A Foreign Correspondent Returns

Scott Kraft was the Los Angeles Times’ South Africa bureau chief in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He returned recently with his 17-year-old son, who was born in South Africa. In a front page piece, he offered his impressions. His striking conclusion:

Many of our friends were disappointed in their country. They hadn’t expected a miracle when Mandela’s ANC took over the government. But they expected more. Still, I was struck by the speed and depth of South Africa’s transformation. I was reminded of that as I viewed the nation through my son’s eyes. It wasn’t so long ago, after all, that this was a nation ruled by a white minority that denied blacks the most basic civil rights. What Kevin saw was a vibrant, modern country where a growing black majority was clearly in charge, wielding real political and economic power. Perhaps it was inevitable that, as an occasional visitor, I would see more change than they felt. Like the child whose growth we track on the bedroom wall, the citizens of a new democracy don’t always notice when they’re maturing. South Africa is coming of age, though. The marks on the wall don’t lie.

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