The Political Economy Of South Africa: From Minerals-energy Complex To Industrialisation - Hardcover

Fine, Ben; Rustomjee, Zavareh

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 081332789X ISBN 13: 9780813327891

Publisher: Westview Press, 1997

Synopsis

The acclaim with which democratization in South Africa has been greeted has been tempered by the recognition that there are at the same time continuing and even deepening economic inequalities. This is more disturbing given the extreme economic disparity experienced by much of the black population, the retreat from commitments to public ownership enshrined in the Freedom Charter, the unambiguous safeguarding of private capital, and the obstacles placed in the way of progressive economic policies by business interests and the entrenched apartheid-era bureaucracy.Rather than proposing a blueprint for a more equable economic system, this book presents the results and implications of detailed and wide-ranging research on both the history and current dynamics of the South African economy, from the Second World War to the present. The authors analyze a range of strategic economic trajectories, linking these to the shifting balance of economic and political power in South Africa. But their approach is not prescriptive; instead they set the parameters within which the economic and political debates are conducted. They also discuss the theoretical arguments involved in the propositions that they and others have put forward. The book's value is enhanced by the comprehensiveness of the data presented, and each chapter is self-contained so that particular topics can be studied separately.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The acclaim with which democratisation in South Africa was greeted has been tempered by the recognition that there are at the same time continuing and even deepening economic inequalities. This is more disturbing given the extreme economic disparity experienced by much of the black population.

About the Author:

Ben Fine is professor of economics and director of the Centre for Economic Policy for Southern Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Zavareh Rustomjee is currently director general of the South African Trade and Industry Ministry and is on the faculty of Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg. Ben Fine is professor of economics and director of the Centre for Economic Policy for Southern Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Zavareh Rustomjee is currently director general of the South African Trade and Industry Ministry and is on the faculty of Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg. Ben Fine is professor of economics and director of the Centre for Economic Policy for Southern Africa at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Zavareh Rustomjee is currently director general of the South African Trade and Industry Ministry and is on the faculty of Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg.

About this edition

• Publisher: Westview Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 081332789X
• ISBN 13: 9780813327891
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288