Hidden cost of dismantling public protection

THE sudden shutdown of South Africa's Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) on December 31, 2024 highlights flaws in evaluating government projects. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said the team was no longer required nor adding any value to policing, but provided no evidence.

- NYANISO QWESHA

Does budget performance alone show public initiative value, or does it risk public safety and legitimacy?

Budgetary performance has long been a dominant factor in government project evaluations. Ministries routinely focus on whether a project is delivered on time, within budget, and aligned with cost targets. Fiscal accountability is essential.

Yet, when it becomes the primary or sole measure of success, it obscures the broader societal outcomes that government initiatives are intended to achieve. The PKTT case exemplifies this tension: a programme addressing political violence was terminated based on a financial logic that cannot capture the prevention of harm, the restoration of community trust, or the disruption of criminal networks.

The limitations of budget-only evaluation are clear. Financial efficiency does not automatically translate into public value. A project delivered under budget may fail to achieve its core objectives, while one that exceeds cost targets may prevent lives lost, safeguard democratic institutions, and generate long-term social stability.

Budget reviews are typically short-term, annual, or project-specific, failing to account for interventions whose benefits materialise over multiple years. Crucially, quantitative fiscal metrics cannot measure qualitative outcomes such as lives saved, confidence restored, or political violence deterred.