Our concern was always about how to get the best constitutional system for our country. It was definitely not about how could we devise constitutional arrangements to maximise the chances of the ANC winning power at the first elections. On the contrary, in at least two respects we took decisions that we knew would reduce …

This 51st edition of Umrabulo Journal themed Electoral Systems and Reform comes at an opportune moment in light of continued debates brought to the fore, largely by the June 2020 Constitutional Court decision on what is termed the New Nation Movement’s case. In brief, the majority decision of the court found that aspects of the …

The lack of a broader vision that other social partners can buy into it and its ability to appeal to a cross-section of the population renders social compacting impossible due to social disconnect between leaders and the general population…Political power resides in the main with social groups (classes and strata) that were historically excluded from …

At the February 2020 National Convention for a Social Compact hosted by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, Minister Mthethwa made the observation that “The privilege attached to race, class, space and gender has not yet been fully reversed. The social, psychological and geographic elements of apartheid continue to shape the lives and outlook …

The idea of a social pact has been an elusive goal in post-apartheid South Africa… The current call for a social compact raises a number of questions. Are there specific conditions that make for successful social compacting? Why have the previous calls for social compacting failed? Are current conditions more favourable for a successful compacting …

Mark Heywood writing an editorial in the Maverick Citizen criticised the way President Ramaphosa places a premium on consultation but using a broken telephone to do so (Heywood, 2020). He writes: “Many activists on the front lines of civil society ask themselves who the president is referring to. “Not us”, they say. This is largely …

EDITORIAL, Umrabulo Journal 50th Edition – Social Compacting President of the African National Congress, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, called for “a new social compact among all role players – business, labour, community and government – to restructure the economy and achieve inclusive growth”. This 50th edition of Umrabulo Journal themed “Social Compacting”, digs into some detail about …

“The way the capitalist markets work, however, is that they anticipate more and more growth as workers go to work every day and create new value while being exploited by the bosses. When that’s not happening, there’s a big crisis. Marxist economics is crucial to understanding what is behind the economic catastrophe accompanying the COVID-19 …

“In our context we paid lip service in regards to building a strong, professional and proficient state that directs and support economic growth and development through effective state entities that can drive strategic investments initiatives. In other words, we do not have the necessary mechanisms or instruments such as professional and highly skilled bureaucracy to …

“The Old Mutual Annual Survey Report in 2016 further showed that that usage of stokvels in South Africa by black households has increased from 50% in 2010 to 59% in 2016. As a consequent, there are different types of stokvels that black household members belonged to. In 2016 there were burial stokvels at 34% and …