Nelson mandela, South Africa's first post-apartheid president, dedicated himself to strengthening institutions of the country's nascent democracy; not least by stepping down after a single term. Bar the occasional blow, his successor, Thabo Mbeki, kept them broadly intact. Sadly, the current president, Jacob Zuma, seems to bent on smashing their very foundations. Under attack are some of the most efficient and respected bits of the state: its justice system, its revenue service and the office of the public protector. The criminal justice system, which was rebuilt after the end of apartheid, was widely admired for its boldness. Among those it prosecuted was a national police commissioner and stalwart of the ruling African National Congress (anc), Jackie Selebi, who was jailed for corruption.
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