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South Africa’s historic 1994 election was one of the most remarkable events of our times. The election marked an end to more than than 100 years of oppressive white minority rule and the system of apartheid. It was organised - against seemingly impossible odds - by an untested electoral commission. Mandla Mchunu, who served on the trailblazing commission, explains to political scientist Kealeboga Maphunye the extraordinary experience of putting the election together and the challenges the commission faced.
Kenya's glaring lack of preparedness showed through at the height of recent devastating flooding. This was in spite of forewarning of heavy rainfall. Augustine Kiptum highlights what went wrong and what Kenya must do to prevent this from happening again in the future.
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Kealeboga J Maphunye, University of South Africa
The electoral commission had only four months for work which normally takes two to three years. In the end, the election succeeded because the nation wanted it to succeed.
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Augustine Kiptum, University of Sussex
Kenya’s preparedness for and response to extreme weather events has numerous gaps.
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Cristiano d'Orsi, University of Johannesburg
Countries could face major legal consequences if they send people to countries where they could suffer harm.
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Hamond Motsi, Stellenbosch University
Sweet sorghum has multipurpose post-harvest uses. It can produce grains, animal feed and sugary juice, making it unique among crops.
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From our international editions
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Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle
Though the move by the ICC chief prosecutor is a significant one, it’s very unlikely the Israeli or Palestinian leaders will be arrested or face a trial.
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Steven Mithen, University of Reading
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Jake Renzella, UNSW Sydney; Vlada Rozova, The University of Melbourne
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Scott Lucas, University College Dublin
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Melanie Sloan, University of Cambridge
Nightmares and day-time hallucinations often precede lupus flare-ups.
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