South Africa’s Critical Choices

South African politics is set to change once again. With the run-up to the ANC’s crucial national conference in Mangaung (Bloemfontein) slated for December 2012, the leadership of President Zuma will be tested. What will the influence of Julius Malema be on the election of key office bearers & on the future of the Presidency? What is the level of cohesion within the ANC in a year where internal differences and the jockeying for leadership positions become critical? Can President Zuma survive to lead the ANC and the country for a second term in office? And, more importantly, which economic policy will the country choose to follow as it is buffeted by global volatility and increasing questions about government’s ability to deliver services and thereby provide a competitive and enabling environment for business?

This crucial keynote will also analyse the important contribution to the future policy debate from Trevor Manuel’s National Planning Commission (NPC) which is perhaps the most important policy document produced since 1994. This combination of Malema, Manuel and Mangaung’s leadership battles make for a combustible period in South Africa’s young democracy and this indispensable presentation puts into context the current dynamics of South African politics as well as gazing into the crystal ball about the country’s future economic path. This is an essential primer for any conference interested in understanding the complex and often robust political debates dominating the public discourse.

Acclaimed Political Analyst and Author of ‘Tracking the Future’, Daniel Silke, takes an analytical yet highly entertaining and accessible approach to the subject. Without jargon and with an independent eye, Silke offers a dynamic, comprehensive and objective account of South Africa’s current political and economic debate. Not to be missed!