insert_link South Africa ANC set to lose majority after watershed vote By Umberto BACCHI with Zama LUTHULI in Durban South Africa's ruling ANC was on course to lose its 30-year-old unchallenged majority on Thursday after voters queued long into the night to cast their ballots, preliminary results and projections showed. With a fifth of votes tallied, the ANC was leading but with a score of 44 percent -- well down on the 57 percent it […] todayMay 30, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Democracy in Africa: digital voting technology and social media can be a force for good – and bad Electoral agents test a voting machine ahead of the DRC’s 2023 elections. Patrick Meinhardt/AFP via Getty Images) By Maxwell Maseko, University of the Witwatersrand It’s a bumper year for elections on the continent: by the end of 2024, 20 countries ought to have gone to the polls to vote in national elections. A handful of others are also scheduled to conduct local-level elections. As is the case elsewhere […] todayMay 29, 2024 13
insert_link South Africa Mayibuye! The 100-year-old slogan that’s stirred up divisions in South Africa’s elections By Corinne Sandwith, University of Pretoria Political parties the world over use slogans, icons, colours, names and flags to establish their political and historical credentials. What happens when two political parties lay claim to the same history and the same symbolic capital? In South Africa, a conflict of this kind is being played out between the governing African National Congress (ANC) party led by […] todayMay 28, 2024 14
insert_link Africa Belief in democracy is on the decline in Africa. Traditional institutions can help restore its importance By Vladimir Chlouba, University of Richmond Democracy in Africa has not had a good year. Military juntas from Mali to Niger appear to have cemented their grip on power. Sudan’s democratic dreams were dashed when the country’s two most powerful strongmen opted for war. And there’s now evidence that ordinary Africans may be losing faith in democracy as the best form of government. Afrobarometer, an organisation […] todayMay 17, 2024 8
insert_link South Africa South Africa’s public service is dysfunctional – the 5 main reasons why By Marcel Nagar, University of Johannesburg A public policy works well if it’s a good policy and if it’s carried out well. Politicians make policy and specialist bureaucrats in the public service carry it out. These appointed officials are supposed to follow a strict professional and ethical code of conduct. Over the past 30 years, South Africa has not had this kind of public service. Public […] todayMay 17, 2024 13
insert_link Namibia Electoral Commission of Namibia announces voter registration dates Namibia is poised for a pivotal democratic moment as it prepares for presidential and National Assembly elections slated for November 27, 2024. Voter registration is set to take place between June 3 and August 1, with all eligible Namibians expected to register afresh to participate in the upcoming elections. The nomination of independent candidates is expected to take place on October 14, while the nomination court for political parties is […] todayMay 6, 2024 59
insert_link Africa Opposition accuses Togo government of extending President’s rule Tensions have risen in Togo as parliamentary and regional elections are underway amid controversy over a new constitution extending President Faure Gnassingbé's term. The BBC reports that opposition parties have accused the government of using the reform to extend Gnassingbé's family's 57-year rule, allowing him to potentially stay in power until 2031. todayApril 29, 2024 9
insert_link World India’s election kicks off Friday with nearly 1 billion voters It's the final countdown to the start of the world's largest election. Nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote. Polling will be conducted in seven phases with a winner declared only on June 4th. A total of 970 million people are eligible to vote in the election – more than the populations of the US, European Union and Russia combined. There will be more than a million polling stations […] todayApril 18, 2024 12
insert_link Lifestyle In the age of cancel culture, shaming can be healthy for online communities – a political scientist explains when and how Public shaming can help uphold online community norms. bo feng/iStock via Getty Images By Jennifer Forestal, Loyola University Chicago “Cancel culture” has a bad reputation. There is growing anxiety over this practice of publicly shaming people online for violating social norms ranging from inappropriate jokes to controversial business practices. Online shaming can be a wildly disproportionate response that violates the privacy of the shamed while offering them no […] todayApril 17, 2024 11
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
