08-august-2016-state-capture-and-revolution-working-paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed-36645dc78ab77739.pdf

This research paper by Ivor Chipkin examines the conceptual and political drivers of corruption and 'state capture' in South Africa. It argues that the persistence of corruption is not merely a failure of ethics but a result of a deliberate ideological struggle over the form of the state, pitting a liberal model of a neutral bureaucracy against the African National Congress's (ANC) 'National Democratic Revolution' (NDR) and 'cadre deployment' strategies.

• The term 'state capture' in South Africa describes a severe form of corruption where the rule-making process itself is manipulated to favor private interests, specifically citing the influence of the Gupta brothers on the appointment of cabinet ministers and senior officials.
• Public claims that R700 billion (approximately $46 billion) was lost to corruption since 1994 are described as lacking an empirical basis and are characterized as an 'arbitrary guess' or 'thumbsuck'.
• Irregular expenditure in South African national and provincial departments rose from over R16.5 billion in 2010/11 to R25.7 billion in 2014/15, a 36% increase. Total irregular expenditure across government (excluding state-owned enterprises) exceeded R37 billion in 2014/2015.
• The ANC explicitly rejected the liberal concept of a neutral state, arguing that the apartheid-era state machinery had to be destroyed and fundamentally transformed because it was structured to serve white minority interests.
• Between 1994 and 2011, the racial composition of the South African public service was reversed; white officials, who made up 94% of senior personnel in 1994, represented less than 10% (122,740 people) by September 2011, while Africans comprised 79.15% (1,050,692 people).
• The ANC implemented a policy of 'cadre deployment' to secure party hegemony, deploying 'battalions of revolutionaries' into the public service and economy to ensure the bureaucracy followed the movement's decisions.
• South Africa's recruitment process for public servants shifted toward a political mode, where ministers and Members of the Executive Committee (MECs) hold appointment powers, often bypassing merit-based criteria and professional administrative considerations.
• The adoption of 'New Public Management' and the creation of the Senior Management Service (SMS) in 2001 provided a modern administrative justification for removing senior officials from rule-based bureaucratic practices and granting them wider discretion.
• Government procurement was decentralized after 2003, shifting responsibility to departmental heads. This was used as a tool for the 'National Democratic Revolution' to create a black capitalist class through targeted procurement and regulatory interventions.
• The author argues that what is defined as corruption in liberal terms—the use of office for private gain—is viewed as 'public virtue' in the ANC's terms when it serves as an act of political discipline to the party.
• Since 2009, the ANC's ability to control its government has declined due to factionalism and 'palace politics', leading to a situation where multiple 'kitchen cabinets' and external associates, such as the Gupta family, influence key state institutions.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (n.d.). 08-august-2016-state-capture-and-revolution-working-paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed-36645dc78ab77739.pdf. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08-August-2016-State-Capture-and-Revolution-Working-Paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. 08-august-2016-state-capture-and-revolution-working-paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed-36645dc78ab77739.pdf. n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08-August-2016-State-Capture-and-Revolution-Working-Paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=08-august-2016-state-capture-and-revolution-working-paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed-36645dc78ab77739.pdf |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08-August-2016-State-Capture-and-Revolution-Working-Paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitutend08august2016statecaptureandrevolutionworkingpaper2ilovepdfcompressed36645dc78ab77739pdf, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{08-august-2016-state-capture-and-revolution-working-paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed-36645dc78ab77739.pdf}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08-August-2016-State-Capture-and-Revolution-Working-Paper-2-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }