Expert Analysis
Enhancing Integrated Development Plans to Improve Governance
Local government in South Africa plays a vital role in the functioning of the state. Often seen as the implementation arm of the South African government, it is also the governmental sphere that most commonly operates as the interface between the citizen and the...
Is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) afflicted by premature deindustrialisation?
This paper, by Dr Ross Harvey and Pranish Desai, quantitatively examines SADC's industrialisation trends, considering factors like South Africa's weak performance and the impact of oil and mineral rents. It takes as its starting point economist Dani Rodrik’s (2016)...
Navigating digital sovereignty in Africa: A review of key challenges and constraints
This paper, by Tyler Venske, explores the African perspective on the evolving global digital landscape, focusing on the concept of "digital sovereignty." It discusses how investments by the United States and China in digital infrastructure have benefited Africa but...
Max Price’s statues and storms
Professor David Benatar reviews Dr Max Price’s Price, Max. Statues and Storms: Leading Through Change (Tafelberg, 2023). The book recounts Max Price's experiences as vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT) during the turbulent "Fallist" years of 2015 to...
Towards the second decade of Agenda 2063: Embracing a resilient social contract with African citizens
Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want was adopted during the 24th Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, January 2013. The agenda advocates for stronger socio-economic and political integration among African countries and sets out...
SONA must reflect Ramaphosa’s ultimate duty
A somewhat perplexing disconnect lies at the heart of South African democracy today. On the one hand, the country continues to perform relatively well, particularly within the African context, on the global indices of democratic quality and political rights which are...
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