Why South Africans are fed up after 30 years of democracy
After a bright start the ANC has proved incapable of governing for the whole country
Almost 30 years ago, on May 10th 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president. A fortnight earlier he and millions of other black South Africans had voted for the first time in their lives. Internationally, the joyous scenes were seen as further proof, following the fall of the Soviet Union, that the world was moving in a democratic direction after a dark 20th century.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The disillusionment of the Rainbow nation”
Leaders May 4th 2024
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From the May 4th 2024 edition
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