The article analyses the impact of inequalities on the stability of the global society. The author asks questions concerning the reasons for global inequalities. The link between globalization and global inequalities is presented as well as the connections between the free market rules and the growing gap between the North and the South. Some solutions to the problem are also suggested.

Social unrests, inequalities and state capture in South Africa

Abrupt social protests in South Africa, which erupted after the decision to jail the former president, Jacob Zuma, have stirred discussions on the ongoing state crisis and corruption of South African political elites. Meanwhile, these problems have deeper roots. The article argues that one of the main reasons of social unrest is a failure of a democratic state in enhancing social and economic opportunities of black South Africans and addressing the resultant increasing income and wealth inequalities. The article examines the context of the state’s erosion after it was monopolized by the African National Congress (ANC). Our arguments include the model of neopatrimonial state, related to the legacy of political transformation, but also to the departure of the ANC elites from its revolutionary ideals in favour of party loyalty. Another issue discussed in the article is a phenomenon called ‘state capture’.

The study attempts to analyze the implications of the war in Ukraine for the issues of development and inequalities in the BRICS block. The so-called “emerging economies” play an essential role in the global system, both in economic and political terms. The article compares the political and economic backgrounds of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, their development, the “status quo” and their future aspirations, and analyses how the war in Ukraine may change the global development scenario. It is essential after the BRICS summit in South Africa invited six new members to the group. The article is rooted in complexity theory, supported by a mixed methodology approach. We show how the given research methodology, informed by complexity theory, can furnish new insights into global sustainability. The statistical method was used to gauge the correlation-regression impact of inequalities in BRICS countries on their sustainable development. The analysis allows several conclusions to be ventured: sustainable development is closely linked to inequalities and vice versa; the war has had a significant, multidimensional impact on the development paths and inequalities in the BRICS countries, which potentially could worsen, and the war is a major shocking event that can lead to global system changes and implications which are broader than merely for the subregion.