Confronting inequality : the South African crisis / edited by Michael Nassen Smith.

Auckland Park, South Africa : Fanele, 2018.

©2018

xvii, 180 pages ; 24 cm

"South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world, with a Gini coefficient of o.63 in 2015. In terms of wealth, the top percentile households hold 70.9% while the bottom 60% holds a mere 7% -- 76% of South Africans face an imminent threat of falling below the poverty line. These statistics explain the continued presence of protest and unrest based on the conviction that the legacy of apartheid and colonialism in the country has not been overcome. In this context, the Institute for African Alternatives has brought together a series of papers written by eminent South African academics and policymakers to serve as a catalyst to finally confront and resolve inequality"--Back cover.

English

June 05, 2019

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface / Michael Nassen Smith. Part 1. The political and social context: why confront inequality? South Africans should not be polite about inequality / Ben Turok - The inequality danger: the imperative to normalize freedom / Kgalema Motlanthe - Confronting inequality: thoughts of public accountability and policy resonance / Thuli Madonsela. Part 2. The rich and the poor. Who are the rich: stocks and trends / Andrew McGregor - Tacking wage inequality: pay ratios and capping pay / David Francis and Kaylan Massie. Part 3. The structural dimensions of inequality in South Africa. The systemic underpinnings of inequality in South Africa / Neva Seidman Makgetla - Whiter the demographic dividend South Africa: the Overton Window of political responsibilities / P.J. Lehohla (summary by Zunaid Moola) - Worlds apart: spatial inequalities in South Africa / Ivan Turok - Tackling persistent poverty and inequality: a dynamic new perspective / Murray Leibbrandt, Simone Schotte and Rocco Zizzamia - Conclusion / Michael Nassen Smith.