Election special 3. Uncertain times for the ANC in South Africa
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 5 March 2024
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
2024 is the year of elections. According to one estimate just under 50% of all the people on earth live in countries where by December 31st there will have been a national vote. To mark this phenomenon we are broadcasting three special programmes.
In the third and final programme in this special series we’re focusing on South Africa. It is 30 years since the African National Congress - led back then by Nelson Mandela - first won power. It has had a majority in parliament ever since. But this year it could well be different. If so, does this decline of the ruling party bode well or badly for South Africa?
Guests:
David Everatt, Professor at the Wits School of Governance in Johannesburg Dr Ayesha Omar, British Academy International Fellow at SOAS Alexander Beresford, Associate Professor in African Politics at Leeds University Professor Cherrel Africa from the University of the Western Cape
Production team: Rosamund Jones and Ben Carter Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Sound engineers: Hal Haines and Neil Churchill
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:08.5 | 2020 is the year of elections. |
| 0:11.9 | According to one estimate, just under 50% of all the people on earth live in countries |
| 0:16.3 | where by December the 31st, there will have been a national vote. |
| 0:20.3 | To mark this phenomenon, we're broadcasting three special podcasts. |
| 0:25.7 | In this one, we're focusing on South Africa. |
| 0:29.6 | It's 30 years since the African National Congress, led back then by Nelson Mandela, |
| 0:34.5 | first won power. |
| 0:36.1 | It's had a majority in Parliament ever since. |
| 0:38.7 | But this year, it could well be different. |
| 0:42.0 | If so, does this decline of the ruling party bode well or badly for South Africa? |
| 0:48.9 | Step inside the briefing room and together we'll find out. |
| 0:56.6 | To begin with, I want to understand how South Africa's democracy works |
| 1:00.5 | and what the polls are saying about the forthcoming election. |
| 1:04.5 | David Everett is Professor at the Wits School of Governance in Johannesburg. |
| 1:08.7 | David Everett, can I just start by asking you, how many people in South Africa are entitled |
| 1:12.9 | to vote? |
| 1:13.9 | Anyone who's aged 18 and above and has registered is entitled to vote. |
| 1:18.7 | Currently, it's around 36, 38 million people. |
| 1:22.1 | Right. |
| 1:22.7 | And how many constituencies are there? |
| 1:24.6 | Is it first past the post in each constituency? |
... |
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