Government expenditure and debt were kept under control, the capacity of the South African Revenue Service to collect taxes efficiently was enhanced, and an environment conducive to economic growth was fostered. Progress was made on all these fronts, with the growing economy expanding the tax base and the formidable Revenue Service ensuring that the fiscus received what was due to it.
Instead of madly insisting there are no limits, no constraints, that everything is possible, policymakers look for what freedom of manoeuvre they enjoy within economic reality. In a sense, they design their macroeconomies to have brakes and airbags, not just accelerators. Of course, accelerators are still useful. Modern policymakers almost universally acknowledge that there are times and places where policy stimulus is appropriate.