Transições Democráticas

South Africa: the political economy of growth and democracy, por Robert M. Price

Although the prognosis for democracy in South Africa is determined as decidedly unfavourable for democracy and growth – due to its political, economic and social inequalities and divides –, the present paper argues that South Africa’s contemporary situation can provide foundation for both in the aftermath of the cases of transition in the middle of the 1990s. It is thus argued that the key to sustained democracy and growth in the face of inevitable populism in this region will be found in the arena of ‘governance’, which must manage populist pressures, build legitimacy for democratic institutions and protect investment, production, and thus growth generating economic activities. The success of a post-apartheid government will be determined, in turn, by the institutional arrangements that emerge out of negotiations.