Ships from: Phoenix, MD
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Ships from: Richmond, TX
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Xolela Mangcu is well known for incisive social commentary that characterizes his regular newspaper columns. In To the Brink, Mangcu turns his focus to the state of South Africa's evolving democracy. From policy controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, corruption, and the constant labeling of black critics as 'foot lickers' of the white man, no relevant issues escape his analysis of the racial insider/outsider dynamic that has evolved under President Thabo Mbeki's rule. Drawing on the intellectual history of the Eastern Cape as well as his own life experiences, Mangcu contrasts damaging racial exclusivity with the adaptation, renewal, and tolerance that has characterized the best traditions of South Africa's liberation movements. He discusses how black and white people could build a joint culture and, additionally, he examines the African National Congress' choice of president and its implications for the future of democracy in South Africa.
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations xi
Why I Wrote this Book xiii
Introduction: The Argument in Brief 1
Chapter 1 Bearing Witness: Political and Personal Heritage 7
Chapter 2 The Enemy Within: Mbeki's Assault on Black Intellectuals 33
Chapter 3 The Unkindest Cut of All: How HIV/AIDS Became Mbeki's Achilles Heel 49
Chapter 4 Liberation Handcuffs: Zimbabwe and the Zanufication of South African Politics 65
Chapter 5 The Chickens Come Home to Roost: Corruption Undermines Democracy 83
Chapter 6 Nationalism of a Different Kind: White Denial and Barriers to Non-Racialism 101
Chapter 7 In Search of Goodness: Rebuilding State-Society Relations 117
Chapter 8 The Lone Warrior: Limits to Mbeki's Leadership Model 131
Chapter 9 Will he Pull us back or Push us over the Brink?: Jacob Zuma and the Prospects for Democracy 153
Epilogue: Open Letter to Nelson Mandela 183
Notes 186
References 197
Index 201
Overview
Xolela Mangcu is well known for incisive social commentary that characterizes his regular newspaper columns. In To the Brink, Mangcu turns his focus to the state of South Africa's evolving democracy. From policy controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, corruption, and the constant labeling of black critics as 'foot lickers' of the white man, no relevant issues escape his analysis of the racial insider/outsider dynamic that has evolved under President Thabo Mbeki's rule. Drawing on the intellectual history of...