Xolela Mangcu is well known for the incisive social commentary that characterises his regular newspaper columns. In To the Brink, Mangcu turns his focus to the state of South Africa's evolving democracy. From policy controversies surrounding HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, corruption and the constant labelling of black critics as 'foot lickers' of the white man, no relevant issues escape his analysis of the racial insider/outsider dynamic that has evolved under Thabo Mbeki's rule.Drawing on the intellectual history of the Eastern Cape as well as his own life experiences, Mangcu contrasts damaging racial exclusivity with the adaptation, renewal and tolerance that has characterised the best traditions of South Africa's liberation movements. He discusses how black and white people could build a joint culture and, finally, examines the ANC's choice of president and its implications for the future of democracy in South Africa.