The global economy and democracy in South Africa

About this book

Thomas Koelbe analyzes two crucial policy arenas-housing and education-to clarify the enormous problems facing the current South African government. For successful consolidation of institutional democracy in South Africa, Western political and financial institutions must provide support for that redistribution. Without such support, the ANC consituency's expectations that democracy will improve the quality of life will go unrealized, and the government may fail. Koelbe also posits that while the new South African constitution encompasses aspects of a consensus-oriented system in terms of its federal structures and various rights to minorities, it is a system dominated by one large political party that is not constitutionally required to share power. He suggests that the ANC would have better served the cause of democracy had it included rather than excluded its opposition from political power. This majoritarian rule may deteriorate into another version of "race politics." Such race politics will have deleterious effects on both South Africa's polity and economy.