Institutions, Ethnicity, and Political Mobilization in South Africa

An investigation of post-apartheid South Africa, which is notable for a history of politicized ethnicity, a complicated network of ethnic groups and for an expectation that ethnic violence would follow the 1994 political transition that did not occur following democratization. "Jessica Piombo offers an innovative and provocative explanation for why post-apartheid South Africa has avoided the siren song of ethnic politics that so many scholars predicted would emerge to dominate its new democracy. Rather than any shifts in the social identifies of its citizens, the incentives implied in its new political institutions have (perhaps unwittingly) led its major political parties to de-emphasize the activation of ethnic identities or the courting of regional minorities, and concentrate instead on the pursuit of national power through broad-based campaign appeals. The irony, however, is that these same institutions also work to insulate the countries elected leaders from day to day citizen influence. Piombo thus offers a new, theoretically rooted perspective on a fundamental conundrum of South Africa's emerging democracy."--Robert Mattes, Professor of Political Studies at the University of Cape Town and Director of the Centre for Social Science Research Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Introduction: Ethnic Mobilization during Democratization....Pages 1-19 Shaping Strategies of Political Mobilization....Pages 21-35 South Africa’s Political Institutions and Social Divisions....Pages 37-61 Electoral Politics in South Africa, 1994–2004....Pages 63-77 The African National Congress: Playing to Win....Pages 79-101 The New National Party: Transforming into Irrelevance....Pages 103-123 From Democratic Party to Democratic Alliance: Mobilizing Minority Power?....Pages 125-142 The Inkatha Freedom Party: Turning away from Ethnic Power....Pages 143-162 Conclusion: The Contingent Nature of Political Mobilization....Pages 163-182 Back Matter....Pages 183-260 Post-apartheid South Africa, notable for a history of politicized ethnicity, a complicated network of ethnic groups and for an expectation that ethnic violence would follow the 1994 political transition, did not experience dramatic ethnic violence following democratization in 1994. The South African experience provides a rich example of successful democratization in a country that had most of the divisive elements that in other countries has resulted in ethnic polarization and subsequent violence