South Africa's Brittle Peace: The Problem of Post-Settlement Violence

by P. Toit

Overview

South Africa has succeeded in establishing a democracy, but has yet to eliminate public violence from society. This book takes up the issue of post-settlement violence and ways of consolidating the newly found democratic peace. The role of negotiated institutions such as the new police force, economic factors relevant to the anticipated 'peace dividend', external factors such as arms smuggling networks, popular responses to rising threats to physical safety, and symbolic factors in enhancing the capacity of the state to deal with this issue are examined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780333779187
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	03/13/2001
Series:	Ethnic and Intercommunity Conflict , #14970
Edition description:	2001
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

PIERRE DU TOIT is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Stellenbosch. In 1992 he was awarded a Peace Fellowship from the Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace at the Untied States Institute of Peace in Washington. His most recent book is State Building and Democracy in Southern Africa: Botwsana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements The Peace Process and the State PART I: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PEACE PROCESS The Violent Transition Negotiating Amidst Violence PART II: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PEACE PROCESS Violence and the Rules of War Why the Negotiations Succeeded The Role of Negotiated Institutions, the Economy and External Actors Popular Responses and Symbolic Politics The Brittle Peace Appendix: Chronology Index

Editorial Reviews

'...a useful survey...as a work of structuralist political science it has much to offer.' - Joan Wardrop, H-Safrica

From the Publisher

The democratization of South Africa brought an end to violent political conflict but has failed to achieve public peace. Du Toit (political science, U. of Stellenbosch) discusses the interlinked processes of violence and peacemaking in this setting. He analyzes various aspects of these two processes, including the degree to which the conflict was conducted according to recognized rules of war; the successes and weaknesses of the peace negotiations; the role of state institutions, which were products of the negotiated settlement, in containing public violence; and the impact of economic and external factors, popular responses and symbolic factors on the transition toward peace. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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