UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Human Sciences – Department of Politics
⋄
AFRICAN POLITICS
APC3701
Assignment 1 – Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code APC3701 – African Politics
Assignment Assignment 1
Semester Semester 1, 2026
Qualification BA Political Science / BA Hons
Institution University of South Africa (UNISA)
Faculty College of Human Sciences
Topics Multiparty Democracy & Democratisation in South-
ern Africa
Format Academic Essay – APA 7th Edition
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for APC3701 – UNISA, 2026
,UNISA | APC3701 African Politics – Assignment 1
Contents
Question 1: Challenges Facing Multiparty Democracy in Southern Africa 2
Question 2: Successes and Challenges of Democratisation in Southern Africa 10
Reference List 16
Page 1 of 17
, UNISA | APC3701 African Politics – Assignment 1
Question 1: Challenges Facing Multiparty Democracy in Southern Africa – Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe and Botswana
1.1 Introduction
Multiparty democracy rests on a set of foundational principles: competitive elections, free-
dom of association, protection of civil liberties, an independent judiciary, and the peaceful
transfer of power. Southern Africa has witnessed important democratic transitions since the
early 1990s, but the region has also produced some of the most instructive case studies of how
democracy can be formally embraced and simultaneously undermined from within. Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and Botswana each present a distinct trajectory, and taken together they illustrate
how varied the challenges of multiparty democracy can be in the African context (Southall,
2013).
This question examines the specific challenges facing multiparty democracy in each of these
three countries, drawing on their political histories, institutional characteristics, and recent
developments.
Page 2 of 17
College of Human Sciences – Department of Politics
⋄
AFRICAN POLITICS
APC3701
Assignment 1 – Semester 1, 2026
⋄
Module Code APC3701 – African Politics
Assignment Assignment 1
Semester Semester 1, 2026
Qualification BA Political Science / BA Hons
Institution University of South Africa (UNISA)
Faculty College of Human Sciences
Topics Multiparty Democracy & Democratisation in South-
ern Africa
Format Academic Essay – APA 7th Edition
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for APC3701 – UNISA, 2026
,UNISA | APC3701 African Politics – Assignment 1
Contents
Question 1: Challenges Facing Multiparty Democracy in Southern Africa 2
Question 2: Successes and Challenges of Democratisation in Southern Africa 10
Reference List 16
Page 1 of 17
, UNISA | APC3701 African Politics – Assignment 1
Question 1: Challenges Facing Multiparty Democracy in Southern Africa – Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe and Botswana
1.1 Introduction
Multiparty democracy rests on a set of foundational principles: competitive elections, free-
dom of association, protection of civil liberties, an independent judiciary, and the peaceful
transfer of power. Southern Africa has witnessed important democratic transitions since the
early 1990s, but the region has also produced some of the most instructive case studies of how
democracy can be formally embraced and simultaneously undermined from within. Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and Botswana each present a distinct trajectory, and taken together they illustrate
how varied the challenges of multiparty democracy can be in the African context (Southall,
2013).
This question examines the specific challenges facing multiparty democracy in each of these
three countries, drawing on their political histories, institutional characteristics, and recent
developments.
Page 2 of 17
