Authoritarianism
latest news & developments
Barbie Kyagulanyi Ordeal: How love is animating the struggle for meaningful democracy and good Governance
Barbie Kyagulanyi’s ordeal reveals how love can become a powerful, non-violent force driving resistance, courage and conviction in Uganda’s struggle for meaningful democracy and…
Zambia’s 2026 election: How Hichilema is tilting the playing field against opponents
As President Hakainde Hichilema lays his groundwork for Zambia’s 2026 election, a disputed outcome appears almost inevitable
eSwatini’s 20 years of constitutionalism characterised by a crackdown on freedom of expression
The country’s revival of the Sedition and Subversion Act is a revival of a colonial law that stifles human rights.
The beginning of the end of the liberation party era
Nepotism, graft, shifting ideologies: Southern Africa’s liberation parties have experienced historic setbacks in 2024
Gaza and the US elections: Harris is a flawed but better alternative to Trump
Ultimately, a vote for Harris is a vote against the extremism and corruption of Trump, but it is not necessarily a vote for a more just or ethical foreign policy
Unlike the government, we must practise what we preach
Unlike ANC governments, we must practise consistent, inclusive solidarity and internationalism
What happens when the unacceptable is said out loud
Authoritarian systems reject challenges to themselves – yet just that is happening in Ukraine and Russia, China and Iran
How state surveillance can strengthen citizen dissent
Authoritarian regimes use spying to deter protest. But this can encourage people to stand up for what they believe in
Tanzania’s John Magufuli: a brilliant start but an ignominious end
Magufuli will be remembered for rolling back Tanzania’s democratic gains, making the country an unwelcome investment destination and denying the existence of the Covid-19 pandemic
Maaza Mengiste: ‘We are now catching up with the past’
As war drums beat again in Ethiopia, author Maaza Mengiste finds new language to memorialise the Second Italo-Ethiopian War
Viral authoritarianism during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authoritarian leaders have often used natural disasters to tighten their grasp on power. We are seeing the same happen during the coronavirus crisis, in dictatorships and…
The pandemic is being used to erode democratic freedoms. Civil society must fight back
Both authoritarian and democratic governments are responding to the coronavirus crisis by instituting frightening new powers
Democracy and charisma: A dangerous liaison
In India and the Philippines, strongmen have consolidated immense power through democratic means. How do we explain this?
What comes after nationalism in Africa? A luta continua
There are a number of cases in the past decade where Africans have managed to push the conversation beyond liberal reforms as a political goal or did not spent all their energies…
How colonial rule predisposed Africa to fragile authoritarianism
The unstable pathway many post-colonial African states followed was facilitated by the way in which European empires undermined democratic elements