SOUTH AFRICA: CHURNING CURRENTS

The African National Congress's (ANC) economic plan known as GEAR (Growth, Employment, Redistribution) will test the ongoing relevance of the organization. The ANC's minority group opposition is splintered, but the ANC itself has become weaker and lacks a strong driving idea. Democracy can only take hold if the economy improves, so GEAR's success or failure will set the tone for both the future of the ANC and of South Africa.