Institute for African Alternatives

General information

OUR MANDATE

1. Since 1986 IFAA has promoted critical analysis of the social and economic problems of the African continent. While the present programme is focussed on South Africa, the continent remains the context for analysis. It is our aspiration that our work will contribute substantially to the further development of Africa to enhance the condition of its peoples.

2. Since our centres in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and UK were obliged to close in the early 1990’s the South African centre has sought to keep the IFAA tradition alive through the publication of New Agenda, South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy. We have published 54 issues in ten years, covering a wide range of topics by many distinguished authors.

3. Since May 2014, IFAA has found a new lease of life, it has new premises in Cape Town, new additions to the Board, and the involvement of a group of young scholars from Cape Town’s universities.

4. Our mandate for South Africa is to explore alternatives to those elements of the political economy which have been unchanged, despite the democratic transition, and propose a different paradigm that will put people, not vested interests, first. The structure of the economy has to be transformed to overcome monopoly power and create wide opportunities for new agencies.

5. To move in a new direction we need a national consensus, not to paper over differences, but to agree on essential priorities to enable the economy to work better. We believe that nothing will change if the real economy, mining, manufacturing and agriculture do not grow substantially.

This requires decisive action by the state, capital and labour based on a time frame and actual commitments.


THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE ECONOMY

We need a national agreement with mandatory enforceable provisions on the following:

a) Conscious and deliberate diversification of the economy;

b) Full-scale upgrading of education and training across all sectors;

c) Prosecution of corrupt public and private sector officials and office bearers;

IMPLEMENTATION

(a) above requires detailed exploration of the real economy value chains and the blockages that hamper expansion. This will release multipliers in mining, manufacturing and agriculture. A great deal of attention must be given to individual and community based township and rural start up enterprises.

(b) above require joint task teams with powers to critically examine all education and training institutions and lay down upgrade requirements.

(c) above require all round oversight of the whole justice system.

IFAA is a small modest institute which serves as a focus for policy work, holds seminars on development economics and politics. We are also committed to teaching and assisting students.

Our main focus at present is on improving New Agenda, South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy.

We are leading the field in examining beneficiation and value addition in the interface between mining and manufacturing.

IFAA is networked with similar institutions in South Africa and across Africa, and is recognized by the U N Economic Commission for Africa among others.