Many analysts blame state capture – the corruption of the management of public affairs – for the weakening of state capacity in South Africa. A judicial commission of inquiry into the problem laid it bare.
They say the COVID pandemic worsened the situation as public resources had to be redirected from developmental commitments to address the emergency.
The claim has merit. But it ignores the role played by a public administration education that is not fit for purpose. The universities responsible for producing the human capital needed for building state capacity must shoulder much of the blame.
