2021.07.18 - Opinion Headlines saturday 17 july 2021 2021.07.17 - Coronavirus 2021.07.17 - Opinion 2021.07.17 - Around the world Headlines thursday 15 july 2021 2021.07.15 - Coronavirus 2021.07.15 - Spotlight 2021.07.15 - Opinion 2021.07.15 - Around the world Headlines friday 16 july 2021 2021.07.16 - Coronavirus 2021.07.16 - Spotlight 2021.07.16 - Opinion 2021.07.16 - Around the world 2021.07.18 - Opinion The Observer view on South Africa’s problems The Observer view on the lifting of Covid restrictions We came, we surfed, then Covid forced us to pee in a layby on the way home The Walrus and the Carpenter, Boris and Rishi style – cartoon What will happen in the UK’s third Covid wave? If sending yourself into space is the ultimate publicity stunt, what next for Richard Branson? Despite the racist trolls, the evidence is clear: England is becoming a kinder place to live For the record Letters: don’t blame us pensioners for financial shortfall Gross inequality stoked the violence in South Africa. It’s a warning to us all National security is threatened when politics is in thrall to cash | Next | Section menu | Main menu | Skip to main content Advertisement US edition US edition UK edition Australian edition International edition The Guardian - Back to home Search jobs Sign inSearch News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle ShowMoreShow More News US news World news Environment Soccer US politics Business Tech Science Newsletters Opinion The Guardian view Columnists Letters Opinion videos Cartoons Sport Soccer NFL Tennis MLB MLS NBA NHL Culture Film Books Music Art & design TV & radio Stage Classical Games Lifestyle Fashion Food Recipes Love & sex Home & garden Health & fitness Family Travel Money Make a contribution Subscribe Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app The Guardian app Video Podcasts Pictures Inside the Guardian Guardian Weekly Crosswords Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app World Europe US Americas Asia Australia Middle East Africa Inequality Global development OpinionSouth Africa The Observer view on South Africa’s problems Observer editorial For all the corruption of recent years, Cyril Ramaphosa’s ‘rainbow nation’ can still make good on Nelson Mandela’s values A woman clears debris from the street after violence and looting in Durban last week. Photograph: Guillem Sartorio/AFP/Getty Images A woman clears debris from the street after violence and looting in Durban last week. Photograph: Guillem Sartorio/AFP/Getty Images Sun 18 Jul 2021 01.30 EDT Today is the anniversary of the birthday of Nelson Mandela, the first president of a free South Africa and a global symbol of tolerance, sacrifice, integrity and the battle against racism. When, in 2009, the UN declared 18 July a day to honour Mandela’s values, South Africa was still seen worldwide as a success story. The “rainbow nation” had overcome the violent racial oppression of its past and was fighting apartheid’s toxic legacy of economic inequality. It had one of the most progressive constitutions in the world and a steady record of economic growth. The challenges the new democracy faced were all too evident, but South Africa’s recent history seemed a message of hope for us all nonetheless. This weekend, it is despair that dominates. Days of violent protest, looting and vandalism have left the country staggering. The economy was already faltering even before Covid struck and has now sustained a further catastrophic blow. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who took power in 2018, has called for steadfast defence of South Africa’s democracy against what he says is a deliberate attempt to prompt an insurrection. The rule of law looks shaky. Racial tensions are high. The chances of a tolerant, prosperous future now look dim. So what went wrong? In 2007, the African National Congress, the ruling party, selected Jacob Zuma as its leader. Two years later, Zuma became president too. The contrast with Mandela, canonised as a secular saint, was stark. No one would describe Zuma as a model of probity. He did, however, have impeccable credentials as a frontline fighter in the battle against apartheid and was popular with the party’s grassroots. Over the next nine years, Zuma presided over an assault on South Africa’s institutions, public utilities and government. Graft contaminated almost every corner of public life, unemployment and crime soared after years of decline. The health service and the police suffered very badly. Zuma and his supporters said they were helping the poor. In fact, many were helping themselves. Eventually, Zuma was ousted and Ramaphosa took over. The former labour activist turned tycoon set about cleansing South Africa’s Augean stables. This is a herculean task but one Ramaphosa has approached with grim determination, even if his execution has been slow. A problem has been trying to manage the factional battles within the ANC. Ramaphosa leads a moderate coalition within the ruling party and has wide support. But his efforts