Panel Organisers: Mario Zamponi / Arigo Pallotti / Henning Melber / Ian Phimister

The nature, actors and obstacles of democratisation and socio-economic change in Southern Africa have stimulated the analyses and debates since the 1990s. The end of the Cold War was followed by a final appeasement strategy in the sub-region. The visible results included uneven (and frequently problematic) transitions from one-party states to multi-party democracies in much of the sub-region, the Independence of Namibia (1990), the transition to a non-racial political system in South Africa (1994), and the implementation of mainstream economic reform packages in many countries in the region. Despite these transitions, the persistence of high poverty rates and the legacy of deeply entrenched authoritarian mindsets and forms of political rule remain among the many obstacles, which stand in the way of deeper democratisation and more equal, sustainable development for the majority of people in Southern and Central Africa. The two sessions take stock of some of the relevant aspects linked to the current shifts in the sub region.