Publication

This paper examines the implications of the 2009 election in South Africa – which was the most competitive yet – for government accountability, effective governance and competitive politics. The fact that electoral competition was not accompanied by electoral violence suggests that the country is better able to cope with competitive politics than had been feared. The author argues that this result could also inject new incentives for accountability into a polity in which these pressures have been weak, and this in turn could ensure the effective government which the society will need if it is to soften the impact of the global economic crisis.