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The document examines the failure of mining community trusts in South Africa to deliver broad-based empowerment, highlighting the risks of the 2016 Mining Charter III's new state-managed agency and contrasting the success of the Bafokeng with the maladministration seen in the Bapo Ba Mogale and Bakwena Ba Mogopa communities.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies argues that South Africa's reliance on reactive criminal justice spending is ineffective at reducing violent crime and advocates for a radical shift toward investment in preventive social programmes.

South Africa's 2nd Biennial Update Report (BUR-2) provides a comprehensive overview of the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2000 to 2012, its mitigation strategies, and the financial and technical support received to transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy by 2030.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted comments on the Background Information Document (BID) for the proposed Mokolo Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project Phase 2 (MCWAP-2). The submission expresses significant reservations regarding the project's sustainability and feasibility, citing climate change and water scarcity, and requests further clarity on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process and public consultation.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued an open letter to Anglo American plc on February 29, 2016, urging transparency and public participation regarding the company's plans to divest its coal and iron ore assets in South Africa to prevent the creation of further derelict and ownerless mines.

The ATI Network Shadow Report 2016 analyzes the implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) in South Africa based on 369 requests made by civil society organizations between August 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016. The report highlights significant barriers to accessing information from both public and private bodies, including high refusal rates, failure to meet statutory timeframes, and the misuse of grounds for refusal.

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16, published by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), provides a comprehensive overview of environmental law enforcement activities in South Africa. It details the capacity of the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), national compliance statistics, provincial performance, and specific case studies regarding industrial pollution and biodiversity crimes, particularly rhino poaching.

This policy briefing assesses the role and implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within South Africa's mining industry. It argues that while mining companies possess significant financial capacity to support socio-economic development, their efforts are often hindered by a lack of coordination with government plans, poor monitoring, and a tendency to treat CSR as ad hoc charitable donations rather than integrated strategic investments.

This research paper examines the rise and fall of specialised investigative units within the South African Police Service (SAPS) between 1995 and 2015. It details how initial rationalisation under George Fivaz was followed by aggressive restructuring and decentralisation under Jackie Selebi, which the author argues led to a critical loss of expertise, demoralisation of staff, and a diminished capacity to combat serious, violent, and organised crime. The paper concludes that the loss of these units was a 'spectacular failure' and supports the recent policy shifts toward re-establishing specialised crime-fighting units as recommended by the National Development Plan 2030.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the infrastructure and effectiveness of foreign direct investment (FDI) promotion in South Africa. It examines the decentralised system of provincial investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and their relationship with the national agency, Trade and Investment South Africa (TISA). The author argues for increased strategic oversight by TISA to reduce inter-provincial competition and improve the quality and sustainability of FDI inflows, particularly in the context of the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill of 2013.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2013/14 provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). It details statistics on criminal and administrative enforcement, compliance monitoring across 'brown' (pollution/waste) and 'green' (biodiversity) sectors, and specific case studies involving industrial facilities and wildlife crime, particularly rhino poaching.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the persistence of political killings in post-apartheid South Africa, noting a high concentration of these incidents in KwaZulu-Natal and a low rate of criminal convictions.

This research paper presents an interview between Brendan Boyle and attorney Hugh Eiser regarding the Bapo-ba-Mogale community's struggle over platinum royalties and land rights in the North West province of South Africa. The discussion focuses on the alleged misappropriation of community funds by the North West government, the failure of the provincial government to formally recognize the community's Traditional Council, and the exploitative relationship between the community and the mining company Lonmin Plc.

This research paper analyzes a 2013 North West High Court judgement regarding the Royal Bafokeng Nation's (RBN) authority to litigate on behalf of its community. The author argues that the case highlights a tension between the political authority of traditional leaders and the rights of community members to be consulted and to speak for themselves, particularly concerning land and resource ownership.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the integrity of South Africa's 2014 national and provincial elections. It examines the performance of the Electoral Commission (IEC), instances of political violence and intimidation, the use of state resources for campaigning, and the role of media coverage in informing voters.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates South Africa's third African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) National Programme of Action (NPoA) implementation report (SAIR3), launched in January 2014. While the author notes significant improvements in the quality, honesty, and consultative nature of the reporting compared to previous efforts, the briefing concludes that the APRM remains largely a foreign policy tool with minimal domestic impact due to a lack of integration into national planning and persistent governance challenges.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes potential electoral outcomes and political scenarios for South Africa for the period 2014 to 2029. It explores four primary pathways—'Bafana Bafana', 'The Future is ANC', 'The Rise of Multiparty Democracy', and 'A Nation Divided'—evaluating how factors such as ANC leadership, trade union splits (specifically NUMSA and COSATU), and youth voter apathy influence economic growth and poverty levels.

This 2014 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes the energy efficiency sector in South Africa, focusing on standards, legislation, financial incentives, and specific markets including solar water heaters, energy-saving lighting, and embedded generation.

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2014-15 provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), known as the 'Green Scorpions'. The report details the growth of EMI capacity, national compliance and enforcement statistics, legislative developments, and specific operational outcomes across the 'green' (biodiversity), 'brown' (pollution and waste), and 'blue' (marine and coastal) sectors. It highlights a significant increase in the number of designated inspectors and a focus on high-risk areas such as rhino poaching and industrial pollution.

The 2014 Blue Drop Report evaluates the performance of 1,036 drinking water supply systems across South Africa's Water Services Authorities (WSAs) for the 2013 calendar year. While microbiological compliance is high, the national average Blue Drop score declined from 87.6% in 2012 to 79.6% in 2014, and the number of systems achieving Blue Drop certification dropped from 98 to 44. The report highlights critical needs for improvement in chemical compliance, water use efficiency, and asset management across various provinces.