There’s confusion in South Africa about what’s driving the popularity of Jacob Zuma and his uMkhonto weSizwe party.
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Jacob Zuma claims that his new political home, the Umkhonto we Sizwe Party, is the authentic ANC, not the one led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Despite its vagueness, the RET has become central to the contemporary ANC. It is destined to remain a powerful bloc within the party, and a constant constraint on Ramaphosa leadership.
The scale of the Guptas’ rapaciousness meant that, within just a few years, the institutions they leeched were in a state of collapse.
There has been growing discontent with many local authorities and calls by concerned citizens for the municipalities to be dissolved.
The task team established to investigate political killings in KwaZulu-Natal has had little impact on exposing those behind the violence.
The Khamas have dominated Botswana’s politics since the 1870s, but they are now a discredited, spent force.
Much deeper social forces underlie the struggles within the governing ANC and society over the shape of the economy.
South Africa needs a policy that drives growth and positions if for the 21st Century.
Two authors unpack the fragility of South Africa’s political parties and why democracy is a lifelong commitment.
South Africa, following its peaceful transition, occupied the moral high ground and could influence the agenda of intergovernmental bodies like the United Nations. Not anymore.
Cyril Ramaphosa has secured the leadership of South Africa’s governing ANC. But he may not be able to clean up the mess left by Jacob Zuma given the other members of the party’s leadership team.
The ANC’s elective conference is important for the party and South Africa. This is because the person chosen to lead the governing party since 1994, has gone on to become president.
The huge hype ahead of the vote of no confidence in President Zuma made the result anti-climactic. However, the fact that the motion was defeated by only a 21 vote margin is unprecedented.
Namibia contributes a positive image to Africa in governance and other indicators. But the reality for most of the country’s 2.3 million people isn’t quite as rosy.
Dlamini-Zuma is an ambiguous, ambitious figure, an operator and bureaucrat with good credentials. But, she offers nothing new and can’t shake off claims that she’s just a shoe-in for her ex-husband.
In previous elections speculation in South Africa focused on the likely size of the ruling ANC’s majority. This time the question on people’s minds is: will the ANC win or lose Nelson Mandela Bay?
The increase in rioting ahead of municipal elections in South Africa, such as that in Pretoria, suggests that the country’s general election in 2019 could be more violent than previous elections.
Democracy resulted in a sea change in the governing ANC. In the past, only highly committed idealists joined the party. Today’s splits and factions are about patronage and clientelism.
South Africa’s finance minister delivered a good mix of macro and micro-economic strategies to ensure the country survives economic uncertainty, restores confidence and achieves some growth.
Top contributors
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Political Scientist, University of the Western Cape
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Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Professor of Urban Governance, University of the Witwatersrand
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Senior Researcher, Society Work and Politics Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Development, Stellenbosch University
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Research Fellow, African Studies, Indiana University
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Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
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Honorary Research Associate in the School of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal
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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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Executive director, Africa Institute of South Africa, Human Sciences Research Council