Looking back to 21 years of the Constitution
December 10, 2017, marked the 21st anniversary of the signing by Nelson Mandela of our Constitution. Today we come of age as a constitutional democracy,…
The Real State of Emergency under President Zuma
10 December 1996 was a historic day for South Africa. On that day President Nelson Mandela signed the final Constitution into law at Sharpeville,…
South Africa’s long walk must continue
If we ever needed a more graphic example of what the ANC has become, we need to look no further than the video footage…
SA electoral system lacks accountability
We have heard it said many times before: the South African electoral system does not provide a sufficient link between the citizen and the…
If Zim army could step aside, democracy might stand a fair chance
The successful intervention of Zimbabwe’s army, which is controlled by Zanu-PF cadres, to oust president Robert Mugabe has made it the new power broker….
Building Democracy in Zimbabwe
The fall of Zimbabwean and Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe, Africa’s longest-serving liberation movement leader, is much welcomed, bringing great relief and fresh hope for…
The Fall of Grace
I spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe in the mid-2000s, as the head of a human rights organisation that worked across Southern Africa….
The Democracy We Want
The Democracy Works Occasional Paper ‘The Democracy We Want’ presents the institution’s views on what a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable and healthy democracy in…
Political debate in South Africa today
South Africa is enjoying areas of amazing strength in its political debate, partly because of the rude health of investigative journalism. The fact that…
Policy Brief 22: Democratic renewal of the ANC
The African National Congress as the ruling party in South Africa continues to go through a series of leadership challenges and a growing loss…