The centralization and fragmentation of South Africa's dominant party system

African Affairs

Volumn 97, Issue 389, 1998, Pages 443-469

  Southall, Roger ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CENTRALIZATION; DEMOCRACY; PARTY POLITICS; POLITICAL SYSTEM;

SOUTH AFRICA;

EID: 0032436842     PISSN: 00019909     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a007966     Document Type: Article

References (82)

1. For one recent review see Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson, 'The probability of democratic success in South Africa', Democratization, 4, 4 (1997), pp. 1-15.
2. Willem Van Vuuren, 'Transition politics and the prospects of democratic consolidation in South Africa', Politikon, 22, 1 (1995), 5-23.
3. Van Vuuren, 'Transition politics', p. 8.
4. The obvious problem with rotation of parties in power as an indicator of democratic consolidation is that, even in conditions where the conduct of elections is free and fair, voters may choose to return the same party to power in one contest after another, even if that entrenches something of a culture of intolerance. See Kenneth Good, 'Authoritarian Liberalism: A defining characteristic of Botswana', Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 14, 1 (1996), pp. 29-52.
5. Roger Southall, 'The South African Elections of 1994: The remaking of a dominant party State', The Journal of Modern African Studies, 32, 4 (1994), pp. 629-655.
6. The literature on post-apartheid challenges is endless. For one useful collection concerning policy options, see Robert Schrire ed., Wealth or Poverty? Critical choices for South Africa (Oxford University Press, Cape Town, 1992).
7. Republic of South Africa (RSA), Government Gazette 15466, 28 January 1994, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993.
8. South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR), South Africa Survey 1996-97, pp. 520-23.
9. The Sunday Independent, 23 June 1996.
10. SAIRR, Race Relations Survey 1994-95, p. 337.
11. For one survey, see Richard Humphries, Thabo Rapoo and Steven Friedman, 'The shape of the country: Negotiating regional government', in Steven Friedman and Doreen Atkinson, eds., The Small Miracle: South Africa's negotiated settlement (Ravan Press, Johannesburg, 1994), pp. 148-81.
12. Mail & Guardian, 21-27 June 1997, p. 10.
13. Abattoirs; Ambulance services; non-national archives, libraries, and museums; an array of local government matters; provincial planning, cultural matters, recreation, sports, roads and traffic; and veterinary services, excluding regulation of the profession. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996, schedule 5.
14. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, para. 44.
15. Voting by delegation is replaced by delegates voting as individuals only after a Bill affecting the provinces is passed by the NCOP only in an amended form (or if a Bill originating in the Council itself is returned by the Assembly in an amended form) and has thereafter gone through a complex process of mediation between the two houses. For Bills amending the constitution, amendments must be passed by at least 75 percent of Assembly members and the support of six rather than five provinces. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996: paras 74-6.
16. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, para 4.
17. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, chapter 13. Business Day, 1 August 1997.
18. SAIRR, South Africa Survey 1996-97, pp. 557-58; Mail & Guardian, 24-30 January 1997; Business Day, 17 February 1997.
19. SAIRR, South Africa Survey 1996-97, pp. 557-58; Mail & Guardian, 24-30 January 1997; Business Day, 17 February 1997.
20. SAIRR, South Africa Survey 1996-97, pp. 557-58; Mail & Guardian, 24-30 January 1997; Business Day, 17 February 1997.
21. SAIRR, South Africa Survey 1996-97, p. 556.
22. Mail & Guardian, 30 May-5 June; 27 June-3 July; 25-31 July; 15-21, and 22-28 July 1997; Business Day, 30 September 1997; Sunday Independent, 5 October 1997.
23. Mail & Guardian, 30 May-5 June; 27 June-3 July; 25-31 July; 15-21, and 22-28 July 1997; Business Day, 30 September 1997; Sunday Independent, 5 October 1997.
24. Mail & Guardian, 30 May-5 June; 27 June-3 July; 25-31 July; 15-21, and 22-28 July 1997; Business Day, 30 September 1997; Sunday Independent, 5 October 1997.
25. The Mail & Guardian, 4-10 October 1996, observed: 'For individual MPs, it throws up questions about their relevance, what they can achieve. They see themselves as ineffective. As a result, many are reviewing their positions. "A lot of people are just treading water, waiting to see what happens. . . . Others are getting out while they can". Those who can are leaving for new, more secure jobs - in the private sector, like Constitutional Assembly chairman Cyril Ramaphosa, or in the civil service. "The stakes are much higher now - if you get chopped as an MP and you only have a high school qualification what do you do?".'
26. Business Day, 30 May, and 6, 29 June 1997.
27. SAIRR 1996-97, pp. 1996-97.
28. Mail & Guardian, 4-10 October 1996.
29. Marion Edmunds, 'Who needs the provinces?', Mail & Guardian, 12-18 September 1997.
30. Roger Southall, 'A deepening of democracy? Establishing provincial government in South Africa'. Africa Insight (forthcoming).
31. Business Day, 26 June 1997.
32. SAIRR 1996-97, pp. 688-689. Central government has also agreed to absorb some R11bn. of provincial debt; see Business Day, 10 September 1997.
33. SAIRR 1996-97, pp. 688-689. Central government has also agreed to absorb some R11bn. of provincial debt; see Business Day, 10 September 1997.
34. SAIRR, 1996-97, p.702.
35. Business Day, 7 August 1997. But poorer provinces are objecting that such a system would be inequitable; see Eastern Province Herald, 8 October 1997.
36. Business Day, 7 August 1997. But poorer provinces are objecting that such a system would be inequitable; see Eastern Province Herald, 8 October 1997.
37. RSA, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, paras. 100 and 216.
38. SAIRR 1996-97, p. 687.
39. Business Day, 1 April 1997.
40. Business Day, 26 June 1997.
41. Business Day, 30 May 1997.
42. Business Day, 4 June 1997.
