Political tolerance and civil society: the case of South Africa

ABSTRACT

The recent debate about civil society in South Africa has focused mainly on relationships of power in the reconstruction of civil society. This article puts forward an argument about the importance of civility (expressed in the acceptance of people as bearers of rights), as a component of civil society. It is in the acceptance of others as rights‐holders that political tolerance is fostered. Tolerance, therefore, lies at the heart of civil society. Empirical data of a sample of South Africans on political tolerance are assessed, and the implications of the lack of tolerance are analyzed.