Morning in South Africa (A Council on Foreign Relations Book) - Hardcover

Campbell, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1442265892 ISBN 13: 9781442265899

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016

Synopsis

This incisive, deeply informed book introduces post-apartheid South Africa to an international audience. Despite calls to undermine the 1994 political settlement characterized by human rights guarantees and the rule of law, distinguished diplomat John Campbell argues that the country's future is bright and that its democratic institutions will weather its current lackluster governance.

About this title

Review

John Campbell's book could not be more timely. South Africa is facing serious economic and political challenges. Relations with the United States are at a dangerous low. This book goes deep into those issues but also demonstrates that the institutions of democracy, judicial integrity, the free press, and a dynamic civil society are strong and will not only survive but will assure a brighter future. The relationship with the United States can be rebuilt in this environment, and that should be a priority of both countries.--Princeton Lyman, United States Institute of Peace, former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa

Morning in South Africa should be widely read. In a taut volume, John Campbell elucidates key aspects of change and continuity since the end of apartheid. He depicts how the country's 'brand' has declined along with the reputation of its national leaders. Despite social and economic disappointments, however, the institutions of constitutional democracy are firm: fair elections, an independent judiciary, and freedoms of association and speech. Campbell is optimistic that South Africa can still fulfill the hopes inspired by its glorious emancipation from racial oppression.--Richard Joseph, Northwestern University

Those of us who worked hard to support the black citizens of South Africa in their struggle for majority rule have been rooting for that young democracy to succeed. Two decades later, we are concerned about their ability to surmount some difficult political and economic challenges. For that reason, we are happy to be reassured by Ambassador John Campbell that South Africa's democratic institutions are alive and well, and that the outlook remains optimistic. I can't think of any scholar who is more qualified to provide a thorough analysis of South Africa's past, present, and future than John Campbell.--Herman J. Cohen, U.S. Ambassador (retired)

John Campbell has it exactly right: South Africa's dawn (1994) has given way to a morning after, poised between hope and hangover. After a decade and a half of unworthy leadership, the country suffers from draining coffers, a local currency in free fall, and a stark landscape littered with dashed hopes. But, more than anyone, Campbell shows us how this glass is in fact half full. The unparalleled talent, energy, laughter, and determination in a society unlike any other in the world will carry it through to better times. Such beauty and fascination cannot wither. Campbell's case is beyond convincing--it is proof positive that South Africa will advance at its own pace, in its own time--but advance, none the less.--Daniel Whitman, American University

Foreign policy professional Campbell uses the idea of morning . . . to describe post-apartheid South Africa's progress since 1994. The country's history from settlement by Europeans in 1652 to the death of Nelson Mandela in 2013 occupies a significant portion of the book. . . . Valuable comparisons are made between Jim Crow in the U.S. and apartheid. . . . When discussing the present day, Campbell describes a South Africa that is on the cusp of political and economic transformation, whether for good or ill, but sees no immediate likelihood of the country going over that brink. . . . He doesn't shy away from the failings of the deal made to end apartheid, including the fact that whites are still, economically, the dominant race in the country, and the failings of the Mandela and Mbeki administrations to adequately address the HIV/AIDS crisis . . . Campbell ends the book on an optimistic note, acknowledging that South Africa's young democracy has many opportunities to grow and improve.--Publishers Weekly

Praise for Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink: Africa's most populous nation totters toward the 'failed state' abyss in this measured study of Nigeria's travails. Campbell, the U. S. ambassador to Nigeria from 2004 to 2007, juxtaposes the nation's great potential--including huge petroleum reserves--with its dire poverty and growing instability. He fingers a litany of dysfunctions: a weak government and rigged elections; a ruling elite of generals and plutocrats who view the state mainly as a dispensary of petroprofits; endemic corruption; bloody sectarian violence between Christians and increasingly radical Muslims; the curse of oil wealth, which encourages Nigeria to neglect industrial development and fuels insurgencies in impoverished oilrich regions. Part history and part memoir, Campbell's chronicle of Nigeria since the 1960s civil war is fleshed out with firsthand profiles of its leaders and observations on recent political turmoil, along with a shrewd insider's analysis of Washington's policy toward the country, which he feels is too aloof. . . . Campbell gives a lucid, perceptive survey of the hardships and perils Nigeria faces.--Publishers Weekly

In the process of making the contrarian argument that South Africa's prospects are promising despite the country's current difficulties, Campbell has also written an excellent introduction to the South African political economy.... Campbell's optimism stems from his belief that the country's democratic institutions are strong and resilient and that its people have already completed much of the hard work of building a 'nonracial' democracy.... [T]he book's reasonable tone and fact-based review of the record represent a useful antidote to more common alarmist accounts. Also welcome is Campbell's call for more active and ambitious U.S. engagement with South Africa.--Foreign Affairs

Readers interested in understanding the differences and similarities between the democratic cultures of SA and the US, the basis for building and sustaining any strategic partnership -- variables such as size, location, economic development, racial composition and the number and nature of domestic and international conflicts -- will find Campbell's chapter 'The historical trajectory' especially helpful.--Business Day Live

Praise for Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink: Part diplomatic memoir, part layman's introduction to the country, Campbell's book provides an excellent snapshot of Nigeria today. Campbell recounts key events in the country during his terms there as an American diplomat, including a spell as U.S. ambassador from 2004 to 2007. On several occasions, Campbell comments on U.S. timidity, notably Washington's hesitancy to publicly voice its concerns about Nigeria's deplorable levels of corruption or about the fraud and violence that have marred recent elections. . . . His book is a lively and sometimes highly critical analysis of the country's political class.--Foreign Affairs

About the Author

John Campbell is the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He entered the U.S. Foreign Service as a political officer in 1975 and served at the American embassy in Pretoria/Cape Town from 1993 to 1996. His books include Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1442265892
• ISBN 13: 9781442265899
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 244