The Politics of "Non-Political" Activism in Democratic South Africa

Twenty years after the first democratic elections in South Africa, organizations representing key voting constituencies-youth and the economically marginalized-are becoming major forces of opposition to the ANC-led government while explicitly framing their activities as non-political. They prefer instead to talk in terms of "rights" and "activism." Drawing from fieldwork and online publications of three opposition organizations-#RhodesMustFall, Abahlali baseMjondolo, and Afriforum-this article argues that the abandonment of "politics" is more than rhetorical positioning. By framing their actions as non-political, these groups engage in a deep-seated critique of the possibilities presented by democratic politics and a lack of perceived efficacy or legitimacy of institutionalized contestation. Perhaps more importantly, it means that opposition politics are occurring in an environment without institutional incentives for cooperation.