South Africa at 30: Navigating the legacy of policy versus lived realities
Posted: 10 June, 2024 Filed under: Naledi Joyi | Tags: apartheid, coalition government, community development, democracy, democratic principles, economic empowerment, education, equality, freedom, historical injustices, human rights violations, justice, pit toilets, serious crimes, socio-economic challenges, South Africa, structural inequalities, sustainable peace, violence 1 Comment
Author: Naledi Joyi
Gender Officer, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
After three decades of democracy, South Africa stands at a crossroads grappling with the interplay between policy aspirations and lived realities of the majority of the black population. The country boasts one of the most progressive constitutions globally because it is based on equality, freedom and justice. Yet the lived realities of its citizens leave one asking ‘what good is a constitution if it cannot be implemented?’. Although policies to address historical injustices and structural inequalities have been developed, implementation has been a challenge leaving many of the previously disadvantaged populations still disadvantaged, resulting in the country being dubbed the most unequal society in the world, with the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. The country’s identity is closely linked with violence, entrenched in the legacy of apartheid, which used violence as a method of control.
AfricLaw 