Polokwane is not the only (or arguably even the most) contested political terrain in South Africa. One can be certain that the naming of Jake White's successor as Springbok head coach will be every bit as full of recriminations, barbed comments, and backroom politicking as anything that happens among the ANC's National Executive Committee in […]
The biggest news from South Africa today is Thabo Mbeki's interview with the ANC, which naturally aroused controversy among many who believed the interview and the timing to be an inappropriate allocation of public resource. In his talk Mbeki tried to sound a note of party unity, arguing that whatever happens in Polokwane will not […]
The countdown to the ANC's conference at Polokwane is well underway and it appears that the meeting will be the most momentous in South Africa since the CODESA meetings to negotiate the transition from Apartheid to democratic rule. The two key players in the political drama that is unfolding are Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki. […]
Two reviews recently appeared of Mark Gevisser's mammoth new biography, Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred. Both make clear that Gevisser has produced an essential book that not only provides the deepest understanding of its subject to date, but that also serves to place Mbeki in the context of the country's history and that history within […]
As COSATU and the SACP seem on the verge of seeing their plans achieve fruition through the rise to ANC party presidency of Jacob Zuma, which many are beginning to see as inevitable, it might be worth asking a few questions, as Muzibuko Jara does in the Mail & Guardian: This is an opportune time […]
Is the process for choosing the ANC leadership fatally flawed? There are those who believe that the nominating procedure needs to undergo a significant change, bringing the process closer to that in the United States. Malusi Gigaba, South Africa's Deputy Home Affairs Minister and a member of the NEC argues that such a change is unnecessary […]
It really does appear that Jacob Zuma not only leads the pack in the ANC succession battle, but he also appears to be consolidating his hold on what he clearly believes to be the pending nomination. Part of the perceived change in momentum is the result of the ANC Women's League's National Executive Committee to […]
Respected Africa expert Martin Meredith has been on quite a roll lately. His book The Fate of Africa: A History of 50 Years of Independence represents one of the most highly regarded and extensive treatments of the continent and its difficult recent past. He recently reissued his indictment of Robert Mugabe, Our Votes, Our Guns: Robert […]
The ANC has often faced accusations that it has meddled — or worse — in the country's media, particularly the state-owned but putatively independent South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). In turn the SABC has stood accused of acquiescing to the ANC, indeed of becoming a mouthpiece for the ruling party. Today's news that the SABC […]
I found the following chart (From the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project via Sunday's New York Times Magazine, and which accompanied this James Traub story) telling, though frankly I’m uncertain what it tells: The five countries with the most favorable views of American ideas about democracy are Subsaharan African nations. None of the countries with […]
It appears that Jacob Zuma now leads the race for the ANC leadership, the fruits of which almost assuredly will be the country's presidency after the country's 2009 elections. At least this is the scuttlebut from Western Cape ANC secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha (via the Cape Argus), the Mail & Guardian (via SAPA), and the BBC. […]
I’d like to apologize for the paucity of posting. The Foreign Policy Association has been upgrading its blog server and there have been some glitches, but it looks like we’re back up and running. Thanks for your patience. The Council on Foreign Relations has a feature on how some think South Africa is underachieving in […]
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