EQUILLORE - MEDIA RELEASE - 24 April 2009

2009 Polls taught us how to peacefully resolve disputes

With just two years before the next round of local government elections, observers believe there are definite lessons to be learned from this year.s general elections, especially on how to prevent disputes and peacefully resolve them when they do occur.

The lessons learned from the free and fair spirit in which the 2009 general election was contested, must be implemented now towards coming elections. Local government elections take place in just two years, with the 2011 poll electing new councillors across South Africa

The Independent Electoral Commission put systems in place long in advance of this year's election date in order to firstly proactively prevent any conflicts and problems from happening, and secondly to address and resolve these disputes when they do crop up. One of the systems put in place involved appointing an independent group of mediators to be on stand by to resolve disputes.

"We were called in by the IEC earlier this year to make available a group of mediators trained by the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement (ACDS), in case any local disputes arose", explains advocate Jacques Joubert who headed up the project between the IEC and the ACDS. He works for alternative dispute resolution company Equillore Ltd, the founding sponsors of the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement based at the University of Stellenbosch's Business School. Its patron is Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

ACDS mediators were asked to mediate a variety of disputes, ranging from community conflict to the right of political parties and employees to take part in political campaigning especially on company premises. "The vast majority of these disputes were resolved amicably" said Joubert.

It is important for the culture of alternative dispute resolution that was established during this campaign to be taken forward to coming elections. Joubert believes it is crucial for communities to start realising that talking about conflicts and disputes, instead of fighting about it, is in everyone's best interest.

"Our next round of elections will be much closer to communities and will to a greater level involve public representatives - local councillors - who live and work among the people they represent. As with businesses and big corporates (who will soon be required to adhere to the alternative dispute resolution prescriptions of the King 3 report) communities and ordinary people must be helped to become accustomed to alternative means of dispute resolution. This means putting systems in place to proactively deal with relationships between stakeholders. And when a conflict or dispute does arise, it can be resolved in a more amicable way where relationships between parties in conflict can hopefully be protected, for the long term benefit of everyone" said Equillore CEO Wahida Parker.

"If the lessons from the 2009 elections can be used for coming elections, democracy in South Africa will be deepened and our nation be made just that more successful" said Joubert.