ELECTION UPDATE 2004 SOUTH AFRICA number 6 · 12 April 2004 editorial undecided voters. On the other Party Liaison Committees (c) hand, the sword was aimed at Conflict Management Panels, Party campaigning for the April disorganising other opposition (d) The Electoral Court and (e) election has been both parties, especially the new the Constitutional Court. In interesting and intriguing. Independent Democrats (ID), as dealing with conflict these Interesting from the standpoint it seemed to pose a potential structures rely on the Electoral that political parties, especially threat to the DA’s opposition Act and the Code of Conduct. the ruling party, spiced the status. In both cases, the DA’s campaign with face-to-face grand strategy has been to drive Khabele Matlosa contact of leaders with the South Africa’s political system ordinary voters through road away from a dominant party shows and impromptu visits to system towards a duopoly or communities by President two party system. Thabo Mbeki. contents So, in a nutshell, there have The process has also been fairly generally been two types of Editorial 1 intriguing in that not only do electioneering - namely a National Perspectives the manifestos of the parties delivery-based campaign by the Campaign 2004 2 look pretty much the same as ruling ANC and combative Debates and Viewpoints they raise similar kinds of politicking by the official Management of Election-Related issues, but a vilification opposition. The other parties in Conflict: A Case Study of South campaign seemed to be the the election race have tended to Africa 5 order of the day. Opposition use strategies in between these Provincial Roundup parties seemed devoid of two polar opposites. Gauteng 9 NorthWest Province 11 credible or justifiable campaign Irrespective of whatever Limpopo 13 issues in their challenge of the campaign strategy parties have adopted, the stark reality is that KZN 15 ANC’s ten-year dominance. Free State 20 the electioneering has been marked more by identity Western Cape 23 On the contrary, the ANC Eastern Cape 26 avoided the combative politics and less by issue Northern Cape 29 campaign strategy adopted by politics. Be that as it may, it is Mpumalanga 32 the official opposition DA. encouraging however that the Previous Issue Contents 35 Instead, the ANC’s focus was electioneering has not been Chronology 4 36 on its achievements over the marked by violent conflict with the exception of fairly isolated past ten years and its programme of action for the cases in Kwazulu-Natal. next ten years through what the EISA Editorial Team party termed “a people’s As we have indicated in one of the previous issues of this Jackie Kalley, Khabele contract”. It is worth noting that Matlosa, Denis Kadima the DA’s combative strategy Update, there are various structures in South Africa that was double edged sword. On published with the assistance the one hand, the sword aimed deal specifically with election- of OSF-SA and NORAD to disorganise the ruling party related conflicts and these with a view to catching possible include (a) the IEC, (b) the Election update 2004 south africa number 6 NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES CAMPAIGN 2004 sad thing is that this hostility of polarisation and undue did not seek to bolster nation tension in our society. Sadly Chris Landsberg building; it was done more to therefore, the much Centre for Policy Studies woo votes at any cost. celebrated 10 year mark of our democracy will be a While many parties have rather short cause for Ours is still a young and gone on the charming celebration, because, after fragile democracy; race offensive by taking to the the party on 27 April, we all relations are still tenderly streets, villages, townships, come down to earth and have delicate, coming as we do and suburban South Africa, to confront the realities of from centuries of racism and the messages to voters was this society, including the white minority domination. that ‘the other bunch’ should newly caused polarisations. Indeed, outright racism has not be trusted. Even though The key point is that race been replaced by lots of in the main, the messages relations remain an open sore racism of the subtle type, from the soap-boxes and in this country, and the which plays itself out around Imbizos tried to be sensitive current elections campaign the braaivleis fire and liquid to the explosive issue of race does little to heal the wound. dinner tables. The point is, in our country, we should even though by law, we are remember that racial After the party we will have now an inclusive nation, it identities play a role more to make sense of the will take many decades, even than any other factor in this continuous call for centuries, to address the election. The majority of ‘transformation’, the anger national question, and build citizens are likely to cast and embitterment of some; a truly united South Africa. their votes on the basis of the need for clean and One way to lay the racial, ethnic and other incorrupt politics, the need groundwork and deal with identities, and racial and for taxation, the crime, and this fragile, divided nation ethnic divisions thus play a so forth. will be to tackle the national crucial role. Unfortunately, question with due sensitivity we may discover in the post- Some have been so obsessed and understanding. One of election environment that, with the ruling party’s the questions needed to be because of the irresponsible dominance that they have asked about the 2004 campaign pursued by many complicated the prospects election campaign concerns politicians, the images and for the politics of what its impact will be on perceptions of `white’ fear, reconciliation and nation- the national question. Put ‘white superiority’ and building. Many have even differently, did the 2004 baaskap’, `swart gevaar’, forgotten to concern campaign help to reinforce ‘Xhosa hegemony’, themselves with the or to undermine nation `coloured’ uncertainty, electorate and got stuck with building in South Africa? `Zulu-assertiveness’, ‘Indian the governing party’s power This year’s campaign, unlike marginalisation’, and and developed a view that the previous two have been certainly fear of the tyranny such power should be characterised by such of the majority, or tyranny of curtailed. There has been so acrimony, bitter attacks and the black majority will be much animosity built up rivalry that we will only start reinforced. The election between the ruling party and to feel the negative campaign, and the manner in the official opposition, that it implications long after the which certain political elites has become almost dust of 2004 has settled. The behaved and scorned one impossible for them to have another, will have the result a constructive working 2 Election update 2004 south africa number 6 relationship in the short to populism, it should expect its Welkom in the Free State, a medium, maybe even the constituencies to hold it second visit to this region. long-term. firmly to the pledge of a Braving the intense heat, the people’s contract. While President was confronted Some others have even parties and actors such as the with grievances on his resorted to the politics of Congress of South African arrival. He acknowledged the desperation as they made the Trade Union (COSATU), government’s shortcomings prospect of a third term by and SACP have been but he also pointed a finger Mbeki a key election plank vociferous in calling for the at councillors who were not yet he had not even started people to go out in their doing their work. his second term. This, at millions and vote for the times, came across as `swart ANC, they are similarly The official opposition - the gevaar’ politics. Then there sending a message to the DA - does itself no good was the scare, not of a weak ANC that ‘we intend holding with its Fight-Back and fragmented opposition, you faithful to your pledges’. philosophy. To most blacks but of a dominant party state, They will also be some of this approach means even a one party state. The the harshest critics of ANC reversing the gains of point is that instead of policies, as they were during freedom including gains as a examining their own the first five years. The ANC result of affirmative action weaknesses, many will have to be careful about and black economic opposition parties deflected the kinds of tensions with empowerment. To workers, attention to the ruling party. social movements. In the the fight-back philosophy of The one important message past, tension between the the DA means flexible sent out here was that of fear ANC and social movements labour market policy and – fear about the future of has been marked by a lot of more privatisation and democracy; fear that Mbeki mutual recrimination and commercialisation of public may be a power monger of dubbing each other `neo- enterprises and social sorts. Again, there are almost liberals’ and `ultra-leftists’. services. Any party that certainly to be unintended There will almost certainly advocates a minimalist state consequences of such have to be the need for the and reliance on market as the messages, not only to the ANC to develop a thick skin most efficient medium of voters but also because it against criticism, as well as allocating resources which could undermine both becoming more tolerant to will entrench existing national and international dissenting voices. The ruling income and wealth confidence in the country. party will have to start to inequalities along racial and One of the scariest messages appreciate that critical debate gender lines, will not endear sent out by some was that the and discourse is healthy for a itself to majority of the ANC intends to suppress society such as ours.