Review of 10 years of Freedom: The Achievements

Text Box: In 1994, the democratically elected government inherited a highly distorted society with grossly skewered distribution of resources between its people.   Therefore huge inequalities and backlogs existed in the infrastructure, facilities and services for black people. Nelson Mandela said in 1994 that the acid test of governance would be in pushing back the frontiers of poverty in South Africa. Since 1994 over 789 laws or amendment acts aimed at reconfiguring South Africa society were adopted. A new constitution was drafted and adopted in 1996. Today, South Africa is recognized as a politically stable country with a well-functioning democracy, on the southern tip of the African continent. South Africa will hold its third democratic elections on 14 April 2004. During the past 10 years a major restructuring of the South African economy took place that entailed severe fiscal restraint whilst the resources were redistributed in favour of the disadvantaged majority (with intensified social spending, reaching 56.7% of government expenditure in 2002/3).   The following statistics tell the real story of what South Africa has done to bring development to the people and push back the frontiers of poverty.

 

 

Text Box: South Africa has made a number of interventions that have generally contributed to peace, stability and security in several countries on the African continent and beyond. South Africa has, since 1999, participated in peacekeeping missions in three African countries, namely in Ethiopia/Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Burundi.  South Africa has assisted with humanitarian and relief operations in a number of countries. South Africa has played a lead role in crafting the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) programme which aims to achieve sustainable development and the eradication of poverty for the African continent. South Africa continues to work with African countries towards strengthening institutions such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and NEPAD to ensure that these organisations effectively address the challenges of the regeneration of the continent. South Africa has been elected to chair various South groupings, such as the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM), SADC and the AU.  South  Africa has worked to keep Africa and the South on the G8 agenda and engaged the international financial institutions to promote a global financial system more favourable to developing countries. South Africa has hosted the following multilateral conferences since 1994: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD IX) in 1996, Non-Aligned Movement Summit (NAM) in 1998, Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (1999), World AIDS Conference (2000), UN World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Discrimination (2001), World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002 and the African Union Summit (2002).    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Socio-Economic Developments

1994

2004

Housing

Backlog of 1.4 – 3 million units

Between 5 - 7.7 million people living in temporary dwellings (shacks)

1.9 million housing subsidies provided

1.6 million houses built for poor people.

Households with access to electricity

32%

70% of households electrified

Clean water

16 million people had no access

9 million additional people now have access

Sanitation

49% of households had access

63% of households now have access

Education

17 fragmented departments existed Disproportionate allocation of resources to white schools

One integrated education system

56,000 new classrooms had been constructed

The integrated nutrition programme reaches 4.5 million children

Secondary School enrolment

70%

85%

 

 

 Significant economic trends

1994

2004

 Growth

South Africa experienced more than a decade of declining growth per capita

Average per annum growth of 2.8% since 1994 longest period of constant positive growth since 1940s

 Inflation

SA in twenty-first year of double-digit inflation

Down to 4%

 Public Sector Debt

Equal to 64% of GDP

Down to less than 50% of GDP

 Budget deficit

Equal to 9.5% of GDP

Down to 2.6 % of GDP

 Wealth

Average income of South Africans been falling since 1980s

Net capital outflows from 1985 – 1994