Nelson Mandela’s lifelong struggle against apartheid and his vision of a truly free, equitable South Africa achieved monumental political change, yet his work remains incomplete.
While he successfully dismantled apartheid and established a democratic framework, many dimensions of his visionโeconomic justice, social reconciliation, human development, and global equityโremain unrealized. Here is a synthesis of why Mandela’s work endures as unfinished business:
โ๏ธ 1. Economic Inequality and Unresolved Structural Injustice.
Mandela envisioned liberation from poverty alongside political freedom, famously declaring, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.“
Yet South Africa remains one of the world’s most unequal societies.
– Wealth Disparities:
Post-apartheid economic policies abandoned initial plans for wealth redistribution (e.g., nationalizing mines and banks). Today, 10% of the population owns over 80% of wealth, largely along racial lines, with white South Africans retaining disproportionate economic power.
– Land and Opportunity:
Compromises during negotiations left land ownership patterns largely unchanged. Young South Africans criticize Mandela for not securing economic freedom, arguing that “political emancipation without economic equity is hollow”.
Unemployment exceeds 60% among youth, fueling despair .
๐๏ธ 2. Governance Corruption and Democratic Erosion.
Mandelaโs emphasis on ethical leadership contrasts sharply with contemporary realities:
– Corruption:
The ANC, once a liberation movement, is now accused of systemic corruption. Mandelaโs loyalty to the party led him to overlook early corruption scandals, such as the 1996 dismissal of whistleblower Bantu Holomisa.
– State Capture:
The ANCโs “cadre deployment” policy undermined state institutions, eroding checks and balances meant to uphold Mandelaโs constitutional vision.
– Leadership Failures:
Unlike Mandelaโs single-term presidency, many African leaders cling to power (e.g., Ugandaโs Museveni, in office 29 years), perpetuating autocracy.
โ 3. Social Reconciliation Without Full Justice.
Mandelaโs Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) emphasized restorative over retributive justice, but this left deep wounds unhealed:
– Unaddressed Grievances:
Apartheid-era criminals avoided prosecution, breeding resentment among victimsโ families. Critics argue this created a culture of impunity.
– Ongoing Division:
Townships endure as symbols of racial segregation. Gen Z South Africans express disillusionment, noting that “reconciliation without economic justice feels like betrayal“.
๐ฉบ 4. Human Development Gaps.
Mandela prioritized education, healthcare, and gender equality, but progress lags:
– Education:
While Mandela called education “the most powerful weapon,” 258 million children globally remain out of school. In South Africa, disparities in school quality persist.
– Healthcare:
Mandelaโs HIV/AIDS advocacy saved lives, yet access remains unequal. In 2018, 38 million lived with HIV; only 62% received treatment.
– Gender Equality:
Women hold only 25% of parliamentary seats globally, and gender-based violence plagues South Africa.
๐ 5. Unrealized Global Equity.
Mandela demanded fair global representation, declaring at the UN in 1995 that the body must “reflect the diversity of our universe“. Yet:
– Marginalized Voices:
Africa lacks a permanent UN Security Council seat and only gained G20 representation in 2023.
– Climate and Economic Injustice:
Africa suffers disproportionately from climate change and debt crises but remains sidelined in global decision-making.
๐ Conclusion: The Unfinished Journey.
Mandelaโs genius lay in balancing principle with pragmatismโsecuring peace by conceding on economic justice to avoid civil war . His legacy is not a failure but an invitation: “I have walked that long road to freedom. … But I can rest only for a moment“.
โMandela Dayโ thus embodies a call to confront systemic inequities he could not resolve in his lifetime. As young activists mobilize using his ideals of nonviolent resistance, Mandelaโs work endures as a blueprint for future struggles. The greatest tribute, as he knew, is not nostalgia but action to complete the “long road“.
Can The Envisaged Land Reforms Arrest The Impasse?
The envisaged land reforms in South Africa aim to address the historical injustices of apartheid-era land dispossession, but their ability to resolve the current impasse depends on overcoming systemic challenges in implementation, policy design, and socio-economic support. Here’s a structured analysis:
โ๏ธ 1. Policy Intentions and Proposed Mechanisms.
– Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC):
A constitutional amendment is proposed to accelerate land redistribution by bypassing market constraints. This seeks to rectify the failure of the “willing buyer, willing seller” model, which relied on costly market transactions and only redistributed โ7โ10% of landโ since 1994, far short of the 30% target.
– 10-Point Plan: Focuses on:
– Streamlining bureaucracy:
Addressing corruption, cadre deployment, and inefficiency in the Land Claims Commission and Court.
– Legislative Revisions:
Updating laws to prioritize “just and equitable” compensation over market value and reopening land claims until 2025.
– Tenure Security:
Formalizing communal land rights and protecting vulnerable groups (e.g., women, farm dwellers) from eviction.
โ ๏ธ 2. Persistent Challenges Undermining Reforms.
– Governance Deficits:
Historical mismanagement, corruption, and lack of skilled personnel in land administration bodies hinder effective implementation. For example, the Land Claims Court has been criticized for inefficiency and inaccessibility.
– Economic Pressures:
– Post-Settlement Support:
Only โ10โ20%โ of redistributed farms are productive due to insufficient training, funding, and market access for new owners. Many beneficiaries lease land back to white farmers, perpetuating dependency.
– Investment Risks:
EWC proposals have triggered fears of capital flight and agricultural disruption, similar to Zimbabweโs decline (though Zimbabweโs collapse was exacerbated by sanctions).
– Social Conflicts:
Tensions between traditional leaders, communities, and the state over communal land management. For instance, the Ingonyama Trust Act in KwaZulu-Natal concentrates power among chiefs, marginalizing ordinary residents.
๐ฑ 3. Conditional Factors for Success.
– State Capability:
Effective implementation requires depoliticizing land agencies, investing in technical skills, and integrating support (e.g., water rights, infrastructure) . The National Development Plan (NDP) emphasizes “human capabilities before land transfer“.
– Balancing Market and Justice:
Avoiding Zimbabwe-style disruptions necessitates compensating landowners when feasible while prioritizing smallholder productivity. Models from โVietnam and South Koreaโ show successful market-friendly reforms that empowered small farmers.
– Tenure Inclusivity:
Ensuring womenโs land rights (only 16% of restitution beneficiaries are female-headed households) and securing off-farm laborer rights.
๐ Conclusion: Potential Amidst Uncertainty.
The reforms could break the impasse โonly ifโ:
1. โImplementation shiftsโ from political symbolism to coordinated, corruption-free execution.
2. โEconomic support systemsโ are scaled up, linking land access to markets, training, and technology.
3. โSocial equityโ is centered, particularly for women and tenants.
Failure risks entrenching inequality or triggering economic instability. As Mandelaโs compromise showed, transformative change requires balancing principle with pragmatism . The current proposals offer tools, but their efficacy hinges on governance and resource commitment South Africa has yet to demonstrate.
Is South Africa Genuinely Fighting Official Graft?
South Africa’s fight against official graft presents a complex picture of โmeasurable progressโ undermined by โsystemic challengesโ and โpolitical constraintsโ. The evidence reveals both genuine efforts and significant limitations:
โ๏ธ 1. Institutional Reforms and Prosecution Efforts.
– Specialized Anti-Corruption Units:
The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate has enrolled โ34 high-level corruption casesโ since 2019, implicating 202 individuals and 65 entities, including multinational corporations like McKinsey and ABB. The latter agreed to pay โR2.5 billion in punitive reparationsโ for state capture involvement.
– Asset Recovery:
Authorities have frozen โR14.18 billion in assetsโ linked to corruption and secured over โ1,300 convictionsโ (including 500 government officials) in four years.
– Legal Framework Strengthening:
The NPA Amendment Bill (2023) aims to establish a permanent corruption-fighting unit with arrest and evidence-gathering powers. Whistleblower protections have also been reformed per OECD recommendations .
๐จ 2. Persistent Systemic Weaknesses.
– Prosecution Delays:
Despite the Zondo Commission’s 2018-2022 inquiry into state captureโwhich compiled โ1.7 million pages of evidenceโ and implicated โ1,438 entities/individualsโโmajor prosecutions remain stalled. The NPA struggles with evidence access and capacity, resulting in โno high-profile convictionsโ from the commission’s findings to date.
– Institutional Compromise:
Recent allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi expose collusion among police, prosecutors, ministers, and criminals. His claims led to the suspension of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu but no structural overhaul.
– Political Protectionism:
Critics argue President Ramaphosa prioritizes party unity over accountability. Despite scandals, ANC ministers implicated in corruption remain in cabinet, and new judicial commissions (e.g., to probe Mkhwanazi’s allegations) are dismissed as “talk shops” to delay action.
๐ 3. International Assessments and Economic Impacts.
– OECD Acknowledgment:
South Africa has improved foreign bribery investigations, opening โ18 new casesโ since 2014. However, the OECD stresses the need for greater โoperational autonomyโ for investigators and better protection for whistleblowers to prevent “undue influence“.
– Economic Toll:
.
The Zondo Commission estimated โR57 billionโ was lost to state capture, with the Gupta family alone syphoning โR15 billionโ. The IMF links corruption to South Africa’s low growth, high inequality (Gini coefficient: 0.63), and unemployment crisis (33% overall, 66% youth).
๐ Conclusion: Progress vs. Performance.
South Africa is โgenuinely fighting graftโ through institutional reforms and prosecutions, but effectiveness is hampered by โentrenched political interestsโ and โimplementation gapsโ. As the OECD notes, progress hinges on depoliticizing law enforcement and ensuring consequences for powerful figures. Until high-level convictions materialize and anti-corruption bodies operate without interference, public skepticismโembodied in protests like “Hands off Mkhwanazi“โwill persist . The battle is real, but its success remains uncertain.
Can The Power Of The Ballot Box Accelerate Reforms?
The power of the ballot box holds โsignificant theoretical potentialโ to accelerate reforms in South Africa, but its effectiveness is constrained by โstructural realitiesโ, โpolitical fragmentationโ, and โimplementation gapsโ. Here’s a breakdown of how electoral dynamics influence key reform areas like land redistribution and anti-corruption:
โ 1. Enabling Constitutional and Legislative Shifts.
– Constitutional Amendments:
Public pressure via elections drove the 2018 parliamentary motion to amend Section 25 of the Constitution, enabling land expropriation without compensation (EWC). This process involved nationwide consultations and reflected electoral demands for justice.
– Expropriation Act (2025):
The ANC leveraged its electoral mandate to pass this law, which permits land seizure under specific conditions (e.g., abandonment or public interest). Though contested, it demonstrates how ballot-derived mandates can reshape policy.
โ ๏ธ 2. Constraints on Accelerating Change.
– Coalition Politics:
The 2024 Government of National Unity (GNU) forces the ANC into power-sharing with the Democratic Alliance (DA), which opposes EWC and is challenging the law in court. This dilutes the ANC’s ability to fast-track reforms.
– Judicial and Market Pressures:
Land seizures face legal hurdles (e.g., DA/Freedom Front Plus lawsuits) and investor anxiety. Ballot-box victories cannot override constitutional property rights or market reactions, as seen in capital flight fears.
– Corruption and State Capacity:
Electoral wins have not cured systemic graft. The ANC’s “cadre deployment” system persists, undermining land agencies and anti-corruption bodies. Only โ10โ20%โ of redistributed farms succeed due to poor state support .
๐ 3. Voter Influence vs. Implementation Realities.
– Land Targets vs. Outcomes:
Despite settling 80,664 land claims since 1994, only โ7โ10%โ of farmland was redistributedโfar short of the 30% target. Post-settlement support remains inadequate, with many farms failing due to lack of training or infrastructure.
– Anti-Corruption Gains:
Voter backlash against state capture led to bodies like the Zondo Commission and the NPA’s Investigating Directorate, which secured 1,300 graft convictions. Yet high-profile figures (e.g., ANC ministers) remain shielded, revealing electoral accountability’s limits.
– Public Skepticism:
Gen Z and rural communities increasingly distrust electoral processes, citing unfulfilled promises. As one activist noted, “Voting changed laws but not our material conditions“.
๐ Conclusion: Ballots as Catalysts, Not Guarantors.
Electoral power can โinitiate reformsโ by translating public anger into mandates (e.g., EWC laws), but acceleration requires:
1. โDepoliticized institutionsโ free from party interference.
2. โCoalition compromisesโ that balance justice with stability (e.g., GNU’s DA-ANC truce).
3. โGrassroots pressureโ to sustain momentum beyond elections, as seen in youth-led protests for land justice.
South Africa’s journey confirms that ballots open doorsโbut โcivic vigilanceโ, โstate competenceโ, and โinclusive governanceโ determine whether reforms thrive or stall. As Mandelaโs legacy shows, democracy’s power lies not just in voting but in relentless, multi-front engagement.
Read more analysis byย Rutashubanyuma Nestory
