September 2009
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Working together for change
Civil society organisations must cooperate with each other to achieve real change in southern Africa
Speaking in Harare recently, National Association of Non Governmental organisations (NANGO) chairperson Mildred Sandi noted that if civil society organisations in Zimbabwe do not pull together, they risk being irrelevant in the national reconstruction process.
She said “The existence of a vibrant civil society is widely considered as one of the hallmarks of democracy in modern times. I urge civil society to put in place strong frameworks to promote and protect human rights and the rule of law.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Sithembile Mpofu, Director of the Centre for Peace Initiative also reiterated the need for a common vision amongst civil society organisations. She challenged organisations to do away with organisational egos and to create platforms for information exchange that push for a national development agenda.
The power of a united civil society to change policies and push humanitarian issues to the top of political, economic and social agendas can be seen through many global examples. Civil society organisations led the drive towards the convention to ban landmines, for example. They were ahead of most governments on this issue. Their passion generated enormous public support to ban land mines. Similarly, national foreign debt cancellation for poor countries was won as a result of coordinated civil society action across many countries.
In recent years, civil society organisations have become more prominent, more visible and more diverse all over the world. Factors influencing the growth of civil society organisations are:
- The increased push towards decentralised power within states, driven by many forces, including ineffective capacity for service delivery by weak states or states that are too centralised;
- The perceived weakening of the national state’s authority under economic globalisation and the increasing strength of multinational corporations; and
- Increased public concern over the right to participate in decisions and the implementation of plans that affect people’s lives.
However, in southern Africa there has been limited regional cooperation amongst civil society organisations across sectors towards achieving common objectives. Yet, where there has been cooperation between different networks and sectors, remarkable results have been achieved such as the adoption of a regional gender protocol, the drafting of a regional poverty reduction framework, and the decision to establish a SADC regional poverty observatory.
So much more can be achieved if key organisations and different sectors identified common objectives and worked with each other across the region to achieve them. But this will require a new approach of engagement – not only with governments in the region but with each other as civil society organisations. Many civil society groups often compete with each other for limited financial resources from big donors, often undermining each others' work in the process. But even the availability of funding can become more predictable, reliable, and coherent if civil society organisations in the region worked together to achieve these objectives.
Jillian Sorensen of the UN, for example, says, “the role of civil society is essential and indispensable ... they educate, they mobilise, they publicise and dramatise, they raise funds, they raise consciousness and they can lobby. They are really very, very important. I would hope that in areas of common interest, NGOs would make a big effort to collaborate or to coordinate their efforts; their particular emphasis might vary from one group to another, but overall, they have a common cause. If they speak with one voice, it increases their impact.” |
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“Civil society must prioritise the empowerment of communities, strengthening citizens to arise and walk in the face of repression and untold suffering must become the hallmark of civil society activities in Zimbabwe.”
Prof Ezra Chitando, Zimbabwe
“African NGOs, especially those at the state and local level, are often more accountable than international NGOs, to the people they serve.”
Ronald Kayanja, PANOS Global Aids Program, Zambia
“Today, NGOs are much more politically savvy. They know that it's not enough just to sit and listen. They want to be involved, they want to participate - and they insist on it.”
Jillian Sorensen, United Nations
“It is now recognised that unified action by civil societies across the world is more necessary than ever before.”
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria
“The Paris Declaration commits donor governments and partner countries to five principles to enhance the effectiveness of our aid efforts. These principles have significant implications for civil society organisations, which engage both with donor governments and partner countries. At this juncture the question must be asked: What is the role of civil society? How will civil society organisations become more effective, further promote local ownership, and harmonise and coordinate their work better with others?”
