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Articles on African politics

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Former members of the ANC’s armed wing perform the toyi-toyi dance in support of then ailing former President Nelson Mandela. Reuters/Thomas Mukoya

South Africa’s armed struggle: where the ANC’s ineptitude was a virtue

Armed struggle played a subsidiary role in the ANC’s fight against apartheid in South Africa. The tactics that were most decisive in securing freedom were those that didn’t involve organised violence.
Idyllic Mauritius is the only African country ranked in the favourable category of ‘more stable’ in the latest survey on state fragility. Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Is the Fragile States Index ‘fatally flawed’?

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?
Baby Lurky, whose family was displaced by Boko Haram in the northeast region of Nigeria, sleeps at a camp in Adamawa State. Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde

Nigeria’s constitution holds the key to protecting internally displaced people

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.
Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa unsuccessfully pleads for calm with angry ANC supporters. EPA/Ihsaan Haffejee

Violence in South Africa’s capital leaves ANC vulnerable at the polls

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.
Supporters angered by the ANC’s choice of a mayoral candidate went on the rampage in Tshwane, South Africa, . Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

Political violence in South Africa points to rising tensions in the ANC

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.
Residents of Zandspruit, a shanty town north-west of Johannesburg, during a violent protest against the removal of illegal electricity connections. EPAKevin Sutherland

What rising protests in South Africa say about attitudes towards local government

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.
South African President Jacob Zuma inflated the size of his cabinet, making it among the largest in the world. GCIS

Why South Africa would do well to fire all its deputy ministers

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.
A protester smokes marijuana during a march calling for the legalisation of cannabis in Cape Town. Reuters/Mike Hutchings

Below the radar, South Africa is limiting the right to protest

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.
Twentieth-century political thinker and fighter against colonialism and imperialism, Frantz Fanon, left an indelible mark on history. Tony Webster/Flickr

Revisiting Frantz Fanon: memories and moments of a militant philosopher

For the revolutionary Frantz Fanon it was not enough to celebrate the achievements of decolonisation. It was necessary to educate, to strain at the limits of national freedom and to provoke debate.
An Eritrean refugee at ‘The Jungle’ camp in the port of Calais. Thousands of Eritreans flee repression at home to seek a better life elsewhere. EPA/Stephanie Lecocq

A quarter of a century after independence Eritreans still yearn for freedom

Eritrea achieved independence 25 years ago amid high expectations for its future. Today, the country’s youth make up a large portion of the refugees risking their lives for a better future in Europe.
African leaders meet at the African Union Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2015. EPA/Kim Ludbrook

Peace and prosperity continue to elude Africa five decades on

Silencing the guns in Africa by 2020 will require a Herculean effort on the part of the AU Peace and Security Council, whose remit is to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts.
Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), greets supporters at the launch of the party’s local election manifesto in Soweto. EPA/Cornell Tukiri

Why Julius Malema’s EFF doesn’t offer South Africans a way out of poverty

Understandable anger about the excessive inequality in South Africa lies at the heart of the rise of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters. The problem is how the party wants to address these issues.
South African President Jacob Zuma, flanked by ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe (left) and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Reuters/Mike Hutchings

South Africa’s politicians will have to adjust to many more coalitions

A key question ahead of local government elections in South Africa is whether the African National Congress will retain control of seven of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities.
Ethiopians reading newspapers in the capital Addis Ababa. The country’s media is among the most repressed on the continent. Reuters/Tiksa Negeri

Press freedom violations undermine African Union’s vision of transparency

Press freedom has changed little in the past decade. If the African Union is to commit to the principles of democracy, it needs to do more to uphold freedom of expression and protects its journalists.
A woman cheers during Freedom Day celebrations in South Africa. Reuters/Mujahid Safodien

South Africans take stock as the country celebrates Freedom Day

South Africa’s transition to democracy was based on the values of inclusive politics, reconciliation, human rights and constitutionalism. Twenty-two years on, how has the country fared?

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