South Africa’s democratic transformation in 1994 captured the attention of the international community. Politics: South Africa provides an acute appraisal of the critical moments in the history of South Africa, and examines the political environment in the years following the shift to democracy.
Under the leadership of the revered figure of Nelson Mandela, the ‘rainbow nation’ achieved the transition with less violence than had been feared. A new generation of post-Apartheid young people has grown up, and the socio-political environment is maturing. However, the country still has immense challenges to overcome, in delivering services to its diverse populations faced with the impact of HIV/AIDS on communities and the economic demands of development.
This fully-revised second edition includes two entirely new chapters based on the author’s recent research and interviews within the country, dealing with the legacy of the President Mbeki years, the implications of the 2009 election, and the challenges now facing the country under Jacob Zuma. Politics: South Africa is an accessible guide for students, and a fascinating appraisal of a nation which has travelled a long journey but is still trying to reconcile its past.
Features include:
- boxed discussions of key subject areas
- chronology of important events
- maps
- appendices of critical documents and speeches
Dr Heather Deegan is a Reader in Comparative Politics at Middlesex University, London. She was a Fellow of the Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria and was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand. She is the author of six books including the recently published Africa Today: Culture, Economics, Religion, Security (2009).
PART 1 – Historical Forces
1.Union and Segregation
PART 2 – The Rise and Fall of Apartheid
2. Apartheid and the State
3. Apartheid and the Struggle
4. The End of Apartheid
PART 3 – The Nation In Transition
5. 1994 – The New South Africa
6. A Time of Change
7. Coming to Terms with the Past: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
PART 4 – The Question of Progress
8. The 1999 Elections
9. From Mandela to Mbeki
10. The President Mbeki Years
PART 5 – Contemporary South Africa
11. Politics and Society
Appendices
References
Index
Biography
Dr Heather Deegan is a Reader in Comparative Politics at Middlesex University, London. She was a Fellow of the Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria and was a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand. She is the author of six books including the recently published Africa Today: Culture, Economics, Religion, Security (2009).
