A more responsive government would avoid a turn to militant protests to air grievances.
Articles on Service delivery protests
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Grassroots protests can change people’s lives for the better.
South Africa’s civil service has failed to implement policies to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment.
The country is still a very different political space. It’s a noisy democracy with a free media, lots of dissenting voices, and insulting the government doesn’t carry any overt sanction.
The evidence shows that political risk in South Africa has increased markedly in certain areas over the past two decades.
Much of the commentary on the July riots, which cost over 300 lives and billions of rands in damage to the economy, has neglected the long history of violent protests in the country.
The problem in municipalities is not that the wrong people are being chosen. It is that the wrong people are doing the choosing – not only of candidates but of what they do if elected.
South Africans deserve a fuller picture of the extent of police brutality, and the level of accountability, especially when people die at the hands of police.
There has been growing discontent with many local authorities and calls by concerned citizens for the municipalities to be dissolved.
Delivery riders are paying the ultimate price for the fact that our cities, their infrastructure and the rules governing them make cycling much more dangerous than it should be.
The challenge for the deepening of South Africa’s democracy is that the very existence of vanguardism prevents the realisation of empowered citizens.
A readable and important new book on the struggle for justice in South Africa’s Oukasie township does not go far enough to question the feasibility of grassroots resistance.
The survey findings show that people who had taken part in protests over the last five years were more likely to vote for opposition parties.
In spite of noble promises in their constitutions, many countries have a very restrictive approach to demonstrations.
Community radio stations have thrown themselves into the political discussion with gusto.
The current crisis in British politics is significant for countries like South Africa where a change in electoral systems is needed.
To claim that protests are being organised suggests sinister motives. But all protest is organised. So are cake sales and shopping expeditions.
The African National Congress faces two big challenges: fewer South Africans trust it, while its electoral support has been waning.
Polls indicate that South Africans are unlikely to totally abandon the African National Congress.
Troubles in South Africa’s coalition-led local governments are affecting accountability, governance stability and service delivery.
Top contributors
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Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg
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Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Chief Research Specialist in Democracy and Citizenship at the Human Science Research Council and a Research Fellow Centre for African Studies, University of the Free State
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Extraordinary Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University
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Research Director: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division, and Coordinator of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), Human Sciences Research Council
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Research Director, Development Capable and Ethical State, Human Sciences Research Council
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Chief Research Specialist., Human Sciences Research Council
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Professor and Research Theme Leader of the Flourishing Life Research Theme, University of the Free State
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Chief Research Manager, Human Sciences Research Council
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Associate professor, University of Cape Town
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Director Research, MISTRA and Research Associate, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
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Associate researcher, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior Researcher and Associate, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection
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Professor of human rights law, University of Pretoria
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Senior lecturer, University of Edinburgh