Gerald Shaw: Believe in Miracles [2007] paperback

This title is a journalist's account, much of it as an eye-witness, of South Africa's history from Malan to Mbeki, deftly tracing South Africa's transition from apartheid to a constitutional democracy, and the challenges we face today. September 6th 1966 was the day that Dr Hendrik Verwoerd was stabbed to death by a Parlia-mentary messenger. His assassination was a turning point, although it was not perceived as such at the time. None of Verwoerd's successors shared his apparently serene confidence about the eventual success of 'separate nationhoods', as a means of achieving peaceful coexistence in South Africa. Both John Vorster and PW Botha relied on brute force and military might to maintain white domination, until Botha, to his credit, speeded it up by abolishing the pass laws and inviting Nelson Mandela to come out of prison to drink tea with him. It was Botha's successor, FW de Klerk, who finally abandoned the Verwoerdian delusion and sought a negotiated settlement with African nationalism, after which Nelson Mandela was inaugurated President of South Africa.
The story continued until mid-2007, when12 years after the transition from tyranny to democracy, South Africa was reaching another turning point. The African National Congress, which had steered the country through an era of impressive economic recovery and sustained growth, was in a bitter and potentially divisive succession crisis. It was as much a matter of policies as of personalities. With no obvious successor to President Mbeki in sight, there was suddenly a measure of uncertainty about the future. Jacob Zuma came forward as a populist candidate appealing to the poverty-stricken masses. At the same time rampant crime and a disquieting measure of corruption, rooted in an erosion of social values, were depressing the national mood. It became clear that there was a continuing failure to deliver services, particularly at municipal level, and there were fears that social unrest would be the result. Yet there was much to celebrate as finance minister Trevor Manuel delivered his eleventh successive Budget in 2007 and South Africa was seen to be in a very strong financial position.
Strict fiscal discipline was paying off handsomely, and Manuel could argue that without financial stability and rapid economic growth the battle against poverty and unemployment would not get very far. The outcome of the policy debate within the ANC and its alliance partners remained in doubt. What would be the future direction of South Africa? Would the country remain a market-friendly developmental state with expanding social services and social democracy as the goal? Or would the ANC opt for out-and-out socialism? There was yet a third course which would certainly set alarm bells ringing. The ANC is emotionally driven by the powerful brand of nationalism which is a reaction to oppression. If a leader was to take over, combining Africanist rhetoric and a populist appeal to the poor, there could well be grounds for minority groups to fear the future. As South Africa approached yet another turning point, there was reason to hope that the ANC would resolve its succession crisis successfully and that South Africa would remain on course.
This title follows this saga through the eyes of the well-known journalist Gerald Shaw, who has witnessed and written about these events for more than thirty years.