The Mbeki Legacy

The ANC’s 2007 Polokwane conference marked the beginning of the end of the Thabo Mbeki era, starting a process that culminated in his resignation in September 2008. This book takes stock of Mbeki’s presidency, by focusing on a simple question: how has South Africa prospered or weakened under his stewardship? The Mbeki Legacy weighs up Mbeki’s policies on the economy, crime, education and health; investigates the arms deal and the electricity crisis; and considers the effects of land reform and BEE. Seasoned writer and analyst Brian Pottinger has sifted through reams of facts and statistics to produce a compelling, accessible and authoritative analysis of Mbeki’s South Africa. He also offers an insightful glimpse into the post-Mbeki future.

BRIAN POTTINGER is a former editor and publisher of the Sunday Times and has served in both executive and non-executive capacities on more than forty media, entertainment and retail industry bodies in five African countries. He was a fellow of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and the founding chair of the Print Development Unit, an industry initiative to assist the growth of small-scale media entities. This is his fifth book.