April 29, 2011

Invite to: Service Delivery: An Election Issue?

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Service Delivery: An Election Issue?

In 2008 there were 27 service delivery protests recorded.

In 2009 that number jumped to 105.

In 2010, it was another record year for discontent – with 111 recorded protests.

This year the protests continued, with tragic loss of life.

Since 2004 there have been protests in 98 different metro and local municipalities across the country.*

Is it any wonder?

48% of households live below the poverty line**

Are the politicians heeding the calls of their unhappy electorate?

How many manifestos really tackle issues affecting unhappy voters?

Citizens are threatening to disenfranchise themselves in order to make politicians take notice.

But are the media doing enough to hold politicians accountable?

We see protest after protest on the pages of our newspapers and leading new bulletins on TV – especially, and sometimes only, when things turn violent.

Yet how often do we hear what protesters are unhappy about and what politicians are doing to solve their problems?

As we approach polling day in the local elections Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is teaming up with, Mediamattersza Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute (SPII), Centre for the Study of Democracy, The Daily Maverick and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) to design and launch the second of three ‘Piercing the Promises: Election Accountability Packs’ for Journalists.

This second ‘Election Accountability Pack’ aims to arm journalists with key questions that will help hold local government election candidates accountable when it comes to service delivery.

Join us on 4th May 2011, on twitter or in person, as Dr Steven Friedman (Centre for the Study of Democracy) and Isobel Frye (Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute) debate the issues involved,

Time: 12pm – 1pm

Date: Wednesday 4th May 2011

Place: Institute for the Advancement of Journalism, 9 Jubilee Road, Parktown Tel:+2711 484 1765

Follow: @mediamattersza

Hashtag: #MMAEAP

For more information contact:

Laura Fletcher
Advocacy Officer
Media Monitoring Africa
(formerly: Media Monitoring Project)
Tel: +2711 788 1278
Fax: +2711 788 1289
Cell: +2773 0463404
lauraf@mma.org.za
www.mediamonitoringafrica.org

Watch out for more events in the coming weeks:

*www.municipaliq.co.za

** Statistics South Africa