Effects of Digital Technologies on Africa’s Electoral Democracy Perspectives from South Africa
Main Article Content
Keywords
Digital Technologies, E-Voting, ,Electoral Democracy, Voter Management Devices, South Africa, Africa
Abstract
This paper uses a South African case study to closely examine how the recent explosion of digital technologies has impacted electoral democracy in Africa. It seeks to answer a key research question about the risks and benefits of using technology in elections on the continent. Although South Africa has not adopted e-voting, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) piloted the use of thousands of new voter management devices in the 2021 local government election. At the time, the IEC also said it had delivered its ‘most technologically advanced election’ yet. Despite embracing some of the technological changes, the IEC argues that it is not yet cost-effective to introduce new voting technology in South Africa. There is strong evidence from other African countries too suggesting that the constitutionality and feasibility of electronic voting devices is questionable. The integrity of elections can also be doubtful if the process is not inclusive of the population. Aside from a thorough literature review, this paper analysed a combination of official IEC statements and reports on technology and e-voting in South Africa, including public pronouncements on the use of digital technologies on the African continent. Insights from this work will benefit election officials, policymakers, scholars, and others interested in the advancement of research in this growing field of study.
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References
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Matsheza, S. (2011). Capstone: Defending the Public Sphere in the Information Age: The Possibilities and Constraints of Mobile Technology for Increasing Political Action and Democratic Participation in Zimbabwe. (MA Dissertation. University of Maastricht).
Mayet, H. 2023. The role of digital technologies in African elections, Retrieved from https://medium.com/civictech/the-role-of-digital-technologies-in-african-elections-e8adddda340f (Accessed 20 November 2023).
Mickoleit, A. (2014). Social media use by governments: A policy primer to discuss trends, identify policy opportunities, and guide decision makers. OECD Working Papers on Public Governance, No. 26, OECD Publishing.
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SA Government News Agency. (2022). IEC official sentenced for local government election fraud, Retrieved from https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-official-sentenced-local-government-election-fraud (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Sambo, P. (2021). The applicability of Internet voting in Africa, Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/77251 (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Schrire, R. (2001). The realities of opposition in South Africa: Legitimacies, strategies, and consequences. Democratization. 8:1. pp135-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/714000189
Sguazzin, A. (2021). South Africa wealth gap unchanged since apartheid, says world inequality lab. Time Magazine, Retrieved from https://time.com/6087699/south-africa-wealth-gap-unchanged-since-apartheid/ (Accessed 15 November 2023).
Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without organisations.
Siddle, A. and Koelble, (2016). Local government in South Africa: Can the objectives of the developmental state be achieved through the current model of decentralised governance?, Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy, Retrieved from https://icld.se/app/uploads/files/forskningspublikationer/siddle-koelble-icld-report-7.pdf (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Statistics South Africa. (2023). 60,6 Million people in South Africa, Retrieved from https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=15601 (Accessed 13 November 2023).
Stokes, S. C. (1999). Political parties and democracy. Annual review of political science 1999 2:1, 243-267. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.2.1.243
Teherani A, Martimianakis T, Stenfors-Hayes T, Wadhwa A, and Varpio L.(2015) Choosing a Qualitative Research Approach. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015 Dec;7(4):669-70. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-15-00414.1. PMID: 26692985; PMCID: PMC4675428.
Vankov, N. (2013). The Strategic Dimensions of Political Marketing, Economic Alternatives 3(3), 74–80.
Verified Voting. (2005). Summary of the problem with electronic voting, Retrieved from https://verifiedvoting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/revised_summary31.pdf (Accessed 24 May 2024).
Weiss, R.S. (1995). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview
studies. New York, Simon and Schuster, Retrieved from https://www.poetrypedagogy.com/uploads/8/9/3/8/89385582/weiss_learning_from_strangers.docx (Accessed 14 November 2023).
World Bank Report. (2018). Overcoming poverty and inequality in South Africa: An assessment of drivers, constraints, and opportunities. World Bank, Washington, DC. © World Bank, Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2961 (Accessed 15 November 2023).
Aker, J.C. and Mbiti, I.M. (2010). Mobile phones and development in Africa, Journal of Economic Perspectives 24(3), 207–232. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.24.3.207.
