Three decades of South African democratic experiment : consolidating or retreating?

Abstract

South Africa’s transition from colonialism and apartheid to a constitutional democracy was fraught with many complex challenges which included several difficult phases. During apartheid, the National Party minority government enacted laws that promoted and advanced the democratic, political and civil rights of a few to the detriment of the black Africans that constituted the vast majority of the country’s population. This triggered a challenging and protracted fight for an inclusive democratic system of government where a person’s social standing, race and gender would not serve as a factor determining their rights and their treatment by the state. Over time, and with the support of international organisations and governments, South Africans embraced a need for a dialogue that culminated in the 1994 democratic breakthrough which brought with it many political opportunities. This study uses the pragmatic paradigm to assess the role of both apartheid and the post-1994 democratic era in serving or hindering the country’s democratic consolidation. Whereas the theoretical framework underpinning this study facilitates both the analytical and conceptual constitution of the research on the state of South African democracy with specific concern over its consolidation or retreat. To this end, the research appropriates the institutional approach. This study first assesses the institutionalisation, legalisation, and entrenchment of the political, racial, social and economic stratification of South Africa. Later it assesses the role of the post-1994 democracy in strengthening institutions, values and practices that are geared towards democratic deepening. The study concludes by arguing that South Africa’s democratic experiment although facing challenges, has overall shown the resilience of the South African society, even though equality remains an unfulfilled promise for many.