Many issues threaten South Africa s political stability over the long term, not least the inequalities still stemming from the apartheid era and the foreign policy challenge of Zimbabwe. Although our core sce- nario envisages no major change to the political backdrop, we present a number of alternative scenarios. ...In particular, threats stem from the high levels of poverty and inequality that prevail in spite of the relative affluence of the nation as a whole. threats and challenges to stability South Africa faces several challenges, some of which are long- standing, and some of which have become more pressing in recent times: Legacy Of Apartheid: The policy of racial segregation enforced by the National Party between ---- and ---- has left a lasting legacy in South Africa, with the minority ethnic whites (-.- of the population) retaining disproportionate influence over finan- cial and business affairs, compared with ethnic black Africans (--.- of the population). Although the degree of skewing is difficult to estimate, the data certainly suggest that income distribution is very uneven across the country. ...However, it has arguably exacerbated racial tensions through advantaging the previously disadvantaged and disadvantaging the previously advantaged. Furthermore, it has created a brain drain effect, whereby white professionals go abroad to seek opportunities in countries where they may be hired more easily.
...African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Com- munist Party (SACP), and depends on the two bodies for their ability to influence members voting preferences. Each party has its own vested interests and leanings in terms of policy, and the ANC itself is wracked by internal divisions as well as personality clashes. ...Although it also has roots in the anti-apartheid movement, anecdotally it is still commonly seen as a white party and many of its members are white. That said, a few of the most senior posts are held by black South Africans � for example Parliamentary Leader Lindiwe Mazibuko � and this is helping the party to win over some erstwhile ANC supporters. The DA has a strong position in the Western Cape province, where it is in fact the leading party having won --.- of the vote in ----, versus --.- for the ANC. ...The DA has a strong position in the Western Cape province, where it is in fact the leading party having won --.- of the vote in ----, versus --.- for the ANC. In a bid to boost its appeal to black voters, the DA recruited the leader of the Agang party, Mamphela Ramphele (see below), as its candidate for the presidency in January ----, but the move backfired because Ramphele reneged on the agreement just a few days after it was struck.
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