Mandela’s Legacy

The lines often snaked as far as the naked eye could see. In small towns across the countryside and in the crowded townships where Black South Africans lived outside of big cities, millions of people waited patiently to do something that had once seemed unthinkable.

Over the course of four days in April 1994, some 17 million Black South Africans voted for the first time.

One of them was Thomas Lethiba, 24, a Black South African in Soweto.

“We’ve been waiting five hours,” he told a reporter. “But other people have been waiting 40 years.”

For decades, Black South Africans had lived under a brutal system of racial segregation known as apartheid. In a country that was 70 percent Black,
a White minority ruled for much of the 20th century, denying Black people basic political rights and essentially treating them like outsiders in their own land.

Now the country was holding its first-ever multiracial free election.

Millions of people waited patiently to do something that had once seemed impossible. Black South Africans waited in small towns and crowded townships outside of big cities. The lines were long.

For four days in April 1994, some 17 million Black South Africans voted for the first time.

One of them was Thomas Lethiba, 24, who lived in Soweto.

“We’ve been waiting five hours,” he told a reporter. “But other people have been waiting 40 years.”

For decades, Black South Africans had lived under a brutal system of racial segregation known as apartheid. Although South Africa was 70 percent Black and was ruled by a White minority for much of the 20th century. They denied Black people basic political rights and treated them like outsiders in their country.

Now the country was holding its first-ever multiracial free election.

One presidential candidate, Nelson Mandela, was the leader of the African National Congress (A.N.C.). He’d spent much of his life fighting to end apartheid—and much of the previous three decades behind bars as a political prisoner. At 75, Mandela cast his own ballot with a crowd watching.

“We have moved from an era of pessimism, division, limited opportunities, turmoil, and conflict,” he declared. “We are starting a new era of hope, reconciliation, and nation-building.”

In the end, almost 87 percent of eligible South Africans voted, and the A.N.C. won 63 percent of the vote. In May, a new multiracial parliament was sworn in, and Mandela was inaugurated as president. Apartheid was officially dead.

“The 1994 elections marked one of the most momentous events in 20th-century history,” says Clifton Crais, professor of history at Emory University in Atlanta. “A deeply racist and deeply authoritarian society and a profoundly violent period in history came to a peaceful end. That is really an extraordinary achievement.”

One presidential candidate, Nelson Mandela, was the leader of the African National Congress (A.N.C.). He’d spent much of his life fighting to end apartheid. He had spent most of the previous 30 years in prison as a political prisoner. At 75, Mandela voted with a crowd watching.

“We have moved from an era of pessimism, division, limited opportunities, turmoil, and conflict,” he declared. “We are starting a new era of hope, reconciliation, and nation-building.”

In the end, almost 87 percent of eligible South Africans voted. The A.N.C. won 63 percent of the vote. In May, a new multiracial parliament was sworn in, and Mandela was inaugurated as president. Apartheid was officially over.

“The 1994 elections marked one of the most momentous events in 20th-century history,” says Clifton Crais, professor of history at Emory University in Atlanta. “A deeply racist and deeply authoritarian society and a profoundly violent period in history came to a peaceful end. That is really an extraordinary achievement.”

The roots of apartheid—which means “separateness” in Afrikaans, a Dutch-based language—go back to the late 1600s and 1700s. That’s when the first Dutch settlers, followed by British settlers, arrived and began dominating South Africa’s Native Black population (see timeline slideshow, below). Beginning in the 18th century, a system of laws segregated and strictly limited the movement of all nonwhites.

But apartheid began to take on an especially pernicious form in 1950, when the ruling Afrikaners, descendants of the original Dutch settlers, began enacting laws that forced Black and mixed-race people to live and work in restricted areas, and barred them from owning land outside those areas. Black South Africans weren’t allowed to intermarry with Whites, have a voice in government, or even travel outside their designated areas without government permission.

Apartheid means “separateness” in Afrikaans, a Dutch-based language. Its roots go back to the late 1600s and 1700s. That is when the first European settlers arrived. First the Dutch, and later the British, began dominating South Africa’s Native Black population (see timeline slideshow, below). Laws that segregated and strictly limited the movement of all nonwhites began in the 18th century.

