Your vote is not for sale

Idasa’s Political Information and Monitoring Service Programme (PIMS) has been monitoring vote buying during the run-up to the local government elections and our network of monitors have observed numerous alarming incidents of vote buying in various forms. This has been a trend since the 2009 national elections. Read the full article here.

SITO’s first Election Watch for Zimbabwe

The Election Watch is based on the SADC principles and guidelines for conducting elections. It holds countries to the standards that they originated and agreed to abide by as members of the regional community. It will be released on a monthly basis in order to track progress towards or divergence from the SADC standard. Read [...]

Idasa concerns over vote buying

Democracy institute Idasa has expressed concern over vote buying and the improper use of state resources to influence voters in the upcoming local government election. Idasa’s monitoring has turned up a number of instances of interference and intimidation. Read more here.

Idasa challenges municipal election candidates to disclose their campaign funding

4 May 2011 For Immediate Release Idasa challenges municipal election candidates to disclose their campaign funding South Africa will be holding countrywide municipal elections on Wednesday 18 May 2011. They will be held against a background of many years of mounting dissatisfaction with service delivery, manifested in increasingly widespread protests and rates boycotts.

Idasa concerned at vote buying and improper use of state resources

3 May 2011 For Immediate Release Idasa notes with great concern recent reports, within the media and from our own sources, of vote buying and the improper use of state resources to influence the electoral choices/support of voters in the upcoming 18 May elections.

Idasa says its time National Assembly cracks the whip on truancy

In a report in Business Day Idasa’s Nonhlanhla Chanza reminded us of the disruption absent MPs bring to the work of the National Assembly and its committees. Read full report here.

Idasa warns voter dissatisfaction will be a factor in upcoming poll

A political researcher at African democracy institute Idasa, Justin Sylvester, has said voters are struggling to find new political homes, “and because of levels of dissatisfaction voters then choose to stay at home.” He warned of the impact this will have on the election outcome. “By choosing to stay at home registered voters proportionally increase [...]

Zimbabwe: The Evolving Public Mood

At the end of 2010, Zimbabwean citizens remained broadly supportive of power sharing as an antidote to political crisis.  But they were increasingly critical of the halting performance of their country’s coalition government.  Most people also perceived declining civil liberties and feared resurgent political violence.  Yet clear majorities called for constitutional reforms to limit the [...]

The Experience of Violence by Zimbabwean Women

African democracy institute Idasa, with the Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) have conducted research on Zimbabwean women’s views on transitional justice, looking at how women in that country have been affected by the elections, the inclusive government, transitional justice mechanisms and [...]

Idasa looks at World Cup legacy

Attempts to measure the tangible and intangible benefits left by the World Cup suggest that while expenditure on infrastructure and stadiums significantly boosted the economy and had some impact on job creation, overall gains were skewed in favour of the economic and political elite. Justin Sylvester and Daniel Harju of the Political Information & Monitoring [...]