Peter Power, Minister of State for Overseas Development, Irish Aid |
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| Members of the Pan African Parliament and Civil Society organisations during the Pan African Parliament dialogue with civil society organisations on regional integration and the legislative environment for non-state actors, held on Africa Day, 25 May 2009, in Midrand, South Africa |
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| Panelists including members of the Pan African Parliament and Brian Kagoro of ActionAid International discuss women's participation in decision making at national and regional levels |
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Pan African Parliament listens to civil society
There is evidence of increasing recognition that development in Africa cannot be achieved without the meaningful participation of African citizens and their organisations
The current weak representation by civil society at regional and continental levels is partly a reflection of the sector’s weak ability to engage in policy influencing and a strained environment, which hinders engagement with decision-makers. It is also because opportunities for the civil society organisations to participate are very limited.
For civil society to be able to contribute effectively to poverty reduction and development, there must be an enabling environment that ensures that their knowledge and capacity for action can find its way into poverty reduction policies and implementation strategies.
It was in this context that the Pan African Parliament (PAP) agreed with the Southern Africa Trust, in cooperation with TrustAfrica and MTN, to convene a dialogue between civil society organisations and members of the Pan African Parliament to review citizen participation in regional integration and the legislative environment in which civil society organisations operate in the countries of the continent.
This initiative was started in 2007 by the Southern Africa Trust, to inform civil society about opportunities to engage with decision makers at Africa's highest parliamentary platform and to support more civil society organisations to engage with pan-African institutions based in Midrand, South Africa, such as the secretariats of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
“Emphasis needed to be placed on how civil society organisations and the parliament could give a voice to the voiceless,” said Neville Gabriel, executive director of the Southern Africa Trust. “Peace, democracy and development can only take root, when the people are themselves active agents of change,” he said.
The Trust, working with the support of a number of organisations across the continent including Oxfam and ActionAid International, has now set up a programme to take forward engagement between these policymaking forums and civil society organisations, called the Midrand Civil Society Support Facility. |
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| Civil society organisations should actively engage in the establishment of the SADC poverty observatory, says Mrs Graça Machel |
Poverty observatories in Southern Africa
Some of the countries in the region that have developed new participatory processes for national poverty reduction planning and monitoring in the form of poverty observatories or similar institutions are:
DRC - The DRC poverty observatory has been driven by the government at both central and provincial level. Although the participation of civil society organisations was envisaged at the outset, it has not yet happened enough in practice, mainly due to fragmentation and a lack of capacity.
Madagascar - The Madagascar nation poverty reduction plan operates very closely to the central government and civil society participation is not well developed. Whilst civil society is invited to take part, the absence of technical capacity to understand and deal with the issues under discussion, hinders this country’s efforts.
Mauritius - The Mauritius poverty observatory model is different from other countries in the region, as the poverty observatory is undertaken by a research institution that produces reports both for the government and for civil society. It uses information provided by civil society organisations for the preparation of an annual report on the status of poverty. However, fragmentation and issues related to the capacity of community groups impact negatively on their effective participation.
Mozambique - The poverty observatory arrangement in Mozambique is the most successful and established in the region. Civil society participation is recognised and the government receives substantial and coordinated inputs from the civil society sector, because of the manner in which it is organised. Whilst successful, there are issues impacting negatively on its performance, including participation and information gaps at provincial and district levels as well as insufficient research capacity amongst civil society organisations.
South Africa - In recent years, civil society engagement in national policy development has been weak. However, a new national anti-poverty strategy has been developed by the Presidency and civil society organisations are being actively and openly engaged to develop a national social contract against poverty between the government and non-state actors across the board. This signals a renewed effort to develop a participatory national platform for engagement for poverty reduction. |
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Poverty observatories: Emerging platforms for sustained change
There is a growing tendency in the southern African region towards the establishment of cooperative poverty reduction planning and monitoring structures
The increasing recognition that all sectors of societies in the countries of our region must be engaged in a concerted and sustained effort to overcome poverty in well planned and effectively monitored way, drawing on the necessary social cohesion and social accountability that is required for this historic task, is resulting in the emergence of innovative models for the establishment of poverty observatories across the region.
