Features

From a virtually bankrupt state to a thriving trillion rand budget, South Africa’s economy is undoubtedly a world away from what it was 20 years ago, writes Amukelani Chauke

South Africa is a world leader in mining, and mining remains the back bone of the country’s economy. It has been so since the precious metal was discovered in Johannesburg around 1887.

South Africa has a strong well-known track record when it comes to successfully hosting major continental and international sporting events.

In all my years as a news reporter, I have come across several heads of state and other high-profile dignitaries.

Alice - On the side of Tyume River in the municipality of Alice, some 100km from East London, lies the University of Fort Hare, an institution that is a beacon of hope for African scholars.

Mthatha – The Nelson Mandela Museum in the Eastern Cape continues to be a catalyst for development in the province, something the former President had insisted on when he opened the facility more than 10 years ago.

Mthatha - Former South African President Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) will be remembered not only as a man whose achievements came at great personal cost and suffering to his family, but also as an icon whose sacrifice made the world a better place.

Mthatha – As we drove around the tiny village of Mqekezweni, Eastern Cape, Nozolile Mtirara looked shaken and rather depressed. The area brings back both good and bad memories of her late husband Justice - a brother and a very close friend of Nelson Mandela (1918-2013).

Mthatha - As South Africans and the world pay their final tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, his contribution to education is set to continue to benefit many young minds long after he has departed.

Early Years
Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, a village near Mthatha in the Transkei, on July 18, 1918, to Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Henry Mgadla Mandela. His father was the principal councillor to the Acting Paramount Chief of the Thembu royal house.

Two years ago, Norma Mbele was gang-raped by three young men after they invaded her home in eastern Johannesburg. The incident left her traumatised. But after months of misery, she tells Amukelani Chauke how a rape victim centre inspired her to reclaim her life.

Steady doses of government intervention over the past 20 years have put South Africa’s healthcare system on a steady road to recovery, with citizens now enjoying longer, healthier lives.

When a young political prisoner named Mac Maharaj smuggled the manuscript of Nelson Mandela’s biography Long Walk to Freedom out of Robben Island in 1970s, little did anyone know that manuscript would become a cogent part of the history of South Africa.

By Samona Murugan

After surviving a car accident which left him with a broken vertebrae column Maniki Bambalala picked up the pieces and went back to work. Fourteen years later Bambalala, has defied his disability to continue working as a Supply Chain Management (SCM) clerk at Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).