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Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa

Edward L. Mienie

Do existing measures of state fragility measure fragility accurately? Based on commonly used fragility measures, South Africa (SA) is classified as a relatively stable state, yet rising violent crime, high unemployment, endemic poverty, eroding public trust, identity group based preferential treatment policies, and the rapid rise of the private security sector are all indications that SA may be suffering from latent state fragility. Based on a comprehensive view of security, this study examines the extent to which measures of political legitimacy and good governance, effectiveness in the security system – especially with respect to the police system – and mounting economic challenges may be undermining the stability of SA in ways undetected by commonly used measures of state fragility. Using a mixed-methods approach based on quantitative secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with government officials, security practitioners, and leading experts in the field, this study finds that the combination of colonization, apartheid, liberation struggle, transition from autocracy to democracy, high levels of direct and structural violence, stagnating social, political, and economic developments make South Africa a latently fragile state. Conceptually, the results of this research call into question the validity of commonly used measures of state fragility and suggest the need for a more comprehensive approach to assessing state fragility. Practically, this study offers a number of concrete policy recommendations for how South Africa may address mounting levels of latent state fragility.
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Lexington Books
Pages: 224 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½
978-1-7936-0952-6 • Hardback • March 2020 • $111.00 • (£85.00)
978-1-7936-0953-3 • eBook • March 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
Subjects: Political Science / World / African, History / Africa / South / General, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / African Studies
Edward L. Mienie is associate professor of the Strategic and Security Studies Program at the University of North Georgia
Dedication

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

List of Figures, Graphs, and Tables

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Governance and State Fragility – A Security System Correlation

Chapter 3: The Case of South Africa

Chapter 4: Research Methodology

Chapter 5: Human Security in South Africa

Chapter 6: Outsourcing Security in South Africa

Chapter 7: Good Governance in South Africa

Chapter 8: A Concise Statement of Research Findings

Chapter 9: Policy Recommendations

References

Appendix A: List of Interviewees

Appendix B: Biographies

Appendix C: Interview Questions

Appendix D: NVivo Project

Appendix E: Intercoder Reliability
Effectively designed and organized, combining historical and contemporary data analysis with insights drawn from interviews of “leading South African security experts and practitioners,” Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa is an excellent example of how scholarly principles and methods applied to increasingly complex security challenges of the 21st Century can raise important questions and provide policy-relevant recommendations for action.
— Robert H. "Robin" Dorff, Plymouth State University


An enlightening snapshot of the failure; by bad governance, to establish safety and security in post-apartheid South Africa. It serves as a hard lesson to all who naively believe that they can turn governance in a day or a year into so-called “democracies.”
— L.D. “Niël” Barnard, Former Head of South Africa's National Intelligence


Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa is a detailed study into the latent fragility South Africa currently finds itself in—a consequence of a misguided political trajectory and poor policy decisions the post-1994 political leadership embarked on. Meticulously researched, Dr Mienie’s book clearly exposes the impact of poor governance on economic progress, and on both domestic stability and national security. He exposes the myth of South Africa’s regional and international standing by superimposing the country’s impressive statistics on the reality of daily life. These problems are further expounded through unchecked populist politics by several of country’s leaders.
— Eeben Barlow, Founder and Chairman of Executive Outcomes and Chairman of STTEP International.


Security, Governance and State Fragility in South Africa is of great importance to all South Africans, and more particularly members of the South African Government to whom it is especially addressed. It is also crucial to non-South Africans who are involved in comparative research of security and aspects of governance and state fragility in their own countries and globally
— Deon H. Van Zyl, retired judge on the High Court of South Africa


Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa

Cover Image
Hardback
eBook
Summary
Summary
  • Do existing measures of state fragility measure fragility accurately? Based on commonly used fragility measures, South Africa (SA) is classified as a relatively stable state, yet rising violent crime, high unemployment, endemic poverty, eroding public trust, identity group based preferential treatment policies, and the rapid rise of the private security sector are all indications that SA may be suffering from latent state fragility. Based on a comprehensive view of security, this study examines the extent to which measures of political legitimacy and good governance, effectiveness in the security system – especially with respect to the police system – and mounting economic challenges may be undermining the stability of SA in ways undetected by commonly used measures of state fragility. Using a mixed-methods approach based on quantitative secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with government officials, security practitioners, and leading experts in the field, this study finds that the combination of colonization, apartheid, liberation struggle, transition from autocracy to democracy, high levels of direct and structural violence, stagnating social, political, and economic developments make South Africa a latently fragile state. Conceptually, the results of this research call into question the validity of commonly used measures of state fragility and suggest the need for a more comprehensive approach to assessing state fragility. Practically, this study offers a number of concrete policy recommendations for how South Africa may address mounting levels of latent state fragility.
Details
Details
  • Lexington Books
    Pages: 224 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½
    978-1-7936-0952-6 • Hardback • March 2020 • $111.00 • (£85.00)
    978-1-7936-0953-3 • eBook • March 2020 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
    Subjects: Political Science / World / African, History / Africa / South / General, Social Science / Ethnic Studies / African Studies
Author
Author
  • Edward L. Mienie is associate professor of the Strategic and Security Studies Program at the University of North Georgia
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
  • Dedication

    Acknowledgements

    Abbreviations

    List of Figures, Graphs, and Tables

    Chapter 1: Introduction

    Chapter 2: Governance and State Fragility – A Security System Correlation

    Chapter 3: The Case of South Africa

    Chapter 4: Research Methodology

    Chapter 5: Human Security in South Africa

    Chapter 6: Outsourcing Security in South Africa

    Chapter 7: Good Governance in South Africa

    Chapter 8: A Concise Statement of Research Findings

    Chapter 9: Policy Recommendations

    References

    Appendix A: List of Interviewees

    Appendix B: Biographies

    Appendix C: Interview Questions

    Appendix D: NVivo Project

    Appendix E: Intercoder Reliability
Reviews
Reviews
  • Effectively designed and organized, combining historical and contemporary data analysis with insights drawn from interviews of “leading South African security experts and practitioners,” Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa is an excellent example of how scholarly principles and methods applied to increasingly complex security challenges of the 21st Century can raise important questions and provide policy-relevant recommendations for action.
    — Robert H. "Robin" Dorff, Plymouth State University


    An enlightening snapshot of the failure; by bad governance, to establish safety and security in post-apartheid South Africa. It serves as a hard lesson to all who naively believe that they can turn governance in a day or a year into so-called “democracies.”
    — L.D. “Niël” Barnard, Former Head of South Africa's National Intelligence


    Security, Governance, and State Fragility in South Africa is a detailed study into the latent fragility South Africa currently finds itself in—a consequence of a misguided political trajectory and poor policy decisions the post-1994 political leadership embarked on. Meticulously researched, Dr Mienie’s book clearly exposes the impact of poor governance on economic progress, and on both domestic stability and national security. He exposes the myth of South Africa’s regional and international standing by superimposing the country’s impressive statistics on the reality of daily life. These problems are further expounded through unchecked populist politics by several of country’s leaders.
    — Eeben Barlow, Founder and Chairman of Executive Outcomes and Chairman of STTEP International.


    Security, Governance and State Fragility in South Africa is of great importance to all South Africans, and more particularly members of the South African Government to whom it is especially addressed. It is also crucial to non-South Africans who are involved in comparative research of security and aspects of governance and state fragility in their own countries and globally
    — Deon H. Van Zyl, retired judge on the High Court of South Africa


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