Primary goods make the world go round, and one that makes cars go round is platinum, which is needed in exhaust catalysts. It is a valuable precious metal, and 80 percent of all of the world’s...Show morePrimary goods make the world go round, and one that makes cars go round is platinum, which is needed in exhaust catalysts. It is a valuable precious metal, and 80 percent of all of the world’s platinum can be found in South Africa. Despite this, very few South Africans actually benefit from its lucrative platinum mining sector. In fact, this sector appears to cause more problems for most of the people in mining regions, from bad working conditions to air and water pollution. In this thesis I will argue that the lucrativeness of the platinum mining sector and its many negative externalities are related through the Resource Curse. I hypothesize that the owners of platinum mines will use a specific form of lobbying – cronyism, also known as the ‘revolving door’ – to influence members of the National Assembly of South Africa to adopt policies favorable to the mining sector. My research will focus specifically on the case of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002 (MPRDA).Show less
This research investigates whether or not the resource curse remains applicable when a state transitions from oil dependency to water dependency. In the context of Sudan, this thesis investigates...Show moreThis research investigates whether or not the resource curse remains applicable when a state transitions from oil dependency to water dependency. In the context of Sudan, this thesis investigates the strategic choices of the Salvation Regime during this transition from the '60s till the fall of the regime in '19. Results of this research indicate that (continued) strategic dependency on foreign powers and distributive efforts to capture the voting block domestically by the government strongly reflect on symptoms predicted by the resource curse model.Show less
This thesis investigates the potential barriers to stability natural resource extraction has created in Eastern DRC. This is accomplished using resource curse and rentier state theory in a...Show moreThis thesis investigates the potential barriers to stability natural resource extraction has created in Eastern DRC. This is accomplished using resource curse and rentier state theory in a complementary fashion. This thesis brings forward a nuanced view of how resource extraction can 1) create barriers impeding economic growth, 2) be used as a permissive tool for armed groups to maintain rebellion, and 3) alter state-society relations causing a lack of accountability and transparency from the government, thereby causing corruption and patrimonialism. The existence of a wider ‘curse’ throughout Sub-Saharan Africa is also analyzed and found that the DRC’s case diverges from the regional average. This thesis adds to the practical complementary application of resource curse and rentier state theory, putting forward a nuanced view of the role of natural resources, contrary to the ‘curse’ put forward by mainstream media and academics.Show less
