Download or read book The Status of Governance in Southern Africa written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Security Governance and State Fragility in South Africa written by Edward L. Mienie and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-03-06 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do existing measures of state fragility measure fragility accurately? Based on commonly used fragility measures, South Africa (SA) is classified as a relatively stable state, yet rising violent crime, high unemployment, endemic poverty, eroding public trust, identity group based preferential treatment policies, and the rapid rise of the private security sector are all indications that SA may be suffering from latent state fragility. Based on a comprehensive view of security, this study examines the extent to which measures of political legitimacy and good governance, effectiveness in the security system – especially with respect to the police system – and mounting economic challenges may be undermining the stability of SA in ways undetected by commonly used measures of state fragility. Using a mixed-methods approach based on quantitative secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with government officials, security practitioners, and leading experts in the field, this study finds that the combination of colonization, apartheid, liberation struggle, transition from autocracy to democracy, high levels of direct and structural violence, stagnating social, political, and economic developments make South Africa a latently fragile state. Conceptually, the results of this research call into question the validity of commonly used measures of state fragility and suggest the need for a more comprehensive approach to assessing state fragility. Practically, this study offers a number of concrete policy recommendations for how South Africa may address mounting levels of latent state fragility.

Download or read book African State Governance written by A. Carl LeVan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-02-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa is changing and it is easy to overlook how decentralization, democratization, and new forms of illiberalism have transformed federalism, political parties, and local politics. Chapters on Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa help fill an important gap in comparative institutional research about state and local politics in Africa.

Download or read book Security and Democracy in Southern Africa written by Gavin Cawthra and published by IDRC. This book was released on 2007 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Southern Africa has embarked on one of the world's most ambitious security co-operation initiatives, seeking to roll out the principles of the United Nations at regional levels. This book examines the triangular relationship between democratisation, the character of democracy and its deficits, and national security practices and perceptions of eleven southern African states. It explores what impact these processes and practices have had on the collaborative security project in the region. Based on national studies conducted by African academics and security practitioners over three years, it includes an examination of the way security is conceived and managed, as well as a comparative analysis of regional security co-operation in the developing world.

Download or read book The Governance of Transitions The Transitions of Governance written by Martijn van der Steen and published by AFRICAN SUN MeDIA. This book was released on 2018-12-12 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why is societal transition not simply a matter of change management or normal policy design? South Africa is living proof of the ability of a society to reinvent and reinstall itself. With the advent of new societal challenges, came the need for real societal innovation, especially in sectors where it was never deemed necessary or possible before. This book asks: What type of governance is helpful for developing new societal institutions and systems that can overcome systemic crises in emerging economies and fragile communities? What emerges is a compilation of chapters that introduce different parts of a solution which can be used in developing both a growing body of practices of 'governed' societal transitions and the associated transition of governance. The Governance of Transitions - The Transitions of Governance, in part, aims to provide building blocks which government and society could use to develop strategies for creating sustainable outcomes. It considers what kind of leadership, organisation or methods for accountability enable new types of governance and what the most important barriers are.

Download or read book Public Participation in Democratic Governance in South Africa written by Gregory F. Houston and published by HSRC Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines public participation in democratic governance in South Africa. The South African democracy is fairly new, giving rise to a variety of new channels and processes for public participation. In addition, the overwhelming majority of South Africans have little experience of democratic governance, having only acquired political power for the first time in 1994. However, more than seven years of universal suffrage and access to political power is ample justification for assessing the consolidation of democracy in this country. The book focuses on four case studies of public participation: interest group participation in the National Economic Development and Labour Council; the participation of civil society and the legislatures in the formulation of the budget; public participation in legislative processes; and public participation in the integrated development planning processes of local government. Each case study outlines a number of opportunities for, and constraints to, public participation in the processes of democratic governance.

Download or read book Governance and State Delivery in Southern Africa written by Henning Melber and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Discussion Paper highlights in complementary ways the problems and challenges for governance issues under centralized state agencies, which base their authority and legitimacy on a dominant party and its influence. The case study on Namibia argues for a need for parliamentary and administrative reform to improve the efficiency of lawmakers. The Botswana chapter explores the decision on the location of the country’s second university as an act without consultation of the local population. The Zimbabwe paper advocates an approach in favor of using the African Peer Review Mechanism as an instrument to assist in a change towards better governance. All the authors have intimate knowledge of the matters discussed through their own involvement with the respective cases and/or their individual positioning within these societies. This publication is among the final results of the project “Liberation and Democracy in Southern Africa”, which was undertaken at the Institute between 2001 and 2006.

