Recent decades have witnessed a 'middle classing of development' as global institutions h... more Recent decades have witnessed a 'middle classing of development' as global institutions hail the expansion of middle classes in the global South. Although the African continent has lagged behind in this regard, expanding middle classes have nonetheless been proclaimed as drivers of development and progress. However, such generalisation smoothes over the rough edges of history, for the emergence, evolution and character of middle classes have been shaped, historically as well as contemporaneously, by the timing and manner of their incorporation into the global system. In this article, it is demonstrated how the character and present prospects of middle classes in key countries in Southern Africa have been differentially shaped, not only by varying experiences under colonial rule, but also by significantly different policies pursued by the party-states of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The precarity of daily existence for so many black middle-class South Africans is heightened by d... more The precarity of daily existence for so many black middle-class South Africans is heightened by dependence on political connections.
This book expands and redefines the approach to the study of political elites through an interrog... more This book expands and redefines the approach to the study of political elites through an interrogation of political elite formation in the context of the provincial legislature of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, over the period 1994-2004. The period covers two successive provincial government elections and two terms of office. KwaZulu-Natal is the only province where the Inkatha Freedom Party remains a significant political contender. The author presents a detailed study of the realization, accumulation and exercise of institutionalized political power. She argues that political elite agency shapes, enables and undermines political institutions and is dependent on a multiplicity of currencies, including social and political capital and patterns of culture, respect and institutional capacity. [ASC Leiden abstract].
The official result of Lesotho's general election of 1998, which saw a 79 out of 80 seat vict... more The official result of Lesotho's general election of 1998, which saw a 79 out of 80 seat victory for the ruling Lesotho Congress of Democrats (LCD), was repudiated by the opposition, notably the former ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) and the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP). These latter parties were historic enemies but forged an alliance of convenience to contest the outcome of the election. By mobilising their supporters to occupy Maseru they successfully paralysed the capacity of the LCD to govern. After diplomatic preliminaries, this led to military intervention by South Africa and Botswana in September 1998 and their brokering of an agreement which restored the LCD to power, on the condition that a new election would be held within eighteen months, with the rules for that contest being discussed between the parties in the interim. That election has now been scheduled for April 2000.The article reviews the conduct and result of the general election of 1998. It concludes ...
... was awarded Section Io.i (b) rights by the Transvaal Supreme Court on the grounds that contin... more ... was awarded Section Io.i (b) rights by the Transvaal Supreme Court on the grounds that continuity was not bro-ken by temporary ... deemed very high, all limitations on foreign migrants were removed under the Labour Relations Act of 1981 (Benjamin, Cheadle and Khoza 1982). ...
The military-assisted ousting of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and his replacement by Em... more The military-assisted ousting of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and his replacement by Emmerson Mnangagwa was widely welcomed by Zimbabweans. However, hopes of significant change were dashed by the nature of his cabinet appointments, which indicated greater continuity than change vis-à-vis the Mugabe era. Mnangagwa is likely to pursue an agenda of authoritarian reform: rendering the economy more attractive for foreign investment while maintaining political control from above.
Review Article: Michael Bratton (2014), Power Politics in Zimbabwe , Scottsville, Pietermaritzbur... more Review Article: Michael Bratton (2014), Power Politics in Zimbabwe , Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, ISBN 9781869143114, 280 pp. David Coltart (2016), The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe , Auckland Park: Jacana Media, ISBN 9781431423187, 646 pp.
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2018
Under apartheid, white oppression of the black majority was extreme, and South Africa became one ... more Under apartheid, white oppression of the black majority was extreme, and South Africa became one of the most highly polarized countries in the world. Confronted by a counter-movement headed by the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling National Party (NP) was eventually pressured into a negotiation process that resulted in the adoption of a democratic constitution. This article outlines how democratization defused polarization, but was to be hollowed out by the ANC’s construction of a “party-state,” politicizing democratic institutions and widening social inequalities. This is stoking political tensions, which, despite societal interdependence, are provoking fears of renewed polarization along class and racial lines.
Placing ‘liberal democracy’ as a polar opposite to ‘participatory democracy’ is less than helpful... more Placing ‘liberal democracy’ as a polar opposite to ‘participatory democracy’ is less than helpful, particularly in the African situation. In this article I suggest an alternative approach to democracy which I think is more constructive, and which, equally, I think, will prove useful in guiding our thinking about political participation.
... 481482: "The authors state a modest aim: explaining South Africa&am... more ... 481482: "The authors state a modest aim: explaining South Africa's role in the Burundi peace process to a South African audience, which knows little about Burundi. ... Click on the link below to read the review: Journal Review. Business in Africa Online 04 November 2004. ...
