Category Archives: government capacity

The State of the Nation nutshell note

I have whipped through the State of the Nation address while Jacob Zuma is just getting started. My initial impression is good, maybe even very good …. but maybe there has just been so much bad news and poor performance that any detailed and thoughtful stuff from government is likely to impress me … HereContinue reading “The State of the Nation nutshell note”

Nationalise or Starve … or both

Here is a radio interview that was not conducted with me this morning: Why would the ANCYL want the state to grab 60 percent of an ailing mining industry? Because Julius wants everyone to be able to afford a R250 000.00 Breitling like the one on  his wrist … oops sorry, wrong piece of paperContinue reading “Nationalise or Starve … or both”

Farewell to Peter Mayibuye*

Joel Netshitenzhe has resigned as Director General in Trevor Manuel’s National Planning Commission in the presidency. This comes a day after President Zuma reshuffled and attempted to explain the various roles to be played by the various ministers who fall into the economics cluster. The Business Day article suggested that Zuma had caved in toContinue reading “Farewell to Peter Mayibuye*”

Unhappy trends

Bad indicators in the direction of  trends in South African education and health  last week. Very briefly: Two recent studies reveal a low and/or deteriorating quality of matriculant entering university.   The national benchmarking test (NBT) tested 13000 first years at major SA universities and found only 43% proficient in academic literacy, 25% in quantitative literacy and, astonishingly, only 8% in maths.Continue reading “Unhappy trends”

Government versus the private sector

Paul Krugman tilts at the USA citizen’s default hostility to government. He argues that on health care policy and on banking regulation it is more government, not less, that is needed. Does the same apply in the South African case? I think the issues are significantly different, with the first task in South Africa being toContinue reading “Government versus the private sector”