South Africa and state dysfunction : the role of civil society

Abstract

Against the backdrop of political instability, weak institutions, and severe poverty, the persistence of state weakness in Africa has given rise to scholarly interest in the state dysfunction discourse that questions the prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa. The country of analysis, South Africa, has successfully transitioned to democracy and has since embarked on the path of consolidation. The robust civil society in South Africa has been a key driving force that exercised pressure against the apartheid regime and has since adopted a critical role in addressing the gap between the state and communities. Civil society has become the last defence against service delivery failure, widespread corruption and fostering government accountability for democratic consolidation. However, after nearly three decades of democratic rule, South Africa faces a series of challenges threatening the continuation and stability of democracy in the country. Establishing a consolidated democracy goes further than electoral processes and institutions but includes the improvement of people's lives and the degree to which the state fulfils the needs and expectations of the people. By means of a literature review, this dissertation investigates the features that demonstrate state dysfunction in South Africa’s three primary areas of consolidation identified by Linz and Stepan (1996): the political, economic, and social sectors. The theoretical conceptualisation of state dysfunction is built on the contributions of influential scholars, including Robert Rotberg (2004), William Zartman (1995), Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (2013), Joel. S Migdal (1998) and others. The key insight from each author is interpreted and applied to the context of South Africa. Furthermore, the Failed States Index is utilised to assist with identifying the features of dysfunction for analysis. The results from this process indicate that South Africa has established democratic institutions which put the country on a path of consolidation. However, the existence of these institutions is insufficient to consider South Africa’s democracy consolidated, as there are strong indications of democratic decay in the country’s political, economic, and social sectors. These institutions need not only to be protected and strengthened but democratic norms, values and practices should be internalised into the larger society and the functioning of government. As such, civil society has a key role in strengthening democracy through their roles as watchdogs of society, key service providers, and promotors of democratic culture. Only time will tell whether civil society is sufficient to strengthen South Africa’s democracy.