Governance In Africa Research Articles

Changing food waste regimes in Africa’s transition to export-oriented production: the case of Tanzanian avocado

Abstract African nations are increasingly focusing on exporting high-value crops. However, a major challenge exists: high rates of food waste within supply chains. The problem is often seen as a technological issue—a lack of proper infrastructure and coordination creates inefficiencies. This research takes a different perspective, focusing on social relations within the supply chain. It uses the concept of “food waste regimes” to understand the underlying structures, relationships, and systems that cause food waste, with a focus on Tanzania’s avocado trade. The goals of the research are to: (1) Identify the factors contributing to food waste within Tanzania’s avocado supply chains, particularly in the context of export-oriented production; (2) Explore how these factors change as production shifts towards exports; (3) Analyse the fairness (equity) of how waste burdens are distributed among those involved. We adopted a “follow the thing” approach, combining interviews and observations across both domestic and export avocado supply chains in Tanzania. The research reveals that interactions between various aspects of the supply chain—practices, physical properties of the product (avocado perishability), and established institutions—influence where food waste occurs and who shoulders the burden of that waste. The research exposes how unequal power dynamics between participants lead to some actors bearing a disproportionate amount of the risk and cost of food waste. By taking a social relations approach, this research highlights that tackling food waste and social inequality are intertwined issues. The paper suggests potential areas for future research and intervention to address these interconnected challenges.

An interrogation of poor service delivery causes and their impact in local economy of Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality

South Africa's governance structure follows a three-tier system, emphasizing co-operative governance among the national, provincial, and local authorities. The responsibility for crucial service delivery lies primarily with local governments, specifically municipalities. This research delves into the problems and deficiencies associated with service delivery in the Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality, exploring the perspectives of stakeholders impacted by and responsible for service delivery at strategic, political, and administrative levels. The study employs qualitative methods, utilizing questionnaires and interviews to gather diverse insights. The research reveals a pervasive sense of apathy towards government service delivery, with a majority of local residents perceiving the municipality as unresponsive to community needs. This contributes to a trust deficit, hindering effective collaboration between residents and local authorities. Divergent perspectives on the reasons for inadequate service provision highlight the complexity of the issue. While municipal officials acknowledge their limitations, some residents resort to extreme measures, such as vandalism and criminal activities, to express their frustrations. The findings emphasize the necessity of a mediating factor to foster understanding and cooperation between local authorities and residents. Motivated by the recurrent violent confrontations and protests stemming from service delivery disputes, this research underscores the significance of addressing these issues for the well-being of citizens and the overall quality of life. Effective communication, responsiveness, accountability, and transparency emerge as essential elements to tackle the challenges identified in the study.

Examining the impact of climate change on local ecosystems and communities

We examine the particular impacts of rising temperatures, changed precipitation patterns, and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events using climate models, field data, and socioeconomic analysis. The results of our investigation show that phenology, biodiversity, and species distributions are all significantly changing in the local ecosystems. Ecosystem services including pollination, water purification, and carbon sequestration are being hampered by these changes. One of the most important environmental issues facing humanity in the twenty-first century is climate change. The world's wealthiest and poorest nations are both impacted by climate change. In areas that are susceptible, for instance, shorter growing seasons and more frequent droughts are reducing agricultural productivity and leading to food insecurity. In addition to the environmental effects, local residents have substantial financial challenges. According to economic assessments, climate-related calamities such as floods and droughts have a substantial financial impact on both infrastructure and people. Particularly impacted are communities that depend on agriculture and natural resources, which has a big impact on their standard of living and economic stability. Our research also demonstrates how different adaptation tactics, including as water conservation and sustainable land management, can improve community resilience. Another important component of our research is the effects on health. We see a rise in climate-sensitive health outcomes, especially in areas with poor access to healthcare, such as vector-borne infections and heat-related illnesses. The mediating function of socioeconomic factors, such as income and education levels, on these health outcomes is significant. Our results highlight the necessity of focused interventions and policies to improve adaptive ability and reduce health risks. The study's finding highlights how intricately local ecosystems and communities are impacted by climate change. By providing a comprehensive analysis, our aim is to inform stakeholders and policymakers about workable mitigation and adaptation strategies. Future research should focus on longer observation periods and developing comprehensive approaches to address the complex issues caused by climate change. The paper concludes that although policy frameworks are necessary, their implementation and enforcement are hampered by Africa's poor governance structure and lack of political will.

How Appropriate Are Domestic Minimum Top-Up Taxes in Africa?

