Bridges
Linking Civil Society with Members of Parliament – to Strengthen Democratic Governance
South African parliamentary democracy has been eroded over decades, with many Members of Parliament (MPs) serving only narrow party interests and failing to use parliamentary processes to hold the government to account. With the 2024 Government of National Unity, an increased diversity of MPs have entered parliament, many for the first time. If they are informed and accountable to their constituencies, there will be a BRIDGE between society and the executive (the President, Deputy President and Ministers), which will contribute to a vibrant democracy where well-informed MPs and the people that they represent are able to hold the executive to account.
‘Bridges’ is a partnership between the Africa Centre and The Green Connection, both based in Cape Town, South Africa. Its ambitions are to:
inform and empower civil society organisations and new entrants to parliament so that these new MPs may fulfil their constitutional mandate by meaningfully participating in the parliamentary process – holding the executive to account, addressing wasteful expenditure, and linking the broader electorate to parliamentary processes – and;
strengthen the links between parliamentarians and civil society and progressive business, to enable the sharing of practical experience of solutions to our most pressing problems.
The Climate Change Act was passed by the sixth parliament, which included formalising the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), charged with monitoring and evaluating the government’s emissions reduction and adaptation goals. Government departments are obliged to restructure so that they are climate resilient in all areas. Bridges will strengthen civil society engagement with MPs which will strengthen engagement with and oversight over the formally established PCC.
Section 6 of the National Energy Act has recently been promulgated , which imposes a legislative obligation on the Minister of to develop an Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) by the end of March 2025 that has to be ‘climate proofed’. Bridges will draw on civil society insights to empower MPs to oversee government in producing the IEP, thereby ensuring climate change mainstreaming into mitigation and adaptation strategies and a just energy transition.
All government departments will have to produce a climate plan and the executive budget must be approved by parliament. Therefore, by working with civil society and facilitating links with a variety of MPs, we can ensure that the country’s limited resources are spent in the most efficient and effective way in order to realise a climate resilient society. Bridges will assist civil society (together with other networks such as the budget justice coalition) to link with new MPs to make appropriate recommendations to incorporate into the national budget.
We will improve democratic governance by creating spaces for engagement between civil society organisations and MPs. In this way, participation and inclusion will be enhanced. If all citizens have an opportunity to participate and are given a voice in how they are governed, parliament will become more open, accountable and responsive. And equipping MPs with local knowledge will serve to make them more effective in their oversight of the executive. The first engagement was held on 25 March 2024. The second engagement was held online on 8 May 2024. It was hosted by Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), in collaboration with Green Connection, the Africa Centre, PMG and OpenUp. It served as a platform for comprehensive discussions aimed at enhancing parliamentary oversight and accountability.
Programme Team Members
Christopher Scholtz
Green Connection
Christopher Scholtz who has a decade of in-depth knowledge of the institution of parliament. He has worked on analysing policy documents and legislation, covering parliamentary monitoring and participation.
Liziwe McDaid
Green Connection
Liziwe McDaid, former parliamentary researcher in the first democratic parliament, an expert in climate change & development & who has over two decades of experience in engaging with MPs on issues of public interest in the energy sector.
Ralph Freese
Africa Centre
Ralph Freese who facilitates policy interventions in a range of development spaces.
Priyanka Naidoo
Green Connection
Priyanka Naidoo, a human rights Lawyer who has assisted marginalised communities to realise their constitutional rights.
Wayne Morris
Africa Centre
Wayne Morris, who worked in the Constitutional Assembly, formulating our constitution, focusing on outreach to provincial, traditional and local leadership.
Lisa Makaula
Green Connection
Lisa Makaula, who brings the voice of youth into parliamentary participatory processes.