Product Description

South Africa has undergone a revolution in 15 years which has been largely unnoticed. It has been transformed from an apartheid state cut off from the rest of the world into an open multi-racial democracy. It has been a peaceful transformation, almost without parallel in history anywhere in the world. Compared to Russia's change after communism it has been a triumph. But of course there have been problems: the AIDS pandemic that threatens all Africa's future, and in education, expectations have far exceeded the difficult reality. Crime is a horrible problem and the economy, now prey for the first time to globalisation and the whims of international investors is faltering. But it is one of the most vibrant and exciting places in the world, and a microcosm of the rest of the world: this is the multi-cultural society that Europe is becoming through immigration and this is a country where the impoverished poor meet the super-rich every day. This is an exceptional book by the greatest living commentator on South Africa.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #710384 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

About the Author
Allister Sparks is one of the most distinguished journalists and commentators in South Africa. He ranks with Donald Woods as one of the most courageous anti-apartheid campaigners and played a major part in the reform of the media after Mandela came to power. He is a visiting professor at universities in South Africa and the US. This is his third book.

Customer Reviews

Faith in the new South Africa
An informative and thought provoking review and discussion of the ten years of South African democracy, from the inauguration of Nelson Mandela through to the current issues of the day such as HIV/AIDS and Zimbabwe. The overall assessment is not a rose-tinted one, no-one will argue that South Africa has many serious issues to resolve that threaten the young democracy. At the same time, the progress that has been made, and indeed continues to be made every day, is cause for great hope in the future of our beautiful country. A highly readable book that South Africans and people with a keen interest in Africa will find particularly enjoyable.

Biased, but great
In this fascinating book, author and journalist Allister Sparks takes us inside South Africa, ten years after the miraculous end of Apartheid. Though many inside the African National Congress (ANC) expected that this would be the beginning of their "Happily Ever After," South Africa continues to face many challenges, many of which they did not expect. But, this is not a doom-and-gloom, pseudo-exposé of South Africa, instead it is a hopeful look at a country in transition - facing daunting problems, but moving towards a brighter tomorrow.

Now, what can I say about this book? First of all, I was quite saddened that the author brought along a bag full of biases to his analysis. He has an orthodox Leftist viewpoint which he spills out all over the book. For example, in his view all of South Africa's problems are either holdovers from the Apartheid era, or are caused by outside factors over which the ANC has no control.

But, if you bear in mind that the author is a journalist, rather than an objective sociologist, you can let yourself ignore his analysis, and get down to the real strength of the book - the author's penetrating report on the state of South Africa today. The author does an excellent job of looking at the political and social changes that are redefining South Africa, and explaining them in a clear and easy to read manner.

It is hard to find resources that discuss modern, post-Apartheid South Africa, but this is one that is really great! So, if you want to know what South Africa is like today, ten years after Apartheid, then this is a great book to start with.