to avoid the confrontation with those still loyal to Zuma have failed. Zuma’s imprisonment on contempt of court charges sparked the unrest and it appears to have been instigated by his followers. Perhaps if Ramaphosa had been less concerned with the internal politics of the ruling party and had hit harder or earlier to enforce the rule of law, the events of recent days could have been avoided. All too often, ANC politicians have put the interests of the party above those of the country. Ramaphosa, too, may be guilty of this. If his country is to prosper, this must stop. But though many will despair for South Africa, this newspaper is not among them. The Observer supported the anti-apartheid struggle through its darkest days, celebrated the downfall of that evil regime and still believes in the capacity of South Africans to create a better country for all citizens. Recent days have seen appalling violence but also communities coming together to clear the shattered glass, protect vital services and help those left without bread. Those who hoped to derail Ramaphosa’s efforts at reform are unlikely to succeed and their failure will strengthen South Africa’s democracy. This should give hope to all those who care about this troubled, inspiring country. This article was downloaded by calibre from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/18/the-observer-view-on-south- africa-problems | Section menu | Main menu | | Next | Section menu | Main menu | Previous | Skip to main content Advertisement US edition US edition UK edition Australian edition International edition The Guardian - Back to home Search jobs Sign inSearch News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle ShowMoreShow More News US news World news Environment Soccer US politics Business Tech Science Newsletters Opinion The Guardian view Columnists Letters Opinion videos Cartoons Sport Soccer NFL Tennis MLB MLS NBA NHL Culture Film Books Music Art & design TV & radio Stage Classical Games Lifestyle Fashion Food Recipes Love & sex Home & garden Health & fitness Family Travel Money Make a contribution Subscribe Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app The Guardian app Video Podcasts Pictures Inside the Guardian Guardian Weekly Crosswords Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app The Guardian view Columnists Letters Opinion videos Cartoons OpinionCoronavirus The Observer view on the lifting of Covid restrictions Observer editorial Amid the chaos that surrounds it and the likely economic and human cost, ‘freedom day’ has a hollow ring International scientists have warned that the relaxing of almost all social restrictions aimed at controlling Covid-19 is a ‘dangerous experiment’. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock International scientists have warned that the relaxing of almost all social restrictions aimed at controlling Covid-19 is a ‘dangerous experiment’. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock Sun 18 Jul 2021 01.00 EDT This week marks the second anniversary of Boris Johnson’s premiership. It has been a painful two years for the country. Much of that has been down to a pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 4 million people worldwide. But Johnson’s incompetence, his lack of integrity and the leadership vacuum at the heart of his government have all resulted in the UK suffering more than necessary. Johnson’s rank unfitness for office is evident in his lack of a domestic policy agenda: his “levelling up” speech last week was devoid of substance on how his government might seek to reverse the impact of a decade of spending cuts on the least affluent parts of the country, together with the unequal impact Brexit is forecast to have in the coming years. It is evident in the way Brexit has played out so far: the ideological drive for a hard Brexit with no consideration of the consequences for the stability of Northern Ireland or the damage done by threatening close allies with breaking international law. It is evident in the way the government tries to stoke divisive culture wars over whether footballers should take a stand against racism in order to distract from its own incompetence. But most of all, it is evident in the higher-than- necessary death toll that has resulted from Johnson time and again acting too slowly to control the pandemic and taking unjustified risks in relaxing social restrictions too quickly. Tens of thousands of people are grieving the loss of relatives and friends as a result. Tomorrow’s relaxation of almost all remaining social restrictions aimed at controlling the outbreak – from the opening of nightclubs to compulsory requirements to wear masks in indoor public spaces – is one of the most important moments yet in this pandemic. But it is happening as infection rates are rising, many international scientists are warning that the UK government is effectively embarking on a dangerous experiment and amid some of the most confusing and chaotic public health messaging of the entire pandemic.