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South Africa’s highly-anticipated national and provincial elections went off smoothly for the most part on 29 May 2024, though the voter turnout of just over 58% was disappointing but not unexpected. Nevertheless, the country’s Independent Electoral Commission, as well as the South African Human Rights Commission, declared the event free and fair after several days of counting votes.
Despite glitches and some accusations of sabotage, the declaration of free and fair elections corresponds with the findings of political advocacy non-profit organisation Freedom House, which gives South Africa a respectable score in terms of democratic and global freedom in its Freedom in the World index for 2024. South Africa is one of just five African territories rated as free according to Freedom House’s criteria, along with Ghana, Namibia, Botswana, and Lesotho.
“Since the end of apartheid in 1994, it has been regarded globally as a proponent of human rights and a leader on the African continent,” says Freedom House. “However, reports of corruption among government officials often emerge, and in recent years, the ruling African National Congress has been accused of undermining state institutions to protect corrupt officials and preserve its power as its support base has begun to wane.”
The organisation mentioned some notable developments of 2023 as the impeachment of former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, the exposition of the Phala Phala scandal, the corruption investigations into individuals including Ace Magashule and Mosebenzi Zwane, and the signing into law of the Electoral Amendment Act, which enabled independent candidates to contest provincial and national elections.
South Africa’s highs and lows
South Africa scored 33 out of 40 in terms of political rights, and 46 out of 60 for civil liberties, with Freedom House taking into consideration sub-categories such the electoral process, freedom of assembly, freedom to express religious beliefs, an independent judiciary, and the functioning of government.
The country achieved weaker scores in the latter sub-category, which falls under Political Rights, and in particular for the question Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? scoring two out of four. It also scored less than impressively in the sub-categories of Rule of Law and Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights, both falling under the Civil Liberties category.
“Comprehensive anti-corruption laws and several agencies tasked with combating corruption exist, but enforcement has historically been inadequate,” Freedom House notes. The organisation points out that several former and current government officials accused of corruption have not been prosecuted – a failing which has often been commented on in the media and by civil society organisations.
“The Auditor-General has outlined in past annual reports that accountability failures have not been addressed. The National Prosecuting Authority has struggled to win high-profile state capture cases, raising doubts about its competency, and has also failed to secure the extradition of members and associates of the Gupta family to South Africa.”
Freedom House also made mention of the presidential response to the findings and recommendations of the Zondo commission into state capture, saying that despite Ramaphosa’s plans and promises, momentum has been slow to gather.
The organisation also paid tribute to Babita Deokaran but criticised the lack of developments in the corruption investigation whose exposition led to her brutal murder.
“A 2022 media investigation into Deokaran’s death revealed extensive corruption in the local government in Gauteng, the country’s wealthiest province. Although the individuals who conducted the murder were convicted and sentenced, a mastermind was not identified. In 2023, it emerged that the head of the investigation did not act on critical evidence that could have led to the individual responsible for Deokaran’s death.”
Overall, says Freedom House, South Africa’s political process is regarded generally as free and fair.
In terms of civil liberties, Freedom House made mention of South Africa’s vibrant civil society, saying that: “Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) can register and operate freely, and lawmakers regularly accept input from NGOs on pending legislation. However, litigation initiated by foreign NGOs has proven aggravating to policymakers, who now see NGOs as political actors capable of blocking policy choices.”
However, in the Rule of Law sub-category, South Africa’s high crime rate and inconsistent application of equality principles for various population groups, resulted in mediocre scores.
The country also fared less impressively in Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights, where sub-categories dealing with personal social freedoms such as choice of partner and protection from domestic violence, as well as equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation, led to lower scores.
