Interpreting the South African election of June 1999

Abstract After briefly reviewing the campaign and results of the South African election of 2 June 1999, this article outlines the dominant view that the election is best interpreted in terms of a pre‐specified conception of racial and ethnic identity (particularly with regard to party campaigning and voting behaviour). The article contests this racialized reading of the election, and through emphasizing the importance of economic and class considerations, argues that there is a need for a more complex and critically informed interpretation.