Historical institutionalism and the development of sub-state diplomacy in South Africa
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Date
2016
Authors
Nganje, Fritz
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State
Abstract
This article borrows theoretical insights from historical institutionalism to analyse the development of
sub-state diplomacy in the South African context. It identifies the political negotiations that allowed
South Africa to make a relatively peaceful transition from apartheid to a democratic dispensation as
a critical historical juncture that established the institutional pathway on which subsequent political
processes would unfold. Although the Constitution that emerged from this historical moment makes
room for semi-autonomous sub-national entities with some degree of competences in foreign affairs,
it also deferred to the impulses of the ANC for a centralised system of government. The article argues
that, in the context of the ANC’s entrenched hegemony in the post-apartheid South African polity, this
compromise has translated into a centralised political culture which has shaped the nature, scope, and
efficacy of the international involvement of provinces and municipalities. Not only have provincial and
local governments been shut out of the foreign policy-making process, but their direct involvement in
international relations has also been constrained by the dominant understanding that matters of foreign
affairs are the exclusive preserve of the national government. The article concludes by noting that
without any significant prospects for a major transformation of the institutional order, provinces like the
Western Cape have resorted to creative measures that enable them to by-pass the constraining effects of
the system in order to make the most of their international relations.
Description
Keywords
South Africa, Diplomacy, Historical institutionalism, Sub-state diplomacy, Sub-national governments, Paradiplomacy
Citation
Nganje, F. (2016). Historical institutionalism and the development of sub-state diplomacy in South Africa. Journal for Contemporary History, 41(1), 149-168.