South Africa

After two and half years of African National Congress rule, the political forces of the left are in disarray. In the face of the government' s determination to...

The province that was the cradle of African education, leadership and prosperity has come to be regarded by many as the country's worst governed and administered. Many of...

The post-Mandela African National Congress is beginning to take shape, amid jostling between competing factions. President Nelson Mandela wants a 'broad-church' leadership. The party hierarchy lobbies for its...

South Africa's mood swings wildly and so do its financial markets. Less than a year ago, equity and bond markets were booming and the rand exchange rate was...

Unveiled in the swish French resort of Cannes, launched in London as part of President Nelson Mandela's quasi-regal tour, the new economic policy of the African National Congress...

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi is still the boss. But his management of the Inkatha Freedom Party's closed-door congress in Ulundi on 27-28 July placed him more tightly on the...

The failure of the Inkatha Freedom Party to extend its reach much beyond the rural Zulu constituencies in the latest round of local elections presents leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi...

Some of the blame for Inkatha's weaker showing in the local elections is being laid at the door of the numerous 'white Zulus' who have attached themselves to...

Two public attacks on African National Congress ministers have pushed the government onto the defensive and raised serious questions about its accountability. Much of the force behind the...

The African National Congress and Inkatha Freedom Party face a close-run race in kwaZulu- Natal. Earlier this year, the ANC was accusing both the IFP (AC Vol 37...

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi greeted the National Party's walkout from government on 9 May with the remark that he wouldn't like to 'take a cue' from the NP. During...

Trades union leader, constitutional negotiator, fisherman, devout Christian and now corporate chief, Cyril Ramaphosa looks like the African National Congress' Renaissance man. He was the most plausible alternative...

The National Party spent ten million Rand (US$2.27 mn.) on its relaunch in February. The main results were more defections and derision from the African National Congress. The...

Pretoria's relations with Washington and London are being tested again, this time over the bizarre case of a British arms dealer held in South Africa. Paul Grecian was...

There are two sets of statistics on South Africa's economy. One tells an economic story only marginally less miraculous than that of the political transition: foreigners investing a...

A much praised political transition, a President of unimpeachable moral authority, and a core of skilled and experienced diplomats should have given South Africa a dynamic foreign policy....

Bouncing from crisis to breakthrough and back again, the constitution-making negotiations are running true to South African form. Doubts are growing about the schedule to finalise the new...

All ministers are ANC unless otherwise indicated

The emergence of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki as a super-minister coordinating economic and development policy strengthens his personal position and points to government concern about the slow pace...

It was a political as much as a sporting triumph when South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana (‘The boys, the boys’) stormed through to the African Cup of...

Who bugged the telephones of South Africa's top policemen, and why? Some of the country's security operatives want to find out, others to keep it quiet. National Police...