there is equity in the allocation of resources.

In so doing, the Southern Africa Trust will use its discretion in identifying countries that might be better placed to pilot a particular approach or model that could be more effective in delivering the desired outcome and impact of activities.


Justice and Rights
The Southern Africa Trust will promote social justice and seek to ensure that voices of the socially and economically excluded are heard and incorporated into policies that will ensure sustainable livelihoods.