South Africa's 1999 Election: Consolidating a Dominant Party System

This article examines the degree to which democracy is consolidating in South Africa with a study of the nature of the country's political party system. With particular attention to the behavior of opposition parties during the Mandela administration and the campaigns for the 1999 national and provincial elections, it questions whether the African National Congress will face any serious electoral competition in the near future. Mixed evidence concerning the prospects for a truly competitive party system is presented. Data sources include national and regional opinion surveys and interviews; trends are highlighted via case studies of the Western Cape Province and town of George.