Constitutionally Guaranteed Economic and Social Rights Realization in South Africa Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Gunby, Kate Thurston Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 27/09/2021 17:35:08 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/632975 1 CONSTITUTIONALLY GUARANTEED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS REALIZATION IN SOUTH AFRICA by Kate Gunby __________________________ Copyright © Kate Gunby 2019 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF SOCIOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2019 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certifythat we have read the dissertation prepared by Kate Gunby, titled Constitutionally Guaranteed Economic and Social Rights Realization in South Africaand recommend that it be accepted as fulfillingthe dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date: April 8, 2019 Date: April 8, 2019 Date: April 8, 2019 Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the finalcopies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfillingthe dissertation requirement. �,, Slw-fle>'---- -- Date: April 8, 2019 Professor School of Socio/of:,_'}' 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, thank you to everyone in South Africa who was involved in any way with my research and travels. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their insights and experiences with me in interviews and conversations; to everyone who brought me along to an event, meeting, or tour; to the grad students and academics who graciously hosted me and introduced me to their networks; to all of the friends I made; and to all of the kind strangers who helped me travel safely. My fieldwork exceeded all my expectations thanks to the warmth and generosity of so many people in South Africa, and I am forever grateful. Thank you to my committee. Robin Stryker, over the past ten years you have been a constant cheerleader throughout the ups and downs and I would not have made it to this point without your unwavering belief in me. Thank you for everything! Joe Galaskiewicz, Kathleen Schwartzman, and Jenn Earl, thank you all for your wisdom, advice, and candor throughout the years. I have had the uncommon privilege of spending several years working outside of academia while finishing my dissertation, and this committee’s collective mentorship has and will continue to inform my work daily. I am forever grateful to the 13 undergraduate research assistants who assisted me over four semesters from Fall 2013 through Spring 2015 with data review, coding, and interview transcription. Thank you to Jeff Beebe, Tim Clark, Joshua Dudas, Regan Fitzgerald, Angela Huizar, Alex Huynen, Hannah LaMarca, Carla Loury, Hannah McClain, Chloe Paskin, Cherisse Patnode, Allison Ramirez, and Gina Walsh. Thank you to all my colleagues and friends at the University of Arizona who have informed my research and provided encouragement throughout this journey. Thank you especially to Tracy Bacon, Sondra Barringer, Eliza Benites, J. Taylor Danielson, Jess Epstein, Jessie K. Finch, Krista Frederico, Kate Freeman Anderson, Michael Gibson-Light, Xóchitl Mota, Kyle Puetz, Simone Rambotti, Heidi Reynolds-Stenson, Misty Ring-Ramirez, Eric Schoon, Christina Sciabarra, Lisa Thiebaud Nicoli, Luis Vila-Henninger, and Seth Wright. I would like to thank the grantors who helped fund my research: the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute at the University of Arizona and the Graduate and Professional Student Council at the University of Arizona. Robin, thank you for choosing me to help coordinate the Rights and Their Translation into Practice Conferences, which provided me opportunities to get to know many of the scholars who I cite in this dissertation and helped fund my research. Thank you also to my PRR coworkers—particularly the research team—and clients who have cheered me along to the finish line and helped me stay optimistic. Special thanks to my family for their lifelong support, and especially to my Mom, Janet, who has consistently gone above and beyond. Thank you to so many friends and neighbors for their encouragement and understanding. I am humbled by how many people have been rooting for me over the years. I also would be remiss to not thank my dog and cats (past and present) for their companionship throughout this process. Finally, thank you to my wonderful husband, Dave, who has enthusiastically supported me and this endeavor since before my first trip to South Africa in 2007. Through this process he has endured more unexpected moves, Tucson summers, and stints of solo pet parenting than either of us ever imagined. I could not ask for a better partner and am so lucky to have him by my side. 4 DEDICATION To all who lack basic economic and social rights and to all who work to make these rights a reality. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 11 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 12 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 14 The Constitutional Promise of Economic and Social Rights in South Africa .............. 14 Mixed Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 17 Education .................................................................................................................. 19 Water ......................................................................................................................... 19 Food .......................................................................................................................... 19 Electricity .................................................................................................................. 20 Sanitation .................................................................................................................. 20 Housing ..................................................................................................................... 21 Social Grants ............................................................................................................. 21 Research Question ........................................................................................................ 23 Contribution .................................................................................................................. 24 Organization of Chapters .............................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 2 SOUTH AFRICA AS A CASE .................................................................. 35 Pre-Apartheid ................................................................................................................ 35 Apartheid ...................................................................................................................... 36 Civil Society During Apartheid ................................................................................ 37 Transition to Democracy ........................................................................................... 38 A New Democratic System and the Actors Within It ................................................... 39 Political Parties ......................................................................................................... 40 Departments and Local Government ........................................................................ 43 Government Contracting ........................................................................................... 45 Judicial System ......................................................................................................... 47 Social Movements and Activism .............................................................................. 48 Nonprofits ................................................................................................................. 52 Summary of Actor Context ....................................................................................... 54 Economic Context ......................................................................................................... 56 South African Economy and Resources.................................................................... 56 Economic Need for Government-Funded ESR Realization ..................................... 57 6 Economy and Businesses .......................................................................................... 57 Economic Policies ..................................................................................................... 59 Summary of Historical, Policy, and Economic Context ..........................................