Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Compiled by the Democracy & Governance Research Programme, Human Sciences Research Council Published by HSRC Press Private Bag X9182, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa www.hsrcpublishers.ac.za In association with the Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa © 2003 Human Sciences Research Council First published 2003 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISBN 0-7969-2025-7 Cover by Flame Design Cover photograph by Kelly Walsch Production by comPress www.compress.co.za Distributed in Africa by Blue Weaver Marketing and Distribution, P.O. Box 30370, Tokai, Cape Town, 7966, South Africa. Tel: +27 21-701-4477, Fax: +27 21 701-7302, email: booksales@hsrc.ac.za Distributed in the United States of America and Canada by Independent Publishers Group, 814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610, USA. www.ipgbook.com. To order, call toll-free: 1-800-888-4741 All other enquiries, Tel: +1 312-337-0747, Fax: +1 312-337-5985, email: frontdesk@ipgbook.com Distributed worldwide, excluding Africa, Canada and the United States of America by The Nordic Africa Institute, Box 1703, SE 75 147 Uppsala, Sweden. Tel: +46 18 562200, Fax +46 18 552290, email: orders@nai.uu.se Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Contents Acknowledgements viii Acronyms x Introduction xiii Henning Melber 1 Democracy and the Control of Elites 1 Kenneth Good 2 Liberation and Opposition in Zimbabwe 23 Suzanne Dansereau 3 In Defence of National Sovereignty? Urban Governance and Democracy in Zimbabwe 47 Amin Kamete 4 As Good as It Gets? Botswana’s “Democratic Development” 72 Ian Taylor 5 Chieftaincy and the Negotiation of Might and Right in Botswana’s Democracy 93 Francis B. Nyamnjoh 6 Between Competing Paradigms: Post-Colonial Legitimacy in Lesotho 115 Roger Southall 7 From Controlled Change to Changed Control: The Case of Namibia 134 Henning Melber Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za 8 Armed Struggle in South Africa: Consequences of a Strategy Debate 156 Martin Legassick 9 Culture(s) of the African National Congress of South Africa: Imprint of Exile Experiences 178 Raymond Suttner 10 Liberal or Liberation Framework? The Contradictions of ANC Rule in South Africa 200 Krista Johnson Contributors 224 Index 225 vi Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Tables Table 3.1: Voter composition in Harare in 1990 and 2000 55 Table 3.2: Constituency representation for Harare in parliament in 1990 and 2000 56 Table 3.3: The assault on democracy 59 Table 3.4: In defence of national sovereignty 65 Table 3.5: No patriotic agenda 67 Table 4.1: Number of seats won in Botswana’s general elections 75 Table 4.2: Percentage of popular vote won by party in Botswana’s general elections 75 Table 7.1: Election results 1989–1999 for the larger political parties 141 Figures Figure 3.1: Levels and types of elections in urban Zimbabwe 52 vii Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Acknowledgements It took just over a year between the conference on ‘(Re-)Conceptualising Democracy and Liberation in Southern Africa’ in July 2002 in Windhoek and this publication of revised versions of most of the papers originally presented there. This required the concerted efforts of many persons and institutions. The Nordic Africa Institute provided the bulk of the material and administrative support to organise the event within its research network on ‘Liberation and Democracy in Southern Africa’. Arne Wunder and Charlotta Dohlvik were in charge of the practical arrangements of bringing the participants to Windhoek. The local organisation was achieved in collaboration with The Legal Assistance Centre (in particular, its director, Clement Daniels) and the Namibia Institute for Democracy (in particular, its directors, Theunis Keulder and Doris Weissnar). The role played by Lennart Wohlgemuth, not only as a conference participant and director of the Nordic Africa Institute, was motivating and encouraging throughout. The emotional and very practical support by Sue Melber made her once again a true companion also to the benefit of my employer and the other participants. Without the assistance of all those mentioned, the original conference would have been not only different but far less enjoyable. I am grateful to Roger Southall for agreeing to the production of a special issue of The Journal of Contemporary African Studies (JCAS) based on contributions to the conference, as well as to Taylor and Francis, publishers of JCAS, for agreeing to the co-publication of the issue as a book by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Likewise, I am grateful to The Swedish International Development Authority (Sida) for their financial support to the project support through the Nordic Africa Institute. Last but not least, the contributors to this volume displayed a high level of efficiency and professionalism in their contribution to this project. viii Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Complemented by the extraordinary skills and commitment of Nova de Villiers who undertook the first edit of the chapters, this final product will hopefully offer a meaningful contribution to a necessary debate. Finally, I dedicate this humble intellectual contribution to the cause of democracy, equality, freedom and human rights and to all those who take personal risks to bring us closer to such goals. Henning Melber ix Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za Acronyms ANC African National Congress BAC Basutoland African Congress BCP Botswana