Since 1994, the South African state has been under constant pressure to transform the inherited institutional architecture of the apartheid structure. This transformation has taken place simultaneously with the expansion of the social and economic safety net to include the poor and disadvantaged, resulting in the redefinition of the purpose, role, and nature of operation of the new state. This text looks at the present architecture and performance of the South African state and assesses its institutional capacity to deliver on its mandates; it argues that without capacity, the state cannot govern.

While providing an in-depth analysis of the political stability of South Africa and addressing the unique situation and composition of its society, this book answers the crucial questions What is the state supposed to achieve? How will it get there? and Where is it now?