Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa

Abstract

Beyond the Miracle offers a comprehensive and moving account of the years in South Africa since the 1994 election of a democratic government - a defining moment in twentieth-century political life. Written by Allister Sparks, one of South Africa's most distinguished living journalists, Beyond the Miracle covers both the proud achievements and disappointing failures of the administrations and then looks to the future, asking whether this can overcome its history and current global trends to create a truly nonracial, multicultural, and multiparty democracy. Sparks unflinchingly examines the obstacles that the new, democratic South Africa faces: an increasingly wide gap between rich and poor, the disastrous long-term effects of civil conflicts, and the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. Drawing on decades of experience as a journalist, as well as his recent insider access to key figures in the liberation government, Sparks takes stock of where South Africa has been, where it's going, and why the rest of the world should not turn away from this country where the First and Third Worlds meet. Beyond the Miracle includes interviews with presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, as well as with less widely known individuals, such as Afrikaner Helena Dolny, the widow of anti-apartheid activist Joe Slovo. A brilliant analysis of political life since South Africa's bloodless revolution, Beyond the Miracle persuasively argues that achieving Mandela's vision of a peaceful rainbow nation is crucial not just for the salvation of Africa, but also for the world.