Recent decades have witnessed a 'middle classing of development' as global institutions h... more Recent decades have witnessed a 'middle classing of development' as global institutions hail the expansion of middle classes in the global South. Although the African continent has lagged behind in this regard, expanding middle classes have nonetheless been proclaimed as drivers of development and progress. However, such generalisation smoothes over the rough edges of history, for the emergence, evolution and character of middle classes have been shaped, historically as well as contemporaneously, by the timing and manner of their incorporation into the global system. In this article, it is demonstrated how the character and present prospects of middle classes in key countries in Southern Africa have been differentially shaped, not only by varying experiences under colonial rule, but also by significantly different policies pursued by the party-states of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The precarity of daily existence for so many black middle-class South Africans is heightened by d... more The precarity of daily existence for so many black middle-class South Africans is heightened by dependence on political connections.
This book expands and redefines the approach to the study of political elites through an interrog... more This book expands and redefines the approach to the study of political elites through an interrogation of political elite formation in the context of the provincial legislature of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, over the period 1994-2004. The period covers two successive provincial government elections and two terms of office. KwaZulu-Natal is the only province where the Inkatha Freedom Party remains a significant political contender. The author presents a detailed study of the realization, accumulation and exercise of institutionalized political power. She argues that political elite agency shapes, enables and undermines political institutions and is dependent on a multiplicity of currencies, including social and political capital and patterns of culture, respect and institutional capacity. [ASC Leiden abstract].
The official result of Lesotho's general election of 1998, which saw a 79 out of 80 seat vict... more The official result of Lesotho's general election of 1998, which saw a 79 out of 80 seat victory for the ruling Lesotho Congress of Democrats (LCD), was repudiated by the opposition, notably the former ruling Basotho National Party (BNP) and the Basutoland Congress Party (BCP). These latter parties were historic enemies but forged an alliance of convenience to contest the outcome of the election. By mobilising their supporters to occupy Maseru they successfully paralysed the capacity of the LCD to govern. After diplomatic preliminaries, this led to military intervention by South Africa and Botswana in September 1998 and their brokering of an agreement which restored the LCD to power, on the condition that a new election would be held within eighteen months, with the rules for that contest being discussed between the parties in the interim. That election has now been scheduled for April 2000.The article reviews the conduct and result of the general election of 1998. It concludes ...
... was awarded Section Io.i (b) rights by the Transvaal Supreme Court on the grounds that contin... more ... was awarded Section Io.i (b) rights by the Transvaal Supreme Court on the grounds that continuity was not bro-ken by temporary ... deemed very high, all limitations on foreign migrants were removed under the Labour Relations Act of 1981 (Benjamin, Cheadle and Khoza 1982). ...
The military-assisted ousting of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and his replacement by Em... more The military-assisted ousting of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and his replacement by Emmerson Mnangagwa was widely welcomed by Zimbabweans. However, hopes of significant change were dashed by the nature of his cabinet appointments, which indicated greater continuity than change vis-à-vis the Mugabe era. Mnangagwa is likely to pursue an agenda of authoritarian reform: rendering the economy more attractive for foreign investment while maintaining political control from above.
Review Article: Michael Bratton (2014), Power Politics in Zimbabwe , Scottsville, Pietermaritzbur... more Review Article: Michael Bratton (2014), Power Politics in Zimbabwe , Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, ISBN 9781869143114, 280 pp. David Coltart (2016), The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe , Auckland Park: Jacana Media, ISBN 9781431423187, 646 pp.
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2018
Under apartheid, white oppression of the black majority was extreme, and South Africa became one ... more Under apartheid, white oppression of the black majority was extreme, and South Africa became one of the most highly polarized countries in the world. Confronted by a counter-movement headed by the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling National Party (NP) was eventually pressured into a negotiation process that resulted in the adoption of a democratic constitution. This article outlines how democratization defused polarization, but was to be hollowed out by the ANC’s construction of a “party-state,” politicizing democratic institutions and widening social inequalities. This is stoking political tensions, which, despite societal interdependence, are provoking fears of renewed polarization along class and racial lines.
Placing ‘liberal democracy’ as a polar opposite to ‘participatory democracy’ is less than helpful... more Placing ‘liberal democracy’ as a polar opposite to ‘participatory democracy’ is less than helpful, particularly in the African situation. In this article I suggest an alternative approach to democracy which I think is more constructive, and which, equally, I think, will prove useful in guiding our thinking about political participation.
... 481482: "The authors state a modest aim: explaining South Africa&am... more ... 481482: "The authors state a modest aim: explaining South Africa's role in the Burundi peace process to a South African audience, which knows little about Burundi. ... Click on the link below to read the review: Journal Review. Business in Africa Online 04 November 2004. ...
Uploads
Papers by Roger Southall