Abstract:
The focus of this study is on South Africa's transition to democracy. It is argued in this
thesis, that an analysis of the transition to democracy in South Africa and the transformation
of the con
ict that prevailed in this divided society could generate new avenues for theorising
about transitions to democracy in divided societies amidst con
ict. The aim with this thesis
is to contribute towards a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of
the process of transition to democracy, and the relevant theory involved, particularly with
regard to transitions in divided societies. One consequence of the deep divisions within
South African society has been the increase in violence, which followed liberalisation. The
transition to democracy in South Africa, as a result, was characterised by continuing and
escalating violence. In South Africa, the authoritarian regime deteriorated mainly because
of internal factors, but external factors also played an important role.
The analysis of the transition has been guided by the hypothesis that the democratisation
of South Africa was accomplished through a compromise that was negotiated between the
major political actors and which re
ected the intra-, as well as the inter-dynamics in the
domains of, state - political society - civil society.
Thus, the main theme of this thesis is, that in the analysis of the dynamics of the tran-
sition to democracy in South Africa, a basic framework in which the domains of, state -
political society - civil society, are the domains where structural variables (such as culture,
economic development, class structures, increased education and the international environ-
ment) and behavioural variables (such as major political actors, elite factions, organisations
from civil society) interact. Thus, in the diachronic analysis of South Africa's transition, an
interactive approach, that seeks to relate structural constraints to the shaping of contingent
choice, is followed. At the same time, the institutional substitution of a new democratic
political dispensation is examined.
In conclusion, democracies are complex phenomena, and they are caused by many di er-
ent forces and synthesizing the relevant theoretical approaches to political change provides
a more cogent and comprehensive explanation of democratic transition in South Africa.