Download or read book Governance Politics and Policy in South Africa written by Dewald Van Niekerk and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2001 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book looks at contemporary political issues within the South African and the global context. It covers topics such as policy making process; the ethical conduct of government officials and politicians, information management, foreign policy, and the interplay between government and the private sector.

Download or read book Government Confronts Culture written by Bruce Fuller and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transitional societies—struggling to build democratic institutions and new political traditions—are faced with a painful dilemma. How can Government become strong and effective, building a common good that unites disparate ethnic and class groups, while simultaneously nurturing democratic social rules at the grassroots? Professor Fuller brings this issue to light in the contentious, multicultural setting of Southern Africa. Post-apartheid states, like South Africa and Namibia, are pushing hard to raise school quality, reduce family poverty, and equalize gender relations inside villages and townships. But will democratic participation blossom at the grassroots as long as strong central states—so necessary for defining the common good—push universal policies onto diverse local communities? This book builds from a decade of family surveys and qualitative village studies led by Professor Fuller at Harvard University and African colleagues inside Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.

Download or read book South Africa and the World written by Mills Soko and published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This book was released on 2021-09-27 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 20 years the global political economy has experienced its most profound shifts since the onset of the industrial revolution. In South Africa and the World, Mills Soko reflects on some of the salient issues that have pervaded public discourse during this time, analysing them within the context of the contemporary South African political economy and of the country's position in the world. Arranged thematically, the essays were all written during a defining period in recent history, a period that has witnessed, among others, the accession of China to the WTO, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, the invention of the iPad, the birth of Facebook, the 2008/9 global financial crisis, Brexit and the global coronavirus pandemic which began at the end of 2019. The turbulent multipolar world demands visionary political and economic leadership, supported by institutions well attuned to contemporary conditions. Such leadership is in short supply. Nor is the existing institutional architecture sufficiently equipped to deal with a complex array of economic, social, environmental, technological and demographic challenges. Mills Soko highlights what has not worked in terms of politics, leadership, foreign policy, the economy, the African development trajectory, corporate ethics, international trade, global governance, and the thread which underlies all these issues – the importance of strong, decisive and accountable leadership. He counters his criticism with what has worked and offers views on how some of the problems that have constrained progress in South Africa and the world can be solved. A central message emerges from his writings: leadership and governance matter, whether in the national or international context. It is a message that permeates all the chapters in the book. And it goes to the heart of what South Africa has gone through over the past two decades and where it is today.

Download or read book Natural Resources Governance in Southern Africa written by Lesley Masters and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2011 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part 1: Mining - Part 2: Fishery - Part 3: Forestry - Part 4: Transfrontier parks - Part 5: Conclusion.

Download or read book South African Governance written by Erwin Schwella and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South African Governance will help the student understand the conceptual and contextual frameworks essential for establishing a sound foundation for South African governance, and allows the student to acquire knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The book builds on theory by discussing the current state of governance and providing potential future perspectives. It concludes by integrating theory, contexts and institutions with current realities. It does this by discussing governance from policy to implementation, and giving the student practical applications of South African governance. South African Governance is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in public administration courses at universities. It is also a useful reference tool for government officials and practitioners.

Download or read book State Fragility and State Building in Africa written by Dele Olowu and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the contrast between the strong economic growth and democratization that have occurred in Africa and its stalling political progress. It presents and discusses fragility as the phenomenon that has caused the state to remain weak and faltering and has led to at least one third of the continent’s citizens living in fragile states. Following the examination of the drivers of fragility and the impact of fragility on citizens and neighbouring states, the book discusses capacity building approaches. This part shows how effective states can be built on the African continent, a process that would result in a change from state fragility to state resilience. It is based on lessons learnt from close studies of the nations where the state has been most developed in the region, in Eastern and Southern Africa. The book provides and responds to the most recent and up-to-date information on African development and uses insights of people who have lived and worked in the continent for most of their lives.

