Report

Political Parties and Democratic Governance in South Africa

“This report will focus on the six most popular of these organizations, namely: the ruling party ANC, its principal opponent the DA, the IFP, the UDM, Independent Democrats, and the African Christian Democratic Party. The report compares the ways in which each of these organizations constitute their internal life; the most obvious differences between them are in the degree to which rank and file members can participate in the selection of leadership and can help to determine policy. Most South African parties have developed a systematically organized mass following; in this report we investigate the activities undertaken by ordinary members in the branches of the two largest parties, the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance. Finally, the report surveys the selection of parliamentary candidates, the parties’ external connections, and the source of their funding.”