What's Happening In South Africa?

The arrest in July of former president Jacob Zuma in connection with an investigation into widespread corruption sparked an eruption of unrest and violence, mainly in the province of his base, KwaZulu-Natal. Yet the upheaval reflects a broader crisis underpinned by the failures of the African National Congress (ANC) to deliver on the hopes of national liberation, and the neo-liberalization and contradictions of the ANC in power. Soaring levels of unemployment and inequality have been exacerbated by the pandemic and government austerity policies, and in November, municipal election results (where the ANC and official opposition Democratic Alliance under-performed) confirmed widespread discontent. In this episode of AIAC Talk, William Shoki and Sean Jacobs speak with Lee Wengraf (contributing editor at ROAPE) about the roots of South Africa’s political crisis.