SA is a developmental state with very little evidence to point to that classification. If anything, the ANC-led government has exhibited nothing but antidevelopmental thinking, not just in its overall ineptitude in delivering basic services that are supposed to contribute to the development of the country, but by misprioritising services and objectives. Nowhere is this more evident than in the government’s education investment.
Granted, the public school population is exponentially bigger than the prison population, but regarding state planning that should not matter. The cost per person is what matters most because it more pointedly illuminates the priorities of the government. This is not a new phenomenon; this spending misprioritisation has been a component of our fundamentally compromised democracy since its inception.
The current and ongoing spending and investment misprioritisation points to a government that is reactive in its nation-building efforts, not proactive I would not blame you for thinking that while taxpayers spend a lot of money on education the quality and output of educational institutions do not reflect the investment made.