Despite the African National Congress being at the height of its powers, its future is today less certain than at any time in its long history. In the past, the liberation movement went through two huge transformations with remarkable agility; the first at the instigation of the hot-headed young rebel, Nelson Mandela. He brought about changes that drove the organisation from gentlemanly petitions to armed resistance. The second great shake-up in the ANC occurred twenty-two years ago as Mandela emerged from prison, when the movement transformed itself from deep socialist militancy to centre-left political conformity. But it was at the time dominated by realistic, courageous leaders like Mandela, Sisulu and Tambo, who are no longer steering the vast juggernaut through the third...
Heidi Holland was a journalist and author for over thirty years. As a freelance journalist, she wrote for a wide range of international publications, including the London Sunday Times, International Herald Tribune and The Guardian. Other projects included research for leading British television documentaries. She published African Magic with Penguin Books in 2001 and co-edited From Jo’burg to Jozi in 2002. 2006 saw the release of The Colour of Murder, a book about one of South Africa’s worst mass murderers, Louis van Schoor, and in 2008 Penguin published Dinner with Mugabe, a penetrating, timely portrait of Zimbabwe’s infamous ruler. Heidi’s final book 100 Years of Struggle was published in 2012. http://www.dinnerwithmugabe.com
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