What's Gone Wrong?
South Africa on the Brink of Failed Statehood
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- $26.99
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- $26.99
Publisher Description
This
is the book that Alex Boraine never wanted to write. As a native South African
and a witness to the worst years of apartheid, he has known many of the leaders
of the African National Congress in exile. He shared the jubilation of millions
of South Africans when the ANC won the first democratic elections in 1994 and
took up the reins of government under the presidency of Nelson Mandela.
Now, two decades later, he is forced
to wonder what exactly has gone wrong in South Africa. Intolerance and corruption are the hallmarks
of the governing party, while the worsening state of education, health, safety
and security and employment strengthen the claim that South Africa is a failing
state. Boraine explores this urgent and critical issue from the vantage point
of wide experience as a minister, parliamentarian, co-founder of the Institute
for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) and Vice Chairperson of South Africa’s Truth
and Reconciliation Committee. He digs deep into the history of the ANC and
concludes that both in exile and today, the ANC is slavishly committed to one party
as the dominant ruling factor. All else – the Executive, Parliament, the
Judiciary, civil society and the media – take second and third place. The ANC,
Boraine claims, seeks to control every institution.
What’s
Gone Wrong? pulls no punches, but it also goes beyond strong criticism and offers a
number of constructive proposals, including the re-alignment of politics as a
way of preventing South Africa becoming a failed state. As South Africa mourns
the loss of Mandela and embarks on another national election, with the ANC
likely to begin a third decade of rule, this incisive, detailed critique is
required reading for all who are interested in the fate of this young nation.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Boraine, a former anti-apartheid member of South Africa's Parliament and an architect of its Truth and Reconciliation Commission, blames the country's struggles in the two decades after apartheid on the ruling African National Congress (ANC), which has had a "large majority" in every government since 1994. Boraine argues that the party has "contempt for opposition" and is marred by a culture of corruption. Believing that ANC reform is elusive and that president Jacob Zuma must go, Boraine briefly profiles a number of emerging opposition figures who might one day take power. He is thorough in his indictment and believes his country, with widespread poverty and other problems, is a "failing" but not a "failed" state. Unfortunately, his book is dry in tone, and would have benefitted from more anecdotal material. Boraine also assumes a significant amount of knowledge of South African politics, for example, referring to former president Thabo Mbeki's removal from power without providing enough contextual details for general readers. Despite these flaws, Boraine's brief against the country's rulers will command attention from readers interested in South African politics.