- Fukuyama , F . Summer 1989 . The End of History . National Interest , 16 : 3 – 18 . Whether one sees civil society as a ‘liberal’ construct or a social-democratic construct, ownership of the notion and its application are heavily contested with liberal analysts lately claiming the (design and) ownership of it. See, for example, the end of history-thesis of, points towards“…final victory for the liberal paradigm”). However, other interpretations of civil society exist, i.e. different from E Shills, The Virtue of Civil Society, paper delivered at the Athenaeum Club. New York, January 1991; and L Diamond, Rethinking Civil Society: Towards Democratic Consolidation Journal of Democracy. 5(3), 1994, pp. 4–17. For such different interpretations, see J F Gorus, Grijpt Afrika Zijn Kans? De Rol van Société Civile in Transitieprocessen in Centraal Africa Noord-Zuid Cahier, 21(1), 1996, pp. 27–38; for a very challenging definition of civil society standing in contrast to liberal and even pluralist definition of civil society, see G Esenwein & A Schubert, Spain at War: The Spanish Civil War in Context, 1931–1939, Longman, London, 1995 (chapter on anarcho-syndicalism in Spanish towns and rural areas). For a shorter critique of the Fukuyama thesis, see I Liebenberg, Final Victory for Capitalism? Some Imponderables on Fukuyama's Thesis on the ‘End of History’ Politeia, 13(2), 1994, pp. 73–80.
- Habermas , J . 1992 . Citizenship and National Identity: Some Reflections on the Future of Europe . Praxis International , : 1 – 19 . For more information on the meta-digm underpinning this article, see, See also J Sindane, Democracy Societies and Ubuntu Focus. 5(1), 1994, pp. 1–16, as well as I Liebenberg & P Duvenage, Can the Deep Political Divisions of the South African Society be Healed? A Philosophical Perspective Politeia, 15(1), 1996, pp. 48–64. For a conceptualisation with regard to pluralism, see H van Erp, Het Politieke Belang: Over de Politieke Orde in een Pluralistiche Samenlevinq, Boom Uitgeverij, Amsterdam, 1994 12
- Atkinson , D , Shubane , K , Swilling , M and Stadler , A . 1992 . Journal Theoria , 79 May : 1 For different definitions by, see a special edition of the, ff. For a definition by L Camerer, see Civil Society and Democracy: The South African Debate, working paper read at the South African Political Studies Association Colloquium, Broederstroom, 1992. See also L Camerer, Party Politics, Grassroots Politics and Civil Society Orientation. December 1996. A definition by L Diamond can be found in The Democratic Revolution. Freedom House/Idasa, New York, 1994.
- Civil society is here understood as community-based organisations Serving the populace on a local, regional and national level and not necessarily contained within the mostly artificial distinction between ‘political’ and community ‘economic liberation’ (or non-liberal at all where liberalist impositions has become exploitative, non-legitimate and/or perceived as authoritarian impositions by a local or foreign elite on the local or regional community).
- Schwendter , R . 1974 . Modellen voor Radikale Democratise ring: Strateqie in Teorie en Praktiik. , 32 ff Bloemendaal : H Nellisen .
- Civil society here seen in Schwendter's understanding as distinct from ‘pluralism’ which in many cases becomes a secondary conservatism to the exclusive benefit of the political and economic élite in maintaining power, status and scarce resources exclusively or predominantly for élite-use and distanced from direct benefit for the broader populace/citizenry.
- Marchovic , M . 1994 . “ Radical Democracy ” . In Critical Perspectives on Democracy , Edited by: Legters , L H Di Quattro , A . 242ff Maryland : Rowan and Littlefield . as well as R Perrin, Rehabilitating Democratic Theory: The Prospects and the Need, in ibid., pp. 1–6. For a more radical questioning of prevalent democratic structures, see S Bronner, Moments of Decision: Political History and the Crises of Democracy, Routledge, New York, 1992
- Ake , C . 1994 . Democratisation of Disempowerment in Africa Claude Ake persistently pointed out the danger of structuralist reforms which do not impact on economic empowerment. See, CASS Monograph, Malthouse, Port Harcourt, pp. 4ft see also M Uwusu for the need to include the views of rural and peri-urban communities in democratisation in Democracy and Africa—A View from the Village Journal of Modern African Studies, 30(3), 1992, pp. 369–396.
- Griffith , R , Butler , H and Dehn , G , eds. 1995 . Blowing the Whistle on Defence Procurement , London : Citadel Litho Press .
- Rhoodie , N and Liebenberg , I , eds. 1994 . Democratic Nationbuilding in South Africa , Pretoria : HSRC Publishers . For more detail on the nation-building debate, read contributions by N Alexander, J Degenaar and I Liebenberg in the Introduction, as well as Part 1 of, See also R Munck, The Difficult Dialogue: Nationalism and Marxism. Zed, London, 1982. A host of literature is available on the torturous history of imposed nationbuilding, not only in Europe, but also the ‘Third World’ and in particular the African continent.
- Buljtenhuijs , R and Thiriot , C . 1995 . Democratisation in Sub-Saharan Africa , Leiden : Africa Studies Centre . For the effect and prevalence in such societies, as well as in ‘developing countries’, see
- Rhoodie , Liebenberg and van den Berg , S . Economic Reconciliation as a Precondition for Sustained Democracy Enabling economics as congruence between labour productivity, export orientation, import substitution and social-democratic imperatives/welfare incentives aimed at competitive economic interaction with the global economic system. See H Langenhoven on ‘enabling economics’ in, op. cit; also, ibid.
- Sindane . 12 – 13 . op. cit
- Esenwein and Shubert . 32ff 52ff 121ff 189ff 252ff For more information, see, op. cit., See also R Agranoff on how Spain, after its transition from authoritarian rule to democracy, succeeded in marrying regionalisation and decentralisation (even cultural autonomy) with a broader democratic entity, in Federal Evolution in Spain International Political Science Review, 17(4), 1996, pp. 385–401.
- Ssenkumba , J . 1996 . The Crises of Opposition Politics in Uganda . Politeia The Crises of Opposition Politics in Uganda , 15 ( 3 ) : 51 – 73 . For more details on the intricacies of the African debate on democracy, with specific reference to the issue of non-partyism in Uganda, see
- Legters Di Quattro . 43ff For a useful reader on radical democracy, see, op. cit; especially relevant are the contributions by Perrin, J P Burke, and Marchovic on democracy and citizenship, rehabilitating democratic theory (and practice) and democracy in the workplace. See also Schwendter, op. cit.
- The author would like to extend his thanks to Jabu Sindane, research specialist at the Centre for Socio-Constitutional Dynamics (HSRC), Lala Camerer and Hussein Solomon (ISS), and Mariaan Roos (Effectiveness and Performance Centre) for valuable comments and critical remarks. Responsibility for the final product rests with the author who is writing in his personal capacity
African Security Review
Volume 6, 1997 - Issue 4