Congress Party BIDPA Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis BNF Botswana National Front BNP Basotho National Party CKGR Central Kalahari Game Reserve CoD Congress of Democrats COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions CSI Civil Society Initiative DTA Democratic Turnhalle Alliance FNLA Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola FRELIMO Frente de Libertação de Moçambique GDRC Global Development Research Unit GEAR Growth Employment and Redistribution ILO International Labour Organisation IMF International Monetary Fund LCD Lesotho Congress of Democracy LDF Lesotho Defence Force LLA Lesotho Liberation Army MDC Movement for Democratic Change MDM Mass Democratic Movement MFP Marematlou Freedom Party MISA Media Institute of Southern Africa MK Umkhonto We Sizwe MMD Movement for Multi-Party Democracy MPLA Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola MWT The Marxist Workers’ Tendency x Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za [...]... he was said to be considering his position, awaiting the call of his people, as it were, to continue in office (Editorial, Business Day October 5, 2001) Almost all his brother presidents in southern Africa were acting similarly Sam Nujoma, who had initiated the practice of constitutional denial, was ready to continue even beyond his acquired third term in power He told a BBC interviewer in early 2001... Democracy in Southern Africa A network of scholars from mainly southern Africa was involved and a first consultative workshop was convened in December 2001 in collaboration with the Centre for Conflict Resolution in 2 Cape Town This provided a platform for an initial conceptualisation of the issues which led, in turn, to a second gathering in Namibia in July 2002 With a focus on “(Re-)Conceptualising Democracy... the continent and an advanced liberal constitution, but “the aristocrats of the revolution” – Zakes Mda’s phrase – had gained power in 1994, and the ruling 7 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za LIMITS TO LIBERATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA party appeared determined to extend its predominance through every 17 institution in the country and to stifle, not foster, opposition As much or even more than in Botswana... developed to the point where he argues that it is well nigh impossible to control their lust for never-ending power “Singularly and collectively, the ruling elites of southern Africa have shown that their chief xvii Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za LIMITS TO LIBERATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA concerns are with self-interest and retention of power, and constitutionalism counts for little” Echoing this... relations by conceptualising new forms of political organisation As the sub-title to this volume suggests, there remains much in the way of unfinished business in regard to consolidating democracy in post-colonial southern Africa This applies not only to the political process but also to our analytic understanding of the dynamics of the process These essays represent a start with a grappling of the issues... and violence within nation building.” In: J Abbink/M de Bruijn/K van Walraven (eds), Rethinking Resistance: Revolt and Violence in African History Leiden: Brill 303–27 Melber, H (ed.) 2003b Namibia Grenzen nachkolonialer Emanzipation Frankfurt/Main: Brandes & Apsel (English edition Uppsala: The Nordic Africa Institute; forthcoming) Melber, H and Saunders, C 2001 Transition in Southern Africa – Comparative... federalised, government in the United States entailed limited democracy 1 Free download from www.hsrcpress.ac.za LIMITS TO LIBERATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 3 also Two major parties share predominance and alternate in power in Washington At the end of the twentieth century America possessed the largest inequalities of income in the developed capitalist world, and the society both admires winners and despises... does the terminology liberal/ electoral/representative democracy as interpreted here; a system hinging upon open elections, which functions primarily to elect and legitimise political elites, and which fails to address the inequalities inherent in the capitalist economy (Macpherson 1966:46–8) Predominant Party Systems in Southern Africa Controlling leadership is almost equally impossible within the presidentialist... LIMITS TO LIBERATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA described as being the “servants of the people”, endowed with notable powers to fulfil that task Cabinet ministers were required to attend Assembly meetings and to respond to “any queries and debates” on the “legitimacy, wisdom [and] effectiveness” of government policies Parliament could “require any senior official to appear before any of [its] committees to. .. paid to the postindependence records of governance of the Namibian and Zimbabwean liberation movements Re-cast as political parties, they have since taking power in their respective domains sought to gain predominance in both the political arena, as well as within most, if not all, state and parastatal structures In these two areas they have largely prevailed while also securing a power of definition in . which led, in turn, to a second gathering in Namibia in July 2002. With a focus on “(Re-)Conceptualising Democracy and Liberation in Southern Africa , it. an xviii LIMITS TO LIBERATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Free download from www.hsrc p ress.ac.za ongoing process of power brokerage, traditions in southern Africa