Will South Africa Split Apart?

Majority control by South Africa’s dominant political party is slipping in metropolitan areas. “The ANC has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, but it faces growing threats from the left, from the right, and from within the party itself,” explains David Adler for Foreign Affairs, as voters reject “economic stagnation, official corruption, and poor public services.” The hope is that breaking the ANC's monopoly on power will improve governance, but Adler cautions about new battles over an extensive patronage system, which may continue with less oversight by national party officials. Adler concludes, “A political transition from ANC dominance without an economic transition toward more inclusive growth could isolate the country’s most vulnerable citizens from their government even further.” South Africa is diverse with 11 official languages and distinct economic interests, and cohesion of Africa’s third largest economy after Nigeria and Egypt may be under threat. – YaleGlobal