Effects of the conflicting ideologies of the tripartite alliance on policy formulation and implementation in South Africa
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Date
2018
Authors
Koenane, Nonhlanhla Alice
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Issues of development are on top of the Agenda of the United Nations because it is
the international organisation that grants status to countries according to the level of
development. South Africa is rated as a developing country while the Bretton Woods
institutions rate South Africa as a developing economy. Bretton Woods institutions
(with the specific reference to the International Monetary Fund) are interested in
economic policies of the countries. South Africa finds itself at the centre of being a
young democracy that has to compete globally without adequate capacity to be a
global player. Social contract binds the government to deliver public goods to the
electorate; hence there is a need to form partnerships and networks for delivering
public goods. Some partnerships are formulated inside the country while some are at
an international level. Partnerships and networks as stakeholders in policy making
are able to support a policy that promotes their interests. Nonetheless, twenty years
have passed while South Africa maintains its democracy as a young one. It is
therefore justifiable to conduct a historic study with a special focus on socioeconomic
policies that are formulated with the partners and networks in the process.
In line with the central argument, this study wanted to describe the effects of the
conflicting ideologies in the form of socialism and capitalism to growth impediment in
South Africa because their co-existence results to policy uncertainty. Documents
analysed exposed that South Africa has changed socio-economic policies five times
in a period of 18 years (1994 to 2012) whose implementation strategies are reported
to be a contradiction. Moreover, instead of complementing each other, social
economic policies compete with each other; hence there is no meaningful
implementation. Socio-economic policies are a tool of decreasing unemployment,
poverty and inequality. Findings revealed that growth and economy stagnated hence
jobs cannot be created; poverty and unemployment has increased; conflicting
ideologies are not always a reason policy is not implemented; state does not have
capacity to implement policy; better life for all remains an election manifesto; and
policy goals and strategies employed during implementation are contradicting one
another. On the other hand, the promise of a better life for is betrayed; hence
improving the quality of life, promotion of nation building and social cohesion is an illusion if South Africa is stolen (Bhorat, Buthelezi, Duma, Mondi, Peter, Qobo, Swilling & Friedenstein, 2017: 4).
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Keywords
Governance, Democracy, Socialism, Capitalism, Networks, Partnerships, Justice, Inequalities, unemployment, Tripartite alliance, Dissertation (M.D. (Governance and Political Studies))--University of the Free State, 2018