REPORT

This report documents the proceedings of a conference titled 'Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State', held on 23 October 2019 in Johannesburg. Hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), the event brought together civil society representatives and academics to analyze the effects of state capture in South Africa and propose reforms to insulate the public service from political interference. The report details discussions on the findings of various commissions of inquiry, strategies for state reform, the role of 'lawfare', parliamentary oversight, and public advocacy, culminating in a 'Civil Society Charter' that outlines a collective commitment to rebuilding democratic institutions.

• Justice Johann Kriegler characterized state capture as a decade of systemic failure across all branches of government and civil society, stating that the period was marked by a rogue President, an absent Cabinet, a dormant Parliament, and a sidelined judiciary and civil society.
• State capture is described as a three-dimensional phenomenon that is not limited to national politics or specific individuals like the Gupta family, but permeates all levels of government, including provincial and local authorities.
• SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter reported that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was 'destroyed from the core' by state capture, affecting human morale, trust, and organizational capabilities. He detailed efforts to rebuild the institution, including reviewing governance structures, re-opening the Large Business Centre in Woodmead, and initiating disciplinary action against staff for collusive behavior.
• The conference highlighted the role of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) as a critical economic player that was misdirected and abused primarily by politicians, leading to a culture of fear and reprisal within the organization.
• Participants cautioned against 'over-judicialisation' or 'lawfare' as the sole strategy for tackling state capture, arguing that the judiciary should not bear the entire burden of political issues and that legal victories must be consolidated through popular mobilization.
• Parliamentary oversight is described as being in a 'fragile state of recovery,' hampered by political party loyalty that often outweighs accountability. Proposed improvements include the appointment of independent committee chairpersons and a Speaker who resigns from their political party.
• Public advocacy efforts by organizations like Black Sash, #UniteBehind, and Equal Education demonstrate the use of litigation, protest, and research to hold the state accountable for failures in social grants, rail services (PRASA), and school infrastructure.
• Professor Mark Swilling argued that state capture is a systemic problem requiring a coherent economic plan and the mobilization of 'good public servants' into a 'good racket' to isolate looters, rather than relying solely on micro-managing regulations.
• Mcebisi Jonas emphasized that the risk of recapture remains high unless South Africa transitions from a rent-seeking economy based on political connectedness to one based on innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity.
• The resulting Civil Society Charter commits organizations to several key actions: strengthening the criminal justice system through fitness and lifestyle audits, protecting whistleblowers, demanding transparency in political party funding, and focusing on capture at provincial and municipal levels.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (n.d.). REPORT. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AKF_PARI_Civil-Society-ConferenceReport_Oct2019.pdf

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. REPORT. n.d. https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AKF_PARI_Civil-Society-ConferenceReport_Oct2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=REPORT |url=https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AKF_PARI_Civil-Society-ConferenceReport_Oct2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{publicaffairsresearchinstitutendreport, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{REPORT}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, url = {https://pari.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AKF_PARI_Civil-Society-ConferenceReport_Oct2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }