UNESCO Oliver Tambo Chair of Human Rights: Democratic Governance and Participatory Development at the Local Level

About this grant

The Eastern Cape is the second poorest province in South Africa, with a poverty rate of 74.3 percent. As the local government is relatively new, the province is still learning, especially in the areas of good governance and effective service delivery. Another challenge involves the role of traditional leaders, who are very powerful and play an important role at the local level. There is a critical need for these leaders to understand their role in relation to the elected officials and community representatives.Multiyear funding will support the implementation of a training program for all the key actors involved in local government. The project will work closely with the House of Traditional Leaders and the Provincial Department of Housing, Local Government and Traditional Affairs. Activities will include identifying the obstacles and solutions to enhance popular participation and cooperation of key leaders; training key leaders on good governance, development management and understanding their respective roles; and organizing two public workshops to bring together key development partners to identify priorities and existing resources, develop a strategic plan and learn from similar experiences.The University of Fort Hare is one of the oldest historically black universities in South Africa. The UNESCO Oliver Tambo Chair of Human Rights was established through funding by UNESCO to advance human rights, respect for democratic values, peace and social justice.