Beyond the miracle

Nelson Mandela's inauguration as president of South Africa was a defining moment of the twentieth century. This title, by one of South Africa's journalists and commentators, analyses what has happened to South Africa since it underwent one of the world's few relatively bloodless revolutions almost a decade ago. It is the story of how a handful of rookie politicians came 'out of the bush' - to use Mandela's own phrase - to take over the running of a complex and deeply troubled country that they thought was richly endowed but in fact was almost bankrupt; of how they struggled to come to terms with an often hostile bureaucracy; and how above all they found themselves struggling not only with the complexities of their own society but also with the bewildering and often destabilising forces of the new globalised economy. It is the story of singular triumphs and some distressing failures. South Africa still faces many problems, but it is also one of the most vibrant and exciting places on earth - and, as Sparks suggests, a microcosm of the world.