Peace Without Justice? : A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Economic Reforms on Positive Peace in Post‑Apartheid South Africa

Sammanfattning

Since the 1970s there have been various strategies and policy frameworks used for peacebuilding and development towards a more just and democratic society. This thesis investigates how neoliberal economic reforms impact the prospects for establishing positive peace in deeply unequal and socially segregated societies, with a focus on Post-Apartheid South Africa. With the use of a qualitative single-case study design and a structured, focused comparison of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) strategy, the study analyses how different policy frameworks and outcomes affect concepts related to positive peace such as social justice and access to basic services. The findings suggest that the RDP’s more interventionist and people-centred approach contributed, although modestly, to promote elements of positive peace, whereas the following neoliberal shift under GEAR coincided with rising unemployment and persistent inequality, thereby limiting the establishment of positive peace.