But apartheid began to take on an especially horrible and strict form in 1950. The ruling Afrikaners were descendants of the original Dutch settlers. They began passing laws that forced Black and mixed-race people to live and work in restricted areas. They were banned from owning land outside those areas. Black South Africans weren’t allowed to intermarry with Whites. They had no voice in government. They weren’t even allowed to travel outside their designated areas without government permission.

Black South Africans fought back against apartheid with the A.N.C., which sponsored nonviolent protests, strikes, and marches against the national government’s apartheid policies.

Secret police spied on Black activists, and arrests, beatings, and even murders of dissidents were commonplace. Nelson Mandela, who led the military wing of the A.N.C., was arrested and sent to jail with a life sentence in 1964.

By the 1980s, however, the White government had begun to recognize that the apartheid system was untenable. Social unrest within the country was growing, and much of the world began to boycott South Africa, refusing to invest in its businesses, buy its goods, or visit the country.

Things began to change in 1990, when the government legalized previously banned Black political groups such as the A.N.C., freed Mandela after 27 years in prison, and began working toward establishing majority rule. The next year, South Africa’s parliament voted to repeal the legal framework for apartheid.

As the country prepared for the 1994 elections, many people feared that South Africa would erupt into a civil war. When the polls opened on April 27, 1994, the nation was full of anticipation.

Dalsie Mbuli, a Black South African living in Cape Town, was 18 when she voted for the first time in 1994.

Black South Africans fought back against apartheid with the A.N.C. They sponsored nonviolent protests, strikes, and marches against the national government’s apartheid policies.

Black activists were spied on by Secret police.  Arrests, beatings, and even murders of protesters were common. Nelson Mandela, who led the military wing of the A.N.C., was arrested. He was sent to jail with a life sentence in 1964.

By the 1980s, however, the White government had begun to recognize that the apartheid system was unsustainable. Social unrest within the country was growing. Much of the world began a boycott of South Africa. Other countries refused to invest in its businesses or buy its goods. Foreigners refused to visit the country.

Things began to change in 1990. The government legalized previously banned Black political groups such as the A.N.C. Mandela  was freed after 27 years in prison. The government began to work toward establishing majority rule. The next year, South Africa’s parliament voted to repeal the laws that supported apartheid.

Many people feared that South Africa would erupt into a civil war because of the 1994 elections. When the polls opened on April 27, 1994, the nation was full of anticipation.

Dalsie Mbuli, a Black South African living in Cape Town, was 18 when she voted for the first time in 1994.

“Oh my goodness, it was really an excitement,” she recalls. “We were looking for this day to be able to make our voices count. It brought such a new hope in our country. For the first time, we can feel that we are really belonging to this country.”

Trudy Louw, a mixed-race South African, was 20 when she voted in the 1994 election. It was a hot day, and she waited in line to vote for seven hours.

“Everybody went to the polls,” she remembers. “All the youth really wanted to see change in South Africa.”

Almost 20 million South Africans of all races cast ballots. A month after the A.N.C.’s clear victory, Nelson Mandela took the oath as South Africa’s first Black and democratically-elected president. Once in power, he set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to hear testimony from apartheid’s victims and perpetrators to try to heal the country.

“Oh my goodness, it was really an excitement,” she recalls. “We were looking for this day to be able to make our voices count. It brought such a new hope in our country. For the first time, we can feel that we are really belonging to this country.”

Trudy Louw, a mixed-race South African, was 20 when she voted in the 1994 election. She waited in line to vote for seven hours on a hot day.

“Everybody went to the polls,” she remembers. “All the youth really wanted to see change in South Africa.”

Almost 20 million South Africans of all races voted. A month after the A.N.C.’s clear victory, Nelson Mandela took the oath as South Africa’s first democratically-elected Black president. Once in power, he set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It was the job of the commission to hear testimony from apartheid’s victims and perpetrators to try to heal the country.

Thirty years after the watershed 1994 election, South Africa has a mixed record. The country has conducted six national elections and developed a tradition of widespread democratic participation. It has a respected and functional judicial system. It has an industrialized economy with the largest stock exchange in Africa.

But it remains a deeply unequal society with serious economic issues. White South Africans still hold a disproportionate share of the nation’s land and earn on average three-and-a-half times more than Black people.

Recent investigations have found that government corruption is widespread. And South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world, according to the World Bank: Almost 42 percent of its working-age population is unemployed.

