Department of Political Science

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Browsing Department of Political Science by Subject "Africa -- Economic conditions"

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    Risk Analysis in Post-Conflict African Countries: Sierra Leone as a Case Study
    (Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010-03) Storo, Christine; Lambrechts, Derica; Swart, G.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Political risk analysis is considered one of the essential ingredients in decision making processes when investing abroad. The Iranian Revolution and the oil crisis in the 1970s accentuated this need as investors increasingly felt the need for a proper assessment of the risks involved in establishing a business in other countries. Negative images of African countries combined with conventional risk models which are not able to accurately assess the political risk realities of post-conflict African countries, may be one of the reasons for why African countries struggle to attract a substantial amount of FDI. This study suggests that alternative risk models which are more African-orientated may aid in improving this situation. This study has analysed the political risk of Sierra Leone using a conventional risk model, and an African-orientated political risk model. The aim of this study was to assess whether conventional political risk models need to be adjusted to be able to more accurately assess the political risk of post-conflict African countries. The main research question guiding this study was:  Are conventional risk models able to objectively rate the political risk of post-conflict countries in Africa? The conclusion of this research was that African-orientated political risk models are able to more accurately assess the political risk of a post-conflict African country such as Sierra Leone. This is mainly due to the soft variables used in a political risk model and also the relationship between the variables included in the models. The African-orientated political risk model needs to be analysed further, but this research has made clear the need for a reevaluation of existing political risk models to be better equipped when analysing post-conflict African countries. This will not only benefit African post-conflict countries in improving their risk ratings, but also provide foreign investors with a more accurate identification of the potential political risks facing an investment in post-conflict African countries. It was acknowledged in this study that the political risk analyses of Sierra Leone were not conducted by someone who has inside information of the political risk models used which is a limitation iii for the results of this study. It is, however, possible to detect potential weaknesses with each political risk model and possible areas of improvements.
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    Seating among the giants: A study of South Africa’s pursuit of the African agenda and voting behaviour in the United Nations Security Council
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) De Lamare, Nelson; Cornelissen, Scarlett; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present study investigates South Africa’s three terms as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2007 – 2008, 2011 – 2012, and 2019-2020 through the lens of the strategy of the African agenda, and its implementation in the UN body. The UNSC is the primary UN body in charge of the maintenance of peace and security at the international level, and as such most African conflicts are addressed in its meetings. Similarly, one of the major goals of South Africa’s African agenda is to ensure peace and security within the continent. Through this strategy, South Africa expresses its will to play an influential role on the continent, to speak on behalf of Africa on the global stage, and to champion its interests in international forums and organisations but also to promote ‘African solutions to African problems’. Examining South Africa’s performance in the UNSC represents, therefore, a useful and valuable way to assess the pursuit of the African agenda. The study aims to assess whether South Africa stayed true to its African agenda in the UNSC through its actions and decisions, illustrated by it voting behaviour, by using a mixed approach combining a quantitative and a qualitative analysis. It examines the voting cohesion between Pretoria and other African members of the Council and critically evaluates its impact on the UNSC by looking at its records in the UN body. The study reveals that South Africa indeed pursued the African agenda in the UNSC as shown by the voting cohesion with the members of the African group and the fact that Pretoria advanced AU’s interests in the UNSC. Based on the analysis of three case studies, the conflicts in Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire and Western Sahara, and South Africa’s voting behaviour on these situations, the study also discusses the influence of Pretoria in shaping the outcomes and decisions of the UN body towards conflicts in the continent, and its alignment with the goals and principles underpinning its strategy of the African agenda. The examination of these three case studies shows that South Africa’s decisions and actions in the UNSC were not always aligned with its stated African agenda. Depending on the cases, the thesis uses the realist and constructivist approaches to understand why Pretoria did not always stay true to its African agenda. It also shows that South Africa remains an influential actor on peace and security at the regional level, particularly in Southern Africa, however, cannot be considered as a major influential continental actor in terms of peace and security.
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    The start of history? The promises and limitations of emerging vectors in Africa's political economy
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2011-08) Cornelissen, Scarlett; SU Language Centre; Heloise Davis
    After matriculating from the Settler’s High School in Bellville, Scarlett Cornelissen studied at the Universities of Rhodes and Cape Town. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Cape Town in 1995. Two years later she obtained a Master’s degree in International Studies (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University. She was awarded a grant by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission to pursue doctoral studies in the United Kingdom, and in 2002 she obtained a PhD from the University of Glasgow. Scarlett works in the field of International Relations and specialises in two topics – the changing dimensions of Africa’s political economy and its relationship to development; and the impacts of Asian (specifically Japanese) economic cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa. In relation to the former she has explored Africa’s connection to the global economy through key industries such as tourism. She has also looked at the way in which African countries have adopted major, strategic projects of global repositioning through, inter alia, mega-projects and mega-events. As part of her second research focus, Scarlett has conducted extensive empirical work on Asian investments in and development assistance to Africa. In 2009 Scarlett received the National Research Foundation’s President’s Award, and was evaluated as a P-rated researcher.