‘Rainbow Nation’: South Africa’s troubled past and uncertain future

0:00 south africa alerted the world to the omicron outbreak and paid the price with an effective travel blockade the imposition of travel bans on south africa and a number of countries from southern africa are regrettable unfair and unscientific this is yet another challenge for a nation which has seen so many in recent history the profound impacts of apartheid linga for around half a century the nation was divided by race black south africans denied basics and more than 3 million forced out of their homes the african national congress or anc led the resistance protests sabotage and violence among their tactics nelson mandela was imprisoned for his

0:46 involvement the international community responded with sanctions and boycotts the racist system was abandoned in the early 1990s there's mr mandela mr nelson mandela a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa today we have closed the book on apartheid and that chapter is finally closed as the man who spent 27 years behind bars became president [Applause] a new bloom for this former dutch colony was predicted the rugby world cup triumph on home soil hinted at a potential golden era

1:35 but the 26 years since have been far from stable july's violent protests triggered by the arrest of former president jacob zuma highlighted issues which have been festering for decades 44 of the population are unemployed the current highest rate in the world while 55 live in poverty and rampant political corruption stymies the potential of one of the world's most mineral-rich countries south africa has seen several years of low economic growth and a seven percent contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic a rebound is expected while the government looks to invest in a range of social measures outlined in its 2030 development plan to address poverty

2:20 unemployment and inequality south africa's political transition was one of the most remarkable in modern history it spectacularly shed a racist system and set a path for a more harmonious and prosperous future the rainbow nation still strides that path but it's one with more bends and hurdles than perhaps anticipated brento holleran sky news