CFR's Princeton Lyman says deep economic challenges confront South Africa's presumed next president, Jacob Zuma, but there are also opportunities for improved U.S. ties.

Listen to Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), reflect on the recent changes in the ANC and the challenges that face South Africa.

Jacob Zuma, leader of the African National Congress and former deputy president of South Africa discusses South Africa's role in addressing regional challenges and his thoughts about the country's future. After the forced resignation of South African President Thabo Mbeki in September, and the subsequent departure of several cabinet members, it is widely expected that Jacob Zuma will fill South Africa's presidential seat in upcoming elections.

Africa expert Princeton Lyman discusses current political upheaval in South Africa and the outlook for the country's economy.

The resignation of South African President Thabo Mbeki has exposed a rift in the ruling ANC party, raising questions about the future of one of the continent's champions and a regional powerbroker.

Late April saw a letter from President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to President Bush, angrily condemning the U.S. for taking sides against Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Michael Gerson points out that this is just one of many examples of the South African president’s apparent endorsement of regimes that violate human rights.

Robert Schrire, head of the political science department at the University of Cape Town, discusses South Africa's foreign policy under President Thabo Mbeki.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has pursued an ambitious foreign policy agenda. But many remain disappointed with South Africa’s unwillingness to challenge the status quo in African trouble spots.

Francis Kornegay, senior researcher at the Center for Policy Studies in Johannesburg, and Tom Wheeler, research fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs, debate whether South Africa is living up to its responsibility as Africa’s leader.

Despite remarkable progress since the end of apartheid, South Africa today is badly wracked by AIDS and severe wealth inequalities, with a leadership still fixated on racial struggle. After more than a decade in power, the ANC has yet to reconcile its various ambitions: curbing racism, promoting political participation, and advancing the interests of all South Africans.