In this article, the author argues that concerns around a proliferation of domestic minimum top-up tax regimes in Africa may be exaggerated. Potential additional revenue collections from Pillar Two do not justify the required additional capacity investment. The primary focus, for Africa, should be to reassess preferential tax regimes.

Towards Sustainable Solutions to South Africa’s Energy Crisis: Lessons from South Korea for the Gas-to-Power Programme

This article discusses the Gas-to-Power programme in Korea as a case study for South Africa's attempts to develop Gas-to-Power alternative energy technology. A programme that the government believes could address the nation's present energy crisis. South Africa's government has made the development of clean and alternative energy sources a high priority in order to overcome the current energy crisis. This is due to the tremendous increase in global energy use, especially in emerging nations. This essay utilises a qualitative research methodology and secondary data as a result. The report stated that South Africa must take the following steps to bolster its efforts: implementing executable rules and regulations and developing a clear and legitimate demand for the LNG2P energy technology.

Independence and objectivity of internal auditors within provincial governance systems

The study addresses the dearth of research on internal audit activity independence (IAAI) and internal auditors' objectivity within South Africa's (SA) provincial governance systems, despite their crucial role in government department performance. A mixed research approach was employed, using 260 purposely selected participants. Questionnaires, telephone interviews, and focus group discussions were used as data collection instruments. A triangulation of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was applied to report the findings. The study found that management is not taking timely corrective action based on audit findings and recommendations. Internal auditors have friendship relationships with auditee employees, sectional heads are not cooperating with the internal audit function (IAF), and management has a negative perception of the IAF, viewing it more as a fault-finder than as adding value to the organization. Furthermore, the study's insights offer practical implications for improving internal audit practices within provincial governance systems, thereby facilitating better governance and operational efficiency.

Incumbent and opposition popular support and boycotts in authoritarian and hybrid regimes in Africa, the Middle East and beyond

ABSTRACT Variation in election boycotts in Africa and the Middle East raise the question of the factors that influence the likelihood of boycotts. Examining this dynamic in Africa, the Middle East and around the globe, we explore one possible factor influencing national election boycotts: the relative level of popular support between the regime and opposition. Utilising the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset, we find that when the regime has greater popular support than the opposition, the likelihood of major boycotts is low. In contrast, when the opposition has more popular support than the regime at the point of election, the likelihood of boycotts increases. These findings highlight the importance of publicly observable levels of support as a means for opposition parties to gauge the possible payoff for boycotting, particularly in authoritarian and hybrid regimes where lack of transparency creates uncertainty regarding other sources of regime strength or weakness.

REVIEW OF WATER POLICY AND MANAGEMENT: COMPARING THE USA AND AFRICA

This research paper conducts a comparative analysis of water policies and management in the United States (USA) and Africa, aiming to distill insights, challenges, and recommendations for global water governance. Examining both regions' historical development, institutional frameworks, and critical challenges reveals diverse approaches to water scarcity, infrastructure, and climate change. The USA's well-established institutions and regulatory frameworks contrast Africa's complex governance landscape, highlighting the need for context-specific solutions. Recommendations emphasize strengthening governance, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and climate change resilience. Recognizing the importance of international collaboration, the paper proposes knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives. Ultimately, this research contributes valuable lessons for policymakers, stakeholders, and communities worldwide, fostering a collaborative vision for sustainable water futures.
 Keywords: Water Policies, Water Management, Comparative Analysis, Governance, International Collaboration.

Assessing the Incorporation of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights in Tanzania

This article examines the implementation of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Banjul Charter) in Tanzania, focusing on the incorporation of its provisions into Tanzanian law. The study evaluates the human rights regime in Africa and explores the historical background of human rights on the continent. It also analyzes the composition and effectiveness of the institutions for the enforcement of human rights, the structure of the charter, and its unique feature of combining all categories of rights. The study identifies the challenges Tanzania faces in implementing the provisions of the charter and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of its incorporation into domestic law. Additionally, the reasonableness of the incorporation is evaluated, and recommendations are suggested to address any weaknesses. To conduct the research effectively, the study is primarily library-oriented, using textbooks, international instruments, legislation, and articles on the subject. Global and regional treaties, ch

Legal Regimes in Africa Between the XXth Century World Wars in the Estimates of the Council on Foreign Relations Experts

The article analyzes the positions of Council on Foreign Relations experts on a wide variety of issues relating to Africa’s legal regimes in the interwar period, including such issues as the role of international law and organizations, the limitation of colonial rule by extending the mandate system across the continent, interracial relations, the dynamics of electoral law, and labor, fiscal and economic legal relations. The features of expert analysis, ideological and political attitudes to the analysis of legal systems in Africa are highlighted. Special attention is paid to expert assessments and recommendations of the analysts of the Council on Foreign Relations, taking into account the general historical and political context and their own geopolitical interests.

