Ethnopopulism in Africa: opposition mobilization in diverse and unequal societies

Is Nationalism on the Rise? Assessing Global Trends

“…Overall, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya can be considered the most ethnically fragmented African states, whereas the level of politicization is greatest also includes South Africa Figure 7. Primary identification with ethnic group in sub-Saharan Africa (Afrobarometer) 6 (Cheeseman & Larmer, 2015). Among the most ethnically fragmented and politicized societies, we can note a marked increase in ethnic identification in Zambia and South Africa.…”

Post-populism in Zambia: Michael Sata’s rise, demise and legacy

“…However, to the extent that the PF vote share grew steadily after 2006, it is worth considering possible connections between populism and identity politics, and between populism and clientelism. Resnick (2013), Cheeseman and Hinfelaar (2009), and Cheeseman and Larmer (2015) all adopt the term 'ethno-populism' in reference to the PF's growing rural support after 2006 and the increasing regional concentrations of the PF vote in the north and the east of the country. Figure 3 shows a stark regional divide that had consolidated by 2016.…”

Republic of Zambia Systematic Country Diagnostic

“…It was the 1991 'founding' election which marked the starting point for a competitive political setting that departed from the dominant setting during Kaunda's one-party rule. In competitive settings (where public institutions are weak and personalized), access to resources is based on personal relationships and patronage (Cheeseman and Larmer 2015;Levy 2014). Zambia is characterized as having weak political mobilization and an electorate that engages with politicians largely through patronage relations rather than holding them to account on matters of public interest.…”