South Africa has reaffirmed its decision that it stands ready to be reviewed by its peers in a bid to strengthen good governance, democracy and kick-start massive development in the far southern African country. This comes as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) panel of eminent persons express their 'hunger' to start their work as soon as possible to review one of the 16 African countries that acceded to the voluntary programme of Africa's recovery plan, Nepad. Foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma reiterated Pretoria's decision during the second gala dinner of the APRM panel of eminent persons in Johannesburg on Friday, saying South Africa would “gladly welcome your technical teams and yourselves for country visits as prescribed within the APR process”. “Let me also reconfirm that South Africa stands ready to be amongst the first countries to be reviewed. I assure the APR panel that I would personally lend all the support necessary to facilitate your work here in South Africa,” the minister told ambassadors, members of APR panel, business and labour. The minister's remarks was a response to Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, chairperson of Nepad Steering Committee, who urged the 16 members that had acceded to the voluntary APRM process to come forward so the panel could start its work. Making the panel of eminent persons is Graca Machel, wife of former president Nelson Mandela, and former SA Reserve Bank governor Chris Stals, Nigerian economist Adebayo Adedeji, former Kenyan diplomat Bethuel A Kiplagat, Senegal's former UN development official Marie-Angelique Savane and Cameroon's Dorothy Njeuma. The panellists met during the last two day, their second time after meeting in Cape Town in July; to chart a way forward on how to proceed with the reviewing process. South Africa is in unison with Ghana, so far the two countries that have declared to be one of the first countries ready to be reviewed by their peers. By agreeing to be reviewed, South Africa and Ghana and others would be opening their political and financial books, government private sector institutions, for scrutiny to the panel to see if they comply with the principle of good governance, respect for human rights and a democratic rule of law prevails. “Thus, the APRM would be more about the ownership of the process and adapting it to circumstances that are relevant to African through identified areas of priority.

The APRM will seek to identify the deficiencies in implementation with a view of improving its compliance of the Constitutive Act of the AU member states,” said the minister. Dlamini-Zuma also committed Pretoria to meet its financial obligations to the AU and Nepad. “Please be assured that South Africa will contribute towards the implementation of the Nepad and in particular the APRM, both financially and in human resources”. Ambassador Kiplagat of Kenya commended South Africa, but stressed the importance of all AU member states to accede to the peer review process to kick-start Africa's rebirth free of civil strife, violations of human rights and stimulate the continent's economic growth. “Even if South Africa looks like is doing good, we might find something not to be right, and recommend it to be done right. However, we will like the whole continent to join (the APRM process) and we have confidence they will,” he explained. He added the panel was 'hungry for action' and ready to prove to critics that Africa could do well. “Let me assure you we are going to try to do our best”. – BuaNews.