Opposition in South Africa’s New Democracy 28–30 June 2000 Kariega Game Reserve Eastern Cape Table of Contents Introduction 5 Prof. Roger Southall, Professor of Political Studies, Rhodes University Opening Remarks 7 Dr Michael Lange, Resident Representative, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Johannesburg Opposition in South Africa: Issues and Problems 11 Prof. Roger Southall, Professor of Political Studies, Rhodes University The Realities of Opposition in South Africa: Legitimacy, Strategies and Consequences 27 Prof. Robert Schrire, Professor of Political Studies, University of Cape Town Dominant Party Rule, Opposition Parties and Minorities in South Africa 37 Prof. Hermann Giliomee, Formerly Professor in Political Studies, University of Cape Town Mr James Myburgh, Parliamentary Researcher, Democratic Party Prof. Lawrence Schlemmer, formerly Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of the Witwatersrand Political Alliances and Parliamentary Opposition in Post-Apartheid South Africa 51 Prof. Adam Habib, Associate Professor of Political Studies, University of Durban Westville Rupert Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Studies, Wits University Democracy, Power and Patronage: Debate and Opposition within the ANC and the 65 Tripartite Alliance since 1994 Dr Dale McKinley, Freelance Journalist, Independent Writer and Researcher The Alliance Under Stress: Governing in a Globalising World 81 Prof. Eddie Webster, Professor of Sociology, Wits University ‘White’ Political Parties and Democratic Consolidation in South Africa 95 Dr Eddie Maloka, Director, Africa Institute of South Africa 3 Table of Contents Opposition in the New South African Parliament 103 Ms. Lia Nijzink, Senior Researcher, Institute for a Democratic South Africa The Potential Constituency of the DA: What Dowries do the DP and the NNP Bring 113 to the Marriage? Prof. Hennie Kotzé, Professor of Political Science, University of Stellenbosch A Question of Interest: Women as Opposition 127 Dr Louise Vincent, Senior Lecturer, Political Studies, Rhodes University Cynicism at the Grassroots? Political Opposition in Kwazakele Township, Port Elizabeth 139 Ms Janet Cherry, Lecturer, Sociology, University of Port Elizabeth The Electoral System and Opposition Parties in South Africa 151 Dr David Pottie, Senior Researcher, Electoral Institute of Southern Africa The Politics of Adaptation and Equivocation: Race, Class and Opposition in 20th 169 Century South Africa Prof. Paul Maylam, Professor of History, Rhodes University Race, Democracy and Opposition in South African Politics: As Other a Way as Possible 179 Prof. Gerhard Maré, Professor of Sociology, University of Natal-Durban Reflections on the Politics of Minorities, Race and Opposition in 191 Contemporary South Africa Mr Ivor Sarakinsky, Lecturer, Political Studies, Rhodes University Conclusion: Emergent Perspectives on Opposition in South Africa 199 Prof. Roger Southall, Professor of Political Studies, Rhodes University Programme 205 Participants’ List 209 Seminar Reports 211 Occasional Paper Series 213 4 Introduction The papers in this collection are all drawn from contributions made to a conference on ‘Opposition in South Africa’s New Democracy’ which was hosted by the Department of Political Studies, Rhodes University and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, at Kariega Park in the Eastern Cape, 28–30 June 2000. The conference was conceived in the wake of South Africa’s second democratic general election, which was held in June 1999. Following its triumph in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) was again returned to power, this time with almost two-thirds of the vote, and hence because of South Africa’s adoption of the national list system of proportional representation, nearly two-thirds of the members of parliament (MPs). Meanwhile, in contrast to the 266 seats won by the ANC, the remaining 134 seats were shared amongst some twelve opposition parties. This result appeared to reinforce analy- sis which suggested that the ANC was becoming a ‘dominant’ political party – that is, one that was unlikely to lose any electoral contest for national power in the foreseeable future. This in turn aroused fears in some quarters that the ANC might become increasingly unaccountable, and perhaps increasingly arrogant in its use of the state machinery. Consequently, the post election period saw the development of a debate in the media about what role opposition parties – apparently excluded from power long term (although the Inkatha Freedom Party continued to serve as a junior partner in government with the ANC) – should and could play, especially given their state of fragmen- tation. A larger number of difficult questions began to be posed: should