Digital Public Infrastructure Through an Open Government Lens
Posted: 11 February, 2026 Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: access, accountability, AI registers, algorithmic bias, Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) framework, automated social protection, data exchange platforms, Democratic Legitimacy, digital identity systems, Digital Public Infrastructure, digital service delivery, digital transformation, DPI, e-government, government reform, inclusion, oversight, public participation, Public Trust, transparency Leave a comment
Author: Hlengiwe Dube
Senior digital rights and policy expert
Abstract
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is rapidly being deployed worldwide, yet its governance is a significant blind spot in open government reform. While governments focus on digital service delivery, the underlying systems that determine access, inclusion, and fairness often operate without transparency, accountability, or public participation. This article argues that DPI must be governed through open government principles to prevent systemic harm such as exclusion from essential services, algorithmic bias, and eroded public trust and to realize its potential for public good. Using global cases, it shows how integrating transparency, oversight, and participatory design into DPI can turn digital infrastructure into a force for democratic accountability, rather than hidden control. Finally, the article calls for explicit inclusion of DPI governance into frameworks like the Open Government Partnership, ensuring that digital transformation encodes democratic values, not just technical efficiency, into the infrastructure of the state.
Harnessing Data for Human Rights and Sustainable Development: A Call to Action from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Posted: 23 January, 2025 Filed under: Hlengiwe Dube | Tags: abuse in data usage, accessible data, ACHPR, advancing human rights, Africa, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, data access, digital age, digital transformation, discrimination, economic growth, education, election processes, gender equality, governance, harnessing data access, health, human progress, poverty eradication, Privacy Concerns, privacy violations, Resolution ACHPR/Res.620 (LXXXI) 2024, sustainable development, The Africa We Want, unequal access to information, United Nations’ SDGs 1 CommentAuthor: Hlengiwe Dube
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
In a world increasingly shaped by the digital revolution, data has become one of the most valuable resources for economic growth, governance, and human progress. From enhancing public service delivery to promoting political participation, the transformative potential of data is undeniable. However, the rapid advancements in technology also bring significant challenges, including privacy concerns, unequal access to information, and the potential for abuse in data usage. Considering these complexities, during its 81st Ordinary Session in November 2024, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), adopted Resolution ACHPR/Res.620 (LXXXI) 2024, which seeks to promote and harness data access as a tool for advancing human rights and sustainable development in Africa.
Beyond the ballot: AI, voter rights and the future of elections in Africa
Posted: 28 March, 2024 Filed under: Bonolo Makgale | Tags: Access to Information, AI technology, Artificial intelligence, democracy, democratic engagement, digital democracy, digital technology, digital transformation, elections, electoral fraud, Fake News, governance, inequality, information age, right to vote, socioeconomic status, technological challenge, user-friendly interfaces, voter rights, Yiaga Africa Leave a comment
Author: Bonolo Makgale
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Introduction
The year 2024 is an extraordinary year for elections in all its hazardous glory as it sets the record for the greatest number of people living in countries that are holding elections. More voters than ever in history will be heading to the polls in at least 64 countries representing a combined population of about 49% globally. Many of these votes will test the limits of democracy, while others will be exercises in rubber-stamping and the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come. Yet, these elections are taking place against the backdrop of a relentless global evolution of digital technology which has ushered in a new era of unprecedented challenges in the democratic and political space. In an era of data manipulation and the growing influence of artificial intelligence, democracy stands at a critical crossroads.
AfricLaw 