A framework for intergovernmental fiscal relations in South Africa

South Africa is in the process of developing a new governmental structure. In this paper the principles governing intergovernmental fiscal relations are examined. The main types of government and the conditions for an efficient decentralized structure, as well as the assignment of expenditure functions and tax bases to the various levels of government, are discussed. The inevitable imbalance between expenditure and revenue requirements at subnational level and possible remedies are noted. General guidelines for the design of intergovernmental fiscal relations in a revised governmental structure are presented in conclusion.     

The extent of,and possible explanations for,provincial disparities in progress on reconstruction and development in South Africa

The objective of this article is to assess the early progress of South Africa's nine provinces in delivering on the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Reconstruction and development indices (RDIs) are developed for this purpose. Reconstruction and development are not simply a matter of coming closer to meeting the objectives described in the RDP. The government also needs to address other aspects that cause concern. It needs to facilitate the demographic transition and improve standards in secondary education. Provinces that are more urbanised are in an advantageous position compared with the more rural provinces, which means that the government needs to make concerted efforts to address this urban-rural divide and to accelerate delivery in rural areas. Past inequities appear to persist in that progress on reconstruction and development remains closely tied to the racial composition of provincial populations. Expeditious interventions are needed to address these issues if the RDP is to ensure a better life for all.     

在南非的日子

“我一直是一个心存幻想的女人,不肯一辈子走别人为我安排的道路。前方的路清清楚楚,仿佛可以看到坟墓,日复一日地重复着没有任何新鲜感的日子,我只想逃离……”     

Underemployment in South Africa

With the introduction of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey since 2008, a newly derived variable, namely underemployed, has become available. It is derived according to the ‘time-related’ approach (i.e. those who are employed, but would like to work longer hours and are available to work longer hours in the near future). However, underemployment could also be derived according to the ‘inadequate employment situations’ approach (e.g. under-utilisation of skills, over-qualification). Because underemployment is a seriously under-researched topic in South Africa, this article investigates the extent of underemployment according to these two definitions, before examining whether the characteristics of the two groups of underemployed are significantly different.     

Ownership and control of Maori land: Some lessons for South Africa

New Zealand replaced customary tenure of Maori land with titles. Some issues are relevant to South Africa. Massive redistribution of Maori land is accounted for by inadequate property rights conferred fay colonial legislation. Institutions emerged to deal with problems of landlessness and low farm incomes created by titling, among which private incorporations and trusts were particularly successful Such institutions may under certain conditions be useful to smallholders in the former homelands and to groups of farmers who acquire freehold land in South Africa.     

The fiscal cost of child grants in the context of high adult mortality in South Africa: A simulation to 2015

This paper investigates the expected costs of cash transfers to children in South Africa up to 2015. The child population is not expected to grow between 2008 and 2015 and thus the fiscal cost of the Child Support Grant is expected to stabilise in the near future. The other major child grant, the Foster Care Grant, is far less predictable – while it is not intended to be an orphan grant, three quarters of its beneficiaries are orphans. Because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the number of dual orphans is expected to double between 2008 and 2015, reaching 1.3 million, and the overall number of orphans (maternal, paternal and dual) to reach 4.8 million by 2015. If the Foster Care Grant were to become a de facto orphan grant, its costs would escalate rapidly. The paper does not argue in favour of an orphan grant, but rather for greater effort in ensuring that the Child Support Grant reaches the neediest children, especially maternal orphans.