As a newly democratic country,South Africa got off to a euphoric start with itsfirst free electionsin 1994.
People queued up for hours to cast their votes, full of hope, optimism and joy. Thatpositive spirit continued asNelson Mandela was elected president after spending27 years in prison.
The African National Congress (ANC), Mandela's political party andformer anti-apartheid movement, came into power, ending not only white minority rule but centuries of colonialist mentality. It's still in power today.
However, looking back on the past 30 years, the assessment on the state of Mandela's "rainbow nation"is sober:The economy in the Cape of Good Hopeis ailing, society is still divided along racial linesand people feel their politicians don't understand them.
Meanwhile, the gap between rich and poor has kept growing —despite the fact that the ANC made the issue a centralconcern when it came to power in 1994. Frustration over theseshattered dreams runs deep.
Progress —on paper
However, there havealso been some important achievements, at least on paper.
Fredson Guilengue, programdirector for Southern Africa at the Rosa Luxemburg FoundationinJohannesburg, said the countryhas at least"succeeded in introducing one ofthe most progressive constitutions in the world, establishing anindependent judiciary, a free press, free and fair elections."
He told DW thatLGBTQ+ rights, an expanded education systemandgreater access to electricity, socialhousing and social services for the poor are among the key milestones achieved in the past three decades.
South Africa: Winning the fight against apartheid
Guilengue also highlighted the fact thatSouth Africa's constitutionwas the firstin the world to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexualorientation, and that the countrybecame the fifth nationin theworld — andfirst in Africa — to allow marriage for same-sex partners.
Corruption at the highest levels
In addition to these major gains, South Africa has alsobuilt up a robust and active civil society over that last 30 years that isvocal in defending its rights in the face of adversity.
In recent years, however, that adversity appears to largely come from the top tiers of government. Power struggles and reports ofcorrupt interestswithin the ruling ANC have repeatedly set the country back.
These dynamicshave trickled down to affect everyone in the country, regardless of race or income:high unemployment,crime and poverty, as well asthe rising cost of living, are among the chief issues that continue to plague South Africa.
Youth unemployment is a major issue, said Guilengue. Nearly half of the population underthe age of 34 is considered unemployed,and this has further fueled a sense of social instability, reinforcing xenophobicsentiments and resultingin dozens of deaths over the years.
Most South Africansnow have access to running water and electricity at home. Butpower cuts —caused by reported corruption within the state energy supplierEskom— have kept the lights off for many across the country for hourseach day overthe past decade.
Disappointment with politics and politicians
The ruling ANChas steadily lost trust over the years due to all these social grievances and other issues.
In the upcomingMay elections,in which President Cyril Ramaphosa is running for asecond term,the party could fall below the 50% majority threshold for thefirst time, forcing it to enter a power-sharing arrangement with an opposition partner.
According to economic analyst Daniel Silke, there is a sense deep disappointmentabout the perceived inability of the main liberation party to run the country.
Silke told DW that the ANC seems"incapable ofupholding the ethical standards set by Nelson Mandela" in particular.
"The efforts to bring people together as a nation, whichwere really palpable in the early Mandela years, have evaporated," he added.
South Africans take stock of Mandela's legacy
Crash under former President Jacob Zuma
South Africa slid into its most serious crisis in the past three decades under the leadership of former President Jacob Zuma, who was in officefrom 2009 until his dismissal in 2018.
During thistime, Zuma began plunderingstate coffers, bringing the nationto the brink of bankruptcy with the help ofhis extensive network of cadres both within the ANC and outside the party.
Under Zuma's leadership, the neologism "tenderpreneurship" was coined, describing government contracts— tenders— being handed over to eager entrepreneurs who rarely even pretendednot to have family or friendship ties tothose in power.
South Africa has not recovered from this experience. On the contrary, clientelismandnepotism seem to now be enshrined in the country's culture, saidSilke.
"There is a great deal of unease amongthe population," he said, adding that the subsequent collapse of infrastructure and logistics with a stagnating economy due to such irregular dealings is a daily reminder of the decline of what was once the richestindustrialized country in Africa.
Deep wounds from the apartheid era
Critical observers, however,have also stressed that not every social ailment can be attributed to the mismanagement of the country under the ANC.
Verne Harris, executive director of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, wondered"why we didn't dobetter," after the advent of democracy, questioning whether three decades are enough time toerase the trauma and the legacy of the long and profound processes of colonialism andapartheid.
"Some young people [now]say Mandela was atraitor," said Harris, referring topromises made of a better life in aunited country.
"We have to deal with these discourses and rethink someof the compromises we have made."
"We were quick to believe that we could fix things in a short space oftime," said Harris. "In some cases, this has led to quick-fixsolutions that have not served us well."
Cape of (Good) Hope
Beyond its many domestic issues,South Africawants to position itself as anadvocate against oppression on a global level—especiallyafter its decades-long experience of apartheid, said Guilengue.
The country is leading peacemaking initiatives, sendingtroops to countries in the region to quell unrest and taking high-profile cases to international tribunals. At the end of December 2023, South Africa accused Israel ofviolating international treaties— chiefly the UN's Genocide Convention — during the conflict inGaza, defending its case at theInternational Court of Justicein The Hague.
Guilengue believes that despite its many problems,South Africa has made progress on the global diplomacy stage. It has come to understandthatAfrica'straditional partnerships with theWest, built on centuries of colonialism, werenot balanced, nor were they serving the best interest of the country, and therefore needed to change.
"For this reason, South Africa is pushing for reforms in the UN Security Council, and is a memberof the BRICS bloc, which claims to fight for fair rules and economicpartnerships," said Guilengue.
"Perhaps we will see a moreactive South Africa in the future, both in Africa and worldwide."
Edited by: Sertan Sanderson
