Dr. Gideon Hlamalani Chitanga

Gideon Hlamalani Chitanga holds a PhD in political science, a Master in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies, Part of Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. A BA, and Diploma in education. His research interests include geopolitical contentions and contestations, and impacts on democracy and development in the global south, (African) International relations, diplomacy and foreign policy(ies), democratization, and democratic roll back, governance, democracy, and human rights.
Gideon Hlamalani Chitanga is visiting scholar, and fellow of the Democratizing the Developmental state hub at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape town, in South Africa, and, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Centre for Africa China Studies (CACS), University of Johannesburg. He is a former Research Associate at the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) at the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg.
Chitanga has worked in civil society organizations, Think tanks, academia, research, education, and the media. He is a regularly sought-after political analyst at South African and international Radio, TV channels and print media. He is a contributor to the Star Newspaper in South Africa.

Working Group

Human Rights

Research Project

Hegemonic Shifts and Contestations: Great Power Competition and Rivalry Between the EU and US versus China, and its Implications for Democratization and Human Rights in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA)

This research investigates the potential threat of authoritarian diffusion to democratization and human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) focusing on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, based on the case study of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Growing Sino-African relations, particularly China’s expanding economic and political influence, has sparked concerns amidst the ongoing geopolitical rivalry with the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). The five countries under study hold some of the most significant deposits of critical minerals essential for the green transition and new technologies, positioning them as key players in emerging global value chains. While extensive literature explores the surge in Sino-African ties, a gap exists in understanding how this great power rivalry impacts the challenges and prospects of democratisation and human rights. Proponents of authoritarian diffusion theory suggest that China’s rise, closer economic and political ties with African countries could promote authoritarian norms and practices, potentially undermining fragile democratization, and human rights. The historical relationship between the US and EU with Africa has been complex. While they have promoted democratic reforms, instances of supporting authoritarian regimes aligned with their interests have also occurred. SADC’s 1990s democratic wave yielded uneven progress, sparking criticism of perceived US/EU interventionism. SADC leaders prioritise national sovereignty and regional solidarity. Drawing on existing literature and debates on the paradoxical role of external actors in democratisation and authoritarian diffusion, this research examines the interplay between democracy promotion and diffusion vis-à-vis authoritarian diffusion in the SADC region. The specific authoritarian dynamics and practices of concern, as mirrored in the authoritarian diffusion literature will be investigated through detailed case studies of the five selected countries. This research aims to contribute to a nuanced understanding of how China’s growing influence interacts with existing US and EU involvement, ultimately shaping the future of democracy in the SADC region, and broadly, in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).