Voting tactically may seem like a realistic, mature option, but it compromises the integrity of your vote and is corrosive to the long-term health of democracy
Paddy Harper doesn’t know who to vote for yet, since the Dagga Party isn’t contesting his ward, but right now what to order for lunch is a more pressing concern
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As South Africa gears up for the local government elections on 1 November, disgruntled voters in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni say they have little reason to cast their ballots
If Jacob Zuma is our Nelson Mandela, what does that leave Mzwanele Manyi?
Despite fighting so hard for it, South Africans don’t seem to understand how democracy works
The December 27 presidential election, which coincided with legislative polls, took place as a coalition of armed rebel groups renewed an offensive that left thousands unable to cast their ballots.
In this week’s by-elections, the ANC has the highest number of wards being contested. However, the turnout in some communities in areas in the Vaal district has been low — even after the electoral commission said it was ready to welcome voters
A narrow victory will mean that the election results won’t be settled anytime soon
Fear and loathing in Trump’s America, where every bit of news can be worse than no news at all
We need the eyes and ears of the international community to be alert to assaults on democracy as we run up to the election on 18 October
The president is trying to amend the Constitution and create a new voters’ roll in a bid to stay in power
In recent days Abiy’s office has instructed the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority to call journalists working for foreign media outlets to pressure them not to cover the vote
The pandemic taught us a new normal. It’s time to apply some of the learnings to our electoral system, which is overdue for an overhaul
ANC superfans are so vested in a romantic vision of a political party with a great past that they struggle to accept the realities of what this party has become.
Our schools have policies for citizenship education, now they need to provide the contexts necessary for democracy to thrive
Young people mobilise around issues that affect their lives and their voice needs to be heard
In the absence of bold reforms, voters and the general public are left with one option — to embrace participatory governance
A new order of expression needs to be developed to improve democracy in South Africa
Nationally, the 65% voter turnout was the lowest since the advent of South Africa’s democracy
Residents in Zola have punished the ruling party, blaming it for all their service delivery woes
Paradigm shifts for the liberation party are necessary if it wishes to hold on to its power
The 65 percent of South Africa’s citizens who voted seem to have agreed that the ruling party deserves a final attempt to clean up its act
We are a deeply unequal society and none of the parties on my ballot papers had convinced me they have a clear plan specifically to tackle inequality
There are myriad reasons why this very significant demographic choose not to vote
The IEC is also facing a labour dispute, with workers demanding more pay and threatening to down tools on May 8
A party divided, disappointed voters, ‘clever blacks’ and flawed polls; everything is in play in the prized province ahead of the May 8 election
Ramaphosa needs to lose the unity narrative if he is to dispel the stink of the Zuma years
The time has come to fight for honest political representation
‘We are a country where democracy extends beyond the ballot. We live politics. It is our national conversation topic of choice and our soapie’
The current crisis in British politics is significant for countries like South Africa where a change in electoral systems is needed
‘Your vote is the change you want to see’
Choosing not to vote is a democratic choice, which can send a powerful message to those who harp on about those who died to make it possible