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The Municipal Performance Management Technical Digest (2025) is a guide produced by the Public Affairs Research Institute as part of the COMPACT project. It outlines the legislative frameworks, core components, and best practices for municipal performance management in South Africa, emphasizing the need for stronger community involvement to improve accountability and service delivery.

An open letter from Jabu Hlatshwayo, an intern at the Public Affairs Research Institute, to President Ramaphosa, urging the South African government to prioritize urban land reform and the youth following the February 9, 2023, State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The 2023 Energy Services Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes the growth of South Africa's energy services market, driven by load shedding and rising electricity costs. Key opportunities include rooftop solar PV (projected 10 GWp by 2035), battery storage (projected R32.5 billion by 2035), and smart meters (projected R40 billion by 2035). While technology costs are falling and financing is becoming more accessible, the market faces barriers such as port inefficiencies and a shortage of technical skills.

The 2023 Water Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape identifies significant investment opportunities in South Africa's public wastewater infrastructure, specifically focusing on metropolitan municipalities. The report highlights a critical state of existing infrastructure, the potential for circular economy solutions through sludge beneficiation, and the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy interventions to combat rising costs and energy insecurity.

This briefing by the Public Affairs Research Institute provides a summary of the findings and recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture (the Zondo Commission). The Commission investigated systemic corruption in South Africa between January 2018 and June 2022, focusing on how private actors, specifically the Gupta enterprise, collaborated with state officials to redirect public resources for private gain.

The Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change, adopted on 2 July 2022, is a statement by over 300 individuals and representatives from more than 100 civil society, labour, business, and faith-based organisations. The document asserts that South Africa's constitutional democracy is under threat from corruption and state capture, and it outlines a programme of action to reclaim democratic integrity, reform the electoral system, and professionalise the public service.

A press statement issued on 23 January 2022 by a collective of organisations, including the Public Affairs Research Institute and the Defend our Democracy Campaign, condemning the targeting of migrants in South Africa and calling for government intervention to prevent xenophobic violence.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) issued a statement condemning recent xenophobic violence in South Africa, calling for political leadership to stop scapegoating migrants and for the state to prosecute criminals and implement civic education based on common humanity.

This report projects that Eskom's planned non-compliance with South Africa's Minimum Emission Standards (MES) would lead to an estimated 16,000 avoidable premature deaths and significant excess emissions of SO2, NOx, particulate matter, and mercury. The health impacts are particularly acute in the Gauteng region, where 3,100 premature deaths could be avoided through full compliance. The analysis also highlights that mercury deposition would exceed health risk thresholds over 89,000km², affecting 3.4 million people.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network (HEJN), submitted preliminary comments on the Department of Environmental Affairs' (DEA) draft mid-term review (MTR) of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). The CER argues that the draft review is outdated, lacks a systematic methodology, and fails to provide sufficient evidence to support its conclusions, ultimately concluding that the HPA's goal of achieving compliance with national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) has not been met.

This report documents a national workshop held on 16 and 17 September 2010 in Durban, jointly hosted by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The workshop aimed to explore how the newly established Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) should interpret and engage with its mandate to address police corruption, specifically focusing on the distinction between individual and systemic corruption.

This research paper by Jonny Steinberg for the Institute for Security Studies examines the 'xenophobic riots' in South Africa between 11 and 26 May 2008. Through interviews with victims, perpetrators, and local leaders, the author argues that while the violence targeted foreign nationals, it was driven by a patrimonial understanding of the economy as a finite resource and fueled by local struggles for state patronage.

This report evaluates the first five years of South Africa's metropolitan police departments (MPDs), noting their heavy focus on traffic enforcement over crime prevention due to resource constraints and a lack of investigative powers. It also details the transformation of public order policing into Area Crime Combating Units (ACCUs) and assesses the impact of 'zero tolerance' community courts in the Western Cape, finding that while they improve access to justice, some (like the Cape Town court) may disproportionately target homeless populations.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) of South Africa responded to a request from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to develop regulations for the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). The DEA declined this request, stating that the AQMP is a collaborative plan rather than a regulation and that existing air quality management tools are sufficient. The document also provides a detailed response to the 'Broken Promises' report, outlining progress in air quality governance, monitoring, and intergovernmental cooperation within the HPA.

This document contains the Applicant's Heads of Argument and Practice Note filed by the City of Cape Town in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria). The City is seeking a declaratory order regarding the interpretation of section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006 (ERA), arguing that a ministerial determination is not required for an independent power producer (IPP) to establish a new power plant and supply electricity to the City. The City contends that the current interpretation held by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the Minister of Energy is either legally incorrect or unconstitutional as it infringes upon the autonomy of local government.

This guide outlines the criteria and risk assessments for mining activities within high-importance biodiversity priority areas. It establishes a rigorous set of filters and a risk-averse approach to determine if mining is an optimal land use compared to the preservation of critical ecosystems and water resources.

This brochure describes the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), a Johannesburg-based African research institute founded in May 2010. PARI focuses on research into constraints to effective governance, institutional design, and state-society relations to promote equitable policies and reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa and the global South.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute analyzes the financial and operational crisis facing South African municipal electricity distribution and proposes integrating existing rooftop solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a pathway to reduce bulk costs and improve reliability.

This guide from the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a framework for implementing energy-efficient lighting in cities, focusing on the transition from incandescent bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), LEDs, and efficient fluorescent tubes. It details the technical and financial benefits of these technologies, identifies implementation barriers, and provides case studies from South Africa and international examples to illustrate potential energy and carbon savings.

The Low-Carbon Mobility Challenge Toolkit, published by WWF South Africa, provides a comprehensive guide for municipalities to organize experiential learning events that promote sustainable transport. The challenge encourages teams to navigate a city using low-carbon transport options, with the winner being the team with the lowest carbon footprint rather than the fastest time.