Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa

(Hardback)

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Do existing measures of state fragility measure fragility accurately Based on commonly used fragility measures, South Africa (SA) is classified as a relatively stable state, yet rising violent crime, high unemployment, endemic poverty, eroding public trust, identity group based preferential treatment policies, and the rapid rise of the private security sector are all indications that SA may be suffering from latent state fragility. Based on a comprehensive view of security, this study examines the extent to which measures of political legitimacy and good governance, effectiveness in the security system especially with respect to the police system and mounting economic challenges may be undermining the stability of SA in ways undetected by commonly used measures of state fragility. Using a mixed-methods approach based on quantitative secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with government officials, security practitioners, and leading experts in the field, this study finds that the combination of colonization, apartheid, liberation struggle, transition from autocracy to democracy, high levels of direct and structural violence, stagnating social, political, and economic developments make South Africa a latently fragile state. Conceptually, the results of this research call into question the validity of commonly used measures of state fragility and suggest the need for a more comprehensive approach to assessing state fragility. Practically, this study offers a number of concrete policy recommendations for how South Africa may address mounting levels of latent state fragility.

Reviews

An enlightening snapshot of the failure; by bad governance, to establish safety and security in post-apartheid South Africa. It serves as a hard lesson to all who naively believe that they can turn governance in a day or a year into so-called democracies. -- L.D. Nil Barnard, Former Head of South Africa's National Intelligence
Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa is a detailed study into the latent fragility South Africa currently finds itself ina consequence of a misguided political trajectory and poor policy decisions the post-1994 political leadership embarked on. Meticulously researched, Dr Mienies book clearly exposes the impact of poor governance on economic progress, and on both domestic stability and national security. He exposes the myth of South Africas regional and international standing by superimposing the countrys impressive statistics on the reality of daily life. These problems are further expounded through unchecked populist politics by several of countrys leaders. -- Eeben Barlow, Founder and Chairman of Executive Outcomes and Chairman of STTEP International.

Author Bio

Edward L. Mienie is associate professor of the Strategic and Security Studies Program at the University of North Georgia