The effective of redistricting on South Africa's electocal process: the case of Gauteng
Date
2017
Authors
Agrizzi, Giancarlo
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Abstract
This thesis aims to analyse the effects of redistricting on the South African electoral processes,
placing specific focus on the region of Gauteng and the three metropolitan municipalities
located within it. While significant research on South Africa’s electoral system has been
conducted, not much has been done with regards to the demarcation process in South Africa.
Elections have been suggested to form a fundamental part of any democratic system, which
coincides with the idea that institutional integrity ensures a strong democracy. In the context
of constituency-based systems, many countries have displayed elements of using the process
of redistricting to gain political advantage over another party. The act of redistricting
manipulation was later referred to as gerrymandering, which is the manipulation of district
lines by one political party to gain an advantage over another.
The original contribution of this thesis lies primarily in its investigation into the effects of
redistricting on electoral processes, which make use of a multiple case study research design
to identify redistricting and demarcation tools and techniques aimed at resolving the past
inequalities and ensuring effective elections. This approach has been adopted because multiple
cases allow for a wide-range of perspectives on the study to be gathered and establishes a
platform for comprehensive generalisations. Repeated evidence from multiple case studies
assists in better supporting these generalised findings. Complementary to the multiple case
study approach, this thesis makes use of qualitative data obtained from the Independent
Electoral Commission and Municipal Demarcations Board.
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg , 2018
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Citation
Agrizzi, Giancarlo (2017) The effects of redistricting on South Africa's electoral processes: the case of Gauteng, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, https://hdl.handle.net/10539/27038