Borrowing by the South African government, and how government believes it should manage this, are not abstract economic questions. They have a direct bearing on all South Africans, in particular because of how they impact the government’s ability to fulfil its socio-economic rights obligations. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni frequently says South Africa’s debt is “unsustainable”, and uses this to justify major cuts in social expenditure and limit COVID-19 relief measures.[…]