If forced to pinpoint a single reason for South Africa’s ongoing racial issues and high poverty, it would be the failure of governance and policy implementation. The ANC-led government, in power since 1994, has struggled to translate its ambitious redress policies—like land redistribution and BEE—into tangible, widespread benefits for the Black majority. Corruption, mismanagement, and a focus on elite enrichment over structural reform have stalled progress. This is evident in the persistence of economic inequality—South Africa is the world’s most unequal country according to the World Bank, with 80% of wealth held by 10% of the population, largely white—and a poverty rate exceeding 50%, concentrated among Black communities. The government’s inability to address apartheid’s spatial and economic legacies, such as segregated townships and unequal access to education (ranked near the bottom globally for quality), compounds these issues. While historical injustices laid the foundation, ineffective governance has perpetuated and even exacerbated racial and economic divides, undermining the promise of a post-apartheid "Rainbow Nation."