The Influence of Democracy on Socio-Political Justice in South Africa: Issue for Consideration

Abstract

Democracy is a concept that is mainly considered instrumental to the provision of socio-political justice globally, especially in the African region, where the one-party and military authoritative system of governance was inherited by most of the political leaders as a form of governance. The introduction of a democratic electoral system in the African region is seen as a major paradigm shift for African countries from a one-party and military system to a form of governance in which all citizens are free to participate in the political process. However, it is observed with great concern that most of the countries in the African region are still led by political parties, which traditionally embrace a one-party and military authoritative system form of governance. This paper sought to analyse the influence of democracy on socio-political justice in the context of African countries, particularly South Africa. The study adopted a conceptual approach to analyse the effects of democracy on the provision of socio-political justice as a cornerstone of a democratic society. In the process, the literature has revealed that most African countries, including South Africa, have adopted a democratic electoral system to elect the ruling political party. However, it is observed that the ruling political parties in most African countries, even on the eve of democracy, are still characterised by the elements of one party and a military authoritative system of governance. It is also observed that most ruling political parties often refuse to concede a defeat during democratic elections and are branded with a culture of looting state resources, military conflicts, and loss of lives. This study concludes with the mechanisms that can be applied to promote socio-political justice in the African region.