“There are many institutions that claim to address poverty in our region,” said Neville Gabriel, executive director of the Southern Africa Trust at a regional workshop on poverty observatories held in Maputo last year. “But they seldom talk to one another or cooperate with each other to ensure that they achieve their shared goal. If we are to make real progress, it is vital that all role players establish institutionalised mechanisms to build synergy in our efforts to overcome poverty across the region,” he said.
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Participants in the five-country linking and learning workshop on poverty observatories that took place in Maputo, Mozambique, in October 2008
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Governments have struggled to set up inclusive structures that are workable because they do not easily understand the need for self-organisation amongst non-state actors. Civil society organisations, on the other hand, struggle to work within government-led processes and often represent divergent perspectives amongst themselves. Often, underlying these difficulties are perceptions of contestation for legitimacy, a lack of adequate social trust, and the lack of a shared vision of development.
Through dialogue focused on poverty, civil society organisations and governments in the region are coming to a shared commitment to cooperate in overcoming poverty, while recognising each others' autonomy and the need for both increased social cohesion and social accountability across the countries of our region, if we are to be effective at driving down poverty.
The Southern Africa Trust has been supporting this kind of dialogue for some time now. In October 2008, for example, the Trust partnered with five countries to convene a regional liking and learning workshop about poverty observatories in Maputo, Mozambique.
The most established national poverty observatory in the region is in Mozambique. It is a consultative stakeholder forum that brings together the government of Mozambique along with an equal representation of non-state actors including the private sector and civil society organisations, as well as donors that provide direct budget support to Mozambique. The observatory sets the national vision for development and monitors and evaluates the implementation of the national poverty reduction strategy. It now reaches the provincial and district level of the country, with the Trust's support.
At a regional level, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) last year decided to set up a Regional Poverty Observatory along similar lines. This decision came about as a result of an extensive process of consultation and dialogue across all countries in the region and with all social sectors, including business and civil society organisations - almost 1,000 of whom participated in national consultations to give their input that resulted in this decision. This was done with extensive support from the Southern Africa Trust to a wide range of role players in the process.
It is intended that the SADC regional poverty observatory becomes an inclusive regional forum where government, civil society, business and the international donor community will work together to promote the economic and social development of the SADC region, develop joint plans for shared implementation, monitor progress, and hold each other accountable for shared delivery.
Civil society will be expected to provide inputs on the design, structure, implementation and review of the SADC regional poverty observatory. Already, regional civil society representatives have been included in the SADC secretariat’s advisory committee for the development of the regional poverty observatory model.
This regional poverty observatory will ensure that the voices, fears and expectations of the civil society organisations in SADC - including women’s organisations, farmers' organisations, youth organisations, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, churches and other groups - are genuinely and continuously solicited, captured and incorporated.
The impact of the new regional poverty observatory should be measured by its ability to enhance transparency, social cohesion, and accountability in the region, and trigger more effective action to reduce poverty.
Similarly, national poverty observatories are being strengthened or newly established in several countries of the region.
The Southern Africa Trust is supporting civil society organisations across the region to participate in the development of the national and regional poverty observatories, while at the same time supporting the development of the poverty observatories themselves. |
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| DRC map courtesy of GreenwichMeanTime.com |
These results achieved in the DRC directly contribute to achieving some of the Southern Africa Trust's objectives:
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Improved capacity of civil society to engage in and influence public policies to overcome poverty and inequality; |
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Increased dialogue between civil society organisations, the state, and the private sector for better policies and strategies to overcome poverty; and |
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Innovative practices and processes promoted to build an enabling environment for civil society organisations to play a more effective role in developing policies to end poverty. |
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Visit our award-winning and constantly updated website, www.southernafricatrust.org for the latest information on who we are and what we've been up to.
