This book investigates the critical policy shifts and political dynamics required to navigate South Africa's transition from apartheid to a democratic state. Lawrence Schlemmer and Robin Lee, both established analysts of South African socio-political affairs, synthesize the complex interplay between government, business, and liberation movements. They utilize a framework of policy analysis to evaluate the historical trajectory leading to the 1990 reforms and propose viable alternatives for a post-apartheid governance structure.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contemporary record of the early 1990s political landscape in South Africa. Readers frequently note the text's utility as a primary source for understanding the specific policy debates that defined the transition period.