1. OVERVIEW  |  2. IN OUR OWN WORDS   |  3. QUEER VOICES UNLOCKED PROJECT   |  4. INTEGRITY ICON  |  5.  ACTIVIST MEDIA INCUBATOR  |  6. WHAT’S ON THE MENU MZANSI  |  7. VOICE 2 REP MUSIC COMPETITION  |  8. WHAT’S ON THE MENU FILM FELLOWSHIP |  8. ACTION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY  | 9. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS  |  10. ADVOCACY AND POLICY  |  11. STAFF CORNER  |  12. BUDGET

How has the Lab impacted governance and anti-corruption efforts in the country?

ACTION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY (A4A) INITIATIVE:
By training 40 CivActs and Activist Media fellows on advocacy tools and digital visual activism and conducting four town hall meetings, the A4A project facilitated increased citizen engagement and awareness. This initiative empowered individuals to advocate for accountability and transparency in governance. The Integrity Icon campaign has joined forces with the Action for Accountability project as one of its outcomes. The process involves collaborating with civic leaders, particularly for this project. We began with the nomination, selection, and vetting process of the top 30 individuals, including Integrity Icons and Civic leaders. After this judges select the top 5 nominees as the new Integrity Icon cohort.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU MZANSI PROJECT:
The training sessions conducted in six provinces with 175 participants under this project contributed to raising awareness about governance issues and anti-corruption efforts. By educating a significant number of individuals, this project enhanced the capacity of citizens to actively participate in governance processes.

QUEER VOICES UNLOCKED PROJECT:
By training ten artists as storytellers and film fellows, and publishing their multimedia content, the Queer Voices Unlocked project played a role in amplifying marginalised voices and advocating for inclusivity. This project contributed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.

The combined efforts of these projects led to increased citizen engagement, awareness, and advocacy for governance reforms and anti-corruption measures. The number of meetings, training, publications, and submissions made to the government reflects a proactive approach in addressing governance challenges and promoting transparency and accountability.
The Accountability Lab South Africa has significantly impacted governance and anti-corruption efforts in the country and region through its various programs and initiatives.

BY THE NUMBERS

TRENE PORAGADU
Activist Media Fellow, Mondeor

“I am energised working with the Lab because it allows me to engage directly with my community and share their stories. This active involvement makes me feel like I’m contributing to positive change instead of merely complaining about issues. Seeing changes, like fixed potholes, excites me. Being part of this project has also been exciting as I’ve learned new skills to implement for further community improvement.”

SAMUEL JOHNSON
Community Frontline Associate, Finetown

“I’m hyped up about working with the Accountability Lab because South Africa is in a crisis of accountability. The Lab’s campaigns and the knowledge sharing have conscientised people about their rights. People didn’t know their power and CivActs has taught people how to ask relevant questions and seek answers. I’ve learned that it is your right to ask for accountability from the people we have elected.”

“There is a lot of corruption in service delivery in our country. I’m happy that people are able to identify the rot in government and want to fight corruption. I love seeing people fighting for what they believe in and what they deserve.”

NHLANHLA “FIONA” THABATHA
Queer Integrity Icon

“I have benefited so much in the QVU project and now people recognise the good work I do for myself as a transwoman and my community. Working with the Lab has been energising because of the overall experience – from the videographers and storytellers to project managers, everyone treated us with professionalism and care. They made us feel valued and important. The most exciting changes in your work involve profiling the LGBTQI community, raising awareness through the project, and empowering LGBTQI individuals. Additionally, providing career guidance to our community members is hopeful it will have a good impact.”

