The Polarizing Effects of Poor Governance: A Reflection on South Africa

Jordan Fredericks

《Taiwan Journal of Democracy》 18卷1期 (2022/07) Pp. 127-143

摘要

South Africa's society has been polarized historically along the lines of race, class, and income. The 1994 transition toward democracy brought with it an era of national optimism and a brief period of reconciliation in which these lines were slightly diffused. At the helm of this national reconciliation was the ruling African National Congress (ANC), guided by its overarching nation-building plan, the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). Despite the noble aspirations of the NDR, its governance strategy of cadre deployment often has contradicted the constitutional aspiration of impartial good governance that ensures the balance between minority and majority interests. Moreover, the NDR allowed the facilitation of a corrupt network under the administration of former South African president, Jacob Zuma. The Zuma years were characterized broadly by poor governance, corruption, economic malaise, social discontent, and most significantly the re-emergence of polarized tensions. This essay reflects on poor governance under the Zuma administration and how it flamed polarization in the country.

關鍵字

African National Congress ； cadre deployment ； corruption ； democracy ； Jacob Zuma ； National Democratic Revolution ； poor governance ； state capture

參考文獻

Jordan Fredericks and Nicola de Jager, “An Analysis of the Historical Roots of Partisan Governance within the ANC: Understanding the Road to State Capture,” Politikon, 2021, DOI: 10.1080/02589346.2021.2018119

Roger Southall, “Polarization in South Africa: Toward Democratic Deepening or Democratic Decay?” The Annals of the American Academy (2019): 194-208

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Willy Jou, “Ideological Radicalism and Democratic Experience in New Democracies,” Democratization 23, no. 4 (2016): 592-612