Subtitle: The State of Democracy in South Africa
Author: Xolela Mangcu
Publisher: University Of KwaZulu-Natal Press (2008)
ISBN-10: 1869141377
ISBN-13: 9781869141370
Condition: Very Good. The cover has a few light scratches and wear to edges and corners.
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 208
Dimensions: 22.0 x 15.0 x 1.2 cm
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by Xolela Mangcu
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Xolela Mangcu is well known for incisive social commentary that characterizes his regular newspaper columns. In To the Brink, Mangcu turns his focus to the state of South Africa's evolving democracy. From policy controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, corruption, and the constant labeling of black critics as 'foot lickers' of the white man, no relevant issues escape his analysis of the racial insider/outsider dynamic that has evolved under President Thabo Mbeki's rule.

Drawing on the intellectual history of the Eastern Cape as well as his own life experiences, Mangcu contrasts damaging racial exclusivity with the adaptation, renewal, and tolerance that has characterized the best traditions of South Africa's liberation movements. He discusses how black and white people could build a joint culture and, additionally, he examines the African National Congress' choice of president and its implications for the future of democracy in South Africa.