Management after Magic: A discussion and comparison of the leadership styles of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki

Towards the end of the 20th century, massive changes occurred in the global political configuration. The Berlin Wall fell, signalling the end of the Cold War, and in South Africa the process of chipping away at the racial divide commenced as Apartheid came to an end. Both of these events can be seen as watershed events in contemporary politics. Just as the end of the Cold War served to divide politics within the global arena into a pre and post-Cold War era, the 1994-elections divided South African politics into two distinct eras as well. The term post-Cold War era is a loaded concept, which refers to a changed global environment after 1989 and the ripple effect it had on the realities of politics even in South Africa. Similarly, the post-Apartheid era also encapsulates a myriad of changes in perceptions, leaders and policy. In both these eras concepts such as democracy. good governance, rule of law and neo-liberal economic theory have become important.