Who Holds the Power? Political Succession & Authoritarian Regimes in Africa (1990-2020)

The paper analyzes and describes continuities of authoritarian regimes in Africa since the return to multipartism by classifying cases which have been stable in the authoritarian form in the last thirty years. Special attention is devoted to political successions, whether these are ruled by a party and/or the military or took the form of dynastic ones. In particular, the existence of collegial control on personal power is presented as an important way of ensuring continuities of party and/or military hegemony over the authoritarian regime. Collegial control may also strengthen the stability of the regime in its authoritarian form. However, it is not excluded that a moderate degree of personal power may also be helpful in ensuring stability if combined with collegial control as it helps in limiting factionalism.

The Anti-Authoritarian Populisms: Ideologies of Democratic Struggle in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Worldwide

AbstractMany opposition parties in electoral-authoritarian regimes identify as democracy movements. I ask: what ideologies do they publicly express? The first-glance answer is ‘democratic ones’, but there are many theories of liberal democracy, and they say little about living under or indeed confronting authoritarian regimes. I analyse the public messages of two such democracy movements: Chadema (Tanzania) and the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC, in Zimbabwe). I argue that they each articulate a homegrown vision of democracy in which they adapt democratic theory to make sense of their electoral-authoritarian circumstances. They do so by articulating that theory through the ‘populist logic’ conceptualized in the discourse-theoretic perspective. I call them anti-authoritarian (and democratic) populisms. Previous research has overlooked the distinctiveness of these ideologies because it has adopted concept configurations which invisibilize them. I argue that there are reasons to expect there to be a wider body of anti-authoritarian populisms articulated by democracy movements in electoral-authoritarian regimes in Africa, and indeed, worldwide.

Navigating ambiguous privilege: Jewish refugees in the Belgian Congo during the Holocaust

ABSTRACT How did Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Europe relate to colonial regimes in Africa? While the scholarly studies of Nazism and European colonialism usually belong to separate academic fields, this article by Cassen examines their intersection through the story of the author’s grandparents, Henri and Pola Katzengold, who survived the Holocaust by fleeing to the Belgian Congo. In the Congo, where white people constituted the ruling class, they experienced a sudden transition from being hunted by Nazis in Europe to becoming Belgian colonialists. But while their whiteness gave them power and status over black Africans, their Jewishness rendered their privilege ambiguous, relegating them to the margins of white colonial society. Using the memoir of the author’s grandmother as a source, this article provides a window into understanding racism and social relations between different groups in the Belgian colony during the Second World War.

Latent State Infrastructure and Financialisation: Insight from a Post‐Apartheid Public Pension Fund and Real Estate

AbstractSouth Africa's Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) is among the world's largest pension funds, public or private. The pension fund's sizeable coffers reflect reforms to its structure undertaken as a safeguard for apartheid bureaucrats. Today, the fund is entangled in South Africa's financial markets. Through an analysis of the GEPF's investment in real estate, it is shown how investments by a government employees’ pension fund intertwine with real estate financialisation in South Africa. Representative of the latent state infrastructure that is not often the site of interrogation in scholarship nor activism, the case of the GEPF can help expand our understanding of the relationship between the state and financialisation.

Interrogating the “Liberal Peace” paradigm and “fragile” security regimes in Africa

Interrogating the “Liberal Peace” paradigm and “fragile” security regimes in Africa

THE BEE CONCEPT IN THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT SYSTEM: THE PERSPECTIVE OF CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

South Africa's government introduced the BEE policy to help disadvantaged individuals participate in economic activities. This study examined the perceptions of construction professionals concerning the BEE policy. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the interview questions were emailed to 35 black construction professionals randomly selected, of which 20 were received. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that although participants believed the policy had achieved some success since its implementation, there are still challenges hindering the attainment of the project objectives. Some of the positive aspects of the policy are that it has helped previously disadvantaged individuals, increased opportunity for local companies and improved fairness in the procurement systems. The challenges of the policy were identified as restricting the participation of experienced and foreign construction firms in the public procurement process. Again, the policy must be strictly enforced to sustain and achieve the desired outcome. The government must ensure strict adherence to the policy implementation to benefit the intended people to realize the policy objectives. Measures should be put in place to ensure the sustainability of the policy. The study reveals the perceptions of the policy beneficiaries in the construction sector, which may guide the policy implementers on areas of improvement to achieve the policy objectives.

