Effects of the conflicting ideologies of the tripartite alliance on policy formulation and implementation in South Africa

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).