South Africa's Democratic Consolidation in Perspective Mapping Socio-Political Changes

Twenty-six years after South Africa's elite-driven transition to liberal democracy, this essay analyzes the values and attitudes of the public and (parliamentarian) elites to assess the country's democratic consolidation. It presents evidence that-despite singular exceptions-the South African public has followed in the footsteps of its leaders by adopting more liberal values and attitudes than it previously held. The essay identifies the challenges to consolidation as being primarily political in nature: a lack of consensus on macroeconomic policy among ruling elites as well as weakened institutional capacity to implement policy. The resultant problems plaguing service delivery and the lack of socio-economic advancement have damaged many South Africans' confidence in both their government and democracy. While these challenges continue to loom large on the political horizon, it cannot be confirmed that South Africa's democracy has been consolidated.