James Hamill

My principal research interest is party politics in South Africa, particularly the implications for democratic government of the electoral dominance of the African National Congress, and the prospects for opposition politics in South Africa. My research also embraces a range of issues in South African foreign policy, particularly the country’s role in building sub-regional and continental security, policy towards Zimbabwe, and Pretoria’s aspirations to play a middle power role in international relations.

From 2004-2009 my research on ANC dominance in South Africa was sponsored by the British Academy. This supported a major research trip to South Africa in 2007 and generated a number of publications on South Africa for The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, The World Today, Contemporary Review and a significant article on the 2009 general election for Politikon.

In collaboration with Professor John Hoffman I have also worked on a number of articles on the Zimbabwean crisis and the South African response for The Round Table and Contemporary Review. I also organised a one day conference on South African domestic and foreign policy at the University of Leicester in September 2009 which was attended by some of the most prominent authorities in the field.