Abstract
This dissertation seeks to contribute to the recent literature on the proliferation of dominant liberation movement governments on the continent, by specifically analysing the reasons, and drivers of splits within National Liberation governing parties in oneparty dominant systems, with specific focus on the dominant governing parties of Zambia’s United National Independence Party (UNIP) and South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC). It explores the claim that intra-party factional battles for government spoils have culminated in party splits which preceded UNIP‘s loss of dominance post-1991 and are now a telltale sign of the ANC‘s dominance in decline after 2007. Two important areas of political competition in Zambia and South Africa are analysed: on the one hand, between parties and, on the other, within the ruling party itself. The key findings of this research affirm the hypothesis that indeed, ineffective patronage networks, loss of legitimacy and internal will to fulfil the liberation promise have given rise to splinter parties. This is compounded by economic and legitimacy crises, encourage dominant party fragmentation and in effect, contribute largely to their decline. This thesis used a qualitative research approach as well as a historical analysis to evaluate the common historical trends, patterns of behaviour and factional tendencies within UNIP and the ANC that have informed not only their dominance, but also their tendencies for internal fragmentation. The premise is that the very success of UNIP and the ANC contains the seeds to their demise, as a decrease in the parties‘ legitimacy as well as interparty competition breeds increased intra-party competition for positions and patronage. While UNIP suffered multiple splits which weakened its dominance thus losing its hold over political power post-1991, the ANC has continued to endure under similar circumstances. Evidence posited in this study suggests that regardless of the ANC’s continued electoral hegemony, South Africa’s governing liberation movement, the ANC, is gradually declining following multiple splits by elite party members. This study is undertaken with the view of providing recommendations and options for the ANC to change its trajectory so as to not implode like UNIP in Zambia.
M.A. (Politics and International Relations)