Civil Society Activisms in Democratic Governance Spaces: Entrenchment of Social Justice and Transformation in Post-Colonial Education Context

Abstract

The objective of this article was to explore the sudden waning of political and civic activism soon after gaining political dispensations in most of post-colonial African states with reference to South Africa. Findings indicated that community based organisations (CBOs) are led by leaders who are heavily laden with political influences that tend to blur the distinction between civic matters and political interests. We used the qualitative approach to analyse selected related literatures and empirical research. We argue that post-colonial civil societies in transitional democracies need to exert their roles and influences in governance structures, concentrating on the relationships between educational systems and forms of collective action, democracy and social citizenship, both within transitional societies and across key scales of political aggregation – local, national and transnational.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p574