SANDI DLAMINI
QVR Film Editor

“I enjoy working with the Accountability Lab South Africa because they are pleasant to work with. I never find myself in a situation where I am unsure of what is expected of me. The working relationship is healthy, and I genuinely enjoy working with them. Work environments tend to be difficult, scary, or unpleasant. It is exciting to work with an organisation with a friendly work atmosphere conducive to the kind of work expected of us. This may not be a change in the organisation itself. Still, it is undoubtedly a positive change for those experiencing the organisation, mainly because we carry so much when entering new work environments.”

nthuthu blow
Community Frontline Associate, Makhanda

“In a town like Makhanda there is very little or no action by the residents to question service delivery-related issues. But since the Action for Accountability (CivActs) project, people have found themselves a platform to express their concerns. Most importantly they are learning constructive mechanisms to address the gaps in service delivery. For example newspaper articles, submissions, attending Integrated Development Plan referred to as IDP’s etc. These small things will in the long run change the narrative and lead to a community that holds its own, asks relevant questions, takes necessary actions to fix its town, and also knows the calibre of people they should put in positions of leadership. So that is what excites me to be in this project.”

NOMAY MATHOLE
2023/2024 Queer Voices Unlocked Film Fellow

“Accountability Lab feels like a change-making organisation that actively works to contribute to societal change by not only raising awareness and spotlighting noteworthy people/causes, but by also providing their program participants with a global platform and equipping them with skills that can enable them to create works that can trigger change related to social causes.
I am excited to witness that even with the active global campaigns that aim to spotlight different individuals and social causes, there is still a push to platform differently marginalised folks to help ensure that those with less of a systemic advantage do not get their impact overshadowed in the presence of those that do have a systemic advantage over them.”

“This project can also be easily linked to other community development initiatives. Because there are many improper things happening in our community, when we go door to door or have a community meeting, we can also share information that may not be directly linked to the CivActs agenda but is still valuable to community members.”

LESEDI BUTIE
2022 Film Fellow and What’s on the Menu Mzansi Filmmaker 

“I enjoy collaborating with AL South Africa because we actively contribute to enhancing underprivileged communities. Being part of a team dedicated to fostering positive changes is immensely gratifying.I am particularly energised by initiatives that empower communities and promote inclusivity. Witnessing tangible outcomes, such as increased youth engagement and awareness of significant issues, validates the impact of our efforts.”

VIWE MZWANA
What’s on the Menu Mzansi Participant

“Working with/for Accountability Lab can be energising because it allows me to positively impact society. Attending workshops that will prepare and practically help with ways to engage with government institutions and political parties to ensure that these institutions and their workers act ethically, transparently, and in the best interests of the people. Conducting research and advocacy, learning about our constitution and how to address issues by following processes, procedures and protocols has also been intellectually stimulating.

I’m excited about being the voice of change for young people, educating and improving their involvement in government roles, processes, policies, and practices for the benefit of all citizens.”

KATLEGO MOHLABANE
What’s on the Menu Mzansi Program Coordinator 

“The feedback I get after every workshop is amazing, it gives me the sense that we are doing work that actually matters and impacts society in a positive way.

Influencing institutions such as government to take a stand and actively encourage and facilitate youth political participation is the change that excited me the most”

FUNEKA MANZI
CivActs Project Officer

“It brings me great joy to see the growth and communities built through working at the Lab. Many of the CivActs members are resourceful people and share the strategies with other community members. The Lab fosters a sense of community and shared purpose among citizens who come together to work towards a common goal”.

“I’m most proud of the work done in our communities where we have co-created solutions to service delivery issues. For instance, the media stories that Fellows have published have resulted in potholes being fixed in parts of Monder, the CivActs celebrated the long-awaited opening of the Finetown clinic, and the construction of the Finetown bridge with the help of engaging duty bearers”.

Queer Voices Unlocked aimed to honour and celebrate the resilience and dedication of Queer public servants while advocating for a more inclusive and accepting society.

We recruited artivists and built partnerships with queer organisations, with GALA as our partner for the project. We gathered 51 nominations and hosted 5 days of training for film fellows and storytellers on film and citizen journalism. We promoted the campaign on Accountability Lab South Africa Facebook and Twitter and were featured in three publications – both print and online. We delved into the visibility and representation of queer individuals in the workplace through 12 Queer Voices Unlocked Project vox pops published on ALSA’s social media and website.

Inclusive/Invited spaces, Maureen Velile Majola ALSA’s Projects Assistant, recently participated in The Journey of Hope retreat, a transformative experience for LGBTQI+ individuals to explore their spiritual, psychological, and sexual identities. The JoH program offers a three-tiered approach, beginning with ‘Habitha’ (Swahili for storytelling), where participants reclaim their narratives as sources of strength and resilience.

