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This monograph by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the performance of South Africa's three core criminal justice departments—Safety and Security, Justice and Constitutional Development, and Correctional Services—between January 2001 and December 2002. It analyzes crime statistics, budget allocations, and departmental workloads, concluding that while performance was satisfactory, capacity constraints and a significant court case backlog hinder sustained improvement.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzing the outcomes of a four-day African National Congress (ANC) policy conference, noting a lack of clarity on key issues such as education, corruption, and the economy ahead of the national conference in Mangaung.

This monograph examines the role of traditional leadership in South Africa, specifically focusing on the administration of justice and crime prevention within the rural community of Mokopane in Limpopo province.

This monograph examines the rise of vigilantism in South Africa as a response to a high crime rate and an inefficient criminal justice system. It highlights the Mapogo-a-Mathamaga group as a significant example and provides recommendations for the state to reduce vigilantism by improving judicial transparency, prosecuting vigilantes, and enhancing community partnerships.

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 Violence Prevention Forum, published by the Institute for Security Studies, argues that South Africa requires ethical leadership and a commitment to violence prevention to achieve a just and inclusive peace. It highlights a disconnect between a pervasive public narrative of violence and the reality that most South Africans desire unity and are actively working to improve their communities through local interventions.

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 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 collection of articles from SA Crime Quarterly No 8 (June 2004) examines various aspects of the South African criminal justice system, including the legality of lethal force in property defense, police accountability and misconduct monitoring, strategies for local crime prevention through by-laws, national victimisation trends, the application of the Domestic Violence Act by magistrates, and the operational mandate and independence of the Directorate of Special Operations (the Scorpions).

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 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 research paper by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) provides an overview of the 2007 National Crime and Victimisation Survey (NCVS) in South Africa. It compares data from 2007 with previous surveys from 1998 and 2003 to track trends in victimisation, reporting rates, public perceptions of safety, and the performance of the criminal justice system.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes voter participation and the outcomes of South Africa's May 2014 national and provincial elections. It highlights a steady decline in electoral participation since 1994, particularly among youth and rural populations, and examines the shifting political landscape as the African National Congress (ANC) faces reduced majorities in urban centers like Gauteng.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes South African Police Service (SAPS) violent crime statistics for the period of 1 April 2016 to 30 March 2017. It highlights an increase in murders and aggravated robberies, while noting that decreases in assault and sexual offences may be due to declining reporting rates rather than a reduction in crime. The document argues that police performance has deteriorated due to management crises and political interference, and suggests that long-term reductions in violence require addressing root social causes and improving the quality and frequency of crime data reporting.

The Biocultural Protocol of the Kukula Traditional Health Practitioners Association outlines the roles, knowledge systems, and conservation practices of over 350 traditional healers in South Africa's Bushbuckridge area. It establishes guidelines for the sustainable harvest of medicinal plants and sets formal requirements for researchers and commercial bioprospectors seeking access to their traditional knowledge.

This guide, produced by the Kukula Traditional Health Practitioners Association and Natural Justice, establishes a biocultural protocol for traditional health practitioners in Bushbuckridge. It outlines the role of these practitioners in community health, the spiritual and traditional methods used to harvest medicinal plants, and the challenges they face regarding land access and the protection of indigenous knowledge. The document asserts the rights of practitioners to access protected areas for medicinal resources and sets conditions for researchers and commercial entities seeking to use their traditional knowledge.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute examines the Lephalale Local Municipality's efforts to transition into a post-apartheid city while grappling with a legacy of private land and infrastructure ownership. It details how the construction of the Medupi power station triggered a population boom that overwhelmed the municipality's limited capacity, leading to infrastructure failure and the growth of informal settlements. The document highlights the municipality's dependence on corporate entities like Exxaro and Eskom for basic services and the role of the Lephalale Development Forum (LDF) as a parallel, business-funded governance structure.

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.