South Africa

=== Post-apartheid ===
{{Further|History of South Africa (1994–present)}}
[[File:Frederik de Klerk with Nelson Mandela - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 1992.jpg|thumb|[[F. W. de Klerk|F.W. de Klerk]] and [[Nelson Mandela]] shake hands in January 1992]]
The [[Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith]], signed by [[Mangosuthu Buthelezi]] and [[Harry Schwarz]] in 1974, enshrined the principles of [[peaceful transition of power]] and equality for all, the first of such agreements by black and white political leaders in South Africa. Ultimately, [[F. W. de Klerk|F.W. de Klerk]] opened bilateral discussions with [[Nelson Mandela]] in 1993 for a transition of policies and government.

In 1990, the National Party government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination when it lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations. It released Nelson Mandela from prison after 27 years of serving a sentence for sabotage. A [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|negotiation process]] followed. With approval from the white electorate in a [[1992 South African apartheid referendum|1992 referendum]], the government continued negotiations to end apartheid. South Africa held its first universal [[1994 South African general election|elections in 1994]], which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since. The country rejoined the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] and became a member of the [[Southern African Development Community]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sadc.int/member-states/south-africa#:~:text=The+Republic+of+South+Africa,first+time+in+August+1994|title=South Africa &#124; SADC|website=www.sadc.int}}</ref>

In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment remained high. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of black people worsened between 1994 and 2003 by official metrics but declined significantly using expanded definitions.<ref name="sach3">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/2006/soafrica/eng/pasoafr/sach3.pdf|title=Post-Apartheid South Africa: the First Ten Years&nbsp;– Unemployment and the Labor Market|publisher=IMF|access-date=16 February 2013|archive-date=29 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729103119/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/2006/soafrica/eng/pasoafr/sach3.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Poverty among whites, which was previously rare, increased.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-04-18-zuma-surprised-at-level-of-white-poverty|title=Zuma surprised at level of white poverty|website=Mail & Guardian|date=18 April 2008|access-date=30 May 2010|archive-date=29 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729140129/http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-04-18-zuma-surprised-at-level-of-white-poverty|url-status=live }}</ref> The government struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. The United Nations [[Human Development Index]] rose steadily until the mid-1990s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_ZAF.html|title=South Africa|year=2006|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|website=Human Development Report|access-date=28 November 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129203325/http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_ZAF.html|archive-date=29 November 2007 }}</ref> then fell from 1995 to 2005 before recovering its 1995 peak in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2015_human_development_report.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222080742/http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2015_human_development_report.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 December 2015|title=2015 United Nations Human Development Report|access-date=5 August 2018}}</ref> The fall is in large part attributable to the [[HIV/AIDS in South Africa|South African HIV/AIDS pandemic]] which saw South African life expectancy fall from a high point of 62 years in 1992 to a low of 53 in 2005,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=ZA|title=South African Life Expectancy at Birth, World Bank|access-date=5 August 2018|archive-date=6 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806024743/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=ZA|url-status=live}}</ref> and the failure of the government to take steps to address the pandemic in its early years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sairr.org.za/wsc/pstory.htx?storyID=428|title=Ridicule succeeds where leadership failed on AIDS|publisher=South African Institute of Race Relations|date=10 November 2006}}{{dead link|date=May 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
[[File:Watching South Africa & France match at World Cup 2010-06-22 in Soweto 13.jpg|thumb|Supporters watching the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] with [[vuvuzela]]s in the [[Township (South Africa)|township]] of [[Soweto]], a [[Suburbs of Johannesburg|suburb of Johannesburg]]]]
[[File:People's March Anti Xenophobia.jpg|thumb|March in [[Johannesburg]] against [[xenophobia in South Africa]], 23 April 2015]]

In May 2008, riots left over 60 people dead.<ref name="Broke-on-Broke Violence">{{cite journal|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2193949/|title=Broke-on-Broke Violence|journal=Slate |date=20 June 2008 |access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=8 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110908002524/http://www.slate.com/id/2193949/|url-status=live|last1=Chance |first1=Kerry }}</ref> The [[Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions]] estimated that over 100,000 people were driven from their homes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abahlali.org/node/3612|title=COHRE statement on Xenophobic Attacks|date=2 June 2008 |access-date=6 July 2011|archive-date=18 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118140918/http://www.abahlali.org/node/3612|url-status=live}}</ref> The targets were mainly [[Immigration to South Africa|legal]] and [[Illegal immigration to South Africa|illegal migrants]], and refugees seeking asylum, but a third of the victims were South African citizens.<ref name="Broke-on-Broke Violence" /> In a 2006 survey, the South African Migration Project concluded that South Africans are more opposed to immigration than any other national group.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Southern African Migration Project|author2=Institute for Democracy in South Africa|author3=Queen's University|editor=Jonathan Crush|title=The perfect storm: the realities of xenophobia in contemporary South Africa|url=http://www.queensu.ca/samp/sampresources/samppublications/policyseries/Acrobat50.pdf|access-date=26 June 2013|year=2008|publisher=Idasa|isbn=978-1-920118-71-6|page=1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730044247/http://www.queensu.ca/samp/sampresources/samppublications/policyseries/Acrobat50.pdf|archive-date=30 July 2013 }}</ref> The [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|UN High Commissioner for Refugees]] in 2008 reported over 200,000 refugees applied for asylum in South Africa, almost four times as many as the year before.<ref name="unhcr.org">{{cite web|author=United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|url=http://www.unhcr.org/4cd96a569.html|title=UNHCR Global Appeal 2011&nbsp;– South Africa|publisher=UNHCR|access-date=30 October 2011|archive-date=11 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511000002/http://www.unhcr.org/4cd96a569.html|url-status=live }}</ref> These people were mainly from [[Zimbabwe]], though many also come from [[Burundi]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Rwanda]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]] and [[Somalia]].<ref name="unhcr.org" /> Competition over jobs, business opportunities, public services and housing has led to tension between refugees and host communities.<ref name="unhcr.org" /> While [[xenophobia in South Africa]] is still a problem, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2011 reported that recent violence had not been as widespread as initially feared.<ref name="unhcr.org" /> Nevertheless, as South Africa continues to grapple with racial issues, one of the proposed solutions has been to pass legislation, such as the pending [[Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill|Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill]], to uphold South Africa's ban on racism and commitment to equality.<ref>Harris, Bronwyn (2004). ''Arranging prejudice: Exploring hate crime in post-apartheid South Africa''. Cape Town.</ref><ref>Traum, Alexander (2014). "Contextualising the hate speech debate: the United States and South Africa". ''The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa''. '''47''' (1): 64–88.</ref>

