Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study has set to describe and explain the causal relationship between the process of
globalisation, and that of democratisation and development in South Africa. Understanding
this process required an analysis of the political and economic patterns followed, and policy
choices made by state elites in South Africa, and to compare these processes with other
countries that are also integrating into the global political economy.
In South Africa, the dominance of the external factor on the country's socio-economic and
development policy making process is exposed in this study. Analysis of the progress of
South Africa's macro-economic policy (GEAR) in creating sustainable economic growth, and
in linking it with the locally defined notion of 'people-based development' (as per RDP
document, 1994) over a five-year period reveals firstly, that while GEAR is portrayed as both
an economic and a 'people-based development' policy, it is an externally oriented policy
whose ends are largely the promotion of transnational capitalist interest. The contradiction is
that while a redress of development discrepancies (i.e. by providing social-welfare, health,
education, clean water, electricity, transport and housing) calls for an increase in government
expenditure, GEAR's fiscal stance prohibits such spending.
South Africa's development policy represents a much broader and a common problem in the
global socio-economic superstructure, solutions for which cannot be derived by analysing the
policy of only one country, but the whole transnational political-economic system.
The problems of the current global political-economic order and its development programs
remains naked for all to see. Even common sense indicates that the North-South power
relations are one-sided, problematic and should not be allowed to continue indefinitely as
they stand. In addition, that the underdeveloped countries should continue to play an active
role in global structures such as the UN, the UNOs such as UNCTAD, the WTO, and other
international institutions if they are to impact on policies that govern the North-South
relations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verhouding tussen die proses van die ontplooiing van
globalisasie, demokratisering, neo-liberalisme en sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling in Suid-
Afrika, te beskryf en te verduidelik. Om hierdie verhouding te kan verstaan is 'n analise van
die politiese en ekonomiese patrone wat gevolg word en beleidskeuses wat deur staatselites
gemaak word, van hierdie nuwe demokratiese staat, nodig.
Die oorheersing van eksterne faktore oor die Suid-Afrikaanse beleidsmaking ten opsigte van
sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkelings het in die studie na vore getree. 'n Analise van die
vordering van die Suid-Afrikaanse makro-ekonomiese beleid (GEAR), in die skepping van
behoudbare ekonomiese groei en die skakeling daarvan met die plaaslike nosie (RDP
dokument, 1994) van "mens-gebasseerde" ontwikkeling oor 'n periode van vyf jaar, het
geopenbaar dat GEAR, wat voorgestel is as 'n ekonomiese en sosio-ekonomiese
ontwikkelingsbeleid, terselfdetyd 'n eksterne georienteerde beleid is wat transnationale
kapitalistiese belange promotiseer. Daar bestaan kontroduksie tussen die oogmerke van
GEAR. Eerstens beoog GEAR die vernouing van die ontwikkelingsgaping in Suid-Afrika
(deur die voorsienig van maatskaplike dienste, gesonheidsdienste, opvoeding, skoon water,
elektrisiteit, vervoer en behuising) iets wat 'n verhoging van staatsuitgawes tot gevolg sal hê,
terwyl GEAR se beleid sulke verhoogde uitgawes aan bande lê.
Dit is voor die handliggend dat die Noord-Suid magsverhouding eensydig is, en problematies
is vir ontwikkeling en moet dus nie toegelaat word om voortgesit te word nie. Verder moet
onderontwikkelende lande voortdurend 'n aktiewe rol speel in globale strukture soos die
UNCTAD, die WHO, die VN en ander internasionale institusies as hulle enigsins 'n impak op
die beleid wat die Noord-Suid verhoudinge beheer, wil maak.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52288 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Mlitwa, Nhlanhla Boyfriend Wilton |
| Contributors | Nel, P. R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 82 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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