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| Title: | South Africa's 1999 Election: Consolidating a Dominant Party System |
| Author: | Lanegran, Kimberly |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Periodical: | Africa Today |
| Volume: | 48 |
| Issue: | 2 |
| Period: | Summer |
| Pages: | 81-102 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | South Africa |
| Subjects: | elections 1999 opposition parties multiparty systems Politics and Government Ethnic and Race Relations |
| External link: | http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/africa_today/v048/48.2lanegran.pdf |
| Abstract: | South Africa's constitutional transformation from apartheid to democracy is complete. The 2 June 1999 national and provincial elections conducted under the new Constitution of 1996 signalled the end of the transitional power sharing Government of National Unity, and the 5 December 2000 local government elections completed the formal process. However, manifold factors caution against eagerly proclaiming democracy secure in South Africa. One of the great challenges to democratic consolidation in the country is the development of a competitive political party system. Given South Africa's history of ethnic polarization and the postapartheid electoral dominance of the ANC, two interrelated lines of inquiry concerning political parties are of particular relevance. The first concerns the strength of the opposition parties. Specifically, have those parties articulated policy alternatives and attracted new voters? Furthermore, since racial demographics necessitate that any majority party obtain significant support from the majority African population, are the opposition parties' constituencies racially inclusive? The nature of the ANC's overwhelming popularity is the second point of concern. Is the ANC enjoying increased ability to win votes, and is the ANC's support base broadening beyond its traditional constituency to include racial minorities? This paper probes these questions with particular attention to the Western Cape Province and the town of George. The analysis of election results and public opinion polls supports mixed conclusions concerning the ability of South Africa's party system to become truly competitive. On the positive side, the polls show that the South African electorate has not divided itself into reified party blocs and does not primarily use racial identity to determine party preference. However, many characteristics of the opposition parties and features of the 1999 election indicate that the ANC's dominance is likely to continue for a significant period. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. |
