Look at the distribution of wealth among politicians around the world relative to the people they represent! The median politician in South Africa's has 200x the wealth of the typical household in that country.

Next step: US census👇🏾 www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202... #gerrymandering

The push by U.S. Republicans to redraw electoral maps in multiple states ahead of the 2026 congressional elections serves as a cautionary example that proponents of constituency-based electoral systems in South Africa should carefully consider. #gerrymandering #SouthAfrica🧵1/3

El valor del tipógrafo independiente para iluminar la caja oscura de la administración.  Ya han pasado tres años desde la publicación del informe final de la Comisión Judicial de investigación, presidida por el Juez Raymond Zondo, sobre la corrupción en la administración sudafricana. Corruptelas…

My case study on South Africa, featured in the "Dynamics in Legislative-Executive Relations: Global Outline for 2019-2024" published by Journal PS, garnered high attention.Forthcoming book chapter. 1/5 doi:10.1017/S1049096524000556

About the establishment of an ad-hoc parliamentary committee to investigate criminal activities within police dept in SouthAfrica. Should such an investigation remain solely within the purview of the judicial commission of inquiry announced by the President? 1/3

Pretty strong but also bleak message today by Former General Secretary of the UN Ban Ki-moon at #IPSA2025, says he has "no hope" for current world leaders, calling out nationalism, Trumpism, says we need a new young generation to carry things forward as global citizen.

3 years after the Zondo Commission Report on the State Capture, South Africa just faces a new crisis within the state apparatus. President Ramaphosa resorts to once again a judicial commission of inquiry into the serious allegations made by Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 1/2

Same horror movie. In the south of Africa two weeks ago, after explosive allegations of criminal syndicates and political meddling in the police service, over which President Ramaphosa announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/w...

Presenting my paper on executive-legislative relations in South Africa on Wednesday, July 16th at 5:30 PM. #IPSA2025 #Seoul

#IPSA2025 opening address, President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea delivered a compelling message, emphasizing the importance of resisting autocratic tendencies and upholding democratic principles and the rule of law, both domestically and internationally.

South Africa has followed the scripts of the best options to build a democratic system under a fragmented society: inclusivity and accommodation. In short, representativeness. Checks and balances structure and separation of powers that set limits to prevent the excessive use of power. 🧵 1/5

As part of IPSA Research Committee of Legislative Specialists, I will present in Seoul my paper that explores the internal/external variables of a legislature that maximize its capacity to constrain government with a case study of the South African Parliament.👇🏾

Mr. Sandile Moloi and I @ainaramancebo.bsky.social concur on our assessment of recent developments in South Africa-U.S. relations, as presented in Aitor Garmendia's Berria article.

In this tense meeting, the South African delegation showed its commitment to inclusive politics in the post-party dominance political system. Members of the coalition cabinet, business, and trade unions were all represented and had an opportunity to express their views.

For the first time since the dawn of democracy, Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the public engaged with the budget. And with the public support from all 10 coalition partners in government 1/2

The fragmentation within national Parliament has intensified, and the dynamics of coalitions exhibit a similar pattern to that observed within local party structures in South Africa.

The end of the party dominance system in South Africa has brought new challenges to the executive-legislative relations. A court case on tax policy has opened the constitutionality 🧵 1/5

The South African Court challenge on value added tax increase by a coalition government partner, DA, second largest parliamentary party and the opposition party, EFF, fourth largest parliamentary party is a interesting check and balance case🧵 1/4

Social networks are part of our lives and parties use them without any restrictions. Today we have been bombarded by sms messages from parties to control the agenda and narrative of coalition arrangements regarding the national budget. 1/3

The national budget is the first casualty in a coalition government that does not agree to detail policies prior to the coalition agreement. Or when your partners resort to populist strategies to disrupt the governing coalition for electoral purposes. 1/2

Today many media and politicians are misleading the understanding of what is the National Budget Process in Parliament? The budget process is a structured cycle where government revenue and spending are planned, debated, and approved by Parliament.🧵 1/4

The leader of the DA just announced that its party, a member of the government coalition, will file papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge Parliament’s passing of the 2025/26 National Budget. Would that be followed by a withdrawal of the GNU?

