Tag: authoritarianism
Africa’s many faces of ‘freedom’
As African liberal minds assemble in the ‘Mother City’ to trade ideas on a variety of strategies for effective liberal governance on our continent, the old English adage says, when big minds assemble in one room, it is unlikely they will agree on anything, is appropriate.
Different drummers and economic prosperity
Because of its illiberal and authoritarian policies the choice of Qatar for the World Cup created a lot of controversy. A repressive dictatorship itself, Qatari police had their hands full going after people from countries who actually believed they had a right to freedom of speech.
BOOK REVIEW | Destroying Democracy
Democracy is being destroyed. This is a crisis that expresses itself in the rising authoritarianism visible in divisive and exclusionary politics, populist political parties and movements, increased distrust in fact-based information and news, and the withering accountability of state institutions.
South Africa should heed Venezuela’s and Zimbabwe’s abandonment of socialism
The recent press reports of the Venezuelan government relaxing its controls over the economy is heartening. This comes after the government of Zimbabwe also in recent years signalled its intention to open up for business and set right the disaster of Mugabe-era land grabs. South Africa would do well to take heed of this trend away from socialism toward freedom.
