As a political scientist, I am interested in the ingredients of durable democracies in post-conflict societies, including South Africa. Thirty years after its first democratic elections, the stakes are high for the ANC as the party that took the lead in ushering in a new era. It is nursing a fragile unity ahead of a general election later this year.

The election, expected between May and August, may become the battle for the soul of the young voter. If that is the case, then the ANC needs a fresh image, one less reliant on its history as a liberation movement.

Sandy Africa

Associate Professor, Political Sciences, and Deputy Dean Teaching and Learning (Humanities), University of Pretoria

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, and his deputy, Paul Mashatile, right, help cut the cake at the party’s 112th anniversary celebration at Mbombela Stadium, Mpumalanga. Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images via Getty Images

South Africa’s ANC marks its 112th year with an eye on national elections, but its record is patchy and future uncertain

Sandy Africa, University of Pretoria

The ANC leans heavily on its liberation movement brand. But this will not necessarily be a determining factor in who will sway voters later this year.

Some women influencers are using coded language to spread far-right ideology on social media. AlpakaVideo via Shutterstock

Women lifestyle influencers are changing the face of the far right – podcast

Avery Anapol

Eviane Leidig talks about her research into women of the far right who have become online influencers. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.

The door plug area of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft awaits inspection on Jan. 10, 2024. Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo

Why did Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have a sealed-off emergency exit in the first place? The answer comes down to money

Amy Fraher, Yale University

A commercial pilot turned management expert and author of ‘The Next Crash: How Short-Term Profit Seeking Trumps Airline Safety,’ explains the economics behind the near-deadly disaster.

A pirogue adorned with a Senegalese flag floats on the Pink Lake, on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal. David Degner/Getty Images

Senegal’s pink lake is on the verge of disappearing – how to protect it

El hadji Sow, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar

Contrary to popular beliefs, salt extraction has never been detrimental to the survival of the pink lake; instead, it prevents its asphyxiation.