Zuma presents APRM report

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma on Saturday presented a report on how the country had implemented an African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) programme of action at an African Union meeting, the presidency said.

"This report showcases progress made in the past two years in the country in social, economic and political spheres," said presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa.

He said that the report - the second of its kind - stated that the country had become "a well-functioning democracy in a comparatively short space of time since the first historic general elections of 1994".

"It outlines achievements in several areas of governance as well as the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup."

Zuma was attending the African Union's 16th assembly of heads of state and government in Addis Abada, Ethiopia.

In presenting the report, Zuma said that the country had changed the way government worked in order to monitor and evaluate performances.

New innovations

He said new innovations included the signing of performance and delivery agreements by cabinet ministers and the creation of the national planning commission.

The commission was tasked to come up with a plan for a number of long term developmental issues.

"These include water security, climate change, food security, energy security, infrastructure planning, human resource development, defence and security matters, the structure of the economy, spatial planning, demographic trends and a host of others."

Zuma said that the report covered the period of January 2009 to September 2010 - "a period covered largely by electoral activities and the establishment of the fourth democratic administration".

South Africa went through the peer review process in July 2007.

Doomsayers

Zuma said that all African countries had come together for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

"We proved the doomsayers wrong and proved that an African country was capable of hosting the event."

He also said it left South Africa with excellent infrastructure.

"Presently, the country has ten well-developed stadia which can cater for any major event that the country is assigned to host."

Zuma said he was certain South Africa's third democratic election would be free and fair.

"We have no doubt that the elections will be conducted in an environment that is free and fair as have all elections since 1994 in our country."