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| Southern Africa Trust website |
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| Picture courtesy of National Geographic |
The Trust supports several projects in the DRC. For example, a grant of
US$40 000 has been given to support community participation in managing the DRC’s forest resources, through the Trust’s partner organisation Centre Congolais pour la Promotion de la Nature
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Partner links
The DRC's new national civil society platform
Since the early 1990's, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen the rise of a very vibrant civil society, which has participated in transforming moments in the country's history, such as the campaign for peace and democracy, which led to the all-important Inter-Congolese Dialogue in 2003. More recently, it was the Congolese civil society efforts to ensure a strong presence of electoral observers, which contributed to the credibility of the electoral process.
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Consultation between the Southern Africa Trust and Civil Society Organisations in DRC (2008).
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However, the DRC's apparently very vibrant civil society is still far from being a genuine and coherent force, able to weigh in on the public debate. One of the reasons is the lack of a common vision, as well as the absence of a space for all civil society organisations and stakeholders to come together in productive action towards common goals.
Due to its critical role in the government's democratisation and poverty reduction plans, the country's civil society organisations recently realised the importance of presenting a unified front, if they wanted to see real change in the DRC and an effective development process that works to drive down poverty.
In May this year, DRC civil society groups organised the first national symposium to agree on the framework for a Civil Society National Platform. They wanted this structure to engage in a new partnership with the government and international partners around policy issues and to assess aid effectiveness and its impact on the DRC's development.
165 participants from all national CSO groups (including women's organisations, faith-based organisations, human rights groups, and trade unions) attended this highly successful initial gathering. Delegates also included officials from government, multilateral institutions, and the donor community.
Supported by the Southern Africa Trust, the two-day symposium allowed for wide-ranging views to be heard and an agreement was reached on the following:
- The Civil Society National Platform will be an open space where members regularly exchange views and where they put in all their specific skills, means and resources to act and speak as one voice on national and regional issues.
- There is an urgent need to involve the civil society sector in the policy dialogue process countrywide and government must encourage their participation, through establishing effective mechanisms.
- The poor effectiveness of international aid, based on the Paris’ Declaration principles, calls for a participatory approach for its improvement.
It also resulted in the adoption of a civil society declaration and charter, a draft memorandum of understanding with the government, and a position paper on aid effectiveness.
This national convention has shown the capacity of the Congolese civil society sector to collaborate for success and we have taken the first step towards a wider, more effective dialogue with the government and international partners.
Anaiah Bewa, Executive Director, COR Consulting & Communication |
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| Beatrice Mutumbwa from the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) in Zimbabwe, giving a key note address |
Grant making update from the Trust ...
Total grants allocated: $12,079,193
Total grants disbursed: $8,017,396
Total grants accounted for: $5,821,689
Total number of projects: 180
Total value of completed projects: 46%
Total value of live projects: 48%
Withdrawn or failed projects: 6%
Total number of organisations: 120
Women headed organisations: 34%
Male headed organisations: 66%
Total number of countries of implementation: 15
Angola – 4%
Botswana – 7%
DRC – 6%
Lesotho – 6%
Madagascar – 4%
Malawi – 9%
Mauritius – 4%
Mozambique – 8%
Namibia – 6%
Seychelles – <1%
South Africa – 17%
Swaziland – 6%
Tanzania – 5%
Zambia – 9%
Zimbabwe – 9% |
More about the African Grantmakers' Network ...
