In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that parts of the Electoral Act in South Africa were undemocratic, as the Act forced individuals to join political parties should they wish to run for public office.

The Electoral Act therefore limited the rights of independent candidates as enshrined in the Constitution. This imbalance has now been corrected, and individual candidates may now contest both provincial and national elections.

This potentially has far-reaching consequences for South Africa, where new political parties have struggled to gain traction against the established parties, with whom frustrations continue to rise as public needs fail to be met.

In this panel discussion, the speakers will discuss how democracy in South Africa is maturing; they will encourage the private sector to consider investing in election campaigns of credible and competent candidates, specifically women; and will explore possible lessons from the other SADC Member countries who are using or have used proportional representation and gender equality to comply with UN requirements.

Moderated by Isabella Matambanadzo, an international feminist consultant, writer and researcher, the panel will consist of Nomkhitha Gysman, a researcher, analyst and women's rights advocate; Ts'epang Ts'ita-Mosena, Deputy Leader of MEC Party in Lesotho, which has recently joined government; and Thapelo Tselapedi, a political science scholar at Rhodes University.

This event is free, but registration is essential. Zoom links will be sent out in the 24 hrs before the event.

Speaker Profiles:

Isabella Matambanadzo has worked as a journalist local, regional and international news media outlets including the SADC Press Trust, publishers of The Southern African Economist, for Reuters News Agency's Africa Journal and for Inter Press Service's Africa regional bureau.  She has served as team-leader of women's rights and gender equality organisations and initiatives in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. She designed Action Aid International's Guidance Framework for Working with Women's Rights Organisations. The tool addresses power dynamics and accountability between the International Non-Governmental Organisation and their implementing partners operating at the community/country level.  As an author she has contributed to numerous publications.

Nomkhitha Gysman is a black African feminist; a researcher, analyst, advocate for women's rights, training materials developer and workshop facilitator.  For the last 6 years (2014 - 2020) she served as the Head of Gender of the SADC Parliament, posted by the South African Parliament, where she worked with female parliamentarians from the 14 Parliaments of the SADC Region affiliated to SADC Parliament.  She has published in academic journals and some of SA's national newspapers, and has been invited several times to comment on various topical gender equality and women empowerment issues.  She is currently documenting stories and experiences of female military veterans from the SADC Member States with Wits University Press.

Ts'epang Matlhohonolofatso Ts'ita-Mosena is a black African Transformation Agent; a young woman politician, media practitioner, and advocate for women's rights. She is a seasoned motivator, trainer and business coach with her partner under the Twin Talk Brand.  Her areas of specialization are Women and Youth Empowerment, Entrepreneurs & Businesses Coaching, Unleashing the Potential Within and Personal Mentorship.  She also does Strategic Planning, Project Management and Business Planning.  As a politician, the areas of focus for Ms Mosena are on the economic growth of Lesotho and SADC as a region. She has sponsored a number of motions in line with economic emancipation and gets invited on many platforms to address burning issues with a political bearing to influence policy direction, particularly for the economy.

After a stint in the civil society sector, Thapelo Tsalapedi decided to pursue his academic interests where he became a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg and currently at Rhodes University, where he teaches political theory while reading for his PhD which focuses on International Political Economy (IPE) and the BRICS/IBSA nexus. In 2017 UJ named him top 100 independent thinker in the country, published by the Sunday Independent.  Tsalapedi also provides political commentary on a number of media outlets concerning South African politics. He has written a number of articles concerning public debates, ranging from research reports, newspaper and blog articles, and academic papers. He regularly writes for The Conversation.   He is a board member on The Legal Advisory and Information Centre (LAIC), a public interest law clinic based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The SA Chamber is celebrating the annual Winter Drinks with a slight difference this year.
 
Why not join us for a fun and informative evening finding out more about South Africa's unique Pinotage? At this online event, Gerhard Perold will lead us through a tasting of three Pinotage wines from the Perold Wine Cellar's selection, with anecdotes about our proudly South African grape and his own family Pinotage heritage. Gerhard will be joined by Izele van Blerk from KWV and Jeremy Borg from Painted Wolf Wines.

Gerhard Perold is the great-grandson of Abraham Izak Perold, who created the Pinotage grape variety.  In 1924 Abraham Izak Perold combined Hermitage(Cinsaut) and Pinot Noir vines from France to create the Pinotage grape variety. The first Pinotage wine was made in 1941. Today it is grown widely all over South African wine regions and the nine other countries that grow it commercially, delivering to us the world of Pinotage pleasure.

