Polarization in South Africa: Toward Democratic Deepening or Democratic Decay?

• Author: Roger Southall
• Published date: 01 January 2019
• DOI: 10.1177/0002716218806913
• Date: 01 January 2019
• Subject Matter: IV. The Illusory Promise of Democratic Reform: Success and Failure

194 ANNALS, AAPSS, 681, January 2019

DOI: 10.1177/0002716218806913

Polarization in

South Africa:

Toward

Democratic

Deepening or

Democratic

Decay?

By

ROGER SOUTHALL

806913ANN The Annals Of The American AcademyPolarization in South Africa

research-article2018

Under apartheid, white oppression of the black major-

ity was extreme, and South Africa became one of the

most highly polarized countries in the world.

Confronted by a counter-movement headed by the

African National Congress (ANC), the ruling National

Party (NP) was eventually pressured into a negotiation

process that resulted in the adoption of a democratic

constitution. This article outlines how democratization

defused polarization, but was to be hollowed out by the

ANC’s construction of a “party-state,” politicizing dem-

ocratic institutions and widening social inequalities.

This is stoking political tensions, which, despite societal

interdependence, are provoking fears of renewed

polarization along class and racial lines.

Keywords: apartheid; democratization; polarization

and proto-polarization; inequality; African

National Congress; party-state

Before 1994, South Africa was one the most

highly polarized countries in the world.

White conquest and colonialism had buttressed

the domination of a white minority and con-

tinuously reproduced poverty and powerless-

ness among a black majority for centuries. After

the National Party’s (NP) (whites only) election

victory in 1948, apartheid was to deepen racial

divisions and strip blacks of what rudimentary

rights they had previously possessed. Yet apart-

heid was accompanied by capitalist develop-

ment. Despite official policies to limit black

urbanization, along with the ruthless suppres-

sion of black opposition, the minority regime

was confronted in the 1970s by extensive popu-

lar revolt, whose principal locus was in the

Roger Southall is emeritus professor in sociology at

University of the Witwatersrand. His publications

include Imperialism or Solidarity? International Labour

and South African Trade Unions (University of Cape

Town Press 1995), Liberation Movements in Power:

Party and State in Southern Africa (James Currey

2013), and The New Black Middle Class in South

Africa (James Currey 2016).

Correspondence: Roger.southall@wits.ac.za