When wealthy business people invest in elections they expect their interests to be protected. This has been the expectation in Kenyan politics where large corporations and high-net-worth individuals have a long history of trying to influence the state. Faith Kiboro examines the intersection where money meets politics and its impact on democracy.
Given the controversies swirling around South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, it’s difficult to imagine the governing ANC being in any reasonable shape to face the electorate in 2019. Whether the upcoming no confidence vote against Zuma is successful or not, the party is in dire straits argues, Roger Southall.
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The cost of election campaigns in Kenya runs into billions of shilling.
Daniel Irungu/EPA
Faith Kiboro, SMC University
In Kenya, the overwhelming majority of political contributions come from a tiny number of individuals. This model of financing turns politics into a high-stakes game that very often turns violent.
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Politics + Society
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Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand
Even if President Zuma wins the no confidence vote, the consequences for the ruling ANC are dire. A loss would see it further divided and weakened ahead of the 2019 elections.
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Arts + Culture
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Keymanthri Moodley, Stellenbosch University
The contentious book documenting Nelson Mandela’s last days that was pulled of the shelves left many unanswered questions. Judgement must be suspended until it's content is made public.
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Science + Technology
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Amr Aswad, University of Oxford
Massive online DNA databases can be used as a resource to discover viruses -- even if the data had not been explicitly collected for that purpose.
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Business + Economy
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Sean Flynn, American University
An alternative to an open fair dealing right, or as a clarification, South Africa's copyright law could be amended with a specific provision to protect modern Internet uses.
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From our international editions
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Rikard Jalkebro, University of St Andrews
The crackdown is contributing to a culture of unchecked violence, which is increasingly accepted as a necessary measure.
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Predrag Slijepcevic, Brunel University London
It helped them conquer the world, three billion years ago.
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