Personal Enrichment vs Social Welfare: The Impact of Public Procurement in South Africa

Abstract

The South African Constitution allows preferential procurement to reverse historical economic segregation. Public procurement is a critical part of the state agenda for post-apartheid development, as it is a vital aspect of public service delivery. To date, South African public procurement reforms have aimed to transform public sector procurement as a policy instrument to redress historical injustices and their ongoing effects. However, the strategic public procurement reforms have elicited several challenges and have been critiqued. This paper explores the relationship between affirmative action, such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), and social welfare, with a specific focus on the Gauteng Department of Health’s public procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the Life Esidimeni tragedy. This study grapples with the question of the extent to which affirmative action in public procurement impacts social welfare. A literature review and analysis of relevant documents are conducted to achieve the research aim.