“This brief explores the organizational arrangements of political parties, and how this factor affects the contribution of political parties to democratic consolidation through multi-party electoral democracy in Southern Africa. It is the mechanism of participation through effective and active political party competition that will ultimately determine whether or not democracy will be widely accepted by all the pertinent actors as the only viable system in Southern Africa. The normalization of multi-party electoral democracy through behavioural, attitudinal and institutional changes must become a key feature of political party competition. This going necessitates the expansion of citizens access, development of democratic citizenship and culture, broadening of leadership recruitment and training, and the functioning of mature political elites.”
