Theoretical analysis of state capture and its manifestation as a governance problem in South Africa

Abstract

State capture became topical in South Africa in March 2016 following the dismissal of the then Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, on 09 December 2015. ‘Nenegate’ revealed poor understanding of state capture among politicians and the general public. The literature indicates that state capture lacks analytical clarity as there is no clear demarcation between legitimate political lobbying and state capture created by corruption. The research question addressed in this article is: What is state capture and how is it manifested in South Africa? Firstly, it systematically unpacks the phenomenon as a type of business–state relationship distinct from influence, corruption and lobbying and outlines its types, features and essence. Secondly, the article explores state capture in contemporary South Africa. Methodology-wise, a combination of literature study and current research reports is used to illuminate the phenomenon and its manifestation. The article contributes to existing knowledge by not only clarifying a concept conflated with corruption but also analysing the manifestations of state capture in South Africa.

Capturing South Africa's developmental state: State‐society relations and responses to state capture

“…The most significant example of the reaction and power of the civil society in South Africa's state capture was in the removal of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, which had dire consequences as it plummeted the value of the South African currency. The negative reaction from the financial markets led to strong mobilization and response from political parties (including internal reactions within the ANC) and civil society as a whole (Chipkin et al, 2018;Dassah, 2018). This response was largely because Zuma's handpicked successor for the Minister of Finance position was unknown to the markets and South Africa's political landscape.…”

Anatomy of State Capture: Introduction

“…However, given the clandestine nature of these transactions, high levels of trust are required for the network to operate. This is because there are often familial, tribal or historic ties that underpin the interactions of individuals within and between the various networks (Martini, 2014;Dassah, 2018;Von Holdt, 2019).…”

“Ideología de género”, populismo autoritario y políticas sexuales

“…Hay también en los usos de "ideología de género" por parte de sectores conservadores un recurso a variedad de mecanismos para capturar el Estado y retroceder en los avances alcanzados, impedir cambios e instaurar nuevas políticas autoritarias y excluyentes en términos de género y sexualidad, que merecen investigación en más detalle. Captura del Estado es un término que viene siendo usado en contextos como Suráfrica (Dassah, 2018) o Europa del Este (Innes, 2014) para referirse al uso sistemático de mecanismos ilegales o paralegales de influencia en la toma de decisiones del Estado para servir a intereses de beneficio privado. Corrupción, acuerdos en la repartición de la representación política o clientelismo serían algunos de estos mecanismos 4 .…”