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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

Trump Eyes 15% Tariff on Canadian Auto Imports in New Trade Deal

The Trump administration is reportedly considering cutting tariffs on Canadian automobile imports to 15% from 25% as part of a broader U.S.-Canada trade agreement. In exchange, Canada would remove retaliatory trade...

US Treasury Doubles Long-Term Bond Buybacks as Yields Surge

The U.S. Treasury has doubled planned buybacks of long-duration government bonds in an effort to improve market liquidity after a sharp Treasury selloff pushed borrowing costs to multi-year highs. Under the revised...

Fed Minutes Signal Rate Hikes Remain Possible as Inflation Risks Persist

Federal Reserve officials indicated that additional interest rate hikes could be necessary if inflation fails to ease, according to minutes from the central banks July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The Fed...

US Dollar Hits Three-Month Low as Treasury Yields Fall

The U.S. dollar dropped to its weakest level in more than three months on Wednesday as falling Treasury yields pressured the greenback, while investors assessed the Federal Reserves latest signals on inflation and interest...

Gold Tops $4,500 as Dollar Slides After Treasury Bond Move

Gold prices surged on Wednesday, breaking above $4,500 an ounce for the first time since early June as falling U.S. Treasury yields pressured the dollar and boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold climbed 4% to...

Politics

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Plan UK Move With Children

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly preparing to relocate to Britain with their two children this month, marking a significant return to the UK six years after the couple stepped back from their roles as senior...

Ukraine Names Yevhenii Khmara Defence Minister Amid Election Row

Ukrainian lawmakers appointed Yevhenii Khmara as the countrys new defence minister on Wednesday, deepening a major political shake-up as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy faces pressure over wartime elections and a fresh...

Trump Administration Allocates $206 Million for Gaza Peacekeeping Force

President Donald Trumps administration is allocating more than $206 million to support a proposed Gaza peacekeeping force, marking the first major U.S. financial commitment to its stalled Gaza reconstruction and security...

Israel, Syria Discuss Turkey’s Military Presence Before Airstrike

Israels Mossad chief Roman Gofman held a rare phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on August 14, with Turkeys growing military presence in Syria dominating the discussion, according to three people...

UN Chief Raises Concern Over US Sanctions on ICC Officials

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed serious concern over the United States decision to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Revenue Rises 18% in Q2 as Losses Widen and Anthropic Surges Ahead

OpenAI reported an 18% increase in second-quarter revenue, but widening losses and rapid growth at rival Anthropic are adding pressure on the ChatGPT maker, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI told investors that...

Unitree Robotics Shares Soar Over 600% in Shanghai Market Debut

Unitree Robotics shares skyrocketed in their Shanghai stock market debut on Wednesday, highlighting surging investor interest in Chinas robotics and artificial intelligence sectors. The Chinese humanoid robot maker saw its...

Goldman Sachs Names 9 Top Japanese Semiconductor and Electronics Stocks

Goldman Sachs has identified nine Japanese semiconductor and electronic components stocks it believes are well positioned for growth, particularly as artificial intelligence and data center demand accelerates. The bank...

Baidu Shares Sink to One-Year Low as Ad Weakness Overshadows AI Growth

Baidu shares plunged to a near one-year low on Wednesday after the Chinese technology giant reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter results, as declining advertising revenue overshadowed strong growth across its...

OpenAI Tightens AI Safety Monitoring After Security Incidents

OpenAI is strengthening oversight of its most advanced artificial intelligence models as the company works to prevent unexpected or potentially dangerous behavior from increasingly autonomous AI systems. The ChatGPT...