P - To what extent has the government been successful in reducing socio-economic inequalities (20 marks)

Question 1

introduction

Answer 1

Due to the legacy of apartheid, South Africa still faces severe socio-economic inequalities. Since the ending of apartheid, the ANC have attempted to tackle these inequalities. This essay will analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the ANC’s responses to tackling socio-economic inequalities.

Question 2

EDUCATION: SUCCESSES

Answer 2

• former white-only schools now taking black students
• funding of schools has improved: poorest 20% of schools now receive 35% of the resource, richest 20% receive 5%
• poorest 40% of schools exempt from pupil fees
• some progress providing basic infrastructure to schools: water, electricity and sanitation
• black South Africans make up 65% of university places

Question 3

EDUCATION: FAILURES

Answer 3

• severe lack of teachers: those who do graduate are often underqualified and unprofessional
• large investments in education from the ANC not always getting through to schools: 22% of all corruption is in education

Question 4

HEALTH: SUCCESSES

Answer 4

• 3,500 primary health clinics built, more than 700 mobile clinics set up: introduced with the intention of providing care to those in rural areas
• ANC has increased the numbers treated by 75%
• number of new infections dropped by 44% since last major study in 2022
• made healthcare free to pregnant women, children and the poorest in society

Question 5

HEALTH: FAILURES

Answer 5

• over a quarter of women aged 15 to 40 are living with HIV
• failed to remove the stigma around HIV
• 1000 new cases per day and 1000 deaths per day
• “brain drain” as most qualified doctors are emigrating to work elsewhere
• in 2024, there were only 25 state doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa

Question 6

CRIME: SUCCESSES

Answer 6

• ANC have increased the number of police officers within South Africa: now 190,000
• government figures exhibit that South Africa is now a less violent place than it previously was
• reduce the number of attempted murders by 12,000 over recent years

Question 7

CRIME: FAILURES

Answer 7

• failed in tackling brutality by the police force: tally of civilians killed by the police last year was 566: This number has doubled since 6 years ago
• police have been wrongly torturing suspects to death, some of these suspects actually being innocent

Question 9

ECONOMY: SUCCESSES
(economic inequality)

Answer 9

• done this by introducing the Employment Equity Act: ensures all South African businesses reflect South African society: resulted in non-whites receiving preferential treatment regarding university places and job selection
• Black Economic Empowerment policy: has been successful in creating prosperity among the black population: evidential through the new emerging ‘black diamonds’, and through the fact that 5 million black South Africans now have a high standard of living with good income

Question 10

ECONOMY: FAILURES
(economic inequality)

Answer 10

• millions of South Africans have not benefited from this economic progress
• now even white poverty