Research Outputs (Political Sciences)https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/145212026-05-14T07:55:21Z2026-05-14T07:55:21ZAre Africa`s elections underscored by Accountability and the social contract?Maphunye, Kealeboga J.https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/311302024-05-07T12:00:07Z2015-11-19T00:00:00ZAre Africa`s elections underscored by Accountability and the social contract?
Maphunye, Kealeboga J.
Do Africa’s elections enhance the social contract (relationship between ruler and subject)? Are they a pertinent yardstick for assessing public accountability and the social contract in Africa? In Africa, reference to ‘elections’ evokes mixed emotions because this technical and partly political psephological event engenders euphoria for the winners who experience immense relief, excitement, hope, and expect numerous spin-offs from their victory. But the losers confront sadness, uncertainty, embarrassment, fear, and repercussions of loss. This paper examines the relevance of Africa’s elections to the invisible contract between the sovereign and the subject. Highlighting the pathologies, dilemmas, and opportunities in Africa’s democratisation through elections, theoretically, the argument rests on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s and other social contract philosophers’ ideas; especially Rousseau’s idea of the “general will”. Its argument rests on a review of the extant literature; primary and secondary data on African elections; legislation; official documents and reports; election observation; and inferences from South Africa’s 2014-2015 multi-disciplinary election dispute resolution research the author conducted with Unisa’s partner institutions in the disputed Ephraim Mogale Municipality, Limpopo. It concludes that sensitivity to the social contract can assist African leaders to account to the voters thereby improving the quality of Africa’s elections through public accountability.
2015-11-19T00:00:00ZAfrica’s troubled transitions : going nowhere very fastBenyera, Everistohttps://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/310822025-02-12T10:08:01Z2023-11-21T00:00:00ZAfrica’s troubled transitions : going nowhere very fast
Benyera, Everisto
2023-11-21T00:00:00ZClimate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation: A Comparative Analysis of Reports Produced for Local Governments in South Africa and South East Queensland, AustraliaMeissner, Richardhttps://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/309072024-02-29T08:47:47Z2023-03-01T00:00:00ZClimate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation: A Comparative Analysis of Reports Produced for Local Governments in South Africa and South East Queensland, Australia
Meissner, Richard
Climate change is dominating social, political and economic agendas. Because of the salience of the issue, scientists, researchers and consultants have developed a plethora of climate adaptation strategies. In this article I analyse two such strategies: Adapting South African Cities and Towns: A Local Government Guide to Climate Change Adaptation Planning by Ziervogel and Methner; and Climate Change Vulnerability in South East Queensland: A Spatial and Sectoral Assessment by Choy et al. For this analysis I utilised the PULSE3 analytical framework. My analysis indicated that the two adaptation strategies were predominantly positivist in scientific orientation. Other paradigms and theories are also applicable in explaining the issue of climate change and how to adapt to it.
2023-03-01T00:00:00ZIdeology matters in unravelling Russia’s invasion of UkraineMeissner, Richardhttps://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/309062024-02-29T08:41:42Z2022-05-23T00:00:00ZIdeology matters in unravelling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Meissner, Richard
2022-05-23T00:00:00Z