AUTHORITARIAN RULE
ANTHONY BUTLER: Despite the hostility JZ has not posed a threat to democracy
It is little wonder that many South Africans fear the return of authoritarian rule. When the Constitution was adopted in 1996, democracy was sweeping the globe. Over the past decade and a half, this tide has turned. China has become an economic giant without conceding basic liberties or free elections to its people. Democratic shoots in middle-income countries have withered. Authoritarian pioneers, notably Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez developed virtual handbooks for antidemocratic leadership. First, win power through free elections. Then undermine the institutional constraints on executive power, deploy loyalists to key positions in the security state and capture the judiciary. The next step is to disparage opposition parties, "experts" and civil society organisations and buy up or censor the news media. Then use social media and surveillance technologies to monitor and control citizens. Given such dismal trends, SA’s citizens ma...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.