Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
20 February 2024 | 17:00 CAT
3 min read

In a ground-breaking move, the Democracy Development Program (DDP) has unveiled the Electoral Participation Integrity by Civil Society (EPICS) program. This revolutionary technological system, accessible via cell phones, aims to transform the observation of the upcoming 2024 General Elections.

EPICS aims to make a significant impact on the democratic landscape by promoting transparency and accountability throughout the electoral process. With the upcoming national government election approaching, EPICS recognizes the critical importance of its role. EPICS intends to maintain independence and non-partisanship, refraining from involvement in party politics.

According to the DDP, the initiative plans to conduct independent observation and parallel vote tabulation during this year’s elections, emphasizing its commitment to a fair and impartial assessment of the electoral process.

The EPICS Initiative employs robust methods to monitor and evaluate the entire electoral process, from pre-election preparations to post-election activities.

Brian Mhlongo, the Project Manager at DDP, speaks to Radio Islam, shedding light on how EPICS will empower civil society with enhanced oversight over election processes, ensuring transparency and ethical conduct.

Mhlongo said the independent Durban-based organisation has been very intentional with partnering with the IEC and working with other stakeholders over the past few years to deploy “domestic observers” – citizens of this country who are interested in observing the Elections, to add an extra layer of oversight.

“From 2016 to 2021, there has been a lot of disagreement about the outcome of elections. It is important to create an environment where people can share their observations, insights and opinions before, during and after elections. This will empower individuals and provide a better understanding of the election process,” he said.

The results of each initiative will be shared with the IEC to enable proactive addressing of any peculiarities.

“We are conducting a comprehensive “voters roll audit,” along with election day observations and parallel voter tabulation. This involves checking the count at every stage of interaction to ensure accuracy. Any irregularities discovered will be pursued accordingly,” he added.

This process will be overseen by a team of esteemed international independent experts with extensive experience in conducting electoral observation missions.

“Due to the sensitivity of the process, we have enlisted the help of internationally recognized analysts to assist in the process. To help you understand how to use the tool and what data to collect, we offer an online training course at a minimal cost. We will carefully review and clean the data to ensure its accuracy before releasing it on a regular basis,” said Mhlongo.

Unashamedly Ethical, a global movement, has also joined the EPICS Initiative, a non-partisan program comprising esteemed civil society organizations. The partnership aims to cultivate an unashamedly ethical culture among current and future leaders, aligning with the EPICS Initiative’s goal of fostering electoral integrity.

The DDP emphasized that as active and ethical South Africans, we can collectively ensure that our internationally acclaimed constitution provides a solid electoral framework, leading to a free, fair, and democratic election process and outcome for all.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Brian Mhlongo, the Project Manager at DDP, here.