Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa
Founder(s) | Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Alex Boraine |
---|---|
Established | 1986 |
Focus | Democracy, Political transparency, Good governance |
Staff | 80 to 160 |
Location | Cape Town , South Africa |
Dissolved | 2013 |
The Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA) later known as the Institute for Democracy in South Africa was a South African-based
It is best known for the Dakar Conference (also known as the Dakar Dialogue or the Dakar Initiative), a historic conference between members of IDASA and the ANC. It was held in Dakar, Senegal, between 9 and 12 July 1987. The conference discussed topics such as strategies for bringing fundamental change in South Africa, national unity, structures of the government and the future of the economy in a free South Africa. The IDASA delegation from South Africa participated in the conference in their private capacity and would later be condemned by the South African government for meeting a banned organization.
Background
Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, a member of the opposition resigned from the Progressive Federal Party and the South African parliament in January 1986, describing it as irrelevant and that he would explore other avenues of negotiations between white and black South Africans.[1] Dr. Alex Boraine also left with him.
Van Zyl Slabbert and Boraine established The Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA), a non-partisan organization that aimed to promote inclusive democracy in South Africa by talking to people of all races within and outside the country.[2] It second aim was to find a non-racial and democratic alternatives to current system of apartheid in South Africa.[3] It started with few plans and very little money.[2]
As political change occurred in South African society, so IDASA adapted its mission and focus since its foundation. These are described as six phases:[3]
- Building a climate for democracy (1986–1990)
- Critical ally for transition (1990–93)
- Supporting the foundation election (1993–95)
- Building democratic institutions (1995–98)
- Empowering citizens (1998–2000)
- Promote the use of its existing strategies worldwide
Role prior to the end of apartheid
Prior to the historic event that occurred in 1987 in Dakar, the first IDASA meeting occurred in
Later in 1986, Slabbert and
Money would start to flow into IDASA's coffers, and in order to maintain its independence, there was a reluctance to accept money from corporate South Africa as this could have created a perception of a conflict of interest as the white liberals opposition had traditionally raised money from English businesses.
A conference was called on 15–16 July 1988, titled The Freedom Charter and the Future.[3] The conference delegates would discuss the Freedom Charter, a charter created in 1955, attempting to understand its importance to the black opposition parties in exile.[3] In October 1988, IDASA would arrange a meeting in Leverkusen, Germany. It would bring together an ANC delegation which included Joe Slovo, the leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and a Soviet delegation of academics.[2] IDASA's aim was to discuss a future economic policy for a new South African dispensation.[2] Some critics have argued that this future policy took the form of a Neo-liberal economics.[8]
IDASA would also arrange a gathering in
In 1992, IDASA established the Training Centre of Democracy in Johannesburg.[3] It aimed to foster the ideas of democracy in South African community leaders with training in democracy's philosophy, history and processes.[3] Also in 1992, another conference was held titled Policing in South Africa in the 1990s.[3] Here the South African Police met political leaders and policing experts to discuss policing in a new South African political structure, restoring confidence and respect with the general public after many years of the police being used to enforce apartheids rules and legislation.[3]
IDASA also organized five Constitutional Safaris from 1992 to 1994 whereby members of the future political parties who were drafting a new constitution for South Africa were able to visit the major political parties in Europe, North America and Australia to study best-practice of democracy.
Role after 1994 election
In 1994, IDASA was renamed the Institute of Democracy in South Africa to reflect the nature of the country's 1994 election and the transition to a democratic government.
IDASA would eventually evolve into a structure consisting of nine divisions or programs:[12]
- All Media Group
- Budget Information Service
- Centre for Governance in Africa
- Community and Citizen Empowerment Programme
- Governance and Aids Programme
- Local Government Centre
- Peace Building and Conflict Resolution
- Right to Know Programme
- Southern African Migration Project
In 2005, IDASA sought court action to force political parties to disclose the origin of political donation.[13] The application was sought to test the Promotion of Access to Information Act and named the parties named in the application as the ANC, Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party and New National Party.[13] ISDA want the parties to disclose their private donors, the amount given and any conditions under which the donation was made allowing the public to decide if anything untoward would influence political parties decisions.[14] A Cape High Court judge would rule against IDASA, accepting the ANC's argument that a legislative route was to be attempted and the IDASA did not appeal the decision.[13] In an effort to promote democracy in other parts of Africa, Idasa would open offices in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe and maintained projects in Uganda, Zambia, Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Swaziland to bring democratic ideals to those countries.[15]
Demise
After the 2008 global financial crisis, the funding donations from around the world that sustained IDASA's budgets and programs began to dry up or were severely cut especially to countries now seen as being democratically stable.[16] IDASA had also expanded into Africa by re-granting funds to worthy organisations but this was complex and due to budgeting issues good staff were lost.[16] Due to a lack of a philanthropic philosophy in South African society, funding was therefore limited despite complaints by society concerning the political climate and the state of democracy in the country.[16] Society's funding of political parties did not seem to be a problem though and the organization would close on 26 March 2013 after a press announcement by Paul Graham, the executive director of The Institute for Democracy in Africa.[16][17]
Criticisms
Some critics from the left have argued that IDASA, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy, "pushed an essentially Neo-liberal agenda" focussing on limited forms of representative democracy in which economic questions were not subject to democratic control.[8][18]
References
- ^ Battersby, John D. (21 February 1988). "South Africa's Liberals: Divided and Dropping Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780813934952.
- ^ ISBN 9781135224936.
- ^ a b Giliomee, Hermann. "True Confessions, End Papers and the Dakar conference: A review of the political arguments" (PDF). University of Pretoria. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
- ]
- ^ ISBN 9781349224562.
- ^ S2CID 145606607.
- ^ a b c Neo-liberalism and Democracy: The Role of Intellectuals in South Africa’s “Democratic Transition”, Ian Taylor, Political Cultures in Democratic South Africa, Edited by Henning Melber, Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Uppsala, 2002
- ^ Robinson, William I. (1996). Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, US Intervention, and Hegemony. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ^ ISBN 9780812203936.
- ISBN 9780198029106.
- ^ Jones, Lena. "Fellowship Report (2004)". Humans Rights Centre - University of Minnesota. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ a b c "Idasa not to appeal party-funding judgement". Mail&Guardian. SAPA. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ Pressly, Donwald (9 February 2005). "Idasa goes to court over party donations". Mail&Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Idasa celebrates 20 years of building democracy". Mail&Guardian. SAPA. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d Calland, Richard (28 March 2013). "The perfect storm that shut down Idasa". Mail&Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ^ O'Riordan, Alexander (27 March 2013). "Idasa's Demise, Broken Donor Promises and Africa's Naive Civil Society". The South African Civil Society Information Service. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ^ Robinson, William I. (1996). Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, US Intervention, and Hegemony. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.