The purpose of the new African Grantmakers' Network is to:
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Serve as a platform for peer learning and good practice to enhance good standards and practices; |
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Ensure an amplification of local voices in development discourse and African perspectives in global platforms; |
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Reinforce the tradition of African philanthropy; |
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Advocate for long-term and sustainable mechanisms and resources, including investments and endowments for philanthropic institutions in Africa; |
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Serve as a reference point for Africans in the Diaspora and a point to affirm the identity of African philanthropic institutions; |
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Cultivate good relations with other civil society formations in Africa and increase networking for effective advocacy around the aid agenda and the legal environment, including the tax regime; and |
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Conduct pertinent research, capacity building and advocacy roles. |
The Steering Committee of the new African Grantmakers' Network includes:
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Bisi Adeleye FAYEMI: Chair (African Women’s Development Fund, Ghana) |
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Janet MAWIYOO: Co-Chair (Kenya Community Development Foundation, Kenya) |
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Akwasi AIDOO: (TrustAfrica, Senegal) |
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Christine DELPORT: (Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation, South Africa) |
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Neville GABRIEL: (Southern Africa Trust, South Africa) |
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Ezra MBOGORI: (Akiba Uhaki Foundation, East Africa) |
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John ULANGA: (The Foundation for Civil Society, Tanzania) |
For more information about the African Grantmakers’ Network, contact Bheki Moyo at TrustAfrica: moyo@trustafrica.org |
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News from the Trust
Informal cross border traders get organised
Informal traders make a major contribution to the growth of economies in southern Africa. Informal trade is a source of livelihood for many poor people - especially women. But it is often invisible in national policies and regional development strategies, and the voices of informal traders are seldom heard in discussions about regional trade in southern Africa. As a result, regional trade integration is often seen to be irrelevant to poor people in southern Africa. To address this gap, the Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association was formed at a regional meeting held on 9-10 July 2009 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with the support of the Southern Africa Trust.
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Informal Cross Border Traders selling their products at the market in Victoria Falls
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Speaking at the regional meeting, the Provincial Head at the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development of Zimbabwe, Ms Beatrice Mutumbwa said, “70% of the population in Zimbabwe constitutes small and medium enterprise. At one time, the economy of Zimbabwe would have completely collapsed. But the traders stood firm and imported the much needed inputs which were able to sustain the economy.”
Mutumbwa encouraged the meeting to work hard in keeping the regional platform alive for the benefit of regional development. She encouraged the traders to build warehouses that would serve as one stop shops for trade and guarantee safety for women, who constitute the majority of informal traders.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) declared a Free Trade Area in August 2008, a welcome initiative that should result in more recognition and support for informal trade within the SADC regional trade protocol.
The informal traders in the new regional association articulated the challenges they still face at borders that stifle the growth of the sector.
According to Felix Daka, the Chairperson of Cross Border Traders Association in Zambia, “even with the SADC Free Trade Area, the disparities in tax or customs duties at different borders within the region makes it hard for us to make profit. Some borders are easier to access for trade but others have high tax rates that make it difficult for the poor to survive, leading to unnecessary smuggling of goods.” Daka embraced the formation of the regional Association as he expects that it will open space to engage with government officials at a regional level about such issues.
Sudekar Novella from the Mozambique Informal Cross Border Traders Association, MUKHERO, said, “in Mozambique the border officials expect 52% tax on imported goods. We have tried to negotiate reduction of taxes but it is not happening. As a result, the traders end up bribing the officials. Even that does not guarantee easy access because as you proceed, you meet other officials along the way who will also expect more money. Traders can't survive as they can't pay so much”.
Themba Mhlongo, Head of Programmes at the Southern Africa Trust, encouraged the cross border traders to harmonise the national associations for the regional association to be effective and speak with one voice. He said the Southern Africa Trust supports regional engagement but the national associations have to be organised and recognised by their governments. Mhlongo further said that it is important for the traders to inform their governments of their experiences at the borders so that they get assistance as well as get better informed on trade policies.
The meeting ended with the adoption of a constitution and a comprehensive business plan with the Zambia national association elected as the president of the Association. The regional meeting was attended by representatives from Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland informal cross border traders' associations.
African Grantmakers' Network is launched
“The African Grantmakers' Network will change the face of global philanthropy. And it will happen right here in Africa”, said Sarah Mukasa, Director of Programmes at the African Women's Development Fund, at a meeting organised to establish a network of African grantmakers.
After years of careful planning, preparations, consultations and meetings, the AGN was launched in Accra at a meeting convened by the African Women's Development Fund, TrustAfrica and the Kenya Community Development Foundation—and attended by key African grantmakers. “The establishment of an African Grantmakers Network is well overdue”, was the opening line of a discussion document circulated at the meeting.
