“The State Capacity Research Project released a new report, How One Word Can Change The Game: A Case Study Of State Capture And The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), which provides a rare detailed example of the mechanics and modus operandi of state capture.
Critically, it demonstrates that South Africa’s shadow state consists of more than just the Guptas, and that the state capture project extends far beyond just state-owned enterprises, infecting some of the most crucial functions of government. The report illustrates that state capture is not just a form of ‘grand corruption’ resulting in a financial loss to the state and taxpayer, but it is a political project that has had a direct negative impact on the poorest and most vulnerable in society.
Authored by Robyn Foley and Professor Mark Swilling from the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition at Stellenbosch University, this case study is a follow-up to the groundbreaking academic study on state capture, Betrayal of the Promise, which was released by the State Capacity Research Group in March 2017 and which provided a conceptual framework for understanding the phenomenon of state capture under the Zuma administration. … ”
