Media Release Civil Society Partners With Epics – Another South Africa First

A wise leader once said, “It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.” That leader was none other than Nelson Mandela. Together we can make his vision a reality.

To pave the way for a free and fair election for all, The Democracy Development Program (DDP) has established a program called the Electoral Participation Integrity by Civil Society (EPICS), the first of its kind not only in South Africa but the world. A ground-breaking program that has garnered the support of international experts in election observation and tabulation.

A non-partisan program, which comprises esteemed civil society organisations, of which the global movement, Unashamedly Ethical, is the latest organisation to partner with EPICS. The ethos of Unashamedly Ethical is to transform society by taking a non-partisan stand for ethics, values, and clean living. The objective is to ultimately develop an unashamedly ethical culture among the current generation of leaders as well as future leaders. This vision is a carbon copy of what the EPICS Initiative strives for – fostering electoral integrity. The initiative employs robust methods to meticulously monitor and evaluate the entire electoral process, spanning from the pre-election phase to the post-election period.

Officially launched on Friday, 16 February EPICS strives to make a meaningful impact on the democratic landscape, ensuring transparency and accountability in every step of the electoral journey. A critical time as we head into our next national government election. The intention of EPICS is not to involve themselves in party politics, but to conduct an independent, non-partisan observation and parallel vote tabulation of this year’s elections. The results of each of the initiatives will be shared with the IEC to allow them to address any peculiarities proactively. This will ensure that independent non-partisan governance will be exercised to guarantee the process of election observation and the discharge of associated functions. An important role in building confidence in the democratic election process; deterring potential manipulation or exposing fraud if it does occur.
The data will be collected using a combination of internationally recognised electoral observation technologies and analytical methodologies. This process will be applied by a team of highly regarded international independent experts who frequently conduct electoral observation missions. Technical know-how coupled with practical experience is being applied to fulfill this mission in a manner that the results can withstand judicial scrutiny.

There is no time like the present to strengthen and uphold democracy within our country, which has so much to offer for its diverse rainbow nation. As active and ethical South Africans together we can ensure that a solid electoral framework, which is enshrined within our internationally acclaimed constitution, can result in a free, fair, and democratic election process and outcome for all.

ENDS
DATE ISSUED : 16 FEBRUARY 2024
ISSUED BY : ON THE MARQUE PR & COMMUNICATIONS
ON BEHALF OF : EPICS | UNASHAMEDLY ETHICAL

QUERIES : BRIAN SPHAMANDLA | DEMOCRACY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM | 031 304 9305 |
brianb@ddp.org.za