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Imbizo

Imbizo is a forum for enhancing dialogue and interaction between government and the people.

Imbizo:

• provides an opportunity for government to communicate its Programme of Action and the progress being made
• promotes participation of the public in the programmes to improve their lives
• highlights people's concerns, grievances and advice about government's work.

Read more about Imbizo.

Imbizo 2008

Imbizo 2007

Imbizo 2006

Imbizo 2005

Imbizo 2004

Imbizo 2003

Imbizo 2002

Imbizo 2001

Background

A central thrust of government's Programme of Action is based on the call on all South Africans to 'lend a hand to build a better life for all'. This call imposes an obligation not only on national, provincial and local government to interact with the public on this Programme of Action, but also encourages all South Africans to become conscious and active participants in the social transformation process.

This call has shaped the form and content of the collective struggle to get rid of poverty in South Africa. The spirit of Vuk'uzenzele (Arise and Act) and Letsema created a new solidarity that has enabled South Africans from all walks of life to lend a hand to build a better life for all.

What is Imbizo?

Imbizo gives further effect and concrete expression to participatory democracy so that communities can exercise their rights to be heard, and assist with the national effort to build a better life for all.

Government launched the Imbizo programme in 2001 as a period of intensified activity where al spheres of government - national, provincial and local - interact with the people across the country. The Imbizo initiative plays an important role as an interactive style of governance, which creates more space for public participation and involvement around interactive implementation of government's Programme of Action.

Imbizo is about unmediated communication between government and its people. It is a forum for enhancing dialogue and interaction between senior government executives and ordinary people. Imbizo provides an opportunity for government to communicate its action programme and progress directly to the people. Imbizo also promotes participation of the public in the programmes to improve their lives. Interaction through Imbizo highlights particular problems needing attention, blockages in implementation of policy, or policy areas that may need review. It draws public input into how best to tackle challenges. It gives the President and others direct access to what people say and feel about government and service delivery, to listen to their concerns, their grievances and advice about the pace and direction of government's work.

Imbizo Focus Weeks

Implementation of Imbizo began with individual Ministers adopting a more interactive style in communicating around their portfolios. During Imbizo Focus Weeks the Deputy President, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, local government representatives, Members of Executive Councils (MECs) in the provinces, mayors and other senior government officials interact directly with communities on the ground. They discuss delivery on local level with communities, and listen to their unique problems and constraints.

Presidential Imbizo

The Presidency's participation is through extended visits to provinces. The Presidential Imbizo, like government's broader Imbizo initiative, provides a platform for face-to-face interaction and engagement between the President and the people.

One of the key objectives of the President's visits is to see for himself some of the challenges that people are grappling with, including the conditions under which ordinary people live. The Imbizo gives communities an opportunity to raise their concerns and suggestions directly with the President and, in the President's presence, with the Premier, MECs, mayors and others. In this way, ordinary people can hold the three spheres of government accountable and influence governance and service delivery.

How often is Imbizo held?

Initially Cabinet decided that the Imbizo activities should include at least one period a year of intense government-wide co-ordinated interaction of government and people. However, during 2002, Cabinet decided that there should be at least two Imbizo periods a year to promote interactive governance and communication.

Sources

1. GCIS statement, 26 March 2003. Imbizo Focus week, 31 March - 6 April 2003
2. GCIS statement, 22 April 2003. President Mbeki embarks on Imbizo in the North West, 25 - 27 April.
3. GCIS statement, 13 April 2002. Imbizo Focus Week, 15 - 21 April 2002.
4. Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape statement, 9 October 2001. President Mbeki to spend three days in Eastern Cape.
5. Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape statement, 11 April 2002. Imbizo Focus Week gets underway in the Eastern Cape.
6. Office of the Premier, Gauteng statement, 17 October 2002. Background on Gauteng Presidential Imbizo.
7. Office of the Premier, Gauteng statement, 17 October 2002. President Mbeki visits Gauteng.
8. Sibuyi, N. Imbizo : A concrete expression of participatory democracy. Bua Magazine, March/April 2003. [PDF]

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Last modified: 02 November 2010 10:22:10.