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Gawie Groenewald's avatar

Sachs underplays the point that asset redistribution SA style throuh state capture, corruption and muddled leadership enriches a favoured few, curtails investment in human capital and essential services for the poor, thus adding to the widening of the income gap.

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Bruce Sobey's avatar

It would be instructive to put arrows on key dates on the graph. The decreasing GDP until 1994, the flattening after Zuma elected in 2009. It highlights that the problem with SA GDP growth is political!

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PETRURS DU TOIT's avatar

Jare gelede was ek deel van 'n studie van 400 boere in Wes-Tembuland. Daardie boere was gretig om hulle informele besiteg van grond om te skakel na formele besitreg soos wat dit geld in die res van Suid-Afrika. Hulle beskik oor dieselfde eienskappe as kommeersiële boere en behoort dieselfde regte te kry. Ongelukkig het toentertyd se departementele amptenare nie saam gestem nie: "Dit sou 'n revolusie ontketen (en hulle werk ook!)."

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Abel B.S. Gaiya's avatar

Great post! Just one qualm: if Michael Sachs is calling for asset redistribution, then using the Theil Index (income) doesn't address this, as racial wealth inequality might be much larger than racial income inequality

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Johan Fourie's avatar

Great point, Abel. Wealth is just really difficult to measure. For example, should we include usage rights to communal land as part of asset ownership or not? Probably not, but then the easiest form of wealth redistribution would simply be for the state to hand over titles to those residing in the former homelands.

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Erwin Rode's avatar

Waardevol, dankie.

Erwin

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