The parallel regimes of new and cherry-picked traditions present a hurdle to democratic success
African democracies are embracing electronic voting far more confidently than the West.
"White people don’t know the violence of being forced to forgive"
Have South Africans become inured to heavy-handed police action in response to protests, as it did during apartheid and back in the colonial conquest?
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh’s dual release of a politically charged record and book was influenced by his father.
Our myopic opposition parties are steering us into dangerous waters, and their efforts are too often being cheered on
South Africa’s rising authoritarian leaders hide behind the rhetoric of ‘the people’
"Bell Pottinger did not invent our racial mess. It worked out an unethical propaganda campaign that takes advantage of it"
"The public protector wants to rob a democratically-elected government of a central function."
Research shows that authoritarian states are unlikely to deliver the growth needed for economic viability
"How am I contributing to the sociopolitical climate of this country within my own sphere of influence?"
There is a more dangerous reality here that we all have to take extremely seriously.
While the brawls can’t be condoned, they are a perfect indication of the multiplicity of views that exist in our Parliament.
The president is fighting for power. And it’s not just against his deputy for the future leadership of the ANC.
Young black South Africans have been raised to believe that friendship across the races is an indicator of progress. Now, they are questioning this.
The Constitution is SA’s greatest tribute to the people who died in the struggle for liberation, writes former Constitutional Court judge Albie Sachs.
The road to a participatory democracy is being obscured by the easy use of violence by all parties in South Africa.
The ANC has been accused of lacking sufficient internal democracy, and failing to develop the mechanisms of democracy in South Africa.
But it’s not impossible that movements working to bring about a fairer and more equitable world order could begin to turn the tide.
For a democracy to function properly, all the clever people should drown out all the dumb people with sound arguments, says Hansie Smit.
A record 200 parties, 65% more than in 2011, will contest the August 3 elections.
The more inclusive the consensus on how to manage oil resources in truly democratic
ways, the better for investors’ profit in the long term.
The Constitutional Court’s judgment on Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla demonstrates the difficulties facing the continent, argues Bheki Makhubu.
Upheaval elsewhere, and particularly when it underscores the perils and pitfalls of democracy, easily becomes frontpage news in China.
Instead of bitching about the problems, be part of the solution, says the ex-ambassador to Bapetikosweti, Evita Bezuidenhout.
Artist Meleko Mokgosi explores the ruse of democracy and the agency of individuals within it.
Across 28 countries, only 46% of citizens say they are "very satisfied" or "fairly satisfied" with the way democracy works in their countries.
The party misjudged the power of capitalism, selling out those it had pledged to free.
A free nation dare not allow the independence of the courts and the media to ever be compromised.
South Africans must stand together in multitudes to hold politicians accountable for disrespecting our democratic institutions before the whole world.
The jubilation bought about by the end of apartheid has caused us to stray from the path of reconciliation.
A far longer, rich history of Africa’s civil uprisings is often missing in the analysis of today’s protests.