Historical analysis of power-sharing and consociational democratic practice in South Africa

This paper critiques the premise that liberal democracy is the antidote for development in South Africa. In an attempt to analyse the consociational elements in the South African polity, the paper seeks to highlight some of the consociational elements that appear to be present in South Africa's democratic society. It argues that their presence accounts for a conducive ground in the implementation of holistic development. Despite the debate on whether South Africa is or was a consociational democracy after apartheid, it is important to pay attention to the degree in which coalition building and power sharing (as important facets of consociationalism) played an influential role towards South Africa's democratic transition. Drawing from the mediation efforts towards power-sharing in South Africa, the paper focuses on the transition period and the negotiations that eventually led to power-sharing in South Africa. The idea is to highlight a historical view that eventually led to a transition from apartheid to a truly multiracial democratic electorate. The paper attempts to shed light on the existing consociational elements in South Africa in an effort to show that despite the debates in scholarly literature and, more generally, political commentary, it can be argued that South Africa still retains consociational features which may be more capable of bringing about a relevant development paradigm than the dominant liberal democratic approach.