Soweto: managing the transition?

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The article argues the case for transitional arrangements on the grounds that they may not only decide the nature of the transition, but play an important role in shaping prospects for a post‐apartheid democracy. Hence, the establishment of workable transitional arrangements which include all key actors may be not only an essential guarantee of a workable transition, but one which produces an effective, democratic, local government system. In this context, the approaches of the government and its adversaries to transition are first examined. Attention is then turned to the local level The paper argues that since local conflict has the capacity to derail a national constitutional settlement, transitional arrangements at the local level require specific consideration. Against this background, a specific agreed structure for managing the transition – the “Soweto Accord” – and the prospects of its becoming a model for relatively smooth transition, are considered.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: