12:01AM
Chart of the day: a single-party democracy in South Africa
Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 12:01AM 
Economist special report on South Africa.
I always like to remind myself that the ANC were a prime client of the Sovs during the Cold War, appearing in my PhD diss in that role. Why take Sov support? The West wasn't offering any. Fortunately when given the chance to rule, the ANC has done so democratically--more or less.
But like most revolutionary parties, it has ruled in a singular, dominating sense. Pretty easy to do because of the original giants, like Mandela.
But hopefully it gets harder over time.
Reader Comments (1)
I wonder what your opinion is about western sanctions and isolation during the 1980's? It disconnected the country by severing economic and cultural ties with a resultant 14 years of stagnation.
While it may have increased the rate of internal political evolution I wonder if the average poor South African may not have been better off if sanctions were more targeted and companies not pressured to leave.