During the retreat, Maureen had the opportunity to showcase our Queer Voices Unlocked Films, sparking engaging discussions and receiving praise for their captivating portrayal of LGBTQI+ experiences. We’re proud to continue amplifying the voices of new faces making strides in their workplaces and communities.

We are most proud of our social media engagement and media coverage in prominent newspapers like City Press, Daily Maverick, and Mamba Online. Additionally, we produced a podcast and successfully launched film screenings of our queer films at the Human Rights Festival/Film Festival and held an awards ceremony for our Queer Integrity Icons and fellows.

The Queer Voices Unlocked Integrity Icon Awards ceremony was held at Workshop 17 in Rosebank on March 28, 2023. We were joined by our funders High Commission of Canada in South Africa, for a discussion on the importance of queer visibility, inclusion, and representation in workspaces and their support in this project. Our partners, networks, and journalists also joined us to support this project.

We then celebrated and spotlighted our Icons, storytellers, and film fellows, honouring their incredible work and participation in the project with awards.

READ MORE

City Press print and online is distributed nationally and in neighbouring countries, including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland. It has a readership of about 2.5 million (source: AMPS 2001A)

Daily Maverick is a South African online news publication and weekly print newspaper with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. It has a readership of approximately 6.4 million readers per month (Similar Web)

Mamba Online, a queer lead online news platform. They reach around 60,000 people a month, says the founder ( Luiz De Barros)

Queer Radio station interview

Queer Voice Unlocked five films

Queer Voice Unlocked podcast

Integrity Icon is a global campaign by Accountability Lab that citizens power in search of honest government officials. It aims to generate debate around integrity and demonstrate the importance of honesty and personal responsibility. We hope to inspire a new generation to be more effective public servants.

In March 2019, the Accountability Lab (AL) and partners, including Corruption Watch, Nelson Mandela Foundation, and Democracy Works Foundation, launched Integrity Icon South Africa. The campaign aimed to find and celebrate honest government officials who go beyond their duty to promote accountability. By encouraging champions of integrity, the campaign sought to address global challenges such as corruption, inequality, and insecurity. Integrity Icon South Africa aimed to create meaningful conversations about public service, accountability, and the kind of society South Africa aspires to be.

The campaign’s value lies in its process, fostering dialogue about the role of public servants and ordinary citizens in building accountable societies. Through partnerships with various organizations, Integrity Icon South Africa strengthened its impact and expanded its reach. It provided a platform for recognizing and supporting individuals committed to integrity, contributing to a more transparent and accountable South Africa.

WHAT DOES THE CAMPAIGN AIM TO DO?

The goals of Integrity Icon are threefold: first to create role models and celebrate honest public officials
To inspire young people by indicating that government is a career path in which one can work with integrity and honesty
To recognize the outstanding efforts of community leaders in delivering services and upholding social accountability within their communities.
To connect and support the winners to help build coalitions to push for further reform and value-based decision-making over time.

The Activist Media Incubator (AMI) empowers communities by providing them with the tools and skills to create multimedia content and narratives. These resources can then be strategically disseminated through community and solidarity networks, and established local-to-national media outlets, enabling communities to tell their stories and amplify their accountability campaigns.
The Incubator selected eight AMI Fellows from local communities, including Lenasia, Finetown, Mondeor, and Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, for a training session. The opportunity is first announced to the CivActs team. Individuals are then identified based on their interests and involvement in media advocacy work. We conduct interviews with 2 to 3 candidates and make the final selection, considering the distribution of people across different areas.

We have engaged in various media advocacy work, utilizing different mediums to reach our audience.

