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In 2011 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held its second competitive presidential and legislative elections since it gained its independence in 1960. While it was expected that these elections would reflect a significant improvement... more
In 2011 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held its second competitive presidential and legislative elections since it gained its independence in 1960. While it was expected that these elections would reflect a significant improvement over those in 2006, they were marred by such grave irregularities that the outcome was described by most election observer missions as lacking credibility. This article draws on the reports of election observer missions, statements from key stakeholders and media reports in order to discern the most salient dynamics of electoral misconduct in the DRC in 2011. Given the nature and degree of electoral fraud, the article argues that the election debacle was not the result of technical and accidental factors but was the product of a systematic and state-sponsored design to rig the elections in favour of the incumbent president and members of Parliament from his political camp. In order to quell popular protest against stolen elections the incumbent use...
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Post-apartheid South Africa has been the scene of recurrent provincial boundary disputes that have been associated with huge security, economic, social and political cost. Existing literature has only accounted for the initial... more
Post-apartheid South Africa has been the scene of recurrent provincial boundary disputes that have been associated with huge security, economic, social and political cost. Existing literature has only accounted for the initial Bushbuckridge (BBR) case, leaving more recent cases in Khutsong, Matatiele, Balfour and Moutse unexplored. Besides, existing explanatory accounts have emphasised material conditions of affected communities as a key driver of provincial boundary disputes and little attention has been paid to ideological underpinnings of these territorial conflicts. This article uses a multiple case study approach in understanding post-apartheid provincial boundary disputes. The article draws from three case studies namely the BBR, Khutsong and Matatiele provincial boundary disputes. Moving beyond the materialistic account provided in the existing literature, the paper shows that post-apartheid provincial boundary disputes are also driven by conflicting conceptions of local development, regional planning and democracy. Taking into account ideological clashes between disputants, finding innovative ways to develop common understandings at the conceptual level and devising decision-making mechanisms that bridge the gap between conflicting ideological positions will go a long way into preventing the recurrence of similar boundary disputes and putting to rest current unresolved conflicts.
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... The Congolese Diaspora has been influential to Congolese politics. On the 30th June 2005, Pretoria and Cape Town experienced peaceful marching of Congolese protesting against the delay of elections. Congolese in other parts of the... more
... The Congolese Diaspora has been influential to Congolese politics. On the 30th June 2005, Pretoria and Cape Town experienced peaceful marching of Congolese protesting against the delay of elections. Congolese in other parts of the world organized similar actions. I ...
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South Africa has an exceptionally high number of absent fathers. Approximately half of the children are living without daily contact with their fathers which is assumed to have dire social and economic consequences for them, their... more
South Africa has an exceptionally high number of absent fathers. Approximately half of the children are living without daily contact with their fathers which is assumed to have dire social and economic consequences for them, their families and communities. Despite growing societal interest in the phenomenon of absent fathers, social and family policies are silent about the role of men or fathers in a highly feminised, familial and community centred welfare and care regime. This article explores factors that contribute to father absence from their own standpoint. It draws on focus group discussions with absent fathers in four urban communities in Johannesburg. Factors such as materialist constructions of fatherhood and masculinity, as well as socio-economic, cultural and relational factors provide some insight into the phenomenon. Although the findings are exploratory, it nevertheless raises important questions about reforming care policies in both the private and public spheres to meet the dual challenges of care and gender equality in a Southern context.
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Territorial reforms in South Africa, undertaken in order to address the legacy of apartheid, have proven to be a contested terrain. This article considers three case studies and argues that in order to understand these territorial... more
Territorial reforms in South Africa, undertaken in order to address the legacy of apartheid, have proven to be a contested terrain. This article considers three case studies and argues that in order to understand these territorial disputes , it is important to pay attention to the material conditions of the affected communities, disparities between provinces in terms of resources and governance efficiency, and perceptions that the preferred province is better positioned to serve the interests of the community. The article highlights the role of party political interests and also reflects on the relevance of the South African experience to other African countries.
Résumé: Les réformes nationales en Afrique du Sud, entreprises afin de répon-dre à l'héritage de l'apartheid territorial, se sont révélées être un terrain contesté. Basé sur trois études de cas, cet article soutient que pour comprendre ces con-flits territoriaux, il est important de prêter attention d'une part aux conditions matérielles des communautés touchées, d'autre part aux disparités en termes de ressources et enfin à l'efficacité de la gouvernance entre les provinces et la perception que la province choisie est mieux positionnée pour servir les intérêts de la communauté. L'article met en évidence le rôle des intérêts politiques partisans et reflète sur la pertinence de l'expérience sud-africaine pour les autres pays africains.
Résumé: Les réformes nationales en Afrique du Sud, entreprises afin de répon-dre à l'héritage de l'apartheid territorial, se sont révélées être un terrain contesté. Basé sur trois études de cas, cet article soutient que pour comprendre ces con-flits territoriaux, il est important de prêter attention d'une part aux conditions matérielles des communautés touchées, d'autre part aux disparités en termes de ressources et enfin à l'efficacité de la gouvernance entre les provinces et la perception que la province choisie est mieux positionnée pour servir les intérêts de la communauté. L'article met en évidence le rôle des intérêts politiques partisans et reflète sur la pertinence de l'expérience sud-africaine pour les autres pays africains.
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En se basant sur des matériaux recueillis dans la presse congolaise, la législation, et la documentation secondaire, cet article analyse de manière critique le déroulement de la réforme régionale visant la création des nouvelles provinces... more
En se basant sur des matériaux recueillis dans la presse congolaise, la législation, et la documentation secondaire, cet article analyse de manière critique le déroulement de la réforme régionale visant la création des nouvelles provinces en RDC. Entreprise dans le cadre d’une compréhension théorique qui met un accent particulier sur le constructionnisme social et le primat du politique et replacée dans une longue histoire d’ingénierie territoriale, cette analyse interroge les aspects suivants : les procédures, les contestations, et les voies possibles d’arbitrage et résolution des conflits. Il ressort de notre analyse que l’installation des nouvelles provinces en RDC se met en place d’une manière qui vide le territoire de sa nature politique, notamment à travers l’exclusion de la participation populaire, la méconnaissance de la nature contestée de la réforme en cours, et l’absence des mécanismes impartiaux d’arbitrage et résolution des conflits. D’où la nécessité de restituer au territoire son caractère intrinsèquement politique.