Coaltion dynamics: First time in South African parliamentary democracy, the annual Framework and Revenue National has been contentious debated in the National Assembly. And finally passed by 194 votes against 182🧵. 1/3

How the DA will behave within the government coalition after being dismissed by the ANC in his fight against the tabled Fiscal Framework and Revenue 2025 proposal with an increase of VAT? 🧵. 1/4

The government coalition (GNU) in South Africa was based on office-seeking strategies of opposition parties, and no policy-seeking. The national budget controversy between ANC and DA is more an electioneering mechanism looking at local elections 2026.🧵. 1/3

Confusion about the decision-making process of the fiscal framework in South Africa. After the 2025 Report on the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals Parliament, as stipulated in the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act (Act No. 9 of 2009)🧵. 1/6

A bit of confusion fueled by coalition partners about budget approval process in South African Parliament. Let's debunk the current budget narrative and the VAT increase tabled yesterday will be in effect "from 1st May"🧵. 1/4

New coalition dynamics in place after 30 years of Party Dominance in RSA. Budget introduced in Parliament today despite the opposition of the main (in numbers) coalition partner DA with 87 seats. 1/3

The postponement of the introduction of the budget to 12th March, it is going to be the most crucial point for the survival of the grand coalition in South Africa. mg.co.za/news/2025-02...

For the first time since 1994, the presentation of the national budget is postponed without a date in South Africa. This has never happened under the party dominance system. New coalition dynamics. Speaker announcement: No agreement of parties in executive m.youtube.com/watch?v=q0yl...

South Africa's Parliament shows a substantial institutionalization, in which specialized committees have jurisdiction over government departments. Nevertheless, a disciplined parliamentary majority has limited the Parliament's ability to constrain the government. More👇🏾 doi.org/10.1017/S104...

When parliamentary budgets have been weaponized against coalition governments in Spain or France.The first coalition government in South Africa will start its budget debate and pass after the introduction of finance minister next week🧵.1/2

Spotlight with lessons from previous South African legislatures on executive-legislative relations. Would the new government coalition in place since mid-2024 in South Africa force a shift in south african party behaviour in parliament? doi.org/10.1017/S104...

And if the topic of executive-legislative relations interests you, do make sure to check out the Spotlight section of the last issue of @pspolisci.bsky.social: many short and to the point insights into diverse country cases, by excellent colleagues - and all of it open access: tinyurl.com/38b6tyr6

The correlation suggesting that institutionalized parliaments possess greater capability to restrain the executive branch than less institutionalized parliaments is not supported in the South African case.👇🏾 doi.org/10.1017/S104...

Have legislatures become more assertive in confronting executive power? Hot topic discussed by colleagues of @ipsa.org Research Committee in the Spotlight section of the last issue of @pspolisci.bsky.social with case studies from countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and Africa.

IPSA Research Committee of Legislative Specialists will address several key questions at the 28th World Congress of Political Science, hosted in Seoul, South Korea: Has executive power increased relative to legislative power? Have legislatures become more assertive in confronting executive power?

In France: LFI and RN "must both assume their place within their respective coalitions and face the difficult test of power." However, populists tend toward a zero-sum game challenging any long-term coalition arrangements. www.lemonde.fr/blog/piketty...

The South African Economic Freedom Fighters Party (EFF) has recently concluded its third National People's Assembly and published its political report covering 2019-2024, which states that EFF Parliament action: 🧵

A technocratic PM choice to overcome parliamentary impasse in 🇫🇷 could fuel narratives like Rep US senator Mike Lee:"we, American people, take back control from unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who've been running our government like it’s their personal sandbox, treating us like their subjects."

The NPP's candidate conceded defeat to opposition leader and former president Dramani Mahama before the official results were announced. This election marks a historic first for Ghana, as the vice president-elect, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, is a woman. www.africanews.com/2024/12/09/g...

"The United States needs to stop talking about China and demonstrate its interest by showing up. Showing up means engaging much more frequently at a high political level" The same applies to the European Union.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia's ruling Swapo party has elected president (won 57% of votes), the country's first female leader. Swapo has ruled the country since its independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990🧵

While waiting for the official release of the Namibian national election results from November 27, the electoral commission is under scrutiny because of concerns about the credibility and trustworthiness of the process. www.namibian.com.na/namibias-ele...

2024 Africa day lecturer of Prof Abdoulaye Bathily, former UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Mali and Central Africa: "The colonial patern of relationship with Africa remains very much the same... m.youtube.com/watch?v=BKEo...

Second Africa Starter Pack go.bsky.app/LgaSjF9

Can the global commons, post-war multilateral institutions to the principles of international law, serve a neutral and unbiased role in a time of geopolitical rivalry? Can the G20, BRICS, and other regional organisations deliver better results with a wide consensus? www.youtube.com/live/A9jy_YH...

"Western donors – nowadays often called “international partners” – largely continue to apply technocratic templates to political problems.[..] those scourges are often either superficial or absent from policy."

Is it feasible to establish stable legislatures with parties that employ populist tactics in parliamentary affairs? In South Africa, the dominant party for 30 years, the ANC, said no.