Protecting South Africa's fragile democracy

Protecting South Africa's fragile democracy

The institutions of South Africa’s democracy are under strain, making the miracle of South Africa’s democracy more vulnerable and fragile than perhaps any time since its inception in 1994. The Leader of the Opposition in South Africa will discuss the challenges faced in trying to root democracy in a divided, unequal and economically unstable society. 

Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) is currently the Leader of the Opposition in South Africa’s National Assembly and the Democratic Alliance’s Federal Leader. He was formerly the DA’s Deputy Federal Chairperson, DA National Spokesperson and the Leader of the DA Caucus in the City of Johannesburg Municipal Council.

Dr Kate Orkin is the Peter J Braam Junior Research Fellow in Global Wellbeing at Merton College and the Department of Economics, University of Oxford. She works on the drivers of voter turnout in South Africa and Kenya, and more broadly on how information and behaviour change interventions can complement existing social protection and labour markets programmes in South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Professor Tim Allen is Head of the Department of International Development, Director of the Africa Centre and Research Director of the Justice and Security Research Programme at LSE.

The Institute of Public Affairs (@LSEPubAffairs) is one of the world's leading centres of public policy. We aim to debate and address some of the major issues of our time, whether international or national, through our established teaching programmes, our research and our highly innovative public-engagement initiatives.

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