Constitutional Patriotism: the convergence of democratic challenges and progress in South Africa

This paper analyses the politics pursued by the African National Congress (ANC) within South Africa's fragile parliamentary democracy under the banner of majoritarianism vis-à-vis the proper functioning of democratic institutions and democracy itself. Certain key policy programmes of the government including the ruling party's chief policy doctrine, the national democratic revolution, the strategic defence procurement packages, the dissolution of the Directorate of Special Operations and the ANC's conception of citizenship, 'the people' and nation-building in South Africa are examined. South Africa's constitution, which is classical of liberal democracy, lends itself to deliberative democracy and the institutions of the South African parliamentary system, in terms of their structure and constitutional purpose, promote deliberative democracy and cooperative governance but the norms of reasonable argumentation, equality and fairness undergirding the deliberative conception of democracy which are, in this way, institutionally guaranteed in the South African political process, are yet to be fully realised in South Africa's political culture.