The book is about the politics of developmental state-making in post-apartheid South Africa. Specifically, the focus is on tracing and providing well considered political and ideological explanations for some of the most salient obstacles confronting the South African transition. The central argument is that until the intellectual and ideological template underpinning the transition is fundamentally overhauled, South Africa is unlikely to fulfill Mandela’s promises of ending poverty, employment creation and equality for all. What is more, the politics and policy framework that springs from this template is essentially counter developmental and only serves to reproduce the power relations and structural arrangements they are meant to overcome.

“This research work opens up an opportunity for further scrutiny of South Africa’s development challenges from the dawn of democracy into the future. Scholars, policy makers and students must seriously explore this book and make contributions that can help to prevent South Africa from losing its direction on advancing a people centered political economy and development agenda”.
--Prof Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS), University of Pretoria, Chairman: Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)

 “Sihle Moon has written lucid account of developmental states, with special attention to South Africa under the ANC. He believes that the scope for developmentalism is on the increase and I support this suggestion. It means that the great swing between public and private interests is underway once more, with real prospects for development in the full sense of the word.
--Prof Keith Hart, Centinial Professor of Economic Anthropology, London School of Economics (LSE)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SIHLE MOON teaches Development Studies at the University of Pretoria, and is a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship. He has held various leadership positions in the ruling African National Congress, SACP, and in state and non-state entities notably, the National Education Coordinating Committee (NECC), the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA), Construction Sector Education and Training Authority and a member of Council at the University of Witswatersrand. Moon Holds a PhD from the University of York, UK.

CATEGORY
Politics, Development Studies/AFRICA

Year of Publication
2017