We invite you to share the Pinotage journey with us by ordering your selection of the Pinotage wines being tasted and shared from Perold Wine Cellar in the UK on the 2nd December 2020.
 
This tasting case contains three different Pinotage wines, 5cl sample of one of South Africa's best London Dry Gins, a Cheese selection, Biltong and Crackers to complete the package, all for £42.95 + delivery.

For those who know a good thing when they see one, Perold wines are, as a special for this event, offering three more South African Limited Edition wines at a discount of £40.04 (from £179.99 to £139.95) to create your personal case of six wines.

Attending the event is free, but booking is essential.

Zoom links will be sent out in the 24 hours prior to the event starting.

Bookings will be closed on 14th December.

Join us for a Council of Foreign Chambers of Commerce in the UK webinar with Lord Grimstone of Boscobel KT, Minister of State for Investment at the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

The online event will provide an opportunity for Lord Grimstone to share insights on the importance of international trade and investment post Covid-19, as well as the trends that will shape the world coming out of the crisis. He will also give an update on the UK Government's progress of current and planned bilateral trade talks.

The conversation with Lord Grimstone will be followed by a curated Q&A session.

The event will be held under the Chatham House rule.

Biography

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Kt was appointed unpaid Minister for Investment jointly at the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy on 18 March 2020.

Before joining government, his career spanned the private and public sectors. His roles have included:
• chairman of Barclays Bank plc and Standard Life Aberdeen
• lead non-executive on the board of the Ministry of Defence
• chairman of financial services body, TheCityUK, from 2012 to 2015
• member of HM Treasury's Financial Services Trade and Investment Board

Lord Grimstone has held board appointments across many sectors and served as one of the UK's Business Ambassadors.

He also:
• conducted the Cabinet Office's triennial review of the Civil Service Commission
• conducted the Cabinet Office's Review of Public Appointments in the UK, which led to the Public Appointments Code
• led a taskforce to establish the new Centre for Public Services Leadership

He has a particular interest in UK-China and UK-India relations. He has joined several Prime Ministerial visits, including the annual Economic and Financial Dialogues between the countries. He also chaired TheCityUK China Market Advisory Group.

Lord Grimstone was knighted in 2014 for public service to defence and business.

Minister for Investment

The Minister for Investment's responsibilities include:
• developing a new investment strategy
• promoting investment across all sectors
• business investor relations
• leading on the strategic relationship management programme cross-Whitehall, including account management of large UK investors
• covering departmental business in the House of Lords
• global marketing to attract investment
• increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment into the UK
• promoting and supporting outward direct investment (ODI)

The minister does not have a formal area of policy responsibility in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

He works to ensure BEIS policy and sectoral engagement is aligned with DIT's investment objectives.

An expert panel of industry insiders discuss the impact of Brexit and the result of the US election on the economic outlook for the UK.

In these unprecedented times, our expert panel of industry insiders discuss the impact of Brexit and the result of the US election on the economic outlook for the UK.

Join us for a fascinating discussion, presented by:

• Jeffrey Sacks - Head EMEA Investment Strategy, Citi Private Bank (Chair)
• George Osborne - Editor-in-chief, The Evening Standard and former Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Tina Fordham - Partner and Head of Global Political Strategy, Avonhurst
• Professor Linda Yueh - Fellow in Economics, St Edmund Hall, Oxford University; Adjunct Professor of Economics, London Business School; Visiting Professor, LSE IDEAS

Don't miss your opportunity to come away inspired, empowered and equipped to overcome tomorrows challenges.

Places are free, but donations are requested for The Anne Frank Trust UK.

The Anne Frank Trust UK is an education charity that uses the story of Anne Frank to empower young people to recognise and challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination. Founded in 1991, it works in schools, prisons and communities across Britain, reaching over 120,000 beneficiaries a year. Independent research shows that 97.2% of young people who take part in the charity's programmes become more positive towards other social groups. With inequality and 'othering' exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdown, and as the racist killing of George Floyd has made tragically apparent, the Trust's work is needed more than ever to promote diversity and social cohesion.

For more information on this event or The Anne Frank Trust email Lara Wilks Sloan, Development Director at [email protected]

We hope you are able to join the webinar.