ELECTORAL POLITICS IN SOUTH AFRICA: ASSESSING THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC DECADE; ED. BY JESSICA PIOMBO

Many people have contributed time, effort, and support to this project. First of all, we would like to thank the authors. They adhered to a tight production schedule and accommodated our numerous suggestions. They also presented drafts of their chapters at a series of workshops held at the University of Cape Town in April, May, and June 2004, support for which was provided by the Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR). Without these workshops, we would not have had the opportunity to discuss our contributions with each other and the academic community. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the individuals who agreed to serve as discussants, often on short notice and having received the chapters just days in advance. We highly appreciate their flexibility and their excellent comments. The support of the CSSR has vastly improved this volume. The three workshops at which we brought the authors together were masterfully managed by the CSSR's dedicated staff. We would like to extend a special thanks to Libbi Downes, Kathy Forbes, and others who have helped us with the organization of the workshops and our research fellowships at the CSSR. Allison Stevens provided crucial administrative support and made sure everyone was where they needed to be at the right time. Bob Mattes has proven to be an excellent colleague and collaborator over the years, and we appreciate the fruitful working relationship that we share with him. The CSSR hosted Piombo twice during the course of this project, providing research and travel support for two trips to South Africa to research the elections and to work on the volume. Nijzink's involvement in this project has also been supported by a research fellowship at the CSSR. The Centre for African Studies of UCT provided office space and a collegial environment in which to conduct our work. To all our colleagues at UCT, it was a pleasure working with you. Andrew Reynolds, who edited Election '94 and Election '99 South Africa, has provided sage advice on the approach to this volume, which was much appreciated. Finally, to our families, without your love and support we would not succeed in any of these endeavors. Question: Some people seem to follow what's going on in government and public affairs most of the time, whether there's an election going on or not. Others aren't that interested. Would you say you follow what's going on in government and public affairs? Source: Afrobarometer. ## Managing the economy Controlling prices Creating jobs Encouraging international investment 53 Front Matter....Pages i-xi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 A Voice for Some: South Africa’s Ten Years of Democracy....Pages 3-22 The Electoral Implications of Social and Economic Change since 1994....Pages 23-39 Voter Information, Government Evaluations, and Party Images in the First Democratic Decade....Pages 40-63 Parliament and the Electoral System: How Are South Africans Being Represented?....Pages 64-86 Electoral Administration: Achievements and Continuing Challenges....Pages 87-105 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 The African National Congress: There Is No Party Like It; Ayikho Efana Nayo....Pages 109-128 The Democratic Alliance: Progress and Pitfalls....Pages 129-147 The Inkatha Freedom Party: Between the Impossible and the Ineffective....Pages 148-165 The New National Party: The End of the Road....Pages 166-186 Struggling to Represent the Left: The Pan Africanist Congress, the Azanian People’s Organization, and the Independent Democrats....Pages 187-206 The Smallest Parties: The ACDP, UCDP, FF+, MF, and UDM....Pages 207-227 Front Matter....Pages 229-229 Media Coverage in Election 2004: Were Some Parties More Equal Than Others?....Pages 231-249 The Results of Election 2004: Looking Back, Stepping Forward....Pages 250-290 Back Matter....Pages 291-297 Voice For Some / Steven Friedman -- Electoral Implications Of Social And Economic Change Since 1994 / Jeremy Seekings -- Voter Information, Government Evaluations, And Party Images In The First Democratic Decade / Robert Mattes -- Parliament And The Electoral System / Lia Nijzink And Jessica Piombo -- Electoral Administration Achievements And Continuing Challenges / Claude Kabemba -- African National Congress / Tome Lodge -- Democratic Alliance / Susan Booysen -- Inkatha Freedom Party / Laurence Piper -- New National Party / Collette Schulz-herzenberg -- Struggling To Represent The Left / Thabisi Hocane -- Smallest Parties / Sanusha Naidu And Mbogeni Manqele -- Media Converage In Election 2004 / Gavin Davis -- Results Of Election 2004 / Jessica Piombo. Edited By Jessica Piombo And Lia Nijzink. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Ten years into the 'new' South Africa, how does democracy function? This volume provides a retrospective on a decade of elections and democracy in South Africa. The book analyzes the evolution of the party system and electoral campaigns; tracks changes in public opinion and voter motivations; assesses the political implications of socioeconomic change; depicts the evolution of parliament and the electoral system; probes the often-tense relationship between media and government; analyzes the institutionalization the Independent Electoral Commission; and, finally, argues that South Africa is witnessing a 'normalization' of politics. The book speaks to a broad range of topics, all linked through the electoral theme, which get to the heart of many issues in contemporary South African politics.