South African Coalition Government of 1994

Since its conception, South Africa has had a rich history of systemic and institutionalized discrimination against People of Color (POC). After decades of protest and militant tactics by anti-Apartheid groups such as the African National Congress and the international community, negotiations took place between protesting groups and the White-dominated government. In April of 1994, South Africa saw its first racially-blind democratic elections, reshaping the governmental demographic and structure. The South African Coalition Government of 1994 begins immediately after the election of the interim government, and delegates must work together to reverse the horrific socioeconomic effects of Apartheid rule. Infrastructure and public programs must be established to help alleviate the mass majority in poverty. Public sentiments must be swayed in order to effectively institute drastic sociopolitical changes. The South African economy, left in shambles by international sanctions, must be rebuilt to support the financial needs of the nation. Most importantly, delegates must draft the new South African Constitution – one that balances the power of the government and the rights of the people. In this way, delegates will help transform the history of South Africa.

Committee Topics and Background Guide

Topic A: Reversing Adverse Effects of Apartheid: after years of negotiations and violent protest, the repeal of Apartheid rule in South Africa and the democratic election of Nelson Mandela marks the transition into a racially-blind majority rule. Although Apartheid laws, videlicet the Population Registration Act and the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, among others, were repealed, many long-lasting impacts of Apartheid continue to plague the nation. Issues such as tremendous income gaps, inadequate social services, underdeveloped infrastructure and housing need to be solved in order to truly reverse the effects of Apartheid. These measures, however, must be performed systematically and precariously as racial tensions still run high.

Topic B: Drafting the Constitution: after the April 1994 elections, a new interim government of South Africa was conceived. The elected officials were delegated the task of not only reversing the socioeconomic effects of Apartheid, but also the drafting of an official Constitution for South Africa. As members of this Coalition government, delegates must create a document that restructures the legislative, judicial, and executive components of the South African Government. In addition, the liberties of citizens and the rights of the governing body must be carefully laid out in order to avoid the return of institutionalized oppression.

Letter from the Chair

Dear Honorable Delegates,

First and foremost, I offer each and every one of you the warmest welcome to our committee – the South African Coalition Government of 1994. I am excited for some engaging debates as we reshape the future of South Africa, post 1994. Before we meet vis-à-vis in February 2019, let me introduce myself briefly. I am a junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology, minoring in Psychology. On campus, I like to involve myself in the Chinese Student Association and Eclectics dance team in addition to JHUMUNC. When I’m not busy fulfilling pre-medicine requirements, you can find me in the dance studio jamming out, at hole-in-the-wall restaurants/cafes (being the foodie that I am), or in my room enjoying a good movie. I’m a really down to earth person and am looking forward to meeting each and every one of you.

Although I have been staffing JHUMUNC for 3 years now and have competed in Model UN for five years, I will be chairing for the first time at JHUMUNC XXII. As a competitor and staffer that focused almost exclusively on Specialized committees, I am well-versed in the necessary components of a crisis driven debate. As chair, I will emphasize not only the importance of effective communication, but also creative crisis arcs. One of the main reasons why I joined and still do MUN today is to engage myself in critical analysis of relevant worldly issues in an out-of-the-box manner. Unorthodox, yet well-thought out solutions are key to solving complicated issues and will be the driving force for our committee. I cannot wait to see what you all will bring to the table. Specifically for South African Coalition Government of 1994, delegates must be able to establish fair and effective reforms while navigating the tumultuous remnants of Apartheid. I believe in your abilities to do so with great skill.

I hope as you dig deeper in your research and preparation for this committee, that you learn something new about South Africa and the international community. I wish for you to find this committee to be engaging, challenging, and, simultaneously, rewarding. When it is all said and done, I hope you leave this committee as a more conscientious leader and a more critical thinker.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or my team and we will be happy to help you in any means possible. We look forward to meeting you.

Best Regards,

William Wen
Chair, South African Coalition Government of 1994
JHUMUNC Session XXII
wwen3@jhu.edu