Election promises and public policy: Never the twain shalt meet? the case of housing.

Abstract

This research report examines whether election promises find their way into public policy. This question has a particular significance for a fledgling democracy such as South Africa's. During the run-up to South Africa's first democratic elections n 1994,the electorate was wooed with a litany of promises in respect of a number of social issues. This first election is widely regarded as having been an Uhuru election, i.e. a freedom election for the majori6, of South Africans. There was therefore not only a lot at stake for the contesting political parties, but infinitely more for the electorate. Predictably the voter turn-out nationally was inordinately high. It would probably not be inaccurate to state that there is a high correlation between this high voter turn-out and the promise of freedom. However, in this report this student wishes to propose that the voter turn-out was also about the expectation that the new democratic government would take responsibility to deliver essential services such as housing to the previously disenfranchised and materially neglected segments of the population - in short, that its policies would be welfarist. In the post-l994 period, it is becoming apparent that the clarion call of 'housing for all' has become a major problem. It would appear that this is the result of the adoption by the new government of macro-economic policies which limits social spending. What we, therefore, see is a dissonance between election promises and public policy. This raises the question whether government policies meet the criteria of being socially just. When policies are experienced as socially unjust they promote amongst the disadvantaged populace feelings of political apathy and alienation. These are phenomena that the young South African democracy cannot afford. In conclusion, recommendations are made which it is hoped will be useful to especially those outside of government who concern themselves with the important issue of public policy formulation.