Yiaga Africa to monitor South Africa Polls

Yiaga Africa says it has deployed an election study mission to South Africa to monitor the National and Provincial elections scheduled for May 29, 2024.

A statement on Sunday by Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YiagaAfrica, said this followed accreditation by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

The mission is part of the Yiaga Africa Transforming Electoral Governance in Africa (TEGA) initiative, according to Itodo.

TEGA aims to enhance electoral governance through evidence-based learning, documentation, and advocacy. Through TEGA, Yiaga Africa conducts election study missions, policy roundtables, and participatory action research on elections and electoral reforms to strengthen democratic societies and institutions, and counter democratic backsliding in Africa.

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The executive director said the mission, conducted in partnership with the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa, will be deployed to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces to examine South Africa’s electoral governance architecture.

This, he said “includes election results management, electoral technology, and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to safeguard election and information integrity. Additionally, the mission will study the legal and administrative mechanisms protecting citizens’ right to vote, such as special voting, out-of-country voting, and prisoners’ voting.

“It will also assess the impact of issue-based politics on political competition as the country commemorates 30 years of democracy.”

The mission comprises seasoned election experts from African electoral commissions, national parliaments, civil society, media, and international organizations.

The members include Mrs. Davidetta Browne Lansanah, Chairperson, National Electoral Commission (NEC) Liberia; Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, Chairman, Nigerian Senate Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, National Assembly; Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, Deputy Chairman, Nigerian Senate Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters, National Assembly; Hon. Prince Adebayo Balogun, Chairman, Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, National Assembly; Hon. Yakubu Adamu Danmaliki, Deputy Chairman, Nigerian House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, National Assembly; Sarah Mostafa-Kamel, Program Manager, The Symposium on Strength and Solidarity, Kenya; Dr. Matthew Ayibakuro Noah, Governance Advisor, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office Nigeria and Sambo Sumner Shagari, Director of News and Politics Editor at Arise News Television.

Others are Chinwe Dominica Kayla Megwa, Broadcaster, producer and anchor, Channels Television; Ozugbakun Ayodele, Bureau Chief, TVC in Abuja and Northern Operations; Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa; Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programs, Yiaga Africa and Olusegun Ogundare ,Head, Operations and Research, Africa Division, Yiaga Africa.