Trust is personal and professional: The role of trust in the rise and fall of a South African civil society coalition

Abstract

This article explores trust dynamics among a coalition of civil society organizations called Unite Behind that formed in Cape Town, South Africa, in late 2017. Unite Behind was established to demand more accountability from a state marred by corruption—and specifically for the resignation of then President Jacob Zuma. When Zuma resigned, the coalition attempted to transition to a social movement campaigning for social justice but declined as a coalition into an organization of sorts. Taking trust as a positive belief in the reliability, truth or ability of an actor or entity, this article argues that conceptions of political and social/generalized trust are of less importance in explaining the rise and fall of Unite Behind than a combination of personal trust in particular leaders, and a form of particularized trust, namely, trust in other organizations. This notion of organizational trust as a form of particularized trust is of potential wider importance to the analysis of civil society network co-ordination.

Article Summary

Why do some civil society coalitions succeed while others fall apart? This study explores this question through the case of Unite Behind, a coalition of South African civil society organizations that formed in Cape Town in late 2017. Unite Behind brought together diverse groups from well-known organizations like the Treatment Action Campaign and Social Justice Coalition to business-oriented and liberal rights groups united by a common goal: demanding accountability from a government marred by corruption and, specifically, calling for President Jacob Zuma’s resignation. Led by legendary activist Zackie Achmat, the coalition achieved rapid success when Zuma resigned just months after its launch. However, rather than celebrating victory, Unite Behind attempted to transform into a broader social movement fighting for social justice and quickly declined, eventually becoming a standalone organization rather than the vibrant coalition it had been.

The researchers conducted interviews with 11 leaders of organizations involved in Unite Behind’s governance, analyzed documents and media coverage, and traced the coalition’s journey from formation to dissolution. Their analysis reveals a nuanced story about trust that challenges conventional wisdom. While scholars typically focus on political trust (faith in government) or social trust (general confidence in society), this study identifies two other crucial forms of trust in coalition politics: personal trust in specific leaders and what the authors call “organizational trust” confidence that fellow organizations will honor their commitments and not exploit the coalition for their own ends. In South Africa’s increasingly professionalized civil society sector, where organizations compete for funding and government regulations create barriers to collaboration, building this organizational trust proved essential but difficult.

Unite Behind’s initial success stemmed from high personal trust in Zackie Achmat combined with intensive engagement among organizational leaders to define a common goal, establish structures, and ensure participation would benefit rather than burden member organizations. However, after Zuma’s resignation, two critical failures undermined the coalition. First, allegations that Achmat defended a leader accused of sexual harassment devastated personal trust in him, leading to his withdrawal from leadership. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the coalition failed to define a new unifying goal that aligned with member organizations’ individual missions. Instead, Unite Behind launched a series of sectoral campaigns (#FixOurTrains, #SafeCommunitiesNow, #LandJusticeNow) that left many members feeling they were being used as “protest cows” asked to mobilize their constituents for issues disconnected from their core work. Without senior leaders actively negotiating these tensions and with organizational structures that encouraged fragmentation rather than integration, organizational trust eroded. Member organizations increasingly saw Unite Behind as draining resources rather than amplifying impact, and the coalition withered.

Key Points

• Unite Behind successfully united diverse civil society organizations around the common goal of President Zuma’s resignation, but rapidly declined after achieving this objective when it failed to define a new unifying purpose
• The study identifies “organizational trust” confidence that fellow organizations will act in good faith rather than exploit coalition partnerships as crucial to coalition politics, distinct from political, social, or personal trust
• South Africa’s professionalized NGO sector, with donor requirements for specific activities and annual budgets, creates institutional barriers to coalition work that require deliberate trust-building processes to overcome
• Personal trust in charismatic leaders like Zackie Achmat can catalyze coalition formation, but sustained success requires aligning coalition goals with member organizations’ individual missions through appropriate structures and ongoing engagement
• The coalition’s collapse resulted not from ideological differences or strategic disagreements which remained aligned but from organizational failures to define common goals and establish governance processes that made collaboration beneficial rather than burdensome for member groups

This study offers crucial lessons for activists, civil society practitioners, donors, and scholars seeking to understand how progressive coalitions can be built and sustained in contexts where institutional pressures push organizations toward competition rather than collaboration.

Recommended Citation

Piper, L., Anciano, F., & Bidla, B. (2024). Trust is personal and professional: The role of trust in the rise and fall of a South African civil society coalition. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 65(4), 464-478. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207152231204988