Aurélie HOARAU

South Africa

After years of a white-oppressing governance, Apartheid in South Africa finally came to an end as the official ideology and legal system of the country in 1994. At the time, the arrival to the power of the black president, Nelson Mandela, was the guarantee of a national process of reconciliation, reconstruction and development, excluding racism and social segregation. The new democratic country considered itself then, as a “rainbow nation” where everyone would live together in peace and harmony. Nevertheless, questions as regard the legitimacy of this statement can arise. In sixteen years, has the situation improved in South Africa. Can the country be considered a developed western country? Or is it more part of the third world? Was the end of apartheid a disguised disaster? And is the South African society more equal regarding race inequalities?
In an attempt to answer these questions, I will first draw up an overview of the country’s situation and second, I will focus on the black/white problematic.

In a general consideration of South Africa, all legal, political, economic and social matters will be treated respectively. First, from a legal point of view, South Africa is a democracy with all the standards it implies. Elections are said to be free and fair, candidates are elected by majority vote, all political parties are represented and everyone has the right to vote. Moreover, the country’s constitution is one of the most progressive in the world, banishing discrimination of all kinds, giving social and economic rights to South Africans as well as “usual civil and political freedoms” etc. The country was awarded a rating of 2 -1 meaning “completely free”- for its “freedom in the world” by an American research foundation. In addition, most democratic institutions such as the judiciary, trade unions and NGOs are said to be free.
Second, on a political level, the situation is less encouraging. Indeed, the country has been