To the Brink: The State of Democracy in South Africa

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University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, 2008 - History - 208 pages
Xolela Mangcu is well known for incisive social commentary that characterizes his regular newspaper columns. In To the Brink, Mangcu turns his focus to the state of South Africa's evolving democracy. From policy controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, corruption, and the constant labeling of black critics as 'foot lickers' of the white man, no relevant issues escape his analysis of the racial insider/outsider dynamic that has evolved under President Thabo Mbeki's rule. Drawing on the intellectual history of the Eastern Cape as well as his own life experiences, Mangcu contrasts damaging racial exclusivity with the adaptation, renewal, and tolerance that has characterized the best traditions of South Africa's liberation movements. He discusses how black and white people could build a joint culture and, additionally, he examines the African National Congress' choice of president and its implications for the future of democracy in South Africa.

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Contents

CHAPTER
4
CHAPTER 2
33
CHAPTER 3
47
Copyright

7 other sections not shown

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About the author (2008)

XOLELA MANGCU is Executive Chairman of the Platform for Public Deliberation and a Visiting Scholar at the University of the Witwatersrand.

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