By 2020, numerous warnings have been issued that South Africa is heading towards [[failed state]] status <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/9/10/south-africa-heading-towards-becoming-a-failed-state-report|title=South Africa heading towards becoming a failed state: Report|website=Aljazeera |last=Sguazzin |first=Anthony|date=10 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-10/south-africa-heading-toward-becoming-a-failed-state-group-says|title=South Africa Heading Toward Becoming a Failed State, Group Says|newspaper=Bloomberg |last=Sguazzin |first=Anthony |date=10 September 2020 |url-access=registration}}</ref> with unsustainable government spending, high unemployment, high crime rates, corruption, failing government owned enterprises and collapsing infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/642791/south-africa-is-slowly-collapsing/ |title=South Africa is slowly collapsing |work=BusinessTech |date=14 November 2022 |access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/23/crime-worrying-in-south-africa-7000-murdered-in-three-months|title=Crime 'worrying' in South Africa: 7,000 murdered in three months|website=Aljazeera |date=23 November 2022}}</ref> In 2022, the World Economic Forum said that South Africa risks state collapse and identified five major risks facing the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-is-south-africa-military-coup-state-collapse-threats/|title=South Africa 'at risk of STATE COLLAPSE' – according to top experts|first=Tom|last=Head|date=12 January 2022|website=The South African}}</ref> The Director-General of the South African Treasury, Dondo Mogajane, has said that, "SA is showing the signs of a failing state more common in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-south-africa-failed-state-treasury-warning/|title=SA heading towards 'failed state' territory – according to our own Treasury|first=Tom|last=Head|date=6 March 2022|website=The South African}}</ref> Former minister Jay Naidoo has said that South Africa is in serious trouble and is showing signs of a failed state, with record unemployment levels and the fact that many young people will not find a job in their lifetime.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/investing/464455-south-africa-showing-signs-of-a-failed-state.html |title=South Africa showing signs of a failed state |work=My Broadband |date=13 October 2022 |access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref> Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt said the country is in deep trouble, "South Africans have been getting poorer for a decade". He said he is very concerned because "32 million people get an income from the state. The state cannot afford this anymore".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/investing/461398-south-africa-is-in-deep-trouble-warns-economist.html |title=South Africa is in deep trouble, warns economist |work=My Broadband |date=21 September 2022 |access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref> Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater, said that crime is out of control, with 'mafia-style shakedowns' for procurement contracts becoming the norm. "Government leadership has created this problem and they are doing nothing. The government can't deal with it because it goes against their ideology."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/business-opinion/565926/south-africa-is-practically-a-failed-state-ceo/ |title=South Africa is practically a failed state: CEO |work=BusinessTech |date=8 March 2022 |access-date=30 December 2022}}</ref> Professor Eddy Maloka, from the Institute of Risk Management, "The ANC has left us in a mess. They've turned their crisis into ours... Government has collapsed in areas across the country. We are seeing inner-cities collapse and degenerate".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-south-africa-failing-state-why-expert-explains/|title='Our cities are collapsing!' – SA identified as 'failing state' by top expert|first=Tom|last=Head|date=11 April 2022|website=The South African}}</ref>  Professor David Himbara said that "South Africa is a classic case of a de facto one-party state with mismanaged institutions and endemic crime and corruption".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theafricareport.com/35378/south-africa-a-sophisticated-failing-state/|title=South Africa: A sophisticated failing state|date=29 July 2020|website=The Africa Report.com}}</ref> In May 2023, the Executive Chairman of Sygnia, Magda Wierzycka, said that "warnings of South Africa becoming a failed state are lagging reality – we are already there".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/business-opinion/684085/south-africa-is-already-a-failed-state/|title=South Africa is already a failed state – BusinessTech}}</ref>