The End of The Affair
Like a number of hot emerging markets, South Africa's made great progress in recent years—but its leadership is faltering dangerously.
In late November, at a high-levelmeeting of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), a senior strategist named Joel Netshitenzhe delivered a blistering assessment of the state of his country. In a confidential document, Netshitenzhe warned that crime had become a "scourge," HIV was exacting a "devastating" toll, income equality was worsening and millions of South Africans remained mired in poverty.
True, in the 13 years since the country emerged peacefully from the grip of apartheid—one of the most inspiring episodes of the 1990s—its government had boosted the economy, turning it into an attractive emerging market; promoted racial reconciliation; prevented massive brain drain and helped rebuild this deeply scarred society. But the country nonetheless faces a profound crisis. "The issues may be uncomfortable to entertain," Netshitenzhe wrote. "But we cannot avoid dealing with them."
He was right. Many South Africans have started to feel that their country—recently an exemplar of democracy and enlightened leadership—is gradually tilting in the wrong direction. During the 1990s, the nation's AIDS epidemic was serious but no worse than that suffered by much of Africa. The same for violent crime. Today the AIDS crisis—which kills upwards of 900 South Africans a day—has become one of the world's worst. And crime is so bad that South Africa is starting to resemble Sierra Leone or Colombia. In fact, the country suffered more violent deaths per capita in 2007 than Afghanistan—the supposed front line in the war on terror.
There's a pervading sense, moreover, that the benefits of democracy have not flowed freely enough. Despite economic growth, income inequality among blacks, especially, is getting worse. So is corruption. And President Thabo Mbeki—who is required to step down in 2009—has grown increasingly authoritarian. As a result, as the ANC gathered to pick its next leader (who is virtually guaranteed to be the next president) in late December—a contest in which Mbeki's main rival was his former deputy Jacob Zuma—many here were grappling with a troubling question: has South Africa fallen prey to the same malaise that has brought down so many independent African states? "There is a moment when many African liberation movements stumble," says William Gumede, a political analyst and author of a forthcoming book on the ANC. For South Africa, that moment seems to have arrived. "There is a sense that something uncontrollable is happening," Gumede says.
The roots of this unease can be traced back to the ANC, which helped win the country its freedom in 1994 and has governed it ever since. For generations after its founding in 1912, the ANC stood out as virtually the only African liberation movement that was progressive, tolerant of dissent and relatively democratic and uncorrupt. Today, however, the movement's leading lights—the generation that led it from prison cells on Robben Island and exile in Zambia and England—are slowly disappearing. Inspirational figures such as Nelson Mandela and Mac Maharaj have retired, while others, like Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, have died of old age. "It is a massive change," says Gumede. "There is real panic inside the ANC about what is happening in the party and in South Africa."
No wonder. With the elders' passing, the core values that shaped half a century of revolutionary struggle are being replaced by petty politics and personal agendas. Bad management at home has tarnished the country's image, and the moral high ground the ANC once enjoyed abroad has been steadily eroded by its baffling tolerance for oppressive regimes in Zimbabwe, Sudan and Burma. "What an awful blot on our copybook," Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel laureate and outspoken figure in the anti-apartheid struggle, said recently of the government's treatment of Zimbabwe. "Do we really care about human rights? Do we care that fellow Africans are being treated like rubbish, almost worse than they were treated by rabid racists?"
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Member Comments
Posted By: Saffa Patriot @ 01/03/2008 5:50:45 PM
Comment: As a white South African, growing up in an era where apartheid fell, saw infamous leaders like Nelson Mandela leading the country, winning two rugby world cups and knowing how people both black and white integrated post apartheid it is so sad to see uneducated "racists, rapists, criminals" like Winni Mandela, Jacob Zuma now leading such an amazing country. Where are those leaders you might ask....? They are still there, new and up and coming leaders still give speeches or peaceful coexistence, but unfortunately those leaders are being suppressed and the few in power want their message to be heard. Apartheid was an embarrassing time for any South African and once again it was the few in power making bad decisions on behalf of an entire country. I am 25 years old and have in my time never spoken down to anyone I went to school with, played sport together or studied together throughout university. There is no way the wrongs of the past can be corrected, things like affirmative action and BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) were implemented but became skewed, as what started off as something that could mend a country only became something that made a very niche educated population incredibly wealthy while the poor got poorer as the domestic housework and blue colour workers are left short changed by government as their employers now don???t have to funds to continue the informal job creation. When Mr Mbeki mentioned that BEE should be lifted as enough progress was made and the country had to heal itself, Mr Zuma saw his opening and came in with a message of ??? Why should BEE be lifted, the White people haven???t suffered enough??? I never did anything wrong and have always followed my parents example of not shying someone away if they arrive at my door offering to do something around the house, be it painting, cleaning, gardening or pool work. The basic message sounds throughout Africa ???POWER CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY???
Posted By: Saffa Patriot @ 01/03/2008 5:50:10 PM
Comment: As a white South African, growing up in an era where apartheid fell, saw infamous leaders like Nelson Mandela leading the country, winning two rugby world cups and knowing how people both black and white integrated post apartheid it is so sad to see uneducated "racists, rapists, criminals" like Winni Mandela, Jacob Zuma now leading such an amazing country. Where are those leaders you might ask....? They are still there, new and up and coming leaders still give speeches or peaceful coexistence, but unfortunately those leaders are being suppressed and the few in power want their message to be heard. Apartheid was an embarrassing time for any South African and once again it was the few in power making bad decisions on behalf of an entire country. I am 25 years old and have in my time never spoken down to anyone I went to school with, played sport together or studied together throughout university. There is no way the wrongs of the past can be corrected, things like affirmative action and BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) were implemented but became skewed, as what started off as something that could mend a country only became something that made a very niche educated population incredibly wealthy while the poor got poorer as the domestic housework and blue colour workers are left short changed by government as their employers now don???t have to funds to continue the informal job creation. When Mr Mbeki mentioned that BEE should be lifted as enough progress was made and the country had to heal itself, Mr Zuma saw his opening and came in with a message of ??? Why should BEE be lifted, the White people haven???t suffered enough??? I never did anything wrong and have always followed my parents example of not shying someone away if they arrive at my door offering to do something around the house, be it painting, cleaning, gardening or pool work. The basic message sounds throughout Africa ???POWER CORRUPTS, ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY???
Posted By: obsessedwithdirt @ 12/29/2007 12:13:38 PM
Comment: south africa is a country filled with some of the worlds most beautiful people, its just the minority that is creating so much of distrust and hate among most of its citizens.Today I sincerely regret casting my vote on that fateful day in 1994. I believed that all the members of the ANC would have had the same morals of the world renowned statesman i.e. nelson mandela but obviously most, not all, dont. The ANC made promises that all would reap the benefits of this great country...reality is: THE ANC government are the biggest benifactors. The ordinary people are doing it for themselves. Its so ironicle , there is just as much red tape, if not more than before, there are so many underhand deals; and in South Africa it's not what you know but who you know. And I just don't know anybody;-)