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A joint submission by five environmental and social justice organisations to the South African Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources, asserting that the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Amendment Bill [B15-2013] does not rectify systemic failures in administrative justice. The authors argue that the Bill maintains inadequate consultation timeframes, restricts access to critical mining application data, and fails to protect the rights of rural and marginalized communities against the interests of mining companies and traditional authorities.

A joint submission by environmental organisations to the South African Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the MPRDA Amendment Bill. The authors support the principle that mining right holders remain responsible for environmental liabilities regardless of a closure certificate but strongly oppose a proposed 20-year limit on the Minister's ability to retain financial provisions for latent impacts, arguing that such a period is arbitrary and often insufficient to cover long-term issues like acid mine drainage.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a massive engineering effort to divert water from Lesotho to South Africa's Gauteng province while providing Lesotho with hydroelectric power. While technically successful and economically significant for diversifying Lesotho's revenue, the project has been marred by corruption, inadequate community compensation, and unforeseen environmental stresses. Recent droughts and climate change have increased risks of water scarcity and food insecurity in Lesotho, highlighting the need for adaptive management and better benefit-sharing between the two nations.

The report examines the allocation of RDP houses to racially diverse groups in Lehae and Chief Mogale, Gauteng. It finds that while the housing allocation process is often perceived as opaque and corrupt, leading to initial hostility toward white and Indian beneficiaries, shared experiences of poverty and a common desire for secure tenure have fostered a degree of social integration. The study concludes that spatial desegregation in these settlements has been accompanied by social change, although racial identities remain salient.

The paper assesses the implementation of financial disclosure regulations for municipal councillors in South Africa, finding that while laws are progressive, practical application is inconsistent across municipalities. Key failures include poor record quality, low compliance in some areas, restricted public access to information, and a lack of proactive monitoring and oversight. The authors argue that the current system focuses on formal compliance rather than the substantive detection of irregularities, which allows corruption in public procurement to persist. The document provides case studies of municipal corruption and recommends standardising disclosure templates, digitising submissions, and strengthening internal investigative capacities.

The document assesses the adequacy of financial provisions for mine closure in South Africa, identifying systemic failures in estimation, securing funds, and financial reporting. It highlights that many Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) are inadequate, master rates for costs are not inflation-adjusted, and concurrent rehabilitation is underperformed. The report recommends updating the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) guidelines, enhancing the SAMREC code, and improving public access to financial provision data. It also analyzes the risks associated with different financial instruments—such as trust funds, bank guarantees, and insurance—and the legal uncertainties regarding the ring-fencing of these funds during company insolvency or business rescue.

The report argues that corruption in South Africa is deeply linked to a general culture of non-compliance with administrative processes and organizational instability. It highlights a significant gap between legal definitions of corruption and the 'situational logic' of public servants, who may justify illegal acts based on perceived institutional unfairness or political imperatives. The analysis identifies supply chain management (SCM) as a primary area of vulnerability, noting that irregular expenditure has risen sharply, particularly at the local government level. The report concludes that effective anti-corruption strategies must shift from a narrow focus on policing and individual moral failure toward a broader emphasis on organizational development, the design of efficient administrative systems, and the perceived impartiality of enforcement agencies.

The Maputo Development Corridor is presented as a successful model for regional economic integration in the SADC region, connecting South Africa's Gauteng Province to Mozambique's Maputo port. Key successes include the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI) to coordinate stakeholders and improve infrastructure, such as the N4 highway and port dredging. Significant efficiency gains were achieved through a freight bypass road and one-stop border post operations, reducing some transit times from weeks to five and a half hours. However, the corridor faces ongoing constraints, including limited border post operating hours (currently 18 hours), a rail crisis in South Africa, high transport rates from Transnet Freight Rail, and a lack of political will at the administrative level to implement 24-hour operations.

Wesbank Transport, a Namibian logistics leader, faces significant barriers to regional expansion and efficiency due to non-standardized road permit systems, limited insurance coverage across SADC, and customs congestion. These challenges, alongside a lack of secure truck ports and restrictive visa regulations for drivers, force the company to avoid lucrative markets and focus only on predictable routes, resulting in lost revenue and reduced vehicle productivity.

The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) is a public-private partnership established in 2000 to increase cargo for the Port of Walvis Bay and improve linked transport corridors. It integrates public regulators and private operators to provide logistics services for landlocked SADC countries via the Trans-Kalahari, Trans-Caprivi, Trans-Cunene, and Trans-Oranje corridors. Key barriers identified include stakeholder fragmentation, high administrative costs, border corruption, and safety risks from roaming animals. To address these, the WBCG promotes 'Accredited Economic Operators' status to reduce border delays and is implementing a 'single window IT infra-structure' to lower trade costs.

