SA’S democracy ‘critical but stable’
Analysts weigh up the achievements and failures of our democratic project in the three decades since 1994
South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy on Saturday.
But as the country marks many social, political and economic milestones, there is a lot of discontent, not least about load-shedding, poor infrastructure, high unemployment, crime, corruption and inequality.
The ANC government, in power since 1994, says life in SA has changed for the better.
Analysts and opposition parties have different perspectives, arguing that too many targets and opportunities have been missed.
From 1994, under the stewardship of then-president Nelson Mandela, the country charted a way forward that led to it being viewed as a model for democracy, after its historical adoption of the constitution in May 1996.
It presented hope for the citizens, but today, with general elections due in just over a month, much of the early goodwill has been eroded.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula admits to some shortcomings, but insists the ruling party is taking steps to fix them.
“The journey to human dignity and a better life for all, for which millions of ordinary South Africans voted on April 27 1994, is therefore on track, despite setbacks and mistakes.
“As we reflect on 30 years of freedom, we must remember the injunction to tell no lies and claim no easy victories.
“Some people point to the continued challenges we face as a country — crime, unemployment, gender-based violence, hunger, corruption — and rejoice, because it gives them an excuse to take us back to a past we left behind in 1994.”
Mbalula cited free healthcare, free education, free housing, and access to water, electricity and social security among the positives.
“The government, led by President Mandela, had to immediately start improvements in the quality of life for South Africans.
“Many of those programmes continue today and form the basis of a comprehensive social effort to leave no one behind.”
Among the solid achievements he listed were:
● Free healthcare for pregnant women and for children under five, which has seen the death rate of infants fall from 42 per 1,000 live births in 1994 to 23 per 1,000 in 2024, according to the UN;
● Black women were treated as legal minors before 1994, but today more than a million are homeowners thanks to ANC housing policies;
● Between 1996 and 2015, a further 7.6-million households moved into formal housing;
● More than 80% of households have access to piped water in their home or yard; and
● Households with electricity rose from 76.6% in 2002 to 84.4% in 2022.
Mbalula said: “There are many more areas where change is tangible, including in sport, the creative sector, transport and the economy.
“Where we have made mistakes, we are taking steps to correct and renew.”
But opposition parties do not share Mbalula’s positive outlook.
The DA’S chief whip in parliament, Siviwe Gwarube, said: “It’s important not to allow the failures of the ANC to detract from the incredible feat [of] obtaining freedom for SA.
“However, as we reflect on where we are 30 years after democracy, the ANC’S governance record now makes a mockery of this period.
“Today, 30-million South Africans live in poverty; seven out of 10 young people are without work and the country cannot keep the lights on.
“Meanwhile corruption continues unabated.
“It is clear that the ANC’S promises of 1994 have long been betrayed. And the organisation has exhausted South Africans’ patience.”
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said SA, under the ANC, secured early wins even in the international community, leading peace interventions around the world.
But he found fault with SA’S economic policies, saying they had affected social security.
“Our economic policies have been faulty all the way and as a result you can hear the finance minister publicly saying we have run out of money.”
Holomisa said some of the challenges facing the country were investors withdrawing from SA and a lack of empowerment for black South Africans who did not benefit from BEE.
The Daily Dispatch has gone back to some of the ANC’S promises in 1994.
An advert published by the party in the newspaper on the day of the first democratic election outlined the party’s promises on education, job creation and peace.
“We have a plan to create 2.5million jobs over the next 10 years through a national public works programme alone.
“We will also create jobs through small business development by changing laws and providing training and access to loans. We will create a stable environment for investment and growth.
“We have a plan to give 10 years’ free and quality education to all our children.
“We will ensure that a national bursary and loan scheme is established. And we will establish a major programme for adult education and skills.”
There were also promises to improve policing in communities and introduce a strict gun control programme.
Former University of Free State vice-chancellor and education commentator Prof Jonathan Jansen said the party had failed when it came to education.
“The election promise in the run-up to the first democratic elections, that the ANC would provide free quality education, has of course not happened.
“Parents pay for education directly in fee-paying schools and indirectly in non-fee-paying schools for everything from food to clothing and extra teachers. Education is never
free, someone always pays. “Nor has the Anc-majority government delivered quality education.
“In the primary and junior high classes, SA’S performance in literacy and numeracy is still among the lowest in Africa despite the fact we spend more than any other country on the continent on education.”
Government policy and inaction had increased the quality gap between former white schools and the vast majority of “black schools”.
Political analyst Dr Mcebisi Ndletyana said life was different from pre-1994, especially in the area of social development. He pointed at access to electricity, infrastructure and housing.
Ndletyana said after the first two presidents, Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, things started changing from 2009 when Jacob Zuma took charge.
Public expenditure was redirected to vanity programmes and there was outright corruption.
Political analyst Ongama Mtimka said SA’S democracy was “critical but stable”.
Democracy had consolidated when measured by narrow indicators such as regular free and fair elections, and political liberties had not been threatened in any way. However, when measured from a substantive perspective and the extent to which life was changing, Mtimka said the results were mixed.
“The basic necessities have been provided for a much higher number of people ... yet poverty, unemployment and inequality threaten the extent to which this democracy can be said to have been consolidated.
“Quality of life, especially for provinces with huge rural populations, remains dire.”
He said the failures of the current government included a decline in the ability to deliver social and economic infrastructure which resulted from the erosion of state capacity, poor maintenance of infrastructure, and a disproportionate outcome between the money the government pumped into healthcare and education and the results achieved.
Security and safety commentator Johan Burger said the country was not safer now than in 1994.
Things had improved until about 2010, but were no longer doing so.
He attributed this to the different strategies employed at the time. Burger blamed current crime levels on inefficient police management, saying the government had ignored recommendations of the National Development Plan on the appointment of police top brass.