the opposition parties seek to com- bine, and if so, along what lines and around what principles? Should they seek to oppose ‘robustly’ or ‘constructively’? Was there a danger that unity amongst particular opposition parties might bring about a further racialisation of South African politics? But in addition, a further set of questions were also asked: as the majority of the existing opposition parties did not offer fundamentally different economic strategies from the government (which since 1994 had abandoned its social-democratically inclined Reconstruction and Development Programme [RDP] in favour of a neo-liberal and conservative eco- nomic path known as the Growth, Employment and Redistribution [GEAR] policy), was it not more likely that real opposition to the government would emerge from within the Tripartite Alliance – com- prising the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)? Indeed, it was increasingly often suggested that the ideological divide would soon see the SACP and Cosatu peeling away from the ANC to form a social-democratic opposition to the left, opening up the possibility of South African party politics moving away from divisions that revolved principally around ‘race’, to ones which centred around ‘class’. The objective of the conference was to consider such questions as these in depth, as well as debating 5 Introduction exactly what opposition was for. Emphasis was laid on the fact that it was in no way intended to be a ‘congress of the opposition’; that is, a meeting to promote any particular agenda of opposition (such as encouraging a uniting of parties). Instead, it was designed to bring together leading social scientists and MPs drawn from both the ANC and opposition parties to discuss the legitimacy of, prospects for, and the role of, opposition given the present context of South African politics. In the event, the conference proved even more topical than had been anticipated, as only a day or two before, the two largest opposition parties – the Democratic Party and the New National Party – announced their merger into the Democratic Alliance, a development which some interpret as presag- ing a shift towards a two-party system. Prof. Roger Southall Department of Political Studies Rhodes University 6 Opening Remarks Michael Lange INTRODUCTION The international activities of KAF are root- On behalf of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation ed in the Christian concept of human nature. (KAF), I would like to extend a very warm By advocating Christian values, the foundation welcome to you all. is helping to establish Christian Democratic This is the first time KAF is cooperating with principles not only in Germany, but worldwide. the Rhodes University Department of Political KAF has been cooperating with partners Science and I would like to take this opportuni- throughout the world for almost 40 years. ty to thank Professor Southall and his team for Currently, some 80 representatives working all the work they have put into this event. abroad, oversee some 200 projects and pro- From our side, we can only hope this confer- grammes in more than 100 countries. It there- ence on ‘Opposition in South Africa’s New fore comes as no surprise that international Democracy’ will contribute in a meaningful cooperation accounts for approximately half the way to our common efforts to assist democratic foundation’s total budget. In this manner, KAF transformation in the new South Africa. makes its own contribution to policies serving KAF has had and maintains close contact peace and justice in international relations. with a variety of political forces and parties in Our general aim as a political foundation South Africa. We are delighted that this confer- working in South Africa, is to strengthen ence is being held at a time when all political democracy and the rule of law while educating scientists and observers of note, are preoccu- informed and responsible citizens, as well as pied not only with the role an opposition may political leaders, to play a more active part in play in our neighbouring country, Zimbabwe, the political and social lives of their communi- but also with the possible effects of the realign- ties. ment of opposition forces currently under way More specifically, we want to inculcate in South Africa. democratic patterns of behaviour, including the ability to compromise, settle conflicts peaceful- 1. A BRIEF BACKGROUND ly and help implement sustainable solutions to Allow me to give a brief overview of KAF and political problems. why it is involved in South Africa. We also believe it is vital for democracy, that KAF is one of five political foundations in the parliamentary multiparty system should Germany today and is closely affiliated to the function well.