Inkatha and the National Party, 1980-1989
| dc.contributor.advisor | Phimister, I. R. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Roos, Neil | |
| dc.contributor.author | Houldsworth, Adam | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-09-02T13:38:26Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-09-02T13:38:26Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-01 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: This thesis explores Inkatha and National Party politics in the period 1980-1989, focusing particularly on the relationship between them. It considers the nature of both parties’ political outlook, their objectives and how they sought to achieve those objectives. It asks what sort of relationship each party sought with the other and what significance they attached to this. It undertakes a detailed comparison between the politics of Inkatha and the National Party, thereby bringing each into clearer perspective. It is a leitmotiv of accounts of Inkatha that its politics were paradoxical and ambiguous. This thesis offers a clearer understanding of Inkatha’s ambiguous politics by providing the first characterization of the coherent philosophical assumptions which underpinned Inkatha’s politics and were reflected in aspects of its politics which, prima facie, appear irreconcilable or inconsistent. It is argued that Buthelezi, Inkatha’s leader, articulated a conservative political outlook which resembled that of philosopher Edmund Burke. It is contended that this form of Burkean conservatism was expressed not only in Inkatha’s criticisms of the African National Congress and revolutionary radicalism, but also in its opposition to National Party ideology and policy. By presenting the distinctive and coherent political outlook of Inkatha, this thesis poses a challenge to the reductionism of many prominent accounts which seek to understand the party solely in terms of its interests and the tactics employed in the pursuit of those interests. A better corroborated account is provided of Inkatha’s political priorities and how these reflected the changing circumstances of power contestation. New illustrations are offered of how Inkatha’s priorities and its perception of practical realities manifested themselves in its political approach towards both the National Party and the ANC. Previously unstudied Government documents are used to give novel insights into the politics of PW Botha’s National Party. It attempts to show in greater detail the fundamental differences of approach and objectives with Inkatha, and to reveal that these contrasts remained stark despite apparent shifts in the National Party’s politics in the second half of the 1980s. These unused documents are utilized in a clearer characterization of the politics of senior National Party cabinet minister Chris Heunis, which highlights many significant differences with the approach of his party leader, and a number of noteworthy similarities with Inkatha politics. This underscores the contingency of politics in the upper echelons of the National Party, and is particularly significant given that Buthelezi expressed hope for the emergence of more reformist tendencies within the National Party. However, it is argued that even Heunis did not attach the same degree of significance to Inkatha, and envisage the same role for it, that Buthelezi sought. Despite significant differences in their political approaches, both Heunis and PW Botha increasingly perceived a solution to the problems amongst young, urban Africans to be crucial to achieving their objectives. In the second half of the 1980s, they both believed that changing economic and demographic realities, in combination with heightened African radicalism, had rendered Inkatha unable to provide the type of leadership for Africans that was crucial for the National Party to resolve its political difficulties. This thesis suggests that Buthelezi’s failure to persuade the National Party to adopt his preferred approach to political change was not due solely to his stark political differences with PW Botha. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Hierdie tesis stel ondersoek in na die politiek van Inkatha en die Nasionale Party in die tydperk 1980-1989, en vernaam die verhouding tussen die partye. Dit belig die aard van die onderskeie partye se politieke uitkyke, doelwitte en hul strewe om daardie doelwitte te bereik. Vrae word gestel oor die aard en belangrikheid van hul verhouding met mekaar. ’n Breedvoerige vergelyking word getref tussen die politiek van Inkatha en die Nasionale Party, om sodoende elkeen te verhelder. Die leitmotiv wat algemeen voorkom in beskrywings van Inkatha is dat sy politiek paradoksaal en dubbelsinnig was. Hierdie tesis bied ’n begrip van Inkatha se dubbelsinnige politiek deur vir die eerste keer ’n kenskets daar te stel van Inkatha politiek se filosofiese opvattings wat in aspekte van sy politiek weerspieël is en wat met die eerste oogopslag onversoenbaar of teenstrydig sou voorkom. Daar word aangevoer dat Buthelezi, die leier van Inkatha, ’n konserwatiewe politieke uitkyk gehad het wat ooreenkomste toon met die filosoof Edmund Burke. Daar word verder aangevoer dat hierdie vorm van Burkeaanse konserwatisme nie net uiting gevind het in Inkatha se kritiek teen die African National Congress en revolusionêre radikalisme nie, maar ook in teenstand tot die Nasionale Party se ideologie en beleid. Deur Inkatha se eiesoortige politieke uitkyk aan die lig te bring bied hierdie tesis ’n uitdaging aan ’n aantal vername, dog oorvereenvoudigde, beskrywings van die party wat slegs daarop gemik is om Inkatha te verstaan wat betref sy belange en die taktieke wat ingespan is om daardie belange te verwesenlik. ’n Meer empiriese beskrywing word gegee van Inkatha se politieke prioriteite en hoe dit die veranderende aard van die magstryd weerspieël het. Nuwe voorbeelde word daargestel wat wys hoe Inkatha se prioriteite en sy persepsies van die praktiese realiteite uiting gevind het in sy politieke benadering tot die Nasionale Party en die ANC. Voorheen onontginde regeringsdokumente word gebruik om nuwe insig te bied in die politiek van PW Botha se Nasionale Party. Daar word gepoog om die fundamentele verskille met Inkatha in meer detail aan te dui, en om te wys hoe hierdie teenstellings onoorbrugbaar gebly het, ten spyte van verskuiwings in die Nasionale Party se politiek tydens die tweede helfte van die 1980’s. Hierdie onbenutte dokumente word gebruik om ’n helderder kenskets van die senior Nasionale Party kabinetsminister, Chris Heunis, se politiek te gee, wat ’n aantal belangrike verskille teenoor die benadering van sy partyleier aan die lig bring, sowel as ’n aantal belangwekkende ooreenkomste met Inkatha. Dit onderstreep die gebeurlikheid van politiek in die hoër range van die Nasionale Party, en is veral betekenisvol gegewe Buthelezi se hoop dat daar meer hervormingsgesindheid binne die Nasionale Party na vore sou tree. Daar word egter aangevoer dat nie eens Heunis dieselfde mate van belang aan Inkatha geheg het nie, en dat hy nie dieselfde rol as Buthelezi daarvoor voorsien het nie. Ten spyte van vername verskille in hul benadering tot die politiek was beide Heunis en Botha toenemend daarvan oortuig dat die probleme onder jong, stedelike swart mense opgelos moes word ten einde hul eie doelwitte te bereik. Tydens die tweede helfte van die 1980’s was hulle ook daarvan oortuig dat veranderende ekonomiese en demografiese realiteite, tesame met verhoogde swart radikalisering, dit onmoontlik vir Inkatha sou maak om die tipe leierskap aan swartes te bied wat so broodnodig was indien die Nasionale Party sy politieke probleme wou oplos. Hierdie tesis voer aan dat Buthelezi se mislukte poging om die Nasionale Party oor te haal om sy verkose benadering tot politieke verandering te aanvaar nie bloot te wyte was aan sy strakke politieke verskille met PW Botha nie. | af |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/4047 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Inkatha | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Buthelezi | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Homelands | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Apartheid | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | National Party | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | P. W. Botha | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Chris Heunis | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Reform | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Negotiation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Armed struggle | en_US |
| dc.subject | Edmund Burke | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Mandela | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Inkatha (Organization)--South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | South Africa--Politics and governement--1948-1994 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Political Parties--South Africa | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Centre for Africa Studies))--University of the Free State, 2016 | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Inkatha and the National Party, 1980-1989 | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |