ABSTRACT
In this chapter I explore how political tragedy manifested in the case of South Africa, with its search for the most suitable configuration of macro-economic policy by which to secure economic growth and at the same time address (or evade, or even delay) the question of distributive justice in the wake of Apartheid. The formal structure of the iconic conflict that makes for democratic political tragedy will be shown as manifesting within the internal dynamics of the Tripartite Alliance that has governed South Africa since 1994. Stress will be placed on the place of Nelson Mandela in this debacle as the tragic political leadership figure who is emblematic of the thwarted aspirations of the majority of the black South African population, and the stifled political possibilities at the heart of the episode.
