Notes de l'Ifri - From Thabo Mbeki to Jakob Zuma: What Will the New Vision for South Africa Be? Note de l'Ifri, October 2009

On April 22th 2009, South Africa hold its fourth national poll since the accession to the democracy in 1994. 23 milions electors voted and again agreed, among 26 political partis, to put their trust in the African National Congress (ANC). As in 1999 and 2000, this poll allowed ANC to remain in power with a confortable majority (65,9% of the votes). We could quickly and easily sump up "nothing new in South Africa" if ANC's victory did not hide deep changes which are goint to lead to challenges for the new Zuma's government.

Thierry Vircoulon is Associate Fellow at Ifri's Sub-Saharan Africa program.