Governance in Southern Africa: Insights from Civil Society

This report synthesizes civil society organisation (CSO) submissions to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) from seven Southern African countries. It analyzes the interconnected challenges of political, economic, and environmental governance, highlighting a persistent gap between the adoption of democratic and policy frameworks and their actual implementation.

• Across the analyzed Southern African countries, there is a recurring trend where the executive branch dominates the other branches of government, undermining the 'separation of powers' doctrine. In Botswana, the executive holds immense power with Parliament described as an executive 'puppet', while in Namibia, the executive was more fully established than the legislature following independence in 1990. In Zimbabwe, the executive maintains firm control over both the legislature and judiciary despite constitutional provisions.
• While many African nations transitioned to multiparty democracies in the 1990s, these changes have not always resulted in substantive governance improvements. Tanzania remains dominated by mono-party politics via the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), and Malawi's governance is hindered by tribal politics, nepotism, and a lack of internal party democracy.
• Corruption is a cross-cutting issue that erodes public trust and weakens service delivery. Anti-corruption instruments often lack the necessary independence to be effective; for example, Botswana's Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and Lesotho's Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences both face challenges regarding autonomy and political subjugation.
• Severe structural inequality and economic exclusion persist, notably in South Africa, which is described as having a 'dual economy' where a small minority is extremely wealthy while the majority are extremely poor. A 2025 Parliament report indicated that 50% of South Africans receive just over 5% of the country's income.
• Zimbabwe is experiencing a 'man-made' humanitarian crisis characterized by state failure, with over 7 million people facing food insecurity. The report notes that the military has captured the judiciary, legislature, media, and electoral processes, evolving the state into what is effectively a military state.
• Africa is the region most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. Specific impacts include Tanzania expecting to lose up to 2% of its annual GDP to climate-related events, and Botswana facing increased water scarcity. The report highlights that poor environmental practices, such as groundwater contamination from mining in Namibia, aggravate these climate challenges.
• There is a significant gap between the existence of policy frameworks and their implementation regarding sustainable development. In South Africa, the 'green economy' concept was introduced without meaningful implementation due to financial, bureaucratic, and institutional barriers, while Botswana lacks policy coherence in natural resources management.

APA

Vania, T. (2025). Governance in Southern Africa: Insights from Civil Society. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_SR_GovernanceCivilSociety.pdf

Chicago

Vania, Tasneem. Governance in Southern Africa: Insights from Civil Society. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2025. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_SR_GovernanceCivilSociety.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vania |first1=Tasneem |title=Governance in Southern Africa: Insights from Civil Society |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=September 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_SR_GovernanceCivilSociety.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vania2025governance, author = {Vania, Tasneem}, title = {{Governance in Southern Africa: Insights from Civil Society}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_SR_GovernanceCivilSociety.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }