Women, Democracy and Leadership Dialogue- Msunduzi Municipality
May 23, 2022Africa Report 25 May 2022
May 25, 2022DDP & IEC Thought leadership session- Ugu District Municipality
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in partnership with the Democracy Development Program (DDP) and the Outreach Unit of the IEC, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) hosted a Thought Leadership Session at Ugu Sports and Leisure Center in Portshepstone the South Coast. This session was held on 24 May 2022.
IEC in KZN benefits from the prowess of DDP and their civic education programs that are not dependent on the electoral cycle. This underlies our significant partnership. Civic and voter education programs are impossible to carry out when the public is in strife. It is disturbing to hear our communities voice their dissatisfaction with electoral democracy and vow never to participate in elections as their votes do not count. For us, as purveyors of democracy development, it is our duty to be responsive to the pressing issues brought to our attention by the community during the course of our work.
The intended outcome of this engagement:
- Reinforcing a strong partnership that advocates for democratic ideals;
- Examining the theories of ethics; stimulating robust discussions about moral standards and improving our knowledge about ethical behavior as IEC staff and as members of our diverse communities;
- Reaching out to civil society especially youth, and future leaders, to be resourceful and find models that aspire to self-transformation;
- Engaging in a discourse we often hear about but are ill-equipped to speak on;
- Improving our sense of discernment to increase the ability to sort out facts from propaganda and disinformation about issues that influence decision-making processes – especially when leaders are concerned.
This session was co-facilitated by DDP Associates, Mr. Sthembiso Madlala, ASEFSA; Wiseman Dlamini, and Thobani Zikalala.
On the panel, we had Ugu Mayor, Cllr Phumlile Mthiyane, Political Analyst, Bheki Mngomezulu, Mrs. N Masinga, KZN IEC PEO, and Ugu Regional Coordinator, Mr. Zolile KwaSiphiwo.
