M.A. (Political Studies) / This study sets out to establish the presence of socialist trends within extra-parliamentary groups in South Africa. The role of socialism within the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPOj, which supports the Black Consciousness philosophy, is considered. The study simultaneously examines the presence of socialism in the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), as an all-white organisation. The study also indicates that socialism, in contrast with popular perceptions, is a complex socio-political system consisting of different variants. Socialism developed from, inter alia, discontentment with the supposed shortcomings of capitalist inspired democracies. Differing interpretations of socialism developed according to the specific needs of each society. At present, socialist ideologies are still mainly directed towards providing alternatives for economic inequalities and the welfare of the society in general. Three variants of socialism were identified for the purpose of this study. The first, democratic socialism, is closely related to the basic theory of democracy and therefore allows for the greatest extent of free market capitalism and private enterprise. The second, African socialism, developed as a result of the attainment of independence by African states in the early sixties, which left these states with the remnants of imperialism. African socialism is an outcry against the perceived injustices committed by white imperialists and therefore does not provide for white participation. The third variant, national socialism, by contrast to African socialism, is mainly pursued by white elitist groups ...