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https://theconversation.com/south-africa-is-failing-to-live-up-to-its-constitution-gains-made-since-democracy-are-being-squandered-report-209165>
"The end of apartheid in 1994 and advent of constitutional democracy resulted
in major societal changes in South Africa. The aim was to forge a “united and
democratic” society. The new nation was to be based on justice and human
rights.
The country’s constitution commits the government to take remedial action to
address the legacy of past discrimination and injustice. It must improve the
quality of life of all citizens and promote equality. It must also enable
people to achieve their potential and promote nation-building.
Initially, this was to be achieved through the Reconstruction and Development
Programme macroeconomic policy. It sought to promote the socioeconomic
inclusion of those who had been excluded during colonialism and apartheid. It
also aimed to combat disparities and discrimination on the basis of race,
gender and disability. Since then, other macroeconomic policies have included
the Growth, Employment and Redistribution and Accelerated and Shared Growth
Initiative for South Africa policies. The current National Development Plan,
adopted in 2012, seeks to eradicate poverty and inequality by 2030.
Last year, my colleagues and I at the University of Johannesburg, Mapungubwe
Institute for Social Reflection and the Presidency of South Africa examined how
the country had fared in achieving these goals and the challenges encountered.
Our report,
Macro Social Report 2022, builds on the first report published by
the presidency in 2006. The 2006 report concluded that the government had
succeeded in improving the quality of life for citizens. This greatly
contributed to a sense of unity, national pride and reconciliation.
However, the 2006 report found that persistent inequality, crime, micro-level
racism (racism experienced at an individual level) and mass migration to urban
areas were countering any positive gains.
The updated 2022 report explored social structure and social mobility (ability
of people to elevate their social status) and demographics of “race”, language,
age, gender and disability. We also considered migration, causes of mortality,
crime, social cohesion and the organisation of social life (how social groups
are formed and interact with each other) as well as social networks (social and
personal relationships).
The findings show a decline in essential socio-economic indicators since 2006.
Most South Africans continue to face socio-economic exclusion and persistent
discrimination on the basis of “race”, gender and disability. The findings
matter because they show that the government has been unable to fully uphold
the rights enshrined in the country’s globally revered constitution."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
