Arab Spring
latest news & developmentsPeace in the ruins: South Africa, the African Union and the end of diplomatic illusion
Wars unfold in full view of the world with little consequence for the powerful and overwhelming punishment for the weak. To describe this order as functional requires a…
Tunisia: A democratic dream destroyed
Fourteen years ago, Tunisia was the very emblem of hope
Democracy in Africa: digital voting technology and social media can be a force for good – and bad
Many African countries have weak election management systems, and citizens are rightly worried about human interference in electoral processes
Geopolitical epoch: Not an Arab Spring but a French Winter?
At the core of the Sahel coups is the removal of governments and leaders either historically not in support of the US/France or moving away from external domination
‘Tunisia Days’ ahead as inflation exerts political pressure
With high prices continuing to bear down on consumers the world over, leaders who fail to bring inflation to heel could face a reckoning
From Algeria to Zimbabwe: How autocratic elites cycle in and out of power
Leaders typically spread power among their ‘rival allies’ to keep it and co-opt enough of those elites in exchange for political support.
Lessons King Mswati should learn
Africa’s last monarch has shut schools to stop student protests against his rule — but he should heed previous events that toppled other despots
SAA: PIC allegations are Harith’s albatross
Sipho Makhubela assures that the private equity firm has what it takes to raise the capital to get SAA flying again
Hosni Mubarak is dead, but the Egypt he built is alive and well
Despite the efforts of the Arab Spring, Egypt is still led by a military dictatorship made in Mubarak’s image
How China could solve its Hong Kong problem
The way university management handled the #FeesMustFall demonstrations offers some lessons for the Beijing administration
The slow-motion assassination of Mohamed Morsi
Morsi was often kept in solitary confinement, while struggling with both diabetes and high blood pressure
It’s too early to celebrate
People power can break a dictatorship – but what comes next?
Algeria, Sudan, Libya: Revolutions are hard — and unpredictable
While celebrating people power in Algeria and Sudan, remember that revolutions are arduous and unpredictable
Youth is Africa’s prime challenge – but it could be an asset
Africa’s population growth will cause most countries to become younger, a trend that will occur at the same time as the rest of the world ages
Digitalisation has reduced the costs of doing business in public, private sectors
Technology provides African governments with new, efficient ways to deliver services