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Peer review: Crime the SA issue
02/07/2007 22:44 - (SA)
Johannesburg - South Africa must step up its fight against crime, racism and HIV/Aids, it was told by its African peers in Ghana on Monday.
Thirteen years after democracy, greater urgency was also needed to tackle sexism and accelerate the pace of land reform, fellow members of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) told the government of President Thabo Mbeki, according to the SABC.
The APRM is a key component of the African-led New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), a programme centred on securing more aid and investment for the continent through improved governance.
APRM reports on South Africa and Algeria were presented at an African Union summit in Ghana.
Only 26 out of 53 AU countries have signed up for the voluntary review, which evaluates the progress of members towards democratic reforms.
Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya have already been through the process.
Mbeki welcomed the report, saying it had also acknowledged the strides made in transforming South Africa into a vibrant democracy, but expressed concerns about "methodological flaws".
South Africa has some of the highest HIV infection and crime rates in the world. Each day about 50 people are murdered and 1 000 die of Aids-related illnesses.
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