1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY South Africa hereby submits the Second Annual Report on the Implementation of the APRM National Programme of Action (NPoA). This Report details progress made during the period January 2009 to November 2010. The country acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism in March 2003, thus voluntarily consenting to a review by peers on the African Continent in the areas of Democracy and Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance as well as Socio-Economic Development. This review commenced with a self-assessment process in 2005 which culminated into a Self-Assessment Report submitted to the APR Forum in 2006. Subsequently, the country was peer reviewed and the Country Review Report (CRR) was issued in July 2007, which included the NPoA for its implementation. As part of compliance, the country is expected to report annually on the implementation of the NPoA. In this report South Africa accounts in terms of the four thematic areas and cross-cutting issues identified in the Country Review Report and National Programme of action 1.1 Democracy and Political Governance In this thematic area the report responds and provides information on increased civil society participation, advancement of gender equality, access to information on human rights and institutions of justice, and tackling corruption. The Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) as a central institution of interface in public service bargaining is explained in the context of labour’s participation. Since the submission of the First Report, steps were taken to strengthen social dialogue around National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) processes on economic and capacity development challenges with social partners. NEDLAC allows for government to be in a formal social dialogue with organised labour and business and community groupings on a national level to discuss and reach consensus on issues of social and economic policy. The Presidential hotline was launched in September 2009 as part of the government’s drive to enhance interaction with citizens. Government also published the National Framework on Ward Funding and the Local Government Municipal Regulations for the Term of Office of Ward Committee Members in October 2009, with the intention of improving the functioning of ward systems. In addition, key regional and international protocols have been endorsed by South Africa 16