Adam, Heribert and Moodley, Kogila

Berkeley. 1986. University Of California Press. 1st American Edition. Very Good in Dustjacket. 0520057694. Perspectives on Southern Africa, No. 39. 317 pages. hardcover. Jacket designed by Charles Fuhrman. keywords: South Africa Politics . FROM THE PUBLISHER - In this realistic yet optimistic study of the power configurations in South Africa and in the emerging post-apartheid state, Heribert Adam and Kogila Moodley argue that neither the maintenance of the status quo nor revolutionary transformation is likely. Instead, their study shows how power sharing can work. The authors demystify official reform rhetoric but also analyze the cleavages in opposition politics. The divergent strategies of the African National Congress (ANC), the unions, and Inkatha are dissected, as are the splits in the ruling minority. Despite the political violence and frustration suffered by South African society, the authors conclude that a nonracial democracy has a better chance than many skeptics realize. Adam Moodley emphasize the strong ties - economic interdependence, Christianity, consumerism, and a history of pragmatic political adjustments - that still bind South African blacks and whites together. On the basis of their extensive research in South Africa, the authors conclude that liberation may turn out to be a less-than-spectacular affair. inventory #2757 ISBN: 0520057694.