The Northern Cape province today hosted a consultative summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) at the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre in Kimberley.

It was the eighth session that forms part of the national series of consultative conferences hosted by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) in preparation for the submission of South Africa's 3rd progress report on the implementation of the National Programme of Action (NPoA) of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

The African Peer Review Mechanism is a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by African Union member States as an African self-monitoring mechanism.

In his opening address, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Kenny Mmoiemang, said the consultative session came at the right time after the President's State of the Nation Address.

"This session comes at the right time after the SONA as a way forward. The APRM will ensure clean governance for the country and make a contribution to the African Union to steer democracy in the right direction," he said.

The MEC pointed out that the APRM is a programme of action in guiding the country with NGOs and civil society taking their rightful place.

Speaking on the province's APRM chapter and the state of development in the province, Mr Moloki Koloi, from the Office of the Premier, stated that the Provincial Governing Council (PGC) needs to be strengthened and the consultative workshops would assist in this regard. He added that the provincial report would take a "multi-stakeholder approach" that will include inputs in reporting the key development matters.

Mr Koloi outlined the expected output, required action and progress made within the thematic areas, Democracy and political government, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate governance and Socio-economic Development.

APRM National Governing Council (NGC) member Mr Jacob Molapisi provided the national context of the programme and guidelines.

The inputs from the Northern Cape consultative conference will be included in South Africa's 3rd progress report on the implementation of the National Programme of Action to be submitted at the African Union Summit of Heads of States and Government (HOSG) of APRM participating countries in May 2013.