Thesis (MPhil (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Namibian transition to independence and the South African transition to a
majority democracy have many similarities as well as differences. The key similarities are
composed of the shared history and mutual influences on society, the economy and
national politics. Key differences constitute the manner in which the transitions were
executed: internationally imposed in the Namibian case, and internally negotiated in the
South African case. Almost every facet of Namibian and South African societies have
in some way or another been imprinted by the respective transitions, which also
contributed to the shape of the national consciousness. However, decades of stateenforced
racial discrimination in the form of Apartheid legislation left its mark on both
the Namibian and South African society. As a result, public and private consciousness is
marred with racial and ethnic identities created and legislated during Apartheid, which is
hampering democratic consolidation.
This study provides a comparison between the South African and Namibian
transitions, within the broader context of democratic consolidation. This study contends
that reconciliation is a necessary condition for democratic consolidation in South
Africa and Namibia, and aims to assess whether there is any significant difference between
the impact of the internationally orchestrated Namibian transition as opposed to the
internally negotiated South African transition on levels of reconciliation in the two
countries. This is done by applying Gibson’s (2004) four criteria of reconciliation
(interracial reconciliation, political tolerance, support for the principles of democracy and
legitimacy) to the South African and Namibian cases. The hypothesis is that there should
be less support for democratic ideals in Namibia than in South Africa, on the basis that
democracy was, to a certain degree, forced unto Namibian society, while it was freely
chosen by South African society.
The main finding of this study, however, suggests that the differences in the transition style -
the one being internationally orchestrated and the other being internally negotiated- seems not
to have had any significant affect on national reconciliation. It seems as though
hostility between different groups based mainly on the superficial racial and ethnic
differences that were created during Apartheid has made way for hostility centred more on
socio-economic differences. While socio-economic issues have become the overriding
concern for both South Africans and Namibians, socio-economic differences between
individuals and groups are still largely tied to ethnicity and race. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onafhanklikheidswording en die oorgang na ‘n meerderheidsdemokrasie van
onderskeidelik Namibië en Suid-Afrika word gekenmerk deur ‘n aantal ooreenkomste asook
verskille. Die sleutel ooreenkomste behels die gedeelde geskiedkundige agtergrond, die
invloede van die ekonomie en nasionalie politiek klimaat en die gevolglike uitwerking van
hierdie faktore op die samelewing. In kontras behels die verskille die wyse waarop die
oorgang uitgevoer is. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is die proses deur interne
onderhandelinge bewerkstellig terwyl die Namibiese oorgang sterk beinvloed is deur eksterne
invloede.
Ongeag hierdie verskille het die verwikkelinge ‘n hewige impak gehad op beide die Suid-
Afrikaanse, asook die Namibiese publiek en hul kollektiewe bewussyn. Die invloed van jare
se rasdiskriminasie in die vorm van apartheidswetgewing het egter sy tol op die publiek
geëis. Die gevolg is die merkbare invloed van ras en etniese identiteite op albei lande se
bevolkings wat oor die langtermyn demokratiese konsolidasie kan teenwerk.
Hierdie studie tref ‘n vergelyking tussen Suid-Afrika an Namibië binne die breër konteks van
demokratiese konsolidasie. Die studie veronderstel dat versoening ‘n noodsaaklike vereiste is
vir demokratiese konsolidasie in Suid-Afrika en Namibië, en poog ook om die invloed van
die intern-gedrewe Suid-Afrikaanse transisie teenoor die ekstern-georkestreerde Namibiese
transisie te assesseer. Dit word gedoen deur die toepassing van Gibson (2004) se vier-voudige
konsep van versoening (inter-ras versoening, politieke verdraagsaamheid, ondersteuning vir
die beginsels van demokrasie en legitimiteit) op beide lande. Die hipotese word as volg
geformuleer: Die Namibiese bevolking toon ‘n negatiewe ingesteldheid teenoor demokratiese
beginsels aangesien demokrasie as regeerstelsel op die bevolking afgedwing is, in kontras
met Suid-Afrika waar demokrasie as regeerstelsel deur ‘n meerderheidstemming verkies is.
Die hoofbevinding van hierdie werkstuk is egter dat die verskille in die aard van die oorgang
na demokrasie in beide lande nie ‘n noemenswardige invloed gehad het op nasionale
versoening nie. Dit blyk egter dat konflik tussen sekere bevolkingsgroepe wat hoofsaaklik
spruit uit die etniese en ras identiteite, soos geformuleer deur die apartheidswetgewing,
huidiglik gesentreer is rondom sosio-ekonomiese verskille. Gevolglik word dit gemeld dat
hierdie sosio-ekonomiese verskille direk verband hou met ras en etnisiteit.
i
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4105 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Mechnig, Christopher Markus |
| Contributors | Smith, K., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | viii, 86 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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