Civil Society Democracy And State Building In South Africa

What can South Africa learn from Botswana, arguably Africa's most successful democracy, and Zimbabwe, one of South Africa's closest neighbours? In this comparative study, the author explores these southern African countries with the aim of highlighting those factors that appear to ensure a successful transition to democracy.

6. The Contest for Hegemony

This book is a study of the issues of democracy and democratization in Africa, with emphasis on the roles of civil society and the state in the democratic transition. After clarifying the meaning of democracy as a universal principle of governance and the applicability of the concept to Africa, the book examines the major problems facing the democratic transition on the continent as a whole.

This text examines the potential value of the concept of civil society for enhancing the current understanding of state-society relations in Africa. The authors review the meanings of civil society in political philosophy, as well as alternative approaches to employing the concept in African settings. Considering both the patterns of emerging civil society in Africa and issues relating to its further development, they give particular emphasis to the cases of Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zaire.

The period 1994 to 2000 saw the implementation of fundamental social and political change in South Africa. Social science literature suggests that such fundamental change increases the probability of civil conflict and strife, as some sectors of the population expect significant improvements in their position following the removal of economic and political barriers that previously inhibited their upward mobility. Other sectors are concerned about a possible decrease in their living standards as a result of the erosion of their privileged position. Still others experience increased uncertainty, which in itself is associated with significant social change.

This book is a collection of essays by 50 eminent experts/analysts representing a broad range of ideological perspectives and interest groups. Its aim is to contribute to the process of democratic nation-building and the creation of a culture of tolerance by educating South Africans about the intricacies of community reconciliation and nation-building. Following a section featuring information about each of the contributing authors, the book is divided into 11 sections, which are further divided into 47 chapters. The main sections are: (1) "Nation-Building as a Democratic Means of Reconciling National Unity with Ethnic and Cultural Diversity"; (2) "The Role of Ethnic Nationalism in Nation-Building"; (3) "The Constitutional and Institutional Bases of Democratic Government in South Africa"; (4) "The Sociopolitical Conditions for Democratic Nation-Building and Intercommunity Reconciliation"; (5) "Key Socioeconomic Determinants of Democratic Nation-Building in South Africa"; (6) "The Transition from Apartheid to Democracy"; (7) "Gender Equality as a Precondition for Democratic Nation-Building"; (8) "Violence--A Pervasive Inhibitor of Nation-Building"; (9) "The Role of the Security Institutions"; (10) "International Involvement in Nation-Building"; and (11) "Concluding Overview: the Prospects for Democratic Nation-Building in South Africa." (LAP)

Academic Paper from the year 2019 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Africa, grade: 67.5, University of Namibia, course: State and Civil Society, language: English, abstract: This essay appraises civil society's relations with the state in south africa in recent times. It focuses on democratic consideration and argues that despite relative weaknesses in civil societies in Africa recently, they continue to play a major role in maintaining and protecting democratic standards and Human Rights in South Africa. Recent events involving former president Jacob Zuma are a case in point of this article. It is argued that civil society is and will continue to be crucial in democratic consolidation and will therefore ensure its survival despite its uphill battle. The paper concludes that civil society's action inSouth Africa should set an example for other African nations on the powers and activism of civil society organisations and their roles in holding government accountable.