Ajayi, K. (2013). The ICT culture and transformation of electoral governance and politics in Africa: The challenges and prospects, 5th African European Conference on African Studies, Centro de Estudos Internacionais do Instituto Universitario de Lisboa, Madrid, 27–29 June 2013.
Anderson, R.D., Jr., Fish, M.S., Hanson, S.E., and Roeder, P.G. (2001). Postcommunism and the theory of democracy, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691230948-009
Ayawli, B., Samuel, K., and Dotse, S. (2015). E-voting: Success and Failures. Lessons for Africa. International Journal of Management and Information Technology. 10. 2283-2292. 10.24297/ijmit.v10i7.593. https://doi.org/10.24297/ijmit.v10i7.593
Bhandari, P. (2023). What is qualitative research? | Methods & examples, Retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/ (Accessed 24 May 2024).
Bratton, M. and Van de Walle, N. (1997). Democratic experiments in Africa: Regime transition in comparative perspective, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139174657
Civics Academy (2024). What are the key features of democracy?, Retrieved from https://civicsacademy.co.za/what-are-the-key-features-of-a-democracy/ (Accessed 24 May 2024).
Dad, N. and Khan, S. (2023) Reconstructing elections in a digital world, South African Journal of International Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1080/10220461.2023.2265886
Diamond, L. (2010). Liberation technologies, Journal of Democracy 21. no. 3:pp69–83. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.0.0190
Economist Intelligence Unit. Democracy Index. (2022) Frontline Democracy and the Battle for Ukraine, EIU Report.
Electoral Commission Annual Report. (2022). Retrieved from https://nationalgovernment.co.za/entity_annual/2998/2022-electoral-commission-(iec)-of-south-africa-annual-report.pdf (Accessed 25 May 2024).
Fatai, A. (2022). Digital technology can improve Nigeria’s elections: Lessons from 2019, Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/digital-technology-can-improve-nigerias-elections-lessons-from-2019-175551 (Accessed 20 November 2023).
Fombad, C.M. (2021). An overview of the state of electoral democracy in Africa, African Journal of Legal Studies. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/17087384-12340087 (online pp. 1-24).
Freedom House. (2023). Freedom in the world research methodology, Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/reports/freedom-world/freedom-world-research-methodology (Accessed 17 November 2023).
Freedom House. (2023) Eritrea. Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/country/eritrea (Accessed 17 November 2023).
Gumede. W. (2016). Policy Brief 9: New technologies boost democracy and development in Africa, Retrieved from https://www.democracyworks.org.za/policy-brief-9-new-technologies-boost-democracy-development-in-africa/ (Accessed 24 May 2024).
Ibeanu, O. O. (2022). Digital technologies and election management in Africa’s democratisation process, Africa Development / Afrique et Développement, Codesria, Vol. 47, No. 2, Special Issue, pp. 15-40. https://doi.org/10.57054/ad.v47i2.2197
IEC. (2008). Reflections on the state of electoral democracy in South Africa, Multi-Stakeholder Conference, Johannesburg.
IEC. (2021). Voter management devices (vmd). Independent Electoral Commission.
Johnston, K., Kervin, L. and Wyeth, P. (2022). Defining digital technology, Retrieved from https://www.digitalchild.org.au/blog/defining-digital-technology/ (Accessed 15 November 2023).
Khapoya, V. B. (2012). Colonialism and the African experience, In the African experience. 4th Edition. Routledge.
Kolade, O., Obembe, D. and Olufemi, J. (2023). Digital disruption of Africa’s electoral process: Insights from Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4481059
Laverty, A. (2012). ICT, social media, and election in Africa: A prospective study, Retrieved from http://theafricanfile.com/ict/ict-social-media-and-elections-in-africa-a-prospective-study/ (Accessed 15 November 2023).
Maphunye, K.J. (2019). The feasibility of electronic voting technologies in Africa: Selected case examples, The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa 15(1), a621. https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v15i1.621.
Matsheza, S. (2011). Capstone: Defending the Public Sphere in the Information Age: The Possibilities and Constraints of Mobile Technology for Increasing Political Action and Democratic Participation in Zimbabwe. (MA Dissertation. University of Maastricht).
Mayet, H. 2023. The role of digital technologies in African elections, Retrieved from https://medium.com/civictech/the-role-of-digital-technologies-in-african-elections-e8adddda340f (Accessed 20 November 2023).
