Browsing by Author "Kucera, Robert Antonin"

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    An analysis of right-wing extremism in post-apartheid South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Kucera, Robert Antonin; Lamb, Guy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Western democracies have seen a surge in right-wing extremism (RWE) over the last decade. With notable examples being the United States, Australia, and large parts of Europe, this is an ideology growing in recruitment ability, legislative influence, and capacity for violence. South Africa (SA), with its oppressive Apartheid history, is not immune to this global development. Thus, conceptions and monitoring of RWE in SA primarily centre around Afrikaner nationalist groups. However, post-Apartheid SA has seen the emergence of additional forms of RWE outside the realm of Afrikaner nationalism. In particular, the operationalization of anti-foreigner groups within various waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, in addition to the July unrest of 2021, have demonstrated RWE elements. Therefore, with its growing influence in Western democracies and clear capacity for social change and harm, it is imperative to understand which forms of RWE are manifesting in post-Apartheid SA and what is driving their recruitment. By employing a qualitative case-study research design, and using secondary desktop research and thematic analysis, this study addresses the question: why has RWE occurred in post-Apartheid SA and what can explain the various manifestations? Using the dense existing literature on RWE, an ideologically comprehensive, but theoretically flexible, framework was designed to identify and analyse right-wing extremist groupings, activity, characteristics, and determinants. The employment of this framework in terms of the pre-1994 period in SA showed three main forms of RWE: Afrikaner extremism, Zulu nationalism, and political vigilantism. Post-Apartheid SA displays a different range of groups, however, still existing within the three main forms seen pre-1994. Afrikaner extremism is still alive through a persistent subculture of Afrikaner nationalism built upon decades of history, culture and religious prophecy. Zulu nationalism has been adopted by some political groups, such as the Radical Economic Transformation faction within the African National Congress (ANC), which seeks to acquire control of the party through the mobilization capacity of the Zulu identity. Political vigilantism has evolved into a violent xenophobic subculture and formalized into anti-foreigner groups such as Operation Dudula, which seek to forcefully expel foreigners from SA. This study finds the primary determinant of these various manifestations to be social change. White extremists long for Apartheid-era social structuring, and black extremists demand the post-Apartheid social and economic rewards they were promised with the inception of democracy in SA. This demand for social change is driven by the frustrations of economic hardship and political resentment caused by lackluster post- 1994 macroeconomic policy, a militarized police force, lagging land reform, ineffective affirmative action and institutionalized corruption. Therefore, these groups have found success in recruiting support based on one or a combination of the discursive opportunities of social inequality, ethnic tensions, land, crime, and immigration. The use of these issues by right-wing extremist groups were found to share the same mainstream nature as other international forms of RWE, along with their focus on youth recruitment and online activity.