ELECTION season is coming up soon in South Africa, and those with governmental power have started promising jobs to the millions who are unemployed. Yet anyone who has an inkling of economic knowledge would know the politicians are writing cheques with their mouths, and they will be unable to cash their actions.
South Africa’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public entities number in the hundreds. Yet, one will still find commentators in some quarters decry the “neo-liberal” state they claim South Africa is.