Despite the past wounds and the big problems are due in the next future, today South Africa is a more of an optimist and relaxed Country than ten years ago. Despite being less loved by the ANC in respect to “Madiba” (Mandela), Mbeki has demonstrated to be a capable statesman, able to maintain the political supremacy. The national elections in 2004 were won by the ANC, obtaining 70% of the votes and guided by Mbeki. In any case, South Africa has not lived a peaceful transition. In fact in the first period of the presidency, the refusal of Mbeki in accepting the gravity of the HIV/AIDS problem caused many critics on behalf of the international community.
Yet again the ANC in 2009 won the elections and Mbeki announced his retirement and Jacob Zuma, the first black President, took the rains. The attention in these years focused on criminality, economic inequalities, the modernization of the schooling system and mostly on the restraint of AIDS. If we consider that, according to the estimates, 4.5 million of South Africans are affected by this terrible disease, this issue risks to put in second place the difficulties of the Country. The efforts done in the past years by the ONG and by the activists that helped the Country against AIDS have been direct and above all to induce the government in making available the retroviral medicines and destined them to all the sick people. Despite the progress achieved, still remains a lot to do because the infection rate is still very worrying.
The challenges are immense, the potentialities are immense. South Africa is a regional power. It represents, for a hundred million of Africans, an example, a model and above all a light of hope. 2010 was another crucial year, when South Africa, first African Nation in history, hosted the Football World Cup: the Country has demonstrated to be able and ready to organise a large international event and demonstrated to the entire world its value.
Its GDP is the highest of the continent. Its universities are the best in all of Africa. Its citizens are extraordinary people. It can count on an immense natural, human, economic, technological and cultural heritage. It can count on artists, scientists and politicians of international fame. It can count , most of all, on its exceptional past, because a Nation is its history. South Africa must take advantage from its defeats, proud of its victories, comfort and inspiration from those that, despite the tragic efforts, have made it a better place. Without forgetting Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s teaching: “There is no easy road to freedom”.
