HSRC Integrated Annual Report 2018/2019

Contribution to Government’s 25-year Review of the South African State DGSD was commissioned by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) to provide technical support to two chapters of the 25-year review report: the first, on local government; and the second, on constitutional democracy. The chapter on Constitutional Democracy showed significant achievements over a 25-year period in terms of redressing the wrongs of the past and institutionalising reforms to improve the lives of all who live in South Africa. At the same time, further work was needed to complete projects started and to begin new projects where new challenges had presented themselves. DGSD proposed a number of national priorities spanning one or more of the three future-oriented periods: cleaning up corruption and restoring faith in institutions; improving access to justice; expediting the realisation of socio-economic rights; finalising the payment of reparations in accordance with the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; clarifying the status of institutions supporting democracy; making significant progress towards realising the constitutional imperatives of the National Development Plan (NDP); strengthening participative democracy through a more effective and coherent system of public participation; addressing racism, xenophobia and related manifestations of intolerance; meeting international law obligations; reforming the electoral system and aligning it with the Constitution; and developing the Constitution through ensuring internal consistency within it. The review of South African Local Government assessed to what extent the local government system, as envisaged by the country’s Constitution and the 1998 Local Government White Paper, has been able to deliver on its developmental mandate – to promote participation in government, deliver services and achieve social integration and economic upliftment. The review uncovered lessons from both the successes and failures of the system, and proposed constructive initiatives to address systemic service delivery issues in local government over the next planning horizon. These will ensure the success of developmental local government that is accountable, focused on citizen’s priorities, and capable of delivering high-quality services consistently and sustainably through cooperative governance and participatory democracy. Research Impact DGSD Research Informs the Design of the Ballot Paper for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections In late 2018, the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) commissioned the DGSD Research Programme to review the ballot paper used in national and provincial elections as well as local government elections in South Africa. The ballot paper represents a critical material component of the electoral process, and its design is instrumental in the success of any election. The study aimed to determine the view of the general public about the design features of the ballot paper, which include: (i) the sequencing (ranking) of parties on the ballot; (ii) the sequencing of party identifiers in terms of the preferred order of presenting the party name, logo, acronym and photograph of political party leader; (iii) the numbering of parties on the ballot; and (iv) the length of the ballot paper. In November 2018, a series of focus group interviews was conducted in different parts of the country, coupled with in-depth interviews with electoral staff, academic experts, as well as representatives of special interest groups. Several of the recommendations contained in the study report, entitled ‘Looking Good on Paper: A Qualitative Study of Ballot Paper Design and Political Party Identification in South Africa’, were subsequently adopted by the IEC and incorporated into the design of the ballot paper for the May 2019 national and provincial elections. Specifically, the IEC changed the ballot paper by retaining the alphabetical listing of political parties on the ballot paper, while randomising only those parties with similar identifiers, such as logos, acronyms and party names, in order to ensure that these parties are not placed adjacent to one other. The proposed solution was shared and discussed with all parties in the National Party Liaison Committee (NPLC), and HSRC INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 / 19