MISTRA report warns State at crossroads, calls for ethical and capable governance

SOUTH Africa's public institutions remain caught between resilience and decay, according to a new study by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), which warns that rebuilding State capability will require decisive reforms, ethical leadership, and renewed public trust.

- SIPHELELE DLUDLA

Launched this week, the book titled "The State of the South African State: Capacity, Capability and Ethics" provides a comprehensive assessment of the performance and resilience of South Africa's public institutions three decades into democracy and just over a year after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The publication follows MISTRA's previous flagship works - Essays on the Evolution of the Post-Apartheid State, 20 Years of South African Democracy: So Where to Now?, and the Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios 2030 and 2035 - and forms part of a long-term effort to evaluate the country's governance trajectory from transition to transformation.

Drawing on extensive research and analysis by leading scholars in governance, political economy, and international relations, the latest book examines the State's ability to deliver services, maintain fiscal discipline, promote ethical leadership, and engage meaningfully with civil society.