“This has been a long overdue dialogue that has now finally taken shape. I want to express my wish that this network will grow and become sustainable in order to develop a strong, collective voice for Africa and her needs in terms of development—from Africa, for Africa”, said Christine Delport, Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Rustenburg Community Foundation.
And TrustAfrica's Executive Director, Akwasi Aidoo, emphasised that the AGN's main function will be to “change the narrative of Africa as helpless and hapless, tilt the balance of stories, and increase the visibility and knowledge of Africa”. He went on to say, “this is a network with a solid net across our continent and lots of good work for its people”.
After the launch, Neville Gabriel, Executive Director of Southern Africa Trust, stated: “The creation of the African Grantmakers Network is a historic moment in the development of African institutions that truly belong to the continent. It’s been created by grantmaking organisations that are rooted in Africa, out of their own felt need for such a network, and through their own commitment to create such a group. The network will therefore be a key platform to improve the way in which funding towards effective development results is channeled to African organisations”.
And Bisi Adeleye Fayemi, Executive Director of the African Women's Development Fund, summarised the launch as follows: “The story of Africa’s development has been told many times over with great reference to the disasters but little if any to the contributions of Africans who work to create change, to shape a new historical narrative of hope, dignity, peace and prosperity to all of the continent’s citizens. The AGN is born of these efforts. It seeks to build on the rich tradition of philanthropic giving in Africa”. |
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| Denis Kadima, Chairperson of the Southern Africa Trust |
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Meet the team
Denis Kadima, Chairperson of the Southern Africa Trust
Denis Kadima, Chairperson of the Southern Africa Trust, is also the Executive Director of the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA). Originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo and having worked in the development sphere from South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho, Denis has extensive regional and continental experience in governance issues.
He has a burning obsession to see Africa move from being dependent on foreign aid to generating its own investment, income and sustainability. Whilst this might not be considered a leisurely past-time, his desire to overcome poverty through sustainable and socially responsible investment is one of the things that Denis tries to convey through his own actions, showing how individuals can play a personal role in helping to create more jobs and alleviate poverty.
As Denis' work involves much travel, he self-effacingly describes himself when not working as “a very boring person”. The time he spends at home with his family in Johannesburg is time that he treasures and he enjoys taking his wife, 18-year old son and 16-year old daughter to the movies. Denis also goes to the gym regularly ... “Not because I enjoy it, but because I want to stay in shape!” he says. |
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Who's been visiting?
Abie Dithlake, General Secretary, SADC Council of NGOs
Chantal Kanyimbo, President, DRC Civil Society National Platform |
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Southern Africa Trust contact details
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Have you joined the Change4Ever campaign?
If not, here are 8 very good reasons why you should:
- The Southern Africa Trust belongs to Southern Africa - it's an independent, non-profit agency governed by trustees from southern Africa.
- We cannot continue to depend on overseas aid and the goodwill of people in other parts of the world to support efforts to overcome poverty in our part of the world - it's our collective responsibility as people of southern Africa to do this.
- The best way to overcome poverty is to address its underlying causes, not just its immediate symptoms - we work for lasting change, so you will be giving to a solution and not a problem.
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Please send your comments to communications@southernafricatrust.org |
The Southern Africa Trust appreciates the support it has received from:
Trustees: Dr Vusi Gumede (SA), Mr Denis Kadima (DRC), Rev Joseph Komakoma (Zambia), Dr Perks Ligoya (Malawi), Dr Reginald Matchaba-Hove (Zimbabwe), Ms Alice Mogwe (Botswana), Ms Paula Monjane (Mozambique), Ms Shirley Moulder (SA), Ms Lucy Muyoyeta (Zambia), Ms Riah Phiyega (SA), Dr Prakash Ratilal (Mozambique)
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