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Poverty
and the Peoples' Contract: Reaping the post-apartheid dividend?
Centre for Policy Studies
Extracted from Policy: Issues and Actors: Vol 19 no 6
September 2006
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Introduction
In 2004, the African National Congress (ANC) completed a successful
election campaign under the banner a 'People's Contract to Create
Work and Fight Poverty1;
it received 70% of the vote. Its manifesto that year dedicated it
to halving poverty in South Africa by 2014. Following its return
to power that year, President Thabo Mbeki reiterated his government's
commitment to: 'Moving our country forward decisively towards the
eradication of poverty and underdevelopment . . . and achiev[ing]
further and visible advances with regard to the improvement of the
quality of life of all our people, affecting many critical areas
of social existence.2
While some might
argue that the people's contract was merely an election slogan designed
to gain votes, the approach of this paper is to take the ruling
party at its word and interrogate both the meaning and content of
this contract and how it will impact upon the amelioration of poverty.
The concept's
significance lies not only in its potential impact on poverty but
also in its implications for processes and notions of governance.
The notion of democratic governance - which gives operational meaning
to peoples' involvement in governance and policy processes - and
a peoples' contract, necessitates that democracy be deepened, strengthened
and broadened.
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1. http://www.anc.org.za/elections/2004/manifesto/manifesto.html
2. Quoted in Magasela, W 'Towards a constitution-based definition
of poverty in post-apartheid South
Africa' in State of the nation: South Africa 2005-2006 edited
by Buhlungu, S; Daniel, J; Lutchman J
and Southall, R, Human Sciences Research Council, 2005, p.46
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