At least two dozen presidential, national, regional and local elections are held across the African continent each year. The sometimes fierce electoral competition, a history of violence or vote rigging make it especially important to know that elections are free, fair and credible. This is where election observers come in. The Conversation Africa’s politics editor, Thabo Leshilo, spoke to Kealeboga J. Maphunye, a political scientist and elections expert, about the often difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, work of observers.
