Introduction
The abolition of the apartheid policy took place in harsh conditions, sometimes bordering on a civil war. This event was preceded by the radicalization of the black population (permission to carry personal firearms, separatist sentiments in Bantustans). After the 1994 elections and the victory of the ANC, led by Nelson Mandela, the apartheid policy was repealed. The same year, Nelson Mandela and de Klerk received the Nobel Peace Prize. Nevertheless, trying to compensate moral damage to the black population, the government led people to the unspoken civil war.
Post-Apartheid Policy
In 1995, the ANC held a constitutional conference declaring the need for legislative measures that would provide the democratic majority with access to all institutions of state power. It was also redistributing property in oppressed peoples favor in order to restore their rights to lands lost during the apartheid years, as well as carry out the policy of affirmative action.
From the beginning of 1996, accusations began to sound in the speeches of the ANC leadership against whites that they seek to preserve their privileges, to reverse history and destroy the democratic gains of the ANC. The new constitution reaffirmed the provisions and principles that were fundamental for the political forces of the country, making them liberal-democratic. It confirmed, for example, the equality of everyone before the law and the right to private property. At the same time, the Bill of Rights provided for the adoption of legislative and other measures aimed at protecting or promoting (“advancing”) citizens or categories of citizens affected by unfair discrimination. The constitution lacked guarantees of the rights for national minorities: at that moment, such warranties seemed redundant against the backdrop of personal freedoms. Practice proved, however, that with a vast majority in parliament, the ANC could hold any legislation.
In October 1996, the government passed a law providing sufficient pension conditions for employees who agreed to retire prematurely, stipulated by their contracts. The brain drain from public service began with predominantly skilled and experienced white employees. Therefore, vacant positions were often left empty or filled with people with insufficient qualifications, as there were not enough qualified black personnel, which soon began to affect the quality of public services. In mid-1997, amendments to the civil service law included requirements for hiring. The criteria for the need to correct imbalances of the past was introduced. Among the criteria for employment, there was only “necessary training” – but no longer a specific level of qualification, experience, and candidates knowledge.
In the field of higher education, there were similar processes. In some universities, the retirement age was reduced from 65 to 60 years, and favorable conditions for an even earlier retirement were offered. Since 1996, it has become almost impossible for universities to recruit white youth, especially in humanitarian institutions even in the absence of black candidates with the relevant qualifications. In the lack of local black candidates, black foreign candidates were often appointed at higher positions to the detriment of local white candidates having equal or higher skill. This practice is not backed by laws or regulations, but it still exists. Discriminatory practices sometimes affect not only white candidates but also Indians and metises. Racial transformation is carried out vigorously in all areas of the country’s life, including culture and sports. The government and the ANC put a lot of pressure on sports organizations so that teams are composed based on the principle of demographic representativeness.
In 2003, the government passed the Allocation Act enhancing black economic power, aimed at developing black business and black employment. The law proposed the introduction of “codes of good practices”- racial quotas – for each type of activity of all management sectors and economics. Each kind of “good practice,” such as the proportion of black managers among the full staff and board members, and the cost of developing black employees skills are assessed by a certain number of points. Further, based on the scored points, the activity of each industry is evaluated. This assessment depends not only on abstract approval or disapproval of the government but also affects the government orders.
The Consequences of the ANC Policy
With the racial categorization of the population, the ANC government potentiates the same problems, which its predecessors had during the apartheid. In labor legislation, racial terminology is replaced by all kinds of euphemisms; for example, populations discriminated against are called “marked.” Nevertheless, in the laws giving blacks economic power, the apartheid racial terminology is used directly, and even the clarification is given: a black is an African, metis, or Indian. According to South African laws, the citizens are free to classify themselves at their sole discretion, but that does not help. There were times when white called themselves “black” or “Africans,” sometimes even changing their surnames to more “African,” but they still were not hired because of their skin color. Actually, a number of such cases have been appealed in court. Like during the apartheid, the most vulnerable group are the descendants of mixed marriages. In appearance, they are often difficult to be attributed to a certain category. The Commissioner of Police leaves determining who exactly is “colored,” and who is not, “at the discretion of relevant managers.”
Finally, the accusations of the white population in racism began to grow exponentially after 1997. Any criticism of the government or the ANC policies seemed racist, including on specific occasions such as the government’s attitude to the AIDS epidemic or impunity for corruption among prominent party members. Accusations of racism became an indispensable element in conflicts of all levels in any organization. At the same time, there was a radicalization of South African society, and the number of murders, thefts, and other criminal offenses increased quantitatively.
“Vice Versa-Apartheid”
Thus, the abolition of the apartheid regime in South Africa had consequences lying in two planes: positive and negative. A positive trend can be attributed to the fact that the white and black populations of the republic began to receive the same rights and opportunities in their implementation. Further, it is the formation of the government that selects the predominant population. The number of disadvantages is striking: there was a deterioration in the social situation in exacerbation of African nationalism. As a result, now the white population was actually forced to emigrate from the country.
On June 1, 1994, after a series of consultations, the country’s membership in the UN was restored. Perhaps this positive change in foreign policy is the most important in South Africa with the abolition of apartheid because, in government structures, the dictatorship of the National Party has been replaced by the tyranny of the ANC. During the time of President Mandela, South Africa had a chance to make the transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy without a civil war. Now, the political heirs of the late Mandela destroy the “rainbow nation,” where representatives of all colors and shades of skin should have peacefully coexisted. An ill-conceived revenge policy deprives the country of not only a secured but also a peaceful future.