The Political Impasse in South Africa and Northern Ireland: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract

At first sight, it might seem that there are too many basic differences between South Africa and Northern Ireland in respect to nature, type, and complexity of two societies' divisions, scale of inequality among different communities, and essential elements of their constitutional arrangements and status to make comparison between two worthwhile. In particular, whereas population of South Africa in mid 1987 was estimated to be just over 35 million, with Africans constituting 74.7 percent of total, whites 14.0 percent, Coloureds 8.7 percent, and Asians 2.6 percent, Catholics constituted 40 percent of Northern Ireland's population of 1,575,000 in mid 1987.1 It is nonetheless case that comparison between South Africa and Northern Ireland is commonplace in both societies. Segregation, discrimination, political violence, and emergency security measures provide points of similarity between two societies that are most frequently referred to. However, for most part, comparisons have tended to be superficial and polemical rather than analytical, especially in Northern Ireland. Academic literature systematically comparing two societies is relatively sparse.2 Another feature of comparisons made between two societies that might be seen as indicating limitations of a comparative perspective is its asymmetry. Comparisons that seem appropriate in South Africa tend to have little political resonance in Northern Ireland and vice versa. It is unusual for a comparison made in one society to be referred to in other. The principal exception to this is an offer Balthazar Johannes Vorster made as minister of justice to opposition when introducing General Law Amendment Bill in South Africa's House of Assembly in 1963 that he would be willing to exchange all legislation of that sort for one clause of Northern Ireland Special Powers Act.'3 (Vorster probably had following clause of Northern Ireland Special Powers Act in mind. If any person does any act of such a nature as to be calculated to be prejudicial to preservation of peace or maintenance of order and not specifically provided for in regulations, he shall be deemed to be guilty of an offence against regulations.'4) Vorster's remark was taken up by civil rights movement in Northern Ireland in their campaign for repeal of act. For example, in 1968 one of leaders of Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association described Special Powers Act as the envy of fascist government in South Africa.5 Despite act's replacement by less far-reaching emergency legislation, Republicans in Northern Ireland, that is to say, those nationalists who support use of physical force to end British presence in Ireland, still refer to remark to bolster their portrayal of