A review of the National Development Plan: introducing politics and the state in South Africa

Key reference points for the chapters in this part on the state and politics are the current trajectory of the country and the vision of the National Planning Commission (NPC) for the year 2030. This introduction to Part 1 reflects on the issues brought up by the establishment of a mechanism for long-range planning. These issues are addressed in subsequent chapters using a variety of topical lenses ideological contestation in the ruling political party and its impact on decisive leadership; the pro-poor nature of government policies on economic growth, inequality and poverty; political citizenship at the local government level and the implication for poverty reduction; contemporary preoccupations with the discourses and practices of security and insecurity; and the role of traditional institutions of governance in a democracy.