What impact did the Free Mandela campaign have on South African politics?
Mandela did very little to change the basic way of life for poor black South Africans. They still live in poverty while the whites gave up very little and continue to live in their superior homes and live superior lifestyles. The problem was when South Africa tried to go it alone and the USA prevented this by threatening to withdraw support, especially financial and trade. The IMF is guilty of this in many poor countries too. South Africa is not poor, it has a wealth of resources hence the reason the whites got the support of the US. Now you have a small number of black South African elite who were seduced by the wealthy lifestyles offered in exchange for forgetting about the poor. White South Africans still own 80% of the land and black South Africans still work for them. John PIlger’s website has essays month by month on world issues. You have to search through. Have a good read.
Since that time, South Africa has experienced stark increases in crime and poverty. So the “campaign” definitely had a long term negative impact on the country. The current ANC government is (and was) as corrupt as ever. The country is going to hell in a hand basket. Anyone who did not flee the country with their money earlier, is now unable to take their accumulated wealth out of the country. You know things are real bad when the government refuses to let you access and withdraw your own money from the country. They are confiscating more of the wealth of those who earned it and taking away economic freedom by placing controls on the flow of capital. Security-wise and economically, South Africa was far better off under “white” rule than the current corrupt African National Congress (Black government).
