Democracy and Society » South Africa

Press freedom under attack in South Africa

Barak — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:02:01 +0000

South Africa is on the brink of a major step backward in press freedom.

Democracy in Africa

Barak — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:31:52 +0000

The Economist’s analysis sounds right to me. Vote rigging is pretty common in African elections, but that is not surprising in nascent/quasi-democracies. What seems more important is that Africans, by and large, see democracy as the only legitimate form of government. Even though the practice of democracy often falls short on the continent, it is more common for people to criticise the leaders of their country than their form of government. This was pretty much what I heard at the local government conference I attended in Zambia this week as well in Chatsworth last week. At the end of the day, I agree with The Economist’s optimism.

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JNB

Barak — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:25:30 +0000

This is the airport code for Johannesburg. I spend so much time here it feels like a second home. I spent most of yesterday in Chatsworth getting an update on the Westcliff Flats Residents Association’s ongoing work. The more time I spend with them, the more impressed I am. I spent most of the morning looking at the ongoing housing renovations in the community. In the afternoon, we met with members of the municipal government. In the evening, I got an update on their income generation programs. I also saw what life in Westcliff would be like if it were not for the efforts of the WFRA. Many of the surrounding areas of Chatsworth are truly grim and destitute places, and the government seems indifferent – or even hostile – to their concerns. Making democracy work for the residents in Westcliff has been hard work, but one can’t deny the difference it has made.

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Back in Durban

Barak — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:50:27 +0000

I am back in Durban, working with the Westcliff Flats Residents Association (WFRA). I just got back from their weekly meeting and I continue to be blown away by their work. Probably about 100 people showed up to talk about housing renovations, electricity and water. My admiration for Orlean and Pinky Naidoo (Orelean’s husband), the people who run the association, continues to grow. I also see how hard civil society groups have to work to make a difference in their community. Orlean and Pinky do a great job of organizing Westcliff to get better political accountability, but it is a 24/7 job and they receive no pay. I am spending tomorrow in Westcliff to see the progress the WFRA is making in getting the Durban municipal government to renovate their houses.

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Incentives matter

Barak — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:06:59 +0000

Business Day’s (South Africa) Steven Friedman on incentives versus capacity:

[The South African government's impressive performance during the World Cup] surely confirms the view of those of us who have insisted all along that the problem is not that the government does not how to govern. It is, rather, a political problem, which ensures that it does not face enough pressure to govern well – it has not been forced to worry enough about the citizens it is meant to serve.

I agree.

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Irreconcilable differences

Barak — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:17:11 +0000

Red Card for Fifa! Go Black Stars!

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Red Card for FIFA

Barak — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:07:46 +0000

Patrick Bond blows a loud vuvuzela in FIFA’s ear. For what its worth, I agree with him. South Africa will probably lose money on the World Cup and why South African taxpayers should be on the hook for financing the stadiums and infrastructure for the games while the profits go to FIFA is beyond my comprehension.

PS: Go Black Stars! Make those Aussies wish they never came to South Africa!

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Homeward bound

Barak — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:00:59 +0000

At the airport. DUR-JNB-AMS-IAD (that is, Durban-Johannesburg-Amsterdam-Washington, DC). I hope that stupid volcano in Iceland takes a rest for the next few days. This has been a great trip and I am really going to miss Orlean. I also hope that the program we put together – a documentary on life in Chatsworth from the perspective of the community’s youth – helps to engage kids to do something other than hang around street corners waiting for something to happen (i.e., start using drugs).

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A worthwhile trip

Barak — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:40:23 +0000

I am in Durban, South Africa to write a report on how research can help make NGOs more effective for International IDEA. The NGO I chose to examine is the Westcliff Flats Residents Association (WCFA) in Chatsworth, a poor suburb of Durban. The head of the organization, Orlean Naidoo, is an amazing woman and is also not real keen on outsiders mucking around her organization (there is a big problem in South Africa with outsiders using social movements to advance their own agendas). For this reason, I worked really hard to get Orlean’s trust – but was never quite sure I had earned it. Needless to say I was more than a little nervous when I gave my final presentation. Not only did she like it, but she agreed to be one of the co-authors of the report and we have already begun work on some of the report’s recommendations (engage youth to keep them off drugs). This is one of the best compliments I have received in a long time. This was a worthwhile trip.

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Why I do what I do

Barak — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:44:15 +0000

Because sometimes I can make a difference. Today I spent five hours with the Westcliff Flats Residents Association helping them figure out how to address a really difficult problem in their community, how to get rid of drugs and drug dealers. Westcliff is a poor suburb of Durban, South Africa. While we didn’t solve the problem, I helped them think of things that had not occurred to them before that might help get a handle on it. I am increasingly convinced that one of the best ways outsiders can help improve development and governance is by helping people achieve their own goals. I was able to do that a little bit today.

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