Against the tide by Steven Friedman

Gains in local elections by parties who oppose some rights protected by the constitution seem to signal that the right wing is on the rise here, as it is in many countries. But the rise of these parties is limited and does not seriously threaten democracy. The real threat lies within the ANC camp where supporters and opponents of the constitution battle for power. 

This is the view of this week's Against the Tide column sent to subscribers this morning. To subscribe, please visit the Against the Tide website. To discuss a free or reduced subscription, contact info@againstthetide.co.za

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.