The South African schooling system is characterised by high rates of grade repetition and low completion of the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, with completion rates for black youth at 40% compared to 72% for white youth. The author argues that poor education quality and ineffective feedback mechanisms in schools—where grade repetition does not necessarily correlate with academic progress—drive these inefficiencies. While financial constraints and teenage pregnancy are often cited as primary reasons for dropping out, the document suggests that a lack of academic progress and disengagement in the FET phase are deeper drivers. To address this, the author proposes a General Education Certificate at Grade 9 to provide a legitimate exit point and signal competency to employers, as the National Senior Certificate (NSC) currently acts as the only credible signal of quality in the labour market.

The report analyzes 32 judicial precedents and 16 'live' cases to assess the legal landscape of mining and environmental rights in South Africa. It highlights a significant increase in litigation since the 2004 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), noting that while courts have made progressive rulings on land-use planning and consultation, there are critical gaps in jurisprudence regarding the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the National Water Act (NWA). The document identifies systemic failures in the Department of Mineral Resources' (DMR) administrative processes, including lengthy appeal delays and inadequate public notification, and provides strategic recommendations for civil society to use constitutional norms and specific precedents to hold mining companies and the state accountable.

The research examines the social and spatial transformation of Roodepoort through the proliferation of sectional title townhouse complexes. It argues that these developments are not merely neoliberal enclaves but are essential tools for 'middle-classing,' allowing young Black and white South Africans to secure privacy, respectability, and a predictable regulatory environment. The author posits that the Body Corporates governing these complexes provide a form of 'ordinary life' legality that the broader South African state has failed to deliver, creating a common social world where racial identities persist but no longer necessarily dictate antagonistic social positions.

The statement examines the instability of the Arab Spring, the complexities of the 'responsibility to protect' doctrine, and the geopolitical shift toward state capitalism. It specifically addresses South Africa's diplomatic efforts in Sudan and South Sudan, its aspirations within the African Union, and the role of the South African Development Partnership Agency. The author also highlights SAIIA's ranking as the top think-tank in Sub-Saharan Africa and its youth development initiatives.

President Jacob Zuma's 2012 State of the Nation Address focuses on a "massive infrastructure development drive" to combat unemployment, poverty, and inequality. The plan includes five geographically-focussed programmes to integrate rail, road, and water infrastructure, alongside significant investments in ports and mining beneficiation. The address also highlights the transition toward a green economy, including solar energy targets and the management of acid mine drainage, while reporting on progress in education, health, and land reform.

The document analyzes South Africa's efforts to attract sustainable local and foreign investment through a combination of industrial policies, such as the New Growth Path (NGP), and a diverse catalogue of financial and fiscal incentives. It highlights a significant decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) between 2008 and 2010, attributed largely to high labor costs, and examines the 'Gateway into Africa' initiative designed to make South Africa a regional investment hub. The paper details various dti-managed incentives targeting SMMEs, industrial development, and specific sectors like automotive and film, while noting that many investors remain unaware of these schemes or find the application process cumbersome.

The research challenges the assumption that absolute poverty and school fees are the primary causes of school drop-out in South Africa. While enrolment is high, completion rates remain low. The authors argue that 'relative poverty'—the subjective experience of inequality and social exclusion within the school environment—creates psychological barriers and disincentives for poor learners to remain in school, particularly in socio-economically mixed settings.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2011-12 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Key trends include a 30% increase in registered EMIs, a significant rise in Section 24G administrative fines, and a focus on combating rhino poaching. The report provides detailed statistics on criminal dockets, convictions, and industrial inspections, while highlighting landmark court cases and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.

The document details South Africa's efforts to increase water access, which has risen from 62% in 1994 to 93% in 2011. It highlights strategic water infrastructure projects, such as the Mokolo and Crocodile River (West) project and the Spring Grove Dam, alongside a focus on groundwater and desalination. Environmental priorities include combating rhino poaching, implementing the Waste Act to foster a recycling sector, and finalizing a Climate Change Response Policy White Paper ahead of the UN Climate Change conference in Durban. The Minister emphasizes the role of the environment sector in job creation through programs like Working for Water and Working for Wetlands.

The report evaluates South Africa's progress on governance themes identified by the APRM, noting that while institutional frameworks exist, implementation is often lacking. Key areas of concern include corruption, party-state blurring through 'cadre deployment', and high levels of poverty and unemployment. While elections are rated highly, the report highlights significant challenges in the justice system, service delivery, and the protection of media freedom.