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Ms Bridget Mabandla, the former Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, has been appointed as a member of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Panel of Eminent Persons, during the meeting of the APRM in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, today, 29 January 2015.

Ms Mabandla who has also served in Cabinet and the National Executive in other portfolios such as arts, culture, public enterprises and science and technology, replaces Ms Baleka Mbethe who stepped down after being elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly in South Africa.

The African Peer Review Mechanism was established in 2003 under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and is an instrument that is voluntarily acceded to by African Union (AU) Member States.

The mandate of the APRM is to ensure that the policies and practices of participating states conform to the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance as contained in the 2003 Abuja Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance.

The primary purpose of the APRM is to foster the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practices.

Ms Mabandla is also the Chairperson of the National Orders Advisory Committee in the Presidency.

Issued by The Presidency