The 1996 municipal elections in Kwazuiu‐Natal: an eyewitness account

Abstract

The political significance of the municipal poll in KwaZuIu‐Natal transcended the local level. Looming large were issues such as the struggle between the African National Congress and Inkatha Freedom Party, the clash between traditional and democratic forms of authority, and the enduring relevance of race in South African politics. The article explores these themes through an examination of the administration of the election, the social character of party support and the organisational capacity of political parties and their respective campaign themes. The picture that emerges is on the one hand discouraging: intolerance levels were high and free political activity proscribed in many areas, voting patterns were crystallised along stark racial and urban‐rural lines, and political parties were poorly institutionalised at all levels. The election showed up the inability of parties to break free of their reliance on traditional sources of support and appeal to new constituencies. On the other hand, some features emerged from the election pointing to the development of a more mature and less immoderate political culture.