Whose economic freedom anyway?: revelations from the South African discourse
SOURCE: Strategic Review for Southern Africa
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2016
TITLE AUTHOR(S): J.Steyn Kotze
KEYWORDS: DEMOCRACY, ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS (EFF)
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9458
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/10343
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/10343
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2016
TITLE AUTHOR(S): J.Steyn Kotze
KEYWORDS: DEMOCRACY, ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS (EFF)
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 9458
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/10343
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/10343
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
The Economic Freedom Index published by the Heritage Foundation ranks South Africa at 72nd out of 178 countries in terms of economic freedom in 2015. This index classifies South Africa as moderately free in terms of its level of economic freedom. While the country may be in the middle of the pack on the Economic Freedom Index, it is also often classified as one of the most unequal societies in the world. South Africa is often seen in the top five unequal countries globally with a high Gini-coefficient, and when using the Palma index (measuring the ratio of income share between the top 10 per cent and bottom 40 per cent), South Africa can also be classified as highly unequal. Therefore a contradiction seems to exist. While South Africa ranks as economically moderately free on one hand, the country is also regarded as one of the most unequal societies in the world, on the other hand. It is this contradiction that brings to the fore a contested ideological construction of economic freedom within its political narrative premised on a view that the promise of democracy had not delivered. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the contested interpretations of economic freedom through the lens of securing liberation and the promise of democracy in South Africa: a promise built on the Freedom Charter's construction of a democratic South Africa.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Who is in the driving seat?: development cooperation and democracy
- The contested state of democracy in South Africa
- Democracy in Africa: fragile and necessary but uncertain
- Empowerment and transformation in South Africa
- Democracy in Africa: moving beyond a difficult legacy
- Ten-year review presidential project: nation building and reconciliation: the public service commission: the public protector
- Book review: Legum, C. (2001) Africa since independence. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.105pp. & Abrahamsen, R. Disciplining democracy: development discourse and good governance in Africa. London: Zed Books. 168pp. & Salih, M. (2001) African democracies and African politics. London: Pluto Press. 234pp
- Fragments of democracy: nationalism, development and the state in Africa
- Reconstruction and the reciprocal other: the philosophy and practice of "Ubuntu" and democracy in African society
- Democracy and governance review: Mandela's legacy 1994-1999
- Consolidating democracy and governance in South Africa
- Race and democratisation in South Africa: some reflections
- Public participation in South Africa as we enter the 21st century
- Decoding South Africa's 1999 electoral geography
- Democracy and governance in transition
- Democracy, civic knowledge and social issues
- Teledemocracy in South Africa
- Profiles of party political support
- Facts, fiction and fabrication?: service delivery in South Africa under Mandela
- Perception of service and infrastructure under President Mbeki