Negotiating the Peaceful Expansion of the South African Electorate

Abstract

Contrary to many predictions of instability, the expansion of the South African electorate in 1994 did not result in increases in political violence. The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between two substantial socipolitical developments: structural property and labor guarantees during the transition process. The authors argue that the interplay of property, labor, and electorate expansion sets the stage for either a peaceful or a conflictual expansion of the electorate. The outcomes of the negotiations between the key political coalitions will ultimately determine if a decrease in the levels and rates of political violence in the polity will result. Thus, to explain changes in the levels and rates of political violence and ultimately the successful expansion to a more inclusive democracy, it is necessary to understand the negotiation dynamics that take place among competing political coalitions in South Africa.