Distance Course Participation: In 2000, South Africans drafted bills and accompanying research reports to support the development of microenterprises, enable HIV-positive persons to obtain low-cost medications, and to racially integrate the military in conjunction with the Distance Course.

Years: 1993-1998 (Project run through Boston University)

Funders: UNDP, NDI 1997, USAID

Projects: This project involved 3 workshops, and one semester spent teaching at Witwatersrand University. These trainings resulted in bills to restructure the Gautang Provincial Welfare Dept., three of which the Provincial Legislature enacted; plus bills on other national and local issues.

Participant numbers and learning method: A 2 week workshop for about 15 ANC and union members was conducted in May, 1993. Another two-week workshop, this time for 18 drafters, was conducted in July 1997. In addition, a two-day workshop was conducted at Witwatersrand University in May, 1998. This workshop was attended by participants from Legal Resources Center, Land, Housing and Development Program. Law students at Witwatersrand University, members of the Gauteng Welfare Department, (Gauteng Social Welfare Standing Committee) and a few national ministry drafters also attended a semester-long course in 1999. Another two-week workshop was conducted for 10 Pretoria University faculty members interested in drafting. And in 2000, as previously mentioned, several South Africans participated in the Distance Course on Legislative Drafting for Democratic Social Change.

Political Environment: This program was conducted when South Africa had a new government at the national and local levels. Participants were very interested in seeking ways to improve legislative drafting processes to resolve post-apartheid social problems in the context of major political differences between inherited apartheid drafters and law-making institutions and newly elected anti-apartheid governors, civil rights lawyers, and majority of civil society orgnizations.

Bills drafted included: Protection of Farm workers, Extension Agency, Subsidiary Legislation, Council Accountability, Human Resources in Local Authorities, Local Social Welfare Measures.

Outcomes of the 1993-1998 Project

High-level government training: Participants included only a few ministry participants in the Witswatersrand University seminar course. These participants primarily came from the Gautang provinicial legislature.

Civil Society involvement Yes, union workers attended one two-week workshop.

Interdisciplinary university-based research centers In 1999 funding was sought to help institutionalize an interdisciplinary, university-based research centre at Wits. The proposal suggested sending four people to attend the 2000 Residence Program at Boston University, so they could gain the skills needed to establish and run this joint Pub Dev Mgmt and Wits Law School center. Unfortunately, funds applied for to the Open Society Institute of South Africa in Feb. 1999 were denied.

Training materials: Used BU Program materials, all in English; no information on materials prepared using SA examples.