Eddy Maloka, the South African historian, diplomat and academic, argues in his latest book the case for South Africa to forge a “second republic”. What is meant by this is left undefined, but emerges as the making of a new constitution, establishing new institutions.
Maloka’s argument is that South Africa’s transformation since 1994 – the overthrow of an unjust political, economic and social order – has benefited only a few.
Today the country is in crisis – “think load-shedding (power cuts), potholes, economic decline, rampant corruption, collapsing state institutions etc” (p.ii).