Mickoleit, A. (2014). Social media use by governments: A policy primer to discuss trends, identify policy opportunities, and guide decision makers. OECD Working Papers on Public Governance, No. 26, OECD Publishing.
Mzekandaba, S. (2021). New tech ‘catapulted’ electoral management, says IEC, Retrieved from https://www.itweb.co.za/content/JN1gP7OYgWwqjL6m (Accessed 9 November 2023).
Omarjee, L. (2019). E-voting: Which countries use it, where has it failed and why?, Retrieved from https://www.news24.com/fin24/e-voting-which-countries-use-it-where-has-it-failed-and-why-20190510 (Accessed 9 November 2023).
Peter, B. L. (2002). The challenges of democracy and democratisation in Southern Africa. SA Yearbook of International Affairs.
Roodt, M. (2021). What did we learn from South Africa’s local elections?, Retrieved from https://africanarguments.org/2021/11/what-did-we-learn-from-south-africa-local-elections/ (Accessed 25 May 2024).
Rossouw, M. (2019). Public participation: An imperative for governance and human rights – lessons from South Africa, Retrieved from http://futureafricaforum.org/2019/03/04/publicparticipation-an-imperative-for-governance-and-human-rights-lessons-from-south-africa/ (Accessed 5 August 2023).
Runde, D. F. and Bryja, T. (2023). The role of AGOA in accelerating Africa’s digital transformation, Retrieved from https://www.csis.org/analysis/role-agoa-accelerating-africas-digital-transformation (Accessed 21 November 2023).
SA Government News Agency. (2022). IEC official sentenced for local government election fraud, Retrieved from https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/iec-official-sentenced-local-government-election-fraud (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Sambo, P. (2021). The applicability of Internet voting in Africa, Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/77251 (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Schrire, R. (2001). The realities of opposition in South Africa: Legitimacies, strategies, and consequences. Democratization. 8:1. pp135-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/714000189
Sguazzin, A. (2021). South Africa wealth gap unchanged since apartheid, says world inequality lab. Time Magazine, Retrieved from https://time.com/6087699/south-africa-wealth-gap-unchanged-since-apartheid/ (Accessed 15 November 2023).
Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without organisations.
Siddle, A. and Koelble, (2016). Local government in South Africa: Can the objectives of the developmental state be achieved through the current model of decentralised governance?, Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy, Retrieved from https://icld.se/app/uploads/files/forskningspublikationer/siddle-koelble-icld-report-7.pdf (Accessed 14 November 2023).
Statistics South Africa. (2023). 60,6 Million people in South Africa, Retrieved from https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=15601 (Accessed 13 November 2023).
Stokes, S. C. (1999). Political parties and democracy. Annual review of political science 1999 2:1, 243-267. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.2.1.243
Teherani A, Martimianakis T, Stenfors-Hayes T, Wadhwa A, and Varpio L.(2015) Choosing a Qualitative Research Approach. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2015 Dec;7(4):669-70. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-15-00414.1. PMID: 26692985; PMCID: PMC4675428.
Vankov, N. (2013). The Strategic Dimensions of Political Marketing, Economic Alternatives 3(3), 74–80.
Verified Voting. (2005). Summary of the problem with electronic voting, Retrieved from https://verifiedvoting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/revised_summary31.pdf (Accessed 24 May 2024).
Weiss, R.S. (1995). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interview
studies. New York, Simon and Schuster, Retrieved from https://www.poetrypedagogy.com/uploads/8/9/3/8/89385582/weiss_learning_from_strangers.docx (Accessed 14 November 2023).
World Bank Report. (2018). Overcoming poverty and inequality in South Africa: An assessment of drivers, constraints, and opportunities. World Bank, Washington, DC. © World Bank, Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/2961 (Accessed 15 November 2023).
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Effects of Digital Technologies on Africa’s Electoral Democracy: Perspectives from South Africa. (2024). Digital Policy Studies, 3(1), 44-57. https://doi.org/10.36615/qs3mht42
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How to Cite
Effects of Digital Technologies on Africa’s Electoral Democracy: Perspectives from South Africa. (2024). Digital Policy Studies, 3(1), 44-57. https://doi.org/10.36615/qs3mht42