Institutional Renaissance or Populist Fandango? The Impact of the Economic Freedom Fighters on South Africa’s Parliament - Nomos eLibrary

VRÜ Verfassung und Recht in Übersee / Institutional Renaissance or Populist Fandango? The Impact of the Economic Freedom Fighters on South Africa’s Parliament

VRÜ Verfassung und Recht in Übersee / Institutional Renaissance or Populist Fandango? The Impact of the Economic Freedom Fighters on South Africa’s Parliament

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- 257–258 Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis 257–258
- 259–262 Editorial: The Current State of Democracy in South Africa Henk Botha, Nils Schaks, Dominik Steiger Henk Botha, Nils Schaks, Dominik Steiger 259–262
- 263–389 Abhandlungen / Articles 263–389
  - 263–283 Residence, representative democracy and the voting rights of migrant workers in post-apartheid South Africa and post-unification Germany (1990-2015) Wessel le Roux Wessel le Roux 263–283
  - 284–303 The South African ‘Secrecy Act’: Democracy Put to the Test Jonathan Klaaren Jonathan Klaaren 284–303
  - 304–328 Institutional Renaissance or Populist Fandango? The Impact of the Economic Freedom Fighters on South Africa’s Parliament Richard Calland, Shameela Seedat Richard Calland, Shameela Seedat 304–328
  - 329–368 Constitutional Reform in Tanzania: Developing Process and Preliminary Results Juliana Masabo, Ulrike Wanitzek Juliana Masabo, Ulrike Wanitzek 329–368
  - 369–389 Winnowing Tanzania’s Proposed Constitution: The Legitimacy Question Tulia Ackson Tulia Ackson 369–389
- 390–410 Berichte / Reports 390–410
  - 390–401 Ensuring Justice, Reparations and Truth through a Truth Commission and Other Processes in Uganda Jeremy Sarkin Jeremy Sarkin 390–401
  - 402–410 Constitutionalism, Parliamentary Condemnation and the South African Public Protector Ilyayambwa Mwanawina, Busisiwe Charmaine Lekonyane Ilyayambwa Mwanawina, Busisiwe Charmaine Lekonyane 402–410
- 411–430 Buchbesprechungen / Book Reviews 411–430
- 431–440 Bibliographie / Bibliography 431–440
  - 431–432 AFRIKA /AFRICA 431–432
  - 433–434 ASIEN / ASIA 433–434
  - 435–435 LATEINAMERIKA / LATIN AMERICA 435–435
  - 436–440 NAHER UND MITTLERER OSTEN / NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST 436–440
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VRÜ Verfassung und Recht in Übersee , page 304 - 328

Institutional Renaissance or Populist Fandango? The Impact of the Economic Freedom Fighters on South Africa’s Parliament

Autoren

Richard Calland Shameela Seedat

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/0506-7286-2015-3-304
- ISSN: 0506-7286
- ISSN online: 2941-9603
Abstract

Twenty one years into its democratic life, modern South Africa faces a number of ‘growing pains’. While the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has decisively won five national elections in a row since 1994, never falling below 62% of the national vote, fears that dominant party syndrome will diminsh the independence, and undermine the constitutional mandate, of key institutions such as parliament are balanced by the increasingly combative tone and character of opposition parties, especially the new kid on the block, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that are led by ‘firebrand’ former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema. The sudden emergence of a more competitive form of multi-party politics following the May 2014 national election has injected new life into the National Assembly. By examining four episodes of political and procedural contestation that have animated the 2014-19 parliament, this paper seeks to respond to two questions: One, has the newfound parliamentary vigour that has accompanied the belligerent character of the EFF’s strategy and tactics enabled parliament to better perform its constitutional mandate in terms of holding the executive to the account? And, second, does the EFF’s impact on parliament represent an institutional renaissance after a decade or more of increasing lethargy and mounting irrelevance to the public discourse, or simply and merely a populist fandango? In turn, there are potentially profound implications for the future of South Africa’s representative and participatory democratic modality.
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