The Influence of the Global Refugee Regime in Africa: Still “Akin to a Distant Weather Pattern”?

The Influence of the Global Refugee Regime in Africa: Still “Akin to a Distant Weather Pattern”?

Военный опыт государственных лидеров и конфликтный потенциал авторитарных режимов (На примере Африки)

In the last decade, the International Political Science has witnessed an emergent trend to put an individual back to the focus of research. A growing number of researchers acknowledge that in order to understand the behavior of the state, it is necessary to take into account attitudes and behavior of state leaders. They assume that such a view angle will help to defy a cliché perception, according to which conflict situations arise solely due to the influence of exogenous factors, and if a certain event occurred, it only happened because it was determined by the external environment. The article attempts to analyze the influence of the military experience of state leaders on their countries’ participation in armed conflicts using the case of the authoritarian regimes in Africa. Employing the method of regression analysis, the author traces how the past military experience is reflected in the proneness of a state leader to conflict actions in the foreign policy sphere. He focuses on three types of such experience: (1) military service without participation in military actions (mainly staff work); (2) personal participation in military actions; (3) participation in rebel formations. The conducted research proves that military experience has a significant and robust influence on the subsequent behavior of leaders. If a state leader used to serve in the military as a staff group member, the probability that he will initiate an armed conflict is 2.7 times higher than in the absence of such experience. Participation in rebel groups increases the likelihood of initiating military actions as well. In contrast, combat experience in the military has the opposite effect: leaders with combat experience are only half as likely to initiate military conflicts as leaders who have not been to the battlefield.

The role of technological innovation in fostering environmental quality in South Africa: Fresh evidence from the novel dynamic ARDL simulations approach

This study revisits the role technological innovation plays in fostering environmental quality in South Africa over the period 1960-2020. Unlike the previous studies, the work employs the novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) simulations framework to assess the positive and negative changes in technological innovation, scale effect, technique effect, for- eign direct investment, energy consumption, urbanization, industrial growth, and trade open- ness on CO2 emissions. Second, the paper uses the Squalli &Wilson (2011)'s innovative meas- ure of trade openness to overcome the limitations associated with the conventional trade in- tensity. Third, the study uses the frequency domain causality (FDC) approach developed by Breitung & Candelon (2006) to robustly capture permanent causality for long, short, and me- dium-term associations among the variables examined. Fourth, the paper employs the second- generation econometric procedures, which take into account the multiple structural breaks considerably overlooked by previous works. For South Africa, our empirical results reveal that: (i) technological innovation contributes to lower CO2 emissions in the short- and long run; (ii) while technique effect improves environmental quality, the scale effect largely con- tributes to escalate CO2 emissions, thus confirming that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis holds; (iii) urbanization, industrial value-added, foreign direct investment and energy consumption increase CO2 emissions; (iv) trade openness contributes to worsen environmental degradation in the long run; (v) scale effect, technique effect, technological innovation, energy consumption, foreign direct investment, trade openness, urbanization, and industrial growth Granger-cause CO2 emissions in the short, medium and long run showing that these variables are fundamental to determine environmental quality. In light of our em- pirical evidence, this paper suggests that South Africa's government and policymakers could consider the role of technological innovation as a clean source of technology in achieving energy security and fostering environmental quality in the country.

Migration Processes in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21-st Century

The relevance of the topic is associated with the destabilization of the situation in the world and in the countries of the African continent. West Africa, the Sahel zone, the Eastern and Central part of the continent are engulfed in armed local and regional conflicts. The number of refugees and temporarily displaced persons is growing. Political instability of African states negatively aff ects the national security of recipient countries, which should provide accommodation and fi nancial support for refugees. It is not uncommon for migrants to impose their traditional rules in their new places of residence and oppress indigenous peoples by claiming their territory. This results in humanitarian disasters. Often this happens in border areas, where migrant evacuation points or permanent refugee camps are organized. The article analyzes the causes of conflicts, as well as their consequences for the civilian population. Attention is focused on the most complex military and political situations in the countries of the continent. The author concludes that the destabilization of political regimes in Africa is associated with the low social level of most of the states of the continent, the weakness of power structures which are unable to protect civilians.