South Africa not yet a failed state

A ONCE promising country, that promised a better life for all, seems to be heading in the opposite direction.

South Africa is now being compared to countries engulfed in war and experiencing instability. Corruption is rife, inequality is widening, crime is rampant, and the auditor-general painted a grim picture, where she said drastic action is needed to prevent the collapse of municipalities.

Although the concept of a failed state is a contested term, it generally refers to a situation where the administrative, political, and economic systems of the state are so weak that certain core functions become inoperable or disintegrate, severely hampering the ability of government to improve the conditions of life for most citizens.

Professor Amiena Bayat, a senior lecturer at UWC, said South Africa is not really a failed state.

“Even though the capacity of the state has been significantly eroded over the past decade, and there are serious concerns of incompetence and corruption, basic functions of government are still running, albeit at compromised levels.”

Bayat added that the government has performed relatively well in its social assistance programmes.

“More than 11 million people receive assistance from the state and this is one of the most effective propoor programmes that keeps vulnerable South Africans from falling deeper into poverty.”

Bayat said one of the main areas where the state has failed is in economic growth and development. Economic growth rates remain a serious concern. The general de-industrialisation of the state has also been alarming. One of the manifestations of this failure is the high levels of unemployment, which stood at 34% in the second quarter of 2021, with the expanded definition registering 44%. Youth unemployment is a staggering 46.3% among those aged 15-34 years, in the first quarter of 2021.

Underlying most of these failures are “appalling levels of corruption”, lack of co-ordination at a policy and institutional level, under-staffing, cadre deployment, and a lack of accountability, said Bayat.

Development and economist activist Funzani Mtembu said the question of whether South Africa is a failed state largely depends on who it is posed to.

“On the one hand, we have 55.5% of South Africans living below the upper poverty line (many of whom are black and women), and this has been so for many years post the apartheid era. That is indicative of the fact that working-class people have been living in a failed state.”

Professor Bonang Mohale, president of Business Unity South Africa and chancellor of the University of the Free State, among others, agreed that the country is in shambles, but said there is hope for the country.

“We are fairly a resilient bunch.”