The real politics struggle and the ever-lasting path to liberation

Figure 1 - Steve Biko
"The most potent weapon
of  the oppressor is the
mind of the oppressed"

Reduced to a simple object, the African was made an outsider in an already sick, unsustainable society.

In 1973 and 1976, several riots put an end to this rugged, dark period. The movement of the Black Consciousness (or BC, a non-violent current of thought imported from the USA, influenced by the Black Theology - aimed at restoring the dignity and identity of the black people) conducted by Steve Biko - "a young and brilliant student" of the University of Durban-Westville which engaged himself in politics in his early 20s and became a founder of the black student union SASO; "a symbol and martyr of the anti-Apartheids"; "the South African Che Guevara" - gives extraordinary hope and impulse to several youth movements.

In 1976, a revolt erupts in the schools of Soweto in reaction to a new rule on the education of the Black - imposing the teaching of certain disciplines as compulsory in the Afrikaans language - and sets fire to the country as a whole making it increasingly uncontrollable. Progressively, industrials and foreign powers seek refuge, protecting their investments by discretely changing political sides.

Figure 2 - Nelson Mandela returns to Soweto 4 days
after his release from Victor Verster prison
in Paarl, South Africa

But 13 more years of struggle will be necessary for the government to resign himself in freeing Nelson Mandela (1990) and engage in talks with the black political unions. A difficult and time consuming compromise allows the definitive liberation of the country. On the 27th of april 1994, despite intense fighting between the Zoulou nationalist organisation (Inkatha) and the Mandela supporting ANC (African National Congress) - which flooded the country with bloodshed violence - the first multiracial, democratic elections take place and the ANC triumphs with 62% of votes. Three hundred years following colonisation.

In 1999, the ANC wins the presidential elections once more and Nelson Madela passes on his power to Thabo Mbeki, his apprentice. Thabo Mbeki was reelected in 2004, 10th anniversary of the young, multiracial democracy.
The FIFA seizes this occasion to allocate the organisation of the 2010 football world cup to South Africa - the first African country to host such event. In turn, the country has undoubtedly benefited from a materialized international recognition although once more, the financial face of the competition was mismanaged and has engendered widespread scandals and abuse. The unprecedented touristic pic reached in June 2010 quickly dropped, returning to no more than average.

Figure 3 - Thabo Mbeki, 2nd President of the
Republic of South Africa;
now African Union mediator

Thabo Mbeki's efficiency in handling power is much contested as the AIDS issue was denied under his reign. The distribution of antiretrovirals (AVRs) was refused until 2003. Also, criminal records have notably pilled up. Today, South Africa is the most AIDS-affected country in the world with over 1/5 adults contaminated.
During his second term, president Mbeki has had to develop his politics with vice-president Jacob Zuma (the actual president), charged in 2005 for traffic of influence in an alleged fraud and corruption affair linked to french armament group Thales. Mbeki dismisses his VP which then becomes his greatest enemy.

Most recently, Zuma is also severely accused of the rape of an HIV-positive woman of which he will ridiculously and unacceptably respond that he has taken a shower afterwards - and the misappropriation of USD hundreds of thousands worth of public funds circumvented to his personal estates. Zoulou, Zuma has also spent 10 years behind the bars of Robben Island.

Figure 4 - An artist's impression of Jacob Zuma's run for SA presidency

The war of influence between the two political leaders takes a turn in 2007 when Zuma decides to prone purposeful left-wing political ideals. He is elected head of the ANC. Following a 2 year-long musical chair type political turmoil, Zuma finds himself in the simultaneous contradictory positions of future convict or future president. He is finally elected president of the Republic of South Africa in April 2009 after the much silenced Thales affair was evicted from the political scene.

In October the same year, an unprecedented strike of the public administration destabilizes power and after a 3-week long blockade, (closed schools, hospitals, etc.) the government decides of a payroll increase of 7.5% and the implementation of an 800 Rand housing indemnity. Zuma surpasses the first major difficulty of his term "successfully".