Madam Deputy Speaker, the ideology of viewing South Africa as a developmental state is becoming increasingly popular. However, it is important for us to determine if we are a developmental state in the true sense of the ideology. Central to the concept of a developmental state is the idea that a developmental state is focused on a single goal: to achieve the highest economic growth possible. The developmental state is focused on state intervention on manufactured goods, exports to promote economic growth - state intervention has to support the market, and not replace it.
The state does not lead the market, but follows it. In addition, a developmental state also implies a specific institutional set upon which the role of society, and in particular the private sector, is crucial. In addition, in a developmental regime all sectors of society are united in a single hegemonic project, a national consensus regarding the objective economic development together with a willingness to make the required sacrifices to realise the objective.
Madam Deputy Speaker, when one considers all these points about developmental state it becomes obvious that we would be disillusioned to think that we are one. South Africa is primarily a redistributive state, focused on the transformation of the economy and society. We should concentrate on what the role of government should be in a predominantly free market economy, and focus our energies on the failures of the market by scrutinizing our economic policies.
Our country cannot just focus on pursuing high economic growth when the majority of the people are still poverty-stricken, less educated and less capable. We as a country need to focus on our socio-economic policies and challenges before we can view ourselves as hegemonic power in the SADC region. Africa has its own challenges of poverty, low levels of productive capacity, low capita income, low life expectancy, high infant mortality, illiteracy, oppression of women and over-dependence on export earnings and foreign capital, the list goes on, at the end of the day Africa has suffered immensely to be independent. Thank you. [Time expired.]