Idasa’s latest publication, “Testing Democracy: Which Way is South Africa Going?, to be released on Thursday at Idasa’s Cape Town Democracy Centre, suggests that South African democracy is developing slowly, stagnating in many areas and actually regressing in others.

The editors of the book, Judith February and Neeta Misra-Dexter, conclude: “The overall picture is one of clogged wheels and significant barriers, as many of the aspirations for democracy, set out in 1994, remain unmet.

“While there have been advances in poverty reduction, HIV/Aids, housing delivery and the provision of water and electricity, continuing high rates of poverty, inequality and unemployment remain a challenge for the future. A country with a real unemployment rate of 34% does not have the luxury of a long-term view of democracy.”

They warn that, in addition, political instability created by factional battles in the ANC has contributed to an environment of uncertainty and caution. “There is a widespread sense that events may take a turn for the worse if opportunistic tendencies are not contained.

“Because of prolonged dominant-party rule, many of the checks and balances and separation of powers envisioned and enshrined in the Constitution are being eroded. This has weakened institutions, leaving them unable to provide the oversight needed for the effective functioning of the state.”

The book, which opens with analytic chapters on the relationship between democracy and development written by academics and policy analysts, argues that the 1994 election was not just about winning votes. It was about using electoral power to redress centuries of underdevelopment for the mass of South Africans.

“Democracy was about more than electoral rights. It was also about economic rights and the government’s obligation to enable citizens to realise these. Lived democracy was as much a matter of clean water, housing, employment and health care as it was about the right to vote.”

The key finding of the first part of the book is that weak institutions, a significant characteristic of South Africa’s democracy, struggle to promote the effective functioning of the state, and fail to provide the checks and balances necessary for democracy to flourish.

Moreover economic underdevelopment poses significant challenges for democracy. “Resource constraints create significant barriers for the poor, often limiting them to voting or protest action, preventing them from effectively engaging in other democratic processes that would make government more responsive to their needs.”

The second part of the book, by staff of Idasa’s Political Information and Monitoring Service (PIMS), presents the findings of Idasa’s unique Democracy Index – a barometer of 100 questions on participation, elections, accountability, political freedom and human dignity.

The Democracy Index, which Idasa has applied three times since 1994, aims to measure:

To what extent the political system enables its citizens to ensure popular, accountable and sustainable self-government?
To what extent citizens can influence and control those who make decisions about public affairs, including elected representatives and government appointees at all levels?
To what extent citizens are able to enjoy equality with each other in these governance processes?
 
“The Democracy Index is intended as a tool for unpacking and dissecting the details of democracy. It is designed to be accessible to a wide range of people, to stimulate debate and to provide a snapshot of the current state of democracy in South Africa – the key ideas, policies, legislation and practices, and citizens' experiences of these - as a way of understanding the challenges the country faces,” Misra-Dexter and February state in their Introduction to the book.

The 100 questions of the Democracy Index each received a score, with South Africa’s average performance set at 5.9 out of 10. The authors conclude that the final score indicates that democracy in South Africa is stable and adequate, but they strongly caution against focusing only on the aggregate score. “It is well recognised that post-1994, South Africa has established a regulatory framework around democracy that prioritises the socio-economic, political and human rights of citizens. On this basis alone democracy in South Africa would score a high number. However it is in accessing these rights and the implementation of these rights that democracy falls short.

“The weakness of institutions, xenophobic violence and the abuse of power by elected officials all indicate that the next few years will see considerable challenges to the quality and health of South Africa's democracy,” the editors conclude.

They propose that an active civil society and a politically engaged citizenry are the antidote to the current weakened state of democracy.

Widespread economic underdevelopment has major implications for citizens wishing to participate in civil society. In South Africa it has impeded the development of a civil society that is truly representative of the citizens that it speaks for and therefore civil society has not always successfully articulated its needs and concerns.

“Access to adequate health care, transport, water, electricity and housing are among the fundamental material requirements that allow citizens to substantively participate in democracy in a way that ensures that government listens to them.”

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“Testing Democracy: Which Way is South Africa Going?” edited by Neeta Misra-Dexter and Judith February, will be launched on Thursday by Professor Njabulo Ndebele, chairperson of Idasa’s Board of Directors, at the opening of Lobby Books, Cape Town’s newest independent book store, at 6 Spin St, Cape Town, 5:30 for 6:00pm. For more information please email tshanker@idasa.org.za

For copies of the Democracy Index scores please contact Moira levy on mlevy@idasa.org.za. For further information, please contact Judith February on jfebruary@idasa.org.za or 0834539817 or Neeta Misra-Dexter on nmirsadexter@idasa.org.za or 0729491382.