Abstract:
Since the late 1980s, there has been a growing interest among governments, international organisations and others in promoting and pursuing social cohesion. This has particularly been the case in societies undergoing transition or navigating internal divisions or challenges, related to events such as major economic downturns, changing migration patterns or ethnic or cultural conflict. A critical yet often elusive challenge, achieving social cohesion has become a panacea for a wide range of societal issues, and is often associated with positive outcomes including more stable and participatory democracies, greater economic productivity and growth, inclusivity and tolerance, effective conflict management and resolution, and a generally better quality of life for people (Lefko-Everett, 2016, p. 8).
South Africa, a country deeply divided by hundreds of years of colonialism and apartheid, has similarly recognised the importance of social cohesion. It has been identified as a national priority in numerous policies and plans, including the President’s Twenty-Year Review and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. The Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) 2014 – 2019 (Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation [DPME], 2014a, p. 6) identifies social cohesion – together with nation building – as one of eight main priorities associated with the electoral mandate for this period, attached to specific and measurable outcomes, plans and activities. Acknowledging that the “privilege attached to race, class, space and gender has not been fully reversed” and that the “social, psychologic and geographic elements of apartheid continue to shape the lives and outlook of many South Africans”, Outcome 14 of the MTSF focuses specifically on nation building and social cohesion (DPME, 2014b, p. 2).
