Mandelas long walk is

not yet over

South Africa needs a more just society to ensure his legacy
Since the end of apartheid and the first free elections in 1994, South Africa has sought
to balance democracy with the reality of one-party rule by the African National
Congress. It has not been an easy combination. Cosseted by massive majorities, the
grandees of the ANC have appropriated for themselves unjustified powers and
privileges. Yet the nation has held together, an achievement largely due to the
remarkable legacy of one man: Nelson Mandela.
The death of South Africas first democratically elected president at the age of 95 is a
moment of immense significance for his country and for the world. In an era of human-
scale politicians, Mandela was incontrovertibly a giant, a figure who takes his place
alongside the outstanding leaders of the 20th century. He was indispensable to South
Africas transformation from apartheid to majority rule. He set an enduring example to
humanity by emerging from prison after 27 years without bitterness or vengefulness. As
a result, over the past two decades South Africa has travelled the path of reconciliation,
not of bloodshed.
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ON THIS STORY
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EDITORIAL
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Mandelas gift to South Africa was not simply to negotiate the peaceful handover of
power and to initiate the racial reconciliation that followed. His hand also guided the
development of South Africas robust constitution, its democratic institutions and its
functioning judiciary. He strived for a liberal economic policy that balanced the need for
radical redistribution of wealth with the demands of economic growth.
Today, however, Mandelas legacy is not secure. South Africa faces many challenges. Its
education system is failing, poverty and unemployment are rife and the mining sector
the traditional bedrock of the economy has been hobbled by industrial unrest.
In particular, a great question hangs over the ANC. Any analysis of South Africas post-
apartheid story must recognise the scale of the challenge that its leaders faced. Yet
responsibility for many of the countrys failures must also be laid at the partys door.
South Africas dominant political force was at the heart of the constitutional settlement
that Mandela forged. Because of its role in the apartheid struggle, the ANC enjoyed
enormous political legitimacy and goodwill. But throughout the past 20 years, it has
remained frozen in aspic, halfway between the liberation movement it once was and the
functioning political party it needs to become. By basking in Mandelas aura, it has
spared itself the need to complete the transition.
As a result, the ANC is today a byword for weak leadership and cronyism. Encompassing
newly enriched tycoons, liberals, racial nationalists, populists and union bosses, it
struggles to present itself as a national movement. Its capacity for decisive action is
crippled.
Mandelas achievement was, against great odds, to give South Africas racially divided
society a sense of purpose, pride and unity. But his successors have failed to take this
further and address the deep-seated injustices left by minority rule. The commanding
heights of the economy remain dominated by the white elite. The policy of black
empowerment has been cosmetic, gifting riches to a small, politically well connected
group. Shockingly, South Africa is today a more unequal society in terms of income
distribution than it was under apartheid.
Mandelas greatest achievement the racial harmony the nation currently enjoys is at
risk. Intolerance has started to seep into public and private discourse. The anti-white
rantings of Julius Malema, the former ANC youth leader, are just one example of this.
Mandelas death now brings a period of mourning, one that will hopefully bring South
Africans together. But his death must also usher in a period of reflection. South Africans
will want to look back on the achievements of the post-apartheid era and the nations
extraordinary capacity to accommodate diversity and foster reconciliation. But they
must also look ahead to what remains undone. They must restructure the economy,
radically overhaul the education system, reform land ownership and enforce a policy of
redistribution that pays much more attention to the poor.
The ANC alone looks increasingly unable to deliver this. The hope must be that a new
political force emerges that can hold government to account and ensure politicians
represent the interests of ordinary citizens. That may well require a new generation of
leaders who are better able to draw inspiration from Mandelas extraordinary story.