Institutionalizing Elites

Suzanne Francis, PhD. (2009) in Political Science, is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Politics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She carries out extensive empirical research, writes and publishes in the area of political elites, value systems and institutions in Africa.

• ContentsList of graphs and tables ixAcknowledgements xGlossary and abbreviations xiINTRODUCTION 11 A THEORY AND METHODOLOGY FOR THE STUDY OF ELITES 10The context of KwaZulu-Natal – methodological problems 18Methodology of the study 222 HISTORICAL CONTEXTS AND POLITICAL ELITE FORMATION IN KWAZULU AND NATAL 32Defining political ideas and political spaces 33The roots of political elite formation 34Political elite formation during ‘the struggle’ 41Contested elite formation during the transition 57Key factors and contexts in elite formation prior to 1994 713 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EMERGING POLITICAL ELITE 73Social characteristics among the political elite 75Social clusters of the political elite 131Conclusion 1334 POLITICAL, ORGANISATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BACKGROUND OF AN EMERGING POLITICAL ELITE 135Initial political involvement 138Extent of former political involvement: Veterans and newcomers 144Types of former political involvement 147Patterns of party political identification 161Conclusion 1735 INTRA-PARTY DYNAMICS AND POLITICAL ELITE CIRCULATION 175The structure of opportunities within the provincial legislature 177Intra-party dynamics in the IFP and ANC 179Recruitment and circulation 184Volatility in political elite circulation 196Conclusion 2006 INTER-PARTY DYNAMICS, COALITION POLITICS AND CROSS PARTY ELITE BONDING 202The first term: Strengthening institutionalizing rules and procedures 203The 1999 IFP-ANC coalition: Institutionalizing certainty 210The IFP-DA alliance: Syncretic relationships 236Conclusion 2477 THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY 249Institutional factors that define the institutional capacity of political elites 251The provincial legislature and the committee system 255Case study: The National Council of Provinces Standing Committee in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature 264Streams of political elites: Policy, politics and institutional capacity 274Conclusion 283CONCLUSION: THE POLITICAL ELITE OF KWAZULU-NATAL 285Theoretical development 295References 297Index 313