CITIZENS last week had to come to terms with the passing of a great cultural icon and celebrated popular entertainer. The budget vote of the Presidency is just not the same without former minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad …

…  the Presidency’s hugely ambitious agenda threatens to absorb the wider intellectual energies of the society. Manuel’s “nerve centre” will supposedly exploit the capacities of “the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council , the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and other science councils, universities and relevant think-tanks” to address long-term developmental challenges. Like others inside the state, Manuel vastly overestimates the ability of such institutions to contribute more to policy development without losing whatever residual capacity for critical thinking and autonomous research they still possess.

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