Shwitebull - you're way off here. The ANC is doing a lousy job of a difficult situation they've *inherited* - apartheid's legacy. Yes, there are commie sympathisers among them, mainly because the West was tolerant of the apartheid regime (I remember Maggie Thatcher arguing against sanctions on South Africa) during the Cold War, while the Russians et al were strongly against it. However, I don't think there is a serious communist threat in South Africa. However, the ANC is unfortunately the best choice available. It is a national party, with a specifically non-discriminatory constitution. It did not conduct a witch hunt post-apartheid. It includes Zulus, whites, Indians, and blacks. More than anything else, it was the party which did the most for South African freedom. The IFP, who were nothing other than lackeys for the apartheid regime, are the real thugs, and a regional Zulu party. They have been responsible for some of the worst violence South Africa has ever seen, and were supported by the "Freedom Front" of ultra-right Afrikaner groups - which shows their true colours. You can read the TRC report and the thread below in this category to get a feel for some of the issues.

I can't find more than a couple of years online. I suspect that South Africa is a failing nation despite the ANC spin. Ohh Captialist, the fact remains that today's South Africa is anti-US. And appears to be secretly just as racist as the Boers were. They say nice things but their actions show otherwise according to SA teachers and nurses I have talked to.

"Ohh Captialist, the fact remains that today's South Africa is anti-US." I wonder why this is the case. Maybe the UNITA guys can explain. "appears to be secretly just as racist as the Boers were. " Almost funny. You can believe what you want, I've lived it as a non-white and have first hand experience of what South Africa was, and what it is now. "according to SA teachers and nurses I have talked to." I know just the sort....have met many of them. Any black nurses or teachers tell you that? What racial practice of the government today equals apartheid era abuses? Are they banned from restaurants or beaches or barber shops? Are they picked up and tortured by the police? Are they prevented by law from living in any areas? Are their children forced to go to schools with less resources than other races?

Don't have the GDP figures, but here's what the CIA factbook says on SA's economy: "growth has not been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate; and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. High crime and HIV/AIDS infection rates also deter investment. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income. "

More economic information: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/safrica.html http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/8161.pdf http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/safr.pdf http://clinton3.nara.gov/Africa/south.html http://www.africafinancereview.com/archive/2001/01/debate.asp http://www.africafinancereview.com/archive/2001/01/debate.asp

The anc 'inherited' the only first world country in Africa...and what have they accomplished in ten years of rule? Nothing! Look at the crime statistics, murder, rape, child rape, farm murders, everyday murder of innocent citizens. The anc government, or rather the new dictatorship is more corrupt than the nats ever were. Their policy of reverse racism makes apertheid look like a picnic in disneyland. Mandela and his marxist buddies allign themselves with terrorists and dictators the world over. He was and still is a communist. South Africa has been taken to the depths of poverty and anarchy is just a heartbeat away. The health services are all but non existant, the police force are a joke (they have to hire private security companies to protect them and their buildings), the defence force is an aids infested laugh, hundreds of thousands of professional, skilled, semi-skilled and wealthy people have left the country due to it's slide to mayhem.Major corporations like S.A. Breweries and Anglo American have moved their main assets abroad....why? There is too much fact out there to ignore. During the apartheid years it was easy to bull people with left wing propaganda, but now that there is no longer apartheid, the anc have nothing to hide behind, they are now open for the world...those who will choose to see the truth....to see. South Africa is right behing Zimbawe with it's so called 'land reform'. Southern Africa is where it was intended to be by the communists...right in there hands. Now they are sucking up to the other major threat who want to see the west fall...Islam. Do not ever think that the communism is a thing of the past, you will be making a big mistake!

It's quite obvious you are a foreinger who has no clue as to what you are talking about, you are a leftie, the kind of person that helped put south africa and zimbabwe where they are today.....in the gutter!

Why oh, why do world leaders in the west treat Madela like some George Washington of Africa? What perversion of the media has led to such widespread adoration? At the very time Bill Clinton visited Mandela, innocent farmers were being slaughtered by Mbeki/Mugabe supporting murderers.

I have to admit that I am deeply saddened by individuals labelling Boers racist. Condemning an entire people is in itself racist. Apartheid was wrong and Boers will tell you that. I´ll tell you the difference Capitalist between ZA pre and post 1994. Pre 1994 a convicted terrorist wasn´t president of the country. Pre 1994 the country was not the victim of vicious racial murders carried out whilst the goverment looked the other way. Apartheid may have separated individuals and favoured the few, however how is that worse than an entire ethnic community being demonised, having it´s cultural identity destroyed by creeping measures designed to make it disappear? How is that different to women being raped because of the colour of their skin or vicious murders being carried out on those who feed the country and their families for the same reason. Perhaps, capitalist, you can name an African country that provided its people (black and white) with a better education than that of pre 1994 ZA. Perhaps you could also name one where vicious genocide has not taken place against a minority as is now happening for the first time in South Africa.

It's a sad fact but at least there are some of us who still see and know what is really happening to this once beautiful country. The irony is when South Africa finally slip into the grip of a war who is going to be blamed for that, probably Apartheid because it is easier to blame something else for your problems than to admit you are at fault. My question to Capitalist72 is what are you going to say to the world when South Africa falls into a civil war ?