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South Africa’s pivotal election has thrust the country into uncharted waters. To navigate the opportunities and risks, South Africa will require leaders putting country above party, compromise, and adherence to democratic principles.
An academic program for West African parliamentarians, their staff, and select defense and security officials to analyze current trends, challenges, and innovations in the work of legislatures to foster democratic and civilian control of the security sector.
South Africa’s layered oversight processes afford an institutionalized means of holding senior leaders accountable for allegations of misconduct—and offer insights for upholding the rule of law elsewhere.
A new cybercrime crime will support South Africa’s efforts to fight internet-based offenses. The law, which defines cybercrime as “acts such as: the unlawful access to a computer or device…the illegal interception of data; the unlawful acquisition, possession, receipt or use of a password; and forgery, fraud and extortion online.” The legislation also provides for international cooperation in investigations and prosecutions, highlighting South Africa’s commitment to balance security and freedom of speech.
While the insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado grows increasingly violent, the unpoliced coastline of Northern Mozambique allows for the trafficking of hundreds of millions of dollars of heroin. The ruling Frelimo party reportedly pockets at least of $100 million of revenue from this trade each year. Efforts to combat the insurgents, who doubt that the government’s deals for natural gas exploitation will benefit all citizens have stalled, worsened by heavy handed tactics of government forces and their allied Russian and South African mercenaries. A better understanding of the dynamics at play, along with a recognition that criminalized power structures seek to protect themselves, will be required to craft adequate responses to the violence.
Urbanization and governance shape the political economy of heroin trafficking in Southern and East Africa. Case studies of heroin trafficking dynamics in capital cities, port towns, interior hubs, and border communities suggest that counter-trafficking efforts should strengthen cross-border intelligence sharing, combat government corruption, consider local communities, address the role of informal transport systems in the narcotics trade, and mitigate the drug trade’s role in fueling violence.
Despite voters’ repudiation of corrupt governance practices, the ANC remains divided in its commitment to reforms.
Competing factions of the ANC and other political parties have vastly different visions for handling sensitive issues of corruption, land expropriation, and restoring trust in South Africa.
Program materials for the Africa Center's 2019 program, “National Security Strategy Development Workshop: Central and Southern Africa.” Click here for syllabus, readings, and presentation slides.
South Africans have high hopes that Cyril Ramaphosa will be able to deliver change to systemic state capture. However, sustained reforms in South Africa's most important national institutions are required if those hopes are to be met.
As Cyril Ramaphosa replaces Jacob Zuma as leader of the ANC, much remains to be decided on the future trajectory of the party and the country. Here are four issues to watch.