Under South African law, murder carries a minimum sentence of 15 years for first-time offenders. But courts may deviate from this if they find ‘substantial and compelling circumstances’ to do so.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Politics – Articles, Analysis, Comment
Displaying 2351 - 2375 of 2608 articles
The Fragile States Index leaves more questions than it answers. Like similar global surveys, its credibility hinges on reliable data. But how sound are its statistics and their interpretation?
South African law requires surrogate mothers to hand infants to their legal parents without undue delay. But it doesn’t provide leave for these parents to care for their infants. That is set to change.
Despite military successes against Boko Haram, Nigeria needs to face up to the unpalatable truth that military force alone will not win the deadly war, and start discussions about peace building.
The past decade has shown a strong connection between political protests and the looting of foreign-owned shops in South Africa. Research shows that local leaders use protests to maintain their power.
The rise in the number of people fleeing Boko Haram terror calls for urgent amendments to Nigeria’s constitution to provide legal protection to the country’s millions of internally displaced citizens.
Africa’s democratic promise of the 1990s has lost its shine. Hopes for accountable rule have faded in Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda. All have blocked the path to meaningful popular empowerment.
The ‘functional immunity’ granted to UN officials made good sense when the body was founded after World War II. But as its organisational functions have expanded, so has this immunity.
Some of the factors behind the riots by ANC supporters in Tshwane are not new. They include gripes within the governing party about its process for choosing mayors and divisions over Jacob Zuma.
Will the latest Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict spiral into a large-scale military confrontation? The odds are highly unlikely: neither side believes it would gain from such an eventuality.
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.
The violence that often accompanies political disputes or elections is testimony to the efficacy of hate propaganda as a tool in the political arsenal of Kenyan politicians.
The brouhaha over South Africa’s upcoming high-stakes municipal elections hides critically important questions about the continued relevance of local government amid growing public disaffection.
The huge problem of youth unemployment in South Africa appears to be getting worse. New research will hopefully amplify their voices and inform more realistic interventions to combat the monster.
Although not a panacea, cutting down the number of deputy ministers would go a long way to helping government get its finances onto a more stable footing.
Corruption in Nigeria is not something that can be blamed solely on multinationals. It is much, much more complex.
Women students have not been afraid to embrace the label of feminist, leading a wave of university protests in South Africa during 2015 and 2016.
Forty years after the students uprisings of 1976, South Africa is again in the midst of a political movement led by students.They have changed the tenor and shape of political discussion around education.
Despite protests in South Africa being largely peaceful, municipalities are placing unreasonable restrictions on the right to protest, which sometimes amounts to a veto of that right.
Building better, inclusive cities involves enabling the wise use of public land and taxes to ensure that high-quality housing and amenities are provided for all at a lower cost.
It is exactly forty years since the Soweto uprising in June 1976 where the South African police met the students with brutal force. How much has changed in terms of policing?
Governments need to build trust, especially during a time of heightened tensions around the threat of international terror attacks.
The trial of Chad’s former dictator could provide a template for prosecutions of other African despots. Its success could be seen as a victory for African justice over international approaches.
When sociologists, driven by their value commitments, go beyond the relative comfort of the classroom and engage with organisations outside the university, they dirty their hands.
It is time to demand the ‘positive right’ of affordable access if we want internet freedom for all.