South Africa's Development Public Policies, Emerging Contradictions and Prospects in the Brics Partnership

After almost three and half centuries of economic exploitation through international capitalist pursuits through colonialism and apartheid, South Africa has emerged as a democratic country. The liberation mandate for South Africa’s post-apartheid reconstruction and development was translated into a popular development policy called the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) based on redistributive ideals framed in the historical document – the Freedom Charter. Such an ideal was compromised within two years of democracy as the reality of eradicating high levels of under-development amongst the vast majority of the previously disenfranchised Black populace became contingent on growth and development programmes that will create opportunities for their socio-economic advancement. Adoption of a neo-liberal economic development policy called Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) was considered the most strategic approach for the state to deliver on its development mandate through participation in the international market driven economy. However, such an economic approach to development has been proven to come with a wide range of contradictions perceived to be the source of slow and unsustainable pace of delivery challenged by a restless civil society.  In being afforded entry to BRICS in 2010 it has committed to new sets of multilateral agreements to solidify its south-south strengths so that it will enjoy mutual benefits from such an arrangement to meet its development challenges.  It is against this context that this paper tests out South Africa’s relative position and status within BRICS as a new entrant, highlighting some potential contradictions followed by prospects for engagement on a diverse set of development oriented programmes and projects within this multilateral arrangement.