Popular political analyst Levy Ndou has added another feather to his graduation cap. Ndou, a sought-after political analyst and strong critic of corruption, was conferred a PhD degree in public management and governance by the North-West University (NWU) at a recent graduation ceremony at the Kompas Gemeente in Vanderbijlpark.

In his thesis, "An analysis of a coalition government: A new path in administration and governance at local government level in South Africa”, he analysed the voter trends in South Africa, confirming that South Africa appeared to be heading for a coalition era in its body politic.

His study affirmed that coalition governments at local government level are characterised by conflict and instability, and are not based on an ideology.

 "I observed the instabilities in metros that are governed by coalitions in South Africa since 2016. With the exception of Ekurhuleni, all were characterised by conflict and instability, with citizens being the victims.

“Therefore, I realised that I could contribute to averting the bad situation in our metros by providing a stability framework for coalitions," he says.

Levi, who hails from Lwamondo Village in the former Venda homeland, is currently a lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology, where he is lecturing on political science, public policy and governance.

He says the journey to earning his doctoral degree was not easy.

"Studying while working was a tall task, and put enormous strain on my personal time. It took a lot of discipline and sacrifice to be where I am, and I am so happy I finally obtained this qualification," he adds.

He says it was always his dream to get a PhD, not only for personal growth, but also to inspire his students. He now wants to plough back his knowledge and insights into the academic community.

"I have started reaching out to other graduates to encourage them to further their studies and achieve higher qualifications.”

Levi says through obtaining his PhD, he is now better positioned to focus on developing his research skills, to contribute to providing solutions for South Africa.

Levy Ndou.