insert_link South Africa South Africans go to the polls to choose a new government: what’s different this time By Dirk Kotze, University of South Africa South Africa’s seventh general election since democracy in 1994, set for 29 May 2024, takes place under circumstances different from any other election in the history of the nation. Some view the hotly contested national and provincial elections as a watershed moment for the country. We asked political scientist Dirk Kotze to explain the changed circumstances. There’s […] todayMay 28, 2024 26
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 26
insert_link Africa Men still dominate Uganda’s party politics – women’s participation is mostly cosmetic By Hannah Muzee, Kyambogo University Electoral gender quotas in Uganda – first introduced in 1989 – have increased women’s numbers in Uganda’s parliament to 34%. Today there are 189 women out of 557 members of parliament. But women politicians in Uganda continue to be restricted to minority representation. They are constantly battling stereotypes that seek to maintain the status quo of male dominance in political […] todayMay 27, 2024 13
insert_link Namibia Afrobarometer addresses the role of social media in political campaigns Despite over 55% of Namibians relying on social media for news and information, most political parties in the country lack a significant presence on these platforms. According to Round 9 of the Afrobarometer survey, this is concerning given the upcoming elections, as social media can be a valuable tool for parties to reach and communicate with their supporters. Local Political Analyst Dr. Ndumba Kamwanyah weighs in on the matter. According […] todayMay 21, 2024 35
insert_link South Africa Over 26 million South Africans get a social grant. Fear of losing the payment used to be a reason to vote for the ANC, but no longer – study By Leila Patel, University of Johannesburg and Yolanda Sadie, University of Johannesburg Social grants to reduce poverty feature prominently in the campaign promises of political parties in South Africa’s 2024 national and provincial general elections, set for 29 May. The country’s social grants system is one of the largest in Africa in terms of number of beneficiaries. Research shows that this has helped reduce poverty. […] todayMay 15, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Tanzania’s political parties have few women in leadership and candidate lists: some solutions By Victoria Melkisedeck Lihiru, The Open University of Tanzania Tanzania, in keeping with global political trends, reserves 30% of seats in parliament for women. These so-called special seats were introduced with multiparty politics in 1992, in response to the low numbers of women elected to positions of power. There were only eight elected female parliamentarians after the first multiparty elections in 1995. Ten years later, 17 […] todayMay 14, 2024 12
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 82
insert_link Africa Chad’s election outcome already seems set: 4 things Mahamat Déby has done to stay in power By Helga Dickow, University of Freiburg Chad’s presidential election campaigns officially kicked off on Sunday 14 April 2024 in the capital city, N'Djamena. Transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby held a large meeting on the Place de la Nation directly in front of the presidential palace. In attendance were members of the government, the military and various political parties, identifiable, in the blistering heat, by their different […] todayApril 24, 2024 8
insert_link Business / Economics South Africa’s electricity crisis: what political parties say in their election manifestos about solving it By Hartmut Winkler, University of Johannesburg South Africa is in the middle of a deep electricity crisis. In 2023 the public, many of whom are voters, experienced the worst loadshedding to date, losing power for an average of five hours a day. The power shortages were largely due to excessive breakdowns in the country’s coal power plant fleet, which generates over 80% of South Africa’s electricity, combined […] todayMarch 28, 2024 14
