R. W. Johnson

This article is about the South African journalist. For the co-founder of Johnson and Johnson and his descendants, see Robert Wood Johnson.

R. W. Johnson (born 1943) is a South African journalist, political scientist, and historian. Born in England, he was educated at Natal University and Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar. He was a fellow in politics at Magdalen College, Oxford, for twenty-six years; he remains an emeritus fellow. His 2015 book Look Back in Laughter: Oxford's Postwar Golden Age is a memoir of his years at Magdalen, including his work with college president Keith Griffin to rescue the College's finances and buildings. In reviewing his memoirs, The Economist described Johnson as a "romantic contrarian liberal".

On his return to South Africa in 1995, he became director of the Helen Suzman Foundation in Johannesburg until 2001.

He is currently a South Africa correspondent for the London Sunday Times and also writes for the London Review of Books His articles for the LRB generally cover South African and, to a lesser extent, Zimbabwean affairs.

In early March 2009, Johnson injured his left foot while swimming, it became infected with necrotizing fasciitis and his leg was amputated above the knee.

In 2010 Johnson was accused of racism after he had authored an article posted on the London Review of Books website under the title "After the World Cup" in which he mentioned the plight of immigrant workers and, in a separate paragraph alluded to the troop of baboons which had, at the time, over-run Cape Town's southern suburbs. The LRB defended Johnson against these accusations, pointing out that no comparison had been drawn. Ultimately, the LRB removed the post while again declaring that it did not regard Johnson as a racist. The LRB has continued to publish articles by Johnson.

Johnson is the Chairman of Good Governance Africa, an NGO devoted to improving governance in Africa. GGA has thus far established centres in Johannesburg, Accra and Lagos and Johnson sits on all three governing boards.

Bibliography

• (ed. with Christopher Allen) African Perspectives (1970)
• How Long Will South Africa Survive? (1977)
• The Long March of the French Left (1981)
• Shootdown: The Verdict on KAL 007 (1985)
• Heroes and Villains: Selected Essays (1990)
• (ed. with Lawrence Schlemmer) Launching Democracy in South Africa: South Africa's First Open Election, April 1994 (1996)
• (ed. with David Welsh) Ironic Victory: Liberalism in Post-Liberation South Africa (1998)
• South Africa; The First Man, the Last Nation (2004)
• South Africa's Brave New World: The Beloved Country Since the End of Apartheid (2009)
• How long will South Africa Survive?: The Looming Crisis (2015)
• Look Back in Laughter: Oxford's Postwar Golden Age (2015)