South Africa: Prospects for Change

Extract

Since 1984 South Africa has been marked by black violence and resistance, followed by repressive controls, stringent censorship, recurring states of emergency, and an embattled white regime. Many questions arise: is white rule in South Africa drawing to an end, or is the current violence part of the cycle of violence that has characterized South Africa under the apartheid regime? Is the present government able to institute constitutional changes that will appease black discontent and return the country to stability, or are these reforms reminiscent of the futile constitutional efforts made by white Rhodesians in the waning days of their rule? Is white South Africa ready to make far-reaching changes in the repressive apartheid system, or are there non-negotiables over which compromise is impossible? Are current efforts to return the country to order and stability inherently flawed because they seek to appease African discontent, while at the same time sustaining white power and privilege? Some of the answers to these questions are embedded in current political, economic and social directions within South Africa.