Thirty years after the watershed 1994 election, South Africa has a mixed record. The country has conducted six national elections. The tradition of widespread voter participation has continued. It has a respected and functional judicial system. It has an industrialized economy with the largest stock exchange in Africa.

But it remains a deeply unequal society. There are also serious economic issues. White South Africans still hold a larger share of the nation’s land. Their salaries are also on average three-and-a-half times higher than Black people’s.

Recent investigations have found government corruption is still a factor. According to the World Bank, South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world. Almost 42 percent of the working-age population is unemployed.

In 2021, 70 percent of South Africans polled said that the country was going in the wrong direction. Only 26 percent said they trusted the government.

Mandela stepped down in 1999 after a single five-year term as president. (He died at age 95 in 2013.) But his party, the A.N.C., has remained in power for the past 30 years.

While Mandela is still deeply admired around the world, many South Africans—especially young people—think he didn’t do enough to press for structural changes that might have given Black South Africans more opportunities.

“I’m not the biggest fan of Mandela,” says Ofentse Thebe, a 22-year-old from Johannesburg.

His biggest gripe is the lack of jobs. The unemployment rate among South Africans ages 15 to 24 is 61 percent. And millions more, like Thebe, are underemployed. Thebe studied computer science at a university, but the best job he could find was selling funeral policies.

In 2021, 70 percent of South Africans polled said that the country was going in the wrong direction. Only 26 percent said they trusted the government.

Mandela stepped down in 1999 after a single five-year term as president. He died at age 95 in 2013. The A.N.C. has remained in power for the past 30 years.

Mandela is still deeply admired around the world, but many South Africans—especially young people—think he didn’t do enough. They feel that he should have fought more for structural changes that might have given Black South Africans more opportunities.

“I’m not the biggest fan of Mandela,” says Ofentse Thebe, a 22-year-old from Johannesburg.

His biggest complaint is the lack of jobs. The unemployment rate among South Africans ages 15 to 24 is 61 percent. And millions more, like Thebe, are overqualified for their jobs. Thebe studied computer science at a university, but the best job he could find was selling funeral policies.

That kind of frustration has fueled anger at the A.N.C.-led government. With national elections set for this summer, polls show the A.N.C. may not win the 50 percent of votes needed to keep power.

“Now we’re again at one of the most critical points in our history, this election coming up,” says Kevin Chaplin, managing director of the Amy Foundation, a Cape Town-based organization that works with vulnerable kids. “We have a big challenge on our hands because a lot of South Africans have lost hope in our country because of all the corruption. These elections are so critical to be able to get a good government in place with people who are not corrupt, who are passionate about change.”

Many voters who long supported the A.N.C. are fed up with the government’s failure to tackle the country’s challenges, and they’re looking for change.

But to Sean Jacobs, a professor at the New School in New York who grew up under apartheid, the country is still in a better place than it was 30 years ago.

“I can’t even describe how horrible apartheid was—living in a segregated place, not imagining that I could have a future,” Jacobs says.

While Jacobs is deeply disappointed by the huge economic inequalities he still sees in South Africa, he’s keenly aware of how much the country has accomplished since 1994.

“It’s a robust, working democracy,” he says. “South Africa endured more than 300 years of racial violence and denial of rights. I don’t expect it to be perfect after 30 years.”

Frustration has caused anger at the A.N.C.-led government. National elections are set for this summer. Recent polls predict the A.N.C. may not win the 50 percent of votes needed to stay in power.

“Now we’re again at one of the most critical points in our history, this election coming up,” says Kevin Chaplin, managing director of the Amy Foundation, a Cape Town-based organization that works with vulnerable kids. “We have a big challenge on our hands because a lot of South Africans have lost hope in our country because of all the corruption. These elections are so critical to be able to get a good government in place with people who are not corrupt, who are passionate about change.”

Many voters who long supported the A.N.C. are fed up with the government’s failure to work on the country’s challenges. They’re looking for change.

But Sean Jacobs, a professor at the New School in New York who grew up under apartheid, thinks the country is still in a better place than it was 30 years ago.

“I can’t even describe how horrible apartheid was—living in a segregated place, not imagining that I could have a future,” Jacobs says.

Jacobs is disappointed by the huge economic inequalities he still sees in South Africa. But he is aware of how much the country has accomplished since 1994.

“It’s a robust, working democracy,” he says. “South Africa endured more than 300 years of racial violence and denial of rights. I don’t expect it to be perfect after 30 years.”