There is abundant evidence that government spending is deeply inefficient. Much of the problem here is managerial in nature, and the misuse of scarce resources is rooted in cadre deployment and the breakdown of systems of accountability.
Listen to this article 9 min Listen to this article 9 min In this series for Daily Maverick, executive director of the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), Ann Bernstein, makes the case for a policy agenda that is substantially different from what we have seen over the past 15 years.
It is drawn from Agenda 2024: Priorities for South Africa's new government, which is based on CDE's extensive policy work and recent collaboration with experts, business leaders, former public servants and others across our society. The project sets out to answer the most important question facing South Africa: what can a new government do to get the country back on track after 15 years of stagnation and decline?
advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsThe fourth article in the series recommends ways to strengthen government's commitment to fixing the crisis in our public finances. Read Part One here, Part Two here and Part Three here.
The formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is a step towards the potential realignment of politics into two competing camps around which parties committed to the Constitution, and those who oppose the rule of law, coalesce. And...