ABSTRACT
This chapter adopts a 'holistic' view of politics in the region, not simply concentrating on the 'state-in-society' approach of comparative politics which focuses on the social and political interactions between states and societies. The role of the international donor community in regional politics is also exemplified by South Africa. The international financial institutions played a significant role in directing the policy choices of the ANC in the run-up to the 1994 elections in South Africa. The fluidity of African boundaries and the regularity with which they are disputed and contested illustrates something of the complexity of representing 'patterns' of governance and politics in eastern and southern Africa. The chapter describes these various aspects of African politics. It focuses on the particular theme of democratisation, exploring its connections to experiences of conflict in Angola and the DRC or to wider issues of empowerment and development in Kenya and South Africa.
