Until the last minute, South Africa’s first democratic election in April 1994 looked like it might not happen. Violent street protests threatened to derail the vote, which would end the apartheid regime. Twelve days to the election, an international mediation team left without resolving a political impasse between the major parties in the election. And then a Kenyan, Washington Okumu, stepped in to mediate. Though he helped to avert a crisis in the final hours, his contribution has largely been omitted from historical accounts of the election. Nancy J. Jacobs shares Okumu’s remarkable story.

Nelson Mandela, a former political prisoner, was elected as South Africa’s first democratic president. He envisioned a new era of peace, equality, and prosperity for all. As the country celebrates 30 years of democracy, it’s a good time to reflect on what became of Mandela’s dream for South Africa. In this first episode of our three-part podcast series, Steven Friedman and Sandy Africa, two scholars who experienced the transition first-hand and observed the country’s evolution, share their thoughts.

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