Download or read book Perspectives on the Legislature and the Prospects of Accountability in Nigeria and South Africa written by Omololu Fagbadebo and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-03 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the problem of accountability in two African political systems, South Africa and Nigeria. Despite the principle of separation of powers and the doctrine of checks and balances among the institutions of governance, a burgeoning governance crisis stifles the potential of accountability and good governance. Legislative oversight in the two countries remains largely ineffective while citizens are left to face the consequences of the mismanagement of public resources by political elites. This book critically assesses how the legislative institutions in South Africa and Nigeria have been unable to harness the requisite constitutional powers to ensure accountability in government and explores the feasibility of their effectiveness. The book begins with a comparative analysis of the principles, tradition, and powers associated with legislative capability in South Africa and Nigeria. The chapters explore constitutional provisions and analyze the capacity of each legislature to function within its respective political environment. The book also examines the process and challenges associated with the various measures and mechanisms available for legislatures to ensure accountability in the two countries. Researchers, scholars and students of African politics will find this book useful in their understanding of the problems associated with the simmering governance crisis in South Africa and Nigeria.

Download or read book State governance and development in Africa written by Firoz Khan and published by Juta and Company (Pty) Ltd. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inspiration for this book was a Summer School on State, Governance and Development presented by distinguished academics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Written by young African scholars, the chapters here focus on state, governance and development in Africa as seen from the authors’ vantage points and positions in different sectors of society. The book opens with forewords by eminent African scholars, including Ben Turok and Mohamed Halfani. The chapters that follow examine rent-seeking, patronage, neopatrimonialism and bad governance. They engage with statehood, state-building and statecraft and challenge the mainstream opinions of donors, funders, development banks, international non-governmental organisations and development organisations. They include the role of China in Africa, Kenya’s changing demographics, state accountability in South Africa’s dominant party system, Somalia’s prospects for state-building, urban development and routine violence, and resource mobilisation. At a time in which core institutions are being tested -- the market, the rule of law, democracy, civil society and representative democracy – this book offers a much-needed multi- and inter-disciplinary perspective, and a different narrative on what is unfolding, while also exposing dynamics that are often overlooked.

Download or read book Public Administration in Africa written by Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With contributions from leading regional scholars, Public Administration in Africa: Performance and Challenges examines the complexities of the art of governance from the unique African perspective. The editors bring together a cohesive study of the major issues and regions by taking an analytic approach with the strong problem-solution application. Regions addressed range from South Africa, Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritius, and Botswana. Themes include colonialism, reform, poverty, economy, decentralization, financing, media, political structures, and more. Beginning with an analysis of the relationship of policy design and its destination, service delivery, the book discusses the historical development of a state that has gone through upheavals in government and explores a decayed political economy that ultimately results in a need for sweeping measures. The text examines the issues emerging policy-makers in Africa must tackle, namely poverty and the denial or lack of resources to keep a dignified human life. It highlights how the media can be a catalyst for good governance and provides analytical aspects of implementing good governance reforms. The book concludes with an examination of the concepts of decentralization and devolution in measuring service delivery performance and an exploration of Africa’s economic success story. It also details the African Peer Review Mechanisms in selected African countries and provides a holistic analysis of local government functioning in Africa. These features and more make it an interdisciplinary reference for diverse social, economic, political, and administrative issues.

Download or read book Governance and the postcolony written by David Everatt and published by Wits University Press. This book was released on 2019-08-01 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Civil society, NGOs, governments, and multilateral institutions all repeatedly call for improved or ‘good’ governance – yet they seem to speak past one another. Governance is in danger of losing all meaning precisely because it means many things to different people in varied locations. This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, the postcolony takes many forms, reflecting the imperial project with painful accuracy. Offering a set of multidisciplinary analyses of governance in different sectors (crisis management, water, food security, universities), in different locales across sub-Saharan Africa, and from different theoretical approaches (network to adversarial network governance); this volume makes a useful addition to the growing debates on ‘how to govern’. It steers away from offering a ‘correct’ definition of governance, or from promoting a particular position on postcoloniality. It gives no neat conclusion, but invites readers to draw their own conclusions based on these differing approaches to and analyses of governance in the postcolony. As a robust, critical assessment of power and accountability in the sub-Saharan context, Governance and the Postcolony: Views from Africa brings together topical case studies that will be a valuable resource for those working in the field of African international relations, public policy, public management and administration.