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Jul 24, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Nic Cheeseman |Kathleen Klaus |Joleen Steyn Kotze |Salih Noor
Since Namibia became a democracy in 1990, following a protracted battle with then-apartheid South Africa for independence, not a general election has passed without the results being legally challenged by opposition parties. This year is unlikely to be any different, when the country’s seventh parliamentary and presidential polls take place on 27 November.
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Jul 3, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Kathleen Klaus |Nic Cheeseman |Joleen Steyn Kotze |Salih Noor
In a move that shocked observers, Kenya’s President William Ruto announced on 26 June he was withdrawing his government’s highly controversial finance bill. This followed two days in which tens of thousands of mostly young protesters took to the streets in nationwide rallies against the proposals contained in the country’s 2024 budget. Kathleen Klaus, who has studied political violence in Kenya, unpacks what drove the protesters.
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Jun 24, 2024 | 
smilefm.co.za | Joleen Steyn Kotze
By Joleen Steyn Kotze Governments of national unity built on power-sharing arrangements are common in Africa and elsewhere in the world. Now South Africa also has a unity government, following the 2024 general election in which no party won a majority. These governments foster stability through collaboration in grand coalitions. The premise is that in divided societies, stability can be achieved by elites working together in a power-sharing pact.
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Jun 20, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Mesrob Vartavarian |Shamira Ahmed |Graham Joseph |Joleen Steyn Kotze
In my new article, I engage with recent debates on how police officers and township residents grapple with violent crime under a democratic dispensation in South Africa. Police forces are increasingly countering criminality through periodic displays of spectacular violence, while township dwellers, deprived of social services and public security, punish malefactors themselves. By all indications, the results have not been positive.
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Jun 20, 2024 | 
econotimes.com | Joleen Steyn Kotze
Governments of national unity built on power-sharing arrangements are common in Africa and elsewhere in the world. Now South Africa also has a unity government, following the 2024 general election in which no party won a majority.
These governments foster stability through collaboration in grand coalitions. The premise is that in divided societies, stability can be achieved by elites working together in a power-sharing pact.
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Jun 19, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Shamira Ahmed |Graham Joseph |Nic Cheeseman |Joleen Steyn Kotze
Time magazine has dubbed 2024 a “super election year”. An astonishing 4 billion people are eligible to vote in countries across the world this year. Many are on the African continent, where presidential, parliamentary and general elections have already been held or are set for the latter half of the year. Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in many countries’ elections. In fact, it already does. AI systems are used in a number of ways.
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Jun 18, 2024 | 
theconversation.com | Joleen Steyn Kotze
Governments of national unity built on power-sharing arrangements are common in Africa and elsewhere in the world. Now South Africa also has a unity government, following the 2024 general election in which no party won a majority. These governments foster stability through collaboration in grand coalitions. The premise is that in divided societies, stability can be achieved by elites working together in a power-sharing pact.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Graham Joseph |Nic Cheeseman |Joleen Steyn Kotze
The South African election results have produced contrasting responses of disappointment and elation across the political spectrum. The declining fortunes of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will provide time for deep reflection, whereas opposition have been buoyed by their ability to weaken the political stranglehold of the government after its three decades of political incumbency. The election results speak volumes about the importance of accountability of politicians to voters.
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Jun 14, 2024 | 
t.ly | Graham Joseph |Nic Cheeseman |Joleen Steyn Kotze
The South African election results have produced contrasting responses of disappointment and elation across the political spectrum. The declining fortunes of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will provide time for deep reflection, whereas opposition have been buoyed by their ability to weaken the political stranglehold of the government after its three decades of political incumbency. The election results speak volumes about the importance of accountability of politicians to voters.
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Jun 12, 2024 | 
democracyinafrica.org | Joleen Steyn Kotze |Nic Cheeseman |Matthias Krönke |Rorisang Lekalake
Following South Africa’s historic 2024 general election, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has started a process to establish a government of national unity. This, after it lost its parliamentary majority. As a political scientist, I believe that five political parties, including those with the highest shares of votes, are key to constituting a unity government.
