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This fact sheet, produced by the Institute for Economic Justice and SECTION27, analyzes budget trends in South Africa's basic education sector. It argues that austerity measures have led to a real-terms decline in per-learner funding, resulting in critical infrastructure failures, particularly regarding school sanitation and support for learners with disabilities, despite the constitutional right to basic education.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the rise of lawlessness in South Africa, arguing that it is driven by government failure in service delivery and endemic corruption. The author warns that increasing violence in protests, the rise of vigilantism, and the perceived exemption of certain sectors from the law could lead to a full-scale revolt unless citizens hold the government accountable.

This research paper evaluates the population projections used in South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, arguing that the NDP does not sufficiently account for the effects of migration. Using the International Futures (IFs) model and 2011 National Census data, the authors present three population scenarios for 2030 based on varying levels of in-migration, all of which are higher and represent a wider range of uncertainty than the NDP's figures.

This monograph by the Institute for Security Studies examines the complexities of crime in South Africa, highlighting the limitations of official statistics and the regional variations in criminality. It argues that crime is a multifaceted problem requiring localized strategies and announces a comprehensive research project by the Institute for Defence Policy to address critical gaps in policy data and emerging security concerns.

This statement from the Institute for Security Studies warns of potential violence in South Africa surrounding a 30 June deadline set by anti-immigration groups for 'illegal' foreign nationals to leave the country. The document highlights the risk of peaceful protests degenerating into attacks by armed groups and calls for the South African Police Service (SAPS) and movement leaders to prioritize the protection of lives to avoid a tragedy similar to the 2008 xenophobic riots or the July 2021 unrest.

This monograph examines crime and policing in rural South Africa, finding that rural populations experience victimisation rates similar to urban areas but face greater severity due to a lack of social services. Based on a survey of 756 inhabitants across six provinces, the report highlights a lack of confidence in police capabilities and argues that safety interventions should prioritise improving basic policing and reactive services over complex social crime prevention programmes.

This briefing from the Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis (CPRA) unit in Pretoria, dated 13 September 2012, details internal divisions within the African National Congress (ANC) as the party prepares for its electoral conference in Mangaung in December.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the 'rural protection plan' implemented in South Africa in 1997 to combat violent attacks on farms and smallholdings. Based on statistics from 1997 to 1999 and fieldwork in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, the report analyzes the motives behind these crimes, the effectiveness of security structures like the commando system, and the impact of socio-economic factors such as land hunger and poor labour relations.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the challenges facing South Africa's electricity sector, specifically the gap between energy planning and grid planning. Using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting model, the author develops three scenarios to 2050—Current Path, Efficient Grid, and Smarter Grid—to demonstrate how integrated planning, operational flexibility, and coherent policies for small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) can improve economic growth and reduce poverty and carbon emissions.

This report provides a detailed exploration of restorative justice (RJ) projects across several South African provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, and Western Cape. It examines the implementation of Victim-Offender Conferences (VOCs) and Family Group Conferences (FGCs) across government departments, civil society organizations, and traditional authorities.

This document is an introductory section and acronym list from a report titled 'Hide and Seek: Taking Account of Small Arms in Southern Africa'. It describes a research project initiated in 2001 by Gun Free South Africa (GFSA) and the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) to examine the trade, use, and control of small arms and light weapons (SALW) across nine Southern African countries between 1994 and 2003.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates anti-corruption efforts within the South African Department of Social Development (DSD), specifically focusing on the delivery of social grants. It examines the transition from a fragmented apartheid-era system to a centralized model involving the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), while highlighting systemic challenges such as poverty, maladministration, and inter-agency tensions.

This monograph by Lukas Muntingh of the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO) examines the necessity and implementation of offender reintegration to reduce recidivism, with a primary focus on the South African context. It argues that traditional imprisonment often fails as a crime reduction technique and advocates for a reintegrative approach to punishment and holistic, empowerment-based programming.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a detailed analysis of 787 closed police dockets from Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town to understand the role of firearms in South African crime. It examines various firearm-related offences, including robbery, murder, and contraventions of the Arms and Ammunition Act, while highlighting significant gaps in police data collection and investigation quality.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the effectiveness of South African border control mechanisms in preventing the illegal smuggling of firearms. Through case studies in KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape, and surveys of 52 land border posts, the research identifies systemic failures including severe understaffing, lack of basic infrastructure, and corruption. While the South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are the primary actors, the report finds that the permeability of the borders remains excessive, with illegal firearms and other contraband moving across the borderline frequently outside of official ports of entry.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the economic reinsertion of demobilised military personnel in South Africa, focusing on the challenges faced by former soldiers from both statutory and non-statutory forces. It analyzes the mismatch between the skills of demobilised personnel—who are predominantly unskilled or semiskilled—and the demands of a South African labour market that increasingly favors skilled workers. The document provides a profile of demobilised soldiers, evaluates the effectiveness of the SANDF's reintegration efforts, and offers recommendations for improving employment outcomes through targeted reskilling and public-private partnerships.

This monograph examines the evolution, legislative framework, and operational challenges of municipal policing in post-apartheid South Africa. It details the transition from apartheid-era township policing and traditional traffic departments to the establishment of modern Municipal Police Services (MPS) under the South African Police Service Amendment Act No 83 of 1998, focusing on the experiences of major cities like Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town.

This report details a study of nearly 3,000 arrestees in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban to examine the relationship between drug use and crime in South Africa. Using interviews and urinalysis, the research identifies strong ethnic and regional segmentation in drug markets, noting high prevalence of cannabis and Mandrax among certain groups and a growing crack cocaine market linked to sex work and Nigerian syndicates. The authors argue for nuanced, locally-based interventions rather than broad national strategies.

This report analyzes the restructuring of the South African Police Service (SAPS) detective service, which involved redeploying 503 specialized units to station-level operations to improve crime investigation capacity. The author identifies several systemic failures, including unmanageable caseloads, a rigid bureaucratic hierarchy, and poor conviction rates. The report highlights critical overlaps and rivalries between the SAPS and the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO), as well as the precarious financial and operational state of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). Recommendations include increasing the number of detectives, reducing bureaucratic controls, and clarifying the mandates of new specialized units to avoid repeating past failures.

This report presents a case study on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on local councils in Botswana, specifically examining Gaborone city council, Lobatse town council, and Kgatleng district council. It details how the epidemic increases demand for public services while simultaneously eroding the capacity of councils to supply them through staff attrition and illness. The document highlights a gap between Botswana's comprehensive national policy framework and the lack of institutionalised, internal workplace responses within local government councils.