Which African leader will take up after Mandela?

A year after the death of Nelson Mandela, we must start asking which African leader will take the mantle from the esteemed South African leader, Nelson Mandela. Mandela was not perfect, but even with his weaknesses, he transcended South Africa, and Africa, to become a global paragon of virtue, morality, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Even more poignant, he ruled for just five years, and surrendered power when he could easily have been re-elected for a second and final term.

Sure, Nelson Mandela had his weaknesses, but the fact is that he was able to rise above those weaknesses and become a global icon. Which African leader can then rise up to take Mandela's place. Sure, there is a lack of leadership in many countries across the world. But in Africa, the lack of effective leadership is of crisis proportions. The Mo Ibrahim leadership Prize, a 5 million dollar

South Africa after Nelson Mandela.

It is now nine months since the iconic South African leader Nelson Mandela was laid to rest. His passing on, like that of many great leaders, inevitably leaves a void in the fabric of a nation. It is true that South Africa has produced many leaders, among them Steve Biko, Walter Sisulu, and Thabo Mbeki, just to mention a few anti-apartheid struggle leaders. However, it was Mandela whom the international media and the world embraced most.

While self rule was no doubt achieved, the country is still far from realizing an economic freedom for blacks and whites alike. True, the country is still the largest economy in Africa, and has an economy that many African nations can only dream of. Its universities are ranked the top in Africa, with a few competing with the best of the best in the world. It has a sizeable manufacturing industry, and is the leading auto maker in the continent. The gold and platinum mines are some of the largest in the world, and help propel the economy of the country. It is the only African nation to have hosted the