This timely symposium will bring together policymakers, electoral stakeholders, civil society leaders, and academics to critically reflect on the significant political shifts that occurred during the 2024 electoral cycle across Southern Africa. These include South Africa's coalition governance, Mozambique's post-election unrest and the challenges to the dominance of liberation movements in Botswana.  The symposium will provide an opportunity to assess regional democratic trends and electoral integrity, as well as the future of democratic inclusion.

Symposium Details

Date: 31 July 2025
Venue: University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, South Africa

Background

The year 2024 was a pivotal time for global democracy, with more than 60 countries holding national elections that affected over half of the world's population. This unprecedented electoral cycle took place amid increasing democratic backsliding, rising authoritarianism and mounting public disillusionment with traditional political systems. From India's massive general election to the US presidential race, voters worldwide grappled with questions about representation, accountability, and the future of democratic governance. The global trends of political polarisation, declining trust in institutions and the impact of technology on electoral processes have created new challenges for democratic consolidation in both established and emerging democracies

Against this global backdrop, Southern Africa witnessed some of the most consequential elections in 2024, with five countries — South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Mauritius — conducting national and provincial elections. These elections were particularly significant as they tested the resilience of the democratic institutions established during the post-liberation era while also revealing critical tensions between legal frameworks and their practical implementation. The region experienced unprecedented political shifts, including the potential end of single-party dominance in South Africa, violent post-election conflicts in Mozambique, and evolving electoral dynamics challenging traditional liberation movement politics, such as the case of the Botswana Elections. These developments occurred within the framework of regional commitments under the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) principles, highlighting the progress made, as well as the gaps that remain in democratic practice across the region.

Rationale:

The 2024 Southern African electoral cycle is a pivotal time for democratic reflection and strategic planning in the region. The elections highlighted several challenges to democratic consolidation, such as waning public trust in electoral bodies, ongoing obstacles to the political participation of marginalised groups, and escalating tensions between legal frameworks and their practical application. The emergence of post-election conflicts, particularly in Mozambique, alongside South Africa's historic shift towards coalition governance, demonstrates the urgent need for sustained dialogue on democratic governance, electoral integrity and conflict prevention. It is essential to bring together electoral stakeholders, civil society, academia and policymakers at a symposium to critically examine these developments, share lessons learned and develop strategies for strengthening democratic institutions ahead of future electoral cycles, including South Africa's pivotal 2026 local government elections.

Objectives:

1. Assess electoral integrity and institutional performance.
   Evaluate the effectiveness of election management bodies, electoral technologies and legal frameworks in the 2024 Southern African elections. Identify best practices and areas requiring institutional strengthening to enhance public confidence and electoral credibility.

2. Analyse political transformation and party system evolution.
   Examine the evolving political landscape in Southern Africa, focusing on the decline of liberation movement dominance and the rise of coalition politics, and consider the implications for democratic governance and political stability in the region.

3. Address democratic inclusion and representation gaps
   Investigate the persistent barriers to political participation faced by marginalised groups, paying particular attention to the declining representation of women in political structures despite increased voter turnout. Develop strategies to enhance inclusive democratic participation.

4. Examine post-election conflict prevention and management.
   Analyse the causes and consequences of post-election disputes and conflicts, with a particular focus on the crisis in Mozambique, in order to develop frameworks for the early warning of, and the prevention and peaceful resolution of, electoral grievances in future elections.

5. Develop strategic recommendations for democratic consolidation.
   Generate actionable policy recommendations to strengthen democratic institutions, improve electoral processes and enhance regional cooperation mechanisms in order to support credible elections.