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South Africa’s national general elections saw a decrease in turnout, the formation of a coalition government as a result of declining support for the  former ruling party the ANC, and the emergence of the new populist leaning MK Party. Overall, South Africa’s democracy has entered a new era wherein the possibilities for a renewal of democracy are possible, but the precedent for coalition governance in the country points towards instability. As stated, what South Africa needs is for political parties to engage collaboratively, to put aside ideological differences with the aim of improving upon the socio-economic challenges that South Africans face.  What is revealed in a close analysis of the general election outcome, is that South Africa has not been entirely immune to the global populist wave. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost its outright parliamentary majority which had made it the dominant party for close to thirty years. At least one of the parties which hel...

The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) bill is now an act signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa , however allowances have been made for continued public comment and consultation regarding certain clauses of the bill, which have been the subject of contention.  The act is an amendment on pre-existing legislation, the South Africans Schools Act of 1996. The amendments specifically seek to reform the institution of codes of conduct, admissions policies, making more explicit the prohibition on corporal punishment,  financial policy with regards to public schools and language policy reform. The final point being the one which has garnered the most attention from interest groups.  A close analysis of the bill’s contested clauses reveals that language policy is indeed on the agenda. The act’s proposals however, are the result of repetitive themes of anti-constitutional exclusion and subpar education to the detriment of the most socio-economically vulnerable children of...