IJR

Now that the votes have been tallied, it is clear that South Africa’s local government elections have produced a distinct voting anomaly: less than a third of adults participated in the vote. Instead of focusing on which party governs in particular areas, the low levels of voter registration and turnout suggest that there is a more fundamental question to ask after these elections: How representative is our democracy? The core principle of democracy – translated literally as ‘people power’ – relies on public participation. South Africans understand the importance of majority rule better than most. So how did an election occur with only a minority being represented?

In Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado, the youth are disproportionately affected by the conflict waged by the insurgent group, Ahlu-Sunna Wa-Jama’a (ASWJ). Factors such as unemployment, disruptions to education and an economy that offers little in terms of job prospects make the youth particularly at risk of being recruited by extremists. Limited channels for engagement with the government and the absence of formalised structures for youth also mean that they continue to be seen as “part of the problem” rather than the positive force that they can be, driving innovation and change, and acting as peacebuilders within their communities.

Over the last six years, IJR has been leading a research project aimed at narrowing the gap between mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and peacebuilding (PB). This project is based on the premise that war, violent conflict, and its legacies weaken the social fabric that governs relationships and the capacity for recovery.

The ARP and GJR teams were in the small Western Cape town of Calitzdorp from the 25 October 2021 to the 3 November 2021, where workshops and discussions were conducted with long-standing IJR ambassadors and community members around the themes of gender justice and reconciliation, as well as anti-racism. As an organization formed in the wake of a democratic South Africa, the projects are underpinned by the tenets of transitional justice and building fair, democratic, and inclusive societies.

The main goal of Afrobarometer is to give the public a voice in policymaking by providing high-quality public opinion data to policymakers and policy advocates on democracy, governance, and the economy. During my training and fieldwork observation trips in eSwatini, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia in 2021, the importance of this work was thrust into the limelight for me once again. I’d like to offer a few reflections from the field as 2021 draws to a close.

Recent protests in various communities across South Africa have once again given prominence to the country’s housing crisis. More than 25 years since the dawn of democracy, South Africa continues to be plagued by a desperate housing shortage.

The Anti-Racism and the Gender Justice and Reconciliation Projects were in Calitzdorp, Western Cape from the 25th of October to the 3rd of November 2021. The underlying mandate of the projects was to conduct engaging and fruitful conversations and workshops with the community members of Calitzdorp on issues that relate to anti-racism and gender-justice.

To quote the late Dr Alex Boraine, ‘Reconciliation, as a process for seeking an often-elusive peace, must be understood through the lens of transitional justice. It is better understood if victims believe that their grievances are being heard and addressed, that the silence is being broken. Reconciliation can begin when perpetrators are held accountable when the truth is sought openly and fearlessly, when institutional reform commences and when the need for reparation is acknowledged and acted upon.'

Through the year, the Inclusive Economies project has busied itself with a study of how human development might lead to transformed and peaceful African societies. Often, where pockets of instability emerge or persist there have been human development deficits that are typically underpinned by weak government capacity. The first such study focused on Kenya, considering trends at a national level before investigating these links in three localised pockets of instability. The research was disseminated in the media and two webinars, one hosted by the IJR and the other hosted by the Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA) based in Kenya.