The nature of the tripartite alliance and its impact on the operations of the ANC government in South Africa, 1990-2017
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Date
2023
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University of Zululand
Abstract
This research claims that the ANC, COSATU, and SACP's Tripartite Alliance has had a volatile character ever since it was established in 1990. COSATU and the SACP have a farleft economic stance because they think that to solve South Africa's socioeconomic issues and the effects of apartheid, a socialist or communist society must be established. The tripartite alliance, according to this research, is an unusual form of government that consolidates the control of the African National Congress (ANC) as the dominant party through three parties,
each of which has a distinct ideological history and support base. The structure is a special place for defining agendas and formulating policies, and it frequently runs afoul of these methods and instructions. The National Development Plan (NDP) was finalized in 2012, and the Tripartite Alliance as a framework had reached an agreement on developmental policy measures before its creation. To guarantee that a policy is given a priority position on the public policy agenda, the formulation of public policy in South Africa needs the support of several political players. The transition from apartheid to the new democratic dispensation has left behind a complicated policy environment that has given rise to a particular set of circumstances for policymaking. The thesis demonstrates how the inherited "revolutionary" posture allowed competing groups within the alliance to give conflicting and controversial interpretations of the ideological makeup of the ANC government's policies using "critical discourse" analysis. The analysis also shows how such a position enabled succeeding ANC administrations to embrace the "Keynesian-reformism" narrative that served to defend the Neo-liberal macroeconomic policy framework. According to the theory, the government used
the ANC-led alliance's contradictory "revolutionary" position to further the interests of newly emerging black capitalists throughout the post-apartheid era. The Mbeki-Zuma leadership conflict sprang out of previous intra-Tripartite Alliance factional disputes, which provide fertile ground. The thesis investigates why the "revolutionary" posture taken by the ANC coalition throughout the lengthy racial liberation fight came to be the most polarising during the post-apartheid period. This study makes a strong case for the proposition that an alliance
is not a coalition but rather a union of ideological appearance and politeness. The National Democratic Revolution (NDR) is the vehicle through which this is most strongly represented. The study further clarifies that the NDR continues to be the ANC's major political artery and plays a crucial role in the discussions of public policy and important platforms for each Alliance Partner.
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ABSTRAK
Hierdie navorsing maak die bewering dat die ANC, COSATU en SAKP se Drieparty-lliansie
'n wisselvallige karakter gehad het sedert dit in 1990 gestig is. COSATU en die SAKP het 'n ver-linkse ekonomiese standpunt omdat hulle dink dat om Suid-Afrika se sosio-ekonomiese kwessies op te los en die uitwerking van apartheid, moet 'n sosialistiese of kommunistiese samelewing gevestig word. Die drieparty-alliansie, volgens hierdie navorsing, is 'n ongewone
regeringsvorm wat die beheer van die African National Congress (ANC) as die dominante arty konsolideer deur drie partye, wat elkeen 'n duidelike ideologiese geskiedenis en eunbasis het. Die struktuur is 'n spesiale plek om agendas te definieer en beleid te formuleer, en dit loop gereeld in stryd met hierdie metodes en instruksies. Die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan (NOP) is in 2012 gefinaliseer, en die Drieparty Alliansie as 'n raamwerk het 'n ooreenkoms bereik oor ontwikkelingsbeleidsmaatreëls voor die skepping daarvan. Om te verseker dat 'n beleid 'n prioriteitsposisie op die openbare beleidsagenda kry, benodig die formulering van openbare beleid in Suid-Afrika die ondersteuning van verskeie politieke rolspelers. Die organg van apartheid na die nuwe demokratiese bedeling het 'n ingewikkelde
beleidsomgewing agtergelaat wat aanleiding gegee het tot 'n bepaalde stel omstandighede vir
beleidmaking. Die tesis demonstreer hoe die oorgeërfde "revolusionêre" houding mededingende groepe binne die alliansie toegelaat het om teenstrydige en kontroversiële interpretasies van die ideologiese samestelling van die ANC-regering se beleid te gee deur
gebruik te maak van "kritiese diskoers"-analise. Die ontleding toon ook hoe so 'n posisie opvolgende ANC-administrasies in staat gestel het om die "Keynesiaanse-reformisme"- narratief te omhels wat gedien het om die Neo-liberale makro-ekonomiese
eleidsraamwerk te verdedig. Volgens die teorie het die regering die ANC-geleide alliansie se teenstrydige “revolusionêre” posisie gebruik om die belange van nuut-opkomende swart kapitaliste regdeur die post-apartheid-era te bevorder. Die Mbeki-Zuma-leierskapskonflik het ontstaan uit vorige faksiegeskille tussen die drieparty-alliansie, wat vrugbare grond gebied het. Die tesis ondersoek waarom die "revolusionêre" houding wat die ANC-koalisie ingeneem het gedurende die lang rassebevrydingstryd die mees polariserende gedurende die post-apartheid tydperk geword het. Hierdie studie maak 'n sterk argument vir die stelling dat 'n alliansie nie 'n koalisie is nie, maar eerder 'n vereniging van ideologiese voorkoms en beleefdheid. Die Nasionale Demokratiese Revolusie (NDR) is die voertuig waardeur dit die sterkste verteenwoordig word. Die studie maak verder duidelik dat die NDR steeds die ANC se belangrikste politieke slagaar is en 'n deurslaggewende rol speel in die besprekings van openbare beleid en belangrike platforms vir elke Alliansievennote.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2023].