5 ways South Africa changed after Mandela’s release
MySource : weforum.org
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison before his release in February,1990. He became South Africa’s first black president in 1994, leading a multiracial democracy until 1999.
The abolition of apartheid remains Nelson Mandela’s greatest legacy, and under his leadership, South Africa emerged as a genuine democracy that saw many changes. Not all changes can be attributed to one man, but they were likely more rapid and profound.
Here are five ways South Africa changed after Mandela’s release.
1. South Africa’s economy
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South Africa had spent many years in economic isolation by the time apartheid ended. Nelson Mandela had to find a way to manage the transition from apartheid without risking an economic collapse. His aspirations were to share the country’s natural resources, and to ensure work and education for all, and the five years Mandela led the country were characterized by strong growth.
Personal incomes increased as GDP per capita went from $5,760 in 1990 to $6,679 in 2000. Overall GDP fluctuated, but inflation, running at 14% before 1994, fell to 5% within the next decade.
By 2014, however, Nigeria surpassed South Africa as the continent’s largest economy.
2. Unemployment
The official unemployment rate in South Africa has been as high as 25% for many years, with youth unemployment even higher. Changes were slow even after apartheid ended, but the percentage of employed South African’s rose from 48.4% in 1990, to 52.2% in 2000.
3. Life expectancy
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One of South Africa’s biggest problems is the number of HIV/AIDS patients. Estimates show one in seven citizens is infected with HIV – one of the highest rates in the world. This explains why the average South African’s life expectancy fell by ten years between 1992 and 2003.
Early on, Mandela expressed his concerns about the spread of AIDS, but didn’t focus on the issue during his presidency. He eventually became a very effective and dedicated campaigner, changing South Africa’s AIDS agenda by creating public awareness and advocating the use of condoms and treatment.
4. Trade
The lifting of sanctions meant a rapid increase in trade and one of the features of the period since has been a continued expansion of international trade.
5. Agriculture
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In 1990, agriculture’s contribution to the South African economy starting dropping. The agricultural sector has grown by an average of around 10% a year since 1970 — significantly below total GDP growth of 13%. This has resulted in the drop of agriculture’s share of the GDP from 7,1% in 1970, to 2,6% in 2013.
Land redistribution remains a big issue, as most South African farmland is still white-owned despite government pledges to help increase black ownership.
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In an office, every employee has an absolute and comparative advantage depending on the type of work he/she is best at.
In Hector's office, the employee Sasha worked as a computer designer and was excellent in her work. This means that the employee Sasha had an absolute and comparative advantage as she was efficient in her work and hence, there was no opportunity cost of her side of work.
The employee, Maurice was best in logo designing. Hence, he had a absolute and comparative advantage as he was good in logo designing and their was no other opportunity cost for his work.
I've never read the book but here are some ideas: 1. Who are the characters introduced so far? 2. What are your first impressions on the characters? 3. What is the point of view used (first person, third-person limited, omniscient, etc) 4. What strategies did the author use to 'hook' the reader into the story in the beginning? 5. What are your predictions for the rest of the story based on what you've read so far?
A depression means a loss of work availability and a decline in the economy. A can be ruled out, as nobody would view a depression positively. Although C was true for some people (e.g. the extremely rich), for the vast majority is was not. Option D is incorrect because a depression is not an annoyance; it is a horrible thing that puts many people out of work. Therefore, the only viable option is B.
