When apartheid ended, the new regime in South Africa promised to redistribute land that whites had stolen from blacks.

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.

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.

As the date of Zimbabwe's run-off election approaches and violence spreads, questions hang over regional mediation efforts, which so far show little promise.

As Zimbabwe’s postelection deadlock continues, experts wonder when African leaders will start criticizing their peers.

As Zimbabwe holds its breath for presidential election results, some observers worry about a tainted vote and continued economic upheaval.

Experts doubt Zimbabwe’s March 29 election will be fair, but fissures have opened in President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party and traditional support base.

Zimbabwe’s economic crisis has propelled its citizens into South Africa and Botswana. Both countries are feeling the strain.

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.

A split in Zimbabwe’s ruling party could be a harbinger of change for a country in economic free fall.

Zimbabwe’s inflation is soaring astronomically and the crisis is causing large cross-border migrations. But the country’s president shows little sign of weakness.

The U.S. signals new efforts to pressure Iran just as it seeks to expand ties with resource-rich states in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The international community has turned up the heat on President Robert Mugabe in response to brutal attacks on Zimbabwe’s opposition figures.

Moving away from fossil fuels could be devastating for some of the world's poorest countries, says Michael A. Levi.

Michael A. Levi and Katherine Michonski discuss the consequences of the World Bank's refusal to fund a controversial coal-fired power plant in South Africa.

U.S. and Western influence in Zimbabwe is limited compared to the region's powerhouse, South Africa. South Africa is Zimbabwe's largest trading partner, and South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, has wide-ranging contacts in Zimbabwean political circles.

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Isobel Coleman hosts John Campbell, former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, for a discussion about the political and economic transitions of South Africa and Nigeria as part of a Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative series on Realizing Democracy: Lessons from Transitioning Countries.

Sasha Polakow-Suransky discusses his new book The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa.

Listen to William Kentridge, draftsman, filmmaker, and sculptor, discuss his life in South Africa and his recent exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Five Themes.

This meeting was made possible by the generous support of Bank of America.