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In a region characterised by polarisation, the Palme Center’s partner ETU has strengthened dialogue between political parties through education and the exchange of experiences on coalition-building ahead of elections in countries including South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.
These initiatives provided the parties with practical tools to manage different election outcomes and prepare for cross-party cooperation.
Ahead of the elections, ETU worked closely with governing parties on scenario analysis and preparations for different outcomes, as well as training in coalition-building.
Following network meetings, concrete support was also provided on how parties could act in practice in the event of a changed political landscape.
The results have been clear.
In South Africa, the ANC quickly accepted the election result when the party received less than 50 per cent of the vote for the first time and was able to swiftly form a unity government for the first time.
In Mozambique, established channels of dialogue between youth leagues helped to keep communication open following a violent election and facilitated a national dialogue.
Through targeted support, ETU has strengthened parties’ ability to manage political differences through dialogue and cooperation.
Food handlers win right to unemployment benefits in South AfricaIn South Africa, so-called food handlers serve school meals to over nine million children every day as part of the national school feeding programme.
Despite the importance of their work, these women have long been regarded as ‘volunteers’ and have been denied access to basic rights such as unemployment benefits.
When many contracts were due to expire in 2025, the food handlers organised themselves and turned their individual struggles into a collective fight.
With support from the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Labour Research Service (LRS), they organised protests outside employment offices (which also handle labour law and social insurance), ran social media campaigns and launched a petition.
The campaign led to tangible results.
For the first time, food delivery workers were able to access unemployment benefits. At the same time, the Department for Education removed the word ‘volunteer’ from the job title.
Civil society strengthens democracy and rights in DR CongoThrough the Palme Center’s programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo, civil society has gained greater opportunities to influence policy, strengthen democracy and improve people’s living conditions.
During the 2022–2025 programme period, several partner organisations have contributed to tangible results in the areas of women’s political participation, political accountability and workers’ rights.
With support for organisational development and capacity building, the women’s organisation CAFCO has held its first general assembly in many years and trained newly elected female municipal councillors. Their advocacy work helped increase the proportion of female candidates in the 2023 election from 11.68 to 17 per cent.
The youth movements Filimbi and LUCHA have strengthened grassroots organising and developed new methods to scrutinise and hold local authorities to account.
At the same time, CODELT has contributed to important legislative reforms concerning natural resources, forests and land rights through legal expertise and strategic advocacy.
Through the partner organisation CONAFED, a new solidarity-based social security system has also been established for civil society actors and informal workers. In October 2025, representatives from civil society, trade unions and cooperatives gathered to adopt statutes and elect the leadership for the system, which covers pensions, health protection and survivor’s benefits.
Trade unions have also made progress. For the first time in many years, free and democratic trade union elections have been held in workplaces, strengthening workers’ representation and opportunities for dialogue with employers.
Together, these results demonstrate how a strong civil society can create new opportunities for democracy, social justice and citizen influence in the DRC.
Trade unions take their place in African trade policyThe African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) covers over a billion people and could have a major impact on jobs, industry and economic development across the continent.
Despite this, trade unions were long excluded from both the negotiations and the implementation of the agreement.
Thanks to support from the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Labour Research Service (LRS), the situation has now begun to change. Trade unions in nine African countries have strengthened their knowledge of trade policy, developed joint demands and pushed to gain influence over how the agreement is to be implemented.
This work has yielded concrete results.
In both Rwanda and Namibia, trade unions have now secured seats on the national committees responsible for implementing the AfCFTA. This means that, for the first time, workers’ perspectives are represented in key decisions on trade and economic policy.
This change marks an important step towards trade policy in Africa taking greater account of working conditions, employment and social justice.
Trade union campaign secured housing allowances in EswatiniIn Eswatini, many who work in the public sector lives in overcrowded and substandard housing with low income.
Following efforts of trade unions to improve these conditions, the government decided to introduce a housing allowance of E2000 per month for non-academic staff and other low-income earners in the public sector.
Behind this success is the national trade union confederation TUCOSWA, together with its affiliated unions ATUSWA, NAWUSHI, NAPSAWU and SNAT.
Through campaigns, negotiations and joint demands, they highlighted the workers’ difficult living conditions and called for better terms. They highlighted how many workers on the lowest pay scales are forced to live in simple huts or temporary accommodation, whilst the cost of living rises.
This grant represents an important step in a country where nearly 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. At the same time, this success demonstrates how strong trade union organisations can improve workers’ conditions and contribute to greater equality.
Cooperation on regulations of civil society in ZimbabweWhen a new law regulating the work of civil society organisations was passed in Zimbabwe, tensions between the government and civil society increased. Many organisations were concerned about how the law would affect their ability to work and represent vulnerable groups.
The Palme Center’s partner organisation, the independent think tank Zimbabwe Institute (ZI), then took the initiative to resume dialogue with the authorities.
By bringing organisations together in a joint coordination group, the voice of civil society was strengthened and common grounds could be met. ZI also organised national dialogue meetings where civil society met with government representatives and relevant authorities.
These discussions focused on the implications of the law and how the regulations could be designed to function more effectively in practice.
The process led to a joint effort to develop principles and proposals for regulations on how the law should be implemented. The government has also clarified registration processes and shown greater openness to civil society’s interests.
This work has helped to rebuild trust between civil society and the state. At the same time, it has created better conditions for organisations to continue working on issues such as democracy, gender equality and human rights in Zimbabwe.
Updating the paralegal manual in South Africa – rights in practiceIn South Africa, the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Education and Training Unit (ETU), has updated the Paralegal Manual this year.
The manual provides practical guidance on laws and legal processes that affect people’s daily lives, and is specifically designed for counselling offices, civil society organisations, trade union representatives and others who support vulnerable groups.
The manual comprises over 1,000 pages and is available online, via the Legal Fundi app and in print.
The material is used by civil society, government bodies and local representatives to provide practical support on issues relating to working conditions, social security and legal processes.
By further developing these much-needed methodological resources in collaboration with other actors, ETU is helping more people to assert their rights in practice.
Young and marginalised people take their place in South African politicsThrough targeted training programmes such as youth academies and party-affiliated workshops, the Palme Center’s partner organisation ETU has helped political parties in Southern Africa to include young and marginalised groups more fully in their leadership positions.
The results are clear: participants from the programmes have gone on to take up roles as local politicians, party officials and, in some cases, national leadership positions.
In South Africa, ETU contributed to policy processes within the ANC that resulted in decision making on greater inclusion, with LGBTQI people also being given a greater role in political leadership.
In Namibia, young people from the programme have taken up leadership roles and participated in key party processes at national level.
Overall, the parties have broadened their recruitment and are increasingly including new groups in political decision-making.
