Consolidating democracy in South Africa: the second open election

Abstract

The 1994 general election was by common consent a defining moment in South African history, and one of global significance, marking the peaceful transfer of power by a racial oligarchy to the population as a whole. The overwhelming victory of the African National Congress (ANC), which had spearheaded the liberation struggle, led some to reflect on the problems of 'one-party dominant democracy' which have characterized other African states (Southall 1994; Esterhuysen 1994). In 1999 much attention therefore focused on the size of the ANC majority and the struggle for the mantle of official opposition at national level, and on the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal where the ANC had failed to win control of provincial governments in 1994. More fundamentally, the 1999 election was seen as a test of South Africa's ability to consolidate its young democracy, although this ultimately depends on much more than the electoral process (Habib 1997). South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) bore sole responsibility for running the second election. There were no international monitors and only 500 international observers, compared with 4,500 observers and monitors in 1994. This paper represents a preliminary analysis mapping results at the provincial scale, but making reference where necessary to more detailed polling district data where these reveal important patterns or trends. It begins with a consideration of the regis tration process and subsequent percentage turnout on polling day (2 June 1999), and then, after briefly reviewing the overall results, examines the perform ance of the ANC and major opposition parties at national and provincial level. It concludes with some reflections on the significance of the election and the subsequent provincial negotiations for the consolidation of democracy in South Africa.