Supporting Democracy: The South Africa-Canada Program on Governance

On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as President of the Republic of South Africa. On that day, the new Government of National Unity began to dismantle the policies of apartheid and recognize citizen’s rights for 85% of the country’s population. The South Africa-Canada Program on Governance (PoG) was born in anticipation of this historic transition. It was conceived during Nelson Mandela’s 1992 visit to Canada, when he asked the Canadian government to assist the people of South Africa in their preparations for democracy.Supporting Democracy provides a new window through which to view the transition to democracy in South Africa. It describes the approaches used by the PoG to assist its South African partners, as well as the activities the program has designed and developed.