43. Mail & Guardian, 27 March-3 April 1997.
44. 'Instead of being charged or being held publicly accountable for the widespread maladministration which forced the government to dismantle the Mpumalanga Development Corporation, its CEO [Chief Executive Officer], Patrick Mogorosi, was granted a "generous settlement" . . . (He) was also allowed to resign from his post instead of being dismissed, despite an independent investigation by Coopers & Lybrand which found that he had abused his financial powers and had routinely intimidated staff into altering accounting records. Former government consultants Eugene Nyati and Ntsoaki Mohapis were also not charged after investigations . . . revealed that they had paid each other up to R15,000 per day while advising the government on how to save money . . . Provincial director general Frank Mbatha, and senior officials from the province's finance and treasury departments also repeatedly failed to deliver reports to the public accounts committee on government farms which were ceded to four politicians at minimal costs without going through the tender board and without treasury approval . . . Mail & Guardian, 27 March-3 April 1997.
45. Sunday Independent, 18 May 1997.
46. Business Day, 11, 25 and 27 June 1997.
47. Eastern Province Herald, 28 March 1997 and 9 July 1997; Business Day, 8 September 1997.
48. Eastern Province Herald, 28 March 1997 and 9 July 1997; Business Day, 8 September 1997.
49. Business Day, 22 August 1997.
50. Business Day, 25 June 1997.
51. Daily Despatch, 4 March 1998.
52. The first survey was conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council in mid-1996, and reported in Business Day, 9 November 1996; the second was undertaken by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), and reported in Business Day, 7 October 1997.
53. The first survey was conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council in mid-1996, and reported in Business Day, 9 November 1996; the second was undertaken by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), and reported in Business Day, 7 October 1997.
54. Donald Silke, 'Is there process to political realignment?', Cape Times, 9 November 1996.
55. I refer to the political moment around the signing of the Record of Understanding on 26 September 1992, whereby the ANC and NP government, as well as agreeing upon various security measures, also came to the important agreement that an elected constitution-making body should double up as an interim legislature under an interim constitution. Whereas for its part the government had now unambiguously recognized the ANC as its key partner in managing the transition, the ANC had equally openly signalled its recognition of the necessity of conceding a sharing of power. This essentially represented an abandonment by the NP of the IFP as an ally. See Steven Friedman, 'South Africa's Reluctant Transition', Journal of Democracy, 4, 2 (1993), pp. 56-70.
56. Alexander Johnstone, 'Towards a de facto one party state? Opposition and democratization in South Africa's developing political culture', paper given to the Association of African Political Science (AAPS), 11th Biennial Congress, University of Durban-Westville, 23-26 June 1997.
57. Suzanne Berry, 'Democratisation and Political Elites in Kwazulu-Natal: An agenda for research', paper given to the AAPS 11th Biennial Congress, University of Durban-Westville, 23-26 June 1997.
58. Business Day, 1 August 1996 and 25 July 1997.
59. Ironically, although he had done as much as anybody to stifle democracy, he justified his departure from the party on the grounds of the concentration of power under Buthelezi. See Business Day, 15 August 1997.
60. Business Day, 15 August 1997.
61. The IDASA survey reported that support for the NP in the small Northern Province had increased to 49 percent in June 1997 (compared to 41 percent at the election), whilst support for the ANC had decreased from nearly 50 percent in 1994 to 31 percent. Against this, NP control over Western Province was reported as now at risk, with but 32 percent of that electorate indicating support for that party in June 1997. See Business Day, 7 October 1997.
62. Eastern Province Herald, 20 February 1997.
63. Business Day, 17 February 1997; Eastern Province Herald, 20 February and 28 June 1997.
64. Business Day, 17 February 1997; Eastern Province Herald, 20 February and 28 June 1997.
65. Business Day, 9 May 1997.
66. Kuseni Dlamini, 'NP, ANC wrangle over coloured vote as 1999 election looms' Business Day, 9 February 1998.
67. Patrick Cull, 'Grave looms for terminally ill NP', Eastern Province Herald, 28 June 1997.
68. Johnstone, 'Towards a de facto one party state?'
69. Business Day, 27 April 1997.
70. The Sunday Independent, 21 July 1996.
71. Farouk Chothia, 'Awkward alliance may just be possible', Business Day, 8 January 1998;
72. Ben Ngubane, 'ANC's talk of a merger with IFP is a gimmick to confuse our members', Sunday Independent, 18 January 1998.
73. Roelf Meyer, 'Only a new party without baggage can be truly nonracial', Sunday Independent, 8 June 1997.
74. Business Day, 26 May 1997.
75. Mail & Guardian, 18-24 October 1997.
76. Business Day, 29 September 1997.
77. Although both were rejected for membership until such time as they might have successfully proved their innocence in criminal proceedings being launched against them.
78. Holomisa is making bold claims that the UDM will take 25 percent of the poll in Northern Province, and will also do well in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and Guateng ('where it (will) beat both the National Party and the Freedom Front'). Its threat, it would seem, could well prove greater to the NP than the ANC.
79. Deanne Collins and Malcolm Ray, 'The September Commission: Confronting the future', South African Labour Bulletin, 21, 5 (1997), pp. 11-16.
80. The DP apparently subscribes to the belief that the ANC's drive for control is driven by all three of these factors. See 'DP warns against centralisation of power in hands of the state', Business Day, 6 February 1998.
81. Sisk 'Review article: Perspectives on South Africa's transition: Implications for democratic consolidation', Politikon, 21, 1 (1994), pp. 66-85.
82. Sisk, 'Review article', p. 69.