South Africa - Launching Democracy 1993-1994

The Human Science Research Council (HSRC) and Data Research Africa undertook this survey in the PWV, Natal and the Western Cape on behalf of the Institute for Multi-Party Democracy (MPD) in order to gather data on the democratic process in South Africa.This research is central to the mission of the Multi-Party Democracy (MPD), a non-partisan and independent organisation committed to the promotion of an effective and accountable democracy in South Africa. The objective of the project are, inter alia: to provide information relevant to voter education; to provide objective assessments for the benefit of election monitoring agencies; to assembling evidence which will deepen understandings of the significance of the election results; to identifying major problems in the form of constraints or intimidation, and drawing these to the attention of the Independent Electoral Commission, the local and international monitors and the political parties themselves; to making recommendations to counter these problems and to identifying problems, particularly possible lack of acceptance of election outcomes, which could threaten the stability of political processes after the elections.