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The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613887706169344 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Truter, Joshua |
| author2 | De Jager, Nicola |
| author_browse | De Jager, Nicola Truter, Joshua |
| author_facet | De Jager, Nicola Truter, Joshua |
| author_sort | Truter, Joshua |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127000 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:16.997Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127000 The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa Truter, Joshua De Jager, Nicola Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. National Democratic Revolution African National Congress Communism -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa Beḥérāwi dimokrāsiyāwi ʼabyot UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The topic of utopian thought has seen a resurgence as a field of study, the vision of a perfect society being an alluring prospect for many. Using this ideal to guide one’s thoughts in an effort at self-improvement is harmless, but imposing a subjective definition of perfection upon others, however, is dangerous. The ANC’s guiding political project, the National Democratic Revolution, is a utopian aspiration. The way in which the party wishes to set about achieving its goals could have dire consequences for South Africa’s fragile democracy. This thesis intended to answer the question: Does the African National Congress (ANC) aim to achieve a totalitarian utopia through the blueprint of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR)? And as an ancillary question: How has Marxism influenced the ANC and does it remain influential as an ideology in the ANC, and has its form evolved? This investigation was undertaken through a case study design and qualitative research approach. Using Atlas.ti, key terms were coded and the party’s language in their strategy and tactics documents from 1969 to 2017 were analysed. The key terms were based on an understanding of the endpoint of utopias being totalitarianism (to answer the main research question) and on one of the three main ideological strands within the ANC, namely Marxism, which was anticipated to have influenced the ANC’s policy documents (to answer the secondary research questions). The findings revealed that although South Africa is not a totalitarian state, the ANC’s NDR can be considered a blueprint for a totalitarian utopia because it is aspirational. Significantly, the terms ‘societal leader’ and ‘transformation’ were most prevalent throughout the period analysed. These terms, commonly associated with totalitarian and utopian tendencies, imply that the ANC views itself as occupying a position higher than that of an ordinary political party in that it deems itself to possess the ability to transform society towards their definition of perfection. This deeply Marxist aspiration, as will become evident from the analysis, remains influential in the party. This prevalence of a multitude of anti-democratic tendencies does not bode well for the future of South Africa’s democracy. Simply because we no longer see rigidly totalitarian regimes does not mean their spirit has faded away completely. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderwerp van utopiese denke het 'n herlewing as 'n studieveld gesien, die visie van 'n perfekte samelewing is 'n aanloklike vooruitsig vir baie. Om hierdie ideaal te gebruik om 'n mens se gedagtes te lei in 'n poging tot selfverbetering is skadeloos, om 'n subjektiewe definisie van perfeksie op ander af te dwing, is egter gevaarlik. Die ANC se leidende politieke projek, die Nasionale Demokratiese Revolusie, is 'n utopiese strewe. Die manier waarop hulle wil aanpak om die doelwitte wat daarin vervat is, te bereik, kan verskriklike gevolge vir Suid-Afrika se brose demokrasie hê. Hierdie proefskrif was bedoel om te antwoord: Beoog die African National Congress (ANC) om 'n totalitêre utopie te bereik deur die bloudruk van die Nasionale Demokratiese Revolusie (NDR)? En hoe het Marxisme die ANC beïnvloed en bly Marxisme as ideologie invloedryk in die ANC, en het die vorm daarvan ontwikkel? Dit is bereik met 'n gevallestudie-ontwerp en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering. Gebruik Atlas. ti sleutelterme is gekodeer en die party se taal binne hul Strategie- en Taktiekdokumente van 1969 tot 2017 is ontleed. Die sleutelterme is getrek uit die begrip van utopieë eindpunt, naamlik totalitarisme (om die hoofnavorsingsvraag te beantwoord) en een van die drie hoof ideologiese rigtings binne die ANC, Marxisme, wat na verwagting die ANC se beleidsdokumente sou beïnvloed (om die sekondêre antwoord te gee). navorsingsvrae). Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat alhoewel Suid-Afrika nie 'n totalitêre staat is nie, die ANC se NDR as 'n bloudruk vir 'n totalitêre utopie beskou kan word omdat dit aspirerend is. Van belang was die terme 'Societal Leader' en 'Transformation', wat die meeste voorgekom het deur die tydperk wat ontleed is. Hierdie terme, geassosieer met totalitêre en utopiese neigings, lei af dat die ANC hulself beskou as 'n posisie hoër as dié van 'n gewone politieke party. Verder beskik hulle oor die vermoë om die samelewing te transformeer na hul definisie van perfeksie. Dit is op sy beurt ook diep Marxisties, 'n ideologie wat, soos blyk uit die analise, steeds invloedryk bly. Hierdie voorkoms van ’n menigte anti-demokratiese neigings voorspel niks goeds vir die toekoms van Suid-Afrika se demokrasie nie. Bloot omdat ons nie meer totalitêre regimes sien nie, beteken dit nie dat hul gees heeltemal verdwyn het nie. Masters 2023-02-27T08:17:07Z 2023-05-18T06:59:32Z 2023-02-27T08:17:07Z 2023-05-18T06:59:32Z 2022-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127000 en_ZA Stellenbosch University x, 113 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | National Democratic Revolution African National Congress Communism -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa Beḥérāwi dimokrāsiyāwi ʼabyot UCTD Truter, Joshua The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title | The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title_full | The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title_short | The National Democratic Revolution: A ‘Utopian’ Blueprint for South Africa |
| title_sort | national democratic revolution a utopian blueprint for south africa |
| topic | National Democratic Revolution African National Congress Communism -- South Africa Democracy -- South Africa Beḥérāwi dimokrāsiyāwi ʼabyot UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127000 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT truterjoshua thenationaldemocraticrevolutionautopianblueprintforsouthafrica AT truterjoshua nationaldemocraticrevolutionautopianblueprintforsouthafrica |