Twende Mbele 10th Anniversary Celebration: Short Report

Event: Twende Mbele 10th Anniversary Celebration
Theme: Evidence for Africa's Development: 10 Years of Strengthening Government Evaluations and Accountability
Date: 8 October 2026
Venue: The Capital on the Park, Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
Format: Hybrid (in-person for invited guests, online for public participants)

Overview

Twende Mbele successfully hosted its 10th Anniversary Celebration on 8 October 2026, marking a decade of peer learning, knowledge exchange, and strengthening government monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems across Africa. The event brought together representatives from the ten member countries (Benin, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Niger, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire), alongside technical partners, development banks, academia, parliaments, and the broader M&E community of practice.

Attendance and Programme Adjustments

Due to unforeseen circumstances, three distinguished guests were unable to attend in person:

• Hon. Minister Maropene Ramokgopa (Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation)

• Executive Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya (City of Tshwane)

• H.E. Thabo Mbeki (Former President of South Africa and Thabo Mbeki Foundation)

Despite these absences, the programme proceeded as planned with all other confirmed speakers delivering their addresses and contributions. Prof. Somadoda Fikeni (Public Service Commission Chairperson) delivered his keynote address via video, which was well received by attendees.

Key Highlights

Session 1: Formal Ceremony

• Cultural performance by Pitbull Traditional Dancers

• Opening remarks by Dr. Thina Nzo (Head of Twende Mbele, Wits University)

• Welcome address by Mr. Stephen Ampem-Darko (Twende Mbele Chairperson, Ghana)

• Messages of support from Prof. Themba Maseko (Wits School of Governance), Mr. Matthew Lubuulwa (AfrEA Deputy President), and Ms. Karen Rot-Munsterman (AfDB Director for Evaluations)

• Twende Mbele commemorative video

• Keynote address by Prof. Somadoda Fikeni (video)

Reflections on 10 Years of Impact

• Moderated by Dr. Takunda Chirau (CLEAR-AA)

• Speakers: Mr. Kwabena Adjei (Ghana), Mr. Godfrey Mashamba (South Africa), Mr. Abdoulaye Gounou (Benin), and Prof. Ian Goldman (International Evaluation Academy)

Award Ceremony and Cake Cutting

• Recognising contributions to Twende Mbele's journey

Panel Discussions

1. Institutionalisation of Evaluations: From Legislation, Policies to Action — Moderated by Dr. Edoé Djimitri Agbodjan (CLEAR-FA), with speakers from Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Tanzania.

2. The Importance of Evidence-use for Accountability and Oversight in African Parliaments — Moderated by Ms. Lutfiyya Dean (PACE), with a presentation by Dr. Josephine Watera (Ugandan Parliament) and responses from the Pan-African Parliament, Wits School of Governance, and AfDB/APNODE.

3. The Role of International Development Partners and Development Banks in Promoting Evidence-based Decision-making in Africa — Moderated by Dr. Siphelo Ngcwangu (UJ), with speakers from AfDB, DBSA, New Development Bank, and Wits School of Governance.

4. From Monitoring to Evaluating the Implementation of SDGs to Improve Service Delivery — Moderated by Dr. Lesedi Matlala (SAMEA), with speakers from Nigeria, Ghana, Eastern Cape Provincial Government, and SALGA.

   

The Future of Evaluations in Africa: Where to from here?

• Prof. Ian Goldman delivered a forward-looking presentation on the future of evaluation, emphasising the need for systemic change, decolonisation of evaluation, and the role of evaluation in addressing the polycrisis.

Vote of Thanks and Closure

• Mr. Godfrey Mashamba (DDG: DPME)

Cocktails and Networking

Key Messages from Presentations

Dr. Josephine Watera (Parliament of Uganda): The Importance of Evidence-use for Accountability and Oversight in African Parliaments

• Parliamentary oversight requires credible, timely, and evidence-informed scrutiny.

• Evidence must be embedded across the full oversight cycle: Question → Evidence → Analysis → Action → Follow-up.

• Evidence strengthens oversight by sharpening questioning, verifying claims, strengthening budget scrutiny, improving legislative quality, and enabling follow-through.

• African Parliaments need stronger systems that turn evidence into better questions, better scrutiny, better decisions, and better follow-through.

Prof. Ian Goldman (International Evaluation Academy): Reflections on the Future of Evaluation

• The world faces a polycrisis: climate change, inequality, and systemic challenges requiring transformative change.

• Evaluation must evolve from retrospective, compliance-focused approaches to agile, future-oriented, and adaptive practices.

• Evaluation must centre local voices, challenge dominant power structures, and contribute to transforming social-ecological systems toward a just and regenerative planet.

• African wisdom offers valuable principles: interdependence, care for nature, collective action, and hope.

Conclusion

The 10th Anniversary Celebration was a resounding success, reflecting Twende Mbele's growth from six to ten member countries and its enduring commitment to peer learning and evidence-based policymaking in Africa. The event reinforced strategic partnerships, showcased impactful work, and set the stage for the next decade of strengthening government evaluations and accountability across the continent.