Overview

This volume provides a critical examination of state capacity and the governance processes that shape public policy and service delivery in South Africa. Through a series of theoretically informed and empirically grounded chapters, it interrogates the performance of the state from the Mandela era to the Ramaphosa administration, drawing attention to both the persistent weaknesses and the attempts at reform. Contributors address a wide range of issues, including the politics of memory, the dynamics of coalition governments, the role of social policy in poverty alleviation, corporate governance, ethical leadership, environmental sustainability, and the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Comparative perspectives from South Africa and other African contexts illuminate the complexities of building and sustaining a capable state in the twenty-first century. By situating debates on governance within broader discourses of development, accountability, and institutional resilience, this book advances new propositions for strengthening state capacity in the post-2024 period. It offers a sober assessment of the trials and errors of policy implementation, while also outlining feasible strategies for future reform. This scholarly work will be of interest to academics, practitioners, and postgraduate students in public affairs, political science, sociology, development management, and governance studies.

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9781991260673

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Prof. Noluthando S. Matsiliza is a professor of public administration at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. She holds a PhD in Public Affairs from the University of Pretoria. She received the USAID scholarship in 1997-1999, the South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) in 2004, and the VC award for the 'Best Women Researcher' in 2018 at the Durban University of Technology. Her research focuses on public policy, governance, leadership, development management, and monitoring and evaluation. She is responsible for teaching, research, postgraduate supervision, and community engagement. Her work has been published and cited inlocal and internationally accredited journals. Prof. Matsiliza is the assistant editor of the Journal of Local Government Research and Innovation (JOLGRI) and is involved in several local and international article reviews. She is the editor of the book Higher Education for Public Good: Perspectives for the New Academic Landscape in Southern Africa. [https: //orcid. org/0000-0002-9472-9294].

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