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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

Asian Stocks Mixed in March 2026 Amid Iran War Fears and Tech Selloff

Asian equity markets closed out March 2026 on shaky ground, with most regional indexes posting significant monthly losses as the ongoing U.S.-Israel war on Iran rattled investor confidence and disrupted energy markets. A...

South Korea's $17.3 Billion Emergency Budget Targets Oil Price Surge

South Korea unveiled a sweeping supplementary budget worth $17.3 billion on Tuesday, aimed at shielding consumers and businesses from the economic fallout of a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East. The emergency...

China Manufacturing PMI Hits 12-Month High Amid Energy Price Concerns

Chinas factory sector expanded at its strongest pace in a year during March, offering a boost to an economy navigating global supply chain challenges and volatile energy markets. The official manufacturing Purchasing...

Dollar Surges to Nine-Month High as Middle East Tensions Drive Safe-Haven Demand

The U.S. dollar climbed to its strongest level since May last year on Monday, buoyed by growing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against six major currencies,...

U.S. Stock Futures Surge After WSJ Report on Trump's Iran War Exit Strategy

U.S. stock index futures climbed sharply Monday evening, erasing earlier losses after the Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump is weighing an end to the Iran conflict even if the Strait of Hormuz...

Politics

U.S. Senators Challenge FCC Chair Over Nexstar-Tegna Merger Approval

Two prominent U.S. Senators have raised serious concerns over the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) recent decision to greenlight a major media merger. Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Maria...

Trump Weighs Ending Iran Campaign With Strait of Hormuz Still Closed

President Donald Trump is reportedly open to halting U.S. military operations against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Monday. The development marks a...

California's AI Executive Order Pushes Responsible Tech Use in State Contracts

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a landmark executive order Monday, setting new standards for artificial intelligence governance in state contracting. The directive requires companies seeking government contracts to...

Iran Strikes Oil Tanker Near Dubai Amid U.S. Threats and Ongoing Middle East Conflict

Iran launched an attack on a fully loaded crude oil tanker off the coast of Dubai on Monday, setting the Kuwait-flagged vessel Al-Salmi ablaze in one of the most dramatic escalations since the United States and Israel...

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...

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...