It's been 20 years since the fall of Apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of legal racial separation of whites and blacks which dominated the Republic of South Africa from 1948 until 1993. The system went down with the election of Nelson Mandela as the President of South Africa in 1993; Mandela took office in 1994. Mandela was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) which worked to abolish apartheid. Yet, after 20 years, progress for blacks has been slow in South Africa.
Progress for blacks has been slow
In a study commissioned by South Africa's Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, the results showed that only 20 percent, or one in five, of top executives in South Africa are black, even though 75 percent of South Africa is black. Earnings also show huge disparities between whites and blacks. Median earnings for whites increased in 2013 to 10,500 rand (USD 1,000, 730 euros), while earnings for those of mixed race, known locally as Coloureds, decreased.
Positions at the top still dominated by whites
Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his work that resulted in the end of apartheid in South Africa. Since the ANC government took over, however, it continues to be a struggle for South African blacks to reach parity with whites, especially with positions at the top. Only 19.8 percent of blacks held senior positions in South Africa in 2013; two-thirds of senior roles were held by whites.
South Africa continues to have one of the most unequal societies in the world. Many blame it on the government, claiming they are not working hard enough to eliminate poverty; only 15 million out of 35 million people in the country of working age are actually employed.
Future of ANC
What happens in the next 20 years years remains to be seen. Once thing is certain; all eyes will be on ANC and current South African President Jacob Zuma to support and finish what Mandela started.