Provincial Convenings on The Menu of Possible Commitments

Consultative workshops aimed to discuss priority areas for involving young people in South African participation and democracy, presenting the “Menu of Possible Commitments” as a framework. The ALSA team adapted the Menu of Possible Commitments into a survey using TypeForm and ensured that it was relevant to the South Africa context. The team shared it with the workshop participants via WhatsApp and requested that they fill it in before each workshop to get their input and thoughts on the Menu. We received a total of 36 responses across all six provinces. Not all participants engaged with the Menu before the workshop but did get to engage with it during the group activities at the workshops. ALSA will use the workshops’ inputs and TypeForm to develop the localised Menu of Possible Commitments for South Africa.

175 people attended the workshops; 104 were young women, and 3 chose not to identify their gender. The team did not collect data on individuals belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and people living with disabilities was not collected, but those who chose to identify themselves in the vox pops were recorded at the events.

PARTICIPANTS
Participants represented diverse backgrounds, including youth from various regions, youth organisations, and communities with different concerns and perspectives.

GROUP DISCUSSION
Participants engaged in group discussions focused on thematic areas such as prioritising youth voice in governance, supporting youth in government, freedom of expression, promoting youth political participation, and human rights.

GROUP EXERCISE – MENU OF POSSIBLE COMMITMENTS RANKING
During each workshop, the facilitator divided the participants into groups of five (5) based on the five thematic areas of the Menu of Possible Commitments. The groups were given approximately an hour to discuss the menu, how to rank priorities as well as any justifications regarding the ranking system. Each group represented how they ranked each priority area.

PRIORITIES WITHIN THEMATIC AREAS
Priorities were ranked within each thematic area, emphasising inclusivity, legislative reform, freedom of expression, civic education, and gender equality.

QUOTES FROM WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
Participants emphasised the importance of youth knowledge empowerment, transparency, inclusivity, addressing discrimination, and creating opportunities for young people to participate in governance. These were captured in each of the provincial workshops.

AIM OF WORKSHOPS
The workshops aimed to identify and prioritise commitments that the South African government should make to engage and empower young people in various aspects of governance and democracy. Participants were committed to creating positive change in their communities through these commitments.

VOICE 2 REP MUSIC COMPETITION NUMBERS

BY THE NUMBERS

BY THE NUMBERS

IMPACT STORIES

FINETOWN BRIDGE
The Finetown CivActs team proved that it is possible to co-create solutions to the problems that communities are facing. One of the challenges faced by Finetown community members was the need for a bridge to cross a stream on their daily trips to reach their homes and nearby schools. Through community meetings and written complaints, the team mobilised residents to form a community action team. The team contacted the Daily Maverick to bring attention to the bridge as one of the many service delivery issues facing the community. The team relentlessly engaged the previous and current Ward 7 councillors, and despite initial challenges, including budget constraints, the current Councillor Lois Wizza Simonse took up the cause and engaged the MMC for Roads and Transport in the City of Johannesburg.

After months, the community’s persistence and the Councillor’s support finally yielded tangible results. By the end of January 2024, the long-awaited bridge construction was underway and opened in March.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU MZANSI YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH CIVIC ACTION
“What’s on The Menu Mzansi came at a very pivotal point in my life. It came where I was questioning our political standing as a country and having not been affiliated with any political party it was difficult to learn about politics outside formal education.

What’s On the Menu then provided an interactive learning experience which, luckily for me, I even got to attest to through being literally involved as we went to different political parties and institutions to try to make them adopt the program. Throughout the training, I realised how informed I got and that I was being equipped with tools of becoming a political leader in my own right theoretically and practically.

One of my highlights is now having an opportunity to join the Youth Parliament – something I was not even aware existed. This took place after a couple of appointments that were set at the Gauteng Legislature where we ended up being successfully granted an opportunity to present the Menu.

As a Social Entrepreneur and aspiring media practitioner, What’s on the Menu has given me basic fundamental training on how to be an active citizen. Having started the journey last year in July, it hasn’t always been pleasant. Some of my disappointment in the program include political parties and institutions not responding to emails and calls. Also their reluctance towards adopting the Menu.

However other benefits include being exposed to and engaging with like-minded youth on Zoom meetings under the global Youth Cohort. This international network is a huge benefit. I must say this is an experience I wish for any young person to have.”

Queen Mthethwa – What’s on the Menu Mzansi workshop attendee

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS