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Steven Friedman

Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg

Steven Friedman is Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg.

He is a political scientist who has specialized in the study of democracy. He researched and wrote widely on the South African transition to democracy both before and after the elections of 1994 and has, over the past decade, largely written on the relationship between democracy on the one hand, social inequality and economic growth on the other. In particular, he has stressed the role of citizen voice in strengthening democracy and promoting equality.

He is the author of Building Tomorrow Today, a study of the South African trade union movement and the implications of its growth for democracy, and the editor of The Long Journey and The Small Miracle (with Doreen Atkinson), which presented the outcome of two research projects on the South African transition. He is currently studying the role of citizen action in strengthening and sustaining democracy.

US under Trump Series

COVID-19 has blown away the myth about 'First' and 'Third' world competence

May 14, 2020 10:10 am UTC| Economy Politics

One of the planets and Africas deepest prejudices is being demolished by the way countries handle COVID-19. For as long as any of us remember, everyone knew that First World countries in effect, Western Europe and...

Shades of Brazil as anti-corruption drive in South Africa turns nasty

Nov 26, 2018 16:18 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

What better way to derail an anti-corruption campaign than to beat it at its own game? You might damage or derail democracy in the process, but that is the countrys problem, not yours. Anti-corruption campaigns are...

South Africa's ruling ANC can no longer count on union ally to win elections

Sep 30, 2018 22:15 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

South Africas governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), may have to fight next years general election without hundreds of thousands of votes which its trade union ally has delivered in the past. This isnt...

Emerging Market Crisis Series

The markets can stomach a captured Treasury but South Africa's poor will suffer

Apr 18, 2017 05:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The formal economy might find it a lot easier to live with a (partly) captured national treasury than many might imagine. This is bad news for people living in poverty who would then lack friends in high places to resist...

Economy

WTO Ministerial Collapse Leaves Global Digital Trade Rules in Limbo

Four days of high-stakes trade negotiations in Yaoundé, Cameroon ended in deadlock during the early hours of Monday, as World Trade Organization member states failed to agree on a reform agenda or renew a...

U.S. Trade Rep Dismisses WTO's Future Role After Failed Cameroon Summit

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer declared on Monday that the World Trade Organization will play only a marginal role in shaping future global trade policy, following a contentious ministerial meeting in Cameroon...

Bessent: Global Oil Market Well Supplied as U.S. Eyes Hormuz Navigation Control

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reassured markets on Monday that the global oil supply remains stable, pointing to increased vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as a key indicator of improving conditions....

Aluminum Prices Surge Toward Four-Year Highs After Gulf Smelter Strikes

Global aluminum prices shot up sharply on Monday, approaching levels not seen in nearly four years after Iranian missile and drone attacks caused significant damage to major smelting facilities across the Gulf region. The...

Goldman Sachs Sees Value in European Real Estate Stocks Despite Sharp Selloff

European real estate stocks have taken a significant hit since late February, tumbling roughly 14% as rising bond yields and widening credit spreads weigh heavily on the sector. According to Goldman Sachs, valuations have...

Politics

FBI Labels Michigan Synagogue Attack as Hezbollah-Inspired Terrorism

Federal authorities have officially classified the March 12 attack on Michigans largest Jewish temple as an act of terrorism motivated by pro-Hezbollah ideology. The FBIs Detroit field office confirmed the designation on...

Trump Administration Resumes Partial Asylum Processing After Temporary Halt

The Trump administration has announced it will resume processing certain asylum applications following a temporary suspension that was triggered by a high-profile shooting involving an asylum seeker. U.S. Citizenship and...

Trump's Name Spreads Across America: Airports, Warships, and Currency

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday renaming Palm Beach International Airport after former and current President Donald Trump, marking yet another addition to a growing list of American institutions,...

Israel Passes Death Penalty Law Targeting Palestinians in Military Courts

Israels parliament has approved a controversial new law establishing hanging as the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of carrying out deadly attacks. The legislation, championed by far-right...

U.S. Army Investigates Military Helicopters Flying Near Kid Rock's Home and Anti-Trump Protests

The U.S. Army has launched an administrative review after military Apache helicopters were spotted flying near the Nashville home of rock star and Trump supporter Kid Rock, as well as near anti-Trump demonstrations held...

Science

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Technology

Cybersecurity Stocks Tumble After Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI Leak Sparks Market Fears

Major cybersecurity stocks took a sharp hit Friday following reports that Anthropic accidentally exposed details about its next-generation AI model before its official launch. CrowdStrike fell 7%, Palo Alto Networks...

Chinese Universities with PLA Ties Found Purchasing Restricted U.S. AI Chips Through Super Micro Servers

Procurement records reveal that four Chinese universities, two of which have direct ties to the Peoples Liberation Army, acquired Super Micro Computer servers loaded with restricted Nvidia AI chips over the past year. The...

Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon's Blacklisting of AI Company Anthropic

A federal judge has temporarily prevented the Pentagon from enforcing its designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk, dealing an early blow to the Trump administration in a growing dispute over...

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...