An appraisal of the RDP and the macroeconomic strategy of the South African government in terms of conditions for sustainable economic growth and development

Abstract

This paper reviews conditions for sustainable economic growth and development, developed in previous publications and papers by the authors and based on the experience of successfully developing countries. It then analyses the RDP in terms of these conditions and comes to the conclusion that the main deficiency of the economic programme of the RDP, lies in its undue faith in the ability of the government not only to play an enabling, but actually a leading role in economic progress. When analysing the recently released macro-economic strategy of the government (Gear), the paper concludes that it adheres to a considerable extent to the conditions for sustainable economic growth and development. In particular, the role of the government versus that of the private sector has been appropriately adjusted relative to the position in the RDP.