Speaking ahead of a gathering of international management education experts hosted by the University of Stellenbosch, Ramphele said there were various ways citizens could ensure their taxes were spent properly.

"There are a whole range of options citizens are not taking. Sannieshof Municipality demonstrated how you do that."

She was referring to residents of Tswaing, in North West, who refused to pay rates and taxes in protest against poor service.

On Sunday, another activist, Barney Pityana, said many of the country' s failings could no longer be blamed on apartheid .

He said if South Africans continued to endorse its failed leadership, the result would be "continued chaos, extending inequality, burgeoning unemployment, poverty and the social evils".

Ramphele said the private sector should also demand that the skills levy it paid was used for its intended purpose.

"For the last decade, they've been paying 1% of payroll into a hole. We [are] short of skills, 800000 skills . there are 600000 graduates without jobs . instead of putting 1% in a hole, use that 1% to solve that problem."

Ramphele said she was excited that organisations such as " Section27, Equal Education and the Legal Resources Centre are standing up and saying: 'Enough'!"