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Security and Democracy in Southern Africa
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International and regional developments in the late 1980s resulted in Southern Africa experiencing a ‘wave’ of democratisation. This seemingly produced a broad acceptance, throughout much of the region, of the values and norms of multi-party democracy, regular transparent elections, constitutional rule, and adherence to human rights. Except for Swaziland, all Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have held multi-party general elections since 1990, and most have held more than one (Matlosa 2000). This democratisation has been accompanied in most countries by the introduction of neo-liberal economic policies with their emphasis on market-led growth, privatisation, and commercialisation.
The expectation, held by many donors, international financial institutions (IFIs), and national policy-makers, was that liberal democracy would enhance human security. But has democracy brought stability and growth in its wake? If so, of what kind? For example, the region’s dominant economy, South Africa, has been experiencing ‘jobless growth’ and ongoing social conflict in the context of liberal democratisation (Marais 1998). In important respects, such as its environmental security, neo-liberal South Africa may have become ‘unsustainable’ (Bond 2000). Countries such as Mozambique and Namibia also experience corrosive forms of unequal development and poverty. This had led many analysts to question the premise that with the introduction of liberal democracy countries ‘stabilise’ and ‘develop’ (Held 2000; Galtung 2000).
Gavin Cawthra, Andre du Pisani and Abillah Omari - Personal Name
1st Edition
978-1-86814-453-2
NONE
Security and Democracy in Southern Africa
Corporate Governance
English
InternationalDevelopmentResearchCentre
2007
Canada
1-303
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