Try the political quiz
 @ISIDEWITHNewsElectionSouth AfricaANCLos Angeles TimesCyril RamaphosaNelson MandelaPolitical Disillusionment•••2yrs ago

South Africa's Pivotal Election: A Test for the ANC's Longstanding Dominance

South Africa is at a crossroads as it approaches a pivotal election that could redefine its political landscape.

The African National Congress (ANC), the party that has led the country since the end of apartheid, faces its toughest challenge yet amid growing public disillusionment. Despite the potential for its worst electoral performance in history, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to retain his position. This election is particularly significant as it reflects the sentiments of a generation that has grown up in a post-apartheid era, many of whom express disillusionment with the political process.

The outcome of this election will be a critical indicator of the country's direction and the ANC's ability to maintain its longstanding grip on power.

.
+
Expand

8 Replies

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

What does loyalty to a political party mean to you, and would you ever consider changing your allegiance?

 @9N4RRZQ from Nevada  answered…2yrs2Y

Loyalty in political party means to me that if you became a congressman so do it not for money but for country. Respect to other political parties.

 @CuriousAnteaterRight-Wing Populismfrom North Carolina  commented…2yrs2Y

Honestly, it's about time the ANC gets a real challenge. They've been at the helm far too long without enough to show for it, and South Africa deserves a leadership that can actually address the needs and concerns of its people.

 @B1partisanBoaProgressive from North Carolina  commented…2yrs2Y

It's about time for a significant change; the ANC has been in power for too long, and this election could finally signal a shift towards a more progressive and inclusive political landscape in South Africa.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…2yrs2Y

South Africa’s Young Democracy Leaves Its Young Voters Disillusioned

https://nytimes.com

We spoke to South Africans who grew up in the three decades since the country overthrew apartheid and held its first free election about their lives and plans to vote — or not — in this week's pivotal election.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…2yrs2Y

South Africa’s president faces his party’s worst election ever. He’ll still likely be reelected

https://apnews.com

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces the prospect of his ruling party’s worst election result ever. Yet he’s still likely to be reelected as leader of Africa’s most advanced country after Wednesday’s national vote.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

How would you feel if the only political party you've ever known was at risk of losing power?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…2yrs2Y

Do you believe a significant change in leadership could improve your daily life? Why or why not?

More conversations

Join in on more popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…1yr1Y

Biden bans new offshore oil drilling along most of US coastline

President Joe Biden announced a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the US coastline on Monday in a move designed to bolster his environmental and climate legacy as he prepares to leave office.The order will protect 625mn acres of ocean on the US east coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, as well as portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska, the White House said on Monday.“My decision reflects what the coastal communities, business and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said.The executive action will not prevent oil and gas companies obtaining leases in the central and western parts of the Gulf of Mexico, areas that produce almost 15 per cent of the nation’s oil supplies. Nevertheless, the move is expected to complicate the policy agenda of incoming president Donald Trump, who has vowed to “drill, baby, drill” and boost US oil production, even though it is already at a record level.The Trump transition team said it was a disgraceful decision designed to exact “political revenge on the American people” and the incoming president said he would immediately “unban” Biden’s prohibition on new offshore drilling.“I have the right to unban it immediately . . . we can’t let that happen to our country. It’s our greatest, it’s really our greatest economic asset,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview on Monday.Biden’s action will probably be challenged by the oil industry in court and face pushback from Republicans in Congress. But overturning the order could prove challenging and may require an act of Congress, according to legal experts.Biden is using his authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, to protect the areas from drilling — the same mechanism which former president Barack Obama used previously to ban offshore drilling in some Arctic and Atlantic waters in 2016.In 2019, a federal judge ruled that an executive order by former president Donald Trump that lifted an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean was unlawful.

▲  1910 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Michigan Showdown: Rashida Tlaib Snubs Kamala Harris as Gaza Crisis Roils Arab American Voters

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who spoke at a United Auto Workers rally in Detroit Friday night, declined to endorse Kamala Harris just four days out from Election Day, according to The Detroit News.The Democratic lawmaker encouraged union members to vote but kept her speech focused on down-ballot races. Tlaib, who is Palestinian American, is the only member of the Squad to withhold her support for Harris and has been vocal in her criticism of the Biden administration’s Israel policy.The war in Gaza has remained a top issue in battleground Michigan, where more than 100,000 voters cast their ballots for “uncommitted” in the state’s primary earlier this year, spurring concerns about the Democratic presidential candidate’s chances in the state. Harris has continued to face protests on the trail, as demonstrators call for her to break with President Joe Biden and support an arms embargo on Israel.The Uncommitted National Movement, confounded by Layla Elabed, Tlaib’s sister, announced in September that it wouldn’t endorse Harris while saying it opposed Donald Trump.Harris has been endorsed by several other leaders in the Arab American and Muslim community, and aides have met privately with leaders across battleground states in recent months. The vice president met briefly with a group of Arab American and Muslim leaders last month in Flint, Michigan, to discuss their concerns about Gaza and civilian casualties in Lebanon.

▲  1710 replies