Challenges of Fostering Nation Building and Social Cohesion in a Highly Unequal South Africa

By: Maria Goyayi

Ever since the political independence in 1994 and end of apartheid, South Africa has been struggling to foster national building and a socially cohesive. Nation building and social cohesion are perhaps the most fundamental policies changes that South Africa faces today. A socially cohesive society is envisaged to reflect all individuals and groupings in South Africa sharing a sense of belonging, inclusivity, recognition, participatory and legitimacy. A socially cohesive South Africa, should be able to set aside its differences, to work together for the common good and prosperity of the nation. Social cohesion influences economic and social development, and nurturing a more cohesive society is an important policy goal in itself for any country. Acknowledging this, the government embarked a journey of numerous initiatives under the National Strategy on Social Cohesion project which included having community conversations/dialogues, National Social Cohesion Summit, the Social Cohesion award and Advocacy for Social Cohesion teams with the role of taking forward the commitments of the summit. The National Development Plan 2030 situates social cohesion at the centre of South Africa’s socio-economic transformation agenda to promote ubuntu, trust, tolerance, social interaction, inclusion and solidarity in communities and society at large. The government has also introduced policies and legislation to create an enabling environment for stakeholders such as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) and donors to operate towards fostering a cohesive society.

Despite numerous interventions, South Africa is yet to emerge as a socially cohesive nation. The political liberation did not translate into economic freedom for the vast majority of black South Africans. Coupled with the global pandemic in early 2020, that instituted hard lockdowns, exposing the historical fault lines in the country, further exacerbating the social ills in the society. However, at the heart of nation building experience of South Africa there is a usable past, the singular reason for optimisms that despite violent and divisive history, South Africans united together to negotiate a peaceful settlement to end apartheid and transition to a democratic regime. Whilst there is a widespread agreement that social cohesion influences economic and social development, and that nurturing a more cohesive society is an important policy goal in itself, it is far more challenged in a highly unequal South Africa. To succeed the must reflect on the following challenges.

The historical legacy of apartheid has entrenched an institutionalised a system of legalized racial segregation and discrimination, leaving a lasting impact of differences in socio-economic status among racial groupings in South Africa. Moreover, the legacy of apartheid has left deep scars in society. While efforts have been made on reconciliation to heal wounds and build a shared national identity, the persisting racial and gender discrimination is evident that the deep scars still scorch the society. Redressing this imbalance and healing the scars is a complex and long-term process.

Economic inequality is another prominent challenge towards fostering a nation building and a socially cohesive South Africa. South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in terms of wealth in world. Majority of the wealth is still concentrated in the hands of a small minority, largely along racial lines. This economic inequality hinders social cohesion and further fosters division in the society. The seasonal eruption of violent xenophobic attacks are widely linked with wealth disparity.

Poverty and youth unemployment remains a critical challenge towards fostering a cohesive society. The differences in priorities and dimension of needs among the poor and the rich erodes the commonality of goals and aspirations if the gap is very high. South Africa faces high rates of unemployment, especially among the youth. This not only creates economic challenges but also fosters frustration and social unrest.

Historical dispossession of land has led to significant portion of arable land South Africa to own by a small minority. Land ownership and distribution remain contentious issues. Land is a source of wealth, and so instituting land reforms is essential for a socially cohesive and including society. However, implementing effective land reform policies without destabilizing the agricultural sector is a complex task.

Unequal access to basic services such as quality education and healthcare further exacerbates the economic disparity among racial groupings. Unequal access to quality education perpetuates socio-economic disparities. Poorly resourced schools in marginalized areas hinder opportunities for upward mobility. Additionally, access to quality healthcare services varies greatly, with affluent communities having significantly better access than impoverished areas of South Africa. Rural areas often face greater challenges in terms of access to basic services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Bridging the urban-rural divide is crucial for social cohesion.

Political polarization such as divisions and factionalism within political parties can undermine efforts towards nation building and social cohesion. This has been a long standing experience in South Africa with political ideologies dividing people along the lines of races and gender rather than a common goals or agendas irrespective of discriminative factors. These divisions can exacerbate existing societal cleavages.

Perception over corruption and governance issues have eroded trust in the public sector. The national being constantly in turmoil over corrupt leaderships, for instance the state capture and massive corruption as inquired by the Zondo Commission, coupled with inefficiencies in large public institutions such as ESKOM aggravate mistrust and hampers any efforts towards building a cohesive and inclusive society.

The cultural and linguistic diversity poses another set of challenge in terms of uniting the nation. Language has been widely argued to a binding factor among culturally diversified societies. For example, Swahili is claimed to play a huge role in uniting over 120 tribes in Tanzania and most of the East African nations. South Africa has multiple official languages, and respecting the linguistic diversity while ensuring effective communication is a challenge for nation building efforts.

South Africa grapples with high levels of violent crimes. This is could be partly attributed by the frustrations experienced in the society including poverty, inequality, gender conflicts, mistrust and others inefficiencies.  High crime rate and violence can erode trust within communities and hinder efforts towards social cohesion.

South Africa’s ability to foster greater social cohesion through the nation building process requires the maintenance of a delicate balance between uniting a diverse population and effecting redress. Both are critical and correct constitutional imperatives. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach involving policies, grassroots initiatives, and a collective commitment from all sectors of society. Whilst a growing economy will assist, it still requires and activist state that improves education, builds infrastructure and affirms the historically disadvantages to build a more equal society. Yet without economic growth, raised employment rates and improved health and education system, affirmation measures on their own will suffice to meet the legitimate needs of the majority poor. Consequently, it is imperative to engage in open and inclusive dialogues, implement effective policies, and work towards a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities to foster a more unified South Africa. Fostering trust in society is essential for the shared sacrifice and common purpose required to achieve South Africa’s social and economic objectives. This can only be achieved through strong and corrupt less leadership in all elements of society, policies and institutions.

Dr. Maria Lauda Goyayi is an academician and a researcher. She writes in her capacity.