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A warm welcome back into the normal swing of things as 2019 gets underway. In our first newsletter of the year we’re featuring analysis from leading academics on the continent, as well as launching something entirely new.
In South Africa the African National Congress (ANC) turns 107 this week. It’s also an election year in the country. Will the governing party have cause to celebrate? Steven Friedman calls for caution. While the party is ostensibly set on a path of rejuvenation and is likely to win comfortably at the polls, there’s a great deal it should be worried about. Its biggest problem is that the ANC has become a symptom of what it was supposed to
end - an economy divided between insiders and outsiders.
Casting a wider net, Henk Bouwman and Carina Verster analyse new research that shows how big a pollution threat microplastics pose. These small plastic particles are invisible to the eye, but are found in a host of household items and have made their way into oceans, lakes as well as underground water and drinking water. Should they be banned? And are there alternatives?
We’re delighted to be bringing our own brand of smart journalism to a new audio format. This week we’ll be launching our very own series of podcasts titled Pasha – to inform in Swahili. You can hear a bit more here.
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South Africa’s next elections will indicate how the ANC is viewed given that the poor been left behind.
EPA/Kim Ludbrook
Steven Friedman, University of Johannesburg
The ANC, alienated from intellectuals and the middle class and having lost most of its talented youth leadership, is clearly on a downward path.
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Shampoo containing plastic microbeads.
KYtan/Shutterstock
Henk Bouwman, North-West University
A plastic bag has an average usage time of 20 minutes, while it can take up to 1000 years to break down in the environment.
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Health + Medicine
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Charles Shey Wiysonge, South African Medical Research Council
Data suggest that people are living many years in poor health in Africa.
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Arts + Culture
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Alex Halligey, University of the Witwatersrand
Theatre, offers an experiential engagement with daily acts of placemaking.
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Business + Economy
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Folashade Soule, University of Oxford
Too many African countries believe Beijing when they are told in negotiations that they must take it or leave it.
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The Conversation Africa podcast
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Ozayr Patel, The Conversation
Welcome to Pasha – a new podcast bringing you some of the best and brightest research from academics across the continent.
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From our international editions
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Benjamin H. Bradlow, Brown University
Brazil's new president – often called the 'Trump of the tropics' for his inflammatory, right-wing rhetoric – won over poorer voters by stoking fear and resentment. Can he make them happy?
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David Cowan, The University of Queensland
Norms that exist in the real world don't necessarily transfer easily to the digital realm. Is it time we developed a new social contract for online communications to prevent reply-status nightmares?
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Julie Broderick, Trinity College Dublin
As we age, our bodies need different types of exercise. Here is a guide to doing the right exercise for your age.
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