Good policy; bad policy

This project proposes to examine three key policies, one in each ministry, in the form of a memoir on how decisions were taken and implemented. The three policies are free higher education, skilled immigration, and SKA (a big science project). I have been involved in the development and articulation of policy in ministries in education (2004-2009), science and technology (2009-2012), home affairs (2013-2014) and science and technology (2014- ). In very broad terms the traditional split of responsibilities between Minister and Department is that the Minister sets policy while the Department implements policy. Many politicians have been heard to say that post-apartheid South Africa has been good at making but poor at implementing policy. Many writers have noted that under the Mbeki administration ministers owned policy, while under the Zuma administration ministers have given up policy ownership to the party.