Africa's Lost Leader: South Africa's continental role since apartheid / Edition 1

by James Hamill

Overview

When Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president on 10 May 1994, South Africa enjoyed an unprecedented global standing. Much of the international community, particularly Western states, saw the new South Africa as well equipped to play a dynamic and dominant role on the continent; promoting conflict resolution, economic development, and acting as a standard-bearer for democracy and human rights.Yet, throughout the presidencies of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, South Africa has failed to deliver on this early promise. Its continental primacy has been circumscribed by its own reluctance to lead, combined with widespread African hostility to its economic expansion, antipathy towards its democratic ideals and scepticism about its suitability as Africa s global representative. With an onerous domestic agenda, as it continues to tackle the profound socio-economic legacies of apartheid, and with its military power also on the wane, South Africa must now adapt to an emerging multipolarity on the continent. This transition which may produce a new concert of African powers working in constructive collaboration or lead to fragmentation, discord and gridlock is likely to determine Africa s prospects for decades to come.This Adelphi book squarely challenges the received wisdom that South Africa is a dominant power in Africa. It explores the country s complex and difficult relationship with the rest of the continent in the post-apartheid era and examines the ways in which the country has struggled to translate its economic, military and diplomatic weight into tangible foreign policy successes and enduring influence on the ground. The conclusions of this book will be valuable to academics, policymakers, journalists, and business leaders seeking to understand the evolution and trajectory of South African policy in Africa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138549654
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/16/2018
Series:	Adelphi series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

James Hamill is a Lecturer in the School of History. Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction South Africa as a hegemonic power Chapter One Tentative hegemony from Mandela to Zuma Chapter Two South Africa s image problem in Africa Chapter Three The African Renaissance versus the South African Renaissance Chapter Four The plight of the South African National Defence Force Conclusion South Africa in Africa: The challenges of the new multipolarity

Editorial Reviews

'In 1994, with the end of apartheid and the introduction of majority rule, most observers believed that South Africa was destined to become a regional hegemon, given its large economy and its highly professional and well-equipped army. Hamill carefully explains why South Africa's international standing has instead waned over the last two decades.'— Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs, September/October 2018

From the Publisher